Without Guilt

Chapter IX: Comeuppance

Otis woke disoriented, his eyes feeling so heavy that he struggled the first three times to keep them open. His mind was strangely foggy – a distance between him and the waking world making him need minutes to adjust to his body again.

Grey morning light spilled across the sheets; the temperature cold enough to draw a misty breath from him as he exhaled. His breathing was slow, each draw needing a conscious effort to inhale deeply and detangle himself from the drowsiness.

He took his time slowly curling his fingers before drawing his hands up to rub at his face.

"I see you're finally awake, Meyer." Ethan Murphy was sitting nearby, his dirty boots propped up onto the bed uncaringly.

Otis shifted to push the heavy blanket off him, having to exert himself just to sit up. He grunted from the sharp pang that sparked along his side, his hand covering the freshly bandaged wound. Someone had patched him up, so he was probably in Med Bay.

"What do you want, Murphy?" He already felt awful, and Ethan was the last person he wanted to see right now.

Not that he wanted to see anyone else, they could all go to hell.

"Oh, nothing from you." Ethan replied in that tone of his that suggested he was about to gloat. "Just thought if I stick 'round long enough, little Miss Sunshine might visit. Since you two seem so close and all."

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Get out." Otis exhaled his frustration. He didn't have time nor energy for Ethan's games.

"Yeah, no, I don't think so." Ethan lowered his feet, moving to stand in Otis' space, preventing the man from being able to leave. Well, it was the only time he could look down on him. Literally. "Went 'round to Will's place, wanted to talk to Dorothy Simmons, but she weren't there."

Otis raised his gaze to him, his grey eyes cold as steel. "And I'm supposed to know where she is?"

"Well, you better." Ethan replied, his gaze straying from Otis' face. "Thing is, I'd hate to have to tell the Boss she's been thieving for ol' Will."

Otis almost rolled his eyes. "I don't know what kinda damned rot you got going on in that brain of yours, Murphy, but you and I both know that wouldn't have happened even in Dante's seventh circle."

Ethan seemed amused. "Oh yeah? You telling me that Will just waltzed in here, grabbed whatever the hell he wanted and walked out the front door with no one noticing?"

"I don't know what Will did; all I know is that it ain't matter 'cuz he's dead." Otis countered.

"That so?" Ethan's expression twisted with hatred, his nose wrinkling as he leaned into Otis' breathing space, daring to grab his jaw. He pretended not to wince when Otis twisted his wrist, failing as the younger man's grip threatened to cause damage. "You listen here, boy," He sneered still. "You been meddlin' in my affairs and you're gonna pay for it."

"Go. Fuck. Yourself." Otis replied, his tone deathly calm as he squeezed Ethan's wrist, a grinding noise as he twisted further and further before shoving him back.

Ethan stumbled in a rather undignified manner. "So, that's how it's gonna be? Fine. Have it your way." He spat, holding his rapidly bruising arm close to his body. "We'll see if that's how you talk soon." He promised.

Evidently, he thought he could intimidate Otis just because he was injured. Otis was made of sturdier stuff than Ethan could ever handle, but Ethan's boldness hadn't come from just this. There had to be more to it.

Whatever Ethan was thinking of doing though was put to a stop as the door opened.

"Hey man, watch where the fuck you're going." Kumi snapped as Ethan barged past him and Mason. The large man seemed to debate going after the swindler, but Mason calmed him before he could.

The two men moved into the small room, exchanging curious glances before Mason approached Otis.

"Hey, man, you alright? Layla told us you collapsed." He asked, worry knotting his brow as he looked over Otis. "You should've tried to get some rest when I told you to." He half scolded before his features softened into a smile.

"I'm fine, Mace." Otis dismissed, though admittedly he was more shaken than he cared to admit. He didn't think himself scared of Ethan, but now there was more to worry about than just himself. He'd gotten Dorothy tied up in this, not to mention Pier and Scarlett.

"No, you're not." Mason interrupted firmly, pulling the blankets up and draping them around Otis' shoulders. "It's snowing out, y'know. I'll grab your things from Will's place, you should stay close to where Dory can watch you."

"Mason." Otis called him, making him pause.

"Right…" Mason's heart sank a little and he stepped back, clearing his throat. He forgot at times that Otis didn't welcome being touched so casually, let alone coddled.

Kumi watched them quietly for a few moments, setting aside the crate of supplies he'd brought with him. He didn't know how exactly Otis felt about Mason, but it was evident that Mason felt something towards Otis. Now if only Otis could reciprocate those feelings and they could just both get out of his and Dominique's life-

"K, where's Simmons?" Otis pulled him out of his thoughts with that question.

"She's fine. She's with Dom." He replied. "She doesn't want to leave her bed for the most part. Hardly been eating too." He added pointedly, watching Otis for any indication of guilt. He doubted that what Dorothy had said was a lie, but if Otis was going to guilt trip him over Dorothy's decision to help him and Dominique, then he hoped Otis could be made to feel just as awful.

After all, on a scale of hunger to murder, the latter was decidedly worse.

Otis pushed himself from his seat, moving to collect his things before retrieving the supplies Kumi had brought.

"Where you going?" Mason asked him, half moving to take the box from him. He didn't think Otis should be carrying heavy things in his condition, but at the same time, he didn't dare to try and take it off him.

"Will's place." Otis replied. He had to check on Pier and Scarlett.

"You can't go there alone," Mason protested. "Look, Otis, you're being stubborn right now. You're hurt and you need rest and food and antibiotics-" He stood his ground when Otis turned on him suddenly.

"I don't have a single fucking thing to my name, Mason. Where do you think I'm gonna get antibiotics?" He questioned in return. "I don't got time for rest; I don't got time for none of it. Now leave me alone."

Mason's face had turned red with frustration.

"I wasn't gonna say nothing." Kumi spoke up. "But I'm glad you got the hint. There's no room for you with us." He said. "Dorothy doesn't wanna see you either."

Otis didn't turn to look at him, but he knew he was listening.

Mason just balked at Kumi, his mouth open but his mind failing to deliver words.

"I wasn't fixin' to, but you know what, it's a good thing you said it." Otis replied. "You still gotta repay your debt though. Time's ticking."

Kumi cursed under his breath as the door closed behind the man.

The walk towards the concrete building felt like it too an hour. It was freezing outside, snow crunching under foot and catching in his lashes. The crate of supplies felt heavy, forcing him to take some rest stops in between.

Not many people were about in this dreadful weather, though the few who were on guard duty were huddled around fire barrels, breathing into their gloved hands and leeching warmth from their steaming mugs.

Otis finally reached the stairwell inside the building, setting the box down and leaning against the wall.

His next ideal place? It would have no stairs. These steps alone were looking like the Great Wall of China to climb.

"Hey, need a hand?" A leering voice startled him, the sound of something scraping as the rusty shutters were pulled over the building's entrance.

Otis turned slowly to find Ashton Lewis standing over him with a machete resting against his shoulder. Well, fuck. He wasn't alone either.

Ethan Murphy had brought Ashton Lewis and Carlo Romano with him. And he was wearing that dirty grin again.

"Hey, T. You ain't looking so good." Carlo taunted, retrieving a wrench from his utility belt.

"Did you ask yer Maw if you could play with that?" Otis retorted, lifting his chin in challenge as he watched the skinny man move around Ashton.

Ashton was a large 6'7" man. The kind whose hand could easily break the neck of anyone standing here right now. And right now? No one was daring to step around him to go for the prey. Typical alpha male domineering behaviour. All he had to do was stand there with his hand on his belt and most people would cower.

"Now what was it you said to me-?" Ethan started slowly, enjoying every minute of this.

"Go fuck yourself." Otis replied in a lazy drawl, truthfully, he was just tired, but whatever they'd given him at Med Bay the night before was making it hard for him to feel the usual adrenalin he should have been feeling at this point.

"That's right." Ethan's grin failed to stay on his face when he was met with this indifference. "Well, you know what, fags like Mason wouldn't have made it far in Texas. That's where you're from, ain't it?" He motioned. "Ashton and I don't like his kind neither, but you're gonna tell me the same. Sure 'nough, you like women just fine, only reason Scarlett's walking in and outta your place these last two days."

Otis fixed Ethan with a glare. "You and I both know there ain't nothin' going on between me and Scarlett."

"Well then, my bad, must've been my imagination." Ethan faked a sincere tone before he stepped forward. "But you understand we must check-"

Otis slammed his palm right into Ethan's throat making his eyes bulge as he doubled over, clutching his throat while choking. Otis didn't get to follow up though, searing pain echoing through his head as Carlo swiped at him with the wrench, the tool hitting him in the temple.

The impact nearly floored him, but he was just as quickly grabbed by the collar and thrown into the stairs by Ashton. It knocked the air from his lungs, his hands fumbling blindly for anything to use –

Ashton advanced on him with the rage of a blind bull, failing to notice the jar that Otis had grabbed from the box until it was thrown at him. Glass shards exploded everywhere as it hit the giant, temporarily stunning him and causing him to drop his weapon though the effect didn't last long enough to allow Otis to escape.

He made it up the first flight of stairs before Ashton grabbed him by the ankle, pulling it out from under him and dropping him to the floor.

"Come here!" Hitting Ashton had only made him madder, the redness of his anger reaching all the way to his bald head.

Otis turned on his side, fumbling for the shiv hidden in his jacket but Ashton dragged him further down by the leg, soon enough grabbing his arms and pinning him down through his weight alone. Pain throbbed in every inch of his body as Ashton climbed him, finally getting a solid enough grip on his wrists to pin them down beside him, sitting on him to prevent him from squirming free.

Didn't stop him from trying though, his hip twisting in an attempt to throw Ashton off balance but it was like trying to move a wall and the harder he struggled, the more winded he became. "Get the fuck off me!" He growled, his shoulders aching as his wrists were forced higher to allow Ashton to grab them in one of his giant hands.

"Where's that false bravado from before, huh?" Ashton leered, grabbing his jaw painfully to force him to still.

"I'm surprised you even know what that means-" Otis retorted unhelpfully, wincing as the grip tightened, his boots scraping for purchase against the polished stone flooring.

Everything stilled when the machete was pressed to his throat though, Ethan's hideous face gloating as he kneeled over him from above. "I told you that you're gonna pay for it." He pushed the cold steel further down Otis' neck, latching on the chain of his dog tags.

Otis glowered up at him, his chest rising and falling faster than his demeanour cared to show. "Go. Fuck. Yourself."

"Don't worry. I ain't gonna kill you. Ol' Hisayuki's got a soft spot for you." Ethan lowered his tone when he used the Hunter Leader's name, as though the mere utterance would somehow summon him from thin air. "And I don't want him asking too many questions." He drew the dog tags out to inspect them, tearing them free from Otis' neck with a harsh tug.

Otis felt his shoulder threaten to give out when he tried to lunge at him, Ashton forcing his chin up to expose his throat to the sharp edge of the machete in warning.

"You've had this a long time coming, T..." Ethan grinned, his filthy fingernail tracing over the rusty Firefly insignia on the first tag. "Maybe you can finally put that pretty mouth of yours to use."

Ashton leaned into his ear, his hot breath burning Otis' skin and making his stomach spasm with the desire to empty. "You're gonna wish I killed you." He promised.

Please R !