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AGAINST THE AGENCY

“Cassidy…Cassidy, please wake up-!”

I gasp, shooting straight up in my bed. Cassidy? Who, even…? I ponder, wiping the cold sweat from my brows. Sighing, I lay back down, crawling under my blankets. Even though I may be sticky, I need my sleep- I can shower later.

The moment I rest my head on a pillow, however, I hear someone positively banging on my door. “Rachel! C’mon, unlock your damn door..” The frown appears on my face before I even recognize it. My alarm goes off just as my brother manages to force his way in.

“Dude, why didn’t you open the door?!” my brother, also known as Zerwin, complains, “I had to grapple with the knob for, like, three whole minutes!” “Zer, chill out, I just woke up, man,” I groan, slowly mustering up the willpower to climb out of bed. “Don’t care, bro, you’re gonna be late for work if you don’t hurry up! Everyone always says only necromancers are late!” Zerwin proclaims, hands resting on his hips. I stretch my back as he glares at me, as if it’s somehow my fault that he’s stressed by this. 

“It’s not like it’s my first day, it’ll be fine,” I grumble as I walk to my closet. “Well, I have my interview today, and I’m stressed, so you’re gonna have to deal with me being stressed about everything, and not just my-” Zerwin starts, quickly yapping my darn ear off, before I intervene: “Go get ready for your thing, then!” He practically jumps, speedily running out of my room with a loud slam of the door. I roll my eyes, yelling at his carelessness, “Slam your own door, my god!!”

When I walk back to my closet, I rummage through my options. There’s a uniform at the coffee shop, so I can’t go too wild, but… A white dress shirt and dark brown slacks seems good. Coupled with the lighter-brown of the vest I’m supposed to wear, it looks kinda professional. I snicker to myself, eyeing the brown section of my closet- yes, everything is color-coded- and gather an armful of cute accessories to try on. I have tons of decorative, whimsical hairclips; a plethora of cute, chunky bracelets; and loads of cozy, soft arm and leg warmers. After a couple minutes, I settle on a horizontally-striped light brown and white leg warmer duo, as well as an adorable brown bear hairclip set that comes with little star-shaped clips and bear charms. If this outfit doesn’t scream “employed and cutecore”, I don’t know what does.

Once I brush through my hair, eat breakfast, and brush my teeth, I slip on a pair of chunky, dark brown loafers, and run out the front door. “Bye, Zer! Good luck on your interview!” I shout, waving goodbye as I hop on my bike, which was conveniently resting on the grass- likely Zerwin’s doing. Hopefully, his interview goes well!

The ride to work is short and pleasant; the smell of flowers and trees fills my nose, as a breathtaking cloudscape slowly billows above my eyes. The buildings around me are lively, with flashing lights and signs still on from the night before. Browns and greys of boring buildings are forgotten, as the chatter of early-risers and traffic grace my ears. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, I think to myself, as positive as ever.

Arriving at work, I park my bike and make sure it’s locked up safely so no one can steal it before walking in through the back door. A soft, barely-audible electronic humming fills my ears; a familiar, comforting sound. I take my apron off the rack and ease into my day at work, starting with checking in on my peers.

“Hey, Novice!” I beam, waving enthusiastically at the shorter man. “Uh, hi, Rachel..” he murmurs in response, a faltering smile on his face illustrating his lack of equal enthusiasm. “You know, I’ve told you so many times- it’s alright not to match my energy, man,” I smile softly, changing tune a bit. “Sorry. Customers expect a lot, it’s hard to pause instinct,” Novice sighs, leaning on the counter in front of us. “Oh, speaking of customers, has anyone come in this morning?” I ask, curious as to how his earlier shift has gone. “Meh, not too many.. We did open, like, what? An hour ago?” Novice laughs, almost humorlessly. “Fair enough,” I chuckle, shrugging to myself. “Now, let’s get to work!” I proclaim, intending to get all the machines and other things up-and-running. “Yaaaay,” Novice fake-cheers, throwing his arms into the air, as he frowns heavily in complaint.

Around midday, I see someone particularly unique enter the café. I nudge Novice’s shoulder before I can think better of it, “Dude, he is huge.. Oh my god..” Novice winces, trying not to spill a drink, “Rachel! Be more careful!” he whisper-yells at me, rightfully angered. “Sorry, sorry, but that guy- he’s just-” I start, until I’m interrupted by, “Shhh! He’s coming this way!” Novice quickly elbows me real hard in the ribs, effectively shutting me up.

I clutch my ribcage and lean on the counter with a lopsided, charming grin aimed at the stranger while Novice starts chatting with the guy at the register. I can’t make out much, since the stranger is so quiet, but it seems like he’s asking something unrelated to a food and/or drink order… When the unique guy walks away, I lean towards Novice, trying to be discreet, “What did he ask?? It didn’t seem like he was ordering something!” Novice only shushes me in response, before dragging me into the back. “I’ll make it quick. I think he wants to work here, so he was talking about an interview,” Novice shrugs. “Oh, that makes sense. I have no idea what I was expecting,” I reply, thoughtfully. “Anyway, since I’m the manager, I have to be the one to do it… So, do you mind handling the register for me?” Novice asks, disguising his nervousness with sudden professionalism. “Okay, sure, man,” I grin, recognizing his nervous tell- fidgeting with his rolled-up sleeves, “Let’s hope he’s as nice as he, ahem, looks.” In response, all Novice does is scoff at me, flustered by the comment. I snicker to myself, satisfied to tease my close friend

While I work at the counter, I sneakily watch how Novice and the stranger interact. To be completely honest, the other guy seems completely normal- his mannerisms are respectful, his gaze is a little awkward and uncomfortable, and his posture is stiff. He seems just like any other interviewee, outside of his incredible build- most people coming for an interview here are not nearly as strong-looking, or even close to as tall. Actually, in a world of magic, it’s pretty rare for someone to be so obviously physically fit. Maybe, he’s just a “rare breed” for a coffee shop worker. Starbucks is definitely more queer-inclusive, so he’s just…a sort of surprise! Either way, considering how Novice is reacting..hmm, he seems pretty qualified, I contemplate, until another customer distracts me from my thoughts.

“O-oh, welcome to-” I begin, awkwardness peaking as I try to gather myself- “Rachel, chill,” Zerwin interrupts. “Zer?? I thought you had your interview!” I proclaim as I stare in confusion, feeling like something isn’t adding up. “Shut up and make me a caramel macchiato,” Zerwin replies. He walks away the second he pays for his drink, leaving me no chance to investigate. Damnit, now I’m trapped thinking of the gossip, I inwardly grumble.

The moment I’m out with my brother’s drink, he swipes it from me and packs up. “Zerwin, c’mon, is something wrong?” I ask, genuinely starting to worry for him. “I’m fine. Something’s just..come up. I have to go,” he states, rushing out of the shop faster than I can register what just happened. Suddenly, Novice is at my side, comforting me; “He’ll be fine. Maybe his interview was really awful.” I sigh, before remembering the other job interview and the stranger, “Wait! Tell me all about that interview!” I giggle, attempting to grab onto Novice’s arm. “Pipe down and get to work!” Novice snaps back, squirming out of my grasp.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: ZERWIN

I rush out of the café, coffee in hand, and pretend not to see how Rachel looks back at me. He looks concerned, but I can’t tell him. Not yet. Plans’ve changed, is all; the interview was canceled! In its place, a sister company reached out to me. Asked me if I wanted to meet with one of their higher-ups, around mid-afternoon. Of course, I said yes- but I don’t want Rachel to know about it. Especially because I…might mess up, and then nothing will come of it. I don’t want to disappoint him. I’m tired of lagging behind, I think, frowning to myself.

Sighing to myself, I slow down a bit, my jog turning into a brisk walk. The streets are crowded, and each stoplight has tons of people waiting to cross. I find myself dodging people on the street, anxiety brimming underneath a guise of normalcy. What could this business even want with me? They only told me where to go, I worry, starting to catastraphize. The pace of my heartbeat quickens, blood pounding inside my head. Maybe it’s a farce, or some sort of plot! My legs move faster as I push through bigger, stuffier crowds, searching for a way out. What’s happening?! Why are so many people in my way!? I start to tear up, feeling overwhelmed and trapped. Suddenly, a flash of light catches my eye. A shard of glass outside of a nearby alley reflects the light, and in seconds, I change my course. The alleyway will give me a chance to escape from the horde of strangers.

I speedwalk towards the alley, carelessly shoving through people as I start to hear my quick breaths. I ignore the “hey!”s and “watch where you’re going!”s from the crowd, desperation building. My lungs inflate and deflate at an alarming rate, my eyes watering and my vision blurring. After a few more seconds of pushing and shoving, the opening to the alley is only a few feet ahead. I walk faster, finding myself alone at last in the claustrophobic space between buildings. I lean against one of the walls once I’m ten feet in. I brush through my hair with my hands, soothing the stress that almost overcame me. The constant, overwhelming chatter, and the feeling of being pushed around by the crowds.. It was too much. In the alley, it’s much quieter. Darker, too.

Slowly, I catch my breath. Now that I’m safe, now that I’m alone, I can relax. I can take a second to calm down. I let my heartbeat slow, feeling the blood pumping through me less and less. Carefully, I lift up the right side of my poncho to reveal a bandage on my forearm. It’s a bit bloody, but it’s clean.

It takes a moment, but I unravel most of the bandaging, freeing my wound. Deep, shadowy, magenta-colored blood drips out of the cut. I wince as I swipe some of the blood from my arm, letting it coat my fingers. I look to the wall in front of me, before risking a glance at the street. To my luck, no one is paying attention. Making sure to be cautious, I paint the wall with my blood, forming a large “o”. Once more, I check for any eyes on me, before I activate the spell; a portal home.

Just as I walk through, the portal closes, leaving only dried blood on the wall in its place. I appear in my room, walking through an identical portal drawn on one of my walls. As I enter, the chirping and clicking of animals and insects fills my ears, much to my pleasure. The vines hanging from my ceiling blanket my room in a natural green, while the wooden bookshelves lining the room bring a smile to my face. Everything in here is as organic and natural as things would be outside; just how I like it. It’s exactly how I left it, truly; some of my books are scattered on a sturdy wooden desk, bookmarks and dog-eared pages peeking out. With a new pep in my step, I walk up to one of my animal enclosures, observing my newly-discovered pet poffin. Besides him, I have my newly-acquired stitched spider, though it doesn’t seem ready for any interaction with me- after all, they despise humans. The poffin chirps gleefully as I look down at it. Bending down to let it out, the creature hurries to the little door of its cage, clearly just as eager about being free as I am about freeing him.

In mere moments, the little poffin bounces up and into the air, looking like a sentient pom-pom. “Hey there, little guy,” I giggle, catching it in my arms. With utmost care, I pet the forehead of the poffin, to which it purrs. “You enjoying your new home?” I ask, not really expecting much more than another chirp. As expected, the fluffball chirps back at me, energetic and excited. “Great!” I chuckle, before placing down the poffin, “You can have free reign for now. I’m just gonna…look at my interview notes.”

The poffin hums, hopping around the room and exploring while I walk to my desk. “Now to look up that sister company,” I murmur, flipping open a large book titled “Dictionary”, the word scrawled out in curly, cursive-like handwriting. I pull a business card out of my pocket. The only words on it are the company name and the higher-up that requested me; “Youth Support Nonprofit: Agrerin Branch” and “Aurenei”, with no last name or position listed. Strange… I ponder, flipping the card over once more. That’s weird.

The book before me, its pages blank, quickly fills up with words the moment I write the name “Youth Support Nonprofit: Agrerin Branch” in pen. I scour the pages, finding little relevant information outside of another notable name: “Teufel”. Apparently, a magic dictionary isn’t enough to uncover much about this place. Even more odd than the business card, I think, feeling like something’s off. Perhaps…this is meant to find… I snap up, my posture stiff and straight. “Poffin,” I call out, despite knowing it likely doesn’t understand, “wait for me!” I grab a bag, my resume and job-finding details, and a rectangular ruby stone. I run to the once-portal, remembering that I forgot to rewrap my wound, and roughly rub more blood onto the dried remnants on the wall. The portal lights up immediately, as I hurriedly wrap my wound and briskly walk through the portal. In seconds, I walk out of the portal to find myself in an alley. This time, though? It’s not the same one. 

This new alley is across town, closer to the taller office buildings and further from the poorer tenements. There’s no crowd on the street connecting to this alley. Rather, the hum of traffic and chatter is dimmed; in a place that screams “work” as much as this, it makes sense. Suddenly, I remember that I rushed out before I could get ready. Fuck, I look unprofessional, I groan inwardly.

I carefully step out of the alleyway, looking around with nervous glances. Surely, if there are cameras, I can avoid them, right? They can’t know about my magic, I worry, eyes sweeping the scenery. God, if I make one mistake… I feel my legs tremble, and come to my senses. “Psssh, it’ll be fine!” I mumble to myself, ignoring the uncomfortableness of the smile forming on my face. It pulls at my cheeks, lips struggling to find their place; it’s obvious how fake it is. Terribly obvious.

Up ahead, I see a large sign atop a building; “Public Works”! Found it, I think, a bit proud of my well-placed portal. Casual as ever- which, sadly, isn’t very casual at all- I walk up to the building, noticing just how tall it is. “Shit, this is, uh.. Bigger than I expected. Wow,” I murmur, marveling at the sheer height of the structure. “Judging by the curved designs on the sides, this must be a pretty new building,” I hypothesize, curious as to how a place so large could’ve managed to stay under the radar, especially from me of all people. It all feels strange, but…a little exhilarating, too. The danger, despite my intense anxiety, makes the risk more fun. And, well, even if I get found out… Rachel will be innocent.

I open one of the double doors, mustering up my courage, and walk inside. The walls are white, tables and chairs contrasting them in black and dark grey.  The lobby appears very simple, but modern; everything feels fresh and updated. Small chairs and long couches litter the room, organized in perfect symmetry and angled in a way that screams more than just “precise”. Everything implies near-perfection- which is admittedly terrifying, to an unorganized, anxious guy like myself.

The room itself is cold and unwelcoming. The color contrast and scent of lavender makes the lobby feel stark and sterile. Carefully, I take a few steps towards the receptionist, who’s sitting at a large desk in the back of the room. Only then do I notice how empty the lobby is. The only people inside are me and the receptionist; not another soul in sight.

“Hello,” I begin, feeling even more out of place in my old poncho, “I came for an interview?” Slowly, the receptionist looks up at me. Six yellow eyes stare into my own. Blue bunny ears perk up at my words, and as I walk all the way to the desk, I see that their whiskers twitch when I talk, as well. “Greetings, we’ve been waiting for you,” the receptionist smiles, eerie somehow, “Aurenei will see you upstairs. Follow me.”

The scraping of a chair being pushed back distracts me from my interest in their features. “O-okay, thank you so much!” I squeak, quickly refocusing on my goal– find out whatever’s going on, and if needed, shut it down. When the receptionist steps out from behind the desk, I get to a brisk walk, following as they lead me to an elevator in the next room. We stay silent as they press the button for the third floor, standing on opposite sides of the cramped space. In a minute, the ding that means we’ve reached our floor sounds, and we step out.

This new floor is somehow even less inviting than the lobby. You’d think an office would be vaguely comfortable, since people have to work there- but this one? Not in the slightest. The walls are white, and the floors are a marbled black and white tile. Sure, it’s very elegant, but it feels like too much and too little all at once, especially considering the emptiness of the walls.

With each footstep, a loud clack can be heard, likely due to the heels the receptionist is wearing. The echo is almost unbearable; it makes the hallway we’re in feel infinite. I’ve never liked the concept of infinity.

“This way,” the receptionist guides, gesturing towards a crossroads where two hallways converge. We take a right turn and continue walking. We reach another crossroads and take a left. We go straight for a long time, until the receptionist stops about three feet ahead of me. “Aurenei is in here,” they state, opening the door for me. I pause in the doorway for a moment, surveying the room, and step inside. When I’m in, the door locks behind me with a soft click. Panic rises in my veins as I turn around, only to see a figure was hidden behind the door; a woman, dressed neatly in a suit. Her eyes are covered by a masquerade-style mask; it matches her outfit’s colors, but not the business vibe. She notices my surprise, and smiles coldly at me. “Hello, Regalia,” she chuckles, hands clasped in front of her, “I’m Aurenei. It’s time for your interview.”

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: CASSIDY

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. In a mere second, I’m summoned to an entirely separate location, disorienting me- “Cassidy. Sorry for the lack of warning, but.. I doubt you would’ve come on your own,” a voice states. I hover mid-air, suspended so that I don’t hit the floor. It’s dark, only the aura of a spell lighting up a small circle within the room. “W-who are you?” I ask, nervousness edging into my deep voice, making it come off as less self-assured than I’d hoped. “I think you’ll remember me in a second,” is the only answer I receive as I’m gently placed onto a chair. The lights flick on, revealing a blue, rabbit-like figure. “You… are familiar,” I murmur, trying to remember what I recognize them from. “Really? You don’t remember yet?” the person says, frowning softly, “Cass, I know it’s been a while, but..” I blink a couple times, still not getting it. “I- you sound familiar, but…” I start, faltering in my response as I fidget with my hands. First, I’m essentially kidnapped, and now I’m meant to feel bad about not remembering who my kidnapper is?? What a day, I think, feeling more tired than I was while in bed.

“He must’ve made you forget. I can help you, Cassidy,” the person claims. “I know everything you’ve forgotten,” they reach out to touch me, but I pull away. “You kidnapped me,” I state, “and you want me to trust you?” The person freezes in their tracks, with a soft sigh. “You’re right, I don’t deserve your trust. But, maybe... Aurenei can help,” they proclaim, regaining their energy. “A-Aurenei? Aurenei, she’s here?” I ask, feeling my eyes starting to water, “You know her?” My voice cracks pathetically, but I don’t pay that any mind. “It’s been years since I-” “I know,” the stranger interrupts. “It’s true, she’s here. I’m just surprised you don’t remember me… I’ll talk to her.”

Over the course of the next few minutes, the stranger closes one of their six eyes, specifically the middle right one, and goes silent. I slump forward in my chair, feeling increasingly awkward in the silence, but definitely more curious. I watch the person’s expressions change, looking down every few seconds to fiddle with a small hole in the cushion of my seat while I contemplate what’s happening. So, Aurenei is here? How did she escape? I ask myself, trying to puzzle it out, wait, escape? Where do I know her from, agai- I yelp, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain behind my eyes. The stranger turns to me, reopening their eye, “Are you alright?” I massage the place between my brows and nod slowly, still a bit shaken. Something doesn’t want me to think about that, I conclude, eager to change the mental subject. Out of nowhere, the stranger speaks again, cutting through the silence like a blade, “Aurenei says she’ll be over in a moment- she’s…in a meeting with a new recruit.” I raise an eyebrow, “Recruit? What, exactly, do you guys do here?” The person clasps their hands behind their back, tilting their head up to face the ceiling, “She’ll tell you shortly. That is, if we can use you.”

Before I have even a second to question their words, a dainty knock graces the door to the room. A loud smashing sound quickly follows, as an injured person breaks through the door, landing on their side. Judging by the open wound on their arm, they seem to be… Oh. Oh, wow. There’s a necromancer, right fucking there, I think, almost emotionlessly shocked. “Ah, Regalia, do be careful!” says the voice of a woman, haughty in its lack of true care. The necromancer frowns, scooting backwards across the floor, until their back hits my chair. “Um… Aurenei? That’s you, isn’t it? What’s happening…?” I question, smiling a bit frantically, “I’m scared.”

The woman, who is in fact Aurenei, steps through the messed up door, grinning cheerfully. Her eyes are covered by a strange mask- it reminds me of a white blindfold. Something inside me tells me that’s what she used to wear. “Just trying to wrangle the new recruit!” she exclaims, to which I look back down at the necromancer on the floor. He does not look like he’s having a time worthy of that positive tone. “Teufel, does he have his memories?” she asks the stranger, who shakes their head. “Sorry, ‘Nei, he didn’t want me to touch him,” the stranger, or well, Teufel, replies. I sigh, before getting up from my chair. “Everyone, pause. You too, Aurenei. What the fuck is happening?” I plead for an answer, holding out my hands as I stand between the necromancer and Aurenei.

“Okay, so, I was asking Regalia-” “Shut up,” comes a voice, interrupting Aurenei, “and riddle me this.” The necromancer- Regalia?- slowly gets up, mouth pulled into a scowl, “Ms. Aurenei, or whoever you really are, you fucking attacked me! I’m not about to listen to you explain yourself when I’ve been revealed to a whole room of people!” Finally seeing their face in a good lighting, I recognize Regalia. “Weren’t you at a coffee shop this morning?” I ask, in awe of the strange relation to myself earlier in the day. “Yes, but that doesn’t matter, hunk,” they answer.

Teufel sighs, cutting in before anyone else can: “Aurenei brought the necromancer Regalia here in order to see if he would be a good fit for our crew. And before you ask me what that means, let me just say, Aurenei was…eager to test him. It’s not often that one gets to see a necromancer in person.” Regalia scoffs, swiping a bit of their blood onto their hand and murmuring to themselves. In a second, all of their smaller scratches and bruises are healed. “You don’t see us because we don’t take very kindly to being murdered by the government,” Regalia grumbles. “Okay, okay,” I interject, “but why am I here?” This time, Teufel lets Aurenei speak. “I missed you!” Aurenei proclaims, quickly bounding across the room to hug me tightly. “I missed you too,” I murmur into her wavy hair, embracing her just the same. “And, of course, I thought you might be interested in helping us out,” she adds. Teufel nods in agreement, clearly knowing what’s going on in ways that neither me nor Regalia would be aware of. 

“Firstly,” she starts, “I need to show you some things. It won’t be fun, but you need to see them… if you’ll let me?” I nod, still a bit cautious, but knowing her for as long as I have- how many years has it been? Ten, twelve?- I follow her out of the room.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: ZERWIN

“You locked me in there with her,” I growl, now finding myself alone with the rabbit person, or I suppose, Teufel. “I’m sorry for that. I didn’t realize she was going to be so undignified- likely, her excitement about seeing Cass again made her a bit less thoughtful,” they reply, noticeably awkward. “Anyway, since we don’t seem to be enemies… you can stop calling me ‘Regalia’, you know,” I comment, having felt weird throughout the whole ‘necromancer Regalia!’ encounter just now. “Is that not your name?” Teufel asks, somewhat confused. “Oh no, it’s my last name. For now, I’d rather you call me Zerwin…” I laugh, feeling even more nervous than before. Now they know my name. If they turn out to be bad people, I am so… But, despite that, I feel like I can trust them, I contemplate, unsure of my decision. Hopefully, my instinct isn’t wrong.

“So, uh… why, exactly, do you guys even want me? What do you need a necromancer for?” I question, putting my hands on my hips. Teufel steps closer to me, clearly cautious, “It might sound more questionable than it is, but we’re fighting the government.” I snicker, cocking my head to the left, “Nah, this is the government that’s actively trying to kill me; I think we’re pretty much on the same side.” Teufel sighs, managing to look relieved despite their strange features. “Although it isn’t good to hear why, of course, we’re glad to have you on our side,” the rabbit person smiles. Their whiskers twitch, reminding me of the poffin I have waiting for me at home.

“On an unrelated note… are you related to that mutation fiasco a few years back? You…don’t exactly look normal,” I murmur, shrinking into a less confident pose as I fidget with the hem of my poncho. Ah, Teufel looks uncomfortable- shit, I shouldn’tve asked, I worry, averting my eyes. “I don’t like to talk about why I’m like this…but in short, no. It has to do with why I’m, um, against our government…” they start, clearing their throat for a moment, “or more specifically, the current administration’s biggest supporter.” It all starts to click in my head as I realize who they’re mentioning. “Teufel, you don’t mean…” I pause, eyes widening like a shocked cat, “...the organization ruled by the man known only as ‘The Boss’!?!” I gasp when Teufel subtly nods, feeling anxiety creeping into my being. “You guys are trying to scuffle with and take down the most powerful corporation in the entirety of Agrerin Island??!” I shout, pulling at the skin on my face out of growing fear, “You can’t be serious- you have got to be fucking with me. They’re puppeting our government like all of the officials have strings, and you think you can take them?!” Teufel bows their head, almost looking discouraged; “I know it sounds impossible to try, but with Cassidy and, hopefully you, on our side, I think we could do it.”

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: CASSIDY

“Okay, Cass, just try to keep calm. This is going to hurt,” Aurenei states, reaching out to grab my shoulder. “Alright. I…I trust you, Aurenei,” I reply, tensing up in preparation. Maybe that’s why the room is filled with softer things, I ponder, recognizing the presence of lots of cushions and bedding laid out across the floor. Slowly, Aurenei slides off her mask, letting it fall to the floor. “Be careful in there,” she warns, before looking up at me with mesmerizing golden eyes. Swirls of light and shadow overcome my vision, leaving only her solid gold eyes clear. I don’t feel it, but I hit the ground with a loud thud, incapacitated.

When I open my eyes, I see a padded white room. The walls and the ceiling, and even the floor, are all white and uniformly padded. There’s a metal bedframe with a thin mattress resting on top of it, and there’s a sink in the opposite corner. Next to the sink is a toilet, looking slightly rusted in some spots. Under the bed, there are three little toys; one toy soldier, one stuffed dog, and one plastic ball. Only when I realize that I can see under the bed without having to bend down, do I remember my height.

I reach out, looking at my hands, only to see something much smaller than I am now. On my wrist, there is a band that I vaguely recognize. Those numbers look like.. My vitals? I think to myself, before wincing in pain. I cry out, surprised by the sudden onslaught, and grab my head. I quickly feel two small growths nestled in my hair. They don’t seem to be causing the pain, but they are there; a pair of young horns. After a couple more seconds of pain rattling in my skull, it dies down into something more manageable. 

“I lived here,” I state, letting my hands fall to my sides. After saying that, the statement only feels more true. “Wait, why do I sound like that?” I ask aloud, hearing the voice of a young boy instead of my own, “Oh, this must be little me.” I conclude that I’m in the body of my younger self, and try not to let that get to me. “Aurenei must’ve had some reason for showing me her eyes, and I think it was to…make me experience this?” I mutter under my breath as I grip my shirt. The texture isn’t the same, and actually, it doesn’t seem to be a shirt anymore. Upon looking down, I discover that it’s now an orange jumpsuit, reminiscent of the kind of thing prisoners wear. There’s even a nametag; it takes a few seconds to puzzle it out, since I’m reading upside-down, but it appears to say, ‘T’endisneren’? What in the world does that mean? I sigh, massaging my temples, my name is Cassidy, and it has been since birth! Right…?

I cross my arms over my chest, taking some time to think. As I try to organize my thoughts, a large door at the front of the room opens with an awful creaking. “Tens! I distracted the guard, c’mon!” a little version of Aurenei says, peeking into my room. “Ah! Aurenei!” I exclaim, excited to see her, despite the fact that it’s not the ‘real’ one. She’s wearing a white blindfold over her eyes, but that doesn’t hide her almost-glowing smile. I run to the door, grabbing her by the arm, “So, you distracted the guard? You’re so strong!” I didn’t choose to say that, I realize, feeling a bit ill. Something about this feels…scripted? The small Aurenei giggles, carefully shutting the door to my cell. “I know~ I trapped that guard in a memory! Cool, isn’t it?” she boasts, tossing her hair with one hand. I laugh a bit, smiling against my will, “For sure!” “Now, let’s go rescue 01162!” Aurenei proclaims, grinning wide, “He’s just down the hall!”

Little Aurenei begins to drag me along with her, shushing me when I giggle, “Shhh! We can’t have them catching us, okay, Tens?” I nod, silently battling a significant realization: current-time Aurenei put me into a memory, just like that guard younger Aurenei mentioned. It seems like these memories cannot be altered, which makes sense- thus, I’m mostly watching, rather than choosing what to do. It all tracks, but it’s still… odd. Skipping, Aurenei heads to one of the cells, namely the one titled ‘01162’. She scrounges in her pockets for a moment before pulling out a keyring with tons of keycards. “Thank god his keycard is scratched, or it’d take way longer to find it…” Aurenei murmurs as she flips through the several keycards, “Ah! Got it!” In a split second, the door beeps quietly, opening up to reveal…Teufel!?

An aching pain hits me like a freight train, if only the impact was contained inside my head. I scream, hearing the sound come out, but neither Aurenei nor Teufel appear to notice. I collapse to the floor, gripping my head in absolute agony. I feel bile crawling up my throat, my body shivering from the pain and the sudden searing heat in my blood, but my old friends don’t notice in the slightest. From around the corner of the hall, I see a blurry figure. All I can make out is their gaze, which is locked onto me. All at once, the pain in my head goes away.

I stand up slowly, keeping my eyes locked onto the person. They seem like they’re also a child, but I can’t interpret any of their features, due to the weird blurring. The more I look at them, the more spiral-like the blurring effect becomes… This feels wrong. Out of place, per se, I contemplate, trying to reach some sort of theory, but suddenly… The kid starts to run away. I look back at Aurenei and Teufel, seeing that they haven’t even noticed the strange presence. Before this child can escape, I burst after them, chasing them through halls that feel more and more familiar each second. After several long minutes, we reach a dead end. I have them trapped.

“You can see the real me, can’t you?” I ask, looking down at the kid. They almost seem calm, from the way they stand still, but not stiff. Their voice comes out much smoother than I expect, “T’endisneren, I’ve always seen the real you.” I tense, feeling more threatened at their confirmation. I open my mouth to question them more, but they interrupt me: “Now, now, don’t act so scared! It seems that Aurenei was able to find you, mmn?” the kid laughs, despite their visual lack of a mouth, “Ha, to think she found you before I did. You know, I’ve missed you, my dear.” Fear strikes my heart like a hammer as they call me by ‘my dear’. I can’t help but shudder, finding myself almost grossed out by it. “Aww, that reaction brings me such delight,” the kid giggles. “It reminds me so much of why I’d ask my parents to let me sit in on your sessions…” they reminisce as I ball my hands into fists. “Anyway, T’endi, I guess I can let Aurenei help you regain your memories… I’m quite tired of you being so unaware, anyways. It’s more fun to play with toys when they can make their own decisions, don’t you think?” the child asks, dreamily. I lunge at them without thinking, slamming their shoulders into the cold, hard white wall.

“Ouch~!” they exclaim, wincing, though their tone keeps the same happiness, “That was cruel! I bet you’d like to do that to the real me, yeah?” I growl, my strength seeming to multiply in my anger. “Awww, look at your horns! Ah, and your arm spikes, too! You’re so mad… Mm, it was worth it to interfere,” the kid laughs. I look down for a second, realizing they’re telling the truth; my arms have sprouted dark spikes, curved at the ends and sharp like blades. The spikes are small, but still long enough to rip through my orange jumpsuit. I don’t try to feel my horns, finding it unimportant to confirm that part- plus, it’s more concerning to me that I’ve sprouted spikes out of nowhere.

While I’m distracted by my transformation, the kid punches me straight in the nose, giggling with glee as blood gushes down my chin. “Sorry, T’endi, but I’m a busy man! Can’t let you keep me for long…so, I’ll be seeing you later~!” they claim, running somewhere out of my sight. I cough, wiping the blood from my nose as I feel some sort of weight being lifted. Maybe that child wasn’t lying… Everything feels clearer now. As my vision fades to black, all I wonder is who they were.

I wake up, my head feeling clear as I open my eyes. In fact, it feels clearer than it has in years- and that’s what shocks me enough to fully wake. “Aurenei!” I gasp, sitting straight up in a second, starting to look around the room, feeling uncharacteristically desperate. “She’s out right now,” Regalia says, sitting on a cushion a few feet from me, “but she told me to watch you and explain some things.” I squint, thinking my eyes must be lying; there’s no way Regalia went through such a switch-up while I was in that memory. Right? And yet, even when I blink, every time I reopen my eyes, it’s still him. “Regalia? A-are you on our side now..?” I question, tilting my head to the side. “Yup,” he shrugs, seemingly much calmer now, “I finally got answers to my questions, and I agree with you guys. Plus, it seems you’re gonna need a guy like me.” He snickers when he says the last part, smiling softly. He kneels down next to me, looking to check in; “So, how’d the memory go? Teufel filled me in on Aurenei’s powers.” “I met someone who wasn’t just a memory,” I blurt out, stiffening the moment I recognize just how weird that sounds. “I- I mean, they could see me, but in a different way- they weren’t ‘scripted’,” I clarify.

Regalia takes a moment to think, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “I heard that there's someone who can do that, but Teufel didn't tell me who,” he states. “Definitely think ‘not scripted’ is a good way to describe it…hmmn,” he murmurs, seeming to be talking to himself now. For a couple of minutes, neither of us says a word, too caught up in our own minds.

“I’m back, and here to do some more explaining!” Aurenei claims in a sing-songy voice, opening the door. Her mask is secured on her face once more. “Oh, thank god,” Regalia sighs, appearing more tired than before- must be all the worries that come with joining a fight. Especially one that you learned of a couple hours ago, at maximum? “So guys, first things first; we have some limited knowledge on the powers of The Boss and his goons,” Aurenei states. “We know that he has a small army under his control, thanks to one of our…close friends. You'll meet them later,” she continues, going on and on about what we'll be going up against and what we'll do. I start to zone out a little, remembering my horns and the strange spikes that appeared. I didn't even realize I had horns, I think to myself, not until I saw younger me. 

Despite the conversation happening around me, I don't hear anything as I reach up to touch the top of my head. Deep in my thick hair, I feel it; a horn. Small, but present. The noise around me remains inaudible as I feel for the other horn. It’s there, matching the one I just felt. It feels strange, but normal all the same.

My ears start to ache as the dullness of the sound around me rises in pitch. Slowly, I begin to hear my name. Someone’s calling for me? I think, feeling a strange sense of calm, maybe not. It’s so hard to understand…

“Cassidy…Cassidy, please wake up-!” Aurenei’s voice calls, cracking in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever heard from her. All of a sudden, Regalia grabs my hand, pulling me out of my stupor. The noise around me mellows out, my eyes focusing on Aurenei and Regalia’s faces. “Dude, you had us worried for a moment,” Regalia sighs, quickly dropping my hand, “We thought you might’ve been…attacked by one of The Boss’s undiscovered soldiers, or something.” “You really set us into a frenzy!” Aurenei exclaims, before looking away and hiding her face.

“I’m sorry, guys, I just…got caught up in something,” I laugh, feeling awkward. They were so obviously concerned… I feel so bad for troubling them, I worry. “You sure did,” Aurenei snickers, turning back towards me with a renewed grin, “Just look at those big spikes!” I look down at my arms, jumping up in shock. “Shit! I didn’t-” I start, but am interrupted by the slam of the door opening. “Oh, Cass? Have you rediscovered your abilities?” the voice of Teufel asks, their body coming into view as they walk through the doorway. “Holy woah,” a dull tone drawls from behind Teufel, just out of sight, “Those are some sick stabbers.” Aurenei, Regalia, and I all turn towards the door, only to be greeted by a small band of strange-looking people.

“Zerwin!!” a happy voice shouts, before running directly at Regalia. As it turns out, the voice belongs to one of the cashiers at the very same coffee shop that I first saw Regalia. “R-Rachel?! Why are you here?!!” Regalia asks, fear coating their voice, thick like honey. “Oh, well, Novice said I should come along,” he shrugs and points at the manager who interviewed me earlier today. I straighten my stance, ignoring the confusion trying to control me; “I’m sorry, but why are so many random people here?”

“They’re not random,” Teufel and Aurenei respond in unison, giving each other matching grins. Teufel continues, gesturing towards the group standing behind him, “These are our teammates. They will be assisting us in our fight against The Boss.”

My jaw practically drops. “Well, alright, then,” I squeak, still in shock.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: RACHELAURE

I give my brother a big squeeze, still hugging him as the tall stranger from the café talks to the rabbit man. “Rachel, you need to leave,” Zerwin whispers, eyes wide with fear. “What? What’s going on here? Why do you want me to leave??” I question, raising an eyebrow, “Actually, why aren’t you home?” Zerwin sighs in a way that implies serious exhaustion without him looking even the slightest bit tired. “Rachelaure, this is serious. The more you learn, the more at risk you are,” he murmurs, gripping my sweater tightly. What scares me more than his words is the way his eyes glisten, as if holding back tears. “You need to stay safe, Rachel. I can’t handle losing anyone else,” he sobs quietly into my shoulder, trying and failing to disguise how he’s feeling.

“I can’t back down, Zer,” I reply, pulling back to look him directly in the eyes. “Plus, I can handle myself. I’ll just be intelligence! Maybe? If they, uh…even let me?” I joke, trying to lift his spirits. “It’s not safe for you, Rachel. You don’t have powers like me and the others do!” he cries, cradling my face in his hands. “But I-” I start, but am quickly shushed.

“Everyone, let me introduce the newest additions to our team, as well as the older members,” the blue rabbit man states, indirectly requesting silence. His statement made the room go so quiet I could hear a pin drop, no joke. “Alright. My name is Teufel, and I’m one of the starting members of this team, along with Aurenei,” he points at a busty woman with a masquerade mask, “Cameralle,” he points at a large man with a…projector for a head, “and Taerin,” he points at a skinny dude with stylishly-oversized clothing. “Now, introduce yourselves in greater detail,” Teufel demands.

“Hello, all! I am Aurenei, and along with Teufel and Cassidy, I suffered in containment all those years ago. That’s why we are fighting, for those who don’t know; we’ve seen the corruption firsthand,” Aurenei states, morosely, “As well, I have the ability to put people into their own memories- it’s a complicated task.” The tall man from the coffee shop nods knowingly.

“Salutations. I am Cameralle,” begins the projector-headed man, “and I do not have the best powers. As some of us know, I can rewind up to five seconds using the tape that is my memories. It does affect everyone, within a certain radius. Other than that, I have only strength.” Cameralle places his hands on his hips, and as he does so, my eyes almost pop out of my skull. “Only strength”!?! I wonder, in disbelief, he’s more muscular than the guy from the coffee shop! Zerwin snickers, noticing my reaction, and pats me on the back.

“Hi, I’m Taerin,” the skinny dude starts, before shoving his hands into his pockets, “I can read minds. I gather intelligence, and I’m the reason we know stuff about The Boss. Plus, I’m technologically gifted, some may say.” Aurenei giggles, walking over to him, “Not keen to show? Don’t worry, I can do it for you~” She unzips their backpack and gets to digging around, making a metallic crunching and banging noise, before whipping out some wacky gadgets. One of them looks like an attachable arm, one looks like a pair of goggles, and yet another one looks like a small chip. None of them have too definitive of a purpose based off of sight. “Aurenei, put those back,” Taerin drawls, grabbing lazily at his tech in her arms. As they sort that out, Teufel speaks once more.

“As you’ve heard, I am Teufel. Unlike most people, I have six abilities, all stored in my eyes. It doesn’t matter if you know what all of them are, but I can do quite a bit with them,” Teufel claims, voice calm despite the discomfort on their face, “Please do not ask about the one in my upper-right eye.” The room goes silent, left alone with the thought that some of these people may have a lot more distressing of a past than we could know. The idea is solidified when Aurenei sighs, her usual grin dimming.

“Ah, Teufel, want me to start the rest of us off?” the man from the café asks, rubbing his forearm awkwardly. “Feel free. You’re quite a good one to start, anyway,” Teufel responds with a slight shrug. “Okay, um… Hello everyone, I’m Cassidy. I was not aware of who I was until…a couple of hours ago, so I’m still processing my past with Teufel and Aurenei, and the abilities-related stuff…” Cassidy murmurs, just barely loud enough for all of us to hear. “But, I do know that I have the capability to predict the future now? Just up to ten seconds ahead. It’s action-based. I haven’t figured out how to use it, but I know it’s there. Plus, I’m pretty strong myself, and I have arm spikes? I’m sure there’s more to me, but I don’t really know right now,” he laughs, clearly nervous- judging by his very self-contained stance, I’d ‘diagnose’ him as “uncomfortable with public speaking”. “So, who wants to go next?” he asks, with an awkward smile. It’s oddly charming, I think to myself, instinctually shooting my hand straight up. I feel more eager than I ever was, just to see that man smiling. “I’ll go!” I proclaim, to Zerwin’s, and the rest of the room’s, surprise. “I only came because of Novice,” I grin, waving at the shorter man, “but I’m a firm believer in your cause, especially after hearing some of the, albeit vague, things you’ve said! Anyway, I’m Rachelaure, and though my power of body modification is likely useless, I’ll help any way I can, if you’ll let me!” Zerwin doesn’t even try to hide his disdain, pulling at the skin on his face as he groans. “Please, don’t listen to Rachel,” he gripes, wiping at his eyes with the corner of his poncho, “I won’t let him help. He’s going to go right home after this, and I’ll wipe his memories-” I jump up with a loud gasp, and hurry to get away from him. “I’m sorry, you’re going to what!?!” I shiver, confused, “You can do that??! How?! You’re a magical beast keeper and tamer, Zer!! You don’t have that ability! And even then, there’s no fucking way I’m letting that happen!”

I stare at my brother, determined to find out what the hell he means. “Rachel, you weren’t supposed to find out like this, let alone at all, and I’m sorry,” he states. “I hid something from you. I know, not exactly smart, but would our parents have adopted me if they knew? If they knew what I was?” Zerwin continues, pulling me aside and out into the hall, away from the group, “I’m a damn necromancer, Rachel. I didn’t want to burden you with the fact that I’m being hunted every goddamn second I’m alive! All I want to do is keep my only family safe, and somehow you found your way here despite everything I’ve done!” He grips my shoulders, my sweater scrunching up in his hands as he begs, “Just don’t get hurt. I know I can’t wipe your memories- I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Using my blood-” My eyes widen as I interrupt, “Being a necromancer is a blood thing???” “Shut up,” Zerwin replies, voice shaking as he ignores my curious question, “Using my blood against my own brother would be too cruel. I don’t want you to lose anything, not a single second of your life, to my own hand. But, I want you to live, too, and that scares me. For the love of the Gods we don’t believe in…Don’t fight like I do. Be like Taerin if you have to, stick to intelligence work. Please.” “Okay. I promise,” I answer, a timid quietness to my voice that I’m not used to. “Blood pact, please,” Zerwin reaches out for my hand. “Oh shit, alright,” I hold my hand palm-up, letting my brother take my hand in his. He slips a small needle out of his pocket, uncharacteristically sharp; clearly, cutting is part of his magic. It hurts, realizing that all of the scars up his arms, things I attributed to his crappy homelife before his adoption, were actually done by himself. All to survive.

With the needle, he scratches a small slit into the palm of his hand, his skin showing little resistance to the injury. Glittering red-magenta blood starts to gather in his palm; just enough to stain the things he touches. “Your palm, can I cut it?” Zerwin asks, voice softer than before. Maybe this is his way of calming down, since there’s likely no way to break this type of promise, I think. “Yeah. If this reassures you, I’ll do it,” I state, feeling determined to keep him stable. Sure, it’s sad to see him so fragile, but I get it. I wouldn’t have wanted this for him; I’m just too weak to even try to hold him back. I see it now, I sigh to myself.

A stinging feeling attacks my palm as the sharpened needle slices through my skin. The pain has a pulsing ache to it, but it’s tolerable; nothing like breaking a bone, or other sorts of larger wounds. I let Zerwin hold my hand up, watching as he presses our palms together, making the blood mix. “Repeat after me; you will not fight on the front lines,” he starts, to which I follow, “I will not fight on the front lines.” “In exchange, I offer you my protection,” he continues, shoving my shoulder slightly with his other hand when I raise an eyebrow, “In exchange, you offer me your protection,” I finish. A flash of red light encompasses our hands, before fading as it goes down our arms. “So, you’re protecting me, huh?” I ask, with a chuckle, putting my free hand on my hip. “Rachel, I’m just giving you a protective barrier for malintent. I don’t care how far you are from the perceived danger; this is going to make me worry no matter what. After all, The Boss is a very powerful man…”

“That indeed,” comes a deep voice through the door. “My apologies, but I have rather good hearing,” Cameralle claims, inviting us back inside. “While you were talking, we were discussing the limitations of our abilities. Not too important, since it was targeted at Cassidy,” Teufel nods, giving me and Zerwin room to enter.

“Anyway, Zerwin; do you mind introducing yourself?” Teufel asks, again taking control. “Not at all,” Zerwin answers, putting on a small smile, clearly fake. “As you’ve likely heard from others in the room, my name is Zerwin. Please do not call me Regalia when we are safe, I don’t really like being addressed by my last name. Also, if you couldn’t tell already, I am a necromancer,” Zerwin says, doing his best to appear as calm as possible. “Excellent,” Teufel pats Zerwin on the shoulder, almost appearing to comfort him. I didn’t take the formal-speaking blue rabbit man as the type to comfort others, I giggle internally.

“I, ah, am also here,” states Novice, shuffling into view. “Sorry, I’m too short for this shit…” They sigh, smoothing out their oversized suitcoat. “My name is Novice, and I was recently scouted by Taerin. Yeah, I might look small, but I have my ways to gather intelligence. I am also skilled in swordfighting- it’s a family tradition,” he nods to himself, tapping the side of his right pant leg. That explains the baggy clothes… I realize, recognizing that they have a lot of potential hiding spots, wow. “If you need a weapon, I also practice summoning magic, since it’s based only on aptitude and not…blood,” Novice adds. Zerwin shrugs, making eye contact with Novice. Both of them share a genuine grin.

“Looks like that’s all of us?” Aurenei questions, her eyes sweeping the room, obvious despite her mask, “Actually, where’s Jace?” Taerin snorts, muffling their laughter with their sleeves, “Jace? Oh, c’mon, you weren’t joking when you were inviting that unstable guy?” Aurenei only shrugs, giving them a playful smile. “Text him, Aurenei. He is a valuable asset to our front line and our methods of security bypass,” Cameralle almost commands, his tone sounding very self-assured. Somehow, he sounds older and more mature than he looks- it’s probably his lack of a face making it hard to tell. “Is this the Jace with a pet computer mouse?” Zerwin cautiously speaks up, scratching the back of their head. “Yeah, what of it?” Taerin giggles, as if suspecting something funny. “Oh my god. Rachel,” Zerwin turns to me, leaning in to whisper, “that guy was my fifth grade crush, why is everyone I know involved?!” I burst out laughing, gripping my abdomen, “Zerwin, this is just proof that you have, like, no friends, sorry not sorry!” Taerin snickers, murmuring, “He sounds like a chud.” Zerwin huffs in annoyance, despite the smile on his face. It’s pretty clear he’s trying to frown, but failing.

Following Cameralle’s order, Aurenei pulls out her phone, her long nails tapping audibly on the screen. “There, he’s been contacted! Now, for the course of action…” she pockets her phone. “Since we’ve never- most of us, anyway- worked as a team before, we’re gonna go small this time. Just take out one of The Boss’ torture-experiment-whatever locations!” she establishes, giving everyone a thumbs up, “Sound good?” I ask, incredulous, “More than controlling the government, he has to have torture and experimentation under his belt, too???” The whole room nods at me. Well, that explains…some of the trauma-having vibes, I think, starting to get a bit worried, this’ll be complex, won’t it?

Cassidy speaks up, seeming almost eager, “Which location? I know the one Teufel, Aurenei, and I were at was the headquarters of that whole operation, which would make it a little bit harder to take down, for now. Are we doing the one by the docks? Like, the Agrerin Cruiselines?” “Good idea,” Taerin supports, “the cruiseline docks have really good guarding during business hours, but at night, they’re way less defended. Comes with the disguise they’re using- normal people have no idea that anything weird’s happening there, yeah.” Teufel and Aurenei share a look before nodding. “Now, onto the assignments~!” Aurenei giggles, “Teufel, Cassidy, Cameralle, Zerwin, and I will all be doing the actual fighting! Everyone else with combat or mixed skills can observe.” “I’m also able to heal and teleport due to both the spells and instinctual uses of my necromancy, so I can help anyone, anywhere, at any time,” Zerwin claims, fiddling with the tassles on the hem of his poncho, “If you need me, just use comms.” “Shit man, you’re cool,” Taerin grins, sidling up next to Zerwin and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “A-ah, thanks?” my brother averts his eyes, not one to be used to such casual touch. I hold back a laugh at his embarrassed but happy face.

“This is more of an ‘incognito’ type of mission, right?” Novice asks, making eye contact with me for a moment before locking their gaze on Aurenei and Teufel. “Yup! You, Rachelaure, Taerin, and Jace will all be our intelligence and backup, which will help us go mostly unnoticed,” Aurenei answers, her grin oozing confidence, “Is that all for questions?” No one speaks up, just sharing glances with the others around them. “Fabulous; we are done here. Meet us at the docks at…” Teufel eyes Taerin, expecting a proper time to invade the facility, to which Taerin holds up 6 fingers. “Meet us there at six tomorrow. Be ready with weapons, tools, and whatever else you may need.”

PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: CASSIDY

The night before the mission, I crawl into bed, weighed down by a tightness in my chest. Anxiety feels like it’s clawing at my heart, discomfort leaving me more exhausted than I should be. I’m fighting for all of Agrerin Island, for my past; it’s dangerous. I’m allowed to be worried, I think to myself, pulling my striped purple covers over my chest, this is what I must’ve been born to do.

The next morning, I wake up in a cold sweat, my dream long forgotten. All I can think of are the spirals that I swear are everywhere. When I blink, though, they disappear.

 Throughout the day, I train my mind and body for the coming battle; I try to coerce my spikes to come out, and remind myself that it’s not going to be a very obvious invasion. With stealth on our side, and less security than normal, there’s no way we won’t succeed. Right? I worry, still doubting our strength in the face of the very organization that ruined me.

At six on the dot, I arrive at the Agrerin Cruiselines docks, spotting a guy on the very edge of the far dock. He has a really weird, chunky wristwatch, and a computer mouse resting on the railing he’s sitting on. The mouse isn’t even plugged in. On top of the strange tech thing he has going on, he’s wearing a sarashi instead of a shirt- luckily, it’s not bloody, but… It’s strange, seeing a sarashi coupled with black, baggy ripped jeans and platform hightops.

The buildings on the beach, belonging to the cruiseline, look really tall and modern. The air smells fresh, carrying the smell of the sea. If it weren’t for my knowledge of the torture going on underneath the main building, I would’ve loved it here. There’s windows on a hotel section of the building that make it look all the more pleasant and fancy. I look back to the docks, feeling as though I’m harboring a terrible secret- which isn’t entirely wrong.

Closer to me than the sarashi guy, I see Teufel. They beckon me over, urging me towards them with a grim expression. I feel myself start to sweat, panic setting in- could something have happened already? I jog to him, feeling my small backpack jostle as I do so. “Teufel! What’re you making that face for?” I ask, leaning against the railing by his side. “Cassidy, I’m not making a face,” he responds, crossing his arms over his chest; something I recognize as a nervous tic. “Anyway, Taerin and Jace are doing some preemptive work disabling the security cameras within the facility. If we’re lucky, the guard swap in fifteen minutes will make a good time for us to strike,” Teufel states, motioning towards the only other notable person on the deck; the man in the sarashi. “Ohhh, that’s Jace?” I ask, to nobody in particular, remembering the ‘pet mouse’ comment. It was a literal computer mouse! Well, that’s what I get for not paying that much attention, I think.

Zerwin walks up to us, wiping his brow. By his side, Rachelaure smiles at me. “Sorry we’re late, Rachel wanted to dress differently today,” Zerwin grumbles, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. Today, he’s dressed in slightly better-fitted clothes, though he’s still got the signature poncho. Rachelaure is wearing black compression leggings and a matching shirt, as well as a pair of black combat boots. He looks way more suspicious than Jace, somehow.

“Where’s Aurenei?” Zerwin asks, looking around us. “She’s beneath the dock we’re on top of,” Teufel smirks, six eyes narrowing, “with Cameralle, Taerin, and Novice. They’re going over the same things we are, but out of sight. Aurenei is too eye-catching, and so is Cameralle, so she chose that spot. There’s a little hidden area down there that we discovered thanks to Taerin’s efforts, so it worked out.” Everyone nods at Teufel, thankful for the explanation.

I look down at my phone as I pull it from my pocket. It’s 6:08pm, mere minutes from the guard switch. Jace’s computer mouse, out of the blue, races down the dock towards us, squeaking when it gets close. When Teufel picks it up, a compartment opens up in the back of the mouse, revealing what looks like several pairs of earbuds. “These are the comms,” Teufel passes them out, his tone making his words come off as a practiced speech, “you cannot mute them unless you make contact with an enemy. It’s not recommended, unless they notice it; we can’t have The Boss finding out about us.” Once more, everyone nods. In an electronic voice, the mouse speaks; “I am Jace. I’ll be dealing with your comms, so don’t worry too much. Just shout if you need help, and I’ll send someone to you.” There’s a short pause, before it continues, “Sorry about standing so far away…can’t have the watchful eyes of The Boss noticing me. He’s the reason I have an empty socket, if you know what I mean.” A shiver runs up my spine, reminding me of what’s about to happen. There’s going to be a lot happening in a few minutes…oh, joy.

As we all put on our earbuds, Aurenei’s cheerful voice begins making a racket. “Alright, everyone! Those who are gonna be gathering intelligence, minus Jace, please gather under the docks! Everyone else, meet me and Cameralle at the junction where the main building reaches the sea,” her voice crackles, sudden and booming. My eardrums ache for a moment, still in shock due to the explosion of noise. Rachelaure waves at his brother, mouthing a silent goodbye, and retreats to the safe space beneath the docks. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zerwin wipe away a tear.

Teufel, Zerwin, and I trot along, finding the spot we’re meant to meet up with Cameralle and Aurenei. Luckily, no one’s really around on this side of the building, so no tourists or staff notice us. Well, nobody’s there except for Aurenei and Cameralle, of course.

“Do you guys mind if I use a cloaking spell? It should make us invisible for a while,” Zerwin suggests, his smile anxious. His voice is softer than normal when he asks that. “Certainly. It would help us greatly,” Cameralle affirms. Today, he comes off even more unusual, especially because of the customized biker jacket he’s adorned. It feels like formality wafts off of him in waves, but the biker thing he has going on makes that more confusing.

Zerwin pulls out an unusually sharp needle and cuts open his wrist, wiping away the blood with the fingers of his free hand. He draws a circle on the sand, large and sticky-looking. “Everyone, please step inside the circle,” he instructs, ushering us in. Once everyone is in, he draws symbols along the outside edge of the circle before pressing his palm into the sand. A flash of light is emitted from his blood, zapping around the circle until it reaches the spot where it started. “Okay, can’t see you guys anymore, so it worked perfectly. I’ll cast it on myself in a moment,” Zerwin mumbles, quickly smudging the circle away so that it doesn’t get seen later. “Is everyone ready? The back door’s always locked, but Teufel’s our resident locksmith, so that should be good. When we’re in, quietly release any of the captives on the lower levels!” Aurenei announces, voice still as determined and happy as ever, though it’s considerably quieter. We all nod, urging Teufel to pick the lock. After a few clicks, the door is open. 

A dim, grey hallway is all there is to note about the space. There are no doors; at least, not yet. Carefully, all of us enter, leaving Teufel to relock the door behind him. We may not be able to see each other, but it’s no problem; the hallway is still empty. As we walk, the path splits. From outside, Jace directs us, telling which people to go left or right. Zerwin, Teufel, and Cameralle go to the right, while Aurenei and I go left. Our footsteps are quiet, and the hardly-there sound of our friends retreating is our only solace.

Soon enough, doors start to appear on the walls, but they aren’t significant. The labels mean nothing, especially since many don’t even have them. All we know is that the captives and the rest of the operation…are much further down. There’s no reason to look into the things that aren’t important; not for our lesser mission. Eventually, we reach a stairwell, carefully entering. The stairs are odd; carpeted and clean, suggesting the quality of the building; but the consistency of the carpeting, even beneath the actual cruiseline operation, feels strange. It contradicts my idea of evil, just as much as it contradicts the place where I was held. 

Me and Aurenei go down the stairs, finding that there’s three lower levels. Jace, through the comms, directs us to, “the bottom floor, for Cassidy and Aurenei.” I can feel my stress level reaching a peak, the tightness in my chest from this morning returning full force.

“Cassidy,” invisible Aurenei whispers, “You were situated in the most central area of facility prime. Who do you think they’ll have in the center here?” “No idea, but I hope they’re not as strong as you and Teufel were,” I snicker, remembering the stupid ways in which they used their powers and disguising my worry with a smile I know she can’t see. “I’m more worried about them being as strong as you!” Aurenei exclaims, bumping into my side. “How did you manage to bump into me?” I laugh, quite aware of how she can’t see me, nor I, her. “Well, I’m rather good at distinguishing direction based on sound! Courtesy of…uh, our…old life. Hiding from guards, trying to escape, and other mischief, yeah,” she murmurs at the end, losing some of her spunk. I sigh, looking at the ground for a moment- that is, until I hear a scream. It pierces through the quiet like how I bet Novice’s sword would cut through a limb. “Aurenei, we need to move! What if that’s someone who needs our help!?” I whisper aggressively, my empath nature inciting me to hurry. “Okay, okay! Jace, update us while we run!” she whispers into her earpiece, her footsteps getting louder as she rushes ahead of me. The two of us are about to turn a corner when the lights shut off, out of nowhere.

“I finally found you,” a quiet voice proclaims, as slithery and cunning as a snake. “You know, I didn’t think that trick would work, but knowing you…Of course it did,” they continue, the sounds of the world disappearing around me. My breath, Aurenei’s, our footsteps; it’s all quiet. I try to signal something’s wrong to Jace, but my earpiece doesn’t react. Jace’s words never come. Slowly, the person gets close enough to touch, only the sensation of their hand on my chest discernible. “Who are you?” I ask, not even hearing my own words. “I’ve known you for quite a while, Cassidy. Or should I call you…T’endisneren? That is your title, isn’t it?” the person chuckles coldly, the feeling of my face being caressed making me flinch. “Don’t worry, Tens! I’m not here to hurt you. Aurenei, though? The Boss doesn’t want her,” they giggle, booping my nose. My blood practically runs cold.

The person’s hand grips my face tighter, no longer gentle as they relinquish the darkness overwhelming my eyes, likely some sort of spell they had casted. They smirk in a way that sends a shiver down my spine. “Poor thing, so scared…too bad for Aurenei, you know; I always did like her… Maybe I’ll play with her before I kill her!” they exclaim, in a tone that suggests something more easygoing, like talking about a picnic. “Don’t you dare touch her,” I growl, feeling the stranger flinch. They let go of my face and step back, which gives me a strange satisfaction- I’ve scared them off, to some degree. I look down to see my spikes have grown out, likely the reason why they stepped back. “I may be disabled by this darkness, but if The Boss has told you anything about me, he’d have told you that I don’t back down easily,” I clench my jaw, focusing on my emotions; Aurenei told me something while we were alone yesterday, after the meeting. It was eye-opening.

“It’s simple! Just focus on yourself, on your thoughts- that’s how you realize and concoct new methods of enhancing your strength! A long time ago, you used to be the one telling me and Teufel this…I’m glad it’s my turn to say it to you, even though it’s ‘cause your memories are still muddied,” Aurenei smiled at me, patting me on the back. We then shared worries and updates on our lives over tea, just wanting to act like friends again- normal friends.

I take a deep breath, glaring down at the person ahead of me. “Give it all you’ve got,” I grin, before launching myself forward, delivering a hefty punch to what seems to be their gut. Without good sight, it’s hard to tell, but the sounds of pain sure help. In seconds, I have both of my hands on them, throwing punches left and right. They start chanting, but I ignore the feeling of a flurry of blades flying at me. My only goal is to beat them until they’re completely incapacitated.

 Cuts and scrapes attack my skin, as small knives lodge themselves into my chest. I grunt, swiveling around as they melt out of my grasp. A dark sludge pools at my feet, and rather than moving back, I start stomping, reveling in the pained noises my actions elicit. I was right to think that the goo wasn’t immune to attack; it’s part of the enemy. The sludge tries to escape me, sliding along the floor, but doesn’t get very far. The moment that the magic starts to wear off, I grab the person by their collar, yanking them up. They take my sense of touch, leaving me lost on what’s happening when combined with the overwhelming dark surrounding us.

I grapple with the shadows, trying to grab at something, anything, in an attempt to feel; alas, nothing works. I scream into the darkness, hearing the noises I make as my skin is inevitably ripped apart, blades flying from all sides. Suddenly, something in me clicks. Despite my lack of sight and feeling, I start to hear things I’m sure I’m not meant to; I’ll come at him from the right this time. Even though it’s dark, the almost-unnoticeable sound of their footsteps reminds me of my inner compas. I dive to the left, and to my luck, hear the enemy going, how did he predict that?! Sure I don’t know how I’m doing it, but at the moment, it doesn’t matter to me.

Again, the person comes at me from another side, this time sending blades flying my way. Unlike last time, however, I use my spines to block the knives. Their voice starts to sound more frantic, growing less assured every time I manage to predict them. “Funny, isn’t it?” I ask, feeling some of my sight and touch returning, “you might be blessed with magical prowess, but it can’t beat prediction, can it? I finally figured out how to use it.” The spell wears off, and I almost glomp Aurenei in a huge hug as I see her, similarly cut up. I guess Zerwin’s spell also wore off, huh, I think to myself. “Looks like you have a time limit,” Aurenei sneers, “but we don’t.” “B-back-” the person starts, frantically pressing buttons on a wristwatch. Aurenei interrupts, pulling her mask off as she states, “Eyes up here.” They look up, entirely on instinct, and collapse to the floor.

“Shit, Aurenei, you alright? I think they blocked out my hearing, so I couldn’t tell what was happening with you,” I ask, reaching out to get her consent to check her for wounds. She doesn’t take my hand, shaking her head. “I couldn’t hear you either. Anyway, we can’t worry too much about other things for now- we need to finish our mission,” she states, adjusting her mask as she puts it back on her face. “This is Jace. The other group ran into pretty minor enemies, and completed the other two floors. You guys took on the strongest experiment just now,” he fills us in, “clearly, this location was not as fortified or as important as some of the others we’ve spied on.” Aurenei and I both sigh, looking down at the young boy on the floor before us. “I’m surprised they were able to convince him to fight for them,” I state, observing the person. They look a bit bruised, likely due to our fight, but otherwise unharmed. The glaringly-orange jumpsuit that they’re wearing, rather than having a number or title on the nametag, has a regular name. “Maybe policies changed after we broke out?” Aurenei suggests with a shrug. Jace interrupts once more: “Get out of there, and try to avoid the guards! I think Aurenei should handle any other confrontations. As well, leave the boy- the rest of the prisoners readily followed us. I don’t think it’ll be easy to get him under our control right now.”

As we take off down the hall, going the way we came, Jace instructs us on which areas have the least guards. We do end up having to utilize Aurenei’s power a few times, but after a bit, we’re out!

Everyone else has already left; the intelligence-gatherers have brought the rescued experiments to Aurenei’s office, and the others have headed home. After all the adrenaline, everything feels much too calm. Though, it’s nice, not having to be on edge for now. I wave goodbye to Aurenei, heading to my car alone, since we’re trying not to be too suspicious or questionable by leaving all at once. The drive home is quiet; some might say peaceful, even. I let the radio play, pop songs I don’t care about filling the silence. When I arrive home, I rush to the bathroom.

“I hope those little daggers didn’t hurt me too much,” I murmur as I scramble to stand in front of the mirror above the sink. To my dismay, the second I pull off my shirt, there’s blood on my hands. “Fuck! This isn’t…satisfactory,” I mumble underneath my breath, taking in the scratches and stab wounds littering my body. What’s worse is that there’s still a few knives stuck on me, nestled deep into my flesh. I sit down on the edge of my bathtub with a towel, groaning and grunting in pain as I rip the remaining knives out.

My breaths are heavy and labored as I finish, already tired despite not having cleaned any of my wounds yet. “Remind me to ask Zerwin to do a healing spell next time, or something,” I sigh, preparing myself for the next painful part: disinfecting everything.

I scream like a little girl as I pour alcohol on my wounds, feeling them sizzle and burn. I cover my mouth with one hand as I continue to work, trying not to scare my neighbors. When I’m finally done with that part- which took way too long- I bandage up my chest, careful to cover the worst stabs, and flop onto my bed. I did basic first aid- that’s all I can muster. I’m so tired, I’m gonna have to buy energy drinks next time, I dread thinking of just how much more of this I’ll have to do in the future, I think. As I lay down, pulling my sheets over me, I close my eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. There’s quite a lot ahead of me, isn’t there? At least, for the first time, it wasn’t so bad…if you ignore the scars I’ll be having. Yeah.

“WELCOME TO GARDENVIEW!” a large banner proclaims at the entrance to a unique, colorful building. It’s tall, but not looming; neither modern nor classic; it’s special, but it fits right in. A place with personality; a start-up gone well. People filter in and out, hopping off and on the train to the front, chatter filling up the lobby. It’s cheerful and exciting, smiles seen all around on posters, signs, and the faces of every visitor. So far, everything’s perfect.

Suddenly, a bright, happy man disrupts the idle chatter, standing slightly above the rest on a small platform. “Hello, everyone! Now’s the time when we have our main toons come out to greet you- say hi to Dandy, Astro, Sprout, Vee, Pebble, and Shelly!” the man announces, six spotlights turning on and finding each of the toons introduced. The largest and grandest spotlight of all is aimed at Dandy, who stands front and center. “Hi! Welcome to Gardenview, everyone!” the flower proclaims, following his routine as usual. Kids come running up to him and the other mains as the spotlights dim, the short intro finding its end.

The flower toon eagerly invites kids to come up onto his little platform, gaze warm and ecstatic. Across the room, Astro catches Dandy’s eye for a moment, his ichor blood running a little cold at the reddish glint he spots there. Having known him for so long, the moon toon knows exactly what that means- Dandy feels threatened. He doesn't show that feeling to just anyone, either; Astro is the only one who knows that face. Astro and..likely, Delilah. She knows too much. Now, when the moon sees that face, he knows something is going very, very wrong.

The second Dandy and Astro look away from each other, Astro eyes his handler, awkwardly greeting the kids closing in around him. “Please,” the moon murmurs to his handler, “please distract the kids. Something isn't right, I can- I can feel it, I-” Astro’s handler quickly whispers back, soft but authoritative, “It'll be alright. You don't need to be so paranoid.” The moon shivers, trying his best not to frown as he waves at the kids using his magic. As he’s swarmed by the eager children, Astro can't help but laugh, feeling hopeless; after all, no one's listening. No one saw it- nobody but him. He’s alone.

———————————— 🩸

Suddenly, the room goes dark. The moon sees nothing but himself, glowing softly in the new space. Everything feels off, as if it's unreal, or even some sort of internal lie.

The toon trembles, wrapping his blanket tighter around himself as he whimpers. A moment ago, he was in a crowd of children, but now..?

Light starts to filter in through the windowlike dome set into the roof of the Gardenview Center lobby. The real moon hangs in the sky, surrounded by puffy purple clouds, casting long shadows across the tile floor. Tears soon cloud Astro's eye, fear leaking into his very being. What is he doing here…? What happened?

The toon carefully takes a few steps forward, looking around, wary of the quiet. The more he looks, the more he sees; ichor dripping down the walls, pooling in grotesque puddles on the dirtied tile floor; a layer of dust coating the rundown lobby’s furniture; a flash of red coming from his peripherals. The sight shocks Astro enough that he turns towards it- but nothing is there.

Astro’s breaths come in sharp and fast, picking up pace as he feels his head start to swim in worried thoughts. The bright red, just like he saw in Dandy’s eyes.. and yet, it wasn’t the same. Sure, it was already “off”, but in his little ichor-pumping heart, the toon knew this had to be worse. Dandy had always had that flash when he was distressed- but Astro could tell..that light he just saw? It wasn’t coming from Dandy. No, that was something else. Something else entirely.

Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, or at least trying to, the moon hugged himself tight. No one else was with him. What could that have come from?

Astro walks towards the red light he saw. Glass catches on his feet, clinking as it stabs the soft flesh. Black ichor leaks from the wounds, leaving Astro wincing in pain as he looks down to observe the damage. However, the moment he looks down, he sees his reflection in the shattered glass- except, it’s a bit different. His extra arms- they’re free?! But- but the blanket! He tightens his grasp on the fabric as he stares, transfixed and frozen in fear.

That same red hue spooks Astro, his excellent night vision sensing movement in the reflection, despite how he stays still. Chills run up and down the moon toon’s spine as sweat drips down his chin. Or…is it even sweat? Something drips down onto him from above.. it’s thick and black, like the ichor that constructs the boy. Astro catches the substance in one of his hands, trembling as more drips onto him from overhead. The sound of heavy breathing from behind accompanies the horrific liquid, causing Astro to flinch. Seems like he was wrong about being alone.

Slowly, Astro turns his head, looking behind him while he still trembles. What he sees can only be described as the most frightening version of himself he’s ever imagined. 

The taller moon creature towers over Astro, mouth drooling the substance that dripped onto him. All four of this Astro’s arms are out, slowly shifting to grab the toon in front of him, causing the normal Astro to shriek. The moon toon feels hot tears building in his eye, as the red pupil in the other’s eye glares down at him. The grip around the toon’s body tightens, quickly becoming suffocating, as the abomination opens its maw, revealing uncharacteristically sharp teeth. Everything feels like slow motion as the monster leans down, mouth impossibly huge, approaching Astro’s head. It’s poised to bite.

Tears stream down the moon’s face as he struggles, kicking and flailing all four of his arms desperately. The star that makes up the other half of his face glows bright, his distress setting the light of his power aflame, but it doesn’t help. The twisted creature only frowns, its own star glowing a bright, pulsing red as it roars, pushing its mouth over Astro’s face. The moment its jaws strike the poor moon’s skin, encapsulating what feels like his entire being, he screams the loudest he ever has in his whole, thought admittedly short, life.

Then all of the feelings of teeth, of spit, of being essentially strangled- it changes. Something is behind him, but with his eye clenched tightly shut, it’s hard to tell. A voice calls out to him, convincing him to relax and open his eye just enough to observe some of his surroundings. There are kids again. It’s bright.

Looking up, Astro sees his handler cradling him, a worried expression coating their features. The moon boy wipes at his eye, feeling those burning tears start to dry.

“I- I’m sorry,” he murmurs, voice hoarse from screaming. Kids crowd around him, all looking confused, scared, and concerned. They look like they really, truly care. The moon’s handler only shushes him, shooing the crowd away. “Guys, could we give him some space? I think Astro’s a little tired after that bad, um, dream!” his handler calls out, splitting the crowd as he tries to get to one of the elevators. 

         ACT 1

INDOMITABLE jogs in from Stage Left, eyes wide and alert. His posture is tense, centered close to his torso, as his view sweeps across the stage. The background is gritty and brick-textured, reminiscent of an alleyway covered in grime and graffiti. A second passes as he leans against a wall to the right of Center Stage. His breathing relaxes, as does his posture; though, admittedly, it isn’t by that much. Something is clearly stressing the hero out.

INDOMITABLE, catching his breath: That villain… he was…awfully difficult to beat!

Slowly, INDOMITABLE’s posture opens up more, revealing how he cradles his ribcage. There’s a small trail of blood running down his chest, as if he were hit and the blood was leaking out from between his fingers. It appears to be a more vital spot, but the expression on INDOMITABLE’s face reads as “lucky”; it comes off as a shallow wound.

INDOMITABLE, muttering to himself: Ugh… thank goodness for my healing factor, damn.

INDOMITABLE moves away from the wall jutting out from the right of Center Stage, pace slow and inconsistent. Unlike how he entered, he limps towards Stage Left.

SCENE CHANGE

INDOMITABLE sits on the bed in what is undeniably his own room. His room is lit only by the light of day, leaving it a bit blue-tinted in the lack of full light. The bed is skewed to Stage Left, while the other key items are skewed to Stage Right. There are nerdy posters on the wall, a desk with a laptop and some school books, and lining the walls, there are shelves full of figurines. INDOMITABLE’s hero suit is still on as he assesses his wound, despite being in his safe space. There is a first aid kit next to him on the bed, with some of the contents strewn across his sheets.

INDOMITABLE, hissing in pain as he reveals the wound: Ack! Damnit, that hurts…

INDOMITABLE sighs, then takes a deep breath as he disinfects his injury with rubbing alcohol and a small towel. His teeth clench as he powers through the pain.

INDOMITABLE: Sometimes, I wish I never got my powers.

The second that he says that, INDOMITABLE shivers, as if imagining the world without him as a hero. His eyes drift downwards, his mouth turning into a pained frown- apparently, the future looks bleak without him.

INDOMITABLE: I need to stop being so pessimistic. I should just…be glad I get to help.

INDOMITABLE goes quiet, the only noise he makes being small pained hisses as he finishes his disinfecting and stitches up the wound. This lasts a few minutes, leaving the audience in an uncomfortable silence.

SCENE CHANGE

INDOMITABLE stands on top of a building, the sound of wind whistling evident. Across from him, there stands a villain. Their hair is long and red, and their outfit is made up of dark colors and skin-tight latex. There is a chunky belt resting across their hips, and an almost-theatrical mask on their face, disguising their identity.

INDOMITABLE, speaking with confidence: This is a fight you won’t win.

INIQUITOUS, laughing: Ha! You think you can beat me?! I stood my ground against the strongest heroes this world has to offer, and you think you can best me in a one-on-one?

INDOMITABLE: I know I can beat you. After all, that’s why they call me INDOMITABLE.

INIQUITOUS: Oh, what a joke! No one is truly indestructible, not even you.

INDOMITABLE, getting snarky: I’ll show you exactly how invincible I really am.

INDOMITABLE and INIQUITOUS run at each other, forearms of their dominant arms extended to punch. The two grunt as they make contact with each other, fighting completely weaponless. INIQUITOUS throws a punch that INDOMITABLE easily blocks. INDOMITABLE tries to strike INIQUITOUS, to no avail, as they swiftly dodge. This pattern continues for a long time, with both sides kicking, punching, and blocking with equal fervor.

INDOMITABLE: It looks like hand to hand combat isn’t going to end this, is it?

INIQUITOUS: No, I suppose it won’t. However, I’m not one to back down.

INIQUITOUS lunges at INDOMITABLE, breaking the pattern, and sending the both of them tumbling to the ground. INIQUITOUS attempts to pin INDOMITABLE down, but the hero kicks them off of him, sending them flying into Stage Right.

INIQUITOUS, scowling as they regain their balance: You’re better than I thought, but I still foresee you losing.

INDOMITABLE: I could say the same for you.

The two go at it again, this time playing dirty. INDOMITABLE grabs INIQUITOUS by the belt, pulling them around like a ragdoll as he tries to throw a punch at their chest. This move fails when INIQUITOUS blocks INDOMITABLE’s hand, holding it in their own as they push against his force. INIQUITOUS attempts to trip INDOMITABLE, to no avail. However, INIQUITOUS’s balance is precarious, as they pose awkwardly due to the pulling on their belt. The two stare into each other’s eyes momentarily, frowning. They quickly part, letting go of each other entirely. This time, INDOMITABLE is standing Down Stage Right, and INIQUITOUS is Down Stage Left; a complete reverse from how the scene started.

INDOMITABLE, breathing heavy: We appear to be equally matched.

INIQUITOUS: It won’t look that way for long.

INIQUITOUS rushes INDOMITABLE, at the same time as INDOMITABLE flies forward, using the force of his flight to power up a much stronger punch. The two collide, forgetting to defend as they focus on harming the other. Punches and kicks are thrown, jabs are made at vital spots, and hair is pulled. Neither INDOMITABLE nor INIQUITOUS give up, even as they groan and grunt at every impact.

INIQUITOUS, face flushed with effort: You’re more of a worthy opponent than I thought.

INDOMITABLE, wiping the blood off his split lip: I told you, I’m closer to being invulnerable than you think.

Neither INDOMITABLE nor INIQUITOUS call for back up, despite their similar states of disarray. Both think that they can overcome the other. For a moment, nothing happens. INIQUITOUS and INDOMITABLE look into each other’s eyes, determination set in both of their gazes. They share a silent agreement; it isn’t over yet. Once more, the hero and the villain run at each other.

SCENE CHANGE

INDOMITABLE sits in a bedroom not unlike his own. There are posters on the walls, but no figures on the shelves; the room is neat, unlike his, and the dominant color in the room is green, rather than blue. The light is on, a warm and comforting yellow. On the bed, INDOMITABLE and another person sit next to each other. The man at his side has short brown hair, an orange shirt, and an exasperated expression on his face.

INDOMITABLE, coughing as he grips his ribs: I swear, I could’ve beat that guy!

WILLIAM: Mark, c’mon. I know you’re strong and all, but… they were pretty powerful, too.

INDOMITABLE, taking off his mask: Whatever. I still think I could’ve beat him.

WILLIAM sighs, shaking his head, though he smiles softly at INDOMITABLE, who reveals himself as MARK. WILLIAM’s smile falters a bit when he sees MARK’s split lip, bloody nose, and bruised cheeks.

MARK, still trying to prove his point: They weren’t even as strong as my dad!

WILLIAM: Just give it up, MARK, you had to forfeit! I mean, look at your face!

MARK touches his cheek gently, as if testing the waters of how hurt it is. The contact makes him flinch- he’s more injured than he thought. Again, WILLIAM sighs, scooting closer to MARK on the bed.

WILLIAM: Look, dude, you did your best, but back-up was sent anyway.

MARK, looking away from WILLIAM, disgruntled: I was handling it fine on my own.

WILLIAM: Sure, but that doesn’t mean you had to keep “handling it” that way.

MARK crosses his arms over his chest, but winces; he has injuries covering pretty much his whole body. The small motion, though insignificant, still causes pain.

WILLIAM, growing more worried: MARK? You good? That looked like it hurt.

MARK, awkwardly: Oh! Uh, yeah, just aches from… well, being thrown onto concrete. Y’know, since I just came back from that fight you keep saying I wouldn’t win.

WILLIAM: You know that’s not what I’m saying!

WILLIAM brings his hand to his face, pinching his nose bridge as if he has a headache.

WILLIAM: I’m just worried about you. We’ve been friends for…what, maybe a decade, now? I don’t want you to- to go into a fight you won’t come back from.

MARK, almost insulted: WILLIAM, I’m INDOMITABLE! You don’t need to worry about me!

MARK stresses the word “need”, gesturing with his hands. His eyes shine with a desperation to prove himself. WILLIAM reaches out to grab MARK’s left arm, but MARK flinches and pulls away.

MARK: It’s fine, WILLIAM. I’m fine.

WILLIAM’s eyes are trained on the sheets beneath him. He grips the sheets tightly, using them as a physical outlet for his strong feelings. His mouth is pulled into a sensitive frown.

WILLIAM: I mean, I do understand your strength… but even your dad gets hurt on some missions. Your dad, MARK.

WILLIAM emphasizes the phrase “your dad”, rivaling MARK’s earlier emphasis. The memory of his father makes MARK shift, trying to get comfortable on the bed again, as if the memory were actually invading his space, and not just his mind.

MARK, reluctantly: I know. I know he does, and I’ve seen it happen. I just… I’m INDOMITABLE. That’s just who I am. Who I was, well… born to be.

MARK braces his hands against the bed as he leans back, staring up at the ceiling.

MARK: I think I know better than anyone just how damn powerful my… my dad is. But I can’t… I’m not weak. I’m strong, WILLIAM, so strong. He made me so fucking strong.

When WILLIAM reaches out to hold MARK’s hand this time, MARK lets him, moving to be fully laying down on the bed.

MARK, distantly: That’s what I have to be. I get paid to be the most powerful guy the agency has around.

WILLIAM squeezes MARK’s hand sympathetically. He can recognize just how much this means to MARK, and his teary expression shows it. Even as WILLIAM tries to catch MARK’s gaze, MARK never looks away from the ceiling, his eyes trained on one spot.

MARK: Sure, I’m not the best when it comes to certain fighting styles, but my brute strength is off the charts. I have a healing factor, and I’m so far from human at this point-!

MARK, taking a breath: I just.. You’re worried for me. The agency is worried for me. I don’t get it. Why are you so scared, when I’m the strongest hero on this damn planet?

Relinquishing in his determination to explain himself, MARK falls silent. He lets his eyes close as he sighs, an exhausted thing. After a moment, WILLIAM finally responds, voice a little shaky.

WILLIAM: I haven’t lived through anything half as crazy as you have. I never fought my own alien father, or- or saved my alien half brother from my own “superior” species- I never had to, because I have no powers! Because I’m not you.

WILLIAM pauses, shifting to lay beside MARK, still holding his hand. Slowly, he brushes his thumb over MARK’s palm, attempting to comfort and ground him.

WILLIAM: However, the fact that I haven’t faced all of that doesn’t stop me from worrying, even when it comes to the most powerful people I know. I saw how you looked after you fought your dad, MARK. You were half dead.

MARK sighs shakily, chest tightening slightly as if the memory were painful to recount. WILLIAM grips his hand tighter, shifting to lay on his side and face MARK.

WILLIAM: You’re so incredibly strong, MARK. I know you are; everyone knows it. But even powerful people such as yourself have their limits. You’ve fought against at least two Viltrumites! Two! The most powerful beings in the goddamn universe!

MARK cracks a small smile, though his eyes are still ringed with sadness.

MARK, interrupting: WILLIAM-

WILLIAM: Wait, I’m not finished. You’ve survived those encounters, which is amazing- but you can’t forget how broken you were afterwards.

MARK: I… You’re right. Of course, you’re always right. I just… I have to be the best. INIQUITOUS is just another villain I needed to beat.

WILLIAM: No, MARK, it’s not like that-

MARK: Yes, it is! WILLIAM, I beat Viltrumites at their own game! I should be able to beat a measly human villain-

WILLIAM, getting louder: MARK! Shut up for a second!

MARK shuts up, shocked by WILLIAM’s tone and volume. He faces WILLIAM, eyes wide with surprise.

WILLIAM: INIQUITOUS was, undoubtedly, a really well-trained villain.

MARK grumbles, rolling his eyes, but still keeps his focus locked on WILLIAM.

WILLIAM: I don’t really know anything about them, so I can’t confirm nor deny what I’m about to suggest, but… Have you considered that INIQUITOUS has powers, too? Like, think of REX. He’s not as great as you, in some ways, but his abilities are pretty formidable, even though he’s not some human-alien hybrid.

WILLIAM pauses to take a breath, nudging MARK with his arm to get him to look at him, eye to eye. MARK complies with the silent request, tensing up a bit as WILLIAM holds his gaze.

WILLIAM: You’re incredible, MARK. The most powerful person I know, one hundred percent! But the truth is this: you’re not indomitable.

MARK, confused: That’s, quite literally, my hero name. I am INDOMITABLE?? Has this not been, uh, properly established-?

WILLIAM: No, no, MARK- what I mean is that you aren’t the trait. Sure, that’s your hero name, but that isn’t how your body actually is. Physically, you aren’t invincible.

MARK: Well, I guess you’re right. After all, I can’t say I haven’t been beaten within an inch of my life, but like… 

MARK, taking a breath: I just need to work harder. Get better. Not like “Nearly-Almost-Indominable-but-Not-Quite” would make a good name anyway, you know?

WILLIAM, gently motioning with his hands: That part doesn’t matter. What matters is that you, despite calling yourself “indominable”, technically aren’t- you’re not some “perfect” and “all-powerful” being. You can die.

MARK: Okay… sure, yeah, I can die. That checks out.

MARK’s expression shifts slightly, as he remembers him and his dad killing other Viltrumites when they rescued his half-brother. His smile is a bit “cheesy” and fake for a short moment.

WILLIAM: Thus, it’s okay not to win all the time. INIQUITOUS is pretty powerful-

MARK, under his breath: Yeah, yeah, whatever, not this again-

WILLIAM, ignoring the interruption: -so it’s alright to get help, or even retreat. Your fight wasn’t getting anywhere; not for you, and not for them, either.

MARK, with a small, playful smirk: Basically, you’re telling me that you’re allowed to worry about me, because… I’m not invulnerable, and as your best friend, you don’t want me to die. Is that right?

WILLIAM smiles at MARK, lips curling upwards as the sign he accepts MARK’s invitation to lighten up again. He squeezes MARK’s hand, to which MARK squeezes back.

WILLIAM, quieter than before: Yup. I care, MARK. I don’t want to lose you. Not now, and not ever- if only I never had to.

WILLIAM returns to laying on his back, looking up at the ceiling peacefully. MARK looks adoringly at WILLIAM, still holding his hand.

MARK, looking back at the ceiling: …Fine. I guess I can accept the tie.

WILLIAM, laughing: Tie? Really?

MARK: INIQUITOUS did not win, WILLIAM, back-up was forced upon me! Plus, they got away!!

WILLIAM, teasing: Mmmn, still sounds like you lost…

MARK, complaining: Oh, come on! I did not!!

WILLIAM laughs, pointing at MARK accusingly, before MARK tackles him.

MARK, kneeling over WILLIAM: I definitely did not lose!! It’s a tie, or nothing!

WILLIAM, snickering: Okay big guy, he says sarcastically, I believe you. Totally.

MARK huffs, crossing his arms over his chest like before, when he doubles over, shocking both himself and WILLIAM.

WILLIAM, concerned: Uh, Mark? You…alright?

MARK: I forgot about the wound, I forgot about the damn wound!

MARK repeats the sentence like a mantra, causing WILLIAM to burst into a fit of giggles. MARK glares down at WILLIAM from his position over him, which only spurs his friend on.

WILLIAM, trying to hold back his laughter: M-Mark, I- I can’t- you look utterly pissed-

MARK: Dude, it’s not that funny!

WILLIAM, wiping a joyful tear from his eye: I promise you, it is. How in hell did you forget you were hurt?!?

The wheeze-like laugh that escapes WILLIAM makes it hard for MARK to stay pretend-mad.

MARK: Whatever! You know what would actually be pretty helpful? 

WILLIAM, finally calming down: Hmm?

MARK, yelling and pretending to still be upset: Helping me restitch that wound! I felt the sutures snap and pop…

WILLIAM’s face falls in mild horror at the thought of what all of that looks like.

WILLIAM: Oughhh…bleghhh… I’m gonna hurl, that’s the most descriptive you’ve ever been-

Now it’s MARK’s turn to laugh, as WILLIAM covers his mouth with his hands. While WILLIAM does that, MARK slips into a regular position beside WILLIAM, no longer kneeling.

MARK, in a sing-songy voice: That’s what you get for making fun of me.

WILLIAM sighs dramatically, shrugging as he lets his head flop back against the bed, throwing his arms up like he’s falling. MARK can’t help it; he snickers, which causes a spike of pain in his chest, accompanied by a loud “ow!”.

The scene ends as MARK and WILLIAM playfully banter with each other, making fun of each other back and forth with smiles on their faces.

SCENE CHANGE

INDOMITABLE and INIQUITOUS stand on opposite sides of the stage, now appearing to stand in the middle of the street. INIQUITOUS smirks, one hand on their hip. INDOMITABLE remains serious, expression a simple frown. 

INIQUITOUS: So we meet again, INDOMITABLE. Prepared to lose?

INDOMITABLE: I didn’t even lose last time, oh my god.

INIQUITOUS chuckles under their breath, only shrugging in response. INDOMITABLE rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

INDOMITABLE: Whatever. You gonna keep standing there, or…?

INIQUITOUS, laughing haughtily: I’ve gotten much stronger since our last fight. Just thought you should have time to prepare.

INDOMITABLE: Ohh, you piss me off so bad…

The two run at each other, throwing punches as fast as they can, all their limbs utilized to tear the other apart. It seems like INDOMITABLE and INIQUITOUS are still as equally matched as before, especially when neither of them can get a hit in. Both retreat a bit, jumping back to catch their breaths.

INIQUITOUS: I can see you’ve gotten stronger, too.

INDOMITABLE, shrugging with a grin: Of course I did.

Suddenly, INDOMITABLE notices a beeping coming from his ear piece.

EAR-PIECE VOICE: Hey, ‘Domitable, I was told to be your back-up?

INDOMITABLE, focusing on dodging INIQUITOUS as he listens: Oh, Cecil ordered that?

EAR-PIECE VOICE: Yeah.

INDOMITABLE, blocking a hit: Cool. I kinda need your help, anyway- if you saw the news last time, me and INIQUITOUS kinda tied in our last fight.

EAR-PIECE VOICE: Hah, I know. Imagine being too weak to beat that new villain-

INDOMITABLE, sighing as he retreats back a bit: REX, shut up and come already.

REX SPLODE, laughing statically into the ear piece: Alright, alright, princess.

After a solid ten minutes, REX SPLODE appears on the scene. INIQUITOUS seems rather wary of the new appearance, backing down a bit.

REX SPLODE: So, INDOMITABLE! Struggling with this small fry, eh?

INDOMITABLE, shooting REX a glare: Just help me beat them, asshole.

INIQUITOUS puts up their guard, stiffening and putting their arms up in a protective stance.

REX SPLODE: Ooh, they’re wary! Now we’re getting somewhere!

REX SPLODE throws some small bombs at INIQUITOUS, having them skitter around like an ant trying to dodge all of them. Meanwhile, INDOMITABLE throws punches, flying around at high speeds to easily dodge the explosives while being on the offensive. This pattern is quickly understood as much more effective than what INDOMITABLE could do alone- INIQUITOUS has to split their attention, which led to them getting hurt way more. A couple bombs hit their mark, leaving rough, dark patches on INIQUITOUS’ suit, smoke hissing as the bombs melt the latex.

INIQUITOUS: I thought you were honorable, INDOMITABLE! But here you are, bringing in another hero? You’re weak!

INDOMITABLE, proudly: It’s not that I’m weak- it’s that we’re stronger together. Right, REX?

REX SPLODE: Pfft, whatever you say, nerd.

INIQUITOUS growls, looking utterly upset by the hero duo.

INIQUITOUS: This has to be some form of cheating-

REX SPLODE, laughing out of shock: You think this is all a game??

INDOMITABLE throws some final punches as more bombs distract INIQUITOUS, leaving the villain looking like a sunburnt tourist. INIQUITOUS falls to their knees, trying to gather enough strength for one final attack, but a hit to the back of the head knocks them out. They fall flat on their face with a sickening thump.

REX SPLODE: Alright, that went great!

INDOMITABLE: I mean… Yeah, it kinda did. Thanks, man.

REX SPLODE: No problem. I’ll always join a fight, if it means I get to trash talk some lowlife, crabby villain. And, uh… It’s fun to work with you, too.

INDOMITABLE, grinning: Right back at’cha.

REX SPLODE and INDOMITABLE walk off, as police cars arrive on the scene. Police climb out of their cars and take INIQUITOUS away, calling for back up to deal with the damage to the street. INDOMITABLE and REX SPLODE talk to each other about random stuff, just hanging out as they leave the scene.

Wormian and Tibia were quite alright. More than alright, even. Their mother, Fibula, and father, Cranial, were good enough to them. They thought they were happy.

And that was only what they thought.

The facade of normalcy was shed the day their father left their mother, leaving the lives Wormian and Tibia had been leading to be thrown up into chaos. Those lives they led were then ended abruptly. 

CHAPTER 1 - LATE NIGHT WALK. -WORMIAN

It was a dark, wet night in the woods of Nocturne Towne. Rain fell down harshly from the sky only hours ago, leaving the area damp and smelling of thick clouds and fog. Where one’s shoes should land, the mud would entrench. It was truly a night moist with the natural essence of the forest and rain.

Wormian’s boots stomp loudly through the woods, each step heavy and metallic. His boots splash in the mud, squirting it into the air with each sloppy step. By his side, Clavicle follows, holding out their phone and looking on Google Maps. They seem much more focused on their surroundings, as if looking for something they recognize. As the two tramp through the forest, Clavicle starts, “Worm. Y’think we missed the turn?”

Wormian only shrugs, eyeing Clavicle with a sharp interest. With that as their response, Clavicle sighs. “Alright, Wormy- d’ya really think ya know the way? I know there’s no true path, but maps is showin’ we’re goin’ the wrong way, man.” Wormian snarls softly, pausing his intense trudging. Gruffly, but with an almost pleading tone, he replies, “I’m sure, Clav. I wouldn’t lead you anywhere I wasn’t sure of.. do you trust me?” Even in the darkness of the nighttime woods, the desperate assurance Wormian wants from Clavicle can be seen. His eyes shine, wide and puppy-like, desperate to be reassured. It looks wrong, the way his eyes flash with eemotion; he practically never even talks, let alone looks at people with any hint of feeling behind his cold, bang-covered eyes.

Clavicle doesn’t find any irregularity in Wormian’s behavior, because Clavicle doesn’t know Wormian in any way but this. Giving up on Google Maps, Clavicle nods. “‘Kay, I getcha. You know the area.” To that, Wormian nods back, carefully stepping up to a tree and sniffing it, eyes narrowed. He thrusts his hands out to feel the bark, running his pale skin over the dark, shadowy tree.

“This’s the turn,” he states, not a drop of doubt in his cold voice. “Cool,” Clavicle answers. “One step closer to that old shed."

Wormian then trudges through the thick grass and slippery, mossy rocks behind the tree, holding out his hand for Clavicle to grab. Silently, Clavicle takes his hand, allowing Wormian to help them through the thickening woods. Although Wormian’s hand feels dead cold, his face burns with an uncomfortable fluster, which he tries to cover by brushing more of his bangs into his face with his free hand. Knowing Wormian, Clavicle just snickers, feeling how tense he is, but choosing not to comment. They aren’t as oblivious as Wormian would hope, and he’s well aware.

They tramp through the woods for what feels like ages, but soon enough, the silhouette of a dirty, broken-down shed can somewhat be seen. The trees around it feel suffocating, but a few have been chopped to leave just enough space to enter.

Wormian starts to feel nervous, and it shows. His mouth twists into a soft frown, as his joints move more awkwardly. He expects something to happen when they reach the shed- something like last time. Clavicle, growing more aware of this, teases Wormian; “Oh, ya know where this is so well only because ‘a last time, hmmn? I bet ya came here so much after, didn’t ya, Worm?” The sound of Clavicle’s voice, the way it’s a bit more breathy and crude, sends shivers down Wormian’s spine. He can’t help but get a bit turned on, and it makes him ashamed, but he’s used to the feeling by now.

Continuing to lead Clavicle to the shed, Wormian’s posture hunches slightly with embarrassment, his cheeks more noticeably warm. Clavicle, ever the tease, holds Wormian’s arm to their chest, hand tightly grasping his. “If you’re good, we can do it again once Tibby and the twins are gone. You’d like that?” Wormian gasps, surprised but incredibly eager. He nods quickly, his grip tightening on Clavicle’s hand, as he feels himself grow more excited. Anything where he gets to be alone with Clavicle is a dream to him- even if he has to wait for it. Even if he has to behave.

Speeding up his gait, Wormian drags Clavicle along, ignoring the thickness of the brush around them. Though the flora clings to their clothes, sharp prickly bushes snatching and slicing, neither of the two seem bothered. In fact, just knowing what might happen later has Wormian almost completely lost in thought- though some drops of blood seep into the forest floor as he is grazed, without precaution. In a minute or two, Wormian and Clavicle successfully reach the shed, finding their way inside. Candlelight flickers, casting shadows on those who lie within.

Within the shed, three older teens sit: Tibia, Wormian’s older sister with a penchant for lust, drama, and a whole lot of biting; Pelvis, half of a set of violently fashion-obsessed twins; and Pubic, the other half and counterpart of Pelvis. The three sit together, in the furniture-less space, leaning against each other and the torn, hole-riddled walls surrounding them. “What’s up, nerds?” Pelvis jeers, mainly making fun of Wormian. The soft candlelight casts an eerie glow on the twins’ unkind faces.

Used to it, Clavicle answers for themself and Wormian; “We’re alright. Got here a bit slow, but it's probably just the rain. Wormy knows his way around, don't you, Worm?” Having never let go of Clavicle, Wormian just nods, averting his eyes from the group. He still vividly remembers the scars Pubic and Pelvis left him.. it makes his black little heart flutter uncomfortably. But each time he thinks back to them, what they did, his thoughts stray to Clavicle.. his one and only. The first..and the last. Wormian doesn't care about what happens in the middle, as long as he can be with Clavicle. Most everyone knows this. It doesn't stop Pubic and Pelvis from being menaces, however. 

With Wormian's heart fluttering at the thought of who’s hand he's holding, the group carries on. Easily, Clavicle meshes into the rowdiness of the conversation, piping up every few minutes to comment. Tibia truly carries the conversation; “Well, judging by how he bumped into me before fourth, I think he wants me.” Pubic’s rough voice interjects, “But isn't that bitch with Haley Whosawhatsit?? Whatever the fuck that girl’s name is, you get it.” Pelvis nods, agreeing; the twins never disagree. Not unless it comes to something about Tibia, they don't. Tibia just sighs. “Babe, don't you know lotsa men can like multiple people?” She pauses, realizing how that might sound, “Women, too. Plus, seems like he's pretty.. unloyal, to me..he brushed my butt with his hand walking through the door!” Clavicle looks up at the ceiling, “An’ that's why I say fuck him. Offered him a smoke, an’ he just declined, sayin’ ‘not now, my girlfriend doesn’t know’! Like, what's that mean, you lying piece o’ shit?” Wormian grips Clavicle tighter. Pelvis shrugs, while Tibia taps the ugly paneled wood flooring, her long nails disturbing the moss growing on it. “I think it doesn't matter if he's good enough in bed. Haley’s a slut, anyway! If he asks me, I’ll say yes.” Wormian mumbles, “Saw him kissing Erica, and Haley touching up Patrick. They're both bad.” Pubic chuckles, “Well, why not both, eh, Tibby?” She thinks about it, a smirk slowly appearing on her soft face. “I do like Haley's clothes..if you could size ‘em up? When I’m done with her, of course.” Grinning, the twins eye each other, before sharing a nod.

“Sweet! I love me some extra sugar!” Tibia steeples her fingers, crossing one leg over the other, clearly satisfied. “Just give me whatever's left. I’ll take what’s in their pockets,” Clavicle states, pulling some sort of drug out of their sleeve. It smells strongly, even in this weirder, mushy form it’s in. The smell causes Wormian to slink back a bit, at first; it's too new.

Slowly, Wormian gets used to the smell; not keen to having any sort of distance with Clavicle whatsoever, he pulls himself closer. Clavicle intakes the drug, offering it around to everyone but Wormian, quite aware of his reaction and not the type to force things. The conversation between the rest of the group continues, Wormian zoning out to focus solely on Clavicle’s touch. The rest of the group doesn't seem to notice, and if they do, they certainly don't care.

After a while, Clavicle backs down from actively replying, letting the other three carry on. Clavicle notices the way Wormian's eyes are almost glassy; clearly not mentally present. Choosing to give him a bit of..’stimulation’ early, Clavicle squeezes Wormian's hand, startling him, and discretely crawls their hand up and down Wormian's torso. Even though the touch is light, Wormian tenses, the pace of his breath quickening, especially as his breath hitches, when Clavicle maneuvers around certain spots.

It isn't long before Clavicle's hand moves to his back, making Wormian shiver. The motions repeat, until Clavicle slowly and carefully begins to untuck the back of Wormian's shirt, speaking in a low whisper, “Mmn, I can see it on your face, Wormy. Ya want this, hmmn?” Wormian feels his bottom lip tremble with the rest of him, as Clavicle laughs teasingly. It almost hurts, how unreal the laughter makes it feel, leading Wormian to think Clavicle’s done it only to withdraw- but they don't. Rather, their hand teases his lower back, lightly scraping him with their nails. Wormian's breath quickens once more. Last time, last time, last time, is all he can think. Better than last time.

He starts to feel ashamed as he notices a familiar rush to his midsection; he's in a room with his sister and some other freaks, it's weird, isn't it!? But Wormian can't help but be excited by Clavicle's touch- he can't help it, he really can't. Knowing Wormian, Clavicle is also aware of this.

“Aww, how cute,” they murmur into Wormian's ear, “Just adorable. Like a little beggin’ puppy, ain’tcha?” Wormian's fingers claw at the rotted wood beneath him, leaving rough marks in the flooring. He can feel the way his face is blushing, a stupidly intense pink for his horrifically pale skin. Despite what Wormian and Clavicle clearly have going on, Tibia and the twins carry on with whatever they're blathering on about, not even shooting a glance to so much as Clavicle, let alone Wormian. This almost encourages Clavicle's behavior with Wormian, in a way- no one's caring what's up with them. Only Wormian remains awkward.

Suddenly, Clavicle gives Wormian a look, eyeing the door. They lean close to his ear; “Wanna go outside, Wormy?” The husky way in which Clavicle speaks sets Wormian's heart aflame. He could never deny anything they ask of him, especially not now- and frankly, he doesn't want to. “Y-yes, please,” Wormian answers, heart racing unnaturally.

Wormian then follows Clavicle out, with the rest of the group either uncaring, or unbothered. Once outside, Clavicle grins slightly, pushing an unsuspecting Wormian into the knotted trunk of a rather large oak tree. They press their hands to Wormian's shoulders, not minding his free arms, knowing he wouldn't fight back. Wormian has to bite back a whimper, seeing how Clavicle is backlit by the dim candle light leaking from the broken windows of the shed. Playfully, Clavicle shushes Wormian, “Shh-shhh, Wormy. Do ya want ‘em to hear?” Wormian shakes his head wildly, embarrassed by the thought- Clavicle interrupts, “That's what I thought.”

Standing in the silence, Clavicle starts to lean in, moving their hands slowly down Wormian's body, teasing. Wormian tries to ignore how hard he's getting, just wishing Clavicle either doesn't notice or doesn't mind. Once again, Clavicle's hands move to his back, where they were when they were untucking Wormian's shirt. Carefully, their hands slip under the thin fabric…

Their warm hands make contact with Wormian's cool skin, making Wormian feel wild at every new touch. His skin burns, but in the best of ways, as Clavicle sneaks their hands under his button-up, pleased at Wormian's silence. “Good boy, good boy..” Clavicle mutters, beginning to massage Wormian's skin as they move their hands around. Wormian tenses, subconsciously thrusting his hips forwards, to the delight of Clavicle. Their hands creep up Wormian's chest now, resting on his pecs, as Clavicle looks to Wormian mischievously. “I could tell ya wanted this last time, Wormy.. you’ll get your wish~” they grin, their long hair close enough to touch Wormian as they lean over him. It takes all of Wormian's willpower to try to hold back the flush crawling up his body, as he recognizes the sensation of his nipples hardening at the thought of what Clavicle means. He’s been waiting for this a long, long time. This kiss will be the best one, he just knows it.

Clavicle licks their lips, sliding their hands up just a bit more, leaning into the crook of Wormian's neck in a way that makes his skin crawl with tension. They tilt their head to the side, their hair falling into their face, their smirk somehow managing to turn Wormian on even more. His heart flutters as Clavicle's hands move to pinch at his perky nipples, momentarily distracting Wormian from the sexy look on their face. What was at first a gasp turns into a soft moan from Wormian, who instantly dislikes the way his body burns with the awful flush Clavicle always gives him- only because it's so telling. He can't tell what Clavicle's feeling, and it scares him, but a hard rub on his nipples pulls his anxious brain from the thought abruptly as he presses his thighs together. Wormian can feel it as Clavicle's hair all stands on end, reassuring him, despite the truth. 

A shudder runs up Wormian's spine as Clavicle looks down at him properly, spying his bulge. “Oh, so that's how it is, eh, Wormy~?” is all Wormian has to think about before he melts at the continued pinching and squeezing of his sensitive nipples. Clavicle leans in further, pushing themself onto Wormian, now grabbing his hands. With one of their hands, large and warm, Clavicle pins Wormian's arms above his head, the other hand starting to unbutton his shirt. A shiver courses through Wormian's body and straight to his cock as he throws his head back, staring up the tree. It's overwhelming, seeing and feeling all of this, but he loves every second of it. Every single second.

Wormian feels so dirty for enjoying this and imagining what Clavicle will do, but he's lost the shame for it now. He desperately needs this, he wants it so bad he could- the thoughts Wormian has, overwhelmed with pleasure simply at his thoughts mixing with reality, are interrupted by the feeling of something new touching him. He looks down at himself. Clavicle cups his jaw. The very flesh Wormian has in contact with Clavicle comes alive under their warm touch, blazing, Clavicle's other hand placed on Wormian's hip. Wormian feels himself moan loudly before he registers what happened.

To his utter surprise and increased arousal, Wormian finds himself in quite the dreamlike predicament- Clavicle grinding against him, smirking down at him. The way Clavicle grunts, stabilizing Wormian's hip as they grind against him, is almost enough to make Wormian cum out of ecstasy. But what does do that is how Clavicle's mouth captures Wormian's open, moaning mouth in a beautiful kiss, catching a weakened and incredibly sensitive Wormian off guard. Clavicle snickers into the kiss, allowing Wormian to ride out the high, their spit mixing and making Wormian's mouth taste like the drug Clavicle took earlier. The two know this will become the most important day in Wormian's life, and neither regret it.

Clavicle and Worm break apart just as the candlelight goes out in the shed. Clavicle wipes their mouth, leaving Wormian to slide down the tree he's been pinned to, replaying the moment on loop in his mind, still hard. No one is suspicious- or, at least, they don't seem to be.