Bernard never knew how his feet had guided him to Metro City’s cemetery, or how he had found Rapunzel’s grave. He barely could remember listening his own voice, asking random strangers about this. All he had now in his hands was his violin, and a box with Rapunzel’s gift. 

Before him, a silent grave with Rapunzel’s name greeted him. There was nothing about her, only her portrait, and her name. No one had bothered writing her age, who were his parents, anything… Only an empty space. A pit for the sadness.

Just like the pic he was feeling inside his heart now. One filled with rage and hatred toward Psycho Delic, mixed with an inmense guilt and sorrow.

“I’m… I’m so sorry, Rapunzel…” he whispered, kneeling before the grave, regarless of his jeans getting dirty. “I’ve promised you… That I’d protect you, if you called me…” he shook his head, trying to fight the tears coming to his eyes. “And look… I just left the city for once, and this… this happened… It’s my fault… My fault…!!!”

All his body was trembling by now. Anyone who had close enough to watch what was happening would see the bitter tears running down the curators’s cheeks, dying on the cold stone. For a few minutes, Bernard tried to put himself together, but he couldn’t. His heart was shattered for this loss. And the same reverie which had guided him to this place also took over him for his next actions. Thankfully for him, he was the last man in the cemetery at those hours of the twilight.

Dived into an ocean of yellow, orange and red, Bernard’s eyes only could look to the sky, looking for a signal, something which could tell him she was still there, listening to him. He couldn’t see anything, just a couple of crows taking flight.

No one saw him throwing a lit match to the box containg Rapunzel’s gift. ”I guess this is the only way my gift could reach you…” he said, smiling weakly, as he got up, setting his violin onto his arm. “And this is the best I can give you now…”

A sad melody filled the air of the evening, as Bernard sang with it. He always wanted to show his musical talent to his best friends, but he had been too shy to do it. Now it was too late for Rapunzel…

[…And the shadow of the day

Will embrace the world in gray.

And the sun will set for you…]

And there he was. Playing a concert for a dead girl. A friend he couldn’t protect. He never would see again her smile, her gracious hair waving into the hair, the little brainbots always chasing and playing with her. Why the good people had to die? Bernard let his violin sing his feelings for a moment, hoping it could could voice what he couldn’t express with words. 

But this wasn’t enough. It never would be enough. She never would be able to thank him, at least not in this world. Would Heaven and Hell exist, as the rest of the universes? He hoped, and prayed yes, when his eyes noticed something. There was something written on the grave.

A song. 

A song which remembered him Rapunzel. He almost could see her there, singing the song for him, but it was only his imagination… Still, Bernard felt he had to sing it. A song to heal the world, as Rapunzel wanted.

The curator never knew he had been the last singing those verses in the city. They mingled with the sky, with the sun, with his own tears. And he didn’t care if there were others watching him, or not. Because this was the last moment he’d have with her friend, and he would make those minutes worth it.

[ Flower, gleam and glow.

Let your power shine.

Make the clock reverse.

Bring back what once was mine.

Heal what has been hurt.

Change the Fates’ design.

Save what has been lost.

Bring back what once was mine.

What once was mine… ]

But those emotions were too dificult to handle, all at once. Bernard ended falling on his knees again, crying, crying as he hadn’t done in a long, long time…

“I’m so sorry… SO SORRY, Rapunzel…”

The man who left the cemetery that night was a little different. He was aware of the dangers which implied fighting the villains, he always had been.

But that evening, Bernard decided he would do anything in his hands to bring down Psycho Delic. He would avenge her. In those hours of sorrow, Bernard knew he’d play his part in the city’s destiny, as a war horse, ready to cross the enemy lines if necessary. 

He’d never allow a tragedy like this again. Never again.

When the plane finally landed on Metro City, the young sandy-haired curator never expected the disaster which had taken place during his holidays.

In the end, they hadn’t spent one, but two weeks on Paris. Bernard really had enjoyed these days with his boyfriend, they had been the best time of his life so far. With their suitcases full of photos, great memories and bags of gifts, the couple hadn’t noticed the terrible news echoing in the newspaper.

Surprisingly, no one from their families had come to welcome them at the airport. Bernard guessed they were just too busy with their jobs, given Grace’s last text wasn’t telling him too much.

[Text] I’m really sorry, Bernie… I can’t go to the airport right now. Something happened, and… I’m not feeling too well. Don’t worry for us, Steve, and me are OK, but… Well. I’m sure you’ll know it soon.

That was what she said. What was going on? Bernard really didn’t want to think about it, though the possibilities of Katelynn being in trouble were very high. But she was a survivor, wasn’t she? It didn’t matter how much the villains tried to hurt her, Katelynn’s inner strength was able to overcome all the obstacles. Those were his thoughts, as Wayne and him were driven to Bernard’s apartment. Bernard still had time to exchange a few texts with Katelynn. Fortunatelly, she was alright.

After a few, sweet goodbye kisses, Wayne went home, while Bernard stayed at his apartment. After leaving his suitacases on his bedroom, the man took a moment to relax, playing his violin, letting his mind fly. He was so out of the loop…

Bernard  hadn’t a better idea than reading the newspapers. And that was his worst mistake. All them were echoing the same images: the funeral, the corpse of the long-haired angel in Metro Man’s arms, while Psycho Delic was running away, laughing like mad.

Something broke inside Bernard at the time.

Rapunzel was dead.

She had been killed.

She, who had been his friend. She, who had begun to heal supers following his advice. She, who was going to receive a beautiful dress as gift from his Valentines holidays. Rapunzel, the girl with the magic hair.

She was dead.

dark-blue-mondays:

Harrison looked outside the windows of the car, dressed in a black suit. He had attended the funeral of the young woman who had been murdered, not because he knew her, but because of Wayne. He’d sat besides him during the procession, the speeches, and had placed his hand upon his throughout everything. And when the time came to leave, he left just as quickly. 

They’d gotten into his car, a simple four door one not a fancy limo since a funeral is not the place to show off like that, and had been driven back to his building. 

Things were tense. How could they not be? Harrison gave a small sigh as they drove through town, and turned his attention to the man sitting besides him, whose hand he still holds. 

“It was a nice service.” he commented, the first thing he’d said since before the service had even begun. One couldn’t talk during a funeral, after all. It was a time for reflecting on life, death, loss, and all they had to be thankful for but also shed tears at the loss of an innocent. Though, he himself hadn’t cried… he hadn’t known her, after all.

I guess. [Wayne sighs heavily, slumping in his seat and staring up and the ceiling of the vehicle. He’d been glad for Harrison’s presence at the funeral and he is glad of it now. Hell, for the week his boyfriend has been the only anchor he’s had. If it weren’t for the blue man next to him, he’d have either run himself completely ragged looking for Psycho or crawled into a hole and given up. As it is, he’d spent a couple days holed up in Harrison’s apartment wallowing in his sorrow and failure before he’d forced himself to get up and get moving. Letting Doctor Whitewall finish patching him up, then he’d back out onto the streets. Each night, though he returns to the comfort of Harrison’s arms. And despite how uncomfortable it had made him, Wayne had eventually brought a duffel bag of his things to the apartment for convenience rather than flying back to Scott Manor for every little thing.]

Thank you for going with me. [He gives his boyfriend’s hand a small squeeze. Harrison had only went for his sake and they both knew it.]