March 15, 1943

Things started going wrong when a gunshot rang out outside and people started shouting.

The small group of soldiers looked at eachother before they started booking it down the hall. Douxie wanted to run back outside and check on Carter, but he couldn't do that. Vera would have his head.

"Where are we even going?" Marcus shouted as they ran.

"Laboratory!" Vera shouted back. "We need to get information on what kind of weapons they're building!"

"Well, do you know where it is!?"

Douxie felt a tug at the back of his mind. He stopped and stared down a hallway. "This way!" He called to his comrades.

They followed him down the hall, the soldiers moving as fast as they could. Douxie led the way, feeling like something was pulling him, calling to him.

Finally, they made it to a set of doors, and the buzzing noise Douxie was hearing grew louder. He felt his magic stir in his chest, tingling under his skin. Then he felt a tug, like somebody had tied a string around his ribcage and was pulling him forward.

"In here." He said quietly, brushing his fingertips against the door.

"How do you know?" Marcus asked, fingers twitching against his gun as he glanced behind them.

"I just know." Douxie insisted. "It's a feeling." He pushed open the doors and stopped, face paling. "Oh gods…"

Immediately he knew what it was. They'd found a miniature Heartstone and had plugged into some sort of machine. Coils of cable and wiring ran around the room in thick rubber tubes. Small lights that had been placed around the room lit up in intervals like fireflies. The Heartstone was pulsing weakly from its place in the bulky machine.

Douxie took a stumbling step forward, the tugging feeling getting more intense. Vera caught his arm.

"Woah there!" He firmly gripped Douxie's wrist. "You okay?"

Douxie couldn't even answer him. He stared at the Heartstone, his head spinning as the waves of corrupted and tarnished magic washed over him. Then, the machine lit up, sending pulses of electricity through the rock. It seemed to screech in anguish and Douxie screeched too, staggering forward like someone, or something, was yanking on the invisible string around his chest.

He held his head as his vision doubled. He couldn't breathe and everything hurt. The string was tugged on again, sending a jolt through Douxie's body. He was vaguely aware of his squadmates yelling, but he couldn't make out what they were saying over the ringing in his ears, and the screaming in his head.

The machine powered up again and Douxie screamed with the Heartstone, being yanked forward again and again until he'd reached it. Only now did he realize his magic was physically reacting to it. He was glowing, magic radiating off his body in wisps of light. As the machine went off again, Douxie felt like something was being torn straight from his soul. He screamed again and lurched forward, his hands finding the Heartstone, sticking to it like glue. His magic pulsed down his arms, flowing freely into the stone… no, into the machine. They were draining the Heartstone of it's magic. And now it was going to do the same thing to him.

He was vaguely aware of gunshots ringing out behind him, but he could barely think through the pain. He let out a weak cry of agony as the machine lit up once more, sapping more magic from him.

Through his haze of pain, Douxie had one clear thought. They aren't taking my magic.

He grit his teeth and pulled, focusing all his energy on taking back what they'd tried to steal. The two opposing energies pulling against one another felt like the most extreme game of tug-of-war Douxie had ever played. But he refused to lose. As greedy and as hungry as this machine was, it didn't have the right to possess magic. But Douxie did. He was a wizard. He was Merlin's apprentice. This magic didn't belong to these greedy, bloodthirsty thieves. It belonged to him, and he was taking it back.

With a scream of defiance, Douxie yanked back every ounce of magic that had been stolen from him. The machine overloaded and exploded in his face. He went flying back into the wall, feeling magic rush back into his body. The sensation overwhelmed for a moment, leaving him unable to do anything but lay there, twitching.

Slowly, Douxie came back to his senses and sat up, body aching. He looked down at his hand, seeing the familiar blue pulse of his magic swirling under his skin. But joining that was magic with a slight orange tint. Okay, so he may have overdone it a bit.

He looked up, eyes widening when he saw the gray and drained Heartstone sitting limply in it's metal prison. "Woops." He muttered. He didn't even know he could drain something of its magic like that. It was… a rather terrifying thought.

He looked around, horror overcoming him when he saw the aftermath of the explosion. The bodies of his squadmates were strewn around the room, buried under rubble. A few German soldiers had also been crushed during the explosion, and judging by the bullet casings littered around the room, there had been a fire fight.

Douxie nearly threw up at the realization that he'd either killed his whole group or… they'd been killed while he hadn't even noticed. He struggled to his feet, head spinning with nausea. A few halls down, there was more shouting and what sounded like multiple people running towards him. Taking a shaky breath, Douxie staggered toward the door, pushing himself to run.

Carter grunted as he was kicked in the stomach again. He coughed, tasting blood on his tongue. His lungs refused to take in air and his chest felt like an elephant was stepping on it.

"Had enough yet?" The man looming over him said. He had a thick, German accent, which was to be expected considering who his captors were. "Are you ready to tell us what we want to know?"

"No thanks." Carter wheezed, rolling onto his back.

The man sneered at him, placing a boot on his chest. He dug in his heel, smiling wickedly when Carter screamed and struggled to get out from underneath him. "We have no problem breaking you, boy. More than we already have, that is."

Carter clawed at his foot, desperately trying to get away. He couldn't breathe. "If- if I tell you," He gasped, the air being squeezed out of his chest. "You'll just kill me anyway."

He chuckled, grinding his boot against Carter's chest. Ribs snapped and Carter wheezed out a pathetic scream. "Ah, you're a tough one, aren't you?" He grinned. "I do enjoy a challenge."

Carter barely had time to form a coherent thought before the boot was brought down on his head and the world went black.

Douxie stumbled out into the forest, night creeping in through the trees. He could feel his magic mending his fractured bones, healing the cuts along his arms and face. He straightened out, no longer limping as he made his way through the forest. He hoped to the high heavens that Carter was okay, that he hadn't been in the building, that he hadn't gotten caught… or worse.

Douxie looked up, squinting to see any hidden figure in the treetops. If Carter was smart, he would have stayed put. Unfortunately, Douxie knew his friend better than that.

He whistled, first a low note, then a high note. He strained his ears to listen for the reversed response. There was none. There was nothing to reassure Douxie that Carter was okay. He swallowed his fear, whistling again, listening for a response. Still nothing.

"Come on Carter." Douxie murmured. "Where are you?"

After trying the signal whistle a few more times with no response, he tried a different tactic. Douxie sat on the ground, closing his eyes and reaching out with his magic. He spread out his senses, searching for Carter, looking for any sign that he was still alive.

After a few anxious minutes of this, he found it. A faint heartbeat fluttered in his ears and fhe recognized it as Carter's. He focused on that, pinpointing exactly where it was coming from. His blood ran cold when he realized it was coming from the building he'd just left.

Douxie stood abruptly, panic washing over him. They had Carter. He clenched his fists, anger quickly replacing the panic. There was no way in hell he'd let them kill him.

Magic pulsed into Douxie's hands as he marched back the way he'd come. He was going to tear that building down brick by bloody brick until he found Carter and got him back home to his mother.

Carter slumped back against the wall, taking in a rattling breath. His chest ached and his vision kept blacking in and out. He couldn't focus on anything, his mind foggy with pain. Nobody was coming for him. That explosion earlier… it had probably killed his whole squad. Douxie… Carter choked back a sob at that thought. He closed his eyes, holding back his tears as he heard the cocking of a gun a few meters away. He'd refused to tell them anything, enduring the pain and torture until they'd finally decided he was a lost cause. He knew he was about to meet the unfriendly end of a rifle.

Suddenly, a boom shook the building and the ground began to rattle. Carter tensed with fear, not knowing what was going on, and not too sure he wanted to know. He cracked his eyes open and cautiously looked towards the doors.

The doors slammed open with a whoosh of air and blue light. The German soldiers flew back a few feet, hitting the walls or metal support beams with enough force to dent them. The one who'd had a gun pointed at Carter's face just moments before was now lying in a heap, halfway across the room. The soldiers left standing opened fire, yelling as they aimed their guns at the lone person stepping into the room.

Carter's eyes widened at what he saw. Douxie, his best friend, the man he'd believed was dead near moments ago, shrouded in blue light, knocking the soldiers back with simple flicks of his wrist. There was a maddened fury on his face, anger reflecting in his eyes that were now glowing blue with unrestrained power. The look sent a shiver down Carter's spine and he could only stare with shock, disbelief, fear, and a little bit of joy as he watched Douxie take down the German soldiers with ease.

"Holy shit." He muttered under his breath.

Once his captors had been taken care of, Douxie turned to him. The glow faded rapidly as he ran towards Carter. His face was lined with fear and anger, his brows were knit together in that cute way Carter adored when he got worried.

He broke off the chains around Carter's wrists that were securing him to a metal pole with a flash of blue from his hands. "Are you okay?" Douxie asked hurriedly, looking up at him with nothing but concern. "Carter? Carter, I need you to tell me if you're okay."

Carter stared at him, still able to see flecks of vibrant blue dancing in his hazel eyes. "Uh…"

"Carter." Douxie grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him a little. "Can you stand?"

"Uh… yes, sorry, yes." Carter took the hand Douxie offered him, stumbling a bit at the sudden rush of standing up.

"Woah, I've got you." Douxie said in a soft voice, steadying him ever so carefully. "You okay?"

Carter's stomach did a few flips and he tried not to blush at the way Douxie was holding onto him. He felt a bit lightheaded and nauseous, but did his best to shake it off. "Mhm."

"We should run." Douxie suggested, looking behind him at the carnage he'd wrought.

"Yeah… let's." Carter agreed.

Douxie grabbed tightly to his hand and led Carter out of the building. He never once let go of his hand.

As they ran, Douxie threw discs of blue light at the support beams and various walls. Carter wanted to ask what it was, but he figured now wasn't the time for questions. Besides, he doubted he'd get a straight answer anyway.

They sprinted out of the building, making a beeline for the trees. As soon as they crossed the treeline, Douxie let go of his hand and turned. He stretched both hands out towards the building, a little smirk pulling at his lips. "Boom."

The building exploded in a brilliant flash of blue light. The flames went from blue to red and what remained of that godforsaken place was quickly swallowed by the fire.

Carter stared in awe, almost not believing his eyes. He didn't notice Douxie approaching him until he was right in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Douxie asked again, eyes once more filled with worry.

Carter met his gaze, the events of the past fifteen minutes catching up with him. "I think I need to sit down." He muttered and promptly dropped to the ground, leaning against a tree. He rubbed his temple, hoping that would make the headache go away. Or at the very least help him to make sense of what was happening. He looked up at the building that was currently engulfed in flames. "Douxie, what the hell?"

Douxie rubbed the back of his neck, slowly sitting down next to him. He was tense, lips pulled into a thin white line. "You were in danger. I didn't know what else to do… I- I couldn't bear to let them kill you, Carter. Not when I could stop it."

Carter stared at him, still trying to wrap his head around it. "Doux… you were literally glowing."

"Yeah… that…" Douxie sighed, staring off into the distance like he was trying to turn back time.

For a moment, Carter wondered if he could actually do that. He pursed his lips, searching for the right words. "Look… I'm not saying I'm not freaked out because I am. I don't really know what's happening but…" he looked at Douxie. "I just…" he took a deep breath, thoughts running through his head like a stampede of wild horses. Maybe he could finally get answers. Maybe… things would start to make sense now. "What is it?"

"Magic." Douxie said simply.

"Yeah, I-" Carter rolled his eyes, lightly punching Douxie in the shoulder. "No shit, Sherlock." He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I meant how did you do it?"

Douxie shrugged, staring at his hands, wringing his fingers together. "I don't know exactly. I've alway been able to do it, I guess."

"That can't be it." Carter insisted. "You just… you literally blew up a building just now with zero explosives. And you flung people across a room with your mind."

Douxie took a deep breath, turning to face Carter fully. "Promise you won't think I'm crazy?"

Carter tilted his head towards the still burning building. "Hisirdoux Casperan, literally nothing you say right now could make me think you're crazy."

Douxie nodded, steeling his nerves, taking in another deep breath. "Okay, so… I'm a wizard."

"Okay-"

"I'm also eight-hundred thirty-seven years old and there's a much larger world of magic you and everyone else knows nothing about." Douxie looked at him like he was expecting for Carter to start shooting at him.

Carter stared at him for a long time. This news should be making him question everything in existence, but strangely and terrifyingly, it made sense. It's like he'd added a giant chunk to a jigsaw puzzle and now the whole thing was beginning to come together. It scared him. Carter nodded slowly. "That's… neat."

"Neat? Really? That's all you're going to say?"

"I don't know what else to say!" Carter said in a shrill voice, spreading his arms wildly. "The man I'm in love with just told me magic exists! What am I supposed to do with that information!?"
"Wait, what?" Douxie sucked in a breath, a light blush tinting his cheeks. "What did you just say?"

Carter slowly realized the words that had just come out of his mouth. He paled. "Oh no… I-" he took in a shaking breath, already feeling himself start to panic. "I didn't- I didn't mean-" he squeezed his eyes shut, heart pounding in his chest as anxiety coursed through his body. "Shit, shit, shit. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Carter," Douxie said softly, cupping his face, meeting his gaze. "Please don't lie to me."

"No, no, I can't, Douxie." He insisted with growing panic. "It's not going to- I can't do it again. I-"

"Hey, hey," Douxie was slowly pulling him in closer, hands gentle on the sides of his face. "I… I understand what you're afraid of, Carter. Believe me, I know. And I know it won't be easy." He very slowly pressed their foreheads together. "But… gods, Carter, I love you."

He said it with such fervent conviction that Carter couldn't help but relax into his hold. This was all he wanted and more. Douxie had said it.

"You-you have to promise me it won't go wrong." Carter whispered, face flushing as Douxie leaned forward, their lips nearly touching.

Douxie smiled, bumping their noses together gently. "I promise. But I need you to say it before I kiss you."

Carter closed his eyes, letting out a breath as he let himself relax fully. For once in his life, he was going to be completely and totally vulnerable with his feelings. "I… I love you, Douxie. I'm in love with you."

"It's safe to say," Douxie whispered. "That I feel the exact same way."

With that, he closed the short gap and their lips met. Carter pressed in, slowly wrapping his arms around Douxie's shoulders as Douxie tugged him a bit closer by the waist. The kiss only lasted five seconds, but they were the best five seconds of Carter's life. They parted and Douxie pressed his forehead against Carter's again, a grin on his face.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while now."

Carter smiled. "Really?"

Douxie kissed him again, a short little peck on the lips. "Really."

The crackling of the fire brought them back to reality. Douxie glanced towards the burning building and frowned. Carter was beginning to really feel his injuries due to the adrenaline wear-off.

"We should go." Douxie said, standing as he took Carter's hands to help him up.

The moment Carter stood, his vision tinted yellow and the world spun sideways. His knees buckled and Douxie caught him.

"Woah!" Douxie wrapped his arm securely around Carter's chest, helping him to lean on him. "Carter, are you okay?"

"Nope." Carter said in a small voice, nausea making everything look blurry. Douxie tried to reposition his arms to better grip him, but only succeeded in jostling his broken ribs. Carter yelped, gripping Douxie's arm to steady himself. His pain meter was suddenly dialed up to eleven. His ribs felt like they were on fire, his head spun with nausea and dizziness, and through his haze, Carter had one clear thought. I probably have a concussion.

"Sorry!" Douxie apologized hastily. He was careful about how and where he touched Carter, slowly getting him to put an arm around his shoulders so the wizard could support his weight. "What hurts?"

"Everything." Carter groaned unhelpfully.

Douxie noticed the slight trickle of blood from Carter's nose and he paled. "What happened?"

Carter struggled to form a sentence as he tried not to scream with every step. "They roughed me up a bit."

Douxie grit his teeth. "That's an understatement. You sound like you have a concussion, darling."

"Probably." Carter agreed. He just tried to focus on anything but the searing pain. "Is there anything you can do with your…" he nodded towards Douxie vaguely, but Douxie got the idea.

"I'm not a healer." He said, picking up the pace a little. He needed to get Carter help now. "I can't do anything for something like that."

"Oh." Carter was silent for a little while before speaking again. "So we gonna give eachother nicknames now?"

Douxie blinked. "What?"

"You called me 'Darling'." Carter reminded him. He was trying to start a conversation to keep himself awake.

"Oh, right." Douxie mentally cursed himself for blushing. "I just… that's how I think of you sometimes in my head, so… it sort of slipped out." He glanced at him. "Why? Did it bother you?"

Carter shook his head slowly. "I thought it was cute."

Douxie laughed. "Cute? Really?"

"Yeah…" Carter's voice trailed off and he slumped a little further against Douxie. "I don't mind it."

Douxie supported his weight more, tightening his grip on him. "Alright then, darling." He tried to keep his voice light, but worry was seeping in. "I'm going to get you help. You're going to be okay."

They stumbled through the woods, Carter staggering beside Douxie, drifting in and out of consciousness. The trees grew thicker together as they went deeper into the woods, roots seeming to shoot up out of nowhere to trip them. Douxie kept his grip firm on Carter, promising over and over to himself that he'd get them out of there alive. Carter wheezed through bruised lungs as they ran. He coughed harshly, blood dripping out of his mouth.

"Tired…" he murmured, feet dragging. Douxie was practically carrying him now.

"I know, Carter." Douxie grit his teeth, pushing forward despite his exhaustion. "I know. But you can't rest now. We're almost there."

Finally they stumbled into sight of the base camp. Douxie was so exhausted he nearly collapsed then and there but he pushed on. Carter was limp and unresponsive against him.

"They're back!" Someone shouted.

Douxie passed Carter over to one of the medics and promptly dropped to the ground. One of the soldiers caught him around the chest, helping to steady him.

"Hey, you're okay. You're alright, kid." He said.

Douxie managed to stand on his own, swaying a bit as he watched Carter being carried to the medical tent. "I need to talk to the general." He said, brushing off the attempted help. "We found something."