Chapter Text
[MACAQUE'S APARTAMENT — NIGHT]
It was deep into the night. The city was quiet, blanketed by moonlight and the faint buzz of distant neon signs. For most this peace was comforting—but not for Macaque.
The shadows of the past still lingered.
He stood in the middle of his small, dimly lit apartament. The curtains were drawn, but silvers of light crept in through the edges. His apartament was plain—almost bare—like someone who had never really planned on staying long. A couch sat by the wall, a dusty desk by the window, and a few scattered personal items here and there. But it all fell temporary. Hollow.
Macaque sighed.
He didn't say a word, but the way his shoulders drooped told the whole story. The war was over. The Lady Bone Demon was defeated. The world had moved on.
But he hadn't.
The hold she had over him may have broken the moment she was gone, but the scars, the memories, the weight of it all—they didn't disappear with her. He was free now. Free to go. Free to leave it all behind.
He lifted a hand and, with a whisper of shadow magic, summoned a swrling dark portal in front of him. It flickered faintly in the room, casting strange, dancing shadows on the wall.
He stared at it.
But then—
Click.
The soft sound of the apartament door unloked echoed through the stillness. Macaque didn't turn. He didn't have to. He already knew who it was.
A familiar voice called out, slightly breathless.
"Macaque?"
Macaque shuts his eyes for a moment. Then slowly turned around.
There, standing in the doorway, was MK. His hoddie was half-zipped, his hair messy like he'd run the whole way there. His chest rose and fell as he cought his breath, his eyes locking onto the portal and then Macaque.
A silence passed.
MK's voice cracked just a little as he spoke. "Are you really going to leave?"
Macaque didn't lie.
He sighed and nodded.
"Yes. Like we talked that night."
[FLASHBACK—A FEW NIGHTS AGO]
The city was still recovering from the chaos of the finall battle. The Lady Bone Demon was gone—finally, truly gone. But the scars she left behind still ran deep.
Macaque sat on the edge of a rooftop, legs dangling off the side. The moon hung low and heavy behind him. He looked older in the pale light—tired. Not just physically. Soul-tired.
He didn't notice MK at first, but the kid had been searching for him ever since the fight ended.
"There you are," MK called softly as he climbed up behind him. "Been looking for you."
Macaque gave a low grunt, not turning.
"Didn't ask to be found, kid."
MK walked over anyway and sat beside him.
They both looked out over the city, quiet for a while. The lights twinkled below. Sirens murmured in the distance. Life was moving on.
"You okay?" MK finally asked.
Macaque exhaled slowly.
"I will be. Eventually."
Another pause. Then, without ceremony, he said it:
"I'm leaving."
Mk blinked. "What?"
"I'm leaving the city," Macaque repeated, his tone flat. "For good. No goodbyes. No announcements. Just... gone."
"Why?" MK asked, confused. "We won. She's gone. You're free now."
Macaque finally looked at him.
"Exactly. I'm free. And I don't want to spend that freedom in a place haunted by her memory. Everything here reminds me of what I did... of what I let her do to me."
MK was quiet, absorbing that. "So you're just gonna disappear?"
Macaque shrugged. "It's what I'm good at."
"Macaque..." MK's voice softened. "You don't have to go. You could stay. Things are different now. You helped us. You save people."
"Dosen't erase what come before."
"No, but it's a start."
There was a long silence between them. MK looked at him with something close to hope.
"Will you at least... think about staying?"
Macaque glanced sideways at him. MK was trying so hard to be strong, to sound casual— but his voice gave him away.
The older monkey sighed.
"... I'Il think about it."
MK smiled faintly. "Good."
[END OF FLASHBACK]
MK took a hesitant step forward.
"I thought maybe.. you'd change your mind."
Macaque shook his head slowly.
"No. MK, I'm done with this place. The fights. The memories. Everything."
His voice lowered. "There's nothing left for me here. If you try to stop me, you can try... but it won't change anything."
MK stayed quiet for a moment.
Then, softly—
"Then take me with you."
The shadows flickered at that.
Macaque blinked, cought off guard. "What?"
MK repeated himself, more firmly this time. "Take me with you, I want to go."
Macaque stared at him like he'd grown two heads.
"Kid, no. What are you even talking about? You've got people here—your friends, your life. You're the Monkey Kid."
MK looked away, voice low. "It dosen't feel like a life anymore."
Macaque paused.
MK hands were clenched at his sides. His voice shook.
"Sometimes I still see her. In dreams. In reflections. The way she looked at me, the things she said... it dosen't go away just because she's gone."
He sniffed but didn't cry. "And when I walk around the city. I see all the places where everything happened. Where people were hurt. Where I—where we almost lost."
Macaque said nothing, MK went on.
"I try to be happy. I smile. I laugh. But it's like this weight is always there. And nobody really talk about it. Not really. They just want to move on like it's all fine."
Another silence.
The MK looked up at him, eyes wide and glassy. "So if you're leaving... I want to leave too."
Macaque rubbed the back of his neck.
"MK, listen... it's not going to be easy. I don't know were I'm even going. I've got nothing. No plan. No destination."
He started listing off reasons:
"It could be dangerous. You'd be away from your friends. From the city. And I'm not exactly the best company for a kid like you."
MK just stared at him.
And he gave him that look. That puppy-dog, big-eyed, heart-squeezing look.
Macaque groaned.
"Ugh. Fine. You can come."
MK's entire face lit up. He made a happy life sound, bouncing in place, fists clenched in excitement.
"YES! I'm going on a shadow trip with a grumpy monkey!"
He did a little dance in place.
Macaque chuckled, amused despite himself.
"You're such a weirdo."
"And you're stuck with me now."
They both chuckled.
Then Macaque raised an eyebrow. "What about the others? What are we telling them?"
MK paused, thinking.
"We could leave a letter. Something simple and honest. Say we couldn't be in the city anymore. That it's... depressing. Full of bad memories."
Macaque sighed and nodded.
"Alright, kiddo. Give me a sec to find some paper and a pen."
Cue chaoting rustling as Macaque searched random drawers, behind furniture, and even under the kitchen sink. He summoned a pen out of the shadows... only to pull out a sock.
"How does a sock get into the shadows?" he muttered.
Eventually, he found a crumpled notepad and a barely-working pen.
"Got it. Alright. You wanna start?"
MK shook his head. "You go first."
Macaque sat at the desk and starter writing.
When he finished, he handed the paper to MK. MK read it over.
"I'm done. I've left the city for good. Don't come looking. MK's with me. He chose this. Respect that. Maybe we'Il be back someday. But right now we need space to breathe."
—Macaque
MK read it and gave a small nod.
"Not exactly poetic, but... it's honest."
He added his own below:
"Hey guys. Sorry I left like this. I just... couldn't stay. Everything here reminds me of what happened. Of her. Of what we went through. I need to find peace. And Macaque? He understands. He gets it. I'll be okay. I promise. I love you all." — MK ❤️
He added a doodle of himself waving and placed the letter on the desk.
Macaque turned to him. "Alright, where to, kid?"
Mk blinked. "Wait... you're asking me?"
"You're the one who wanted to tag along. Your call."
MK thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "How about... New York?"
Macaque raised an eyebrow. "Big City. Loud. Weird. Yeah, sounds like fun."
Macaque opened a new shadow portal.
"Yougest first."
MK smirks. "Age before beauty, old man." he leapt in with a laugh.
Macaque chuckled, then followed him through.
The portal closed behind them.
Silence returned to the room.
On the desk, their letter sat alone.
The only proof they'd even been there.
[PIGSY'S NOODLE SHOP — MORNING]
The morning light broken over the city, golden and warm, cutting through the remnants of a sleepless night. The streets of Megapolis stirred awake—buses hissed, early risers shuffled by, and neon signs flickered dimly in the daylight. It was a peaceful morning. But not for Mei.
She stepped off her bike just outside Pigsy's Noodle Shop, helmet under her arm, her green-tinted goggles glinting in the light. With a grin, she pushed open the door.
The Bell chimed.
"Morning, Pigsy!" she called as she stepped inside. "Have you seen MK? I was gonna drag him into some morning fun—maybe a race or coffe or both!"
Pigsy, standing behind the counter in his usual apron and hat, looked up with a frown.
"MK? Kid hasn't shown up this morning."
Mei blinked. "Huh? But wasn't he on delivery duty?"
Pigsy scratched the back of his head, clearly concerned now.
"He was supposed to deliver a round of noodles hours ago. He never picked them."
That wiped the grin of Mei's face.
"Wait—he didn't show up? Like, at all?"
"Not even a text," Pigsy said, tapping his phone. "And you know him. He always leaves a message if he's late. Something's off."
Mei crossed her arms and furrowed her brows, her tone shifting.
"Yeah... that's not like him."
She pulled out her phone.
"Don't worry, Pigsy. I'Il find him."
And with that, she was out the door.
Mei ran through the city streets, calling MK's name now and then, checking every usual spot—his favorite rooftop, the alley behind Pigsy's, the arcade they both loved.
Nothing.
No MK. No sign of him.
She reached a bench and stopped to catch her breath. Her fingers flew over her phone screen as she pulled up his contact and hit call.
Ring... Ring... Ring...
Voicemail.
"Come on, MK, pick up..." she muttered, redialing.
Voicemail again.
"Dammit," she hissed under her breath.
She hesitated a second—then opened her contacts and dialed someone else.
The line clicked after a few rings.
"Morning, Mei." Wukong's cheerful voice greeted her.
"Is MK with you?" Mei cut in quickly.
"Huh? No, why—wait, what's going on?"
"He wasn't at the shop this morning. Pigsy said he missed his delivery run. I've been looking for him, and I can't find him anywhere. He's not answering his phone either."
A pause.
"So you're telling me that MK's... missing?"
Wukong said slowly, his voice darkening.
Mei tightened her grip on the phone.
"Looks like it."
There was silence on the line for a moment.
Then, something sparked in her memory—something about how werid Macaque had been acting recently. The way MK looked a little off the other day. A gut feeling.
"I'Il call you back." she said suddenly.
"Wait, Mei—"
But she ended the call and turned sharply, taking off into a sprint.
[MACAQUE'S APARTAMENT — DAY]
She arrived at Macaque's building a few minutes later , heart pounding, breath shallow. The place had always feel a little eerye, but today? Today if felt cold.
Wrong.
She didn't knock. She burst through the door.
"MK? Macaque?" she called. Nothing. Only silence.
The apartament was dimly lit, curtains pulled. It looked... abandoned. Like someone had packed up and left in a hurry. Dust motes floated in the still air. The couch cushinos were crooked. The sink ripped quietly.
A chill ran up her spine.
"Guys?!"
Still nothing.
Mei stepped further in. Her boots made soft thuds on the wooden floor. She scanned the room carefully—nothing seemed obviously out of place, but it fell off.
Then her eyes landed on the desk.
A single piece of paper sat neatly on top, as if waiting to be found.
Her stomach dropped.
She moved to it and picked it up slowly.
Her eyes skimmed the words. Her face went pale.
Her hands shook.
"... They did what?" she whispered, breath catching in her throat.
Then she turned and bolted out of the apartament.
Back outside, Mei yanked her phone from her pocked and opened the group chat. Her fingers flew across the screen.
Mei:Everyone. Met at Pigsy's. Now. Emergency.
The group chat exploded instantly.
Wukong:🐵❓🏃🌫️ 🍜❗
(Translation: Mokey? Where?Running fast! Noddles! Urgent!)
Pigsy: Did you find MK?
Red Son: What is going on??
Tang: Are we under attack again?!
Sandy: Is MK okay?!
Mei stared at the flood of messages and took a deep breath. She typed one finall message:
Mei: Tell you when we're all at Pigsy. Just get there. Fast.
[BACK AT THE NOODLE SHOP]
The bell above the door gave a sharp jingle as Mei burst back into Pigsy's Noodle Shop, slightly out of breath from running. The moment she stepped inside, she was meet with a room of worryed, tense faces. Everyone she had called was already there.
Pigsy stood behind the counter, nervously twisting a rag in his hands. Sandy sat at the far booth, arms crossed tightly. Tang hovered close to him, fidgeting. Red Son leaned against the wall, his arms folded and a restless flicker of flame dancing at the tips of his hair. And Wukong... Wukong stood by the window, tail swishing, eyes fixed outside with quiet agitation, the golden fur around his knuckles tense from how hard he was clenching his fists.
As Mei stepped further into the shop, the silence in the room was almost suffocating—until Pigsy broke it.
"Did you find MK?" he asked quickly, voice heavy with concern. "What happened?"
Mei hesitated, her lips pressing into a line. "I didn't find him," she said carefuly. "but... I know where he went."
Everyone perked up.
"He left," Mei continued. "With Macaque."
The reactions hit all at once—brows furrowed, eyes widened, mouths half-open in stunned confusion.
Red Son blinked. "Left? What do you mean? Like... left on vacantion?"
"No," Mei said, shaking her head. "They left the city. As in—they're not coming back."
"What?!" Tang blurted out. "Why would they do that?!"
Wukong scoffed from his spot by the window, turning around with narrowed eyes. "Of course. I knew Macaque would do something like this. He's always been a bad influience on the kid."
Mei turned to him, her voice steady. "No, Wukong. MK left willingly. Macaque didn't drag him away. He made the decision himself."
Wukong looked skeptical.
"To prove it," Mei said, reacting into her pocked, "read this." she pulled out the folded note she had found in Macaque's apartament and handed it to him.
Wukong frowned at the paper, squiting at it like it might bite him. "You know I can't read, right?"
Red Son let out a dramatic groan and marched over, snaching the note from his hand. "Give it here. Honestly..."
He unfolded the letter, cleared his throat, and began to read it out loud.
As his voice echoed through the shop, the others fell silent.
There was a weight in the words Red Son spoke—something raw and vulnerable. Mei watched the group closely as the minutes passed. The room seemed to sink lower with each line. Wukong's ears dropped slightly. Sandy looked down at the table, his massive hands gripping the edge. Pigsy had stopped wringing the towel. Tang's brows kint together tightly, jaw clenched.
After several minutes, Red Son finished the letter and lowered the paper. His voice had dropped to almost a whisper.
"... Shit." he muttered.
Pigsy sighed deeply and sat down on the stool behind the counter, looking more tired than usual. "Kid never mentioned anything like this to us."
Mei nodded solemnly."Probably becouse he didn't want us to worry. Or try to stop him."
Wukong took a step forward, tail twitching. "We need to find MK."
"And Macaque," Mei added without hesitation.
Wukong groaned under his breath, rubbing the side of his face. "And that idiot too." he muttered, clearly trying not to say something worse.
The tension in his voice was obivous—but he didn't argue. Whatever his feelings toward Macaque, he wasn't going to let then get in the way of helping MK. Not now.
Sandy finally spoke, his voice low and unsure. "But... we don't know where they are. They could be anywhere."
Wukong nodded with a frustated growl. "Big Blue's right. Knowing Macaque, he used on of his shadow portals. They could be halfway across the planet. Or another realm."
"Then we start searching." Mei said, her voice strong and certrain now. "We make a plan. We don't stop until we find them. MK is our friend—our family. And we don't leave family behind."
Everyone looked at her. Red Son nodded slowly. Pygsy gave a small grunt of agreement. Sandy smiled faintly.
Wukong sighed, then crossed his arms. "Alright. Fine. Let's figure something out. But I'm warning you—if I see Macaque, he better not give me a reason to punch him."
"No one's punching anyone," Mei said with a look. "This is about MK."
"Exactly,"Wukong muttered, looking away. "Only reason I'm not already chasing him through a portal."
Outside, the city buzzed on, unaware that its two most unlikely companions had vanished into the unknown—leaving behind a letter, a mystery... and a group of friends now determined to bring then home.
[NEW YORK CITY — CENTRAL PARK — AFTERNOON]
The golden afternoon sunlight bathed Central Park in a warm glow, casting soft shadows over the walkways as the sound of traffic, birds, and city chatter blended into a simphony of urban life. People lounges on benches, jagged along widing trails, and kids played nearby, laughter echoing through the air. In the middle of it all, sitting on the edge of a fountain, were two unusual figures—though they looked like just another odd pair to New Yorkes used to strange sights.
MK grinned happy, swinging his legs over the side of the fountain as he licked at a double-scoop ice cream cone—half strawberry, half cookie dough. Beside him, Macaque sat in his usual dark cloak and ragged scarf, nibbling slowly at a modest chcolate cone, his golden eyes half-liddled with amusement and exhaustion.
MK glanced sideways, eyeing the older monkey with mild suspicion.
"You know," MK said, tapping his chin with his cone. "I think you need new clothes."
Macaque pause mid-lick. "What's wrong with the ones I wear?"
MK gave him a look. "Uh, literally everything? You wear the same outfit every single day. Like—every day. When was the last time you even changed your clothes?"
Macaque frowned slightly, looking down at his attire. He picked at the edge of his tattered sleeve, shrugged, and muttered." I... honestly don't remember. "
MK threw his arms up." Exactly! That's it— we're going shopping. "
Macaque scoffed, raising a brow. "Shopping? With what money, MK? Do I look like someone who carries a wallet? And wait a second—how did you pay for the ice cream?"
MK gave him a mischevous grin, holding up a black and golden credit card. "Monkey King's card."
Macaque blinked. "You stole his card?!"
"No!" MK said quickly, shaking his head. "He gabe it to me! Okay—well, not directly. He had one made for himself, but he never figure out how to use it. Literally. Couldn't remember the PIN, didn't understand interes rates—he got frustrated and just tossed it at me one day like, 'MK, take this, I'm to divine to deal with capitalism.' So technically... it' s mine now."
Macaque stared at him for a moment, unimpressed. "... You're gonna get us arrested."
MK snorted. "Please, this is New York. We're not even in the top ten weridest people in this park right now."
He stood up, dusting off his hoodie, and offered Macaque a hand. "Come on! You seriusly need some new threads. Something not, you know... dark, dramatic, brooding? You're not under LBD's control anymore. You're free. Time for a new look!"
Macaque frowned, not moving. "I don't need new clothes."
MK crossed his arms. "You sure do. I'm not walking around the Big Apple with a walking haunted house."
"That's rich coming from a Guy who still wears hoodies from five years ago."
"Hey, they're cozy!" MK huffed, then grabed Macaque's hand without warning. "To bad! You're coming with me whether you like it or not."
"Wait—wait, Mk—!" Macaque started, but it was to late. MK had already started dragging him off the fountain ledge, leading him toward the nearest street lined with boutique shops, departament stores, and small local clothing outlets.
Pedestrians gave them brief glances—some amused, some confused—but MK was on a mission, determine to find the perfect new look for the former Shadow Demon.
Macaque groaned, still holding his half-eaten cone. "At least let me finish my ice cream first—!"
"No time!" MK called back with a cheeky grin. "The fate of your wardrobe is at stake!"
As they disappeared down the bustilng sidewalk, the tops of skyscrapes where gleaming in the golden sunlight, a soft breeze rustling the trees. It was a new day in a new city—and for the first time in a long while, laughter followed Macaque wherever he went.
[END]