Lux was now beside the bed looking distraught.

  “Is he going to wake up?” Lux was now pacing back and forth like an anxious animal in a cage.

  “Lux he will be alright, please calm down.” Ephraim urged him. Lux fell into distraction now but continued to pace. “Lux!” Ephraim urged him more. Lux completely ignored him, looking increasingly frantic.

  “I know! I fucking know that! What the fuck should I do?! Ugh! Shut up okay! Just shut up!” Lux was panicking now.

  “Who are you talking too??” Ephraim was anxious watching him pace and shout at someone unknown. Suddenly he sank down to the ground covering his ears. “SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!!!” He shrieked. Remington finally tore himself away from Vezaias long enough to help Lux. He knelt down, placing a hand on Lux's shoulder gently. He jolted in fright.

  “Lux. What is your number?” Remington asked very mildly.

  “Seriously like a nine point five Remington!” He was shaking and yelling as if to shout over the voices.

  “You need emotional support, true or false?” Remington asked softly.

  “True! Very true!” Lux said, crumbling into Remington as he pulled him into his arms to cry. He let Lux have enough time to let out his emotions. After a long while he calmed down. Ephraim only stayed close in bewilderment wondering what was happening.

  “What did the voices tell you?” Remington asked him finally.

  “They said this was too much for his body to handle. I cannot provide enough meat for him to withstand this. It could kill him, and it would be my fault if he dies.” Lux said softly, brushing away his tears.

  “What voices?” Ephraim asked. Remington and Lux were both quiet.

  “Ugh, Remington, this guy's killin me. He is so far behind.” Lux groaned.

  “I will explain as soon as I can. What are we going to do? Ava is being held hostage, Vezaias is unconscious. Everyone at the base is suspicious, and if we don't show up with progress they are going to come here and force me to show them the hidden spot Vezaias is hiding at. If they find him they will try to kill him, and anyone who is on his side.” Remington said seriously.

  “Making strategies was always Vezaias job.” Lux sniffled.

  “It would really help to know more about what is happening. I just barely got here. I have very little context to what is going on.” Ephraim said seriously. Remington sighed. He began to explain things, like the first time Vezaias died, why the members were suspicious, then how they had their first major confrontation, he explained about Lux showing up, why he talks to voices, then how Vezaias stuck them together to work as a team with Ava. He explained how Ava died, and then how they discovered where Vezaias was hiding. How he forced Lux into learning his talent, and how Ava could shape shift. Then he began to cry as he explained how Vezaias killed Skyler after the theater, then their current mission was too fool the Organization into believing Skyler was alive. He also gave a quick rundown of each Organization Member and their unique talents.

  “Sigil is an emotional manipulator. He can manipulate anyone's emotions within his range. He can make them feel whatever he wants or nothing at all. He can also sense what everyone in range is feeling. That's what makes our mission so hard. He can tell when we are not being truthful. He is very powerful.” Remington explained. “Zexich is his romantic partner, he is very intelligent, and he has a perfect photographic memory when it comes to the written word. His talent to remember everything he reads is what helped him become the resident physician, he is also the one who taught himself how to recreate their members. He brought back to life several people including Maxwell, Sigil, Lucius, Vezaias, Ava, Rocks, and Lux….”

  “Wait a minute….” Ephraim said seriously. “Lux you died??”

  “It was necessary.” He replied.

  “I feel like I need a better explanation than that.” Ephraim said mildly.

  “Because I am neurodivergent Vezaias chose to communicate with me while he was fake dead because Remington can't lie for shit. No offense Remington.” Lux glanced at Remington who only sighed and shrugged. “He talked to me giving me directions, and he even appeared in the room with me so I could see him. He told me he couldn't help me unless I helped him first. I told him I would, so he told me if I really was serious about my feelings for him then I should prove it by killing myself. The problem was I couldn't do it unless I wrote the perfect suicide note. I was fully manic and this was a huge road block for me. Luckily Remington helped me out. I went into the kitchen and I took a knife and I slit my wrists. I know now it was because when I was recreated it presented Vezaias with the chance to develop my talent for regrowing my body parts. I still need practice.” Lux explained. He was emotional but quiet. Ephraim sat soaking in this reality. He sort of felt inadequate now. Remington and Lux both had made such huge sacrifices for Vezaias. Remington jumped into battles, losing his eye, watching a friend die who didn't deserve it, and immediately pledging his loyalty to Vezaias as soon as he knew the truth of what he had become. He seemed to have no hesitation at all. Lux had killed himself, returned and now willingly was devoting his body to provide nourishment for Vezaias. Ephraim had pledged his loyalty after much consideration but he hadn't done nearly as much as either of these two, as proof of his devotion.

  “Anyways, like I said, it was necessary.” Lux said finally. Remington continued to explain the members and their talents. He started from where he left off, switching to talk about Maxwell, then Demetri, then Lucius.

  “They are all very powerful. On top of that they have all been combat trained and they do physical training, plus they know how to fight as a team. I have been training too, but I feel like I'm nowhere near their level as a group, at least not on my own. With Vezaias's talent to cloak their talents, that really gave us the advantage, but I still ended up losing.

  “They all sound very powerful, but they have to have some weakness?” Ephraim said seriously.

  “Well yeah…. Demetri's weakness is close range focused attacks. If you disable his Tritar his water talent fails. Maxwell's is oxygen. He can withstand heat that's hot enough to melt steel, but if his fire burns all the oxygen around him he will suffocate. He has a lot of practice holding his breath though. Sigil's talent is difficult to deal with, I don't know what sort of weakness his emotional manipulation talent has specifically outside of Vezaias's talent to nullify all talents, but I know that he is not very fast. Lucius doesn't seem to have much weakness either. His talent to slow time will run out temporarily if he uses it a lot and I know without his talent he is just as strong and fast as any other guy his size. Rocks's talent, it’s easy to find him if you know how to spot an invisible person. His body still makes sound, and shifts the physical world around him. Zexich is so damn smart it's ridiculous, but he has never been combat trained at all. He just isn't fit for combat.” Remington explained. “Ziona is an energy manipulator. She can take your energy and use it in many ways. She is very deadly but she is pregnant, so the group hasn't let her battle. Then there are some members I don't know anything about, Roman, Khallie, and Nadia.” Remington fell silent. Ephraim was considering all of this information.

  “Well…I know how you can shift the focus off of suspicion a bit.” Ephraim said seriously.

  “How?” Remington asked quickly.

  “Well the microphone of course. I watched the group, and the microphone doesn't work outside of the base. So if you go back with it connected you can just act unsuspicious and they will believe you.” Ephraim said seriously.

  “But Sigil will know that we are lying!” Remington said urgently.

  “Pff, he will know that you are lying Remington. Not me. I am neurodivergent, remember?” Lux said just as seriously.

  “Ugh okay he will know I am lying. So it won't work.” Remington groaned.

  “All you have to do is think of a memory that will make you feel less suspicious. You could go in there with Lux and argue about not achieving the outcome they wanted then remember something that would make you feel that way. Frustrated, scared, worried whatever. Then they might believe you.” Ephraim said. “Once you are in there with less suspicion than before, then you can have more time and a better opportunity to save Ava.” Ephraim explained. It was quiet for a moment.

  “Great plan. If we can get Remington to stop feeling so damn guilty.” Vezaias’s rough voice mumbled from the bed. Immediately the trio was at his side.

  “Vezaias! We were so worried! You passed out, and we couldn't get you to wake up!” Remington was now hugging him as he lay limp and weak on the bed.

  “Rem..” Vezaias said softly. Remington began to cry into his shoulder. “I'm alright Rem. Just weak. I can't lift my arms.” He mumbled.

  “How can we help you? What do you need?” Ephraim asked, full of worry.

  “Heh, you aren't going to like this.” Vezaias said softly.

  “What is it, Zay?” Ephraim pressed.

  “Blood. I need blood. It will help.” Vezaias said. His voice was weak.

  “I will give you anything you want, Vezaias.” Lux said urgently.

  “No, once a day Lux. I am pushing it trying to feed on you twice. Three times could kill you.” Vezaias said softly. Lux looked irritated and turned away in frustration.

  “Take mine then.” Remington said firmly.

  “No Remington, if you are heading into a dangerous situation you shouldn't take a chance at going with blood loss. He can have mine. I don't have any superhuman talents like you do. I can at least offer him my blood.” Ephraim said. It was quiet apart from Remington's soft weeping sounds.

  “Thank you Eph..” Vezaias whispered. “Help me sit up. My muscles aren't working very well.” Remington and Ephraim quickly pulled Vezaias to sit up and Ephraim pulled him against his shoulder.

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  “Take what you need Zay. Please.” Ephraim said meekly. Vezaias was breathing heavily and searing in pain from over-exhausting his muscles. Ephraim felt teeth bite down on the nape of his shoulder. He tried to control his pain reaction but it felt like getting stabbed and the nearly paralyzing pain jolted him, at the same time it was almost satisfying and pleasurable to feel Vezaias's mouth sucking on the broken skin.

  “Ahh! Ngg heh….Ahhhh!!” Ephraim choked out. He could feel Vezaias getting more lively now slowly lifting his arms and caressing his back and gripping him tightly as his muscles came back to life. Suddenly Vezaias jerked him, pressing him with force into the bed to have a better angle at clamping his teeth down and cutting through flesh.

  “AHH! Zay! Hehh AHHHH, is that ughh enough yet?!” Ephraim struggled now as he began to feel pleasure from this, as Vezaias laid firmly against him, but also weak as if Vezaias was sucking his life away. Vezaias sat up suddenly, mouth smeared with blood, and breathing heavily.

  “I feel so much better now.” Vezaias said. He looked concerningly at Ephraim who clamped his hand over the bloody bite. “Are you alright?”

  “Ugh, yeah I'm fine.” He grunted in reply.

  “Zay, your teeth have fangs!” Remington was now focused on the sizable difference in Vezaias’s teeth. He grazed his fingers over the sharp canines.

  “Mm, yeah, they show up when I get thirsty, and I cannot stop it. They will go away soon.” Vezaias got up from the bed. “I'm going to check on Ava's situation. There is a first aid kit in the bathroom, Rem, will you help Eph take care of that?” Vezaias said seriously, then he walked towards the door ignoring the fear in each of the looks he got as he left the room.

  Remington swabbed the bite mark carefully as Ephraim cringed in pain. He started to dab on ointment before covering the bite with gauze. Lux watched keenly while quietly brooding to himself.

  “Ugh, you are so annoying, could you shut the fuck up already I really need to concentrate!” He snapped at nobody beside him.

  “Lux? Are you alright?” Remington asked and he finished taping up the wound.

  “Yeah, it's just too loud. I can't think at all. I am very frustrated and I feel like I've lost touch with reality. Is any of this even real? What the fuck is happening?” Lux said in frustration.

  “I know it's scary, but it's real Lux.” Remington said, turning to rub his back. Lux put his face in his hand and was quiet.

  “What is your number? Has it gotten any better?” Remington asked soothingly.

  “A little bit, like a seven. I'm still very overwhelmed though.” Lux mumbled.

  “What are the numbers for?” Ephraim asked curiously.

  “It's his scale to measure and explain his current situation. The voices he hears can range from soft whispers to loud and angry screams. It makes it very difficult to focus on the world around him when the voices get louder. Zero would be completely silent, one is the most quiet whispers, then increasingly louder and so overwhelming that he can no longer tolerate it, is a ten. When he gets stressed out, which has been quite often lately, it makes it worse.” Remington explained. Ephraim watched Lux curiously as he looked irritated and distracted.

  “Eph, I know a basic explanation that Vezaias gave me, but I wanted to ask you; How did you meet Vezaias? I wanted to hear about it from your point of view.” Remington asked. Ephraim took a deep breath. It was so long ago but he had often thought about it after Vezaias had seemed to vanish from his life.

  “I met him while in my first year of high school. I went to a private school because my parents were well off and could afford to send me there. They were always so busy with their business that they pretty much just ignored me. One day Vezaias just showed up as a new student. There were rumors going around the school that he was a criminal and he had been to jail and was dangerous in some way. In general I suppose they were accurate but at my school everyone thought he was so impressive and everyone wanted to be his friend. The very first day he saw me getting bullied and he jumped in to help me pick up my books. He understood right away that the reason I would get bullied was because of the way that I look. I would get called names like 'Ghost, Casper, Snowball, Marshmallow'…. When he heard people call me any of these names he would get pissed off and threaten them even when I wasn't around, and of course everyone wanted him to like them so they would listen. So from that very first day that he came to my rescue he just sort of latched onto me and suddenly he was just there and part of my life. We hung out a lot, usually at his house, until he ended up getting involved with a couple of girls.” Ephraim trailed off. “By then I was completely in love with him, but he had this horrible girl that I absolutely hated. Things just got so complicated between us. I was so depressed that I couldn't just be with him that I became suicidal and hurt. Ava convinced me that it would be the ultimate declaration of love if I were to kill myself, and he gave me this drug that he said would be enough to get the job done. So I wrote him a letter telling him how much I loved him and how I could no longer stand to watch him be with other people, while being ignored or made fun of by everyone else in the world. Then I took the drug and nearly died.” Ephraim explained very sullenly.

  “Sounds similar to my story.” Remington said meekly.

  “Mine too.” Lux said with a sigh. “Only at my school not all of the kids cared to be his friend. They were all a bunch of assholes. It was sort of an 'us against the world' situation.” Lux explained. “I was sitting in class like normal one day, and he just showed up as the new kid, and sat in front of me. He noticed that I would never leave the classroom to take a break or go to lunch, I didn't trust anyone, especially not some new guy. So he actively pursued me as a friend and convinced me to trust him. Then suddenly we were doing everything together. He was fucking relentless. It's like I had no choice but to be his friend.” Lux explained.

  “At my school I would say he was kind of popular, but he liked me specifically for some reason. I just had that 'sad look' that he claims he is attracted to. I think he was too afraid of my dad to openly admit his feelings for me. I guess it's because our fathers were similar, both physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive.” Remington said unhappily. “Vezaias did so much to try and protect me and get me out of trouble, he was so loyal. I never should have ghosted him.” Remington looked like he would cry now.

  “I don't mean to interrupt your bonding time, which I might as is very endearing, but we have shit to accomplish.” Vezaias was now in the doorway. He suddenly had their attention and quickly complied with him. He was now able to explain what he wanted from them and how to go about accomplishing it. He made it a point to talk to Lux and Remington separately to get certain details correct. After the instructions were finished Remington and Lux set out to return to base and execute the plan. Vezaias got into the refrigerator and made himself and Ephraim some sandwiches then he sat at the table while projecting a view of what Remington and Lux were doing so he could be ready in case things were to go south.

  “So you still require normal food?” Ephraim asked meekly and he ate his own sandwich.

  “Mm, yeah. I am still somewhat human.” Vezaias paused before his next bite. “I feel two different hungers now. I was eating a ton of human food thinking that would help, but the 'other hunger' that I feel is only satisfied with human flesh. I could eat a 1000 sandwiches and still feel starving. So I need both types of nourishment now.”

  “Can you tell me anything else about what this creature is that is attached to you?” Ephraim asked cautiously. He was very worried about asking questions.

  “You think I'm a fucking creature, Eph?” Vezaias said flatly.

  “No! I just….well it's not human so….I don't know what it is……that's why I'm asking.” Ephraim stammered.

  “He is a nightmare demon.” Vezaias said, looking at Ephraim almost accusingly. Ephraim was quiet. “There are dream demons and nightmare demons. They used to live in our world, but they ended up going to war with each other. Dream demons felt that nightmares shouldn't exist so they tried to wipe them off the face of the planet. It's a bit unfair if you ask me. The war ended with the nightmares and dream demons being sealed away. Now humans can only be influenced by either of them while they sleep. It is a horrible way to exist.” Vezaias sounded angry about this as if he were personally offended by it.

  “But these nightmares feed on humans?” Ephraim asked meekly.

  “I can't help the food source I was created to consume.” Vezaias said flatly as if he were the nightmare.

  “Oh. What do dream demons consume?” Ephraim asked.

  “Same, however they would wait until the humans were dead before feeding.” Vezaias said flatly.

  “Why don't nightmares do that?” Ephraim asked curiously. He felt guilty for being so interested in this.

  “Do humans wait for cows to die of natural causes?” Vezaias asked in irritation. Ephraim didn't answer as the question sounded rhetorical.

  “If these people have found a way to recreate human bodies, why not just produce them for food? Then nobody has to suffer.” Ephraim highlighted.

  “It is not the flesh that I take nutrition from exactly. The human soul is what we take our nutrition from. Consuming the flesh is the purest way to consume this nutrition. Eating flesh while the source is alive is the ideal way. Once the flesh parishes the nutrition begins to degrade. Waiting for the body to die naturally can degrade the nutrition left behind even more than death by consumption. The same way you would be disgusted to eat an animal you have found dead, as opposed to slaughtering it fresh. Because those fucking assholes wanted a clear conscious, trying to be as humane as fucking possible, now my kind have been trapped and forced into starvation.” Vezaias growled. “I'm going to put an end to it.”

  “So if your kind are starving, will they die?” Ephraim asked. This was even more fascinating now.

  “No, we are nearly immortal.” Vezaias answered. “But without nutrition we turn into mindless powerful monsters who suffer most of the same painful symptoms a starving human would have without food or water. The only one major difference is starvation doesn't kill us! Do you know how many of my kind are out there suffering and starving and near death, without the ability to actually die?!” Vezaias snapped. Ephraim flinched in fear at his anger. Vezaias finished his sandwiches quietly then got up to take his plate to the garbage.

  “Come to the living room when you are finished.” He said seriously then he left the kitchen. Ephraim quickly finished feeling giddy and compelled to go to Vezaias as fast as he could. Once he got to the living room he stood rather awkwardly wondering what would be appropriate to do next.

  “Don't just stand there like an idiot, sit down or something.” Vezaias said, looking serious and mildly annoyed.

  “Uh! Sorry, I'm just nervous.” He said meekly and sat down immediately. He was now hyper focused on Vezaias and everything he did, which wasn't much besides breathing and watching the feed of the base.

  “What is it?” Vezaias asked suddenly without looking away from the feed.

  “Uh! What?” Ephraim asked, now embarrassed at his awkwardness.

  “You are staring at me.” Vezaias highlighted, glancing at him seriously.

  “Sorry…I'll try to stop.” Ephraim said now feeling shameful.

  “Eph, I don't mind, it just seems like you want my attention or something.” Vezaias said softening. Ephraim was quiet over this notion.

  “How is your shoulder?” Vezaias asked. He seemed genuinely concerned now.

  “It's fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I really just wanted to help you.” Ephraim said quickly.

  “Be real with me Eph.” Vezaias replied seriously. Ephraim was quiet for a moment.

  “It hurts a lot, but for some reason I enjoyed it.” Ephraim answered more truthfully. It was quiet now for a while. Vezaias focused on the feed but there was a question that was nagging him to be asked.

  “Eph….I want to ask you something, but I'm worried about what you will say.” Vezaias said, looking anxious.

  “You can ask me anything Zay.” Ephraim said looking impossibly curious.

  “I want to know…..when I shifted into my demon form….you looked scared, understandably, and that was the first time I've tried to fully transition, so I haven't exactly looked in a mirror….” He trailed off anxiously and paused. “…..do I look…….well…..do I look hideous? Somehow I feel like any of you would find me repulsive like this.” Vezaias said, looking crushed by the possibility. “…..I am just very worried you would be disgusted with my demon body.” The thought of Vezaias being self conscious or scared of this was very endearing for some reason. Ephraim thought for a moment the real answer to his question.

  “Well you still look similar to yourself, and honestly…..this is going to sound very bad but…..you look so damn attractive that well……I feel like a pervert for being attracted to someone who isn't human. I was afraid of you, but in the most exhilarating way. When you bit me and drank my blood, it was like I didn't want you to stop no matter how much it hurt, even knowing that it would kill me if you continued for too long.” Ephraim was pink like a strawberry now and very fidgety. Vezaias watched him feeling coy over this notion and now soaking in desire.

  “Do you have to sit so far away? Come here.” Vezaias said, finally opening his arms up as if it were an offer. Ephraim quickly got up and joined him, getting sucked into the strong embrace Vezaias had offered.