You woke up with Feferi and Nepeta under your wings like a blanket. You didn't want to wake them up, so you stay laying on the pillow covered floor. The movie marathon had lasted well past midnight, but you lost consciousness and fell asleep around one in the morning.
You eventually slip away without waking the two, noticing the feathers scattered around them. You decide to check your wings again, sitting at the counter before looking over your wings, but you ended up trying to straighten them slightly. Your aunt must have an embarrassing moment sensor, because she came stumbling in.
"Hey Davey!" She caught sight of you quickly," Sorry to inerupt your preening, but can ya help me make breakfast?"
You tuck your wings back quickly," Sure." You basically made breakfast, which was pancakes, because your aunt was already drinking again. You don't know why, but your aunt seemed to be immune to hangovers, which she should be having by now if she was a regular person.
"Thanks for helping. You should probably get a shirt." She then sipped her drink again.
"Shirts mess up my feathers."
"I got an idea." Your aunt walked of, then came back with a tank top. "I'll cut some holes in the back for ya' then bam! Comfy shit. I mean shirt." Your aunt cut holes in it and it worked. Wait, why didn't you think of that?
You couldn't stop wondering how Aradia managed to be around still. There had to be something Slick demanded for Aradia to live, but what? You would sneak out but the windows are locked and there were only two doors out, both of which were being watched. You walk around, checking the windows (no Aunt Lalonde, I'm not checking windows, I'm looking for my iPod) until you found a room. Actually, your aunt hadn't double locked her rooms windows, but she was on the second floor and you didn't know how to fly.
You jump anyway, and flying comes easier to you than you thought. You had almost no clue where she was, so you just followed mister diamond pocket from the skies to his home. Now that you thought about it, your eyesight was crazy good. Your aunt must have gone to bed by now, so you were just going to check on Aradia, head home, and sneak in with the key she hid under her cat figure by the door. Flawless plan if you did say so yourself.
You landed silently on the roof of the large house, slipping down to just above the window. You peeked in, realizing it was an office moved to the next one. You found Aradia hugging her ram/dog plush thing while staring at the ceiling. She seemed alright, but then you spotted the cut on her foot. Now that you noticed, she wasn't wearing gloves either, showing that her toes and fingers had webbing that definitely was frog like.
She turned over and spotted you, opening the window. "What are you doing here?" Aradia looked back at her door," If my step dad spots you you're dead."
"I know Slick wouldn't just let you live, so I wanted to see what was going on."
"I can protect myself."
"So something is going on."
"This is not your concern Dave."
"We might not be the best of friends, but I'm still worried about you."
"My step dad will kill you! Get out!" She turned, seemingly hearing something. "Get out! Get out! Go now!" She tried shoving you, but your pant's cuff got caught on the windowsill. She looked around her room, but ended up shoving you out the window to dangle by your ankle. "Hold on and stay quiet!" She closed her window.
You could hear an argument start up shortly after, but you felt calm for some reason. You stared off into the distance, wings hanging along with your arms. Damn your clothes were strong. Eventually the window reopened and Aradia helped you in before working on getting your cuff unstuck.
"Dave, you need to leave before he comes back." Aradia hacked away as she kept looking over to check on the door.
"I know how to get away, but I want to know what's going on."
"I help hunt down idiots like you!" Aradia glared at him," I can spot denizen gifts easily because of my ability, and look at you! Abilities still inactive, barely able to fly and walking right into a death trap knowingly. I don't want you to die, so you need to get out!" She still couldn't get you free, but both of you could hear someone coming down the hall. You pulled against the windowsill, wings starting to go into panic mode as Aradia tugged too, sending you two tumbling back as the window slammed shut.
The door opened moments later and Aradia's step dad stood there. "Well if it isn't Strider's runt. Where is your little guard now?"
"What guard?"
"You didn't know? Oh well." The man stepped forward, grabbing your wrist and tugging you up. You were helpless, knowing the all too familiar loss of feeling.
"Leave him alone." Aradia stated.
"Why, is he your friend?"
"He's here because he's worried about me."
"Slick spotted him here, but I'll see what I can do."
"Dad, please talk him out of it."
"I'll try." You were tossed over his shoulder as he walked down the hall, barely spotting Aradia's concerned expression as you were carried off. "Dammit, why did you have to be her friend?"
"Because she's cool."
"Can't argue with that."
"Hey, what's your name?"
"Droog, yours?"
"Dave."
"Alright Dave, keep your mouth shut and I might get you out with a few scratches, talk and you might be dead. Slick only listens so much and I don't need you digging a deeper hole." Droog stopped in front of a door, unlocking it before heading down the steps into what seemed to be a basement. Deuce, Slick, and Tavros' step dad stood around the big round table Droog dumped you onto.
"Finally got this runt!" Slick grinned," So, what's your ability?"
"Aradia said his ability is still inactive." Droog mentions.
"Seriously? Better speed this up then. Boxcars, Duece! You know your positions." You were forced into a sitting position with your arms and wings held firmly behind your back, legs tucked under you. You noticed Droog walk up with something spiraled green and red, edges covered in spiked vines and dark flowers.
"Sorry kid." Droog mumbled, holding it right in front of you. Your head started to spin, and very quickly your vision was tossed into a chaos of colors and darkness as everything grew too warm to handle. You tried to fight back only to feel the tight stabbing grip on your wrists and wings whenever you moved. You felt like someone lit you on fire and hit you with a car.
Suddenly your vision snapped back as you sank back into the inability to move again, exhausted and dazed. "I've never seen something like that before!" Deuce exclaimed.
"His ability is to rare to kill him off boss." Droog stated," It's only been seen two other recorded times as far as I know."
"I knew it had to be rare, but that rare? This kid isn't going anywhere." Slick turned to Droog," Imagine when he gets older!"
"What's going on?" You asked, looking between the two in front of you.
"You have the strongest ability I've ever seen. I almost can't believe you have the control of reversal flames." Droog replied.
"Of what?"
"Think of a phoenix; reborn in flames. You unwind the damage and gain strength from flames. I wanted to off you, but the plans have changed." Droog motioned to the ones behind you. They let go, but seeing as how they had charms you couldn't hold yourself up.
"Lock 'im up! Can't let our catch get away." Slick stopped at the sound of heavy knocking on the door. "I swear if it's the girl..." He grumbled as he walked up the steps.
Suddenly there was laughter, high pitch and continuous. You saw Slick come sliding down the steps followed by Cal. You knew it had to be Cal by the clothes, but it was a little boy with messy white hair and blue eyes. Cal suddenly was next to you, and feeling returned to you enough to stand up. You ran up the steps, Cal following you after a moment. As soon as he was up the steps he collapsed back into the form you knew. You grabbed him, locking the basement door before running down the halls.
You tried the doors, only to find that the ones leading out were key locked. You spotted a large window overlooking the forest below the house's edge and hearing the basement door realize you have no time left. You charge forward, feeling glass swipe at your arms and legs as you broke through, wings snapping forward as you felt the air whip past. You take off into the air, flying home. Forget your aunt's house, you were headed home.
It was dawn when you landed on the roof of your apartment building, walking to your apartment quickly and locking the door when you arrived. You locked your room's door before making a pile of blankets and pillows on your bed and falling asleep with a tight grip on Cal.
