Caught
This is Part Sixteen in a series. Trigger warning for rape.
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen
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“What on Earth is going on?” I heard Nico's voice from somewhere at the top of the stairs.
“Oh, Nico, can't you see Breccan and I are busy?” Egan drawled.
My voice wouldn't work, so I looked up at Nico, pleading with my eyes.
He understood the message. “Leave him alone.”
“But we're having such a good time,” Egan purred.
I managed to shake my head, just barely.
Nico's eyes flashed. “I don't think Breccan is having a good time. I suggest you get off him, now, or I'll be forced to hurt you.”
“Why don't you run along like a good boy and stay out of things you don't understand?” Egan said.
“I understand rape,” he growled.
Nico started glowing; his whole body lit up with a blinding white light. What was happening?
Egan backed away from me. “Nico, is this really necessary?” he asked, voice shaking.
It is necessary. You have gone too far this time, a strange voice echoed all around me. It was both Nico and not-Nico at the same time.
I shivered as I struggled to cover to cover myself. What - what was Nico doing?
Nico's shape distorted, becoming a column of white light reaching from floor to ceiling. The creature that he had become terrified me. I scrambled backwards, tumbling down the stairs and landing behind Egan, who seemed frozen in place.
“There's no - no need to show off your p-power, you know,” Egan stammered.
Do you have anything you want to say? I would suggest you say it now before it's too late, the strange voice said.
As I pulled my trousers up, Egan stood and sputtered, “Stop - stop this foolishness, Nico.”
I was about to get up and run for it when the strange voice intoned gravely, You are the foolish one, Egan, and you are done.
The column of white light exploded, nearly blinding me. Wind from nowhere swirled around, howling. I ducked my head down. My heart hammered. I could barely breathe. What - what on Earth?
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Egan fall to the ground.
That strange voice sounded, louder than ever before, Good riddance, Egan. May your kind never stain the world again.
My breath caught in my throat. Was - was Egan dead? How - that wasn't possible. He was a god. Immortal and impervious to death. Gods didn't die.
Shock strangled me as that wind continued to howl. I wished desperately for it to stop, but it seemed like it would go on forever. Maybe I was trapped in a nightmare? The white light still glowed, no longer a column but an expanding cloud.
I - I didn't do it! That voice again, only it sounded - surprised?
Nothing made any sense. I curled into a ball, hoping this would end soon.
It wasn't - wasn't me.
Now, the voice sounded more like the Nico I knew. The wind picked up, swirling faster and howling louder. The cloud of light slowly expanded farther. It - it was dangerous. I knew this in my bones.
“Nico, stop it!” I shouted.
I killed someone. I killed a god. I'm - what am I? the voice wailed.
I could feel his distress in the wind and the slowly expanding light, which inched closer to me.
I said, “Nico, it doesn't matter what you are. You're - you're my friend. Please stop it before you hurt someone else. Please.”
Would that do anything? How could I reach him?
My - friend? the voice asked.
“Yes.” I needed him to believe me on this.
Even though I - Nico couldn't finish the thought.
“Even so. Nico, please,” I cried. Tears stung my eyes. He had to stop this
I'm sorry, Breccan.
The wind stopped howling and the cloud of light vanished. In its place lay Nico, who curled up in a ball much like I did. He shivered; at least he still lived. After a long moment, I let out a sigh of relief, finally sure he would survive.
Nico whimpered; I couldn't stand to hear him like that. I forced myself to uncurl. To get to where Nico lay, I had to pass Egan's impossibly lifeless body. It drew my eye despite my efforts not to look. I almost couldn't make it past, but I had to get to Nico.
When I reached him, I saw how sobs wracked his body. Tears spilled from his pale violet eyes. Looking at Nico made my chest hurt. I dropped to my knees and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. He startled at my touch but didn't pull away.
I had no idea how to help him, so I just knelt there, my hand on his shoulder. It wasn't enough, I knew. Nico suddenly uncurled himself and wrapped his arms around me, his sobs increasing in intensity. I hugged him back, letting him cry into my shoulder.
“What the fuck?” It was Maris.
I looked up at her while Nico still cried into my shoulder, having no idea how to explain. There was no way I would say - that didn't happen, anyway. It - it couldn't have.
Maris asked, “Is Egan actually dead? Tell me he's not dead, because if he is, we're all in major trouble.”
My stomach sank at her reaction. “Yeah, he - he's dead. Nico - killed him because he...”
I took a deep breath. “Nico killed Egan because Egan, he - attacked Nico in retaliation for Nico's earlier attack on him.”
She sighed. “This is very, very bad.”
Maris didn't need to tell me that.
Nico stopped crying. He murmured, “Breccan's lying. That's not what happened. That's - not why I killed Egan.”
“I'm not lying,” I said emphatically.
“You are,” Nico insisted.
My cheeks burned. I looked away from Maris. Still, I didn't let of Nico, even if he said I was lying.
“Okay, what is going on here? I sense bullshit,” Maris muttered.
Nico said, “That's because Breccan is a liar.”
“I am not a liar!” I cried, my voice turning strangely shrill.
Maris asked, “Nico, could you tell me what Breccan is lying about? Because he obviously is, and, trust me, in this situation we need the damn truth.”
Nico untangled himself from my arms and stood up to face Maris. His voice shook. “I - killed Egan because - because of what he did to Breccan. It - wasn't anything he did to me. Egan - he raped Breccan. I caught him in the act, and I - couldn't let it stand.”
“That's not true!” I insisted.
Her eyes bored into me even though I didn't look at her. “It is true, isn't it?” She sighed again. “The Gods Council is not going to be happy with Nico over what he did. While destroying mortal relationships is technically against their rules, the gods think they're entitled to any unattached mortal. They - don't see a problem with raping humans. Murdering another god because he forced himself on a mortal? That they'll have a fucking problem with.”
Nico stammered, “The - the Gods Council is going to be after me?”
“Of course they will,” she said.
My stomach sank through the floor. I knew vaguely how the Gods Council functioned as a sort of justice system for deities. Just what kind of trouble were we all in? I had a feeling things would only get worse from here.
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written for 500themes prompt #92 - "Horrific Distortion"
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen
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“What on Earth is going on?” I heard Nico's voice from somewhere at the top of the stairs.
“Oh, Nico, can't you see Breccan and I are busy?” Egan drawled.
My voice wouldn't work, so I looked up at Nico, pleading with my eyes.
He understood the message. “Leave him alone.”
“But we're having such a good time,” Egan purred.
I managed to shake my head, just barely.
Nico's eyes flashed. “I don't think Breccan is having a good time. I suggest you get off him, now, or I'll be forced to hurt you.”
“Why don't you run along like a good boy and stay out of things you don't understand?” Egan said.
“I understand rape,” he growled.
Nico started glowing; his whole body lit up with a blinding white light. What was happening?
Egan backed away from me. “Nico, is this really necessary?” he asked, voice shaking.
It is necessary. You have gone too far this time, a strange voice echoed all around me. It was both Nico and not-Nico at the same time.
I shivered as I struggled to cover to cover myself. What - what was Nico doing?
Nico's shape distorted, becoming a column of white light reaching from floor to ceiling. The creature that he had become terrified me. I scrambled backwards, tumbling down the stairs and landing behind Egan, who seemed frozen in place.
“There's no - no need to show off your p-power, you know,” Egan stammered.
Do you have anything you want to say? I would suggest you say it now before it's too late, the strange voice said.
As I pulled my trousers up, Egan stood and sputtered, “Stop - stop this foolishness, Nico.”
I was about to get up and run for it when the strange voice intoned gravely, You are the foolish one, Egan, and you are done.
The column of white light exploded, nearly blinding me. Wind from nowhere swirled around, howling. I ducked my head down. My heart hammered. I could barely breathe. What - what on Earth?
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Egan fall to the ground.
That strange voice sounded, louder than ever before, Good riddance, Egan. May your kind never stain the world again.
My breath caught in my throat. Was - was Egan dead? How - that wasn't possible. He was a god. Immortal and impervious to death. Gods didn't die.
Shock strangled me as that wind continued to howl. I wished desperately for it to stop, but it seemed like it would go on forever. Maybe I was trapped in a nightmare? The white light still glowed, no longer a column but an expanding cloud.
I - I didn't do it! That voice again, only it sounded - surprised?
Nothing made any sense. I curled into a ball, hoping this would end soon.
It wasn't - wasn't me.
Now, the voice sounded more like the Nico I knew. The wind picked up, swirling faster and howling louder. The cloud of light slowly expanded farther. It - it was dangerous. I knew this in my bones.
“Nico, stop it!” I shouted.
I killed someone. I killed a god. I'm - what am I? the voice wailed.
I could feel his distress in the wind and the slowly expanding light, which inched closer to me.
I said, “Nico, it doesn't matter what you are. You're - you're my friend. Please stop it before you hurt someone else. Please.”
Would that do anything? How could I reach him?
My - friend? the voice asked.
“Yes.” I needed him to believe me on this.
Even though I - Nico couldn't finish the thought.
“Even so. Nico, please,” I cried. Tears stung my eyes. He had to stop this
I'm sorry, Breccan.
The wind stopped howling and the cloud of light vanished. In its place lay Nico, who curled up in a ball much like I did. He shivered; at least he still lived. After a long moment, I let out a sigh of relief, finally sure he would survive.
Nico whimpered; I couldn't stand to hear him like that. I forced myself to uncurl. To get to where Nico lay, I had to pass Egan's impossibly lifeless body. It drew my eye despite my efforts not to look. I almost couldn't make it past, but I had to get to Nico.
When I reached him, I saw how sobs wracked his body. Tears spilled from his pale violet eyes. Looking at Nico made my chest hurt. I dropped to my knees and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. He startled at my touch but didn't pull away.
I had no idea how to help him, so I just knelt there, my hand on his shoulder. It wasn't enough, I knew. Nico suddenly uncurled himself and wrapped his arms around me, his sobs increasing in intensity. I hugged him back, letting him cry into my shoulder.
“What the fuck?” It was Maris.
I looked up at her while Nico still cried into my shoulder, having no idea how to explain. There was no way I would say - that didn't happen, anyway. It - it couldn't have.
Maris asked, “Is Egan actually dead? Tell me he's not dead, because if he is, we're all in major trouble.”
My stomach sank at her reaction. “Yeah, he - he's dead. Nico - killed him because he...”
I took a deep breath. “Nico killed Egan because Egan, he - attacked Nico in retaliation for Nico's earlier attack on him.”
She sighed. “This is very, very bad.”
Maris didn't need to tell me that.
Nico stopped crying. He murmured, “Breccan's lying. That's not what happened. That's - not why I killed Egan.”
“I'm not lying,” I said emphatically.
“You are,” Nico insisted.
My cheeks burned. I looked away from Maris. Still, I didn't let of Nico, even if he said I was lying.
“Okay, what is going on here? I sense bullshit,” Maris muttered.
Nico said, “That's because Breccan is a liar.”
“I am not a liar!” I cried, my voice turning strangely shrill.
Maris asked, “Nico, could you tell me what Breccan is lying about? Because he obviously is, and, trust me, in this situation we need the damn truth.”
Nico untangled himself from my arms and stood up to face Maris. His voice shook. “I - killed Egan because - because of what he did to Breccan. It - wasn't anything he did to me. Egan - he raped Breccan. I caught him in the act, and I - couldn't let it stand.”
“That's not true!” I insisted.
Her eyes bored into me even though I didn't look at her. “It is true, isn't it?” She sighed again. “The Gods Council is not going to be happy with Nico over what he did. While destroying mortal relationships is technically against their rules, the gods think they're entitled to any unattached mortal. They - don't see a problem with raping humans. Murdering another god because he forced himself on a mortal? That they'll have a fucking problem with.”
Nico stammered, “The - the Gods Council is going to be after me?”
“Of course they will,” she said.
My stomach sank through the floor. I knew vaguely how the Gods Council functioned as a sort of justice system for deities. Just what kind of trouble were we all in? I had a feeling things would only get worse from here.
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written for 500themes prompt #92 - "Horrific Distortion"