Chapter 11

"You worthless piece of shit!"

"Vile creature!"

"No good fuck up! Can't do anything right!"

Voices, everywhere, all different, yet every single one of them was the same. They were screaming at him, words that were all mean. He had heard them throughout the years, a thought finally flickering with whose voice he was hearing. His father's voice escalated, Tyler cringing and curling into a tighter ball. The blackness wasn't going to leave him and he was afraid for what was going to happen.

"You enjoy frustrating me, don't you Baby Boy?" Tyler flinched, the echo of his nickname vibrating around the room. "You should know by now! You are eighteen years old, preparing yourself for the next step in life. Do you think these actions will be taken under my authority? Never! Not once has this occurred!" Tyler shook, tears beginning to slip from his eyes and patter quietly on the ground.

"You always say that you are better of a person than me, that you will always do better in life than I will. But, you're changing boy. You're changing a lot faster than I did. And I changed younger than my father changed. Soon, boy, you will truly be mine."

"No!" Tyler screamed, his voice lost in the echoing laughter of his father. Then everything appeared white. Pain; so, so much pain. His nerves were on fire, his tendons were stiff, and his muscles were cramping. His teeth were clenched, nails digging into his palms, head pressing deep into the ground underneath him. The pain released, muscles overtaken with spasms, unable to draw a proper breath or form a simple thought.

"This is too easy," he heard a voice mutter, soon a chuckle ensuing before his father picked him up by his throat and slammed him into a wall. "But, you still have a long ways to go, Ty-Ty. And I am more than eager to show you the path."

Tyler began gagging, no air entering or exiting his lungs. He dug his nails into the hand around his neck, unable to kick in front of him. His father merely chuckled again as he took a step back from the wall with Tyler, and thrust him into it again. Tyler cringed and then felt the bands of his father's powers strap him to the wall. Gasping for breath, he watched his father back up, cross his arms and cock his hip out to the side. A smirk formed across his face as he stared at Tyler. Tyler finally began to feel uneasy and squirmed, glancing away from his father to see if there was any way he could get to the floor.

His father rushed towards him and Tyler heard the crack and gasped, screaming. He felt as if his father had shot him in the side, the pain spreading rapidly through his ribs and into his body. Another swift punch captured his attention, this time not hurting anything besides his lungs. He felt another blow back to the broken left side, then another to the right, the fists moving continuously back and forth. Tyler yelled, his father smirking the whole time while Tyler squirmed back and forth from his father and from his personl frustration. Without warning, he fell to the ground, screaming as his muscle's flexed, pulling tight around the bruised and broken bones.

He was shaking uncontrollably, unable to take in any oxygen. Beginning to chuckle once more, his father kicked him over onto his back. A slight relief flowed through him, even with the spasms. "You're just a fucking disgrace to this family, Tyler. You better stay conscious through all of this, otherwise you're not going to see tomorrow, or the near future." Tyler simply laid there, shuddering, barely able to take in small gasps of breaths. There was no way he was going to stay conscious through the entire thing. He was going to pass out any moment.

"So boy, you're going to receive the first part of your lesson through this blade in my hand." Tyler quickly opened his eyes and looked at his father's hand, seeing a plain cutting knife. "You have embarrassed this family one last time and I want you to remember this lesson and then you can show all of your friends and schoolmates the type of loser you are."

Tyler tried to move away, but as soon as he moved his ribs, he gasped and flattened out, his father taking heavy footsteps closer. Within seconds Tyler was straddled, wrists pinned above his head, igniting the fire in his left shoulder. Embracing the personal space, his father delicately slid the knife down the side of his neck, the blade performing a light dance against Tyler's shaking body. Once the tip reached below his collarbone, the blade was stuck into his flesh and pulled down his arm to his fingertips, restarting next at his elbow. He tried his best to get away, but every time he moved his left side, he was paralyzed. He wanted his father to get off of him, to leave him alone. His screams didn't do anything to the man. Hardly any emotion ran through his features or actions. No sincerity, no love, no sorrow, nothing except skilled determination.

Tyler barely felt the kiss that landed on his lips, but he was aware of the sudden change in pressure on his body. His arm hurt, bad, stretching from his shoulder to fingers. He couldn't open his eyes, didn't want to open his eyes and see the havoc his father brought down on him. He knew the beast was smirking, spinning the knife between his fingers. "You are truly a member of the Simms' heritage now. Shall we continue on?"

Tyler barely shook his head, done with everything. A sudden slam into his leg caused him to yell and try curling away, his muscles uncooperating. Each kick sparked the pain a little bit more, equally causing his mind to dull. Do I have to be conscious at the end of it all? I don't know if I can survive much longer... The kicks were slow and spaced, the impact causing enough stimulation from the edge of unconsciousness away.

"You better not be passing out on me, Baby Boy. You wanna know why?"

"No..."

His father chuckled, before straddling Tyler once again. "If you pass out, I'm going to do some naughty things that father's shouldn't do to their bastard, traitorous sons," he began, glee evident in his voice. "But, you're lucky enough to learn the lesson. And you're going to need to redeem yourself from your grades. Does that sound fair?"

Tyler knew he couldn't last. Hell, his father knew it too. "I asked a question boy, and I expect an answer! Does that sound fair?" Tyler received another two punches across his face, the first wave of unconsciousness rolling through.

"Yes sir," he slurred, unable to comprehend more."

"Good. Now, let's begin, shall we? But, don't forget about my assistant in training."

That caused Tyler to open his eyes.

No.

But it was true. His greatest nightmare was standing above him. Both his father and Pogue had matching smirks on their face, their eyes holding unimaginable hatred and fury. He didn't realize it was possible for anyone to hold that much loathing in their body, let alone be able to direct towards anyone. His father had his hands on his hips; Pogue had his in his pockets, both appearing fairly relaxed and at ease. Why couldn't their body posture match their eyes? His father took a step forward, swaying slightly and holding his hands out in a welcoming gesture. "Are you ready, Baby Boy? This is going to be the last disgraceful measure you pull in our family. If you don't come out on top next year with a solid 4.0, this is only the start of your nightmare."

This is a fucking nightmare though. What can I do to get out of it?

Tyler began realizing that there was no way this could be real, but when his father implanted another kick to his broken rib, the pain seared through his mind too quickly, causing him to scream and send his body into another round of spasms. There was no way the pain wasn't real. No way. He next felt a blast of power hit him in the stomach, and he was sliding across the floor...hitting the wall and gasping for breath yet again. His vision disappeared, his head and body felt light, the pain finally beginning to dissipate. He felt his body moving, being pulled up, losing his last bit of focus as his head slammed against the wall. He was a pathetic rag doll, hanging from its wires. He had no defenses, no more determination to fight or protect; he just wanted to go away. And it felt like he had finally won.

He couldn't hear Pogue's rough voice and snobby words, look at his dominating figure, or feel the heat Pogue's fresh fists pounding into him. Yeah, this passing out thing was pretty grand. The suffocating void finally encased him, wrapping him like a mummy. It was such a relief, he didn't care what they did to him. Just as long as he didn't have to wake up soon.

~~/~~

It took awhile, a very long while, for Tyler to wake up next. He could feel the pains in his body, the fading aches, that discouraged him from waking up again. He didn't know where he was, but at the same time, he didn't care. He could tell the environment was safe and comfortable, since he wasn't attacked yet. There was only silence, which he was okay with. Who knew how much time had passed? He didn't know, and wasn't going to be bothered by it. He simply laid where ever he was, waiting for sleep to capture him again, even if the nightmares would return. He didn't mind though. His mental persona had changed. Maybe he needed to accept the dreams for what they were, for who he was really becoming.

He purposefully never moved, lest whoever he was with would realize he was actually awake and try to get him moving. He was completely content in his solemn state, until he finally heard voices, barely able to register who it was. One voice was Reid, to his great relief, but it took him a moment to figure out who the other voice was.

"Reid, something is wrong if Tyler is still asleep after this long. I've done the scans, as well as Caleb, and he's better than he was when he first came here."

"Teach me how to do the scans! I want to know myself how he's doing. I'll be the deciding factor of whether or not he's okay."

"You have no need for it. Get over yourself. Tyler is fine and he should be moving by now. That's all I'm saying. You will get less than that in your scan. We need to know what actually happened that night. No one is talking. Tyler will tell us."

Reid was silent, Tyler still having trouble realizing who it was. It wasn't his father, and it wasn't Pogue. But...it wasn't Caleb, because of the way he spoke. The voice was a little deeper than Reid's, which instantly led him to Reid's father. But why would the older man be interested in what was happening in their lives? The man normally didn't pay attention to anything short of the grades that came in the mail.

"Whatever. Just leave Tyler alone. He'll come around when he does. And he doesn't have to talk right away. Just whenever he's comfortable."

There was silence, Tyler simply breathing, wishing he could fade away again. Reid's father finally settled with a scoff, and soon footsteps were audible as he walked away from his son. After Tyler heard the door open and shut, he waited for a moment until he heard Reid sit on what seemed to be his bed. "I am comfortable, you know," he whispered, hearing Reid gasp and probably jumping high off of his bed.

"Tyler! You're awake! How are you?"

He could feel Reid's presence right next to him, and felt himself relaxing a little. "I hurt."

"Yeah? At least you don't look as bad as you did... What still hurts?"

Tyler thought for a moment. "Chest...back...arms...legs..." He didn't want to move if he didn't have to, but he knew Reid wasn't about to push him.

"That seems about right... I'm not going to make you move anytime soon, but Caleb will want to know that you're awake." Tyler flinched at Caleb's name, wondering if he had said anything to Pogue. Probably, which meant Tyler wasn't going to see the beginning of the school year. "You're not willing to talk about what happened, are you?"

"No…" Tyler gave a weak shudder, which caused him to gasp in pain. Although there wasn't much of the memory remaining, he didn't want to call it back so soon.

"That's what I thought. Well, just sleep, and I'll talk to you whenever you wake next."

Tyler gave the weakest of nods, and he heard Reid step away and walk out of his room. He gave a sigh and tried his best to relax, but it took a bit longer than normal. His body hurt. A lot. He really was hurting all over his back, especially along his right side along the back side of his ribs. He could barely move his abdomen, his sternum and ribs feeling cracked. His arms hurt the most though, hardly any feeling in them. Pain came quickly whenever he tried to move even a finger, his tendons and nerves on fire. His legs, luckily, weren't in as much pain. The muscles felt exhausted and strained, but not as abused as his arms or abdomen in any matter.

He gave a weak groan as he wished he could roll into a more comfortable position, but he was tempted to give into a strong urge to just go back to sleep. Whenever it happens, I'll remember what went on that night. But for now... I just want a peaceful sleep...

Tyler decided to go through some mental relaxations, cringing whenever he felt a new body part that was injured. If Reid could only see me now... He'd freak. He continued on and towards the end was surprised when he was feeling a little better. He felt his mind beginning to slip and let out a sigh, whether it be of relief or simply to relax, he didn't know, but, he did feel better as he drifted away.

~~/~~

"Tyler James Simms! Get your ass down here now!"

Tyler quickly scrambled off of his bed, wondering what his father wanted. He had been doing homework, as he had for the last week now. But, with the aggression that coated the man's words...he didn't know if he should be going or running.

"Now!"

Tyler quickened his step, taking the stairs two at a time. He hurried into the living room, seeing his father standing next to his mother in front of his grandfather's wooden cabinet. Tyler's eyes automatically went to his father and tried to see how much trouble he was in. His father had his arms crossed tight at his stiff chest, spine straight, his legs standing firm on the ground. The slightly bigger man looked ready to pummel someone, his eyes holding the fire burning within him. His mother though looked sad, thoughtful, her long black hair pulled over her shoulder, her olive skin glowing in the lamplight. Her silky, dark red dress caused Tyler to look away. His father still had his work clothes on, and his mother was just about to go the bars.

His father and Tyler made eye contact once more, the man grinding his teeth before taking in a few deep breaths, releasing them slowly. "You better listen very carefully and answer honestly. Are you ditching classes?"

Tyler answered slowly, looking at his parents peculiarly. "No."

"Have you turned in all homework and projects?"

"Yes."

"Have you been tardy at all this semester?"

A quick memory flashed through his mind. Yes, they had been tardy, but how could his father know?

"No."

"Have you passed all of your classes with surpassing skills?"

"Yes."

Tyler swallowed, wondering what this was all about. By how furious his father looked though, he didn't know if he was going to be alive much longer.

"Your report card came in the mail this evening."

Oh, fuck.

His father uncrossed his arms and was holding a white sheet of paper. Tyler didn't have to Use to see the black print running down the page. "Let's go over the answers to the test, shall we? The first question, you were wrong. You have ditched a whole day of school. Second, yes, you have turned your homework and assignments in, but the grades have slipped profusely over the last three weeks! Third, you've been tardy multiple times to various classes, repeatedly! What are you doing Tyler? How is it so hard to be on time to anything! Are you too busy fucking your boyfriend?"

Tyler stared at his father, baffled by his father's last question. His father took an aggravated stomp forward, hand clenched shut. "And last but not least, your teachers all have comments here, rows of questions and assumptions of why you have been slipping. You've been partying and having fun for too long now. You received a C in math, and a B in government. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Next thing Tyler was aware of, his father was rushing at him, and then the floor slamming into his back. He groaned, wondering where the transition was. "Have you no respect for your teachers? Have you no respect for what we do to send you to that school? You know the expectations that we have for you to uphold, and this is how you repay us? Think of your bloodline, you bastard! Do you know how much your GPA has fallen now? Do you?" Tyler next felt a boot connecting itself to his rib, his body rolling over the floor. "You are going to pay for this, boy. You are not going to lose you college career because of stupid high school decisions! You need to stop hanging out with that Reid Garwin, and start hanging out more with Pogue. Or even Caleb. We've been telling you this for years, and now we finally have proof."

Tyler was picked up, but was thrown back onto the ground, barely able to bring his arms up in time to block the floor coming to smash his face in. His head bounced against the ground, and his body crumbled, his rib crying out in pain. "You're a fucking disgrace."

"John!" his mother cried out, Tyler groaning.

"Do not interrupt this, woman! You completely agreed with me that this boy deserves to be punished. We have a reputation to uphold and I'm not about to have a son who does whatever he pleases and blows off what we try to do for him! When he turns eighteen he's going to need all the life lessons he can get."

Tyler rolled over, managing to open his eyes. He looked at his parents and saw his mom furious. He almost wasn't able to place the emotion; his mom hadn't shown her anger in years. "How dare you speak to me like that!" She moved from the side of the room in a few brisk steps and shoved his father back. In turn, his father placed a little bit of anger into his mother, pushing her back hard enough to knock her to the ground.

"No!"

"Tyler! Wake up!"

Tyler suddenly opened his eyes, scrambling to sit up. Whoever was next to him let go of his shoulders and he quickly sat up, looking around the room. He cringed in pain and comprehended the room was a lot smaller than the living room, he was lying on something softer than the floor, and as he met eyes with the person, he was shocked it was Reid.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Tyler's voice shook as he looked around the room. "Why, why am I not at my parent's house? I need to be there!" He looked back at Reid, who was simply looking at him. "Come on! My mom! We have to rescue my mom!"

He only shook more, the pain starting to attack his body again. "What do you mean?" He heard Reid ask.

"My mother! My dad's beating her! If I don't go home he's going to finish her off like he was trying to do to me!"

"But your father almost did succeed with trying to finish you. We're in my room. You've been here for a while."

Tyler only looked at Reid, in the back of his mind replaying his father pushing his mother. Aggression filled him again, as well as shock. "I remember. Jesus Christ I fucking remember."

His father turned towards him, his mother simply staring up at her husband. Tyler scrambled off the ground and grabbed his power, flinging a bit at his father. His mother screamed as his dad blocked it, sending the wave into the wall. Tyler tried to shove his father, but ran into a barrier. "You think you're going to use on me, boy? You think you're going to use on me?!"

In two strides his father came at Tyler, grabbing his shoulder and Using to help fling him into the wall. Tyler yelled aloud as he crumpled on the floor, his rib flaring up in pain. "You need to calm down! This is ridiculous!" His mother screamed, Tyler once again forcing his eyes to open.

"Woman, you better open those pretty eyes. Tyler's a big boy and he knows how to tolerate the pain. If you can't handle the punishment that has been handed down through the generations, than you better leave this room. Understand?"

Tyler watched his father standing straight, sleeves pushed up, his pants not even ruffled yet. His mother had tears in her eyes, but she looked furious. She turned and ran from the room into the kitchen, Tyler's father turning back towards him. Tyler flinched at how cold the heat was in the eyes, but he forced himself to stand up and try to put up a little fight. Vision swimming, he said, "I don't deserve this."

"Oh? I'm sorry; I don't think I heard you over the clatter of your mother's heels. What was that?"

Tyler let out of tired sigh, responding, "I'm not saying it again."

His father simply stared at him, open shock on his face. This was the third time Tyler had stood up to his father when Reid wasn't around. His father shook his head, a slight chuckle rumbling out. "Oh boy, you don't know the trouble you're about to get yourself into."

Without breaking eye contact, his father quickly jabbed Tyler in the shoulder, sliding along his muscle. Tyler gave a short yell, his knees buckling, but his father slammed his fist up into Tyler's left shoulder, flinging him back a little. Tyler lost all sense of his balance, and began falling backwards. Tyler felt a fist into his stomach and fell back, landing hard on the floor. He gasped for air again, his vision darkening quickly and he simply laid there on his back. He distinctly heard heels on the wooden floor, then her voice. "I called Lily and Michael, John. Michael and Pogue are on their way here right now."

"No..." Tyler muttered, his father then pulling Tyler off the ground and slamming him back into the wall.

"What was that boy? I don't think I heard you correctly. Do you have any sort of problems with Pogue at the moment?"

"Why would you ask him something like that! They're all best friends." Through the darkness that was beginning to envelop across Tyler's mind, he was still surprised to hear his mother defending him.

"He said 'no' in response to Pogue and Michael coming over to rescue him. Well boy, are you causing problems among your peers as well? Do I need to read the list again?"

Tyler was punched in the stomach again, once across the face, and then one more to his damaged ribs. He was thrown to the ground, his muscles limp and damaged, body gone, about to lose his sanity and consciousness. Another blast of pain was next in his leg, followed quickly by another. He cried out, soon hearing his mother scream and heard her shoes clatter across the wood floors. She's running? The woman knows how to run? But the clatter only came closer, and he could tell that she came and pushed his father away. "You're a monster! Leave my son alone!"

"John?" Tyler heard, gathering it was in the direction of the front door.

"Pogue," Tyler whispered, beginning to shake.

"Pogue what? Tyler, where does Pogue come into play here?"

Tyler stared at Reid, taking in rapid breaths. He quickly looked around the room, triple checking to make sure no one was around as his vision began to slide. "Where's Pogue? Oh god, where's Pogue?" Tyler covered his face with his hands, shaking his head back and forth. "Fuck. He has to know I'm here. He has to. How the hell can he not? Caleb has to know, which in turn he had to of told Pogue. He had to. He had to. Damn their friendship. Damn it!"

Tyler's shaking increased, his mind swirling out of control. A part of him thought he was still at his parent's house, waiting to feel his father's tight grip around his neck, while another piece of his mind was trying to recognize Reid's room and the safety it ensured. The memory of what happened was attacking him worse than he imagined, and he didn't know how he was going to calm down.

"Tyler, please, look at me. Pogue doesn't know about your situation. You asked me to not talk to him at all about this, and I swore Caleb to not say anything else. You're safe."

Tyler shook his head. "You don't understand. Pogue knows what happened. All of it. He saw. He fucking saw, Reid! School...no... I can't go back to school. I won't survive. Everyone hates me. It's not worthwhile."

"Tyler, slow down. No one hates you. I swear. And what does Pogue know that makes you so scared of him?"

Tyler couldn't slow down though. He was speaking as quickly as the thoughts entered his mind. "He came that night. He came and saw. He grinned. Jesus Christ his grin... Why would someone grin like that when they're supposed to be saving you? Fuck. He made a promise though. A bloody promise."

Tyler next felt Reid grabbing his shoulder, and gave a short yell of surprise. Reid didn't remove his hand though, and in a commanding tone said, "Tyler, look at me." Tyler cringed, his whole body flinching away from Reid's touch, but he complied, bringing is hands down, breaths still rapid. He saw that Reid was fuming, to the point where he was clenching his teeth. "Tyler, you need to calm down and come back to earth. What promise did Pogue make you? Did he have any role in what happened to you that night?"

Tyler lost control, a picture of Pogue entering his mind. He gave a slight yell, especially when his body flared up in pain. He ignored Reid's hand as he curled into a tighter ball, tucking his head into his knees. His entire body was tense, and he barely realized that Reid wasn't next to him anymore. He could feel his mind fighting to go back to that night, but he vaguely heard Reid say, "Caleb, you don't understand. It's bad."

Coming back to reality, Tyler snapped his head up, staring at Reid. Reid only looked at him, eyes full of sorrow, but Tyler couldn't let Caleb come over. He scrambled out from the sheets and dove across the beds for Reid's hand. "Reid, no! Please!"

Tyler grabbed the phone, but Reid was stronger than him and pulled it out of his hand. "Tyler, what are you doing?"

"The, the phone. Don't tell Caleb, please, don't tell Caleb. Pogue can't find out." Tyler tried sitting back up, but he crumpled in pain, yelling as everything in his body began hurting once more from the sudden movement. His muscles, limbs, and joints flared up in pain, making him feel like dead weight. He tensed when he felt Reid put a hand on his shoulder and took in deep breaths, attempting to calm down.

"Tyler, it's okay, Caleb's just trying to help you out. He was there to help me bring you here. You were pretty bad, dude. You had me scared to death."

"I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead... He knows. He has to know." Tyler began slipping away, shaking once again. Pogue was there, standing in the doorway of the living room, holding a small grin for Tyler as the parents dealt with his father. His eyes though, they were dark and promised more abuse.

"Tyler, come on, come back to me. What happened? What specifically happened at your parent's house?"

Tyler realized he was on his back, on Reid's bed though. He was still shaking, not seeing all of Reid's room. "I failed," he whispered. "I failed. Everything I've been working for this semester is gone. My father is pissed about it. He, he..."

"He beat the crap out of you. And Pogue came to your house as well, took you to the middle of nowhere and beat the shit out of you as well?"

Tyler nodded, cringing as he remembered the car ride out. "He was supposed to take me to his house. He was supposed to protect me from my father." His voice was soft, still vacant as his mind was trying to go back through the memory. "I fucked up bad, Reid. I'm not going to live through this one. I made promises, and I've broken all of them. And in return, promises were made to me, and they are gonna be kept." Tyler's voice started becoming hysterical, and he was shaking his head back and forth.

A knock interrupted them, Tyler quickly sitting up, breathing fast again. Eyes wide, he stared at Reid, ignoring his screaming muscles. Reid stood up and went towards the door. The closer Reid walked to the door, the quicker Tyler's breaths were. There was Pogue, walking closer to him, concern masking his face. "Pogue! Get him out of here. Take him to our place, or wherever he wants. Just get him out of here, somewhere safe."

"Yes father. Don't worry about it."

Tyler was limp as Pogue picked him up, dreading what was to happen. Pogue led them out to his father's BMW, carefully sliding Tyler in. "Just you wait, Baby Boy. I'll take you somewhere safe."

Tyler whimpered, just wanting to die. He didn't want to fear what was going to happen anymore. Pogue started the cool car, tore out of the driveway, speeding out to wherever he wanted to go and drifting whenever he could. Him and Reid were easily the best drivers, while Caleb was just fast and Tyler thought he knew what he was doing until his first wreck.

Tyler couldn't look out of the window without getting sick, so he simply lay there, trying to comprehend how he was going to get home. His cell phone was on his bed, his keys and wallet on his side table, jacket in the corner on his room. "So, what made your father do this to you?" Pogue's voice was eerily calm, Tyler not wanting to respond. He stayed silent for a few moments, fear gnawing at his stomach. "Tyler? I asked you a question. I'd appreciate an answer."

"But you won't appreciate the correct answer."

Pogue was silent for a moment, before letting out a short chuckle. "Do you remember our little discussion earlier this semester?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to talk about things. If I recall correctly, I believe my father said something about your grades. Which classes didn't you do well in, Tyler?"

Tyler began shaking, his stomach tight, darkness swirling around him. He felt Pogue take a tight left, slamming Tyler into the door and causing the smaller boy to let out a cry of anguish. The car came to a stop though, Tyler panting hard. "I asked you a question, Tyler. I expect an answer."

Breathing hard, Tyler whispered, "Math and government."

"I see."

Pogue got out of the car, Tyler simply resting on the door, breathing hard. He gave a short yell though as his door opened, a strong hand grabbing the collar of Tyler's shirt, and throwing him onto the ground. Tyler gasped as the snow instantly began soaking into his shirt, his eyes opening and seeing Pogue standing above him, another grin covering his face. "I told you what would happen if I heard anything at all. You're causing a lot of trouble, Tyler, and apparently you aren't learning anything. I'm going to be the man in this situation and teach you a lesson. Better start paying attention."

Tyler's breaths increased and he saw Pogue lift his hand back, feeling the power in him. He shot a blast at Tyler, and another, another, another, hitting him everywhere. Tyler screamed as loud as he could, Pogue knocking dirt and snow everywhere. Every fiber in his being wanted to die, Pogue finally hitting him in the right spot to send him flying into a new area. He was lying on his side, becoming too weak to shiver even. It was hard to breathe, his entire body beginning to shut down. He was in too much pain to focus on anything else around him, until he felt something stab into his shoulder, another scream escaping as he fell onto his back.

"I think this will suffice for now. Just wait for the rest, Baby Boy. Oh, what joy." Pogue chuckled, and Tyler could hear the footsteps walking away, a door opening, shutting, and the engine starting.

He's going to leave me here to die. No, he can't. Fuck! Reid! Please! He heard the car quickly drive away, Tyler shaking as tears began to fall from his eyes. There's only one thing left to do...god I hope this works. Please, Reid, hear me. Please, come save me. I didn't want to die tonight.

Through the fog in his mind and the pain that consumed him, Tyler calmed his body just long enough to grab his power. He only released a sliver of it, otherwise the full amount of ecstasy would knock him out. He focused on where Reid's house was and shot the beam out, praying he had enough strength to send it all the way.

"Tyler, come back to us. Tyler!"

Tyler opened his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He saw a ceiling above him, causing him to move around quickly, managing to push him himself up. His vision spun and doubled, him crying out when his body flared up in pain again. He quickly tried looking around to gather his bearings, his hands sliding around on something soft. "What, what, what…" he tried asking, taking in quick breaths, whimpers escaping his throat.

"Tyler, it's okay. Take a deep breath and try to remain calm."

He felt someone place a hand on his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and fear. He whipped his head to the person, leaning back to try to focus on who it was. His mind refused to function, causing him to scramble back. He didn't make it very far before he reached the end of whatever he was on, Tyler falling backwards head first off the object and slam onto something flat and hard, causing him to let out a short yell.

"Tyler!" he heard two voices say, and soon footsteps were coming in his direction. He let out a little sob, completely confused in what was going on and where he was. "Careful now," one of the voices said softly, and he felt hands carefully grabbing his arms. "Tyler, can you help us stand you up? You only have to put in a little effort. We don't want to hurt you anymore than you already are," the soft voice said.

He simply kept his eyes closed and complied, the other voice counting to three before they stood up, moving him back onto whatever he was on before. When he was settled, he tried to take even breaths, but they often pitched frantically. "I see what you mean," one of the voices said, Tyler beginning to recognize it. He carefully opened his eyes, blinking a few times before daring to look around where he was. The room slowly came into focus and his eyes landed on Caleb.

"No!" he yelled, sitting up and moving backwards again.

"Tyler, it's okay! I've already told you Caleb knows the situation."

Tyler looked over and saw Reid, who was next to him to probably make sure he didn't fall off the bed again or go into a fit of some sort. "Huh?"

"He knows not to tell Pogue anything. You can trust him. He's here to help you. I told him that when we first picked you up last week."

"Last week? How long have I been out?"

Reid glanced down for a second before meeting Tyler's eyes again. "Five and a half days. Not as long as I expected, but according to the scans, with the help of the power, you should've been up around the second or third day."

Tyler simply looked at him, shaking. The spasms though caused his arms to collapse and his body to wreathe in pain. He cried out, unable to hold anything back anymore. "Tyler!" Caleb and Reid said, rushing over. Tyler tried calming his screams, but his body was on fire. He was melting from the inside out, trying to tear the last of his sanity apart. His entire consciousness was focused on the pain, defending against it. He didn't know how long he was fighting it, but he noticed when he began losing. Suddenly, the pain diminished a vast amount, then slowly faded, his body feeling exhausted and weak.

"Sleep, Tyler. This will help you for a little while."

Tyler complied with the simple demand, and allowed his mind to relax for the time being and finish recovering.

Another one, yay! I hope most of the grammar mistakes are gone...this part of the story i didn't do as well on as i thought i had. But i hope it's a good read, still a lot more to go :) I'm doing my best to work on it and update and stuff... Hope there's people out there enjoying this. Will update again here soon i hope hehe