“Okay you motherfuckers,” Frank calls out once he enters the main living area where the others are currently in various state of wakefulness, “who thought it was funny to do this?”

Joey, the closest to him and who appears to be the most awake of the three, turns and peers quizzically at him. “What’s up?”

Frank points to the thick black choker adorning his neck. He had found himself wearing it when he woke up a few minutes ago and has been lowkey simmering in embarrassed rage since, not because he didn’t like the soft leather or the clean design, but because the damn thing has a tiny Ghost Face mask hung prominently onto the front. Doesn't help that he can’t seem to find a way to take it off because it’s on so damn tight and the back appears not to have an easy buckle.

“Really fucking funny,” he mutters darkly.

“Uh,” Joey says once he’s gotten a better look, eyes wide, “not me bro.”

“Well one of you-”

“You’re so loud,” Julie gripes as she shuffles closer, “what’s got you all-”

She pauses.

Frank glowers at the honest look of shock on both of their faces, well, at least he’s found the culprit for the insanely lame prank. “Alright nerd,” he calls out to Susie, “real dumb attempt at fucking with me, now take this thing off before I get summoned into a trial.”

Susie makes a sleepy sounding ‘hey’ at the label but obediently moves closer, rubbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie, she squints at his neck before her mouth drops open.

“Wha-”

Frank will fully admit that, post being taken by the fog and being able to participate in trials everyday where he gets to expend most of his innate bloodlust by stabbing boring losers, he is a much chiller dude than when he was living in Ormond.

But not so chill so as to put up with this amount of bullshit and disrespect.

“I swear to-”

“Frank,” Julie cuts in quietly, “it’s not one of us.”

“Hah?” Frank tries not to yell, “I know it’s not Joey or you, but what about Miss I Like Chokers Over Here? This your idea of joke Susie?”

He feels a vicious sense of satisfaction when he sees Susie visibly pale within the confines of her hoodie, shrinking into herself at the mounting fury in his voice. Good, he thinks harshly, she needs to fucking learn a lesson if she thinks she can get away with messing with me.

“I didn’t do it,” Susie mumbles out, backing up a step and holding up her hands in a gesture of supplication, “I promise Frank, I wouldn’t-”

“So what?” Frank snorts, “some magical fairy just up and gifted me a new choker last night?”

Susie shakes her head and backs up another step, “no, that’s not what I’m saying, I just, I swear I didn’t do it, you got back later than I did and I was already asleep. I don’t, I'm saying it’s not mine.”

Despite the low burn of fury in the pit of his stomach, something tells him to stay silent and reassess the situation. So he does. Frank stares at Susie first, narrowing his eyes and taking in the nervous downward turn of her lips and the fidgeting of her hands as she pulls at the hem of her hoodie. The longer he watches her, the more convinced he is that she isn’t lying, which then leaves the other two. Frank shifts his gaze towards Joey and Julie, scrutinizing them in turn, both having sensed the change in the air and having quietened in response.

“God, just let me take it off,” Julie says eventually, squaring up her shoulders and meeting his gaze directly when she can’t seem to stand the tension any longer.

Frank thinks about being contrary a bit longer but grunts and turns instead so she can get to the back of the choker. He still has no idea who the fuck decided to put this on him but he’s content to figure it out once he has the damn thing off.

“Hold still,” Julie chides half-hearted when he tenses at the touch of her cold fingers against the back of his neck, “what the hell even is this?”

“What,” he demands.

Julie sighs noisily through her nose but doesn’t say anything else.

Frank feels her fingers tug at what must be the buckle and then-

“SHIT,” he swears and jerks away from her hands when what feels like lightning strikes through his upper body. “What the fuck did you do?”

“What? What happened?”

Frank rounds on his gang, gnashing his teeth against the residual tingles he still feels in his fingers, “what the fuck was that? It feels like you fucking stuck an electrical plug into my neck.”

Julie’s look of confusion clears but it’s Joey who speaks, though he looks very much like he wishes he didn’t have to. “That, uh,” he swallows, “that’s not a choker.”

Frank waits a beat. “Well?” he prompts impatiently.

“It’s a shock collar,” Joey finishes.

There is a beat of silence.

Frank whirls around and stomps back to his room, determined to find his knife so he can try and cut the damn thing off. Then he’ll come back and shut these fuckers up for messing with him, because they must be messing with him. Let's see if they still think it’s funny when he’s fully awake and no longer being humiliated. 

He’s digging around his bed (sue him, he likes sleeping with his knife okay?) when he spies something pink sticking out from under his pillow where it wouldn’t be obtrusive unless someone was looking. He hesitates, ignoring the concerned calls he hears from the other Legion members coming closer, and tugs at the pink slip he sees until it's in full view.

It’s a heart-shaped sticky note, the kind of lame shit one sees around Valentine’s Day back in Ormond.

‘Hope you like the gift Frankie, saw it and immediately thought of you!

x.o.x.o. GF’