DETERRENT - Apply Fic

14

Norbu wasn't out of breath. They ran, Dawson's voice chasing them, accompanied by a chorus of crickets. Their hot breaths were rhythmic. When the forest broke and they vaulted into the farmer's empty cornfield, Norbu wasn't breathing heavily. In fact, he was laughing.

"What do you think those kids were, fifteen?" he shook his head. "As if they could fight us."

Gale collapsed in the cornfield. Cosmia kicked him over, barely able to keep herself vertical.

"Were they right?" she tries to snarl but can barely pant. "What are you in for?"

At the truck nearby, Eurydice hears them. Blood trickles out of Titus' nose. He still pinned himself down to the rusted thing he hopes will be his getaway machine. Eurydice is about to pull away when Titus smirks, lips and teeth crimson.

She kicks him in the groin for good measure before heading off.

Cosmia goes to kick Gale again and Faris puts himself between them.

She scoffs, "of course you'd protect him, creep."

When his face falls, she recoils. Swallowing her words, she peers at Gale, who was doubled over and coughing.

"Well?"

His breaths are raspy. Norbu jogs closer and snatches Gale's hand. He pulls the boy upright. The force nearly sends Gale tumbling once more, and only Norbu's steady grip keeps him upright.

"I threw..." he huffs once. He hits his chest with the butt of his fist, and tries to clear his throat. "I threw firecrackers into a house. It wasn't... I'm not like that."

"Mischief."

Gale glares at Faris, "and vandalism and arson. Not just mischief."

Eurydice arrives with just enough time to hear the charges. The fire near the house glows through the trellises. There's another thing Eurydice can give Harvey. Certainly she's got more favours to collect than Titus.

"Big crime for a big boy," she pouts out her bottom lip.

Gale ignores her, catching Cosmia's eyes. Unnaturally red hair peeks out beneath the frizzy brown strands on top. Gale recognizes it, recognizes the lift to her chest, the tightness in her throat, the pinch of her lips.

"I'd... I'd never." The lack of words finds him. "Believe me, Cosmia. I'd never."

Eurydice rolls her eyes. It is Cosmia who keeps her gaze steady on Gale. A night full of stars, but she searches his eyes for constellations, for order, for some direction. They're just as blue as his hair.

In the quiet, Norbu hears movement. He spins, expecting Dawson. Instead, Titus has stumbled over. His nose is red, swelling, but otherwise his skin is pale. It's tinged grey, no silver sparkle.

"Became well-acquainted with a fist or what?" Norbu snorts.

Eurydice runs her tongue along her teeth.

"No fighting," Faris says the words quietly. "We've got to calm it with breaking Benji's rules."

"Who gives a damn about his rules?" Eurydice glares.

Cosmia looks up at the stars. She'll miss them. In MedFack, apparently, if that's where they send her when Benji's sent them all home, there won't be stars. Doesn't matter really, because there is nothing but grey cloud cover in Neo Elysium.

All the while, Gale doesn't look away from her.

"It's worse than it looks," Titus coughs out the word, blood spraying out of his mouth.