SnowFall

Turner or Mitcovan

Jason couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Nick was looking through the important files he had locked in his desk and had only moved away from the files when he heard the lock click and Jason's steady footsteps.

Jason eyed Nick's hand that still lingered on the files. Nick recoiled quickly and raised his hands in surrender.

"I can explain-"

Jason slammed the door closed and Nick jumped. Jason threw his keys onto the table and the keys clanked. Nick moved his hand along the drawer and closed it. The file was already out on the table, there was no way that Nick could hide what he was doing.

Jason felt a ticking sound in his skull. Was his father right? Can he trust Nick?

"Then explain," Jason removed his glance from the silver keys. He walked closer to him and Nick felt his cheek redden in shame. Even from the distance between them, Nick felt a tremble beneath his feet, it was Jason's emotions and they weren't stable. Nick avoided his fire glance, he felt like if he didn't, he would spill everything.

Jason sat down at the dining table and nodded at the chair opposite of him. Nick sat down and tried reading Jason, but he was unreadable.

"I..." Nick stifled.

"Is that your explanation?" Jason raised his hand and lowered it, "I..."

"I don't know how...how I'm going to say this." Nick looked at his thumb.

"Let me give you a start, shall I?" Jason leaned forwards, his hands on his knees, "Are you Nick... or are you... Nicholas?"

Nick felt something rise in his throat, a burning in his stomach and a buzz in his brain. It felt weird, hearing from his friend, leader to say that name — Nicholas. And with such a tone of disbelief and disgust?

"Turner..." Jason played around with his key ring, "or Mitcovan?"

Nick stood up but Jason waved him down. "Calm down, we're here to talk. Who are those for?"

Nick looked back, the files lay cold and obvious under the lights. The files of all those people his brother wanted. He wouldn't tell him what he needed him for, but curse his brother, he had no choice.

"I'm Nick. Nick Turner."

Nick saw a shift in Jason's expression and he loosened his tense shoulders, a strain he didn't realise he was holding. It was like the ground, he felt a certain tension beneath his feet, trembling and threatening to break. He hoped that it wasn't the description of their current situation.

"Then explain." Jason pushed without mercy.

Nick let out a harsh sigh and turned around. He rubbed back his hair in a quick swipe and turned again. His green eyes disappearing under the shadow, "I can't!"

"I'm giving you one chance to tell me everything! I'm only giving you one chance! One chance!" Jason has never heard himself yell before, but Nick had yelled and he did it too. He lowered his voice and covered his previous fury with a cough, "I think you have the ability to weigh your choices."

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, regretting his harsh choice of words.

"They have Skyler."

Jason's expression changed. He leaned forwards. "Who? Who has Skyler?"

Nick shook his head, his green eyes swirling in a desperate motion, "My brother."

Jason slumped back on his chair.

"They took me to see her. She was volunteering in the focus group. She was in the explosion, they said she's hurt badly. She's there."

Jason paled: "They? Who's they?"

Nick sat down, defeated, "my brother doesn't have Skyler. He knows the person who does. He took me."

"Did you remember how you got there?"

He shook his head. "They covered my eyes and I couldn't see a thing. My brother was the one who told me everything... and everything they said"

Clever... Jason thought. Mitcovan had been uneasy, especially when they once had all the power but were overthrown by the government. They were starting their little plan.

"Why do they want the files?"

"They wanted... your file."

"Mine?"

Nick nodded to confirm and saw Jason glance away in thought. There was a shift in weight and Nick felt something worrying Jason and in a way, Jason wasn't surprised, it was as if, Jason knew what was happening and he waited for it to happen.

"And..."

Jason's phone rang, but he didn't reach for his pocket.

"Do you wanna..."

Jason raised his hand, "And?"

"And they wanted Eira's and Lukas'."

Jason's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. The phone rang on. Narrowing his red eyes, he demanded, "When?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Where?"

"They said they will come and find me."

"What about your brother?"

"I don't know where he is anymore. He isn't at home often." Nick swallowed, his gaze on Jason's buzzing pocket, "he's stirring up trouble elsewhere."

"You don't say..." Jason sighed and closed his eyes. The buzz ended. "What else haven't you told me about your family?"

Nick glanced up, his fingers balled into a fist, thumbs rubbing fingers, "they aren't satisfied with their lives."

Jason closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. It was a miracle that Nick managed to be born into the Mitcovans. They were from two different planets.

"Don't worry about it anymore. Leave your house early in the morning, don't be seen and don't be heard. I'll take care of it." Jason said.

"They'll kill her. I-If they don't see me there-"

"I'll take care of it."

Nick felt another shift in weight and he was never in the dominant zone, he was being lifted up on the seesaw and Jason was the rock pushing him down. Nick had no way down.

"No-"

"If I see you touching those files again, I will consider your behaviour as an action of betrayal," Jason inhaled, "you remember what I said and do it."

Nick paused, "Okay."

The phone rang again. Jason took it out and pressed the decline button. Nick saw that it was time for him to leave. Nick turned the knob and left, Jason didn't look but heard the door click shut.

Jason felt sick. A heat rose in the middle of his skull, spreading to the sides of his forehead. He closed his eyes and leaned his weight on the table. The Mitcovans were into the scheme, whatever they plotted, and the explosion was enough to prove that Evans was moving. Fast. Skyler was in trouble, the more he waits, the more danger Skyler was in. Morning, just morning. He had a few hours left.

He looked at the files and his eyes lingered there for a long time.

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A/N

TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE GO! ANNNNNDDDD... my laptop is running out of battery, whoops!

Until next time, readers ;)

Always seek for an adventure in words and sentences.

L