After Powder let go, Orion leaned rabbing the gun she had dropped. 'Oh, she succeeded-!'

  Sp! The sharp sound cut through the noise of the crowd.

  Powder squeaked, taking a step back. His head spun, and his face stung. Orion blinked, looking up at Vi, whose outstretched hand was still trembling, her teary eyes fixed on him.

  Vi croaked something, but couldn't hear her over the deafening noise and the ringing in his ears. Rubbing his cheek, he straightened up without saying a word and walked toward the exit.

  "Wait-"

  'I mean, I uand, but...' Orion grumbled internally, still rubbing his cheek as he slid the mask back over his face. 'I just showed my fad I'm already fug hurt!'

  "Orion, wait!" Powder called after him, her little footsteps pattering behind him before halting. Her angry, squeaky voice broke through the uproar of the crowd. "Vi!"

  Orion held a brisk stride as he veered off into a nearby alleyway to put some distaween himself and the chaoticert.

  The atmosphere had grown tense and everyone around had started notig the spectacle.

  Two teary-eyed girls and a masked man didn't paint a pretty picture. Nor was Orion a fan of making a dramatic public se, especially with his mask off.

  'Fuck it. I'll just go chey old pce' Orion thought bitterly, shoving his hands- and Pun- into his jacket.

  But loud footsteps echoed from behind him with heavy breathing. They closed in quickly, and just as he began to turn-

  "Hey, why are you ag like the only one hurt?!" Vi's voice cracked tearfully as she yanked his shoulder back, f him to turn around. Powder trailed close behind, her expression a mix of panid emotion.

  "You just show up out of the blue a year ter- I- we thought you were dead!" Vi croaked, teary-eyed. Her face torted in pain as if he'd struck her.

  Orion sighed sharply and ripped his mask off, gring at her.

  "Yeah?" he snapped, "And what's the first thing you do when we meet again?"

  His temper boiled over as he jabbed a finger into her chest, causio flinch with a wounded expression. Behind her, Powder shrank, her arms tight at her side and shoulders rolled forward.

  "You were alive this whole time!" Vi protested, her tone ced with accusation.

  "You guys blew me up," Orion said evenly, his voice cold before erupting. "TWICE!"

  Powder flinched again, her little body trembling as they shared pained and guilty expressions.

  "And none of you came bae- not even Vander! I was in agony for days, because of YOU!" Orion's voice cracked, his anger barely masking the pain starting to surface. "And of all people to save me, it was Silco."

  He spat the name, but Vi's eyes widened and she took a step back.

  "You've been with Silco...?" Vi's hushed voice echoed. "Is that where you've been?"

  "NO!" Orion shouted, taking an aggressive step forward as his face torted with anger. Vi took aep back, visibly scared.

  "I've NOT been with fug Silco! I got zapped off to fug IONIA after being blown up in the fug warehouse!" Orio on a tirade, spittle flying from his mouth as he stepped forward.

  "Amongst a bunch of tree-hugging, shit-for-brains hypocrites," Orion could feel the veins in his forehead bursting and a red haze filled his vision. "At least they were fug peaceful! But then I get zapped back here and-"

  He leaned in inches away from Vi's startled and scared face, his voice a hushed and furious whisper. "It's been nothing but fug fights and misery since I got back. Then you fug sp me!"

  Vi closed her eyes, her shoulders hunched.

  Powder covered her ears. Her proud and rebellious sister, who rarely trembled at anything, was shaking.

  Silence followed. Nothing but hissing pipes and the angry groans of metal surrounding them. It was as if everything came to a halt as Orion's harsh gre fixated on Vi's closed eyes.

  Exhaling sharply, the red haze slowly began to fade from Orion's vision. He felt depleted, with shades of depression repg the anger.

  Orion's face torted. Vi was shaking, Powder was cupping her ears and trembling. Both looked scared, and once again he felt like the bad guy around them.

  "I'll e by the Last Drop tonight, "Orion muttered with a ck of enthusiasm, his expression turned depressed as he turned. "Just don't let anyone know I'm alive yet..."

  Powder squeaked out, her voice shaky. "You will e back though...right?"

  Halting, Orion gnced back. Powder's eyes still peered toward him with hope.

  "Yeah..."