This is a crossover fanfiction of my
The Meeting of Breccan & Finbar and
n3m3sis43's
Cliffton universes. For context, it might help to read
n3m3sis43's piece,
Everything You Touch.
Chapter 1,
Chapter 2,
Chapter 3,
Chapter 4,
Chapter 5,
Chapter 6 ---------
“Egan, your form is all wrong!” Maris snaps.
He twitches and glares at her. We're out in the backyard. Fucking training. Maris insists we practice. The yard is our best bet, as we can't exactly use the gymnasium ever again. Don't want to fucking think about that. She's having us repeat the blocking motions by ourselves, without blocking anything. Gotta get the forms right. So far, Egan's having the most trouble of any of us.
Calla snickers. “I've heard of being brought down to normal, but Egan seems to have skipped normal and gone for just plain sad.”
“I am working hard here,” he grumbles.
That makes Calla laugh fucking louder. “You're working hard and still suck; that's what's so sad.”
“Arms lower, Egan,” Maris orders.
He lowers them, but he's fucking petulant. Looks like shit, too. The borrowed clothes are all wrong on him. His ponytail's a mess. I've been training forever out here, and at least my hair doesn't look like that. Would fucking die if it did.
Some time later, Egan fucking snaps.
“I've had enough of this!” he shouts.
“We're not done,” Maris says.
“Well, I am,” he huffs.
Asshole just storms off. Leaves the fucking house. Don't know where he's going. Don't fucking care. He's got a bad attitude, and I would be happy not to see him for a while.
“Don't you have to keep an eye on him?” Brendan asks.
“I put a tracker on him. If he goes too far, it will let me know,” Maris mutters.
* * *
After training, the day fucking drags on. I think Egan will return at any moment. He doesn't. I don't give a fuck, only I worry he'll get us discovered somehow. It's two in the morning when it happens. The security system goes off, announcing a vehicular intruder.
Lucky for me, the alarm wakes up Wes. Can't go to the door when someone's there. What if they fucking recognize me? What would I do then?
I whisper, “Hey, Wes, you gonna get that?”
“Sure thing, dude,” he says. He still fucking looks at me like he cares. Even at two in the fucking morning when the alarm's going off. I don't deserve that. Don't understand it. Not after I broke things off with him. Not when I'm me.
Wes goes to check out the threat. I watch the doorway from a safe distance, in case I have to protect him. I'll fucking do that, even if it gets me recognized. It's the least I can do for Wes. I watch as he goes out there, all alone. Can't see that much but don't dare get any fucking closer. Hope the security system is doing its job.
Only got a couple robots left in the security system. Backups for the backup robots. The cab fucking lasers them. The fuck? A blonde man falls out of the cab. Wes seems to recognize him. Is that Egan? Again, the fuck? If I'm seeing things right, Wes fucking pays the man's cab fare. Cab drives off, leaving him to go pick up the fallen man. It's definitely fucking Egan.
Must have been an illegal cab, to have laser mods like that. Legal ones won't pick you up without an active neurovision implant, and Egan doesn't have one of those. Fucking lucky Wes had the money to transfer. Egan could have gotten us all killed, taking an illegal cab like that. Asshole.
Why's Wes helping him walk, anyway? I don't wanna fucking deal with this shit now. He even helps Egan over to the couch and lays him down on it. The fuck?
“The fuck is wrong with him?” I hiss.
“My ribs,” Egan moans. “I think I broke them. Can't - can't move.”
I notice how he's all beat up. The fuck? This makes no fucking sense.
“What happened, dude?” Wes asks.
He's asking a lot nicer that I would have.
“Uncivilized brutes from the bar. I - I got into a little argument with them,” he gasps.
The. Fuck? “You got into a fucking bar brawl? You fucking stupid - I can't even.”
“It's not my fault they didn't understand basic theology,” he grumbles.
“What did you say? Never mind, I don't wanna know,” I mutter.
Wes says, “I'll get a FreezePak for your ribs!” He fucking bounces into the kitchen to get one from the freezer. How can he be so nice? And have so much energy? Even now. When it's after two in the fucking morning.
There's no way I could ever deserve someone like that. Not after - no, can't think about it. I watch Wes tend to Egan. He's too fucking sweet.
Wes yawns. “Think I'm gonna go back to bed, dude. Egan should be okay. You coming?”
I mumble, “I'll be there in a minute or two. No need to worry about me.” But I know he does worry about me, even when I don't deserve it. Fucking hurts, too. I want to keep him safe but feel like I might drag him down, anyway. Not fair to him.
Nothing's fucking fair. Can't help thinking about - no, won't fucking think about it. Won't think about how it should have been me rather than him.
“Are you just going to stand there and watch me suffer?” Egan whines.
“Shut up,” I hiss.
“Well, someone's in a bad mood,” he says.
I don't fucking kill people, but I would almost make an exception for Egan. No, not even for him. Kill him and I can't get my fucking self back. Not worth it. Nothing's been worth it since - can't fucking think about it.
I give Egan the best death glare I've got. Think he flinches a little.
He narrows his eyes at me. “What's your problem, Devin? You're acting like someone lit your best friend on fire. It's not very becoming of a god.”
Feel that electricity coming on again. “How do you know about that?” I growl. “How do you fucking know?”
Egan fucking shrugs. Winces with pain when does. “I don't really know. Did someone actually light your best friend on fire? It might have been a memory transmitted when we were together. Than can sometimes happen in unusual circumstance.”
“You better shut up if you know what's good for you.” My voice is strange. Fucking echoes, almost.
“I'm just telling you what I know,” he says. “No need to get so worked up over it.”
Without fucking meaning to, I raise my hands in front of me. That electricity feels even more powerful. So powerful it leaps from my hands right into Egan.
The shock is too fucking much. I collapse to the floor. That didn't happen. That didn't fucking happen. No way. No fucking way. Not again. It can't be.
After I don't know how long, I get up off the ground. Have to check Egan. Maybe he's alive.
When I stand up, Wes is there. Staring at me, his eyes huger than I've ever seen them. He looks from me to Egan. Wes is fucking terrified.
“I - I heard something,” he squeaks. “I - I couldn't sleep.”
Can't look at him. He can't be here. I ignore him and check Egan for a pulse. He doesn't have one. I check him again. Still no fucking pulse. He's not breathing.
He's dead.
---------
written for the
hc_bingo prompt "Broken Bones"