✔️Playing Heroes [a BoyxBoy novel]

Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12

Searing pain was what woke me that night. The feeling like my fingers were on fire. I had tried to open my mouth to scream, but instead, my jaw was clenched tight. I tried to move my body, but I was as firm as concrete, besides subtle tremors. But the pain continued to grow, it had now moved past my palms and was making its way over the back of my hand.

"Holy shit, Nick!" I heard through my mind, a voice that instantly calmed me. Aiden. "I'll be there in a second."

I was in too much pain to even begin to question why I could still hear Aiden, especially when Cara said that she specifically said that the connection was broken. Instead, I continued to shake.

In no time, my door had burst open. Someone, I don't who, turned on the light. It was so blinding, my eyes started to water and I had to squeeze them shut. The blanket was torn from my body.

"His hands," Kadmos whispered. "They shouldn't be like this. Not yet. Usually, it'll take weeks."

The pain had now started moving up my forearms and finally, I let out a deafening howl. My father and Aiden reeled back, covering their ears. But I didn't care. I wanted the pain to go away, to the point where I didn't even care if they had to cut my fucking arms off. Was this how I was going to die? So much for saving the world. So much for saving my mother.

The higher the pain went, the less intense it became; until finally, it stopped at my elbows. I was left a panting mess, bathed in my own sweat and tears. I could feel Aiden at myself and I could hear Kadmos speaking to someone else in a harsh tone, but it all sounded so far away.

I wanted Aiden closer. I wanted that stupid asshole to wrap his arms around me. I wanted to find comfort in him. I didn't know where this shameless need came from, but all I knew was that I wanted him.

I opened my mouth, trying so desperately to make any sound come out, but my throat was dry and hoarse.

Come closer, I wanted to say. Don't leave me. I was starting to lose consciousness once again, but I could only hold his fingers loosely with my own. Come on, you arrogant asshole. Why aren't you being cocky now? Wipe that worried look off of your fucking face and hold me right now, dammit. But alas, he couldn't read my mind, no matter how much I wanted him to.

"Even in this state, you still find a way to insult me," a soothing, velvety voice echoed throughout my mind, followed by a chuckle. Even through my mind, I could hear the panic laced in his words. "Ask nicely and use your manners, then we'll see."

Aiden? But... how-

"I don't have a fucking idea, but I sure as hell know it's not me. And it isn't Cara either. All I know is that I woke up to you screaming in my mind."

Fuck, whats- what's happening to me?

"Kadmos," Aiden said from next to me. My father had just finished talking to one of the staff members and made his way to the side of my bed. "What does this mean?"

Silence.

"It means," my father said, voice gravelly low, "that we are in the presence of one of the most powerful mimes- no- one of the most powerful Supers in all of history."

-

"Holy shit," Maree exclaimed as soon as pulled up my sleeves. "That's so cool! They look like tattoos."

And that they did. Marks had covered my entire hands and forearms. They started off black and completely covering my fingertips in black, but as soon as they started moving up, the blackness would split, until black lines wound itself up my forearms. They were stark black against my pale skin, but it looked like they had been there for a while.