Chapter Text
Adrion felt pools of cold sweat chill his neck, his heart dropping into his stomach. His eyes darted around the school like a cornered animal; he couldn’t even bring himself to check if his name was there.
Because somehow, he was as sure about the sun rising and setting as he was about his name being on that piece of paper.
Clenching his hands into gnarled knots, he peeled himself away from the bulletin board, slinking his way in the direction of his dorm room. As much as he didn’t want to, he knew for his continued survival he needed to skip school today. There was a chance that maybe the chaos would die down after a day, but there sure as hell was going to be a witch hunt today.
Adrion was no stranger to bullying, at his old school and at Wellston. It hadn’t been long before he was shoved neatly into the pecking order, trampled beneath the feet of those bigger and stronger. But if there was one thing Adrion knew he was good at, it was keeping his head down and blending quietly into the background.
And this school lottery leak had painted a massive, bright, flashing neon target squarely on his back. It was like a nightmare had escaped his sleep and made itself a reality.
Adrion by all accounts should have cried at that very moment. He had been stressed out beyond belief, feeling like a fish out of water at this new and terrifying school, having the old wounds of his past forcibly ripped open to bleed all over the sopping mess of his life. Grades, money, a new school, leaving his mom and friends, John, and now, like life kicking a dog licking its wounds, he was thrown the curve ball of having the entire school find out who was never meant to be here.
But he knew he couldn’t break here. He was in survival mode, on the singular mission of getting back to his dorms in one piece. He could cry and lament his fate once he was safely behind locked doors, but for now, he needed to move and move fast. Part of him felt like a coward, running away instead of facing his problems head-on. But that’s just how he was, how he knew how to survive in this world, so what was the point in changing now-
Until he saw a familiar figure in the distance surrounded by four students he had most definitely seen before on his first day of school. Adrion froze in place, buried in an avalanche of dread, limbs locking together uselessly. Instinctively his vision swiped desperately from his dorms to the scene in the distance and back again, brain chugging through sap. No one had noticed him yet. He was so close to safety he could taste its sweet relief on his tongue.
It would be so easy. And by far the smartest choice. What was he supposed to do about John’s situation? There’s no way that Adrion and his barely mid-tier power would be of any use. His best bet would be to try and find Seraphina, but with the list being up he was more likely to get himself into hot water before he even had the chance. It’s not like he even knew where to look.
Besides, Adrion told himself, John had his ability, he was just hiding it. He held the key to his own cage and could get himself out of any situation if he just allowed himself to. He wasn’t in any real danger, right?
Flashes of John lying prone on the floor, beaten and bloody, of them laughing together in the booths of Woba Boba, and of the desperate way he begged Adrion to not tell anyone about his ability, slammed into Adrion like a sucker-punch. Without thought, he found himself darting towards the alleyway where John was cornered, mind catching up to his actions slower than his body.
He felt his heartbeat echo in his chest like a heavy drum, breath coming and leaving his diaphragm in rapid succession. He didn’t know what the hell he thought he was doing, but all he knew was that he was moving forward almost completely on autopilot. Despite that, some part of him deep inside was beaming that this was the right choice to make, even if it was by far the stupidest.
Before long he found himself pressed up against the side of the school building, dusty red brick wall digging into his back, gulping down air to catch his breath. He struggled to hear the chattering of voices over the rushing blood and fullness in his ears, but that didn’t stop him from trying.
“...him? Why do you care about one person on that damn list? Assholes.”
One of the girls laughed cruelly, the others joining in like hyenas.
“Didn’t we say? Any friend of yours is an enemy of ours,” a female voice said, “and it just so happens that he’s also a dirty fraud, too.”
“It’s bastards like him that give Wellston a bad name. We already have to deal with weaklings like you fucking up our school's reputation as is,” a male voice chimed in, a sneer evident in the tone of his voice.
Adrion sucked in a breath through his teeth, the hairs on his neck and arms standing up straight. They were talking about him. They were looking for him. He needed to get out of there right now , but to his dismay, he found his legs to be glued in place.
“So what, you think I know where the fuck he is?”
“We think you do, actually, so why don’t you make this easy and tell us?”
“That coward probably got one whiff of that list and ran with his tail between his legs back to his dorm. So, lead the way, cripple.”
John let out a ripping laugh. “Oh, you sad sacks of shit got nothing better to do with your time, huh?”
“What the fuck did you say to us, you cripple bastard-”
“Hold up, man, don’t go after him yet. Give him one last chance,” a male voice hissed out to another.
“Fuck,” another voice said, seeming to kick the wall.
“Look, dumbasses, I don’t know where the fuck Adrion lives,” John said. “And even if I did know, there’s no way in hell I’d tell any of you.”
“You sure that’s your answer, cripple?”
“I’m pretty fucking positive. So, we done here?”
Adrion risked a peak, eyes peering over the wall that shielded him. The four bullies were stalking closer, eyes glowing ominously. He came to know them well—they were the strongest group of mid-tiers, notorious for their horrible mistreatment of others.
“Yeah,” Illena said. “I think we are.”
In the same breath, John whipped out his phone, furiously typing out a message before shoving it into his pocket. The girl’s lip curled. “Warning your bestie Adrion about us?”
“No,” John spat back. “I was texting Sera. She’s on her way.”
That stopped everyone in their tracks. They glanced at each other, a feral look twisting on their faces.
“He’s probably bluffing-”
“But what if he’s not? We gotta get outta here!”
“No,” Illena countered. “Grab him and take him to a new location. We won’t be cowed by that bitch and her weakling.”
“But, Illena, what if she comes after us?”
“She won’t, as long as we’re gone before she finds him. You know how she is, she’s too lazy to get revenge.”
The crowd was murmuring in agreement, seeming to harden their resolve, turning back towards John like a pack of wolves would a steak.
John scoffed, clenching his fists and bending his knees, looking ready for a fight. “Fine, let’s see if you can before Sera gets here. Spoiler, you won’t and you’re definitely getting your ass kicked.”
Adrion, too engrossed by the drama unfolding, had felt his phone buzz earlier but ignored it. Hearing it go off a second time he begrudgingly tore his eyes away from the scene and snatched it, an odd foreboding feeling settling in his gut. An unknown number had sent him a message.
Don’t come to school.
Adrion stared gaped-mouth at the screen. Could it have been John? Did he still have his number saved after all these years?
Did John message him a warning instead of telling Seraphina?
Adrion clicked his tongue silently, a whirlpool of emotions spilling into every crevice of his ribcage, tugging at his tear ducts. That idiot.
The four other students powered up once more, bodies coiling like cobras about to strike. The moments between each heartbeat slowed, time rolling its sleeves and baring its knuckles. He was tugged in two different directions: one heeding John’s warning, running back to the safety of his dorm—-its familiarity, its comfort, its safety.
The other screamed that John was risking himself for him.
Adrion was so, so tired of feeling useless. Feeling powerless. Hiding in the shadows and cowering.
What happened to the boy who used to risk his neck for others?
When did he become so weak?
With his swollen heart throwing itself in a shower of blood against his chest, he saw that he had only one breath left to make a decision before everything descended into chaos—-before fists were launched and powers were thrown about haphazardly, and he didn’t know if it was the heat of the moment, or the text that John sent, or how deep inside John would always be someone important to him, or a complete lapse of judgment, but he found the momentum of energy crescendoing from his toes, through each limb, into his throat—-
“Wait!”
Four bullies spun around, and five wide pairs of eyes met his own----the coiled tension suddenly released into a burst of electricity, shocking everyone into silence.
Adrion involuntarily held his breath, his brashness appalling even himself. He had moved from his hiding spot and was now standing at the mouth of the alleyway, digging his fingers into his side. There was no going back now.
“Y-you’re looking for me, right? Well, I’m here so-”
“Adrion, what the fuck?” John’s face was deathly pale. “Why are you fucking here? Run!”
“I-” the words stuck in his throat. Some part of his cowardly heart agreed. Why was he here? What the hell was he thinking?
The boy with purple hair, Tanner, stepped forward. “Perfect! Just the guy we were looking for. How about you come with us quietly-”
Smash!
Faster than Adrion could blink, John stepped in and drove a powerful fist into his lower ribs. The punch landed with a brutal thud; the bully gasped and staggered, clutching his side in agony while the other three sucked in a startled breath, throwing out profanities into the wind. Using the element of surprise to his advantage, John jolted ahead and threw his arms around the next closest opponent’s neck in a choke, throwing the blonde backward in an arc of momentum. She slammed onto her back to join the ground, reverberating with a sickening crunch, causing Adrion to flinch involuntarily. John sprinted forward, trying to meet Adrion at the end of the alley, but to Adrion’s horror, he saw Illena’s fists wrap themselves in neon blue and give chase, eyes burning with fury.
“John! Behind you!” he screamed, just in time for Illena to throw a cross to the back of his head. John sidestepped, catching her fist with his left and pulled, palm striking her on the bottom of her chin, the propulsion multiplying its power. As she lost her balance he drove his foot behind her and kicked up as he brought his open palm down on her chest, hurling her backward to meet the blonde’s fate. In the same breath, Rouker’s projectiles exploded like bursts of sun rays, burning through the air in an arc only to barely miss John, impaling themselves in the side of the school building and cracking the heavy brick. With hardly any time to catch his breath, Wenqui had recovered and bolted behind John’s back like a clap of lightning, wrapping her arms around his neck and gouging his eyes; he let out a haunting scream. John, squinting through burning tears, was unable to see Illena’s uppercut; it smashed through the sensitive organs in his stomach, scorching with sapphire light. Blood upheaved from his open mouth, staining his lips in red before being kicked to the ground in a heap of cracking bones.
As the chaos unfolded, Adrion was frozen in place, as if the soles of his feet had joined its flesh with the floor, fright flooding every nook and cranny of his body. He felt like a useless potato sack of a human, a sniveling bystander as his friend was beaten up before his very eyes.
But somewhere deep inside him a dark, bitter voice had echoed, Was John his friend?
In New Bostin, John had taken a metaphorical knife to his back and twisted. He had even almost sent Adrion to the infirmary for telling him the truth about Claire. John was short-tempered, and angry, and lashed out at people. Was he even worth all the trouble?
Adrion felt himself blanch, disgusted by his own thoughts. How could he think that, even within the confines of his own brain? Was he so cowardly, so resentful, that he could really think such a thing?
John was, once upon a time, his best friend. John had laughed with him. Cried with him. Sure, he let power get to his head and Adrion had every right to not forgive him, but John was trying to change. He held his punch. He had warned Adrion not to come to school. He was fighting them off at this very moment so that Adrion could get away.
And above all no one, not even him, deserved this.
You just need confidence. Stop moping and worrying about ‘what ifs’. Be decisive for once.
Adrion wanted to change. He wanted, no, needed to be stronger. A desperate, wild inferno set fire to his blood as he gulped down breath, feeling his intestines twist with pain.
As John fell their eyes met, and it was as if it was Adrion’s first day all over again—-the world falling away until nothing but they remained. Slowly, as if drowned in muck, John opened his split lips to mouth a single word, ‘RUN’.
And so Adrion did.
Adrion charged forward, feeling his eyes burn with his power, straight into the proverbial flames. Adrion’s ability wasn’t strong, but he was able to catch them off guard. With his hands wrapped in an electric green blaze, he shoved Tanner off of John with all his might, throwing him off balance and toppling him onto the hard concrete floor. The others yelped in surprise as he threw his arm under John’s shoulder and heaved him up before turning to stand protectively in front of him, breathing ragged.
Emotion cracked at John’s voice when he spoke next. “Adrion, what are you-”
Before Adrion could even process what had happened, Illena whipped a heavy kick toward Adrion’s midsection in a snap of wind, drawing out a startled gasp. As she did, John's arms darted out, quick as a viper, and wrapped his arms around her leg like a clamp, tugging her forward brutally, shouting, “Adrion, uppercut!”
His body reacted before his mind, slamming a wicked fist into the other’s belly, using his torque for added strength. Adrion had been bullied for years—--had felt every kind of bruise and pain and fist; he knew what techniques hurt him the most.
She dropped to her knees and groaned in pain, a look of pure hatred scarring her face. It wasn’t long before the others jumped in. Tanner, with his insane recovery, swung his fist wildly at John, but the other ducked under the blow and spun around. With a forceful grip, John twisted Tanner’s arm behind his back, a grunt of pain guttural on his lips.
"Rouker!" Adrion shouted.
Rouker muttered a curse under his breath as his shot went astray. John, heeding Adrion's warning, had seized Tanner by the shirt and yanked him forcefully into his own body, using him as a human shield. Wenqui, yelling in outrage, delivered a hook to John’s face, blindingly fast, causing him to release his grip and spit more blood onto the concrete below.
Taking that opportunity, Tanner quickly pivoted, about to deliver a blow of his own, but Adrion got to him first, adrenaline surging like a powerful rip current, a scream tearing from his throat. He tackled the other to the ground, pinning the other's hands above his head, squeezing with every drop of his strength-enhancing ability. Tanner bared his teeth and flipped their positions, his innate power overwhelming Adrion's own, and reeled his fist back. Adrion flinched, bracing himself for the pain, but was surprised to feel that none had come. John, having managed to escape from Wenqui, grabbed a fist full of curly hair and pulled viciously, causing the bully to grunt in surprise. Adrion, in a snap judgment decision, brought his knees into his chest and bucked out, using the ground to push away, slamming the heels of his shoes into the other's sternum before clambering to his feet. Tanner, squealing in agony, fell backward onto his rear, certain to leave a bruise.
But Adrion and John couldn’t keep this up forever. The others had quickly recovered—-John without his powers and Adrion with his abysmal one were not able to do enough damage to keep them down. They both were breathing hard, John dripping in blood, standing back to back to cover each other’s blind spots as the other four circled them like vultures about to eat their soon-to-be-dead next meal.
“Adrion,” John said between labored breaths. “Thank you.”
Adrion felt his cheeks grow hot.
“You fuckers,” Tanner spat, wiping the blood from his chin. “You’re gonna wish you were dead.”
“Aw, look at them standing back to back. Are they gonna kiss each other too?”
“Don’t worry, you two can make out in hell,” Illena smirked, brandishing her fist.
Anger flooded into Adrion’s mouth like pools of blood. “I guess we’ll see you there, then.”
“Oooh wow, what a comeback. Maybe leave the talking to your boyfriend over there.”
John barked out a laugh. “Aw Illena, don’t be mad that you couldn’t even get the most desperate fucking loser to touch you with a ten-foot pole.”
“What the fuck did you say, you cripple fucking loser?”
Adrion snorted, a smile tugging at his lips. “I think he’s saying you’re ugly and you have a disgusting personality.”
“Wow Adrion, that’s exactly what I was saying. Man, you get me so well, should we make out or something?”
Air flew out his nose so fast he almost choked. “John, what the hell!”
Adrion could practically hear John’s shit-eating grin. “You’re so right, we gotta go to hell first, I guess.”
“How ‘bout we send these guys there first.”
“Great idea.”
Indignity twisted at the group's face, with some lowering their stance, eyes burning with multi-colored lights. “I’d like to see you fuckers try,” Illena said, power curling through her body. Before she could launch her attack, an arm was thrust out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.
“What the hell, Tanner?”
“Snap out of it! Don’t you guys see what they’re doing? They’re obviously trying to stall for time.”
Wenqui gasped. “Oh shit, isn’t-”
“Yeah, Seraphina’s on the damn way, don’t you dumbasses remember?”
“John’s probably bluffing—-we can’t just let them get away with what they said about me!”
“Our lives are more important than your damn ego, Illena!” Tanner said. “Don’t forget who’s the fucking leader around here.”
“Oh, you think that-”
“Stop it!” Wenqui interjected, her eyebrows knitted in fright. “This is Seraphina, and she is actually gonna kill us.”
“Right! It doesn’t matter if he’s bluffing or not, it’s not worth it. Just let ‘em go for now before we’re the ones who end up in the infirmary.”
Illena screamed in frustration, punching the wall behind her, leaving a cloud of shattered dust in her wake. “This isn’t over!”
“Spoken like a true Disney villain.”
“I’m gonna shut your smart mouth up, you cripple-”
“Let’s just get out of here! Come on.” Suddenly she was yanked backwards by Wenqui, the others having already taken off, terrified by Seraphina’s potential wrath. It wasn’t long before they too disappeared out of sight, Illena flipping them off as she was dragged away.
“Yeah, fuck you too!” Adrion called after her.
John gave him a sarcastic gasp. “Woah, Adrion! I didn’t know you could cuss.”
“Says the sailor mouth.”
“Hey, that’s always been part of my characterization, the audience just expects that by now. You on the other hand…”
“Shut the fuck up, John,” Adrion quipped. Turning to each other, they let out the biggest snort, giggling so hard their diaphragm struggled to keep up. John collapsed to the ground and Adrion quickly followed, dissolving into an exhausted heap of manic laughter until eventually it petered out. They sat with their backs against the wall, staring up into the thick blue sky.
“Adrion-”
“John I-”
“No, let me go first,” John said, eyes pleading. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
Adrion felt his eyes grow wide.
“I’m such a jackass. You were trying to tell me something, and I didn’t wanna listen. No, I couldn’t. I spent so much time being so angry at Cla-” John stumbled over her name, eyes downcast, “-Over her. She was the villain in my head, the one who betrayed me. I still, even now, don’t know if I can fully process the possibility of her not…. of her not being who I thought she was. There’s still a part of me that doesn’t want to hear it. But I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
“John, do you still think that I’m lying?”
John buried his hands in his face. “I don’t... I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. Even now, just the thought of it makes me want to throw up and punch something till it bleeds.”
Adrion tensed up. “Uh-”
“Not you or anything,” John interjected quickly. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I still need time to work through this. And I’m sorry that you almost got hurt because of that.”
Adrion felt warmth bloom in his chest. “Thank you for saying that. And I’m sorry that I just sprung that on you outta nowhere.”
“‘Sall good. You did warn me. Though, I almost went back on my promise, didn’t I?” John said with a sad smile. “I guess I have a lot of things to apologize to you for.”
Adrion snorted. “You do, actually.”
“Anyway I can make it up to you?”
“I think I know a way.”
John hummed.
“Those mango boba drinks are really good.”
John screamed. “Nooooo! You’re just as bad as her! I can’t afford to pay for both your drinks! Don't you, like, work there anyways?”
Adrion smirked. “But it's gotta come from you. Better get a part-time job, like Seraphina said then, huh?”
“Please, anything but that,” John begged for mercy.
Adrion paused. Fear welled up in his gut, insecurity rearing its ugly face.
John glanced over. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, then how about you be my friend, then?”
The other’s eyes widened, but he pointedly didn't respond. The silence stretched on, causing that itching feeling to burrow itself into Adrion further, pricking at his eyes and hands. He wrung them in trepidation. “If you don’t want to, then-”
“No!” John shouted before reeling himself in. “Sorry, I just didn’t think you would ever…want that.”
Adrion felt relief draw air out of his lungs. “John, you were my best friend.”
“Yeah, was. But I hurt you. So badly. You know that. I know you’re absurdly forgiving but you can’t tell me that you don’t hold resentment for that. And don’t get me wrong, you have every right to, but…”
Adrion swallowed. “I…truthfully John, I was really hurt by what you did. To have my best friend, someone I grew up with and cared about so much, do what you did to me made it really hard to trust anyone again. But I can see that you’re trying to change, I really do. There’s a lot of stuff you're hiding from me, I know that. And I don’t know if I can fully forgive you for everything yet. But I want to at least try to leave the past behind and move forward."
John reached out, giving Adrion’s arm a gentle squeeze. “I do too.”
Adrion smiled, that warm blossom in his chest sprouting into the sun.
John leaned back against the wall, tilting his head up once again. “‘Sides, it would be nice to have another person to hang out with. Maybe you could even help me shop for some cactuses, I heard they’re really in season.”
Adrion shoved his arm. “Shut up, you know I ramble when I’m scared.”
“I also know what’s in your browser history.”
“Ok, Mr. peed-my-pants.”
“Adrion, so help me, I will scream again.”
Adrion snorted, the conversation settling into a comfortable lull. A soft breeze curled through Adrion's hair and he closed his eyes, feeling all the earlier anxiety slowly melt away. After several moments had passed, John spoke again.
"It felt like old times, ya know? Seeing your back after you rushed in to defend me. You used to do that all the time back when I was powerless, huh?" John turned to him with a wink. "You looked pretty cool."
It was Adrion's turn to bury his face in his hands, feeling his face heat up like a furnace. Eventually, he let out a grunt. “Well, I can’t believe you messaged me instead of Seraphina. What the hell were you thinking, John?”
John let out a noise. “Hey! I actually texted both of you, I am capable of multitasking. Speaking of which, why the fuck did Sera not get back to me?” he grumbled, opening his phone with a huff and scrolling through his messages before dropping it into his lap, stunned.
Adrion’s eyebrows drew together. “John, what–”
“I didn’t press send,” John whispered.
“...”
“...”
The next moment they were choking on laughter. Adrion laughed so hard he smacked his head against the wall, only causing them to laugh harder, a bubble of snot coming out of both their noses.
Eventually, it died down once again, but the smiles remained.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”