NathMarc November 2020

It would all be over soon. Nathaniel would finally be rid of his Squip, and this nightmare would be over. He'd have his free will back, he wouldn't get electrocuted for every tiny mistake, and it wouldn't keep him away from Marc anymore.

Said boy rushed over to him with the Mountain Dew Red bottle in his hands. Nathaniel really didn't deserve him. Even after all he's done, Marc came to help him.

He reached out to grab the bottle when suddenly, Alya stood between the two

"I know what you're doing, Marc! I know what everyone's doing! ALL THE TIME!!!" She yelled

The students surrounded the two. All of them had glowing eyes and circuits on their cheeks, "I JUST FEEL SO CONNECTED TO YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW!!!" They exclaimed in an eerie unison

"Nath! Catch!" Marc threw the bottle and Nathaniel caught it. Adrien and Nino then grabbed Marc's arms then held him down. Marinette approached him with the beaker of Mountain Dew and Squips and forced him to drink it

"Marc! No!" Nathaniel yelled. He tried to drink from the bottle, but his Squip was physically restraining him

"You don't want to drink that, Nathaniel!" His Squip shouted

Nathaniel retorted, "Why not?!"

The Squip smirked, "Because then you'll never be with him-!"

Glass shattered. Nathaniel and his Squip turned to see Marc on his hands and knees. Beside him was the shattered beaker of the Squip-infected Mountain Dew. Marc had a horrified look on his face.

"Marc!" Nathaniel ran over to him, "Marc, don't listen to it, please! Whatever it's saying is a lie!"

"So you don't like me?"

"... W-what?"

"Nath," he stood, "I want to apologize."

Nathaniel furrowed his brow, "You... Why?"

Marc smiled, "I should've taken a Squip with you. You were right! About how it feels, I feel... amazing!"

"No!" Nathaniel yelled as Marc's kind green eyes became a glowing crimson and the same colored circuits appeared along his cheeks

"Nath, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you. I hate writing, the voice in my head says so! I don't need to write to feel smart! My Squip can do that for me."

Nathaniel gaped, "That... That is not Marc." As he backs away from the Squipped boy, his Squip places a hand on his shoulder

"Nathaniel, I assure you, it is!" It exclaimed, "Only his fears and insecurities have been removed."

"I feel so brave, Nath! And...safe. And, I was so scared to say this before, but... I love you... I always have." He takes Nathaniel's hand, "Don't you have something to say to me? Something you've been wanting to say for a long time, right?"

"That's your cue," The Squip said

"And... He'll do whatever I want?" He asked

"That's what I promised."

"Great," he whispered. Nathaniel wrapped his arms around Marc's waist, and the latter wrapped his arms around his neck. Finally, they were going to kiss, something Nathaniel had been dreaming about, and so had Marc. They shared each other's thoughts, the same desires. They've been waiting for this moment for so long... But it would have to wait another time.

"Drink this," Nathaniel told Marc as he handed him the nearly empty bottle of Mountain Dew Red

"What?! Th-think about this," The Squip said nervously as Marc began to open the bottle, "Nath- Nathaniel! Think about what you're saying! If he-"

Marc had already taken the last sip. Nothing happens.

"How do you feel?" Nathaniel asked. Suddenly, Marc's head snaps down, like a computer powering off

Nathaniel cautiously approached him, "Uh... Marc?"

Marc head snaps back up. He opens his mouth and emits a glass-shattering scream. But not a normal scream, a supersonic scream, shattering everyone's Squips. As everyone felt their Squips getting destroyed, they let out pained screams before collapsing to the floor

—

Nathaniel wakes up in a hospital bed. Next to him is Alix. He tries to sit up, but pain shot through his body, "Ow!"

"Feels like you're missing a part of yourself, doesn't it?" Alix asked. Nathaniel nodded and laid back down

Alix chuckled, "Hurts like a motherfucker, too. Thanks again, Nath. Even though you sorta started this how shit show-"

"Hey, blame Kim!" Nathaniel exclaimed, "He told me about the Squip."

Alix frowned, "I'm gonna kill that guy. I still owe you. God, I thought we'd never be free from that... Shiny, happy hive mind. I heard some stuff that I did not want to hear," she let out a chuckle

Nathaniel looked confused, "But... How is your Squip gone?"

Alix smirked, "Ask him." She points to the doorway where Marc is standing, "Hey, Marc."

He smiled, "Hey," he greeted before walking over and closing the curtain divider, leaving just him and Nathaniel

"Wh-what happened?" He asked, "All I remember is that noise, and..." He trailed off. Marc sat on the bed next to him and explained what happened

"I-I guess we were communicating with each other – we were linked. Which means... when you consider the kind of high-frequency sonic disturbance needed to wipe a system that powerful..."

Nathaniel rubbed his temples, "Marc, my head still hurts," he reminded him

"Oh, sorry," he apologized, then continued, "Turns out you didn't have to destroy every Squip. Only one.

"... I didn't know that," Nathaniel admitted. Marc's face went red.

"... You chose to save me from that... Hive mind? Over the entire school?... Over you?"

"Of course," Nathaniel smiled, "I'd do anything for you." He then frowned, "Marc, I-I need to know something. When you were Squipped, y-you said you loved me. You also said that a voice in your head told you that you hate writing... Did your Squip make you say that you lo-" He was cut off by Marc grabbing the collar of his shirt and kissing him. Nathaniel instantly kissed back. They stayed like this for five more seconds before pulling away

"... That was all me."