Sometimes, Apollo Writes Stories

[Ravyn Rozanova]

Zombieverse, Future: 2025

“They looked like they were gathering in The Globe,” Ravyn told Noah as she strapped her bow over her shoulder, and snapped her razor-sharp, lightweight blades onto the edges of her wings. For the first time in a long time, a larger group of animates had been detected, several blocks away in the old, abandoned theater. Ravyn thought briefly of its previous owner – Eugene had been a quirky man, but kind and caring, nevertheless; his death had been hard on everyone.

“How many could you see?” he asked, grabbing a couple large canteens and filling them with water; like many other metas, Noah put his ability to good use when it came to defending themselves from the undead. He could create bullets from the water, and, given enough speed, was able to shoot them with great accuracy into the animates’ heads. It was a very effective method.

“Maybe a couple dozen? It was hard for me to tell, and I couldn’t see them all.” Ravyn quickly tied her hair back, before grabbing an extra gun and sliding it into her belt. It wasn’t her favorite thing to use, but you could never been too careful. This was a really weird circumstance, too – she had no idea why they would be gathering like they were now; she had only run into the occasional lone animate in a while. How long had it taken them all to gather like that?

“We’ll take some other people then. Cameron, Charlie, Dani, Lucah. People with abilities that would come in handy.” Ravyn nodded in agreement, making the last arrangements to her equipment before standing. She took hold of Noah’s hand, fear obvious in her eyes. But not for herself.

“Are you sure we should leave Evan and Dmitri here without either of us?” she asked quietly. They had asked Addie to look over them while they were gone, but Ravyn hated leaving them out of their sight for any length of time. The world was so dangerous, and she would never forgive herself if anything happened to them.

Noah squeezed her hand reassuringly. “They’re safer here than anywhere else. And you know Addie will take care of them. Don’t worry.” Smiling gently, he brushed her cheek softly. He didn’t normally go out on these sorts of excursions because of his duties in the infirmaries, but fortunately there hadn’t been any serious illnesses or injuries lately, and he had been excused for the rest of the day.

Ravyn bit her lip and nodded. She knew he was right. It didn’t make leaving her sons any easier. There was always a possibility that she or Noah might not…. No, she couldn’t think about that.

They left the weapons room and went out to the courtyard, where the boys were happily playing in a sandbox with the older woman sitting nearby. There were plenty of other people milling around, too; Ravyn really had no reason to worry, the boys were as safe as anyone else in here. “Thanks for looking out for them, Addie,” Ravyn told the woman, giving her a hug.

“Of course, sweetie,” Addie replied, patting her on the back. “Just look after yourselves, alright? Don’t take any unnecessary risks.” Ravyn nodded, pulling away.

“Hey guys,” Noah greeted the twins, and they immediately tackled his legs, wrapping their arms around him and giggling. He chuckled softly, bending down to talk to them as Ravyn watched.

She pressed her lips together and smiled, blinking as her eyes stung. She had always been an emotional person; becoming a parent had just seemed to make her even more so. It was why she still went out and did these rounds – if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, not knowing just how secure they were.

After a few more minutes of conversing, Ravyn and Noah made their goodbyes and went to round up the rest of the crew that was heading out. Along with the four mentioned, they had another half-dozen or so others, enough to easily take care of a group of animates, if all went well. They could always retreat if they had to.

As a group, the exited the safety of Hammel, and carefully made their way to downtown Pilot Ridge. It was incredible how much the town had broken down – weeds had taken over, every store front looked haunted, even the wind seemed lonelier out here. Ravyn shivered, entwining her fingers with Noah. She was used to flying up above; she didn’t like it down here. She felt blind.

After a while, they got closer to the building they were targeting, and they had a group meeting to discuss their plan. “We’ll split into teams,” Noah told them, and started naming off different smaller groups. “Everyone take a different entrance. We’ll take them from all sides. Let’s get this done as quickly and smoothly as possible, guys.” He trusted each of them to take care of themselves and the people they were with. He and Ravyn, of course, were together, along with none other than Cam Osiris. The three of them always, always had each other’s backs. They trusted each other with their lives. They had saved each other multiple times.

Initially, the raid went as well as it could have. They all stormed the place, weapons flashing; the animates had little time to retaliate. Between Cam putting bullets and his three-pronged spear through their heads, Ravyn shooting arrows and decapitating the undead with her wing-blades, and Noah quickly and accurately piercing their skulls with pea-sized water pellets while making sure everyone else was okay, the hoard was quickly dispatched.

But then something weird happened.

One of the animates (why did he look familiar?) was keeping to the back of the group, taking cover behind some desks. Ravyn, in all of her experiences, always encountered hostile undead; they never hid, or showed any signs of superior intelligence. After the rest of the group her trio was dealing with was destroyed, she approached the animate warily, arrow pulled back on it string and aimed at the monster’s head.

Its head lolled to the side; the flesh on one side of its face was ripped clean, creating a gruesome half-grin and showing far too many teeth.

Before she could react, it lifted its hand and pointed at her.

What happened next was a blur.

One of the desks rushed forward, slamming into her with force. She yelped and fell from the collision, letting loose the arrow that had been strung on her bow; it harmlessly stuck into a wall. As Noah cried out and went to her, Cam sent a bullet through the thing’s head. It collapsed, dead.

“What just happened?” Cam asked, dashing over to the two. Ravyn was fine, just a little shaken. Well, more than a little.

“Did you see that!?” she gasped, scrambling to stand again. She knew she recognized that face. He had been a student at Hammel when she had been. They had never been close, but she knew him well enough to recognize him even as an animate.

She also knew he had had telekinesis.

Ravyn struggled to understand what this meant. Noah seemed to get it first, and a look of first shock, then horror crossed his face.

“Oh, God,” he gasped. “It’s mutated. The virus mutated.”

He looked at his companions. His eyes were wide with fear.

“Metas are coming back from the dead.”

To be continued….

[Ravyn Rozanova]

Camvyn AU: 2023

“Ray~” Cam sang, stepping out of the kitchen and into the living room. A gentle smile tugged on his face as he carried two steaming cups of tea over to the couch where Ravyn was resting. “I hope mint is alright.”

“That sounds amazing,” she replied tiredly, reaching out for the cup when he sat beside her. She hadn’t been sleeping very well for quite some time now, and the fact that she had a hard time even moving around made her feel very weak and undignified. The extra weight of the life inside of her had reached its peak – she was due any day now, and it both excited and terrified her. The fact that it had already been so hard on her weak frame made the entire situation a bit scarier than it would have been otherwise – sometimes, she had a hard time not panicking when thinking too much about it.

But Cam was always there for her, making sure she was as comfortable as she could be, making her feel loved and beautiful even when she felt sick and unattractive. Like now, as he sat his mug down and snuggled close to her, placing one hand on her swollen stomach as the other reached around her back, and pressed his lips to her temple. “How do you feel?” he murmured, playing with her hair.

Ravyn took a sip of the tea, letting out a content sigh. “I feel like a boat,” she told him, laughing weakly. “She’s kicking a lot, too. Feel her?” She placed her own mug on the table and rested her hands on his, moving it slightly so he could feel it.

“You look beautiful,” he told her, unable to hide a small grin. Pregnant women were sexy. He let her move his hand downwards. “Hey! There she is,” Cam beamed. He couldn’t believe he was going to be a father, but he was overjoyed nevertheless. Sure, they weren’t married, but he had proposed not too long ago, and she had said yes – and that was all that mattered to him. He loved her with his entire being, and he knew she felt the same.

Ravyn smiled, entwining their fingers together. A moment later, she felt her kick again, and winced. “Oof. I think she’s going to be a little spitfire,” she told Cam, shifting on the couch. “She hardly lets me sleep already.” The slight pain slowly grew to a more constant one, and she frowned.

“Are you okay?” Cameron asked, concern lighting his eyes.

“Yeah… Fine,” she told him reassuringly, though she wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince more. “I’ll be right back.” Slowly, she rose into a stand, holding back a grimace as her back protested. Cam stood too, but she motioned him back, shooting him a grin. “I’m not going to break. Really, I’m fine.”

She made her way to the bathroom with slow, pained steps, keeping her hand on the wall for support. She finally made it and began rifling through various supplies in the medicine cabinet, trying to figure out what was causing the pain and what would be best to treat it.

As she stood there with a couple bottles in hand, she heard a pop, and then felt a strange, gushing feeling in her abdomen. She gaped for a moment, disbelieving. Her heart stopped, and then picked up at about a million beats a minute. Right now? Really??

“Uh? C… Cam?” she called out. She dropped the items out of her hand and rested against the sink. She knew this had been coming, but it was still a shock.

“What is it?” he asked, in the doorway in a flash. He took one look at her, and his eyes widened. “Is… Did you…” He was looking for confirmation, but he could already tell.

She nodded, wincing as the pain in her stomach grew. “It’s happening.”

Cam went into action immediately, grabbing towels and clothes and anything else they might need as quickly as he could before getting his keys. “It will be faster if I drive you over there,” he told her. She nodded, fighting panic, and followed him out to the car. He had to practically half-carry her, but they made it, and soon they were off.

Ravyn fought hyperventilation on the way there. She had heard of women being strangely calm when their water broke, but she wasn’t feeling calm at all – she was terrified. What if something went wrong?

Cam did his best to comfort her, and fortunately, the drive wasn’t very long – before she knew it, she was being wheeled into the emergency room. “Cam??” she called out, and he was by her side in an instant.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Ray,” he assured her. “I’m right here.” He squeezed her hand, putting on a smile even though he was scared, too.

Once everything was set up, Ravyn managed to relax a little, but not much. The pains in her stomach were growing steadily worse and longer, and she knew what was coming.

“I’m not leaving you, no matter what,” Cameron told her, planting a quick, loving kiss on her lips. “We’re going to get through this together.”

----------

It took some time, and a lot of pain, most of which Ravyn couldn’t remember, but none of it mattered as she held their baby girl in her arms. She was exhausted and weak, but nothing was going stop her from enjoying this life-changing moment. “Nadiya,” she cooed, caressing the sleeping girl’s head before looking up at Cameron. He looked tired, too, but the smile that lit up his face made him look as gorgeous as ever. “She’s beautiful, Cam,” Ravyn murmured.

“Of course she is,” he replied, draping an arm over her. “She has your eyes.” They were closed now, but they were almost the exact same color green as hers was. Her hair was going to be light, though – a trait from each of them.

Ravyn smiled, letting her head rest against his arm and her eyes closed partway. “You should hold her,” she said quietly, and with great effort, lifted the sleeping baby into his gentle embrace. He took her carefully, feeling like he was holding glass, and tucked her against his chest. Nadiya continued to slumber.

Cam wiped at his eyes, letting out a small laugh. Everything was perfect. “You should sleep, sweetie,” he told Ravyn, seeing her eyelids flutter shut for a moment. “I’ll take care of her.”

Ravyn frowned slightly, but it was growing impossible to fight off the fog that was overcoming her. “Okay,” she whispered, raising a hand to brush against the girl’s cheek. Her lips tugged up into a small, sleepy smile again, and she let her eyes close. “I love you,” she murmured.

[Jayden "Jay" Hersch]

Summer 2010

Everything was a haze of red and black as Jay struggled to get his bearings.

It had happened in the blink of an eye; he had been driving several miles over the speed limit along the freeway in the early hours of the morning, eager to get back to Pilot Ridge so he could sleep after the long drive. Before he knew what was happening, his car was rolling over and over, pounding Jay’s body with a barrage of metal and glass, the loud crashes, screeches and bangs of the car deafening his ears until it was all he could hear. He remembered hitting his head, and the world went dark for a few seconds until he slowly regained consciousness.

The car had come to a stop right-side up off the side of the road, angled down into a ditch. Jay groaned, shock overriding his brain and keeping him from registering the pain that wracked his body. It took several long moments before he looked down and saw blood – his blood – pooling on his shirt and on the floor of what was left of the car. Upon sight of the crimson liquid, his body seemed to come back to life, and he stifled a scream as agony rippled through his body; his chest felt like it was on fire, and there was a sharp, digging pain in his left leg that made him wonder if something was still lodged in it. He was dying. He just knew it.

The seconds dragged on to minutes, which felt like hours as he waited for the blackness at the edge of his vision to engulf him completely. At one point he thought he heard a knock against the broken window to his left, but he was too dazed and delirious to know whether or not he was imagining it. Finally, he thought he heard the sound of sirens in the distance, but by the time the medics pried off his door and began to carefully extract Jay from the destroyed vehicle, he was on the verge of unconsciousness, barely registering anything that was going on.

He was placed on a stretcher, and his world finally went black.

The next several hours were a blur of light and dark, consciousness and unconsciousness, pain and agony. The few times Jay rose out of the depths of his faint, he found himself surrounded by white – white room, white coats, white cloth all around. Was he at a hospital? What were they doing to him? Was he still dying? He could barely comprehend these questions before he sank once more into the sweet embrace of the void.

The surgeons did their best. There was only so much they could do – stopping the internal bleeding, setting broken limbs, stitching skin together. Jay was a mess, and they weren’t entirely sure he was going to make it. While Jay was still in surgery, the hospital had managed to contact his nearest emergency number – Zack Mae. Even at three in the morning, Jay’s best friend had rushed over without hesitation, and was now pacing anxiously back and forth outside of the operating room, praying to any god that might listen that Jay would be alright. If the man he was in love with died without ever knowing how much he cared… Zack didn’t know what he would do.

It was several hours before the surgeons were done, and even then, they thought they might need to perform more procedures in order to fix everything that had been broken. Jay had suffered from several broken bones in his arm and shoulder, a partially collapsed lung, other internal bleeding, and a variety of large and small gashes and scratches, most on the left side of his body. Zack rushed into his room as soon as the medics let him, but Jay was still out of it, this time in a medically-induced coma in order to let his body heal.

At the sight of Jay’s bruised and battered body, Zack had to choke back tears. He was never one to show his emotions easily, but this was beyond anything he had experienced before. Jay was still in critical condition, and the doctors said he only had about a thirty percent chance of surviving.

Finally, after determining they had done all they could do for the present, the medics left Zack alone with his friend, although they were going to be checking in constantly to make sure his vitals didn’t drop to dangerous levels. His blood pressure was already frighteningly low, and he was hooked up to numerous tubes and contraptions to keep him alive.

“Jay?” Zack said in a cracked murmur, sitting down next to the bed his friend was resting in. He swallowed hard, eyeing all of the tubes attached to Jay’s body. “I… I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m here for you, man.”

He hesitated, then reached out and gently grasped Jay’s surprisingly cold hand, lacing his fingers between his own. “This… This is so surreal,” he mumbled, dropping his gaze before looking up slowly to gaze at Jay’s face. He had a cut on his lip, and his cheek was swollen with a dark purple bruise, but he was still so achingly beautiful in Zack’s eyes that the hydrokinetic couldn’t help but sob.

“God, Jay, you can’t leave me here,” he whimpered, brushing his arm over his eyes as moisture pricked at their corners. “I never got to tell you how much you mean to me, or how much… How much I fucking love you, man.” Zack’s throat closed up for a moment, and another sob wracked his body. “You gotta fight this, Jay. Don’t you dare give up. Because life without you…” He shook his head, unable to finish the sentence. “I’m gonna be here for you every step of the way, I promise. But you gotta push through tonight. So don’t think for a second about leaving me.”

Finally overcome with emotion, Zack broke into tears, unashamedly weeping as he sat hunched over by Jay’s side. He tried to be comforted by the slow, steady beep of Jay’s heartbeat, but was it his imagination, or was it gradually getting weaker?

After several more minutes, a harsh beeping sound began emanating from one of the machines around Jay, and Zack gave a start; seconds later, a small group of doctors rushed in, checking vitals and attending the source of the beeping. Zack reluctantly released Jay’s hand and got out of the way to let the people work.

“His blood pressure is dropping,” a woman said, concern lacing her voice. “We need to get him into surgery again.” At this, the medics rushed into action, going through the motions with practiced ease as they prepped to work on Jay once more. Zack’s anxiety and fear skyrocketed; what if… What if this was the last time he was going to see his Jay?

“P… Please bring him back,” he begged the nearest surgeon. The man glanced at him and his eyes softened for a moment.

“We’ll do all we can, son. I promise.” With that, the boy that Zack loved was taken out of the room into surgery once more. Not knowing what to do, Zack fell to his knees on the floor and covered his face with his hands, his entire body shuddering as he tried to contain the depth of his emotions.

He was never going to be able to say goodbye, if this was the end.

[Jayden "Jay" Hersch]

((Continued))

Miraculously, Jay made it through the night. The surgeons were able to stop most of the bleeding and keep the young man’s heart beating, but they still had to keep a close eye on the crash victim. Throughout the next day, Zack never left his friend’s side as doctors came and went in the room, taking notes, adjusting machinery, and checking that everything seemed to be as stable as possible. Things were looking up; even if Jay wasn’t going to make it for certain, the signs were getting better by the hour.

During one of the few times he was ushered out of the room for various reasons, Zack called Hay-lin and told her about the news. Shocked, she immediately decided to take a plane home to visit her ex-boyfriend and friend as soon as possible.

The day passed like that, and then another came and went; Hay-lin arrived the next evening, having been able to get a flight at the last minute. As the days went by, Jay continued to stabilize, although the doctors kept him in a coma for his own sake and to help his body continue to heal. It was so hard for Zack to be so close to Jay and yet not be able to talk to him; fortunately, Hay-lin was there for both of them, and she was able to keep him together when he felt like he was going to break down.

Finally, finally, the doctors took Jay off of the drug that was keeping him unconscious, and he slowly woke, groaning and grimacing with every slight movement of his body. He hurt everywhere.

“Oh thank God!” Hay-lin breathed, tears pricking her eyes as Jay became more aware of his surroundings.

Zack was silent, but the relief on his face as he stood by Jay’s side and placed a comforting hand on his best friend’s shoulder were more than enough. His eyes were wet with moisture, too, but he managed to keep them back. His Jay would live. Words couldn’t describe how he felt.

“What… What happened?” Jay croaked, his voice raw from lack of use and injury. He blinked up at Zack as his vision slowly came into focus, and a small, affectionate smile crossed his face. “Hey,” he murmured, voice barely audible. “Why do you look so upset?”

“How much do you remember?” Zack replied, choking back his emotions for Jay’s sake.

Jay’s brow furrowed, and he shifted slightly, which brought a groan from the injured man. “I… I don’t know…” Then it hit him – the sounds, the smell, the pain, crashed into his mind like a wave. He gasped, and it caused him to start coughing, his body wracking in pain with each one. “I… The car… I was dying,” he gargled, eyes wide with fright. He looked more closely around the room, realizing he was still in the hospital, which explained all the pain and why Zack and Hay-lin looked like they did.

“They brought you back, Jay,” Zack murmured, reaching down to clasp Jay’s hand gently with both of his own. “You’re going to be okay. You were in a coma for nearly a week, to let your body heal.” He took a deep breath as he gazed at Jay, at the various scars and bruises on his face and body, and was nearly overwhelmed with emotion. A tear managed to find its way down his cheek. “You fought through it. I knew you would.”

Jay blinked, letting himself relax as the pain from coughing receded. “I was certain I was a goner,” he murmured, looking down at Zack’s hands. His heart felt like it skipped a beat, and he wasn’t sure if it was his injuries or something else. Now that things were becoming a little clearer, he thought he could remember hearing a voice when he was unconscious from the world, in his dreams. Was it his imagination? Looking at Zack now, he knew he wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to have stayed by him. He appreciated Hay-lin being there too, of course, and made sure to tell her so, but he couldn’t stop looking at Zack, his affection for his friend seeming to have been amplified tenfold by the tragedy he had just gone through.

Zack didn’t really seem to notice, but he kept doting on Jay, making sure he was as comfortable as he could be and asking questions about everything. Doctors went in and out, checking vitals, doing their usual work, but all of them looked much more relieved than they had several days ago. Jay was nearly a miracle, having lived despite the odds.

Soon it was late, and though he had been dozing on and off throughout the day, Jay gave Zack a wide-eyed look as he realized he might be sleeping alone. “Um, if… If it’s not too much to ask…” He bit his lip, looking away as embarrassment reddened his cheeks. “I don’t… I don’t suppose you could stay here, could you?” The idea of having to fall asleep in an unfamiliar hospital room with all sorts of beeps and noises around while dealing with various waves of pain terrified him. He had never been great at being alone anyway, but now…

Zack just smiled at him, shaking his head and ruffling Jay’s hair gently. “Of course, man. I’ll be here.”

A wave of relief washed over Jay, and he smiled at his friend as warmth spread throughout his chest. Things would be alright, as long as Zack was there.

[Deleted]

Summer 2008

Phen stared nervously ahead as he waited for the others to arrive, trying to keep his fingers from twitching to show just how anxious he was about what was about to happen. The thirteen-year-old had done deals before, but this seemed a bit riskier, bolder than before, and with people he was unfamiliar with other than the fact that they had a bad reputation around downtown Seattle.

He also felt awfully scrawny and small compared to the people he was with – three older kids, two guys and a girl, all more experienced and calmer than he (or at least better at hiding their nerves).

Jose, the oldest, was a mean piece of work, with expressionless black eyes along with an intimidating build and several scars, seen and unseen, that showed how many scuffles he had been in previously. He had been the one that told them to come here tonight, promising a good deal as long as they did as he said and didn’t make any threatening moves. That did little to calm Phoenix’s nerves.

The other two – Malachai and Jessica – weren’t anything to laugh at either. Honestly, Phen was wondering why he had been asked to come along. His friends had told him not to worry about it, that they just wanted him to get a taste for some real business, but he wasn’t so sure.

But he didn’t want to seem like a pussy in front of these three, so he had agreed to come along.

They were supposed to meet the others out here on Pier 48, a largely deserted area that police never seemed to bother to scout, at around midnight on this warm, sticky summer night. If the others kept their word, they should arrive any moment.

Phoenix looked back over his shoulder towards the water of Puget Sound, only a low handrail away from where he stood. He swallowed, hard, and turned forward quickly. The black water looked far more ominous at night than it did during the day, especially since he didn’t know how to swim.

He could imagine falling, falling into that inky depth, struggling for breath as the surface disappeared above him…

The sound of crunching footsteps shocked him out of his terrifying thoughts, and he stood as straight and tall as his five-foot-four frame allowed, trying to put on a mask of indifference.

There were five of them, all male, and all at least Jose’s age, some maybe even in their twenties; it was hard to tell in the dark. Phoenix could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he hoped the others couldn’t hear it.

“Did you bring it?” Jose broke the silence as the two groups stared at each other. His voice was a low, guttural growl, enough to send shivers down Phoenix’s own spine. It didn’t seem to have any effect on the others, though.

“Of course.” One of the five, who seemed to be the oldest, stepped forward a bit, holding up a decent-sized paper bag that seemed to be containing some sort of heavy, powdered material. “You got the cash?”

His jacket swished as he moved, and Phoenix caught sight of a gun in the inside pocket, making him tense even more. He didn’t have his own weapon to carry, other than a small knife; he wasn’t exactly sure what his friends had on them, but he hoped it was more than he.

“Right here.” Jose nodded at Jessica, and the heavy-lidded girl stepped up to the guy, which made Phoenix’s eyes widen. Out of the trio he was with, he trusted Jessica the most – which wasn’t saying much, but he was still nervous that she was the one doing the transaction. He supposed the fact that she had finally agreed to take his virginity only a couple weeks ago might have had something to do with his attachment, but he couldn’t help it.

“Alright, let’s do this nice and easy, yeah?” The older guy had a glint in his eye that Phoenix didn’t trust, but the transaction seemed to go smoothly, as they switched their items at the same time before taking several steps back from each other.

Rather than leaving, though, the guy that now had the money in his hands was staring at Jessica in a way that made Phen’s shoulders tense and his brow furrow. “You’re a pretty thing, aren’t you?” he grinned, sliding his tongue over his teeth. “Why don’t you ditch these three and come with us? I’ll give you the best fucking of your life, no charge.”

“Hell no,” Jessica scowled darkly, crossing her arms over her low-cut shirt.

The guy’s demeanor changed dramatically, his features growing tense and his body hackling up. “Fuckin’ bitch, you’re no better than all the other little whores running around the International Dis-“

“Don’t call her that, asshole!” It took a moment for Phoenix to realize the words had come out of his mouth, and that everyone was now staring at him. Even Jessica looked stunned.

His heart jumped to his throat. What had he done?

“Did you just talk back to me, you little shithead?” the guy growled, handing the wad of cash to one of his partners as he took several steps towards Phen, his hand going towards his pocket.

“N-n-no, I… I didn’t mean it,” he stammered, stumbling back until he felt his spine pressed up against the handrail along the edge of the pier. Terror shot through his body as he realized how close to the end of the strip of land he was, with nothing but a long drop to the water below.

“You’re a fucking worthless little scrap of nothing, you know that?” Now that the guy was closer, Phoenix could tell just how crazy he was, a spark of madness clear in his dull, bloodshot eyes. No wonder he had exploded so quickly – he was insane. “I think someone oughta teach you your place.”

Phoenix desperately looked to the three he had come with, but they were backing away from the confrontation, clearly not wanting to get in between the guy and his prey. “H-hey!” he stammered, just as he felt a large, strong hand close over his throat.

“I see the way you’re looking at that water, boy,” the man growled, smiling maliciously. “Why don’t you go for a little swim?”

Before Phoenix could even take a breath, he felt himself tumbling over the handrail towards the water, a silent scream trying desperately to escape his throat as the water rushed up at him.

He landed, hard, with a sickening splash that sent a shock of pain through his body and almost immediately chilling him to the core. In a panic, he clawed to the surface, managing to break through with a gasp of air as he frantically kicked his legs to stay above the water, reaching out for something, anything to hold onto.

Fortunately, the pier was right next to him, and he fumbled his way over to one of the posts holding the piece of land up off of the body of water. Shivering with horror and cold, he looked up in time to see Jose’s head peek over the edge.

“Help!” he cried, wondering where the other group had gone; they had probably left, now that they had what they wanted and had gotten a little sick ‘fun’ out of the deal.

Jose stared at him for a moment, and then Jessica’s face appeared beside him, her expression unreadable.

“I can’t swim!” He didn’t know if they could hear him or not, but they weren’t going to just leave him, were they?

Apparently he had too much faith in his ‘friends’.

After another second, they both looked at each other and disappeared. Phoenix waited in agonizing hope that one of them would leap over the edge and pull him to safety, but as the seconds turned to minutes, he knew it wouldn’t happen.

Phoenix began to sob, clinging tightly to his wooden lifeline as the cold continued to seep into his body, numbing his limbs and making his thoughts thick and muddy. He finally managed to push himself away from the post and flounder his way to the next one, trying to keep his terror at bay as he made his way towards the back of the pier. With great struggle, he somehow managed to get to the end, and wrangled his exhausted, shivering body out of the water, collapsing on the rocky shore and passing out.

He woke up several hours later while it was still dark, and slowly pulled himself back up to the streets of Seattle, feeling more lost and confused as he had in a long time, and not just because he was unfamiliar with this part of town.

Even so, his body still craved that sweet, sick powder that had just nearly gotten him killed. And he hated himself for it.

[Deleted]

April 25th, 2014

((Note: This story is CANON!))

“See ya later, hot stuff,” Kodi cooed, giving his taller boyfriend a quick peck on the lips before shooing him off with a wave of his hands. He totally eyed Gryphon up as the older boy walked away, chuckling to himself and unable to keep the giddy smile off of his face. How the hell he’d ended up with not only a hot, but also incredibly understanding and supportive, guy like Gryph, he’d never know.

And neither would Phoenix. The pixie glowered at the pair from around the corner of the dorms building, watching his best friend head towards the main building for dance practice or something while Kodi headed his way. He’d been trying to get the nerve to talk to the dentokinetic for some time; Kodi still frightened him quite a lot, but the fact that he was going out with Gryphon… Well, it’d forced him to try to see things from Kodi’s point of view, like Oriel had urged him to do for so long.

…. He still didn’t like Kodi, and didn’t think he at all deserved what Gryphon gave him. The thought of the two of them… Being intimate… It sent horrified shivers down his spine. With a burst of courage (and, well, frustration and rage), Phoenix stormed out of his hiding spot and grabbed the southerner by the collar, somehow managing to tug him towards a nearby copse of trees without a word.

He mostly managed to because Kodi was totally taken aback and let him do it – he was curious what the hell this was about, although he thought he had a fairly good idea.

“The fuck’s your problem?” he growled anyway, shrugging off the scrawny boy’s hand when they came to a stop. There was a deep scowl on his face.

Phoenix took a deep, steadying breath. Now that they were here, he felt his anger growing, instead of shrinking away with fear. It was a… Liberating feeling. “Look, I know we don’t exactly get along, or really even like each other, so I’m only goin’ t’tell you this once.” His small, skinny hands bound into fists at his side. “If you dare hurt Gryphy, I swear I’ll make your life a livin’ hell.” How he would do that, he wasn’t entirely certain, but he was determined.

Kodi stared at him, and then broke into a snorting, mocking laughter, shaking his head at the absurdity. “Whatever you say, pixie-boy. I’m tryin’ t’get along with you more, for Oriel’s sake, and Gryph’s, but I don’t like bein’ threatened anymore than anyone else.”

Phen felt his cheeks getting pink, but he stood his ground. “I love Gryphon.” He let that soak in for a moment before continuing. “I love him, he’s been my best friend since I was like, six. I want him t’be happy, and I don’t know if you can do that for him, you bein’… You.”

Kodi’s face darkened again. The word ‘love’ had sort of hit a nerve. “Listen here, you little shit, Gryph’s my boyfriend now, so it don’t matter how you feel about him, I’m the one who-“

Before he could get any further, Phoenix lashed out and raked his hand across the side of Kodi’s face, driven with pure anger and built up frustration over his time of knowing the dentokinetic. He was surprised to see blood actually rise and trickle down from the scratches, though – there were two of them, from about the upper corner of Kodi’s cheekbone to mid-cheek, one a little longer than the other. Kodi had gasped with pain and cringed away, and now dabbed a finger against one of the seeping wounds to see the crimson that was leaking through.

And… He laughed.

“Okay…. I deserved that,” he huffed out a chuckle, wiping the back of his hand against his face and smearing the blood around a bit. “…. I promise I ain’t just playin’ games with Gryph, honest,” he mumbled, gaze dropping to the ground. He realized being honest was probably the best route, since he didn’t want Phen to… Tell Gryphon about this. “I… Really like him. I wouldn’t… Have asked him t’be my boyfriend if that wasn’t the case.” He risked a glance up. “I know we don’t really get along. An’ honestly, that was mostly because I…. Oriel…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “But it don’t matter anymore. Gryph… He makes me happy. An’ I wanna do the same for him if I can, if he lets me.”

Phoenix was quiet, still shocked a little from his slicing Kodi’s cheek, and also surprised by the turn in the conversation.

“So… I guess we don’t have t’like each other, but… We can at least get along over for our boyfriends, right?” Now it was Phen’s turn to look down, feeling shame that it was Kodi that was suggesting this, and not him.

“Y… Yeah. Okay.” He scuffed his foot against the ground and gave a small smile. “My threat still stands though. Don’t fuck up.”

“I won’t,” Kodi promised. With a chuckle, he reached out and ruffled the shorter boy’s hair. “You’re cute.” He turned to leave, then, seeing no point in talking further. They’d said what needed to be said.

Except for one thing. “H-hey, um, sorry I…” Phen pointed to his own cheek, looking embarrassed.

Kodi shrugged, laughing again. “Just means I get some sexy scars,” he joked. “An’ I really did need it. Pain seems t’bring out the best in me for some reason.” Shaking his head with a sarcastic smile, he went on his way, leaving Phen feeling both triumphant and dumbfounded. That… Had not been what he had expected at all. Well, at least it was something, right?