No!

No no no no no noooooo!

This was not happening.

T-

T was not-

She stares blankly at the trail of screaming men as they writhe in agony on the ground.

Men and blood.

And at the center of the carnage, the Spider.

She wanted to go to him.

Wanted to make him stop.

But, this was not a T she knew.

She couldn't see him in the blood soaked clothes.

Couldn't hear him with the dark laughter on his lips.

Now she understood why people ran when they saw him coming.

Knew why so many bent their knee to the Spider at Gaston's acceptance speech.

T-

No.

No, she refused to believe that was T.

The Spider was insane.

The group of girls she was leading cower behind her, whimpering in fear as they too watched the bloodbath.

She had to go to him.

Had to pull him back from that darkness.

She had to get these girls out of here.

She had to check on Harry.

She'd never felt so torn in her life.

James walks up beside her, a silent presence of comfort.

But she didn't want comfort right now.

"Take the girls and get them to the base," she orders, but then a hand grips her shoulder.

"Both of ya take 'em, let me handle the Spider."

She turns her blurry vision to Beam, "it should be-"

"You leading these frightened ones ta home, glad we're on the same page." Beam nods.

"But-" she glances back to T with concern.

She'd never seen anyone so-

She struggles to find the words.

It was worse than a day terror.

Scarier.

She knew T was capable of killing-

Wished he didn't have to-

But understood.

Her eyes roam the street where soldiers, dead or dying soldiers, were laid out in a macabre sea of blood.

She couldn't bring herself to count.

Didn't want to.

And as ashamed as she was to admit it-

Was hesitant to try to get between T and his mission.

Not when he didn't so much as glance in her direction when she tried to get his attention.

Not when he was still a rampaging tornado of blades, leaving nothing but carnage as he chased down those attempting to escape.

"I'm giving my first order," Beam frowns as he pulls a dart out of his bag, his narrowed eyes never once leaving T's violence, "trust that I'll bring him back the way I trust you'll get these girls to safety."

She tenses her jaw as her fingers curl into fists.

Fucking damn it!

She growls.

T-

As worried and scared of T as she was at the moment-

-was still her Problem Child.

But, she glances at the terrified girls behind her, Beam was right too.

And as much as she was loathed to admit it-

She doubted any of these girls would be willing to trust or follow a male any time soon.

"Look Kraken," Beam shrugs, "next time Spider goes on a murder rampage, he's all yours," he frowns as he jerks his thumb over his shoulder, "but these girls need you."

She grimaces.

Next time?

She bloody well fucking hoped this was an only time.

Her eyes trail back to T, grateful he was hidden under the guise of the Spider.

Glad that, at the very least, no one would recognize the Isle's hero like this.

She wasn't sure what was wrong with T-

But she knew it would destroy him if one of those he considered his charges shirked away from him outta fear-

As it was, she was already worried about her own reaction when he came down from-

Whatever this fucking nightmare was.

"Are ya sure-"

"Tch." Beam snorts, "No. But like fuck, are we leavin' him or givin' him another reason to rip himself another asshole."

She bites her lip, unable to argue further. "Just-" Her eyes wander back to T only to grimace and turn back to Beam, "be careful. Please. I ain't the only one he'd rip himself apart over."

"Aw, I knew he cared." Beam snorts before he eyes her, "and no shit." He takes a deep breath before he squeezes her shoulder. "Now get. Psycho needs ya too."

She closes her eyes as she lets out a breath, "please get 'im home."

Beam spins the dart between his fingers, "the plan."

She was scared to pull her hand away.

Scared of what she'd see when she did.

Harry's eye-

She knew it was bad.

Knew his face shouldn't feel like this.

His face-

There was so much blood.

So much blood.

And pain.

And fear.

It was all she could do to keep Harry warm and keep pressure on his eye as Gil rowed them to the ship.

Keep the injured and scared girls from jumping or falling into the violent water that seemed intent on capsizing them before they could reach safety.

There was a strange feeling in her chest, one she knew if she looked at too long right now would engulf her.

So she ignored it.

Harry's blood was warm and slick beneath her hand.

Gil was pale as he rowed.

And despite the violence around them-

The flashes of green lightning spearing the swirling clouds above them.

The rain pelting them like needles.

The waves hitting the sides of the dingy.

-everything seemed to be deathly silent.

Cold and quiet.

Or was it just her?

Keep Harry warm.

Stop the girls from falling out of the dingy.

Balance as they rose up each wave only to plunge down on the other side.

There was nothing else.

There couldn't be anything else.

Because then she'd have to think about the things she saw and heard at the camp.

The look in the Spider's eyes.

T's eyes.

She'd have to think of what she saw before she slapped her hand over-

"Deez!"

She jumps, holding Harry to her as she looks up in surprise at the sudden shout.

Gil.

Gil was holding his hand out.

When had he stopped rowing?

Her brow furrows when she sees the ship, see's that they've been hauled up.

Yensid was on the deck looking at them.

"C'mon Treasure, we made it." Gil whispers encouragingly, "Yensid's gonna fix our Pretty Boy right up."

She nods as she takes a breath, the cold air hitting her lungs like a punch.

"Right." She squeaks before she carefully gathers Harry to her, balancing his legs over her elbow as she takes Gil's offered hand.

She still couldn't pull her hand away from his eye.

"You did a good job of keeping pressure on the wound, and getting him here so fast," Yensid assures them as he escorts them to the cabin, "Dizzy and the others are seeing to the girls you brought back." He continues, as if aware that his voice was the only thing she could focus on besides the blood.

Harry's blood.

And the horror she knew was waiting for them under her hand.

He knew it was bad.

Knew it.

From the moment the blade fell.

Time slowed.

Everything fell away until all he could see was how deep the edge sank into Harry's skin.

He knew he'd never had a strong stomach. Never was much for blood.

Even less for violence.

That had never been more clear than today-

The only reason he was still keeping it all together was because of the girl he loved, shaking on his lap.

His Treasure.

The girl who had kept them alive despite the Isle working against her.

The girl who swam him to safety despite her deep fear of the water.

The girl who-

His stomach turns.

She'd been so quiet, so singularly focused on keeping pressure over Harry's-

He grimaces as he pulls Deez to him closer.

He'd known the minute Harry screamed what happened-

He'd seen once before-

During a fight. Back when they were still learning how to hold swords.

Junior had been playing too hard and-

He hugs Deez tighter.

-blinded Ian.

He grimaces.

Ian.

The only one besides Third who managed to befriend Junior.

He swallows the burn in his throat at the memory.

Ian's face healed, but his sight never returned.

He hadn't been the same after that.

Hadn't been able to accept his loss.

Ian had always rivaled Junior in his sadism and cruelty, but after the accident he'd also become aggressively belligerent.

Needing to prove himself capable.

That he didn't need help.

That he was fine.

After all, he could still fight.

Still stand his own with Junior.

But he could see it.

The pain.

Fear.

Anger.

The denial.

He hadn't been able to explain his feelings at the time.

Hadn't been able to understand why he was sad instead of happy that one of his bullies had gotten what they'd deserved-

But he did now.

Because of Uma and her endless patience-

Seeing Ian struggle hurt, even if the older boy had hurt him.

He closes his eyes.

Because he was soft.

Gentle.

Kind.

Everything a man shouldn't be.

He closes his eyes-

If it had been T, James, or Beam, would they have been able to keep Harry from suffering like this?

He swallows hard as he pulls Deez to him tightly.

Was Harry going to blame him-

He stops as he looks over to the flurry over Harry's unconscious form.

No.

He takes a deep breath as he sits up straighter.

He needed to stop.

The only one Harry was going to blame for this was Harry.

He shakes his head to rid himself of his fear.

Harry was going to need each of them to get through this. He couldn't get lost in his own doubts now.

He was the anchor.

And now more than ever his brother was going to need to be tethered to something solid.

Was going to need to lean on the rest of their family.

He could do this for Harry.

And that's all that mattered.

Well…

This was a chapter.

A dark one, but still a chapter.

What do you guys think?

Can you blame Uma of being scared of T?

This was just… A fucking lot doesn't seem to cover it, but, ya know…

Thoughts?

Questions?

Concerns?

Let us know

-Twisted