The Judgement Of Divinity (TMOE #2)

Chapter 40: Not so different

The headache did not come as a surprise.

Lucius had required a moment of consciousness to remember why that was, but as the scent of grass and dirt was mixed with smoke, it came back to him.

And he managed a smile.

Because it was over.

He inhaled a relieved breath and allowed his aching body to relax in the soft, cold moss underneath him. After everything that had happened the past months it felt good to just breathe. While the plan had not gone so smoothly as planned, he was certain things could have gone so much worse. It still seemed impossible that he had pulled it off in the end.

He opened his eyes, and was met with a heartwarming sight.

"Anthony," he croaked, reaching his good hand out to touch the resting man's knee. He had sat down next to Lucius, leaning against an old, partially scraped tree trunk with closed eyes and the same worried eyebrow wrinkle as always.

Lucius had to assume by then that it was a permanent feature.

Anthony's eyes opened as well, and he turned his head to look down at Lucius with a relieved sigh.

"How are you feeling?"

"I..." Lucius grimaced, now having to acknowledge all the aching parts of his body. "... You know, considering the circumstances, it could definitely have been worse. Took a hit to the head I think, and some sore parts I suppose."

"You've got a twig in your leg too." Anthony pointed down at Lucius' calf, where a thin yet sharp twig had pierced through it.

Lucius looked away with lips pressed tightly together.

"... Would you look at that."

In an attempt to not panic over his impaled leg, he paid attention to Anthony's appearance instead. It puzzled him. Anthony had blood smeared across his face and hands. His clothes being torn were one thing, because he'd without a doubt been caught in the explosion, but why would his wounds not heal?

"You're... Hurt?" he therefore asked, but Anthony ignored it.

"I couldn't find any serious injuries on you when I looked, but can you feel if there's anything broken?"

Lucius shook his head. His shoulder was already broken, but Anthony didn't need to know that. It would just call unnecessary attention to it.

"No. Honestly I think I had a very fortunate fall, what with my usual luck."

Anthony sighed again with a slow nod.

"Good."

Then he punched Lucius hard in the face.

Lucius wasn't sure what to focus on first. The unexpected pain that burned through his face, or the disbelief in that Anthony had punched him at all. Regardless, frustration grew from both parts, and he inhaled a deep breath to give Anthony a piece of his mind.

But Anthony went first.

"What in the whole, archon-forsaken Waste possessed you to do something like that!?"

"I told you my head hurt!" was the first thing Lucius could exclaim. "Did you seriously just punch me!?"

"Do you even realise what you've just done?" Anthony's voice trembled as he gestured back in the direction of the BBT mansion, or at least what Lucius assumed was left of it. "Do you know how many people were inside that building?"

"Of course I do, I made the list," Lucius hissed, averting his gaze as Anthony stared at him in horror.

"How... Could you do something like that? Just how low—"