Prodigal Son

Chapter 31

Kade sighed, taking a moment to rub his eyes.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a nurse poked her head in.
"Hey, visiting hours ended at nine, you can't be here."
Kade stole a glance at the clock on the nightstand, wincing at the time.
10:30
"Oh... I'm sorry, but..."
He looked over at the bed, his eyes fixated on the steady rise and fall of Cody's chest.
"... I can't leave, you know? With all the chaos going on... I don't know what's real anymore. But seeing him... Seeing him and knowing he's okay... I feel better."
"... Dude. I'm just an intern."
"Right... Sorry.. I just... I feel like I can't let him out of my sight anymore."
She sighed, then looked at him.
"Look. Just... Don't cause any trouble, and you can stay, alright?"
".... Oh. Okay. Thanks."
She nodded, and dipped out, the door closing behind her.
Kade took a moment to take in the silence, night's tendrils lashing out at him, trying to take him.
He never really liked silence.
It seemed louder than anything else.
He sighed, leaning back in his chair, before he absently started talking to himself.
"... Whelp.... Guess there's no avoiding serious family time now. What with us all being benched. Not like we have anything else to do..."
Cody squirmed around, and Kade froze, his breath bated.
Then, he was still once again, and kade exhaled slowly.
".... I know you don't think I noticed. I'm used to people thinking I'm oblivious to things. But I guess that's why we had this intervention. So we can work on things. Get better. But... I don't know what's going on in the head of yours, Code. You confided in Frankie, that's good. I'm glad you could tell somebody. I'm just... Sorry I made you feel like I wasn't somebody you could confide in. Somebody you could trust."
He leaned over in his chair, feeling the incessant tug of his eyelids.
"... I'm tired, kid. I'm so, so tired. Tired of being the team jerk. Tired of nobody trusting the meathead. I'm tired of being scared. But..."
He looked up, his eyes red, sore.
"... I'm tired of failing you, Cody. I'm tired of failing myself. I am tired. But I guess now we have time to work things out, wether we want it or not."
-
Cody knew where he was.
And he didn't like it.
The dark shadows that consumed every corner, the blurry atmosphere, the greys that sapped every color and evidence of life,
He was here again, the place inside his mind.
He stared at his bedroom door, his hand hovering just above the nob.
He knew what was awaiting him.
But as much as he feared choking on the darkness that clouded him,
He knew what he had to do.
He thrust the door open.
-
The quiet.
He hated the silence.
The silence seemed to ring louder than everything.
His thoughts all seemed to echo and reflect off one another, tormenting and haunting him as the phantoms of sleep sank in their claws.
Kade yawned, his eyes tearing up from dryness as he rubbed them.
Truth was,
He wasn't a fan of sleeping lately.
He'd barely been able to since all this had began.
He couldn't sleep when they were looking for Cody, but now that he was here... He just couldn't seem to turn his brain off.
It was at night, when the worst thoughts clawed their way to the surface.
His eyes pulled, his head bowing.
He just... Needed...
Knock Knock
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!"
Kade bolted up, gasping as a knock on the window caught his attention.
"Keep it down, you'll wake him up!"
Kade gasped, then let out an annoyed groan as he glanced up at the window.
"Thanks for the heart attack, geeze."
Heatwave chuckled, peering inside the window.
"Kinda late for you to be here."
Kade scoffed, glaring.
"Yeah, well, Kinda late for you to be giving me a heart attack."
Heatwave's orange Optics glowed softly in the darkness as he peered into the room, latching onto Cody.
"Surprised you didn't wake him up."
Kade rolled his eyes, looking to make a retort, but then paused.
"... Y'know.... That's actually a good point. He's always been a real light sleeper. He'd wake up if somebody tiptoed down the hall just to use the bathroom. Not sure how he slept through that."
Heatwave frowned, thinking.
"How's he been doing? I've been updated on him physically, but not much else. Doesn't help that I haven't been able to see the kid."
"... He's... Not doing well. That's why Doctor Oliver's here, after all. Truth be told... You know I... Had a hard time being here, at first. But from what I've heard, and what I did see... God... He's hurting..."
Heatwave sighed, looking down.
Just as he'd feared.
Kade rubbed his head, trying to ignore the ache in his skull.
"... I think he thinks we didn't notice. But that's the thing, him and Graham both. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. Kinda impossible not to notice when they're down."
"So, what's he been like?"
".... He's... Having a hard time letting us in. Quiet. Angry. Snapped at people, lashes out,  he just seems... Bitter and hostile. He's... he's like a stranger. The only person he was comfortable talking to is Frankie, and she's not telling us what he said. She didn't want to invade his privacy or anything. But it's not hard to see what it is."
"... I have a guess."
Kade sighed, looking back over at the bed.
"... Guilt. He's worried that what he did makes him just like Morocco."
"That's ridiculous! He has to know, it wasn't his fault! That... Thing... Literally reprogrammed his brain! We can't blame him when his perception of reality was completely off!"
"Yeah, well... Saying that is one thing, getting him to listen is another. And... There's something else..."
"What?"
Kade stood up, feeling his back pop as he started pacing around.
"... he's been getting better, really. He's been a little more open, I think finally getting all of us together to talk thing out seriously helped. It out a lot out on the table, really cleaned out some baggage. I've even seen him smile again. But... he's still Guarded. I think he's afraid to tell us what's going on in that head of his. He's afraid we might judge him. .... Swear to God we'd never... But I don't think he knows that."
Heatwave sighed, looking back up and meeting Kade's eyes.
"Tell him. Make it clear. He needs his family right now. He needs us."
Kade sighed, tilting his head back.
"... Lot of stuff on the table, now. I think we're all coming to terms with a lot of things. About ourselves, about each other. We were all worried about judgment, truth be told. Reason why we never said it before. But everything crashes eventually, right?"
Heatwave only nodded.
"The scariest truth of all, huh?"
"Mhmm... We're only human."
-
The dead scenery warped around him the second the door was thrust open.
Unlike before, rather than be greeted with a hallway, the command center directly materialized under his feet, and he could feel the presence behind him.
A deep inhale filled his lungs, as the voice behind him started.
"They'll leave you again. They always will."
Cody turned slowly, seeing his younger self, waiting.
His entire form seemed tainted by a purple energy, the glow in his eyes haunting him.
His soft eyes seemed weighted by morose emptiness.
"They've always said they'd make more time for you. But they never did. We were always alone. And we always will be."
Despite his heart beating in his throat over the purple taint, Cody sighed.
".... You know... You're not wrong. I am alone a lot. And it hurts. It always has."
The younger self turned his head, expectant.
"We've always been alone. They didn't change then, and they won't now."
"... But you don't know that."
Cody's eyes went soft, and he sighed.
"... It's scary. I know. Change can be, especially with my family."
Cody walked over, slumping down against the wall.
The younger self watched him, surprised.
Cody sighed, his shoulders slumping.
"... It's... Hard. I always told myself the same thing, that it was fine if they didn't have time for me because of their work. I spent years telling myself that... That I was just... Being selfish... For wanting their attention."
The younger self wordlessly sat beside him, his eyes wide.
Cody met his gaze.
"You're not selfish. I'm not selfish. I am allowed to be hurt. I'm allowed to want my family to put aside time for me. I'm allowed to be... Mad. But I can't let that pain swallow me. Dwelling in pain won't let it heal."
Cody held out his hand.
His face softened, a pained smile tugging at his mouth.
"Truth is... You're never as alone as you think. Not really. It's easy, thinking like that. You think... You'll just feel alone forever. That you just don't belong with your family. And that can feel easier to believe. Having hope is harder. But it's worth it."
The younger self took his hand.
Cody pulled him in tight, hugging him.
"You're going to be okay. I'm going to be okay. Because I'm not alone."
Slowly,
The purple color started draining from the younger self.
It faded away, and with it, Cody felt...
Lighter.
The dead world suddenly seemed brighter.
-
"So... Benched, huh?"
"Yup."
Kade's leg, numb from falling asleep, suddenly stabbed him with pain, causing him to wince.
He stood up, trying to get the circulation flowing again by pacing around.
"I mean... I can't say I'm surprised, you know?"
Heatwave nodded.
"I guess so. After all, with... Everything... It's a lot."
Kade sighed, rubbing his neck.
"... What exactly did we think we were gonna do?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... Did we think we were just... Gonna go back to work from here? Just move on like everything's all good and fine? What did we think was going to happen, after we got him back?"
Heatwave sighed, then winced.
"Ah..."
"You okay?"
"I... Think? Physically, there's no damage. Ratchet said I should be up to full operation, but I'm still medically benched for a while. But... I don't know... He called it Phantom Pain."
Kade slowly looked over, his eyes wide.
"... I... Know what that is..."
"You do?"
"... Yeah..."
Kade paced closer to the window, his eyes soft, a distance stare haunting them.
"... When... I was a kid, around 8, and it was just Dani and I... Dad got shot in a standoff with a perp. In the arm."
".... What?"
Heatwave's jaw dropped.
"... Chief? I... I never knew..."
"... He doesn't like talking about it. It scared him. I... I overheard him and mom one night... He said he was afraid of leaving his kids without a dad. It scared him bad. Even after it healed, long after it happened, he'd sometimes grab it, saying it hurt. I heard them call it Phantom Pain."
"... Ratchet and Prime.... They explained it as... my mind is still trapped in the moment. Like the wound is still fresh."
"Yeah... Sounds like what dad was dealing with..."
Heatwave stared down at his chest.
His optics latched onto the scars gouged deep into the metal, the chipped paint giving way to a tarnished grey.
Kade followed his gaze, frowning slightly.
"Hey... No offense, but... Cybertronian scars are different from humans, right? We don't really get a choice if they disappear or not, but... you're different, right?"
"... I... I guess..."
Kade came right up next to the window, cringing.
"Sorry, was... Was that... Insensitive?"
"No, it's a reasonable question. Our biology is different from yours, after all. But... I suppose scars are different, for us. I knew some pretty vain Cybertronians, back home. I heard one about this one guy Bee knew.... Some Sports Car, I think. A red one. Real showoff."
"Heh, sounds like Blurr."
Heatwave chuckled, but thought about his conversation with Blurr.
"Eh... Lay off on him.. He's better than he used to be."
Kade whipped around, his jaw dropped.
"You being easy on Blurr? Who are you and what have you done with Heatwave?"
Heatwave laughed, but it lowered, turning into a sigh.
"We've come a long way. All of us. He still thinks he's a hotshot... But he's trying. I think I need to acknowledge that more."
"Wow, look at you, all mature and junk."
"Guess so... Guess so."
Heatwave ran a hand over the scars.
"And to answer your question... I could get rid of them, if I wanted. But it's just cosmetic. In Cybertronian culture... There's a difference, between Cosmetic damage, and battle scars. Battle scars are something different. In the heat of war... You don't have time for luxury. It's why Team Prime never repaired theirs. They didn't have the resources. Cosmetic damage was simply not worth resources. But it did become a little more than that. Battle scars... They remind you of what was. They remind you of life and death."
"Aren't the memories causing your Phantom Pain?"
Heatwave chuckled darkly, his tone low as he met Kade's eyes.
"I'll never forget. Scars or not. We're all scarred. If not physically, mentally. I'm scarred, you're scarred. I can't forget because my Spark tells me I'm not supposed to. I can't forget. But I'm not going to hold on."
"So you're going to keep them?"
"Yes. I'm going to keep them."
"What about the Phantom Pain?"
Heatwave reached inside the room, and loosely gripped Kade's shoulder.
"I didn't feel pain as I was dying. The pain reminds me I'm alive."
-
Cody felt his breath sink deeply into his chest.
The scenery had changed, and Cody turned a slow circle around the bunker.
"So, you admit you're mad."
There.
Just as he'd expected.
The one with the old jacket waited for him, leaning against the wall, his crossed arms reflecting the scowl etched into his face, with his set jaw, and glowing purple eyes.
"Look at you. Hypocrite."
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
"I'd be dissapointed if you didn't. After all, I'm you."
"Yeah, you are me. Which is why I know something about you. You're putting on an act."
The variant's eyes widened, his arms falling to his sides.
"W-What-"
"It's an act. The old tough guy routine. And you know, it's pretty convincing. You're not half bad. But tell me, what do we have to gain from this?"
Cody stepped closer, smirking.
"Y'know something? I'm a lot more like Kade than I like to think. That Tough Guy act? Definitely came from him. I've got some pride, some confidence. He's not the only one who talks big."
"Hypocrisy doesn't change what he's done."
The Variant's glowing purple glare cut deep, his hands clenching.
"You said yourself, it hurt. It always has, it always will. What do you want, more pain? HE WON'T CHANGE! NONE OF THEM WILL!!"
Cody only sighed.
His smirk dropped, and his expression shifted.
Something... Sadder.
But resilient.
"Look. I meant it. I'm allowed to be angry at people. That's just human nature. But why should I stay angry? What do I get from letting myself drown in rage? That won't make things better. It'll just poison myself."
The Variant backed up, his rage draining.
He looked different now.
Deflated. 
Cody reached out a hand, a soft smile returning.
"Hey. Look at me. I'm done denying my feelings. But that doesn't mean I'm going to be consumed by them. Part of accepting your pain... is letting it go."
The variant's eyes were dim now.
Then, he took Cody's hand.
The purple energy clouding him disapated on the spot.
His eyes cleared, and he gazed at Cody with a smile.
Cody sighed, that same light feeling from before soaking into him as the shadowy scenery seemed the slightest bit brighter.
"Now, I think there's... Just..."
He trailed off.
The Variant was gone.
And his heart pounded like the beat of drums as he realized his scenery was now a darkened forest.
He jumped to his feet.
And felt his blood run cold at the sight of the purple glow. 
-
Kade poked his head slightly outside the window, trying to fill his lungs with the fresh night air.
"So... I guess we gotta figure out what comes next."
"What do you mean?"
Kade cracked his neck, hissing from the stiffness.
"I mean... Now that we're all grounded... What now? Do we stay in therapy forever? I just know Dani's going to go Stir Crazy, she hates being off duty. We all do."
Heatwave sighed, his hands tracing his scars.
"... I don't know. I'm grounded too, but it probably won't be as long as yours."
Kade groaned, pulling his head back in.
"Can't do much until Cody gets discharged. Besides therapy, that is."
"No. There's a lot more than that."
Heatwave leaned over, pressing his face as close to the window as he could.
Kade got a clear view of Heatwave's expression, the orange glow of his optics.
"Talk. All of you. You said you made genuine progress, and actually felt better talking. So keep doing it. You all need to heal right now."
"... Okay."
"Try to figure out some low stakes bonding activities. Can you get video games in there? I know you guys like those."
"Ooh, good Idea! But... I don't know... I'm just... Worried, I guess."
"I get it. Kinda."
Kade leaned his back against the windowsill, knitting his hands together.
"... I just wish we had a moment to slow down. Everything's been moving so fast. It's hard to take it all in. But no rest for the weary, I guess."
Heatwave shoved his hand in again, lightly flicking Kade's shoulder.
"Hey, you're getting the chance now, aren't you? Doesn't getting benched give you the time you need?"
"That's not quite what I was hoping for."
"Sometimes, what you need isn't what you wanted."
"True... True... 'Course, sometimes you don't know what either actually is."
"At least, not until it happens."
-
Cody turned a slow circle.
The darkness was stronger here than ever before.
It oozed and pulsed, purple veins spreading and winding through the scene.
It was living. Beating.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
"You."
Ice filled Cody's soul.
Yet he turned.
The one he'd been dreading most of all.
The one he knew would never leave him be.
The purple glow emanated directly from him. The decay, the glow, it was as though he was radioactive.
The patches on his shoulders were no longer red, instead a vibrant lilac.
His eyes met Cody's, and he smirked.
"You knew you'd find me again."
"... Maybe... I wanted to find you."
The double only took a step closer, his foot heavily stomping into the decayed earth.
"Liar. You can't hide from me, Cody. I can feel your fear of me, your terror. You can't hide from yourself."
"Stop."
"You spend every second wanting me to die. Because you know I'm stronger than you."
"Stop."
"Because you know that eventually, you'll slip. They're see that Morocco was tight to want you, because you're just as sick as him."
"Stop!"
"You. Never. Belonged with them."
"SHUT UP!! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP-"
And then he was on top of Cody, his nails clawing into his throat.
Cody cried out, unable to suppress the pain that ripped into him.
The hands dug deep into his throat, then released, just to send him hurtling into a tree.
The raw force from the collision sent a loud CRACK through the trunk, and Cody wheezed, pain ricocheting through from from every nerve.
His vision blurred, the world dipped in abd out.
Just as the wind started to return to his lungs, another strike.
Cody was knocked to his side, sprawling across the ground.
The crunch and stomp of footsteps filled Cody's ears, a gasp escaping him as a foot collided hard with his chest.
The double pressed his body weight into his foot, a sneer forming as he leaned over, his purple eyes staring into Cody.
"You're not welcome in this family, Cody. You've never belonged. You'll never be like them."
"... I... Know..."
Cody's breath was ragged, everything hurting, and fear clogged up his thoughts.
But he took in a shaking breath.
"And... That's... Okay..."
"... What?"
Cody's face was etched with pain, his jaw tight, his eyes damp.
But a soft sigh escaped him.
"You're right. I'm not like them, and I'll never be just like them. But... I think that's okay. It... It took me a long time to realize that. And I can't say I'm happy about it. But at the end of the day... I'm not them. I'm me."
"... Pathetic."
Cody squeezed his eyes shut, and braced himself as the foot lifted.
-
"I feel like I'm just talking in circles here."
Kade groaned, rubbing his eyes once again.
"Ugh... Can't think straight..."
Heatwave glanced over at the clock, and frowned.
"Isn't it late? Don't you need sleep?"
"... No..."
"Kade. You need rest."
"... I... Can't. I just can't, okay?"
"Look. I heard from Boulder that Chief got sedated by Doc. So either you sleep willingly, or you might not get a choice."
"You don't get it!"
Kade spun around, his head going back as he rolled his neck.
"... I haven't been able to sleep since Cody got taken. And even after we got him back... I can't. Because when I do... I can't control what goes on in my brain."
Heatwave paused, then sighed, his gaze softening.
"... You can't stop thinking about it, can you? That's why you can't sleep."
Kade started pacing again, his hands scraping his scalp.
"... That night in the tunnel... I wasn't afraid of dying, y'know?"
"... You were afraid of him living with it."
Kade froze in his tracks.
He turned to meet heatwave, almost in slow motion, something within him clicking in understanding.
"... You too?"
Kade went back to the window, leaning out again.
"... Looks like we've both got unresolved junk about what happened."
"Guess so... You know... Maybe that's why I'm getting the phantom pain. Fear, I guess. Guilt. I don't know."
"Maybe. After all, sounds like we've got the same issue. We didn't consider what Cody would do without us."
Heatwave sighed, but then smiled.
"Think Doctor Oliver takes Bot patients?"
Kade was stunned for a moment, and went to retort, but a small whimper caught his ears.
"You hear that?"
Kade pulled back inside, and Heatwave leaned down as Kade imedianty walked over to Cody's bed.
"Oh my god..."
Cody was trembling, curled up on his side, with one hand gripping the blanket spread like a vice, the fabric creased and crumpled, his grip so tight his knuckles had gone white.
He was shaking violently, and Kade could hear him mumbling under his breath.
"No... No..."
"Is he... Dreaming?"
"More like a nightmare."
Kade scooted onto the bed, gently rubbing Cody's back.
"Cody, can you hear me? Buddy, wake up..."
"Is he okay?!"
"I don't know!"
"What do we do?"
"I don't know!!"
-
Hit after hit after hit.
The double lunged at Cody, who could only do his best to avoid.
"YOU. ARE. WEAK. YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU WILL TO THOSE OTHERS, BUT YOU CAN'T LIE TO ME. I. AM. YOU. no...."
Cody struggled to his feet, meeting the blazing eyes, barely containing their bleeding hatred.
"I'm more than you. I'm stronger than you could ever hope to be. And what do you do? You CAST ME OUT, BURY ME, DENY ME. YOU CANNOT GET RID OF ME. BUT YOU TRIED."
He rushed forward, his hands clamping around Cody's throat.
"Time to return the favor."
Cody wheezed out a pained grimace, his eyes wide with pure fear.
The double sneered, for he could feel Cody's terror radiating off him.
"You. Are. Nothing. And you can't deny me anymore."
He threw Cody to the ground.
Cody wheezed for breath, collapsed on his knees, his head nearly touching the corrupted earth.
He didn't even need to look up, he could just feel the purple eyes boring into him.
"Got anything to say?"
This would be easy.
Nothing more to do, other than to finish him off, after whatever-
He was unprepared for the sharp look in Cody's eyes, as his head popped back up.
"You're right. I'm done denying you. You are a part of me, and no matter how much I hate it, you always will be."
The double froze.
"... What?"
"Weren't expecting that, were you? I'm surprised."
Cody hissed under his breath as he struggled to his feet, his stance uneven as he stood.
"You're part of me. And you've always been here. Because at the end, I know your secret."
"My... My secret?"
"Yeah. Heh... And it's funny, in a weird way. Since waking up, I've spent every moment TERRIFIED of who I became when I was brainwashed. And I've had one worry, one fear, that's louder than anything. That part of me is still evil. That part of me liked what I did. I shoved it down, but no matter how far I buried it, it kept popping back out. I am afraid that I'm just like Morocco, and I'm scared of hurting my family. And then there's you. Everything you are... You scared me. I hated you, because you were everything I was afraid of. You showed up, you kept me from moving on, from forgetting, from acting like I was normal again."
"You hated me, but you couldn't hide me."
"No.. I couldn't."
Cody was standing tall now, his eyes set, a hard determination in them, something he hadn't felt in some time.
"I'm not running from you again."
The double looked stunned, but slowly narrowed his eyes.
"Good."
He lunged, feeling his dark power coursing through him-
And felt the world freeze solid as Cody caught his fist.
His eyes widened, his breath stopping in his chest.
Cody only stared.
"I'm not running. And I'm not letting you control me, either."
He gripped the fist tightly, then pulled him closer, his jaw set.
"Listen to me. I know what you are. You're not Morocco at all. You've always existed, because you're my fears, my pain. And I tried to hide you. But that only made you stronger, didn't it?"
The double stared, his body trembling, his eyes filled with wide terror.
"I gave you power. So now, I'm taking it away. Because I won't let you control me anymore. I know who I am.... Even if it took me time to accept it."
He released the double's hand, and watched him shirk back.
He was different now.
He didn't hold the power he once did.
Cody slowly looked around, and as he gazed at the forest, he sighed.
"Look at this... I can't deny you. And it's healthy to feel you. But keeping you inside, keeping you bottled up? It's poison. It's killing me."
The double took a step back, his arms to his sides, his face twisted.
Cody sighed, then took a gentle step forward.
"Listen. Neither of us can survive, not like this. You are a part of me. And it's time I treat you like that. I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I tried burying you."
The double stared at him distrustfully, when suddenly,
He felt it.
A hand on each shoulder.
Cody's face softened into a smile, and a soft golden aura filled the area, the first true break in the darkness.
The two variants stood behind the double, each giving a tender smile.
Cody sighed, his frame slumping, as he held out a hand.
"It's not easy, for any of us. Because... I'm not meant to exist without any of you. I need all of you to survive. I can't be who I was meant to be without you. It's all about balance."
The older Variant nudged the double, glancing at Cody.
"Sometimes, people hurt you. And... You're never under an obligation to forgive them. You're allowed to be mad. You're allowed to be hurt. But... Sometimes, you also need to make the hard call on giving people a second chance. Not everybody earns a second chance. But... Maybe Kade did?"
The double was processing his words, when another voice spoke up.
The smallest of them, the eight year old self.
"... Being afraid isn't easy. You can't control when it happens, but when it does, it's hard. Feeling fear can remind you, you're not invincible. You're human. And I guess... Being afraid of being alone... That's scariest of all. Because sometimes, it's something we can't avoid. There's always going to be parts of our lives where we're alone sometimes. You can't avoid it. And it hurts. But pain and anger, there's always a balance. There's always a balance before it consumes you."
Cody nodded, taking a tender step forward.
"Sometimes, it feels good, letting you take control. Truth is, there's power in pain. But it's a poisonous one."
He reached out his hand.
"So... What do you want to do?"
The double stared, his own hand shaking.
The older and the younger exchanged a glance, then reached out.
As soon as they grasped his hand, a soft golden light started emanating.
It filled the corrupted forest, and Cody gasped.
That light feeling from before returned, stronger now.
The world seemed brighter, cleaner.
Cody smiled gently at the double.
"It's your choice. But I promise you. No more hiding."
The double stared at the hands, then sighed, his eyes slowly meeting Cody's.
"No more hiding?"
"No more hiding. Promise."
Slowly, he sighed, then reached out.
The gold glow shined brighter than before.
It started spreading, and within an instant, Cody watched with awe as it overtook the purple veins in the forest.
The gold light seeped into every crevice, the purple dying out, and the darkness slowly being purged bit by bit.
The feeling of emptiness that had settled deep into the air, that had been plaguing Cody for so long, suddenly felt lighter.
Not gone. But suddenly, he felt like he could breath again.
Cody pulled forward, and all the versions were pulled into a hug.
The four fell into one another, then, as they locked eyes, the gold returned.
With a somber smile from each, the three gazed at Cody, then faded away, only gold trails being left.
Cody watched in awe, then took a deep breath.
He felt... Different.
As the forest was suddenly filled with color and life, Cody felt sudden bursts of pain, melancholy, fear.
But the numbness that had settled deep into his bones had started to fade.
Amid the returning life, Cody gave a bittersweet smile.
"I promise..."
-
Kade felt a tight breath release from his lungs, as Cody relaxed in his sleep, turning over on his side.
His grip released, and his position relaxed greatly.
"Hey, I think it's passing!"
Heatwave, straining to get a good look inside, sighed in relief.
"Is he okay?"
"I think. I'll tell Doctor Oliver about it, like I said, Frankie saw something similar. If he's having night terrors, he needs to talk about it."
Kade adjusted his position, but before he could get off the bed, a hand grabbed him.
He glanced back, hearing Heatwave chuckle.
"Heh, looks like somebody doesn't want you leaving."
Cody had grabbed Kade's arm in his sleep, his grip loose, and it was probably just a muscle memory.
Yet, Kade hesitated from pulling away.
Exhaustion sapped away his strength.
The truth was, he needed sleep, as afraid as he was.
He looked over at Heatwave, and smirked.
"Hey... You... Mind if I try getting some sleep?"
"Woah, really? I thought you couldn't?"
"Well... I think it'll be different now. I... I realized, I feel better, when I'm with him.  He's like... I dunno... A... Security Blanket, or something."
"Heh... Or like... What's the word... Those fake animals made of fabric?"
"Teddy bear?"
"Yeah, that's it!"
Kade snorted, then chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess, heh."
Then, he stretched out, laying on his stomach to avoid disturbing Cody's grip on his hand.
Heatwave watched him, then smirked.
"You okay if I stay here?"
"Heh... You too, huh?"
"... Yeah... Heh... Me too..."
They lapsed into silence, but not an uncomfortable one.
As heatwave got lost in his thoughts, Kade let his eyelids close,
Falling into a peaceful sleep for the first time in weeks.
Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one finally sleeping soundly.