𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 | the boys 1

xvi. 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄

~𝙏𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙘𝙮𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣? 𝘿𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙-𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

"Alright, you wanna' tell me where we're going?" Hughie stuffed his hands in his pockets as they followed the sidewalks of Manhattan. The air was warm, but it was accompanied by a refreshing breeze nippy enough to blow Rowan's head around her head.

"You don't do it any more." Butcher observed.

"Do what?"

"You know that feeling when you tip yourself too far back on your chair and catch yourself just before you fall?"

"Yeah...?"

"You used to look like that all day long. Now look at you - neck deep in shit, cool as a cucumber. You ain't half the twat I thought you were, Hughie." Butcher said proudly.

"Y'know, you're always calling people cunts or... twats but I guess I never really got how that's an insult. They're flexible, take a pounding and are the reason behind, like, 98% of my life decisions." Hughie pointed out.

"You're doing good, Hughie - and you're a good cunt. Well, he we are."

They stopped outside an old, creepy building that sent shivers down Rowans spine, "Church? You're fucking kidding me. After all you said at the Believe Expo?"

"Seek and ye' shall find, me' girl." Butcher bowed, ushering them in.

Rowan made sure to walk between Hughie and Butcher as they entered, just in case. Her eyes wandered around a circle of people and whispered the words she read from a board in front of her, "Association of Collateral Damage Survivors." She looked at Hughie and flared her nostrils slightly, "Us?"

A brunette continued to speak as Butcher pulled up enough chairs for the three of them to sit down, clutching a tanned stick in one hand and her wheelchair handle in the other, "Uh... some days are harder than others - obviously. Y'know, the other day... I wanted to talk to a friend about all this... but I couldn't. That's why this group is so great, so important." She took a deep breath, like the words pained her inside, "I know it's wrong to feel angry. I mean, after all, Tek-Knight saved me... I just wish he'd been a little more gentle with my spine."

The counsellor nodded and nonchalantly responded, "It's about acceptance, isn't it? Letting go. Moving on." She then leaned forward and looked Butcher dead in the eye while gesturing to the kid sat next to him, "Excuse me, sir. You can't bring your daughter in here. I'm sorry but this is an adult class."

"Don't worry, she qualifies." He dismissed.

The counsellor looked at Rowan who, after a moment of thought, stuck her bottom lip out like a toddler and nodded.

"Fine." The counsellor grit her teeth somewhat, "Seth, you're up."

"Uh... hey, everybody." Seth took the decorated stick and sat back down in his place, nervously addressing the group.

"Hey, Seth." The circle quietly greeted him back, a small chorus of voices emerged.

"So, uh, I'm kind of a writer - I work in marketing." Butcher gave Hughie a small side glance. "T-there's this one hero, who shall remain nameless, but uh... has ice powers-"