KIDS
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GENRE
ANGST
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WARNINGS
MENTIONS OF CHILD DEATH, SUICIDE, AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
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RELATIONSHIP
ROXIE GRAYSON/BIGTOP BABE X JOSH JAMES/OBSIDIAN TEMPEST
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NOTES
i rewrote this
~⮿~
Josh wrapped his hands in bandages. It was the eighth anniversary of his baby sister, Summer's, death. She would've been turning twenty-four.
He threw a punch. His knuckles hit the punching bag with a crack.
Why did Summer have to die?
It was all Reggie Winters' fault.
Crack!
He was the one who'd been fighting their mother.
Bam!
He was the one who'd tried to kill Elementa.
Crash!
Summer was the one who'd pushed Elementa out of the way.
Thud.
The image was still burned in Josh's mind. His baby sister, a hole through her middle. Blood dripping down the ice that impaled her.
He fell to his knees. Why had this happened? Summer was a good kid. She was a hero's sidekick, a Teen Titan. She saved lives. Why had she been murdered?
He didn't notice that someone had walked into the room.
He didn't notice the person walking closer and closer.
He didn't even notice the person crouch in front of him. Not until they talked, anyway.
"Obsidian," a soft voice spoke.
His head snapped up.
Crouched before him was Bigtop Babe, the villain, Reggie's girlfriend. She had a black eye and seemed to be putting on weight.
"What do you want?" Josh hissed. His fists clenched. What did Icecube's girlfriend want with him.
Bigtop took a breath. "I need your help," she whispered. "I know you want Reggie dead, too. Help me kill him."
Josh blinked. He hadn't expected that. He looked over Bigtop's form again. She looked tired. Hurt. Frail.
He stood, extending a hand. "Okay," he said. "Let's do this."
~⮿~
They had a plan. Bigtop- rather, Roxie- would lure Reggie into an abandoned house. Josh would set it ablaze. Reggie would be trapped, as his ice powers didn't work in extreme heat.
However, things rarely go according to plan.
"The exit's blocked!" Roxie shouted, turning to Josh.
Josh panted, his shoulders shaking with each labored breath. Setting the entire house on fire had taken a lot out of him. "I can get rid of the fire," he wheezed. He could, easily. However, that would get rid of all the fire.
Roxie shook her head. "No. Reggie has to die. For Summer. For me, Josh."
He took another breath. Roxie was right. Reggie had to die. He'd killed Summer. He'd raped Roxie. He had to pay. "We might not make it out," he said.
"But it'll get rid of him," Roxie said. She slid her hand in Josh's.
He gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Then the fire burns."
He fell to the ground, his breathing still labored. Roxie crouched beside him. A picture fell from her pocket.
It was of Roxie and a group of kids. They all looked so happy. One, a brunette, was giving an Asian girl a noogie. A blonde had her arms around Roxie. A Black girl was holding a younger blonde. A blond boy held a little Asian boy. A third blonde was sticking her tongue out at the camera. The oldest couldn't have been more than eighteen.
Josh picked it up. "Roxie...you have kids!?" he asked.
Roxie took a shuddering breath. Tears welled in her eyes. "They're not mine, mine. Well, it doesn't matter. They all have real families to go back to." She hugged herself.
Josh forced himself to stand. "We're getting out of here," he insisted. He looked around before facing a wall. "Stay close to me," he said weakly, before running full force at the wall.
He crashed through, followed by Roxie.
Roxie's scream split the air as her arm got stuck under rubble from the wall. Josh cradled her, rocking gently.
"Shhh, I've got you," he said, pulling the rubble off of her. Her arm was badly cut and burned. "I've got you."
Roxie was injured, sure. But she and Josh were alive. Reggie was dying a horrible death. Soon, everything would be right.
Josh took Roxie to a shady hospital. Her arm would be amputated, but she would live. That wasn't even the worst thing that happened in the hospital.
The worst thing was the urine test.
Reggie was dead. But his child lived on, growing inside Roxie.
