Chapter 2: Set Up
Ombre sighed, rubbing his head as he began to have a headache. "Ugh..."
There was a knock at his door. Must've been Merak.
He opened the door, revealing his best friend, Merak, holding a plate of food. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Merak said, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "But I thought you might want some company while you eat."
Ombre chuckled, "You're always welcome, Mer. Thanks for the food." He took the plate from Merak, placing it on the table. "Clover, this is Merak. My best friend and roommate."
Clover nodded, "Nice to meet you, Merak. I've heard a lot about you." He winked at Ombre, who rolled his eyes.
Merak smiled, "Likewise, Clover."
Clover blushed, seemingly taking a liking to Merak. "Yeah... heheh..." Clover's blush deepened, and he quickly turned his attention back to his food, shoveling a large piece of chicken katsu into his mouth. "So, Ombre, you were sayin' somethin' about a new solar system?" he asked, his mouth full.
Ombre sighed, "It's not a new solar system, Clover. It's a new planet. And it's called the Nova-" He suddenly let out a yelp of pain, warmth rushing to his head. "Auch!" Ombre clutched his head, his eyes squeezing shut as a wave of pain coursed through him. His robotic arm twitched, and his metal wings retracted, folding into his back. "What's happening?" he gasped, his voice strained.
Merak and Clover exchanged worried glances, their forks frozen mid-air. "Ombre?" Merak called out, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay?"
Ombre shook his head, his grip tightening on the table. "I... I don't know. It's like... something's trying to get in." He gritted his teeth, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's... it's like a voice, but not a voice."
"Ah...." Merak gently touched Ombre's shoulder. "You're... You're having a burn out, darling." He said, gently stroking Ombre back. "Here, let's lay you down on your bed." Merak said, helping Ombre up from his chair. Ombre leaned heavily on Merak, his robotic leg dragging slightly as they made their way to his room. Clover followed close behind, his eyes wide with worry.
Ombre's room was a mess, much like the rest of the apartment. Books and papers were strewn across the floor, and the bed was unmade. Merak helped Ombre onto the bed, propping him up with pillows. "Just... just rest for now, okay? I'll get you some water." Merak said, his voice soft and soothing.
Clover stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. "What's goin' on, Merak?
Why's Ombre like this?" Clover asked, his voice filled with concern. He looked at Merak, his eyes wide with worry. "Should we call someone? Maybe a doctor or somethin'?"
Merak shook his head, "No, no. Ombre's not like other people, Clover. He's a mutant. He doesn't need a doctor. He needs rest." He turned to Ombre, his voice soft. "Just close your eyes, Ombre. Let the pain go."
Ombre nodded weakly, his eyes fluttering shut. His robotic arm twitched, and his metal wings retracted further, the feathers rustling softly. Tears softly trickled down his face as the pain engulfed him.
Merak and Clover exchanged worried glances, their hearts pounding with worry. Merak's eyes darted around the room, searching for something, anything, that could help. His gaze landed on a small, worn-out book on the nightstand. He picked it up, flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. A simple incantation, one that Ombre had taught him years ago. It was meant to soothe and calm, to help Ombre when he was overwhelmed.
Merak cleared his throat, his voice steady and sure. "Ombre, listen to me. I need you to focus on my voice.
Listen to the rhythm of my words. Let them wash over you, like a gentle tide. Feel the pain ebbing away, replaced by a warm, soothing light. You are safe, Ombre. You are loved. You are not alone. I'm here. You'll be okay."
A chirp escaped from Ombre's lips as he relaxed, but the pain didn't subside.
Clover hummed, grabbing a thermometer. 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Merak's heart skipped a beat as he read the thermometer. He looked at Clover, who was standing by the door, his eyes wide with worry. "He's burning up," Merak said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Clover nodded, his arms crossed over his chest. "What can we do, Merak? We can't just sit here and watch him suffer." His voice was filled with concern, his southern accent thick with emotion.
Merak thought for a moment, his mind racing. He knew Ombre was different, that he had powers and abilities that were beyond human understanding. But he also knew that Ombre was vulnerable, that he could be hurt and overwhelmed just like anyone else.
And right now, he was in pain, and Merak was determined to do everything in his power to help him.
"I have an idea," Merak said, his voice firm with resolve. "Clover, go grab some ice from the freezer. We can use it to bring down his temperature."
Clover nodded, "On it." He disappeared into the kitchen, the sound of clattering ice cubes filling the air.
Merak turned back to Ombre, gently brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead. "Ombre, I need you to try and drink some water, okay? It'll help cool you down."
Ombre groaned softly, his eyes fluttering open for a moment before closing again.
Merak held the glass of water to his lips, coaxing him to take a sip. "Come on, Ombre. Just a little bit. It'll help." His voice was gentle, soothing. Ombre's robotic arm twitched, and he took a small sip, his throat working to swallow the cool liquid.
Clover returned, a bag of ice clutched in his hands. "Here," he said, handing it to Merak. "What do you want me to do?"
Merak took the ice, wrapping it in a towel. "We need to cool him down. Can you help me lift him up?" He looked at Clover, who nodded, stepping closer to the bed.
Ombre whined, trying to push them off as they tried to lift him up. "N-no... urts... no..." Merak shushed him softly, "It's okay, Ombre. We're just trying to help you feel better." They managed to lift him up, and Merak placed the ice pack on his forehead. Ombre hissed at the cold, but Merak held it firmly in place. "Just bear with it for a bit, okay? It'll help bring your temperature down."
Clover watched, his arms crossed over his chest. "Should we get... Like a doctor or somethin'?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.
Merak shook his head, "No, Clover. Ombre's not like other people. He's a mutant. And the doctor may try and take him away and bring him to the FBI... or worse." Merak's voice was firm, his eyes never leaving Ombre's face. "We can't risk that. Not when we don't know what's causing this."
Clover nodded, his arms dropping to his sides. "Okay, Merak. I trust you. What else can I do to help?"
"We need to keep him hydrated and cool. Can you grab some more ice and wet towels? And maybe some cold compresses? We'll need to rotate them to keep his temperature down."
Clover nodded, "Got it. I'll be right back." He disappeared into the kitchen, the sound of clattering ice cubes filling the air once again.
Merak heard a sniffle escape from Ombre's mouth. His eyes were open, and there were tears falling from them.
"Oh..." He sighed, brushing Ombre's hair out of his face. "You poor thing..." Merak whispered, his voice filled with tenderness. "I'm here, Ombre. I'm not going anywhere." He gently wiped the tears from Ombre's cheeks with his thumb, his heart aching at the sight of his best friend in so much pain.
Ombre's robotic arm twitched, and he reached up, grasping Merak's hand. "Mer..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. "It's... it's getting worse..."
Merak's heart skipped a beat. He knew that Ombre was strong, that he could handle a lot of pain. But the fact that he was admitting to Merak that it was getting worse was not a good sign.
He was sobbing and crying and begging for it to stop.
Merak's heart was breaking as he watched Ombre in so much pain. He couldn't bear to see him like this. He had to do something.
"Clover!" Merak called out, his voice urgent. "Hurry up with those compresses!"
Clover rushed in, his arms laden with ice packs and wet towels. "Here," he said, handing them to Merak. "What else can I do?"
Merak took the compresses, placing them on Ombre's forehead and neck. "We need to keep him hydrated. Can you get him to drink some water?"
Clover nodded, grabbing the glass of water from the nightstand.
"Here you go, Ombre," he said softly, holding the glass to his brother's lips. Ombre took a small sip, his throat working to swallow the cool liquid. Clover smiled encouragingly, "That's it, brother. Keep drinking."
Ombre's robotic leg twitched, and he tried to sit up, but Merak gently pushed him back down. "Shh, don't try to move too much, Ombre. You need to rest," he said, his voice firm yet gentle.
Ombre whimpered, his eyes fluttering open to look at Merak. "M-Merak... it... it hurts... everything... hurts... Why... did i... do something w-wrong...?" Ombre's voice was barely a whisper, his eyes filled with confusion and pain.
Merak's heart ached at the sight of his best friend in so much distress. He took Ombre's hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "No, Ombre. You didn't do anything wrong. This isn't your fault," he said, his voice firm yet soothing. "We just need to figure out what's causing this and how to stop it."
Clover nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with concern. "Yeah, Ombre. You're the best thing that ever happened to us.
We're here for you, no matter what. You're not alone." Merak's voice was steady and reassuring, his thumb gently stroking the back of Ombre's hand.
Ombre's eyes fluttered closed, a soft sigh escaping his lips. His robotic arm twitched, and he leaned into Merak's touch, seeking comfort in his best friend's presence.
"Clover, I need you to call Ankoku." Merak said, his voice firm with resolve. "He's been showering Ombre with gifts and attention lately. Maybe he knows something about this."
Clover nodded, pulling out his phone. "On it." He dialed Ankoku's number, putting the phone on speaker.
After a few rings, Ankoku's smooth, confident voice filled the room. "Clover, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Ankoku, it's an emergency." Clover said, his voice filled with worry. "It's Ombre. He's... he's not doing well."
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Ankoku spoke again, his voice serious.
"Darling, could you be a dear and put my sweet cupcake, darling, dearest on the line?" Ankoku's voice was calm and collected, but Merak could detect a hint of concern underneath.
Merak picked up the phone, pressing it to Ombre's ear. "Ankoku's on the line, Ombre. Can you talk to him?"
Ombre's eyes fluttered open, and he weakly nodded. "Ankoku...?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
"Ah, my dear Ombre," Ankoku's voice was soft and soothing. "I've been worried about you. What's happened?"
Ombre tried to speak, but a coughing fit overtook him. Merak quickly grabbed a glass of water, helping Ombre take a sip.
"Easy there, Ombre. You need to take it slow." He looked at Ankoku, his voice firm. "Ankoku, we need your help. Ombre's not responding to our usual methods. He's burning up, and he's in a lot of pain."
Ankoku's voice was filled with concern. "I'll be right there, darling. I have some... special remedies that might help. But for now, keep him hydrated and cool. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Merak nodded, even though Ankoku couldn't see him. "Okay, Ankoku. We'll do our best.
Thank you, Ankoku." Merak hung up the phone, turning back to Ombre. "Ankoku's on his way, Ombre. He's bringing some special remedies to help you feel better." He gently brushed Ombre's hair out of his face, his voice soft and soothing. "Just try to rest, okay? We'll be here with you every step of the way."
Ombre nodded weakly, his eyes fluttering closed once more. His robotic arm twitched, and he took a deep breath, trying to relax. They knew that Ombre was strong, that he could handle a lot of pain.
His robotic arm twitched, and he reached up, grasping Merak's hand. "It's... it's getting worse..." His eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty, and Merak's heart ached at the sight of his best friend in so much distress.
Gently, he kissed Ombre's forehead. That is, until he heard a car pull up to the driveway. He looked out the window and saw Ankoku stepping out of a sleek, black car, a bag in his hand. Merak let out a sigh of relief, turning to Clover. "That's Ankoku. He's here to help." Clover nodded, his eyes wide with worry. What do we do now?"
Merak opened the door, letting Ankoku in. Ankoku's eyes immediately went to Ombre, concern etched on his face.
He ran over, panic etched on his face. "Oh, my sweet lovely, dovey, darling, cupcake!"
Both Clover and Merak snickered. Ankoku had the strangest nicknames.
But right now, none of that mattered. Ombre was in pain, and Ankoku was here to help. Merak and Clover stepped aside, giving Ankoku space to approach the bed. Ankoku knelt down, his eyes never leaving Ombre's face. He gently brushed Ombre's hair away from his forehead, his touch feather-light.
"Oh, my sweet lovely, dovey, darling, cupcake," Ankoku whispered, his voice filled with concern. "I'm so sorry you're hurting, my dear Ombre." He opened his bag, pulling out a small vial filled with a shimmering liquid. "This should help.
It's a special concoction I've been working on, just for you, my dear Ombre." Ankoku's voice was soft and soothing as he uncorked the vial, the sweet scent of honey and lavender filling the room. He held the vial to Ombre's lips, tilting it slightly so that the liquid dripped into his mouth. Ombre swallowed, his robotic arm twitching as he tried to sit up.
"Wait, my sweet," Ankoku said gently, placing a hand on his chest. "You need to take it slow. Let the remedy work its magic."
Ombre's eyes fluttered closed, and he let out a soft sigh.
"Good... Good boy," Ankoku kissed Ombre's forehead, stroking his hair. "You did good." Ankoku smiled, looking up at Merak and Clover. "I'm going to stay with him for a while. Make sure he's comfortable and that he drinks plenty of water. I'll be back soon." He stood up, brushing off his knees. "Now, where's that lovely little snake of his? Kaburamaru, isn't it?" Ankoku asked, looking around the room.
Merak pointed to the perch on the wall, where Kaburamaru was coiled around a small branch. "He's right there."
Ankoku walked over, his eyes softening as he looked at the snake. "Hello there, little one. I'm Ankoku.