(Osmosis)

"Mason!"

"Ozzy?" I opened my eyes at the sound of Drix's voice, free from my nightmare memory. He must have picked the lock again.

Sitting up and yawning, I said," Drix, you're not supposed to invite yourself in like that, remember?"

"Sorry, but…" he pointed at the clock with his regular hand.

I was out of bed in an instant. "Spit! We're gonna be late for work!" My dream was forgotten for the moment. Right then, my main goal was to not get fired…because, as I'd learned the hard way six months before, getting my job back might require almost dying.

Work was the usual, just rounding of small, obnoxious groups of germs. And getting on the chief's nerves. And then having Drix remind me—again—that "hero" or not, the chief probably wouldn't hesitate to fire me if I pushed too far. "Yeah, yeah. I get it already, Drix!" I muttered in response to his latest lecture as we left at the end of the day. He sighed, but dropped the subject. I turned on the radio in the car (a new one, a convertible. I got kinda tired of watching Drix bend the top all the time, and I can't imagine it was very comfortable) to hide the irritated silence.

Finally, Drix spoke. "Hey, Ozzy…isn't your birthday coming up in a few weeks?" I nodded slowly, wondering where this was going. "What are you planning to do?"

With a quiet sigh, I mumbled, "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Drix seemed surprised. "You're not going to visit your family or anything?" After a moment, he mused, "You know, I don't think I've met any of your family…do you have any siblings?" It was just a casual, friendly question, but it felt like a slap in the face. Not sure what to say, or even feel, I responded by turning up the radio. Drix took the hint, and the rest of the drive was silent except the blaring of the music. Neither of us even said anything as we separated to go to our own apartments in the building.

"You're…going away for a while."

"Where?"

"It's a place where…troubled boys…they can get help." The walls were closing in. I couldn't breathe.

"But…" They thought I was just a problem.

I woke up back in my apartment, back in the present. Shaking my head to clear the terrible memory, I sat up. The entire exchange from that day was permanently branded into my mind, still crystal clear if only I ever wanted to remember it. But I wanted to forget.

After wasting almost an hour trying to get back to sleep, I finally gave up. The clock on my nightstand said it was two in the morning. I glanced at my dresser, at the bottom drawer. Should I…? My legs swung over the edge of the bed, and carried me across the room. Kneeling down, I opened the drawer, something I hadn't done in a month and a half. The last time I'd opened it was to toss in all the photos, the notes, the torn off corner of paper with Leah's phone number after we broke up. That drawer was for all the things I couldn't stand to look at, but couldn't bear to throw away. They were all there.

Digging deeper, I found the medal I'd gotten for saving Frank. It was a nice gesture, but it only reminded me that I wasn't a hero. Thrax was dead, but so were so many others I should have saved. Including one cell that meant the world to me….Besides, no one in Frank ever really thought about Thrax anymore, and no one noticed me when I went around town. A lot could change in six months. Heck, a lot can change in two days, or even just ten seconds. I knew that better than anyone.

At the very bottom of the drawer, underneath all the other half-forgotten things from my past, was a comic book. Just a simple comic book with wrinkled, faded pages. Inside the front cover I found a crude drawing of something that resembled two cells fighting a virus. It was my own depiction of my brother and I as partners; I was four years old when I drew the picture. Also tucked into the comic book was a photo of my family. Mason, Mom, Dad, and me. It was from when I was four as well.

A year later, my big brother Mason disappeared.

Scribbled inside the front cover of the comic book itself was a note, written in smudged black ink.

To my lil man, Ozzy.

A superhero story for a future hero…

Happy fifth birthday!

Remember—your big bro is always gonna be here for you.

"Liar," I whispered as I closed the comic book.

A/N: I am such a bad person! I took Ozzy's bro away! But what is his past? What happened to his brother? Where's the rest of his family? And will Thrax come back to Frank? And why am I asking you these questions when I'm the one in charge of the story? Now there's a good question, if I do say so myself.

Hehe, Ozzy's so oblivious! Thrax isn't dead, silly!

This chapter is too short! *flips table* But I couldn't think of anything to add, so I hope this satisfies you. Again, please R&R! And if it upsets anyone that I redid this story, I'm sincerely sorry, but I'm not changing it back. I couldn't stand the other one. It was just too...pfft. Anyway, I'll be back soon, with yet another chapter! *Zooms off to fulfill promise* Btw, I'm in a weird mood! :3 *Zooms off again*