*Discontinued* Shifter

13

Don't move... Don't... Don't move. Virgil whimpered as he tried to push himself up out of bed only to for immense pain to burn through his gut. That Rez sure knows how to kick. Plus the whole gravity shitfest of a hold only aggravated the damage he had done.

Worst still was his thoughts. He said he was never going to use that form. He never wanted to. The puppeteer was a villain. A villain form that man forced on him when he was under his care. A 13-year-old with no real idea about the world around him forced into the black just to survive after years of living on his own after his parents left him. 

5 and his father was murdered...

7 and his mother vanished, no doubt by some sort of Anti-shifter group who didn't know about her son to take him to.

10 and his aunt and uncle packed up and left him before he even got out of school to scared of discovery to ever let themselves care for him.

13... 13 and he was discovered by a Villain named Mastermind. And old man with way to much time on his hands. He wasn't cruel but he wasn't kind. He used every to his advantage... including a boy who only wanted to find a place to belong. 13 and it took 5 years for Mastermind to get caught and imprisoned finally letting Virgil get out from under his thumb. It wasn't that hard. He was only ever aloud to be in his puppeteer form, the form created solely to assist Mastermind. No one knew the young boy he had working with him was a shifter... or a powerful one at that.

Now he was 24 just doing everything in his power to stay alive. Virgil's eyes narrowed feeling that throb in his gut. It hurt really bad. He should shift. He should turn into Manic and heal himself. He tried. His body wavered as he gasped and just fell back staring up at the ceiling. He was to hurt to focus on an image.  As soon as he got him had shifted back into himself wanting to just go to the cafe and see Roman but he was far to hurt. 

And of course, it was now that his phone rang.

"H-Hey." Virgil choked out as he put the speaker on with tears in his eyes from the pain. 

"Ok, so... I'm actually going to be a bit late." Virgil cringed as he looked around his bed room this sense of guilt tearing through him. 

"Ro..."

"I'll be there. I promise. It's just something held me up and I..."

"Roma-AH! Fuck..." Virgil groaned as he curled into himself hearing immediately how all the sound on the other side of the line completely died out. 

"Virgil, what's wrong?" Virgil laughed through the pain as he forced himself to sit up. "Virgil, I can hear that your hurt. What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Ro. I don't think I'm gonna make it. We'll just have to reschedule or..."

"Virgil, what happened?" Virgil tensed here the concern in his friends voice. What was he supposed to say? That he got kicked so hard he might have broken a rib and been bruised internally while fighting a hero who still hated him after trying to protect Roman's sister. Yeah... no. That's something he couldn't do. 

"I'm fine. Just... a bit sore. I'm sorry. I just... I have to rain check." Roman stood there out side the stores letting the people all pass him by. He was focusing on his sound power to hear the other side of the phone clearer and better. He head ever painful breath... every groan and whimper. His anxiety burned through him as tears pricked his eyes. 

"Virgil... I know you... I know..." Roman sighed shakily as he tried to calm his breathing down. "Virgil, I know you have your rules and you've already said that you wanted us to stay at a distance. That... that you were ok with us being friends but... You had your boundaries and I respect that. I've been nothing but respectful of them." Roman gripped his phone tightly as his throat burned. The prospect that the man he cared so much for was in someway shape or form hurt and alone. "I can't ignore that your in pain. Can I... C-Can I at least help... in someway? Please?"

"Roman, I'm fi... Fine." Roman winced hearing the crake in Virgil's voice before quickly shaking his head. 

"No. No you're not. Please? I just... I know your protective of yourself and everything. I can understand but... I need to see. Please?" Virgil's eyes shot open at the realization of just what Roman was asking. He scrambled for his phone whimpering loudly at the sudden movement before sighing as he gripped it in his hands. "I can even bring Patton over? If you needed him?"

"No, Roman. I'm fine. Just really really sore. I'll be ok by the end of the week..." 

"Please, Virgil?" Virgil smiled softly just staring at his phone. He knew how much Roman cared. the man was head over heals for him and Virgil knew it. There was no way Roman was going to let this drop. 

"You're really that worried?" 

"Yes." Was all Roman said making Virgil roll his eyes a bit. He really didn't have much of a choice then. Knowing that man Roman would do everything in his power to make sure Virgil was ok. It's just safer to let him doing it. 

"Ok." Roman's eyes lit up as this relief filled laugh tumbled from his lips. "I'll text you my address. The problem is it might take me a while just to be able to unlock the door."

"Don't worry about that." Roman swallowed his anxiety as he just smiled blankly at the ground. "If you give me your permission I can get in fine. I just won't do anything if you'd rather I don't. I just prefer it if you don't move to much... if your hurt I don't want it getting worse."

"Ok then, Princey. You do what you want... I think I'm gonna rest until you get here thought... the room is... is spinning." Roman nodded to himself as he listened to Virgil's breathing even out a bit. "I'm trusting you, Roman. I don't just do that ok?"

"I know. Thank you, Virgil. I'll be there soon."