MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Potions Pt 2

I expect Cub to turn and start telling me off. But he doesn't. He just starts clearing up like I'm not even here.

'Cub...?'

Again, he ignores me. I don't know what to do. All I know is Cub blames me. Cub, my best friend, who I just broke the trust of.

'Cub? I'm so sorry...'

He barely reacts, just a pause and a frustrated sigh. Probably that I'm still speaking. Or that I'm still here.

'I'll let you... focus...' I mumble, shuffling towards the door. 'See you...'

'Stay,' Cub demands, a vexish hiss in his voice. I freeze.

'Cub, I'm so sorry, I didn't...'

'Just stand there and don't break anything else.' I know he's trying to calm down, but the coldness of his tone still hurts. A lot. I stay where I am, fighting tears and, as I can't any more, trying to make my sobs silent. Cub just continues to tidy up the broken glass and deals with the potion spill. Finally, when everything is sorted, he turns to me. I don't look at him, wiping away my tears as I stare at the ground.

'I'm sorry...' I mumble, only glancing up to see his expression. 'You... You can ban me from here and... and from your base...'

'What happened?' He leans on the table, arms crossed. Casual, but not. I know him well enough. He blames me, and I can see he hates that.

'I... Well... Hypno came down here and... I thought... I told him not to touch anything, and he didn't. But then he... it was just a joke he...'

'Cut the bulls*** Scar and just say what you did.' I fall silent, swallow, and explain.

'I pushed Hypno and he fell into the shelf.' I mumble. 'It was supposed to be a joke. He joked that he was going to send footage of us being stupid to Tango, and I jokingly gave him a little push and...'

'Ok.'

Nothing else. Just 'ok'. I wait for him to say more, trying to figure out from his tone what he even means. Cub returns to the desk of supplies from the potion he made starting to tidy them up. Again, I'm left confused and this time, frustrated.

'Cub, why aren't you telling me anything?! If you want me to go, tell me to go. If you want me to stay...'

'I don't know!'

'What does that even mean?!'

'It means I don't know, Scar!' Cub turns, eyes bright blue 'I don't know what to do if you won't listen to the most basic instructions...'

'That's not fair! I didn't mean to...'

'You pushed Hypno.'

'But I didn't touch anything!'

'You're not counting Hypno as being something you touched? Or did you shove him with your mind?'

'Oh.' I finally realise what he's getting at. 'I didn't think...'

'Exactly. You didn't think. Now just stay there until I've finished tidying up because I don't want you out of my sight.'

I have every chance to just stay silent and listen to Cub's instruction, accept that I'm in the wrong. But his sudden harshness vexes me too much. I can't.

'How are you gonna keep me in your sight when you're turned away from me.' I cross my arms, the vex making me continue. 'Smarta**.'

Cub stops. He places down the bottle he was moving, slowly turning to stare, disbelieving, at me. I see the blue spreading up his hands and face, laced with veins of pink. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, clearly trying to keep calm. But when he opens them, they're even bluer. And he lets out a single low hiss.

The vex in me bristles at the fight challenge. The rest of me is equally p***ed at how badly he's taking this. Vex fights aren't just a bit of fun... Cub's never challenged me to one before. And now I say one thing, make one mistake? Cub steps closer, forcing me towards the door. There are tears in his eyes. I hiss back, accepting the fight. But he doesn't attack, just keeps backing me out of the room and-

Cub lunges, and I shove him back, claws swiping at his neck. The stairway is incredibly narrow, our space only decreased as Cub closes the door behind him. I take the advantage, pinning him. He fights back, kicking, hissing, claws digging into my shoulders as he tries to push me away. None of it works until he fazes free of my grip, slipping to one side and shoving me hard into the wall. I lose balance, crashing to the ground. But before Cub can pin me, I grab the bottom of his labcoat, dragging him down after. He fights back, biting my arm and not letting go. I can't fight a yell, clawing down his face. His hands wrap around my neck as I try to pull free.

'Fitst!' I swear in Vex, struggling to escape, struggling to breathe. 'You evoker-killing, wingless Watcher!' I try to shove him away, struggling to pull myself free from Cub's grip.

He lets go, using my surprise against me to push me away. My head hits the edge of a stair. I swear loudly at the pain, scrambling as far as fast as I can. Cub attacks again, pulling me back towards him. I land a kick to his stomach, winding him, punching him in the face to get him back to the ground. The only thought in my mind is victory, the vex screeching the same. So, even as he backs away, hurt and bleeding, I hurl myself at him again. He fights back and we end up in a mess of kicking and clawing and swearing and biting on the ground until-

I'm dragged to my feet. Someone's shouting to break it up. Cub's snarling something back from where he's bleeding on the ground, eyes nearly pure white. It takes a moment to recognise the new voice as Xisuma's.

'Scar, if I let go, will you attack Cub again?'

I just hiss back, too vexed to really understand him.

'Then you're coming up here with me. Cub, get in there and stay in there. And find something for your injuries.'

'Fitst!' Cub spits at me. I shoot my own vex swear back, struggling against Xisuma, as he storms back into the lab, slamming the door behind.