Rebel: A Monstercat Fanfic

032 - Objective

Song of the Chapter: A Dream - Rundfunk (House)

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(Monstercat's POV)

It's past one o'clock in the morning, and they still haven't returned. I'm nervous, as is everyone else, but no one is as worried as Noisestorm. I knew he and Phantom were close, but I never thought it'd be close enough to cause him to have breakdowns and panic attacks. He's been pacing the hallway all night long, whispering to himself and only pausing to go to the bathroom or eat. He kept telling me he felt sick, like he was going to throw up, but then would go and eat an entire bag of chips.

Emotions are interesting. Both Noisestorm and Braken have unhealthy amounts of fear for their friends, but they both cope with it very differently. One of them won't move or eat and the other can't stop.

Noisestorm comes into the room again, looking like he hasn't slept in days. His hair is a ruffled mess, he droops over when he walks, and his eyes are afraid and exhausted. He grabs a bag of Cheezits and slumps down on the bed, grabbing a handful and shoving it in his mouth.

"You need to go to sleep," I tell him.

"Not until Phantom comes back," he says through the mouthful of crackers.

"Please? Everybody else is."

"How can I?" he demands. "How can I just leave him like that? Pretend that nothing's wrong? I don't know if you've ever had a friend like this; a friend that makes your heart race, a friend who makes you smile and feel like there's one person in the world who actually cares, and you feel a need to always treasure that friendship, and protect them from the dark world that's beaten you down ..." His voice suddenly cuts off and he runs his hand through his hair, trying to stifle any emotion.

I pause and think for a moment. "I wish I could have a friend like that," I finally say.

Braken sniffs loudly from across the room. "Leo is a friend like that ... to everyone," he says quietly.

"He definitely is," Rogue agrees without looking up from the notebook he's drawing in.

So is Braken, once he finally opens up. That's the tricky part about him. He needs someone else close to him, but he won't let anyone in.

"Come get some sleep," I say again, snagging the bag of Cheezits away from Noisestorm. "At least lay down."

"Fine," he mumbles, pulling his hoodie over his head, very careful to keep his white shirt covering his back. I know from the incident before the official rebellion that he's hiding something there, but I don't dare ask him, especially at a time like this. He practically dives into the bed, wincing as he tests his sore tailbone, and lands next to Rogue, leaning over to look at what he's drawing. "What is that?" he asks.

Rogue jumps in surprise and smashes his notebook against his chest. "Nothing."

"It sure looked like something." Noisestorm tries to grab it, but his attempts are half-hearted.

"It's none of your business." Rogue takes his helmet off and sets it gently on the nightstand. "I'm going to go to bed, so you better be quiet." He lays down on his side, facing the other bed with his back to the other artist.

I eat a few crackers and then get up and turn the lights off, leaving just the city lights through the closed window for light. It's still raining, and the sound is calming. Eventually, Noisestorm quits muttering and goes quiet, probably not sleeping, but at least resting. I climb into the bed next to Braken and try to let myself relax. Finally, I fall asleep, too, but my ears still pick up the quiet noises in the room. I can hear the rain, pattering gently against the window, and the occasional rolling of thunder. Someone on the other side of the room rolls over, sifting in the bed. I can both feel and hear Braken curl up even tighter, and hear his breathing quicken. I'm pretty sure he's asleep, too, but he must be having a dream or something. He whimpers a little and rolls over to face me, though I can't see him. "Leo," he murmurs.