Cursed [malexmale]

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

"It's a trap. It's totally a friggin' trap," Arikos was saying as he sat at the dining room table in Apollo's palace. I barely heard him as I watched Hannibal pace with growing irritation. He'd been trying to call Menoetius for the last hour and a half and still no response. When he'd called Akin to ask if he'd stopped by, he said Menoetius had left half an hour after arriving-- almost two hours ago.

"I don't care if it's a trap," I told Arikos sourly, "I'm the reason Apollo is in this mess and I've got to get him back." Arikos just eyed me warily.

"Is this your guilt talking again or do you actually care?"

"I actually care, no stop trying to go therapist on me and call him on your phone," I ordered. Arikos looked annoyed at the command and shook his head, taking his phone out and waving it around.

"I already called him six times, not that he would pick up anyway. I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me," he actually pouted at that as he dropped his phone on the table and slumped over with his chin resting on his hands, staring at the phone like it was the phone's fault. I sighed, frustrated, looking back at Hannibal, who hung up and stopped pacing.

He looked eerily calm as he went to the nearest window, and threw the phone out into the garden, then came back to glare at us.

"Menoetius isn't picking up and my cell phone died."

"So you throw it out the window," Arikos asked dryly, raising an eyebrow, "Charge it."

"I don't want to. It felt better throwing it."

"Tell that to Akin when he finds out you threw your new phone out the window," Arikos replied. Hannibal actually looked a little guilty there for a second, glancing out the window as if he were debating running after it. A sharp fissure of power cut through the air and we perked up, Arikos shooting to his feet, as we turned to see Menoetius appear in the dining room, a bruise spreading across his jaw and bruising around his throat from strangulation.

Not that Hannibal seemed to notice them because he looked pissed as hell.

"Where were you? You said you were stopping by the apartment," Hannibal said. Even though there was no emotion in his voice, I could tell the way his mismatched eyes snapped fire that he was about to add to Menoetius's bruising. True to his military training, however, Menoetius didn't react more than just raising his eyebrow.

"I went out for a drink," he answered flatly. Hannibal glared at him.

"We've called you twenty-six times."

"Well, look at that. You can finally fucking count. Good for you. What'd you want? A cookie?" Menoetius asked snidely. Hannibal grabbed him by the front of his uniform and slammed him into the wall so hard that the plaster cracked all the way up to the ceiling, bits and pieces flaking off onto the floor. Arikos winced and ran past me to grab Hannibal's arm, not that he could pry the hybrid's arm away from Menoetius's throat. It was like trying to move a steel bar from his neck.

"Hannibal, stop," Arikos managed to wedge himself in between them, and Hannibal released Menoetius, taking a step back as Menoetius's feet touched the floor again and he just quietly touched his neck, looking a little pale, "Attacking him isn't going to make anything better. He's here now. We're together, so let's figure out what we're going to do." Hannibal narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

Arikos turned and whacked Menoetius in the chest, making him scowl at him.

"And you," Arikos said angrily, "Quit your fucking vanishing act. You're done disappearing on us. I get we're not the most cuddly bunch, and to be honest, I really do not give a fuck right now. We're in the middle of a war that could get everyone we know and love killed. So you, and Hannibal, both of you need to set aside this little family feud until afterwards. Then you can beat the shit out of each other. Until then, we're fighting on the same side. So shut up, and Anexius, please say something before I hit someone." I stared at him, impressed with his show.