Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

🦋 Metamorphosis [4/7] 🦋

Addison's POV:

A few hours after the initial shock of Don's sudden arrival, the three of us eventually decided to meet up at the Fyre and Flames Grill.

I sat beside the Raven Prince just to catch up and check in on how he was doing, cracking our old inside jokes as we used to before the war.

Marshall sat on the other end of the table, quietly eating his food as always.

He was always quiet, but this type of silence just feels bad.

I can tell he's radiating with jealousy right now because I'm sitting next to Don.

Maybe he thinks that the prince is cooler than him because he's royalty or that I seem closer to him since he's my childhood friend.

Obviously Don's cooler than him, Marshall's a phoenix, for Heaven's sake.

Yet I still feel bad for him because he's my best friend, and best friends are supposed to look out for each other.

I didn't want to seem rude in front of Don, though, so I kept chatting with him instead.

"Enjoying the food, guys?" Kairo, our phoenix-hybrid waiter passed by, giving us a thumbs up.

"Yeah," Marshall mumbled quietly, picking at a bit of pulled pork on his plate. "Thanks, Kai."

His fiery counterpart seemed mildly concerned for a moment before returning to his usual, cheery smile and heading off. "Just holler if you need me, as always!"

When he was finally out of earshot, Don tilted his head at the blacksmith. "Are you alright, Marshall?"

"Mhm." He replied nonchalantly, shaking his head. "Just... Thinking."

"About what?" The Raven Prince questioned, flapping his shadowy wings. "You can tell us. Surely Addison loves to listen, isn't that right?"

I knew Marshall needed someone to talk to. "Yeah, you can always talk to me, Marsh. I'm here for you, remember?"

I felt Don's wing gently wrap around me, his silky feathers smoothly flowing around my skin like soft velvet.

The phoenix's amber eyes suddenly sparked, his gaze intense as he glared at my counterpart. "If you want me to be honest, I'm not okay. I am absolutely not okay."

"Why though?" I asked, pulling my violet hood away from my face. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Yes, Addison." He snapped, a wildfire fiercely blazing in his eyes. "Your friend here is what's bothering me. He thinks he's so important and that he can just shove people away and tune people out whenever he wants. I'm not about to let that happen."

Marshall flapped out his blazing wings, standing up from his seat and leaning over the table, making his form intimidatingly large. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing, you coward. I know EXACTLY what you're up to."

Don cocked his head to the side, visibly confused. "What are you talking about? I don't understand what you mean by what I'm doing."

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T!" The phoenix snarled, ripping off his leather gloves with his teeth. "You think you'll win her over by playing dumb in my face?! Well, it's not gonna work! I won't let it work!"

"Marshall, calm down!" I squeaked, a twinge of anxiety abruptly pulling at my chest.

"Yeah, little birdie, calm down." The Raven Prince chimed in, pulling me closer to his side with his shadowy wing. "Not worth your energy to cry over spilled milk. Er, fight over it."

In that instant, the fire in Marshall's eyes was no longer contained.

A streak of white-hot flame shot out of his mouth, aimed directly at Don's face.

He protectively shielded himself with his free wing, closing the one around me to defend me from the sudden gust of hot hair.

I knew I was fireproof, but clearly he didn't.

Screams erupted through the restaurant as the Raven Prince shot into the air, flapping his badly-singed wings and swiftly bolting out the door.

A heavy cloud of smoke trailed behind him as Marshall stood up, a thin wisp of the ash from the aftermath streaked across his face.

"What was that for?!" I cried, hearing Don let out a strangled cry of pain from outside. "Are you insane, Marshall?!"

"I'd ask you the same questions!" He snapped, crossing his arms. "Addi, are you blind? You know that raven is a manipulative liar, why do you tolerate him in the first place?!"

"Because he's my FRIEND!" I retorted, standing up from the table and glaring him down. "You can't just shun people away because you don't know them! People can have other friends, too!"

"Not if that friend is a dead guy from SPIRITVALE." The phoenix accused, his gaze boring into my skull. "Just look at him! He does not seem friend shaped at all, Addi. He doesn't sound like it, either."

"Neither do you right now." I scoffed, picking up one of his leather gloves. "Also, Don is alive. He's lived in Spiritvale his entire life."

"That's where the lie comes in, idiot." Marshall hissed, reaching into his pocket with his bare hands and quickly slamming a charred scroll onto the table. "Read this, Addison, and tell me who you're friends with. TELL. ME."

I hesitated, dropping his glove and slowly unrolling the paper, which was burned from where it made contact with his bare skin.

Dearest Tia Aquaticlaw,

We know you do not like stalling, so we'll make this quick. Your teammate and would-be future sailing partner fell overboard out at sea near Spiritvale's coast. Don Alterra Nautilus was never found, so we assume he is dead because he was dropped in perilous, rocky territory. Attend his funeral six days prior to the next moonrise. Our condolences, fellow sailor.

- Sincerely, the Baywharf Coast Guard

Huh, weird... Wait.

A letter to Tia?

How did Marshall even get a hold of this?

"Stay here, Addi." Marshall snarled, stepping back from the table. "I'm going to take care of some unfinished business."

I firmly grabbed him by the wrist, hissing into his ear. "I'm not letting you go out there and hurt Don any further."

He let out a huff, yanking his hand back to his side. "What are you going to do, stop me?"

In a split second, I channeled as much Darkness as I could into my wrists.

I aimed my palm at his neck, ready to release my magic and take him down with what little-yet-powerful spells I had in store.

"Yes, yes I will."