Rich has seen more than his fair share of monsters and more than his fair share of kids being killed or hurt. He's seen children reduced to parts. He heard their screams in the background of their caretakers' distress calls when the nursery creches of Xinti fell into Xinti's sun during the war. He felt them connected to him, mindless, all individuality swept away, when they'd been assimilated by the Phalanx.
But normally when he faces monsters, he's at full power. He can blow up star destroyers with one hand. He's not a powerless kid, with one of his best friends who's also a powerless kid, trapped in a bubble of reality with one.
His hearts starts to pound, and he starts to move back and away from the drain. He lets go of Robbie's hand, but it's to hold a protective arm in front of Robbie, putting his body between Robbie and the drain. It's instinct. He's bigger. He's always been bigger, he'll always be bigger.
Rich starts to push them back away from the grate and more balloons float out, but now they start to lazily drift all around the two of them, like a red carpet is being laid out for them, as if they're saying : This is all for you.
And then there's a laugh and a voice that only sounds like it's human because it's wearing a human skin, and Rich freezes. It has that affect, the voice reaches inside and just freezes everything.
"Aren't'cha gonna say hello, boys?" the voice hisses from the sewer grate, and then there are eyes flashing from the dark and a painted face and the vaguest outline of teeth that are just slightly too sharp. "There's all kinds of wonderful things down here! Cotton candy, and rides, and all sorts of surprises. And balloons, too. All colors."
Another balloon bobs up.
"They all float down here."
Rich tries to scream and can't, he can't force the air out of his lungs, but he can still feel his hand, still feel his arm pressed against Robbie, and that's enough. The protective arm is more liquid than the rest of him, and he grabs onto Robbie's wrist with an iron grip and then tugs them both along, away from the sewer drain, back towards his pretend house on his pretend street.
"RUN!"
He runs and even though it's awkward to sprint while still holding onto Robbie, he refuses to let go.
no subject
But normally when he faces monsters, he's at full power. He can blow up star destroyers with one hand. He's not a powerless kid, with one of his best friends who's also a powerless kid, trapped in a bubble of reality with one.
His hearts starts to pound, and he starts to move back and away from the drain. He lets go of Robbie's hand, but it's to hold a protective arm in front of Robbie, putting his body between Robbie and the drain. It's instinct. He's bigger.
He's always been bigger, he'll always be bigger.Rich starts to push them back away from the grate and more balloons float out, but now they start to lazily drift all around the two of them, like a red carpet is being laid out for them, as if they're saying : This is all for you.
And then there's a laugh and a voice that only sounds like it's human because it's wearing a human skin, and Rich freezes. It has that affect, the voice reaches inside and just freezes everything.
"Aren't'cha gonna say hello, boys?" the voice hisses from the sewer grate, and then there are eyes flashing from the dark and a painted face and the vaguest outline of teeth that are just slightly too sharp. "There's all kinds of wonderful things down here! Cotton candy, and rides, and all sorts of surprises. And balloons, too. All colors."
Another balloon bobs up.
"They all float down here."
Rich tries to scream and can't, he can't force the air out of his lungs, but he can still feel his hand, still feel his arm pressed against Robbie, and that's enough. The protective arm is more liquid than the rest of him, and he grabs onto Robbie's wrist with an iron grip and then tugs them both along, away from the sewer drain, back towards his pretend house on his pretend street.
"RUN!"
He runs and even though it's awkward to sprint while still holding onto Robbie, he refuses to let go.