Trigger Warning: for needles if that icks the shit outta you. There's gonna be a darkish little scene in there.
"You don't have to keep fussing over me, you know?" Darren sighs, taking Chrona's hands and carefully prying them away from his face "I'm fine, really."
Chrona had to work so hard to keep themself from feeling brushed off. They knew it was more likely that Darren was feeling overwhelmed and just needed some space, but they wanted so much for Darren to let them comfort him the way they had been letting him comfort them. This made them feel like maybe Darren just pitied them after all. What if he felt forcefully attached because of the black blood? Fuck their eyes were burning. They needed to stop thinking about this. This wasn't supposed to be about them, it was supposed to be about Darren. Darren was the one who got attacked, by their mom! They couldn't think about her. They had to though, she had threatened Darren because of them. Because of course she never meant it when she said she'd let them be. Of course, she knew they could never truly be a match for her. Gods their mom was right, they were just a useless burden.
"Hey, Chrona are you ok?" Darren finally asks.
"I should be asking you that!"
"I already told you I'm fine."
"How could you be after running into her?!" Chrona accidentally snaps "I'm sorry!"
"It's ok, I get where you're coming from." Darren knocks shoulders with them "It wasn't pleasant running into her, but she wasn't really a match for me at the moment."
"What do you mean?"
"She's weak, no one comes back from a near death experience unscathed."
"I honestly thought she'd be better sooner than this." which technically she was, but secret semantics.
"You think too highly of her."
"I think you underestimate her." Kid buts in "You're lucky to be alive."
Darren rolls his eyes. Kid ignores and begins walking back towards the school.
"Come, let's report to my father and get your wounds looked at."
"I don't have any wounds." Darren protests.
"That's why your hand hasn't stopped protecting your side." Kid counters.
"What?!" Chrona squeaks, immediately pulling away from Darren in fear that they may have already hurt him.
Darren, ever rebellious of course, hauls Chrona back to his side, with minor wincing might he add "I told you guys I'm fine."
"Do catch up then." Kid says from already halfway down the street.
Everyone follows at varying lengths having their own little discussions. Darren and Chrona, of course taking up the rear, aren't actually talking about anything. Darren keeps making positive small talk as if to comfort Chrona, but he doesn't seem to understand that, that is only making them more nervous. How bad was he hurt? What did their- Medusa actually say? What happened?
"You are going to tell me what actually happened, right?" They finally blurted.
"Of course, I'd just prefer to do it in private." He deflects easily "Besides, there are some things I'm still digesting. I don't know how to explain them just yet."
That finally felt more open, it relaxed Chrona "Of course, just let me know when you're ready."
Despite that small give the rest of the way back was silent if a bit cold. Chrona had no problem giving him space, but they have to admit they had grown a little attached to, well, being attached. The report even went much the same way as before. Lord Death, Professor Stein, and Darren in a room, and Chrona outside with everyone else. He was going to tell them eventually, right?
"I see, any ideas?" Lord Death finally asks.
Stein exhales "I don't think it means anything, I think she came looking for someone and found someone else."
The air around Death goes stiff "You think there are more in the city?"
"Not anyone worth putting energy into worry about just yet, like I said this means nothing. For now."
"Very well." Death nods "You should go see Marie, Darren, have her take a look at any injury you may have."
Darren grimaces "Yes sir."
"Make sure he gets there ok, Stein?"
"Come on kid, tell me more about how the fight went."
Darren chuckled as he followed Stein out of Death's room, recounting what he thought Stein would consider to be the relevant points.
"You're lucky I'm familiar with your poisons."
"I already told you I took an antidote."
"You and I both know those aren't always foolproof, now stop being stubborn and let's go."
Darren raises a brow at the direction "You're not taking me to Professor Marie?"
"You know she was just getting used to Chrona before you got here and now," He smirks "for some inexplicable reason she's terrified of you. So, no, I think it best I help you with this myself. Hope you don't mind?"
"You just wanna run tests on me before anyone else ruins your fun." He jokes under his breathe.
"HA!" Stein snorts.
When they finally get to his house, Stein wastes no time.
"So, what really happened?" he starts "I'm sure she did attack you and all that, but what did she really want?"
"What about my wounds?" Darren asks jokingly.
Stein rolls his eyes before pulling up a seat for Darren and getting to work on setting his equipment on his working tray. Darren laughs and strips his shirt before taking a seat and carefully beginning to undo the hasty binding.
"She was upset that Chrona and I were getting close. For whatever reason, she wanted me to back off. I told her to get fucked."
Stein raises a brow while meeting Darren's eye.
"Well not in those exact words, but you know what I mean." He says putting the dirty bandages aside "Anyway, she'll be back and I need your help."
"And just what kind of help would I be providing?" Stein asks, beginning to clean Darren's wound.
"Advice, training, -"
"All things I already provide you."
"- possibly helping me kill her, like you said, normal stuff."
"Why would I in any way allow a student to be involved in such a scheme?" Stein asks as he begins to finally stitch up the wound.
Darren hardly notices "Because I'm not just any student and this bitch has been a real thorn in multiple people's sides. So, if anything, I'm really giving back to the academy for hiding me. With a teacher's supervision, what could go wrong?"
"Bet you think that all sounds real clever, don't you?" He leans back finished.
Darren's face hardens "It's not clever, it's the truth, and I can do it with or without your help."
A maniacal smile breaks out across Stein's face as he pulls out the blood withdrawing needle. Quickly he grabs and exposes Darren's forearm before carefully, but swiftly lodging the needle into the skin.
"You didn't even check for the vein."
"And yet I found it somehow." his grin only grows darker "Remember don't move."
Darren has to keep from hyperventilating "You're fucking crazy."
A twitch stutters behind Stein's eyes and Darren cant help but feel a warning chill go down his spine.
"Now about your request," he continues while drawing blood samples "If you insist on your foolhardy plan, I'll just have to be involved wont I? Medusa will skin you alive and I don't think Chrona would like that very much."
"ha." Darren huffed.
Stein took the relaxed moment to remove the needle from Darren's arm and stem the bleeding before bandaging it.
"Here take this,' he says handing Darren another antidote "can't hurt to be safe. We'll see if any further intervention is needed based on how your blood compares to the samples we take tomorrow. I'm sure you're fine though. Clearly enough energy to be cheeky."
"So, you'll help me then?"
Stein sighs dramatically "Yes, now what do you know about Medusa?"