#chapter 017. ( what's been lost )

[madelynraemunson]

CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(Book #1 of the Hellfire Gentlemen’s Club series)

strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!reader

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ MDNI

Chapter 019: The Piggyback

If you had the chance to do it over again with Eddie — and DO IT RIGHT — would you?

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014** , 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020* * = somewhat smut , ** = smut

CW: hospital setting, dialogue heavy, uncertainty, fluff, talks of blood/broken bones/etc., car accident implications

word count: 2.5k words

“I’ll pick up these broken pieces ‘til I’m bleeding, if that’ll make it right.”

♡

Hawkins Memorial Hospital reeks of bleach wipes and bitter tears.

“Eddie…” Dustin wails. “No no no, noooo. Eddie…”

You’re sitting on the floor of the nurses station with Robin, Steve, and Nancy while the ‘kiddos’ occupy the waiting chairs. Surely, it's got to be unsanitary, but contracting germs off the floor of the ICU were the least of your concerns.

Your eyes follow Wayne as he helplessly wheels around, talking to anyone who would lend him an ear... anyone who would possibly know anything about his nephew’s condition.

“And my nephew — Eddie — he's self-employed,” Wayne continues to tell them.

Wheeling…wheeling…wheeling…

“But the Program he’s with allows him to go through Scott Clarke. You know Scott Clarke Insurance? It’s S-c-o-t-t, C-l-a-r-k-e… I’m through them too…”

But the able-bodied personnel are too fast for old Wayne, walking at a speed about 5mph while his frail fingers can only allow him up to 2 and a half. Just like the liters of oxygen he is on.

“Does he have a case manager assigned to him yet?” Wayne wonders. “If so I would like their name, please.”

Eventually Wayne’s voice fades the further away he gets. And just so you don't wallow in your misery, you go to your phone to see if anyone else has been reaching out to you for updates.

Justice (Hellfire)

Omg just heard the news! Hey girlie, is Eddie ok??? Can we come see him yet??

Just as you expected. Annoyed, you respond.

Girl fuck you

Suddenly a hand squeezes your kneecap. You didn't realize how aggressively you were tapping your feet until Max stops you.

“Doing okay, sis?”

“Yeah I'm just...” you sigh. “…going through all the emotions I guess. And in a fucked up way, I'm kinda convinced this is all my fault."

“You're a dumbass," she scowls at you. "How could you have possibly seen this coming? This was not in anyone’s control."

“I broke the rule,” is all you say. “We never go to bed angry.”

The odds have always been against you. You would think you knew that by now. It was probably why you spent all morning beating yourself up; because you knew that if you did, there's a huge possibility that Eddie would pull through. The Universe is twisted like that.

Suddenly, a pair of white coats are seen coming out of Eddie's room. Everybody in the party immediately stands, like it's some formation exercise at a bootcamp of sorts. Wayne eventually circles back as well, gazing up at Dr. Owens with hopeful eyes.

“Eddie is going to be okay,” Owens concludes. “You can all breathe now.”

The room fills with bone-weary, but nonetheless celebratory cheers. Owens and Eddie's nurse, Nurse Patty allows everybody to hug one another in relief. Eddie's doctor goes to speak again when the clamor dies down.

“But he did have to undergo emergency surgery,” Dr. Owens adds. “And he lost a lot of blood, so we have him on additional transfusions, as well as an antibiotic for an infection caused by his wounds. The plan for him is to recover, hopefully get him up with therapy when the time is right, and then he can get out of here.”

“Can we see him?” your voice cracks.

“That is up to him," the doctor responds. "But for now, what the young man told me is that he wants chocolate pudding... and to see his Uncle and girlfriend."

You and Wayne waste no time. Unlocking the brakes of his wheelchair, you lug Eddie's uncle into ICU room #010, unsure of what is to greet you behind the curtains.

The room is littered with juice and jello, laced by an overpowering bleach-esque fragrance that most likely was there to mask the innate smell of blood and other bodily fluids.

Beep, beep, beep, goes the familiar IV machine. And funny enough, Eddie has his TV on, blasting South Park on full volume, exactly the way it normally would be playing at the Harrington-Munson estate.

"…tell everyone the truth about whose fault this is! I didn't do anything!" ... "...you KNEW about the prank, you could've stopped it at any time, but you didn't say a word. SILENCE IS VIOLENCE!"

And there is Eddie, dressed in a mesh-fabric gauze bandana, a worn-out beige hospital gown, with matching grippy socks. His entire lower lip is busted, left arm in a cast, both of his heels elevated with blood-saturated pillows. And his hair... you didn't even want to think about the matting. But that is ground to be covered much later.

When Eddie sees the two of you, he only utters one sentence:

“Does this mean I finally get that motorcycle?”

“You fucking idiot!” you wail going in to hug him.

Eddie chuckles solemnly as you completely fall into his embrace, soaking his gown with your salty tears.

"I thought we lost you, Eddie,” you whisper in his ear as you sniff your tears away. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we did...knowing what I said."

He strokes your hair. "You have every right to be mad at me. I've been such a shitty boyfriend to you."

“I second that,” Wayne huffs, crossing his arms. “The idiot part, I mean… but I’m glad you’re okay, son.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, Wayne,” Eddie grumbles. “I knew those Eddie Stops would catch up to me one day.”

Eventually, the rest of the party spills in, starting with the batallion of younger Hellfire boys who were inconsolable all morning, absolutely petrified of losing their role-model.

"Jesus,” Dustin breathes. “We thought you were a-goner!”

"Hey guys, good to see ya," Eddie grins, soaking up every bit of attention from his little minions as they all pile on top of him. Suddenly, he flinches. "Hey hey hey, watch my IVs! I've got an important med running through that piggyback."

"Right, sorry," they all utter in unison as they separate themselves from him.

Steve is next in line to give Eddie a hug, followed by Robin, and Nancy, and soon Jonathan. Chrissy and Argyle are the next people to trail in, with Henry and Nina at their tail. Then, the Corroded Coffin boys soon after.

"Eddie, oh my god!" Chrissy cries. "Don't you ever scare any of us like that again!"

"Good to see ya, Chris," Eddie smiles, giving her a one-armed hug. "Hey Neens! Creel! Villalobos. Boys.”

"So not cool man," Argyle shakes his head. "So not cool. We were worried sick for you."

As you all iron out the details, it is discovered that Eddie got into the accident shortly after leaving your place. He, in fact did, pull an Eddie Stop, failing to see the car coming at him from his left side, which then resulted in him getting T-boned. The other driver was okay. In fact, he was the one who called the ambulance for him.

"How much longer until you're discharged?" Nancy asks.

"I'm not too sure," Eddie sighs. "Hopefully in a few weeks."

He fails to sit up completely, wincing once again when his pain drags him down. Everybody nearly rushes to his aid, tenderly lowering Eddie back onto the bed while encouraging him to take it easy.

"Don't even worry about it, Eds," Lucas assures him. "We can hold down the fort."

"Oh that's reassuring," Eddie mutters sarcastically, shaking his head in discontent.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing!"

---

You decide to stay with Eddie for the afternoon while everyone else goes home. A couple others stay behind as well, so you all take turns alternating, helping the nurses with their care and making sure Eddie isn't alone when a specialist from his team comes to see him.

But for now, it's just you and him, cuddled up in his rather stiff hospital bed, watching TV to pass time by.

"It feels weird sitting in place for once," he comments. "My body isn't used to laying down for a long period of time."

"Constantly in fight or flight, huh?" you tut. "Always on the go..."

Eddie whistles. "God, you have no idea..."

"Nah, I do," you insist, grabbing his hand to kiss it. "Our flights just look a lil different is all."

Suddenly, your phone rings again, causing both you and Eddie to jolt in shock. This time, it's your FaceTime ringtone... and on the other line, is Kassidy, quite possibly accompanied by the other Hellfire Girls.

"Jesus H. Christ," you mumble. "They've been spamming me all morning. Probably just wanna know how you're doing."

"Answer it," Eddie encourages you sharply. His tone is rather gruff, and urgent. "I need to talk to them."

Because you're nice enough to allow the girls the luxury of knowing their lord and savior is alive, you answer the call and hand your phone to Eddie. There's a slight pause before the call is connected.

"Hi," is all Eddie says.

"Eddie! OMG!" the girls squeal through the other line, of course all while failing to acknowledge you — the person whose number they called in the first place. "Are you okay?!"

"Yes girls, I'm fine..." he sighs. "How's Hellfire? Everyone holding down the fort?"

"Of course, just like we do best," Kassidy responds. "We just miss you, Eddie. What happened?"

"Got T-boned."

"OMG, whose fault was it?"

"Mine," he seems relatively short with them.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm in a little bit of pain. But I got some pain meds to help me."

"Thank God!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hospital walls, Nina and Chrissy stare at each other in bewilderment, a look that is naturally followed by one of disgust.

"Oh I know damn well..." Nina shakes her head.

"Stupid ass bitches," Chrissy adds.

Being the nosy girls they are, Nina and Chrissy crane their heads over into the room, eavesdropping on the FaceTime conversation between Eddie and the Hellfire Girls.

"Oh Eddie," Emmy pouts. "We're so glad that you're doing okay."

"Yeah, Eddie!" Lady chirps. "When do you think you'll be released?"

"Hopefully I'll be out in about two weeks," Eddie responds. "But I'll stay at home for a bit before coming back. You won't even know I'm gone."

The girls cheer obnoxiously on the other line. You try to act indifferent towards everything for Eddie's sake, but it's hard for you to feign something that so evidently isn't true.

Eddie senses it. And what he says next to the girls takes you by surprise.

"...But," Eddie says. "In that same amount of time, I expect your lockers to be cleared... as well as your side of the dressing room."

There's a brief silence while the girls try to piece together what Eddie means by that. Because surely it doesn't mean what they initially thought it meant.

"Why? Are we getting moved?"

"No, you're all getting terminated."

So it was exactly what they thought it meant.

"Wh-what? Why?!"

"What do you mean why?" Eddie demands.

He begins to list off everything they have done wrong, all of which they pretended to be oblivious about until now.

"The final straw is calling my girlfriend's phone, non-stop, knowing that's the only way to get through to me," Eddie goes on. "And not even acknowledging her! And even if you did, you all have some damn nerve considering what you guys did at Hellfire."

"You don't even have proof of us damaging her property though!" Justice argues. "So for all we know, you're just accusing us of things, Eddie."

"That's funny," you speak up. "Who said anything about property damage?"

Caught in their own trap.

The MAIN reason Eddie couldn't fire the Hellfire Girls when they put sugar in your gas tank was because you didn't have any proof that they did it, therefore it wouldn't hold up well if the girls decided to sue for wrongful termination. Again, lots of legalities to come in to play.

The girls were smart though. Choosing to wreck your car because they knew it was parked in the security camera's blindspot. Essentially, after the damage was done, it would be your word against theirs. And there was only so much that Eddie could do with the "subtle jabs". But now that you have a confession, Eddie can work off of that.

"But Eddie!" Justice whines. "This is so unfair. We've known you, and been at Hellfire longer than she has."

"Two weeks," Eddie reiterates, still firm on his decision. "That's enough time for you ladies to figure out the next step. I wish you the best of luck."

The ending of the FaceTime call wasn't a pretty one. It mainly consisted of denying and bargaining, all of which Eddie did not have the energy to be receptive to.

You and Eddie continue to hash it out with the girls over the phone, all while Nina and Chrissy were twerking in celebration because it meant more money for them during tip outs. And most importantly, celebrating you getting the justice you deserve...along with the possibility of you coming back.

"That was something I should've done way long ago," Eddie sighs as he hands you your phone back. "I hate dealing with legal shit."

"I'm sorry that they ended up being horrible," you frown.

"And I'm sorry that they ended up being horrible to you," Eddie counters. "I really wish I could've done more for you. But up until now my hands were tied legally, honey. And financially."

"It was a sticky situation," you mutter. "But...I knew you had a favorite."

He kisses your forehead once more and you lean into him again, resting your head against his chest and wrapping your leg around his torso.

"Ow, ow, OW!" Eddie yelps.

"Sorry!"

You asunder again.

"You think you're gonna find enough dancers in time?" you ask him.

"We'll be okay four dancers short," Eddie assures you. "And besides, more tips for the other ladies when it comes down to tip-outs. They did Hellfire a favor."

Exactly what Chrissy and Nina were thinking.

"Speaking of Hellfire..." Eddie quips. "Does this mean you're coming back?"

"Only if I'm still welcome."

"Of course you are, babe," Eddie chuckles. "Everyone there loves you."

Your heart flutters at the forsaken "L" word, uttered with so much certainty and fondness.

"...including me," Eddie adds. "I love you, man."

You bite your lip to contain your excitement as you blush, giving Eddie a light punch across his chest.

"I love you too...man."

And as a way to poke fun at you, Eddie flashes you a "surf's up" sign with his non-crippled fingers. He puts on his most pretentious California accent possible, one he learned how to do from Argyle.

"Righteous...man."

And before it could get any more intimate, Chrissy makes her way into the room, reaching into her tote bag to give you something she's been holding onto since she arrived.

You watch as she unveils a familiar velvet garment — your cloak. She gives you a courtly bow as she hands it back over to you, symbolizing an end to your very brief retirement from Hellfire, and a permanent seat at The Party's table.

"You know Hargrove, I believe..." says Chrissy. "...that this is for you."

🏷️ tag list: @chrrymunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @motherfckerr , @jxpsi , @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @mediocredreams @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @ahoyyharrington , @keepittoyourselftellnobodyelse @kellyxo1 @emsgoodthinkin @winchester-angel @chloe-6123 , @redbarn1995 @angietherose @kiyastrf94 , @purplewitchcauldron @kellsck @joyfulfxckery @munsons-mayhem28 @dragonfire @emma77645 @drivelikenina @livosssblog @thinkingth0ts @hugdealer @ellielunamckay @xblueriddlex @maskofmirrors @babyloutattoo89 @queenofhawkins @feral-pumpkin-energy @bl0ssomanddie

[staysuki]

🍭 SWEET LIKE CANDY | hwang hyunjin smau

pairing: hwang hyunjin x reader | enemies to lovers / strangers to lovers

genre: angst, mature, social media au, university au, anonymous au, a tiny bit of fluff and crack in between

warnings: contains vulgarity, extreme cussing, degradation, use of death as an insult, not a sweet fic, sexual/explicit themes but no detailed smut, sabotaging and blackmailing, extreme academic competetiveness, y/n and hyunjin both talk shit about each other’s college majors, mentions of drugs, illegal drug use, excessive partying, irresponsible drinking, drunk driving, criminal(??) acts, insults are h e a v y, bodyshaming (yk what, all kinds of shaming). syndicate undertones. death.

synopsis: long time rival hwang hyunjin has been the bane of your existence for as long as you can remember. thank god your secret anon textmate always has your back— sweet, caring, and good with words. definitely not like hwang at all.

a/n: y’know it was hard trying to come up with this “anonymous app” thing idea without naming names (bc i don’t wanna do that and also idk, i’m dumb) but basically the website/app that candy and y/n (her anon name is chocolate) is like a mix of deviantart and tumblr-ish. the idea started with it being kinda like omegle but then i ended up switching it up.

[FINISHED] DIRECTORY: (pink = written chapters)

ACT I— THE PLAYGROUND

prologue ~ 001 ~ 002 ~ 003 ~ 004 ~ 005 ~ 006 ~ 007 ~ 008 ~ 009 ~ 010 ~ 011 ~ 012 ~ 013 ~ 014 ~ 015 ~ 016 ~ 017 ~ 018 ~ 019 ~ 020 ~ 021 ~ 022 ~ 023 ~ 024 ~ 025 ~ 026 ~ 027 ~ 028 ~ 029 ~ 030

ACT II— THE WARZONE

031 ~ 032 ~ 033 ~ 034 ~ 035 ~ 036 ~ 037 ~ 038 ~ 039 ~ 040 ~ 041 ~ 042 ~ 043 ~ 044 ~ 045

ACT III— THE END

046 ~ 047 ~ 048 ~ 049 ~ 050 ~ 051 ~ 052 ~ 053 ~ 054 ~ 055 ~ 056 057 ~ 058 ~ 059 ~ 060 ~ 061 ~ 062 ~ 063 ~ 064 ~ 065 ~ 066 ~ 067 ~ 068 ~ 069 ~ 070

BONUSES

01 ~ 02 ~ 03

LOST HOOKS. SPIN-OFF/SEQUEL: HAPPY DEATH DAY (the story of lee felix) SECOND SPIN-OFF: DON'T SHOOT ME (the story of han jisung)

(mm/dd/year)

started: 10-11-2021

completed: 01-09-2022

mastertag: @geniejunn @leagreenly @90s-belladonna @fuzzylard @loveliebri @chimmybaek7 @todorokiskitten @lilacdreams-00 @starrylino @trials--error @ninjaleeknow

networks: @ficscafe

any feedback is greatly appreciated :,))))

[cliban]

Stitches: chapter 1

Title page||Map||Pronunciation guide||Character sheets

‘Subject 17 was easily one of the most dangerous experiments in the lab, they’d been told.’

Subject 17 was easily one of the most dangerous experiments in the lab, they’d been told. G-13’s hands were shaking as he followed his fellow guards down a familiar, brightly-lit hallway. The walls were white and pristine, like the rest of the lab. The air smelled of disinfectant. Their footsteps echoed loudly within the chamber and G-13 prayed to whatever deity was around that the noise wouldn’t spook the monster. G-11 opened the shiny metal door with a quiet click, and it swung open smoothly, to reveal a room with dark gray walls, one covered with machinery. The rest of the room was featureless, save a large metal table tucked into a northern corner. But it was the object in the middle of the room that made G-13’s blood run cold.

A clear tube stood in the middle of the room, filled with a translucent, stained blue, liquid, emitting a white brilliance, the only source of light in the room, apart from the soft glow of machinery. There was pure silence as G-13 stood to attention and trembled. Inside the tank floated the shape of a feminine teenager, head down. Of course, this wasn’t a teenager at all. The skin, which was pale and cloth-like, was just a little bit of the wrong colour. Light blue patches were sewn on, resembling gloves, a shoulderpad, knee-high-socks, and a chest plate. Stitches also connected most of the joints. A bright blue tail wrapped around one leg. Long hair covered most of 017’s face, leaving only the mouth, curved into a gentle smile around the stitches, visible. G-11 walked quietly around to the back of the tube, and 0-17 dropped down as the liquid which held it was sucked away. There was silence once more for a few seconds. Then 0-17 lifted its head.

~

Seventeen lifted her head and yawned, fluffing out her small layer of fur so she wasn’t as soaking wet as she was before. One of the guards touched a layer of the the glass of her tube and the glass simply retracted away. Seventeen stepped out and straightened her normal hunched position. “Hello!” she greeted the guards brightly. “How are you?” Of course, there was no response. “Haha, yeah. I know you’re the silent type.” Again, no response. Two guards circled behind her and pulled her arms behind her back, fitting handcuffs over her wrists. “Yeah, I’m great, thanks! You know me, always a stay-at-home!” She laughed, and the guards took her by the elbows and forced her forward.

Humming was not acceptable in these cold white walls that Seventeen had called her home since she gained awareness, so she simply admired the rhythm that the footsteps made. The once sharp smell had dulled after her first year. The harsh brightness had always affected her though, and she was mildly relieved when she was shoved into a slightly duller room.

“Subject oh-seventeen!” The door was closed behind her and the man standing in the the corner stepped forward. He was tall and slender, wearing a simple outfit of a black tank top and pants, covered by a white coat. “Doctor Jala.” Seventeen nodded politely. “Today is a mental capacity experiment,” Jala began, and Seventeen breathed a sigh of relief. No physicals today. She reflexively brushed the stitches by her hip. “You’ll be doing some picture puzzles, and…” Jala was cut off as he looked at his watch, frowning. After a brief hesitation, he spoke again. “Nothing to worry about. Let’s get started.” His gloved hand dipped into his coat pocket, bringing out a stopwatch. Seventeen was just glad it wasn’t a scalpel.

Seventeen was bored. She didn’t show it, of course, but the brightly coloured puzzle was just… boring to her. But being bored was punishable, so she shut up. Anyway, she had no emotions. As Jala had said, many times, “Your ‘emotions’ are a direct result of something unknown. In other words, they aren’t real. You don’t have a soul, and we aren’t even sure you have a proper consciousness. Until we can prove that you have any sort of humanity, you’re simply a new unexplored object.” The words had made her sad, but that must have been fake.

Jala was jumpy today. Seventeen could tell that much. He kept looking at his watch thingy and glancing out the window. ...Focus, Seventeen. The colours and shapes made no sense to her. Were these supposed to fit? Seventeen pushed gently at a red piece, and then straightened up as she saw the solution. With whirring hands, she put the puzzle together in just a few seconds. Jala nodded approvingly and Seventeen’s heart soared.

Then the alarm wailed for a heartbeat through the corridors, and everything started to run in slow motion. A droning noise started to hum. A part of the wall turned see-through, revealing little but brightness outside. Seventeen looked away; The light hurt her face. It was so awfully bright… Jala cursed and whipped out a syringe. “Back to the tube for a while.” Seventeen froze up. Jala was plunging the syringe towards her, and now she was begging for him to stop, stop!

Then the wall to the outside was ripped off and the room was filled with blinding brightness. Seventeen’s vision went a little fuzzy. Jala faltered, and there was a great crashing noise as the wall was dragged off the edge of the floating island the lab was situated on, revealing a bowl of wooden planks, graceful, elegant. A carved woman spread her arms at one end, and sheets and ropes were tied to some upright planks. At the very top, a flag rippled in the wind. A blue butterfly was emblazoned across it, and a stitch ran through the middle of it. A ship! That’s what it was called. The woman - a figure head. And masts and sails….

Seventeen looked back just in time to see two browned hands tipped with long, sharp green nails close around Jala’s mouth and haul him back. Then someone tapped her tail and she turned to see a flash of red and brown and white and gray. “Come on, kid.” A voice, surprisingly warm and masculine, but edged with good humour, came from the blur, and it took off towards the ship, followed by another blur of aqua and purple and brown. The two blurs leaped onto the ship just as Seventeen’s vision cleared. “Kid! Come on!” The red figure roared, and Seventeen didn’t think about it, she just ran, and the ship was lifting and she wasn’t going to make it, but then a figure in a purple coat was hanging by their legs upside down from the bottom of the ship.

“Over here!” They called in a clear voice. Seventeen hesitated, nearly lost her momentum, and then she jumped. The gap was too far, she’d never make it- She screamed as she began to plunge downwards, but a hand grabbed her, warm and firm and strong around her wrist. “Gotcha. Don’t be scared now.” The pale hand belonged to the figure with the purple coat, and then they grabbed Seventeen’s other hand and swung her upwards, far, far, upwards, and over the ship’s railing. Seventeen hit the deck and rolled, coming to a sprawling stop at the feet of yet another unfamiliar figure.

The wind was knocked out of her. She was dizzy. There was a roaring in her ears. Seventeen hadn’t breathed in a while. She should probably do that, but her lungs wouldn’t respond. Then she took in a gasping breath and several things happened at once.

First, pain flooded her shoulder. That was understandable. She’d smacked the deck with it. Second, the purple figure flipped onto the deck and shouted, exhilarated. “We did it, guys!” They showed off a grin and the aqua figure presented them with a hat. Third, the figure Seventeen had stopped at bent down and lifted her into a sitting position. Fourth, Seventeen took several shuddering breaths and… when had she started crying?

The purple figure knelt by her side. “Hey hey... Are you okay?” The red figure snickered. “That rhymes, captain!” The aqua figure standing beside him elbowed him in the shoulder harshly. “Yes, thank you, Lox, for stating the obvious.” The figure who had helped her sit up sighed. “I’m sorry. This must be very confusing. I’m Mara. My partner,” he gestured at the purple figure, who grinned with all their teeth, “Is Narali, the captain of this ship, the Licentia. Our crew consists of Glinn-” the aqua figure waved, “- and Lox, which you probably figured out.” The red figure gave her a slightly guilty smile.

Now that they were introduced, Seventeen took some time to examine her surroundings. No hurry. Narali was slim and curved, wearing a bright purple coat with lilac lapels and cufflinks unbuttoned but for one, exposing their torso from their chest to their belt. It reached all the way to the ground. Their hat was simple, brown and shaped, with a crimson feather waving from it. They balanced perfectly on high-heeled boots that stopped just past the knee, over assumedly long gray pants. A small lilac satchel was held at the waist by the belt. Their long hair was dark brown with a single gray streak at the front side bang. Their skin was pale and their eyes were green, matched with some eyeliner and purple lipstick.

Mara, on the other hand, was calmer, and dressed as such. Their outfit, while still outlandish, was a light blue-gray, with darker lapels and rolled sleeves. A gap stretched across their chest, and the coat was slightly shorter than Narali’s. Long gray pants, same as his partner’s, cut off at the ankle. Mara also wore high-heels, though shorter, silver, and had an exposed area at the back of the heel. Their hair was black, although covered by a purple beanie, and their skin was dark. One eye was gray, and the other completely covered by a metal plate. In the center of the plate, a small ring of bright turquoise blinked, surrounded by smaller lights.

Glinn was immaculate. Her blue-green hair was done up in a small braid, and her bangs covered one eye. Her red lipstick was neat, and so was her blue eyeshadow, bright against tan skin. That eye was green. Seventeen noted, with growing horror, that her nails were long and sharp, green and shiny. Two panels of purple cloth hooked across her bust, and up to her neck was covered by a fishnet pattern, cut off at the shoulders. A dark gray skirt trailed off to two symmetrical ends, fastened in the middle by a light purple buckle. She wore stockings and gray leather boots.

Lox was very much more casual. He wore a simple cropped red Haiwaiian shirt, and light gray pants that snaked up to curl around his torso. His dark glasses were rimmed with purple, and he had… good lord. That was a lot of earrings. His blue gloves stopped at the elbow with a wavy pattern, and his dark gray boots did the same at the knee. His skin was a shade lighter than Glinn’s, with a white mark running vertically through his lips. His white hair was cropped very short. He was also the only member that noticed the staring, and he snuck her a wink and a reassuring smile.

“H….Hello.” Think, think! What did Jala tell you? “I-It’s nice to meet y-y-you all….” This isn’t what Jala taught you at all! Where’s this coming from?! “M-May I ask w-w-w-what I’m doing here?” Narali clapped a hand to their forehead. “Oh! My bad. Mara, you steer the ship. We’ll take care of….” They looked down at Seventeen. “What’s your name?” Seventeen took a deep breath. “My title is Subject Zero One Seven. I belong to the Jala-Felo association. Please return me there as soon as possible.” Lox and Glinn exchanged uncomfortable glances, but Narali’s sharp eyes never left Seventeen. “Not anymore. You don’t belong to anyone. Nobody belongs to anybody on the Licentia.” They extended a hand and Seventeen hesitated, then placed her hand on top of Narali’s. Narali pulled her up to a standing position. “You don’t know it yet, but you’re free. Welcome aboard.”

Seventeen frowned. “What do you mean, free?” Narali released her wrist and Seventeen rubbed it. “That lab is an awful, awful place. Human experimentation, humanoid experimentation… That Jala is well-known across the solar system for being a huge scientific leader. What he’s not well-known for is his…. Methods.” Narali looked away. “Either way, you’re with us now.” A chill ran down Seventeen’s spine and she felt her jaw open, almost unhinge. “No… no, no!” She stumbled back. “You can’t take me away!” Tears spilled down to her mouth, getting caught in the stitches. “Don’t! Please take me back!” she cried. Narali’s face went stony. “Shh. Shh. It’s okay.” They didn’t make a move to touch her, which Seventeen was almost grateful for. But the tears still spilled down and wet the deck until Jala’s voice invaded her mind. No feelings. And she stopped crying and straightened calmly. “Very well. I will await your decision to return me.”

Narali pursed their lips and nodded. “Get Glinn to look at that shoulder of yours.” Lox snorted and whispered something to Glinn, whose face changed from neutral to seriously annoyed in a fraction of a second. She turned and slammed a fist into Lox’s gut, who doubled over, wheezing and clutching his stomach. “Stop thinking with your crotch, Laynes!” She turned to Seventeen with a friendly smile. “Please ignore my associate, he’s an idiot. You may ignore him.” Seventeen nodded quickly. She really didn’t want to mess with Glinn, so she came quickly over when beckoned. Glinn shot a final glare at Lox and took Seventeen by the hand, leading her below deck.

It was quieter down there, and there was a soothing rocking motion as the ship floated through the air, catching the currents. Several portholes let in plenty of light. At one end, there were a few hammocks, with a gap in between them leading to a door. Around the stairs were various books and activities, including a flute, guitar, and a fishtank. Towards the bow of the ship was a table with a map spread across it. Before that were two benches facing each other. Glinn tugged Seventeen over and sat her down, taking out a box with a red cross on it. Glinn brushed Seventeen’s hair off her shoulder and bit her lip before taking out a vial of something. “How are you not screaming right now? Your pain tolerance is incredible…” Glinn sounded impressed. “The skin’s split right down.”

Seventeen shrugged. “Just stitch it back together. That’s what we always did.” Glinn gave her a curious look, mixed with disgust. “What the hell? No anesthetic? Numbing?” Seventeen shook her head and Glinn shrugged, grabbed another vial of some cloudy liquid. “You’re incredible.” Seventeen smiled faintly. “It’s not the tail that tipped you off?” Glinn snorted. “I’ve seen weirder.” She tipped the contents of the vial onto Seventeen’s shoulder. It was cold, but not unpleasant.

Glinn took out a needle and thread and started to sew Seventeen’s shoulder back together. There was no pain, just a small warmth where the stitches were. “So how long had you been at the lab?” she asked, and Seventeen stiffened. “Ever since I could remember.” Glinn shook her head. “I’m sorry…” She made an elaborate twirl with the needle and started to tie it off. “Why?” Seventeen asked and Glinn frowned. “What do you mean?” Seventeen shrugged with her uninjured shoulder. “Why would you be sorry? I’m a huge contribution to science, and the lab. Where you’re going to return me.” Glinn’s expression turned stony and she snapped off the end of the thread. “It’ll take you a while.” She said through gritted teeth. Seventeen didn’t press it; Questions were bad and besides, it didn’t have to matter to her.

There were some quiet footsteps, and Lox jumped down the stairs. His glasses were rimmed with blue now. “Hi, Calamity.” Glinn said, and started to put the first aid kit away. “Hi, Glinn!” Seventeen made a noise of confusion - Lox’s voice was much higher pitched now, with an unfamiliar accent. Glinn side eyed her and nodded. “Lox is the host of a system. That is to say, he has several alters - Calamity is fronting right now. Scientifically, we call it dissociative identity disorder, or DiD.” Seventeen nodded. Jala had taught her about that. “So I should stay away from them?” Glinn stood up, with an incredulous look on her face. “Why would you have to stay away from Lox? Or Calamity, or Vrin, or Aquis, or Misty Drighton?” Seventeen returned her frown. “I’ve been told humans suffering from neurodivergence are unpredictable and volatile. They’re dangerous.”

Glinn stiffened, and twitched her fingers. Calamity hurried over. “Hey. Glinn, calm down. It’s just how the newbie’s been taught. You’re angry at Jala, not her. Calm down.” Glinn took a deep breath, and just like that, the tension drained from her body and she sagged. “You’ve been lied to. It’s just too many people to one body. Trust me on that.” Calamity’s glasses blinked back to purple. “I’ll front for a little bit, Calamity. You head back to the headspace.”

Lox crouched. “I’m not planning to hurt anyone here. I’ll do most things within reason to prove myself.” Seventeen stood up, looming over even Glinn. “I don’t associate with people like you.” Lox winced. “That kinda hurts, man.” He stood, raising his hands. “I’ll wait in the crow’s till y’ calm down.” He backed up the stairs, darting off above deck. Glinn looked coldly at Seventeen. “You stay there.” She said, her voice icy and terrible, and when she left, Seventeen sat down, pulling her knees to her chest. She had no idea what she had done, but there was something telling her that something was wrong. She didn’t know what. It was all so confusing… Seventeen’s head tilted down and she began to cry.

[idonthaveacleverquip]

Summary of Cave Troll!

I was going to put this in the notes of the latest chapter but it ended up being the length of my average one-shot so OOPS!

Anyway! Summary of Cave Troll for those who were readers and don't have the time or energy to go back and re-read all 71 chapters after a year of Hiatus! 2020 has been HELLacious!

Read Adventures of Guzma & the 'Cave Troll'

Summary under the cut, will be updated as the story progresses~!

Day 1

Guzma arrives in Sinnoh; Guzma wears a lot of coats and forgets his backpack; Everyone Man appears, Everywhere; Ponyta are Jerks; Golispod loves ribbons; Guzma finds Turnback Cave and wishes he turned back; 36 hours are spent wandering and bonding with Local Cave Troll; Cyrus puts Guzma to sleep with his bedtime star story; Giratina claims it’s a Bug Dragon; Selfie with Giratina; Giratina orders Cyrus to stay with Guzma and shoots them with a mystery attack when Cyrus tries to go back into the Distortion World; Only 10 minutes passed outside the cave; Guzma sends the selfie to Plumeria and bulldozes all the trainers on Route 214; Guzma and Cyrus have dinner at the Seven Stars Restaurant; Cyrus takes them back to Galactic headquarters; Saturn finds them; Golisopod eats a sock (Cyrus’ sock); Guzma and Golisopod destroy the bathroom; Guzma flashes them all (woops); Cyrus sleeps in a chair and Saturn stays up all night researching who tf Guzma could possibly be, discovering all Guzma’s information has been expunged.

Chapters 001 – 017

Day 2

Guzma tries to leave Sinnoh and discovers he has a one-way ticket; There are no new flights out for a month; Cyrus realizes his life was BORING and Saturn is too overbearing; Cyrus gave Guzma the undershirt and pants for a Galactic Grunt uniform so he can ditch the coats; Cyrus sneaks himself and Guzma out of Headquarters and heads for Celestic Town; Guzma battles every trainer despite the rain; Guzma battles an Everywhere Man and his legion of Ponyta; Everywhere Man texts Guzma’s location; Saturn Discovers Cyrus is missing; Break time at the Milk Cafe; Guzma tells about Team Skull and working with Lusamine to open a dimensional hole (Dude, she was Hot) trying to make Cyrus think he’s cool; Cyrus most definitely doesn’t think Guzma is cool; Cyrus ditches Guzma in Celestic town and returns to Turnback Cave; Guzma goes bug hunting; Cyrus and Guzma body swap! Nobody sleeps.

Chapters 018 – 023

Day 3

Cyrus experiences EMOTIONS and a panic attack in Guzma’s body; Guzma manages to escape the cave, confuse Cyrus’ Pokémon, and face plant a few times before finding Golispod and Cyrus who got sick; Guzma uses Cyrus’ map to lead them to Solaceon; Nanu is given the OK to get Guzma back to Alola by any means; Flint and Aaron investigate Galactic Headquarters and stress out Saturn (It’s Cronus!).

Chapters 024 – 027

Day 4

Golisopod remains by Cyrus’ side, thinking he’s Guzma; Guzma explores Solaceon in Cyrus’ body, alone; Cyrus’ Pokémon are left at the daycare; Cleffa is older than first thought.

Chapters 028

Day 5

The body swap ends; Cyrus has minor panic without his Pokémon; Guzma is very quiet, still recovering from the cold and stunned by how much excess emotion he has and never realized; Cyrus is stunned at his Pokémon’s positive behavior when he gets them from the daycare; Guzma receives the Seal Case after helping a lady with her groceries; Golispod hears of Contest ribbons and is determined to get some; Guzma has a reputation after all his battling and gets many challenges on the way to Hearthome; Guzma has depression episode at bedtime realizing he’s been in Sinnoh a week and feels he hasn’t really done anything.

Chapters 029 – 032

Day 6

Saturn finally contacts Mars and Jupiter and convinces them Cyrus is back; Guzma knows nothing about Contests but Cyris is strangely well informed; Cyrus tries to teach Guzma to makes Poffins, it does not end well; They go to see a contest and Guzma gets dragged into the lineup; Fantina rescues him and asks him to cheer for her; Cyrus is caught after the performance, apparently he and Fantina have much history together; Fantina gets Guzma to do the thing (DeleleleleWOOOOP!); Fantina reveals how she and Cyrus met from her point of view; Cyrus is upset and fidgeting; Fantina tells Guzma to give Cyrus a chance (He’s a GOOD boi!); Guzma tries to deescalate the situation so Cyrus will calm down; Cyrus gets more berries and Guzma finds honey; Guzma proceeds to WEAR the honey; Looker brings Guzma’s parents in to custody for multiple counts of child abuse and anything else Nanu managed to dig up; Guzma and Cyrus sleep in yet another cave.

Chapters 033 – 040

Day 7

The boys wake past noon; Nanu calls and Guzma hangs up; Guzma discovers the International Police are looking for him, but he doesn’t know why; Everyone Man arrives; His name is long so everyone calls him NPC, it’s a family nickname; Guzma gets his bag back!!; Arrive in Oreburg; Plumeria packed the bag for him and included a gift from nanu he received before Lusamine went off the deep end (Open it when you figure out what you really want); Guzma still refuses to open it; Guzma leaves Cyrus in the Pokémon Center to go bug hunting; Cyrus can only doze without the now familiar sound of the noises Guzma; Guzma dozes off while bug hunting.

Chapters 041 – 042

Day 8

Guzma catches a Kricketot; Cyrus was really worried and went to look for Guzma; Guzma gives Cyrus a one-armed hug; Cyrus is paranoid of Kricketot; Kricketot has to be balled for cuddling Cyrus, leaving the man a nervous wreck; School Expo at Jubilife, Cyrus is caught on camera; Guzma gets poketch for helping out; Cyrus thinks he’s being clever but actually dragged them into another side quest; Clown Quest, lots of electrocutions, three new apps are obtained; Guzma and Cyrus take the kids into Route 203 to evolve Kricketot; Joltic are found, Guzma is mean, food is shared, Cyrus can’t resist zapping Guzma again; Kriketot evolves, everyone does the thing (DELELELELEWOOOOOP!); Kids are returned and the boys head back into the wilds; Golispod steals a TM and teaches itself a new move; Guzma wanders off after Cyrus falls asleep; Guzma doesn’t sleep again.

Chapters 043 – 054

Day 9

Cyrus wakes up alone at dark AM; Cyrus finds Guzma before sunrise and they watch a romantic wild Kricketot concert together; They get knocked into the mud; Guzma does laundry and uses Cyrus’ detergent; Ends up it’s like Pokenip to Bug-types; Golisopod’s new move is Confide; Guzma agrees to stay in the pokémon center, but the school expo aires on TV, so Cyrus ushers them out; Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Aaron and Flint all see the broadcast; Aaron doesn’t notice Cyrus, only sees Golisopod and Guzma; Guzmas gets a fanclub on route 204, Samantha and 4 brothers named Brandon; Cyrus slips another TM to Golispod; The gang trek to Floaroma town and get honey; The honey man may be traumatized; Guzma attracts a lot of Combee and catches a female; Cyrus is out of Max Repel; Burmy invade the campsite, but so does a Munchlax; Munchlax tears his bag and steals his honey; Guzma has a rage fit in front of the kids and Cyrus calms him down; Cyrus sews his bag back together; Cyrus pretends to sleep, Guzma is super soft with him; Everyone gets a much needed rest.

Chapters 054 – 060

Day 10

Guzma apologizes to kids; Guzma shares his food with Cyrus; Cyrus agrees to go to Eterna Forest; The kids pretend to make a documentary on “the Bugman” as he stalks his “prey”; Phillip, Jack and Donald join the bug fanclub, and alert to the Old Chateau; Cyrus plays Guzma into going inside; Guzma eats the Old Gateau, not by choice; Cyrus is ghost-napped; Guzma has many ghostly scares; Guzma is paralyzed and wakes to see distorted Cyrus in a TV; Guzma screams loud enough for the kids to hear them outside; Rotom was in the TV; Cyrus and Rotom were friends and, after running away from home, Cyrus used to live in the old Chateau with Cleffa, Rotom, Ghastly, Haunter, and a Sneasel which would later be his own Weavile; Rotom and Golisopod interact and Rotom begs to join the team; Rotom possesses Guzma’s cellphone; The group heads for Eterna City.

Chapters 061 – 066

Day 11

The bug fanclub multiplies; Offscreen bonding between Guzma and Cyrus occurs; the Explorer Kit is obtained; Guzma’s parents flee Alola; Nanu can’t get a hold of Guzma; Rotophone texts emotes then sends a picture of Guzma, Cyrus and the kids; Looker sees Cyrus in the picture and freaks out; Looker contacts Cynthia and blackmails her into helping to track down Guzma.

Chapters 067

Day 12

Guzma is no good at The Underground; Cyrus gives Guzma a Claw Fossil; Guzma gives major big hug and Cyrus clips out of existence; Cyrus dissociates and leaves the Pokémon Center; Guzma is worried he doesn’t see Cyrus, but since Cyrus left all his things Guzma convinces himself nothing is wrong; Guzma doesn’t sleep well.

Chapters 068 – 069

Day 13

Cyrus is definitely Missing; Guzma collects Cyrus’ things and his Pokémon and tries to find him; Guzma gets sad/mad when he can’t and storms to Eterna Forest; Cyrus flashes back to a previous time he dissociated with Fantina, and registers his body enough to know he’s climbing the wall to Sendoff Spring; Guzma gets lost and meets Aaron in the forest; Guzma tries to battle with Honchkrow; Aaron has to call the battle off to go meet Flint at Floaroma, Guzma tags along; Body Swap 2; Giratina threatens to swap them permanently; Cyrus gets a new understanding for the title Destruction in Human Form; Guzma swims across Send Off Spring and passes out in a bush; Cyrus catches a Burmy!; Cyrus tells himself the star story to sleep.

Chapters 069 – 075

Day 14 

Guzma hangs with NPC and gets a Soothe Bell; NPC takes Guzma to Eterna City; Saturn tries to follow Guzma on a bike; The Bug Fanclub learns about the bodyswap and help Guzma avoid the woods; Guzma learns about Team Galactic; Mars and Jupiter find Cyrus in Guzma's body; Cyrus tries to lead them astray; Cyrus battles a Youngster named Tristan (as Guzma) and looses; The Sinnoh League has a meeting about Guzma; Jupiter and Mars find Guzma in Cyrus’s body; Saturn contacts Jupiter and Mars about seeing ‘Cyrus’ head towards Eterna City; Saturn enters Galactic to find Bertha and Lucian waiting for him; Jupiter and Mars encounter Guzma in Cyrus’s body; Jupiter nopes away; Mesprit Teleports Guzma to Lake Verity; Bug Club are split between Eterna and Jublife; Guzma and Cyrus Reunited at Last; Cyrus tells an uncut version of the Star Story; they’re up late.

Chapters 076 – 083

[tjroewrites]

Light to My World | Chapter Eight

            They were up with the rising sun. Eileen felt it throughout her entire body. Her eyes sagged as they loaded up the truck bed. She threw her sleeping bag into the growing pile and blindly took the next thing that was handed to her. She was about to give it a good toss when she noticed the warm heat in her palm. It was a thermos. Full of freshly brewed coffee. 

            That same set of hazel eyes from the night before shone down on her. He had a thermos and dark circles to match. ‘Think we both need this.’ He raised his coffee toward her and she smirked. The metal thermos vibrated in her hand when she met his in the middle.  

            The Pennsylvania and Virginia state lines were blurs in their rear view mirror. By sundown their tires were scraping against the Nashville streets; comparatively small against the haunting reminders of a once proud music genre. The growing twilight made the one lit building stand out against the rest. ‘There’s more of us than you think.’ Sam explained. 

            There weren’t enough beds for everyone. Between the eight Robbers holed up in the old administration building and their thirteen, space was limited even on the floor. The younger Robbers offered to take up in the building next door. Eileen volunteered. Sam tagged along.

            They sat up just as the night before, huddled around a weak fire while the others slept. They were halfway through a bottle of warm scotch between the both of them when Eileen spoke.

            “Why didn’t you evacuate?” She asked.

            Sam smirked behind his Styrofoam cup. ‘That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?’

            “One that deserves an answer.”

            He shrugged. ‘Something didn’t feel right.’ His eyes darted to the left. 

            “You’re lying.”

            He turned his entire torso to make a face at her. His nose scrunched up to match the batch of wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. Eileen smiled. ‘How can you call me a liar? I’m telling the truth.’

            “I’m deaf, Sam, not blind.” She leaned back on one of her hands. “Now tell me the real reason.”

             Her head was spinning just barely. Just enough to make her giggle. Sam smiled and shook his head. ‘First of all, I’m not admitting I’m a liar…’

            “Uh-huh.”

            ‘But,’ he pointed his cup toward her. ‘I will say that…’ He took a long sip of scotch. ‘A sense of belonging wasn’t the only problem that came with motel-hopping.’

            Eileen’s smile faded. She swirled her drink along the walls of her cup. “You weren’t assigned to a Casket.”

            Sam nodded. ‘None of us were.’

            Her heart dropped. “So, all of these people…”

            ‘Homeless.’ His lips moved against the rim of his cup. ‘One way or another.’

            Eileen’s eyes hovered over each sleeping bag around them. All of the young Robbers. The elderly. Eileen reached into her jacket pocket and clutched the woman’s locket tight in her palm. Rose, Sam had said. Her name had been Rose.

            Her blood began to boil. The Fall had been faked. The world-wide disaster made up for some unknown reason. But the idea that the government would just leave these people, these human beings, to fend for themselves while the rest of society fled underground… 

            “Your brother.” Eileen said. “Where is he?”

            Sam didn’t answer.

            “Sam?”

            ‘It’s getting late.’ Sam tilted his head back and downed the rest of his drink. He gave a tight smile and squeezed her wrist. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’

            Only four of the Robber’s from Nashville tagged along after hearing their plan. The rest watched from the shattered office windows with dark expressions. It can’t be done, one of the elderly Nashville Robbers had said. Watch us, a younger one spat back.

            New Orleans was their next stop. Eileen wondered why Sam insisted on taking the longest possible route until she spotted another Robber base in the distance. He was trying to build their numbers. 

            Sam didn’t sit by the fire with her on the third night. She sat alone, watching the flames consume the logs they’d scrounged from a lumber yard a few miles out. She wondered how he would respond if she went to him. Apologized for asking too many questions. Apologized for the life he’d been forced to live. But she kept still, counting the sparks that flew from the pit as the night wore on. Eileen slept by the fire.

            Only three New Orleans Robbers agreed to help out of the fifteen housed there. Sam was frustrated. Angry. He shouted some words in the leader’s face until Eileen and a few others had to pull him away. He drove with white knuckles against the steering wheel the rest of the day.

            They bypassed Texas all-together and stopped in Oklahoma. The base was a larger than the others. Almost thirty faces stared back when they pulled up. A middle-age woman followed by two younger men stepped out into the sunset before their entire group had unloaded. She crossed her arms tight over her chest and gave Sam a hard stare.

            ‘Heard you’d be coming.’ She spoke slow, mostly out of the side of her mouth. Tattoos covered the length of both of her arms.

            ‘That’s too bad.’ Sam said. ‘Thought we’d get the element of surprise.’

            ‘Not this time.’ She nodded. ‘New Orleans radioed ahead. Said you’re taking down Houston.’

            ‘That’s right.’ 

            ‘Well, I’ll save you the time and the trouble, since you don’t got much of either left.’ She pointed back down the road they drove in on. ‘Haul it on over to Houston and shoot your shot. We’ll make sure and shake your hand if you manage to crawl back.’

            Sam shook his head. ‘Come on, Tammy, I think if we just-‘

            ‘If you think for a god damned second I’m sending my folk to the slaughterhouse, you’re touched in the head.’ Tammy charged forward until her nose nearly touched Sam’s. She was tall. Taller than any woman Eileen had seen on the surface. Their eyes were nearly level. ‘What you’re doing here is a noble goal. A noble one indeed. You know as well as I that The Ghost needs to answer for what he’s done.’ She shook her head. ‘But not like this. Not ‘till we have something up on them.’ 

            ‘This might be our only shot.’ The dimples in Sam’s cheeks flared. ‘Fifteen years we’ve sat on our hands. The time to act is now.’

            Tammy clenched her jaw. ‘I’ll remember that when I’m speaking at your funeral.’ She gave one last glare before spinning on her heels and trudging back toward her base. Through the window, Robbers of all ages followed her every step.

            ‘Tammy!’ Sam said. If Tammy said something, Eileen wouldn’t have known. But the middle finger she held up over her shoulder was loud and clear.

            They made camp in some place along Highway 35 north. Sam was hell-bent on finding at least enough to make up for their loss at Casket 017. He had one more base in mind. One more group that might be on board. No matter what happened there, he said, that was it. They would be heading through Texas state lines in two nights. 

            Eileen’s teeth were chattering after sundown. Her tent was great for blocking water but wasn’t much help for temperature. She pulled her sleeping back as tight as she could around her body and snuggled in further. Even with every shred of clothing still on her body it wasn’t enough. Her toes had lost feeling ten minutes ago. 

            She felt the zipper groan under her fingers as she pulled her tent flap open and gave their camp site a once-over. No one was awake. No one outside. Eileen tightened her sleeping bag over her shoulders and tip-toed across the grass to the small red tent a hundred feet away. Outside of the tent she paused, her mouth ready to speak but her words failing. What the hell was she doing? 

            “Sam.” She whispered. Damn it, Eileen, he’s sleeping. “Sam, it’s Eileen.”

            The tent moved. Shifted. Then, the flap came undone. Through the protective netting Eileen made out Sam’s chiseled jaw line and pink lips. ‘Eileen?’ Those lips said. ‘What’s wrong?’

             “I-“ She couldn’t control her jaw. Her teeth clanked together through her clenched jaw. “-too cold-“

             Sam undid the filtration netting and motioned for her to come in. Eileen slid in as far away from him as possible while he re-did the flap. ‘Guess you aren’t really used to the natural elements, huh?’ He had the flab on his ceiling undone enough so the moonlight could pour in. His teeth shone in the dim light.

            Eileen nodded. Already, her body began to relax. The tent was small enough that just having two bodies raised the temperature just slightly. It still wasn’t enough, though. “Casket’s never been lower than 69.” 

             The silence between them was tense. Her eyes drifted from his sleeping bag, to the moon, then back to him. He had himself propped up on his elbow, his bicep flexed from his weight. He was stronger than most. Fit. Lean. Many residents in the Casket were thicker and larger, mostly due to the lack of fitness equipment beneath ground. The swill they had been fed for years didn’t help much, either. 

            Her chattering must have been loud. Too loud. Loud enough for Sam to give one of his warm smiles and shift in his sleeping bag. ‘Eileen, if you want…’ He paused to lick his lips. ‘If you’re too cold and are okay with it, I mean, if you’re comfortable-‘

            “Yes.” Eileen nodded. He scooted to one side while she moved across the tent. “Yes, that’s just fine.”

             Had this been the whole reason she came here? She tried to convince herself otherwise as they lay beneath their sleeping bags, their arms wrapped around one another in a tangle of limbs. It was freezing, she said to herself with her nose pressed into his shirt. Just friends sharing body heat to survive. But she couldn’t deny the hints of pleasure that slipped up her spine when his fingers ran through her hair. His natural scent of engine grease and antique books enveloping her like a third blanket. His firm chest pressed against her own. It meant nothing. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

             In the morning, the drive was short. Six hours. They rolled through a town no larger than a few miles. Hundreds of acres of empty field surrounded its limits. It wasn’t like the other cities that Robbers took shelter in.

            “Where are we?” Eileen asked as they stopped on a gravel road. A single iron door sat in what appeared to be a small hill. The corner’s of Sam’s lips pulled. 

             ‘Home.’ He said.

             Sam did not knock. Didn’t hesitate. He typed a code into the keypad along the side and gave the door a firm yank. Eileen followed close behind. 

            A small staircase led to a large space – a bunker, Eileen realized. A high-tech, industrialized bunker. Similar to a Casket, but different in structure. There weren’t any floors. No lifts to take you places. A single hall went on for what seemed like forever, leading to different doors with funny symbols engraved into the material. Eileen slid her hand along the lit surface of some kind of command table. Shelves and shelves of antique books filled the walls. It was unlike anything she’d seen. 

             A man emerged from a separate room, a beer in one hand and a banana in the other. A fresh banana. Eileen couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten fresh fruit, let alone seen it with her own eyes. She licked her lips.

             ‘You’re back.’ The man said, shoving a huge bite of banana into his mouth. Eileen couldn’t understand his next words. 

            ‘Yeah, I know.’ Sam smiled. He nodded toward the hallway. ‘Where’s everyone?’

            ‘Out. Hunting for the week.’ The man darted his eyes over the people standing with them. ‘You bring some new blood?’

            ‘Don’t be so dramatic, Gray.’ Sam rolled his eyes.

            ‘What? Can’t a guy make an observation?’

            ‘You’re such a prick.’ Sam glanced down at Eileen and raised his brows. ‘Oh, Gray, this is Eileen. From Casket 017.’

            ‘The sole survivor, huh?’ Gray stepped toward them and took a long sip of beer. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and freed one hand to offer it in her direction. ‘Gray Evans. Pleasure.’ 

             Eileen nodded and gave his hand a firm shake. “Good to meet you.” She said.

            ‘So, what’s the deal, Sammy?’ He motioned for them to take a chair. Eileen pulled the one closest to her from the table and offered it to Archie. His smile was weak but it was there. ‘What’s all this talk between the GR bases about taking Ghost on?’

            ‘This is our shot, Gray.’ Sam jabbed his finger into the table. The others around him nodded. ‘We have the fire power here. We have the people. We take down the Ghost, we get everyone out of the Casket’s. Get things back to how they should be.’

             ‘That’s a real nice plan and all, Sam,’ Gray took another bite of his banana, smaller than before. ‘but that’s all it is. A plan. A god damn fever dream. Counting everyone we got here, we maybe have forty people. Against their fucking army.’

            ‘We can do this.’ Sam said. His face was like stone. ‘We need to. We’re the only shot this world’s got to live on.’

            Gray’s face melted into something softer. His eyes grew misty. ‘Sammy, if this is about Dean-‘

            ‘It’s not about fucking Dean.’ Sam slammed his fist into the table and stood. The entire table flinched. Eileen could feel his voice through the floor. Dean. ‘It’s about doing the right thing. It’s about saving lives, Gray. This is what we do. What we’ve done for fifteen years.’

            ‘For a world that couldn’t give less of a shit if we lived or died.’ Gray brought the beer to his lips.

            ‘Millions of people, Gray.’ Sam leaned over the table until he was in spitting distance of Gray. ‘You’re willing to let millions of people die because you can’t let a pre-Fall grudge go?’ Sam huffed a breath. When he spoke again, his voice felt quieter. Calmer. ‘The world before hated us. But that world is gone, Gray. The world now? To them, we’re the hero’s. We’re the one’s they’ll look to. Not Ghost. Not the fucking Undead zombies that he’s got brainwashed to do his bidding. Us.’ Sam motioned to everyone in the room. ‘These people here? They’re willing to fight. To die for the right cause.’ He stood up tall before the table. ‘Are you?’

            Gray was quiet. The rest of the banana disappeared into his mouth; the peel left on the table top. He chugged the rest of his beer and rose from the table. A long moment passed before he stuck out his hand.

            ‘You’re a dumb son-of-a-bitch, Sammy.’ Gray shook his head. ‘But I’ve followed you this far. And god dammit, I ain’t gonna quit on you now.’

            Sam clasped his fingers around Gray’s and pumped it up and down. ‘Then let’s gank this asshole.’

            Sam hadn’t been kidding when he mentioned they had the fire power. Eileen followed Sam down that never-ending hall into a separate space packed wall-to-wall with weapons. Shotguns. Heavily-modded melee weapons and automatic rifles. Sam reached into one trunk in particular and revealed a heavy-duty gun in his arms. The black paint twinkled baby galaxies under the fluorescent bulbs.

            ‘The Hell Hound.’ Sam ran his hand over the barrel. ‘Mother of all guns.’

            “What does it shoot?”

            Sam chuckled. ‘What doesn’t it shoot?’

            When the remaining Robbers returned with the meat, they held a banquet. The ‘calm before the storm,’ as Gray had explained it. Alcohol poured freely and endless plates of good food were served. Solid, fresh food. Fruits and vegetables, freshly picked from the indoor greenhouse further down the hall. Freshly cooked deer meat. Before she knew it, Eileen had gone through three full plates and four glasses of wine with hardly a thought. 

            They danced. They sang. They laughed and grinned and partied as if the world they knew was ending. Maybe it was. No one really knew what they were walking into. But, in the end, they would go down as heroes. The scum of the old world would be born again into something greater. And what an honor it would be. 

            Near the end of the night Eileen found herself under a blanket of stars, sipping a glass of ice water with her legs tangled in the grass. It would be a long drive for all of them tomorrow. The thought of possible defeat, possible death, hanging over all of their heads. But Eileen wasn’t afraid. For once, her mind was at peace. She would either stand above the Ghost with his blood on her hands or be left cold in the ground, her soul at peace wherever soul’s went alongside her mother and father. Either way, she would win. Either way she would be happy.

              A warm body collapsed into the field next to her. She looked up and smiled at Sam: a happy, glowing version of Sam. They sat as close as two bodies could get, their thighs and arms pressed against each other. A warm rush spread through her body underneath her clothes. ‘Got sick of the party?’ He asked. That damn smile. 

            “Something like that.” Eileen took a sip of water. “Had to see the sky one more time. I’ve gone so long without it. Might as well enjoy it.”

            Sam nodded and looked toward the sky. ‘I’m sorry.’ He said. When their eyes met she saw something heavy between the hazel hues. 

            Eileen raised an eyebrow. “Why are you sorry?”

            ‘The other night.’ Sam said. ‘When you asked me about my brother. I sort of just…shut down.’

             “You don’t say?” Eileen teased. When he rolled his eyes she barked out a laugh. “We all have our demons. It’s fine.” 

            Sam looked to the stars like they were an old friend. ‘He died protecting me.’ He said. He scuffed his boot into the dirt. ‘Five years ago. I was careless during a Catacomb sweep and turned my back on an Undead. Came out of no-where. The fucker put that gun to my head and he just-‘ Sam closed his eyes.

            “Your brother.” Eileen said. “He was the man Gray mentioned at the table. Dean.”

            ‘He didn’t-‘ Sam’s Adam’s apple bobbed. ‘That should’ve been me.’

            “Hey.” She grasped his chin and turned his head until their eyes met once again. She swiped her thumb across his cheek, over the smooth skin stretched over his cheekbones. He leaned into her touch. “You can’t think like that. He died for a reason. He loved you that much to step in front of the gun.” Eileen smiled. “Dean is a hero, Sam. Just like you.”

            His entire face lit up in the darkness. He pushed away just enough to cross his legs and face her. He held his hands out in front of him and smirked. What the hell was he doing? “Sam?” She set her water down in the grass and turned toward him. “Are you alright?”

            He didn’t say anything. Instead, he started moving his hands. Slow, messy movements. Clumsy. ‘I am no hero.’ He signed. Eileen’s heart pounded in her chest.

            ‘When did you learn sign language?’ She signed back. She wasn’t even ashamed of the grin stretched across her cheeks.

             ‘I had Rose show me some.’ Sam signed. He matched her grin. ‘While you sat in the State Home.’ He messed up the sign for ‘house.’ Eileen giggled.

            ‘Not bad.’ She nodded. ‘What else did she show you?’

            Sam ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his jaw. For a moment he looked nervous. Eileen swore she saw his fingers tremble just slightly under the moonlight. ‘You are the strongest woman I have ever met.’ He signed. Eileen’s hands slowly fell to her lap. ‘Beautiful, kind, passionate. I have only known you a short time and I know this.’ Her eyes stung with tears threatening to fall. ‘If we die tomorrow, I want you to know this:’ He mouthed the words as he signed them. ‘Thank you for bringing light to my world.’

            It was like the air was sucked out of her lungs. He watched her every move, every twitch on her face. Followed the tear that slid down her cheek. When Sam reached with this thumb to wipe it away, her entire soul set on fire. 

            They moved at once. No hesitation. No doubt. They knew what they wanted. Their lips crashed together with the force of a hundred tsunamis, with the passion of a thousand lovers. Every movement was in synch. Their mouths. Their wandering fingers. Their hearts. Every touch, every shared breath, every tangle of their tongues. He pulled her into his lap and she felt him gasp under his thin T-shirt. She could picture the sound in her mind. Beautiful. Desperate. Hungry. His fingertips burned against her skin and it was the sweetest pain she’d ever felt. 

            They explored one another beneath a sea of stars. Goosebumps formed along her skin but not from the cold. His lips explored every part of her, every part he could reach and even further. Until she was putty in his capable hands. Until stars danced behind her eyelids. They gave each other everything underneath the midnight moon. Every broken piece, every hole within them was filled with affection. Scars were kissed and worshiped like a god. They came together and fell apart until their skin shone with sweat like dew in the grass. Until the only thing Eileen could think about was the way Sam’s lips felt against her own. Sam. The low-light casting a halo over his chestnut locks. An angel. Eileen pulled her angel toward her and brought him to her heaven one more time.

            They lay in the weeds, their clothes scattered all around and their arms around each other. She tangled her fingers into his hair and whispered quiet words of love against his lips that only Sam and the stars could hear. They watched the stars fade into the sky as the sun began to rise. And for the first time since she stepped foot out of her Casket, Eileen felt something she never thought she’d experience again.

            Eileen felt alive.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten