"Are you ok?"
Brushing off the offered hand, the leader of the XYZ series got onto his feet as he cradled his injured hand. Curling his fingers slowly, the man took a slight step back as he looked up at the rather tall-looking man before him. This person was at least two or three inches taller than Tyson, making Evren feel rather small, but it wasn't like he'd say that aloud. If anything, it'd just be a lot more to knock down though, as of the past hour or two, the white-haired man wasn't faring too well.
"Ev-"
"I'm fine," he said, releasing his hand in favor of getting into a defensive stance. He then ran by the raven. "Keep in mind that he's still watching."
Straightening himself, Ty watched as his superior charged his current opponent before he stepped back to avoid a drop kick. Wiping the streak of blood from the corner of his lip, he looked up at the tall, brown-haired man that was in the process of pulling his foot from the cement floor. When hazel eyes flickered towards the shorter man, Tyson brush the back of his hand against the scuff mark to his cheek before signaling the other towards him.
Backing up a few paces, he held his arms up in front of him to block a roundhouse kick. Skidding back against the floor, the dark-haired man glanced over his shoulder to see that he was up against the wall. Focusing on what was ahead of him, he ducked in time to avoid the fist that first collided then went through the wall before sweeping his own leg beneath his opponent's foot. And when the brunette began to fall, Ty kicked his foot out, catching the man in the abdomen prior to having his shoe grabbed. Surprise darted across his face before pain registered along one side of it. A coppery taste soon filled his mouth before he made out the cold feeling of concrete against his cheek. Rolling onto his back, he brought his arms up quickly, blocking another drop kick.
For a moment, he thought he could feel the bones in his arms crack but it was enough to deter the attack. Kicking his foot up, he grimaced as he had it captured before he felt the rest of him being yanked off the ground. Being twirled by the leg like a ragdoll, he managed to right himself when he was thrown and landed in a crouching position before straightening.
The one he was fighting was strong.
Fast too.
Looking towards the female brunette some meters away, Ty watched as she was in the process of picking herself from off the floor, a bit of blood causing her brown locks to cling to her shirt. Seeing the amount of it, he knew that Scarlet would've been able to finish her current opponent but, with the current restriction placed on them; it seemed her battle would be prolonged for a time. When she did finally manage her defensive stance, something seemed just a bit off, making her hesitate in making the initial attack. That left her rather vulnerable, however, before any harm could be done, Alexis had stepped in to deflect the reverse roundhouse kick. She then tapped the brown-haired female on the shoulder before standing back to back with her to face her own opponent from moments before.
Those two usually do work in a pair…
"Pay attention," Evren ordered as he blocked a punch to the face.
Focusing on what was in front of him, Tyson dodged a series of punches before throwing a few of his own, catching the one he was fighting in the face. Although the punch would've effectively knocked someone out, his opponent merely stepped back, his eyes flickering for just a moment before settling upon the red-eyed man. Distancing himself for just a few seconds, the raven skirted around his new adversary before kicking him in the back. Hearing the sound of the wall cracking under impact, he turn before punching the man at the top, the center then the base of his spine before backing away as the other dropped down. Watching how his head started to turn slowly, almost making a 180, Ty grabbed hold of his head and turned it forcefully noting how the life within the hazel eyes began to diminish before going out altogether. Catching the faintest sound of sparks, he backed off quickly as he watched the defeated body twitch as it leaned forward against the wall. Moments later it stopped moving altogether.
Spitting out thick, red spit, Tyson rubbed his cheek before running his tongue over his teeth to make sure none were loose. When all seemed to be in order, he turned his attention over to the two female counterparts to see how they were faring.
It had appeared that Scarlet had managed to trip up her own opponent, making him fall face first. His neck was at an odd angle, presumably broken. Red eyes then went over to Alexis to see that she had her opponent pinned down, his arm wrenched up and back while her foot remained on his back. Then, with only a few twist and pulls, the woman tossed aside the arms she had been wielding before turning to tend to the brown-haired female in the process of cradling her sprained wrist and ankle.
Ok, so they're done, Tyson thought to himself before turning in time to see his leader collide with the wall before hitting the hard, concrete floor. Damn…
Feeling relief as the white-haired male pushed himself up, Ty grimaced watched as he fell back down from using his injured hand as support. Seeing how Evren's opponent was coming over, the raven hurried over and blocked the end of a kick. Feeling his bones crack under the impact, Tyson braced himself as he was pushed back. He heard the other man move behind him and glanced back before grabbing hold of his current adversary's foot. Shifting his weight, he swung the brunette into the wall before walking towards him.
"Enough."
Pausing for just a moment, Tyson continued to advance upon the one he was fighting before hearing the command for a second time. Balling his hand into a fist, he hung his head before hearing the sound of rotaries turning. Looking back up to catch the hazel eyes staring at him in a flickering manner, Ty walked over and snapped the man's head in the opposite direction. Pulling upwards, he held the head in hands for several moments before tossing it to the side. Catching the faintest sound of labored breaths, he turned to see his leader doubled over as he cradled his side.
"Evren," he said as he came over, "hey, are you ok?" Kneeling, he placed his hand on the man's back, gliding it up and down in an comforting manner. "Evren?" Said person shifted before the arm cradling his side dropped back to the ground. "Hey-"
"You disrespectful bastard." Reaching up, he grabbed a hold of the taller man's throat. "I didn't ask for your help. I didn't need your help," Evren hissed as he tightened his hold. "I could've handled that droid on my own without your assistance."
"You…" Swallowing somewhat painfully, Tyson locked stares with the mismatched pair of eyes. "You…were getting your ass kicked. A…simple…." Wincing at the nails digging into his skin, the raven grabbed hold of the other's injured hand before giving it a squeeze, eliciting a small hiss. Squeezing harder when Evren had yet to let go, the raven kicked his foot out, catching the man in the side. "What the hell was that for?" he growled quietly as he rubbed his throat.
Turning his attention back towards his leader, he watched as Evren slowly pushed himself into an upright position. His head was down though he couldn't hide the very dark smear of blood that was coloring his otherwise colorless hair and porcelain skin. The darkened jade staring out from the shadows of the man's hair was just a bit unnerving though Ty merely narrowed his own eyes at the man before getting onto his feet the moment Evren did.
"You want to explain yourself?" he asked angrily.
"Do you enjoy interfering in my work?"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Evren groused as he flexed the fingers his good hand. "I told you that he was watching and you just wanted to upstage me, right?"
"I was trying to help you so you didn't get your ass kicked up and down this place," Tyson shot back, "but no. Next time I will gladly let whoever is trying to beat you to a bloody pulp do it." He then looked up at the ceiling when he heard a bulb breaking. "I think a little submissiveness would do your uppity ass some good."
Stepping back as he felt the hairs on the nape of his neck stand on end, Ty glared at the irate man before signaling him forward. He was a bit surprised when his leader began to advance upon him but he was hurt.
Sure, it didn't make him any less dangerous but perhaps just a bit slower.
"Don't tell me I struck a nerve," he chuckled, watching malice flash across the otherwise expressionless face. "I can't believe that our calm leader apparently has such a short fuse. So much for the ever quiet and collected man," he added prior to dodging a punch.
Sliding his hands into his pockets, he maneuvered around the other almost effortless until he managed to get behind him. Seizing the injured hand that had yet to be used, Ty gave it a squeeze, expecting some sort of cry. When he received no such thing, he scowled before shoving the other into the thick glass wall. Walking up behind him before the other managed to turn around, Ty grabbed a handful of white tresses and listened to the sound of his leader's head connecting to the hard barrier. Seeing his good hand twitch, Ty seized it, wrenching it behind his back before he leaned to be next to the man's ear.
"You need to relax a bit more," the taller man said before pushing the other's head into the glass. "Life would be more enjoyable if ya weren't such a priss. Don't you think?" he added as he continued to mash the man's face into the wall. Stepping off, he threw the man to the ground, watching as his head connected with the ground. "Could help you change that if ya want." Tyson smirked as he squatted beside Evren's prone form. Rolling him over, he watched as the mismatched pair of eyes tried to roll themselves back into focus. "What am I saying? We can change that whether you want to or not," he stated as he pulled him up.
Feeling himself being hoisted, Evren's head lolled to the side as he felt a growing headache. Above the rushing sound of blood in his ears, he made out the part about him needing to be a bit more submissive before feeling something pressed against his back. Making out its rough texture, he realized he was on the ground again before his eyes slid shut. Sensing a close source of heat, the defeated man reached a hand up slowly. Feeling something warm beneath his fingertips, he slowly pressed his hand along the surface as he cracked his eyes open bit by bit. Making out the blurry, dark red orbs peering down at him, Evren slowly traced his fingers up before cupping the man's cheek.
"Ty…"
Watching said person lean down just a bit more, a weak smile crossed the pale face before the fingers came across a thin stream of blood. Catching the end of something being said, Evren allowed his eyes to drift shut as he listened to his own heavy breathing. That sound was then covered by a rising hum. Soon that was surpassed by a rather startled, yet painful scream.
Dropping his hand back to his side, Evren tilted his head to the side before catching a glimpse of the dark-haired man cradling the side of his face, the thinnest wisps of what appeared to be smoke rising from between his fingers. Rolling onto his side, the man slowly brought his hand to rest along the man's shoulder, making the other freeze considerably before a new, and much louder scream filled the room.
"That's enough, Evren."
Slowly bringing his hand back to his side, Evren rested along the cold concrete before his eyes slid shut. He heard the faintest of curses, the almost inaudible sound of hissing as well as the sound of footsteps. Hearing his name again, he cracked his eyes open to see his other two teammates kneeling before him. Making out the message being relayed to him via signing, he blinked once then twice before focusing in on the impassive green eyes.
Pushing himself into an upright position, he hung his head, waiting for the world to stop spinning before getting onto his feet. Hearing his name over the intercom, Evren slowly held his head up, brushing away the sticky, red-tinted strands of hair. A command was then given, making him ascend the nearby stairwell that led to the spectators' box. He paused when heard the raven's pained cries diminish prior to looking over his shoulder to see the injured man sitting up though his head remained down and the side of his face remained cradled.835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vDjzbfrzh
"I'll get you for this," Tyson vowed before looking up to see that his leader had already reached the top.835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnWNLMMXXT
Closing the door behind him, Evren bowed his head, more so in pain than in respect. Taking a knee, he brought a hand up to the side of his head as he let out a shaky breath. Hearing movement, he then stood up when he caught a small, white pill resting on the center of the table. Measuring his steps, he made his way over and looked at the back of a high-backed chair prior to picking up the capsule. Swallowing the thing, he exhaled slowly before the ache in his head began to subside.
"Thank you, sir."
"Sit."
Looking around the room to see that there was no other chair; the man kneeled on the carpeted floor. Keeping his eyes down as he heard the chair turn slightly, Evren hid his surprise when he felt fingers toying with the added color to his otherwise white hair. He perked slightly when he received a pat to the head, something one would give a small child. Receiving another, the officer looked up to see a pair of amber eyes watching him intently.
"Care to explain why you did what you did?"
"He…" the rest was mumbled.
"Come again?" Evren muttered his reasoning under his breath. "I'm quite aware that you know how to annunciate your words, Evren," the man said as he grasped a fistful of the reddened hair. "Use diction."
Wincing under the treatment, the officer exhaled slowly. "He has been a pain ever since last night, sir."
"A pain, huh?" Evren nodded once. "Very well," the man in the chair stated as he released the sticky tresses, "Speaking of last night, I didn't receive any form of briefing from you. Why is that?"
"I…I…" He averted his eyes. "Sir, I cannot give you a valid answer."
"I see."
Catching the sliver of disappointment, the paler man hung his head. "I do apologize."
"Well, luckily for you, your subordinate managed to file a summary."
"Subordinate…?"
"Tyson." Evren clenched his jaw. "So, how's your head?"
"Um, it's much better," he replied quickly. "Thank you for asking, sir."
"And your hand?"
"My…m-my hand?"
Amber eyes glided down to view the injured right hand before the other had the chance to hide it. "Yes, your hand."
"It's ok. Thank you for asking, sir," he replied as he slid it behind him.
"Let me see it."
"Sir, it's ok."
"Let me see it."
"But, sir, it's-"
"Evren." Said person's mouth clamped shut. "I wasn't asking. Now, what are you going to do?" Swallowing the lump in throat, Evren presented his hand and held back a flinch as it was seized quickly. "Does it hurt?"
"No, sir."
The one in the chair squeezed it before his sharp eyes noticed the minor wince. "You're lying. You know I don't appreciate lying, Evren," he said as he gave another squeeze. "Now, does this hurt?" Evren nodded quickly when words escaped him. "I see. Well, it's safe to say that you have dislocated several bones, perhaps even fractured. Maybe broken?" Mismatched eyes slid shut. "Is that why you had yet to defeat your opponent before the rest of your team defeated theirs?" Evren shifted in place. "I mean, your right hand is your more dominant one, correct?" he asked as he gave it a small squeeze.
"Y-yes."
"No."
"No?"
"No," the man stated. "There's no excuse for failure. You know that, don't you, Evren?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Now, on another note," he said as he released the other's hand, "while you have that hand being looked at, you're suspended from your duties."
"But, sir, who's going to fill my position?" Evren asked as he lowered his hand into his lap.
"Care to take a guess, though you should know already."
"Sir-!"
"Are you questioning my judgment?"
"Of course not," Evren replied quickly as he bowed his head. "You do know best."
And content with that answer, the man sitting then turned for a moment before dropping something in front of the kneeling officer. "Now that that's out of the way, care to start giving me your summary? Oh, and do pick that up. Tyson seems to believe that you know something about that dear tome there." Yellowish-brown eyes watched as the other slowly picked up the book, pulling back the cover to see his name penciled in as well as another. "You may begin," he stated when mismatched eyes drifted up towards him. "I'd love to hear everything, Evren."835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zh3FdOpNt
"How did you come to the assumption that he even knows?"835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkmOn9fX95
"Anthony, did you ever stop to consider your words before you let them out into the world?" Will asked before she knocked on a door. The other just gave her a menacing stare. "He does live with him."835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP85SA5Gfnl
"I guess but, c'mon, does he ever say anything?" Renyx countered before facing the door as it opened. He then gave a lopsided smile. "Afternoon, Mal."
"Renyx."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Lefay."
"Ah, hello, Will," Malecai greeted, "but if you two are here for Calix, you should probably come back later."
"We're actually here to speak with you," she corrected. "Do you mind if we come in?"
The man glanced up, brow furrowed slightly before focusing on the pair on his doorstep. "Sure." Stepping aside to allow them entry, Malecai then led them into the living room before taking a seat on the couch. "Before you ask, help yourself, Renyx."
Brown eyes followed the redhead until he left the room before focusing on the grey-eyed man. "Sir-"
"You can cut the formalities, Will," Malecai stated. "You came here for a specific reason so, please, let's hear it."
Once her initial surprise faded, Will cleared her throat. "Well, when you put it like that, we're curious to know a few things."
"Don't take this wrong way, but shouldn't you know more than me?" he asked. "I mean, you're his friends, right?"
"Doesn't mean he tells us anythin'," Renyx said, walking back in with a sandwich. "Hell, he won't tell me who the hell this Evren person is and I'm supposed to be his best friend!"
"Anthony."
"No offense, Will," he added before plopping down in the recliner. "So, ya gonna tell us what's up or what?"
"Anthony." Said person looked over to see his friend massaging her temples. "Sir, what he means is-"
"What I mean is that we wanna know what's up with him. "
"Anthony-"
"Will, I told you already I don't like that name. Second, no offense, but I don't need a freaking translator!" The redhead then focused on the owner of the building. "Malecai, are ya gonna tell us what's wrong with your kid or what? I mean, after this…this Evren showed up, he's been acting all kinds of weird. He zones out."
"He's a deep person."
"Deep my ass."
"Anthony!"
"He snaps randomly."
"Because you always piss him off," Will countered.
"It's because he hasn't slept much recently," Mal stated coolly.
"The kid had an anxiety attack." The older male stayed quiet. "What, don't have an excuse for that, huh?"835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MbDyHZUeW
"Anthony, shut up!"
"He's had several in the past." Shifting in place, he first looked at Will then Renyx. "The attacks. He's had them…in the past though I was sure he had grown out of them."
"Grown…out of them?"835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHdTjaiYAn
"Uh, yes."
"Why…? Why would he have anxiety attacks?" Will asked. "He usually seems to be levelheaded enough. Well, compared to this one here," she added, gesturing towards the man she came with.835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTUJvkXHdZ
"Well, Cal…h-he's a special boy," Mal said slowly.
"I'm sure he is," she said, "but-"
"But that's not gonna help us at all," Renyx countered. "Yeah, the kid's special. Have ya seen what he can do from a roo-look, the point is that he's special. I get that. Aren't all kids special?"
"No, Cal is special. He's one…he's one that…" Bringing his hand up, Malecai bit down on a knuckle before saying, "He went through a lot as a child."
"Haven't we all?"
"No, a lot. More so than what would be deemed excessive for someone his age at the time."
"Why, what happened?" Will asked.
Grey eyes seemed to stare blankly at the coffee table before lifting a tad. "That…Evren person. The two of them were close."
"What do you mean close?"
"Anthony!"
"I need to know, dammit!"
"Close as in practically attached to the hip it would seem. Well, that was the impression I had," Mal muttered more to himself. "He was such a good kid."
"Was?"
The older gentleman nodded once with the barest trace of a smile. "He was."
"What happened?" Will asked.
"What do you mean? The kid went and grew up to be a psychotic task officer!"835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLQN53vzDn
"Anthony!"
"What?! You saw him yourself! He tried to kill Calix just the other day or have you forgotten that?!"
"Anthony, shut up," she hissed before she glanced over at their friend's guardian.
"He…someone tried to kill him yesterday?" Mal asked as if trying to grasp the concept. "Why didn't you call me?! Who tried to kill him?! If you know, why didn't you call me?!" Will looked down at her lap. "Please tell me that you at least called the police!"
"Police?" Renyx shook his head as he let out a cold laugh. "Police?! The person that tried to kill him is the police! Hell, he's higher than the fucking police!" he growled. "He's just about equivalent to the law, if not higher!"835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNrOXmufhD
"Anthony…"
"Will, shut up." The dark-eyed woman bit her tongue. "The one that tried to kill Calix was Evren."
"What are you getting at?" the eldest asked.
"What am I-that man tried to kill Calix. Evren tried to kill Calix!"
"That's impossible."
"Uh, no, it's not!"
"It's impossible-"
"How is it impossible?!"
"Because Evren was killed a little more than a decade ago. His body wasn't retrievable due to the fact that they took it," Mal stated with growing ire. "That small child that wanted nothing but to give his friend a home and you know what he got in return for it? He got a gunshot to the stomach."
"Did you see it?"
"No, but-"
"Then how do you know if the kid's body was never retrieved?" Renyx asked. "You have no proof!"
"He-"
"How do you know that they, whoever they are, took his body? How do you know, Malecai?"
"Because I told him." Hearing footsteps, the redhead turned to see the raven grasping the silver chain he usually wore around his neck. "He gave this to me…before they took him." He then released the necklace before looking up at his friend. "They took him away from me!"
"Cal-"
"But you know what? I be damned before I tell you anything!"
"Cal," Will whispered.
"Why didn't you say anything? How come you never told us this?" Renyx asked.
"Maybe I didn't want to. Maybe it was none of your damn business! Did you ever think about that?!" the teen snapped. "Not everything in my life has to be announced! If I wanted to tell you, I would've! Hell, if I wanted everyone to know, I'd write a fucking book!"
"Calix." Aforementioned looked towards the one that raised him. "Did you almost get killed yesterday?"
Clenching a fist, Cal went back to glaring at the red-haired male. "Did you mention that to him?" Not receiving a response, tugged at the collar of his t-shirt, exposing the raw looking cuts littering his neck. "Yes," he replied after some time.
"Why didn't you come home? Why didn't you call me?"
"What would've been the point? You were at work."
"Cal-"
"And I didn't want to believe it myself," he said as he lowered his head, "but you." Dark eyes snapped up to pin the Renyx with a cold yet heated glare. "How dare you come here."
"But-"
"And don't say you came because you were worried. Save me that crap." Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out the extendable staff he stationed there. Swinging it out to its full length, he then pointed it at the man. "I want you out."
"Cal-"
"I'm not telling you again," he growled. "Get out.
"Cal-"
Tightening his hold on his weapon, said person stepped forward. "Will."
Getting to her feet, she walked over to the Renyx. "Let's go, Anthony."
"No."
"It's not up for debate." Grabbing his arm, she dragged him towards the door. "Sorry for the intrusion," she said to the oldest man before opened the door and walked out with the griping redhead.
Listening to the argument going on outside the door, Mal turned his attention over to the raven-haired teen standing a few paces away. Walking over, he froze as the end of the metal rod pointed at his throat. Observing it for a moment, he then grabbed the object, causing the other to jump. Using the surprise, he managed to pull the staff from Cal's hold before tossing the thing behind him, both listening to the cold echoing sound it made as it clattered along the floor.
"Calix." Brown eyes looked up from the pole. "Cal-"
Said person turned to go back upstairs, simply to be pulled back and into a hug. "Let go."
"You're shaking," Malecai said quietly.
"Liar."
"You're still shaking."
"Let go."
"Calix-"
"Let go, let go, let-!"
Being released quickly, the teen started off before having his wrist grabbed. Turning around, wanting nothing more but to lock himself in his room, the raven balled up his free hand before lashing out. His eyes widened slightly the moment it was caught and it was only on instinct that he kicked his foot out to get away.
He was usually great at escaping after all, but he wasn't expecting for the man to release his wrist in time to block him. Once initial shock wore off, and his foot was released, Calix backed away as he averted his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, Mal. I-I-"
"Cal-"
"I'm…I just-I-"
Forgetting his weapon as he turned, Calix bolted up the stairs, ignoring the sound of hurried footsteps following after him. He barely made out his own name over the loud slamming of the door before he felt the knocks echoing through the wood and into his back. Sliding down into a sitting position, he combed his fingers through his hair before pulling his knees up to his chest to rest his head upon them.
"Calix, open the door. Hey, c'mon. I want to talk to you."
"No."
"Cal, c'mon. Come out. You know you can talk to me."
"No."
Pressing his hand against the door, Mal sighed heavily before taking a seat on the other side. "Cal."
"No."
"You know, you used to do this when you were smaller, right?" Sighing, the man tilted his head back to rest it along the door. "You would hyperventilate then take off to go hide." Grey eyes then focused on the ceiling. "I remember getting calls from your school when they couldn't find you. You'd just…disappear, you know? And you wouldn't believe how worried I was until I managed to find you. You were very good at hiding when you wanted to, you know?"835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0aqiEcOJL
Lifting his head a bit, Calix stared out at the clock mounted on the wall as his guardian continued to go on about how the raven would always be somewhere close to the area he had been picked up the night he lost his friend.
He used always seemed so winded like his small legs would give out on him at any second.
At one point they had, leaving the younger boy in a defeated, heaving heap in one of the old districts of Polaris.835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvf92BXUKH
Mal never gave up on searching until he found him.835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7XLE0w0Dp
"Calix," Mal said, managing to pull the nineteen-year-old from his thoughts, "open the door, please? Please…please? I want to help you. You know I do, but I can't if you stay in your room."
Bringing his hand up, Calix touched the chain hanging from his neck, ignoring how the cold metal glided along the numerous cuts.
"Did you think he died?" he asked.
"Cal-"
"Did you think he actually died all that time ago?"
"I…yes, yes, I did think he was dead," Mal replied, "but a small part of me thought he'd still be alive. He was a strong kid. A good kid."
"Then why?"
"Cal."
Rising from his spot, Calix walked over to his window and stared out at the people walking below. "He tried to kill me…my best friend tried to kill me, M-Malecai."
"I promise; you won't get hurt. I won't let it happen."
"He promised!" he shouted as he pounded his fist against the wall. "He promised!" Slumping down onto the floor, Cal lowered his head as he raked his fingers through his hair. "He promised me that we'd stay together. He promised that we wouldn't get hurt. H-he…he…"
Feeling his voice catch, he touched his throat when it felt like he wasn't getting enough air.
You promised me, Evren…
Feeling the cool metal of his necklace, he eyed the thing before pulling it off when it suddenly felt too restricting. Throwing it across the room, he hurried into the bathroom.
Hearing the sound of water running, Mal got to his feet and tried the handle. When it turned, he opened the door slowly before noticing the glinting necklace lying along the floor. Crossing the room after he had picked the item up, he walked over to the bathroom door and looked in to see the raven splashing cold water onto his face.
"Cal." The water continued to run for another few minutes before the teen looked over his shoulder. "C'mon." Cutting off the faucet, brown eyes averted themselves in favor of staring at the mirror. "Calix, c'mon."
"Mal-"
"I wasn't asking," he stated before heading out. "Let's go."
Watching the mirror until he lost sight of the other, Calix grabbed a towel and trudged out into his room. Seeing Malecai at his door, he walked over, keeping his gaze lowered as the grey-eyed man began to lead him downstairs. When they didn't stop in the living room, Cal looked up the moment he heard a door sliding open.
"Mal-"
"Come on."
Seeing how the man stepped out into the backyard, Cal followed after him, sighing heavily until they came to another stop. "Mal-"
"Here."
Looking around, Cal then looked at Malecai to see that he was now seated on the edge of their sundeck. Taking a seat himself, he then stared at the fence at the other end before looking to his left as he heard a lighter. Observing the grey wisps of smoke, dark eyes then focused on the second cigarette being presented.
"I don't smoke," he said.
"And that's a load of crap," Mal replied, watching the teen grimace before taking what was offered. Handing over the lighter, he then pulled out his cigarette to exhale a cloud. "Start talking."
Placing the cigarette in his mouth, Cal lit the thing, watching the one beside him from the corner of his eye. Setting the lighter between them, he then focused on the fence as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"Cal."
"Mal."
"Well?"
"What?" he asked as he exhaled another cloud.
"Start talking."
"N-"
"And I wasn't asking," Mal interrupted as he put out the cigarette butt. Lighting another, he leaned back to look at the sky before shifting his gaze to see the raven putting out his own. "Well?"
"You gonna tell me when you started smoking?"
"You want to tell me when you started smoking?" Mal countered.
"Is that even important?"
"Well, no. It's not exactly top priority at the moment, Calix." Aforementioned lit another cigarette. "How about we start with your clothes."
"M-my clothes?"
Dropping his gaze, Calix observed the somewhat tight, white t-shirt stained with dried blood. Dropping his gaze to the dark grey jeans, he stared at the empty holster strapped to his thigh before patting his pockets to find that they were empty.
"Or we could talk about this?" Brown eyes looked back towards the older man to see him holding up the missing knife between his fingers. "Or these," Mal said as he turned his hand to show the second blade hidden just behind the previous.
"Wow…where'd you get those?" Cal asked with childish curiosity.
"Cut the crap," the other ordered before stabbing each of the knives into the wood.
"Mal-"
"Better yet, tell me what you were doing the night of the PD's carrier went down."
The teen narrowed his eyes before throwing a questioning look his way. "What are you talking about?"
"I already said to cut the crap, Calix." Said person clenched his jaw. "You've been living with me for a little more than a decade. I do know when you're lying and I've had quite enough. So, are you going to talk or what?"
"Mal."
"Calix."
Clenching his teeth, the teen opted to give a retort; though he was sure the man already had one ready, Calix sighed in the end.
"Mal, I can't tell you that."
"Cal, in all the years that you've been staying with me, you should know by now that you can tell me anything."
"Malecai-"
"Anything," he replied as the other got to his feet.
"No," Calix said, walking back to the door.
Sighing, Mal pulled the cigarette from his mouth to exhale a cloud of smoke. "You know, if you don't think you can tell me anything, especially after living with me for this long, I guess I let you both down."
The raven came to a stop. "Both?"835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmRle8e8fS
"Yeah; you and Evren," he said as he put out the second cigarette. "I mean, he obviously trusted me enough to ask me to take care of you but, in the end, I suppose I wasn't suitable enough for you to do the same."835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeJ73B4UN4
"Mal, it's not - I mean…I just…" Scrubbing a hand down his face, Cal kicked himself mentally when he found himself circling back around to take a seat next to his appointed guardian. "Give me another cigarette."835Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPKlxxEqIv
Holding out the carton, Mal watched as the teen struggled with the lighter for a moment before setting the thing down once it was lit.
It was then quiet for a brief time before Cal turned towards the man.
"What exactly do you want to know?" he asked.
"Well, anything. I'm here to listen," but let's just start from the beginning, shall we?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, Cal chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, I figured that much."
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