WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

137. Life is Strange 2 Sean and Daniel 46

You are My Superhero

ShawnRust

Notes:

First time I write something in years... I want to thank the whole Wolf Squad for being so awesome and supportive. You've helped me a lot and I hope this work is something you enjoy.
I'm open to constructive criticism. Actually, I'll thank any constructive criticism.
Also, the start may be a little slow, but keep up with me. I promise I'm not going to copy-paste the whole script LMAO

Chapter 1: On Something About Teamwork and Loyalty I Guess (Part 1)

Chapter Text

"I'm not moving. Hope I look good", Daniel said with a hint of determination in his voice, except, he was giggling and moving because of it.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time, model boy", an amused Sean said, while sketching the whole scene. There was something almost magical about this moment. Of course, he got to sketch a bit since they got into the house, but the whole setup of Claire and Daniel simply being there, in the calm, them being safe in a home, was about to melt his heart.

As soon as he finished his drawing, he showed them both. Not often was he willing to let others see his journal, but there was a simple purpose to it. He wanted to lower the tension that built up during breakfast about Karen's room.

So, after Daniel left running to finish his homework – "maybe emphasis on HOME", thought Sean – he used the mood brought by his drawing to get close to Claire.

"What's on your mind, Sean?", Claire said, looking at his face. And so, he started asking some questions. He had no bad intentions, honestly. He just felt things derailed a bit a while ago, and wanted to get close to her again.

And so, the conversation went from one subject to another. Maybe he should have prepared something before reaching out, but it didn't seem like it was going wrong. Maybe Claire knew he was just trying to play nice and decided to do the same, although how was he supposed to know? He'd better not keep asking those questions. He wouldn't get her that deeply anyway.

"Charles? Poor man used to be a basketball coach but had to move out here after his wife's passing. He's got a job at the rail yard now, and... Well, he's still recovering.", Claire said when talking about the neighbors.

"Wow... I mean, that's sad...", Sean said.

"We try to give him a hand... Keep an eye on his... drinking problem. His son, Chris, is a little angel, though.", added Claire. Then for the fraction of a second, a thought crossed his mind, but he couldn't tell what was it. He wasn't sure he should mention it, so he was about to go quiet on it.

"I-is the kid okay?", he finally asked Claire.

"Well, we... noticed things. Stephen and I", Claire said but stopped for a second. To Sean, it looked like she was weighing her words, thinking about what to let him know. "Chris is always doing chores outside, yet we don't see his father much. And I don't know exactly why is it, but the kid seems to be always making excuses for his father, but he's always defensive about himself, too".

Sean was left speechless. He also felt a numb sensation going through his body. Yet, he still couldn't figure out what was it.

"Sean?", Claire said calmly after a few seconds. "I can see you are tense."

Sean did his best to get ahold of himself, but he was already found out and he knew Claire wouldn't simply let it go.

"I believe you may be thinking you have things in common, Sean" Claire said, though to him sounded more like a question than a statement.

"What?", he asked. "What things?"

"I don't know Sean. Don't YOU know?", she continued, looking right into his eyes.

Sean tried to keep calm. A feeling of anger started to flow through his body, but he knew it was misplaced. He felt judged when she said "things in common", but she was clearly trying to help him put his mind at ease.

"You are not like him, Sean. What you did up to this point, be it good or, well... bad... are all things you did to protect your brother. You can't compare to him", she added. She was not blaming him for what happened. Of course not. There was no other option, right?

Still, her words didn't put him at ease. Of course, she was right. Yet, the way he said "bad" cut through all his defenses. After all, he did steal at the parking lot. He did hit steal food from the gas station, and OF COURSE he hit that asshole, Hank Stamper. Yes, it was all for Daniel, but his brother too was affected by it, and he could tell.

"Can..." started Sean, hesitant, but he knew Daniel needed it. "Can Daniel meet him?"

"Charles? Ah, you mean Chris", Claire said, stopping for a second. "I don't think that's a very good idea, Sean", she continued.

She did sound sad. She obviously wanted to, but of course, that would mean breaking the first and most important rule they had set up.

"I know it's risky. But Claire, grandma... Daniel needs a friend" Sean pleaded. He didn't mean to, but his voice went a bit too soft when he spoke. Almost cracking.

"I DO think he could be a good influence on Daniel. This boy has spent too much time on the road...", Claire said.

"Yeah, and I'm not always the best role model...", Sean confirmed.

Claire looked at him with pity for a second, but it was obvious she didn't know how to respond, so he decided to change the subject immediately, rescuing her from having to find a way not to lie, and still be nice.

"How long have you and... Stephen been married?", he asked, and the conversation picked up a nice flow again.

After a while, the routine picked up at its own pace again. Sean helped tidy up a bit, then went to Stephen's study to get some keys they needed to find some toys, as suggested by Claire.

Almost immediately, Stephen told Sean to close the door, then asked him to come clean about Daniel's powers.

Sean hesitated for a couple of seconds but decided it was for the best to tell the truth, since it was clear he already knew what was going on. It was not an easy conversation, but something good came up from it.

"I know being out here in the sticks with us old farts isn't exciting, but... this is your home now.", Stephen said. And even though Sean knew this couldn't last forever, the sole thought of him considering it was comforting.

Minutes later he left the study. Claire went out. She had asked Sean to keep tidying up the house, which he did, no problem. He only wished his little brother would have helped him, but of course, he didn't want to. And just then, after playing a bit with Daniel around the house, they got to hang out outside.

"Aw! Man, finally! Feels so good to be outside. Reminds me of the cabin. Right?", Daniel said before giving a big howl into the sky.

Sean couldn't stand out to be left out of it, so he howled too. They were living in the wild for a couple of months before reaching Claire and Stephen's house, after all. They used to scream, play rough, and do all sorts of things when they were alone. Things they had to leave outside The Reynold's territory in order to keep them happy. But what was it to lose a little freedom compared to having Daniel safe?

The moment they got to the shed, and just after the realization he couldn't open it, Sean heard his brother saying "Sean, look!", but the moment he decided to actually –look– was just one second too late.

He could feel a cold streak go up his stomach as the realization came to him. Daniel not only used his power in front of another kid but also made him float. Sean grabbed his brother's arm and put it down, but he knew it was not enough.

He realized it, didn't he? He was facing straight to the ground. There was no way he didn't realize he simply stopped falling.

Sean practically stabbed his brother with his eyes, but decided he couldn't say anything at that moment. Not in front of the kid.

"Hmmm... uh... Did you see that?", the kid asked.

"See what? We just got here... Are you okay?", Sean replied, as confident as his voice allowed him to be.

Daniel pointed fingers at his brother nervously, as if trying to convince himself of what he had to tell too. "Yeah, I didn't see anything either!", he then added.

"Oh... Okay, I just fell down... into the snow... Huh, Dad says I'm kinda clumsy...", the kid responded, and Sean could feel the sadness in his voice. It was obvious this was not the only thing his –dad– had said about him.

But, fortunately for Sean, who didn't know exactly how to respond, Daniel didn't pick up those emotions, and that helped pick up the spirit of the two kids, who immediately started talking about superheroes and all those things his brother loved.

That's when a man got there in a hurry. "Chris, oh god... Look, I am so sorry, are you okay?", he said, and Sean immediately picked up this guy was Charles, the man Claire told him about.

"Dad, I'm fine! I promise!", the kid said, while they both got in the most awkward hug one can imagine.

"Are you sure? Listen, I shouldn't have...", the man said with a worried kind of tone, but that's the moment he realized they were being observed by the brothers. "Do you know them?", he said putting an arm around his son as if protecting him.

Sean felt an immediate unease about that situation. The kid almost fell to the ground from, what, 3 meters? Yet the father seemed to be concerned about something else.

"It's-it's okay, Dad, they're cool! He loves superheroes! Even Power Bear!", Chris said, causing Daniel to smile at him.

Sean was a bit thrown off when the man asked him about staying with the Reynolds, but what was he to tell him? They were in their backyard, and it'd raise even more suspicions if he didn't come clean, so he responded they were their grandsons.

He then said something to his son about not wearing any shoes.

"Thanks, guys...", Charles said. "Oh, and... uh... if Claire asks, tell her everything is fine..." he continued.

"Is it... Really?", asked Sean, almost defiantly. He got pissed off as realization came over him. The reason the kid was hurrying up to the tree house was that he was running away from that man. Reason? Didn't matter. And now the kid was going back inside with him, who was visibly more worried about this not being found out than he was about his son's safety.

But then in a split of one second decided to calm down. As Charles hesitated to answer, Sean added "I mean, our grandparents talked about Chris a lot, and Daniel wanted to meet him, yeah!". Improv was not exactly Sean's forte, but he managed to keep enough of a straight face for Charles to believe him. Or so he thought. "Why don't you let your kid play with my brother for a while?"

Charles stood there for a second while carrying Chris in his arms, evidently hesitant as to how to respond, but fortunately both the kids pleaded enough for him to let them meet.

"Well, Chris, go change socks and put on your snow boots" he finally said.

The afternoon went smoothly as they played in the backyard. Even Sean spent a good time with them, although he took the chance to just watch Daniel play. Like a kid. Just a kid. Like the kid he was, and deserved to be.

His emotions were starting to get the best of him, as he contemplated how life should be for his little brother. But fortunately, the sound of the front door of the house closing took him out of his thoughts, so after telling the kids not to wander too far, he got inside.

He had to "tomar el toro por los cuernos", as his father used to say. Fun quote. Who'd even want to do that? But he had no choice.

"Claire?" he called, walking inside. "Claire, are you home? Can we talk for a second?"

"Yes, what is it, Sean?", she said. "Where is Daniel?", she asked watching outside through the glass doors and noticing him making a big snowball into what would probably be a snowman in no time. She didn't notice Chris was there because of the angle, but Sean knew she'd blow up the moment she found out.

"Well, I'm approaching first because I don't want to lie to you". Claire, who was putting grocery bags on the kitchen counter turned up to him, waiting patiently. "We were playing outside when that Chris kid came out and he... kinda fell off the ladder. He didn't fall from too high, but I still felt the need to get sure he was okay."

Sean couldn't really tell what the expression on Claire's face meant, but he imagined it was along the lines between sad, angry, and disappointed. Yet when she looked again outside and saw Chris this time, she took one more second and cleared her throat.

"I commend you for coming forward to talk to me, but I believe it's me who you should blame. I told you to go outside because I didn't want to speak about your mother, even though I knew Chris lives right next to us. I was not careful enough", she said.

Sean felt a bit relieved about what she said, but he still didn't understand what she was thinking.

"So, you aren't mad?", he asked.

"No, I'm not. But I'm scared, Sean. I would hope there was no reason for them to mention you to other people. But it's not like we could go and tell Charles to keep quiet about you without raising suspicions". She paused for a second "Stephen?!", she called.

"What is it, honey?" he said while coming to the kitchen, just at the same time Daniel and Chris, were going in. "Oh, I see", he said in understanding. "Well, Claire, let's just get through this and we can talk about it later", he added, and Claire nodded.

Despite their concerns, the older couple got sure Sean and the kids had a great time, so much even Sean could relax a little. They invited Charles and Chris for dinner, although Sean didn't understand why would they want to do that. Maybe they wanted the Eriksens to know them before spilling out they were being searched as murder suspects?

Sean couldn't take away the uneasiness he had in his mind, yet the whole evening was refreshing. He helped Claire and Stephen with minor tasks, while Chris and Daniel were playing by themselves in the brothers' room. Even Charles seemed to be having a good time, though Sean could tell he was sweating a bit too much. Maybe withdrawal? He couldn't tell.

It was when dinner was ready that Claire asked Sean to get the kids since she tried to call them but none of them responded. He walked upstairs contemplating the moment in his mind. He felt warm inside. He felt like he was having a normal night.

"Maybe just one night is fine", he thought to himself. To not worry about things. To simply relax and enjoy. But then he opened the bedroom door, just quick enough to see Daniel and Chris startle as his brother left the toys he was making float fall to the floor.

"Sean! Wait! Don't freak out! I can explain!", Daniel said desperately, while a sudden rush of anger was climbing up but was interrupted by Chris.

"Let me tell him. Sean, I know it sounds crazy but, I have a superpower. You saw me yesterday. I know you did. I was flying! I can move things. Objects! With my mind!" The happiness the kid displayed sounded too genuine.

Sean closed his eyes. He wasn't sure how to respond, even when he understood the situation perfectly. After all, in the end, it was Daniel's power, so he felt he had no right to expose his brother like that.

"Listen. We gotta go before Claire flips on us. But, Chris..." Sean paused for a second, trying to find the right words. "This power seems like a bit too much for people to take, so you should keep them a secret until we figure them out. Is that okay?", he said, glaring at Daniel, to what he responded nodding once slightly, then looking down in what seemed to be shame. Just as Sean had presumed, Claire called them once more. "Coming!", he answered, and looked at Chris, awaiting a response.

"Don't worry", Chris said worried, "I didn't show anyone but Daniel. And now you. But I won't tell. Especially my dad. He... is worried about other things right now", concluded.

"Hey, uh", Sean said putting a palm on his shoulder. "Remember you have Daniel, now. And me. We won't let you down, Chris. Ever."

Chris took a second, but his face showed he was getting in the mood again. "Yeah! Now you both are official members of the Spirit Squad!", he said showing excitement.

"The what?", Sean asked.

"The Spirit Squad! Like, you know how I'm Captain Spirit? And you are members of my team. You should get superhero names too!", he added. He seemed as happy as he could be.

"Uh! I want to be Superwolf! What's your superhero name, Sean?!", Daniel said, jumping from the bed.

"How about... The Silver Runner? Cool? Cool, right?", Sean said. But the boys didn't get to answer him, since Claire herself was up there to get them.

"Sean", she called, "I understand, truly I do, but the food is getting cold and we are all waiting". Sean nodded at her.

Claire went downstairs again, while Sean took the kids to wash their hands in the bathroom before going down. That's when he noticed something else.

Captain Spirit took off the gauntlets from his costume, but when he started taking out the left one, he hesitated. Sean played dumb, but as soon as the kid freed his hand, he noticed a bruise on Chris' arm.

Once again, realization came to Sean as if it spat on his face. He could feel a snake crawling through his stomach, waiting to rip Charles left hand apart. But he knew he couldn't say anything right now. Not when Claire and Stephen were trying to do damage control by themselves. He would only screw Chris even more. So, after sending the kids down, he closed the door and stayed there until he was able to calm down. When he got down, Claire's disapproving look made him very uncomfortable, but it was not as if he could do anything at that point, so he decided to let it go.

The rest of the evening turned out to be uneventful enough. Charles chatted the whole time with the Reynolds couple, although Sean noticed there was not the usual bottle of wine on the table. Maybe that was for the best. Over the rest of the meal, he was able to fully calm down, and his mind decided finally to stay in the present.

Sean took it as his duty to monitor that the kids didn't break anything while playing rough. It was refreshing. After a while, the three of them went to play board games while the adults kept on talking, in what Sean thought was a way for Claire and Stephen to touch more sensitive subjects.

Nothing about the powers was discussed for the rest of the night. And even though Sean still felt mad about Daniel putting them at risk, he could see Chris was a good influence on him.

"Chris?", Daniel said suddenly, just after a round of Ship, Captain, and Crew in which Sean had won.

"Yeah? What is it Superwolf?", Chris answered.

"Nah, it's nothing", he said, then added, "I was just gonna ask you if you'd like to play Minecraft with me one day".

Sean, who had been awfully quiet since dinner, had been paying attention to most interactions between people. It was true he felt too big to hang out with the kids as more than a caretaker, yet too little to sit with the adults discussing whatever they were talking about now. But it was not a bad thing. He was amused. Happy even. For weeks, even though he would accompany Daniel every step of the way, his little brother seemed off. He was for the first time in a long period acting like the kid he grew up with.

Still, Sean knew his brother a tad too well, and of course, he noticed that was not the question he wanted to let out of his chest. Something was up.

"Chris, dude, you gotta teach him how to play", Sean said jokingly, trying to help him not be found out by his friend. "Last time he played, he kept dying in a cave trying to get back his loot". A laughing Daniel pushed his brother by the arm, and then the three of them kept on playing like this for a while until the adults decided it was time to sleep.

It was... an evening. A simple, normal, family evening. But to Sean, it meant the world.

"Hey, Enano?" he finally said to Daniel when they were in bed.

"Come on, Sean, I'm Superwolf, now!", Daniel responded, still excited about the night.

"Okay, okay, superhero, keep it down. Claire's gonna bust us.", Sean answered, while putting a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Sorry... what is it?", Daniel whispered.

"I... kinda noticed you weren't fully honest with Chris when you talked to him about Minecraft. What did you want to ask him?" Sean said, still not taking out his hand from his brother. He wanted Daniel to feel reassured.

"I... why do you think I lied? Don't mess with me, Sean". Daniel's tone showed he was upset, but he was still whispering, so he was not mad.

"Come on, Superwolf. Just because now you are a superhero doesn't mean I don't know my little brother. Trust me", Sean said, putting notes of confidence in his voice. At the same time, he used the hand he had on his brother's shoulder to give him two little pats, then took it out, giving Daniel some room to think. He didn't want to pressure him either.

"Well... it's just..." Daniel started, hesitating. "I know if something goes wrong, we may have to leave, and... I wanted to ask him if he'd still be my friend if we left".

Sean's heart dropped right there. He had made a mistake. A big one. Daniel was right. They may have to run sooner or later, and if that happened, all those things he would have gained to give his brother some sense of normality would yet again be taken from him. And he figured with every little piece he'd have to leave behind, each time it happened would make it harder and harder for his brother to trust again.

But what was he to do then? Was he supposed to make Daniel live the pain of getting robbed of every opportunity to have a life? Or did he have to make sure Daniel never got close to anyone again in his life?

One thought crossed his mind right away. "This is your home now", Stephen said before. And maybe there was some sort of truth in that. But he couldn't tell.

"Sean? Are you okay?", asked Daniel. Now he was the one to have a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, yeah..." Sean replied. "You should ask Chris directly about this, Enano, but... There is no way one could go back to not being friends with the awesome Daniel Díaz when they meet him", cheered up Sean, tickling him.

"Hahahaha, Sean, come on! Stop!", laughed Daniel, then gave his brother a short hug. "Thank you. I'll talk to Chris tomorrow because everything will be right", he added.

Sean wanted to have a word with Daniel about telling the truth to Chris about his powers before he could get hurt but was not able to ruin the moment. His brother needed this, and he knew it.

Chapter 2: On Something About Teamwork and Loyalty I Guess (Part 2)

Summary:

The second part of the first chapter. Yeah, I went a bit over my pay grade on this one. Although I do hope to be able to keep it up!

Chapter Text

The next morning, Sean woke up to find a note in the Etch-a-Sketch saying "Spirit Squad Base ASAP", to which Sean giggled. "I do still need to talk to him. But maybe later", he thought to himself.

"Claire? Stephen?", he called when he got out of the room. They had left for church, as said in a note he found at the front door.

Sean's stomach made a tingly feeling. He had to go check on Daniel, but he could use this as an opportunity to... to what exactly? Seattle came to his head. His home. His friends. How were they doing? Lyla! He had spoken to Lyla in the motel room, but he'd hung up on her. She must have been so pissed. Still, when he woke up from those thoughts, he already had the tube in his hand. "Just a quick call can't hurt us", he sighed, then marked her number.

"Yes?!" her voice echoed from the speaker, which made the tingling in his stomach become a void feeling. He was anxious, but he was already calling her, so he had to be brave.

"Lyla? Hey. It's Sean...", he said. And he swore he could see Lyla's face turn around to see no one was listening.

"Holy shit. No way...", she said.

"Are you... mad at me...?" Sean asked, although his voice sounded more like pleading.

"No! I'm not mad, asshole! I mean. You literally hung up on me! Sean! It's been weeks! How could you cut me off like that?", she answered, angrily.

"Lyla, I'm so sorry... We had to hide out for a while... Plus, I ditched my phone!", Sean tried to excuse himself. But he knew it was not enough.

"Never heard of pay phones? I had to lie to the police for you, for fuck's sake! They grilled me for hours, after your last call!", Lyla said.

"I'm so sorry. Thank you, so much. I don't want you to get into any more trouble, because of me. I better go.", Sean said. His voice sounded like he was about to cry. He didn't want to hang up again, but he knew putting her in danger wasn't worth a minute of satisfying his feelings.

"No! Please... don't. Do not hang up on me! Not this time, dude...", Lyla immediately responded, and Sean hesitated, but decided to stay. "Talk to me. Please. How are you? How's Daniel?", she added.

"We... I don't know, Lyla", Sean said. "I'm trying my best. But I'm not enough, and I keep messing things up for him."

"Sean, what do you mean? Is Daniel okay?", she asked, to Sean it felt like her concerns were burning through his skin.

"He's okay. He is healthy. And we are being cared for by people. We found some help. But I don't know if we can stay here. More like, I know we'll be screwed eventually and we'll have to keep running Lyla. And I fear I might be hurting Daniel by making him feel happy for staying, but I don't want to take this away from him". Tears were starting to pour out of Sean's eyes. He had a hand in his face, pressing against his nose, trying to get back his temper.

"Sean...", Lyla said. "You do nothing but care about him. I've known you your whole life, and I know you guys would not exactly be role models for all the brothers in the world. But I know how much you love him. When the time comes, I know you'll know how to provide for him, but... don't forget about yourself, okay? And remember. I always got your back."

Her voice was soft, yet determined. "Thanks, Lyla. What you said, means the world to me right now". Sean still felt anxious, but it was true she helped him think things through. He'd be ready when the time comes. "It was so cool to hear your voice, Lyla. I... I gotta go look for Daniel now, but... I'm glad I called you. I really am", he finally said.

"Oh man... I miss you guys so much... You better take care of yourself... and my baby boy. Give him a big hug for me...", she answered.

"I will. You take care too, okay? Seriously... Love you, Lyla", and then he hanged the phone. It was time to go check on Daniel.

As soon as he arrived, they were setting up to leave for the Christmas Market. Sean had just found out about that amazing and of course completely out of any risk idea. But, despite all the safety this idea displayed to their low-profile plan, it seemed like it was unavoidable if they didn't want Charles himself to be suspicious. He agreed to go just to keep Daniel in check. He thought about using a moment alone to get a chance to address "Chris' powers", but decided they'd better discuss it that night when they were alone.

The Christmas market was okay. Sean had visited this kind of place with his father and Karen a couple of times when he was a little kid, and once with Lyla and two other friends, but to him, they all looked the same. Still, as soon as they arrived, he wandered off by himself.

He spotted a girl with a guitar, who was clearly not from there. Their eyes crossed for a second, then she looked down and started playing a song. He would later find out she had a companion. Both of them were hitchhikers, who were just in the area trying to get some money for their travels, and even though he assumed she was a couple with the guy, he couldn't help but think about how cute she was.

He also had a good time drawing, getting a bear figurine for Daniel on a discount, and even got to cover Daniel making a prank on some asshat who was insulting those hitchhikers he talked to before. It was a fun afternoon.

One moment he would remember fondly, happened just after he finished drawing. He kept sitting contemplating his work for a short moment. He had just finished Chris's depiction of a cool market, with aliens walking through the alleys.

"Now! Silver Runner!" Chris called. "Mantroid has foiled our plans, and we need your help to get them back on track!"

"Oh no!" Sean replied, trying to show excitement for whatever this was. "Sounds super serious! How can I be of assistance, Captain Spirit?", he continued, and got up from the chair.

"You see..." It was Daniel this time who was talking. He got close from the other side, so he didn't see him coming. He wasn't surprised he was around, though. "We have to pick the most perfect Christmas Tree of all time, so we save Christmas Spirit in the world!"

"Oh, yeah?", Sean replied, taunting the kid to keep with his tone. "Is it too big of a task for the two best superheroes in the world?", he joked.

"You are part of the Spirit Squad after all!" his brother said, with Chris jumping from excitement by his side. It was too much of a joy to simply ignore it.

Sean decided to go along, listening to both kids talk non-stop, giving opinions about Christmas trees as if they were complete experts on the subject. But he noticed every time Daniel would make a statement, he would immediately avert his eyes from Chris, gazing upon his own, making visual contact and expecting his approval.

"It's perfect", Sean finally said, after one tree both kids agreed it was the greenest, the roundest, the everything-est. Both kids were thrilled about completing their mission.

It was a funny feeling. Sean had seen that face many times throughout his brother's life. One of the first ones he of course would remember, was when Daniel was almost four years old. Sean was sketching in his living room, when Daniel, whom he was supposed to be babysitting, came from his side and gave him a bill they had to pay, except it was scribbled all over with a crayon and a black marker. When Sean asked him about the drawing, Daniel said it was them. Of course, it was an indistinguishable mass of black lines spiraling and entangling amongst themselves, and of course, he knew his father would be mad at him for not paying attention to his brother's actions. But he was so happy to care about it. Later on, he'd rescue this useless bill from the trash. He was sure it was safely saved in his room until the day they left home.

And there he was again. Looking at him. Searching for his approval after everything they'd experienced. Happiness didn't go away, yet he still couldn't help but feel how much weight this put on him. His mind drifted again, to the day their lives got screwed. Just moments before Daniel entered his room full of pride trying to show what he had accomplished. And yet he acted like a prick and sent him flying just because he didn't knock. Why did he let himself become that way?

Once they returned home, both kids jumped immediately off the truck and signaled Sean to get down and play with them, to which he responded by gesturing to them to wait. They clearly started with him, which was fine.

"Looks like you found your second baby brother", Charles said. He actually looked pretty amused by it.

"No kidding", Sean said. "They want me to tag along with everything".

"I'm glad you two came along... It's great that Chris found new friends out here. And looks like you did too... What's her name?", Charles said.

"Who?" He knew Charles was talking about Cassidy but didn't want to seem too thirsty. Not that he was comfortable talking to this man about that subject anyway.

"Come on, don't play me! That cutie you were talking to by the market", Charles added.

"Oh, yeah. That Girl. She just... wanted some money". She had been friendly to him, and it was true he took an interest in the girl. But it's not like he cared that much anyway, and he just wanted this man to stop burdening him with out-of-place questions.

"Don't we all?" Outside of the truck, Chris and Daniel had already entangled themselves in a snowball fight. "Anyway... It's good for me to get out too. We've had a rough time over the past couple of years. My wife, Emily. She died two years ago. Obviously, it was tough on Chris." he added, a somber tone in his voice.

Sean recalled what he had seen since the last day, and what Claire had said to him.

"Wasn't it hard on you too?", Sean asked. He didn't mean to, but his voice came out full of spite. Fortunately, either Charles didn't notice or decided to ignore it, but both continued looking at the kids, perhaps avoiding eye contact because they knew where this was headed.

"It was. It is hard. I'm not the man I used to be", Charles said. Sean laughed in his head. He didn't know how the guy could play the fool so well. Then again, maybe he was not being straightforward enough.

"Claire and Stephen seem worried about you" Again, Sean's tone went a bit harder. This time Charles looked at him before answering. To Sean, it seemed like he had finally picked the hint. Or was it maybe he was getting on his nerves?

"You guys may be getting the wrong idea. I know we are not your usual... pretty, happy, suburban family model. But I know things haven't always been good for the Reynolds either", Charles said. Now he was the one getting on Sean's nerves. The man finally decided to shift the subject, as if accusing Claire and Stephen.

"I also noticed a bruise on Chris' arm yesterday", Sean said, angrily. Now they were looking straight at each other's faces.

"If you have something to say about me and my son, you should probably just give it a chance and see how that goes", Charles said menacingly, then immediately grasped the wheel and looked down. "Look, I'm sorry" His tone went down. "You too are a kid, and I appreciate you are looking out for Chris. I won't pick a grudge against you because I know my kid needs your brother, and potentially you." He paused for a second, staring at Sean's pissed-off face. "But Sean, you can't face people this way. You'll make a lot of enemies in your life acting like that".

Sean felt defeated. Now he was not getting any information from this man, and as far as he knew, he could start being double as cautious when abusing Chris. But there was nothing he could do now, so he simply got out of the car and shook hands with Charles.

"Hey buddy, wanna set up that Christmas tree?" Charles said to Chris.

"Can Daniel and Sean come?", Chris asked.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't we get lunch first, and then we call them over?", Charles replied, then looked at Sean. "Is that okay with you?"

"Sure. We gotta ask C-our grandparents, first", Sean said.

"Then let's wait for them to come back and I'll call you to set up the time", Charles finished.

"But Dad...", Chris begged.

"Okay, okay, Chris... I'll call you when lunch is ready. You can play a little longer. Is that good?"

"Awesome!" both kids said, and Sean couldn't help but laugh.

"They ARE a dangerous pair!", he grinned to Charles, making him laugh.

Charles returned home, while Sean and the kids walked to the back side of the Reynolds house. Daniel and Chris continued the snowball fight, the latter calling it training to defeat Mantroid. Both kids tagged along to fight Sean, who acted as if he was the villain they had to defeat. Around an hour later, Charles came out and called his kid for lunch, who reluctantly went back home promising they would set up the Christmas tree as early as they could that day.

"Looks like Grandma and Grandpa haven't come back from church yet", Daniel said as soon as they entered the house.

"Well. At least they won't yell at us for going out", Sean added.

"That was so cool to spend time with Chris at the market!", Daniel stated. "Did you know Chris's mom was an artist?"

"I... didn't. How so?", Sean asked, intrigued about the fact Daniel brought that up so out of the blue.

"She drew comics! You should see her drawings, they're so cool. Just like yours!", Daniel replied.

"Thanks, dude", Sean said. He didn't add anything, completely aware something was coming his way.

"Hey! Uh...", Daniel started again.

There it was. Sean recalled how time and time again his father would know exactly when he was about to ask for money, or his permission to go out. He wondered if this was some sort of sixth sense he was awakening.

"What? What is it?", he said.

"Sean... I wanna go check on the room... upstairs. I know it's Mom's. Please..."

Sean tried to argue, but Daniel was brutally convincing, and after a while and with all attempts to stop his brother to no avail, Sean searched for how to open the door, finding a key in one of Claire's coats.

Sadly, they couldn't spend much time inside. Daniel had grasped Karen's old teddy bear, Ulyses, and was calmly sitting on the floor, and Sean noticed a white piece of paper under it. It was odd. He could see how age-dyed random papers from the room were yellowish, yet that one seemed relatively new in comparison. But he couldn't tell what it was. He grabbed it just as he felt Claire's voice.

"My Goodness", it chanted, announcing her, and giving Sean enough time to hide the piece of paper in his right pocket.

Claire's voice was a hell of mixed emotions. She sounded angry, disappointed, sad, and hurt, all of those at once. And Sean could feel it, but he had to protect Daniel, so he argued with her, not knowing exactly how to calm things down.

Suddenly, a loud noise and a scream came from downstairs. Sean left Claire talking on her own and rushed down. A broken cabinet had fallen over Stephen, who was trapped, maybe even hurt. And even though they tried to help, it became evident if Daniel didn't use his power, there were going to be consequences.

Both brothers exchanged a look. Daniel quietly lifted his hand pointing at the cabinet. Pleading Sean to let him help. And so, Sean complied. There was no other choice. "Do it, Daniel! Now!" Sean screamed, freaking out Claire, who looked distraught while the cabinet was lifted by an invincible force, except it was clearly coming from Daniel. They had used his powers to save Stephen.

Claire was about to freak out when her husband remarked how they had helped him, and that was enough for her.

"Maybe... It was a miracle... Thank you, Lord...", she said. And it was at that exact moment Sean understood. He finally got it. They could have been nervous about the power, but they immediately accepted it. They WERE family.

But in the end, he had no time to savor that moment.

Fate can be really cruel at times. But this. This was just insulting.

Just as Sean finally accepted his grandparents for real in his life, was the very exact time when the ring of a doorbell blew his card castle away.

"Stephen? Claire? It's about your grandsons. Someone called us... We know they've been here.", a man's voice said.

"It's the Sheriff", Claire said. "Sean... I didn't... We didn't call them..." Her voice was cracking. She was breaking down.

"I know, Grandma..."

"Sean... What are we gonna do?!", Daniel pleaded.

"Go hide in the garage!", Stephen argued, but Sean knew it was not safe.

"No... No! No way! If the police searches the house, that makes the two of you accomplices". They had to run. They had to run now.

"Get your bags and go out the backdoor... I will distract him...", Claire said, while putting her clothes in place, as if to give a good impression to the sheriff.

"Really?", Sean said.

"Yes. Now... Get the hell out of here!", Stephen said.

In the end, even if it was over, Sean would always be thankful to them.

Sean grabbed his and his brother's stuff from the bedroom, while Daniel waited at the back door. They went around the house, not exactly knowing where to go, but the moment they were trying to cross the street they saw it. A police unit parked in front of the house.

Both brothers panicked the second they saw it. They felt as if a light was pointing directly at them. One even stronger and brighter than the day itself. There was no way the officer in the unit didn't see them. And they were right. The siren got turned on, and the car quickly drove directly to them. They were getting busted.

That's when Chris jumped in front of the police car, holding his hand up, clearly trying to move it out of the way. Daniel instinctively reacted to it, doing the same, but he did make the car move, crashing it into a tree.

Chris looked at his hand, then looked back. He seemed happy to help, if a little confused, maybe because he didn't want to use his powers to crash the car. Still, the moment he looked at the brothers and saw Daniel's hand, his face jumped again into confusion.

To Sean, there was no time to lose. An opportunity ensued, and they had to take it. Sean grabbed Daniel's hand. His brother had of course realized he was found out by Chris, but there wouldn't be time for apologies. They had to run.

And they did run. They ran for what felt like an eternity. How could they stop? Sean didn't think they could ever stop. Not after what just happened. It was his fault. He was reckless, again. And now his grandparents might go to prison because of him. What else could they do, but run?

Still, after some time Sean could recall: those hitchhikers said something about jumping aboard a cargo train, and he finally decided that was going to be their next move. Even if the police could trace their snow footprints, once they reached the tracks there was no way for them to know how far they went.

So, in a curve where a log was on the floor, just feet away from the train, they sat. Expecting their ride.

They sat in silence for some long, awkward, and sad minutes. Sean's head felt like it was about to blow up, as he tried to come back to his senses. He knew his brother needed him, and badly wanted to be there for him, but he couldn't even come to think straight. He could not find anything to say which would help ease the situation.

"Man! Chris must be so mad at me... I could tell he was pissed when he saw I had the power...", Daniel finally said. Sean felt the weight of his choices catch up to him. He wanted to tell Daniel about being truthful to Chris so many times, yet in the end, he decided every time he'd save it for later.

Once again, Sean was robbing Daniel of everything. Claire and Stephen proved them to be family. Chris was someone Daniel needed. In the little time they spent with their grandparents, they made hope for a healthy childhood crawl back into their souls once again. But what could he provide instead? Sean felt a tear going down his cheek. He immediately felt a hug coming from his little brother.

"I'm sorry...", Daniel said, with a worried tone in his voice. "I... You told me so many times I shouldn't go out. If I didn't want to go to the Christmas market, this wouldn't have happened".

"I...", Sean started. He could feel the embrace. It was extremely tight. Sean couldn't tell if the strength his brother was putting into it was because of how much he regretted what happened, or if it was just because he was nervous. But he couldn't get himself to give him one back.

"I think...", Sean continued. His voice had gone soft. It was almost a whisper. He was fighting to find the right words. But after a while decided there was simply no way to sugarcoat what he was trying to tell. "I think you should go back and live a happy life without me", was what he was about to say to his little brother. But he didn't get to do it.

"There you are!", Chris's voice suddenly said. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Chris!" jumped Daniel, "What are you doing here?!" He ran a couple feet, then flinched and stopped in place, grabbing one arm with his other hand. "I... I'm sorry I lied", he said.

"That's okay..." Chris answered. "I kinda realized the power was never up when you were not around. Makes sense... Thank you for saving me", he added.

Although Chris was trying his best to be nice, his face was frowning a bit. It was more than obvious to Sean he was still mad, but it's not like it mattered. Sean was panicking again. If the kid was there, they could find them at any moment, and there was not yet a sign of the train coming.

"Chris. Is... is someone with you?", Sean asked, as calmly as he could. His eyes quickly stared from one side to the other, then the other again.

"No way! I took a shortcut by the Troll Forest. I actually didn't know if I'd be able to find you guys", he answered. To Sean, it sounded genuine, but still, he couldn't take the uneasiness away.

"Okay, but... What... are you doing here?" Sean asked. His voice was cracking, his body stiff as a log.

"I... I decided the Spirit Squad must remain united. I'll join your journey through these perilous paths!", Chris said, putting his rough superhero voice.

"REALLY?! SEAN!" Daniel screamed, his face beaming with excitement.

"No, Daniel! Absolutely not!", Sean said. "I'm sorry Chris, but you have to go home."

"Why Sean? Why can't he go?", Daniel said, although to Sean it sounded more like he was begging.

"You know why, Enano. It's too risky", Sean said, looking at Chris instead of his brother. He'd rather be looking anywhere but them.

"Listen, Runner. We are a trio now. I can help.", Chris said.

"Yeah! We are a team now, Sean! I can take care of both of us", Daniel pleaded once again.

"Chris...", Sean said. "Why do you want to come with us?"

"Don't grill him, Sean!" responded Daniel interrupting. "You still didn't say why can't he go!"

Daniel was starting to get mad. Sean could feel it but didn't exactly know what to say to calm him down.

"Daniel, this... You know this is not a field trip. You got sick. We had to walk for days. We didn't eat for hours. We... we couldn't even take care of Mushroom", Sean said. He learned right away it was a mistake.

Daniel's eyes became red right away. His face didn't show such anger since the day he found out about their dad's passing. Chris stood silently, mildly scared, as snow dust started to float around Daniel. His power was activating.

"Daniel! Don't! Calm down!", Sean said. To make things worse, he could hear a whistle in the distance. The train was coming.

"Why, Sean?!", Daniel started, as the gusts of wind became stronger. Sean could feel the chilly snow hitting his face violently. They didn't hurt him, yet somehow felt as if little knives were cutting through his skin. "YOU were the one who let her out to pee! IT WAS YOUR FAULT!".

Daniel's scream pierced through the forest. At the same time, his power unleashed. All the snow laying under his feet had flown straight over to Sean, hitting him and throwing him into the floor.

Chris jumped, hugging Daniel. Sean was stunned on the floor by the impact.

"No, Superwolf. We are a team, remember?" he said, and this made the snow slowly calm down once again.

The train whistled once again. It was getting closer, as Sean gazed upon the little kids from the floor. This was it. What he was about to say before Chris arrived was the answer he'd been looking for this whole time.

"I...", he said while standing up. "Daniel", he called, walking to his little brother.

"No! Get away from me!", screamed Daniel, and Chris hugged him even tighter.

"Daniel this Is important. Listen to me. Please", he began. And Daniel did listen to him even before he spoke.

"No! I'm going with you!", Sean froze. Was he THAT obvious? A 9-year-old finding him out like that?

"But-"

"No. NO!", Daniel screamed. Chris was still holding him tight. "I... we lost Dad. And now you are going to leave me too? Don't even think about it, Sean!", Daniel continued.

The whistle went off once again. It was already visible in the distance.

"Chris... You have to go back", Daniel said, releasing himself from the other kid.

"I won't.", Chris said. "You won't ever let me down, remember? We are a team now".

"We are not going on a field trip, Chris. We are running from the police", Sean replied. He grabbed Daniel by the arm and started walking towards the train.

"I know that. But I'm not leaving you guys! I won't let you down either", Chris said. Sean saw his face. It showed such determination no one would ever believe it came from a kid his age.

There was no time to argue. And it was as clear as the sky Sean wanted to argue. But he couldn't. The train arrived, and they had to go. Sean helped Daniel up, looked at Chris for a split second, and against all his judgment, helped him onto the train.

There would be consequences. He knew that for a fact. But what was he to do, then? He could only hope things for once would work out.

Chapter 3: Helpless Kid

Summary:

Chris encourages Daniel to help his brother do some groceries shopping!

Chapter Text

"Because no matter what happens, we will defeat Mantroid and liberate you from evil!", Chris said, putting a lot of energy into every word.

"Yeah! We will be free, and then return home and live with you too!" Daniel added.

He noticed how Sean stood awfully quiet, knowing right away it wasn't possible. He still wanted to feel okay with it, though, because now Chris was with them. He had a friend now. Not that his brother was not enough for him, but he knew Sean was taking care of everything and couldn't always be paying attention to him.

"So, uhm... Chris... Er... Captain Spirit", Sean started. "Why did you want to run away with us?"

"I, uh... Just thought you may need my help. That's what a superhero does!", Chris answered.

"Come on. We already told you our story", Sean added.

It was true. They spent the last two hours telling Chris everything about the journey. Even what happened with that policeman in Seattle and their father. Well, it was mostly Sean talking, but Daniel didn't mind. He was a good storyteller.

"Don't grill him, Sean" Daniel said anyway. He didn't want to upset Chris.

"No, man. I know something is up. What did he do to you?" Sean's answered looking at Daniel, but despite it, he was actually talking to Chris.

"I... I'm sorry..." Chris apologized. Daniel didn't understand what was going on. It was as if Sean and Chris were talking in coded language. He was about to argue when he saw Sean try to put a hand on his friend's shoulder like he had done to him whenever he was down. Chris's body retreated as in fear, making Daniel's brother hesitate, but then did it anyway, just more slowly.

"Chris", Sean started. His voice was really soft. "I know it's been hard. But we are your friends, and your allies. We won't let you down. I just want to know so I can keep you safe. Is that okay with you?"

Chris nodded, then took a few seconds before he took the jacket off to show them a bruise on his arm. It looked like it was going away already, except for a big red spot on the wrist. Just then he explained to them a couple of days ago his father got mad at him and hit him because of it.

He said the day he met Sean and Daniel, he was running away from him because he thought it was going to happen again.

He then explained how when the brothers ran from the police and Daniel stopped to save Chris, his father got mad at him because he intervened. He had grabbed him by the wrist so hard that it hurt him yet again.

"You saved me. You saved me and then my dad got mad at me because I was trying to help". Chris said sobbing.

Daniel felt Sean's arm pulling him towards Chris, hugging them both.

"We will not fail you, Chris. Okay?", is all his brother said. Daniel knew he was a real part of the team from now on.

Their journey continued for five more days on the same train. Sean had made a habit of paying attention to the moment they heard whistling, checking if there was any hint of civilization. They would get off the wagon before they reached any town, wait for them to unload or load any cargo they had, and get back up on the other side of the rails. The whole thing would last a couple of hours before the train got back on the move so his brother used that as an advantage.

In the meantime, Sean had them go sneak in public restrooms, or go around outside the stations so they wouldn't draw too much attention. On the third day, though, they got off the train, but it didn't stop at the station.

"Sean, what do we do?", Daniel asked his brother.

"Well, we ran out of the food I took from the kitchen in Beaver's Creek, so I guess we should take this as a chance", Sean said.

"Oh! Are we going to the town then?", Chris said showing excitement in his voice. "I hope they have a comic store here too. We should buy something to read!"

Daniel looked at his brother. He already knew that kind of thing was forbidden to them. They needed to lay low, so they couldn't risk being seen.

"No, uh, I... I actually need you to do something way more important!"

"Uh! Special mission! Bring it, Runner!"

"I need you to... set up the camp! Yeah, since you are here with us now, you need to learn how to live in the wild. It's an awesome part of our adventure!" Sean said. To Daniel, it seemed like he was even trying to convince himself.

He saw how Chris got excited by it, and in another situation maybe he would have believed Sean. But it was obvious to Daniel his brother was lying, just as he did to him when they flew from Seattle. He didn't question him, though, since this was to keep Chris safe.

They walked for a couple of hours, picking a spot which had a big rock, enough to cover them from not only part of the wind, but also masking their fire a little from the town. Sean said they were far enough not to be noticed, but still wanted extra protection.

"Uh, I know! Superwolf can use his power to make a giant lair for our night!", Chris said.

"Oh, yeah! I can find some broken log and-"

"Daniel!" Sean interrupted. "It's a good idea, but don't overdo it, okay?"

"Sorry...", Daniel said. But why was he apologizing? It was Chris's idea.

In the end they did use Daniel's powers, but only to clean up the area. It was a good thing the snow was receding.

Once the area was clean enough, and they had formed a sort of fort with branches, so they were less visible from the sides, Sean helped them make the fire and then left Daniel and Chris in charge of preparing the tent, leaving on his own. Daniel used his powers to help himself, so they finished very quick.

"Man, I should really tell Sean to let me do it this way from now on", Daniel said.

"So, why doesn't he let you use it? Your superpower I mean."

"I don't know. It's not always. He let me help grandpa and said I did the right thing when I helped you." Daniel truly didn't understand his brother sometimes. But he knew everything he said was for a reason.

"Sounds like he is trying to teach to be a rescue type hero! That's so cool! And clever!", Chris said. As always, he sounded really excited.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we don't have supervillains in our world, right? So, it's not like you'd have someone to fight against. He instead is training you to know how to react in an emergency so you can save those around you! That is so cool!"

Daniel stood silently a couple seconds, while those words sank in. His brother did tell him he did the right thing. Maybe Chris was right.

"So, uh..." Chris said, making Daniel's bubble burst. "We finished a lot earlier. Do you think we should go help him out?"

"I don't know. He told us to stay here."

"Yeah, but he didn't think we'd finish this quick. He shouldn't be that far away, right?"

"I don't know. What if we get lost? Or something?"

"Don't worry, Superwolf! I know you can keep us safe! I trust you!"

Daniel blushed. He was not used to being treated this way. Normally he'd be the reason for everything to go wrong. His brother loved him but didn't trust him and he knew it.

"Okay... but what's the plan?"

"I don't know. He went to get supplies, right? I brought my savings with me. Maybe we can't go to a comic store, but I'm sure there is a place where we can buy supplies."

"How much?"

"36 dollars", Chris said, proud of his savings.

"That's a lot of money! Okay we can go! Man, I want to buy a Chock-o-Crisp. And we could buy burgers! I'm so sick of canned food. I miss grandma's food".

Daniel had already lost any idea of restraint. Chris did a really good job making him excited. So, they ventured into the woods, following the route they thought Sean was taking.

They walked for a long time. According to Daniel's watch, they left the camp around 7:30PM, and it was already 9:15PM when they arrived the town. It's not like they got lost. It just didn't feel that long when they got off the train and went to their camp place. But his brother did make sure they weren't easy to find.

The town was already empty when they started walking down the streets. Daniel felt a bit scared about it. What if someone came from behind and attacked them? Maybe this was a bad idea. And where was Sean? They walked really fast, or so he thought. How come they didn't reach him?

Chris was walking ahead of him. He seemed so decided. How could he not feel the eerie ambience they were walking through?

"Hey, Chris?", he started. But couldn't continue.

"Look! There is a store over there!", Chris screamed, jumping from excitement. Then went off running to it.

They entered the store and started walking around. To Chris it seemed like the most normal thing to do, but Daniel was a bit nervous about it. Last time he was in a store was in October, and he remembered very well how that ended.

They walked around with a basket Chris had picked up at the entrance, but after a couple minutes with only three Chok-o-Crisp bars in the basket he looked at Daniel.

"So, uhm... What should we buy?"

"I don't know. Food?"

"Yeah, but. What food?"

Daniel looked around, trying to remember how his brother decided what to buy back then. His mind also went to those ravioli cans they ate at the cabin. No, not ravioli, but canned food seemed like a good idea.

"I know! We should take canned food!"

Chris nodded, and they walked to a shelf filled with cans. They were expensive. They already were spending 5 dollars on the Chock-o-Crisps, and any of these cans would cost around that price. There was only one cheaper option. At the low-price cost of 3 dollars, there they were. Ravioli cans.

"You are kidding", Daniel said.

"What's wrong?", Chris asked, grabbing one of the cans, looking at it. They didn't think it was an important part of the story when he and Sean told him, so of course he didn't know.

"Nothing. Let's just take those", he said. He was not convinced, but the more they could take the better. They were three now. If only Sean could see him, taking care of even saving money. He would be so proud.

"Wait, what about the burgers?", Chris asked.

"I don't know if they sell them here", Daniel said. He looked around the store again, noticing the cashier looking at them.

Daniel waved at him, awkwardly. He could remember his brother trying to act as if they were nothing out of the ordinary and did his best to imitate him. The man waved back, but he wouldn't stop staring at them. Why? What did he want? Did he recognize them?

Daniel looked at the rest of the store, and just then realized there was another person, a younger blonde man, dressed in blue, cleaning the store. There were two of them, but at least the latter wasn't paying attention to them.

"Maybe let's just take these. Don't want burgers that badly anyway", Daniel said. It would be better to leave soon. His mind went back to Hank Stamper. He didn't want Chris to go through something like that. He didn't want that for himself either.

"Uh... alright. We got Chock-o-Crisps anyway", Chris replied. "So, uh... how many of them?"

"I don't know. How many can we buy?"

"Uh... I think... 10?"

"10?! Are you sure?" Daniel asked.

"I think, right? Because 10 times three is 30, right? And we have 5 dollars on Chock-o-Crisps."

"Dude! You are so smart!" he said. He was really surprised. His friend was a genius.

They put all those cans in the basket, then went to the cashier. Daniel looked at the man. An old man with a white beard, who wouldn't stop staring at them. As they approached, he noticed he looked strong despite his age. He also was big. Very big. How did he not notice how big he was? The man might be about three times his size. He noticed Chris patting his shoulder.

"Are you okay, sonny?", the man said. His voice sounded soft.

"Uh, yeah, I'm okay. Thank you", Daniel replied.

"Alright. Are you sure this is what you had to buy?", the man said, looking at the cans.

"Yeah, that's all!" Daniel was getting even more nervous. Why was it weird to buy cans of food?

"Maybe you should tell your parents to give you a list next time. I'm sure they didn't tell you to buy ten cans of ravioli"

"No, sir! Don't worry!" Chris said. "Dad sent us on a special mission to get ravioli supplies!"

The man laughed. It seemed Chris had it under control.

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you what. Why don't you take the cans with you, and I'll be ready to change any item you could have forgotten to buy. Don't mind so long as the cans are still closed. Okay?"

"Yeah! T-thank you sir!" Daniel replied.

"You sure you are okay? You are not from around here, are you? You staying at Sharon's?"

"I don't know! I mean... I don't know the name of the place!" Daniel urged to reply. He just wanted to get out of there.

"Hey, maybe we should call your parents. You don't look too good, sonny..."

"Uh, oh, don't worry. He is just shy!" Chris said. Daniel didn't understand how he was so calm. "Don't worry. Let me just grab this and we'll go", he said. Opening Daniel's backpack and saving six of the cans on it.

"I'm okay!"

"Hey, look at me", Chris said. Daniel stared at Chris, who started making weird faces on purpose. He was still nervous, but it made him giggle.

"I'm sorry", he said. "I'm better now. Thank you, sir", he added, looking at the man, and grabbed the two bags where the man had already saved the other cans and the candies.

"Well. I'll be here all night, so if you need anything, come back, okay?"

"Will do, sir! Thank you!" Chris replied, grabbing Daniel's hand and taking him out of there.

"Hey, are you okay, Superwolf?", Chris asked when they had reached the town limit where they arrived.

"Yeah, sorry", he replied. It was not exactly true.

Chris didn't say anything else to him. They started walking back to the camp. They didn't cross paths with Sean, but it was getting late.

They walked through the woods for a long time. Daniel kept watching his clock. It was really hard to see in the dark, but it was past twelve already. They should have already reached the camp.

"Daniel, I'm tired"

"Me too"

"It's cold, and I'm hungry, too. Maybe we should put up a fire and eat a can of Ravioli?"

"Sean has the lighter. And I don't know how far we are from the town."

"Why couldn't we stay in the town anyway?", Chris asked.

"The police are looking for us, remember? Sean says we should avoid being seen."

"Then what do we do?"

Daniel knew what Chris was thinking, because he thought of those things himself. What if they never got back to camp? What if they were lost forever?

"We should go back to town", Daniel said. Chris nodded in response. He didn't know if that was the best call, but hopefully Sean would think of that and find them.

They walked for another hour. Daniel was thirsty, but they didn't bring any water, so that was a no-go. Also, maybe he was used to walking for long hours, but Chris certainly was not. Daniel could tell his pace was slowing down.

"Do you need to rest for a while?", he asked.

"I'm... I'm okay".

Daniel's feet hurt, but they walked for another hour before they finally were too tired to keep going. They sat on the floor under a tree, silently watching nowhere. There was nothing to see, really. Clouds took over the sky, and the forest was pitch black in the night. They were lost. There was nothing else to say about it.

"What do we do now?", Chris asked. Daniel was not sure what to say. Why was Chris asking him? It was always Sean who would be there to give them answers, not him. But he didn't really have time to answer. He heard a branch cracking in the distance.

Both kids looked in the direction, the sound came, and noticed what clearly was a flashlight a bit far away, shining through the trees. Daniel didn't say a thing. They had no flashlight, and even if his brother just got one in town, maybe that was not him. He just had in mind what his brother had taught him. They shouldn't let themselves be found. This time it was he who grabbed Chris's hand and started walking in the opposite direction.

The kids were rushing through the trees, making a lot of noise on their way. Daniel felt like they were walking in the void. Everything was completely dark, so they couldn't see past a few inches away. The terrain was rough, and they couldn't tell if they walked them before.

Suddenly, he felt Chris falling. Daniel looked at him, barely seeing the branch he had stepped on. He tried to react and use his power before his friend touched the ground, but it was too late.

The problem was not only the noise the kid made, of course much more audible than all the ones they made before, but he also gave a loud whimper in pain when he did.

"WHO'S THERE?!", a man's voice screamed. "COME OUT NOW!"

Daniel noticed the light pointing in their direction, no longer searching around. He grabbed Chris by the wrist and helped him hide behind the same tree that made the kid fall. He was sure the light caught them doing it.

"Are you okay?" Daniel whispered. Chris only nodded.

Daniel looked at the floor, trying to improvise. He saw one of the cans on the floor thanks to the light, made it float a couple meters in the air, above the tree they were under, and threw it with his power into the woods, feet away from where they were. But although the can made an audible noise when it landed, the light of the flashlight didn't divert from the tree they were hiding.

There was no escape, except, a shadowy figure, bigger than them, approached silently from the same side they were hiding. Daniel was about to use his power to blow that person in fear when he noticed it was his brother, signaling with a finger for them to keep quiet.

"Stay here and don't move, no matter what", he whispered, but Daniel felt it as if it was a commandment. One that he couldn't break.

Daniel looked at his brother. He walked until he was out in the light, just enough for Daniel to see him standing stoic, his face filled with determination. It was the pose of a hero about to fight his final battle. Even if that image only lasted for one second before he started running, chasing away the person with the flashlight.

"HEY! YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!", a man's voice screamed, and Sean sprinted off in the middle of the darkness. "WAIT!", the man's voice said, and started chasing Daniel's brother.

Daniel's heart was racing. He was so scared that he only noticed Chris's fingers clawing to his arm after it started hurting.

"Don't worry! Superwolf is here!", Daniel said, out of nowhere. "And we have The Silver Runner on our side. Sean won't let anything happen to us!"

"Y-yeah! Go Spirit Squad!", Chris said loudly, then put his hand on his mouth. They were supposed to be quiet.

Daniel looked around and felt fortunate to discover no one else seemed to be there. They only had to wait for Sean in the dark. And they waited, alright. Daniel even had time to look for the cans scattered on the floor, putting them in the bag again.

As time kept moving on, Daniel felt every minute more restless. His brother wasn't coming back. What if he was caught? What if he never found his way back to them. Clouds in the sky became even darker, and mixed with the trees and everything else, he couldn't even see what time it was on his watch.

He and Chris remained sitting there for what seemed like an eternity. The weather was getting colder by the minute, and he could feel Chris shivering. But in the end, Sean returned to them.

"Let's go", he said, in a tone Daniel felt colder than the weather itself, then started walking, not even peeking at the kids to see if they were following.

Daniel couldn't see his brother's face. He could only tell the silhouette of his body from the trees. His body seemed bigger than usual. Taller. But if he had to put a face on him, it would definitely not be a smile.

"S-Sean?", Daniel called.

"We'll talk at camp", was all that came from Sean. Daniel could feel tears starting to pour from his eyes. He had failed him yet again.

The rest of the trip was extremely silent. Not even Chris dared say anything, and Daniel didn't try to look at him all covered in tears as he was. Not that he would be able to see his face in the dark. At least he wouldn't notice he couldn't stop crying. He wondered if any of them could hear him swallow his sobbing. Feet hurt. He was hungry. And he hated himself.

The sky started clearing up. They were walking the rest of the night, and when they finally reached camp, it was already dawn, even if a cold, cloudy one. But as soon as they were there, Sean finally decided to turn back at Daniel, who instinctively laid eyes on the floor. He knew for sure his brother hated him and didn't want to look him in the eyes when he said it.

"Dude, Enano. You scared the living shit out of me tonight", Sean said. Daniel could feel anger contained in his voice. He was trying to be nice but was definitely pissed. "Do you have any idea of what could have happened if I didn't find you? If anyone else, like that guy in the woods, found you before me?"

"Yes, I know, Sean. I do. I mean it".

"Then why? Why did you leave when I told you to stay here?"

"It was my fault!" Chris argued. Daniel raised his eyes and saw how Sean looked at the kid, made a sign for him to wait with his hand, then looked back at him.

"Answer me."

"I-"

"We!", Chris reassured. Daniel saw his brother close his eyes frowning, like he did every time he was mad at him.

"We thought... Chris had money, and we wanted to help. We bought these". Daniel reached for his backpack and the plastic bags and handed them to Sean, who opened and examined the items carefully. He grinned.

"Ravioli? Really, Daniel?", he started laughing, though Daniel still felt tension in his voice.

"It was really cheap!", Daniel replied, sulking.

Sean hugged him out of nowhere.

"I'm so fucking mad at you, Daniel", Sean said, but wouldn't let him go. "You have to be careful. And you have to listen to me".

"I know, Sean. I'm sorry". Daniel was about to cry yet again.

"Let's eat for now, shall we? Then maybe we should rest here. I don't think they'll come looking at us this far", he said.

"Oh! Right! Who was that guy last night?", Daniel asked.

"No one, really. I think. Maybe just some guard. But there is no way he thinks of me as more than a stray teen who was sneaking out from home, so I don't think we have much to worry about."

While Sean talked, he put up the fire again, then took a couple of bags from his own backpack, drawing three burgers wrapped in foil, and let them heat near the fire.

"Turns out they have a McDonald's in this small town, can you believe it? They threw up a lot of leftover cooked burgers last night", he said. He was back to being normal Sean.

That's when Daniel noticed Chris, who was silent the whole time.

"Hey Captain. Are you okay?", Daniel asked. Sean looked at Chris, too.

"I-", he said reluctantly. "I'm okay! We had a real adventure tonight! And we beat the odds and survived as a team!"

"Ha!" Daniel laughed. "Yeah! No one can defeat-"

"Justice!" they both said at the same time.

"Alright. Since you are such an energetic superhero, -Captain-, could you do me a favor and go bring some water? There is a stream over there", Sean said, pointing with his finger. Chris jumped, excitedly, and grabbed all the canteens.

"Let's go!", he said, obviously directed to Daniel.

"Nope! He stays. He has another mission to take care of."

"Awww, come on, Sean", Daniel said.

"Daniel. I'm trying to be chill, but I'm still mad at you, so PLEASE listen to me, okay?", Sean said bluntly.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry". There was no reason to argue. Daniel knew he messed up.

"Don't worry Superwolf! I'll be back in a bit", Chris said, and left running.

"So, what do I have to do?", Daniel asked. He wanted to do well to regain his brother's trust.

"You have to listen to me. But, dude, you have to promise me you won't say anything to Chris. Not a single word". Daniel felt Sean pausing at every word.

"Uh, okay?"

"I'm serious, Enano. I'm only telling you this because I promised I wouldn't lie. But Chris can't know, so promise me you won't tell him."

"I... I promise". Daniel was starting to feel scared.

"While I was looking through the trash, I found a newspaper from yesterday"

"So?", Daniel asked. He never cared for that junk. It was only useful to make some crafts from it.

"There was a whole page dedicated to me, Daniel. I'm a kidnapper now. Of two kids. Not only a murder suspect, but I also kidnapped Chris and you. Do you understand?"

Daniel felt his stomach full of stones. This was his doing. He convinced Sean to bring Chris along.

"I'm sorry".

"What? No, Daniel, that's not what this is about."

"Yes, it is! It's my fault!", he screamed. Sean looked in Chris's direction and made a gesture for him to keep it down.

"Daniel, if I wanted, I could have ignored you and let you pout about it. But Chris felt in danger with his father and wanted to come along. This is not your fault, and it's not why I'm telling you this."

"Okay. I get it. But why are you telling me then?" The feeling he had in his stomach wouldn't go away.

"I already told you. I promised I wouldn't lie. And from now on, we can't let people see us together. It won't be easy to hide who we are, so we need to be extra careful. Do you understand?"

"I... I think so..."

"I mean, we can't go into towns from now on. We'll keep camping like this. I'll make as many walks as are needed whenever we need supplies, and we'll need to survive this way."

"Okay, I get it."

"Good. You have the power, Enano. I need you to take care of Chris, okay? If you are ever in danger, use your power to create a distraction and run, okay?"

"Yeah, okay".

"Good. Chris is coming back. Let's eat, then let's rest. We'll stay here today, and tomorrow we'll take another train", Sean said, putting an end to their conversation.

They ate, then went into the tent to get some rest. Later that morning Daniel looked at Chris, who was already sleeping. He was in charge of protecting him. But would he be able to? He then turned his head to the other side, where Sean was also asleep. Daniel grabbed the sleeve of his brother's hoodie, slowly falling into his own dreams.

Chapter 4: Captain Spirit & The Forest Witch

Summary:

The mighty Spirit Squad embarks on a journey to fight against Mantroid directly in one of his lairs, but when they arrive, they find a new enemy who uses mind control on his comrade Superwolf. Will Captain Spirit be able to save him?

Chapter Text

The ringing sound of an alarm made Captain Spirit wake up from his daydream.

"Huh?", he said, looking in front of him, his mind a little fuzzy. What was he doing just before? He looked right, noticing the pitch-black empty space outside the porthole, trying to recall what just happened.

"HEY!" Superwolf said, sporting his superhero outfit. "Runner says we should get a move on. We are reaching enemy land now!"

"Oh yeah!", Spirit said. Jumping from his seat, noticing for the first time his own outfit. It was the same as the one he created, except this one was real, not something he crafted with cardboard and paper glue. He touched the fabric to feel it, but for some reason couldn't really know how it felt to the touch. Still, he didn't put much thought into it, since Superwolf once again nudged him, making a gesture with his hand for him to follow.

Spirit didn't really notice when it was they landed, but Runner was walking in front of them, guiding their pace. Except. He wasn't. Chris was walking on his own down the shade of pine trees. Where was he?

His ragged clothes were not enough to cover him from the weather. It was a strange feeling, because he couldn't feel the cold, but he knew it was.

Chris started looking for someone. In the distance, amongst the trees, he could see the figure of a boy and a teenager, holding hands while walking away from him. He thought he recognized them, but when he ran to them and called them over with a scream, they turned over, showing no faces in them except for two hollow distorted black sockets where the eyes should have been. He tried to focus harder, those black spots would disfigure, moving arrhythmically.

"What do you want?" the older one said, in a voice he thought he recognized.

"You are no one to us, so go away" the little one added.

Chris tried to talk, but his voice wouldn't come out. He started moving, trying to reach them, but noticed how they had turned into a black mist.

"Why Chris?" a third voice said, but like the other ones, he couldn't tell who was talking.

Chris tried to reach the mist, but a sudden pat on the shoulder made him open his eyes. He was awake now, Daniel sitting by his side in the tent.

"Uh... what is it, Daniel?" he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Sean said we should eat. He has to leave soon", Daniel said, then left the tent. Chris could hear him talking to Sean, letting him know he was awake.

It had been two weeks already since they left Beaver Creek. Their journey kept them on the train a little longer, until one day, about a week later, they changed their ride on another night of scavenging for Sean, and there they ran into some guys who Chris considered sketchy at first, but told Sean about a farm where he could easily get a job.

They stayed in the forest though, which was not exactly pleasing to Chris. The days were warmer, but the nights were still really cold. "At least we are not walking around anymore", he thought to himself, feeling bad because Sean not only had to work all day, but he also had to walk a lot to get there and back to camp.

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late!" he said, cheerfully. Dismissing the thought just like he would at home with Dad. He wondered how he was doing for a second.

"No worries. Look! We'll have eggs today!", Daniel said, his voice sounded so excited he thought he could blow up.

"Oh, yeah! Man, I want to try them so bad!"

"Don't be so excited, Enano. Remember I'm not Dad" Sean said, while serving them, but he still seemed quite excited too.

"Look, we did this last night to thank your friend for the eggs!" Chris said, returning to the tent where he grabbed a drawing made in pencil of a woman holding chicken, and the word thank you on the bottom.

"Oh wow! This is great!" the older brother said, taking the drawing in his hands, and saving it on his hoodie. "I'll be sure to give it to her".

"So, did you think about it?" Daniel asked suddenly. Chris knew what he was talking about.

"Oh, the beach thing?" Sean said. He frowned when the word came out of his mouth.

"Yeah! Do you think we can go?"

"I don't know, Enano. At least not yet. I have a steady job and we need to save money."

"Aw", Daniel cried. "It's okay. I get it" he added, resignation in his voice.

The three of them sat down and ate breakfast together. In the meantime, Daniel sat at Sean's side, while they discussed some usual chores like refilling water and cleaning the cooking pot and the plastic plates. They were such a good team.

An uneasy feeling came over to Chris. He was never involved in those small meetings they had together. Sean always seemed to be sure Daniel would take care of them both while he was out, and Chris of course got to play a lot with his friend, but he didn't feel like he was being helpful.

"Hey Runner!", he finally said, causing both of them to look at him. "What's my special mission today?"

"Don't worry. We got it covered! You can just help Daniel or play around!"

"We should check that spot at the river! The one we saw yesterday!" Daniel said.

"Cool then! Thanks!" he said, unintentionally ignoring his friend. "Guess I'll just help Daniel then!"

Daniel looked at him for a couple seconds, then went back to Sean, who was already leaving. They shared a hug then the older one came to him and gave him a couple pats on his shoulder before he left. Once again, a strange feeling started forming in his chest. It was like his clothes were soaked in water. Making the idea of moving uncomfortable.

"So, Superwolf! What do we do first?" Chris said, shaking the thought. He wanted to get rid of the chores as early as he could so they could play the rest of the day. Maybe they could fight a dragon or find out what Mantroid had been up to.

"Oh, you'll love today! We need wood to the fire!"

"Uh! So, we'll go into the Dark Forest! Mantroid is gathering his allies in there to invade our lair. Maybe we should pay him a visit!"

"We'll totally bust him!" Daniel said, using his powers to store things in his backpack.

After they finished the chores, they decided to follow the path upstream of the creek. Sean had taught them a bit about how to identify their whereabouts, so while they didn't go far, they knew a few spots where they could play.

There was a giant rock with a flat top around half a mile away where they had made a small castle out of wood bark and branches. They didn't have many toys, so they improvised with whatever they could find. At least they had the Chibi Power Bear Daniel got on the gas station back then.

As soon as they arrived, Chris let his imagination run free, dragging Daniel with him. There were no more Chris and Daniel, and they were in no forest. It was a secret base on a distant planet, overrun by technology. There was no more dirt on the ground, but pure metal roads. And there were no trees around, but metal skyscrapers.

"Hey Superwolf!", he said, sporting once again his superhero outfit.

"What is it, Spirit?" his loyal teammate asked, looking forward.

"We are reaching Mantroid's lair, but Power Bear did some intel, and we know he's got a new minion. A user of dark magic. We gotta be careful!"

"Don't worry, Spirit. We can beat anyone!" Superwolf said, then started running to Mantroid's Lair, which was visible already in the distance.

Captain Spirit tried to reach Superwolf, but suddenly a strange force made him stop in place. He tried to resist it, but it was as if his body could not bear to move at all. Suddenly, two pieces of metal plates big enough to cover his chest pressed against him. He couldn't see his comrade, so what was he going to do?

A surge of power came to him, as he could slowly push the plates from his body using his arms, until both flew away, each one hitting a building by his side. He started running again, avoiding missiles and bullets coming his way, until he finally reached the base of the castle.

"Captain Spirit to Superwolf, give me your CL please, over!", he said, speaking to his super technological watch on his wrist.

"Here Superwolf! I'm inside the base, making enemy defenses weaker. I'll send Power Bear to help you get in, over!"

Then the figure of another comrade of theirs, a flying bear in a superhero suit, reached where Spirit was.

"I, Power Bear, will help you defeat the enemy, Captain Spirit!" his grunting voice said.

"Thank you, Power Bear! Mantroid must be inside!" he said, then started running with his comrade flying by his side.

Once inside the base, Spirit couldn't help but notice how this room was filled with a number of crystal pillars so big, he didn't think even Sky Pirate's genius could count them. What was Mantroid planning with all that?

He walked to the Throne Room. Also filled with pillars, but at the end of it rested the throne. It was really big, as expected. What Spirit didn't expect was to see Superwolf sitting in it.

"You arrived, Captain Spirit", he said. "And you brought Power Bear with you. I expected you'd be alone."

"W-what are you doing? Superwolf!" Power Bear said, flying straight to a pillar where he crashed, then landing on the floor unconscious.

"Superwolf! Why did you do that?!" Spirit asked, taking one step forward.

"Oh, don't worry! I'm no Superwolf. I am someone else".

"Mind control. Mantroid!"

"Mantroid?" Superwolf snorted, then continued with a joking tone. "That dumbass thinks he's in control, but he's only playing games for me. I'm The Forest Witch"

"What do you want?! Release Superwolf this instant!"

"Oh? Where is the fun in that. Imagine! Captain Spirit... defeated by his best friend! Just imagine the irony in that!"

Chris's mind broke the illusion for just one second. "Best friend, huh?". He liked the game so far. He couldn't resist the warm feeling in his chest.

"Don't worry Superwolf! I'll save you from that Witch!" Spirit said, and started running to his comrade, shooting blasts from his hand.

In the air, gears, crystal parts, and other things hard to describe started floating around him. Never touching him. He could feel the power from Superwolf coming to him, trying to stop him. It was the same feeling he got before reaching what he thought was Mantroid's lair.

In the end he finally reached where Superwolf was, with him still using his power to make things fly around him.

"I'll use my Spirit Shock to break the mind control. Could hurt a little, but I know you are in there, Superwolf. Your attacks are not hurting me. Come back to the light side!", he said. And after charging a chunk of power in his hand, he punched his friend's chest, producing a blinding light around the whole room.

The trip back to camp had the kids chatting excitedly about how their storytelling improved, and how cool Captain Spirit was to stand up for his friend. They said they'd surely encounter The Forest Witch again. Chris also thought about how cool Daniel was to let him win like that, given how strong his power was in comparison to his normal human childlike strength. He wondered if what he said about being best friends was real. After all it only came up in the game. Never before, and probably never again.

"Oh yeah! I know!" he said, looking at Daniel. "We should take Sean there when he has a free day."

"You think?" To Chris, he didn't seem that convinced. He was trying really hard, but not even those ideas seemed to be good enough.

"Why not? We could build a fort or something. We could even move there and have it as a home instead of just the tent!"

"Man! That'd be so cool!" he said.

As soon as they reached camp, Chris noticed the fire was not on, meaning Sean wasn't there. Most days Sean would return by nightfall, but sometimes he would get home really late and go straight from eating to sleeping. Daniel would always try to wait for him when that happened, and consequentially Chris would stay up with him.

Chris saw how Daniel was the one to open a can of beef stew and put it in the pot to heat up, then taking pieces of bread to toast them a little, like Sean had taught him to the day they started being left alone together. He could remember how he was used to his father making him heat up instant food. His mind wondered if his father was eating well now that he was not there. And if he was drinking more, or less, now that he was not around.

"And if it wasn't for you..." Chris said, recalling his father's words. Of course his father didn't miss him. He probably was doing much better now.

"What was that?" Daniel asked him.

"Oh, I was rehearsing some villain lines in my head". Villain, huh?

After dinner, they waited outside the tent for a long time, until Daniel was finally too tired to keep it himself straight, so they both got inside the tent and went to sleep.

"...is, come on. Wake up! Chris!" Daniel said, nudging him over and over.

"What is it?" he answered, trying to set himself in time and space.

"Sean! Sean didn't come back last night!"

"What? Are you sure?", he said opening his eyes, noticing the faint light coming from outside the tent. It was already daytime.

"Yeah. I'm totally sure, Chris!"

Chris woke up to see Daniel point the pot with food which he left near enough to the fire, so it kept warm for as much time as possible. Of course, now cold once again but still untouched. His sleeping bag inside was also the same way as before.

"Hey Superwolf! Maybe he stayed because something good happened!"

"Like what?!"

"Uh, I don't know! But we better not go looking for him", he said. He knew Daniel wanted to do it.

"What?!" Daniel was clearly mad about what he said. But Sean had planned this could happen one day and gave them precise instructions about what to do.

"I'm sure he's fine! Remember. Your brother told you to wait here for three days and if he didn't come back, you should go through his stuff to know what to do next."

"Chris I can't wait! He's my brother!"

"But Daniel! What happens if everything is alright, and we mess it up? Like before?"

"You... you don't know that! But. We. We better stay. For now." For whatever reason, Daniel dropped the subject right there.

"So... what do we do then?"

"I don't know" Daniel said, frowning and sulking, sitting in front of the pot. He was clearly angry about it.

"Uh, we could bring water, then go back to the woods to play I guess"

Daniel looked at him coldly, and he was about to say something when Chris spotted something getting closer in the distance.

"Sean?" he said, pointing to the side. "Wait, is he with someone else?"

Still, he noticed his friend couldn't care less about the other figure. He jumped from his seat and ran to his brother, ignoring the other person completely, and giving him a hug. Chris ran behind him, noticing the other figure was in fact a woman, probably a little older than Sean.

"It's okay, come on. I'm sorry", Chris heard Sean say to his brother. "I promise I'll explain later, but let me grub out something because I'm dying here, okay?"

"Okay" his brother replied, letting go of him. "So, who are you?" he asked bluntly to the girl.

"I'm Alicia" she said snorting, probably because of how Daniel jumped from one topic to another. "Nice to finally meet you both!"

Chris didn't think too much of her. He just noticed her looks. She had messy black hair cut just a little over her shoulders, her skin tone a little darker than his two friends, with a relaxed expression on her brown eyes. She was wearing a dark red shirt with short sleeves, so he could notice she had a scar shaped like a line about 2 inches long on the back of her forearm. He wanted to ask about it, but thought it would be rude, so instead he decided to focus on something else.

"That's really cool! What is it? Is it real?" he said, pointing out a necklace she had.

"Oh, this? It's real. A real fox paw I got a while back!" she said, taking it out to let him see it.

Chris took the trinket in his hand and examined it. The black fur with small ginger hairs was soft on touch, with small pointy claws just not enough sharp to harm you, but he could still feel the stingy feeling of their ends. It was somehow alluring. Magical.

"You really liked it, huh?" she said, looking at him. Daniel was talking with Sean right by his side, but he was too invested in the toy to pay attention to what they were saying. "You can keep it!" she said.

"What? Really?"

"Of course! I can get one later. I have a guy!" she laughed, though even if Chris liked the necklace, he couldn't help but think about this mysterious guy who would go around hunting foxes to make them. Still, he decided to hold on to it, so he didn't disappoint her.

They walked back to camp and ate breakfast. It was a loaded one for Sean and Alicia. Seemed like they didn't eat last night.

"So... here's the deal" Sean said just after they finished eating. Alicia started laughing.

"Can I tell them?" she said.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Be my guest" he replied, rolling his eyes.

"I've known who your brother was since he joined the farm", she dropped. Chris didn't mind that much but noticed Daniel slightly flinching by his side. "Now, don't be scared. I like to know people before I decide how or what I think. So, I did that. And it turned out Sean was really cool, and I decided to help him."

"So, uhm..." Daniel started, looking at his brother instead of her. Chris also looked at Sean, noticing his face moving ever so slightly side to side, trying to say – No –. She didn't notice, since she was looking at Daniel in front of her, so she waited a couple of seconds before continuing.

"Now, don't worry. Your brother told me what you've been through. I confronted him last night about who he really is. Did you know he made himself be called Marcos at the farm?"

"Hey, don't laugh! I was just trying to cover for myself."

"And you did a great job, yeah. I don't think I'm the only one who noticed. Not that anybody cares, really. Anyway, I told him I knew who he was and he..." She paused to start laughing. Sean turned all red.

"I tried to run, and I fell. Ha. Ha." he said, then gave her a nudge in her shoulder jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah. But you didn't just fall. You like, FELL! And then you stood up and tried to run away limping like some stray dog. Hilarious!"

Daniel started laughing immediately, which made Sean throw some small piece of wood at him jokingly. Chris wasn't so sure about what was funny about a wounded animal, once again, but same as before he decided not to say anything.

"So? What happened next?" he said, to keep the conversation on track.

"Well," Sean continued. "She told me she already knew about what happened in Seattle since day one. And that she'd seen me be... er... cool. She wanted to help us. I didn't want to bring her here at first, but we talked a lot. After a while, I decided it'd be cool to have another pair of hands with us. She also offered to get me a fake ID, so I can pass as legally 18, which means when we leave this place, I can get us better places to sleep, depending on if the situation is right."

"You mean a bed?!", Daniel asked.

"Yeah, that for example, yes. But not always, so we must pick our places really well before, okay?"

"Yeah, I understand. Thank you!" Daniel said, first looking at the woman then at Chris.

"Oh, ah. Thank you miss!" he said in response to Daniel's look.

The next two weeks there was a change of pace. Sean would come back every other day with Alicia, bringing groceries, and other stuff like clothes. Chris had learned a bit about her. She was the younger sister in a family of seven, which meant she had some things to spare. She even brought old toys, including an old model of a Power Bear action figure, which she gifted to both kids.

Daniel grew quite close to her during that time. He'd always jump excitedly whenever she went there, and Chris understood why. She was quite cool with both kids. She brought board games and cards from her house, and would always talk about her family to them, though she said she didn't think they'd understand so she wouldn't risk talking to them about the Spirit Squad.

She and Sean would sit with them and play at night, and sometimes when she didn't work, she'd come by morning and stay with them to make sure they'd get proper meals. Those days, he and Daniel would follow her around, playing games and doing chores with her.

Still, Chris didn't feel so sure about her. He couldn't tell what it was, but there was something that would make him feel uncomfortable about her.

"I don't know. Don't you feel like, she is too nice?" he said to Daniel once, while they were playing with the toys she brought.

"I know! She reminds me of Lyla. She was friends with Sean but was really nice to me! Besides, Sean is nice to you. Always. Better than he is to me anyway" Daniel replied sulking.

"What? What do you mean?" Chris said, though he knew Sean had argued with Daniel earlier because they let Alicia do all the chores, and he didn't seem to understand she was the one to offer. Chris was, of course, off the hook.

"You know what I mean. We do the same things, but Sean always takes it on me. It's not fair."

"Uh... oh, I know! We should get more wood than usual! That way you can show Sean we are doing our share!

"That's genius! Let's do it!"

But as always Chris was only there, to be there. He couldn't really help that much, since Daniel was strong enough for both. They went into the forest barehanded, with the sole idea of getting logs for the fire, and by noon Daniel had used his power to break one whole tree into small pieces, which meant they only had to let it dry. He tried to carry some wood, but in the end, his friend told him not to mind about it, and used his power to carry it all.

As soon as they arrived, Daniel used his powers to make a pile, though it wasn't exactly organized because the wood wasn't cut in clean shape. Chris was there, once again contemplating his friend's strength, when suddenly Alicia's voice made him drop three pieces of wood on the floor.

"Daniel?" she said.

Chris turned around and saw the woman, jaw dropped, looking straight to the kid. He then turned his head to the side, looking at Daniel, who was frozen in place, as if he was some scared animal about to run. It was Alicia once again who broke the silence.

"Hey, hey! It's okay!" she said, lowering her body so her face was by their height. "It's okay. Do Sean know about this? If not, I promise I won't tell."

Chris had an itchy feeling on his spine. He feared her.

"It's me!" he said. "I was the one doing it! I'm Captain Spirit!" he said, putting up a cheeky voice.

"Is that so?" she said, staring at him, then Daniel, then again at him. It was as if she was examinating them. "There is no need to like, okay?"

"No really! And I can demonstrate it. But... I'm too tired of this wood! Maybe later?"

Daniel was still stiff as a rock in his side, so he grabbed him by his arm, which made his friend jump in place.

"Chris, I..."

"Kids, it's okay, seriously!" Alicia interfered once again. "I don't care who of you was doing that. I can tell it was a secret. And I understand why". Chris noticed how she looked at Daniel while saying that last phrase.

"So you are cool with it?" Daniel said.

"Yeah, don't worry. Just tell me if we can tell your brother or not I know"

"He... He knows about my powers, but maybe don't tell him? He's gonna kill me if he knows I wasn't careful"

Alicia laughed.

"Yeah, sounds like him. Don't worry. My lips are sealed. But you need to promise if you ever feel like telling him I know, come tell me first"

"Why?" Chris asked. Why not tell him directly? Why not speak with him?

"Well, it's a big and important secret for you three, right? And he is your guardian. Imagine he finds out the other responsible adult was hiding this chunk of info from him? He'd be really mad, as he should be"

"Do you think we should tell him?" Daniel said. Chris picked up he didn't want to disappoint Sean yet again. He wondered if Alicia knew that too.

"I think... we should wait until you feel ready to do it" she said, standing up, walking to Daniel, then putting one hand in Daniel's shoulder. A move Chris recognized from Sean doing it many times before whenever they felt uneasy. "But when you do, we need to do it together as a team. Alright?"

"Okay!" Daniel said, smiling once again. "I promise!"

"Can I ask the same from you, Captain Spirit?"

"Uh, sure" Chris said, looking at Daniel, who gave him a pat on his arm. He knew what it meant. "I promise", he added in response to his friend.

He still wasn't sure about this, but he was Daniel's friend, so he had to respect him.

Chapter 5: It's Like I'm Making Draft Picks for a Sports Team or Something

Summary:

Sean is getting closer to Alicia, but he has too much in his mind to act as he would want to. Oh, and it's also payday on the farm!

Chapter Text

"But you know, I've always had to take care of him. Just, not like this. Ah! Be careful!" Sean complained. His eyes wouldn't divert from his forearm, in which Alicia was applying an ointment.

"Oh, come on, stop the whining, dude. It's not even the kind that stings." she said, playfully. Sean noticed her fingers gently massaging the place. He then looked at her. She was staring at him with a face Sean somehow found to be quite sweet. He was fighting to understand what exactly was in her eyes, though. Was it hope, maybe? He couldn't tell.

Still, the way she touched him made him feel tingly. A feeling he knew from when he was back in Seattle. One he didn't expect to feel again. He tried to understand her, or more likely his thoughts of her. If he was to compare his thought process, he could say it was as if he was drawing in his sketchbook.

He paid special attention to her face. She looked not only tired, but also kind of aged for her 18 years in this world. Her hair, her clothes, and of course that mysterious scar on her arm, made her look fierce, and combined with her other traits, including how she was always confident and caring, she clearly had been through a lot, too. But clearly, whatever it was that life threw at her, she was stronger.

Even so, everything about her, including the parts of the past they would never talk about, made her ever more alluring to Sean. If every aspect of her he would learn was meant to be a line, he wanted to sketch her full image in his mind.

"Hey! I'm not whining!" he finally said. "At least I'll have scars in my arm to match with yours".

She rolled her eyes. But Sean didn't feel like she was mad at what he said.

"Dude, this won't leave a scar. You'll be fine by tomorrow morning. Now, stop acting like a baby" she said.

"So, are we ever gonna talk about that?" he said. He was really intrigued by it, and he didn't know if he'd ever get another chance to ask. Still, her face shrugged for a short span, letting Sean know he missed that arrow.

"It's not exactly a happy memory. I'm sure you already know what this is by the looks of it".

And it was true. Sean got scared on day one because it was obviously a stab wound. But whatever happened, it was obvious she was just a victim defending herself, so no way would he think badly of her.

"It's okay. Didn't want to make you feel bad" he said. She sighed, still holding Sean's arm.

"Short version is one of my brothers almost got stabbed. Except I was there and stood between him and his attacker"

"Oh, dude. That sucks."

"Yeah... this brother, the youngest of the bunch, asides from me of course, he always gets involved in the crappiest shit".

She stopped for a second, but Sean felt it was better not to say anything. She was clearly preparing for what was about to come out of her chest. She still held his arm in his hands, slowly massaging it with the ointment. Sean knew up to this point it was not about the wound, so when he noticed that, the weird feeling returned. She was not applying any force, obviously, but he still felt as if taking out his arm would be an insult. It was as if she was gripping it with her mind.

"Picture this. Our parents won't let him out because they recently found out he was smoking pot. So, he convinces me to go with him to a friend's house, because to our parents, good girl, Alicia, would never get into trouble. I go through with it because he seemed to be really sad about it. Then when we arrive, I find out they were no friends of his, but some crackhead playing dealer. And my brother owed him money. They argue. Dude pulls out knife, threatening him. I step between them, but the guy is so angry he doesn't care. He just... hurts me. I see him coming and try to use my hand to pull him apart but instead, I just get stabbed in my arm."

Once again, she stopped. She was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, man... I'm so sorry..."

"You know what the worst part is?"

"What?"

"My brother, I guess with good intentions or whatever, instead of helping me, starts chasing the dude, leaving me and my bleeding arm in there. I was 14 back then. I was so fucking scared it's not even funny"

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked".

She shook her head.

"You are the first one to ask me in a long time, and I'm glad you did", she said, moving her hands from his forearm to his own hand, and starting to play with his fingers. "Many people immediately think my scar is a sign of danger. Not many people think if I have the scar, I'm clearly the one who was attacked".

"I... uh..." he was blushing hard, and looking at her it was obvious she noticed. In his mind, he could start making some lines about her. The picture of a young woman in the back of a drawing was coming to him. But the scenery was too blurry yet to be understood.

"It's okay..." she said, releasing him from her invisible grip. "It's fine if you don't feel it too".

"No!" he jumped from the seat. "I feel it too. It's just..."

– It's just – he thought. But couldn't continue. It was not just about Seattle now. Daniel had powers, and Chris was with them. But those were things he couldn't say openly. Somehow he felt admitting he was caring for them in this situation was the same as betraying them. Especially Daniel.

"You have a lot on your plate. Right?" she said. "I shared my story with you. Want to share yours with me?" she said. And after a while, he started to tell her everything that happened to him and his brother. Leaving out everything related to Daniel powers of course.

It had already been two weeks since that talk. And ever since then, she helped them in any way she could, which of course he recognized. She also grew closer to him. But even so, he felt anxious about the whole thing. It's not like she's given him any reason to believe she would go to the police about them. And she even seemed a bit oblivious. She didn't seem to notice two little kids getting enough wood for two weeks in less than an afternoon the day before.

"Hey Runner?" Chris's voice echoed in his mind, dragging him back to reality.

"W-what?" Sean asked. Just then he realized the burning smell coming from their soon-to-be breakfast. "Oh, shit" he said, quickly taking the pot out of the fire.

He looked around embarrassed, noticing both kids looking at him. At this point he couldn't do anything but feel sorry, though, so he decided to make the best of it.

"Don't worry! It's just for the extra crispy flavor" he said while serving the good part of the eggs. Chris giggled in response, but Daniel rolled his eyes. "Hey, what's the matter little cub? Are they too burnt for your refined taste?" he added, trying to be cheeky.

Daniel stood up and entered the tent. Sean noticed how hurt his face looked, so he gave a look at Chris.

"I, uh..." he said. Sean noticed he was struggling to say something, so he decided to spare him.

"I'll go talk to him" he said, entering the tent.

The moment he got in, he noticed Daniel was touching his watch on the wrist, stretching it a bit with his fingers. Maybe it was starting to feel tight on him? But as soon as he entered, the boy looked at Sean, grunted at him, then looked away.

"You are growing fast, aren't you?" Sean said, getting closer and trying to hold his hand to see the watch more closely. Daniel reacted by pushing him away.

"Leave me alone!" Daniel hissed.

"Dude, I don't have that much time. You know that. Whatever this is, we have to solve it now."

"Last night..." Daniel murmured, almost to himself, but seemed like he decided not to continue. He kept playing with the watch the whole time.

Sean rolled his eyes.

"Enano, I know you wanted to help. I really do. But Alicia can't find out about your powers, and she comes quite often. It's a good thing she didn't notice the mountain of wood outside."

"I know, Sean! But... It's just... Never mind" Daniel said, and again his eyes diverted from Sean to the back of the tent. Sean sighed.

"Look, Daniel, I have to leave. I promise you it's not that I don't care" he said, noticing Daniel's eyes give him a quick stare in anger before going back for the third time to avoid him. "I promise we'll talk tonight and sort this out, okay?"

"Okay" he said, sulking.

Sean wasn't content with the result of this chat, but there was no time to argue anymore. He left the tent, and noticed Chris was still waiting for them. The eggs were now burnt and cold.

"Thank you for saving his plate, Chris. I know this breakfast will suck, but why don't you go eat it with Daniel?"

"Okay! Want me to clean our things today?"

"You are such a cool kid, Chris. But, if Daniel doesn't want to, you'd better stick with him. I can clean when I get back", he said, swallowing his breakfast in two hurried bites before rushing to work.

Chris was such a good kid, always wanting to help, but the kid had been through a lot because of his abusive father. He could still remember how Chris flinched when Sean tried to touch him for the first time, back on the train. He hugged him with Daniel in the heat of the moment, but ever since then, he was too afraid of making him uncomfortable. Sean wished these feelings came only from a good place. Of course, he was worried about Chris's well-being, which is why he let him tag along, but truth be told he was still scared the kid would run off and either put himself in danger or even worse, he would make people find them out, so he had to be extra careful in not hurting his feelings.

Sean arrived at work just in time. As always, he signed up for yard work. It was true his labor was breaking his back. But he already got the hang of the job, and having 30 dollars payment a day, he should have made around 900 dollars during that month, and today was the most special day of all. They were going to get paid. He also agreed with Alicia they were going to get his fake ID after that. Finally.

The day felt endless, but when they finished their shift, and it was already nightfall, the landlord's assistant called them, letting them enter one by one.

"Marcos Gómez?" his deep voice called. Sean entered the room.

There were four people inside, including the landlord, Mr. Brown, who was sitting at his desk. Sean expected him to invite him to sit down, but the man apparently didn't even realize he was there.

After a while, the man lifted his eyes to look at Sean, then simply opened a drawer, took out an envelope, and shoved it on the table.

"We thank you for your services", the man said.

Sean opened the envelope, noticing a faint trace of surprise coming from the man at the desk. Maybe he didn't expect him to open it inside? And the reason was obvious, since he only found 500 dollars in it.

"Uh, sir?" he said. The man was again looking at the screen again, though to Sean it looked more like he was purposely dismissing him.

"Uhm?", the man said. He didn't even look at him.

"I think there might be a mistake?"

"No, there isn't. Now please, we need to pay the rest of the workers."

"But-" he started but was interrupted but the assistant.

"But nothing. If you want to fill in a complaint about your payment, we'll be more than happy to receive it. The forms are on a table outside. If we realize there was a mistake, you'll see it impacted on your payment next month. Now go, we don't have all day", he said.

One of the two men sitting on the side of the room stood up, looking at Sean menacingly.

"O-okay, I'm sorry" he said, and left the room.

"How did it go?" Alicia's voice asked as soon as he was out. She was waiting next to a table which had a box and a block of papers. Apparently, those were the forms the landlord talked about.

"Wait, you knew?"

"Knew they would fuck your payment? Of course I did"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"First of all, I did warn you they were messy the day we met. But if I insisted, you'd probably not want to work here, and believe me, this is one of the best farms in the zone."

Sean sighed. He could tell she was used to the process.

"Will it work if I fill this?" he said.

"Probably not. Or maybe it does, who knows?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, sometimes they pay you next month. Sometimes they don't. It's not like we can do much, so they don't care".

"I need the money, Alicia. Maybe if I talk to them directly, I can convince them"

"I... Go ahead", she said snorting. Sean rolled his eyes. She clearly didn't think he'd accomplish anything. But 400 dollars was too much money to be simply put aside.

Sean waited until the next one in line was out, then stood in front of the door.

"Hi again", he said to the assistant.

"What do you want? You already got your payment."

"Can I speak to Mr. Brown again? I promise I'll be quick"

"Look, Gómez, there are people in line waiting for their money. Whatever this is will have to wait."

"Yeah, but..." Sean started, but Brown's voice came from the inside, interrupting him.

"Let him in", he said. His assistant stepped out of the way, making room for Sean. As soon as he was inside, the assistant closed the door.

"Mr. Brown, sir" Sean started. But the man lifted his hand, in a clear signal for him to stop.

"Do you know why I put up with people like... you?", he started.

"I, I don't know, sir" he answered. Unfortunately for Sean, he already knew where this was headed, but he needed the money. He just looked at the man in his dark grey suit. Pale skin, with a big forehead complimented by big tickets, white hair on what little there was left. He could play boss in any movie he wanted, and it seemed like he was willing to play his role.

"Because they are loyal to me. And you know why that is?"

"I'm not sure I follow"

"Well, of course you don't. That's why I brought you here. The man who just left before you, mister Rios. Did you know he's being looked for sexual assault? The man apparently couldn't take his ex-girlfriend having a thing with someone else, so he did what he had to protect his dignity"

Sean started to feel dizzy. He noticed the eyes of the man in front of him for the first time. He was not just his boss. His eyes seemed evil to Sean. Like he was seeing some sort of demon.

"Do you know that girl you spend time with when you are not at work? How was she called? Miss Baker, right? Or should I call her – Miss Luna – like she wants to?" he said. Not only did he know about the fake ID she had, but he also had noticed they were getting close.

Sean was speechless. His heart was racing, and he had started to sweat. He knew what was coming and felt like it was a train about to be hit by it, no way to stop it. He tried to talk, but not a single word came out of his mouth.

"I guess you are starting to understand, don't you... Sonny?" he said.

Sean almost fell on the floor. The way he pronounced the word – sonny –? Was it Seany? Was that on purpose? Did he know his name?

"Now, I expect things of you, Mr. Gomez" the man said, and took 500 dollars from another envelope. "This is for you. Such a shame for Mr. Duarte, right? This was his payment, from where I decided to take the money for you". He got up from his chair, walked to Sean, and put the money in his hands, and not for a single second, broke eye contact with him. He wanted to dominate him, and was doing great. Sean was scared senseless.

"T-thank you sir" Sean managed to articulate, grabbing the money.

"Now, this is a service I'm giving you, so I expect your complete loyalty for the rest of the time you are here, same as Mr. Duarte who you'll notice won't give any thought when he realizes he has less money. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir" he said, and walked out of the room.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Alicia said. as soon as he was out of the farm, where she was waiting. Sean looked at her engulfed by rage.

"Did you also know that would happen?!" he snarled at her.

"What do you mean?" she said.

Sean looked at her trying to find any hint of deception on her face, but she seemed genuinely confused. He told her all the man said to him. And how he gave him the extra money. She looked really concerned, and as soon as he finished, she leaned on the wall of a building that was next to them. Sean took that as a sign of distress on her behalf.

"I need to get out of here. Tonight" Sean said.

"Wait, tonight? But you just got that money out of a promise for loyalty!" she said, standing up again.

"Yeah, I know. And that's exactly why it has to be tonight. I couldn't tell if they knew who I was, but if they didn't by now, they'll have every reason to dig into my past now that I made myself a target. If I stayed longer, they could follow me to camp, or anything."

"Okay, I understand. Here's what we'll do", Alicia said.

"We?"

"We... are going to get your fake ID, Sean".

"That thing didn't seem to work, you know that" he said. He couldn't believe she was serious about it after what he told her.

"Yeah, sure, but not every guy in a liquor store will be a mafia mastermind, Sean. It's useful, and you better have it on you" she said. He couldn't argue with that. Even as much as he was freaking out, he knew she had a point.

"Alright. Lead the way!"

"Wait, I need to get some stuff from my house first"

"What? What for?"

"Well, I'll need a backpack, and I can get some supplies for the first part of our journey."

"There is no way you are coming, Alicia" he said, stopping once again.

"Oh, don't give me that. You can't stop me. I'm an adult and I can do whatever I want" she said. Unlike Sean, she kept on walking while she said that, not even looking back, so Sean had to start moving again to catch up with her.

"Why?" he asked, walking past her, trying to meet her face to face.

"Because I want to?" she said. Once again, she wasn't even looking at him. He grabbed her by her hand.

"I'm dead serious, Alicia. You know what we are up against. And you know where we are going. You have family here. So why?"

This time it was her who stopped. She wasn't looking at Sean at first, but after a couple of seconds, she turned back and tried to kiss him. He winced, then put his hands on her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" he said, looking at the floor.

"It's just how I feel, Sean, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You already told me you got a lot on your plate". She retreated from his grip, so he looked at her. She had a defeated look on her face.

"Look, Alicia, I do feel the same about you. I told you that. But if you'll follow me just because of that, I-"

"Just?" she interrupted him. Sean didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he thought not being honest would be worse in this situation. He already could tell how hurt she felt. Not that what he was about to say would make her feel any better.

"Yeah, just" he said. He was expecting her to burst when he said it, but she kept on looking at him as if she was waiting, so he continued. "Look, it's just... I have a lot to deal with".

"You are just repeating yourself, Sean", she said. And he felt very ashamed of himself. He was not even able to speak for himself.

"I know! I know Alicia, but that's just it. I have two kids with me now. We are on the run from the police, trying to escape our country, and now you want to come with me, and... Knowing you for the past month has been great. And you helped us so much, and I'm thankful for it. I really am. But it's been just a month. And you have your whole life, and your family here. I don't understand. I would give my life to give Daniel his home back, so I can't see why you would want to come with us."

"Wow" she said, clearly unimpressed. "That was some speech. And did you know you just repeated what you keep saying again, and again? You done?". She snorted. Sean tried to figure out what she was thinking, but of course, she was a mystery to him sometimes.

"What do you want from me?" he said, his words coming out a bit sourer than he intended.

"I want you to trust me when I say this is what I want. You may also find the extra pair of hands quite useful; don't you think?"

"Yeah, but..." he said. He was trying really hard to find an excuse, but he couldn't. His eyes slowly went to Alicia's hands. If only he hadn't rejected her earlier, maybe he could grab them and find some sense in all of this. But it was too late for that.

"There are no buts, huh?" she said, poking his shoulder. She was not frowning anymore.

"Yeah, yeah. I guess so. Okay. I won't go against you anymore. I might as well start recruiting people into Team Spirit by now"

"Uh, do you mean Spirit Squad?" she snorted.

"Shit. Don't let Chris know I said that" he blushed. He felt better now that the mood was less tense.

"So, where are we headed now? And what do we say to the kids?" she asked.

"Oh, I have an idea already, but first I need to get something" he said, then stopped in a store to buy some Chock-o-Crisps for Daniel.

They went to Alicia's house, though Sean waited on the street corner since they didn't know him. Still, he could check out her place from where he was standing. It was dark, so he didn't get a full picture, but the building she lived in seemed abandoned from the outside. Piles of garbage on the entrance, graffitied walls over the cracks they had, and at least four wasted cars on the street. Sean didn't mean to be judgy, but he was starting to get a picture of why she wasn't so fond of her house, though that didn't solve why she was so eager to leave her family.

She came out around half an hour later carrying a travelling backpack similar to the one Brody gave the brothers. Sean didn't give any comment on her house, of course. He thought it would be rude. It's not like they had too much time to talk anyway, because one street away was the place where Alicia picked up the fake ID.

"You are officially an adult!" she joked.

"Hey! I'm starting to grow facial hair already!"

"Yeah, we need to do something about that too. It's hideous"

"Oh, come on! You like it!" he said, playfully.

"Do I, now?" she said, getting closer to him. Sean again started to feel nervous about it.

They kept teasing each other until they reached camp, both kids sitting next to the fire, playing cards. The moment they arrived, Daniel ran to Alicia and hugged her, ignoring Sean. He rolled his eyes.

"You know your big brother is right here, don't you?" he said jokingly. Daniel looked at him with anger in his eyes. "Oh, come on. You are still mad? Then I don't know what I'll do with these!" he said, waving the box of candies in front of him.

"You bought me a whole box of Chock-o-Crisps?!" he said, screaming.

"Wow, easy dude, not just you. Chris is here too, remember?" he said. Daniel looked embarrassed.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. I just got excited" he said, releasing Alicia and hugging Sean instead. He couldn't help but laugh. He was so easy to bribe sometimes.

"Well, I would like to try one too? Will you share with me, Danny?" Alicia said.

"Oh, we'll see! We'll see!" Daniel laughed.

Sean noticed Chris kept sitting by the fire during the whole chat. He wanted to ask Daniel about it, but they seemed to be playing nice just moments ago, so it was most likely he wouldn't know either.

"Hey, how about we open the Chock-o-Crisp box right away?" he said, taking one for Alicia, one for Chris, then giving the whole box to his brother. "Don't eat the whole box in one sitting, okay?"

"I won't! I promise!" Daniel said. Sean was sure the whole box would be impossible, but half? Maybe.

Sean sat by the fire next to Chris, waving the candy to him. He noticed how he diverted his eyes from the fire and just for the slightest moment could see a hint of sadness in his face. Still, there was something very important to address, and it was time for it. He would ask him later about how he was feeling, when the moment was right.

"Oh! Cool! Thank you, Runner! I love these, almost as much as Superwolf" Chris said, as always pouring some sense of calmness in his happy voice. Sean couldn't help but notice the disparity to the kid he saw ten seconds before he reached out.

"I'm glad! You could face war if you told Daniel you don't like these, you know". Both laughed at the thought, as the other two sat by the fire with them.

"So? How was your day?" Daniel said. The question was directed to Sean, as he'd always ask him about it.

"Well, it was great. We got some extra cash from all the hard work we did!" Alicia said, as they had rehearsed before arriving at the campsite.

"That's why you brought the Chock-o-Crisps!" Daniel said excitedly.

"Yeah, but that's not the only surprise we have!" Sean said. Both kids looked at him, waiting. "We are finally leaving this campsite and we are going to the beach!"

"What?! Really?!" Daniel said.

"That's so cool!" Chris added, both he and Daniel were now standing up from excitement.

"Yeah, we leave in the morning, so we need to leave everything super clean tonight before we leave, alright?" Sean stated.

"Wait, tomorrow?" Chris said, sitting again. Sean could see he didn't seem as excited now.

"What's wrong?", Sean asked.

"Oh! No, I was just thinking how cool it'll be to swim in the ocean!"

"You went before?!" Daniel said. Sean couldn't blame him for not realizing the obvious lie. He wondered for how long the kid tricked them into believing he was okay. He'd need to talk to him as soon as possible.

"No, no. I never went to the beach before. But it'll be cool, don't you think?"

"Way cool! We'll make the biggest sandcastle, unless mister boring tells us not to!" Daniel said, pointing at Sean.

"Hey, now! What's that supposed to mean?" Sean said. "I can make a better castle than you with just one hand"

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!" Daniel laughed. Sean thought how good it was for his brother to finally let his resentment go away. He got closer to him, hugging him by his neck in a playful way, which resulted in them horseplaying for a while.

"You are never not at each other's throat, are you?" Alicia said, clearly amused by the situation.

"I don't know what you expected. Me having this annoying little brat around!" he said.

"At least I don't smell!" Daniel continued.

After a while they got tired of playing, and both Daniel and Chris mentioned being hungry, so the oldest ones cooked some chicken breasts Alicia had brought from her house. Sean knew things weren't perfect, since they'd have to leave, first thing in the morning. There was also the situation with Chris that he started to notice. And of course, now there would be four mouths to feed, but one of them was more of a reliable source to help them with their situation.

So, even with all that was coming their way, Sean could tell their life wasn't over. They were on the move again, looking for their freedom. So long as Daniel was still there, things would be fine. Everything would be fine.

Chapter 6: 9 of Spades

Summary:

Chris is helping Daniel grow his powers in ways he didn't even think possible at first. But that's not the only thing growing in him.

Chapter Text

The afternoon in the woods felt just as calm as always to Daniel. He and Chris had finished putting up the tent, just far enough for it not to be seen in plain sight from the motel where Sean and Alicia were planning to get a room.

The idea was simple enough, as Sean had explained to them. They were supposed to wait there for the night to fall, and when people in the motel were asleep, they'd join the other team and sleep inside. What Daniel did know but Chris didn't, was the real reason they left their camp.

Before they left, Sean took Daniel to get some water, except it was more of an excuse for them to be alone so his big brother could disclose how they were running from the farm's owner. He told Sean he was tired of lying to Chris, but as always, decided to keep it a secret, as his brother trusted him to do.

There was also the fact that, for the first time, Daniel wasn't that unsure of their journey. It was not that Sean didn't take care of him before, but now Alicia was with them, and she was super fun and caring to him. He and Chris had clean clothes ready to be used thanks to her. And she even brought some old swimsuits so they could use on the beach.

They only needed a new backpack for Chris, and they'd be completely set. It's not like Daniel minded sharing his space with him. Chris was his friend, after all, and he liked that they could share stuff. The only shame was they had to leave most of the toys Alicia had brought them, so they stuck to three different sets of card games and, of course, their Power Bear figures.

"Do you think they'll take long coming back here?" Daniel said.

"I guess? They said they'd wait for people to go to bed, right? Man, I can't wait to take a shower! And my clothes are filthy!" Chris said, stretching his shirt a little as if to show him some stains.

Daniel thought it was funny. Since they established a steady camp near the farm, they had learned to handwash clothes (or more like Daniel-power-wash), so they were used to having clean clothes. Still, Daniel and Sean spent almost a month using the same clothes over and over again before they reached their grandparents' house, so he tolerated being a little dirty.

"Well, what do we do until then?" Daniel said. No use in mocking his friend. He'd only feel bad about it.

"We... Could buy a fort!"

"Uh, you think? What for? We leave in the morning."

"Yeah, maybe you are right. I just wanted to see Superwolf in action"

"Well, I can show you! What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know... Why don't you make some stones float, or we could play like we are on a super mission again!"

"Uh, I don't know. I would like to try something new"

"Like?"

"I don't know" Daniel said. It was true he was getting bored of doing the same tricks repeatedly, but what was he supposed to try next?

"Oh! I think I know!" Chris said, pausing for a second, but then continuing just as excited as he started. "Can you make me float in the air? Like the real Captain Spirit!"

"What?" Daniel said doubtfully. He obviously wasn't expecting that. "I don't know. I don't wanna hurt you!"

"Wait. Can you fly?"

"Uh, I never tried, but I don't think so", he said. He wasn't exactly sure, but he knew his powers didn't work like that. He knew if he concentrated, they would activate, yes, but they felt like he had some invisible grip on things.

"Why not?"

"I just don't!" he repeated. He didn't know the reason, but the question felt annoying in his mind. Still, Chris didn't seem to notice his tone, thankfully.

"Oh, uh. But you made me float before, remember?"

"Yeah. Okay, just one time. But we better not tell Sean. I don't know if he would like it".

Daniel didn't feel too sure about this. Not only was he worried about hurting Chris, but he also felt like this was something his brother would at least like to be supervising, and he had disappointed his brother too many times already.

Still, the moment he felt his powers on Chris, handling him and noticing slowly how to make him fly without gripping his arms, so he could move them freely, he realized it to be not so much of the scary experience he was thinking.

Slowly, once he could tell exactly where to hold his friend, he made him go up in the air. First, it was just two or three inches, but after a while his friend was 10 feet above ground level.

"Superwolf! Get me higher. I want to see that branch over there!" he said, pointing at a nearby tree.

Daniel just nodded and made his friend float even higher and higher, until Chris ripped something off the branch and made a signal with his arm to be put on the floor.

"Look! This is for you!" he said, handing a brown but still greenish pinecone to him.

"No way! How did you see it?!"

"I was flying, in case you didn't notice!" Chris laughed.

"Shut up!" he said, pushing him with his hand. They both laughed for a moment, but after they stopped, Chris looked at him for a brief moment before speaking.

"Hey, thank you" he said. "It's cool to feel I can have powers, too"

"I wish you did", Daniel said. "And I'm sorry for lying to you".

"Hey! You already apologized! We are cool. Now you can make me float whenever I want!" Chris laughed.

"Don't worry! Just remember, don't tell Sean", he said, getting a nod from Chris in response. It was their secret.

As requested by Sean, they didn't put a fire on. It was good the weather was not that cold anymore. Instead, they played with their toys until it was too dark to see outside, then got inside the tent where they kept playing using a candle.

It was much later, when Chris was already sleeping, Daniel almost in the same state, that he felt Sean's voice calling him, followed by a hand on his shoulder trying to wake him up. As planned, he guided them around the building, taking the side between the trees, until they reached the window of the room they were staying in.

The walk, while it was short, felt long and unsufferable to Daniel because of how sleepy he was. He'd have stayed in the tent if given a choice, but as soon as they reached the window and saw the beds inside, all his fatigue wearied off.

"Try not to be loud, okay?" Sean said, as Alicia was opening the window to let them in.

"They don't have a bathtub, but I got us some food, so I think we can eat and then you guys can take a shower" Alicia said as she helped them in. Daniel then noticed both his brother and her were already clean.

"So, you guys already took a shower?" he asked.

"Oh, right! Whoever showers first, be sure not to turn off the water. It's to keep them thinking there are two of us in here" Sean added.

Once they were inside, both Alicia and Sean sat on one of the two single beds in front of a table with only two seats, which was occupied by both kids. Daniel then realized. Burgers. He hadn't had one since Christmas. He managed to get just one bite to it, feeling the texture of what he considered real, not canned food. Then it was over. He chugged out his dinner in about 30 seconds. Once he finished, he could see Chris's surprised eyes, while Sean was nearly dying from laughter in the bed.

"I... I'm sorry" he said. He was embarrassed.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Enano", his brother said, standing up from the bed and giving him some gentle pats on the head. "You should have seen me. I think I swallowed the whole thing"

"Damn right you should have seen him!" Alicia said, cheerfully. "It was like watching a vicious snake engulf its prey!"

"Not even a snake has such a big mouth!" Daniel said, laughing. He felt relieved not to be the center of attention in that situation anymore.

"Very funny! Hey, how do you even put up with this kid so much?" Sean said, looking at Chris.

"Ah, oh... I think he's really cool!" the kid answered. Daniel noticed Sean looking straight at his friend, then at Alicia. He couldn't understand what it was, but he knew his brother enough to realize he was concerned about something. He was about to ask what happened when the girl spoke.

"Hey! Why don't we play a game of cards?" she said.

"That's a great idea!" Sean replied. "What do you think, Captain?" he said, looking at Chris.

"What are we playing?" Daniel said.

"Poker! What else?" Alicia said.

Daniel knew the game because Sean once said he was learning to play, and of course he tried to convince his brother to teach him, but he would always say he was too little yet to do it.

"But I don't know how to play!" he said. "Sean never even wanted to teach me!" he added. He didn't know if that was the case. But thinking back, maybe that was the real reason.

"Don't worry Danny! Of course I'll teach you in his stead!" Alicia said.

"Cool! Hey Chris, do you know how to play?"

"Not really, no. My dad used to play with his friends, but... he didn't teach me either."

"I think that settles it, right?" Sean said. "We are now two teams".

"We are so gonna beat you!" Daniel said.

"Hah! You don't stand a chance against me and Chris!"

Daniel had a tingly feeling in his stomach. Why was it again they were playing together? He knew he'd been the one to banter with Sean, but his brother didn't even ask to team up with him.

Then he realized Sean didn't actually invite him, but Chris, to play. Not that it would matter because he would play with Alicia, and when they won, he would prove to his brother he should have chosen him instead.

Daniel couldn't tell exactly how much time they spent playing. Both Alicia and Sean used more than half of it to actually explain the rules, but after some time it seemed like Chris could at least get some combinations done, while he was struggling to even understand when his turn was to say something.

"Straight!" Sean said as he put the cards on the table.

"Ugh, man, I can't believe your damn luck. How did you get caught in so much drama when you have your ass cheeks blessed by God!" Alicia said. Sean snorted.

"So, we lost again?" Daniel said.

"Sorry, Enano. Looks like it's another win for this stelar duo!" his brother stated, fist-bumping Chris.

Daniel couldn't believe he had lost again. How were they so good when they didn't even play before? Not Chris at least.

"Whatever. I'm bored. I don't wanna play anymore" he said.

"Hey, now! Don't be salty! It's not our fault we are this good!" Sean said, laughing.

Daniel looked at them resentfully, before standing up from his chair.

"Don't worry, Superwolf! We can practice tomorrow if you want" Chris said. Daniel got even more pissed off, except this time he couldn't even figure out why.

"Leave me alone!" he hissed at Chris, then walked towards the window.

"Daniel, keep it down" Sean said.

"Whatever", Daniel whispered, and climbed the window to get outside.

"Hey, no!" he heard his brother say, but it was too late for that. He was already jumping, and he was not going to stop.

Once outside, he decided to walk around the building, trying to pay attention so he didn't get caught by other people, but only got to the first corner before he stopped, since he knew he couldn't go far.

After a few seconds he could hear some steps. How annoying. His brother couldn't even leave him breath sometimes. He only wanted to get some air. Daniel prepared to tell him to leave him alone, but the moment he turned around, it was Chris who was by his side.

"Uh... hi again", Chris timidly said.

"Hey", Daniel said.

They stood silently in the darkness, while Daniel's head felt something he had never experienced before. It was as if his own feelings were swirling around him at such speed, he couldn't even tell which one was which.

He felt relieved it wasn't Sean who came outside because he was sure his brother would go at him for acting like a brat. He felt happy because Chris came to his side after he was so mean to him, but he also felt guilty for treating his friend the way he did. And he also felt sad and angry, but he didn't understand why.

"Chris", he said after some time passed.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm sorry we kept winning every time. But it wasn't me. Your brother is really good. Besides, I wanted to team up with you, anyway."

"Why aren't you mad at me?" Daniel asked.

"Well, I don't know. Hey, want to use those cards to make a castle tomorrow? You can practice with them" Chris said, gesturing with his hand.

"We can't. Sean doesn't know Alicia found out, remember?" Daniel said, looking at the window, checking he wasn't coming.

"Oh, yeah. Right. Well, we can build it together!"

"Hey, Chris? Did... did Sean say something? About me?"

"Well, yeah. He was really upset. It's okay, though. He told me it was fine if I talked to you. Just said not to go far. Oh, and to keep it down."

"Thanks", he said.

They stood up for a while near the building, but after a while, Chris simply started talking to Daniel about some comic books he had read back in Oregon. Daniel still felt ashamed at first, but he eventually joined the conversation, and then they were discussing back stories, villains, and powers like they always did.

When they got back inside, Alicia and Sean were going over the map. Daniel felt funny about it. They stopped checking it when they established near the farm, but he didn't realize that was an activity he could ever miss.

"Oh, there you are!" Alicia said when both kids were already inside.

"Yeah, I'm..." Daniel started, but was interrupted by his brother.

"It's fine, Daniel. We are not mad. Just go to bed, you two. We'll reach the beach tomorrow around noon, and maybe we'll get to hang out for a while if we get a nice spot to set camp quickly enough".

Daniel wasn't so sure about his brother. The way he talked didn't show he was upset, or anything like it, but he didn't let him even apologize. Still, he decided it was better not to argue. He already messed up enough that day.

"Yeah, okay. Okay, Sean" he said, and got in one of the beds, Chris taking the other.

During the time they stood on the farm, Daniel had lost his grip on what it felt like to walk for so long, and the last day felt tiring while they didn't go that far. But this day they had picked a nice pace for it. Chris, unfortunately, didn't seem to be catching up as fast as Daniel did, so the kids were walking behind in silence, while Sean and Alicia led the way around 30 feet ahead of them.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sean said near a bridge where he and Alicia had stopped to wait for them.

"Oh! Don't worry Runner! I'm more than okay!" Chris replied, smiling at him. "I'm just... saving my strength for when we reach the beach!"

"Oh, yeah! We got a lot to do when we get there!" Daniel said excitedly.

"Yeah? You already have your afternoon planed?" Sean asked.

"Yeah! We are going to build a fortress! And we..." but his brother didn't let him finish.

"Okay! Okay, bro. Just chill. We have to keep going but you can show me when we get there. Is that cool?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay", Daniel said. He didn't like his reaction at all, but there was no point arguing about it.

"Hey Danny!" Alicia said.

"Yeah?"

"Since your uncool brother doesn't want to know, why don't you tell me instead?" She said, pointing her thumbs at herself.

"Ha! I'll give you twenty minutes!" Sean said, smiling.

"Shut up!" Daniel replied.

"Maybe ten!"

Daniel hissed at him out of reflex, even though he wasn't exactly annoyed by his brother. Sean would always tease him like that, so he didn't mind that much.

The group started walking again, Alicia and Daniel were now leading the way, while the kid chatted with her.

"... and so, we were thinking we could find some cave to explore"

"Yeah? And you think there will be a cave around?"

"Of course, we'll find one!"

"Then you better take me with you. I want to see a cool cave too!" she said.

"You really want to?"

"Of course! I want to see bats flying away like in a scary movie!"

"That would be awesome possum!"

"Right?!"

Daniel felt good about how interested Alicia seemed. He kept talking about everything they would build when they arrived at the beach, like how he wanted to build a fort so big it could hold both he and Chris inside. He was tempted to say he was planning to use his powers to do so, but he feared Sean would hear him talk.

He looked back to where Sean and Chris were, noticing his brother was not even looking at him, completely entangled in some joyful conversation with his friend.

"And I was thinking I could use my powers to get the castle even higher" he said, looking back at Alicia. If Sean wasn't even paying attention, no use in trying to hide it.

"Speaking off..." she said. That phrase alone made Daniel feel heavy on his stomach. He already knew what she was going to say. "When are we telling your brother?"

"I just... I don't know. Yet."

"Hey, hey, it's okay. No pressure. I just think he deserves to know. You guys share everything, right?"

Daniel thought about it. His brother did keep his promise of telling always the truth to him. Not immediately, because of Chris, but he always found a way to tell him eventually.

"Do you think he'll be mad?" she asked.

"I know he will be! He always gets mad at me!"

He raised his voice a lot on that last phrase, noticing Alicia looking back to check if Sean heard, so he decided to do the same. Nothing. Sean was laughing at something Chris said, whatever it was. He looked back at the road. In a way, he hoped his brother would have heard him.

"Hey, Danny" she said. "You know you are the single most important thing in the world to him, right?"

"Doesn't seem like it! He'd rather spend his time with you and Chris."

"Woah, there. I meant what I said."

"Yeah, right."

"It's true, Danny. You should have seen him at the farm. The guy would never shut up about his little brother Collin."

"So what? You saw him last night. He got so mad he sent Chris to look for me. He didn't even want to see me."

"Do you really think that's why he sent Chris?"

"Yeah? I mean... I don't know."

"Well, why don't you ask him?"

"Right, like he's going to listen."

"I think you'd be surprised."

"Whatever. Are we close to the beach yet?" he said. He noticed how the scenery started changing some time before. There were no longer big trees around, but rather some huge fields, mixed with groves here and there. The air also smelled different, though he didn't exactly know how to describe the smell. He didn't know if that meant they were reaching their destination, so he'd rather ask.

"Oh, yeah! Must be around one or two hours now that we crossed that bridge"

"Oh! Cool! Can't wait to get there!"

Daniel wasn't expecting Alicia to drop the subject when he tried to change it, but it seemed like she picked the hint. He was very grateful to her, and during the following hour of the trip he talked to her about a lot of things he had back in Seattle, like the games he used to play, his friend Noah, and his superhero comic books.

"Hey guys! Wait!" Sean said. He catched up to them by running, while Chris was sitting on a guardrail on the back.

"What is it?" Alicia asked, stopping. Daniel followed what she did.

"Well, it's Chris. He's a bit too tired. I think we should set camp here for tonight"

"What?!" Daniel jumped. "But we are so close!" he said, pointing to the road showing annoyance.

"Yeah, I know, Enano. But look at him. He can't go on."

Daniel looked at Chris, who was emptily looking at the floor. He didn't look good.

"Okay, I get it. I'll help make the tent so he can rest!" he said. Sean smiled at him, making him feel warm.

"I think we can handle it tonight" Alicia said.

"What? But I want to help!"

"And you will help. Go help your friend! He needs you!" she added. Daniel looked at Sean, seeking his approval.

"She's right. He will feel much better having you by his side."

"Okay! Leave it to me!" he said. Of course he wanted to make Chris feel better, so he decided to rush to his friend while the other two handled the rest.

"Hey, Superwolf!"

"Hey, hey! Did Sean tell you?"

"That we are staying for the night?"

"Yeah! And Sean said I could come play with you while they set up camp!"

"Cool!" he said. Daniel noticed he seemed amused about the idea, even if tired.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I think we said we'd play with cards, right?"

"Oh, yeah! Let's go grab them!"

Chris nodded, stood up, and followed Daniel those few feet. The latter noticed Alicia was preparing the tent, while Sean was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Ali? Where's Sean?" he asked.

"Oh, he went to gather some wood for the fire, and see if he could find some water we could use. Once we get to the beach we won't be able to drink that one."

"I know! It's because it's salt water!"

"Yeah, that's correct! It's cool you know your stuff, Danny! Will help us survive, too!"

"Hey, is it okay if we go there?" Chris said, pointing out a nearby grove.

"What? Why?" Daniel asked.

"So we can, you know. Make a card castle?" his friend answered. Daniel knew he meant using his powers, which was an idea he was fond of.

"Ah! Chris! That's a cool idea!" he said, grabbing Chris's shoulder, then looking at Alicia. "Can we? We promise we won't go far!"

"Wait, are you going to... do THAT?" she said, looking around. Daniel thought she probably wanted to see if his brother was coming back.

"Yeah! There are lots of new tricks I've been learning thanks to Chris for the last month. I wanna practice!"

"Well, Daniel. I don't think it's that good of an idea" she said.

"Why not?"

"First of all, I don't know if your brother would trust me on choosing to let you run on your own. And second, you didn't tell him I knew about your powers, so to him it'd look as if I just sent two 9 year olds to be bitten by a snake or something."

"What if we promise to be super careful!"

"I'd say I believe you, Danny. I'd also still say no", she laughed.

"Boo! Party pooper!"

"And taking pride on it!" Alicia said in a cheeky manner, making Chris snort behind Daniel.

"But what if... I gave you a Chock-o-Crisp!"

"Oh, now you are bringing the heavy guns, huh? Tell me. Why do you want to go that bad?"

"I just want to practice! And also... Chris wants to go, and you told me to play with him!", he said in a completely serious tone. Alicia laughed a bit.

"Okay, I'll tell you what. We have time before dinner, so I'll let you go, and I'll handle your brother"

"But?" Daniel said.

"But... And it's a big one!" she said, making a big gesture with both of her arms, "you have to promise me you won't go far, and that you'll be back not when it's dark, but when the Sun is starting to set. And you must abide to it, okay?"

"What is abide?" Chris asked.

"That you'll follow what you promised no matter what. Can you do that?" she said with a straight face.

"I promise!" Chris said.

"We promise!" Daniel followed.

"Good. Please don't make me regret it. Your brother will kill me if anything happens to you."

Daniel nodded. Even if it was for a small thing, it felt good to know she trusted him.

Daniel walked to the set of trees, watching everywhere to see if there was any hint of civilization around. Nothing. They didn't even have to get too far, which Daniel felt was a good thing, since the whole idea was to make Chris rest.

"So... what are we doing now?" Chris asked, waving the card deck in his hand, playfully. Daniel didn't answer at first, but as soon as he found a log and moved it so they could sit down in the spot, he already had decided how to cheer his friend up.

"Okay, let me try this!" he said.

He used his powers to make Chris sit on the log, gently, while removing the cards from the box. He wasn't sure how many of them he could control at the same time, but he was willing to give it a try. At first, when he tried to separate them from each other, he was able to make six of them keep floating, but found it hard to move them around. The rest of them fell on the floor inside enough of the box so they didn't split.

"Maybe there are too many cards?" Chris said, but still showing how impressed he was with his face.

"No, wait, I can do this!" Daniel said. He was sure he could find a way.

Daniel concentrated again on the cards, and on how they made them feel. It was a strange feeling. It was as if he was touching the cards through gloves. He would notice they were there, but couldn't tell their texture. He was able to feel their shape and how many of them he was grabbing, but nothing else. With all that, as soon as he tried to move the cards, his grip started being faulty again.

"Dude! I know I can do this! I can lift boulders!" he said.

"Uh, maybe... I don't know. How does it feel?"

"I'm not sure. It's as if I could feel things. Touch them."

"So, like if you had some extra hands?"

"No, not like that." Daniel was struggling to explain how it felt. But felt even more frustrated because he knew what he wanted to do, yet didn't know how.

"So... then how?"

"I don't know, Chris. It's like, as if I had some sort of energy. It doesn't have a shape! I just know I can wrap it over things and then things happen... Wait!"

That was the moment it hit him. He didn't need to hold every card, but rather have the power around all of them.

"I think..." he said, extending his arm in the direction of the cards box, removing the complete set again as one thing. Then extended his powers around the air, slowly, making the cards split with them. They were floating in the air, scattered.

He moved his power again, slowly, noticing how indistinct all of them seemed to him now. He couldn't tell how many of them were there, though he could have a general idea of how far the group was.

He swayed his power again. The cards moved rhythmically. He tried it again, and they responded, once again, just as planned. Now he tried to split them in two groups. He could still grip them just fine.

"I think I got it" he said, looking at Chris, who was gazing in awe. When he realized it he felt really proud of himself, and therefore he wanted to surprise his friend even more.

He split the cards in three groups, spreading the power as much as it could, so even if they were all part of the same group, they were scattered all over them, making them go as high as he could. He still couldn't count them, but knew because of Alicia there were 52 cards in a deck, and so long they didn't lose one while playing, they all were floating over them like stars.

After that he felt like he wanted to do something flashier, so he started swaying them again, making spirals with each of his three powers, motion which the cards followed obediently.

Daniel felt like it was finally enough, so after making them spin in the air for a while, he tried to shrink the area of his powers, but failed to adjust the angle of the cards inside the pieces of power. He tried for a while to form a deck, but after he pressed them the wrong way, he suddenly felt once again he was seizing too many of them, and they all fell on the floor unceremoniously.

"Dude! Not fair!" he said, irritated because he failed his trick at the last second.

"What? Superwolf! That was amazing!" Chris screamed. He had jumped from the log, all his energy seemingly back in his body, and was waving his hands in excitement.

Daniel blushed. He was not very happy with how his performance ended, but seeing his friend all excited about it was all he wanted, so he decided to surprise him once more.

"Hey, Chris?" he said.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Daniel extended his hand at him, and started making him levitate like he did the day before. He was ever so confident about his powers after his practice, since he understood how to make him fly easier. He only had to make sure to grip him gently before making him land, and thing would be just fine.

"Go Captain Spirit!" he screamed, laughing in between, watching Chris, who couldn't stop laughing either, make the pose of a flying superhero that could easily come from a movie.

After a couple of minutes, Daniel's control had improved greatly, and he was making his friend glide quickly between the trees. When they both decided it was time, he even managed to make him land in his feet, somewhat gently.

"Dude! You are the best!" Chris said, hitting Daniel on his arm over and over with both hands, almost blowing up from excitement.

"Thanks, thanks, I try, I try!" Daniel said, more playfully than faking humbleness.

"I can't wait to tell Sean about how your powers grew!"

Daniel felt a chilly strike on his stomach.

"What?" he said. His tone had become serious from just the surprise.

"Ah, right, he didn't talk to you yet, right?" Chris said. He was still very excited about what just happened, so he didn't realize Daniel clenching his teeth. "We talked a lot while we were coming here. He asked me about our days when we were alone, so I told him we practiced a lot."

"Did... Did you tell him about me making you fly?" Daniel said. Anger was raising in his body, and so was in his voice. Chris had promised he wouldn't tell Sean. He couldn't have betrayed him, right?

"Ah, well, no. But he realized it happened when I told him we were playing. It's okay, though. He is not mad at you. He is really impressed with you and how your powers are growing! He said..."

"Stop!" Daniel interrupted him. Why was he talking? Why was he so happy? He lied to him. He promised he wouldn't let Sean find out, and he didn't even care that he broke his promise.

"What's wrong?" Chris said, now with a worried face. Daniel ignored him.

Sean. His brother. Even when he did something they both knew was so dangerous, he decided to ignore him, again. And Chris said he was not mad at him? At least before his brother dared berate him about things he didn't like. Now he wouldn't even talk to him.

"Hey, Superwolf?" Chris said, getting closer to him, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Daniel noticed he did it the same exact way Sean would whenever he was trying to reach him. He felt disgusted by the thought.

"Don't call me that!" he cried, pushing his friend away with his powers, just strong enough to make him lose balance and almost fall. "You are not my friend!" he howled.

He immediately regretted what he said. Chris's eyes quickly became red and started welling up. Daniel tried to apologize, but words stumbled in his throat, just the same way he was starting to feel like crying, too. Whatever he was trying to say, didn't come out. He couldn't reach his friend, and by the time he would have wanted to react it was too late. Chris had already started running.

Chapter 7: Captain Spirit Escapes Sand Land

Summary:

The sense of belonging is something Chris doesn't seem to grasp. Will he ever be over his father's words?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Look", he said in a serious tone. "You don't need to lie to me, Chris. I'm happy that his powers are growing. I'll tell him that later, too. Okay? But be careful. That's all I'm asking."

As Chris kept repeating Sean's words relentlessly in his head, he could also feel his heart's pulsation in his forehead, causing him a headache, but despite that, he wouldn't stop running.

He already had left the grove from the other side, running through a field into what seemed to be a farm. But Chris was so distraught that he didn't even realize the cable wire fence in front of him, causing him to hit his face with the upper wire right above his upper lip. His body was set in motion on his own due to inertia, making him fall backward and hit the back of his head on the floor, the rest of his body sliding and causing him to bruise his back and his arms.

Chris sat down in shock, feeling lost for a couple of seconds while his thoughts slowly fell into place. The first thing he noticed was a metallic taste in his mouth, followed by a damp sensation both in his upper lip and the back of his head. He touched both in order, realizing they were bleeding.

He started crying again, sitting down only to then realize his arms were also bruised.

"Chris!" Daniel's voice yelled. Chris didn't want to raise his eyes to meet him, so he kept crushing his face against his crossed arms. "Chris are you okay?!" he continued.

He felt Daniel's arms around him, embracing him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Chris, I'm so sorry".

Chris was silently sobbing, feeling his face all sticky, trying to decide what part of his body ached the most, yet as soon as he felt Daniel's arms, he cowered, becoming even smaller than he already was in that position. He didn't dare answer his friend.

"We need to take you back to camp", Daniel said, releasing him from the hug.

Chris felt immediately a gentle grip around all of his body, lifting him. It was Daniel's power.

"No!" he yelled. Daniel put him down again, and Chris started walking on his own, making sure not to face him. After all, despite all the pain, he didn't injure his legs.

"Dude, you are bleeding. Let me take you."

"No!" Chris repeated, this time in a calmer but still firm tone.

"Look, Chris, I'm sorry. You are my friend. You are my best friend. I'm sorry I said that before. Just let me take you."

Chris felt tears forming once again. Great. This was just great. He would have killed to hear Daniel say that before, but after messing things as he did, he just didn't feel deserving.

"You can't take me. Alicia would see you" he said, not even intending to stop walking.

"So what? She already knows, Chris!" Daniel said in a worried tone.

"Yeah, but Sean doesn't know that!", he replied. They already reached the group of trees, so they were not that far from camp.

"I don't care, Chris! You are hurt! He can yell at me all he wants; I just don't care!"

"I said no!"

Chris met Daniel's eyes for the first time since they parted before his fall, noticing how hurt his friend was. Seemed like he just couldn't stop disappointing him.

"I messed up. I just don't want to do it again."

"Chris, I..."

"Daniel?!" Sean's voice said. "What the hell happened?!" he yelled. Chris could see him running to them.

"Sean! Chris got hurt! He needs help!" Daniel said.

"Yeah, I can see that! What did you do?!"

Sean's voice lowered its volume as soon as he reached them, but he still sounded extremely angry, and while Daniel may have felt bad about that, Chris was sure he felt only worse. All of this started with Daniel not wanting his brother to be mad at him, and he caused it to happen again.

"It's my fault! I was running without looking", he said. Sean, who was already checking the back of his head, put his eyes on Chris's own, showing no emotion. It was starting to freak Chris out, but the teenager simply scooped him up with his arms and carried him back to camp, the three of them in complete silence.

As soon as they arrived, Chris saw how Alicia, who immediately realized what had happened, went to her backpack and took a box from it, making a sign to Sean to make them go inside the tent. Sean followed her instructions, putting him on the floor inside.

"What happened?" she said. Chris, who was now calmer, started swelling up again as he thought of what he wanted to say, but she interrupted him before he could speak. "Sweetie, it's okay. You don't need to talk right now if you don't want to, okay? Sean?"

"I don't know. I bet Daniel can tell me the story."

"No!" Chris bluntly said. He didn't want him to interrogate his friend. He didn't want them to fight because of him. But Sean just looked at him for a second, then got out of the tent.

"Hey, hey. It's okay", Alicia said, touching his head softly in an unharmed spot.

Chris followed the woman with his eyes, not saying a word to her, even when she spoke to him with a caring tone. He was too focused on the outside, trying to make sense of the words the siblings were sharing. But of course, they moved far enough for him to not be able to understand.

"This might hurt a little, alright?" Alicia said, before applying the contents of a dark bottle on a cloth and using it to clean the wound on his face.

"Good, good, you are doing great", she said when applying an ointment.

"You are a strong one!" she said when she had put a clean bandage on his frontal wound.

But Chris wasn't listening to her. He couldn't focus at all on her words. At least not after he heard Daniel scream "that's not what happened, Sean! I swear!" outside the tent.

"Do you feel sleepy? Headache? Anything like that?" Alicia asked him.

"No", Chris said as quietly and bluntly as he could. Fortunately, Alicia didn't seem to mind and continued to do her job.

After a while, the words receded, and for a second Chris thought maybe they would already have reconciled, but then he heard Daniel sobbing outside.

"Hey, Captain, I'm not done yet!" Alicia said, Chris ignoring her completely while undoing the zipper of the tent and coming out.

Chris found Daniel sitting on the floor near the road, crying. Sean was standing near the tent, just looking at him while putting his hand on his face due to frustration.

"I think I heard Alicia say she was not done", the teenager said to Chris.

"Because I'm not," she said coming out, too.

Chris ignored them both and ran to Daniel. He couldn't care less.

"Hey, Superwolf," he said shyly, stopping in front of him. Though short, his steps showed every ounce of decision he had in his body, but as soon as he was in front of Daniel he was again at a loss for words.

"Hey"

"I'm sorry I ran away and made your brother mad at you"

"It's fine. He's an asshole anyway!" Daniel blurted, loud enough for his brother to hear, making him roll his eyes so much Chris could see it from where he was.

"Are you mad at him because he didn't believe you?"

"I'm mad at him because he has farts for brains!", again loudly. He could see Alicia covering her face to hide her laughter. It made Chris giggle, and with that, Daniel let out a short sigh which Chris interpreted to show some fun in that situation.

Alicia approached them slowly, holding the first aid kit in front of her. Chris saw Daniel nodding, to which the girl responded by cleaning the wound on the back of his head again.

"So, guessing your chat with your brother didn't go that well?" she said.

"I don't get it. I told him the truth. He thinks I'm a liar" Daniel said. His voice cracked again when he said that.

"I should tell him what happened, too", Chris said. Daniels frowned.

"Why? He'd believe you more than me, right?" he said, anger in his voice.

"Woah, there!" Alicia came in before Chris had time to even understand what he meant. "Remember what we talked about?"

"Yeah, but! Nevermind".

"Come on, don't be like that. Is this why you fought in the forest?"

"We didn't fight!" both kids said at the same time. Alicia grinned.

"You know, I have this brother, Lucas. Sometimes when he was mad at me, he would say something that would make me very nervous, or angry, and I would lash out at him in the worst possible way."

"So what? It's not what happened!" Daniel said.

"I know, I know. But something did happen," she said.

"Why do you think that? He just fell". Chris didn't say anything. It was technically true. He heard Daniel trying to stop him, but he continued running.

"Six brothers, Danny, you know that. I have three times the experience you have."

Chris felt awkward inside when she said that. He understood what she intended to do, but as heartwarming as the idea could be, he felt he didn't deserve it. He didn't even dare look at Daniel. He was sure he would be disgusted by the idea.

"How... did you fix things?" Daniel said.

"What I did was admit what made me mad to begin with, and work it out from there. Believe it or not, those who love us are more ready to listen to us than we credit them for. Sounds easy, huh? Also, I'm done here. I'll go talk to Super Grumpy over there" she said, pointing at Sean with her thumb. "Hey, now that's the kid I like so much!" she said. Chris noticed Daniel grinning, while still looking at the floor. Alicia then walked back to camp.

"So, uh..." Chris was struggling once again to find what to say.

"I'm sorry for what I said" Daniel quietly said. "You ARE my friend, Chris."

"Well, I shouldn't be," Chris said.

"What? Don't say that!"

"But it's true, Daniel. I broke my promise. I didn't mean to, but I did!"

"Hey! I'm Superwolf, remember?"

"Yeah, you are. Superwolf" Chris said. He couldn't help but smile shily.

"Hey, want to play cards with them later?" Daniel said, pointing at Sean and Alicia, who were now sitting near the fire, chatting. Chris noticed how Sean looked at them for a second, then went back again to Alicia.

"Are you... good with him?"

"Well, no. But I can team up with Alicia and..." he stopped. "Maybe we can play something else", Daniel said, sulking.

Chris then realized that this subject was far from over. But it was not like he could do anything about it. He felt like he was as unhelpful as always, so he decided to at least behave.

"Hey, hey! Maybe we don't need them at all, Superwolf! We still can have the best adventures on our own. Uh, we can work on the story for our comic book!"

"Yeah... Yeah! That would be cool!" Daniel said. He stood still for a second then hugged Chris. "Thank you!" he said. Chris felt warm on the inside, realizing he had done something good.

And so, Chris fulfilled his promise the best he could. Even when he was so tired, and he felt he could sleep for days, he remained by Daniel's side until his friend finally crashed into his sleeping bag. Just then he tried to get some sleep himself.

The next day the group woke up early and started moving again as soon as they packed up. Daniel was still mad at Sean, so whenever his brother tried to reach him, he would pull a face at him and force him to forfeit. Both Alicia and Chris tried to break the ice, but he was simply not receding.

Still, Chris noticed it was still Sean who was making the calls, as usual, like when he decided to take a turn northside so they would avoid the nearest town, or how when the scenery changed once again announcing they were close to the beach he would be the one to decide where to set camp. And at every turn, Daniel would accept what he was told and even support his brother's idea. In a way, that helped Chris feel calmer about the situation.

Finally, they put the tent behind a big tree near a road, just half a mile outside of the town. Sean thought they could pass as hitchhiking tourists if anyone saw them, and so long as the kids stood on the side opposite to the road, no one should be able to see it was them.

Chris's body felt a bit sore during the walk due to the fall he took the day before, but it was not enough to break his spirit.

"Heh, Spirit. Get it?" he said to himself. He wondered how much until the Spirit Squad could relax and have awesome adventures like the ones they had back in his house. A faint memory of past times, when he was living with both his parents, crossed his mind, but Chris promised himself he was going to be a good boy, so he took the shape of his mother's smile from his head and stored it on the deepest shelf in the back of his mind. "Maybe one day", he thought, and thankfully, Daniel happened to call for his attention before he even had time to weigh what was inside his mind.

"Hey, hey! We have a sandcastle to build, remember?" Daniel said, shaking Chris with a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah! We can make the beach version of the SHQ!" he replied. He felt his body sting when his friend moved his body but resisted the urge to act on it. He wanted Daniel to feel okay.

"Hey, be careful. Your friend is injured, remember?" Sean said, frowning.

"Sorry..." Daniel replied.

"It's okay, Superwolf, nobody can take Captain Spirit down!" Chris said, trying to sound heroic. Daniel giggled, and even Sean smiled.

Daniel started running in the direction the beach was, calling Chris so he would follow. Chris did the same, going uphill just enough to have a change of scenery before he stopped.

He felt the gust of sandy cold wind on his face and his arms. He felt blinded by the sun shining in his eyes, reflected in the water and the sand. Chris felt weird how despite the sun shining so strongly, he still felt the cold weather piercing through his clothes.

He and Daniel stood there for a moment, Chris watching the infinity of the sea in front of him, noticing how even the beach was spreading wide enough for him not to see where it ended on either side. Even his wildest dreams wouldn't feel this vivid, which made sense in his head since this was real. He wondered if his friend felt that way too.

Chris also noticed there was almost no one around. Maybe it was because of the cold wind?

"Hey, Chris! Come on!", he heard Daniel say. Or rather, Superwolf.

"Wait! Superwolf! Do you see that?" he said, pointing at the floor. Clearly, Daniel didn't feel the same, but it didn't matter.

"What? What is it?"

"It's the Time Master! He trapped us in his magic hourglass!" he added, crouching to reach for a handful of sand that he let slip between his fingers.

"Oh, no, Captain! We have to get out of here!" Daniel said.

Chris and Daniel fought and The Sandmaster, who was of course an evil version of Sean. Daniel wasn't allowed to use his real powers, but they roleplayed as if both kids had their share of abilities, so in the end they had a lot of fun.

"We should get back now!" Sean said, gesturing with his hand.

"Not before you eat this!" Daniel said, throwing a handful to his brother, who barely dodged the hit.

Chris was happy to see how playing together also helped Daniel open up again to his brother, and wondered if maybe it was just their bond was unbreakable like that. He realized he felt a little envious of them.

Sean, even when he was mad, never insulted Daniel or talked to him as if he was any less. And whenever Daniel was mad, his brother would make a lot of extra effort trying to fix things. Chris started to wonder if it was his fault his father was not so fond of him. Maybe he angered him so much that he was beyond forgiveness.

"Hey, you okay?" Daniel asked, making Chris realize he was again letting those feelings act on their own.

"Oh, yeah! I'm just a little sad we didn't get to make a sandcastle as we said".

"Sean?" Daniel asked, looking at his brother.

"I don't know, Enano. It's nearly freezing out here, and we should get back to Alicia. She's all alone."

"Man, it sucks, but... I get it" Daniel said, slowly walking back, patting Chris's back on the way.

"Hold on..." Sean stopped. "Maybe, maybe do it quick."

"What?! You mean it?!" Daniel beamed, and hugged his brother, before grabbing Chris by his wrist and picking a spot so they could start building.

"Look, I'll get back to camp to let Alicia know, and maybe help her make dinner. Don't wander off, okay?"

"Yeah! We promise! Right, Chris?"

"We promise, Runner! This will be our home base until your triumphant return!" he said, making Sean smile and nod at him.

They spent around twenty minutes trying to make their castle go up, but it was hard to work without tools of any kind, so their work looked a little rustic, but it still made Chris proud.

They managed to build the outer walls of the fortress-like castle, with round towers on the edges, and worked their way inside from there, managing to make a moat around it without the walls falling apart, but it was then that Daniel felt the urge to use his powers as a mean to get some water to fill it. Chris wasn't too convinced, but after his friend insisted, he decided to comply and worked as a lookup to make sure no one was spotting them.

Daniel got close to the ocean, and with Chris covering his frontside he used his hand to make a swirling motion, which the water followed in small quantities, forming a bubble.

"This is hard", Daniel said. His hand was now stiff in front of him, and he was barely moving. The water bubble seemed unstable to Chris, like it wanted to lose its shape.

"What's wrong?" Chris asked, but Daniel only shook his head and moved his hand slowly, like he was struggling, making the water move to the castle's side. Chris followed his friend, keeping his front side so it was less visible to others.

As soon as they reached the castle, Daniel tried to put the water down, but when he released it, it poured unevenly over the whole castle, ruining one of the towers.

"No way! This is not fair!" he said, clearly frustrated.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. It doesn't work like with other stuff."

"Oh, you never tried water before?"

"Not really, no. I can grab things that are underwater, though"

"What about sand?"

"What about it?"

"Well, can you?"

Daniel tried to lift little fragments, but much like the group of cards before, he had some trouble lifting them one by one. Fortunately, he had already worked around that problem, and he made a little cloud of sand swirl around them, though he made sure it was pretty small so people couldn't tell exactly what was going on.

Chris, as always, felt amazed about his friend's skills, and as soon as they reached a point where Daniel felt more confident, they practiced by making new castles that Daniel would polish in detail by removing or adding more sand to the building.

"No way!" suddenly a woman's voice said. "Aren't you the kid from the Christmas Market?"

Chris turned around, not knowing what to expect. He knew very well they were not supposed to be recognized, and if these people knew him, it meant they were also from Beaver Creek. What if they knew his father?

"What was your name again? Daniel?" a pink-haired girl said. Chris noticed she didn't address him, but that didn't make the uneasy feeling disappear. He thought for a second that they needed to run, but what if they couldn't miss them? After all, they were young but way bigger, and of course, they would be stronger than he and his friend. And they were not supposed to use Daniel's powers.

"Uh, no, I... Yeah, I'm Daniel"

Chris grabbed onto Daniel's sleeves, which unfortunately those girls noticed.

"Hey, it's okay! We won't harm you. Where is your brother?" the pink-haired girl asked. Daniel didn't answer, apparently starting to lose his cool.

"Oh, yeah! He's in the hotel room. He'll be joining us soon!" Chris said. If he was right, these women were not to get them, so he hoped they would just leave. Daniel looked at him, so Chris smiled extra hard.

"Uh, yeah. He shouldn't take that much longer" his friend said.

"Are you sure you are fine?" the black-haired girl who was with them said. She seemed fierce, in the same way Alicia did, and her voice sounded serious, but despite it, Chris knew he couldn't falter, so he kept pretending.

"Yeah! He just went to get us something to eat. He should be back any minute now!" he said. If he could pull it off, maybe they'd leave on their own.

"We could keep you company until he arrives. I'd like to say hi to him! I'm Cassidy by the way" the pink-haired girl said, eyeing her friend.

"I'm Hannah. Nice to meet you, Daniel. And you little guy?" she said.

"I'm Chris. Nice to meet you" he said, smiling. He wasn't sure how to get them out of that, but fortunately, Alicia's voice came from his back.

"Hey there! I see you are making new friends. Aren't you a little old for these guys?" she said, laughing.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Cassidy said. Chris took the opportunity, and jumped behind Alicia, pretending to shield himself, trying to look as nervous as he could, so she would get them out of there.

Daniel stood in place, probably more scared than he was. If they were supposed to not draw attention, they already had lost.

"Oh, I'm just their nanny. I've come to take these little guys back to the hotel."

"Wait, Daniel" Cassidy said. "Where is your brother?"

"Oh, you know Sean!" Alicia said. Chris looked at her. She was staring at the girls in front of her. He wondered if it was just she didn't trust her. But what would he do anyway? He would just follow her lead.

"Yeah, I met him around Christmas, back in a small town. How do you know him?"

"We are traveling together. And we should really get going now."

"Wait, please. I need to talk to him" Cassidy said. She paused for a second but then continued as if pleading. "It's important."

After some convincing, Alicia let the two women join their campfire so they could talk. Chris noticed how Sean was very happy to see Cassidy, though he didn't know Hannah.

The grownups made some tea using the pot and some water, and the two visitors gave some soda cans to the kids. And during the time they were preparing it, the mood lightened up pretty fast with Cassidy and Hannah starting by catching up with Sean and Alicia about how they managed to reunite there. Sadly, after they were sitting down around the fire, the talk took a darker turn. Cassidy took a newspaper page from days ago and handed it to Sean.

"I knew immediately after I read this, it was you two", she said. Sean was looking at the page, Alicia leaning her head above his shoulder so she could also read.

Sun was starting to set, and Chris wondered if Mantroid was sending a sign telling them he would take the light out of them.

"This is... just great," Sean said.

"What is it?" Daniel asked. He was trying to reach out to read too, but Sean got annoyed quickly.

"Would you cut the fuck out!", he ranted in a loud voice, pushing him with his hand, in a way Chris never saw him do before. It scared him a bit, and even Daniel stood frozen in place, staring blankly at his brother. "Seriously dude, it's always the same shit with you!"

"What's your problem?!" Alicia said. Sean looked at her, then at Daniel, still standing in place.

"Superwolf!" Chris jumped from his seat, grabbing Daniel by the wrist. "Uh, Sean, can we go play? There! No further!"

"No, I... I'm sorry, Enano, seriously" he said, trying to put his hand on his brother's shoulder. Sadly, Daniel didn't take it very well, shrugging it off immediately and looking at Chris.

"Want to play cards inside?"

"Sure! We can make another castle!" he said, trying to instill hope in his voice.

The kids got inside the tent, where they played silently for a while. The flashlight was enough for them to play, and it was also enough for Chris to notice how his friend was silently sobbing in front of him.

Chris wanted badly to say something to him, but he felt as if talking about it would only make things worse, so he did his best to set up an adventure for the little Chibi Power Bear to climb the one and only Card Castle where the evil Deck Master was hiding.

After a while, Daniel had calmed down, and so did the mumbling voices on the outside. That's when Sean entered the tent, Daniel completely ignoring him.

"Can I talk to you?" the older one said. Daniel gave no response to him, and Chris started moving to crawl outside the tent so he would give them some privacy, but Sean put a hand in front of him. "Both of you".

"Oh, uh, sure! What is it, Runner?" Chris said, nudging Daniel with his hand, but he would keep playing with the Power Bear figure.

"Look, guys. I'm sorry, but I fucked up again" Sean said, putting a hand in his face.

"What do you mean?" Daniel said, without lifting his eyes from the toy.

"It means... this", he said, handing the paper from before to Daniel, who would finally respond by not trying to pretend his brother was a ghost.

"Cop murderer assaults landlord on a farm", Daniel started.

"The short version is the landlord from back then knew I was Sean Diaz from the start. When I was still there, he threatened to use my info against me if I ever - betrayed him-, and now I see this is what he meant"

Sean stopped for a second to breathe.

"Chris, after all this time I need to ask you one thing"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you miss your home? Your dad? Don't you want to go back?"

"Why are you asking him that, Sean?" Daniel asked worriedly.

"You know why, Daniel."

"But, why now?"

"Keep reading, man. They mentioned knowing Chris was with us. They must have taken it from the article before because they never saw you both. They just knew me."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Chris asked. Sean sighed.

"Chris, I'll be honest with you. These people know you are with me. Or rather, they supposed that was the case and now because of a lie in this article, they sure know it. They think I kidnapped you, for whatever reason. They wouldn't believe me if I simply told them you wanted to come with us. Do you understand? These people think I'm forcing you to come with us."

"But you are not! I'm part of your team now!"

"Yeah, I get it. But Chris. I know that. They don't, and we have a long journey ahead of us, and they are following our tracks. They don't know where we are, but they can tell our general area, and... Chris, do you understand what this is? What we are doing?"

"Of course I do!"

"Sean..." Daniel started, but Sean gave him a look that made him go quiet immediately.

"We are running from the police. We are considered criminals."

"I know, I know that! And we are going to clean your name!"

"No, Chris, we are not. We are leaving. We are leaving this country, and never coming back. And if you don't go back now, you'll probably never do it again. Do you understand?"

Chris felt stunned by what Sean said. It was true they mentioned before they were going to Mexico, and it was true they talked about not coming back. But it was the first time he felt the weight of those words. He always felt like this was just an adventure, and that when they finished it, the three of them would be... what exactly?

"Don't you miss your dad?"

"No, I... I do, but..."

"Don't you miss your toys, Chris? Your house?" Sean's tone was stoic and blunt. Chris didn't exactly know how to respond. Of course he missed his room. And of course he missed his dad.

"I... I don't know..." his voice was starting to crack, and he could feel tears forming.

"I know, Chris. I know you are not happy with us. I know you miss so many things, and we can give them back to you."

"How?" Chris cried. There was no stopping it now. He started to cry, knowing what Sean was implying. He wanted to get rid of him, just like his dad wanted to back then, wishing he was not there so his mom would still be alive.

"Hannah and Cassidy offered to drop you at the police station. The police already know we are in the zone, so it wouldn't be surprising. We just need to leave before they find us."

"What?! Sean!" Daniel yelled, but his brother interrupted him.

"Daniel! Look at him!" he said, pointing at Chris's bruised body. "He's been hiding how unhappy he is since day one. Just think about it. Wouldn't you go back if you could? If you could be with Dad again. With your Playbox, and Noah, and everything."

"No, Sean. I'd rather be with you"

"Well, I'm flattered, but you know exactly what I mean."

"Yeah, but..." Daniel started. But he stopped mid-sentence and dropped his eyes to the floor.

"I know it's hard, Daniel. I know. But you gotta think about what's best for him."

"I know, Sean. I'm sorry."

"Chris... do you want to go back? We can make it happen."

"Am I that useless?" Chris said, and the moment he said it he went from sobbing to crying uncontrollably.

"Huh? What?" Sean said. Chris couldn't see the face he was making.

"You want to get rid of me because I'm useless" is what Chris wanted to say, but words wouldn't come out in the middle of his tears. He was simply too far gone now. What would he do now? His father probably would hate him even more for running away. No one wanted him around.

"Chris, hey, hey, calm down! It's okay!" Sean said. But his words wouldn't reach him. He felt desolated beyond belief.

Suddenly, he could feel Sean embrace him, followed by Daniel joining right after. No one said anything, but after some time, Chris started to calm down enough for him to speak again.

"Do you want to..." the words still stung in his chest "... get rid of me?"

"Hey, now, that's not what I said!" Sean said.

"But... you thought of it."

"Yeah, well... I won't lie to you, things would be much easier if you went back."

"I know... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. That's not what I mean. Daniel, do you want him to go back?"

"Of course not!" Daniel said, clinging to Chris even harder.

"And, do you really think I don't want you here?"

"Just... I don't know?" he answered. He didn't want to be rude to him, but he didn't want to lie either.

"What? Really?!" Sean said, releasing the hug to look him in the face. "It's not exactly the answer I expected"

"I'm sorry!" Chris was quick to reply.

"No, don't be! But why do you think that?"

"I, it's just... Daniel has his... special skills" he said, trying not to raise awareness to Sean that Alicia knew the truth.

"So?"

"And you are our leader, and Alicia is really helpful too, but I'm useless" his voice was starting to crack again when he said that. "I just thought maybe you didn't want me around. I know my dad doesn't."

Sean closed his arms again around him, this time pulling him and Daniel even closer than before.

"Chris, you are safe with us. What I said is not because I don't want you around. You are a part of our team now, and I just worry you won't be happy with us."

Chris grabbed Sean and Daniel's arms. His body ached because of his bruises, but he didn't care. He wanted to feel them closer.

"Now, Chris", Sean said softly, still not releasing him. "If you come with us, you won't be able to go back. Maybe ever. If you still want to go, I won't say no. You are a part of us. You'll be a part of our family. But, you won't be able to take that back. Ever."

"Sean... He's just a kid", Alicia's voice said. She was listening to everything from outside the tent.

"I know. But he must understand. Do you understand, Chris? You may not see your father again. Ever. Your grandparents. Your friends. Your house. All gone."

"Sean!" Alicia echoed, this time in a higher tone.

"Do you understand?" Sean repeated.

Chris felt Daniel and Sean while he pressed their arms against him with his hands. He thought for a second about his dad. He sure missed him, so much as he missed his old toys, his room, everything.

"Yes. I get it. I promise. I want to go with you!" he said.

"Then you can come with us. It's fine. It's okay, and you are safe with us."

"I'm really glad you are coming, Chris", Daniel said.

"Okay, then, it's time for us to go to sleep. Cassidy will be here in the morning."

"We are leaving tomorrow, right?" Chris said.

"Yeah, I know I promised we'd stay for a couple days here, but we really can't stay, and Cassidy thinks she can get me and Alicia a job. We are going to be just fine."

"A job?! Doing what?"

"Oh, it's a farm. Just, a different one this time"

Notes:

This chapter marks the finish line for the first argumental arc of the story. I hope you enjoyed it so far.

Chapter 8: Intermission!

Summary:

From afar, a distress signal calling for help. But the Spirit Squad is not available right now.

Notes:

Since I didn't know how to write this setup "in English", I will clarify that since this chapter is in first person, on someone talking about past actions, this will be how symbols will work:

" represents the start of the story

– is what I will use to represent a dialogue inside the story

is what I will use to represent the story keeps going from the storyteller POV

I'm using it because in Spanish books it's somewhat like that, except the positions of " and – are reversed.

I hope it's clear enough, and if anyone in comments want to teach me how it's really represented in English books, I'd very much like to learn and correct it :)

Chapter Text

"I think waking up to your phone's ringing is never something pleasant. Regardless, my situation was even worse. Normally if you are in bed, you let the device do its thing and expect whomever salesman is on the other side to stop bugging the crap out of you. Still, right then I was expecting an important call, and since I broke my cellphone, I had no means of communication other than that stupid thing hanging at the entrance of the house.

I tried to get up, but as soon as I moved my head, I could feel it spinning in whatever direction, followed by the nauseous feeling I knew so very well. I did my very best to ignore it, and somehow managed to grab the head of my bed and use it to pull myself up, one step after the other, kicking an empty can of beer in the process, following into the hall, where that goddamn thing was trying to blow my head with its insufferable noise.

Sadly, when I got there, it immediately stopped ringing. What was this? Some kind of miserable joke?

– STUPID PIECE OF SHIT! – I roared, punching it. The tube fell to the floor and the movement made the hangover start taking over my body again, so I did my best to reach the bathroom without throwing up. I don't know how much time I spent there, but right after I got out, I realized I never hung up the phone.

– Ugh... whatever... these fuckers will call again anyway –, I said decisively. It was funny now how much freedom seemed to steam from the sole fact that I was able to swear in my own house without being judged by a person half my height. But just by thinking that I was immediately betraying everything I was fighting for.

It was engraved on the walls. Just looking at any spot was enough to trigger any memory about my son, and no matter what I was reminded of, it would always slip into that grievous day.

Chris had been gone for over two months now, and wherever he was, he didn't seem like he was coming back. It's not like I didn't do this every day. Every morning after waking up my mind would review how I fucked up my son so hard that he ran away from the house, never to be seen again.

Like, for instance, one week after he was gone, I was sitting at home at the table, eating eggs for breakfast after spending the whole night awake cleaning the place spotless, when said eggs got me reminded of how Chris was trying his best not to hurt my feelings about my cooking. Still, I kept pushing him into telling me they were terrible because I thought that myself, only to get mad at him when he admitted it. Right after, of course, my memory went to Claire, and from there to the Diaz boys.

The Diaz boys. As soon as I told the police my story, and what Sean told me the day before, they quickly jumped to the conclusion that they had kidnapped my kid. But, like, how did they even get there? No way my kid would go with two strangers like them, right?

Still, even if I didn't believe so myself, I will never forget the day I met them. Chris was so happy about them being here, and Daniel seemed to be such a good influence on him. My son even got to feel so heroic that he needed to protect his friend from the police. I wouldn't ever have thought that such a wimp had it in him to phase such danger, enough to jump in front of a car for someone.

Considering he was a major pussy the whole time I lived with him, one would say he had not my genes in it. But of course, he is my son, and I love him very much no matter how he acts.

Besides, it's so his mother to be a compassionate person, right? He had to get good genes from one of us. Because if he for instance was going to get my alcohol addiction instead, it wouldn't be such a good sign, I guess.

– I miss you. I'm sorry –, I said quietly. Almost whispering. And that was enough emotionality in one day. I needed to wait for the call, so I went to my fridge to grab a cold one. Sadly, there was only one can left.

I looked around, trying to find more amongst the pile of cans towering on my table, thinking that maybe, if I was lucky, I took them out of the fridge the day before, didn't drink them, and couldn't remember because of how wasted I was. My memories were pretty darn fuzzy anyway, so it could go whichever way and it would be the same.

My mind did work somewhat to remember that sadly the stash I had saved in my shed was already depleted, and how the monthly online purchase of goods I used to make once a month was still a day or two away from being delivered. All that was left was the can on the fridge and a bottle of vodka that I had stashed under the sink.

– Ugh, I don't want to go out –, I cried. Thinking about how good it would be to have Chris around so he would go to the store and grab some for me.

I went to the bathroom to give a quick glance at my appearance for when I had to go out, realizing how bad my face looked. I hadn't been sleeping or eating well and it showed. But whatever. I simply put on my jacket and scarf, then opened the door.

Now there is something I want to address, really, about the newspaper service. Isn't it the most obnoxious thing that, when they see you don't pick your stuff up, they just keep piling them in the most annoying way in your front yard? Like, I fucking get it. It must be pretty hard to go the extra mile and just dispose of the older ones in a way that doesn't make it seem like you live in an abandoned house, I suppose. But still...

I used to look through the window every now and then, and noticed how the paperboy just threw the daily paper to my yard with even less care than he used to have when I would pick them, which was already something by default. Same for the magazines. He simply realized I didn't care, and he decided he cared even less.

– Relax. This is because you haven't seen the sunlight in a few days – I reassured myself, though, in the end, my voice didn't feel soothing at all.

Still, this time my papers were neatly placed in my front yard, piled up. Blocking my steps from going out of my own house. Probably that nosy Reynolds bitch, looking for a reason to peek into my windows or whatever.

I grabbed one of the magazines and threw it with as much force as I could to the side, causing it to open and get so much resistance from the air that it fell flat around 3 feet away.

– Oh, fuck you! – I let out. This was exactly what I wouldn't want to be doing right now, but I remembered I was outside and became self-conscious for a second, so I checked out if someone saw that display of temperance coming from me. Fortunately, no one was around.

I started piling up the magazines on one side and the newspaper on the other, moving them out of the way, and that's when I realized all the magazines were at least a month old. The thought that I was out just about two weeks ago and now they were placed like this, meaning that my neighbor was around my house not too long ago, made me feel sick. I was so over her fake shitty sympathy.

– Pffft. Church people, I guess – I derided, trying to make sense of what that bitch could ever want from me.

I decided before I would go out to buy my beers, I would get rid of that mess just so I would not give that bitch a reason to wander around my house, and it was when I picked up the pile of newspapers and gave them a quick look before throwing them in the recycle container, that I noticed the headline from January 25th.

– The Kindred Case and the Kidnapped Kid – I mumbled, repeating what I was reading.

Of course, I forgot about every other possible task I could have in mind at the time, going back inside with the pile of papers and looking through each and everyone, but not finding anything else.

I got up before continuing because I realized I was getting stressed out, looking for that can of beer that was on my fridge. The clicking sound got to my brain filling me with some sense of calm. There was this experiment I knew about some dogs reacting to a bell. I wondered what that guy would say about me now. What was his name again?

– Pablo? Ah, whatever. What's this? – I said, looking for page 13 where the article was written, giving a huge sip of my beer before actually starting to read.

It took me almost no time to read the whole column. It quoted an article from another newspaper publisher by which I learned about Mr. Brown, a landowner that worked mainly with Mexicans, who happened to be aggressively harassed by a teenager whom he recognized to be Sean Diaz, for him to give him a job. The article talked about how after checking out he had no documents because Diaz was faking to be another person, therefore rejecting his job application, the teen went the next day carrying two malnourished kids who were clearly not willingly going with them.

I read about how Mr. Brown tried to reason with him, but after some time the teen simply started getting more and more aggressive both with the kids, who were already scared of him, and the owner himself.

Things escalated so badly that the landowner feared for his safety, so he gave the Diaz kid some money and let them go before he let the authorities know about the issue.

The rest of the column from there addressed how the youth were more violent every day and how society was losing its values, so I stopped reading when I realized there was nothing else for me to see, finishing my beer along with it.

I sat for a minute or so trying to understand what I read. My thoughts were everywhere, and I was trembling like a little kid. After a while, I settled on calling the sheriff but of course, he didn't answer the phone.

– Whatever – I said to myself. I just had to be patient, since he was the one who decided we were gonna talk that day. So, I just had to wait for his lazy ass to have a minute or so and we could discuss this. The only problem was how my mind worked things out from there.

Of course, the uneasiness of the situation started crawling inside of me. I felt itchy in my hands, but trying to scratch was useless, since said itch came from under my skin.

Fortunately, I knew what I needed to calm down a little. Just a little extra drink. I was sure that, if it wasn't for the beer I drank, I would have been throwing a fit at everything inside my house. And so, I decided I needed another drink ASAP.

Now, I am not such a fan of vodka per se. I had that bottle because maybe sometime, someday, a friend of mine would come and have a drink with me. Or not. But I had it, and I had nothing else to drink, so I grabbed it and started slowly drinking it, ignoring the burning feeling down my throat.

I thought about the Diaz kids again. There was something strange about how Sean acted that day, compared to what this... Mr. Brown, said. I couldn't recall Daniel being unhappy with his brother, and he seemed to be a compelling person, if maybe a little too upfront about my issues with my kid.

When he first approached me, Sean seemed worried about my situation. And he seemed to care about my kid. I could remember the conversation as clearly as it came, and he seemed to mean well at the time, which is why I didn't lash out at him despite how daring he was.

I started drinking a bit faster, now that my throat was already accustomed to the drink.

And what if it was all acting? After all, Sean was said to have killed a police officer, and he did trick me about him being just a regular teenager, too. And what about his brother? The kid seemed to be having the time of his life.

Then it hit me. They were living with the Reynolds at the time, and since they were sheltered, and had all their needs met and their whims fulfilled, the little one just acted as a regular kid, but his brother was aware of his own reality, and he was just trying to pass as your regular citizen.

– Fuck –, I whispered, trying to let a bit of that impotency I felt out of my body. My head started spinning, and I had no idea what to do, so I decided to give the bottle another sip to calm down.

I didn't know how much time had passed since I started drinking. All I knew was that I couldn't take the Diaz boy out of my mind. I felt as if every sip I took from the vodka bottle was poisoning my thoughts about him each time a bit more.

My mind put the teenager in the spotlight with ease, and I was reminded of his words. How he accused me of abusing my son, and how he decided to face me, almost insulting me.

– Claire and Stephen think you are abusing your son – he said back then. I think. How dared they judge how I was raising him? It's not like they had to handle him and his whining all day.

My mind went to hell and back, realizing that maybe Sean Diaz decided to take my kid away from me, maybe in his mind thinking he was protecting him.

I took another sip. I was a third of a bottle down already. I tried to read the column again, but none of the letters in it seemed to have a shape anymore. What did in fact have a shape in my head was that Diaz boy. Both Diaz boys.

– I also noticed you hurt your son badly – I think that is what he said back then. I just grabbed Chris by his arm. How would I know that little bitch would be so frail? It was tiresome to be walking over hot coal just about him behaving like a man.

Up to that point I was almost not even sentient anymore. My head was spinning, and I couldn't see straight anymore. Fortunately, I was on the couch, and therefore pretty close to the phone when it rang.

– Yeah? – I said as soon as I picked it up.

– Charles? Is that you? It's only 3PM. Are you... never mind. Did you also call earlier? –

– Angush! Mah' man! I wanted so bad to... uh... talk, ya know, to you! – I tried to say, greeting the sheriff.

– Yeah, what is it? –

– Y won't believe it! Cuz it's unbelievobl! Unb- It's weird! –

– Uh-huh... –

– I read it! From another day! You know! We gonna find him. We can find him! –

–... What do you mean? –

– My son! Is-n California! He wassan this farm! –

– Oh, you read about that – he said bluntly. With what little reasoning I had left, I knew right away I had been lied to.

– Wait, you knew? – I felt as if the alcohol evaporated immediately from my body. I felt as if I had sobered up out of the blue. Of course, that wasn't the case.

– Yeah, look. Charles. I talked to them. I even went there personally as soon as I found out about it. –

– AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?! – I yelled at the tube. Angus kept quiet for a second or so before talking again.

– Yes, because there is nothing to talk about that. –

– What do you mean?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! I saw the report! I saw it! –

– Yeah, and I talked to the employees. Yes, the older Diaz was there. But no one mentioned anything about your kid. –

– What? But! You said it! You said he was a suspect! –

– Yeah, I did. But I'm not so sure now. –

– The landlord! He said... –

– He said many things, Charles. To me, too. But he is the kind of man who can sell you a dead snake and make you believe you are getting shoelaces – he interrupted me.

– I don't follow –

– No one besides him saw your kid, Charles. Not even the other Diaz kid. And even if that was the case, that was a month ago. We have no idea where they are now. We just need to keep looking. –

I hung up the phone without even replying, then gave a big sip of my vodka bottle. I felt my head clouded again, and with it a relief so grand I might as well have been in paradise.

I felt the phone ringing again but decided not to pick it up. If they were not helping my case, there was no reason for me to talk to any of them. My kid was out there somewhere, and I would take all the time I would need to find him. After all, I still had plenty of that vodka bottle left.

I ignored the phone. I kept ignoring it. I ignored it a bit more. And it eventually passed. I, for the first time in many months, started tearing up.

– Emily – I pleaded. I wanted her so badly by my side. She was the only one who understood who I really was. The only one who saw worth in the piece of scum I was.

By that point I couldn't see anymore. I could feel the bottle of vodka in my hand but didn't even open my eyes whenever I drank, since I didn't want to see the world anymore. Or maybe it was just that I was so drunk I couldn't even remember how to do that.

One thing was for sure. My life was destroyed, and I felt helpless to regain any of it. All that I cared about was gone. Emily was gone. Chris was gone. And I was gone, too.

My mind went back and forth from better to worse times in my life, as my thoughts were so disorganized, I nearly couldn't even remember when each of them happened.

I thought about the day Chris was born. I was at work, with an important match. I had to leave it to be with Emily when it happened. Of course, I was at first a little bummed up because it had to happen just then. But as soon as I got to see Chris being held by his mom, I knew it was worth it.

– I dbant... –

– I wanted us to be together –, I thought. I couldn't articulate it into words. Hell, I'm not even sure that's what I thought for real, or maybe I just want to fill in the blanks.

What I do know is how I thought of Emily, and how she left this world, so abruptly I couldn't even say goodbye to her.

I cried. I cried helplessly on my couch, reliving myself folding some sheets when someone called me. It would be impossible for me to remember how the actual conversation went. But I will never forget the chilly feeling that ran through my back. The dizziness I felt. I will never forget the weakness I felt in my legs, almost falling to the floor.

And Chris. My dear son. I remember him asking something to me, probably if I was okay, with a worried face.

But none of this mattered. By that point, I had already lost control of every part of my brain. I shut off.

The first thing I did in the morning was to try and read the article again. My head ached so much I felt like it would split in half, but now I finally had an objective. Something to do besides drinking alcohol.

I opened my laptop and worked through the internet trying to find out every possible article about the subject, just like I did the first week after Chris was gone. Still, I didn't read them right away. My head was spinning from the alcohol overdose, so I rested my eyes for a little longer.

I ordered pizza as soon as I reached noon, though I couldn't care less about the meal. All I needed was an excuse. I didn't want to go out, so I ordered it to come with two bottles of beer.

As soon as it arrived, I put the slice on the counter and poured a glass of beer. I was not in the mood for eating, since my stomach also hurt like hell. Just the smell of pizza was enough to make me nauseous.

I didn't want to get actually drunk again, but when you are hungover, drinking a little bit of alcohol is usually enough to make the pain and the dizziness away.

I sat in front of my laptop again, this time prepared with the drink by my side, ready to read. But as time passed, and so did my beer, I was struck with the reality that none of those articles made sense.

Some of them talked about terrorism. Some about conspiracy theories. Experiments. Framing. Politics. Racism. Depending on the page, each one had their own opinion on what happened with the Diaz kids. But no one had real answers.

The only fact that steamed from the pile of articles was how a cop was murdered, and the kids were on the run.

Sean Diaz's words came to mind again. The way he moved, angered by my replies. What if he took my son as a personal vengeance for defying his family?

It would make sense, right? After all, Mr. Brown had said the teen became aggressive at his denial of a job. So, was it out of character to think he could have murdered this cop because of his father's passing?

And therefore, was it impossible that this was a punishment because I wasn't all the time the nicest to him?

It was funny how this contrasted with the previous concept I had just a day ago, and this was proof of how just thinking calmly over time made one think about things in a much clearer way.

When I first found out about the news article, just hours before, I thought that maybe he did it because he cared about my kid's safety. He is a teenager after all, and he was already on the run.

He also seemed to care a lot about his own brother. He was strict with him, but his eyes seemed to be always focusing on him. And because of how much he seemed to care about the kid, I thought that maybe in his limited head he believed he was doing the right thing. Now I wasn't so sure.

I found an article about a motel room he thrashed, and another one from a gas station that ended up in the same condition, with his owner even passing out on the floor.

It seemed like wherever he went, someone had it at him and because of that he would go on a rampage and destroy whatever was in his way. So, it wasn't too farfetched to think he would run away with my kid. This was just another way for him to destroy whatever he crossed paths with.

Maybe having the kids in a poor state was also part of his plan. Maybe he took some sick satisfaction into knowing he overpowered them and made them suffer.

The truck of goods I ordered arrived the day after my internet search, and since then I had access to any alcohol I could ever wish for, which was a good thing. It was, after all, the only way my head would stop thinking for at least a while.

Sadly, it didn't stop me from fully thinking about what happened. I realized that whatever the reason was for Sean Diaz to take my kid from me, he needed to pay for it. That if I was ever to run into him someday, I would need to be sure to take what belonged to me, and to give him what he deserved.

From that day on, I fed those feelings non-stop. Day after day, night after night, drink after drink.

That's why when I finally ran into them. When I finally found them. When I finally had them in my reach. I had no other choice. I needed to hurt Sean Diaz. I needed to take something from him.

I needed to stab the kid."

Charles caressed his writing hand with the other one. He felt an incredible pain coursing through his already aching fingers. The coldness of the interrogation room didn't help him either. Maybe he could have written a better, deeper explanation, but he knew damn well his crime wouldn't be just left behind because of a stupid letter.

"Are you done?", a police officer asked him, though it felt more like an order rather than a question.

"Yes, sir. I'm done", Charles calmly replied. They could do whatever they pleased with him. His life ended the day his wife died, and at least he managed to strip away that Diaz cunt from his own happiness the same way he managed to do with him.

"Ah, I would love to have a beer", he said as in a wish, though he was sure that was going to wait for later.

Chapter 9: Maybe the Clown was I All Along

Summary:

It's been already three months since the Spirit Squad ran into the crew. Daniel's birthday is getting close, and Sean wants to buy stuff for to make a party!

Notes:

You know, this is actually the seventh chapter, technically (?

Chapter Text

"Hey, sleepyhead. Time to wake up!" Alicia's voice echoed in Sean's head. Not that he wasn't happy Alicia joined their team, but she had a thing for waking him up earlier than he would want to.

"Is it time already?" he mumbled. He wasn't even sure she would be able to understand the sounds that came out of his mouth. He opened his eyes, noticing both Daniel and Chris were gone from the tent already. Sean sighed.

"Oh, the kids..." Alicia started. Sean raised his hand to her, so she stopped immediately.

"It's fine. I'm fine." Sean sighed, dropping his eyes and lifting them almost immediately, but for just enough time for Alicia to grimace at him.

"I'll wait outside so you can get ready" she nodded, clearly acknowledging he wasn't up for a talk.

Sean reflected once again on what happened. Ever since the day they ran into the crew, Daniel had started to change completely towards him. It was as if some sort of wall was slowly built between them. Every day he'd work his ass off from dawn to dusk, his brother and Chris staying at the camp alone doing some chores and playing the rest of the day.

Sean would at first arrive at camp very tired, yet happy to see Daniel and while at first he was more excited to hang out with the crew, he was slowly starting to miss those times when there were only the two of them, and now and then he showed his brother he was willing to spend the rest of his free time with him, except Daniel would be all over Alicia and Chris, and just give him plain yes or no answers to whatever he had in mind. Building a conversation with him had become impossible, and trying to address it with him would only put him on edge, so it was better not to say anything.

Alicia tried to convince him to have a more meaningful talk about it with Daniel, but Sean did not exactly know how to approach him, and she wouldn't help either. She said she knew what was going on, but how it was not her place to talk about it because it could "disrupt their brotherhood" even more. She was very enthusiastic about them talking though. She tried repeatedly to push him in that direction until he got so annoyed about it, he took it out on her. She still tried to bring up the subject from time to time, but Sean would rather not talk about it anymore. He didn't want to be on bad terms with her, too.

Sean looked at his calendar. April 6. It's been already three months since January, when they ran into the crew at the beach. th .

"One more day," he said to himself as reassuringly as he could.

During the three months they spent in Humboldt, Sean and Alicia had saved a good stash of money. Sure, being four of them meant they had to spend more money than he wanted to, and Alicia always made sure he considered buying comfort and hygiene items, and some snacks for the younger ones. Still, he made those three months of hard work worth it and used them to gain a bit of Merrill's favor.

They bonded over Daniel and Chris of all things. The day Finn presented him and Alicia, Merrill asked what was up with the news about him. He decided not to lie about anything except Daniel's powers. The man then demanded to talk with the kids, and as soon as they showed they were being taken care of, he decided to give them a pass, with the only condition that they didn't get involved in the job, since he wasn't too keen about having kids work in a farm. Besides, there were only two posts on his farm, and when Sean insisted, he replied he was not paying extra for the same amount of work, so they'd have to settle by staying at the camp.

He did insist a few times that he didn't want the kids to cause any trouble, but Chris did a good job keeping Daniel in check, so they were a good team after all. Since Sean decided to show how seriously he took his job every day, and thanks to Alicia, who also helped to keep the kids on the line, he managed to convince Merrill to take him to town for their monthly supply shopping that Friday.

"I have to make this worth it" Sean stated, finally getting dressed and going out of the tent. Alicia, of course, had gotten bored of waiting for him, so she was already washing dishes. Daniel and Chris were nowhere to be seen, but since he had already rejected Alicia's explanation, he decided to head to the table where Finn, Hannah, and Cassidy were sitting.

"So, what's up guys?" he greeted.

"Oh! Just the man I wanted to see!" Hannah said enthusiastically. Finn rolled his eyes in a very exaggerated manner which made it evident he was just teasing her.

"No, Sean. My man. You listen to me first!", he jumped from his seat, hugging Sean and pressing his body a little bit too close.

"Ah, oh... yeah?" Sean mumbled, flustered by the sudden close-up.

"Now the ladies and I were talking about... drumrolls... marriage!" he stated. Sean looked at the girls, who just waited for Finn to continue.

"What about it?" Sean asked.

"Well, they say, and you won't believe this, that marriage is not worth shit!"

"That's not what I said!" Cassidy gushed.

"Well, I did," Hannah said, as blunt as ever. "Marriage is just institutional bullshit and religious propaganda" she added.

"What I said is that you don't NEED to marry someone to confirm you want to be with them. And that I'm not planning on marrying no one anyway" Cassidy continued.

"So, what did you say, Finn?" Sean asked.

"I said... life is made to live the way you want it!"

"What? That doesn't answer the question!"

"I know!" Cassidy shouted. "He's been avoiding the topic he brought onto the table, as always".

"Okay, okay! Let me get some coffee now. That's probably the only thing I'm marrying anyway" Sean laughed, freeing himself from Finn's embrace and walking to the coffee machine, pouring a mug for himself.

Sean would always be thankful for meeting the crew. He had a rocky start with Hannah, but as soon as she realized he was not there just to play, she got way softer on him. Penny and Jacob were a bit harder for him to come around, but they were as kind as people can be.

There was also this couple he got to meet, Ingrid and Anders, but they only stayed for a few weeks and weren't really close to the group. Not that they excluded them or anything.

Work wasn't as bad as usual that day. Two months had passed since the last harvest, which meant they were focusing on growing more plants. Caring about them was more about fixing the humidity system and mixing healthy stuff for the plants inside the earth than watching for the plants themselves. It still sucked, but it was way more interesting than sitting and trimming weed all day.

Since there were no flowers to steal, Merrill wouldn't put Big Joe to watch for them as much, and because of that, Sean was able to chat way more relaxed with the crew.

"Man, I still can't believe you convinced him to take you there!" Finn exclaimed. Sean had explained to him part of his plan.

"Well, it's not that I'm going there for free, you know. They are only taking me because I'm supposed to help load stuff in the truck and all that. And Big Joe will probably be over my ass the whole time. They'll only leave one hour for me to do my own thing" Sean reminded him.

"I know, sweetie, I know. So, what are you buying?" Finn's tone was slow, relaxed, as usual. But Sean noticed he was not just mindlessly asking.

"Well, I'm not super sure yet. Hannah told me there is a store that sells specifically party decorations, and I was hoping maybe I'd find some Power Bear stuff in there"

"What about a cake?"

"Yeah, that's a tricky one. I couldn't ask for a custom one because I have no phone, but I'll buy a generic one from a bakery. I convinced Merrill to let me save it in Big Joe's fridge, along with the rest of the party stuff."

Finn didn't respond for a second, which Sean noticed. He started to get nervous, so he decided to break the silence himself.

"So, turns out Merrill has a soft spot for kids."

"Don't know, sweetie. I know you've been busting your ass for this farm every single day since you got here. You even worked some of your free days. But you sure you want to cash out so much from them?"

"Yeah, man. Daniel... I need this", Sean disclosed.

"You shouldn't worry so much, ya know. I'm sure that little rebel of yours knows you got his back."

"I don't know"

"Well, I know. You always work as hard as it gets. It's cool... and sexy!"

"Oh, stop!" Sean nagged. Finn laughed at him.

Nightfall came quicker than Sean anticipated. He didn't manage to finish fixing all the pots he wanted to, but when Merrill inspected his work, fortunately, he approved of it anyway.

"Sir, can I ask if we are going tomorrow?" Sean begged. Merrill stopped for a second, staring at him.

"I think we already agreed on it, didn't we?"

"Yes, yes sir."

"Then what? Does it seem like I'm not a man of my word?" Merrill chided.

"No, sir. I'm sorry."

Merrill sighed.

"Anything else?"

"No, sir."

"See you tomorrow then. And be ready for labor if you want to get your free pass."

"Yes, sir!"

Sean, of course, felt a little awkward about that conversation, but he was glad he didn't upset Merrill enough. Finn patted his shoulder, pushing him so they walked to the truck where the rest of the team was already waiting for them. "Just a little longer", Sean thought.

Back at camp, Sean eyed the place in search of Daniel and Chris. They were not around, so when he entered their tent, he was already molding.

"Sean, if you don't calm down, you'll have another fight with Daniel", Alicia commented.

"Dude, hush! I only asked Daniel to be here by the time we are back from work. I think it's not that complicated" he growled.

"You better chill, or else I'm the one who you are gonna have a problem with", she rebuked.

"Sorry... I'm just... You know."

"A little lost because your brother is avoiding you like the plague?" she pointed out. Sean grunted at her remark.

"Before, we'd always make up within the day and end up watching TV together or whatever. But this has been going on for too long. It's been two weeks since we last fought, dude, and he was already distant even before that".

"And still, you refuse to talk about it"

Sean covered his face. This was something he didn't know whether he liked or not about Alicia. On every occasion, she'd always bring up how much she knew about handling little brothers because she was oh-so experienced about it with her own six versions of Daniel Diaz, except they weren't him. And her trying to convince him on how to act with his family was getting a little old. But at the same time, he didn't want to fight with her because she was the one taking care of both children since they banished Sean from their lives. Arguing with her was not an option.

"It's just... hard," he said. In any case, no matter how much he wanted to disagree with her, he knew she was right about it.

"I know, Sean. But that still means you are the one who has to do it."

"I was thinking that, maybe after the party we could talk?" Sean suggested.

"Well, maybe bribing him will let his guard down a little, but you gotta talk to him" she insisted.

Sean nodded but left the tent immediately to avoid further conversation, only to find out Daniel and Chris were just coming back from wherever they were. A sudden gush of anger started flowing inside of him, driving him to decisively walk towards them, but as soon as Daniel noticed him and turned his face away, Sean decided to calm down and try to be more understanding.

"Hey, little cub" he greeted, his voice cracking in an awkward and tense way, leaning to put a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Hey" his little brother responded. Sean could feel Daniel's body tense as soon as his hand reached the kid's shoulder. The latter immediately pulled back, avoiding further contact.

"Hi Runner! How was work today?" Chris jumped. Daniel looked at Chris, then at his big brother. Sean couldn't help but be in awe at how tame Daniel became when Chris was involved. If only he was the same about him.

"Oh, you know. The usual. Just task by boring task. How about you guys? What did you do today?"

"Nothing bad, Sean. We didn't even practice today" Daniel stated.

"What? No, dude, I just..." Sean tried to explain but was interrupted by Daniel.

"Can we go now? I want to play some more before dinner."

"Oh, yeah, sure..." Sean replied, though his brother started to move even before he was finished.

"Sorry..." Chris said, then followed his friend to where the rest of the camping group was gathering already.

Sean didn't join. Instead, he went back to their tent, ignoring Alicia on his way. His body was sore from all the labor anyway, so it was for the best if he just tried to rest. Except he couldn't exactly sleep. Only pretending to do so when the rest of the group entered the tent. Daniel did lie down by his side like every night but gave his back to him. Even that simple act ached in Sean's heart. But eventually, he fell asleep too.

The trip into town the next day was not exactly amusing. Big Joe was driving, Merril in the passenger's seat, and Sean in the back of the truck. From the moment they arrived, there was already a bunch of huge bags of fertilized soil waiting for him that he had to pile up on the truck with the help of Big Joe. This was followed by some new equipment, cleaning products, and all sorts of stuff. They even loaded a new wooden cabinet that would go into Merrill's office.

They finished this first part by lunchtime, in which Merrill told him he and Big Joe would go eat something, then go into a meeting with one of Merrill's bosses. Seemed like a pretty serious matter, and they instructed Sean to take care of his own issues while they were at it.

Sean went there prepared, having his old backpack, which Alicia had asked Daniel to lend to him. He looked for the main street of this town, following Hannah's instruction, which was fortunately easy enough.

It was a weird feeling to be walking around just like that, though. Thanks to Alicia's advice, he had his newest clothes, and since he was not with Daniel in this small town, he was pretty confident people wouldn't recognize him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was a bad idea.

The people in town didn't really mind him at all. He expected to raise at least an eyebrow being a complete stranger in such a small place. Was it maybe because they saw he was with Merrill? Sean couldn't tell. In any case, he didn't expect to be walking amongst people like normal at least until he got to Mexico, and while scary, it felt liberating.

Sean found a bookstore, which was his first stop. He not only had to find a gift for Daniel's birthday, but also for Chris's belated one. And there was no better idea than to buy them some Hawt Dawg Man's comic books that they could exchange.

As soon as he entered, though, his eyes drifted to a shelf containing fiction books. He knew exactly what he was looking for.

"Chronicles of the Basilisk, volume six", he read. He couldn't resist it, so that was the first item he took. He did feel a little bad about it, but in the end, he also deserved to get something good, right? He wondered for a second if he should get something for Alicia, too. But after thinking about it, he decided to leave the book. He was in no place to give gifts to everyone. Especially when his sole purpose on this trip was to make Daniel feel special.

There was a comic bookshelf in the back. Sean walked straight to it, determined to buy some issues. Except. He didn't know what was the last issue Daniel had back in Seattle. Or Chris in Beaver Creek for that matter. He tried to follow the dates to find out, realizing that fortunately this franchise had monthly entries. Only four entries for them to read the whole thing. But was it worth it? He still had a lot of things to buy, and they were not exactly cheap.

"Can I help you?" asked a female voice behind his back. He turned around, noticing one of the vendors was just behind him.

"Oh, no. I'm still deciding. Thank you", he responded as amiably as he could. He still felt a little nervous, now wanting to engage in unnecessary interactions with people. Unfortunately, the vendor stayed behind Sean, making him feel self-aware. He looked down at the clothes he was wearing. They were indeed as nice and tidy as he could keep them while working loading that truck, but they were definitely not in top tier state, making him wonder if that was the reason she was giving her full attention to him.

"I-I'll take these ones," he said, grabbing the two oldest entries. One for each of the kids.

"Oh, uh... okay, this way," she said, guiding him those seven feet to the counter, walking close to him.

"Uh, sir... Can you wrap this as a gift?" he asked the cashier, trying not to show how uncomfortable he was.

"No, we don't do that here. Sorry. How are you going to pay for this?", the man questioned. Sean felt there was a double meaning to what this man said, so he took his wallet, taking some bills from it to pay.

"I'm guessing cash is okay?" Sean said, holding back a defiant tone he wanted to let out.

"Oh, yeah! Of course!" the man approved. Sean had to make an enormous effort not to roll his eyes at him.

"Here you go"

"You know, there is a party supply store going left not too far from here. I'm sure you can get wrapping paper there." It was the vendor who talked.

"Oh, yeah! It's around three streets away from here!" the man added.

"Thank you! Have a nice day!"

Sean left the store, thinking maybe he should wear Benjamin Franklin on his forehead so people would stop targeting him. But as annoying as that could be, he was still on the board, and he had to play the game.

He left the store, going to the left. He was already going to that party supply store because of Hannah, but he thought it worked in his favor that they would see him taking their advice. Still, before he arrived, he passed through something that caught his attention: A watch shop showcasing its merchandise through the window.

Sean's eyes spotted a blue watch with bronze hand and details. It was an adult's watch, even having subdials for days of the week and a 24-hour clock. It was obviously for adults, but it was not too big, and the strap seemed like it could fit Daniel.

His hands started to feel itchy. Daniel wasn't using the watch he gave him anymore because of how tight it felt on his wrist, and he knew his little brother would love for Sean to give him a grown-up watch. Emphasis on "grown-up". Sean looked at the price.

"What the-" he fumed. How could it be so expensive? Buying it would mean going four times over the budget, even leaving behind the rest of everything he wanted to buy. He looked at it once again, saying "maybe later" in his head. But when would it be later, then? Would it be when they reached Mexico? Maybe when they got to Puerto Lobos? How about after they were established? Daniel and Chris again in school. Sean working. Alicia... What would Alicia do when they reached Mexico? They never really talked about what was next, and her attempt to bring them together now seemed so far away, yet she was still with them.

Sean shook his head, looking at the sidewalk ahead of him. It couldn't have more than 10 people walking around, despite Hannah telling him it was the main street. So different from those times he would go with Lyla and the crew, those busy streets so cramped that sometimes it was hard just to walk. He wondered if Puerto Lobos would be like that.

He started walking again, pulling the list out of his pocket, trying to remember what he was supposed to buy. Except, the words on the list were dancing on the paper and he couldn't read anything it said. His hands started itching again.

"No, man. Stop it" he whispered. He rushed his pace through the sidewalk, soon reaching the corner. But he didn't manage to cross the street. He looked back to the store he just left.

"But, I mean..." he started in his mind. He thought about Daniel and how much he drifted away from him those past few weeks, and while of course, he knew a gift wouldn't be enough to solve their issues, he still wanted to do something nice for him.

"Bah, fuck it!" he said, rushing back to the store. He tried to open the door, but realized it was closed. A buzzing sound came from inside moments after, unlocking the door for him.

As soon as he entered, Sean noticed an old man behind the counter examining him from top to bottom. He was already starting to feel uncomfortable when the man spoke in a welcoming tone:

"Well, good afternoon, young man. How are you?"

"Oh, uh... good morning, sir", Sean replied. The man seemed to be pretty old. His face was full of wrinkles, but both his eyes and his mouth seemed to be very calm and happy.

"What can I help you with?"

"I wanted to see one of the watches on display, please. The blue one."

"My my, that's quite a fancy one. Is it for you?" the man asked, walking to the back of the store.

"Oh, no... it's a gift" Sean replied. He didn't want to disclose too much information.

"You sure must love him very much. Is it your dad?" the man inquired, bringing the clock to him.

"Oh, y-yeah, no... it's for... someone else"

The man chuckled, but Sean noticed his face twisted a little.

"That boy must be very special to you!" the man cheered. Sean wasn't too sure about what the man was getting at, but he picked up he decided the person had to be a male because of the kind of watch he was buying, so he tried to be elusive in his answer.

"Yeah, he is... the most special. He deserves something nice" he allowed.

"You know, a couple of years ago I would have disapproved of... this"

"Huh?" Sean, again, was confused.

"Oh, don't worry. You shouldn't listen to the rants of an old man. It's just that my grandson was... well... like you. And I didn't want to accept it back then. Now even my daughter, his mother... they won't take my apology at heart" the man confided.

"Oh, that sucks... Sorry. Was that too long ago?", Sean had no clue why he was suddenly telling him all that, but the man clearly needed to let it out of his chest.

"Five years in two months. You know, I wish I had listened back when they needed me to do it. Now they won't even take my calls, and I deserve it".

"Did you try... maybe... writing a letter?" Sean said. His mind drifted back to his backpack, where he still had Karen's letter saved in a container. He still hadn't shown it to Daniel.

"Goodness, no. I don't think they would read it".

"Well, but you would still have written it, right? You can let out everything you have in your chest. Isn't that a good start?" Sean commented, trying to be as reasonable as he could.

"You know, that's a good idea, young man. Thank you."

Sean felt warm inside. It meant a lot to him that this stranger didn't judge him by his looks, or by anything else in this case.

"You know, sir. This watch is actually for my little brother", Sean disclosed.

"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry I assumed..." the man stopped mid-sentence. Sean understood why.

"Don't worry, sir! It's nothing to be sorry for!"

"You keep teaching me so many things" the man said, chuckling again. "You know, a lot of people my age believe that your generation is doomed. But every now and then I meet some young strangers in this town. And all of them seemed to have been hit by life, yet came around wiser than I am even at my age" the man disclosed.

Sean realized he was blushing a little. He wasn't sure he was giving such pieces of wisdom enough for a grown man to be praising him, but he could understand.

"Thank you, sir", he sincerely replied.

"So, about this gift. How old is this little brother of yours?"

"Oh uh... He's... 10" Sean said, doubt in his tone. He didn't want to reveal too much, but the man proved to be nice.

"Are you sure you don't want to check some of our models for kids?"

"No, thank you. I know he will love this one"

"Ah, gotcha. That's okay". The man looked at the watch for a second, then opened a drawer, taking out a black velvet watch box, and breaking its package.

"Ah, oh... Sir, I don't think I can also pay for that"

"Oh, no worries. This is on me!"

"Oh! Sir, there is no need!" Sean urged.

"Nonsense! You deserve this. And I'm sure your brother too. It's just a gift from me to you. Just take it, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, thank you, sir!"

Sean waited patiently until the man put some batteries in the watch, saved it in its case, then inside a gift bag, later putting a ribbon and a blank card on it for him to write in it. He didn't have that much time anymore. They told him he had around an hour and a half before he had to go back, and he already had lost almost an hour. Still, the man was so nice and was putting so much detail into it, that Sean felt it would be extremely wrong to say anything that could upset him.

"There we go!" the man finally let out, handing him the bag.

"Again, thank you so much, sir!" Sean said, handing out the money in place.

"It was my pleasure!"

"Okay, I'm gonna go now. I still need to buy some other stuff!"

The man chuckled, waving his hand, but as Sean waited in front of the door for the man to open it, he spoke once again:

"You know, please take care of your brother," he said.

"Oh, I will! Thank you, sir!"

Fortunately, the rest of the journey wasn't that bad for Sean. He easily found the store where he could buy cord, some letters for a banner, and blue, red, and yellow, foil string. He also bought party hats for everyone and a lot of random snacks and soda. Those items ended up being way cheaper than he expected, which made him feel way better about buying the watch. Finally, he went to the bakery, bought a cake, and was back just in time to see Merrill and Big Joe going back to the truck.

"As if planned", Sean thought, hoping the rest of the party turned out just as fine. And that he could talk to Daniel.

Chapter 10: It's Just Life

Summary:

Daniel's world keeps spinning at a pace he can't even follow. And he wants his brother to be close to him again, but... Is that even possible?

Chapter Text

Deep in the woods, hidden from camp in a place so far only Alicia knew how to find, two boys were sitting in front of each other. They were surrounded by giant trees, and they had used Daniel's powers to seclude the place from strangers with some huge logs they could find.

It had taken some time, but the place looked like a secret base, and they loved it. Chris had named it "The Wooden Hideout", and declared it was a contingency base the Spirit Squad used because Mantroid had taken over the government and declared them traitors. There they would train in secret so that one day they could overcome their evil enemy, and save the world.

Daniel was making some stones float, practicing control, trying to make a stone man mid-air and control its movement. The waving force his powers caused, made it hard to keep them holding still without at least spinning in place. But he was getting better at it.

"... And so with Captain Spirit injured to dead, the Silver Runner had to run to headquarters with him, but remember he was a traitor now so…" Chris had been going on and on for days over his plans to make a comic book.

Daniel loved to hear about the story. The plot was amazing and he couldn't get enough of it. Besides, out in the woods, there was only so much they could do without straying too far. They have made the mistake of getting lost before, so they were not out to take the risk again. They would rather explore the same areas over and over again. The lake. The hideout. The nearby woods. So long as they knew for certain their way back, it didn't really matter. What they needed was to be free and play.

Still, their routine was pretty much the same every day. They would wake up, have breakfast with Alicia, and then run off before Sean could get a chance to yell at him for something.

Daniel was doing his best to avoid being a nuisance to his brother. He realized that, even though he wanted to be close to him, Sean would treat him as if everything he did was a mistake whenever they were together.

Alicia had told him that Sean wanted to patch things up with him, and Daniel wanted that too, but whenever he recalled how his brother was, he could only see the yelling, the mockery, and the rejection. It was too complicated for him to understand. Why would his brother always be so mean if he loved him?

The best for him to do was not to get in Sean's way. That way his brother would be happy, and Daniel would not get yelled at. Besides, Chris and Alicia were still by his side, and they got along just fine, right?

"Hey, Superwolf?" Chris suddenly called his name, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Ah, sorry…" he apologized. Honestly, he couldn't remember anything about the story his friend had just told him. Chris looked at him for a second, then smiled.

"What if we went hunting for treasure?!"

"Oh! Cool!" Daniel approved. Their adventures were what kept things interesting, so he felt immediately attracted to Chris's idea.

"What do you want to look for? A super cool magic medallion? A dinosaur bone?"

"Uh, no… I don't know. We did those before…" Daniel loved Chris's imagination, sure. But whenever he referred to items like crests and staffs, they would end up bringing branches or rocks.

"Well… What about… Oh, something for Sean and Alicia!"

"Oh, uh…" It's not as if Daniel didn't want to give anything to them. But he feared Sean would reject a gift from him and it'd make him feel bad.

"Oh, wait! I know I know! We need new superhero gear!" Daniel noticed Chris was just changing the subject on purpose, and he was glad about it.

"You mean like, costumes?" Daniel hopefully inquired. He was into that idea.

"And weapons to fight crime, of course!"

"Yeah… YEAH! Oh, I want a spear!"

"I was picturing… Daggers! And a magic staff for me!"

"Why daggers?"

A grinning Chris grabbed a pointy stone from the floor and tossed it to Daniel.

"Now," he said, not being able to hide excitement from his voice. "I want you to throw your dagger, make a loop on that branch, then hit that enemy over there," he added, pointing at a tree from afar.

Daniel smirked, making the stone dance around him before following Captain Spirit's instructions perfectly.

"Child's play!" he caroled.

"See what I mean? Besides, it adds to your wolf motive. They could be fang-shaped knives!" At this point, Daniel wasn't sure who was more excited between the two.

"And we could call my move 'Wolf Bite!' That is SO awesome!"

"Possum, even?"

They both started laughing and running back to camp at full speed. They quickly turned it into another of those races that were now customary for them. At first, Daniel used to win every time. But now that Chris had gotten used to living in the wild, he was getting better and better at running. He won easily against Daniel, but he was not mad at it. He was too excited about their new adventure.

No one was back at camp, yet. All of them were at the farm, except for Sean, who Alicia mentioned was going to town with the adults. They had all the time they wanted to explore the place.

"I think Finn had a knife!" Daniel blurted out.

"Wait, you mean a real one?" Chris questioned.

"Yeah, what did you think?"

"I don't know. I thought we were gonna make cardboard ones or something. I think we can get some foil in here…"

"Come on, man!" Daniel said, pulling some small rocks from the floor with his power, and pushing them to hit one different tree each. "Nothing's gonna happen! I'm like a ninja now!"

"What if Sean finds out? Wouldn't he be mad at you?"

When Daniel heard that, it felt as if an ice block fell in his stomach. He looked around him, noticing the dishes from last night, still undone. He noticed the table they were supposed to clean. It was still dirty from breakfast. The sun was still high, but it was clear it was the middle of the afternoon, and that they'd be back in just a couple of hours.

His mind jumped to Sean's face of annoyance. Since Daniel avoided his brother most of the time, he would not yell at him. But he just knew his brother was perpetually pissed at him, and he hated it. Daniel sighed. He knew. He could tell.

"Hey?" Chris said.

"Oh, uh, yeah. You are right." Daniel noticed his friend's expression change immediately from concerned to a big smile, and also how he blasted off immediately to start cleaning the table. He knew Chris had his back, but… was he always like this?

Daniel couldn't tell exactly when it started, but some time before he felt as if something had awoken inside of him. Or rather as if he had awoken from a dream. It was not related to his power. It felt as if one day, out of the blue, he was just more and more aware of his surroundings and the people around him. It was confusing for him. Things had a different color now, but somehow it pained him that they did. And the worst part of it was he couldn't share it with anyone.

He didn't want Alicia or Chris to find out. He wanted to tell how he felt to Sean only. He wanted his big brother to tell him things would be alright. He wanted to feel close to him more than ever since they started their journey. But knowing Sean couldn't stand to be near him without yelling, there was nothing he could do.

Daniel shook his head. He realized he was again lost in thoughts, which was a weird enough thing to think about. And Chris… He had already finished cleaning the table on his own and was walking like a soldier to the sink. Daniel used his powers to make some glasses and a sponge float in the air. Then started scrubbing them one by one that way.

Chris looked at him in awe, and Daniel sent him a smug smile, causing Chris to roll his eyes at him. They both laughed.

After the dishes were done, the kids cleaned out the place of leaves and other trash that was lying around the place. Thanks to Daniel's powers they were done in no time, but Chris had helped him a lot, and he was grateful for it. In the end, they made a great team.

"I think we are ready to team up against a supervillain league!" Daniel said, playfully.

"I bet we could even beat Mantroid with a team like this!"

"You really think so?!"

"Oh, yeah! We are the best team, Superwolf!"

Daniel reflected on it for a second. He wanted to agree with him and strike a superhero pose, but he felt as if he'd be betraying himself if he did. Chris was his best friend. He felt even closer to him than he did to Noah back when things were different. But he was not Sean.

"Oh, of course, this team wouldn't be complete without The Silver Runner!" Chris blurted out. Daniel looked at him, arms, legs, and back bending over from excitement.

"Thanks," he replied. Why was it that Chris always knew what to say to him? His friend was sure smart. "You know, I just noticed. You are almost as smart as Sean! That's so cool!"

"You think so?" Chris asked, his face a bit red, Daniel assumed from being complimented.

"Yeah! You are super smart!"

"Hey, you are super strong!"

"But Sean is both!"

"That's why he's the leader of the Spirit Squad!"

"We SO have to make our costumes now! Come on, let's go!" Daniel jabbered, now more excited than ever.

Both kids split up. Daniel entered into Jacob's tent. The place was tidy and well-organized, so it didn't take him long to find something that picked his interest. It was a chain with a crucifix, like the ones his grandma had lying around the house. It was inside a small metal box, carefully saved in the front pocket of his backpack. Daniel was sure Jacob really cared about this item. But he also understood from Claire that what mattered was the cross itself. He very carefully separated it from the chain and saved it again in the box.

He came out of the tent and reunited with Chris, who was in Cassidy's tent.

"Look, I got you a metal chain, so you can tie the villains! What did you find?" he asked. Chris, who had his hands behind his back, rapidly put them in front of him.

"Ta-dah!" he said, showing a sleeve-less jacket with fake fur on the inside. "You can use this inside-out as if you had a wolf costume!"

"Dude! That's super cool! Come on, let me try it!" he said, exchanging his item for Chris's.

After that, Daniel and Chris split again, Chris entering Hannah's tent, while Daniel got into Finn's. It didn't take him long to find something he wanted to use. It was Finn's bandana. Daniel didn't know why it was that he left it that day, but he sure wasn't going to let that chance slip past. He took it with no hesitation and came out ready to give it to Chris.

"Look what I got!" jumped Chris before he got a chance to talk. "Oh, I know, close your eyes!" he instructed.

Daniel did as told, seconds later feeling Chris put something on his hand. He opened his eyes to see a necklace made of beads, with four fangs in it.

"So? What do you think?! It's SO Superwolf!" Chris continued, his voice exploding from excitement.

"Man, this is so cool! Do you think Hannah will be mad if I use it?" Daniel stated, putting the necklace on him immediately.

"No way! When she sees how cool you look she'll just give it to you!"

"Look. This is Finn's!" Daniel said, tying the dark bandana on Chris's right forearm.

"Don't you think it's a bit dark for Captain Spirit?"

"Doesn't matter, man! It looks so cool! Not as cool as my awesome necklace, though."

"Yeah, no kidding. That's the best finding, right?!"

"Hell yeah! Wait. I got an idea!" Daniel took the chain Chris had in his neck, and tied it to Chris's left hand. "Now the chain is tied to your power, so you just chain enemies to you, see?!"

"Oh, wait! I need my cape!" Chris gushed, running to their tent, coming seconds after with his cape in place, posing heroically in front of Daniel. "What do you think?" he asked.

"You are SO ready to fight crime! I still need something to use as daggers, right? And maybe something to paint wolf marks on my face!"

"Do you think we can find something?"

"I think Sean had a marker. I don't think he's gonna get mad if I use just a bit of it! I don't know about the daggers, though."

Daniel got into their tent, Chris looking at him from the flap. He started searching in Sean's backpack, but couldn't find the marker in any of the exterior pockets.

"That's weird," he said. "I swear I saw him save it here".

Chris got in the tent, and started looking in the place, slowly registering the sides of their sleeping bags, and then going through Alicia's belongings. Daniel noticed but didn't really mind him. He continued his search on Sean's backpack, this time taking out some of his clothes, one of the pots they didn't use, and a metal container. He placed every item he could find on his sleeping bag until the bag was empty.

"I don't get it! I swear he had one here!" he complained. Chris shrugged at him.

Maybe it was there but he missed it? He started inspecting some of the clothes, then inside the pot. Nothing. He looked at the metal container. It was too thin to be able to hold a marker, so he didn't pay attention to it before, but maybe there was something inside he could use instead.

Daniel opened the container. Inside there were some folded paper sheets. Daniel recognized the first one immediately. He picked it up and unfolded it.

"What is it?" Chris asked on his back.

"Oh, this… It's Sean's Christmas gift. I made it," he said. He couldn't help but smile, seeing the Super Sean's drawing. Christmas felt so far. They had been on the road forever now, and he missed being able to talk with Sean like they used to.

Beneath the drawing, there laid their father's picture. So that was where he saved it. There was a folded drawing of two wolves, a raccoon, and a fox. They were sitting on a beach next to each other. Daniel immediately noticed the two wolves in the center seemed to be closer to each other than the other animals. He wondered if he was seeing things.

He opened the next one. It was a ripped page from Sean's journal. On the outside, a drawing of three seals under the inscription "REAL BEDS." Daniel didn't understand why he saved that one until he opened it and saw himself drawn on the inside, petting Mushroom while watching TV.

There were other drawings inside. There was one of himself using his powers. Sean had mentioned one day he wanted to make a manga about Superwolf. He wondered if Captain Spirit would be now included in that formula.

There was a folded flyer of a missing person which Daniel didn't know, but apparently was pretty recent. Much like with the motel page, he didn't get at first why would he save something like that, but then he opened it.

Inside there was another drawing he didn't recognize to be from his journal. It was them sitting on a couch while looking at each other. Things were floating around them, and Daniel noticed their faces looked happy in it, and how Sean had an arm resting around Daniel.

"Do… Do you think… Sean still loves me?" he carefully said. Asking that immediately caused his eyes to grow a reddish tone. The way he said it reminded him of that time he tried to check if Dad's iron was hot. Hesitant was the right word for it. He could get burnt if it was too hot.

He felt Chris nudging him gently.

"I know he does. The Silver Runner's main goal is to protect Superwolf from all harm, remember?" he replied, smiling at Daniel.

Still, Daniel wondered what else Sean had stashed in the metal container, so he kept going through it. It was mostly drawings he saved. Some notes about his plans for when they reached Puerto Lobos. Daniel couldn't believe Sean was planning to send him to school back again when they would set.

At the bottom of it, he found something he didn't expect to find, though. A letter from someone named Karen. She was their mother. Daniel knew because he had an ID of her in his old room. He had looked at the photo many times, wondering what would she be like.

"Is that…" Chris started. Daniel nodded.

"It's from my mom. Why does Sean have this?" he asked him.

"I don't know. You should… You should ask him" he replied. Daniel didn't expect Chris to know, but he didn't want to ask his brother about it.

"I can't! I can't do it. He can't know I looked through his stuff! He'll get mad at me!" he said.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Chris. Please, just don't tell him, okay?"

"I won't! I won't say anything!"

"Thanks…"

The rest of the afternoon was spent in silence, Daniel was using his power to make some cards float around, not really trying to accomplish any new moves or anything. Chris on his side, of the table, was silently drawing Superwolf's new costume.

The moment Big Joe's truck arrived with everyone on its backside, Daniel stopped playing and slowly walked to them, followed by Chris, unsure of what he wanted to do.

The crew immediately started complimenting their superhero outfits. Daniel had already forgotten they were dressing up. But the group didn't seem to mind he and Chris were clearly searching through their stuff, and if Daniel wasn't so confused, he would probably have enjoyed the attention. Ultimately it was Sean who noticed he was not feeling well:

"Enano, is everything alright?" he asked with concern in his voice. Daniel looked at him and gave him a quick hug without saying anything before letting go and looking at Alicia.

"Can I… Can I ask you something?" he requested.

"Oh, uh…" she said. Daniel noticed she looked at Sean, who nodded ever so slightly. She looked back at him and carefully put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, why don't we go talk in the tent?"

Daniel nodded and walked back. He gestured to Chris not to follow them. He was probably going to be questioned by Sean the moment they were left alone, but he trusted his friend was not going to rat him out.

Alicia entered the tent and sat in front of him. Daniel noticed she was inspecting him carefully. Maybe she thought he got hurt? But she didn't say anything, waiting for him to talk.

"Today I looked into Sean's stuff," Daniel let out.

"That's not a surprise," she said smiling at him. "So, did you find the letter then?"

"You knew?! Wait. How did you know?"

"I'm sorry, Danny. I don't think he holds anything else that could make you feel bad."

Daniel half-heartedly smiled. It made him feel safe how she always knew exactly what he was thinking of. But that still didn't solve the letter problem. Silence took over the tent again while Alicia waited for Daniel to speak. But what did he even want to know?

"Hey! Look at you!" she let out with what seemed to be excitement. "Talking about what makes you feel bad! Isn't that cool? You are growing up, Danny!"

"I don't know…" he felt embarrassed at her saying that, but he didn't want to cause a problem. "Why didn't he tell me about it?" he asked after a while.

"Well, you know he doesn't like your mother that much. I'm sure he's only holding on to it as a last resource." Her face was serious again. Daniel knew Sean hated their mom, so she was right.

"But… he promised he wouldn't lie to me!"

"Ah. I see. But I wouldn't call it lying."

"He didn't tell me!"

"Maybe he was just getting ready to tell you, you know."

Daniel wasn't too sure about that. But he wasn't too sure about anything either. Not even what he wanted from this conversation.

"He… should have told me."

"Yeah, you are right, Danny. But. Sometimes it's hard to say things no matter how much you want to. Don't you agree?"

Daniel was defeated by that argument. There were lots of things he wanted to say to Sean. But he couldn't.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Know what?"

"That he didn't want to hide it from me." It was not as if he expected her to tell him his brother was some sort of lying monster. He'd probably get mad at her if she did. No matter what, Sean was still Sean.

"Because, Danny. Just because." Daniel thought she was getting frustrated with him at first, but the way she looked at him showed her usual kindness, so he felt at ease. "I told you many times your brother loves you more than anything," she continued. "And you both have been acting funny to each other for no real reason for way too long. You need to talk to him. He needs you."

"He… Needs me?"

Daniel wasn't too sure about that. The only thing Daniel had for himself was his power, but Sean never recurred to it. He just let him and Chris practice and play with it aimlessly.

He never thought about it too much, but he was now realizing Alicia was there helping him. Chris, too, was by his side all the time.

"Tell me. Did you find something else inside that container?" she continued.

"Well, just some drawings. Nothing else like the letter."

"And what were those drawings about?"

"I guess… they were about us." Daniel understood what she meant, but he didn't want to admit it.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. It seemed to Daniel she was getting the conversation to where she wanted to. "You are what's most important to him, right?"

"But… why is he so angry at me all the time?" Daniel felt heavy in his chest when he mentioned it.

"I think it's not my place to answer that for him. But I don't think he's angry with you all the time." Her voice was soft when she spoke.

"You don't?" Daniel expected her to continue and explain, but he picked up she wasn't going to.

"I don't. But when you talk to him, ask it like that anyway."

"Why?"

"Because you'll understand each other better if he knows you feel that way."

"Okay…" He felt at ease. It was true he didn't get any answers, but somehow he felt like she would tell him if things were bad. Daniel being encouraged to talk to his brother, summed up with all he had seen that day, made it feel like he was standing again on solid ground. It was a feeling he missed.

"So? Want me to call him over so you can talk?"

"No… Not yet… I… want you to help me with something first."

"What is it?" she inquired, once again placing a hand on his shoulder. She still held a smile on her face.

"I want to make something for him. Like… A gift."

"That's an amazing idea, Danny!" she exclaimed.

Daniel started explaining what he had in mind. Since he and Chris had designed their superhero costume, he wanted to make something like that for him. Maybe he didn't have the skills to draw, but he was sure there was something he could do.

He was going to talk to his brother. He was going to give him the gift. He was going to show Sean how much he loved him. And things were going to be better.

Chapter 11: Captain Spirit in the Forest of the Giants

Summary:

Captain Spirit ventures into the lair of a giant to retrieve supplies for Superwolf's party!

Chapter Text

Hannah's space was surprisingly tidy. Chris thought of her as some sort of powerful warrior but extremely rebellious and wild. Because of that, there was no way she could be the tidy type. Besides, the exterior of it was quite messy. Entering her tent and seeing she only had her backpack and folded sleeping bag in a corner was certainly not what he expected.

It made it easy for Chris to explore her belongings, though there was not much that could be used for a superhero costume. Some old clothes, some cooking gear, some books, not much of interest.

There were two stylish knives that Chris was sure if Daniel saw he'd freak trying to put on a show, so he decided to leave them there. He was still convinced the way to go was just to make cardboard ones. Alicia had bought them some coloring pencils, so they could just draw and color them grey. That would be enough.

He opened one of the front pockets and found a beaded necklace there.

"Gross!" he exclaimed. Were these real fangs? He didn't know, but they all were kinda yellowish, and one of them seemed darker and more worn out. He was sure they were the real deal.

The necklace seemed to be perfect for Daniel's costume. Four fangs. Maybe he could make them go according to the story for Superwolf's arc in his comics?

"Each fang came from a member of his old pack", he spoke to himself. That would be so cool. He could even make it part of the story! He was so eager to discuss it with Daniel.

After some more searching, Chris decided there was nothing else he useful for a costume, so he simply left.

The boys didn't take much time discussing the necklace itself, so Chris didn't mention the story he had in mind yet. He was sure Daniel was gonna like it, but it was his character so he needed his approval.

They entered their own tent shortly after, looking for a marker. Daniel started searching through Sean's stuff, complaining occasionally because the marker seemed to be nowhere. Chris decided to make himself useful and keep looking for stuff they could use on their costumes in the meantime.

They had always gone through Sean's stuff as if they were theirs, not only his. Especially Daniel. But it was different with Alicia. Maybe because she was a girl? Maybe because she wasn't Daniel's brother? He didn't know. It didn't bother Chris that much, since his mind was occupied with their costume.

He opened the upper outside pocket. Some underwear and socks were really cramped inside. He would not search there. It was private. He opened the second one, where she had some money saved. Nothing of interest.

Chris looked through the main pocket. Only three pieces of clothing. The rest was filled with camping gear, which made him feel weird. Both Daniel and Chris had their backpacks filled mostly with toys and clothes. Even Sean carried some of their toys, and the same applied to Alicia. He never noticed they carried everything important between them. He tried to pick up the backpack, but it was cumbersome. He wouldn't be able to carry it like she did.

Chris examined one of the side pockets. There was only a picture there saved in a folder sheet plastic protector, displaying at least 10 people in there. Chris recognized one of them to be Alicia when she was around their age. The others, or at least some of them, were probably her brothers. There was a small boy Chris recognized he couldn't be one of her brothers, since she only mentioned she only had big brothers. She had mentioned them many times before. But whoever it was, she seemed to be pretty close to him, since she was hugging him from the back. There was an inscription on the back, along with an address.

"Espero volver a verte en Sacramento algún día. Recuerda que te amo. - D".

Chris couldn't understand what it said, but he felt like he understood it anyway. He had now a weird tingle in his hands holding the card, so he left it back where he found it. To think she would keep a card from her Dad like that. She must have missed her family a lot.

His mind drove back to his old house. To his old life. He wondered what his father would be doing, and if he missed him. He had thought time and time again about how would it be to come back, but if the answer before seemed inclined to be staying with his squad, now that he had sorted out things with Sean and Daniel, he felt like a real part of the team. They were his home.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he thought. There was no way back. Sean said it himself.

Chris still wondered how farfetched would it be to write him a letter. Maybe there was a way to send it with a secret address so no one would find out where they were? He should ask Sean when he got the chance.

"I don't get it! I swear he had one here!" Daniel complained, taking Chris out of his mind. He turned back and shrugged at him. He continued to go through Alicia stuff, though he didn't find anything else of interest.

He noticed his friend went quiet after a while. Chris looked back at him, noticing his friend was carefully examining a piece of paper with his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, intrigued by the drawing. It didn't seem to be like the ones Sean made.

Daniel explained. Chris listened. He watched every single one of the sheets saved in that container, realizing once more how much Sean loved his little brother. It felt unfair they couldn't just get along. He could only be close to Daniel to help the older one, in hopes they could eventually reunite. It was his mission as Captain Spirit.

Eventually, when they reached a letter, he did his best to reassure his friend. But was that enough?

He tried to be playful, but it didn't work, so he just followed along in his calmness. He could remember his mother saying once that people sometimes just need to sit with their thoughts.

The crew eventually returned from their shift, and Daniel immediately stood up, but instead very slowly paced himself in their direction. Chris followed as closely as he could. He expected Daniel to want to speak with Sean, but he asked for Alicia instead. He even told Chris to stay behind. The pair took off in the direction of their tent. Chris noticed Sean followed them with his eyes.

"How was your day, Captain?" Sean asked, looking at him with a tender smile on his face the moment the other two were out of sight. Chris was confused. He expected him to be upset about Daniel.

"Well, we played a lot. And did all the chores we had to! Plus… We took care of the garbage and the place in general!"

"That's awesome, Chris. Thank you. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Oh, sure!" He was ready to lie. He wasn't going to sell his friend.

"I need you to hold this a secret, but I got everything I needed for Daniel's birthday party."

"YOU DID?!" he bubbled.

"Shh! Don't want Daniel to find out. It's a surprise party."

"Ah, oh… Sure! But we are always here. How are you going to make it work?"

"That's what I need to ask you, little hero! On his birthday, me and Alicia won't work. But Daniel can't know that. His party will begin when the others come back from their shift."

"Okay…" Chris noticed Sean was, too, getting excited about his plan.

"That day, Big Joe will take us to his shack, wait for us to get what we saved there for the party, and leave. By the time we come back, you and Daniel must be away so we start decorating, okay?"

"Okay, I get it! But how do I know we can come back?"

"Alicia will come to find you. She'll act like I'm all mad about you not coming back in time, then boom. Surprise party activate!"

"That is awesome! Daniel will freak!"

"Right?" Sean lifted his palm, and they gave a high-five to each other. The plan was set.

"Man, I can't wait to see his face…"

"Oh, Chris. I also, uh… Got something for you."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah," Sean muttered, taking a bag from his pocket. "I'm sorry I didn't get it in time. But things are finally falling into place."

"This is… for me?" Chris asked again, still in disbelief.

"Yeah, it is. I hope you like it. Happy birthday, Captain."

Chris quietly opened the bag, pulling out one of the Hawt Dawg Man entries he had missed. He looked at Sean, expectant in front of him.

"Thanks. Thank you, Runner." Chris's voice was soft and was followed by him slowly approaching Sean, and enclosing him in a hug. The older one patted his back reassuringly.

"Nah, man. Thank you. For taking care of Daniel," he said. There was a hint of anguish that Chris picked up. He couldn't just let that be unattended.

"So, you know!" Chris said, releasing Sean. "In the last issue, Hawt Dawg Man had to fight against the spaghetti-brain…"

Sean listened carefully as Chris continued to go on and on about superheroes. He eventually changed the topic to Power Bear, sprinkling random facts about his newest adventures here and there so he would learn more about it. Chris knew Sean wanted to get closer to Daniel, and what better way for them to break the ice than talking about his favorite superhero?

Sean did answer him from time to time, but he mostly nodded and agreed through all of Chris's very well-thought-out theories about the plot. Though Chris was sure he was paying attention to him.

Eventually, they returned together to the tent. Alicia was outside, and she let Daniel know they were coming back. He got in first and saw Daniel was saving something inside of Alicia's backpack, but when he asked about it, Daniel shushed him. Chris didn't make much of it, since he understood it was because Sean was too close. They changed the subject and started going over their trip as superheroes again.

At some point Hannah came asking for her necklace and was very blunt about how she didn't mind, but that they should ask her for it next time. She also asked the kids to not go over her stuff again. Chris thought it was a reasonable request, though Daniel complained after she left. They fell asleep shortly after, while the grown-ups continued hanging out outside.

"So? Was it worth it?" a faded voice jumpscared Chris as he walked through a dark hall. He focused his eyes, first looking in front of him, then turned around and did the same. No one. Not even a silhouette amongst the shadows. Chris wondered if he was hearing things, or if it was just the room was too dark to see who was hiding.

Chris started walking, not really minding the direction he took in the hall. He reached a closed room at the end of it, but when he tried to reach the doorknob, he heard that voice right behind him.

"You think you can help your friends?"

Chris tried to reply but was unable to. His voice wouldn't come out no matter how much he tried.

"You know what you did to them, Captain?" Now the voice was whispering to his ears. He wanted to turn around and find out who was talking. But he was too scared to do so. "You want to know what they sacrificed to help you?"

Chains started to fall from the ceiling. They didn't hurt Chris when hitting him, even though he could feel how heavy they were. The problem was that, now he could move his body again, except he was covered in this cold and heavy metal, so even though he struggled, he felt even more powerless.

"Now tell me," the voice continued. It was defiant but tense. Like it was holding it so it didn't explode from rage. "Was it worth it? Did you have fun? Did you ever miss me?"

Chris moved what little he could of his face, looking up. His eyes met the ones of his father, causing him to wake up.

Chris gasped. His eyes immediately met with Sean's, who softly put a hand on his shoulder to wake him up. As Chris's thoughts fell into place, the older one gestured to him to indicate he was going to wait outside of the tent.

Chris wondered for a second what could he want from him, but then he remembered. Three days went by since they started planning. It was Daniel's birthday already. He looked to his side. His friend was still asleep. Alicia was already out.

When he got out, Sean was already at the table with Alicia, some cereal poured into a bowl.

"Hey, Captain!" Alicia greeted him, moving the chair by her side as an invitation to him to sit down.

"Hey," he replied, taking her side.

"So, do you remember everything about our awesome plan?" Sean asked him.

"Yeah! You guys prepare the party and I entertain Daniel, right?" he said excitedly, lowering the volume mid-sentence to avoid waking the other kid.

"Oh, right," Sean continued. "There was a bit of a change in the plan. Daniel asked Alicia if they could hang out during the morning, so you'll be coming with me to Big Joe's to gather the decorations and all that. Then when we get back, you'll take Daniel away. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "But, don't you think Daniel will be sad you took me instead of him? You know, to Big Joe's?" Chris noticed Sean raise an eyebrow at the name 'Daniel'. "I mean, Superwolf."

"Did you guys fight or something?" he asked. Alicia chuckled.

"You truly suck at having little brothers, huh?" Alicia said, giving him a smug look.

"Oh, shut up!" Sean protested.

"I'm sure he is just worried about Danny," she said turning to Chris, her tone being more of a question.

"Yeah… I just don't want Superwolf to be upset."

"You are a very thoughtful kid. Your new big bro should learn a trick or two from you!" she joked. Sean rolled his eyes at her.

Chris was still uncomfortable about them calling him Sean's "little brother". In a way, it was because they kept repeating it. Calling for a wish to come true over and over again wouldn't make it happen. He knew. He tried back at home. But he appreciated their attempts. They cared, and that was enough for him.

"Yeah, yeah, in any case. We should get going soon, Chris. Are you coming, then?" Sean asked. Chris just nodded and finished his bowl of cereal.

When the truck arrived to get the crew to work, Chris climbed up with the others for the second time since they arrived at the farm. The first time was when they met Sean's bosses, Merrill and Big Joe. He remembered them not being exactly nice. Especially Big Joe. But the other one asked him and Daniel about Sean, and how was he taking care of them.

The trip was uneventful for him. The grown-ups kept talking about things Chris either didn't understand or didn't care about, so he left his mind to fly away again.

Chris wanted to finish his and Daniel's costumes. Maybe after the party. He didn't know what Sean bought, but he was sure there would be some leftovers they could use to make them flashier. More superhero-like.

It sucked that Hannah took the necklace, so he'd maybe have to replace it with something else. He was sure it was Daniel's favorite detail in his costume, and Chris was still thinking about its backstory for his future comic book. Something about the fangs being the remains of Superwolf's original pack. That would be cool, right? For him to be looking for his pack. Lost and alone. Or that he's the only survivor of it. Nah, too dark. He wanted Superwolf to have drive out of love, not hate.

"Hey, Spirit!" Sean called for him. They had arrived at the place. Chris didn't even notice the vehicle had stopped.

"Tell the kid to hurry up. I don't have all day!" Big Joe complained.

Chris never, not even once, tried to get to meet the guy when he showed up at camp. He was at least ten times his size, and he wasn't sure even Daniel could take him. And he wasn't friendly either.

"Sorry. He was just a bit distracted. Come on, Chris," Sean said while reaching his hand to help him get off the truck.

"You wait here! I'm taking the truck's keys with me, so no funny business!" Big Joe growled. This time to the remaining group.

"Oh, no, guys! We are stuck!" Cassidy joked.

"Don't worry sweetheart. We ain't goin' anywhere!" Finn followed.

Big Joe scoffed at them and started walking to his house. Chris noticed them and Hannah raising their middle fingers at him just before he turned around to follow Sean.

They fortunately weren't too far. Big Joe towered over Chris, walking just a few feet in front of them, and his presence caused Sean to remain mostly quiet, so he was feeling pretty awkward.

"Go get your stuff. And don't touch anything. I'm watching you!" Big Joe grumbled when he opened the door.

As soon as they entered, Chris was surprised by everything in it. There was a big table at the center, some dirty dishes on it. A huge bag of dog food in one corner. An enormous map with various pins in it. A huge library filled with dusty books. A first aid kit hanging on a wall. And in a corner so many empty cans of beer Chris got reminded of his dad. He decided not to think too much about it.

Sean opened the fridge and took first a big closed cardboard box inside of a bag, then a white smaller one.

"Hey, Spirit!" Sean said, handing it to him, which Chris took with a bit of hesitation. "You got the most important task here. I will get all the heavy and big stuff, but this is Daniel's cake. I need you to be very careful with it, okay?"

"Okay! Mission accepted, Runner!" he said.

Sean smiled at him and then grabbed a handcart in which he put two big boxes, then the one from the fridge, before going out followed by the kid. Big Joe closed the door on their back and escorted them to the road, where without even looking, he got to his driver's seat and took off.

The crew rooted for them and mentioned their excitement about the party to Sean. And even though he was simply waving at them, Chris could almost feel the excitement his eyes were letting out. Or maybe it was Chris who was that excited himself.

"I can't wait to see Superwolf's face!" he said.

"Yeah… this has to be perfect," Sean replied. Chris gripped the cake box even more firmly.

They started walking back. It was a 10-minute ride on the truck, but it was of course a lot more on foot.

The first part of their walk was silent between the two. Chris watched the scenery around them. It was weird. He and Daniel explored most of the surrounding parts of their camp, and he always felt amazed at how everywhere they went looked alike, yet somehow different. Those red giant trees were everywhere, and yet after they got accustomed to the place, they could tell exactly where they were just by looking at their surroundings.

His mind traced back to that cold night in which they got lost. If it wasn't for Sean, they could have been lost there forever. Back then Daniel didn't know how to use his powers as well as he did now, so that wasn't an option for survival either. None of them were ready to be a hero. But maybe Sean was. He saved them, after all.

"Hey, what's with the long face?" Sean asked, bursting his bubble.

"Oh, no. It's just… Remember that time we got lost in the woods?"

"Oof. Yeah, my heart almost jumped out of my chest when I couldn't find you back at camp."

"So, how did you find us?" Chris asked as admiration grew up within him.

"Honestly? I was lucky."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't know where to go. I was scared that night, you know? Like, what if someone took you or something? Or, how could I know what direction you took?"

"So, how did you know we went that way?" Chris was even more confused. He never thought of it before, but it was true If they had gone in a different direction, Sean would have never found them.

"I didn't. I wasn't looking for you, Chris. I was going back to town. To… well. Ask for help in a police station." He stuttered at the end of that sentence.

"WHAT?!" Chris exclaimed. He violently turned his body to look at Sean, and the box jumped a bit from his movement, so he decided to calm down. No way he was ruining Daniel's cake.

"Yeah, I know. But I knew I couldn't find you on my own. And two kids at night in a forest, even with Daniel's powers… It was for the best." Sean stopped walking and looked down to the floor for a second, then regained his pace.

"I'm sorry…"

"Hey, it's okay. It's over. We were pretty lucky that night. I saw the flashlight and was going to ask that guy for help when I noticed you and Daniel were hiding from him behind that tree."

That didn't make Chris feel any better. Sean never mentioned this to them. If he went to the police station, he was basically handing himself over to them.

He also didn't have all the answers. Maybe nobody had them. Not him or Daniel, not his father, and of course now not even his… It didn't matter.

"You and Daniel are growing so fast, Chris. You shouldn't be, but you are. What happened that day was an accident, and I don't blame any of you for it. Look at you guys now. You spend all the time alone in the woods and you never get in any trouble, right?"

"Yeah, I guess…"

"So don't worry, dude." Sean had that confident big brother tone he used a lot when they were together. He rested a hand on Chris's shoulder like he used to do for Daniel. It was a simple gesture, but a comforting one at that.

Sean asked him more about the stories from the Power Bear comics, so the conversation slowly derived into a long monologue from Chris's side explaining the properties of his powers, until they eventually reached camp.

Sean had him leave the cake box on the cart and make sure Daniel was distracted and didn't see any of the party decorations. If he asked for his big brother, he was to tell him he was forced to cover a shift for work in the end, which was why he returned alone.

Chris walked across the camp and found Daniel sitting at the table with Alicia. He was showing her how he could make a toy fly.

"Hey, Superwolf! Hi Alicia!" he greeted.

"Oh!" Daniel jumped. He was so focused he didn't notice Chris. The toy fell on the table with a plastic sound. Daniel got up and smiled at him. " Hey, Chris!"

"Hello, Captain!" Alicia said.

"Were you practicing?" Chris asked, looking at Daniel.

"Yeah! Showing her how better I got!" Daniel looked around. "Uh, where is Sean?"

"Runner had to go with the guy from the farm. They needed his help for something at work" Chris rushed to say.

"Is that so!" Alicia said smirking.

"Oh, hey Superwolf! Happy birthday!" Chris said, hugging him. Daniel hugged him back.

"Yeah, thanks… Did… Sean mention if he was coming back?" Chris looked at Alicia since he wasn't sure what to say to him.

"Oh, Danny. I don't think so. If he was called it was probably urgent. I'm sorry."

"It's… it's okay." Daniel's disappointed tone hurt Chris, but he knew they had to stick to the plan.

"Hey, Superwolf!" he called. "Why don't you go to our secret base and play? I'm sure Mantroid is up to no good!"

"I don't know," Daniel replied.

"Hey, Danny. I'll tell you what. You guys go play in your base, and I'll go see if I can switch places with your big brother. Does that sound cool?" Alicia persuaded him.

"But I want you here, too!"

"It's okay, Danny. Talking to Sean is more important right now, right? I'll just bring him back so you guys can spend your birthday together. How's that sound?"

"Okay… I get it. Thank you, Alicia!"

Daniel hugged her and gestured for Chris to follow him into the woods. The pace was steady, but Chris could feel Daniel was tense. At that rate, he'd want to come back way before the party started.

"Hey, are you mad about Sean not being here for your birthday?" he asked. If he had learned something from this journey, it was that keeping your thoughts to yourself only makes you think stronger about them.

"Kinda… I just thought… that he took this day off because of it." Daniel faltered. He stopped in place and closed his hands into fists. "I mean, I know we are not… Talking? But I just thought…"

"I'm sorry, Superwolf. I know he wanted to be with you for this. He told me." Chris noticed Daniel relaxed a bit when he said it.

"Where did you two go anyway?" he asked, looking into Chris's eyes. 'There it is,' Chris thought. He expected Daniel to be at least curious about it.

"He wanted help carrying some stuff for the farm. That's all!"

"But why didn't he go with Alicia instead? She works for the farm, too! And she's bigger than us, anyway."

"She said she couldn't go because she had something important to do with you."

"Oh, okay…" Daniel stood quiet for a second, looking to the ground. Chris wasn't sure if it was that his curiosity was fulfilled, or if he had something else in mind.

"So… What did you do with her today?" he asked. Maybe he was wrong and changing the subject was for the better? In any case, Daniel looked at him, excitement in the way he grinned.

"Ah, right! I didn't tell you yet!" he crowed. "I wanted to talk with Sean today. And give him a gift. Alicia's been helping me with it."

"Oh! What is it?!"

"It's a surprise! But I'm sure you'll see it soon! Promise!"

"You better! Hey, can you make me fly again?"

"Sure! Here comes the mighty Captain Spirit!" he exclaimed.

Daniel's powers surrounded Chris, and he started levitating in the air. He could never get tired of that feeling. It was scary the first time, but as his friend practiced, he was every time more gentle and precise. Chris was sure he could protect them from any harm.

As they played, Chris noticed Daniel's mind was filled with their adventures. He didn't have to be so on edge to make sure his friend didn't suspect about the party. By the time the sun started falling, Alicia showed up. If Chris remembered the plan correctly, she was supposed to act as if Sean was raging about them not being back. Instead, she only said dinner was ready. In a way, Chris thought it was for the best since he didn't want Daniel to be that upset.

"You ready to surprise Daniel?" Alicia whispered to him, in a moment in which the other kid was distracted making some stones fly in front of them. Chris nodded at her. He was really happy for his friend.

Chapter 12: No Point in Playing Dumb Now, Huh?

Summary:

Sean is on an emotional rollercoaster about everything around him. What's the best for him and his brother?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sean wasn't sure how much time he spent waiting for Alicia to return. His mind was too busy hanging imaginary garlands and lights on the canopy, trying to picture the best possible design for what he bought.

"You in this world, Sean?" Alicia called when she met him. He jumped and looked around. "Don't worry. They went to their secret base." She winked at him, making him chuckle.

"I'm still surprised you managed to make them pick a spot."

"It wasn't hard! It was kinda perfect with the logs way the logs were piled up" she commented, reaching for the cake box.

Sean had a feeling that was Daniel's doing. But if she didn't find out about his powers, there was no point in asking her about it. She'd only be alerting her.

"Yeah, it's cool you found that spot. Anyway, what did Daniel want this morning?" he asked. She smirked, turned around, and started walking. "Come on. It can't be that big of a secret!" he said.

"I'm shocked. Do you really think I'd sell your little brother like that? What do you take me for?" she joked.

"Fine, fine then. Don't tell me!" he barked.

"Aw, Seany. Don't get mad. You'll find out tonight and you'll love it. You'll see!"

Sean sighed, then nodded. He started splitting things from the first box on the table. It was mostly decorations. A lot of blue and golden garlands, and Christmas lights.

"You really went all out with this, didn't you?" Alicia remarked as she opened one of the blue garland packages.

"Nah, not really. Not on these, anyway. They were on sale because they were leftovers from last Christmas."

"Christmas? This blue thing?"

Sean chuckled.

"Come on. I think they are nice!"

"Yeah, I guess. Not very Christmasy, though. So, where do you want to put it?" she asked.

Sean brought out his sketchbook and quickly sketched the layout of the camp from their tent's point of view. It was not his best work, of course, but he wasn't doing it for artistic purposes anyway. Still, Alicia praised him during the process.

"Man, and just like that you do this. You are such a talented nerd," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder, and placing her head by the side of his. He blushed.

It was a while since they were on their own. Usually, there was a lot of noise around them. Be it because Captain Spirit and Superwolf were running and yelling around them, or maybe it was they were integrated into a conversation about life and society with the drifters.

"Come on. It's not that good," he stated matter-of-factly, but as soon as he lifted his pencil, she took the sketchbook in her hands. "Hey!" he said but didn't move.

"It's amazing. Not only this one but what you can do. That's what I mean." She closed the sketchbook without looking at anything else and handed it over.

"Thanks. I thought you were going to take a peek. Cassidy did the same the other day."

"I can see her doing that!" she laughed. "But hey, we've got work to do, so you better keep going."

Sean nodded and got back to work immediately, while an expecting Alicia watched him draw in silence. It was not that Sean missed being alone with her, but he would think from time to time about the day she decided to go with them. He still didn't fully understand it, but that night now felt magical in his memory.

Alicia didn't really give time to let Sean finish his drawing. As soon as he finished sketching a design over one of the trees, she hurried to the table and took the garlands needed for it. Sean was surprised that she even recognized what color he meant it to be. Not that there were too many to pick from.

He soon got up, leaving the open sketchbook on the table for reference, and picked a set of Christmas lights, that he started hanging on the tarp's strings. He hung some golden and blue garlands intertwined, then used some tape to hang some little power bear prints to them. Finally, he hung the HAPPY BIRTHDAY letters over the table.

Alicia, who in the meantime had decorated the rest of the place, walked to him.

"You've really outdone yourself, huh? Almost looks like we didn't live in a dumpster," she said. Sean looked at her, feeling a little hurt. "Oops. I'm sorry. That was insensitive."

"I know it was a joke, Alicia. I'm just being dumb. This has to be perfect."

"You are not being dumb, Sean. You thought what you gonna say to him already?"

"I'm not sure… I'm just gonna wing it."

It was true. He knew what he wanted his brother to understand, sure. But he wasn't sure how to say it to him. All his hopes were in the watch he bought, but he wasn't sure just bribing him would be enough this time. Didn't matter how expensive the watch was.

"Well, do you want to practice?" she asked. Sean appreciated her intent, but he wasn't ready for her to make fun of him for being a lousy brother. Not when it mattered so much.

"You know what I want? To test how these lights look!" he suggested, reaching the generator with the extension cord.

Alicia didn't reply. Sean noticed she just looked at him while he bent to plug the cord. It wasn't as impressive as Sean expected, but it was the middle of the day, so it made sense the lights wouldn't be as noticeable.

"This will look amazing tonight," Alicia nodded at him. "You went for a sanctuary kind of look?" she asked.

"Don't be a tease, please."

She walked to him, placing a hand on his shoulder like he had done so many times for the kids.

"I am not, Sean." She was looking into his eyes once again. As always, she had that piercing look that made him think she could read his very soul. He wondered how out of place would it be to think she had powers like Daniel. Except in this case, she was a telepath.

"Sorry"

"It's fine. I get why you are so nervous. But it'll be fine. I know it."

"Did I ever thank you for taking care of Daniel all this time?" he asked. She was giving him a gentle smile.

"More like you can't spend five minutes without reminding me how thankful you are."

Sean rolled his eyes. Alicia chuckled.

"I mean it, you know?"

"Sean, if I've learned something about you during these past few months, is that you hold a nearly unhealthy obsession for taking care of your brother."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. He knew she was joking, but he didn't like the way she phrased it.

"Woah, Sean. I'm sorry," she apologized, leaning closer to Sean. "I was just trying to be funny. He's your little brother and you are on the run. So, of course you are going to worry about him, okay?" She took Sean's hand. He let out a sigh and looked at her.

"It's… fine." He wasn't sure when she got so close to him. Not that he didn't like it. It was just he knew he had already blown away any chance to get closer to her, so he didn't expect any advances by her side.

"Is it? Really?" she begged.

"Yeah. You stood by my side in all this mess." He gripped her hand firmly. "No way I'm going to blow all this away for a little joke."

She slowly started running one of her fingers through his hand. Sean couldn't help but blush at her touch.

"You know what sucks?" he interrupted the moment, too nervous to act on it. She kept on staring at him and hummed quietly to let him know she was listening. "The drinks! They are not going to be cold for tonight. I just couldn't work around that," he said.

Sean tried to break contact with her, but she gripped his hand once more, looking to the floor. They stood awkwardly in that position, Sean looking at her with one too many doubts in his head before she released him. If she wanted to say anything to him, she decided it was best not to.

"Those drinks will be fine, Sean. You bought what I told you, didn't you?" she asked. Sean cleared his throat and nodded, completely out of words.

They continued working to make the party happen. Each one on their side. Alicia put some more Power Bear prints on the trees, while Sean started making sandwiches with some ingredients he had on a box. He set them on a plastic trail, so it didn't look exactly fancy, but it'd work for its purpose so it was fine.

Silence took over the place so quickly Sean couldn't believe they seemed so close just a couple of minutes before

And what was with Alicia, anyway? He looked at her and noticed she was focused on making a pattern with two of the garlands around a Power Bear. Before, she got so close so suddenly that Sean couldn't even react.

He grabbed some boxes of apple and orange juice and put them on the table. Those were the ones Alicia recommended to him. It was not booze, but this was his little brother's party. He wasn't going to get wasted. He was sure the others would bring their beer anyway.

He opened one of the boxes and poured some into a plastic cup. He tasted it and nodded. It would do just fine. It was a brilliant idea after all. He looked at Alicia, but he wasn't sure how to approach her after how he reacted. He felt like he was the worst. He poured another cup and walked to her.

"Hey?" he spoke, unsure of what he wanted to say.

"Yeah? You need some help?" she asked. He waved the cup in his hand. "Oh, yeah! That would be nice." She grabbed it with no hesitation. "Thanks!"

Sean was confused. He expected her to be at least a little hurt about how he acted. Not that he wanted it, but he knew his behavior wasn't exactly the best.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "Look, if this is about before, please just let it go. I didn't mean to be pushy. I'm sorry."

"Why did you come with us?" he asked. She was clearly taken aback by how sudden it was.

"You know why, Sean," she said. He shook his head.

"No. I know, but I don't know."

Alicia sighed.

"Remember I told you about my little brother?" she said, lifting her arm, showing once again her scar to him.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated once more, looking to the floor before speaking again.

"Well. I didn't tell you exactly the truth. Not because I didn't want to. It's just… A bit more complicated than that. My family is big, and it was not just my brother and I that day. And we were not getting pot. Look, I just don't want to dig too deep into it, Sean."

"Hey, hey… it's okay," he reassured her, instinctively getting closer.

"It's fine. Look. My little brother. He was. He is. The most important thing in the world to me. But now, because of my family, I can't even reach him. You taking care of Daniel. Me taking care of him, too. I know it's not the same, but…"

Sean shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't, Sean. I wasn't sure I had a right to feel that way. I envy you. You ran away with Daniel, while I just left my so-loved baby brother there."

"Why… why didn't you tell me?"

Alicia raised her eyes to meet his. She seemed upset about his question.

"Are you serious? How could I? You have so much to worry about. And besides, it's nothing I'm proud to admit. And of course. Me, taking care of Daniel as if he was my little brother. Sounds bonkers, right?"

"It doesn't, Alicia… It's different, I'll give you that. But I understand. I don't know what would I do if someone took Daniel from me."

Sean pulled her into a hug. She responded almost immediately, putting her head on his shoulder. Sean was sure she just wanted to hide her face from him. It felt weird. Once again, images of him sketching her appeared in his head. Lines were clearer than ever. He didn't have the full picture, but he had what he needed now. Alicia was fully drawn inside his mind.

As seconds passed and Alicia finally started to let go, she once again looked at him in the face. As with every time it happened, Sean felt flustered. He was sure by now he had a crush on her. He knew that for a long time. But even though he acknowledged (and somewhat liked) the mysterious aura around her, and how she chose to abandon everything and just follow him blindly, it was also the reason for him to feel unsure of her advances.

Now, when Sean looked into her eyes, he could see everything. Every line in her drawing. How hurt she was, and how selfish she felt for doing what she did. And as dumb as it could sound, her falling from being an idol caused all of his fears about her to go away.

It was just a second. Everything went deaf around him, and whatever was in his view became blurry, except for Alicia. He didn't even notice himself moving, but when he woke up from whatever that was, he realized he was kissing her.

Sean's hand pulled her closer once again, as they continued to kiss. Then they hugged once again, standing in place in silence. It was Alicia who finally broke it.

"I thought… you didn't…" she doubtfully started. Sean shook his head before answering.

"It's not that I didn't. I just wasn't sure," he replied. He wanted to be as truthful as he could.

"What changed?"

"Nothing. Nothing changed. That's the point." He wasn't sure how to explain it himself.

"I don't get it."

"You don't need to, you know?"

Alicia nodded while still hugging him. Shortly after she looked around, and gave Sean a look. They parted from each other and continued decorating the place.

It was a funny feeling for Sean: They continued to put lights, garlands, drinks, and whatever else there was in the bag. But even though they would they were a bit more touchy with each other, or how she was bold enough to steal one or two kisses from him, nothing really seemed to change. Except for how bright and colorful felt that day in Sean's head.

They didn't exactly tell each other where 'they' were going from there on. Sean didn't feel like they needed to. They were together, and they were a team. And now they'd have even more experiences to share with each other. Even though the future seemed still too uncertain, Sean was now sure they all were on the same page. All of them except Daniel and him. But that also was going to change that night.

"So? What do you think?" Alicia asked, placing the cake at the center of the table.

Sean nodded in approval.

"I think we turned this dumpster into a real party. Maybe when we settle we could open an event decoration company or something?"

Alicia snorted.

"You are so easy to make fun of, did you know that?" she said. Sean rolled his eyes at her.

"Do you think our little superhero will like it?"

"He's gonna love it, Sean. Don't worry!"

Sean sighed.

"The others should arrive soon. Do you want to go look for him?" he asked.

"Yeah! Will do." she enthusiastically replied.

"And remember. I'm so mad he's gonna hear me for a week, okay?"

"Oh, my God. You were serious?" Alicia chuckled. "I'm not gonna say that to him, dude!"

"What? Why not?"

"Do you really want him to have that in mind when you finally get to talk about it?"

"Yeah! No. I didn't… think of that."

"No, shit, superbro!" she teased him.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." He pulled her into one last hug and kissed her on the cheek. "You better not spoil it for him. I'm counting on you!"

This time it was Alicia who rolled her eyes at him before she left to look for Daniel. That would take a while, of course.

Still, he wasn't alone for much. Almost right after Alicia was out, the crew arrived. Sean hurried to greet them, Finn and Cassidy complimenting him immediately after they saw how the place looked.

Big Joe stepped out of the truck and looked around.

"Merrill sent me to check how the place looked. You only get this today, you hear me? When I get back here tomorrow morning, this place has to be completely free of your shit, and you gotta be there on time for work. Is that clear?"

"Yes, yes sir," Sean replied.

Big Joe silently turned his back and returned to the truck. Cassidy put an arm on Sean's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sean. I'll help you clean up, 'kay?" she said.

"Yeah. It's… it's really cool you are doing this for your brother," Jake added.

Sean shrugged immediately Big Joe's negative attitude.

"Thanks. You guys rock."

"Besides, we do shit like drink and smoke late every day. This will be by far the softest shit we've been into for a while," Cassidy continued.

"Come on, big bro! We're going to celebrate tonight, right?" Finn called him, playfully shoving him. Sean chuckled.

"Yeah! Let's party!" he said.

Not too long after, the remaining trio finally arrived. Sean waited until he could see Alicia's flashlight turning around one last tree before turning on the lights. Daniel froze in place as he saw his brother slowly walking toward him.

"Hey, little wolf," he called. "Happy birthday."

"Sean? Is this… is that… for me?" he asked.

"Of course it is"

Daniel buried his face in Sean's chest, hugging him. Sean could almost feel his soul returning to his body. After all the time that had passed, it felt almost like a victory to him.

"So? What do you think?" he asked, patting his little brother's shoulders. Daniel looked at the table where the lights were. Sean also looked in that direction. Alicia was right. It looked twenty times better in the dark of the night.

"It's awesome possum… Thanks!" his brother replied, then hugged him again.

Sean looked at the table. Everyone looking in their direction, Finn and Cassidy waved their arms over their heads in celebration. Alicia by Chris's side, also at the table, nodded at him. Sean wasn't sure if their reactions were cute or annoying. But he could only blame himself for how they acted since literally every person at camp knew how he felt about their fight.

The brothers together to the party. Daniel was by Sean's side during the short distance, and Sean couldn't help but notice it, so he put an arm around his brother mid-way. Such a small act. Yet they had been distant for so long everything counted in Sean's mind.

"Hey, superhero! Happy birthday!" Cassidy congratulated him. It was followed by the rest of the crew doing the same. Daniel had the biggest smile Sean had seen for a while, which made him feel warm inside. For once, he was doing things right.

It didn't take long for Daniel to come back to Chris, and for Sean to see how they played together. He wasn't really the jealous kind, but he thought he earned some brother time with him. Of course, he wouldn't let him know that. After everything they went through, that was the opposite of what they needed.

The party went on. Alicia sat by his side after chatting for a while with the crew, who were already drinking. Sean could really use a drink, since anxiety about the chat he wanted to have with his now-carefree brother, was taking over him.

"Hey, you okay? You are not enjoying the party, Sean," she asked.

"I'm fine," he lied. His eyes were focused on a very cheerful Daniel who, alongside Chris, was non-stop talking about superheroes. The older ones seemed to be entertained by it. They always had been nice, but that night they seemed especially interested in what the kid wanted to say. It was enough to bring a slight smile from him, but not enough for him to feel completely happy.

"Come on, you. I can see something's still bothering you."

"It's just… I don't know what I expected. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I really thought today he'd be all over me. But now it feels to me like I'm watching a movie. I'm not in it. It's dumb, I know."

"It's a bit dumb, yeah." She said, causing Sean to scoff at her. "The kid's over the moon right now. He seriously needed you today, and you were there for him. You did great."

Sean nodded.

"I'm still scared to fuck this up, you know."

"You won't. But remember. You gotta listen to him seriously, okay? Forget he's a kid for one night. And just talking isn't gonna cut it. You have to act on it, too. I know you can do it."

"Alright, master Alicia. You are my brotherhood guru," he said, leaning for a kiss. Alicia stopped him, pushing him softly with her palm.

"Hey, why don't you solve your issues with Daniel before we tell him about this?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Man, you can't tell me you've never seen a movie about a kid getting used to their new parent."

"Well, I'm not his dad."

"Yet you have to act like one, right?"

Sean looked at her with a serious face and nodded. She was right. Besides, that night was about him and Daniel. He needed to keep his mind straight.

"Hey, Sean!" Daniel called him from the other side. "Can we cut the cake now?" he asked, smiling.

"Coming!"

Sean looked at Alicia, who gave him a look of complicity. He nodded at her, then walked up to his brother's side, lighting a candle.

"Happy birthday to you…" the echo from people started chanting. As Sean joined, he felt Daniel putting a hand around his waist, pulling him closer. He looked down at his brother, sitting by his side, and their eyes met. There was really no need for words. Sean knew right away his brother also wanted to talk to him. It was finally time to make things right.

Notes:

I'm here to apology to all my Sinn shipper friends.

Chapter 13: Stepping Stones

Summary:

It's finally time for "the talk". Will they understand each other?

Notes:

I wanted fireflies, okay? Don't judge me! XD

Chapter Text

The party lights were so dazzling that Daniel had to fight if he wanted to see the trees at the end of the campsite. But it's not like he didn't like it.
He was accustomed by now to the wild spirit the campsite had, even if he still missed his home and his dad. But that night was different. The way the lights surrounded the site made it feel even more secluded than it already was. It was like a sanctuary.
His head was almost spinning from excitement, as the fuzzy pictures of the crew joyfully chatted around him. It was not like the grown-ups didn't usually pay attention to him, but over all that time, it was the first time he felt like they were actually seeing him as a person rather than just a kid. He felt that energy especially coming from Finn, who looked him straight in the eyes when he spoke and joyfully shared his jokes.
The group started talking about the cake, asking him if he was ready to cut it. Even Chris, who was sitting by his side in his commonly quiet behavior, started getting excited about it. Daniel looked for Sean, barely visible sitting outside the tarp with the lights shining between them. He called for him and the group waited until he was standing by his side before singing.
As the melody started, a new feeling overtook Daniel. The others had mentioned how all of this was Sean's planning, and he could really tell how much effort he put into this. He stretched his arm surrounding his brother, pulling him closer, and when their eyes met and he saw how Sean calmly smiled at him, it felt for a moment like all the fears that haunted him were worth nothing.

Eventually, the conversation picked up its own rhythm again. Daniel jumped from one chat to another, but it turned into how it felt every other night for him. Even so, he still felt over the moon about his party.
Suddenly, Sean touched his shoulder and made a minute gesture at him with his head. Daniel felt a rush of excitement. He was reminded of every party his father took them to, his brother would always do that and they'd sneak outside the party to just sit and relax, avoiding the masses, even if just for minutes at a time. It served as a reminder that they were a team.
Daniel gestured a T crossing his hands to Sean. He had seen Alicia use that when she needed a moment and copied it. When Sean nodded, he ran to their tent and grabbed an envelope he made with a piece of paper from his backpack.
He got out of the tent and followed his brother with only the flashlight to point the way. He recognized the landscape even through the gloomy ambiance, and eventually, the clear night sky shone over them when they reached the lake. Some fireflies flew over the emptiness the dark water provided. Their light was very dim, but when it peaked, their reflections shared a dance with each of them.

"This is awesome!" Daniel exclaimed. "How come we never came here before?"

"Well," Sean started. "For starters, there shouldn't be fireflies just yet. Or here, for that matter."

"Oh…" Daniel noticed his voice wasn't as excited as his. "Why do you think they are here, then?"

"Well, I'm not sure, Enano. Climate Change? But don't think too hard about it. Enjoy the view for tonight, you know. Maybe it's your birthday gift!"

Daniel took his shoes and socks and placed them on the ground before he followed Sean's flashlight to the edge of the water, where he sat. His brother sat left to him shortly after, and they gazed in silence as the dim lights kept flying around the water.

"Do you think there's a monster at the bottom?" Daniel asked, trying to build some conversation.

"Maybe. A giant snake with fangs as big as your arms!" Sean replied. Daniel chuckled a little.

"Well, it doesn't matter! I'll use my powers to defend us from it!"

"I'm sure you would. Hey, ready for one last birthday surprise?" he asked, eagerness in his voice.

"What? There's more?!" Daniel questioned, jumping in place.

"One last little gift for you. Be careful not to drop it, please," he said, pulling a small black box from his kangaroo pocket.

Daniel thought for a second about replying he was not a baby. But given everything Sean had done for him so far, he felt it was unfair to treat him that way, so he just grabbed the box and opened it. There was a blue watch inside.

"No way! This is for me?" he asked. The watch looked very expensive, and like it was new, too. He was of course excited, but he was sure Sean made a mistake and Sean gave him the wrong box. Maybe this watch was for himself, instead.

"You like it?" his brother asked. Daniel was still hesitant about it. Sean had turned down the flashlight when they sat, so maybe he didn't see the open box.

"Is this really for me?" he asked, shifting the box to Sean's side. Sean chuckled, then gave him a heartfelt smile.

"It is for you, li'l bro. I mean it," Sean reassured him, putting his palm over the box and taking the watch. Now, master Daniel. May I have the honor?" he added playfully. Daniel smirked.

"Ah, yes. Yes, you may," Daniel replied pulling what he deemed a sophisticated voice and stretching his arm to Sean.

"What did you do with the old one?" Sean asked, fastening the item around Daniel's wrist.

"It's in the tent. I actually put it in your backpack. I didn't want it to get lost."

"That's cool. I'll be sure to save it, okay?"

"Cool! Hey, did you get another one for you?" Daniel asked. It just occurred to him it would be cool if they had matching watches now that he was using a grown-up one.

"Oh, no. This one's just for you, buddy."

"Oh, that's cool, too," he replied. Maybe later one day he could get one for him. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!"

Daniel saw his brother look at him as he reached for the envelope in his pocket and gave it to him, taking the flashlight and pointing at his brother's hands.

"Hey, hey, be careful!" Sean said. "Don't drop it."

"I won't!" Daniel barked. "Come on, just look at it!" he begged.

Sean nodded and extracted five pages from the envelope. Each one had a set of drawings in a comic-like style.

"What's this?" he asked, eyeing the first page slowly, while Daniel held the light as steady as he could.

"I made it for you. It's a Silver Runner comic!"

"Isn't it a Spirit Squad comic?" Sean joked, pointing at a drawing of Captain Spirit.

"It's nooot! See?" Daniel got closer to his brother and with one hand he got hold of the pages. "Here, let me show you. Here Captain Spirit and Superwolf lost the battle, right?"

"Oh, yeah! I see it now. Then what happened?" Sean replied, his body softly leaning against Daniel, so he could now feel his brother's warmth.

Daniel smiled, telling his amused brother the story of how The Silver Runner ran around the country to stop the villain in time, saving Superwolf and Captain Spirit in the process.
It felt like ages since Daniel last felt like this around his brother. Growing up he used to believe his brother actually cared and liked everything he did. Sean would listen for hours when he spoke about the buildings he wanted to make in Minecraft. And he was thrilled to teach him how to ski, which is why Daniel wouldn't get down even if he felt like freezing. He wanted his brother to see him. To praise him.
Of course, by this point, Daniel understood that it was mostly him being a big brother, and showing interest in him out of obligation, but he didn't care. He liked being around Sean, no matter the circumstances. It wasn't important to him if his drawings would never compare to his artistic genius.
Still, as he told the story, and his brother kept on getting closer to him, surrounding him with one of his arms, an uneasy feeling started taking over again. What if his brother was only softening tonight only to deliver some really bad news?
Daniel knew that was a foolish thought, but couldn't help it to slowly fall in silence again as he withdrew from his brother's hold. Sean seemed to notice since he didn't insist on his embrace.

"Enano," Sean called him after a while.

There it was. That bittersweet name. Thinking back, Daniel used to like it when Sean called him that because it made him feel special. It was a word that only belonged to their bond. Not even his father called him Enano. And Sean didn't use that name for anyone else. But ever since they started their journey together, Sean only used it when he wanted to say no to something, or when he wanted to lecture him. Now, whenever Sean used that name, his stomach filled with bricks instinctively. It usually meant he did something to upset him, and that was not something he enjoyed.

"Yeah?" he asked, unable to hide his doubts from his voice. Sean sighed. This was bad. Whatever he did was so bad Sean was still searching for words to yell at him.

"I wanted to apologize," Sean continued. Daniel froze in disbelief. What could Sean possibly have done that he needed to prepare so much before he did it? His fingers traced the shape of the flashlight in his hands.

"W-what for?" he asked his brother. Suddenly his thumb was on the flashlight's power button. He touched it almost a bit too hard, turning it off.

Sean let out a sigh again but didn't ask him to turn the light on. They remained silent again as the fireflies slowly filled the area again. Daniel hated knowing he was too tense to enjoy the view. But what could he do? His brother and he had been on bad terms for more than a month already. Maybe this was it. The moment when Sean was delivering the final blow to him. There was so much he wanted to say to his brother, but sometimes he felt he couldn't even understand what it was. Everything was too complicated for him, no matter how hard he tried to understand it.

His brother's right hand on his shoulder turned him back to reality.

"Hey, li'l bro. You okay? Are you with me?"

"Sorry. What did you say?"

"I said I wanted to apologize because all this time I failed to listen to you. And I know I pushed you away by doing that. I'm sorry, Enano."

"That's not true!" Daniel almost yelled as a reply. The fireflies around them flew away in response as if they were waves caused by a pebble falling on water. Daniel stood up and looked in his brother's direction. "It's just…"

"Just?"

Daniel was fighting to see his brother's expression in the dark. It reminded him of the day he and Chris got lost in the woods. In a way, it was a relief. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what his face looked like.

"Sometimes…" he carefully continued. It's not like he practiced what he wanted to say. Mostly, he only wanted things to go back to normal. "Sometimes it feels like… like you don't want me around anymore," he finished. The words themselves felt like they cut inside his throat.

"Don't say that! It's always you and me, right?" Sean said, moving the hand on Daniel's shoulder and pressing on his neck, pulling him a bit closer.

"And Chris, and Alicia," Daniel replied, though he didn't even know why he said it. His thoughts were in turmoil and he wasn't sure of what he meant with what he was saying.

"That's not fair, Daniel. You forced me to bring Chris, and you know we lost our chance to get him back home. And you spend more time with Alicia than I do. Or than you do with me."

"Yeah, but… never mind." His voice came out not nearly as sour as he felt. He could feel as anger started taking over. How could it be he couldn't even find what he wanted to say? It wasn't fair. Nothing was.

"Woah, Daniel…" his brother kneeled in front of him and took the flashlight with his free hand, turning it on and pointing to Sean's face. He was making a funny face.

"Stop it!" Daniel complained and nudged him.

"Sorry, sorry!" Sean laughed. That relaxed Daniel a little.

"Look…" Sean continued, looking at him in the face, still kneeling. "I know this is hard. I've been there, okay? But we need to talk about this. So try to tell me. One thing at a time, okay? We have time. We have all the time in the world, Enano. And I'm going to listen to what you say."

Daniel took a deep breath. A spark of confidence started growing inside him. He was sure his brother wanted the best for him. Everyone said it. Even Sean himself.

"It's just… It's not like I don't want you around."

"I swear I'm not trying to be shitty, Daniel. But lately, you've been running away from me, so it's been kinda hard to tell."

"Because you were not around, Sean!"

"What do you mean?"

What did he mean? Daniel understood that what he was saying was correct, but how? He took another deep breath and slowly started letting out his feelings, trying to put them in order.

"You were not! Instead… you were some… grumpy old dad wannabe. You yell at me, and you treat me like a baby. And you were mean. And I don't want that! I want you, Sean… The real you!"

Daniel noticed Sean was not holding his shoulder anymore. He even lost his grip on the flashlight, so now it was too dark to see his brother's face once again.

"Remember that day you stole your old watch from my room?" he started, using his free hand to grab his wrist. "We got into a fight, and that yelled at us for breaking one of his trophies?"

"Yeah?"

"That day, after Dad talked to me, I only went to your room because I promised I would talk to you. But when I saw you so happy about the watch, and how you forgave me instantly, that got me thinking a lot. I finally understood what he was trying to tell me. Though I know I was still a moody dick to you sometimes."

Sean lifted the flashlight once again and their eyes met for a brief second before he turned it off. He had a tender smile on him.

"I realized that," Sean continued after a pause, "I would always want to be there for you. That I wanted you to be safe."

"But Sean. You are always so mean to me," Daniel debated. It's not that he wanted it to become a fight, but now that it was out, he wanted his brother to understand him.

"I know, Daniel. I know I am." Sean's voice cracked when he replied. He let go of Daniel's wrist and even in darkness, Daniel noticed his brother pinched his nose like when he was frustrated. "I suck at this, okay? I never did something like this before. And it's just too much sometimes."

Daniel hugged his brother. Now that he was not focusing on trying to notice his brother's expressions, he realized the fireflies were surrounding him again. Faint silhouettes of leaves could be seen when one of them peaked their shimmer. It was a peaceful view.

"You don't suck, Sean. I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry."

"I know, I know. That's just me, okay? You didn't do anything wrong."

"So… what do we do then?" Daniel asked. He wasn't sure what they were getting out of this conversation.

Although he understood now that it was how his brother was so willing to keep him safe and the stress it enticed that caused him to behave badly sometimes, he felt it was not what he wanted. He trusted his brother's judgement, sure. But Daniel wasn't willing to pay that price. He wanted his brother back above anything else.

"I'm not sure, but we'll figure it out, okay?" Sean reassured him, tightening the hug.

"You know what I want, Sean. You are never going to be my dad. But you don't have to be!"

"I NEED to take care of you."

"You still can do that! We can do that for each other. As a team, right?" Daniel begged, then was thrown off when Sean snorted in response.

"As a squad, even?" Sean replied, shaking his hair with a hand.

Daniel smiled, aware that Sean couldn't see it. He wanted to say he missed being this close to him, but thinking back he wasn't sure he was ever this close to him. They had great moments together, yes. But growing up he could feel his brother setting him aside to spend time with more interesting people. And by the time before their father died, he was not exactly the most loving and supportive figure in the world.

They released each other from the hug after a brief moment and took their seats once again side to side, contemplating the fireflies dancing in silence. It didn't take long for Daniel to lean on his brother's side again. Sean surrounded his head with his right arm, placing his hand on his hair, and slowly petting it.

"Sean?" Daniel called his brother after a couple of minutes. "I need to tell you something."

"Yeah, li'l cub? What is it?"

"Remember the other day when Chris and I made our superhero costumes?"

"Yeah. They were sick. I really liked yours, Superwolf."

"I saw Mom's letter," Daniel said. Sean stopped his hand but didn't take it away. Daniel closed his eyes, expectant of his brother's reaction.

"Is that so?" he said after a moment, then continued petting his brother's hair.

"You are not mad?" Daniel asked, doubtfully. They were having such a nice moment together and he hated ruining it immediately.

"I'm not, Enano. It's not like you were spying on me."

"Okay…" Daniel accepted. He wasn't sure what he did wouldn't count as spying, but he didn't want to poke the bear.

"So, you got any questions about it?"

"Uh… maybe?"

"Spit it out, bro. Come on. We are a team, now, right?" Sean shook his hair, making him chuckle.

"Stop it!" he complained, then punched him playfully on the side. "This is serious, Sean!"

"Okay, okay, cub. I'm all ears."

"Well. Why don't we go with her?"

Sean took a deep breath before replying. Daniel wondered if what he asked was too hard for him to say.

"Look, Daniel. She left us. I don't want us to go with her because I don't trust her."

"But in that letter, she said she wanted to help us. What if she changed her mind?"

"I know. I know what it looks like. But what if she didn't mean it, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that she sent a letter. After all those years all she did was send a letter saying 'hey, if you happen to run into them please do something, kay?' to our grandparents," Sean said in a mocking tone.

"So what?" Daniel didn't understand him. "What if you are wrong? What if she really cares about it? What if she wants to… to meet me?" Why didn't Sean understand it?

Sean pulled him into a hug once again.

"I know you want to meet her, Daniel. I do. But it's just…" Sean stopped for a second. "It's just too painful, Enano."

Daniel noticed his voice sounded heartbroken. He didn't mean to hurt his brother that way. And just after they promised to be a team.

"I'm sorry, Sean. I didn't know."

"It's okay, Daniel. I just didn't tell you. But that's over, okay? We are a team from now on."

"Cool," Daniel mumbled. He still felt sad about his mother, but he wasn't near to risk what little he was building now.

"So, do you want to go back?" Sean asked, nudging his brother with his fist.

"Wait. Sean? Can I ask you something else?" Daniel urged.

"Oh, sure! Is something wrong?" Sean approved, a bit of concern in his voice, probably because of the tone Daniel used.

Daniel wasn't sure where to start. But his brother had already told him it was a good idea to just let out what was burdening you slowly. So he took a deep breath and started talking.

"Well… I just… Lately, I feel kinda different, Sean. And I don't like it."

"Different how?"

'Of course', Daniel thought. Daniel himself didn't know the answer to that. But he didn't even explain himself to Sean. What else could he expect to happen?

Sean turned on the flashlight once more and looked at Daniel. He looked worried, but he didn't speak. He waited patiently as Daniel tried to arrange the puzzle his thoughts were that night. But nothing came out of it.

'Different how?' Daniel asked again in his head.

"I don't know," he granted to himself while speaking to Sean.

"Uh… I kinda need an explanation if you want my help," Sean tried to persuade him to open up.

"I just don't know, Sean. I…kinda feel weird. As if something changed. As if I changed. And it's scary."

"Shit, I'm so sorry. Is it related to your power?" Sean asked.

"No, no it isn't. No. It's just me."

"Oh. Okay."

"Is something wrong with me?" Daniel asked. Sean grabbed him by his shoulder once again.

"Nah, I don't think so. I don't know what it is, but I promise we'll figure it out together, okay?" he said, and shook Daniel strongly.

"Not this again, Sean! Cut it out!" Daniel laughed. He could see his brother smiling.

Somehow, Sean's smile made him feel at peace. Not everything was sorted out, of course, but everything was on track again. And now he had the awesome watch his brother gave him. He was going to ask Chris to add it to his Superwolf costume somehow. Like some sort of hi-tech communication device.

"Hey, Sean?" Daniel called him once again.

"Oh, there is more! You had a list waiting or something?" his brother teased him.

"Shut up! It's not that! I was going to ask if… can we stay a little longer here?"

"You are going to miss your party, Enano. We've been here for a while."

"I know. But this place is nice, you know." Daniel used his powers to get the flashlight back from his brother and turned it off. "I wanna see more fireflies! Can we?"

"Hey, it's your birthday, not mine. We can do what you want, buddy."

They sat again on the trunk at the edge of the lake, Daniel leaning into Sean's side as they did minutes ago. Both brothers stood like that in silence watching the bright spots over the water. But eventually, the eyes of the little one closed on their own.

"Hey, Sean?" Daniel called. "Can I hear more about the story of the Wolf Brothers?"

"Oh… It's been a while, you know?"

"Yeah… But it's my birthday, right? You said it!" The last phrase hummed slowly out of his mouth.

"Okay, let's see," Sean readied himself. "So the Wolf Brothers and their two new companions, a strong and resourceful fox, and a brave and loyal raccoon, started traveling again until they reached a beach. There they met a pack of hounds and became fast friends with them…"

It was a weird sensation. Daniel's feet were submerged just slightly in the water and the cold contrasted with the body heat his brother was emanating into his head. And even with his eyes closed he would swear he could feel the fireflies around him, motioning circles around their peers in a never-ending dance over the water. He wasn't sure if what he felt was the product of a dream, or if his powers allowed him to do that.

"Hey," Daniel felt someone whisper. It was Cassidy? Hannah? Alicia? He wasn't sure. He couldn't even tell what this woman said after.

"Yeah, it's kinda late." This time it was his brother who spoke. Late, he said? How much time passed? And who cared about that? It was his birthday. He could do what he wanted, right?

Daniel opened his eyes as he felt an uncomfortable move around him. That's why he noticed Sean was trying to carry him. Maybe it WAS late. He knew Sean had to work on the next day. He tried to wake up, but his body didn't want to. So he only embraced his brother to at least help a bit, closed his eyes again, and let himself be carried back to camp.