Generation Antihero 2

A bit of trouble to start off

Henry let out a shaky, heated breath.

A deep voice purred against his lips as they kissed with raw passion.

Tattooed hands roamed greedily over Henry's body, drawing a quiet moan from him. "Koi...", he breathed, the name slipping from his mouth - again and again, growing louder each time.

Ilus jolted awake, soaked in sweat and gasping for air. It took him a moment to orient himself, his chest heaving as his heart skipped a beat. Then he heard it - Henry’s voice, soft and drowsy from his right: "Koi...". Panic surged through him as he turned his head, only to find Henry sleepily trying to push Koi’s arm off his body. Koi barely reacted, mumbling something incoherent and staying put. Ilus gently lifted Koi’s arm, placed it back and pulled Henry into an embrace. Henry’s light-brown eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, meeting Ilus's gaze. He smiled faintly and drifted back to sleep. Outside, the early morning fog tinged the sky with a faint green hue. Ilus took a deep breath, steadying himself as he lay back down. Exhausted but restless, his gaze wandered across the cramped wagon, where parts of his gang lay sprawled over one another. For the sake of a discreet relocation, they had split into smaller groups - Shark, Zigz, Koi, Lucky, Shota, Henry, Ilus and three other members somehow managing to squeeze into this tiny space.

He regretted putting them through this cramped ordeal, but staying in the Los Angeles hideout had become far too dangerous. Ilus was certain Iceman had gathered data on him and their hideout, hidden somewhere in his mansions. The police planned to have every property searched, so Ilus chose to pack up and travel all the way to Seattle - a fresh start with the same crackheads, just under a new image. Their last fight had drastically thinned their ranks and he couldn't simply replace those they’d lost. He still mourned each one of them, the weight of their absence lingering. After all, he had personally pulled every single one of them off the streets. But eventually, he found new accomplices.

Sleep was out of the question. Ilus had these nightmares too often to bother trying anymore. Instead, he watched the dawn break, lost in thought as the hours quietly slipped by. Eventually, Shota stirred, waking first. He checked his phone, then dropped his head back onto his jacket, using it as a makeshift pillow. The movement roused Koi beside him, who mumbled: "Is it time to keep going already...?". Lucky muttered a warning through half-sleep: "Careful, Chef’s here too...". Shark was the first to push himself upright, causing the wagon to tilt sideways. Everyone slid down a bit and with that, the entire group was awake. Only Zigz groaned: "We need a coffee machine...". They waited for Ilus to give instructions, but he just rubbed his face in exhaustion. Henry nudged him lightl: "Didn't sleep well?". Ilus shook his head, silently got out of the wagon and left without saying where he was going. Shark stretched, yawning: "He’s always tired". Henry scratched the back of his head, worry flickering in his eyes: "It's probably still the backlash from the fight with Iceman. It’s only been a few weeks...".

One by one, they crawled out of the wagon. The rising temperatures made it bearable to walk along the sandy street in just a t-shirt and underwear. Koi stretched, glancing at his phone: "Just about four hours, then we’ll reach Seattle". Shota stretched beside him, groaning: "Flying would've been way easier... Why did Kiki get the privilege to fly by herself? It gets seriously cramped with you guys in such a small space". "Must be tough lying between so many guys in tight quarters and not being allowed to touch a single one of them", his little brother teased. Shota scoffed: "Starting with you right next to me, I don’t feel the urge to try". Henry inhaled the crisp countryside air, savoring the freshness. It was what he loved most about being outside. Shark, equally drawn to nature, wandered over to a tree, watching a few birds up close. Meanwhile, Lucky and Zigz still lay sprawled out, unmoving.

When Ilus returned, he walked straight past Henry without a word, giving a direct order: "We’ll continue driving in ten minutes". Everyone exchanged confused glances, but Henry was the most thrown off. Still, he decided to set the matter aside for now. He’d rather talk to Ilus about it in private, the others probably preferred it that way too.