Ichor And Steel

Chapter Eight; Yes, you fool!

ᴇɪɢʜᴛʜ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀ, ʟᴇᴍᴏɴ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴ

"Have you got some sort of attraction to the Lycans?" Karl Heisenberg roared, teeth posed in a fierce grin of either amusement or frustration. Ethan gasped softly, Heisenberg stepping over him and, by the scruff of his shirt, dragged him along the thin dust ground. He raised his arms, shielding his eyes from sudden overcast skylight and laid beneath the tall man's shadow that felt oddly warming—was this comfort?

"I am so sorry! I could've endangered you!" Donna frantically cried, her veil lost in the brawl and hair roughed, gentler strains loose.

Heisenberg lightly touched her arm. "I can assure you there is no need to worry, buttercup—"

"I was talking about Ethan, Karl!" she lightly snapped, brushing him off and quickly crouching. Ethan dazedly narrowed his eyes, grimacing at his raw-feeling chest. "You should have seen him! He threw himself at the Lycan!"

"I think I need some water," he said roughly, an uncomfortable waver passing through him. Heisenberg's eyebrows were arched, lips slightly parted; did Ethan seem like a pathetic hero to him? He grunted and scratched his nose, which twitched in the cold.

"And how did you go about weaking the Lycan, huh Ethan Winters?" Heisenberg asked, hauling the blond up with a firm grip on his wrist. It was the kindest of his gestures...so far.

"You know, just Ethan is fine," Ethan wheezed, massaging his chest. His cunning smile twitched at the corners, a slight pain still twanging somewhere in his body. "I really don't know, otherwise...I just needed to cough, it was strange."

His eyes dropped to Angie circling him like a low flying vulture before ultimately deciding to pet Baby, who lay idly in the doorway, secreting mystery fluids. Donna appeared like a cat-lady, but she owned this...thing. It was disgustingly adorable. Seemingly unamused with Ethan's answer, Heisenberg departed with another grunt, heaving his hammer over his shoulder and weaving out of the courtyard. It was only then did Donna approach to resume their seemingly paused friendship.

"Whatever you did, Ethan," she begun, glancing back at Angie and Baby with a sickly sweet blush to her face, "was very helpful. Thank you."

He offered a smile and bumped her side. "It's fine. I hope I didn't kill that thing before...sorry if I did—"

"Oh, no, no! Not at all!" She lightened up. "In fact, you barely laid a finger on Baby! You simply made the right decision and ran away."

Ethan seemed content with his past decision. Saved him likely triple the trauma. He nodded, suddenly a little shy, and reminded himself aloud he had a punishment to endure which Donna seemed concerned about, again not really grasping the joke.

Shielded by low walls and the privacy of vines, the courtyard did not allow much snow to seep in and the transition to the open void of the residence grounds felt brisk.

Ethan dabbed at his forehead for any wound he might've sustained, noticing a pulsing headache beginning to form. It was worsened by his sudden fall, tripped by an outstretched leg. Flipped from stomach to back, Ethan was exposed to Heisenberg's face, beaming with intrigue and a genuine seeming smile as he crouched atop of Ethan.

There was a witty joke on his tongue, something along the lines of how the sisters were about to tussle him and Uncle Heisenberg could join but it got caught in Ethan's teeth. Apprehensive of Heisenberg's interrogative stare, Ethan pressed himself further into the snowy ground, prickles of ice lodged into his spine.

"From the minute I approached you, I noticed you were different," Heisenberg gibed, mouth ajar slightly—Ethan saw the pearl, the piercing roll along his lower teeth. "Not quite all alive, are you Ethan?"

He reached to touch Ethan's face but must've raised too quickly for he put out a defensive hand. Heisenberg composed himself, recognising a boundary had been erected between them and he only had himself to blame...or Mother Miranda.

"Wuh-was it necessary to put me on the gr-ground?" Ethan managed, stuttering from the cold...definitely. He forced a smirk. "You could've asked to get close."

Heisenberg pulled a face, argent hair trickling off his shoulders from where it should've remained tucked behind his ears and he wiped his chin, his scratchy beard white with flecks of snow. He sighed and pushed up, standing over him. "I didn't want to get close. I just wanted to understand...do you know what you are—"

"No, no I don't," Ethan firmed, scrambling up the wall behind, leaning against as Heisenberg, forever seeming curious, leant in again. "I-I swear."

The silver man's eyelids fluttered, eyes flicking up and down the blond, searching for a hint of a lie. "I don't doubt you."

He stepped forward again, and Ethan opened his lips to speak before Lady Dimitrescu's booming tone cut between them. Heisenberg did a small, startled jump, and reached for the hilt of his hammer. He gripped it and immediately relaxed as though attempting to play off being caught red-handed. His cool lean conveyed a rudeness that Ethan could accept.

"Hello sister," Heisenberg said, a laugh edging his tone. Those words bought delight to Ethan; the family drama was comedy from an outsider view. "How may I assist the Lady of this wonderful land—"

"Ethan Winters!" She cawed, stopping a few feet away.

"Yes?" Ethan whispered, sneering.

"Well? Have you found what I asked you to search for? I am growing impatient," she tutted.

Ethan blinked. His first reaction was not to respond but stiffly turn to Heisenberg who, behind his angled glasses, was already looking at him. Ethan opened his mouth to speak but Heisenberg's leather hand tapped his jaw, signifying for him to shut it and keep it shut.

"He was with me. I stole him away for a while, so sorry. What was it you were looking for?"

Lady Dimitrescu eyed her non-blood brother with a curled lip. "A jewel I believe was not regenerated upon Mother Miranda's saving."

"Well!" Heisenberg proclaimed. "Then have him bring your favourtie metal or whatever shiny delight your eye gets caught on and I'll make you something new. Would you like that?"

There was contemplation before her response, a long-drawn thinking but a greed-full sparkle pulled at the corners of her lips. "I'll take that. Just know you have displeased your nieces, Heisenberg."

Heisenberg shrugged, saying, "they can have their little boytoy later, my dear. How about I have him for a while?"

Ethan refrained from pulling his wide-eyes and clenched his teeth.

"Very well. You go disappear to wherever you sulk to." She angled herself at the smaller man, suddenly noting their height difference and was tempted greatly in rethink her manthing nickname. However, the pet-name stuck when she beckoned for Ethan, "come then, manthing. You look grotty and could use some cleaning before you leave."

He cleared his throat and agreed, moving away from Heisenberg but felt his touch linger for an odd moment longer.