~Cleoi, Oxzy's apartment~
His body felt sore all over; moving an inch caused a rippling, tearing feeling to run through him. He groaned in pain, trying his best to at least lay on his back. He made it, a few tears filling his eyes from the pain.
"Ha… Eerghh…!"
His mouth felt dry, and it hurt to swallow down his groans. Looking around, Oxzy turned to his door, left open for Cirilla May to run in and out. Sucking in a tired breath, he lifted his left arm toward the door, closing his eyes and focusing his energy to summon water.
The urge fueled his body with strength, causing the room to grow colder. Soon his breath turned misty as he exhaled, and ice began crawling from the floor beneath him. He managed to form an ice trail to himself, letting cold water reach his mouth. After all that effort for just a small drink, he felt utterly exhausted.
His arm lay limp off the bed, and the cold around him began to melt as he gave it less energy.
"Aghhr…"
Breathing felt a bit easier, and a small measure of strength returned to his body, though Oxzy had no energy left to use it.
Sprawled on his bed with messy sheets and water pooling beneath him from the melted ice, the hero couldn't help but let his mind wander.
When Oxzy is in this sort of state, his mind reacts defensively. He grows cold, harsh, and distant, caught between real thoughts and false ones. Sometimes he ends up wounding his own mind and sanity with thoughts of his lost mother.
The only person who ever cared for him…
Genna Raith.
A bright woman, forty-nine years old that day. She smiled softly, her long black curls falling down her back and covering skin as pale as the moon. She waited for her only son, her only family left after her husband abandoned them.
Her son stayed out, fighting and protecting the town they lived in. He poured all his life, all his power, into protecting everyone and everything. He stayed out until 2 a.m., fighting and ensuring the villain stayed away until it was safe, before finally returning home.
Tired, with cuts across his body from falling debris, he opened the door as silently as he could and slipped inside without turning on any lights. He let out a sigh, leaning on the kitchen counter, grateful to still be alive after the fight.
The light turned on, making the hero flinch. His body reacted instinctively—he spun around, arm raised. He stopped when he saw his mother, wrapped in a long white robe. She folded her arms, looking at the boy she loved dearly with a hurt, frightened expression.
She rushed forward and pulled him into a hug, holding him as tightly and deeply as her old, frail arms could manage. Oxzy hugged her back just as tightly, wincing a little but overall feeling happy and finally calm in his mother's arms.
Her hand traveled to his cut, reddened cheek. Her eyes lifted, tears welling in them. She closed them, giving in to a few sobs, blaming herself endlessly, silently begging forgiveness from God and from her own child. She blamed herself after every fight—every time Oxzy came home like this.
That was the reason the boy, at the time, couldn't let her see him. He let her take the blame for what he had done. He did it not only for her sake back then, but because it was the right thing to do.
No one else could stop the villain. No one else deserved to die by his cruel hands. So Oxzy stopped him instead.
He is the only one who can. Only... Genna wishes so much that she could turn back time. Turn back and never tell her son to keep going. To protect everyone, to use his powers for the good of this town.
"You can stop…" A whisper came from the old woman, tears rolling down her cheek, a soft but pained look in her eyes. Oxzy looked back, confused and shocked. "Please. Stop… I can't see you like this again."
How many times has the old mother seen her child in such a state? Coming home with bruises and blood littering his body. She held back more sobs, seeing her son tense up, his face full of fear mixed with determination.
Her head rested on his chest, feeling him breathe with pained breaths.
"You can stop."
Could he stop? Can he stop now, finally? Take a break, live a normal life with someone he cares for and his lovable pets. Just peacefully alone would be nice.
He knew he couldn't. No way—he had to keep his town safe. He was the only one, and everyone relied on him constantly.
But deep down, he wanted to stop. To push back and shout at all the people who relied on his protection, who even hated him. To shout out how he was done.
Done with everything and everyone. Just like his mother had hoped for in her last few days…
"Mgh… Err..!"
Tears silently fell from his face. Small sobs echoed within the dark, cold, forever empty room.
~The Grubs, Imbers home~
The family started to get ready to leave. Kinsey fell asleep, so Brit and her left first, the sister carrying her little sibling while on the phone with someone. Azeral tried to say goodbye as they left, but Brit only flipped him off.
He laughed instead of getting offended, walking to the fridge to grab his third beer that night. The oldest sibling started to pack up while the mother made her way upstairs to get something.
While the father opened his bottle and the siblings quickly gathered their belongings, Pierce leaned lazily against the door frame in boredom. His brother had stayed close the whole night, watching and listening to the family's drama and "business," but also hoping his brother would talk to him.
The father yawned, walking past the oldest and toward the villain. "You guys should just stay over for tonight!" he said loudly, wrapping his arm around Felix's shoulder but not daring to do the same to Pierce. He turned his attention to the oldest, who sneered at his idea. "What do you think? We haven't been like this in months! Stay the night like a big family!"
"Yeah, no," Corbin said without looking up, stuffing his bag with papers and letting Octavia tuck some under her arms before they finished. "We've got work to do tomorrow."
"Work?" Azeral looked at him, dumbfounded, giving his oldest daughter and son a look. "Did I really raise you two?"
"No, you were passed out most of the time," Pierce answered, giving his father a side eye. The father shrank away slightly, hearing the sarcasm but seeing no smile from his son. Felix felt his father stiffen and flinch, then looked at his brother in approval. "I can't stay either, I've got stuff to do."
Octavia grabbed her purse before bolting out the door, not even bothering to glance at her brother before dashing out. Corbin looked toward the open door in anger, trying to rush out as well, but Pierce stepped in front of him.
The older brother stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat, his whole body shaking violently from the inside. Pierce gave his older brother a smile, looking down at him with half-lidded eyes. "I remember you never used to look at me with such fear, brother."
Corbin stayed silent, afraid that if he said something wrong, the other side of his face would be burned. So instead, he looked down, holding back his tears.
Felix and the father watched them, the father fearing he might witness something bad, or a fight break out between them again. He pulled away from his youngest son, wanting to stop them but unable to take another step after moving away.
The young boy watched with so much appreciation, feeling joy at seeing his brother scare and humiliate the rest of the family. He wanted so badly to do the same, to have his brother look at him with pride. A smile lifted his lips, his eyes open and full of admiration.
"Sorry. I'm blocking your way, aren't I?" His voice was tinted with mockery as he turned so Corbin could pass.
The oldest brother hesitated, keeping his eyes fixed on the open door. The house was silent, everyone watching as the oldest brother stood shaking, the villain regarding him with a light smirk. He leaned his face close to his brother's.
"Leave."
With that one word, Corbin ran out of the house, panting and shaking the whole way. Pierce watched him go, laughing and shaking his head as though he'd heard a good joke. Turning to his father and older brother, he put his hands in his pockets and made his way to the table.
Azeral gulped, feeling sweat bead on his brow, and gave his son an innocent smile. "Th-that Corbin!" he stuttered, shaking slightly as his son stood before him by the fridge. "Doesn't k-know manners, does he..?"
His son gave him a lazy-eyed look, followed by the front door slamming shut. The force made the two flinch, and black dust came from under the door, traveling along the ground to where it had been summoned. It went under the villain, running up his legs before disappearing.
The father got the message, looking down and saying nothing as he left up the stairs. He fled his own living room in fear of his son, his hands shaking and legs carrying him fast up the creaking stairs.
Now it was just Pierce and Felix alone.
Instead of fearing the villain's presence, Felix took the opportunity to talk to him. As soon as his father ran up the stairs, Felix turned to his brother, a smile on his face.
"I got half of the Grubs in my gang now! All by myself." He started off, looking proud and mentioning nothing besides his own well-being. His brother only raised an eyebrow, confused by the way his brother had started the conversation. Felix continued, feeling no fear in talking to Pierce. "They need me to take the lead with the gangs. Not only that, but they also respect me since you're my brother! Isn't that awesome??"
His face lit up with excitement to tell his older brother this. Pierce gave him a tight smile, feeling bored as his younger brother rambled on about his newfound position in the Grubs. Pierce honestly didn't care for such things as gangs and the drug deals the Grubs controlled.
He found himself nodding off. Turning his head, he closed his eyes while Felix leaned beside him, his mouth still going. Pierce's mind seemed to drift, his thoughts traveling to both Rosamee and Oxzy. His thoughts couldn't seem to settle on who he wanted to think about.
"Give the hit to me!!" said a girl with short blond hair braided up to the tips, the ends dyed red, her tone playful. She sat by an oak tree outside Whitedail High School. With her sat her best friend Mercy and her boyfriend Pierce.
Mercy took a few puffs, looking at the shorter girl nestled in the red-dyed man's grasp. His arms were around her shoulder, keeping her close, his eyes closed in relaxation. She rolled her eyes but handed the drug to her friend.
Rosamee took a few hits, and the smell made the man open his eyes. Without saying anything, she gave the rest to her boyfriend, earning an annoyed groan from Mercy. She giggled, looked up, and moved closer into Pierce's touch.
He smiled, looking down at her. Leaning in, he was about to kiss her forehead, but she turned her face for a kiss on the lips instead. He gave in, kissing her gently at first before it turned messy.
Mercy gagged, turning her face away before snatching the drug from Pierce. She turned her whole body so she wouldn't have to watch their PDA.
The bell rang, and a mess of kids their age ran out of the school doors, annoying the group. Pierce moved away and asked for the time. Mercy gave an annoyed reply, causing him to snicker at her childishness. The group got up, Rosamee holding Pierce's hand as they made their way around the school toward the entrance.
Mercy shoved others who got in her way, laughing at their reactions. Rosamee scolded her but couldn't help laughing as well. Pierce just watched the girls mock others, feeling a warm burst of joy in his chest.
As Mercy kept walking, a smaller girl rushed past her, hitting her shoulder and falling over, dropping her bag and its contents. The girl grabbed everything in a hurry, ignoring whoever she'd bumped into.
Mercy sneered down at the girl, annoyed at being ignored, and stomped her foot on the girl's hand as she reached for a book. The younger girl cried out, pulling her hand back before finally looking up. Her face turned white when she met the stares of the three seniors. She stuttered out unintelligible words, shaking when her eyes caught Pierce's bored look.
Mercy leaned down to her, taunting the girl with a mean look. The younger girl offered a silent apology, prompting laughter from the three. Rosamee mocked her pathetic state, joining Mercy in leaning down to taunt the girl further.
Knowing exactly whose group she had bumped into, the girl began to apologize, staying on her knees. One wrong move and she might be dead—she knew who Pierce was, and his friends knew it too, aware that even in school he still held power.
The girls continued bullying the poor girl, laughing at her while others walked past, ignoring the seniors tormenting a freshman. One person took notice of the commotion, and seeing them pick on an innocent girl, the hero growled angrily.
The black-haired male with curly hair had come to pick up a friend, and seeing how everyone ignored the scene, he walked over. Shouting to make his presence known, he made the girls stop and take a few steps closer to Pierce. The villain's face grew a smile, seeing Oxzy—who had graduated last year—coming through the school entrance.
The hero knelt down, helping the freshman up. Her face flushed red, a look of shock and admiration crossing it as he helped her gather her things. She lingered close to him as he turned to scold the three.
The girls rolled their eyes but kept quiet. Pierce stayed silent as well, watching Oxzy scold them with a stern but soft expression. The villain wasn't really listening—he couldn't help but stare. The girls noticed his silence after the hero finished scolding them. Mercy looked at him and rolled her eyes for the tenth time that day.
Rosamee looked at him too, giving him a confused glance. He didn't even look back at her. She jabbed her elbow into his chest, a bit too hard. He looked down and stepped back, finally getting the message she was sending. Stepping in front of the two girls, he stood a few inches from Oxzy—having grown taller his senior year, Pierce could now look down at the man.
He defended himself and the girls, acting bored even though he was now thoroughly interested, given that the hero stood before him. Oxzy fought back as well, trying to talk sense into them even though he knew there was no point.
Pierce mocked the man, looking around and noticing how all the attention had turned to them. He raised his hands, and the air around him grew hotter, making the hero sweat in the rising heat. Oxzy gave a small warning, his own hand lowered but his fingers jutting out as the atmosphere began to cool.
The weather shifted, switching between hot and cold. Oxzy didn't want to continue this. He shook his head, lowering his voice to a whisper meant only for Pierce.
Pierce smiled, baring white teeth, a grim look in his eyes contradicting the smile on his face. He agreed to whatever the hero said, dropping his hand and turning away without another glance. The girls looked confused. Mercy turned away, no longer caring, wanting only to leave. Rosamee, on the other hand, couldn't help but stay on guard. She looked to Pierce for answers, but he gave none, only nodding at her questions. Frustrated, she watched the hero leave and encourage others to do the same.
The mood shifted entirely once the hero had shown himself to her boyfriend. Not only had his strange behavior changed, but her questions now fell on deaf ears. Fed up, Rosamee grabbed his arm, wanting his attention. Instead, she pulled her hand back in pain—his skin burned hot to the touch. Red, sore burns now covered her once-bright skin.
Pierce noticed what he'd done without meaning to, his skin burning hot with energy and rising anger. He had burned his girlfriend by accident. He pushed away the guilt as she growled at him in confusion over the burns.
He rolled his eyes, giving her a look. "Don't touch me next time."
With that, he turned and continued walking forward, ignoring his girlfriend's angry yells for attention.
A cold breeze and a waving hand in front of Pierce's face snapped him out of his thoughts and memories. Felix called for his brother's attention, earning an annoyed growl from him. Immediately, Felix stopped, turning away and leaving Pierce's sight.
"Sorry, are you okay, brother?" he asked with genuine concern, but Pierce ignored him.
Turning to the door, Pierce walked closer as dust opened it for him. Felix ran after him, trying to continue a conversation with a man who'd shown no interest in him all night. Even knowing this, Felix still tried, still wanted Pierce to notice him and talk.
"So are you going home now? I can walk with you and tell you more about my gang's progress, if you want?" Felix continued, following Pierce out the door before it slammed shut behind him. Felix jumped, startled by how close the door came to crushing him with a loud bang. Instead of feeling scared, he grew more intrigued and persistent about staying with Pierce. "You could always have them help you with jobs, or if you don't want to do it yourself, they will. I could get them to do anything—just say the word."
His mouth kept going, until Pierce stopped in his tracks, realizing his brother meant to follow him. Felix stopped as well, a bright smile on his face as Pierce turned his head toward him. "Are you gonna continue?"
His voice was a low growl, a warning, his eyes glaring as the wind picked up his spiky hair. Felix gulped, unsure how to answer. He knew he should leave the villain alone, should avoid enticing or annoying him further. But he only wanted to be closer to him.
That urge would get him hurt—or worse. Hated.
Breathing in the cold air, Felix answered. "I... I'll stay, if you don't want me to follow you, brother."
"I don't," Pierce growled, not pausing for another breath before continuing his walk.
With that single word, Felix stopped following him. He turned back toward his parents' house, then glanced once more at his older brother. Felix couldn't help but understand what occupied Pierce's thoughts—what polluted his mind as he jumbled out those words.
Rosamee. He thought with a growl, jealousy crawling up his spine and into his mind. He walked back into his parents' house, already plotting treacherous things.
Pierce continued on, walking through the Grubs at night, sirens and cries echoing in the background. Begging voices and the smell of drugs and weed surrounded him, though his mind remained full of thoughts, memories, and silence.
It was quiet. No one dared approach him. They ran or hid in fear whenever he drew near.
They looked at him in fear. Rosamee had looked at him in fear that day. The days leading up to it had been full of growing concern and fear.
The look in her eyes—
A burst of flames lit up the villain's palms, fire running up his clothes and burning everything it touched. He gave no indication that the fire was spreading through him. It came from inside him, anger and grief piling into a sudden burst of rage.
Not again. He would kill everything in sight if given the chance.
His annoying brother was no longer there. He let out an angry sigh, turning to his right at lightning speed, his hand swinging from behind him before striking the ground. A ball-like burst of blurry red fire and crackling blue currents ran up his arm and into his shoulder, strength rocking through him.
He hurled the ball of light energy at the nearest building. The mix of fire and electricity exploded, tearing through a structure already crumbling with age, throwing bricks and ash through the air around him.
The villain's expression remained stern, grim, and emotionless as fire spread around him. Yelling and screams for help echoed through the streets.
He didn't listen.
He never did.
The cold breeze blew through his hair, sending a shiver through his body. Walking forward, away from the wreckage, he left people scattering and falling in their hurry to escape.
The villain didn't care.
And he never will.