Dry eyes peeled open to meet the brightest blue sky they'd ever seen. They- He? He groaned, but nothing more than a pathetic croak came out- his throat was drier than the hottest of summers. Blinking, he tried to sit up, but found himself weighed down by something heavy.
One blink. Perhaps the sky was too bright? With another blink he realized his head was pounding, a searing, piercing pain pulsing behind his eyes as if hot irons were digging into his brain.
But the sky was beautiful. It reminded him of… something he couldn't quite place. A shining girl in blue, smiling the prettiest smile he'd ever seen. Perhaps she was pulling him along by the hand, or cradling his face in her hands, or something else that escaped his memory entirely.
But he could remember her.
He was dying, and all he could remember was her and that wasn't something he could complain about.
Sighing, he let his eyes drift closed again, the brilliant blue emblazoned on the backs of his eyelids.
It was peaceful.
He would die a peaceful death, with nothing but thoughts of a radiant girl, full of light and love on his mind. And maybe that wasn't such a bad way to die.
But he couldn't help but wonder- where was that girl now? Was she okay? Was she out there somewhere, all alone just like him? Scared or injured or trapped or a hundred worse things he couldn't even start to imagine?
Was Verity Blanche dead?
Was everything Diesel had done for nothing? Had he killed her? Had Diesel been their ruin?
Perhaps their lives would've been better if he'd done nothing at all.
Struggling to sit up again, Diesel Malstrom turned his gaze down from the azure sky. Craning his neck, he could make out see the wreckage that surrounded him. Twisted metal and chunks of concrete and glass lay in scattered piles around him, and a massive metal bar that pinned most of him down to the ground. Diesel attempted to move his arms but found his left entirely trapped. As his vision focused further, Diesel realized just how much blood there was, staining the metal and the front of his jacket crimson red. Diesel was hit with a wave of exhaustion- he tired, oh so tired all of a sudden, his entire body heavy as he sank back into unconsciousness.
Was this the end? Would Diesel die here, alone and forgotten?
Would Diesel Malstrom ever wake up again?
The sky wasn't quite so blue the second time Diesel opened his eyes; it'd begun to darken into night, red and orange streaking the horizon. He felt groggy; everything was moving slowly, his head heavy as if filled with water. He got slightly further this time, feeling his back lift off the uncomfortably hard ground, but he didn't get much further than that as his entire body screamed out in protest. He slumped backwards, exhausted.
The clock was ticking down, and there was nothing he could do about it. Not a single thing he could do other than sit and wait for the end.
Diesel Malstrom didn't want to die.
As he sat, gathering strength, he felt hot tears streaming down his face. It wasn't fair, nothing was fair- but Diesel just had to accept what would come for him. He'd lived a pitiful life and he'd die a pitiful death just the same.
The only exception was the short part of his life graced by Verity Blanche. At least he'd had that much.
As Diesel sat, trapped and helpless, he heard something curious: the clattering of rock against rock, as if something was falling. Perhaps the debris was still shifting, settling into its final resting places. Maybe one of the chunks of rock or metal would fall on him and cut his timer short. Diesel wasn't so bothered by that prospect- he couldn't do anything but wait for death to come, whether it be sooner or later it would come.
But what he didn't expect to hear were crunching footsteps, accompanied by quiet singing.
Diesel didn't know what to do- should he call out to them? Draw their attention to himself? Or remain quiet and let them pass by? It was likely enough another tribute - who else would be inside the Arena? Perhaps it was Verity- was she looking for him?
If there was any chance he could get back to her, Diesel had to take it.
"Hello?" Diesel called out hoarsely. His voice was barely above a whisper as he tried to clear it, calling out again. "Is there somebody there?"
The singing stopped, as did the footsteps. Did Diesel scare the person off? Perhaps it would've been better to open in another way so as to not scare them, or maybe whoever it was wasn't ever planning on helping. But a moment later the footsteps resumed, faster and louder this time. Diesel froze as a figure in gleaming black poked their head into his view. They were entirely clad in dark armour, their face covered by a helmet, and a dark cape fell from their shoulders. Poking out from under the cape was some kind of weapon - a gun, maybe?
Had Diesel finally died? Was Death themself coming to collect him?
Had Diesel's time expired before he even realized it existed?
"Now how the fuck did you get out here?" the figure asked. Their voice sounded familiar, but Diesel couldn't quite place where he'd heard it before.
"I- um…" Diesel managed to get out, but he ended up only shrugging. "Are you gonna kill me?"
The figure picked their way closer to Diesel, standing over him as they shook their head. "No. I don't think I will."
Diesel blinked as the figure reached up. Despite their reassurances, Diesel thought for a split second that they were going for their weapon. Instead, they pulled their helmet off, revealing the face of a young man with bruise-like circles beneath his eyes, his dark hair pulled back from his face.
"Revan Allerix. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Revan smiled wryly. "Let me see what I can do for you."
Diesel nodded, the only thing he could manage. He couldn't help but wonder what the boy was doing in a place like this. If Diesel remembered correctly, he was a Victor. Diesel didn't think Victors were supposed to be this close to the Arena. Really, Diesel didn't think anyone would normally be in this kind of wasteland.
Perhaps Diesel was just the exception.
Revan hummed away as he worked, eventually breaking the silence. "What did you do to get yourself fucked up this badly?"
"Explosion," Diesel replied through gritted teeth. "I did what I had to."
"What you had to? So you fucked yourself up… to survive? To win? To keep everyone else from winning?" Revan asked, having disappeared from Diesel's field of view as he continued digging.
"Not for myself."
"For that girl then? The one you followed here?"
"Verity? Is she okay? Is she alive?" Diesel asked, frantically.
"I don't know, I haven't gotten any updates tonight," Revan replied, shifting some of the rubble off of Diesel's arm. "I'll let you know when I do get one though."
"Please- please do," Diesel murmured, as Revan went back to work. Quickly enough, Diesel found his lower half freed, leaving just his left arm trapped under the debris. The metal bar holding him down moved slightly, and as it did, searing pain shot up Diesel's arm.
"Ow!"
The movement quickly stopped.
"That doesn't seem good," Revan remarked, poking back into Diesel's sight. Diesel could feel himself slipping again, unconsciousness threatening to take him, but he fought it as hard as he could.
"Revan?" Diesel called. "Just do it."
"What?"
"Just push it off me."
"Okay, but if you want me to stop just tell me,"
A moment later the metal moved again, the searing pain only intensifying as Diesel's vision dimmed once more..Diesel felt himself being pulled up by his shoulders, but he couldn't do anything as unconsciousness took hold once again.
At least in his dreams, he couldn't feel a thing.
The world was warm and fuzzy, everything moving slowly as Diesel struggled to wake up. He couldn't make out much, just the beeping of machines and the faint sound of somebody humming a familiar melody, but his eyes refused to open no matter how hard Diesel tried. Diesel groaned softly; his head pounded and his entire body ached, as if a hundred cuts opened all at once across his body.
Where was he- what was this? Was he even alive? Where was Verity?
Was she safe?
He had to find out.
The mere thought of Verity gave Diesel the strength to peel his eyes open. It was dim in the room, the ceiling a stark white above him. Diesel tried to turn his head but found it more difficult than expected, as if he were moving through molasses. The melody stopped after a moment, replaced by the quiet hum of machinery as the bed shifted beneath him. In the corner of his vision, Diesel could see a familiar dark-haired boy blinking at him.
"Good morning," Revan said with a half-grin. He fumbled with something to the side, causing Diesel's pain to subside for a moment.
"Where's Verity?" Diesel asked softly, his voice raspy from disuse. "Is she okay?"
Revan shook his head. "She's alive."
"Where is she? Is she here? Can I see her?"
Diesel frantically tried to sit up further, but Revan shook his head, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't push it too much. She's not here."
"Oh," Diesel sighed. "Well, where is she?"
"She's recovering in the Capitol, I believe. There hasn't been any news about her waking up yet, but she should in the next few days," Revan explained.
"Did she- she won…?"
"She certainly did," Revan nodded.
Diesel sighed, sitting back for a moment. Verity had won- of course she had, and she'd done it without him. He'd gone in there with every intention to help Verity, and he couldn't even do that right. Maybe she didn't need him after all.
All he'd done was slow her down in the end.
Diesel sniffled, hot tears rolling down his face. Did she mourn him? Diesel hoped she hadn't, hoped she hadn't lingered on the lie of his death too long. She didn't deserve that, didn't deserve to mourn him, and Diesel was sorry she ever had to.
"Um…Do you want a tissue?"
"Y-yeah," Diesel sniffled. Revan pulled a tissue from a box on the table next to his bed and offered it to Diesel. He reached out to take it, but stopped, blinking at the space where his left hand should have been. Everything from just below his elbow was completely gone, wrapped securely in gauze.
"Where's my hand?"
"Oh- about that, it… well, it was already gone when I pulled you out," Revan said, stumbling over his words as if he didn't quite know what to say. "Sorry about that… but if you hadn't lost your hand you would've died, so weirdly it's better."
"What?" Diesel asked. "What do you mean by that, if… um, you don't mind me asking."
"They put the tracker in your non-dominant arm before you went into the Arena. But they don't just track you with it. They uh… well, they have poison in them, so if the Gamemakers ever need to… well, eliminate a tribute, then they can. And they can do it whenever or wherever they want to," Revan explained. He shrugged his jacket off, showing Diesel his bare forearm. "I'm a lefty, so mine was right here. There's still a scar from it."
"So they would've… killed me?" Diesel asked, awestruck.
"For what you did?" Revan paused for a moment. "Without question. Neither of you would've made it more than a step outside of that arena. There's a field that can detect and set off the trackers;you would've been dead in minutes. They just set the mines off early to make an example out of you. Like a warning- so next year's tributes don't get any bad ideas."
"So… me doing all that would've been for nothing?" Diesel blinked, staring at his arm still. "We would've died anyway?"
"Yup."
Diesel felt his eyes well up again, tears pouring from his face as he covered his face with his was all so much to process, so much dumped on him at once that Diesel didn't even know where to start putting himself back together. All he could feel was the sheer, crushing weight of his situation, a burden that he couldn't even carry. Maybe he would let it destroy him in the end.
No. He couldn't. Diesel couldn't let it crush him.
Not while Verity was still out there.
Diesel let out a shuddering sigh, wiping the tears from his face. "I'm so sorry you have to um… deal with me, like this."
"It's okay," Revan answered, his voice taking on a softer tone. "I've never done this before. I'm sorry, I don't think I'm very good at it."
Diesel laughed a quiet, choked laugh. "It's okay. I think you're doing good." He paused. "What… what do I do now?"
"Well… I don't know," Revan admitted. "Get some rest, I guess? I can… go if you don't want me here."
"Do you have to go?"
"Not particularly."
"Would you mind… staying?"
Something softened in Revan's face. "I don't mind. I think I just need to find a more comfortable chair."
Diesel chuckled again as he sank back into the soft pillows, his eyelids growing heavy and dragging themselves closed. But this time, Diesel didn't mind so much. He couldn't get back to Verity in this state, not yet. He might as well rest and heal knowing she was alive - and knowing he wasn't alone.
Maybe if he was lucky, Diesel would see her in his dreams.
Diesel gripped Revan's shoulder, steadying himself. The other boy was much smaller now that Diesel was standing, which wasn't what he'd expected. He'd seemed much larger than life to Diesel when he'd pulled him out of the rubble, a savior in the most unlikely of forms.
Revan had given Diesel another chance, and Diesel wouldn't let that chance slip away from him.
"You okay?" Revan asked, holding onto Diesel's side reassuringly. It was odd being touched by somebody he didn't know so well, but Diesel somehow didn't mind as much as he usually would. "You're… shit, man, you're tall."
"I guess so," Diesel replied. "I've never really thought about that."
"Well I'm thinking about it," Revan snorted. "If you trip, I'll do my best to catch you. But no guarantees. I'm not making any promises here."
"Oh. Thank you, I uh… I think I'll be okay," Diesel replied softly.
"Mm… good," Revan nodded. "Let's get going."
Diesel nodded, gingerly taking one step forwards, and then another. He'd gone around the room a few times without Revan, but this time they'd be venturing out into the hallway. Diesel still wasn't entirely sure where he was- Revan had pointedly avoided the question, so Diesel had stopped bringing it up. He'd even asked a few of the nurses when they'd come in to check on him, but none of them gave him a straight answer either. He'd be more concered about it if Diesel knew somebody- Verity- was looking for him. But she wasn't, she couldn't be.
Diesel was nothing but a dead man to everyone but himself.
Or, more correctly, everyone but himself and Revan.
Diesel held tightly onto the boy's shoulder as they made their way out into the hall. He felt solid enough on his feet, especially with Revan to lean on; the real issue was his hand. Diesel forgot it was gone occasionally and went to grab something before remembering it wasn't there. It would take some time to adjust, but Diesel would make do.
At least he had his life. A hand was a small price to pay for that.
"Which way?" Diesel murmured, looking to Revan.
"Well… where do you want to go?"
I want to go home. I want to go to Verity. I want to hold her tight and never let go again. But I can't say that.
"Um… I don't know," Diesel shrugged. "What's your favourite place?"
"Good question. I think I have an idea," Revan replied. "Let's go."
Diesel nodded, following along as Revan turned right. There wasn't much in the hallway, but Diesel couldn't find a reason to complain; it was something new to look at, and he was on his feet. With every step he took towards getting stronger, he was another step closer to getting back to Verity, and with that prospect in his future Diesel couldn't help but feel better.
But what if she hated him? What if she hated everything he'd done, hated him for hiding away from her, for putting her through the turmoil of his death just for him to show up alive again? And she'd won the Games, done it without him- what could he be if he wasn't useful to her?
Diesel didn't know. And maybe he didn't want to know, but he still had to find out.
"Careful here," Revan muttered as they stopped in front of an elevator. He mashed the button next to the door several times before it slid open. "Watch your step."
"Thanks," Diesel replied, ducking his head awkwardly to step onto the elevator. He retreated into the corner as Revan hit another button on the panel, leaning against the wall opposite Diesel.
"So uh… So you're a mechanic right?" Revan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, sort of," Diesel nodded his head. "Why?"
"Do you think you could fix this?" Revan said, pulling something out of his jacket. He offered it to Diesel, who carefully took it. It didn't take long before Diesel realized what it was: a scratched-up black and silver gun, massive in Revan's scarred hands.
"Oh!" Diesel replied softly. "I don't know much about guns but… I could try. Or I could've, I'm not sure… um, what I can do anymore since…" Diesel trailed off, gesturing to his missing hand.
"That… yeah that wouldn't help, would it?" Revan grinned wryly, slipping the weapon away again. "Don't worry too much about it for now then."
"Okay," Diesel nodded, as the elevator came to a stop, the doors sliding open again. He let Revan step out first, but followed closely behind.
"It's… what is this?" Diesel asked in awe. It was some kind of garden, with warm rays of sunlight spilling in through the glass ceiling above them.
"The gardens," Revan replied. "They uh… grow shit here I guess. I don't really get it, but it's nice to walk around."
"It's beautiful," Diesel grinned, as he seldom had in years. "Can we… walk?" Revan simply nodded.
So Diesel trailed after Revan, following him down the path. Maybe this all wasn't so bad- Revan made it bearable. Even if Diesel wasn't sure what to make of him, he didn't mind Revan, not one bit.
Perhaps Diesel could be of some use to somebody.
The door creaked open. Diesel looked to it expectantly, setting down the small mess of wires on the table next to him. A moment later, Revan poked his head in, blinking at Diesel.
"Hey," Revan said with a wave. "Do you know what day it is?"
"Umm… no?" Diesel replied as Revan continued to linger by the door.
"Oh that's- sorry, yeah, why would you know that?" Revan stumbled over his words as he stepped into the room. He held something out to Diesel- a cupcake. "Happy birthday."
"It's- how… how did you find that out?" Diesel asked, looking between the smushed-looking cupcake and Revan. Revan only shrugged, producing a lighter and a candle. He lit the candle, sticking it into the icing.
"Make a wish?"
Diesel stared at the flickering flame for a moment. There was one clear choice, but perhaps it was too obvious. Was wishing to see Verity okay? What if it didn't work? Then he'd just be as hopeless as ever. He sighed- perhaps he could simply wish for a friend. That was vague enough.
With a single breath, Diesel blew out the candle.
Revan plucked the candle out of the cupcake, offering it to Diesel. "I don't think I'm supposed to ask what you wished for, right? I never really understood the whole birthday thing."
"Right."
"Okay, then I won't," Revan grinned. "I hope it was something good."
Diesel nodded. Carefully, he broke the cupcake in half, holding one of the pieces out to Revan."It'd be nice if it came true, but I'm not betting on that."
Revan's eyes went wide at the offering. He carefully took it, leaving white frosting all over Diesel's hand. "Thank you."
And Diesel could've sworn he saw Revan smile, for the first time.
Revan slammed the door open, nearly causing Diesel to fall off the edge of his bed in shock. The other boy quickly moved towards the screen in the corner of the room.
"What? What's wrong?" Diesel asked frantically as Revan fiddled with the buttons on the TV.
"Fuck. Hold on," Revan muttered, fumbling with the controller as the screen turned on. He flicked through a few channels, before landing on one in particular with a quiet "Aha!"
"What's this?" Diesel asked, moving to stand next to Revan.
"Look."
There on the small screen was Verity, her smile radiant as ever as she waved to the crowd, taking her seat on the stage. Diesel reached out, brushing his fingers across the screen, hoping he could reach through it and pluck her off the stage with ease. Everything he wanted was right there in front of him, but it was still so far out of reach, nothing but a glimpse of everything he couldn't have. At least Diesel could see her, even for just a moment, alive and breathing and smiling.
Verity never failed to make everything better.
"Sorry, I forgot it was today. the Capitol channels get a little spotty out here," Revan said, sitting crossed legged on the floor by Diesel's feet.
"No, it's okay," Diesel replied softly, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Thank you… I, um, appreciate it."
"No problem."
Diesel continued watching until the screen cut away from her. He turned and, without saying a word, joined Revan on the floor.
"So what's so great about this girl?" Revan asked, leaning against the side of the bed behind them.
"Well… Um, that's a good question," Diesel replied, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not entirely sure how to put it into words, to be honest."
Revan nodded at this. "I mean, you literally put your entire ass on the line for her, she's gotta be something special right?"
"You're right, she is," Diesel agreed. "Don't get me wrong she is. It's like… I guess she just gets me."
"So like… a friend?"
"Not quite."
"Oh," Revan mouthed. "Oh I see. So you… like, love her?"
Of course he did, but did Diesel really want to admit that to what was practically a stranger? Was Revan even a stranger at this point? Diesel wasn't even sure what to make of it all.
"Yeah… um, I guess I do?" Diesel admitted.
"Gross," Revan responded, wrinkling his nose. "But… that would explain a lot." Diesel nodded, trying his best to hide his face from Revan, though miserably failing. They lapsed into silence for a moment, the commercials still playing loudly in the background. after a moment Revan spoke again.
"Was it all worth it?"
Diesel didn't hesitate. He had never been so sure of himself as he responded, "I'd do it again if I had to."
And he would. Diesel would do it a hundred times over again if it meant her survival, even if his own wasn't guaranteed. It just so happened he'd been given a chance to get back to her in this one time, and he'd be damned if he let it go. Damned if he let anybody stop him from getting back to her. And maybe he would have to play the long game. Maybe Diesel would have to be patient. But even if it meant waiting hundreds or thousands of lifetimes, Diesel would do it for her.
It'd be worth it just to see her smile.
Diesel had mostly adjusted to the routine of his day-to-day life. It'd been… four? Five days since he'd woken up? He wasn't entirely sure. At this point, it almost felt too good to be true. Maybe Diesel was dead, and maybe none of this was really happening. But every morning he woke up, and he was still breathing- still living. Still though, Diesel couldn't help but want something more.
He wanted to go home to Verity more than anything else in the world.
The only people he saw consistently were Revan and the nurses who came in to check on him. While they were good, none of them were quite what Diesel was looking for. At least Revan would engage with him- he wondered if the boy ever slept, since he always seemed to be hovering somewhere nearby, only a call away. Diesel was certainly grateful for that, but he still worried for Revan.
"Revan?" Diesel asked as they made their way to the elevator again.
"What's up?"
"Why did you save me?" Diesel asked,
Revan paused for a moment, in his tracks. "Well… I don't really know."
"Oh," Diesel said. "I'm sorry, I was just… wondering I guess."
"No, it's okay," Revan sighed quietly. "It's just… well, uh, I've lost a lot of people, and a lot of it was my fault. So I guess I jumped at the opportunity to save somebody for once."
"Well… I'm glad you did. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Now… um, I know you offered to stay with me, but…" Diesel trailed off, waving his hand as Revan pressed the button for the elevator. "How… I feel like you could use some uh rest?"
"Rest?"
"I mean… yeah, maybe you should take a break? Surely you have something more, uh, important to attend to?"
"Well, not exactly," Revan shook his head. "My task is to watch over you since I brought you here, and… well, I wasn't actually supposed to do that, but I did it anyways."
"Oh, I- I'm sorry if I caused you problems, or anybody else problems," Diesel stammered as they stepped onto the elevator.
"No," Revan said curtly. "No, that's on me; you didn't choose to come here, I brought you here. It's not like you had any say in the matter either way."
"Oh," Diesel replied, casting his eyes downwards. "Oh, okay."
"Good," Revan nodded. "Good, good, okay, so… we're going somewhere new today, isn't that exciting?"
"Where?"
"We have some people to talk to," Revan said simply, leaning against the wall of the elevator. Diesel nervously following suit, scratching at his face. Talk to people? Who? Diesel still hadn't deduced exactly where he was. After all, solving mysteries wasn't exactly his area of expertise. But who could possibly be that important? And would warrant him having to talk to them?
Maybe things weren't quite as stable as Diesel thought they were.
The elevator set off downwards this time, instead of up, and Diesel couldn't help but hold the railing around the edge of the elevator tightly. What if everything went wrong? What if Diesel said something wrong- or how was he even supposed to know what was right or wrong? Who were these people, even? By the time the doors slid open again, Diesel could feel himself shaking like a leaf in the wind. But Revan's hand landed gently on his shoulder, reassuring him.
At least he had Revan. At least Diesel wasn't going to face this alone.
The hallway Diesel found himself in wasn't all that different from the one he saw every day, minus the echoing of voices of other people. Revan guided him, and Diesel had no choice but to follow- where else would he go? Diesel wanted to get away, but it wasn't like he was in any shape to run.
They navigated past a few doors before they stopped in front of one in particular. "Hold on, don't go anywhere," Revan said, holding up a single finger as he stepped into the room. Diesel idled for a few moments, swaying as he looked side to side. There was nothing in the hallway to hold his attention besides a few doors, and by the time Revan came back, he'd already counted them twice over
"C'mon in," Revan beckoned. Diesel stepped through the door, bobbing his head so as to not smack it on the doorframe. The room inside was spacious, a large table with mismatched chairs scattered around it. A woman with dark hair was seated at the head of the table. To her left a man with a lopsided grin and piercing eyes, staring blatantly at Diesel without seeming to care if he noticed. Across from him was a blonde man with soft, familiar features. And next to him was somebody Diesel very much recognized.
The face of the District Two boy was one Diesel couldn't ever forget.
"Grab a seat," Revan whispered, grabbing the chair opposite from the woman.
"Where?"
"Just… you can sit next to me." Nodding, Diesel carefully pulled out the chair directly to his left, scooting as far away from the Two boy as he could manage. Diesel had about a hundred questions before entering the room, and now he found himself with a thousand more.
"Wonderful, wonderful, everyone is here! Look at this merry band of misfits!" the grinning man exclaimed. "Oh, I'm sorry, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves. I'm Havoc, Havoc Riley. It's nice to meet all you new faces."
"Raven."
"Omega Riley," Omega said with a smile, pushing locks of blonde hair out of his face.
"Reign Legatus," Two growled softly. Diesel couldn't help but stare for a moment at the other boy; the last time Diesel had seen him, he'd nearly killed Diesel and Verity.
"This is fucking stupid. I'm Revan. Why do I have to tell everyone that?" Revan grunted.
"Because, Revan, we all need to know each other," Havoc said pointedly, before turning to Diesel. "And you?"
"Uh-" Diesel stammered. "Hi? I'm Diesel, um, Diesel Malstrom."
"It's very nice to meet you," Raven said softly. "Now, let's not delay this any further. Many of us are very busy."
"You're busy. The rest of us have plenty of time to kill," Havoc grinned.
"Riley, shut it," Omega sighed.
"Wh- what is this?" Diesel asked, leaning over to whisper in Revan's ear.
"Don't worry. It's usually worse than this," Revan replied.
"Anyways, lets get back on track here, since somebody's on a tight schedule," Havoc commanded, clapping his hands loudly. "We're here to negotiate the terms of your lives."
"Negotiate the terms of… our lives?" Reign asked, gesturing between himself and Diesel.
"Well, yeah, who else," Havoc snorted. "So, the thing is that… well, my dear Raven here has so graciously agreed to host you two here until further notice, but…"
"There are terms," Raven continued. "We need to know you won't do something that jeopardizes us or our goals."
"Oh," Diesel sighed. "What are- what are the terms if you don't mind me asking?"
"Firstly, everyone in this compound follows the same rules, and you two are no exception. Second, if you are capable of working, we will find you a job; everyone who lives here must pull their weight. Third, unless any special circumstances arise, you may not leave the compound. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can know of your existence."
"But…" Diesel trailed off. The last thing he wanted was to stay here any longer then had had to. But that seemed to be the only option- he could stay, or he could die. He owed these people- owed Revan his life; he could play by their rules if it meant keeping himself alive. As long as he lived, there was some small glimmer of hope he'd see Verity again.
Diesel didn't know if he could live a life without Verity Blanche in it.
"But?" Havoc inquired. "Are you reconsidering?"
"No, no, no," Diesel shook his head. "Absolutely not, no. I- thank you for this incredibly generous offer, in fact, I… I would love nothing more than to take it. I'm a mechanic. I can do my best to help out with any of those kinds of issues."
"Good," Havoc nodded, turning to Reign. "And you?"
"Is there any other choice?" Reign asked. "Really, is there?"
"I don't think so, unless you want to find out yourself," Havoc challenged. Diesel watched as the two stared at each other for a moment, the tension thick in the air.
"I'll take your offer," Reign grunted.
"Good man, good man," Havoc grinned, his demeanour shifting almost as easily as a light switch being flipped. Diesel turned to Revan, who nodded, patting Diesel's hand with his own.
Maybe Diesel had made a mistake in taking this deal. But at least he was alive. Diesel could figure out the rest along the way- all he needed was to be alive.
That would be more than enough. It had to be.
"Good news!" Revan exclaimed breathlessly collapsing into the chair next to Diesel. "You're getting released today."
"Really?" Diesel asked, blinking at the boy.
"Really," Revan nodded.
"Oh." It was hard for Diesel to wrap his mind around the fact he could leave this room. It'd felt like he'd been here an eternity; he could barely believe that tomorrow he'd wake up somewhere else.
"I hope you don't mind, but I asked them to bunk you with me since most people have to have roommates and stuff. Something about limited space."
"That's okay," Diesel replied. He'd much rather share with Revan who he already knew than have to live with a stranger. "When can I go?"
"Whenever you want."
"Um… can we go now?"
"I don't see why not," Revan grinned.
Diesel prepared himself as best he could (though it wasn't like he had anything to take with him). Revan quickly ushered him from the room, the pair walking the familiar route to the elevator. The other boy seemed almost excited, an emotion Diesel hadn't seen much of from Revan in the past days.
Was Revan… excited for Diesel?
Diesel was almost more confused now. Why had Revan gone out of his way to rescue Diesel? Most likely, he hadn't helped for Diesel's sake. But at the same time, it didn't seem like Revan was doing this for himself. Diesel didn't even know where to begin trying to figure Revan Allerix out.
But maybe he didn't need to. Maybe just having Revan around was enough.
In his haze of thoughts, Diesel soon found himself on an entirely new floor of the complex. He stepped out of the elevator into a large lounge-like room. There were half a dozen people scattered around, a few collected on a couch, and two in a corner playing some card game. There were several halls branching out from the room; they made their way into a hall labelled C, nobody paying them much attention.
"Um… how many people live here, if you don't mind me asking?" Diesel inquired as they stepped through the door, into the next hall.
"That's… a good question. I don't actually know," Revan replied, scratching his head sheepishly. "I know there's another floor like this one, but I'm not sure how many people are here total."
"Oh," Diesel sighed softly.
"Why? Is this about Reign?"
"No- no, I'm sorry."
"Well if it is, he's not on this floor," Revan said, stopping in front of a door labelled with the number 615.
"He isn't?"
"Nah, we have… well let's just say we don't get along so well."
Diesel nodded, not wanting to push it further. He felt bad enough about asking this many questions, and he didn't want to overstep any of Revan's boundaries. Especially not considering how kind Revan had been to Diesel when he had no reason to be.
"Well, welcome home," Revan exclaimed as they stepped into the room. Stairs led down into the two halves of the room, effectively sectioning it off. Each side of the room had a few things - a bed, a desk, all of the things a typical bedroom would have. One half was completely untouched, pristine, while the other half was very clearly lived in, half the blankets hanging off the bed.
"It's so… nice," Diesel said.
"It's not half bad," Revan agreed. "And there's a bathroom over there, and some clothes in the drawers."
Diesel nodded, continuing to look around. He could see what seemed to be a drum set in the corner of Revan's side of the room. "You play the drums?"
"Well, every victor has to have a talent, and unfortunately shooting people as a hobby is frowned upon," Revan explained, throwing himself onto his bed. "I didn't think I'd like it that much, but it gives me something to do."
"Makes sense," Diesel nodded, sitting gingerly on the corner of the bed- his bed- as he carefully rummaged through the drawers, which contained mostly normal clothing, Diesel picked out a plain pair of pants and a shirt and beelined for the bathroom, closing the door behind him; it would feel good to get into something new. But as he changed, he caught his own reflection in the mirror.
The man who faced him did not look like Diesel Malstrom.
All of his piercings were gone. A massive scar rippled down the left side of his face, into the collar of his shirt. Now, and only now, Diesel realized the full extent of the damage he'd sustained. As he surveyed his reflection, Diesel couldn't help but wonder…
What would Verity think if she could see him now?
Diesel shook himself out, quickly putting on his new clothes and returning to the main room. He couldn't linger on what couldn't be changed, no matter how hard it would be to move on. No, Diesel had to focus on things he could actually fix.
"Do- um, is there any kind of mechanical shop?" Diesel asked, as he sat on the corner of his bed awkwardly. "I- I have an idea."
"What's that?"
"Um, well, I was thinking… if I could access the right materials and stuff… I could maybe try and replace my hand," Diesel stuttered, gesturing to his where his arm cut off. "I just might need… uh, well, I only have one hand, and I don't know how effective that'll be to work, so I was wondering… if maybe you could help me? If you want- only if you want, I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time."
Revan sat up on his bed, rubbing his eyes. "Help… you?"
Diesel nodded at this. "Only if you want to. I don't wanna- um, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you too much, but I don't really know anyone else around here, so I figured maybe I could start with you?"
Revan stared at him for a moment, something glinting in his dark eyes before he replied. "I don't see why not."
Diesel offered Revan a hand. "I guess we're partners then?"
Revan grinned as he crossed the room, shaking Diesel's hand firmly. "Partners."
Diesel smiled. He had an ally here, a plan, and all the time he needed to make it work. Diesel Malstrom would get home, even if it took everything he had.
He would do anything if it meant holding Verity just one more time.
Shieettt that's a little awkward… umm… surprise everyone! Diesel lived! Isn't this just the best prank you ever seen… yeah laney come get me im afraid i miss u where are u
BEHOLD MY SON IN LAW AND THE ONLY REASON I GET OUT OF BED EVERY DAY PLEASE APPLAUD HIM FOR BEING ALIVE OR I'LL CRY
WOOOO…. HES DOING SO GOOD…. LOOK AT HIM GO… STUNNING… i applaud him
*starts applauding really furiously* DID U KNOW HE HAS NEVER DIED
The rumors are, in fact, true. Diesel has literally never died in a single draft of np. It's really quite powerful of him. I literally got his form and went "sweet okay im not killing him" and then didn't. How long have you known about this one laney?
LITERALLY SINCE YOU GOT HIS FORM AND SAID "I CAN'T KILL THIS GUY" LMAOOOO SO I GUESS WELL OVER A YEAR. BEFORE I SUBMITTED VERITY :skull:
(i got his form in january 2021 :skull:) And Thats why you were so convinced she was dying! Fucking jokes on u tho they both live! People get to be happy in tsof verse! Wooahhhh what a fuckin concept!
*starts weeping* THE INSPIRATIONAL POWER OF STRAIGHT PEOPLE… NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE… NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE… YOUR HONOR THEY'RE EVERYTHING TO ME LET THEM BE TOGETHER
Well i can't do that yet. But um… they're both alive will that suffice for now?
I GUESS! I LOVE STRAIGHT PEOPLE! HAPPY PRIDE MONTH THEY'RE BOTH BI
My god…. Right in front of my fucking pride month.. Um.. we should probably say hi to logan. Hi logan! Get fucked! Haha! He's gonna be very unhappy with you i think laney.
HI LOGAN I'M SORRY IT HAD TO BE THIS WAY BUT ALSO DIESEL IS ALIVE SO U CAN'T BE TOO MAD AT ME RIGHT. RIGHT.
…right?
Surely he can't be .. that mad.. Uhh well i guess we're gonna fuck around and find out? Yeah! Lets fuck around and find out! Whats the worst that could happen!
WE COULD DIE
No fucking way dude. No shot we die. I can't be killed now i have to make your children happy again before i die. Duh.
PLEASE DON'T KILL ME OR PHOBIE I WANT TO SEE VERITY'S EPILOGUES TOO
Oh yeah.. Umm so next is verity epi 1. And then we'll go say hi to revan and reign.. And then back to verity again bc she's that special! Isn't that so based and swag i think its very based and swag
SHE'S REALLY COOL AND EPIC AND ALIVE AND SO IS DIESEL HENCE WHY THEY'RE PERFECT IN THIS ESSAY I WILL
Exactly! Okay umm… we should probably go finish editing now so we can actualy like post the chapter or whatever. I guess thats a step in all of this? Fuck if i know! Say bye laney!
bye laney!
Bye.. phobie?
:) and bye diesel and verity!
Bye bye straights in pride month! I love u both very dearly!
yes yes kiss kiss
Phobastard out o7!
