Tiger Stripes and Lightening Strikes

25: Christmas Gift

Strolling through the streets of Central City, Sebastian found himself tailed by Santana and Mason. They were chatting between themselves, excitedly flapping their hands as they discussed the latest injury they discovered they could heal from.

Sebastian was barely paying attention. His eyes were fixed on the dark clouds rolling in. They were wandering through the empty alleyways. Intense sun shone down from above. In every shadow, was a webbing of twinkling frost. His breath plumed up before his eyes, the cold nipping his cheeks and nose.

Just as they were strolling through the streets, his mind had taken a wander into the past. It still seemed a little like a fever dream, that he'd just blown up on Barry like that. So many times he'd ranted in the mirror. So many times he yelled at shampoo bottles. So many times, he'd pictured that conversation. At the end of every imaginary argument, he had always come to the same conclusion. The Barry would say something. Wether he argued back or profusely apologised, he had always said something.

Yet, it had been days and there was nothing. Not since Sebastian had left him in the rain. He hadn't shown up at Jitterz. He hadn't called. He hadn't even sent in one of his lackeys.

The silence had triggered something within Sebastian. An old nerve was reignited. An anxious buzz followed him like an angry hive of wasps. He didn't care if Barry appeared just to tell Sebastian they were never talking again, he just wanted the silence to end. He wanted to know what was going on in that overemotional head. He wanted... something.

There was a vicious cycle of thought developing within his mind. At first, a little lightening bug of nervousness would burrow under his skin. It would eat him from within, electrifying every nerve individually until they were all alight with the searing flames of terror. When he couldn't breath and his chest compressed on itself, he'd ponder. He'd replay every word he'd spoke to Barry, fixate on ever expression his brother wore. He'd wonder if it he should have kept his mouth shut. If Barry would ever speak to him again. If he should have just accepted the apology. The voice of reason would kick in, bringing down a hammer of rage on his mind, silencing the scared ramblings. He'd spoke nothing but the truth. Sebastian didn't care what Barry thought of him, and even if he had, Barry already thought him a waste of his time. The anger would boil down and Sebastian had a scarce few moments of peace until the fear was whispering in his ears. It was a cycle he couldn't end. A cycle he couldn't escape.

"Hey, bugs bunny!" Santana grabbed his arm. His step faltered and he stared back over her shoulder. The pair of them were staring up at him with dark eyes. They couldn't hide the small cracks of worry on their expressions. "Did you hear what Mason just said?" she asked.

"No, sorry," he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "I was just daydreaming."

"Mason was telling me how he figured out he had powers," Santana began telling him. Sebastian's eyes flicked to Mason, who cast him a lopsided grin. "It turns out he's a street racer, but he got into a car crash and his entire lower body was crushed."

"Then you're obviously not a very good street racer," Sebastian mumbled.

Mason shot him a dry look. "The point being, I recovered from irreparable damage and a fatal injury quickly enough to escape before the paramedics even made it to the scene." Sebastian's nose wrinkled.

"What if we can't die?" Santana asked, a twinkle of fear shining in her eyes.

"Would you want to?" Sebastian retorted.

"Well, not at this age, but I don't want to outlive my whole family," she told him. Sebastian was going to open his mouth and respond, but the twinkle of fear was growing into full blown terror. "I don't want to have to watch everyone around me die." She shook her head rapidly, completely halting in her tracks.