Disclaimer: I don't own TDAS.

Hey all! It's time for some good old fashioned angst! This is a requested carry on of 'Mal Can't Swim'. Big old shout out to Animetoonz19 who also has a series of one shots just like this one, you guys should check it out! Anyway, onto the story...

4: Recovery

When we left off...

When he got to the pool, he saw Manitoba and Svetlana in the water, Vito out of it and, most worryingly, Mal under it. Letting out a cry of panic he dived into the water, fully clothed, and swam down as fast as he could. Mal lay motionless under the water, Mike quickly pulled his brother to the surface.

Now to the story.

Vito and Manitoba watched as Mike dragged his unconscious brother to the surface, Mal coughed weakly and gasped for air. But his eyes remained closed and he was spewing up nothing but water. Although he was out of the pool, Manny knew that secondary drowning* was still a possibility. "Bro?" Vito asked, sentiment and worry evident in his voice. Mal continued to hack up water until he seemed to run out of energy and went limp.

"What happened?" The two boys almost shivered at ths cold edge to Mike's voice. They would have expected this tone from some of the other personalities, Svet, maybe. Vito, yeah. Mal, definitely. But Mike? He must be furious. "Well, ah..." Vito tried to explain but broke off when he saw the look in his brother's eyes. Manny took over, "We... We pushed 'im in." He admitted, "We didn' know... The gumby didn' tell us. Jus' wouldn' get in the water. Assumed 'e was bein' a wuss. Guess 'e was jus' proud, eh?" Mike suddenly acted as if his shoes were the most important and interesting thing in this galaxy. "I was gonna teach him... He started, "But then you guys showed up and I... I forgot."

Vito and Manitoba helped Mike carry his brother up to his room, they were going to set him on the throne** before Mike led them to a room at the end of the hall. It was locked when Manitoba tried it but at Mike's touch it swung open. Inside was very much a goth's room. It was rather unsettling actually. All the walls were black with red paint that looked like it was dripping from the painted cracks, corners and seams. On the farthest wall there was a billboard with countless papers. Blueprints and notes, schematics and drawings, plans and photographs of every size, shape and colour. Some were so new the ink was still wet, some so old they were frayed and yellowed, (how was that even possible when they were only 16!?) There was a bed with a frame painted black and carved like a daemon to look dark and looming. The lights were dim and flickering. The whole room echoed with ominous whispers.

"I dunno 'ow he sleeps in 'ere!" Vito exclaimed nervously, "It's givin' me the creeps!" Mike nodded and said, "Me neither, he's always been like this. I never understood it, but he'll never sleep in a normal environment. I just leave him to it." They laid Mal on the bed and to all (Except Mike's) surprise, the daemon lifted its wings and wrapped them around the unconscious boy*** and the room became alive with terrifying, mutated creatures, crooning in concern for their master.

Manitoba sighed, and turned to Mike. "We really messed up, huh?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, we didn' even give 'im a chance. If we were a little more accepting, the whole domination fiasco may never have happened?" Vito grunted in response, Mike just looked thoughtful. "I dunno," Mike said quietly, "Mal was always territorial, was never very good with changes. But I don't think that you guys were the problem. I was a terrible friend, I went from spending every hour of the day with him to hardly even acknowledging he was there. Like a child discarding an old toy in favour of new ones. When he and I had the fight about the murder****, it had been the first time we had spoken to each other for literally years. I knew he was terrible with change, yet I left him to deal with it on his own. And even then, he still protected me*****. C'mon, let him rest, that door didn't open for you for a reason."

"What about you?" "I'm staying here. There's no way I'm leaving him alone again." Manny smiled and pulled Vito to his feet, giving the pair a glance as they left."

* Secondary drowning, otherwise known as dry drowning, is getting water in your lungs and drowning on that. Very common after experiences like that.

** See chapter 1 for description of the hall, although I'm not sure why you're reading this without having read that one first.

*** Think how Toothless was protecting Hiccup after the battle with the Red Death in HTTYD

**** Just to be clear, Mal went to juvie 'cause he killed someone just to get Mike's attention. Nothing else was working. It was a last ditch attempt, if it didn't work he would have given up. He went a little nuts afterwards 'cause he felt quite guilty, but being naughty had worked and gotten him undivided attention. He continued until he was addicted.

***** Oh, leading up to another chappie!

Leave a review to tell me if I should do it!