Naive Hearts

Truth Will Out.

The light flickered, the only sound sounding out in the room. Oliver didn't move, Alaric had disappeared from view and Asher did her best to not feel the rounds that had gone into her. Nevali had managed to hide Meria with her behind her couch which had ended up ridden with bullet holes, Nevali had died keeping her safe. Meria felt horrified that this had unfolded, panic rising in her chest and then she'd heard Elijah yelling out in pain "Elijah?!", Meria exclaimed "Meria?!", Elijah called out distracting himself from his pain before he yelled out "Darius?!", Elijah called out "Here!", Darius called back holding onto Asher's arms and feeling surprised by how cold her arms were "You saved my life", Darius commented, his legs started to tremble "Easy now, your boyfriend needs you", Asher stated even though she winced feeling the bullets slowly falling out of her.

Darius had nodded before he hurried to Elijah's side he was still yelling although not as much when Darius was at his side. "Alaric?!", Asher called out, she hadn't gotten a response but she had seen him crawling - damaged, quite clearly. Asher used her speed to reach him and cupped his cheeks in the palms of her hands "What were you thinking?", Asher questioned "I had to, you saw what it did in my time", Alaric replied "I need you to allow me to go into standby, please", he added and Asher nodded her head hoisting him up and moving him towards the couch. Nevali had gasped loudly and she grabbed onto Meria's shoulder and Meria rightfully yelled out of fright "Oh my god!", Meria exclaimed "I'm sorry", Nevali replied, she pulled herself up over the side of the couch although she stumbled and needed time to recover. "Oliver? Where's Oliver?!", Meria questioned and it was then that he groaned, Asher had used her speed again to rush towards him shifting him up so he leaned against the wall.

Quizzically Asher prodded him "Asher, what are you doing?", Oliver asked sounding like he'd just been hit in the head although that was a much more pleasant alternative to the fact he'd just been shot who knew how many times "I need to see", Asher commented, examining the obvious bullet holes in his coat and then the fact there was meant to be exit wounds in the back but there wasn't any, he wasn't even bleeding "Your eyes didn't change", Oliver commented "You're .... not bleeding?", Asher replied sounding just as confused as Oliver had, he'd lifted his coat and realised she was correct "I don't understand, I felt the bullets. Could it be time?", Oliver asked "I don't know but Oliver....", Asher couldn't get the words but motioned towards the communicator he'd used before to talk to Tina, it was cracked "No, Tina can't... wait, the kids?", Oliver asked obviously panicked

"They are okay, Elijah has a dislocated shoulder but he's okay", Asher replied just as Elijah yelled again. Oliver noticed quite quickly that Asher had been shot "Do you need blood?", he asked "Not yours, you know what happened last time", Asher answered helping Oliver up to his feet. Meria had finally pulled herself up to her feet but she seemed like she was disassociating a little which honestly was fair enough. Oliver had moved towards Nevali quickly and took note of how she had had dried blood on her "You died", Oliver pointed out as he grabbed onto her arms and she did the same in return to him "You didn't, I thought for certain.... all those bullets. Oliver, how?", Nevali replied and Oliver shook his head "I don't know, it might be time but... it can't be. This quickly", Oliver answered. Meria had walked towards the boys and almost seemed so far away mentally by the time she reached them

"I don't think I can put it back in place, my hands", Meria stated and Darius took a hold of her hand with his own "It's okay, me too. How did you... get away from that?", Darius asked "Oliver and Nevali, I thought... I thought I was dead", Meria answered "So did I, god this is so fucked", Darius commented, Asher had reached them quite suddenly and moved her hands towards his dislocated shoulder "Take in a breath", Asher warned and Elijah nodded inhaling slowly before Asher shifted her hands and made his arm click back into place, Elijah yelled out again but then also seemed relieved "We need to talk", Asher called out to Oliver and Nevali "Damn right, bastards could've killed them", Oliver replied he seemed angry and Asher had seen the look on his face before "Which is why we need to talk about what just happened, don't bring Alaric into it yet. He needs to fix his damage", Asher commented. "Damaged?", Darius asked "Yeah, he ran at the thing, remember?", Elijah answered.

"He could've died" Meria stated and the three of them nodded in agreement. Oliver had stood up same with Nevali and did approach the three of them and Asher, sitting down beside them. Darius stared at Oliver noticing the many places he'd been shot and how he seemed to be still alive "I... I don't understand. You jumped in front of Meria, you flew back into that wall. You're not bleeding. What is going on?!", Darius exclaimed clear panic in his town and Oliver unexpectedly took Darius's face in his hands as if to say yes it freaked him out too "Darius, look. I have no idea what's going on. I don't understand how I'm alive or why I didn't bleed or why I don't know where the bullets went. It scares the crap out of me too, just breath, close your eyes and breath or if it helps touch so it helps you process", Oliver stated letting his face go out of his hands.

Elijah, Darius and Meria all leaned towards him, Elijah moved his hand along his arm, Darius moved his hands over the top of Oliver's chest while Meria checked below his ribcages "I can... I can feel where they go in but... nothing else", Darius commented and Meria and Elijah hummed in agreement "Why don't we talk to Tina about it?", Elijah asked "Because this doesn't work anymore, besides I think if she knew I just did that she would kick my ass", Oliver answered and this time Nevali and Asher hummed in agreement. Elijah hadn't let go of Oliver as quickly as Meria and Darius had once they'd been satisfied and that had caused Oliver to look at him in such a concerned way "Oliver, when... when you were shot. I couldn't... I couldn't feel your thoughts at all. It was like the connection was severed but can you think of something, I want... I need to know", Elijah commented and Oliver nodded his head, there was silence all around them and then the seriousness expression on Elijah's face turned to joy