Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mondo Media.

Remarks: All characters are humanised.

It was probably the worst day in the week.

Lifty glared at Shifty, his emerald eyes gleaming with fury. The alarm kept wailing, its deafening noise sending chills down their spines.

"Damn it. I thought you took care of the security system!" Lifty howled, covering his ears with both hands.

"Stop yelling at me. It's your fault as well!" Shifty retorted.

"Now what?"

"Get these out and run for life!" Hastily, Shifty heaved a bag of stolen merchandises up onto his back and scooted away.

"Hey!" Lifty cursed as he struggled with his own bag of commodities. Apparently, Shifty had left him the heaviest bag to carry. For a second, he thought of giving up on what he had stolen but then it would mean all the trouble they went through was completely in vain. Certainly, Shifty wouldn't be generous enough to share his loot with him either.

"Screw you, bro." Lifty gritted his teeth and with all his might, swung the bag onto his shoulder. It was amazing how the twin thieves got their incredible strength. After all, they exercised regularly to make themselves stronger.

Lifty trotted towards the door. The squealing alarm got louder, almost piercing his ears. He swore if he made it out successfully, he would kill his brother. He had every good reason to loathe his twin. Shifty was always the one who dragged him into hassle and misery. Those silly, brainless ideas of his often plunged the two into immense trouble, like this time. He could still remember how Shifty had assured him that the security system was sealed and nothing would probably go wrong tonight. And now, look what was happening. The first sight of danger was enough to send Shifty running off and abandoning Lifty. They never cooperated well in any robbery. Something always went wrong. And Lifty was often the very one to pay the price.

Lifty stopped at the store's entrance and gasped.

"Fuck." He muttered under his breath. He couldn't imagine he was that unfortunate. Being dumped by Shifty midway through their mission was awful enough and now a self-claimed, amateur superhero was floating in front of him.

"So we meet again, Lifty." Splendid smirked and crossed his arms.

"Not so fast." Lifty's lips curved into a cunning smile as he started rummaging through his pockets. He knew just the way to defeat the hero if only….if only…oh crap, he hadn't any kryptonut! Of course, he didn't have it. Splendid basically destroyed it the last time they had a duel. No wonder Shifty had fled so fast!

"Searching for something, huh?" Splendid strode forwards, which made Lifty back away. He dropped his bag and made an abrupt turn. He only ran for a few meters before being caught by Splendid.

"You don't have the kryptonut this time, do you?" Splendid smiled. "Not much luck, I see."

"Let me go, loser!" Lifty squirmed manically but the hero was too strong. The greenette was basically nothing against him without the kryptonut.

"You're coming with me, Lifty." Splendid said grimly. "To the police station."

"No! Fuck you! I ain't going back to the prison!" Lifty roared and began kicking. "It's Shifty's fault! Go arrest him!"

"I will after I'm done with you. Now don't you…"

Before Splendid could continue, Lifty had accidentally kicked his crotch.

"Ouch!" The hero cried in pain and released Lifty. Seizing the chance, the notorious thief scurried away. However, it took Splendid less than five seconds to clutch his vest and pulled him back. Lifty collapsed onto the ground.

"Damn you. It hurts." Splendid yawped furiously. Lifty couldn't help laughing.

"Let's say, shitty hero, it's not like you have any balls under your pants, do ya?"

Splendid was beyond exasperated but he had better thing to do than to argue with him. Mercilessly, he snatched his wrist and started walking.

"Hey, let go!" Lifty barked but Splendid ignored his futile struggles. He was going to lock him up no matter what. This boy had caused enough trouble in Happy Tree Town, always stealing, robbing, burgling and pocket-lifting with his twin. And not to mention he had killed Splendid once with the kryptonut. He still bore in mind how the twins fucked up his life and ruined his hero reputation. If a hero couldn't even catch a pair of thieves, he might as well commit suicide in shame.

"I say, let go!" Lifty shrieked at the top of his lungs but it only made Splendid tighten his grip around his wrist. Moaning in agony, Lifty suddenly remembered the presence of a combat knife in his pocket. Without hesitation, he pulled out his weapon and stabbed Splendid's shoulder. The hero wannabe let out a soft groan as blood spilled out from his wound. He glowered at his attacker. Lifty raised his arm again and attempted another strike. Yet this time, Splendid clasped Lifty's hand and twisted it forcefully, yanking it out of socket. The young thief screamed at the painful fracture of his bones. Still not giving in, Lifty retaliated by spitting on Splendid's face and biting his neck. The boy cried as Lifty tore out a slice of flesh with his teeth. Enraged, Splendid shoved Lifty across the alleyway with his inhuman strength. Lifty hit the wall and landed on a stack of trash. Splendid waited for him to get up and fight back but he didn't budge. Gingerly, Splendid trudged towards Lifty. His body twitched and he was lying with his hands clamped over his stomach. Just then, Splendid noticed a glass shard from the trash was jammed into Lifty's body, penetrating his back and belly. Lifty whimpered. Blood seeped through his fingers and dripped down to the ground.

Shocked, Splendid immediately dashed towards Lifty and removed the shard from his stomach. Lifty blurted out a heart-breaking cry and he started coughing up blood.

"Hang in there." Splendid furrowed his brows, not really knowing what to do. Was he supposed to call an ambulance now?

"Cur-Curse you…bastard he-hero." Lifty managed to grunt.

"Don't speak or you're gonna die." Splendid said, lifting him up.

"Put m-me down!" Lifty commanded with which Splendid did not comply. The next thing Lifty knew was that he was being scooped up in the sky. He had no idea where they were heading to and before he could figure out what was happening, he had passed out entirely.

When Lifty regained his senses again, he found himself in a cozy huge bed. Rays of sunlight crept into the room. He blinked his eyes several times and groaned at the acute pain in his abdomen. Flashbacks of previous events began swirling in his head. The door creaked open and a face ever so familiar came into his sight. The blue-haired boy smiled as soon as he saw him awake.

"Good morning, Lifty." Splendid greeted. He went to the windows and drew the curtains. Lifty immediately ducked as light shone over his pallid face, stimulating his sore eyes.

"Where am I?" Lifty asked.

Splendid gawked at him for a minute before answering. "In my house."

"Holy shit!" Lifty tried to force himself up but the pain was unbearable.

"Hey, don't do that. Your wound will split."

"Then, let it split!" Lifty cried, his eyes brimming with tears. "Weren't you going to arrest me? I'd rather die in prison than in your damn crappy shit place!"

Splendid scowled. "You aren't going to die. It's lucky the glass shard didn't damage your vital organs."

"Yea, that's all I need to know." Lifty's yowled. "Why did you save me?!"

Splendid sighed and settled himself on the couch.

"Okay, I get it. You think I'm pathetic, right?" Lifty said.

"Huh?" Splendid looked at him, confused.

"I knew it. But I don't need your pity, jerk. I don't need you to save me even though I'm all messed up."

"I don't pity you." Splendid said. "I just…"

"It's wrong to save a criminal, hero. You should have let me die there."

"Geez, I don't care if you don't like being saved. Just so you know, as soon as you recover, you're going back to jail." Splendid pointed out. "I'm only having you here so that I can keep an eye on you and to make sure you don't escape!"

Lifty snorted and covered his face with the blanket. The mere sight of Splendid's face disgusted him. To be abandoned by his brother was horrible enough and now being saved by his opponent was far beyond humiliating. He knew he was simply pathetic. Feeble. Helpless. Why did he even agree to follow Shifty in the first place? He should have known better than anyone else none of his ideas ever turned out right. Lifty had only himself to blame for his own adversity, for trusting his twin even realizing he was a selfish, inconsiderate jerk. Right now, Lifty just wished Splendid had let him die. Then, he might come back to life the next day thinking everything was a sheer nightmare.

"Err…" Lifty clenched his eyes and moaned. He wondered how deep the glass shard punctured his guts. It was agonizing. It's like someone had lit a fire inside his stomach, burning all his intestines and organs.

"Hey, are you alright?" Splendid tried to pull the blanket off him but Lifty smacked his hand.

"Don't touch me!" He roared. His eyes were welled up with tears. The ache was draining his energy and consciousness.

"Look, you won't get any better if you don't let me help you." Splendid said nonchalantly. Not that he really cared about Lifty's wounds, he was just aware of his pain. Having died once himself, he now understood how it felt to be an ordinary human. People in the town went through crazy shit every day. The infinite loop of constant death and resurrection was horrendous. They perished in the most terrifying and excruciating ways one could ever imagine. Splendid was different because he usually had his supernatural qualities to shield him from any sort of physical harm. Other citizens, however, had no protection whatsoever. Splendid could well comprehend how Lifty was suffering from his gash. Soon, blood completely drenched the bandages and Splendid had no choice but to take down Lifty by force. Killing him wasn't his first priority. He just wanted to get this thief imprisoned. He didn't expect he would have hurt him so severely during their fight.

"W-What the fuck are you doing?!" Lifty bawled, flailing his arms attempting to punch Splendid but to no avail. Both of his hands were grabbed by Splendid.

"I gotta change your bandages. Your wound is splitting." Splendid said.

"I told you, just let it split!" Lifty wailed. "I don't care anyway. Why do you even bother with it? Just let me die!"

Splendid gulped, startled by Lifty's words. The younger boy was crying, which was definitely an unsightly scene. Tears were cascading down his swollen cheeks. Splendid couldn't fathom why Lifty was so relentless. After all, he was just trying to help. If Lifty thought being saved by him was mortifying, he shouldn't have committed any crime. Then, he wouldn't have to encounter him.

"Stop being such a sissy, Lifty!" Splendid hissed. Well, those words actually worked. Lifty stopped persisting and lay back. By then, his blood had sprayed all over Splendid's hands.

"Gosh, why are you so stubborn." Splendid sighed as he tossed away the bloody bandages, revealing a gory slash. The wound cut deep into Lifty's guts and Splendid was almost certain he had to stitch his wound again, before the thief died of massive blood loss.

"Just…stay still and don't move." Splendid instructed, taking a glimpse of Lifty. He was lying restlessly on the bed with his eyes shut. His chests moved up and down unsteadily as he gasped desperately for air. Sweat dribbled down his forehead and his hands were trembling. Splendid had to admit for a second he sympathized with the thief. He was on the brink of death with his face twisted in anguish and torment.

Splendid stormed out of the room and returned with the necessary equipment as fast as he could. He cautiously cleaned Lifty's wound and stitched it back. The entire process was harsh enough to cause the injured male to screech. The scene was distressing and Splendid felt as though his heart was stabbed by a knife. He kept reminding himself what Lifty underwent was nothing comparable to his death by kryptonut. But again, Lifty was only a human. His endurance was limited. He could have passed out.

"There, it should be alright now." Splendid reassured.

Lifty had no idea how long he had slept. Sometimes, he woke up for a very brief moment and he would spot Splendid taking a nap on the couch. Sometimes, he was stuck between dreams and reality, barely able to distinguish anything around him. At dusk, he opened his eyes again and stared blankly at the ceiling. Splendid had given him some effective pain killers and the lesion was no longer torturing him that much. He managed to lift himself up and leaned his back against the pillow. He fluttered his eyes to the couch. Splendid had curled up his body as he slept. His face looked oddly peaceful. Lifty wondered why he was still there. Sure enough, he wouldn't be able to escape now with his injuries. There was no need for Splendid to guard him.

"Oiii." Lifty yelled. Splendid tilt his head but did not wake up. Lifty hurled a pillow at him and the superhero immediately pried his eyes.

"What?" He sat up and gazed back at Lifty.

"Water." Lifty ordered.

"Nah, I'm not your servant." The blue-haired boy said.

"Please." Lifty added.

"Fine." Splendid smirked and got Lifty a cup of warm water.

"So, how are you feeling now?"

"Much better." Lifty murmured.

"Good." Splendid stood up, ready to head for the door but Lifty tugged his sleeves. "Huh?"

"Can you tell me why you're doing this?" Lifty asked bluntly, his eyes shimmering with curiosity. There was an awkward moment of silence between them. Neither of them felt comfortable with each other's glance. Splendid, indeed, did not know how to reply him. Why did he do that? Even his conscience could not answer his question. Lifty was a thief. He was a hero. They were rivals. They should be pleased to watch the other one die.

"I don't know." Splendid shrugged.

"Oh…" Lifty didn't say any more. They spent a minute just ogling each other's face until Splendid broke off the silence again. "I'll bring the dinner up here. You just stay in bed and don't move too much, okay?"

Lifty nodded obediently and let go of Splendid's sleeves. The bluenette smiled and left.

To Lifty's surprise, Splendid cooked him a dinner. Gawking at the tray on his lap, he widened his eyes in disbelief. Displayed on the plate was his favorite dish, Spaghetti Bolognese. Was it a coincidence or did Splendid actually know it was his favorite food? Either way, Lifty was glad. At least, Splendid was a brilliant cook. He could be better off being a houseman instead of going around saving people when what he really did was unintentionally killing them.

"Lifty, is there a reason why you have to be a thief?" Splendid suddenly asked. The question got Lifty dumbstruck for a moment. He perked up and their eyes met. Lifty didn't realize Splendid's face was that handsome before. He never took much interest in examining his facial features anyway. The hero was nonetheless a perfect creation. Every single bit of his body was perfect. He was born with extraordinary beauty, a capable well-built body, superb powers and distinctive talents. He grew up under everyone's great expectations. He was constantly adored and respected by many. A spoiled kid. An amateur hero wannabe. An ideal public figure. Someone like him, of course, had no clue why a lowlife like Lifty had to become a thief.

"It's none of your business." Lifty said indifferently, not caring if his rudeness would irritate the hero.

"Just saying, there're always options other than stealing." Splendid sighed and shook his head in dismay.

"Why? Are you trying to convince me or something? I'm not tamed." Lifty said.

"No, I'm just trying to tell you nothing like this would have happened if you didn't become a thief in the first place!"

"As if I need a lecture from someone like you. You spoiled brat."

Splendid, taken aback by Lifty's claim, frowned. He pouted and flopped back in his chair. "And your brother? You aren't tired of him always backstabbing you?"

"So? Why do you…" Before Lifty could finish his utterance, Splendid had leaned in so close to him that they could almost feel each other's breath. The curt intimacy caused Lifty to blush and cringe. He could feel his heart racing.

"W-What the heck are you do-doing….?" He stuttered.

"I'm just trying to help you, Lifty." Splendid said. "You don't have to be a thief. You can always do better than that. I know you're the soft one out of the two."

"What? What soft one? Don't you dare say that again!" Lifty bellowed, balling his hands into fists. His face was still aflame. Splendid smirked and sat beside him on the bed. Gently, he ruffled his dark green hair and a sly grin crawled over his mouth. "Why, Lifty, you're at my place now, don't you forget that. You do as I say. Or I can't guarantee what I might do to you." Lifty shivered as Splendid suddenly blew into his ears.

"Shit, a-are you gay?!" Lifty pushed Splendid away, his face full of angst and fear. The hero chuckled and shook his head. "Not really. But I will think about that. Teasing you is kinda fun, isn't it? Well, going back to what I said earlier about you being the soft one, I guess you now know what I mean?"

Immediately catching his hint, Lifty flushed with embarrassment. He felt like a jerk having stepped into one of Splendid's traps. The hero had just played a prank on him and he didn't even realize it!

"Ughhh….get lost, Splendid!" Lifty snarled, enraged.

"Has anyone told you that you look cute when you're angry?" Splendid tittered.

"Stop messing around. I'm straight, Splendid. I…"

"Don't worry. I'm not so into guys either. You know well I like Flaky." Splendid boasted proudly.

"Nah, you will never get a chance. Flaky has Flippy."

"That war veteran! I'm gonna kill him someday." Splendid growled in frustration.

Lifty giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Lifty scoffed.

"Finished?" Splendid asking, pointing at the plate.

"Yea."

Splendid took the tray from Lifty. Before he turned around, he licked off a trace of sauce that was left on one side of Lifty's mouth.

"Pfft, what the fuck?!" Lifty yelled, his cheeks reddening.

"Ermmm, shouldn't waste that. I'm just trying to lick it clean." Splendid mocked, nibbling his own lips.

"Stop teasing me already!"

"Maybe." Splendid taunted and left.

Lifty had no idea why his heart was thumping like hell. He could almost feel himself exploding in shame. He had just got teased twice, not to mention Splendid had stolen a half-kiss from him. What had he ever done to deserve such a degrading treatment?

At once, he wondered how long he could survive in this damn dreadful place.