Chapter Text
Fuck Bandu.
Fuck Bandu and that weird circular thing WHATEVER. Expunged was feeling weird all over her body, sometimes she was sweating, other times he wouldn't stop shaking, sometimes he would stop and FEEL his insides tingling, not at all happy with this outcome.
The accident happened a day (she assumes, since it was kinda hard to tell the time on the 3D realm) ago, after she left the core back to where it had been, saw Bandu passed out in the floor with vomit surrounding him, not really caring if he was breathing or not, she left him on his bed before doing her usual business on the realm.
Thing is, Bandu has still not waken up and the house felt weird, sometimes a piece of the walls would glitch, almost hitting her face, before banishing to bits or getting back into the place it came out from.
It CLEARLY made it mad, so they quickly duplicated the house, moved bandu over to the copy and completely erased the radiated one. House was back to normal. He checked on Bandu, sensing a weird "aura" coming from him, not really an aura but it was the best she could describe it as. It was strong, annoyingly so, so she didnt dare go closer. Maybe another day Bandu would bore himself on pretending, so she just left him there, starting on her 3D realm chores.
It had been another, and apart of still feeling a little weird, Bandu was still on his bedroom. So, she quickly opened a portal to the 2D realm, directly inside the house of the man Dave himself, who was in the kitchen, not at all phased by the bambi-like god just casually making a portal inside his home, pouring hot water to another cup neaby.
"Good morning." Dave said, still a little sleepy. He normally isnt up this early, but Bambi was, which is why he was here making breakfast, sometimes he liked helping Bambi start his day. However, he hadn't come yet, so seeing Expunged at least gave him a reason to not immediately go back to his bed.
Expunged just watched him for a good while before realizing that Dave was making her some tea, quickly taking a seat as to try and scare the tired man, who didnt even flinch.
"I was waiting for Bambi, but i think i got up too early... Or late, i dunno. Whats up?"
Expu would normally play around with the man's emotions as if they were clay, but Bandu not even bothering to get up got his interest more. No, he wasnt worried, what was she, an actual good sibling? deeply, very deep down their shell, an actual good person? hell no, would you really get attached with a random who just says that they're your sibling that suddenly appeared one day? call that shit dumb.
"Its Bandu." Dave made a confused expression the best he could, "played with something with radiation and he wont bother getting off the bed."
"What? radiation— Where did you even get radiation from!?" The disabled man's face got brighter, the sleepiness on his face now not being too obvious. He should thank Expunged for that.
"A weird circle thing, Bandu wouldn't stop bothering about me and i just gave it to him, then a blue flash happened and he's been like that since."
Dave bit his lips.
"Were you near too? When— when that flash happened..?"
"Yeah."
Rapidly, Dave got on his wheelchair to get a good distance between him and the red god. Expu's smile only widened at this.
"Ok, so radiation is very dangerous if you didnt know that, im guessing Bandu was closer since you seem fine. I recommend replacing the entirety of the body he's currently in... And you too, it might've not given you very painful symptoms, which means you did not absorb a high amount of radiation, but your body will eventually stop working sooner or certain parts of it will."
"So, its like poison?"
"Yeah kinda, just this time it kills all your body off way slower, to be more specific its more like cancer but not quite. Uh, you're lucky you guys dont have to use toilets. Now please leave, im not a god that can change forms and i fear my years will shorten if im this close to you... Assuming you've got radiation on you."
Expunged shrugged. Quickly drinking all the tea that was offered to him, and just to annoy, ate the entirety of the cup too, saying a little "thanks" before rapidly teleporting away. Leaving Dave alone again, who just decided to go to bed and forget the weirdly formal conversation he had with the bambi-looking god, also the loss of one cup.
~
When he teleported away he didnt just immediately go back to the 3D realm. Instead, she once again teleported to where she left the weird circular thing, remembering having seen some humans wear something like hazmat suits, what it assumed to help them cover from the radiation. They ignored the screaming humans and checked room for room, wondering if they had more of those suits to talk to Bandu without getting more radiation. He found the changing room, quickly picking up any suits that were spread around the room and finally went back to his (kinda) house.
Just as he was about to get in one, someone knocked on the door. He groaned, sensing already who exactly it was.
No one emanated that strong aura of annoyance, except...
She opened the door.
"BUENOS DÍAS MI REINA!!"
Of course, with a scream just right in her face, a well mannered guest; Bendu, Bandu's best and most annoying friend. A perfect match of silly loser friends.
"Bendu, im busy if you didnt know, so, go away."
Expu really wanted to explode him on the spot when his smile just widened, eyes fluttering a little.
"Well, you dont gotta worry about that, as much as id like to spend time with you hermosa, i havent seen Bandu in a while, so i came to check on him!"
Terrible idea.
"And i told myself, thats a wonderful idea! so, can i come in?"
"No. Bandu he's..." He went silent for a moment, really wondering if telling him that Bandu was probably slowly dying in this very moment would be worth it, it could be fun, but he could get more annoying and persistent with her. "He's sick, very sick with something only i can cure, so i need to concentrate. A lot."
"Oh... Then you should've said something sooner!"
Expu loudly growled as Bendu invited himself into the house, harshly closing the door and seeing how the yellow bambi floated around the house. She ignored him and started to get in one of the suits, which obviously gained the attention of the uninvited guest.
"Whats that for?"
"So i dont get 'sick' while checking on Bandu." He zipped up the suit, fully covering himself in it.
Bendu got closer to get a good look at the suit, he wondered if Expunged choose the red one intentionally.
"Hm... I dont know dear, it makes you look really... Sus..." He cackled afterwards. "Like an among us!" (why did i laught at this)
Expunged groaned, shoving another suit towards the mexican bambi.
"Get in one so we can check on him."
After rapidly getting the suit on, he followed the red bambi-looking god closely. She looked at him, eyes squinting a little before opening the door, the room was dark, you could barely see the possessions Bandu had. They both heard a groan when Expu turned the light on, entering to check on the bedridden.
"Aughh... My eyes..."
"Santa mierda Bandu, you look funny in the bad kinda way."
Expunged looked closely on the bambi body Bandu resided on, she didnt know what radiation did to human bodies other than what little Dave told her, but Bandu looked terrible. The shell of his body was losing color and cracking, he looked weak too and she could sense little bits of power rising uncontrollably before calming down.
She looked through the window, seeing how the sky had more red bits than green ones, seeing as well grey in between the green.
Yep, he was dying. His body, at least.
She had to make a new body for Bandu, but first...
"Bandu, can you get back to your original form?" It asked, floating back next to Bandu.
"Ughh, right now? i cant, it hurts using my powers."
"Got it. I need you to leave that body and dont change into another one, I'll do that for you, which will take me a while but this is basically your fault, so you just gotta deal with being a star for a while."
"Auughhh whatever bro..."
Both watched as Bandu slowly left the body, fully decaying into pieces, that went grey before slowly disappearing, a little white star with a trail that glowed blue between it all. Expunged carefully took him, sensing a message that Ben couldn't from Bandu, telling her he was fine and felt way less heavy, but still somewhat weak.
Expunged deleted the last remaining bits of Bandus shell before leaving the room, Ben following behind, taking the suit off when the door closed and the red clothed god started to float toward the living room.
"I need you to do me a little favor." Expu said, slowly moving Bandu towards the mexican. "I lied about this taking time, so that Bandu gets a little lesson and i get a break from him. What i want you to do is stay here for a week taking care of Bandu— and yes you can ask for whatever payment later."
Ben extended his now visible hands towards the star, sensing the warmth that radiated from Bandu's actual form. The star shifted a little towards Expunged, before apparently recognizing him and slowly floating between Ben's palms.
"Did he hear about you lying to him?" Ben asked, letting Bandu to start slowly circulating around him.
"I dont care if he did. Anyways, he'll slowly start to get back his powers as the days pass, you can help him by throwing random shit at him that he can technically 'eat' or lending him a little bit of your powers, whatever, you're best friends, consider it like an entire week of sleepovers. Stay away from his bed though. Bye."
She disappeared, leaving the guest alone with Bandu.
"Damn, do you really think i'll ever have a chance with her?"
Bandu jerked up and down before slowly going towards the kitchen. Ben assumed he wanted to eat, so he quickly started to rummage on the fridge.
"She forgot to take off the suit. She vented. Thats suspicious. Should i do an emergency meeting... Bandu stop doing that weird sound, are you laughing or in pain i cant tell."