Tiger Stripes and Lightening Strikes

34: Drunken Sailor

Although Sebastian would never admit it out loud, he was somewhat relieved to have Mason and Santana walking through the streets with him. He wouldn't have to deal with his soppy brother alone anymore.

They were meandering their way to S.T.A.R. Labs, trudging through ankle-deep snow sludge. The streets were busier, people bustling around and chattering amongst themselves. Mason and Santana were talking about the gifts they'd gotten for Christmas enthusing over the ridiculous amounts of food they'd eaten. Although Sebastian didn't have much to contribute to the conversation, he found himself quite enjoying, simply listening.

Their expressions were nothing like the sombre looks of utter defeat. The dead look in their eyes had been replaced with a twinkle of life. A bounce had been put back in their steps.

"I still can't believe my brother and I ate the whole turkey to ourselves," Mason chuckled, kicking a stone. "We literally didn't move for the rest of the day."

"If I see another brussel sprout, I'll throw up," Santana agreed with a chuckle. They eyes flicked to Sebastian. "What about you Meerkat?" she arched a brow. "How was your Christmas?" She paused. "Not that I care, your silence is unnerving me."

"It's alright, shaqueera. I know you missed me," he boasted loudly. She rolled her eyes. "My Christmas was rather eventful," he nodded his head. "The Flash saw me fighting Santana on security recording, came to confront me, I told him what we know and it turns out I am a chimera, I just can't heal like you."

"Dang," Mason chirped. "And I thought the Jinks family monopoly was intense."

"What's a chimera?" Santana screwed up her features.

"Let the Flash science geeks explain it to you," Sebastian mumbled. "They tried to tell me about it but I don't think I knew a single word coming from their mouths." They turned into a quiet alleyway, the road vanishing from sight.

"The Flash a science team?" Mason blurted, delight shining in his eyes. "That's so cool." Sebastian grimaced. "I mean, of course he'd need a team. The physics behind running at that speed is insane and keeping up with his potentially insane biochemistry." He let out an excited chuckle. "They must be like super geniuses."

"They are," Sebastian's lips quirked into a smile. "I think they've been setting up some kind of chamber that'll stop us from having our bodies hijacked."

"Are they using a meta dampening field?" Mason's grin widened. "That is so cool." Santana and Sebastian's expressions of distaste were perfectly identical.

There was a loud bang and a muffled thunk. Sebastian whipped around, his eyes scanning their surroundings. There was a glint of something metal on the rooftops above. Before he could open his mouth to question it, a pained cry had escaped Santana. His attention fixed on her. A sharp, metal objects was embedded in her back. "Is that a throwing star?" Mason gasped.

"Run," Sebastian told them, grabbing them by the wrists and tugging them into motion. There was another rip through the air and he barely sucked out of the way before the blade went sailing past his ear.

"Are we being attacked?" Mason squawked. Santana yanked the blade from her shoulder with a pained shout, dropping it to the ground.

"I think that's rather obvious," Sebastian snapped, ducking another throwing star. Just as the road was becoming visible, a figure clad in black dropped to into a squat before them. Sebastian barely had time to skid to a halt. A stray throwing star zoomed towards Mason, leaving a long graze on his cheek. A single bead of blood escaped it before the wound had completely sealed.