Madness (Suicidal Book 3)

Chapter Two: Safehouse

Kion cracked his neck as he stepped out of the van, his joints sore from riding in the cramped back the entire time. Reminded him of his cell. But it wasn't so bad and plus, it did have the added bonus of being pushed next to Kovu for the entire ride and making Knuckles blush as the two flirted with each other. Knuckles was still uncomfortable with gay people flirting, or just people flirting in general. Wasn't used to it, according to Tails and Sonic. Meh, he'd get used it, Kion chuckled. After all, he would be hanging with two hot gay couples for the next couple of...how long were they going to be here? 

"Hey, Sonic," Kion called as the blue hedgehog stepped out of the driver's seat of front cab of the white van. "How long are we staying in this place?" The hedgehog thought about it for a couple of seconds before shrugging. 

"No idea," he said. "It's up to Tails." He turned to the red fox, who was staring off into the distance, his mind focused elsewhere apparently. Tails whimpered, and Kion and Sonic exchanged worried looks. Sonic leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder. Tails screamed and jumped. 

"Whoa," said Sonic, trying to calm down Tails. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay." 

"I-I thought you were him," said Tails. The way he said him made Kovu giggle and start shrieking with laughter, while Kion stared in confusion and worry at his boyfriend. 

"Hey, are you okay, bud?" Kion asks, grabbing Kovu's shoulders and forcing him to look at him, directly into his eyes. He started as he saw things he had never seen before in Kovu. Torture, depression, rage, and...something else. Something darker. Kion couldn't place it but whatever it was, it made Kion jerk back and take a step away from Kovu in slight fear and apprenhension about him. Meanwhile, Sonic had mostly calmed down Tails and was holding him, rocking slightly back and forth. Tails was muttering about something, kept saying the words "clown," and "joker", but the way he said "joker" made it sound like a name and not an adjective. Kion shook his head. Sonic shoot him a questioning look, like what are these two guys talking about?

Yes, he had been in the same row as them, he had been next to Tails with Kovu on the other side of Tails. Kion had been on the end and didn't know if there was anyone else in the block with them, but when he got there the two of them seemed traumatized about something, and the guards only mentioned a breakout a couple days before Kion got in there. So he didn't know what had happened, but if this "Joker" - oh great, now he was capitalizing the adjective - hurt Tails and Kovu, there'd be some goddamn hell to pay for that motherfucker. 

Kion didn't say any of that though. He'd talk to Sonic later. Instead he just shrugged, and hoped he had indicated he would talk with him later. Sonic seemed to figure it out, and nodded. "Let's get down to the house down there." Sonic said, still hugging Tails as he pointed with one hand to  a small whit house a short ways down the road from them. Kion nodded, and grabbed Kovu by the hand and led him towards the house, gladly following Sonic down the dirty muddy unsaved road up to the broken cracked driveway to the dilapidated house. 

It looked like something out of a horror movie. The walls were painted a blaring cloudy white, but the paint was peeling and exposed the dark brown and tan wood behind it. The door was painted black, and was also peeling while simultaneously hanging off of its hinges slightly. The knob had fallen off and rolled into the overgrown weed-filled grass and disappeared inside. The padlock on the at the base of the door looked like it was busted and someone had broken it trying to get in. Kion looked at the windows. One was cracked and glass covered the floor of the inside part of the house, and a broken and chipped brick sat there, looking like someone had tossed it from the outside. Beer bottles littered the front stoop and the blue awning had faded and had many holes torn into it from the brutal weather, Kion assumed. Sonic knocked on the door. It opened. 

A young looking lion with a brown skin and and a darker brown mane stood in the door. He took in all of them and looked confused for a few seconds, then recognition and disbelief after it dawned on him who everyone in the group was, then fear and horror. Sonic pulled out a knife, but Kovu took his arm and pushed it down. Sonic glanced at him in surprise. 

Kovu stared at him with madness in his eyes. "I'll deal with him." Sonic slowly glanced at Kion, and he nodded. Sonic grinned and slid the knife back into his pocket. "All yours," he said. "Thanks," said Kovu, smiling, and, in an unusual act of emotion towards someone other than Kion, hugs Sonic. Sonic gasps and looks slightly surprised, before hesitantly putting his arms around Kovu, looking at Kion and hoping that he won't kill him for hugging his boyfriend.  

The two broke apart. Kovu turned and grabbed the lion, who was stupidly still standing in the door. The lion screamed as Kovu dragged him off to the depressing-looking barn in the backyard. Kion Sonic and the others trooped inside, Knuckles shutting the door behind them as they settled in. Kion looked around. "I'm going to go to sleep," he said. "It's been a long day." Sonic nodded, and Tails twitched and the two left, heading to the ratty looking master bedroom on the first floor, next to the floor's bathroom. Knuckles cracked his neck and went down the stairs to a small bedroom in the basement. Kion walked into the living room and lay down on the coach, pulling a moth-eaten quilt up to his chest and quickly falling asleep.