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Vomit mention warning!! note: I'm copy pasting all future chapters including this one from my Quotev account so the italics will be off. https://www.quotev.com/story/16535132/proan-tagonist-bxb

11:04 PM
November 30th
Toby's apartment

He couldn't fall asleep again.

Toby couldn't seem to get a good amount of rest, no matter what he did. All he could think about was... Well, he didn't want to admit he was thinking about Rebound the whole time, but it was mostly the truth. Though he thought about other things, like his job. And how be fought Rebound there. And not much else. It was something about him. Maybe his long blonde hair, or how he was strangely considerate and kind for a villain. Maybe how handsome Toby found him to be. Yeah, it was probably that.

Though all the thinking he'd done while waiting for sleep didn't make him any more tired. Toby decided that going out for a walk would be a better use of time, rather than pitying himself. He shot upwards, flicking on the light on and pulling on his green cable knit sweater before leaving. Although... It was much too hot. He sighed and looked for something else, eventually finding an old tank top to wear instead. He thought for a moment about taking his suit, deciding against it before running back to grab it just in case. He'd rather have it than not have it.

Toby wasn't suspicious of the heat when he first walked out, but it became progressively worse. On the sidewalk, he sweat profusely, tugging at his tank top to draw the heat away. He started realizing how ridiculous it would be to be hot out now. It was nearly midnight, in late November, and Toby had just now noticed the snow. It was snowing out, the first snow of winter. It was beautiful, no doubt, snowflakes twirling and tumbling from the sky. Toby stopped walking near a shop selling candles, the temperature so overwhelmingly hot he was sure he'd light the candles from outside the building. He looked around, a few people were outside and they all wore winter clothes, their breath forming small clouds. The snowflakes hit Toby's skin, making a szzzt noise when they landed. He began breathing heavily, diving into the alley just in case something happened.

He determined that he was having a malfunction with his powers. 

The human body was never meant to hold power like heroes and villains had, it wasn't meant to control it. So occasionally it would... "malfunction" for lack of a better term. Today was one of those times. For the first time in a long while he truly felt like he was melting in the scorching heat of some hell like lower texas. On the 30th of November. While snowing. With it overwhelming his senses, he felt he should slip on his mask just in case he caught on fire. Or worse. But just as he did, Flint heard inconsistent stumbling and mutters of annoyance. Unmistakably recognizable.

Rebound turned the corner, hand clutching his side. Lightning, green in hue as per usual, jutted out from the corners of his mouth and limbs in a manner it didn't typically. It was almost violent, relentlessly strangling him as he winced. Flint, still on his knees, inexplicably got warmer in his face. For no reason... Of course. He quickly stood up and brushed himself off. "Are you... Alright?" He asked, guessing that the answer was likely no, and stepping closer. Rebound locked up involuntarily, tipping over like a statue. Flint caught him before he hit the ground. The villain chuckled through the pain, suddenly red in the face, "Just peachy." Flint readjusted him and raised his eyebrow, "I... Severely doubt that at this point." Rebound smiled sheepishly, "Thank you for catching me, but uhm... Well I'm not sure I can stand." He paused and his eyes widened, "Jesus, you're hot." Flint reddened before Rebound rephrased, "Are you overheating?" Flint turned his head to hide his face, "Maybe, but I'm not really the main concern at the moment." Rebound's muscles involuntarily flexed, painfully twitching as more lighting flew. When it hit Flint, it stung. "If you aren't too busy... Could we go somewhere?" Rebound asked, smiling painfully. The word seemed to echo. We. Flint nodded, much too quickly and eagerly to be a normal response.

They tried the crutch method first, Rebound's arm linked around Flint and visa versa. But he couldn't move his legs. Flint offered to go to the hospital. Rebound dismissed the idea due to complications with their identity. So there was one clear option left. And Flint wasn't sure how to tell him that.

"...I have one more idea."

Rebound tilted his head at the prompt, "What?" Flint muttered nervously, "Well, uh. I thought it might be easier if I..." He whispered the last part inaudibly. "Sorry, didn't catch that." Flint toyed with the thought a little longer, before finally saying it aloud. "I could carry you there...?" Rebound flushed red, though he wasn't exactly sure why he did, "That might w-work." Flint cleared his smiled bashfully, "Great... Uhm... What would be more comfortable for you?" In an attempt to make the situation less awkward, Rebound took on a joking tone, "I guess like a bride then, right? You've held me like that before." Flint laughed and scooped him up, "Well, don't expect me to carry you home," Yet. "You don't get to know where I live." Yet. The word pounded in his head. Still, he shooed it away. Now wasn't the time to fantasize.

The hero confidently took the first step. His nemesis was really light. Almost worryingly light. At least he was easy to lift. "Where to?" He asked as he already started further into the alleyways. Rebound winced slightly, but it seemed less painful this time, "I'll give the directions as you go. Left!" Flint turned left, and proceeded to follow the directions afterwards too. More lefts, more rights. They turned back around a couple times too.He began to doubt that they were going anywhere and felt like a fool for trusting him before he took one more right turn. "Okay, now go straight." Rebound said, content. Flint laughed and jokingly said, "Impossible." Despite his words, he walked forward till the villain shouted at him, "Stop! Right here!" In front of them was a whole lot of ice. A lot. Rebound seemed much more relaxed and in a lot less pain. He even smiled. Flint chuckled inaudibly, "Can you stand?" Rebound nodded, wanting to say more but holding himself back, not wanting to stall any longer.

When his feet hit the ground, he took a moment to readjust to the snowy earth. Yet still, within moments he'd grabbed Flint's hands and pulled him onto the ice. The hero's eyes widened before he settled, his feet melting the thick ice beneath him. Splash! In a moment, he fell through into water. Rebound caught him and pulled him back, revealing two perfectly foot shaped holes, about three inches thick, leading down to a lake. Yet, it did seem to cool him off a bit...

"C'mon!" Rebound slid out further, waiting for Flint to decide. In a moment Flint tugged forward, joining the villain. With both hands held in each other's they began to spin around in an awkward skate. Yet still it seems so graceful. Grooves formed in the ice where Flint had stood, trailing behind them. They still twirled under the moonlight, which became bright and clear by now. Rebound skid backwards and Flint, forwards, their stare unwavering. When they spun again, Flint pulled inwards speeding them up. They slipped over a groove and tumbled to the ice laughing. The impact hurt like hell, but it didn't really matter to Flint. He clutched his stomach and curled up laughing. He was able to stay on the ice for much longer, but it came with a downside. He started to get very cold. Too cold. 

Crash! He fell through the ice again. Rebound caught him by the shirt but he too slipped in, losing his grip. Flint swam back up, trying and failing to grab the ledge. The last of the heat provided a cushion, ensuring they both didn't die instantly of shock. The icy water felt as cold as it would've normally been, the last bit of excess heat slipping away. They were in deep shit now.

Panic set in. I can't die! Not again! I wanted to do it right this time! Hopeless fear filled his every thought as he floated underneath the surface, losing the motivation to move and soon, breath. The terror paralyzed him and he began to drift more so than swim, face growing numb and limbs limp. Flint couldn't bring himself to scream. To think. To try. Just float. His eyes begged to shut, his mind to rest. The water wanted him dead. Rebound racked his brain. After a while, he tugged on Flint's tank top, pointing farther out. Flint snapped back to reality, turning where Rebound had pointed and seeing the weak spot in the ice near the edge of the lake. A chance. A chance to live. He swam over and tried to make any amount of fire, of even warmth to further weaken the ice or break through. But the frigid water snuffed out any chance of that. Feeling a loss of strength once more, he began to shut his eyes. They stayed closed a long, long while. It felt like an eternity. Silent. Calm.

Waves of water pulled over him in a rhythmic motion. Thump, thump, thump. They hit him like the rock of a hammock... Then they got bigger. The force of the water inched him away from where he had started. He heard and felt the swashing of something cutting through the waves. Flint felt something prick his skin like tiny daggers. Light seeped past his eyelids. Green light. He opened his eyes. Rebound was balanced on a rock, punching the ice as small lightning, growing brighter and brighter, swept from and past him. The ice cracked. Again and again and again he hit the ice. It cracked more and more until finally...

CRRAAACK! The ice shattered into loosened pieces. Flint strained to reach out, every part of him wanting to help, to move. And yet he stayed still. Frozen. Just as he gave in. His hand; his hand. Flint was pulled rapidly to the hole and pushed upwards through it. He coughed and sputtered, clawing to the shore. Instant he noticed he was alone. Flint looked down into the icy lake, searching. Rebound was sinking, weakened and unmoving. Flint hooked his leg into the snow and reached down. He used all the strength he could gather, pulling Rebound to the surface. He must have overshot it because Rebound landed over top him. He vomited water on the ground beside them, heaving to catch his breath. "You saved me, why?" Rebound questioned between coughs. Flint stared at him, concerned, "I could ask you the same thing." Rebound rolled to the side and clenched his gut. Sparks of green flicked off of him. Growing brighter the normal. He struggled to his feet, stumbling as he stood. Flint followed suit, "Are you alright?" Rebound turned back, wincing in pain, "Yeah-- well, don't... Don't follow me." He inhaled sharply, shakily, and lined with pain, running into the alleyways. Leaving Flint in the dust.

A/N: Don't question the survival rate they're literally superhuman. The plot picks up next chapter and it's pretty decent so far so wish me luck!!

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