This is exactly 2000 words. How the hell did I manage that? XD So yeah, managed to finish this a day early again. Totally didn't write half of it during school.

Wash was always uncomfortable being alone. He had come to school early, and Maine hadn't. Every person moving past sent his heart racing, anytime someone brushed against him he wanted to run, to flee the attackers in his mind.

Stop it. You'll be fine.

Wash headed to his locker in the deserted corridor, fumbling with the key and almost dropping it when he heard footsteps. Coward.

"Hello Washington."

"Gah!" With that manly scream Wash fell backwards, his locker door swinging slightly beside Epsilon's shoulder.

Epsilon giggled, watching Wash try to right himself. "I am infinitely glad I did not kill you; you are so much more fun alive."

"M-Maine-"

"Is not here at the moment." Epsilon grinned, leaning forward so that his face was above Wash. Wash was already against the wall; scrambling away was not an option. Epsilon was right. Maine wasn't here- he wasn't going to rescue him as he had before.

"Shame you can't just delete me like you did with Vic's computer." Epsilon said this a little too loudly, and Wash wanted to curl up into a ball. Epsilon had been threatening to tell a teacher that tale for a long time.

Wash had been new at Valhalla when York first began trying to recruit him. David, as he called himself back then, made himself known at the school with a prank that he had long wanted to pull off; hacking into Vic's, the principal's computer and planting an E.M.P. The moment he started the computer, all files were deleted and his computer and those of anyone who was accessing the school internet at the time crashed. It had caused the entire school to shut down for a day while they tried to recover all the files. The teachers were furious, of course, but never knew he had done it. Wash had used some ex-student, Gamma, as a scapegoat; some name he plucked from the school records.

The majority of students, however, knew within a week. David was praised as a computer genius. Few people even knew what an E.M.P. was, and most insisted on calling it an emp, something that never failed to annoy him.

Wash's popularity vanished the moment North first asked him to join Freelancer, and Wash said no. He hadn't wanted to be part of something so obviously illegal; sure he liked messing with computers, but that never involved hurting people.

They persisted, however. North tailed him, acting as if the two were friends, giving him the name 'Washington" and driving any actual friends he had managed to gain during his short time at Valhalla away.

Wash was stubborn, and kept refusing. York might have given in, had he not so desperately needed someone with computer skills.

Epsilon's orders had been to 'convince' Wash, though not to kill him if he refused.

"I decided to break his order the moment he gave it," Epsilon muttered, looking at Wash with a sadistic, cold gaze that honestly scared Wash. No one else he'd ever met looked like that; as though they didn't care about anything at all. Sure, he'd met people who pretended they didn't, but Epsilon was real. He had no morals, no fears or conscience.

"York still pretends to have control over me, you know. Even after you. Maybe I should remind him." Epsilon's grin widened as he crouched, hands dancing inches from Wash's throat.

"R-remind him?"

"Oh, don't worry. You would be a useless gesture. He's never told me not to hurt you again, and didn't I say I prefer you alive? No, I'm sure there'll be someone else. Some other person York doesn't want dead. It'll be fun too; it's been a long time since I've hurt someone as badly as I did with you."

Epsilon traced a line across his chest. He didn't actually touch him, but Wash still felt the scar beneath the cloth ache dully. "Your screams were the best part. I still love how you said you would join Freelancer before I even used the knife. York had claimed he'd tried everything before coming to me. All he needed to do was threaten you."

"York doesn't like violence." Wash was almost surprised he could talk; he was frozen against the floor.

"No, he doesn't." Epsilon pressed on a stab wound on his shoulder that had never properly healed, and Wash winced in pain. He got the message- 'don't talk'. "Which is stupid, honestly. He makes a pitiful gang member, even with his breaking and entering skills. A gang leader? Certainly not."

"You would make a better leader, I suppose?" Epsilon's silent warning had compelled him to speak more, out of spite. He may not stand a chance against Epsilon physically; he had too much experience, but he could at least try and hide his fear; which he knew would frustrate his attacker.

"No, I'd rather not be a leader." Epsilon pressed a knee into his stomach, causing Wash no small amount of pain. "Leaders tend to get killed pretty frequently. Besides, it's fun to watch York try and be a grown-up."

"York is fifteen."

"York is an immature teenager. Same as you."

"And what makes you so grown up and special?"

Epsilon punched his jaw hard. "That." Wash tried to think through the pain and come up with a witty response, but was having trouble, due to Epsilon's hands pressing against his throat. "You really are stupid, David. What do you hope to gain by speaking back to me? Do you think it'll put us on equal ground?"

"N-no I-"

Epsilon's grip tightened and Wash stopped talking, thrashing and trying to get Epsilon off him.

"Get away from him!" Wash's first thought was Maine, but the voice was nothing like his.

"Why should I, O'Malley?"

"Epsilon, please."

"Epsilon, please." He copied Doc's voice, cackling. "So polite. You still surprise me pussyfest."

"Fuck off Epsilon." Wash heard the sound of a foot hitting flesh and his neck was released. Wash sat up quickly, ready to defend himself. An unnecessary precaution; Epsilon was leaving, walking away angrily. Doc offered his hand, which Wash accepted, standing with his help.

"Thanks." Omega shrugged, glaring after Epsilon.

"Wash, are you Ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He didn't want Doc mothering him.

Doc turned to his locker. "What did he want?"

Fun. "I have no idea."

"He's insane," Omega muttered. "He wanted to mess with you because he enjoys it."

"Where's Maine?"

Wash didn't know. "Maybe he's not at school yet?"

"What's Maine got to do with this?" Omega asked.

"He's the only one Epsilon's scared of."

"He's not scared of him," Wash murmured. "He just knows Maine isn't afraid of him."

"Come on Simmons, you can get through this." Donut hadn't missed Simmon's moodiness. Despite the crutch that hindered him, Donut had insisted on returning to school.

Simmons sighed, staring at the ground. "I'll be fine Donut."

Donut rolled his eyes and grabbed Simmons' arm, leading him through the corridors. "What do we have first?"

"English."

"Ok, so get your stuff." Donut went to his own locker, while Simmons slowly reached for his key. He tried to shake of the depression-induced tiredness, with little success. Images of Grif waking alone, or the doctors deciding he wouldn't wake and to give up on life support, played through his mind. How the hell was he expected to concentrate on school with that?

"Maybe I should just go home." He had been determined earlier that he would continue as normal, but the determination had been leaked out of him by fear. He looked over at Donut, deciding to just leave. His mum would understand. "Hey, Donut?" Donut didn't reply, just looking at his phone with a frozen face. "Donut?"

"Y-yeah?" Simmons noticed the crack in his voice, and the tears forming in his eyes. Donut couldn't be described as someone who cried rarely, yet this reaction was still odd.

Simmons pulled the phone from his half-limp hands, reading the text.

It was from Doc. Donut! I went out with Omega yesterday! I think I'm in love 3! ttyl, I need someone who listens.

"I should have listened to Grif and just asked him out."

"Donut..."

"I'm fine. It's nothing." Donut forced a smile, blinking through the tears.

Simmons wasn't going to leave Donut alone, not when he was putting this much effort to help Simmons. He grabbed Donut's hand, in a very un-Simmons gesture, and lead him to their seats. "Come on, we'll get through the day together."

Lopez hated school. It wasn't because of boring classes (though the classes were most definitely boring), it was because not one single person in this stupid school, besides his brother, spoke his mother tongue. "Plus, they're all idiots," he muttered, watching some pink-wearing fruit chat to his friend.

"They're not that bad."

Lopez glared at Dos.0. "Shut up. And your nickname is still stupid."

"Do you really have to remind me of that every day?"

"Yes."

Dos.0 rolled his eyes and walked off, chatting to Felix in unsteady English.

"Hello mister burrito!"

"Really?" Lopez turned around to glare at the large boy behind him. "Could you be more racist?"

"Have you seen Church?"

"No. Go away." Lopez knew enough English to understand him and reply, but he honestly couldn't bother.

"Um, ok." The blonde moron walked off, humming cheerily to himself. Lopez resumed trying to ignore the rest of the school.

"Hey! Green guy!" Delta didn't seem to notice him. "Delta!"

He stopped and looked at York quizzically."What about me inspires the title 'green guy?'"

"Your creepy eyes," York muttered. "Better than 'Greek guy'. Why are you guys named after Greek letters anyway?"

Our father was named Alpha. Mum named us after him. "You are afraid of my eyes?"

"No, they're just weird. Anyway, can you give your brother this?" York handed him a black USB.

"Which brother?"

"Gar-Gamma."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why does my brother require this from you?"

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, see you." York left, leaving Delta to ponder over the piece of hardware.

Tex wasn't at school yet. Church wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried. He'd put off coming to school as much as possible, though had finally given in when it was a choice between stay alone with his dad or go.

Tucker, blessedly, didn't mention Church's obvious stress. "Hey man, did you hear about Grif?"

"No, what about him?" He didn't really care, but random gossip was less painful than Tex.

"He and Donut got in some car crash. Apparently he's still out of it."

"Who told you that?"

"Sister."

Oh crap. Right, Tucker was dating Grif's Sister. Suddenly Church gave a fuck about this. "Is she ok?"

Tucker shook his head. "She claims she is..."

"But you don't believe her?"

"No. I mean, Grif's basically her brother and her dad. She told me once he's the only person that's never abandoned her."

"Now he's gone. That'd hurt."

"Yep."

"Is she at school?"

"I don't think she's even awake. She hasn't replied to any of my texts."

Church was struggling to think of a comforting reply when Tex walked into the classroom. She seemed tired, wandering to her locker without a word. "Tex..."

She turned around, glared at Church and resumed getting ready for class. "What do you want, Church?"

"Uh..." What did he want? To make sure she was Ok? To resume their argument from Friday? "York's an asshole and being in a gang is a stupid idea,"

"Church..."

"But it's your life. I'm not going to try and make decisions for you."

Tex seemed startled. "That seems unlike you."

Church shrugged. "Got tired of staying with dad." He wasn't about to admit how badly he wanted her back.

"Oh, ok then. You're forgiven, by the way."

"Forgiven for what? I didn't do anything." Church grinned cockily. Tex rolled her eyes and walked towards the desk beside Church's. He didn't miss the fact she was smiling.

Epsilon is so much fun to write. I need more of him in my story... Holy crap I'm creepy XD. I've been meaning to add Lopez in for weeks, I kept forgetting.

So, yeah. I'm cruel, everyone's depressed, see ya next week.