"Who says it's all a fantasy?"

The small hero comes into Billy's view and an immediate double-take is had by him, brows furrowing in both total confusion and surprise at what Melvin is currently wearing—or really, what was wearing her.

The late-night-esque question thrown his way by her basically goes in one ear and out the other as his mind deciphers how she got the garment currently being worn, since that's absolutely his sweatshirt. Though arriving to the conclusion is, of course, quick and easy after pushing past initially being thrown off considering, well, everything—Jinx.

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 :

➔ you're gonna be okay , just keep your eyes on me. ➔ don't move - you're going to make it worse. ➔ it's not that bad. ➔ you saved me once before , now it's my turn. ➔ you fucking idiot , you weren't supposed to take the hit for me. ➔ i told you not to do that! now look! ➔ you're lucky that i know basic first aid , or you'd be dead! ➔ stay with me, okay? stay awake. ➔ i'll be as gentle as i can be , i promise. ➔ you're bleeding - oh my god , you're bleeding. ➔ you told me it was a scratch , this is not a fucking scratch! ➔ there's so much blood. ➔ next time you want to play here , just don't. ➔ stop fighting me and let me help! ➔ you're banned from doing anything remotely dangerous. ➔ you could have died , what were you thinking? ➔ if you die on me , i'm going to be pissed off. ➔ you didn't have to be so reckless just to prove a fucking point. ➔ the wound will heal but you'll have a scar.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 :

"Yeah, lil' one, ended up bein' frozen for weeks."

Melvin knew the story that the duplicator was telling to an extent—she was there for most of it—yet was still attentively listening with full eye contact as if it were the first time she was hearing anything about it.

And as she did so, she made herself quite comfortable on his couch in a makeshift pile, using any and all blankets that Billy's apartment had to offer—besides the one on his own bed thankfully. Maybe this paired with his little story time, she would actually go to sleep since he was the next lucky adult to have found her awake and wandering where she shouldn't have been, and now they were here.

A Titan in the thief's home. Probably not his brightest idea, but it was Melvin; if he had her favorite ice cream to bribe her with, he was fine.

"Someone decided one day ta break in where we were n' get us all out, but when I got unfrozen, all m' friends n' teammates, everybody I knew was gone already so..." A pause as he attempted to figure out exactly how to continue, hesitation apparent on his face even though he tried to push it back. "I was 'lone after that." Again. "Had ta kinda just... start over. So I did."

That was putting it very gently and lightly, given his audience.

No part of the story told was sunshine and rainbows for the multiplier, but at this point it really wasn't going to be since the following two years contained some of the lowest, darkest happenings of his life. That wasn't him during those times, that was just some shadowed version he hoped to never see again, hoped to never to be again.

He definitely shouldn't be discussing things further with the young kid at all, so Billy decided to end it with as nonchalant of a shrug as he could muster. He got up from sitting next to Melvin on the couch, giving a playful ruffle of her head as he proceeded to the kitchen for a water refill.

"X said the match-ups were bad. That Jericho, Raven, and maybe me and Bobby even without his help were always going to win because Brain didn't know enough." She says it so casually. Like it's a book she half remembers instead of a day that still had her shaking from nightmares about dragons. "I like your house. It's way comfier than X's safehouse. Plus he's so touchy about me not touching stuff." Shouldn't have said that. MOVING ON.

Questions? She can do that. She always has questions. Melvin moved to half drape herself over the arm of the couch, watching intently even still while Billy moved away to the kitchen.

"Why didn't the Five just stay together after Jinx switched sides?" That seemed like it would have been easier than everyone having to rebuild on their own. Then again, sometimes people just don't want you anymore.

i thought i told you to stay back.

i love you too much to let you get hurt like this.

this affects me, too, you know.

every time you leave, i sit up all night waiting, praying you'll come back alive.

you keep pulling stunts like this and something bad will happen.

do you have a death wish or something?

this isn't fair to me.

i deserve better than this.

i didn't get any sleep last night because i was so worried about you.

you promised me you'd stop going out at night.

i don't like hearing this.

you've been risking your life, and for what? so you can feel like a goddamn hero?

i said i would handle it.

what the fuck are you doing here?

you told me you'd stay put.

so much for laying low.

you remember how bad it was last time.

seems like you haven't learned anything.

i believe you promised me you'd lay low.

i can't keep doing this.

don't give me that look.

we'll discuss this later.

this stops now.

i'm tired of picking up the pieces once you've left.

you keep throwing yourself into danger.

you don't give a shit about yourself, do you?

i'm sitting here, worried out of my mind, while you're out doing god knows what.

that was really stupid of you, and you know it.

i thought you knew better than this.

what's your excuse this time?

you do realize what this does to me, right? seeing you get hurt like this? you know it hurts me, too?

you really don't give a shit how this affects me, huh.

that was the dumbest possible thing you could have done.

i need you to stop throwing yourself into harm's way.

that was completely unnecessary.

they had it handled.

you didn't need to step in like that.

why do you think you're invincible?

the last time you pulled a stunt like this, it nearly got you killed.

i can't just sit here and watch you get hurt.

what are you trying to prove?

you just like fucking with my heart, don't you.

this shit hurts me, too, you know.

you're not the only one affected by this shit.

you've got a lot of people counting on you to come home every night.

what happens if you don't come back?

you think we can just carry on without you?

you think i can handle things if you end up dead?

i'm not sticking around to watch you get hurt.

you're not even slick.

you think you're invincible, don't you.

quit pretending you've got everything under control.

let someone else do it for a change.

you can't keep putting yourself through shit like this and expect me to just sit back and watch.

i'm done with this.

next time you do this, i'm not coming back.

promise me this is the end.

look me in the eyes and tell me you'll stop doing this.

let the authorities deal with it.

you're making a big mistake.

is it worth dying for?