Chapter Nineteen: Niece Gutted, Slow Changes

[Conova POV]

I thought I'd never see my uncle again after I had died. But here I am. A phantom soldier of his past revived through a self torturing skill. Sighing I watched him run about dodging and beating the shit out of monsters and a CRITICAL. He's definitely younger than when I last saw him, I think at that time he was thirty-seven when I died. However, he's not fully there anymore…. He's not the same uncle I knew once before. He's not the same man who saved me from that house. Which I think was the start of his breaking point.

I still remember that day pretty vividly as it was the first day I heard that song. The same day I screamed and begged my father to not rape me and kill me. The same day my rather estranged, by choice, uncle kicked the front door off its hinges after pulling up outside. He was kicking doors open violently while screaming at my father till he found where we were finally. The first time I saw him in years and I saw cold calculating anger as he kicked my father with his pants halfway down his knees. When my father hit that wall uncle Kaiser hurried me out of the room and house.

Getting into the living room I saw the front practically caved and splintered, hanging by one door hinge. Then I flew out the door as loud popping noises went off. Hitting the front lawn I turned back to watch my father crashing through a window. My uncle walked out of the house with red spots forming on his abdomen. My father, still holding a gun he got from somewhere, tried shooting him again, but uncle smashed his face in with his boot. My father died then yet I wasn't scared… uncle Kaiser even though shot he brushed it off and occupied my mind with that song.

Funnily even though he basically didn't want to raise me he in a way made a "sacred vow" like a Witcher. Whenever I was in trouble and he was free from missions he would always just be there teaching, guiding, scolding, and protecting me. He was more like a father to me in those moments than the one who tried to molest me. By the time I had graduated high school I enlisted in the Marines to be closer to my uncle. Heh I'll never forget the final day of boot camp coming around, he shows up in his gear and proceeds to test me. I kissed the ground so many times that day but I enjoyed it because he praised and subtly helped me.

I was almost nineteen when that last mission came up. My uncle had given me clear orders to not play hero, to be the shadow reaper. I didn't listen. I didn't listen to a thing I got in over my head because of some women that had been chained up. I brought the entire Deluion Cartel down onto us. They shot out my knees and elbows before abducting me to their main compound. For days that woman, Diana Richardson, tortured me to find out why we were after her. Yet she didn't expect the carnage that came… I didn't either honestly. The main one causing problems was my uncle as he wore a Combat Adapting Exo-Suite he ripped of Sergeant Daniel's body. A great man I got killed for being green….

Haah… when my uncle ripped the steel door seperating us apart. I knew I wasn't making out. I was dead the moment I felt his eyes. Briefly before my head was turned to mist I saw the subtle signs of heart break. That's as far as I knew till suddenly I'm on the ground taking a deep breath of air. Confused, afraid, and lost as to me I WAS DEAD but when I saw him. Even if he was younger, even if he acted differently, I knew my uncle then that nickname… it hurt because I made him watch his last relative die. All because I was impulsive, green, and stupid I started his break in full.

From what he told me after my death it really made me regret it all that day. I made a man who could be such a warm loving person if you got pass his muteness and randomness and trust issues…. I made him become distant, indifferent, and start going crazy over time. Then there's Xane, his old K9 partner that from the looks the dog gives me… blames me because he knew the end result basically. Out of everyone to blame from my Earth, a dog who knew him for three years, and died for him, blames me.

Then he started working on the game this whole new world is based off of. Working on it he began taking on a cheerful but demented soldier persona to find some relief and force himself to feel better. But… it only seemed to make things worse then the death game happened. Now he's here younger, broken, stuck seeing nightmares so he doesn't sleep really. Fenris, the monster he had designed while she was never meant to just hunt him alone. Had while gaining awareness created extra code and stuck to him alone from what I've gathered.

He found it amusing, she said the moment she did it she learned a lot about him. Slowly over time as she became fully aware and could weakly fight her coding. She told me she had wished she could've been much sooner, to help start what's happening with him now. It mind numbing to know out of everyone, a monster made of code that gained sentience, was the one to wait for him and greet him warmly. Now her going through weeks and months of playing therapy dog and his wife.

Has started to help him mend his wounds through however she can. Granted she's not subtle or subtle in wording when it involves him even to his face. Just that's what's working… its a fucked up calm but patient devotion of a monster that's healing him slowly. I can't even get offended or anything, she's so blunt and crass with him, yet he can smile a bit of a real smile. She's been tortured, killed, and whatever else by him when he lashed out before, yet seeing her patient devotion to making him smile. Its helping him. She puts most women I tried setting him up with to shame really, even if she's basically a giant ass wolf. She's given him one constant thing that I'm grateful for.

"You know watching Locky won't help you find the courage to make up for whatever blame your adding."

Turning around I see the Boss leaning against that walking cats place watching me. Her Werewolf form having a rather glossy shine to its fur from my uncle's care. That rotting spiked collar is displayed rather proudly currently as her lips pulled back into a smirk. Her current butler like outfit looking weird on her but fitting, though she's straining the chest area. Shaking my head I give a look only for the wolf to snort. Her constant attitude to others though is annoying and I don't like it.

"Can I help you? If not fuck off. I'm drowning in self guilt over here."

"No you can't really help me, your not exactly…. Worth asking or helpful to me, not even for watching the pups. But I feel as if you need answers from me instead on Locky's state of mind."

That's just rude saying I'm basically worthless even as a babysitter. But she has a point… super powered werewolf kids aren't something I can handle. Human's? Sure just no babies because like my uncle I nearly punted one for being annoying. Which is odd he hate Human kids, yet likes anything not a Human kid. So that's probably why he hasn't punted his rather new responsibilities. They're not Human kids really.

"Oh don't give me that look you ungrateful shit stain. You say you love your uncle but your doing useless stuff. Stuff he wouldn't care for you fretting over because you can't handle his baggage."

Being called ungrateful snapped something and I started a fight. A fight I refused to back out of because even if she's helping my uncle. I AM NOT UNGRATEFUL!

"Oh and you can handle it all? Yeah right bitch…"

"CHILD I have been helping him with it for a while now, even during the death game. It's just now bearing fruit for my efforts, I've made him vent, I've made him give a small real smile, I've given him a different purpose… I've given him everything I am whole heartedly, even after the shit he's put me through. He's also giving me his best as he fixes his damaged self slowly but surely with a lot of tender care.

But I won't say I can do it alone that is why I dragged Suna into this little messy relationship. I get on his nerves, he gets on mine at times, Suna is a sweetheart who helps us relax and not kill everything. You? You've been dead, and now your out here crying like a Human welp over spilt milk you have no interest in."

"That…. So what?! It's my uncle I was his last family yet I fucked up and nailed the last nail in to break him! I have all the interest in his current state…."

"No, no you don't. That was always going to happen you just got it done early. The him you see now was always the end result no matter what…. You say you did this, you say you have invested interest in this, but to me your a crying Human welp. A crying useless Human welp throwing a self pity tantrum because you think this all revolves around you. Even though mine and Suna's pups are technically Human pups they're not throwing tantrums like you. They know their father isn't okay and are just being there for him with affection. Because to them he's a big part of their narrow world even though he's broken.

You cry in pity because he won't confide in you. They welcome him everytime they see or hear him. Cupcake is constantly with him as his little shadow, even if she can annoy him by biting or using him as a bathroom. You think you alone need to fix my Eilífur Félagi but that is our job alone. Your a phantom… you don't need to fix much of or if anything, just seeing you has helped him. The dog, Xane, though? A phantom he is but a member of the pack he's become, because he only wants his parent to feel happy. I can tell even though my dear dear Locky was broken when he raised that pup, the pup helped him genuinely.

Xane, laid the first ground work by being something he NEEDED. A child loyally and lovingly trying to make the only parent he ever knew happy. That laid the groundwork to help him heal even if it cracked upon his death.

Which sure he's still has that dead look in his eyes, that will fade with time and our care. He'll always be plagued by what's he's seen and done but we'll be there because we love him. He may question if this is really real or a dream so we'll keep reminding him its real until it clicks. He may never have initially wanted pups but I didn't push for it, he decided that on his own. A sudden surprise but that was the first major sign he was getting better. Out of everyone besides our disabled pup, I'm the one most invested and caring towards him. He's my shattered blood moon, him and our pups are my reasons to still exist and not return to the void.

So please stop THIS before I kill you. Its unhealthy for him and I won't let you reset even an inch of progress. He needs stability and love from those who actually care to help… not whatever pity tantrum your brooding in."

"You can't just kill me! You think he'd like tha-"

Before I could even blink her claws dug into my stomach violently gripping my intestines. Her muzzle inches from my face snarling out the last words I'd hear.

"He doesn't have to like it, if its best for his health as a whole I'll KILL ALL THREATS. You threaten that by doing what your doing! So what if you care? Your attitude and actions will only hurt my Lockhart. So goodbye till next time. CHILD."

She ripped my fucking guts out as a plague ate my body up. Uncle Kaiser noticing this but he shakes his head with a sad look on his face. Everything goes black after that.