Chapter One

Smoke passed through his lips and hung in the air. The air, bitter and cold, was normal for early spring in Colorado. The smoke glowed in the light of the street lamp that the boy stood under. Night had fallen and covered the small town like a thick blanket, and although the nippy wind sent chills down his spine, he didn't mind. When you grow up in South Park, you grow used to the cold, since most of the year was this way or worse. The jacket he wore did little to help. It was old and had seen better days, but his family was too poor for such royalties and his parents didn't give a damn anyways. And he, being too frugal to spend what little he did have, he'd bear a little cold.

Snow started to fall again, and the boy cursed under his breath, wishing briefly that the Broflovski family condoned his smoking habit, but even he knew that would never happen. Not even his friend Kyle would let the boy near him when he smoked. That left him outside, in the cold, killing his lungs slowly before setting foot in the house. None of his friends really smoked, except on rare occasion when he and Stan would share a light.

"Fuck." He dropped the bud into the snow and snuffed it with his boot. As much as he and half the other people in this town would love to see it burn, he did not feel like being the one to do so. At least not today. He turned to the house where he could see the shadows of his friends, already in the warmth of a heated house. A luxury his family couldn't afford. Feet crunched in the snow as he moved closer to the door, and already he could hear Cartman's fat mouth going at it with Kyle. Despite being the smartest of the group, he could never seem to ignore when Cartman was egging him on. Without knocking, he opened the door, heat immediately surrounding him. Of course the four had changed throughout the years, but he believed himself to have changed the least. The only differences, as far as he could tell, is the small amount of muscle that looked like nothing on his tall, thin frame. That and the fact that he now towered over most of his classmates, standing at 6'4". Even Cartman had changed more than he. Said friend, still semi big in size, had lost some of his baby fat and had bulked up some. Not as much as Stan, however. Stan was stronger than any of us. Kyle was still the same, more or less, he supposed. Kyle was the shortest of the group, and had kept his baby face for the most part.

"Kenny, will you tell Kyle that this isn't a big fucking deal?!" Kenny turned to Cartman, red in the face and holding a hand out to Kyle, who had his hands on his hips and also looked to Kenny.

"What's not a big deal?" Kenny asked, zoned out and left out of the conversation. Kyle rolled his eyes while Cartman scoffed.

"Butter's doing my homework. He owes me," he spoke promptly, pointing his thumb back to the blonde sitting on the end of the couch, head in a math book. Kenny frowned. He hadn't even noticed him before. It's not that Butter's hadn't hung out with them before, but it was the fact that he usually didn't let Cartman push him around like when they were kids. However, it didn't really surprise Kenny. Butter's looked up, blue eyes looking between the arguing boys that Kenny was now between. Kenny couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he saw the scar he had left on Butter's with that stupid throwing star.

"Fellas I really don't mind all that much," Butter's spoke quietly, making Cartman grin.

"HA! You see Kyle? Now leave this the fuck alone," he smirked, crossing his arms. Kenny frowned, not liking this. Cartman, for a long time, grew out of the habit of manipulating people. Although he never stopped being an asshole.

"What could Butter's possibly owe you Cartman?" Kyle was not backing down, and honestly Kenny didn't care. If Butter's wanted to go through with this, it's his own decision. He was plenty old enough to tell him no. Kenny slipped away from the two and sat next to Butters.

"A lot Kyle," was all he spoke. Butter's paled, trying to keep his attention on the math book in front of him. And Kenny got a bad feeling from the boy beside him. He didn't know if the others could pick up on it, but he definitely could.

"This is bullshit fat ass and you know it. What are you holding over him?" Stan finally stood up and between the two.

"Can you two knock it off already? This is the weekend. Let's just chill and play some videogames or something, alright?" He offered, looking from Cartman to his boyfriend. And yes, boyfriend. The two had come out one day after Cartman was harassing them, and they've been open about it sense. Kyle growled.

"Fine, but if he says anything else, he's out of my house. You hear me Cartman?" Kyle threatened. Fat ass grinned.

"Loud and clear." And as the boy settled down, he couldn't help but look to the blonde sitting next to him. The arguing seemed to have him on edge. Kenny could see that his hands were shaking, as much as he tried to hide it. He knew that Butter's parents were strict and yelled at him from time to time, but had it gotten worse? That was a normal fight between Kyle and Cartman, and yet he watched as the blonde beside him shaking.

"You know you don't have to do his homework, right?" he offered softly. Even though he knew Butter's could handle himself if he so pleased, he couldn't help the Mysterion that came out in him. Yes, it was only a childhood persona he created as a game, but he actually did some good. It's been a while since any good has come from this town.

"Don't worry about me Ken. I'm just happy the fightin's over," He cooed softly. That left an unsettling feeling in Kenny's chest, suspicions growing stronger, as he looked to Cartman. Kenny had an inkling that he had something on Butter's, but he wasn't sure of what. And he knew Cartman would milk the shit out of it.

"But you probably have your own work, right? Fat ass's can wait," Kenny tried so convince. Butter's shook his head. His eyes seemed so sad to Kenny.

"Ken, please. I just want this to pass, and as long as I do what Eric says, then it will." Kenny left it at that, sensing that he wouldn't be convincing Butters of anything any time soon. But if Kenny could figure out what, maybe he could help his friend. Kenny let out a deep sigh, sinking into the couch as he watched the video games start on the TV. And here he thought Mysterion had died a long time ago.