KEYnote: I am retconning all of Agents of SHIELD. I'm also making the Mockingbird sixteen years old and changing her backstory.

LOKI: Much, if not all, of the next chapter will be in his point of view.

Chapter 5 – Tis But a Flesh Wound

One week later, Harry stepping into the hall as the door across from theirs opened up as well. Both were beautiful, an Asian woman with a resting boss face and a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and crystalline blue eyes.

Neither of them gave Harry the time of day. He didn't try to speak to them as they all trooped onto the elevator, nor as they made their way to the train station and got onto the same train -and off at the same stop.

The blonde girl spun on him, "Are you following us?"

"I'm going to school," Harry said.

"Bobbi," the older woman reprimanded.

"You go to Midtown High?" the girl named Bobbi asked.

"Yes," he said.

She scowled.

The other woman stepped up, "This is Bobbi Morse, I'm her guardian, Mulan Wen."

"Harry Potter," he said, a bit awkwardly as neither offered their hand to him.

"What year are you?" Bobbi demanded.

"Sophomore," he answered.

Bobbi let out a small relieved breath, "Junior. Just because we are neighbors, Potter, don't assume we will be buddies. I don't associate with losers like you."

Harry shrugged, "That's fine, I don't make friends with shallow gits." Then he walked around them.

Ms. Wen didn't say anything until he was almost out of earshot, "Why did you do that?"

"It's my first day, I'm not going to associate with a runt like him."

"Bobbi," Ms. Wen warned.

"It's my life," Bobbi was saying before MJ joined him on the steps inside.

She glanced back, "Who's that?"

"New girl and my new neighbor," Harry said with false cheer.

"She looks like a bitch."

Harry sighed, "That's what she told me. Not too broken up about it to be honest."

MJ smirked, "We aren't the only new kids anymore."

"Luckily she isn't in our year," he muttered as they merged with the crowd trying to make it to their lockers and first period.

"Yeah, lucky us," MJ muttered glancing back at the girl who everyone else was taking a double take on.

Harry didn't look back again, he had no interest in a person who was beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside.

-)o(-

Peter was pretty sure the new girl was the living version of Queen Elsa except that she was golden blonde and tanned. A true Californian beauty queen. She didn't have a silly accent but she did apparently surf though.

As far as new kids go, MJ and Harry were far better.

Peter was just walking into the house when his cell rang.

"Hello?" he asked as he gave Aunt May a one armed hug.

"Hey, Pete," Mr. Stark responded.

"Mr. Stark?" he said, surprised, "What can I do for you?"

Aunt May flashed him a grin.

"I was wondering when you and your Aunt May wanted to take a tour of the tower?"

"Um," Peter looked up at Aunt May.

She mouthed, What.

"When do you want to take a tour of Stark Tower?" he asked her, holding his hand over the receiver.

Aunt May shrugged, "Today?"

"Today is good," Mr. Stark said, having heard, "Happy be around to pick you in forty minutes."

And with no further ado hung up.

Peter lowered the phone, "Forty minutes? He's sending around a car."

Aunt May grinned, "Oh this will be fun. I'm going to go get dressed. Grab yourself a snack before we leave.

Peter was just finishing his second cliff bar as May came out, hair up, she wore a pair of black slacks and a baby-blue blouse.

"How do I look?" she asked, spinning on her flats.

"Really nice," he said. "Thanks for doing this last minute."

She waved her hand, "No, I've been dying to know where and what you've been working on. You share so few details."

Peter winced, she was certainly going to get details today.

Happy was waiting for them out front. He didn't look particularly happy, but he was nice to Aunt May.

"Ms. Parker."

"Mr. Hogan," she said, sliding in after Peter.

Aunt May chattered away and Peter was glad of the distraction as he tried not to worry. He kept telling himself that he had already told her the worst.

Which he had but this wasn't going to end well.

Ms. Potts greeted them at the entry floor and Aunt May did a double take, "You're the CEO of Stark Industries."

Ms. Potts smiled, "I am, and you are the guardian of Stark Industries' favourite intern."

Aunt May smiled and then the tour began and Peter's anxiety rate increased with each step. Anxiety that was forgotten when they went up to Mr. Stark's personal floor and-

"Dr. Bruce Banner," Peter gasped.

The man turned around with a half smile and half wave, "Hey."

He didn't seem particularly thrilled to talk to them but Peter couldn't keep his enthusiasm suppressed, "Your papers and presentations on Biochemistry and Nuclear Physics are incredible."

Bruce raised his brows, "Not Radiophysics?"

Peter shrugged, "I don't really understand most of the radioactive physics, I got as far as some of it pertaining to Nuclear Physics and circumventing the inevitable poisoning but I couldn't really grasp how it works on organic tissue."

"You've been studying mechanics mainly?" Dr. Banner asked, looking far interested now.

"Yeah, engineering mostly but some biochemistry, still don't know enough to understand cell tissue engineering."

Dr. Banner smiled, "Understandable, I would be happy to answer any of your questions."

Peter grinned, but just then Mr. Stark walked in, "You may come to regret that offer, Brucy. Hey, May, how's it going?"

"Mr. Stark," Aunt May said, "Thank you for the-"

"Ah, none of that, would you like a drink?" Mr. Stark asked. "I'd take you to the labs, but earlier today Banner and I let loose some toxins and so, well, it will be a few hours before it's safe, but go ahead and take a seat."

"Yeah, sure, that'd be great," Aunt May said, taking a seat across from Dr. Banner.

Peter followed suit and rolled his eyes when Tony tossed him a fruit juice.

"So Pete here is great. Genius of the next generation, with a heart to boot," Mr. Stark said.

Peter fidgeted, trying not to flush.

"Captain America?" Aunt May gasped as Captain Rodgers walked in.

Dr. Banner sipped from his glass, "Hey Steve."

"Bruce," Captain Rodgers said as he sat beside him. He leant forward and offered Aunt May his hand, "Ms. Parker, it's an honour to meet you."

Aunt May gave him good eye contact. Even with the awe on her face, she still gave him a hand shake, and said in a clear voice, "The honour is mine, Captain Rodgers."

"Your boy is a good kid," Captain Rodgers said with a kind smile.

"Thank you," Aunt May said, "Quite a treat to meet America's hero and so many of the Avengers."

There was an awkward pause.

Finally, Captain Rodgers said, "About that, there is another reason we wanted to speak to you."

"Speak to me about what?" Aunt May asked, instantly suspicious.

"You've heard of Spider-Man, have you not?" Captain Rodgers asked.

"Sure, I've seen him around," Aunt May said slowly, trying to gage him.

"He's a Junior Avenger," Mr. Stark said pleasantly.

"He's also your son," Captain Rodgers said much more seriously.

Aunt May blinked, her eyes darkened, "Excuse me, I think I just misheard you."

Captain Rodgers began again, "Peter is Spider-Man."

She tapped her ear, "No, I'm sorry, I must be mishearing you because you did not just tell me that you roped my fifteen year old nephew into-"

"Aunt May, I'm Spider-Man," Peter interrupted before she could blame this all on Captain America.

She turned on him, "What the fuck, Peter?"

"Aunt May-"

She stood, "No, you listen to me, I don't care what tech Stark has, it isn't safe-"

"It's not tech, Aunt May," Peter said, "It was a spider. I got bit by this genetically mutated spider on that field trip last year."

"So what? You became and mutant and decided, 'Oh, I'm going to become a vigilante?' Peter, that's insane."

"Aunt May-"

"Don't you Aunt May me. You are fifteen. I knew you were sneaking out of the apartment each night but this? This!?"

"In his defense-" Mr. Stark began.

"Shut it," Aunt May snapped at him. She turned on him, "I trusted! When he quit all his clubs and the odd behavior started getting worse, I trusted you. An internship? Does he even work here? God! I thought you were going to help him. Give him a job, something to strive for to better his future. But this! You had no right keeping this from me!"

"Pete is a good kid-"

"Yes!" she yelled, "A kid! My kid. He's a minor, this-"

"This was my choice, Aunt May," Peter said, heart twisting.

She spun on him, "And what were you thinking!?"

"He was given great powers," Captain Rodgers said, "Peter feels as we all do, that it is our duty to-"

Aunt May slashed her hand in front of it, "Zip it, America. This isn't war, and even if it were he isn't old enough-"

"Actually, fifteen was-" Captain Rodgers's words died from the look she gave him then turned on Peter.

"Give me one reason, Peter, that will convince me why I should allow you to come back here, allow you to see these people," these people said like these scumbags, "ever again?"

"Because I had these powers when Uncle Ben died, and I didn't react fast enough. Sometimes I'm just helping people get their cats out of trees, but sometimes, Aunt May, sometimes I'm the reason someone else doesn't lose their equivalent of Uncle Ben. He always told me that with great power comes great responsibility. These powers are a part of me, a part of who I am, and I can't sit back. I just can't Aunt May, I don't want anyone to feel the way we do if I have the power to help stop it."

"You can't help everyone, Peter."

He nodded, "I know, but even if I can help just one person… well, Uncle Ben was just one person, wasn't he?"

Aunt May sunk back onto the couch and pulled him into a hug, "Oh, Peter."

He hugged her back, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Do you forgive me?"

She pulled back with a smile, brushing his hair back from his forehead, "Not a chance, you're going to be grounded until you're thirty."

-)o(-

"What do you mean you think he was abused?" Loki demanded.

"He has no love for his old guardians," Bucky said, "Didn't you know that?"

"Bucky," he the Asgardian Prince sighed, "The only things I know about our son is that he was murdered and the potential of his magic. I don't actually know anything about him. Why do you think I've been trying so hard-"

"Too hard," Bucky interrupted, "You push people's boundaries, Loki."

"You never complained."

Bucky shrugged, "I've been alone a long time, I'm also an adult. Harry is still trying to find his feet."

"I wish I could kill his old guardians."

"So do I," he admitted, glancing at the clock, Harry should be home soon.

"Really?" Loki asked.

"Of course, anyone who hurts a child deserves it."

Loki stared at him, "You think it's that bad?"

Bucky shrugged, "I don't know, but he was too casual about it. We need to tread carefully."

Loki sighed, "I think the murdered by a Dark Lord at fifteen should have given us a head's up."

"True enough," Bucky said as the key turned in the lock. The walls of this building really were advertised, even for his heightened hearing, the walls did a good job of suppressing sound. Not always an asset, but Loki had magical wards up around them as well and the privacy was worth it.

"Harri!" Loki said, turning with a smile as Harry came in, "How was your day?"

"Hey kiddo," Bucky greeted.

"Hi dads," Harry said, making both Bucky and Loki grin, "It was fine."

"Do you need help with any of your assignments?" Loki asked eagerly.

Bucky sighed in exasperation, but Harry despite his pinched expression, nodded, "Yeah, actually, I do."

Loki's smile was glowing. He stood, practically knocking over his own chair as he pulled a seat out for Harry at the table.

"I'll make us some snacks," Bucky said, giving them space to maybe bond, given Loki didn't squander this chance by being too… too energetic.

Loki wasn't usually like this, he certainly wasn't being his normal semi-pessimistic self which Bucky thought Harry might prefer. It was quite possible that the positive and chipper Loki was more frightening than when the prince was plotting revenge against someone who had irritated him.

Harry slid into his seat and pulled out a physics book.

"Alright," Loki said, his hands fluttering, "what do you need help with?"

Harry was quiet for a moment then said, "All of it?"

Loki nodded, reaching for his book, "We will start on chapter seven then?"

"Seven?" Harry asked, "Why not at the beginning?"

"Because the first five chapters are primitive and the one before chapter seven is redundant."

Harry blinked at him, "Um…"

"Just trust me," Loki said, "Do you have a notebook?"

Harry nodded and Loki launched into a well prepared speech about gravitational pulls.

"Er… Loki, could you, er, slow down a little?" Harry asked tentatively.

Loki nodded and started again, more slowly and allowing pauses in his speech so Harry could ask questions.

It was rough going for a while, and Bucky didn't get far in the book he had picked up as he watched them. Harry remained a bit distant, but he was clearly frustrated enough that he truly wanted to understand, which made it easier for Loki to reach him.

By the time Bucky stood to make dinner and returned with full plates, Harry looked tired but was still actively listening, leaning closer to Loki so he could read along in the text. With their heads pressed nearly together, both pale, raven haired with thin features and bright eyes, they really did look like father and son.

"Ready to eat, you two?"

Loki and Harry both looked up in surprise, clearly startled about how much time had passed.

It made Bucky smile.

-)*(-

When Harry went to bed, Bucky was wrestling with a thought that had occurred to him. He had told Harry that perhaps Loki might be his biological son, and until this afternoon, he hadn't truly appreciated how alike they really did look.

He sat down on the sofa beside Loki who still seemed far too pleased with himself, until he caught sight of Bucky's expression.

Loki scowled at him, "What?"

"Is Harry your son?"

"He is my son, Bucky," he confirmed.

"Born of your magic, so you've said," Bucky murmured. "But what was your relationship like with his mother?"

"My magic saved his life, twice, across the multiverse," he sounded almost offended, "Is it that honestly less impressive, less valid than a simple act of ejaculation?"

Bucky closed his eyes, "I know that I've killed hundreds of people but do you have to be so crude?"

"You are the one dismissing that Harri is my son?"

Bucky looked at him, "Loki, I am not following the magic on this one. How exactly is he your son, and is the father he is related to originally, less his father?"

"No," Loki said, pulling his legs up on the couch, "How Lily Potter, Harry's mother, did this ritual and it is- it used her core magic, his core magic, both their blood. When I felt my name evoked, when I felt my powers called upon, I had a choice. I broke my skin, I gave my blood, I allowed my core magic to transcend the multiverse to help them. Harri wasn't two years old, that kind of magic, the arcane-, it changed him, he's still changing. Every day he becomes a little more mine-"

"And a little less James Potter's?" Bucky surmised.

"Not exactly. It's more like what my father did to me. I have always been a Frost Giant, but the enchantment my father put on me was more than surface deep. I don't just look like an Asgardian; I am an Asgardian. I am Odinson because I am of his magic, just like Harry is of mine. Yes, I'll always be a Frost Giant, yes, he'll always be Harry Potter, but his true self, Buchanan? If he disregards his gifts, the magic in his blood, the same magic that runs through mine, if he ignores that, then fine, he's a Potter. But if he embraces his abilities, he will be Lokison."

Bucky was quiet for a long time as he mulled that over, "You said he would age like you?"

Loki shrugged, "I don't know in truth, but I know that he will not age like a human. You won't out live our son, Buchanan."

Bucky was glad to hear that even if he sorrowed for the inevitable pain Harry would have to face with longevity. Another thought occurred to him, "What was the price for you?"

"Hm?"

"For the ritual. Lily Evans gave up her life, so did Harry, what did you give up?"

Loki was quiet for a long moment before stating, "If Harri had died from something other than the Killing Curse, I would have died too."

Bucky blanched, "Why? Why did you do that? It isn't like you to take those kinds of risks?"

Loki shrugged, "Their magic spoke to me, I saw it before me, like a woven pattern, I knew, one way or another… the future is so rarely set but Harri's was so clear. I wanted nothing more than to tug him loose. I hate prophecy, a dedicated path, and Harri isn't... I wanted to have someone to call my own."

"You're a prince."

"I never had much luck with love."

"Your mother loves you," Bucky said, he was very fond of Fridda.

Loki caught his gaze, "Yes, she does, and I her, but I wanted to love someone whose love I didn't have to fight for. I wanted a son. When Lily pulled that twist of magic, I saw it, my chance, to have someone real, not born of flesh, tied up in Asgardian or Midgardian roots, just magic, just mine. Just my son.

"Even if he didn't come to you as a baby?"

"I didn't really want a baby," Loki admitted, "I would have had to asked my mother for help if Harri was much younger than he is now."

Bucky put an arm around Loki's shoulder, "So magically he's yours and in that way, he's yours by blood. Harry is really your son, because you were willing to die for him, willing to die for even the possibility of him."

"It sounds stupid when you say it like that. It probably wasn't my brightest moment, I mean children-"

Bucky squeezed Loki to his side to shut him up, "If not for you, Harry would be dead. He's alive today, because you wanted to love him as all fathers should love their sons. I think that's beautiful."

"No need to get wishy-washy on me, Soldat," Loki said, half heartedly trying to pull away.

Loki had had many lovers in his life, but he had never had many friends.

Bucky was grateful to be counted among, grateful to have a person in his life who valued friendship over intimacy.

"Harri asked me to help him with his homework," Loki said against Bucky's shoulder.

Bucky, smiled, resting his cheek a top Loki's head like he had done with his sisters so long ago, "Yeah, he did."

-)o(-

Several weeks after their trip to D.C., Harry found himself on another field trip of sorts. Only it wasn't the whole class, it was just a class assignment that he and a partner had to visit to do research on for a cultural assignment.

MJ was his partner and she had chosen the The Rubin Museum of Art in Greenwich Village.

"I know nothing about Buddhism, you know?" Harry muttered as they walked the streets, it was a wet rainy day, but Harry was fine with it. This weather reminded him of Scotland, especially with the October bite in the air.

MJ shrugged, "So? You can learn."

He had been learning a lot. He was no longer failing out of all of his classes, even if by a few points. Harry would like to say his relationship with his fathers had been getting better. He supposed they weren't getting worse, and that he really liked Bucky but he still felt awkward around Loki who felt more like a private tutor than a guardian.

Partially because Harry didn't know how to open up more to them, and partly because he wasn't the only one keeping secrets.

Loki was pretending to be nice, Harry had finally determined, and that fakeness, highlighted whenever Bucky rolled his eyes at the other man, set Harry on edge.

What were they hiding from him?

They were passing an alley when a shadow emerged behind them and before he could turn to look, cold metal was pressed to the back of his neck.

"Give us your money and phone, punks," a male voice threatened.

Because Harry had still been walking, his heart stuttered as he involuntarily took another step forward.

Only for MJ to trip him.

A bang what off, and the cement in front of Harry chipped as he scrambled back to his feet.

He turned to see MJ stab her fingers up into the man in what looked like a well practiced motion. Then she was grabbing his hand and they were running.

"Get um!" voices behind them roared.

They didn't make the mistake of looking behind as they fled down the slick streets.

"What was that!?" Harry asked as they turned and ran down Bleecker Street.

"Self defence classes," she said as she pulled him along.

He pulled her in turn as he turned up a short flight of steps into a strange looking building.

"We can get in trouble for trespassing," MJ hissed as he yanked open the door.

Harry pulled her inside, "We can explain to the cops that men with guns were after us."

The room the building they were in was beautiful, and a man with intricate green and black robes stood at the top of the stairs, looking at them with a bemused smile.

"Hello, young ones," he said, his voice pleasant, his demeanor immediately setting Harry at ease.

He didn't know why he loved this place, but he did. He realized he could feel the magic here and it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"Magic is real here?" in awe, Harry asked no one in particular.

"Were you not paying attention to the aliens?" MJ asked him.

Harry shook his head, "That's just space."

The man looked ready to ask him something when three people stepped out of portals from thin air.

It was as if mirrors or glass rippled in the air, around their eyes was deformed and rippled with black and purple.

Funny how dark magic always took a physical toll. Why wouldn't dark magic make you prettier? Like, if you were going to break the rules, why not?

But maybe these sort of people were always after power.

"Are you recruiting children now?" the grey haired man asked.

"Kaecilius," the man at the top of the steps greeted, all smiles forgotten as he hopped down the steps, a glowing orangey circle, no, mandala, appearing and disappearing beneath his feet.

Wandless magic.

Could Harry still be a wizard?

He had honestly been too depressed, too shell shocked to be, well alive, and so thoroughly displaced that he hadn't had faith in magic and hadn't focused on his magic.

But to see it? To know that even if Hogwarts wasn't real that magic was…

It meant everything to him.

For better or worse, magic had been the thing, or the magical world rather, had been what had defended him.

It had been home.

That more than Hogwarts or his country, magic had been the thing that always been with him.

Maybe it still was.

While he was having this little epiphany, Daniel and Kasilius were trading barbs, and then the evil dude was summoning weapons and Harry -well, Harry didn't much like Dark Lords.

He didn't have a wand, but that hadn't exactly stopped him in the past.

Kasilius had Daniel's shoulder and was about to plunge a magical glass sword into him, someone yelled from up the stairs, "No!"

But Harry was already throwing out his hands, letting go of all the emotions he had been bottling up for so long.

A gust of wind sent the three evil goons shooting across the room. Daniel was saved from the wind by falling to his knees.

"Daniel. I see they made you Master of the Sanctum."

"Do you know what that means, Kaecilius?"

"That you'll die protecting it."

"Stop!"

Kaecilius asked, "How long have you been at Kamar-TaJ, Mister…?"

Daniel herded MJ and Harry up the steps to the other man also dressed in fancy robes.

"Doctor," the man with white streaked black hair.

"Mister Doctor?" Kaecilius, the apparently evil magic user and would be murderer, asked.

"It's Strange," the man corrected as Daniel took up a position by his colleague.

"Maybe. Who am I to judge?" Kaecilius said before the steps began to part as if caught in a kaleidoscope.

"Get them out of here!" Doctor Strange yelled, summoning that orange light charged magic to his hand.

Kaecilius and his minions leapt the banister.

MJ and Harry didn't need Daniel's encouragement to turn and run.

The halls began to twist underneath them and Daniel yelled, "Keep going!"

One of the minions with blonde dreadlocks threw herself at Daniel and they went tumbling through a window that opened to a forest.

Harry yanked MJ back from a wall that folded in on itself as Doctor Strange was thrown across the room, his magic shattering a case.

The room they were in looked like a museum of magical objects.

MJ threw a giant cup thing at the guy who was following them and he dodged it and came up with a full forward kick right into MJ's solar plexus, she went flying across the room. Crashing into a giant case, the glass case shattering around her like a rush of water.

She didn't emerge from the broken glass, red some places with blood.

"MJ!" Harry bellowed.

He turned back to the man who had kicked her with a fury. Calling deep down inside himself, he threw his hands out, his magic manifesting, not as wind but as raw energy that glowed green and golden yellow. Blasting the man back.

Harry staggered, just that bit of magic draining him near completely. He turned in time to see Kaecilius about to stab Doctor Strange through with a thin blade of glass or mirror formed from magic.

Harry had had enough, enough of death, enough of living.

He would not watch another person die.

He leapt forward, pushing the Doctor out of the way of the blade.

It pierced his chest.

Kaecilius's purple rimmed eyes widened in shock, "Why?"

Doctor Strange roared and Harry's vision began to swim. He saw that orange light flicker as the Doctor caught Harry in his arms.

Then the lighting changed.

"Christine! Christine!"

"Steven?" a female asked as others exclaimed Sir, "Steven!?"

"Get a gerney over here!" someone else shouted.

"Hello, young man," that female voice was saying as Harry closed his eyes against the lights, "Hang in there for us."

"Not that bad," Harry managed to say even as his chest burned, "It's not that bad."

It truly wasn't the worst thing to happen to him.

"Not that bad?" Doctor Strange asked. "Christine. He's been stabbed, Cardiac tamponade."

Harry nodded, eyes still closed against the lights as the Doctor placed him onto a table, "I've had worse."

"What could be worse?" Doctor Strange asked.

"Keep him talking," the female voice said.

"The torture curse is worse," Harry said at the invitation to keep talking. So what if they thought he was insane, he was probably dying anyway. "Basilisk bite is worse too. And starvation. And really bad sunburn," he added thinking of the summers the Dursleys made him stay out in the heat all day."

"Starvation?" Doctor Strange asked.

"He's too thin," Chirstine muttered after she cut open Harry's shirt with cold scissors.

"A bit higher, here," Doctor Strange said, placing a trembling finger on Harry's chest.

"Try not to move," Christine said.

"Can you tell us your name, young man?" Doctor Strange asked as a needle stabbed into Harry's chest.

Harry twitched but focused on his breathing, before he said, "Harry Lokison."

They wouldn't find Harry Potter. Bucky and Loki had done enough for him that they deserved to know what happened to him if he died tonight.

"You're doing great," Christine said.

"Dying hurts worse than this," Harry said, "they said it wouldn't hurt. But they lied, it's not instantaneous. It hurts, the Killing Curse, that is. It feels… it feels…"

"Keep talking, Harry," Christine encouraged, "You're going to make it through this."

"He was stabbed five minutes ago," Doctor Strange said, "It missed his lungs and the main arteries."

"He's lucky," Christine said.

Harry smiled, "I have contradictory luck that is mostly bad. MJ…"

"She got back up," Doctor Strange said to Harry's great relief.

"Then why isn't she here?" Christine asked.

"Because she's a tiger," Doctor Strange answered.

"Fine, don't tell me," Christine snapped, "What happened to him?"

"He saved my life," Doctor Strange said in a soft voice. "Harry, stay with us."

"Tell MJ I'm sorry," Harry said as exhaustion and the fire in his chest overtook him, "tell my dads, I'm sore-"

He startled as more hands touched him and needle pricked his arm. His eyes flashed open and he immediately closed them against the light.

"Got it," Christine said as the needle in his chest was retracted.

More voices filtered in but the coldness seeping into from his arm combined with the burning in his chest dragged him under into the abyss.

-)o(-

AN: Thoughts, requests about possible interactions, feedback of the chapter, dolphins, or other musing about this story, please?