Phoenix Retold

Lex broke more than a handful of laws getting to Wayne Manor, but at least he got there fast. He left the engine running as he bolted into the big house and up to Cooper's room, literally shoving past a few confused reincarnates on the way.

Whatever; he'd worry about apologizing later.

His breath was coming faster when he skidded to a stop outside Cooper's door, one hand grabbing for the knob, the other banging against the frame. "Cooper!" he called, glancing over his shoulder. His skin was crawling. He was almost positive he was going to throw up. He could smell blood and roses and hear the click of nails against wet tile, could feel the hot, panting breaths against his--

"COOPER!"

Banging harder.

"Oh good," Bastian said, leaning over Anson's chair to pluck the book out of his hands, "you're not doing anything. Come on, get showered and dressed. Actually," he added, tossing the book onto the table and pressing his face into the crook of Anson's neck. He breathed against his skin. "Hm, no, skip the shower--where we're going, it'll play in your favor."

He pulled back, dropping his bag on the floor and whipping off his shirt in one lithe, easy gesture. "I brought clothes for both of us."

They'd been searching, and he had been writing note after note in the journal...but how did you find a single reincarnate in a city this big? Alejandro couldn't even describe him beyond dark hair. They'd only seen each other for an instant, and most of that had been subsumed with memory.

The only place Alejandro knew to look was the station platform, so that's where he stayed. For hours. Every day. Sitting at a bench with his collar up against the cold, gloved fingers curling and uncurling as he watched for a face in the crowd, hoping.

Quietly, desperately hoping.

It was all so perverse she couldn't help but love it. The boy who refused to grow up and the girl who never could. It really was delicious.

Saoirse invited Caden over and left the store room where she'd been doing inventory to go upstairs to her apartment. There was a second level entrance from the outside, but it was the window that lead out to her fire escape that she left cracked open. Just in case.

Puck didn't waste any time getting to the pub. He and Bri had been in a holding pattern for a while now--they talked, they hung out, they flirted, and then Bri shut things down before things went anywhere. She had her reasons, or so Puck assumed, so he just enjoyed what he got and didn't expect more than that.

Now they had definitely broken out of their holding pattern.

Puck got to the bar first, and he went ahead and got himself a drink. He didn't plan on drinking too much, though; he had to make sure Bri got home safely.

Despite the damage from the storm, it didn't take long for Kayla to get to Victoria's, Piotr behind her on the motorcycle. She drove fast and had no problem swerving around downed branches and potholes, but she was careful; she'd never let anything happen to Piotr. When they stopped, Kayla pulled off her helmet and ran her hand through her hair. "You good?" she asked her little brother, waiting for him to get off the bike so she could do the same.

Sam flopped down on the couch with Kayla, shifting to put his head in her lap. "So, the coma plan. Tell me more about it."

He was clearly worried, freaked out even, and required the old, relaxing habit, of planning to dispose of Victoria.

Victor was a relatively laid back person, at least most of the time.

He faked it, honestly. He faked it.

He was faking it now, jumping up from his chair in the student union when he saw Declan, slinging an arm over his boyfriend's shoulders.

Anwyn finally managed to catch Colt alone--and knew for sure, for once, that it wasn't actually Boone instead--and punched him in the arm. "You could've said something before now, Jack," she scolded, smiling through her scowl. Her posture had changed, slightly, and her accent was far more Welsh than a girl raised in Boston should have.

At least the rain had stopped. Tree sort of felt like his socks might still be damp, but at least the actual, mood-dampening rain had stopped.

Or wait, no, maybe that was just life.

He'd been out scouting, making the usual rounds. Despite the fact that he'd been wandering through higher end neighborhoods, he'd made note of quite a few cars just left parked at the side of the street. He'd be back again tomorrow to see if they'd moved. He'd come again the day after and if they were still there, well. That meant people didn't care enough, and that made them fair game.

But he was done today. And he was tired.

He ducked into the El car the minute the doors opened and snagged the first seat, stretching his legs out while he could.

Alik sat down beside Brae on the couch and started signing, brow furrowed, frowning, obviously troubled.
Why are they all Mikhail and Ilya's?

Hector was, not directly, but sorta maybe a little, avoiding his parents.

Because it was extremely awkward.

But sometimes, he just.

He'd spent his entire life aware, growing up in the awkwardness of knowing that every time his father looked at him, he also saw his lost lover. And every time he saw his father, seeing a past life love and a loss- because he'd never experience that love again. The soul deep, stomach dropping, startling, cross universes ununderstandable love that gutted both of them.

And sometimes that pain felt good too, because it meant he could love that deeply, he'd been loved that deeply. Paul's presence made him sad for loss, but it also made him deeply joyous because he loved his father paternally and. Paul's soul made his joyous.

So he showed up with two cups of coffee, sliding one over to Paul and sat quietly.

Arya silently sat down next to Perrin, shoulder to shoulder, and slipped her hand into his. She stayed there for a few moments, not saying anything, until she turned to rest her chin on his shoulder. "Hey."

"Hey," Ian said, sliding into the seat next to Tobias. He rested his elbows on the table and propped his chin on his fist, watching him. "Are we still fighting?"

Kayla was overwhelmed--beyond overwhelmed. She was dealing with it by focusing on her brothers: watching Piotr closely to make sure he didn't have another seizure, plotting Victoria's death with Sam, trying not to get confused when people mentioned Ilya and weren't talking about her Ilya.

She decided to make a strategic retreat, but as she made her way down the hall, she caught a glimpse of someone familiar in one of the rooms she passed. "Da-- Nathan?"

Anwyn would have worried about looking like a drenched rat as she stepped into the coffee shop except, well, everyone else did too. As soon as she got her coat and umbrella propped up to dry, she got Rhiannon out of her stroller, where the 10-month-old, at least, had remained snug and warm. "How about next time you're the one that gets soaked and I get to be bundled up happily. Sound good?"

The roads were pure insanity thanks to the storm, which looked in no mood to lighten up. Thankfully, Lex was used to a little insanity. He swerved and fishtailed and hydroplaned on and off the road, singing snips of show tunes and heavy metal as he peered through the windshield (which was so beaten with rain that it was almost impossible to see out of.)

Pure luck and good instincts led him to the church, and he skidded in with a triumphant yell, tooting the horn three times before laying on it for one long beat--a signal to Cooper that it was him.

Lex leaned over and pushed open the door as he saw Cooper running for the vehicle. He grabbed the towel and had one laying across the seat and another open and waiting to wrap around Cooper (along with a massive bear hug) when he dove into the cab.

"You made it," Lex said with a wide, sweet smile, pressing a completely chaste kiss to Cooper's cold, wet neck. "Did any pieces fall off?"

Michaela had gone ahead and made up all of the empty beds and got together all the remaining blankets and pillows in case more people showed up needing the couches or floors. She was downstairs in the kitchen when she heard a knock on the kitchen door--people who lived at the farm rarely came in the front door--and called out, "Come in!"

The storm calmed as the eye came over Boston. In the suddenly clear sky, a red comet blazed and scores of stars fell, streaking through the darkness. Dark clouds threatened on all sides, forming a roiling blackness around the city.

Wayne Manor was big and warm and full of light. Clothes had been laid out for people to grab, and there were blankets and food and alcohol. Lots of alcohol. Gods were teleporting people in so they didn't have to brave the storm, but even still, people seemed confused and shaken.

No one could say how or why, but it was easy to recognize members of their own clan. There was a light tug there, a pull. It was also easy to tell who came from which universe--the Light kids just felt...different than the Dark. Bright vs. Cool, Light vs. Dark.

The storm was raging outside. On the main stage of the Wagner opera house (lights out, huge room empty) lights began to flash as one after another, figures materialized in the dim.