~Formay, Police station~
The hero arrived right on time, walking into the station with peering eyes watching his every move. He made it to the front desk, where Milo stood with his uniform on and papers neatly piled before him. The hero was about to speak, but Milo stood up first, shuffling his seat back and making the curly-haired male flinch. He wasn't at ease, even in the sheriff's station—he knew that Pierce, or anyone else, could waltz in and do as they pleased. Nothing stopped them, not even himself.
"Oxzy! You came...!" the sheriff said, dusting himself off before standing in front of the hero. Oxzy nodded, looking confused but not showing it. "Oh—sorry, you're probably puzzled by the sudden call and request." Milo stepped closer to Oxzy, cleared his throat, and put on a much more serious expression as his tone changed. "I'm working on the case about Randy, the man Pierce helped escape. I think I'm getting closer to figuring out his relationship with the Imber family."
"Then we shouldn't talk here, sir," Oxzy replied straightforwardly.
The officer flushed slightly at hearing him speak, but quickly shook off the feeling and nodded toward the papers.
The hero waited as the sheriff gathered what he needed before heading out through the station doors. As they stepped outside, Jamisen passed them, calling out to Milo in confusion. "Where are you going?"
"I'm discussing something with the hero—hold things down here, I won't be long," Milo said, giving Jamisen no chance to argue before heading through the doors and onto the streets toward his police car.
The pair climbed into the car, and Milo drove toward Oakway. Oxzy gave him a confused look, about to speak, but Milo spoke first. "I feel like it would be... safer to talk in Oakway."
Oxzy couldn't argue with that. Of the whole town, Oakway had to be the safest place, given how far it was from the grubs. At least, it used to be safe—after the incident, nowhere seemed safe anymore. Still, Oxzy let the sheriff choose where to go next. It didn't matter to him, as long as he got this over with.
~Oakway, supermarket isle~
The sheriff cleared his throat. "Where do you want to go? We could go to a cafe, maybe a Starbucks or restaurant?"
"A small Starbucks is fine," Oxzy replied, leaving no room for more conversation. The sheriff seemed to get the hint from the hero's tone. He pulled into a parking lot, and the two made their way into the coffee shop.
Looks passed their way across the two, mostly lingering on Oxzy, who in turn brushed the looks off. Milo turned around a few times to make sure the man was still following, and noticing the looks he got, Milo sneered at the people who looked away in turn.
They sat down, not bothering to get anything at the counter. The two sat at the end of the shop, near the window, where Milo retrieved the papers he'd brought. He sat in front of Oxzy, starting with a bright point on the first page that had Randy's mugshot on it, with information below.
Milo decided to start with the man's background. "Randy has been arrested before for gang fights, stealing, and selling meth. He had been becoming more and more part of the Grubs gang before he split up a few weeks before his arrest," Milo explained, flipping to the other papers as Oxzy took in the information. "It was assumed by me and my officers that he had become too deep into the gang and started to work for Zella Imber. His escape with Pierce's help gives evidence of that."
"And that would mean?" Oxzy decided to ask.
"That would mean he is working with that gang—the gang that rules the Grubs," Milo said, wording it in a way that gave Oxzy the urge to scoff. The phrasing seemed to imply that the Grubs gang held real power, that he and the police couldn't stop them.
"Again. What would that mean?"
Milo looked a bit taken aback. He didn't want to explain further, thinking the hero would simply understand. He couldn't tell if Oxzy truly understood or wanted more detail. "Well… that's the thing. We believe something bigger is being pushed through the Grubs besides meth and… well, liquor. We think the Imbers are moving something with Pierce's help, so they won't get caught."
The hero let out a sigh. He deeply didn't want to believe it, and he couldn't even comprehend it, since he didn't know why it would be happening. Something big in "transportation" was indeed happening in the Grubs—no one knew what it was unless they were in the Imbers' gang.
Oxzy looked through the papers while Milo let him, flipping along until he reached the last page, which the hero lifted to read more closely. The final page mentioned Randy's disappearance after being broken out of his cell; the police were trying to find him, though they'd had no luck so far.
"Have you gone to the Grubs to look?" Oxzy asked, keeping his gaze down.
"We have. Nothing but crackheads and hobos," Milo replied, shaking his head in disappointment. "The men at the office are still looking, but it's getting harder since Ronny was sent to the hospital."
"So you are still looking?"
Milo sat up straighter, a strange look crossing his face. "Of course I am. This is my town to protect." His voice sounded hard, his eyes full of fury. "Just like you…"
The end of his sentence turned soft, drawing a look from Oxzy. The atmosphere went quiet, the hero keeping his eyes low as Milo's brown eyes studied him. It was awkward; the hero wanted to say something to bring the attention back to the papers, but he had nothing to say.
Luckily for him, a barista came over to the table. She placed her hand on the wood, drawing their attention. Milo quickly pulled the papers to the other side of the table, though the woman paid them no mind. Her eyes stayed on Oxzy, a flicker of aggression in her look.
"Are you gentlemen not gonna get anything?" Her voice was sharp, her eyes glaring at the hero, beckoning for a reply.
Oxzy, in his usual fashion, stayed silent. Milo spoke up instead, leaning a bit closer to the table. "Uh, no! We just came here to talk…"
The woman turned her eyes to him, softening slightly once she realized he was the sheriff. She cleared her throat. "Well… we have a rule here. If you don't order anything within ten minutes, you'll be asked to leave."
Milo gave a confused sigh, thinking the rule ridiculous, as if it weren't the same at every other shop in Daylight—especially since they'd only been there three minutes. But he knew better than to argue. "Well, then we could—"
"We will leave," Oxzy said, sitting up as he spoke. The barista flinched, keeping her eyes low though her aggression lingered in his direction.
Milo stood as well, wanting to stop the hero, but he noticed the eyes of the crowd on them. The hero was growing pale, his gaze losing life under all the attention. Not wanting to cause him further distress, Milo followed after him, giving quick replies to the onlookers while gathering the papers into his hands, then hurried after Oxzy.
The hero was already outside the Starbucks. Milo dashed up beside him. "Hey, don't take that too hard. You have to understand—people are just scared—"
"Understand?" Oxzy stopped, turning sharply away from Milo and the direction of his police cruiser. He huffed and walked off, leaving Milo frozen in place, watching him go.
Milo clutched the papers close, hurrying after him and calling out. The hero ignored him, moving farther from the car that had brought him there. Milo called again, keeping the papers pressed to his chest as they threatened to fly away. "Oxzy! Oxzy, wait!" He reached out, gripping the man's arm tightly to stop him.
The hero felt a firm hand close around his forearm and stopped in his tracks, his eyes shooting open. A sudden crack formed beneath the sheriff's feet—Milo looked down in shock at the small fracture spreading across the ground. It split the earth, nearly wide enough to swallow his foot.
He took a shaky breath and let go of Oxzy, his breathing slowly returning to normal. Stepping away from the crack, Milo kept his eyes on the hero's turned back. "Please… just let me give you a ride back."
Oxzy remained still, no motion in response to the words. Milo repeated himself, taking a small, hesitant step closer. Before he could speak again, Oxzy cut him off. "I don't need it. I can get where I want without you. Sir." His voice was firm, leaving the sheriff stiff, his mood sinking.
He watched as Oxzy stalked away toward the Daylight markets, closer to wherever he must live. Milo didn't know where that was. But he was determined to find out.
The sheriff had to stop himself from dashing after him. He gathered his thoughts and returned to his car. Slamming the door shut, he cursed under his breath at losing the hero's attention.
While leaning his head on the wheel, the officer couldn't help but realize things. He hadn't realized how much he became intrigued with the hero. He never liked the man in such a way, only let him do what he had to. He held his head in frustration, not knowing what to do next. He started his car before peeling out of the parking lot and towards where the hero walked off to.
~Daylight, the end of the mall~
Oxzy didn't know what exactly he wanted to do. He did know that he wanted to go home—he was tired, and a pain rose in his chest from his still-healing ribs. A bubbling rush of anger and fear washed over him; he knew eyes were swarming over him like little bees that wouldn't leave. He knew where he was going, but at the same time, he didn't.
Go home?
He wanted to, deeply, thinking of his hand rubbing against his curly, soft cat. The purring ran deep within him, and warmth came from the creature that loved him.
The hero was stuck in his thoughts, dwelling on what calmed him, until a harsh crash came at him. He stumbled, catching himself before falling. Turning toward the impact, he came face to face with a man whose face was littered with burn marks, steam rising from the blood melting down his skin.
The man screamed unintelligible words, clutching hard onto Oxzy's clothes. Oxzy held onto the man, who was a foot shorter than him, confusion in his eyes as he looked sternly down at him.
The boy caught himself, suddenly pointing behind him, where Oxzy caught sight of smoke. Buildings obscured the source, but the smell—beside the burnt flesh in front of him—caught in his throat. His mind couldn't help but travel back in time.
Back to that day.
The day that would ruin this town.
"Joseph! Oh my god!" A woman's scream brought him back, making him step away from the boy, who fell over from the pain. The woman rushed over and clutched the boy close to her chest, crying his name in fear.
"Ahhhhhhggh!"
Oxzy heard screams coming from the direction of the fire. The smoke grew darker, and the smell became more apparent. The hero gritted his teeth and dashed toward the commotion, passing frantic people with burns and tears melting down their faces. He ran faster, gaining energy as his eyes flared and the trees around him began to grow larger.
The hero caught sight of people tumbling on the ground, clutching themselves as if they were cold. Their backs faced a business tower—not especially tall, but big enough to draw attention. Alarms blared as the hero looked at the bursting building. Flames caught the trees outside it; he quickly motioned toward them with his hand, and the trunks withered under his energy.
He surged forward as the trees around him grew taller, their brown trunks expanding rapidly. He focused on the leaves, making them fade into the air, intending to use the trunks to shield innocent people. He succeeded, feeling people lean against the bark as he focused his power around them. Once they were protected, he could concentrate on the fight without risking further harm to bystanders.
Satisfied that the bystanders were safe, he turned his attention to the main problem: the fire. He quickly discovered that the blaze and the chaos were the villain's doing.
Pierce stood atop the burning building, laughing as he looked down at the flames. His voice boomed, mingling with screams, the crash of bricks, and the shattering of glass echoing against the concrete below. The hero dashed forward, shouting Pierce's name, drawing the attention he'd hoped for. The villain's focus shifted entirely to him, away from the people scrambling to escape.
"Ox! Yay, you're here!" Pierce shouted, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Oxzy gave no reaction to Pierce's excitement. Instead, he dashed straight for the villain, his leap propelled by a bolt of cold, fast wind that lifted him mid-jump. He landed a few feet from Pierce atop the burning building.
The hero crouched low, shoulders squared and legs bent, ready to strike the open target before him. Pierce, still smiling, turned his head toward Oxzy.
Flames rose around the two combatants at the center of the rooftop, which still stood despite being half-engulfed in fire. The hero noticed that the front of the building bore the brunt of the flames, while the back remained untouched. The villain had set the front ablaze, likely killing everyone inside, while leaving the rear unscathed. Oxzy understood why. He had ideas he mostly believed to be true, and knowing it made him sick. It all came back to him somehow—the reason people fled with their faces melting, flesh dropping like slugs from their permanently disfigured features.
It was because of him.
When Pierce realized the hero intended to stay silent, he let out a sigh and stretched, making it obvious that his wounds had fully healed. In contrast, Oxzy was still recovering. He felt better than in previous days, but the fight could easily worsen his condition if it went the way Pierce wanted.
He couldn't let that happen again.
The hero understood why the villain was there—that much was a start. He also knew a few ways to end things quickly if he thought carefully before engaging.
The people were safe, already gone from the area, so he didn't need to worry about them. He did, however, need to worry about the surrounding environment. The burning building could fall, but not in a way that destroyed everything around it.
He also had to keep the villain occupied—or rather, "entertained," since that was the only reason Pierce had come. The man was bored, and if the hero fought with real effort, Pierce would be satisfied for a while. It didn't matter whether the villain won or lost, as long as he believed Oxzy was trying his hardest.
He would enjoy every second of it.
Growing impatient, the villain hunched over and bolted forward. The hero snapped out of his thoughts just in time, swinging his body sideways and bracing a hand against the rooftop to slide safely out of the way.
Bridging himself to the floor, the hero readied himself for Pierce's next move. The villain swung a fist toward his face; Oxzy dodged by tilting his head before countering with a strike to Pierce's exposed chest. He landed a solid hit, drawing a grunt from the villain, then followed with an elbow to his chin, knocking him back.
"Erh!... Tuh."
Pierce chuckled, finding his footing and smirking at Oxzy. No words passed between them, but hatred hung thick in the air.
This time, the hero moved first. Keeping his body low, he sprinted forward, intending to distract Pierce while mentally forming a tall ice wall behind him. The villain backed into it, realizing his mistake a moment too late.
The hero swung his fist at Pierce's face, but the villain dodged, and Oxzy's fist struck the ice wall instead. It shattered, scattering sharp, melting spikes across the ground.
The villain whistled, and suddenly Oxzy felt a powerful blow to his chest—Pierce had kneed him before grabbing the back of his shirt and hoisting him into the air.
The hero hung suspended for a moment before being hurled to the ground. The impact jarred his spine, and he cursed, clenching his eyes shut against the pain. Pierce laughed above him, still gripping his shirt before ripping it off and sending Oxzy sliding across the rooftop.
Oxzy caught himself before tumbling off the edge, quickly crouching low again. "Erg… Hafhaa…" His entire body screamed in protest, but he swallowed the pain and kept his expression firm.
"The ice was a cheap shot, Ox," the villain mocked, glancing at the melting spikes scattered around them.
"Grrgg… Errh…" the hero growled under his breath, pain building in his chest, threatening to burst.
Oxzy forced it down, straightening up despite his hunched back, and swung his arm forward. Too far to strike Pierce directly, he instead used the motion to summon control over nearby liquid, which spiked into a single shard of ice before evaporating. Pierce ducked to avoid it but failed to notice Oxzy closing in until it was too late.
The hero knocked him off his feet, and the two slipped together—Pierce landing on his back with Oxzy straddling him.
The villain looked up, dazed, a smirk forming as blood pooled from his split lip. He chuckled, prompting Oxzy to tighten his legs around him and lean down until they were face to face.
Pierce's smirk didn't waver. He raised an eyebrow at their position. "Huh… So you like to ride?"
Heat rushed to Oxzy's face as he glared down at the villain, who looked him up and down. Growling, he raised his hand and struck Pierce's face—hard enough to break bone and leave him in pain.
But Pierce only chuckled again. Oxzy's hand hovered above him, hesitating for another blow.
"I'm waiting…" Pierce said, mocking the hesitation. Cursing, Oxzy swung down hard—but this time, the villain caught his hand.
The hero tried to pull back, but Pierce gripped harder. Oxzy struggled against him, hurling curses, which only drew more laughter from the villain, who seemed to find both the pain and the hero endearing.
Normally, Oxzy would use his powers to escape—manipulating nearby branches or leaves from neighboring trees. But the surrounding fire kept them isolated on the rooftop, making that impossible. His only remaining option was to summon more ice spikes, though the flames on either side made that risky, as the heat would melt them before they could strike.
His last idea was to summon a spike directly beneath the villain, aimed at his heart. But when he tried to focus on it, doubt stopped him. He looked at the spot where it would emerge, right beside Pierce's chest, and met the villain's eyes. The smirk and piercing brown gaze made him flinch.
Pierce felt the pressure building beneath him and understood immediately what Oxzy intended.
Only… Oxzy couldn't do it.
The villain knew him well enough to be certain. Oxzy lacked the will to kill—he couldn't even end the life of the man who tormented his home, who threatened even his own family without mercy.
"Mhh… Erg…!"
Seeing the hesitation and strain in Oxzy's narrowed gray eyes, Pierce suddenly jerked his head upward, smashing it into the hero's skull. The blow knocked Oxzy backward, freeing Pierce, who calmly got to his feet while Oxzy did the same, eyes still shut against the pain.
Another standoff might have followed if not for a piercing sound that shattered the moment—the loud, grating wail of a police siren rising from below. Milo's voice cut through the air, drawing both their attention instantly.
Pierce groaned in annoyance, while Oxzy felt a wave of anxiety ripple through him. The sheriff risked injury by being there, and any harm to him would be blamed on the hero. Without acknowledging the villain's eye roll, Oxzy thrust both hands toward the flames, closing his eyes in concentration as he summoned another wave of ice.
The ice erupted from the base, piling higher and sealing off the fire beneath it. It spread rapidly, clinging to the building and smothering the flames, sending smoke curling into the air as the atmosphere turned cold, as if snow might begin to fall.
The hero remained crouched, his arms trembling with exhaustion. Keeping them raised grew increasingly difficult as fatigue set in. His breathing turned shallow and labored. When he finally felt the fire fading, he let his arms fall.
Oxzy immediately realized his mistake. "Mhhg…"
Once lowered, his arms refused to rise again. He could barely stand without stumbling. Glancing toward the villain, he saw Pierce enveloped in black dust, creeping up his legs and across his body until it consumed him entirely.
Before vanishing completely, Pierce flashed a smirk in Oxzy's direction. "It was fun while it lasted. Thanks for playing with me." That smirk was the last thing the hero saw before the villain disappeared.