Aftershocks

      ”Yeah, not a problem. The more you guys know the better.” Niall said with the usual smile. The book met his hand and he happily took it back. He began skimming through the pages until he met his bookmark, a simply picture of Zell, Shara and Niall in a mobile platform. Shara was clung onto him with her arms around his neck and Niall was practically tackled into Zell’s other side trying to wrap his arms around the both of them. He smirked at it. His heart sank as he remembered everything. His smile faded into a smirk and then he pulled the picture out slightly and closed the little black book.

      What the Hell happened to his life? It kicked in again for a minute, and he looked at the price of his life. He rubbed his one eye and shook his head, still looking at the book. He had completely forgotten that Arianna was RIGHT there. It was rather rude of him, but then again being blonde makes you prone to scattered thoughts. He smiled at Arianna and nodded at her, he let out tired sigh with an exhausted eye roll for the added effect. It occurred to him finally that she had just been there for all of it.

      ”Sorry. I’m just not, all together at the moment, the past tends to haunt ya’know? I’ll be heading out of your hair soon, promise.” Niall promised, he’d probably find a hotel to stick at for a bit, hopefully there was somewhere nearby, Niall wasn’t looking forward to another night of “No vacancy” lights. He didn’t mind the no slep thing, but he hadn’t slept for a month or so, and eventually even Ethereals feel the innate desire to close their eyes for rest occasionally, and Niall was no exception. ”I just can’t seem to...get it... Zell was good. He never hurt anyone...and suddenly he turns around and...well...you were there. I don’t understand how my best friend was right here with me and we helped people, and in the next minute he’s....not him anymore.” Niall found himself rambling on a little. He was a little sad, but not as torn up about it as usual, which was good. He was making progress at least.

      He blinked, normal and casual. But the second his eyes were closed, it seemed like they had ben closed forever. He could have sworn he heard something. He couldn’t have though. It wasn’t Arianna, and it wasn’t telepathy so Aaron was out. It was baffling to him. Does the mind play games like that? Did it make you hear things that you weren’t supposed to be hearing? Probably, then again... it sounded so strange.


"I can bring him back..."

Arianna let the blonde male take the book from her hands, watching silently as he flipped through it with a small amount of happiness in his expression. Something about it was nice, a needed break between what seemed like continuous emotional irregularity that forced Arianna to slap him, and hurt her hand in the process. While she did not relish that for both the aching hand and the fact it was Niall, some things had to be done for reasons positive or negative. While she didn’t want to really pry, Arianna took notice of the small photograph and something about it reminded her of the times when Marie was still alive, and everything wasn’t Ethereals, Titans and the Hale mansion being wrecked. She sighed lightly, Niall noting that she was still within the room.

”The past haunts us all.” She agreed with a slightly bitter chuckle, crossing arms over her chest, sitting next to Niall and reclining, listening to what could be him venting his feelings about the whole Zell incident, something that still made her shudder. ”It happens, people you thought you once knew change.” She sighed deeply, legs crossing. ”Hrm....now I feel old.” She said with a slight humor, considering that she did not look older but that was the exact opposite of the truth. With a quick movement, she stood to her feet as if she had forgotten something entirely.

”Dammit.” She muttered, chewing lightly on her lower lip. ’Sorry to leave you alone so suddenly Niall, but I’m supposed to be doing an important something now, but don’t be a stranger, blah blah blah you get the drift. She was making her leave while letting that pour out.” And if you’re going anywhere try to atleast notify Brandon, you know how he can be.” With that small bit let out, she walked through a door and was gone.

     "Yeah of course. Thanks a ton." He said with a smile as he sank into the couch a little and sighed with relief. Tonight went relatively well. Other than that phone....the one that rang without batteries and the strange message that it carried. It was just white noise sure, but ever since Niall could swear that someone else was watching him, or stalking and lurking around the very next corner. He waited for Brandon, but he would lean forward first, palms against his temples

      A splitting Pain would nearly drive him into the brink of a coma, the pain finally dulled and he leaned back in the chair lazily as he closed his eyes to sigh, hoping that some relief would come from the throbbing ache that settled behind his eyes. There was a stranger burning sensation in his left arm, almost as if It were going to burn and literally fall to the ground like an ooze...or like plastic to the flames. He felt like he was better off dead...not for any sappy emotional BS, but because the wear and tear had finally caught up to him. He could have sworn he heard breathing, deep breathing, perhaps a breathy chuckle even.

      "Aaron?" he asked, even though he knew that it wasn't the intelligent twin. He knew it wasn't Brandon...but he'd ask anyway...because doing nonsensical things is what Niall lives for. "Brandon...?" He looked back in front of him, grunting as he doubled over. His vision took a bluish violet hue as he clenched onto his head for dear life. The things he looked at were all tremoring or shaking violently, like he were in an earthquake, but he knew that everything was fine. He tried to stand up and almost fell over like a klutz. He suddenly saw something, an outline, like a strange outline of a woman stood before him.

      "Come home..."

   But after those words were whispered, Niall was normal again. No headache, no pain. Not a single problem with him at the moment. He shook his head like a surprised dog and shrugged it off, picking up his book an trying to find Brandon.

Brandon Hale wondered through the kitchen absently, what Misha had said still burning within his mind as he reached for a banana within a bowl of small fruits. He peeled the yellow fruit, before taking a huge bite out of it and chewing it, before swallowing. It seemed that he was hungry even now, which was perhaps attributed to a small amount of stress, and one that he should have been used to dealing with. Part of his got it into his mind to look for Niall, that is if he was still in the mansion, and not out on another of his wild chases for nothing. ”That bitch.” He muttered tersely, taking another bite of the potassium rich food before tossing the peeling into the nearest trash bin, suddenly losing his appetite.

With perhaps nothing else going for him tonight, Brandon decided to go on a Niall hunt through the house, and hoped to find the Irish male. This lead to him walking around for a few minutes, not really looking in any particular place, just looking for Niall, and his mind was running over the possibility that he would find him. Well after a few minutes he happened upon the male, a large goofy grin forming on his lips spontaneously. Like the dull guy that he was, Brandon likely did not notice if anything was wrong.

”Hey you.” Brandon said in his usual tone already walking up to the Irish male and pressing a kiss to his cheek. He noted the black book he was carrying but then again it didn’t really register as anything to him.

”Hey.” He said as he smiled at Brandon. He started to walk over when he realized that his body was too relaxed to do anything but stand, his book flew out of his hands and he had to force himself to pick it up. He sighed as he picked up the picture of Zell and he cursed as he rummaged through the book for his place. Of course he couldn’t find it. Damn. He put the book and the picture on the small side table as he walked over to Brandon lazily. ”Yeah...I gotta get going soon.” Niall sighed. True he didn’t want to go, but then again he never really wanted to do anything that involved distance with Brandon.



       He latched onto the blonde Hale like a leech for a moment and he eventually let go. He’d take the hydra skin prototype and he’d be on his way back to the hotel soon. With the prototype on he walked back to find Brandon, to say goodbye again for the hundredth time. After he said goodnight for the final time, he managed to tell Aaron and the little blonde guy goodbye, but then he headed home. He walked all the way from the Hale manor to his hotel, thirteen miles away, and he went into the room and plopped down on the couch. He reached into his prototype suit to find the black book. Then he growled and groaned to remember that he left it on the end table...with the photo on top of it. That was his favorite picture too...the only one he really had. He sighed as he realized that he’d have to get it tomorrow. He was going to text Brandon...



        ...too bad he fell asleep, for the first time in weeks.