Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alucard couldn’t move his head, so his eyes followed the line of destruction down the once busy street in downtown Philadelphia. Chunks of asphalt overturned, bent street lights and the spray of a destroyed fire hydrant sent a geyser of water into the smoky sky, a gray cloud screen that turned the sun a boiling red. Sirens and car alarms blared and people shouted but it all sounded so far away, like Alucard’s head was underwater. 

He adjusted his sunglasses, and centered his focus on the psychic energy coursing through the back of his skull, until it was interrupted by a shot of pain. He wasn’t alone. Someone stood right behind him, just out of his eyeline, hand gripping the back of his neck. Fingers dug into his jaw as the hand yanked his head to the side, forcing him to look toward the smoldering remains of a building.

You did this.

Alucard blinked. He sat at a picnic table outside the mediocre burger place Cassandra often chose when it was their turn to pick a place to eat. It’s a beautiful day to sit outside with hardly a cloud in the sky, and the buzz the city hangs in the air. Looking out onto the street, people walked and cars passed by on the street, no destruction to be seen. Alucard sighed to himself in relief. 

Next to him Hanzou was playing a rhythm game on their phone and generally ignoring the conversation going on between Cassandra and Cyclops on the other side of the table; it had to do with music but Alucard missed the context. He stared down at his half eaten burger and fries, trying to rationalize whether what he just saw was a vision or just some weird anxiety attack, it was difficult to tell with him, separating where the psychic powers ended and the anxiety began.

“It’s fuckin’ hot as balls today,” Cassandra said, taking a moment from tearing into a burger with all of the class of a rabid raccoon to voice their complaint. “I’m about to jump into the fucking river.” 

“Yeah I thought I was gonna die in my East Asian history class today, Fulp Hall has no AC,” Hanzou piped up. 

“You’re also in full ninja gear,” Cassandra pointed out. To be fair to Hanzou, they committed to the look, with the sleeves of their usual ninja outfit rolled up, they’d bandaged their arms and wore arm guards over the top and fingerless gloves.

“A warrior must always be prepared for attack,” Hanzou said, pulling their mask down to take a sip of soda. “Also this is like half gear.” 

“I fucking hope nothing attacks, it’s too damn hot,” Cassandra slouched in their seat, they’d gotten ketchup on their Rob Zombie t-shirt that was several sizes too big and used a fry to wipe it off. 

“Well now you’ve jinxed it,” Hanzou said. 

Alucard rested his elbow on the table. It is a little too hot, his usual oversized black turtleneck was too heavy to wear today. Hot weather is his enemy as a goth, but at least his body tends to run unnaturally cold to cancel it out. Not today though. 

Cyclops looked up from his burger, which he’d been focused on with an intense, and admittedly rather cute, concentration.

“You okay Al?” he asked, a little bit of concern in his good eye. “Ya seem kinda out of it.”

Alucard nodded, “Yeah, just… zoned out for a bit.” 

Cyclops doesn’t need to know that he witnessed a doomsday scenario in his mind’s eye, he’d worry. Despite his tough guy exterior: the eyepatch, the mohawk-mullet hairstyle (dyed his favorite shade of bubblegum pink) and his large, imposing frame, Cyclops’ primary emotional state was that of worry. His secondary state was belligerence.

“‘Kay,” Cyclops’ expression cleared a little, “Ya don’t have homework we’re keepin’ from, do ya?”

“I mean, finals are coming,” Alucard answered. “I just have a bunch of papers to write.”

“I’ve got a paper to write too,” Hanzou said. Both them and Alucard were in their second year in college, and often hung out on campus together between classes. Even though they’ve been friends since high school, Alucard felt like he and Hanzou were better friends now since going to college together, they both were getting out of their shells somewhat. 

The shrill ring of a siren filled the air, not an uncommon noise for a city but Alucard still felt a sense of unease. The others didn’t seem to acknowledge it. 

“You’re going to go do schoolwork ?” Cassandra asked. 

“Yeah?” Hanzou said.

“Boring! I need ice cream or something I’m fucking dying,” Cassandra had dumped some ice from her drink into her mouth, so her words were punctuated by the harsh crunch of ice with her sharp teeth. 

“We’ll get ice cream and then maybe I’ll go to the library and study,” Alucard said. Hanzou nodded along. 

“Yeah I’m coming with you, I gotta study, I really don’t wanna flunk out of college,” they said. 

“So you’re leaving me alone with Cyclops?” Cassandra jabbed her thumb in his general direction.

“Hey!” Cyclops growled out in protest. He wiped ketchup off his hands and set a wadded up paper napkin on the table. 

“Well I’m not bringing either of you to the library, you’re too loud,” Alucard said. “Find a way to entertain yourselves.”

“Why don’t we get bubble tea at that one place and you guys can study there?” Cyclops said. 

“I dunno, I really need to get this thing done,” Hanzou said. 

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “We won’t annoy you that much. Al are you gonna finish those fries?” 

Alucard looked down at his half finished basket of fries and pushed them toward Cassandra and Cyclops’ side of the table. The portions here are massive, he could never really finish his food by himself, so maybe Cassandra and Cyclops could agree on this one thing because it meant getting his leftovers. 

“Go ahead.” 

“Sweet!” Cassandra grabbed a handful and Cyclops elbowed her. “Hey!” 

“Outta my way!” 

Hanzou glanced at Alucard sidelong and shrugged. From outside the regular noise of the city seemed to have gotten louder, with more sirens and now, shouts and screaming. The shriek of metal rubbing metal reverberated in Alucard’s ears and he winced.

“What the fuck’s goin’ on out there?” Cyclops looked out onto the street. 

“It’s not some dumb monster again is it?” Hanzou groaned.

“It’s every week in this damn city,” Cassandra crossed her arms indignantly. “This is none of our business.” 

“It’s lookin’ a bit like our business.” Cyclops said. This time a rapid fire of gunshots sounded from outside, followed by the thunderous crunch of asphalt breaking. Alucard wrung his hands, that odd vision he saw earlier swimming in his mind.

“Gigantic spider robot terrorizes the streets of downtown Philadelphia,” Hanzou read off what sounded like a headline from their phone. 

“How the fuck do you know that so fast?” Cassandra asked.

“Twitter?” Hanzou held up their phone for them all to see. Indeed, the story had broken that about ten minutes ago a giant robot spider had, in fact, tunneled up from under the sidewalk a few streets down and had been rampaging through the city causing destruction in its wake. Typical.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Cyclops mused. 

“Someone else can take care of that,” Cassandra said, bored. “Only a fuckin’ moron would make a giant robot spider. Just smash it with a giant newspaper and call it a fuckin’ day.” 

She picked up her phone from the table and slumped back in her seat, staring at the screen with almost exaggerated disinterest. Alucard exchanged a look with Cyclops, who just shrugged and popped another fry into his mouth. The noise was only getting worse and the restaurant had practically cleared out. 

Then Cassandra’s expression dropped. 

“Scratch that, we’re going,” She leapt up off the picnic bench and sprinted out onto the sidewalk. “Guys come on!” 

Hanzou glanced at Cyclops, then Alucard in turn. 

“Guess we gotta go,” Alucard said, having to raise his voice over the chaos. The four of them really were doing only what a group of idiots would do, run toward the source of the destruction, right amidst what looked like a minor disaster zone.

Chunks of asphalt had been upended and the curbs were smashed in places, some traffic lights were completely knocked over and destroyed. And the noise , the sirens and shouting was overwhelming and Alucard could already feel the itch of sensory overload clawing at the back of his head but he had to focus. 

Cassandra skidded to a stop at the end of the block and pulled her TEC-9 out of her oversized shirt and checked the magazine. Then she dug into the pocket of her cargo shorts and pulled out Cyclops’ revolver, which she handed to him. There’s no question about the physical possibility of Cassandra being able to have both guns, and the amount of bullets and ammunition she kept on their person without a single sign that she had them, she’s an alien and has some sort of pocket dimension, at least that’s how Alucard understood it.

Alucard focused on his breathing, trying to keep himself calm. His powers could be unstable if he was anxious or overwhelmed, and while he’d mastered the art of centering himself over the years, he still had to take the moment to block out everything except the way his power flowed through him, the spark of psychic energy at the pads of his fingers.

When they rounded the corner, the huge metal spider was just a block away. stomping down the street and tearing up asphalt with its claw-like legs. Spider was a loose term, it was a sort of half-sphere metal body with a turret on the top, perched on six, not eight, legs made of interlocking plates of metal and tipped with bird-like talons. A whole mess, clearly whoever devised this couldn’t decide on an inspiration and didn’t know how to edit.

“The fuck?” Cyclops made a face of disgust that made Alucard almost smile. The group held back, trying to stay out of sight.

“It doesn’t even have eight legs, that’s not a spider.” Alucard remarked. 

“Okay nerd,” Cassandra said. 

“He’s gotta point.” Cyclops said. 

“Okay dork.” Cassandra said. Cyclops flipped her off and she returned the gesture. 

From around a corner, a figure with unmistakable red-orange hair sprinted out into the middle of the street, holding a gun but didn’t fire, leapt over a pile of trash bags that’d spilled out of an overturned dumpster and stopped right in front of the group with a crooked grin.

“Hey Cass, glad you got my text,” Pico said, catching his breath. His shirt and shorts were scuffed with dirt and soot but he looked uninjured, save for a small dirty scrape on his forehead. 

“Yeah yeah, I didn’t need a text to know some fuckin’ robot was destroying the city again,” Cassandra said. Alucard chose to keep quiet about how they only mobilized when they received said text. And from Pico no less.

“Yeah, that thing broke outta the ground right next to me while I was walking to class.” Pico said. “Why do these things always happen to me?” 

Somehow every calamity, catastrophe or city-destroying force in America was always in Philadelphia chasing down Pico specifically, for seemingly no reason. It started as a bit of an observational joke but Alucard quickly realized that the pattern was too strong to be a funny coincidence. 

“I dunno man, but we’re gonna fuckin’ kick its ass,” Cassandra said, smiling manically and holding up her gun. “Since we happened to be in the area.”

“Go ahead, I feel like it’s toying with me, it’s pissing me off,” Pico said. “It’s like moving up and down every street, like it’s looking for something.”

“Something that isn’t you?” Cassandra asked. 

“No idea.” 

“I’m gonna get high ground,” Hanzou said. They leapt up the ladder of the nearest fire escape and scaled the side of the brick building up to the roof. 

“Do guns work on that thing?” Cyclops asked. 

“Eh, I’ve only managed to dent it,” Pico called, already running back toward the spider, dodging rubble like he was on an obstacle course. Notably Cassandra had paused to watch him. 

“Well alright, don’t gotta tell me twice!” Cyclops aimed and fired a shot at the spider with dead eye accuracy. The bullet pierced the shell of the spider and it stopped in its tracks. 

Alucard kept his distance, Cyclops and Cassandra were his shield and he was theirs, he’s a known glass cannon and therefore needs their protection as much as they need his power.

The turret on top of the spider turned and locked on the group, and the entire robot stopped in its tracks and shuddered. The turret opened, aiming the barrels of an enormous Gatling gun right at them. Pico sprinted back toward them in a panic.

“It has a gun?! ” 

“You didn’t fucking know?!” Cassandra held an arm out to stop Cyclops from charging ahead. “Alucard!”

Alucard focused his energy quickly, and raised his hands to pull up a barrier right in time, a spray of bullets hit shimmering purple and clattered to the ground. 

“Thanks,” Pico had managed to stumble to safety behind the shield, grabbing onto Cassandra’s arm to stabilize himself. “I didn’t know it had a gun, no. I knew it was fuckin’ with me.”

“So it was holdin’ back? Great.” Cyclops said. 

“Well that’s it’s first mistake, thinkin’ we’re weaklings,” Cassandra said. “But good thing we got Al.” 

“Yeah, it’s always fuckin’ badass when you stop bullets with your mind.” Cyclops said. 

Alucard’s face warmed at the compliment but he kept his eyes on the robot, knowing he’d waver if he looked at Cyclops. Maintaining the barrier was like pushing a boulder up a hill, if he flinched they’d all be crushed.

“How much ammo does that thing have?” Pico asked. 

“Who knows, but nothing has unlimited ammo. Unless you’re me of course.” Cassandra said with a cocky grin, pulling a few bullets out of their pockets to reload their gun. “I can go all fuckin’ day baby.”

“Cool story Cass, but I think this thing also has your stupid alien dimension.” Cyclops said. The robot continued to fire. Alucard focused on the purple glow around his hands, the strain of keeping a barrier this strong was starting to ache behind his eyes. 

“This ain’t Penilian tech,” Cassandra scoffed, “we got way more sophisticated shit than some stupid spider.”

“Not a spider.” Alucard corrected, a little out of breath. 

“Yeah yeah. Al lower the barrier when that fuckin’ thing stops to reload.”

“Who knows how long that will take?” Pico asked, clearly worried.

Alucard hoped that would be sooner rather than later, his arms and head were aching. His wish was granted when the rain of bullets stopped with the distinct click of an empty magazine. Alucard lowered his hands and the shimmering purple veil dissipated, and with it some of the pressure in his head eased too. 

“Alright!” Cyclops grinned and fired a shot at the turret on top of the spider, hitting one of the gun barrels and splintering the metal. 

“Nice!” Cassandra high-fived him, then fired a round, putting holes in the robot’s metal shell but not seeming to do enough damage to it before their own ammo ran out and she had to stop and reload. 

“Fuck!” 

“I had the same problem,” Pico said, “used all my ammo and hardly made a dent.”

“I’ve got extras, why didn’t you say so?” Cassandra dug into the pocket of her cargo shorts pocket like she was grabbing a handful of chips.

The robot made a concerning whirring noise, almost like a computer when it overheats but with a harsh grinding like metal teeth gnashing together. 

“Hold on guys!” Hanzou called from their perch on top of a fire escape, “I’m going in, don’t fire at it!”

“Whaddya mean goin’ in?” Cyclops shouted back.

Hanzou leapt off the wall like a frog and landed on top of the robot with ease; it had wandered close enough to the buildings. Then they opened what appeared to be a hatch on top and disappeared inside the body of the spider. 

“How’d they know that was there?” Cyclops asked. 

“Maybe it’s not as obvious from down here,” Alucard said, “but who puts a giant hatch on top of their death robot?” 

“I told you! It’s shit design. Definitely not Penillian.” Cassandra said.

“If Penillian tech is so good why didn’tcha bring any with ya from home, hm?” Cyclops challenged. Alucard rolled his eyes. 

“Didn’t get any when I was sent here.” Cassandra countered, “You Earthlings couldn’t fuckin’ handle our tech.”

“Woof, ya underestimated us pretty hard huh?” Cyclops shrugged, a smug look on his face that made him even more handsome.

“Nah I called off the takeover on purpose,” Cassandra said, making Cyclops' expression scrunch into a frown. Still handsome though.

“You did not! You lost fair n’ square!” 

“The fuck I did not! I chose to spare this stupid planet,” Cassandra said.

Cyclops barked a laugh, “Nah just admit that ya like Earth.”

Alucard raised a hand, covered by the oversized sleeve of his sweater, to cover a snicker, earning a look from both Cassandra and Cyclops. 

Pico looked between all of them, concern knit his eyebrows together, “I feel like you’re not taking this situation seriously-”

Then the awful grinding of metal came to an abrupt stop, instantly relieving some of the pain in Alucard’s ears, as the spider's spindly robotic legs gave out underneath it, crashing to the ground with the crunch of cracking asphalt and bending metal. Hanzou popped out of the top of the spider and waved. 

“Yo guys!” Hanzou called, “come check this out, it’s weird.” 

Pico blinked, “Okay nevermind.”

Cyclops cackled. “You’re lucky there wasn' a self-destruct button in there Han.”

Hanzou hopped out of the robot, their feet landed on the cracked street with barely any sound. 

“There was a different self- destruct button. I thought about it.”

“Hanzou-” Alucard started. 

“C’mon Al, you know how tempting pushing a giant red button is.” Hanzou said.

“I woulda pressed it.” Cassandra said.

“Yeah you woulda,” Cyclops said. 

“You fuckin’ would too.” 

“...yeah.”

“Look at this.” Hanzou held up their phone, open to a recent photo. The Punks and Pico gathered closer. 

The image showed the inside of the robot, a line of monitors each with images at varying angles of all of them mid-fight, all of them with red squares around their heads. The shimmering purple of Alucard’s barrier, Cyclops and Cassandra with their guns, Hanzou perched on the roof. Under each still shot was what looked like mugshots and dossiers on each of them. Age, height, ability, current occupation. Pico’s information was nowhere to be found. 

Pico laughed nervously, “What the fuck?”

“Huh?” Cassandra inspected the image, face soured like she’d licked a lemon. 

On the bottom corner of each screen, something caught Alucard’s eye. The flat emblem of a stylized bird of prey, a falcon maybe, the sections of the wings meant to be like feathers were angular, familiar. Unease settled in his stomach. 

“That’s disturbing.” Alucard said. Cyclops nodded from next to him. 

“Whoever programmed this robot knows who we are,” Hanzou said. 

“Yeah well, we do take down most of the shit that happens in this stupid fucking city, they better fucking know who we are.” Cassandra said. 

“Yeah! None a’ these chumps stand a chance against us,” Cyclops said, clapping his hands. 

“Hey, I’m the one who took it down!” Hanzou protested, the crying emoji appeared on their goggles. Alucard patted their back.

“Yeah, thanks Hanzou. I needed the help. For real,” Pico said. “I wasn’t really planning to have to fight anything off. And I’ve probably missed my whole class. It started at three.” 

“It’s barely three thirty, if you run you might make the back end.” Cassandra said.

“Oh, good. Thanks,” Pico smiled shyly at Cassandra. “Sorry, gotta run. See you later?”

“Yeah, see ya Pricko.” A hangover from high school. Cassandra hung out with Pico enough that anyone who heard that nickname knew it was used affectionately, for old times sake. 

He left in the direction of the university, leaving the Punks next to the crumpled carcass of the robot spider and mild destruction of public property. It wasn’t nearly on the scale that Alucard had envisioned earlier, the sky was still clear and no buildings were leveled. His anxiety must have just been overacting again, as usual. 

“Well that’s a lot for somethin’ that took five minutes to take down.” Cyclops said. “Now what?” 

“I put a fire bomb in there, when it detonates it’s gonna set off the self destruct probably.” Hanzou said cheerfully.  

“So we should get out of here,” Alucard said. 

“Bubble tea?” Hanzou suggested. 

“Let’s go.” Cassandra tucked both theirs and Cyclops’ guns back into her t-shirt and folded her hands behind her head. The rest of them followed away from the scene of the fight, falling into light conversation when Cyclops cracked a joke about the terrible design of the robot spider. Alucard stayed quiet, still thinking about that bird emblem from the photo. It was so familiar, but where had he seen it before? Did it just resemble another insignia, birds of prey are a pretty common symbol after all but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this specific one was important.

Chapter Text

As it always is at the university coffee shop, a long line trailed from the counter almost to the front door. Behind the counter, Cyclops took yet another order, and Alucard watched him absently, taking a long sip of the iced coffee Cyclops had made for him earlier. 

It’s been a few days since the giant robot incident, and the bird emblem he’d seen was still a mystery. Alucard thought he was going nuts, he’d tried looking it up but with no results, not online and not in the university library, and he just couldn’t jog his memory enough to dredge up another clue that might help. Maybe he’d imagined its importance after all.

“Ugh another bad pull! I can’t spend more money though...” Hanzou flopped their head down on the table with a groan.

“You’re back on your gacha bullshit?” Cassandra said. Their table was a round booth tucked in the corner of the coffee shop that could seat far more than three people but they took it for themselves anyway. Cyclops would probably join them on his break.

“What do you mean ‘back’?” Hanzou made little air quotes with their fingers without looking up. 

Cassandra just slurped judgmentally on a horrifying iced energy drink concoction that wasn’t on the menu but Cyclops begrudgingly agreed to make for her, he’s the only barista who would. 

Alucard tried to study, he had his notes open in front of him in hopes that maybe he’d absorb the information without trying but that hasn’t worked yet. 

“Oh, hey guys, funny running into you here.” Pico stopped at their table to greet them, wearing a hoodie despite the heat and the same ratty backpack he’s had since high school slung over his shoulder. He looked pointedly at Cassandra. 

“Hey Pico,” Hanzou said, finally sitting up again. Cassandra folded her arms on the table, drawing into themself. 

“Sup dweeb. What’re you doing here?” they asked. 

“I go to school here? What’re you doing here?” Pico deflected with his toothy smile. Cassandra’s eyes flitted away from him. 

“My friends go to school here. And I’m bored.” she said. Then her expression dropped in an instant as Pico’s boyfriend joined them and wordlessly handed Pico an iced coffee. He’s not much of a talker, but he is a great rapper. Alucard had been dragged along to his performances once or twice. He’s a sweet guy from what Alucard knew, but despite being Pico’s long-time boyfriend since high school he, weirdly, was not around much. 

“Thanks babe,” Pico said, then he addressed Cassandra again. ”Well if you’re bored you should listen to that mixtape I gave you.”

Interesting. Alucard and Hanzou exchanged a glance, hoping Cassandra didn’t notice.  

“Yeah, yeah,” Cassandra said. Her face was a bit pink.

“He makes the best mixtapes,” Boyfriend piped up cheerfully.

“Yeah they’re alright,” Cassandra said sarcastically, avoiding both Pico and Boyfriend’s smiling faces by looking intently at their drink. 

“Huh, didn’t know I was doing anything special,” Pico said.

“You just have good music taste, whatever,” Cassandra said, still sarcastic. “And I mean, who fucking makes cassette mixtapes anymore? Fucking hipster.” 

She glared daggers at Boyfriend, who literally just stood next to Pico trying to fix the tuft of turquoise hair that hung in his face. Poor guy didn’t even know Cassandra was probably trying to put some kind of hex on him. 

“It’s more fun than some Spotify playlist,” Pico said. “Like it really feels more personal, yknow?” 

“I don’t have a cassette player, Pico, the indie bitches keep takin’ them all at the thrift store,” Cassandra grumbled.

“Why didn’tcha say so?” Pico said. “Next time you come over to smoke, bring the tape. You free this weekend?”

Cassandra’s face flushed a deeper pink. 

“Sure.” They said, Pico’s grin only widened.

Alucard and Hanzou were both trying, and failing a bit, to keep their expressions neutral.

“Cool. Anyway we gotta go. We gotta lunch date off campus,” Pico took Boyfriend’s hand. “See ya!” 

“See ya.”

Once they were out of earshot Cassandra rolled her eyes. 

“He really does make the best mixtapes nyeh!” She said in a terrible imitation of Boyfriend's voice, flipping off the general direction where they walked away. She picked up her phone, grumbling to herself. 

“Cass what is your problem with him?” Hanzou asked. Alucard took a long sip of coffee, he was going to stay out of this one. Cassandra’s bizarre one sided beef with Boyfriend had a shockingly logical explanation. 

“Nothing!” Cassandra hissed. 

“Is he like the one guy who’s always the most annoying to smoke with but you gotta invite him anyway cuz he’s dating Pico or something?” Hanzou asked. 

“He doesn't fuckin’ smoke with us,” Cassandra said. Neither did Nene or Darnell, as it happens. Hanzou wasn’t ever invited either, despite being the other frequent stoner of the Punks.

“Oh really? Inch resting,” Hanzou said vacantly. 

“Shut the fuck up Hanzou.” 

Hanzou’s eyebrows furrowed and they picked up their phone, clearly put off by her clipped tone. 

From somewhere in the sea of students, Alucard spotted the tall, broad figure of Cyclops approaching their table. He slipped into the booth next to Alucard, a coffee in hand.

Cassandra looked up, “Hey, did you make coffee for Pico and his dumbfuck Boyfriend?” 

“Hi to you too. And I dunno, I took their order.” Cyclops said. “Who cares? It was durin’ a rush.”

He’s so cute in his black work apron and tight t-shirt, and he has to wear a ball cap for his job too, so his unstyled pink mohawk flopped to the side and partially covered his eyepatch. He told Alucard once that he hates being out in public that way, but a job is a job.

“You coulda done one thing for me and put the wrong milk in Boyfriend’s coffee or fuckin’ spit in it or something.” 

“‘M not gettin’ fired for your petty grudge,” Cyclops said. “And he ordered black coffee.”

“Oh so he thinks he’s tough ?”

“Also putting the wrong milk in on purpose can be really harmful-” Hanzou started. 

“Oh my god Han, you’re being so annoying.” Cassandra snapped. That’s an insult that tends to get to them, and Cassandra knows this. Hanzou shrunk back, hurt apparent in their eyes. Alucard shot Cassandra with a look of disdain that they ignored.

“Hey, not cool.” Cyclops said. 

“What? Han’s being a total goody-good. Who fucking cares about the wrong milk?”

Cyclops frowned, “Well I do, considerin’ I’m lactose intolerant.” 

“Which is your choice, pussy.” 

Alucard was about to intervene but the way Cyclops’ expression had already twisted into rage held him back. He kinda just wanted to watch. 

“Y’know Cass if you’re gonna be a fuckin’ asshole I’m gonna take my break somewhere else.” Cyclops said, his short fuse already burned down, work must be wearing him out today. 

“Can I come?” Hanzou asked. 

Cassandra sneered, “When did my friends turn into a bunch of fuckin’ weenies?”

“That’s it, bye.” Cyclops looked at Alucard. “Ya coming?” 

He didn’t intend to side with Cassandra, but Alucard needed to deal with the caged animal that was his best friend or she’d likely just cause more problems on purpose. 

“I’ve got class, I’ve actually gotta go,” he said. 

“Okay,” Cyclops left with Hanzou in tow, and Alucard immediately turned to give Cassandra a disapproving look. 

“What the fuck.”

Cassandra huffed and crossed their arms, “what’s got their panties in a knot?”

“Maybe you’re being a bit hostile?”

“I am not being hostile!” Cassandra exclaimed, with hostility. Several heads in the coffee shop turned to look at them. Alucard held his head in his hand. 

“Cassandra. This is a lot even for you,” he said evenly. Cassandra rolled their eyes for perhaps the hundredth time that day.

“Aren’t you all used to my bullshit by now?”

Alucard sighed, “Yes, unfortunately. But Cyril and Hanzou weren’t in the mood and you just pushed them, yknow like a dick?” 

“I did not, they’re fine.” 

“C’mon we’re going to the river,” Alucard said. This was far too public a place to get any sort of productive conversation out of them, it’s confrontational but he had to try.  

“Oooooo Al skipping class. You’re so bad .” Cassandra could be so annoying when they put their mind to it, they were lucky Alucard has the patience to deal with it.

“I’ll look at the syllabus and do what I need to. All I have left is the final paper anyway. Let’s go .” Alucard insisted, grabbing his drink. “ Now.”

__

Cassandra chucked an empty beer bottle they found on the ground and the sound of glass splintering rang in Alucard’s ears. The riverbank was just on the other side of a line of trees, just through the underbrush the silvery water meandered through the woods. This spot was a favorite of the Punks, secluded and therefore rarely occupied. 

Alucard sat perched on the remains of an old wooden bridge, weathered wood grayed from the sun and splintering from neglect as it no longer spanned any water, watching Cassandra stomp around in the dirt. 

“I bet fuckin’ Boyfriend does just looooooove the mixtapes Pico makes just for him! He fuckin’  better, Pico’s only got the best music taste on the entire fuckin’ planet!” she raved, “He makes me sick.” 

“Pico also made you a mixtape,” Alucard pointed out. Cassandra whipped around, the chains on her pants jangling. 

“That’s not the fucking point! He’s probably made ‘em for Darnell and Nene too. Whatever.” 

Alucard decided the only way to avoid disaster was for Cassandra to continue letting out her pent up fury. 

“Fair enough. Continue.” He said. Cassandra kicked a rock. 

“Those fucking idiots deserve each other. Boyfriend is a fucking moron but I get it, he’s cute, he’s a rapper, he’s charming and everyone seems to like him for no reason but sure, he’s soooo great. Perfect guy, perfect for Pico.” Cassandra ranted wildly, “Like we fucking get it already they’re couple of the decade. Gross.”

They did win cutest couple for their high school yearbook superlatives, Pico was popular then and now with Boyfriend’s music career taking off locally he’s even more popular by proxy. It could be jealousy inducing, how in love they seemed to be.

“I mean, I’m not his biggest fan either, but he hasn’t really done anything right?” Alucard asked. “Does Pico talk about him constantly or something? That would get on my nerves.” 

“Nah, Boyfriend never really comes up,” Cassandra said, “thank fucking god, seeing him even once in a while is too much.”

“Hmm,” Alucard raised his eyebrows. “Pico doesn’t talk about him? His long-time boyfriend? That’s weird don’t you think?”

“Not recently,” Cassandra said, “I don’t remember though, I’m usually fucking baked.”

“I feel like you’d remember.”

“Whatever. I don’t fuckin’ give a shit. I hope they’re doin’ fuckin’ great,” Cassandra said, strained. “Pico deserves it.” 

Their tone is heartbreaking, making Alucard’s expression soften. Cassandra stood still for a moment, back to him, looking oddly small like their oversized shirt and pants could swallow her whole. 

“What about you?” Alucard asked. 

“What about me?”

“Maybe you need to… talk about whatever’s going on there.” Alucard ventured.

Cassandra gave him a soured look over her shoulder, their fangs visible. 

“Ew, no.”

Alucard raised his eyebrows and said nothing, the silence between them filled with the wind rustling the trees, almost growing louder and louder until Cassandra fidgeted uncomfortably under his stare.

“Fine,” they grumbled. 

“I know it’s hard that the guy you have feelings for is in a relationship-” Alucard began. She’s never said this outright but Alucard would bet on being right. Cassandra isn’t actually all that tough to read once you understand them. 

“Are you fucking with me?” Cassandra hissed.

“No,” Alucard said evenly. “I’m not.”

“Then watch it Al.” Cassandra said dangerously. 

“Cassandra.” Alucard folded his hands in his lap, running a thumb over one of the rings on his fingers. “I just think if you talk about your feelings rather than hold them in-”

Cassandra pressed her lips tightly, brows furrowed. 

“I don’t fucking have feelings for Pico.” Then she jabbed her finger into Alucard’s face. He didn’t flinch. “And get off my fucking dick!”

He’d prepared for her to lash out when he brought this up, and he knew the last thing to do was to try and match Cassandra’s anger. As much as they could be hot headed and pissy, they had the ability to hold back, especially when it came to Alucard. Were it Cyclops to bring this up, he’d get a right hook to the jaw. 

“No, No I don’t fucking like Pico that’s fucking stupid,” Cassandra growled, “And besides, he has his stupid boyfriend. Even if I did like him, which I didn’t say I do cuz I don’t , he’s taken anyway.”

It’s a good point, Pico isn’t single and while the old Cassandra would have been willing to wreck a relationship to get what she wants, the current Cassandra wouldn’t, she’s changed a lot, even if she won’t admit it. 

“Are you jealous of Boyfriend?” Alucard asked. At this Cassandra blanched, shaking her head as if trying to physically shake the expression off her face.

“I’m not fucking jealous of anyone!”

“If you say so.” 

Cassandra’s expression flickered to anger, then resignation, then back to anger. Alucard waited patiently, watching her to see if she’d really deny it again. He hadn’t meant to upset her, Cassandra lashes out when she feels trapped, especially emotionally, but she also could wiggle herself out if she truly wanted to. Alucard left her an opening. 

“I hate when you’re all smart and shit,” Cassandra grumbled, “Annoying as fuck.”

Alucard kept a smug smile off his face, despite how badly it wanted to appear. He knew better than to reply. Cassandra kicked a can and swore, tromping around in the dirt and pebbles for a few minutes. Alucard watched in silence until they decided to sit down next to him with a resigned sigh. 

“Now will you apologize to Cyril and Hanzou for being shitty toward them earlier?” Alucard said, after a moment of silence. It’s a bold move to ask Cassandra to apologize to anyone, but it may just work. 

“C’moooon,” they groaned.

“Promise you’ll do it. They’re your friends who you care about. ”  

Cassandra swung her feet, cursing under their breath for a moment or two before finally throwing her hands up in the air.

“Fuck, fine .” they said through gritted teeth. “It wasn’t cool of me.” 

“Good. And how are we going to deal with our emotions from now on?” Alucard asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Talk it out like an adult.” Cassandra grumbled.

“Correct. Do you still need to rant about Boyfriend or is that out of your system now?” Alucard asked. Cassandra seemed to mull that over, red eyes clouded. 

“Let’s talk about your crush on Cyclops instead. That’s way more fun,” She gave Alucard an absolutely evil smile. “How’s that going by the way?”

A flicker of embarrassment passed over Alucard’s expression and he sighed. Of course she would leverage that , she’s not above playing dirty even against her own best friend. 

“You know how that’s going,” he said, trying not to sound too deflated. 

“Well you oughta tell him how you feel before you go around slingin’ advice to me .”

Alucard didn’t say anything. It’s not as if he wanted to be in this hopeless situation, the unenviable position of having a massive crush on one of his closest, and only, friends. It’s cliche and idiotic and Alucard wanted to just get past it with minimal emotional damage if he could.

“What’s holding you back huh?” Cassandra leaned in close. “Why won’t you tell him how you feel? It couldn’t be that he’s too intimidating. Big bad Cyclops with his silly pink mullet. ” 

Alucard just frowned, still unable to give a response. The thought that passed through his mind was entirely too embarrassing to repeat.

“I’m fuckin’ positive he likes you too, he’s got a major soft spot for you,” Cassandra continued. Alucard tried to ignore the excited little pang in his chest when hearing that. 

“He’s my friend , and he’s your friend too.” Alucard said. “He’s protective of you just as much as me. And of Hanzou too.” 

“Ugh, I hate the idea of fuckin’ Cyclops protecting me,” Cassandra didn’t entirely hide the fondness in their voice. “And it’s just different for you and you fuckin’ know it. Like he’s always checking up on you and takin’ care of you, the way he looks at you, even-”

“It’s really not.” Alucard said, “All of that can be platonic. I check in on you .”

“Do you also think I’m hunky and handsome like Cyclops?” Cassandra teased. Alucard made a face in feigned annoyance. 

“That’s what I fucking thought,” Cassandra said smugly. “But y’know he’s a good guy, and he really cares about you.” 

“I know, that’s what I like about him,” Alucard said, unable to hold back a small smile. “He makes me feel…safe. I think that’s important.” 

Despite the excruciating nature of being in love with his best friend, the love part actually felt pretty good. Alucard liked the isolated feeling, when he didn’t think too hard about the logistics. Sadly, Alucard is an overthinker.

“That’s it?” Cassandra asked. 

“...and he’s hot.” 

“Yup there it is,” Cassandra said. 

“Can we change the subject? I’ve got other things on my mind right now.” Alucard pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“No you don’t, you think about him constantly.”

Alucard shrugged. Can’t deny that entirely. 

“And you’re not planning to do anything about it.” Cassandra huffed. “C’mon how long are you gonna pine for him like a fuckin’ idiot? You’ve liked him for years now.” 

“It hasn’t been that long.” It has in fact been about two years since the end of high school, which is around the time Alucard had found himself sitting in his room imagining a scenario where Cyclops asked him to prom even though they both thought it was stupid, and then maybe they’d skip it go to a concert in their nice prom clothes and it would be so romantic-

“It’s been long enough. You’re fucking killing me Al.”

And it’ll be even longer, as Cassandra was right about Alucard doing nothing about this. 

“You know I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” 

Cassandra sighed, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to focus on school like a nerd.”

“...well I’d like to get my degree.”

“You’re literally Alucard, you can handle it.” Cassandra said, “You handled your horrible fathers trial during school and still got better fuckin’ grades than all of us, if you could overcome that-”

“My fathers trial…” Alucard repeated. He blinked. In his mind's eye he was thirteen, seeing his father in that courtroom that smelled like wood polish for the last time, surrounded by faceless adults with briefcases who all knew too much. His father wore his labcoat over his suit, and on the front of that labcoat…

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” 

“Cass, I’ve gotta go,” Alucard hopped up from his spot and grabbed his bookbag, “I just remembered something important.” 

It’s like the most important cog in the machine had finally clicked into place and started to turn. Alucard knew exactly where his hunch was leading to, and he needed to confirm it. 

“The guilt of skipping class finally caught up?” Cassandra asked with a snort.

“No. I’ll tell you later,” Alucard said hurriedly. He needed to get home, now.

“Okay? Bye, weirdo.” 

___

When Alucard got home his mother was surrounded by stacks of papers at the dining table, grading essays no doubt. She worked at the university as a professor in the literature department, and was always trying to get Alucard to take one of her classes. 

“Hi honey, how was school today?” His mother pulled off her reading glasses and let them dangle around her neck on their chain. 

“Fine.”

“Anything interesting happen?” She asked, as she always does.

“No,” Alucard answered.

His mother sighed in response and Alucard felt a little stab of guilt. He didn’t mean to be rude, his mind was just completely focused on this one thing he needed to know.

“I’ve gotta do something, for my finals,” he added quickly, “I’ll help with dinner later.” 

“Alright,” his mother replied. He knew she just wanted to be more present in his life, to make up for not intervening earlier, she couldn’t, not safely. There’s a little part of Alucard, a part he’s not proud of, that thinks too little too late, but a much larger part of him didn’t want to lose the one good parental relationship he could have. 

The single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling cast the basement in a yellowish ring of light and left the dusty corners in dim shadow. Alucard wasn’t scared of dark places but it’s what’s in here that cast him into unease, relics of a not so distant past.

After Alucard’s father went to jail, his mother decided they’d move in with her sister and two kids, both for financial reasons and mental health reasons. They just had to get away from that old house. 

Alucard rooted through a few mismatched cardboard boxes. Court documents, some medical papers, family photos that made him shiver. Much of his fathers scientific papers had been confiscated to be used as evidence in court, a relief since Alucard could not stomach the diagrams and notes detailing every procedure done to him since he was a small child, some of which he remembered so vividly sometimes that the world would go blank for several minutes.

Finally he opened a box of clothes. Ties, his mothers wedding dress, and at the bottom a white lab coat. Alucard unfolded it and smoothed the fabric under his fingertips. On the front pocket, an embroidered falcon with knife-like wings. 

Compared to the photo Hanzou took, it’s identical. 

He set that aside and went into the pile of photos again, trying to look at the family photos as little as possible until he found one unlike the rest. A group of about ten men in lab coats, among them his father with his austere features and hair graying at the temples, and each of the lab coats bore the same bird insignia. 

Alucard always thought of his father as a free agent, some megalomaniacal neurosurgeon with a point to prove about the limits of the human mind and body because he could. But he also wasn’t the type to keep his work hidden, no he wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to flex his research, and Alucard often wondered who that audience would be. 

Alucard took a picture of the labcoat and stuffed it back into the box, and tucked the old photograph of his father and colleagues into his pocket. 

“Alucard? What are you doing down here?” His aunt was at the top of the stairs, her silhouette all flowey layers of dark clothing and handmade jewelry. Alucard took after her quite a bit, she’s the one who first helped Alucard foster his interest in the occult, having given him his first set of tarot cards and his leviathan cross necklace. 

“Just… looking for something.” Alucard answered. 

His aunt took a moment's pause. 

“It’s not good to dwell on the past, sweetheart.” She said gently. And the future is what you make of it, is something she’d often follow up with. This time she did not.

Alucard swallowed thickly, feeling a pinprick of shame. 

“I’m not, auntie,” he said. 

Her expression didn’t change but she didn’t say anything else. Alucard stood up and walked up the stairs, past his aunt and the look of distant pain in her eyes. 

He went up to his room and shut the door.

Chapter Text

Candlelight flickered across worn stone columns and walls, casting shadows that seem to writhe over marble floors and in between long wooden church pews. Alucard squinted into the gloom, a hand once again gripped the back of his neck and a searing pain radiated from just under his ear, radiating up through his skull. He can only look down at the floor, at a brass coat of arms green with age and emblazoned with a pair of wings, dappled with glass-like shards of light shining through the stained glass rose window that hung above him in the dark like a full moon. 

The pain in the side of his neck released, almost like whatever had pressed there had been removed, but as the pressure faded everything melted from view, in thick drips like candle wax. 

His eyes flew open, and Alucard found himself in the front seat of Cassandra’s car, heavy industrial music filling his ears and a bunch of discarded empty Monster cans at his feet. 

“You can’t fucking drive under seventy in the fast lane, some of us are trying to break the law for real!” Cassandra growled at another driver and passed them on the right, flipping them off as if they weren’t the one being the complete asshole driver. Her anger is somehow comforting in the moment, Alucard was safe once again. 

He sighed and sat up, a wave of relief washing over him. 

“Yo did you have a nice nap?” Cassandra asked, “At least, I think you were napping I can’t fucking tell with you.” 

“I must’ve dozed off,” Alucard said mildly, though unsure. These visions are so clear in his mind but once he opens his eyes he can’t quite recall the details, only the vague concepts and chilling dread.

“Finals really knocked ya out huh?” Cyclops asked from the backseat, his voice so welcome on Alucard’s nerves. “Ya must be tired.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “It’s because you made us get up at buttfuck o’clock to drive to fucking New Jersey.” 

“Ya won’t get a parkin’ space otherwise.” Cyclops retorted. He’s an early riser compared to the rest of the Punks, someone who actually got up early to go to the gym before work and cooked himself proper breakfasts. He’s got his issues but discipline wasn’t one of them.

“Can’t get up early when you don't even sleep. It's fine.” Alucard said. He didn’t sleep any less during final exams either, he’s just a known insomniac and would sleep when he could. Even if that meant during Cassandra’s erratic driving. 

“Well no wonder ya fell asleep,” Cyclops said, tone tinged with concern. “You should nap the rest a’ the way there.” 

Hanzou looked up from their Switch, “After I finished my last exam I passed out for like twelve hours. I’m good to go.” 

“I meant Al.”

“I’m ok,” Alucard tried to catch his eye in the rearview mirror and smile softly, but he wasn’t sure if Cyclops noticed. 

“Well I only got like one hour of sleep, in case any of you fucking care.” Cassandra said, half joking.

“Maybe if ya went to bed earlier than 5am ya wouldn’ have that problem,” Cyclops said.

“I’m not gonna fucking do that. I don’t like sleeping early.” 

“Maybe that’s the energy drinks and weed.” Cyclops reiterated, in the same sarcastic drawl. 

Cassandra snorted in response, then started swearing at another driver who dared change into the lane in front of her. 

Alucard leaned back in his seat, thinking maybe he’d take Cyclops’ advice and nap a little more until they got to the beach. Outside the sun climbed into the sky and had long burned off the haze of the early morning, it was that point in summer where the nights weren’t quite warm yet and the day was supposed to be a hot one.

When the Punks arrived at the beach, the boardwalk was already bustling with far too many people for Alucard’s taste. They decided to set up a spot on the sand in a slightly less crowded part of the beach, Cassandra and Cyclops squabbled over how to set up the beach umbrella and once it was up Alucard was in the shade, his book on his towel next to him. 

It’s already too hot, but luckily that meant Cyclops peeled his tank top off and tossed it onto the towel next to Alucard. 

“Ya comin’ in the water Al?” He asked, standing with one hand on his hip, the other shielding his eyes from the sun, emphasizing the defined muscle of his shoulders. 

“Uhm… no,” Alucard said. The oppressive humid heat made the prospect of going in the ocean so tempting, Alucard thought the shade of the umbrella and having his shirt unbuttoned would keep him cool enough but alas, he was already sweaty. But not enough to expose that much by taking his shirt off and getting in the water. The blue pallor of his skin sunburns easily, yes, but the staring from strangers is far worse.

Cyclops’ expression dropped for a split second, but he recovered quickly. 

“Ya sure? Alright, you’re watchin’ our stuff then,”

Hanzou returned from the boardwalk with a popsicle already dripping onto their hand, brows furrowed. Alucard hadn’t even noticed them sneak away, but they did have the tendency toward that, only to reappear out of nowhere.

“Hey, ya good?” Cyclops asked. Hanzou pulled their mask down and licked a drip of pink popsicle juice off their hand. 

“This girl asked for my number while I was in line,” they said with a nervous laugh. “And I just got so flustered I just gave it to her. Then I forgot what I wanted and accidentally ordered the wrong flavor.”

Cyclops laughed, “Way to go Han! Was she cute?” 

“I don’t- I mean yeah? I’m just confused, why me .” 

Hanzou wore a sleeveless yukata-like shirt almost fully open so that it plunged to the top of their abs, showing off the fact that they had the lean muscled body of a gymnast from their years of ninja training. Usually that was covered by layers of clothing and armor. 

“Ya serious?” Cyclops crossed his arms. 

“Eehh!? What do you mean?” Hanzou’s confusion was cute. Their face flushed red, highlighting their freckles.

“You’re like a total babe,” Cyclops said, “Ya haven’ looked in a mirror recently? ‘Course she wanted your number.” 

“A-a babe?!” Hanzou exclaimed, going redder. “No way!”  

“C’mon! Ya totally are!” Cyclops grinned even while Hanzou tried to stammer out a flustered rebuttal. 

Alucard held up his book to hide his face. Cyclops was also by all accounts, a total babe, to use his own words, and here he was hyping Hanzou up because if anyone were to know about owning their own hotness, it would be Cyclops himself.

“Geez,” Cassandra rolled her eyes. They kept a t-shirt on with their flame-patterned swim trunks and crossed her arms over her chest. “When you’re both done jerking off to yourselves who wants to get in the fucking water?” 

“Fuck off,” Cyclops said. “Yeah I’m goin’ in.” 

“Then eat my dust!” Cassandra sprinted off toward the ocean. 

“Wait for me!” Hanzou exclaimed, running after Cassandra. 

Cyclops glanced back at Alucard and smiled one last time before turning to follow them. 

“Bye.” Alucard said, sure none of them heard it. 

At least he could get some reading in. Alucard gathered his hair back into a poofy ponytail, a few thick curls left loose to frame his face. He just needed it off his neck. Then he picked up his book again. The sound of the ocean and the dull roar of so many people blended together into an indistinguishable but soothing background noise, Alucard could slip away and relax, finally, for the first time in a while. He didn’t have to think about schoolwork, or finals, or that weird bird insignia and his father. None of it. 

He could, of course, think about Cyclops instead. They hadn’t seen each other much in the past two weeks with finals and all, but Cyclops had stopped by the university library a few times while Alucard studied to bring him coffee. Just seeing his face was enough to give Alucard a little more energy, and he’d always sit and stay for a while, trying his best to help by quizzing Alucard on his notes, though that often ended up with them both laughing and then Cyclops would get shushed for getting too noisy. He’s got such a nice laugh, maybe they should leave and not him.

This was ridiculous, Alucard reread the same line over and over, unable to focus at all. 

“Hey.” 

Alucard looked up, he’d been completely lost in his thoughts. Cyclops was standing in front of him, shirtless and drenched in seawater, his soaked mohawk hung over the scarred left side of his face, most of which was usually covered by his eyepatch.

“Can ya hand me my towel?” he asked. Alucard blinked, deliriously watching water drip off his biceps. He’s soft in places, notably his hips right above the waistline of his swim trunks, and his pecs, the shadow of two crescent shaped scars under them only highlighted that, but he’s still broad and built like some kind of hunky action hero, defined muscle but not chiseled from marble.

“Al?”

“O-oh. Yeah.” Alucard reached over and grabbed the towel for him. 

Cyclops pushed his wet hair out of his face, he had to know what he was doing there was no way-

“You okay? Make sure you’re stayin’ cool. I don’t want ya to get heat sickness.”  Cyclops said.

Alucard thought if anything Cyclops himself would be giving him heatstroke. He’d never been more thankful for his sunglasses in his life because he wasn’t even trying not to stare.

Cyclops continued talking. “I’m gonna grab a soda. Ya want one?” 

Alucard had to process that question through a haze of some very embarrassing thoughts.

“Sure. Thanks.”

“‘Course.” Cyclops smiled before he left toward the boardwalk. 

And he was gone for a while. Alucard sank back into his book, finally getting through a chapter before he realized Cyclops wasn’t back. He spotted Hanzou walking toward him and waved. 

“Cyril left to get drinks a while ago, I’m gonna go see where he went,” Alucard said. 

“Okay,” Hanzou said. 

The boardwalk teemed with groups of teenagers and couples and tourists. Alucard got a few strange looks as usual as he weaved his way through throngs of people, looking for that telltale pink mohawk. 

Alucard found him near a few food stalls, talking to a guy with dark hair. Cyclops had his hands in the pockets of his swim trunks (pink and dark grey camouflage, of course) and shifted his weight from one foot to another, an easy, almost amused sort of smile on his face, like he were playing along with a joke only he was in on. The guy talking to him stood close, laughing, grabbing onto Cyclops’ arm like he just couldn’t stay standing through his laughter without the support, though Cyclops shrugged him off instantly. Alucard rolled his eyes to himself. 

He approached slowly, curious. 

“Cyril.” 

Cyclops perked up. 

“Alucard,” he practically breathed a sigh of relief, then cleared his throat, looking at the random guy. “Gotta go.”

The guy looked between the two of them, sizing Alucard up  in a way that made him feel a little self conscious. He tugged at the front of his shirt so it wasn’t so open.

“Oh uh, okay.” The guy said to Cyclops, “You’ll text me though, right?” 

Cyclops was already walking away, waving his hand dismissively, “Yeah, yeah.” 

A twinge of jealousy sparked in Alucard’s chest, but he kept his expression neutral as Cyclops joined him back toward the beach. Once they were out of earshot, Cyclops turned to him. 

“Thanks for bailing’ me outta there,” he said. 

“Did you know him?” Alucard asked, trying to gauge how much self pity to wallow in later. 

“Nah. He was just some guy hittin’ on me.” Cyclops smiled sheepishly. “I told him no like ten times, the fucker should know keepin’ at it makes me want ‘em less.” 

A slew of emotions rose in the back of Alucard’s throat. He’s seen many people shoot their shots and Cyclops always turns them down with such nonchalance, like it’s nothing. Alucard didn’t understand, Cyclops could have anyone he wanted and yet it’s like he’s toying with every possibility because he knows he can. 

“You always seem so chill when people hit on you like that, I couldn’t tell,” Alucard said, not entirely sure why he didn’t keep his mouth shut.

Cyclops looked at him sidelong, brow furrowed in confusion but his lips betrayed a hint of a smile.

“It’s easy when ya know you’re not interested.” 

“You’re not interested? Like ever?” It’s hard to believe. Surely someone who’s flirted with him piqued his interest a little. 

“Nah.” Cyclops said. “Never.”

“Oh really?” Alucard challenged, “You don’t love it when people hit on you and call you hot? You ? Cyril Barker?” 

Cyclops’ hearty laugh almost set him at ease.

“It makes me feel good, yeah. But none a’ them know me and I’m not interested in lettin’ ‘em.” he said. Then he shrugged. “Can’t say I hate it.”

“Of course you don’t, that guy was totally hanging onto you to feel your muscles, don’t pretend you don’t know that trick,” Alucard teased. At this Cyclops laughed again. 

“I do, ‘nd I’ll be ridin’ that ego boost for the rest of the day.”

“An even bigger ego is the last thing you need, you’re already too unruly.” Alucard said. 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Cyclops said.

“It is. Because it’s you. On anyone else I’d probably find it insufferable.” Alucard said deadpan, internally relishing in the way the smug little smile on Cyclops’ face dropped for a moment. 

“Haha… thanks… I thought ya said I didn’t need an ego boost?” he sounded oddly flattered. 

“That’s all it takes? You’re too easy, Cyril.” Alucard said, lowering his voice. This time Cyclops didn’t quite recover that quickly, his cheeks flushed a little pink, or maybe that was just the summer heat.

“E-easy?!” he sputtered. 

It’s cute, the way he reacts, it’s cute that he reacts at all . He’s a different man than the one from a few minutes ago, calmly leading a stranger by the nose. This Cyclops was vibrant, back to being his usual expressive self, brimming with emotions, and that’s why Alucard loved to tease him. 

“Maybe easy for you cuz you can talk circles ‘round me,” Cyclops muttered after a brief pause. Alucard snickered. “I don’t do that on purpose. It’s, dare I say, easy .” 

“Al…” Cyclops groaned. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Alucard said. “I think your ability to keep cool when people hit on you is impressive. Even the thought of it makes me nervous.”

“Seein’ you get nervous from flirting…” Cyclops mused. Then he smirked. “Wonder what it would take.”

“I dunno. People don’t flirt with me.” Alucard doesn’t mean to sound self-deprecating, it’s the truth as far as he was concerned. Sometimes he thought maybe Cyclops was genuinely flirting back, but he was probably just playing along with it for the bit, it’s friendly banter, it’s not like all four of the Punks don’t mess with each other constantly anyway.

“They do too, it’s just the one thing ya don’t seem to notice.” Cyclops said. The words almost sounded ripped from him, like he hadn’t wanted to say it. 

Alucard almost snorted a laugh. “I know I’m not great with social cues, but I don’t think it would go completely over my head.” 

“Not many things do, but flirting does.” Cyclops said. 

“If you’re so sure, then point it out to me next time.”

Cyclops blanched, and when he spoke his tone carried something indecipherable. 

“I- uh. Sure. Next time I’ll tell ya. For sure.” 

Alucard raised an eyebrow and looked at Cyclops sidelong, unable to think of a way to respond other than to tell him that next time he decided to flirt, if he does, he should make it unmistakable.Too often Alucard liked to rationalize his way out of it but if Cyclops were to make it undeniable… well Alucard may still find a way, actually. This was useless.

He looked at Cyclops, at his hands shoved in the pockets of his swim trunks.

“Hey… Cyril. Weren’t we getting sodas?” 

Cyclops blinked, then let out an exasperated groan. 

“Ah fuck, I forgot ‘em! Sorry Al.” 

Alucard chuckled. “I forgot too, I’ll go back with you.” 

They turned right around on the boardwalk toward some vending machines, but Alucard decided to stop at the coffee stand instead and get an iced coffee, he liked that better than a soda anyway. Their conversation bounced between lighter topics, and they ended up laughing all the way back to their beach camp, where Hanzou sat on a towel with a smoothie.

“Oh good you’re back, I thought you lost your way and I’d have to start a search,” Hanzou said. 

“Long line,” Alucard said.

“You guys are missing the fucking fun out there,” Cassandra was back too, soaked but their hair miraculously retained its horn-like shape. “C’mon we’re fucking playing volleyball. You too Alucard.” 

“...I’m not using my-”

“Okay if you wanna lose,” Cassandra interrupted, making him frown. The game ended up with Cassandra and Hanzou vs. Alucard and Cyclops. Alucard did end up using a little bit of his powers to not completely suck at the game, but mostly Cassandra and Cyclops trash talked each other while Hanzou ended up carrying the game and winning it for themself and Cassandra, who proceeded to gloat until Cyclops demanded a 1v1 rematch. He won that round, and they declared it even. 

By the time night fell the beach cleared, save for a few scattered bonfires across the shore like orange beacons lining a pathway into the inky darkness of the ocean. The Punks sat around their own fire, in a stolen mini fire pit, each of their faces cast in an orangish glow against the void of nighttime. 

Alucard stole a look at Cyclops sitting beside him, the way the firelight made the shadows dance on the sharp angles of his nose and jaw. His good eye was fixed on the flames, gaze softened, and his hair pooled around his shoulders. 

It reminded him of the night they all graduated high school. Cassandra and Cyclops had been unsure if they’d even graduate, both of them relied on Alucard and Hanzou for help and managed to scrape by, much to the surprise of their teachers and the guidance counselor. The day of the graduation ceremony they skipped it and hopped into Cassandra’s car and drove to this very beach to celebrate, where they’d sat around a fire much like this one, talking and laughing long into the night, the fact that they were done with the hell of highschool forever hadn’t quite sunk in. They were done. Now what?

“Y’know a lotta human shit is really stupid but I get this sitting around a fire thing.” Cassandra remarked. So she was thinking of it too. 

“Caveman instinct,” Hanzou said.  

“Caveman instinct,” Cyclops repeated. Cassandra rolled her eyes. Her pointy teeth were sticking out a bit over her bottom lip, which in the firelight along with her hair-horns made her look more alien than usual. Sometimes Alucard forgot she wasn’t born a human.

“You both would know,” Cassandra said. 

“Cass, I have watched ya tear apart a turkey leg at a Renaissance Fair like a caveman, don’ even start,” Cyclops said. Alucard smiled inwardly at the memory. 

“It’s the only fuckin’ way to eat ‘em,” Cassandra said, “Damn that was a good leg…”

“We should do that again, and do better costumes this time!” Hanzou said. “I’ve got a great concept for a rogue.” 

“Yeah, when did we do that? End of high school?” Cyclops asked. 

“Think so? I can’t fucking remember,” Cassandra said.

“That was fun,” Hanzou said, shoving their hands in the pockets of their hoodie. “Y’know I didn’t think I’d want anyone from high school to remember me, I always dreamed of the day I’d leave and start my hot college student era where nobody knew I was a loser. That’s before we became friends.” 

“Yeah,” Cyclops agreed, “I wanted to leave and never see those fuckin’ assholes again.”

Alucard chewed his bottom lip. He remembered fifteen year old Hanzou and Cyclops; Hanzou was picked on for wearing full ninja gear to school and liking anime in a weird kid way, after Cyclops lost his eye he started fighting back against the bullies to defend himself, earning a nasty reputation. Alucard, also friendless with his own share of bullies, kept to himself just as those two had. None of them thought the others would be their friends. Not until Cassandra.

“Well I always thought you were cool,” Hanzou muttered. “I thought you were all so cool in high school, and I was just that weird ninja kid with no friends.” 

They turned to Cassandra. 

“You’re the first person who was nice to me.” 

Not long ago Hanzou confided in Alucard that they’d had a bit of a crush on Cassandra, back in the early days of their friendship in high school. They chalked it up to the fact that she was so nice to them, albeit manipulatively at first. They said they got over it after a while, but that affection surfaced sometimes.

Cassandra pressed their lips into a thin line and said nothing. 

“Yeah.” Cyclops grumbled. “Same here. Cass, you’re the reason I have friends.” 

“Me too.” Alucard added. Cassandra’s eyes widened in shock. Then she scowled. 

“You’re all saps.” 

“It’s the truth.” Hanzou said. “Everyone made fun of me all the time, nobody wanted to hang out with me. But you did, and then Cyclops and Alucard did too. And you all were misfits too, you didn’t give a fuck what people thought, and I wanted that to rub off on me.” 

Cyclops huffed a half-laugh. “I dunno, I did kinda give a fuck. I jus’ didn’ act like it.” 

Then he shrugged. “Bein’ one a’ the only out trans kids was… really hard. To put it one way. And missin’ an eye? I didn’ stand a chance. I was so angry I really thought I’d go through with-” 

He stopped himself, the guilt in his expression settled in the shadows cast on his face by the fire. 

“It’s good you didn’t.” Alucard reassured him, receiving a grateful smile in return that was warmer than the fire. “It’s good we didn’t.”

“When did this become some kind of sob story show and tell?” Cassandra asked, barging through the softness of the moment.

Cyclops scoffed. “What? You don’t have one? Didn’t ya have friends back on your homeplanet that ya left so ya could come here?”

Cassandra barked a somewhat forced laugh. 

“ Friends on my homeplanet? Don’t be fuckin’ stupid Penillians aren’t like humans.” 

“Penillians don’t have… friends?” Hanzou asked.

“What? No!” Cassandra guffawed. “Our orders are to infiltrate, conquer and destroy. From birth that’s what we’re trained to do.” 

Then she laughed weakly. “I was shocked when I got here to see how much humans fuckin’ liked each other. I thought it was fuckin’ stupid but I played along. Then I realized those fuckers on my homeplanet just wanted me gone so bad they didn’t even care enough to kill me if I failed to take over Earth.” 

Cassandra rarely speaks of her homeplanet, but to Alucard her past of being raised solely as a weapon hit a little too close to home, it made him sympathetic to her in a way many wouldn’t be, and vice versa. Their understanding of each other was something they couldn’t quite explain. 

“Cassandra…” Hanzou looked at her imploringly. Then they leapt up and threw their arms around her shoulders, nearly knocking her off her (stolen) beach chair. 

“Han-! Hey-! W-what are you doing?” Cassandra’s face had gone about as red as their hair. 

“I’m happy you came here even if it was to destroy us all,” Hanzou still held onto her. “Without you I’m not sure where I’d be now.” 

Cassandra’s wide-eyed shock was almost cute, they patted Hanzou’s back a few times awkwardly.

“Who knew someone from an entirely different planet would be able to make us feel like we have a place on this one.” Alucard said. He had his own gratitude to her, and she knew that.

“Alucard…” Hanzou said. They let go of Cassandra to hug him next, pinning his arms by his sides so he could only half-hug back awkwardly. “You’re so right.”

“That was kinda poetic, Al.” Cyclops agreed. 

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Oh come on he says stupid philosopical shit all the time.” 

They all looked at her. Cassandra blinked. 

“Whatever, thanks for… being my friends,” they grumbled, looking down at the sandy ground. “I’m sorry I tried to manipulate you guys at first.”

She’s expressed this shame before, after Pico talked her down from carrying out her plans, but this was an apology all on her own without him to guide her through it. 

“Oh yeah,” Hanzou said, as if they’d entirely forgotten that detail, “You did do that.”

“Yeah that’s why I’m surprised you idiots still like me.” Cassandra’s expression soured. “I tricked you all into almost going along with a scheme that would get you fucking killed yet here you fucking are.”

“A scheme you called off before you even did it. You’re a better person than you think.” Alucard said gently. 

“But what if I’m not? You don’t fucking know, I could be manipulating you right now.” Cassandra said.

Alucard shrugged, “Maybe so. But I trust you.” 

He exchanged an expectant look with Cyclops, who nodded along in agreement.

“I also trust ya,” Cyclops said.

“Me too!” Hanzou added.

Cassandra looked like a deer caught in headlights, red eyes wide and wavering almost like they might tear up. That would be a momentous occasion, Cassandra crying in front of them. 

“That’s stupid,” they said, Then they let out a small laugh, “Thanks...” 

“Group hug!” Hanzou piled onto Cassandra again, reaching out to grab Cyclops by the front of his shirt, who in turn wrapped an arm around Alucard’s shoulder to pull him into the pile. Alucard found himself mostly sandwiched between Cyclops’ side and Cassandra, whose head only came up to his chest height, though her horns could stick him in the face if he didn’t watch it. 

“Ack-! Han that was my fuckin’ foot!” Cassandra yelped.

“Sorry…!”

It’s a little chaotic, as they all tend to be, but it’s comfortable and by the time they all separated and sat back down Alucard already missed the warmth. 

At least the night was pleasant, there’s not a lot of stars due to the lights of the nearby city and the boardwalk, the ferris wheel in the distance glimmered with a lightshow and just over the sound of the waves were the delighted yells of the night time carnival ride goers, the kind of summer night that would be romanticized as endless. 

He crossed his arms tightly over himself against the chilled breeze that blew from over the ocean. Even the fire didn’t entirely help, Alucard had buttoned his shirt all the way up, wishing he’d brought a sweater, in his sleepiness this morning he’d forgotten. 

Cyclops’ leather jacket landed in his lap.

“Ya look a bit cold,” he said quietly. 

“Won’t you be cold?” Alucard asked.

“Nah. ‘M fine.” Cyclops’ sheepish smile widened as Alucard pulled on the jacket. The leather was soft from years of wear and carried the dizzying scent of Cyclops’ hairspray and cologne. It was also much too big in the shoulders, swallowing Alucard’s slight frame, not that he minded at all. He liked that the sleeves cover his hands.

“Thanks Cyril,” he said softly.

Cassandra shot Alucard an almost pained look, eyebrows raised, which Alucard didn’t acknowledge. The exhaustion finally seemed to be catching up with him, dragging his entire body down with it. 

Cyclops shifted closer so that his shoulder pressed against him, inviting Alucard to practically collapse against him. There’s a bit of an ache in his chest as he rested his cheek on Cyclops’ shoulder, half listening to Hanzou and Cassandra chatter and laugh. It almost feels like it’s not allowed, like he’s taking something that doesn’t belong to him.

But Cyclops softened against him, arms crossed over his chest and leaning his own head against Alucard’s, he’s so warm and occasionally he laughs along to something and it rumbles in his throat; a sense of comfort washed over Alucard, and he closed his eyes. 

Some time later he awoke to Cyclops gently nudging him awake and saying it was time to go, and some time later he fell asleep on the ratty couch in Cassandra’s apartment, Cyclops’ jacket draped over him like a blanket. 

Alucard decided to join Hanzou on campus to meet their professor for their summer class. Some students milled around for the summer semester, but it was far less crowded than usual as they crossed the central hub of campus, a grassy sprawl of crisscrossed sidewalks that lead to the red brick collegiate buildings, the student union center and the library. 

Hanzou paused to wave. 

“Darnell!” They called, “Nene!”

“Hiii!” Nene called back from across the lawn enthusiastically, pulling Darnell along toward them. Darnell towers over her, and his baggy jeans and tank top contrasted Nene’s perfectly coordinated and accessorized all-pink outfit. It’s almost funny to see them side by side, especially without Pico to balance them out. 

“Hey, where’s the other half of your posse?” Darnell asked. 

“Working.” Alucard said. 

“Oh yeah,” Nene mused aloud, “Cyclops owes me a free coffee.”

“For what?” Hanzou asked. 

“Nothing, I’m literally a cute girl and want free coffee,” Nene giggled. 

“I dunno Nene, not sure Cyclops is won over by cute girls,” Darnell said with a laugh. “Maybe if you were a cute guy…”

Alucard pushed away the odd little feeling in his chest from that comment. 

Nene puffed out her cheeks indignantly, “No, omg I mean like he totally has good taste and will give me a coffee cuz we’re like, fave color besties. You wouldn’t get our bond, Dar.”

“Sure, sure,”  Darnell said, “So uh, wait. What about Cassandra? They’re also working right now?”

“Yeah? Why?” Alucard replied. 

“Fuck, we were wondering if they’d heard anything from Pico, he hasn’t been answering us.” Nene said, a graveness taking the usual sparkle from her tone. “And we texted his cousin Otis and he’s heard nothing either.”

“What? Seriously? For how long?” Hanzou asked.

“Almost, like, two whole days,” Nene said, “We weren’t sure if we should be worried yet, he sometimes isolates himself, but yknow...” 

“We could ask Cass,” Hanzou said. “I hope he’s okay.”

“Us too,” Darnell said, shoving his hands into his pockets. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, clearly agitated but not giving it away with his tone like Nene was. They’re so close with Pico, it’d be the same if one of the other Gothpunks disappeared with no communication, Alucard would be beside himself with worry. 

“I think he and Boyfriend broke up for real this time,” Nene said, like she was passing on some highly classified information.

“Oh…” Hanzou  turned to Darnell. “That’s right, last week you said they were in the middle of a fight.”

“Yep,” Darnell said. “I think it finally got ‘em. Rumors have already started flyin’.”

“Yeah, one of Boyfriend’s fans in my class asked me if Boyfriend was really single now,” Nene said. 

“You think they’ll stay friends?” Hanzou asked.

“I dunno, I can’t imagine they’ll hate each other,” Darnell said.

“Don’t be silly Dar, how many people can really stay friends with an ex?” Nene asked. 

“Not every breakup has to be messy,” he countered.

“Well if Pico hasn’t talked to you about it I don’t imagine he talked to Cass,” Alucard said.

Nene and Darnell looked at each other. 

“We figured Cass might be the only other person who mighta spoken to Pico recently. They’re pretty close.” Darnell said. 

“Mmhmm they sure are close. ” Nene giggled. 

Alucard raised an eyebrow. “They are.” 

He was no better than Hanzou when it came to trying to squeeze gossip out of people.

“Do you also think they’re into each other?” Nene asked conspiratorially. “Don’t tell either of them I said that.”

“You think so?” Hanzou asked. 

“We’re sworn to secrecy,” Alucard said, raising a hand. “And it’s hard to say… Cass is allergic to emotions other than bloodlust and anger.”

Hanzou snorted. Of course, Alucard knew better than to offer anything other than a vague nonanswer, his loyalty to Cassandra meant he’d sooner lie than reveal her secrets. And if he did, they’d probably kill him anyway. 

“C’mon Nene at least give Pico some time to chill before you start trying to play matchmaker,” Darnell said, clearly tired. “He and Boyfriend were together for years, let him enjoy the single life for a bit.”

“ Fine ,” Nene sighed dramatically. “But there’s nothing else going on, you aren’t even dating- ”

“‘M not interested.” 

“ I know . And neither that cute guy from my English class or the record store girl even know I exist!” Nene said, squeezing her cheeks with the palms of her hands. “Pico is our only source of boy drama and I need boy drama!”

Then she looked at Hanzou like a cat watching a bird. 

“I don’t suppose you have boy drama.” 

Hanzou raised their hands, pleading innocence. “A-ah! I’m not really someone people get crushes on, so I have no love life.” 

Darnell tried to interject, “C’mon how would you know-?” 

“You’re a total cutie, Hanzou! I’m sure there’s tons of people who’d love to date you.” Nene said, grinning.

“That’s not true-!” From the look of the upper part of Hanzou’s face that wasn’t covered by their mask, they’d gone beet red.

“Is too! I could totally picture you with someone kinda cool on the outside but a total nerd on the inside. Someone who will watch anime with you as a date, y’know? Like Darnell. He’s into that.” Nene said, gesturing to him with her thumb. “And maybe tall, like really tall.”

“Hey-!” Darnell protested, having gone a bit red himself. Hanzou fidgeted with a keychain on their bag, avoiding everyone's eyes.

“I-I-”

Alucard gave Hanzou an apologetic smile, they really looked like their soul had left their body. 

“Don’t pressure them,” Darnell said, “not everyone wants to just date for the hell of it.” 

Nene smirked. “Right. Maybe they want more of a connection . Don’t you think, Darnell ?”

“As a matter of fact, I do think some people wanna date someone they already have feelings for. It just makes sense.” 

“You know I’m still right here,” Hanzou flailed. Now it was Darnell’s turn to give them an apologetic smile. 

“Sorry Han, ignore her.” he said, patting their shoulder.

Nene huffed. “Ugh! No fun allowed!” 

She twirled her hair before continuing, “Guess we wait and see what happens with Pico then.”

“Hey, what about Alucard?” Hanzou protested, the traitor. 

“No, I’m good thanks-” Alucard answered.

“I thought he and Cyclops were like, a thing. That’s not juicy news.” Nene said dismissively. Alucard’s face felt too warm almost instantly. 

Hanzou started laughing, a good natured laugh but a laugh nonetheless. Alucard had half a mind to shake them around with his telekinesis.

“Cyril and I are friends ,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Awww seriously? I could have sworn… but you two would be so cute together though,” Nene drawled, clearly disappointed. 

This made Alucard tense. Was it that obvious? 

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Hanzou exclaimed. Now it was Alucard’s turn for his soul to leave his body. 

“You’ve never said that,” Alucard said, the nerves creeping into his voice despite his best efforts.

“Okay but I’ve thought it,” Hanzou said. 

“I’ve thought that too,” Darnell added. 

“And me three!” Nene giggled. 

The rising pressure of his powers pressed at the back of his skull and it took everything in Alucard to suppress a pulse of psychic energy. He wouldn’t know the strength of it and that scared him.

Nene grinned, “Seriously I really though- like you two just make so much sense-”

“Sometimes people are just friends! That’s it !” Alucard exclaimed, despite himself. His jacket billowed behind him and his hair ruffled in a synthetic rush of wind, a controlled enough release of telekinesis.

All three of their expressions dropped, especially Nene and Darnell’s, and Alucard realized that they might fear him. They didn’t know his restraint. Shame bubbled up bitter in the back of his throat.

“Sorry Al, we were just teasing you a bit,” Hanzou said. 

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to make you feel weird.” Nene said. Darnell offered an apologetic smile.

“It’s fine.” Alucard said quickly, just hoping the conversation would end. His outburst was mortifying already. 

“Yknow we gotta go, I can’t miss office hours,” Hanzou said. 

“Right, so do we,” Darnell said. 

“Tell Cass to text us!” Nene said. “And if you can get intel on her feelings for Pico…” 

“Just make sure Pico is okay. I’m sure Cass will wanna make sure he’s okay too.” Alucard said.

“And let us know if you hear from him,” Hanzou said, “Dar, text me.” 

“Will do,” Darnell said, grinning a toothy grin until Nene elbowed him in the ribs with a mischievous, knowing smile. By then, Hanzou and Alucard were out of earshot. 

“Well… I can still make office hours,” Hanzou said, trotting alongside Alucard toward the other side of campus. Alucard hummed in response, still stewing in his embarrassment. Hanzou continued.

“D’you think Pico and Boyfriend really broke up?” they asked, “Man that would be crazy, they’re like the couple. It’s hard to imagine them not together.” 

Alucard shrugged. “I don’t know. I believe it.” 

“ You do?”

“There’s some pretty strong evidence. Cass says Pico never talks about Boyfriend when they hang out, and we rarely see him with Pico anyway.”

“Ah, so some of the rumors make sense. I’ve heard Boyfriend’s been seen hanging out with some girl a lot. She’s apparently really hot too.”

“Really?” Now Alucard was a bit shocked. “Interesting.” 

“Yeah. Huh… well if those two can’t stay together, not sure what hope the rest of us have,” Hanzou said, dejected. 

“Don’t say that, break ups happen. We don’t know, maybe it’s good for them,” Alucard said. “If it’s even true that’s what happened.”

“I guess…” Hanzou dropped that conversation, leaving a heaviness in the air. They tended to be sensitive when it came to the topic of relationships, being someone who’s never really had one before, and they were self conscious about it. Alucard could understand. 

“Hey… after this do you want to go to the comic book store? I’ve been meaning to see if I can get Shiver .” Alucard asked. Hanzou perked up immediately. 

“Yeah! Let’s go!” They launched into a bouncy explanation on the manga they hoped to pick up, quelling the soured mood almost immediately. 

Alucard mulled over the conversation, trying to piece together what he’d tell Cassandra, if anything. If Nene and Darnell somehow had it wrong and Pico and Boyfriend were still together, he didn’t want to put a false rumor into Cassandra’s head. It wasn’t any of his business what was going on with Pico, but he didn’t want Cassandra getting hurt for no reason.

Chapter Text

Alucard arrived at the riverside first, the place was deserted except for the sound of the water rushing over rocks. The old broken bridge looked as it always did, wood silvery from exposure to the elements, splintered and plastered in pale lichens. 

It’s the height of summer, the air was damp and hot and barely tolerable even in the shade. He and the rest of the Punks had to work around various work schedules and summer classes to find the time to hang out, but they managed most days, which got Alucard out of his room. Last week they crashed a 4th of July barbecue and stole some jello shots and set off questionable totally not tampered fireworks. 

A rustle of leaves turned Alucard’s attention to the treeline, and Hanzou emerged, pushing branches and bramble aside haphazardly, strangely conspicuous for someone who hides in the shadows and sneaks around for the fun of it. As they approached, Alucard noticed their arm guards and belt looked plastic with visible seams from manufacturing, like it’d been bought at a cheap costume store, certainly not the quality of Hanzou’s usual hand-built ninja gear. 

“Ohayo Alucard!” they waved cheerfully. 

“Hey-” 

Cyclops came into view from along the side of the trail next, but his mohawk-mullet hairstyle dyed a very strange shade of radioactive green. Not an entirely horrible look, but his hair had been pink just yesterday. 

“Cyril? Your hair?” Alucard asked, dumbfounded.

“Huh? Oh ya like it?” Cyclops grinned. “Thought I’d change it up a little, since I’ve had pink hair since high school.” 

“It- looks nice?” It’s weird. But if Cyclops wanted to change his look Alucard certainly wouldn’t protest. He’s still handsome. But pink is just so… Cyclops. He never mentioned wanting another color.

“Thanks!” 

Hanzou didn’t even comment, instead they scanned the trees until their eyes lit up, and they waved. 

“Oh Cassandra~!” 

The person who approached them was not Cassandra Koneitzko. 

Aside from the signature bright red horns and messy hair this Cassandra looked more like what you’d get as a search result if you googled ‘goth gf’, with a tight cropped shirt to show a red gem belly ring, short pleather skirt and fishnets. Cassandra hates tight clothes, and skirts for that matter. 

“Hey losers.” But that was their raspy voice, it’s unmistakable.

“Hi Cassandra,” Hanzou and Cyclops chirped back in chorus, completely unfazed. It’s one thing for Cyclops to change his signature hair color, but Cassandra changing their entire clothing style at the same time? Cyclops for sure would say something snarky, but right now he was… admiring her with a hungry look in his eye. And if Hanzou had a tail they’d be wagging it like a puppy as they clung to Cassandra’s arm.

Alucard took a step back, a deep unsettled fear coiled in his chest. Whoever these people are, they’re not his friends. 

“Alucard?” Cassandra turned her attention to him, eyes half-lidded. He took another step back, almost stepping on Cyclops’ boot, heart thudding in his chest. For a split second he thought to use his powers, but he couldn’t be sure they still weren’t his friends in some capacity. Possession? Mind control? 

Flight response kicked in, and Alucard ran into the woods, regretting his choice of wearing his usual platform boots as he stumbled over tree branches. Behind him, his ‘friends’ chased him through the undergrowth, calling out to him.

“C’mon Alucard~!”

“What’s wrong, Alucard?”

“Alucard, wait up!” 

Alucard grabbed a tree behind him with his telekinesis and, after a quick mental apology to nature, toppled it to the ground in hopes it would stop or at least slow them. The shout that sounded all too close to Hanzou sent a shiver down his spine and he almost, almost turned back. 

“Al!” 

He startled and looked ahead, seeing a shock of bright red hair up ahead. He slowed, cautious. This Cassandra struggled against the bars of an odd bear trap, long rib-like metal filaments, that set atop spider-like, robotic legs. 

Alucard approached her carefully, her t-shirt and cargo pants were covered in dirt and leaves and torn in some places, like she’d been in a fight. Despite this Alucard sighed in relief, this was the real Cassandra.

“Thank fuck you’re here- ow! Fuck!” Cassandra swore. The tips of the metal bindings were sharp and looked like they dug into her. 

“Hold on, what the- ouch!” Alucard tried to pry one of the metal bindings away and nearly cut his hands. 

“Agh! Fuck, it fuckin’ hurts right? Ow, these things are stabbing me!” 

Alucard focused his telekinesis on the metal and slowly, slowly, pried the cage-like filaments apart, feeling the strain in his head like he would in his muscles if he were doing it physically.

“Agh! Oof-!” Cassandra scampered out, and Alucard released his psychic hold, but the metal stayed open. 

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“I’m, ugh I’m bleeding a bit but whatever. We gotta get Han, they got got first n’ when I tried to save ‘em this fucking thing got me!” 

Cassandra kicked one of the metal legs with a metallic clang that seemed to reverberate through their body. They swore and grabbed at their foot. 

“I’m gonna destroy this fucking thing-!” she reached into her pockets, her pocket dimension, and rummaged around. 

“Fucking dropped my gun! Dammit!” she raged. Then she pulled out Cyclops’ revolver. “Whatever, I’m usin’ Cy’s shit peashooter.” 

Alucard held up his hands, “Cass wait-”

They shot at the metal contraption and the screech of the bullet reverberated through the forest. 

“I heard somethin’ over there!” Cyclops’ voice boomed through the underbrush, luckily at a distance it seemed. Cassandra whipped around toward his voice.

“That Cy?” 

“No, it’s not,” Alucard grabbed Cassandra’s sleeve. “C’mon.”

“Han’s gotta be somewhere this way,” Cassandra charged ahead, hopping over a moss covered log that’d seemed to have been crushed just recently. Several trees had splintered stubs where branches had been, and those limbs littered the forest floor.

“So you both got captured? Was there anyone around?” Alucard asked.

“No,” Cassandra said, “We were walking and Hanzou walked into this… thing in the ground. It closed around them like a fuckin’ trap. I pulled out my gun then got fucking trapped too. Fuckin’ stupid.” 

“And it was just you two? Because at the meeting spot there was-”

“Guys!” Hanzou’s voice sounded from above them. Hanging from a tree, another one of those spider-like contraptions clung to a large branch, Hanzou trapped in the metal bars. 

“Han!” Cass shouted back.

The metal spider started to crawl down the branch, then it made a leap onto a neighboring tree with a sharp crack of wood beginning to splinter, and it started scampering away from them. 

Alucard threw a hand out in front of him, grabbing hold of the spider and Hanzou in a bubble of purple psychic energy. 

“Cass, when I pull this thing apart, reach in and grab them,” he instructed. Cassandra nodded. Alucard pulled his hand back as if pulling an invisible rope with the spider on the other end, it came careening toward them through the air. It crashed into the ground, snapping two of the spindly metal legs and causing Hanzou to shout in pain. 

“Sorry,” Alucard focused on prying the trap open, but quickly realized the metal tips of the filaments had buried much deeper into Hanzou’s skin than they had to Cassandra, and they hissed in pain. 

“I’m gonna have to get those out, brace yourself Han,” Alucard said. He could be precise when he needed to be, delicately holding the metal pieces in threads of psychic energy from his fingertips and tugging them out as cleanly as he could, one by one. Cassandra grabbed Hanzou and dragged them out to safety. 

“Owww…” 

Alucard and Cassandra crouched in front of them, taking in the damage. There were holes in their clothes where the metal ribs had pierced into them, and now blood started to darken the frayed edges of the fabric. 

“Are you okay?” Alucard unwrapped some of the bandages around Hanzou’s forearms and started to carefully re-wrap them around their wounds.

“I think so… thanks. Ow that stung.” Hanzou pulled down their mask to wipe their mouth. They sat still and let Alucard bandage them, while Cassandra surveyed the area.

“What the fuck are those damn things?” she seemed to be thinking aloud, and Alucard let her be.

“Can you stand?” Alucard secured one last bandage around their waist and smoothed their hair back. Their face had a sickly pallor to it, they hadn’t even put their mask back on. 

“I’m not sure… ugh I’m dizzy.” 

“I’ll carry ‘em,” Cassandra hoisted Hanzou up to carry them piggyback. “ Fuck, I wish we had our stupid musclehead, this is usually his job.” 

Cyclops . The mounting sense of dread in his chest heightened, especially after Hanzou’s injuries. 

“Have you seen Cyril?”

“No, have you?” 

“I saw… not exactly.” Alucard said. “Look, you guys aren’t going to believe me but someone tried to replace you with these…doppelgangers.” 

“What? Seriously?” Cassandra raised an eyebrow, “Al there’s no fucking way.”

“I know what I saw.” Alucard said, “And we need to find Cyril, he’s probably also in one of these things too.” 

“Fuck, can you use your powers?” 

“To find him?” 

“Use your gaydar.” 

Alucard frowned and scanned the underbrush. Cassandra shifted her weight from one foot to another, Hanzou draped over her back with their arms clasped over her shoulders. 

“Let’s head toward all those fucked up branches,” she said. Alucard nodded and followed her lead, his hands tingled with psychic energy, like his fingers at a hair trigger ready to strike if needed. Other than their own footsteps it’s silent, no birds, no rustling, not even other voices from the clones, wherever they had gone. There was no breath of relief to be had though, not with Cyclops missing. 

A metallic crunch sounded from up ahead, and Alucard snapped forward, past Cassandra.

Another spider device, hobbling along over the rocky soil of a nearby clearing with one of its legs snapped off at the joint. Cyclops was curled up, motionless, the metal ribs seemed to dig deep along his back and arms, some blood trickled down his biceps. 

Alucard didn’t think. He immediately reached out and grabbed the spider device with his telekinesis, yanking it closer like he’d lassoed it in. With far more force than he intended, he snapped the metal ribs with one furious psychic burst and threw them aside, blood splattered onto nearby leaves. 

“Geez,” Cassandra grinned manically, “I like this Al.”

“Cyril,” Alucard rushed toward him and tugged at the remaining metal pieces in his skin, grimacing at how deep they’d been buried. Cyclops was unconscious, Alucard shakily pressed the pads of his fingers at his neck, braced for the worst.

A pulse pushed at his fingertips, and Alucard sighed in relief and nearly sat back on the ground as if the release of fear had physically dropped him. But he needed to get Cyclops completely off the trap and his wounds tended to. They were far worse than Cassandra and Hanzou’s.

“What the fuck?” Cassandra crouched, Hanzou still clinging to their back like a spider monkey. She picked up a discarded piece of the metal rib-like appendages that’d been holding Cyclops down. 

“It’s hollow. They’re like fucking giant syringe needles,” they said, turning it over in their hands, covering them in Cyclops’ blood. This discovery sent a chill up Alucard’s spine.

“Do you think they were… injecting something? Siphoning blood out?” Which was scarier, he didn’t know. 

“Who fuckin’ knows. Yeesh,” Cassandra dropped the piece of metal and wiped her bloody hands on their pants. 

“Help me move him,” Alucard couldn’t pick him up for sure. 

“Use your powers?”

“Right.” His heartbeat rushed in his ears, he was almost too shaky to focus enough on enveloping Cyclops in the gentle purple glow of his aura and lifting him off the wrecked spider device, setting him gently on the ground, his head on Alucard’s lap.

“Cyril,” he murmured, not even bothering to mask the concern, the fear, in his tone. Cassandra crouched beside him.

“He’s gonna be ok.” Cassandra said, almost like she needed to convince herself too.

“Ugh…” Cyclops stirred, a grimace crossing his face as he tried to move his head slightly. Then his eye opened, glazed over for a second before sliding closed again. 

“Hey,” Alucard breathed, leaning closer. 

“Alucard…” Cyclops opened his eye again. “‘M okay- I- ughh.” 

He pulled himself to sit upright with a strained groan in pain, Alucard held his shoulders to try and keep him upright. 

“What the fuck happened?” Cyclops groaned.

Alucard sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day already. 

“I couldn’t even begin to explain-”

“There they are!” Hanzou’s voice, but from far away. Cassandra startled, leaping to their feet and letting Hanzou tumble off them, but luckily they only stumbled a little onto the ground. They hadn’t said anything, they were barely conscious until Cassandra dropped them. 

“Hwha-?”

The leaves above them rustled and a figure hopped down from the branches, landing in front of them with an ungraceful thud. 

“Huh…?”

The person facing them was unmistakable, Hanzou. Same height, same lean muscular build, but that terrible cheap ninja outfit. 

The real Hanzou startled. “What the fuck ?” 

“Why’s this weirdo cosplayin’ Hanzou?” Cyclops asked.

“Badly! That armor looks terrible!” Hanzou exclaimed, distressed. They certainly were awake now, their eyes filled with terrified confusion.

“Okay I’ll admit, I didn’t believe you about the doppelgangers,” Cassandra said to Alucard, who rolled his eyes. He’d have his I Told You So later.

Cyclops made a face. “The what -?”

“That’s not very sugoi of you!” The fake Hanzou protested.

“Ew what the fuck,” Hanzou repeated, disgusted. Cassandra snorted.

“Damn Han! They’re like a worse you.”

“Found Alucard~!” Fake Hanzou called. 

“Good, but it looks like the rest of ‘em escaped too. Lemme bash their heads in for ya,” the Fake Cyclops’ gruff voice boomed from nearby, dripping with a sadistic glee that normally would send a thrill down Alucard’s spine. The actual Cyclops startled as fake green hair Cyclops emerged to join his awful counterpart. 

“Arigathanks Cyclops.” Fake Hanzou said, making poor Hanzou cringe.

“Woah Cy, this guy fucked up the most important part of your look!” Cassandra howled with laughter. “Green hair?!” 

Cyclops seethed. “Shut the fuck up!” 

“Woah pink? That’s kinda gay.” The fake Cyclops said. Cyclops’ face went red. 

“Yeah and? Are we gonna have a problem or am I gonna haveta pummel your poser ass into the fuckin’ dirt?”

Fake Cyclops scoffed. “Poser? You’re callin’ ME a poser, poser?” 

“Fight, fight, fight!” Cassandra heckled them, nearly about to fall over from laughter. 

Alucard tried, “I wouldn’t-” 

“And what’re you laughin’ at?” 

Cassandra’s cackling died instantly at the sound of her own voice. Her double emerged next, smiling wildly at the sight of her original. Despite the running around she still looked perfect, her fishnets weren’t even ripped.

“Is that supposed to be me?” Cassandra balked. “Shit, I’m hot.” 

“More like you’re the sloppy version of me, ugh!” Fake Cassandra said. Despite her voice the way she talked was far different than Cassandra, using a more mean-girls type speech pattern than Cassandra’s rougher stoner cadence.

“Please, you’re just some sexy knockoff of me ,” Cassandra hissed.

“Knockoff?” Fake Cassandra said smugly. “Or an improvement? I bet Pico will be happy to see I’ve updated my look when I see him next.”

Cassandra’s expression dropped, then filled with an explosive rage. 

“What the fuck do you mean by that?!” They retorted. 

“You said it yourself, you’d fuck me.” Fake Cassandra purred.

“Yeah I would…” Fake Hanzou interjected. These clones were getting less and less uncanny and more and more like bad parody by the second. The real Hanzou looked nauseous.

“Okay this is fuckin’ weird.” Cyclops said, “I dunno who ya assholes are but yer fuckin’ dead.”

“We can introduce ourselves,” The Fake Cyclops stepped forward, “‘M Cyril Barker, ‘m twenty-one ‘nd my favorite color is green. I also love listenin’ to the Sex Pistols. How’d I do?”

Alucard would almost laugh if it weren’t so bizarre, the only correct information there was his name and age.

“Terrible! I haven’ listened to the Sex Pistols since high school, ‘nd my favorite color is pink.” Cyclops growled. 

“Me next!” Fake Hanzou hopped up and down ““Konnichiwa, I’m Hanzou Hinata! I’m twenty and I like anime and video games!”

“I mean… I guess that’s true but you make it sound bad somehow.” Hanzou said, crossing their arms defensively.

Fake Cassandra was next. “Cassandra Konietzko, twenty, my favorite band is KMFDM and I love all my boys.”

Cyclops let out a short laugh, even though it was really weird to see Fake Cassandra practically hanging on Fake Cyclops’ arm. The real Cassandra looked almost more sick than Hanzou.

“Alucard Godwin. Twenty. I have psychic powers.”

A new doppelganger had arrived. Alucard blinked in disbelief, the weirdest coil of dread and disgust in the pit of his stomach. Those were his round sunglasses and dark mane of curly hair, but this fake stood around Hanzou’s height, about five foot six versus the real his own six feet tall and his skin wasn’t a cold blue, it was bright purple.

“What the fuck are you doing here Alucard? You were supposed to wait until we captured the fake one!” Fake Cassandra hissed. 

“I… thought I could help.”

“By stammerin’ over a sentence for so long they fall asleep maybe.” Fake Cyclops scoffed. Fake Alucard shrunk back. 

An awful little wrench in Alucard’s chest made his expression falter for a split second. Even knowing that wasn’t the real Cyclops talking, it still hurt to hear him speak like that. At him. But it’s not him. But it is.

Next to him, the real Cyclops clenched his teeth. 

“The fuck was that?” he advanced toward his own clone, getting right in his face.

“What?”

“Ya have no right treatin’ Al like that,” he said lowly. “I was gonna suggest ya fuckin’ run before I make ya but now I got no choice n’ nothin’s gonna save ya.”

Alucard could barely register the threat before Cyclops lunged at his double, swinging a right hook and just barely grazing Fake Cyclops’ jaw, not quite a solid blow. 

“Whoa buddy,” Fake Cyclops held his hands up, a shit-eating grin spread on his face.

“I ain’t your buddy, pal.”

“Hey wait-! Cyril -!” Fake Hanzou butted in between the two Cyclops’. 

“ You don’t call me that.” Cyclops said, swatting them aside with ease. Alucard used his powers to pull him back.

“Cyril, hold on,” he said firmly. As much as he’d love to watch Cyclops get his knuckles bloody for his dignity, some tact might be in order. Oddly, Cyclops relented and took a step back without any struggled against the psychic hold. 

“Will you idiots fucking chill?” Fake Cassandra said. The other poser punks went stiff, as if possessed. 

“Yes Cassandra,” Fake Cyclops said obediently. It was the single most unCyclops thing Alucard had ever seen.  

“Yes Cassandra,” Fake Hanzou and Fake Alucard parroted. A heart popped up on Fake Hanzou’s visor and they looked at Fake Cassandra like she was the sun. Alucard almost physically recoiled.

“This is so creepy,” Hanzou said. 

“I wanna kick the shit outta this Dollskill lookin’ bitch.” Cassandra snarled, pounding her fist into her palm.

“I’d like to see ya try!” Fake Cyclops surged forward, teeth bared. Cassandra slipped around him and landed a hit at his throat with her elbow. He stumbled, seized almost like he’d been electrocuted, his limbs bent almost unnaturally stiff for a split second before jerking back to life. Cassandra hissed in pain.

“Geez this Cy is like hitting a brick wall… of all details to get fuckin’ right.”

Alucard barely avoided a punch from the Fake Cassandra, if Cyclops hadn’t pulled him in by the waist he’d be hit. Fake Cassandra stumbled with the momentum and Hanzou leapt at her to keep her from trying to land another hit.

“Careful!” Cyclops withdrew his arm from around Alucard sheepishly, and even amidst the chaos Alucard wished Cyclops would just keep holding him close. 

Hanzou had Fake Cassandra struggling in an armbar, as she tried to escape a TEC-9 with an upside down cross etched into the handle fell off her hip and onto the ground.

“My gun!” she exclaimed.

“That’s my gun!” Cassandra said, snatching it and twirling it in her hands with ease. 

“Hanzou baby, let me go and you’ll be able to do whatever you want with me~” Fake Cassandra purred. 

“This is so wrong…” Hanzou said miserably, though they didn’t let go.

Cyclops managed to land a strong hit to Fake Hanzou’s jaw with a sickening metallic crack that rang in Alucard’s ears. When the Fake Hanzou reeled, Cyclops grabbed the back of their scarf and pulled them in, landing another hit at the base of their head, and they crumpled to the ground. 

“Yes Cassandra,” their body twitched and reset. “Yes Cassandra.” They twitched again, stuck like a broken record. Cyclops kicked them, hard, and they went silent.

“They’re machines too…” Alucard realized aloud. He spun around as Fake Cyclops lunged at Cassandra, he had no weapons but he’s still massive compared to them, not that Cassandra was ever afraid of anything twice her size.

“Cass, hit the back of his neck.” Alucard said. If it worked on Fake Hanzou maybe it’ll work for all of them. Maybe that was the kill switch.

“Got it!” 

Cassandra hit Fake Cyclops’ kneecaps and used his shock to slip around him. She aimed her gun to the back of his neck and fired point blank. 

Alucard squeezed his eyes shut. He’s seen so much violence, his stomach for it is a bit stronger than it once was, but he couldn’t handle even a cheap clone of Cyclops getting his head blown off. 

Sounds of shock rose from his friends, and he opened his eyes. Fake Cyclops fell to the ground next to Fake Hanzou with a heavy thud, a hole driven in the back of his neck but no blood. It looked like how a bullet would pass through metal, not flesh. 

“Cyclops down! Haha!” Cassandra jeered.

“Shut the fuck up Cass.” Cyclops shouted. He tried to help Hanzou restrain Fake Cassandra, who for being based on Cassandra really didn’t have their bite. She seemed more interested in trying to get out of her bind by flirting, but neither the real Hanzou nor Cyclops would fall for that. 

“Hold still, this might pinch,” Cassandra whacked the back of Fake Cassandra’s neck with the butt of her gun, making her go limp in Hanzou’s hold. They immediately dropped her. 

“Augh, Cass, that was freaky!”

“What, that bimbo was fuckin’ nothing like me,” Cassandra said. “We aren’t even the same gender .”

“I know, but it’s too close to home,” Hanzou replied, shaken. 

That left the Fake Alucard. The Gothpunks all stood still, watching him. He only stood there, the long sleeves of his sweater covered his hands and he looked… scared.

Alucard looked at his unsettling double. Other than his off-color appearance, he also wasn’t a fighter, he’d been using Fake Hanzou as a human shield but without them seemed untethered. Alucard himself wasn’t much for fighting unless necessary either, he almost felt empathy for this odd little clone. 

“Oh this isn’t fair.” Hanzou said. 

“Tell me about it, not even I could fuckin’ hit Alucard,” Cassandra said, “It’s literally Alucard!” 

Cyclops said nothing and moved closer to the real Alucard and placed a hand on his upper arm, the touch sending a little jolt to Alucard’s fingertips. 

Alucard took a breath in. “Let me do it.”

He approached his clone carefully. It’s strange, facing himself, even if it wasn’t entirely accurate. Someone out there created this in his likeness, to replace him in his life, as if anyone wouldn’t notice. That’s almost insulting.

“You don’t actually have my powers, do you?” Alucard asked. 

“N-No…” Fake Alucard admitted.

“Why are you here?”

“I was only supposed to take your place,” Fake Alucard said. “But I can’t now.”

It’s a strange admission of defeat, a machine robbed of purpose. Alucard studied the clone. 

“Then I’m deactivating you,” he said. The clone didn’t resist at all, not when Alucard gathered some psychic energy into his hand and struck at the back of his neck. An electrical pulse coursed up Alucard’s arm and made his entire body shiver almost out of his own skin.

Fake Alucard fell face forward into the ground with a much heavier thud than a normal body would. For somewhat elaborate robots, they weren’t all that sophisticated. It was almost insulting, and rather than a nice day with his friends, Alucard had to deal with the existential dread, Hanzou and Cyclops were in bad shape, and all of them had to meet what felt like a bullies view of who they all were. 

Alucard glanced down at the false version of himself, and something caught his eye. On the back of Fake Alucard’s neck was the unmistakable falcon symbol, burned into the skin like a cattle brand. 

The giant spider-bot, the smaller trap spider-bots, now robotic clones? His father wasn’t an engineer or robotics expert, he was a neurosurgeon . This kind of robotics was not in his expertise, as far as Alucard knew anyway. But there were other scientists in the old photograph with his father. 

Alucard turned back to his friends. Hanzou and Cassandra’s expressions sobered and Cyclops looked a little sick. 

“That was maybe the worst clone,” Hanzou said.

“Yeah, wasn’ a fan a’ that one.” Cyclops said. As soon as Alucard rejoined them he moved closer, protectively.

“So… We’re just gonna fuckin’ leave ‘em here right?” Cassandra said.

“Yep, yeah, we’re gonna do that.” Hanzou agreed.

“Hold on,” Alucard knelt next to the Hanzou clone and started to unwind the bandages from their arms. “Cyril, I can dress your wounds.

“Oh uh…” Cyclops sounded hesitant but Alucard approached him, the bandages in hand and he didn’t protest. 

“Are those… safe?” Hanzou asked. 

“They’ll be fine temporarily,” Alucard said. He started wrapping some of the cloth around Cyclops’ bicep, muscular but shockingly soft to touch and Alucard couldn’t help but think about how nice those arms would feel around him right now. He tied that piece of cloth and tugged at it.

“Not too tight?”

“Nah…” Cyclops smiled, a bit dazed. Alucard studied him.

“I think you’ve lost a lot of blood, you’re pale,” he said. Cassandra made a “ppft!” noise from behind them, followed by the sound of metal creaking.

“Are ya seriously lootin’ your own bodies?” Cyclops asked, his eye fixed on a point over Alucard’s shoulder.

“Yeah? Why not?” Cassandra said.

“I kinda want my clone's headband, it's cute!” Hanzou said.

“Why’d they make me skinnier than me? Unrealistic body standards for men,” Cassandra griped. 

Alucard rolled his eyes and offered a small smile to Cyclops, who seemed to perk up immediately. 

“Uhm… my back is in bad shape,” he said. Most of the puncture wounds lined the sides of his back, just under his ribs and lower where his hips started. The blood stains weren’t too visible on the black fabric. 

“Yeah,” Alucard slipped behind him and lifted the hem of his tank top to get a better look. The wounds were not too deep, they probably didn’t hit anything important but Alucard shuddered to think of what would have happened if he were any later to save him. 

Cyclops held his shirt up so Alucard could gently wrap the bandages around his waist, sometimes his fingers would brush Cyclops’ skin and he itched to let the touch linger but he never did, not until he secured the bandages and tugged his shirt back down.

“That’ll have to do for now, Cyril, I just didn’t want the gross bloody fabric to make your wounds worse.” 

Cyclops turned around with a small smile, “Thanks Al.” 

“When you’re done playing fucking nurse, we gotta go,” Cassandra said, startling them both. Alucard rolled his eyes, though a bit embarrassed. 

“Hey, what if I was gonna bleed to death?” Cyclops said, indignantly crossing his arms and then wincing and slowly uncrossing them. 

“Careful-” Alucard started.

“Fucking whatever lets GO,” Cassandra started stomping away.

“Go where?” Hanzou already started following them, with Alucard and Cyclops behind them. 

“I dunno, not here. It sucks here. And I’m fucking hungry.” 

Alucard wondered if Cassandra was more shaken by all of this than she let on. 

Alucard stole a sidelong look at Cyclops, the dried blood on his arms and smeared on his collarbone and neck, his disheveled pink, not neon green, hair. He never thought he’d be so happy to see the color pink in his life. 

Some days later, at an ungodly hour in the early morning, Alucard got a text from Cassandra that she just got off work and was parked outside his house. He easily slipped out of the house without waking anyone, he’d had plenty of practice, and opened the door to Cassandra’s car. 

For a moment, she just drove without saying a word. Then she finally spoke. 

“So. Uh…” She barely stopped at a stop sign, “Pico’s single now.”

Alucard didn’t say anything, gauging Cassandra’s stark expression. Obviously this news comes as no shock, but even still it’s heavy in the air. 

“It’s been like a week, actually, I just- I didn’t know how to-” Cassandra paused. “He fuckin’ texted me outta nowhere at two AM askin’ to meet up, and this was after he’d gone AWOL for like a week ‘n everyone was fuckin’ freaking out, like Nene and Darnell were texting me cuz i guess he wasn’t talkin’ to them either. Fuckin’ mess.”

She sighed. 

“Anyway we met up and smoked a bowl and he kinda just unloaded. Said he an’ Boyfriend agreed to break up cuz they just weren’t workin’ anymore I guess. He’s takin’ it really hard though. And I don’t know how to help.”

They sounded so worried. Alucard wanted to reassure them.

“It’s hard, and I know it’s… complicated-” 

“What? Am I supposed to fuckin’ celebrate my friend going through a fuckin’ breakup?!” She growled. 

Alucard studied her, knowing to choose his words carefully. 

“I didn’t say that.”

Cassandra’s expression only soured further. “Hmph.”

“It’s fine to feel relieved. It’s hurt you for a while.” 

“Pfft! It’s fine!” Cassandra scoffed. After a moment they repeated, though much quieter. “…it’s fine.”

They parked their car in front of their apartment and turned off the ignition, sitting back in their seat with a heavy sigh. Alucard made no move to get out of the car, not even to unbuckle his seatbelt, watching Cassandra mull something over in their mind. She just needs a moment to collect her thoughts, and Alucard would grant her that much and more anyday.

When Cassandra finally spoke again her voice was low and gravelly, pressing something back. 

“Am I wrong for… being hopeful about it?”

Alucard blinked, a little shocked at such a vulnerable question.

“No.”

“I guess I’ll get to spend more time with him now,” Cassandra said, “He wants to hang out and get high tomorrow. Take his mind off things. I can’t tell if he wants to talk about it or not.”

Alucard shrugged. “It’s good that you’re there for him regardless, I’m sure he appreciates it.”

“Yeah that’s me, Emotional Support Cassandra.” She drawled sarcastically. 

“You’re his friend, that’s what counts.” Alucard said. At this Cassandra leaned back further, eyes trained on some indiscernible point in the sky through the dirty windshield, maybe at the sliver of moon left in the sky or the few stars not washed out by city lights. If Alucard were to look up he wasn’t sure if he’d see what Cassandra did, he’s never been beyond that sky like she has. 

“I’m not a human, what’s he really going to see in me?” Cassandra’s voice was hollow. 

Alucard blinked slowly, collecting his words. He feels that, and hearing it said twists somewhere deep in his chest. 

“You’re treated like any other human.”

Cassandra bolted upright. “But that’s the fuckin’ problem. I’m treated like a human cuz I look like one now, doesn’t fuckin’ mean I am one!” 

Alucard chewed on his lip, letting the words sink in. Cassandra turned away from him, clearly embarrassed from her outburst.

“…maybe that’s all it takes,” Alucard said, though he wasn’t entirely sure he believed himself. 

“They only fuckin’ do cuz they don’t know any better.” she still wasn’t looking at him, her face was in profile to him, her sharp features accentuated by the shadowy nighttime sky.

“But those of us who do know don’t mind, but I understand how you feel-” Alucard paused, the next sentence hanging on his tongue wanting to choke itself before he could speak it but something much stronger made the words spill out anyway. 

“I’m an experiment . My father had something to prove and turned me into a freak of nature for his own gain. It’s hard to feel human… like this.” His voice sounded mechanical, he almost didn’t believe it was his own. It’s an inescapable weight, something he sees every time he looks in the mirror, and he imagined Cassandra must feel the same.

He continued. “Is humanity a feeling or is it acceptance by other humans? Who is human enough to determine whether we are human enough?”

Cassandra tilted her head to the side. 

“Couldn’t you say a ‘human’ is something with human DNA? I’m an alien , I don’t have human DNA. I’m just taking the form of a human.” They said.

“And I have altered DNA that isn’t technically ‘human’ anymore,” Alucard said, “DNA is just the program that stores information and is designed to preserve itself, being human includes things that can’t be defined like memories or experiences.” 

“Some animals have memories,” Cassandra countered.

“Exactly,” Alucard said, “So being human is even more abstract than that. Who can prove humanity when neither science nor philosophy can explain it?” 

Cassandra held her head in her hands, “You’re fucking hurting my brain, Al.” 

“But you get what I mean. You take a human form and live among humans and partake in human experiences with them and they accept you as one of them. Isn’t that humanity?” 

“Okay smartypants,” Cassandra turned to him, frowning, her fangs sticking out over her bottom lip, “but what if it’s all a lie? I wake up one day and decide fuck it, I’m taking over the fucking planet for real this time and you’ll all be my peons when I establish Penillian new world order?” 

Alucard rolled his eyes. “You’re not gonna do that. You have a crush on a human boy and work at Taco Bell.”

“ Fuck off .” Cassandra growled. The pale lights that kept the parking lot cast in a sickly white glow filtered in through the car windows. Their frown had been replaced with a thoughtful sort of expression, like she was chewing on what he’d just said.

“Well, guess we’re in this shit together,” they said. “Two freaks both outta excuses now.”

“What do you mean?”

“What you fuckin’ said! If we’re livin’ human lives despite being …like this, then at least we aren’t alone.” 

She continued. “You may have blue skin and godlike superpowers but you’re a lanky goth motherfucker studying for a sociology degree and who’s been in love with the same man since high school.”

“What’s your point?” Alucard interrupted, how dare she mention Cyclops right now.

“Nothing. I just wanted to roast you back.” 

It was Alucard’s turn to frown, however he could deny none of it. 

Cassandra crossed her arms, clearly proud of herself. “Let’s go inside.” 

Alucard opened the passenger door and got out of the car, following Cassandra up the stairs to her apartment. Oddly, there was some sense of order and cleanliness to it, usually the coffee table and ratty couch were covered in fast food wrappers and empty cans of Monster. 

“Did you… tidy up?” Alucard asked, incredulous. 

“Nah, fuck no. Pico did,” Cassandra said, opening the fridge, “That’s what he did when he came over to tell me about Boyfriend, I think it was cathartic or somethin’ I don’t get it.”
“No, that makes sense.” Alucard said. “Cyril does the same thing when he’s upset.”

“Don’t say that oh my fucking fuck.” Cassandra punctuated her complaint with the pop of her opening a can of beer. 

“I assume you don’t want one,” they said. Alucard shook his head. He still doesn’t drink. Cassandra flopped onto the couch next to him and took a long sip of beer. 

“So, you’re in a weird situation,” Alucard ventured.

“Tell me about it,” Cassandra said. “Pico said he and Boyfriend wanna stay friends or some shit. They’ll be back together by fuckin’ Christmas.” 

“I thought you were hopeful,” Alucard said.

Cassandra frowned, “I fucking am. They need to sort their shit out then they’ll take each other back. I know Boyfriend is a fuckin’ moron but to let go of Pico ? He’d be a super fuckin’ moron. And Pico’s really upset, I want him to be happy-”

“C’mon you know Pico and Ex Boyfriend stayed together long past when that relationship ran its course. It was only a matter of time.”

“Ex Boyfriend,” Cassandra snorted. Then she started to laugh. “ Ex Boyfriend .”

“Ex Boyfriend.” Alucard repeated. Cassandra continued to laugh for a moment, almost spilling beer by crushing the can in their fist. 

Alucard turned to her. “I think you may have missed the poi-”

“They’ve been checked out from each other for a while, huh, looking back? And I just ignored it.” Cassandra said, with a short, forced laugh. Then she rested her chin in her hand. “I wanna fix it.”

Somewhere outside a siren blared, light from outside filtered through the blinds and cast white lines, like bars, over the carpet of the living room. Alucard stared at the Dio poster on the wall near the TV.

“You can’t fix it. At least not now. You just have to give it time.”

“Yeah that’s what I fuckin’ thought you’d say. But there has to be something. I hate it, Al, I fuckin’ hate it.” Defeat wrenched at Cassandra’s voice. 

“I know. It’s not fun to watch someone you care about hurt but he’s just going to have to work through it. The best you can do is be there for him.” Alucard said. “There’s no quick fix to these things.”

He knew not to add why he thought Pico wanted her specifically to be there for him. Cassandra would only continue to deny it until Pico looked her in the eye and said it himself. Alucard couldn’t say he was any different. 

“This emotional relationship bullshit is so hard!” Cassandra exclaimed, slamming her fist on the arm of the couch. “No wonder Penilians don’t do this crap, they’d never fucking get anything done.”

“Yeah well, you wanted to be a human. This is what it is.” Alucard said sardonically. “But it’ll be worth it.” 

He thought about Cyclops, how embarrassed and stupid he always thought his own feelings were, how cliched it is to be in love with one of your best friends. But he didn’t find Cassandra’s feelings for Pico cliched and dumb, and Pico is one of her closest friends now. He was rooting for them, he wanted this for Cassandra, as one of their best friends. And Cassandra was rooting for him too because, despite how she seems, she doesn’t think Alucard’s feelings are stupid. 

It’s proof of his humanity that he’s not above intense, even ridiculous, feelings, and there’s a sense of relief in that. 

That it’s all worth the experience, that’s what being a person is.

Cassandra grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Yeah, yeah. It fuckin’ better be.”

Chapter Text

Alucard sat in a metal folding chair facing a barrier of bulletproof glass. He kept his hands under the table and hidden in the oversized sleeves of his sweater, fidgeting with one of the rings on his fingers unconsciously, a phone receiver wedged between his shoulder and ear.

On the other side of the glass, a man with dark hair greying at the temples and an austere wrinkle in the center of his brow watched him with the same kind of distant appraisal as an art critic in a gallery. 

Dr. Vladimir Godwin, his father.

Alucard stiffened under his gaze, feeling for a moment like he were the one trapped behind the glass, a specimen under a petri dish.

“Alastair, it’s so good to see you. You finally took the time to visit your dear old father.” Dr. Godwin’s voice had the same smooth quality of Alucard’s but with a lilt of insincerity that hung on each word. Almost too gentle, like he was talking to a pet.

“ Alucard ,” Alucard corrected, obstinate. He’s not here for old times' sake, he stopped visiting shortly after his eighteenth birthday when it became clear he could never forge a relationship beyond continuing to be a research specimen. Once he tried to explain how it made him feel, clumsily with only the language of being a teenager who wanted his father’s love, and his father took it as an attack on his character. He hadn’t returned since.

“How are your powers developing? Have you been doing your exercises? Have you mastered teleportation yet?” His father went right ahead with the questions. Despite knowing he would, a tiny part of Alucard had hoped that maybe, maybe after a few years his father would apologize, maybe try to see him as a person . A little shard of disappointment dug into the back of his chest, and he felt stupid for even getting his hopes up.

“No,” Alucard said. 

“No,” Dr. Godwin repeated, deep in thought. “That’s all the information you have for me? Surely something must have happened in the last few years.”

Alucard met his father’s eyes, piercing icy blue very unlike the warm dark brown of his mothers eyes, and his own eyes before his powers awakened and bleached to their current clear lilac.

“I graduated high school. I’m in college now. Y’know, normal things people who aren’t just experiments do.” Alucard said. 

Dr. Godwin’s calm eyes unnerved him. 

“If only your school had let you skip those grades at my request, you could have been done with your degree by now,” he said, as if exasperated. 

“I’m glad I didn’t. Mom was right that I needed to have at least some semblance of a normal childhood,” Alucard said, tasting bitter anger in his mouth.

“You’re too extraordinary for that, it’s beneath you.”

Alucard snapped a little. “No it’s not.”

Dr. Godwin didn’t so much as sigh, he just continued mechanically. 

“So you’re still in college and you turn twenty-one very soon. That’s an exciting milestone, I had hoped it would mark you reaching an advanced stage in your psychic development but since you refuse to give me valuable data it’s hard to gauge the progress of my project.”

Alucard’s stomach dropped. It’s a distinct feeling of disgust, the way his father twists everything into his own narrative, the way he bends everyone to his will. 

“I’m not a project,” Alucard said, enunciating each word deliberately as if he could get his point across better. 

“You’re failing to see the bigger picture, you’ve always struggled with that.”

For the past few days Alucard had debated on whether he should even see his father at all, on whether swallowing his pride was worth it. Then one of the wounds on Cyclops’ back from the spider devices got infected and Alucard had to help him doctor it with the limited ability he had from watching how his father had done it. He hated that, as he dabbed antiseptic on angry red skin and oozing open flesh, listening to Cyclops draw in a breath through his teeth, and he made up his mind that he had to do this, if not for himself but for his friends.

Alucard ignored his father’s dig at him and reached into his bag to pull out the photograph he’d found in the basement, holding it up to the glass barrier between his index finger and thumb, like it were tainted.

“Who are these people with you? What does that bird symbol mean?” Alucard demanded.

Dr. Godwin’s face drew into a lofty amusement as he looked at the photo.

“Fingernail polish, Alastair?”

Alucard moved the photo up and down in front of his face, ignoring his jab.

“Robots keep attacking me and my friends and they all have that exact same bird symbol on them. And their attacks are too targeted and too specific to be a coincidence. In fact, they’ve gotten personal. I know you know about it.”

“I wondered where that photo went, I’m so glad you found it.” Dr. Godwin said.

“That’s what I thought,” Alucard said. “So talk.”

“When I was imprisoned, I was the last scientist left in this photo. Most have been incarcerated or dead for a long time.” Dr. Godwin said. “We were men of science who didn’t want to be tied to what investors and grant money would fund us to research, begging for scraps from those who would only fund us if we did the research they approved of. We wanted the freedom of real research.”

“Let me guess, you wanted to avoid the laws against human experimentation,” Alucard said. Dr. Godwin’s expression didn’t waver. 

“I gave you immense power. You’re an incredible feat of bioengineering and neurological augmentation.”

“And I didn’t ask for immense power and augmentation, you forced it onto me,” Alucard replied bitterly.

“We don’t get to choose our circumstances in life, and there are people who’d give everything to have what you have, children dream of having abilities like yours.” 

“Cuz they don’t know better,” Alucard said.

His father didn’t reply right away, his cold stare could turn someone to stone, it sent a chill down Alucard’s spine and sent a prickle of psychic energy to his fingertips.

“Those men in that photo are people I would consider friends,” Dr. Godwin said after a long pause, “they’re people I had a good working and personal relationship with, but not people I would consider as important as you and your mother to me.”

Alucard could puke at such a comment.

“You also have friends, don’t you?” Dr. Godwin continued, “Cassandra. Harold. Cyril.”

Everything in Alucard froze, he couldn’t speak. He’s never once mentioned his friends by name to his father, he shouldn’t know who they are.

“And they would do anything for you, wouldn’t they? At least, I know we like to believe that about our friends.” Dr. Godwin sat back and pressed his fingertips together, forming a steeple with his hands. “We think we know the people we trust, but those people don’t always have our best interests at heart. How do we know who we can trust?” 

“Between trusting my friends and trusting you, I think I trust them as family more than you,” Alucard barely bit back the rage in his voice.

“Visiting hours are ending, please wrap up your conversations.” The guard at the front of the visitation room announced. Dr. Godwin leaned forward in his seat, inches from the glass barrier between them, his voice growing conspiratorial. 

“Even the best friends turn fair-weather if in enough danger. If the cost outweighs the benefit.” 

“You don’t know them,” Alucard said. 

“Of course not. I’ve never met them,” Dr. Godwin said. “I understand you’re worried about them but as long as they don’t interfere I’m sure they’re safe.”

He leaned closer to the glass, “You should be worried about you. Your friends are only in danger because you are valuable. I want to protect you. By any means necessary.”

Alucard’s breath caught in his throat. 

“Remember, blood is thicker than water, Alastair . Tell your mother I miss her. See you soon.” Dr. Godwin hung up the phone receiver and stood from the folding chair on the other side of the glass.

Metal scraped on the linoleum floor as Alucard stood from his seat. He swallowed back a lump in his throat and hung up the receiver without a word.  

Alucard got into his car, or rather his mom’s car that he’d borrowed and told her he’d need to go to an antique show across the city, and drove home in a daze. He slunk back into the house and up to his room as quietly as possible, closing the door behind him. Instantly he entered the darkness provided by heavy velvet curtains and black walls. It’s easier on his sensitive eyes, sure, but he likes the dark. It’s a comfort, as are the pile of creepy-cute plushies on his bed, the ornate silver plated mirror on his dresser, the candles with thick drips of hardened wax. 

He turned on the desk lamp for a little bit of light and pulled the photograph out of his bag, turning it over in his hands. 

Alucard thought facing his father would answer some of his questions, and he should have known he’d only leave with scarier questions as a result. If his father had some kind of plan he clearly knew better than to give it away, and judging by the information he had, he had some kind of reach outside of prison. At this Alucard shuddered, he’d lived more freely since his father was locked up, but now he felt, once again, like he was under a microscope. He wasn’t safe, his friends weren’t safe. 

…as long as they don’t interfere I’m sure they’re safe.

Alucard turned the photo over and looked at the younger version of his father sightlessly staring beyond the camera. He’s not smiling, his hair is darker brown and his hands are smoother, younger, holding half of a large device with the help of the scientist next to him, a shorter rounder man with thick aviator glasses. 

“What’s your fucking plan, dad?” Alucard muttered, holding the photo closer to his face. 

Alucard’s phone buzzed and he dropped the photo back into his bag. He dug his phone out and saw it was a message in the groupchat from Hanzou, asking if they all wanted to join Darnell, Pico and Nene at the bowling alley tomorrow. 

A sharp ache clawed behind his eyes and truthfully Alucard wanted to crawl into bed and never be seen nor heard from again.

He thought about texting Cyclops, he’d tell Cassandra and Hanzou about his father too but the idea of saddling all three of them at the same time with this created a bubble of nausea in his throat. And maybe he just wanted Cyclops to reassure him, to tell him he’d be okay. Of course, because he’s Cyclops he’d also want to take action, as would Cassandra and Hanzou. They’d all want to help, and that would put them in more danger. Alucard loves his friends’ tenacity, but they’re also all a bunch of reckless idiots who’d get themselves killed. Maybe even for him.

Alucard would never forgive himself, and he felt like he might as well be leading his friends to the gallows when he opened the group chat and said yes.

Alucard had one of those nights where it felt as if he couldn’t get more than five minutes of sleep at a time, despite trying everything he could. Eventually it became more annoying to try and he decided to read for a while, he’s been enjoying some poetry recently and thought that might at least calm and distract his mind. He could find comfort in the depressing poetry he tended to enjoy. 

Then it was time to meet up with his friends at the bowling alley. He got dressed, ran his fingers through his curly hair to fluff it up a little, and grabbed his sunglasses. Alucard paused, blinking at his reflection for a moment, at the pale cloudy lavender of his eyes and thought about how strange it is, the look in his own eyes like that, how they’re just on the brink of unsettlingly inhuman. He slid his sunglasses on and grabbed his bag.

Pico, Darnell and Nene were already at the bowling alley when the Punks showed up, looking like all three of them had dressed for completely different occasions, as typical for them. 

Alucard said his hellos and then went quiet as Nene and Hanzou started chatting almost immediately, punctuated by Darnell’s commentary. Pico was quiet too, though seemed pretty attentive to what Cassandra was saying to him. His shirt was rumpled like he’d just rolled out of bed and Alucard remembered that Hanzou mentioned via text last night that this was part of Darnell and Nene’s attempts to get Pico to leave his apartment.

The bowling alley is noisy even for only being half crowded, the claw machines on the upper floor flashed bright colorful lights and people shouted and bowling pins clattered to the waxed wooden floors. 

It’s the end of summer, Alucard was determined to have fun even if it killed him. He had to admit, it’s difficult not to when his friends are around, if only he could relax and not use his powers to feel around the area, checking to see if he could prepare himself should he detect an attack.

“Okay teams? Or no teams?” Hanzou asked, punching in the number of players on the computer screen at their lane. 

“We have an odd number,” Darnell said.

“Okay all against all, I’m putting all our names in.” 

“Gonna wipe the floor with you losers,” Cassandra went to pick up a black bowling ball from the rack along the back wall of the alley.

“Cass, that’s the heaviest one-!” Pico rushed over as Cassandra grabbed it and realization crossed her face that it was, in fact, too heavy for them.

“Just use the red swirly one, it’s not as heavy,” Pico said. Cyclops sauntered over and picked up the black bowling ball with ease, and Cassandra made a noise not unlike a feral raccoon.

“‘S not heavy, but it is a bit slippery,” Cyclops said, casually setting it on the ball return machine in their lane. Alucard snickered behind his hand, Cyclops can’t help himself being a showoff. He returned to casually sit right next to Alucard on the shiny vinyl couch, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hanzou looked up from whatever Darnell was showing them on his phone.

“Hey, Cass? Have you ever played bowling before?”

“Is. Is it called ‘playing bowling’?” Nene asked. 

“No, it’s ‘bowled’.” Darnell corrected.

“Ew.”

“I’ve watched Earth movies, I know how it works.” Cassandra said, waving his hand dismissively, “Ya chuck the ball at the pins to knock ‘em over.”

“ Roll the ball, you roll it,” Hanzou said. 

Nene pointed at the screen, “Alucard, you’re first, it’s alphabetical.” 

Alucard grabbed a purple ball and walked up to the lane. He also hadn’t ever been bowling before but he vaguely knew how it worked even if his technique was clumsy. And, truthfully, he used a little bit of psychic energy to keep the ball from veering into the gutter. 

“Nice!” Nene remarked. All the pins had knocked over except the two outermost ones. A tough shot to get. And Alucard missed both.

“Bummer!” Cassandra grabbed the red ball and held it under her arm. “I’m up.”

“Here,” Pico also stood up and moved closer to her to help her hold the ball, “You gotta put your fingers in the holes… that’s what she said.” 

Cassandra snorted, “Nice,” and the both of them dissolved into laughter. Alucard caught Cyclops’ eye and the two of them raised their eyebrows knowingly. Pico joking around is a good sign, and of course it was with Cassandra.

“Ya need the guards up?” Cyclops called, a cocky lilt in his voice, “Since yer a noob?” 

“Fuck off,” Cassandra grumbled. “I’ll get a strike first try!” 

“No guards, we die like men,” Darnell said.

Nene rolled her eyes, “C’mon they’ve never played.”

Cassandra got a gutterball twice and swore so loud that the other group of people at a nearby lane looked over with annoyance. She stomped over and plopped down heavily next to Pico with a huff. 

“Cyclops its you now,” Nene said. 

“Right.” Cyclops got up and easily grabbed the black ball with one hand. He’s wearing camouflage cargo pants that look a bit silly with the required bowling shoes rather than boots, but Alucard realized that he really could pull off anything.

“Slip slip slip!” Cassandra chanted from her spot between Hanzou and Pico. “Into the fuckin’ gutter!”

Cyclops turned around and flipped her off before immediately pivoting back and sending the ball down the lane and knocking all the pins over.

“Strike!” Cyclops shouted, a cheesy animation played on the scoreboard screen. He then sauntered back and sat down, a smug smile on his face while Cassandra glared daggers at him. 

“Wow Cy’s good with balls, shocking” she drawled. Alucard avoided all eye contact.

“Yeah bet ya wish ya were too huh?” Cyclops countered. Now Pico seemed to also be very interested in the fluorescent ceiling lights. 

“I fuckin’ threw that first round on purpose, so I didn’t scare you.”

Cyclops scoffed in response, “Sure ya did.”

Darnell and Hanzou went next, both doing fairly well, Nene got half the pins down, then Pico was up. He claimed to not be very good at bowling, but also got a strike first try and grinned sheepishly at Cassandra’s amazing (and annoyed) shouting. 

Then it was Alucard again, and this time Cyclops got up and followed him to the lane. 

“Hey, since yer left-handed, try this way,” Cyclops said softly, placing his hands on Alucard’s hips, sending a jolt down his spine. He steered Alucard to shift his posture over a little, but Alucard could only think about how big and warm Cyclops’ hands felt lingering on his hips. He stumbled a little, focusing on not trying to drop the bowling ball on his foot.

“There, ya should have an easier time with that, jus’ wind up and throw like normal n’ see how that feels,” Cyclops said, grinning and removing his hands and leaving a distinct cold though Alucard’s clothes. Cassandra wolf whistled at them both.

“Get a room!” she barked.

Cyclops flipped her off again, a little red in the face. Alucard got a decent shot, he dropped it too soon because his hands were a little clammy (who could blame him) but notably he didn’t have to use his powers to keep the ball out of the gutter. 

On Cassandra’s turn, Pico cheered them on and they did a little better than previously, which meant she was in Cyclops’ face gloating despite doing actively worse than him for the rest of the game. 

In the end, it was Pico versus Cyclops for the highest score, and Pico ended up winning by only a point. Alucard and Cassandra tied for dead last. 

It was fun, at some point Alucard almost completely dropped his psychic sensor out of a feeling that maybe, right now, they were all safe but he quickly raised it again. 

They left the bowling lanes and went up to the arcade part of the bowling alley on the upper floor. The entire place smells like greasy pizza and still has carpet that looks like it’s been there since the 80s, colorful shapes and probably decades old spilled soda stains. There’s also a bunch of tables near the concession counter, about half filled with people.

A group of kids, maybe ten year olds at most, crowded around a big table piled with presents and balloons and paper plates with slices of cake. They’re yelling and laughing and pushing each other over. One of the parents cleaned chocolate frosting off the front of one of the kids shirts, laughing with them at the mess. Alucard wondered if there was a word for that feeling of nostalgia for a past that never happened. 

Hanzou and Darnell had run off and were now locked in what looked like the most serious fighting game match of their lives with Nene egging them both on. Cassandra was playing a game by herself and Pico had disappeared somewhere near the claw machines. 

“Ya good?” Cyclops asked, nudging Alucard with his elbow. Alucard searched his face, he had a concerned wrinkle between his eyebrows that he gets sometimes, the pink contact lens in his good eye matches the bubblegum pink of his hair.

“Yeah… yeah I’m okay,” Alucard said. Cyclops’ expression softened into a smile.

“Ya want something to drink? I’m gettin’ something.” 

Alucard nodded and followed him to order a soda. Eventually all of them reconvened at the booth with drinks and Alucard went with Cassandra and Darnell to get some food, leaving Cyclops, Hanzou and Nene in their own conversation and Pico quietly on his phone. 

“It’s good we got Pico outta the house, he’s been really down,” Darnell said, “But once I got Han to get you guys all to come it convinced him, so thanks.” 

It’s sincere, far from the lofty detachment Darnell usually had. Alucard nodded and looked to Cassandra to respond.

“Yeah, yeah, he can’t keep fuckin’ rotting in bed,” they said. 

“Yeah,” Darnell agreed, “Gotta be hard to break up after so long though.”

Then he half-laughed. “Why do people date on purpose? None of them make a very good case for it.” 

“For fuckin’ real,” Cassandra said. “Love fuckin’ sucks.” 

Alucard shrugged, somewhat in agreement and somewhat not. Their order was ready, and Darnell stole an onion ring out of the basket before picking it up off the counter. 

“It does,” he agreed. “I’m fine with friends.”

“Yeah,” Alucard said, thinking again about how he was honestly more than fine, he was in fact lucky. But he was also very, very terrified.

Classes would be starting again soon, and with Cassandra taking an extra shift at work and Hanzou needing to do something with their family, Cyclops and Alucard decided to meet up and hang out just the two of them. They agreed to meet by the river, in a different spot than usual near the graffiti pier since their other spot still felt a little too creepy following the clone incident. None of them were immune to confronting their worst insecurities. 

Alucard thought maybe this would be the time to tell Cyclops about his father. They had some time to kill, Purgatory was having an event that night and Cyclops mentioned he wanted to go but that wasn’t for another few hours, or at least until the sun went down.

“The music tonight is more darkwavey synthpop stuff, yer kinda thing for sure,” Cyclops said. “‘Nd I dressed for it, how’d I do?”

Per Purgatory’s dress code, he’d dressed in head to toe black, leather pants and a tank top layered over fishnet sleeves. Alucard would like to say he did very well with the horniest intent possible but he cleared his throat and uttered out a strained, “Great. You look great.” 

“Thanks,” Cyclops grinned, “gotta make sure the gothest guy I know approves.” 

They both walked right to the edge of the river bank, pebbles crunching under their boots. It’s still warm, though a cool breeze really made it feel like fall was arriving. 

“But if you don’t really like the music we don’t have to go,” Alucard said.

“Nah, I invited you fer a reason! ‘Nd I’ve been gettin’ more into it… recently.” Cyclops said with a grin, “I’m still a punk n’ metal guy for sure but I like it.”

“Really? What have you been listening to?” Cyclops is not really into dancey synthy music at all. He’s been known to listen to hyperpop or indie rock willingly but he’s a 70s punk listener before anything else. 

“Uhm… that Ministry album ya like.” Cyclops replied sheepishly, “Nerd music, as Cass calls it.” 

“Oh yeah, that’s a really cheesy one, she’ll roast you worse than she roasts me.” Alucard said, smiling. “I won’t tell them you’re listening to that.” 

“Thanks, she bullies me enough,” Cyclops said. He picked up a flat stone and inspected it, turning it over in his hands. 

“Does it upset you?” Alucard asked, genuinely worried.

Cyclops tossed the stone he was holding into the water, where it sank with a dissatisfying plunk! 

He swore and started rooting around for another suitable flat stone.

“Nah, I know they don’t really mean it. It’s like their way a’ sayin’ ‘I care about you.’” Then he laughed, “I think if Cass actually said that she’d burst into flames.” 

Alucard chuckled, “Yeah, probably. And she’s got no leg to stand on, she’s almost the biggest nerd of all of us.” 

“Ya callin’ me a nerd too?” Cyclops said with a laugh, he leaned into Alucard to throw off his balance slightly.

“Maybe,” a smile tugged at Alucard’s lips as he leaned back, met with solid muscle he was unable to really unbalance Cyclops in the same way. “You hang out with nerds, takes one to know one.” 

A stone levitated off the ground and shot toward the water, where it skipped over the surface three times before sinking. Cyclops’ mouth hung open.

“No fair Al! You used your powers!” 

Alucard shot him a smug smile. “Is that cheating?”

“‘Course it’s cheating!” Cyclops said. Then he laughed. “Your powers ‘re amazing ya know.” 

Alucard blushed a little at the compliment. 

“Because I can skip stones?” he drawled, hoping the edge of sarcasm in his tone would hide everything else.

“I’ve seen ya crush an entire truck,” Cyclops said with reverence, “but anythin’ ya can do is pretty cool no matter how small.” 

The time Alucard had to crush an entire truck he’d only done so to stop it from speeding directly into Cyclops during an altercation with some weird army of genetically modified soldiers who were, as usual, after Pico. He wouldn’t have done it otherwise. 

“Yeah… I don’t really like to do that.” Alucard said shyly.

“Really? Oh, cuz it gives ya headaches.” 

Alucard chewed his lower lip, “That, and… It’s going to sound stupid but my powers aren’t… me . I have them against my will. I know there’s people who dream of it but I don’t think they would want them for real, if they knew how I got them.”

The encounter with the clone haunted him a little, as strange as it was to admit. All that clone knew of him was his powers, likely as influence from his father. He’s only ever been a vessel. 

Cyclops’ expression sobered, like he’d just heard awful news. 

“It’s not stupid at all, I’d never thought about it like that,” he said in earnest, “If it helps at all, ’m not sure I’d count yer powers in the top five best things about ya. I mean… they’re amazing, but I think you’re amazing.” 

Alucard had to look away, he knew his face must have been a much deeper shade of purple. He truly thought he might overheat and pass out, he’d never been so flustered . He loves when Cyclops is loud and mean and gets rowdy but he loves this softer spoken Cyclops as well. And amazing ? Him?

“Thanks Cyril…” Alucard said. A little shot of embarrassment coiled in his chest and he grimaced. “Sorry I dampened the mood.” 

“What? No, it’s okay!” Cyclops said, “I know your powers are a bit of a sticky point for ya.”

Alucard finally could meet his gaze, though he wavered. He’s been so concerned recently, it makes it hard for Alucard to keep his cool, to not completely break down. He’s too damn sweet. And attentive in a way that makes Alucard want to melt. Still, he swallowed back a lump in his throat. 

“Al, you’ve got a look on your face,” Cyclops said, “I didn’t upset ya did I?”

Alucard shook his head, “No, not at all.” 

“Ah… ‘m glad.” Cyclops said bashfully. He chucked another rock into the river and it hit the water with a hard plunk!  

Then he asked if Alucard was reading anything good lately, a welcome change of subject and Alucard could distract himself by rambling about poetry for a while, and Cyclops was attentive, he asked questions and made a few points himself despite admitting many times he’s not much of a reader. It didn’t matter, Cyclops made an effort and that’s what mattered, he listened and cared even if he didn’t have a clue what was going on. 

They talked for so long they had to rush to grab dinner before going to Purgatory, which happened to be in the basement of a small indie art gallery. The first performance was a local darkwave duo who Alucard knew vaguely of, and decided he really liked them after they were done. Even Cyclops got really into it, it’s not easy to get him to dance along to just anything.

“Cyclops! Oh and Alucard, hey!” Pico popped out of the crowd at the edge of the dancefloor between acts, and Alucard almost hadn’t even recognized him. Usually he was in a giant sweatshirt or hoodie and cargo pants, not a loose sleeveless shirt that was cut open on the sides, and fishnet arm warmers. He even wore eyeliner, just some black on his lower eyelid but it popped against his ginger eyelashes. Alucard could understand Cassandra’s point here, he’s a good looking guy, he’s got shockingly nice arms. 

“You guys here just the two of you?” Pico asked, glancing around. “You don’t have Hanzou or Cass?”

“Ah yeah, it’s just us.” Cyclops said. A little flash of disappointment crossed Pico’s face but he perked back up quickly.

“Yeah, it’s just me too,” he said. “I usually come here alone, honestly, Boyfriend never wanted to come here with me. Not really his scene.”

It made sense, he’s probably out trying to have fun and take his mind off things in a place that wouldn’t have the memories.

“Ayy! Pico!” A random person called and Pico waved back but didn’t go to them.

“Just when I thought I wouldn’t see one of his friends here,” Pico said with a grimace, and Alucard felt a little bad for him. He seemed itchy, not physically but mentally, like it had this uncomfortable air around him that he couldn’t scratch. Same as at the bowling alley, before he relaxed. He’s probably still taking this day by day.

“Ah, sorry ‘bout that,” Cyclops said, clapping Pico on the shoulder. “You can hang with us if ya want.” 

As much as Alucard thought it was a sweet gesture on Cyclops’ part, he hoped Pico would turn the offer down. It’s been so nice to just be with Cyclops as the two of them.

“You’re the best, Cy, but I don’t wanna be a third wheel,” Pico said, laughing, “Too soon ya know?”

Alucard glanced at Cyclops, who had gone red, then back at Pico who’d continued laughing.

“What’s with your face? I was kidding, I swear!”

Cyclops’ chuckle that followed made Alucard simultaneously feel warm and as if a weight sat in his stomach. Is it a laugh at the absurdity of that comment, embarrassment even? It would be out of character.

“Nah I get it, ya would be a third wheel unless Cass was here.”

The smile that spread across Cyclops’ face made Alucard want to chuckle, oh so that was revenge. They’re both in on this rapport they’ve established. Alucard wondered when they’d become friends like that. 

“There’s a KMFDM tribute night coming up. If that’s interesting to you.” Alucard added airily, watching the way Pico’s face and ears instantly turned pink. Cyclops met his gaze and raised his eyebrow slyly as if to thank him for playing along. 

“I’ll… keep that in mind,” Pico said. “You both suck , just so ya know.”

“Ya started it,” Cyclops said simply, getting another laugh out of Pico. He’s a good sport, Alucard decided, even when he’s getting picked on a little. 

“I’m grabbing a drink before the next band, you two wanna come?” Pico asked. 

“Who doesn’ wanna third wheel now?” Cyclops said, “And nah, ‘m good. Al doesn’t drink.” 

“Doesn’t mean you can’t,” Alucard said to him.

Cyclops shrugged. “‘M not feeling it tonight.”

Pico looked between them, “Okay, see ya guys then. Cy see ya tomorrow?”

“Yeah, totally, see ya tomorrow.” Cyclops said, and Pico disappeared into the crowd at the bar. Alucard raised an eyebrow.

“You have plans with Pico?”

That sheepish look returned to Cyclops’ face.

“Nah we just run into each other at the gym all the time. Sometimes we spot each other.”

“Pico works out?” 

“Yeah? Ya think he got gains sittin’ around smokin’ weed all day?”

Alucard had no response to that, making a mental note to tell Cassandra this because if he had to imagine them working out together, so did she. Maybe they could both explode over that on their own time.

The next act was a DJ who really wasn’t all that good, in Alucard’s opinion. Despite his own reserved nature he could get into dancing with the right music but he ended up standing next to Cyclops, somewhat wishing he had a drink to occupy his hands.

“This isn’t really the kind of music I was hoping for,” Alucard said bluntly. 

Cyclops glanced at him, “Oh, good. I didn’ wanna be a dick about this but-”

“It sucks?”

Cyclops laughed, “It sucks. Wanna sneak up to the museum?”

“Yeah,” Alucard smiled and followed him back through the hallway where the bathrooms are, but passed those to another door that Alucard unlocked with his powers so they could slip inside. A few flights of stairs up and they ended up in the middle of a small side room that led into the main gallery. Cyclops pulled aside the rope barrier for Alucard so he wouldn’t have to step over it. 

His heeled boots clacked on the polished wood floor alongside the heavier steps of Cyclops’ worn out docs. All around them were impressionist paintings of landscapes and flowers and people from a time long before theirs. Nothing famous, nothing fancy but still the kind of tranquility one can only really feel when surrounded by something motionless and beautiful.

Cyclops stopped in front of one of a bridge made with x-shaped metal piers and criss-crossing power lines across the sky overhead.

“I like this one,” he said. Alucard stood beside him. 

“I do too.” 

“Is there somethin’ else to it, or is it just nice to look at?”

“Probably both,” Alucard said.

Cyclops tilted his head toward him, still looking at the painting. “Sorry the show was a bust.”

“No, the first band was great,” Alucard said. The realization dawned on him that this was really starting to feel like a date. It’s not, it can’t be … but Alucard could fantasize. His eyes were fixed on the painting but he was starting to drift into a daydream. 

He could feel Cyclops’ eye on him now, he’d turned toward him, looking at Alucard like he was one of the paintings. Alucard’s heart thudded in his chest as he caught and held Cyclops’ gaze for a moment before his eyes flitted down to his lips. A longing to close what little distance remained between them ached at Alucard’s psyche. His fingertips itched to reach for Cyclops’ hands and he leaned a little closer, feeling Cyclops also pull toward him. 

An alarm started to blare and running footsteps sounded from another room in the gallery.

“Hey! Is someone in here?!” A shout from another room made both of them spring back from one another, and Alucard swore under his breath.

“Aw fuck!” Cyclops hissed. He grabbed Alucard’s arm and the two made a mad dash toward the back door, managing to slip out before the guard could see them. 

They ran down the stairs back down into the basement, the thumping of the bass muffled from the dancefloor, and they took another door out to end up in the alleyway between the museum and the brick building next to it, a now-closed deli.

By the time they stopped several blocks away to catch their breath, both of them were laughing. 

“Hah- guess we shoulda done somethin’ about security!” Cyclops said through laughing and panting. Alucard couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed this hard. Usually when they all trespassed they had Hanzou to take care of security if they were trying to be subtle. 

“Yeah, I should have disabled the alarms,” Alucard said. 

“Nah, nah then ya can’t relax,” Cyclops said.

Alucard was still catching his breath, he’s not a runner for sure.

“It wouldn’t have taken much. I just forgot.” Because he was so caught up in the romance of it all, like a lovestruck idiot.

Cyclops was still laughing, and he wasn’t even out of breath anymore. 

“Aw well, do ya want me to walk ya home?”

“It’s fine, it’s in the opposite direction and it’ll take forever for you to get home. I’ll take the bus,” Alucard said. A look reminiscent of a hurt puppy crossed Cyclops’ face for a moment but he shrugged. 

“Okay, text me when ya get home then, ‘kay?” he said, already turning around. Alucard’s brain suddenly caught up.

“Wait.” He said before he even had the words ready, “I want coffee, how about you?” 

“There’s no coffee shops open this late ‘round here.” 

“You have coffee at your place. You make the best coffee anyway.” Alucard shocked himself with how smooth that was.

“Didja just invite me to my own place to make ya coffee?” Cyclops laughed heartily, “Ya really are somethin’.”

“Otherwise I have to go home and make terrible coffee myself. ”

“I can’t have that,” Cyclops said. Then his voice softened. “Course you can come over.” 

Alucard smiled and they started walking in the direction of Cyclops’ apartment, a bubble of hope in Alucard’s chest.

Chapter Text

Band posters and flyers collected over the years from local shows plastered the walls of Cyclops’ studio apartment, some were torn at the corners from ripping them off windows and signposts. The place is in a fairly lived-in state, the familiar studded leather jacket thrown over the back of a chair, the wooden crate of vinyl records next to the TV, the flourishing flowerbox of herbs on the windowsill.

Alucard took his boots off and set them next to Cyclops’ docs and gym bag by the door. He set his bag down by the couch and lingered for a moment before sitting down.

“Get comfy, I’ll make coffee.” Cyclops said, already rummaging in the tiny kitchen. It’s easily the most organized part of the apartment, no dirty dishes, appliances lined up in order. He has one of those little espresso machines, which whirred to life when Cyclops pressed the top. He opened a drawer and pulled the coffee, then opened a higher cupboard and reached up for a mug. He's still wearing that mesh shirt and tank top combination and his muscles look good in it so Alucard had to rip his sight away before Cyclops noticed him checking him out.

The rich aroma of coffee filled the apartment and Alucard leaned back on the sofa, looking around. There’s a dish of a few stray safety pins, some change, and a trans flag pin on the coffee table, along with a litter of cups and some stray papers. Cyclops’ bed was not very neatly made, but a bright spot of pink stood out on the dark grey comforter. A fluffy My Melody plush Alucard had not seen last time he was here.

“Oh,” Alucard said. “When did you get that My Melody, she’s cute.”

Cyclops looked over and immediately went a bit red. 

“Ah. It’s… I didn’ know anyone was comin’ over.”

Alucard frowned, he’s known Cyclops for how long and he still thinks he needs to hide a plushie? Alucard of all people was one of the privileged few who knew of his soft spot for cute pink plushies and Sanrio characters, especially My Melody. He’d deny these allegations to anyone else.

“I have a Kuromi one. I think it’s cute… we match.” Alucard ventured, and Cyclops’ cheeks went even redder. 

“Yeah… yeah we match,” he said, crossing the room with a little coffee cup in his hands. “Here ya go. Just how ya like it.”

“Thank you. You aren’t having one?” Alucard asked when Cyclops handed it to him. The cup is so warm against his cold fingertips.

“It’s late, you’re jus’ insane,” Cyclops’ tone was affectionate. “I wanna be able to sleep.”

“Oh, shit do you have work early tomorrow?”

“Nah I got afternoon shift, but I wanna hit the gym with Pico, remember?” Cyclops said, leaning back one leg crossed over the other and arm draped across the back of the small sofa, almost around Alucard’s shoulders, warming him more than the coffee in his hands. 

Alucard sipped the espresso and sighed, it didn't need milk; Cyclops added a hit of brown sugar for an edge of sweetness. 

“It’s good?” Cyclops asked.

“Mm… of course.” 

“My shitty job ‘s good for somethin’,” Cyclops said. “I shoulda brought home some extra pastries I know ya like somethin’ with your coffee.”

Alucard huffed a half laugh, “It’s okay, I’m not hungry. And your shitty job is good for a lot of things.”

“Yeah, yeah free coffee,” Cyclops poked at him, clearly teasing. Alucard rolled his eyes.

“No, because you make it,” Alucard said, matching the teasing with an almost disarming sincerity that he didn’t even catch himself until he noticed the way Cyclops’ expression twitched. It was risky, Alucard knew he was pushing the line between them.

“Heh… ‘m glad,” Cyclops said, impassive but avoiding eye contact, instead looking very interested in something on the coffee table. After a beat of silence he looked back to Alucard.

“You’ll stay a bit won’t ya? We can watch a movie or somethin’ then I’ll take ya home.”

“I mean, if you want to get to bed…”

“‘S fine. I wanna… spend more time with you,” Cyclops said. At that Alucard smiled softly, there’s something so intimate about being asked to stay.

“Me too,” he said.

The headache he’d hoped would go away with some caffeine seemed to want to persist, much to his annoyance. 

“I’m gonna use the bathroom real quick, can you get my meds out of my bag? My head hurts.”

“‘Course,” Cyclops got up to grab Alucard’s bag, and Alucard went into the bathroom. He paused at the mirror and blotted off some of his black lipstick with a tissue and fluffed up his hair with his hands. 

When he came out, Cyclops had set the bottle of pills and a glass of water on the coffee table.

“Here, and this fell outta your bag,” he said. He turned something around in his hands. “This… weird photo.”

The blood in Alucard’s veins ran cold. That damn photo, he’d forgotten it was in his bag. 

“Ya trying to connect to dead people again?” Cyclops asked, chuckling. 

“Very funny,” Alucard said. He took a pill with a big gulp of water to buy himself time. The answer stuck in his throat, the desire to spill out everything rising. Cyclops is here, they’re alone, they’re safe. He’s safe. He wanted to tell him, he needed to tell him. 

“It… fell out of a book I got at the antique store,” Alucard said, sticking to his lies after all. “It must’ve belonged to the previous owner.”

It’s an awful sinking feeling, lying to Cyclops like that. Cyclops always listens to him, and Alucard couldn’t even afford him the honesty he deserves, and that feeling gnarled in the pit of his stomach.

Cyclops handed him the photo with another chuckle. 

“It’s kinda creepy lookin’. Maybe it’s haunted,” he joked.

More like haunting , in Alucard’s opinion. 

“Ya think dead people have anything interestin’ to say?” Cyclops continued. “Wait ya can’t actually ask them can ya?”

“I’m telekinetic, not a medium. And I think the dead can’t be that much more interesting than the living,” Alucard said.

This makes Cyclops laugh again. “Imagine bein’ boring even when yer dead. Rough.” 

Even Alucard had to laugh softly at that. 

“The living are bad enough.”

“They sure fuckin’ are,” Cyclops agreed. “How’s yer head?”

“It’ll get better. Caffeine and medicine helps. Why don’t you pick a movie?” Alucard knew they’d just keep talking on forever if they didn’t make a decision on what to watch, not that he’d complain, but after being out all day and at a club he was exhausted. 

They ended up watching Friday the 13th, and Alucard found himself drawn into Cyclops’ warmth, first leaning on him, then Cyclops’ arm around his shoulders, then holding him in both arms, until they were both lying on the couch. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t much room for both of them this way, Alucard really hadn’t felt so comfortable in a long time and every thought of everything slipped out of his mind, time might as well have stopped in this apartment alone while the rest of the world turned outside.

It’s rare that the buzz of psychic energy and underlying current of anxiety quieted like this, and Alucard eventually fell asleep under the weight of Cyclops’ arm draped over his torso. 

When he awoke the only light in the room came from the pale glow of the TV screen, the only sound Cyclops’ heavy and slow breathing against his neck. 

Cyclops stirred and groaned softly, squeezing Alucard tighter to his chest.

“Mm… you awake?” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Alucard answered. 

“Ya drank a coffee and went right to sleep… has anyone told ya you’re an enigma?”

“Yes, you .”

“‘S one of my favorite things ‘bout ya,” Cyclops propped himself up on his elbow, his other arm still laying across Alucard’s stomach. His hair fell to his shoulders, and he looked at Alucard with a radiant warmth like candlelight lit from within, Alucard might melt from underneath him. 

“Oh really?” Alucard asked, almost unable to get the words out without stumbling. 

“Well, yeah?” Cyclops said with a smile. “Maybe it’s a bit hard to keep up sometimes but I like tryin’.”

“I think you’re better at it than you realize.”

“Nah yer just sayin’ that,” Cyclops scoffed. “Yer a lot more complex than me, I feel like ‘m not much in comparison, y’know?”

It’s not self-deprecating, Cyclops doesn’t fish for compliments, he has too big of an ego, but he stated this rather plainly, like it’s fact. A fact Alucard found incorrect.

“You’re much deeper than you realize. Give yourself some more credit, being humble doesn’t suit you, Cyril.” 

Cyclops let out a bashful half laugh in return.

“I s’pose, ‘m happy ya believe in me.”

“You’re easy to believe in,” Alucard murmured, meeting his gaze fully. He’d taken his sunglasses off before they settled to watch the movie so he truly felt like he was looking into Cyclops’ eye. It’s a rich brown, almost black, he’s not wearing his pink contact lens, and without his eyepatch the scar around his missing eye is shaped like an odd star. Ridiculously handsome, as always.

Something held in the silence between them, a thought unfinished and lingering in the open to be snatched out of the air. Alucard’s nerves started to spark, the electricity of his powers ringing in his ears.

The backs of Cyclops’ fingers traced along Alucard’s jaw, gently guiding his head to tilt upwards before he settled his palm to cup the side of his face, a wanting tenderness in his expression that could bring Alucard to his knees. Alucard wasn't sure who finally closed that distance between them, but when their lips finally met he nearly sighed into the kiss, a thread within him unwinding. Alucard’s heart thudded in his ears and against his ribs so hard he thought Cyclops must feel it too, a pulse of psychic energy ran up his spine and crackled in his lips.

They broke the kiss with a bit of a start, Cyclops brought his fingertips to his lips, his face entirely flushed a deep red down his neck. Even his ears were red.

“I… uh…”

Alucard blinked, knowing he must have also been a brilliant darker purple with how his face burned. He waited for the illusion to shatter, surely he conjured all of this up in an elaborate psychic vision, his powers finally making good on their threat to go haywire. 

“I was thinkin’ about doin’ that all night…” Cyclops said softly, “I kept thinkin’ there wasn’ gonna be a right time.”

“Oh thank god, I was too,” Alucard said, almost breathless with relief. 

“Woulda been more romantic at the museum rather than on my shitty old couch-”

Alucard reached up to cup Cyclops’ face between his hands, meeting his gaze again with an earnest intensity.

“Cyril, you can’t possibly be fretting over that right now,” Alucard said, the overwhelming elation bubbling in his voice. Cyclops blinked a few times, eye wide and shining with giddiness. He threw his arms around Alucard, completely enveloping him in warmth and his weight causing them both to topple back onto the couch again. 

“Maybe yer right… I can’t be worried about anythin’ right now,” he said. 

Alucard’s laugh was muffled against Cyclops’ shoulder. 

“You shouldn’t be, though I am sorry I think I shocked you with my powers earlier?”

“Ah so ya did zap me.”

“Not on purpose,” Alucard said, pulling back to look at him again. “I was just flustered and when that happens it gets harder to control.”

Cyclops beamed again. “I got ya flustered huh? ‘S about time.” 

He sounded so satisfied, Alucard had to roll his eyes playfully. 

“You do all the time, you should kiss me about it.”

Cyclops didn’t need to be asked twice, he leaned in for another kiss, which Alucard happily accepted. They weren’t so tentative this time, Alucard hooked an arm around Cyclops’ shoulders to get some leverage and deepen the kiss, Cyclops’ fingers tangled in his hair, ran along his neck and his arms and around his back like he just couldn’t keep his hands still. 

He’s so cute in his eagerness, the delight on his face when he pulled away again to plant a few kisses all over Alucard’s face, on his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, sending him into a fit of soft laughter. 

“Cyril- Cyril!” Alucard pushed him back gently against his chest, “Slow down-”

Cyclops stopped immediately. “Sorry…”

“No, no, it’s okay, you just need to agree to a date, a real date.” Alucard said, smoothing some of Cyclops’ hair back out of his face. “We can sneak back into the museum, find that painting and hope we don’t get caught while you redeem yourself. Sound good?”

The way Cyclops’ face lit up was like he’d just been told the greatest news he’d ever heard. Alucard loves the usual gruff furrow in his brow and the resting grimace that often pulls at his lips, but this open, puppylike happiness in his expression could rival that easily. 

“‘Course it does,” Cyclops said with a breathless laugh, “Will you agree to bein’ my boyfriend?”

It’s a question that fills Alucard with an overwhelming joy, as if he weren’t already dizzyingly happy. He smiled, genuinely, openly smiled. 

“Obviously,” Alucard answered. “But we’ll have to, you know, talk about it-”

“Yes!” Cyclops squeezed him tight and happily buried his face against his neck. “I love ya Alucard.”

Then he paused.

“Ah, that was forward, huh?”

“Yeah, but I like that.” It’s not that Alucard didn’t also feel that strongly, he needed time to be able to say it. Cyclops would grant him that.

“Does this mean I don’t have to take ya home?” Cyclops asked. 

“I’d be a bit insulted if you made me leave now,”  Alucard said.

Cyclops squeezed him tighter. “You’re stayin’ here.”

“Do we have to sleep on the couch?” 

Cyclops pulled back to look at him, face flushed.

“Not if ya don’t want to,” he said. 

Alucard gently picked up the My Melody plush from across the room with his telekinesis and floated her over, hugging her to his chest. 

“Okay, there’s room for me now.” 

“Yer too cute…” Cyclops said, his smile was equal parts bashful and full of joy, his cheeks were still flushed. It’s almost too easy to fluster him, and Alucard delighted in the fact that it was something only he seemed to be able to evoke in him. He’s watched Cyclops be showered in compliments and advances and not bat an eye but all Alucard had to do was hold a plushie and he melted on the spot. 

Alucard pulled on Cyclops’ arm. “C’mon, let’s go to bed, we can figure… us out later.”

____

Cyclops would never admit that having to tell Cassandra and Hanzou that they were dating made him nervous, but he sat in the car sweating bullets before even arriving at the ramen place Hanzou picked for dinner. Alucard had stayed the night over at his apartment, woke up in his bed wearing one of his t-shirts and got to kiss him good morning when he got up to go to the gym. He then rolled over and went back to sleep, only to wake up again to Cyclops making breakfast for both of them. When Cyclops went to work Alucard practically floated home to shower and change his clothes and lay on his bed in disbelief until he went to pick up Cyclops for dinner.

Alucard figured, by the way Cyclops sat in silence in the passenger seat, that he’d probably be the one to break the news, though he wasn’t even sure it’d sunk in. Surely Cyclops wasn’t embarrassed, or meaning to keep it a secret. 

“We’ve got to tell Cass and Han,” Alucard said, breaking the tense silence. 

“Haha yeah,” Cyclops said, restrained, “They’re gonna have a field day with it.” 

“It’ll be fine,” Alucard said. “I’m pretty sure they knew we, uh, were into each other before we really knew.” 

“Pretty sure all ‘a Philly knew except us,” Cyclops said, and they both had to laugh at that.

Once they arrived and grabbed a table with Cassandra and Hanzou, Alucard snuck Cyclops one more grounding look before stating: “Cyril and I are dating now.” 

Cyclops turned to him, bewildered. 

“Ya really really don’t beat ‘round the bush, huh?!”

“Oh fuckin’ finally!” Cassandra guffawed. She and Hanzou exchanged the type of look you have when the twist you absolutely saw coming in a movie is unceremoniously revealed. To be honest Alucard dreaded the possibility of fanfare.

“I’m happy for you guys,” Hanzou said. “Cass, you owe me twenty bucks.”

“What?! Fuck no!”

“Bets a bet, cough it up.”

“We were high when we made that bet, it doesn’t count.”

“Did you think I’d forget?”

“You were fucking stoned as fuck, Han.” 

“Ya placed bets?” Cyclops asked, brow furrowed for the first time that day, Alucard had kinda missed it.

“No. Yes.” Cassandra and Hanzou replied at once. Then Hanzou continued. “I bet you’d confess to each other this year, Cass said next year.”

Cassandra grumbled and dug her wallet out of her pants pocket. 

Cyclops rolled his eye, his arm slung casually around Alucard’s shoulders. 

“Thanks for your help guys.” he said sarcastically. 

“No problem man,” Cassandra said, making Cyclops’ scowl deepen. She slapped the bill on the table in front of Hanzou. “There.”

“Sweet, gacha money.” 

“Don’t fuckin spend my money on gacha .”

“Uh uh, it’s my money now.”

Cassandra crossed her arms and pouted. Then she raised an eyebrow.

“Well, nothin’s gonna change that much, you two were already always makin’ goo goo eyes at each other.”

“Aw, fuck off,” Cyclops grumbled. 

“I appreciate you both handling this maturely,” Alucard drawled. 

Cassandra shot him a look.

“It barely counts as news,” she said. Then they grinned. “Glad you two finally fuckin’ made it official though, I’m serious.” 

“I’m glad too,” Alucard said, resting his head against Cyclops’ shoulder. 

Cassandra stuck out her tongue, “No fuckin’ PDA at the table.” 

“Yeah it’s kinda like seeing your parents kiss,” Hanzou said.

“ Wow -” Alucard started. 

“Han you suck ,” Cyclops said, though he was laughing. The server came by the table and everyone ordered their ramen, and some extra karaage for everyone to share.

“Cass,” Hanzou inspected the twenty they’d won fair and square. “Why is this sticky and smell like… Taco Bell diablo sauce?”

“Oh shit, the fuckin’ sauce packet must’ve exploded in my wallet.”

“…why do you have that in your wallet…?”

“‘M glad they’re cool ‘bout it.” Cyclops said under the noise of Cassandra and Hanzou squabbling. Alucard met his gaze, his face looked less like he’d just licked a lemon, good to see he’d relaxed again.

“You were worried,” Alucard stated.

“I mean… y’know how sometimes when friends start dating it makes things awkward. I didn’ want ‘em to feel like the third and fourth wheel.”

“Yeah, yeah I get you,” Alucard said. “That’s sweet of you Cyril.”

“Hey, keep your voice down,” Cyclops said. “I gotta reputation to uphold.”

“Oh sorry, very tough and scary of you.” Alucard said flatly.

“That’s more like it,” Cyclops crossed his arms smugly, then grinned.  

The subject changed and they were all talking and laughing like normal, Cassandra and Hanzou asked how it happened (and laughed at them for almost getting caught at the museum) but as they’d said, it was a long time coming. And Alucard had to admit he and Cyclops were already so into each other the only thing that was really different was they’d made it official. It’s hard to know how this would change the dynamic of the Gothpunks as a group, but Alucard chose to be optimistic for once. It’s hard not to be with Cyclops there.

__

Fall classes started and while Alucard would have liked to slack off a little bit and spend time with his new boyfriend, but as it turned out that Cyclops wasn’t going to allow that. Something about him supporting Alucard’s future and education, which honestly only motivated Alucard to really put his head down and study. Cyclops worked full time anyway, which meant there wasn’t any point in not working full time himself, and he still got iced coffee delivered directly to him in the library when Cyclops was on break, and now as a bonus he’d get a kiss to get him through studying. 

But other than that, despite them both trying to spend their free time together, they really didn’t get that much time for just the two of them, and Alucard was frustrated to say the least. He and Cyclops didn’t ever want to blow off Cassandra and Hanzou and disappear now that they were dating. 

So when Pico invited all four of the Punks to a house party thrown by an acquaintance of his, Alucard’s first thought was that maybe this was his chance to steal a moment alone with Cyclops. 

Except, as he got in the passenger side of Cassandra’s car, she was driving them both over and he’d likely be the one to drive back, he realized he’d have to wait even longer. It’s already getting dark outside, the late September days are clearly getting shorter and there’s never any reason to be the first to show up at a house party. They were already late.

“We gotta stop by the liquor store, I told Pico I’d get some extra shit,” she said, hitting the gas and jolting the car forward. Alucard sighed.

“Fine, let’s make it quick though.”

“What? What’re you so fuckin’ eager for, you like parties now?”

“No. I hate parties.” 

Cassandra snorted, “Yeah I know once we fuckin’ get there you’re gonna try to leave.” 

“Maybe I will.”

“C’mon I’m not going to a party with a bunch of people I don’t know.”

“What about Pico?”

“What fuckin’ about him?”

Alucard shot her a look she clearly didn’t pay attention to.

“Oh you know.”

“...Shut up.”

They got out of the car and walked into the liquor store, Cassandra sauntering like she owned the place and Alucard behind her. They headed to the vodkas and Alucard’s phone buzzed.

Alucard glanced at his phone and saw that Cyclops had sent him a photo. It was a selfie, evidently still in the gym with a towel around his neck, his tank top sweat-stained and pulled up a little at the waistband of his shorts, exposing some of his torso. He was grinning, and all he sent along with it was a text that said ‘see u at the party later love u’. 

His face burned, and Alucard immediately saved the photo. 

“You good?” Cassandra picked up a bottle of cheap, awful vodka and Alucard wrinkled his nose. 

“Really? That shits like jet fuel.” 

“It’s goin’ in jungle juice, it doesn't fuckin’ matter.”

“That’s even worse.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes and grabbed another bottle. Then they moved to the aisle furthest from the cashier. 

“Hey, we know that guy,” Cassandra whispered. Alucard peered over the aisle. Sure enough, the cashier was familiar, a guy from high school who used to bully all of them. Not really a popular guy, one of the ones who hung around the popular ones and bullied others to try and impress them. How lame. 

“Fucker,” Cassandra hissed. “He’s gonna know.”

“He won’t.” Both of them were still twenty, but of course had fake IDs. Though not for long in Alucard’s case, his twenty-first birthday was in about a month, on Halloween.

“If he does-”

“Yeah, I know what to do,” Alucard said, following Cassandra up to the counter.

The cashier asked for Cassandra’s ID and she handed it over with almost too much smugness. None of them had really been caught before, but the cashier eyed the ID and then eyed Cassandra with suspicion. 

“I don’t think this is valid, Cassandra Koneitzko ,” the cashier said. Cassandra moved quickly, snatching up the vodka bottles right as Alucard moved his hand to shatter the security cameras. Not his finest work, he preferred more subtle ways of disarming, but distracted by Cyclops’ selfie as he was it had to do. 

“Hey!” the cashier shouted, lunging over the counter, Cassandra swung her elbow and hit him square in the jaw, then rammed her knee into his chin. 

“That’s for that time in chem class, fuckin’ asshole!” Cassandra taunted before making a run for it to the sliding doors, Alucard right behind her. They got into the car and Cassandra sped away, running a stop sign to turn onto a side street. 

“You didn’t have to knock the guy out,” Alucard said. 

“He fuckin’ deserved it,”  Cassandra drawled. “He also kept callin’ Cy ‘she’ in history class one time and I had to kick his ass. Said I’d do it again.” 

“Should’ve killed him then,” Alucard said. 

Alucard pulled his phone out again to look at the picture of Cyclops, chewing on his lower lip. He’s such a tease for this, and it’s not even a particularly sexy picture on purpose, but nonetheless Alucard huffed a breath and put his phone down. 

Cassandra pulled up in front of a small house not too far from campus, one that was obviously just for rent to an endless cycle of students. 

It evidently housed a few gamers, judging by the consoles set up on the TV in the corner of the now crowded living room, bean bag chairs, the PC setup on the tiny wooden dining table and all of the posters and character plushies and figures on top of the sagging bookshelves and TV stand. A cooler of jungle juice sat in the middle of the connected kitchen for people to dip their plastic cups into. 

It’s too hot, too many people talking too loudly to try and hear over each other and the absolutely terrible music. Alucard and Cassandra exchanged a grimace. 

“We’re here for Pico,” Cassandra said, as if reassuring herself.

“You owe me,” Alucard said.

“Ugh, whatever. Ya think Pico’s here yet? I need a drink-” Cassandra said, starting to push through the throng of people to the kitchen. 

“Don’t drink that jungle juice,” Alucard said. “I don’t think even your alien anatomy can handle the diseases in there.” 

“I’ll drink what they got, I don’t fuckin’ care,” Cassandra and Alucard turned the corner into the kitchen and caught sight of Pico’s ginger curls from his place in a little group of guys neat the fridge. 

“Cass! You made it!” Pico saw them and his face lit up, adorably enough. 

“I got the goods,” Cassandra pulled the two bottles of vodka from her pants pockets, one in each fist. 

“How…? Oh right. The pocket dimension,” Pico opened the fridge next to him. “Can I get you something? Beer?”

“Is it shit?”

“Of course.”

“Fuck it, yeah.” 

Pico handed Cassandra a bottle. “Alucard?”

“No thanks.”

“The juice isn’t bad I hear. Might be strong though if you’re lookin’ to really get fucked up,” Pico said with a laugh, handing Cassandra his keychain with a bottle opener on it. Cassandra took it and cracked the beer open. 

“So the vodka is for…?” Alucard glanced at the cooler, the too-yellowy green concoction in it oddly like cartoon toxic waste. 

“Makin’ it even stronger, obviously,” Pico said, “And y’know, it doesn’t hurt to have it around. How much do I owe ya, Cass?”

“I dunno. Didn’t fuckin’ pay for it.”

Pico laughed and shook his head. Since his breakup with Boyfriend, Alucard felt like he was seeing Pico more than ever. They have a class together, a 200 level sociology class, Alucard for his major and Pico probably just for the credits. He’s smarter than he seems, and he’s the kind of guy who always has someone to say hi to when walking around campus, he probably knew almost everyone at this party. Effortlessly personable, what Alucard would call a real people person, and here Pico was talking to the two people furthest from human in the room.  

“Where the fuck’s everyone else?” Cassandra asked, after a swig of beer.  

“Cyclops is here, I dunno about Darnell, Nene n’ Han though, they were all coming together.” Pico said. 

“Cyril’s here? I haven’t seen him,” Alucard said. Cyclops hasn’t texted him since sending that annoyingly hot selfie earlier. 

“I drove him here after the gym.”

“You were workin’ out just now?” Cassandra asked. 

“Yeah?” Pico answered, punching his arm. “Can’t you tell?”

“Well where is he?” Alucard asked. 

“I dunno that stupid pink bobble heads hard to miss,” Cassandra snorted. Alucard would choose to ignore that but did give her a look of disapproval, not that they cared.  

“Might be out back,” Pico said. 

“I’m going to find him,” Alucard said, earning an eye roll from Cassandra. 

“Yeah yeah go fetch.”

Alucard made his way through the crowd to the screen door that lead out of the house and onto the unkempt backyard, to call it a lawn would be a stretch. Several people were out here, it was quieter and cooler and maybe if Cyclops were out here they could sneak away for some much needed privacy. 

“Hey.” Alucard nearly jumped when a hand touched his back, though he quickly realized it was Cyclops and immediately drew closer, Cyclops’ hand gliding down his back to hold him around his waist. 

“Hey,” Alucard said back, leaning up to kiss Cyclops hello. He smells freshly showered and vaguely like his usual cologne, there’s a bit of an alcoholic sting on his breath.

“Ya likin’ the party?” He asked. 

“No,” Alucard said, earning a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah. Ya wanna be home readin’ a book,” Cyclops said. 

“Hm. Actually, no,” Alucard said, running his thumb along Cyclops’ lips. He flushed a little red, bringing a hand up to hold Alucard’s wrist, pressing a kiss against his palm. Alucard blinked, a little thrown off from the quip he wanted to make. 

The next thing to throw him off was the eruption of cheers that swept the party from inside the house, like when the main act shows up on stage at a show. Cyclops and Alucard exchanged perplexed looks.

“What…?” 

“Maybe something cool happened?” Cyclops was already heading toward the door back into the house and Alucard followed. The temperature rose the second Alucard stepped inside, there’s more people than ever and the commotion happening from the living room hadn’t died down yet. Cassandra and Pico were still by the fridge talking, clearly in their own world. 

“Cyril-”

“Yo, Cyclops!” Two guys Alucard didn’t know called from across the room. Cyclops glanced at him then at the guys.

“Hey! Those are some a’ my coworkers from the cafe, ‘m gonna say hi,” Cyclops said, giving Alucard a quick glance and a smile. “Be right back.” 

“Okay,” Alucard wanted to pout but it was cute to watch the way his coworkers greeted him loudly and with their plastic cups held so Cyclops could knock his beer against them before they all took a drink together, laughing almost immediately. It’s a bit like watching a dog that’s never quite gotten along with other dogs finally play in the dog park. 

“-I didn’t fuckin’ think so, Pricko!” Cassandra guffawed once Alucard was in earshot. Pico was howling with laughter with her, his drink sloshing dangerously in his cup almost about to spill. Alucard’s head was already fuzzy, yeah he still hated parties. 

“Hey Al, ya find your boytoy?” Cassandra asked. Alucard rolled his eyes and pretended to push his glasses up with his middle finger. 

“What’s with all the yelling?” Pico asked, turning toward the kitchen door. His smile dropped from his face like he’d seen a ghost. When Alucard turned and followed his sightline he was met with the turquoise hair and goofy smile of Ex Boyfriend standing in the doorway. 

Or perhaps it might be more accurate to say, someone’s New Boyfriend, as he wasn’t alone. A gorgeous girl with long fluffy brown curls clung to his arm like she wouldn’t be able to stand otherwise, her skin-tight red dress was definitely overkill for a party this casual but nobody could say she wasn’t absolutely stunning in it. She was a little taller than Boyfriend, and seemed to light up the room in this unseen but tangible glow.

Cassandra looked from Pico, to Boyfriend, back to Pico in an almost cartoonish triple take. Then he looked to Alucard. 

Boyfriend accepted some pats on the back and high fives from some random party goers, clearly the celebrity of this party. There couldn’t be more than forty people here in total but every single one must know him from the way they swarmed him and this new girl.

“What. The fuck.” Cassandra snarled, her grip on her beer bottle tightening. Pico grimaced. 

“Uh…” 

“Did you know he fuckin’ was coming?” 

Pico shook his head. “No- I mean I knew there was a chance -”

“Oh shit they’re coming this way,” Cassandra hissed. “They got some fuckin’ nerve …”

Pico's expression was petrified as Boyfriend and this girl made their way straight toward him, which Alucard would have called a dick move except they’re all standing closest to the fridge, and Boyfriend probably wanted a drink. 

“Hi Pico!” The girl giggled and waved, oblivious to the chilling and palpable discomfort in the air, “I’ve missed seeing you on Friday nights.” 

“Hey…” Pico said, an uncomfortable smile on his face. 

“Hey, uh, Pico. How are ya?” Boyfriend asked.

“Good. Great even.” 

“That’s good. Yeah uh, so you know Girlfriend… we’re dating now,” he said. He’s bold, or stupid, or both Alucard concluded. But at least he’s honest. And Girlfriend: here’s something strange about her that both intrigued and scared Alucard, most regular humans had some kind of psychic buzz about them, with the exception of Cassandra who was more like a low hum, due to not really being a human. Girlfriend had the same hum but higher pitched.

“Woah, you move on fast,” Cassandra said dryly. “That’s fuckin’ suspicious - ”

“Cass…” Pico warned.

“What? Bro he’s already got a new chick and it’s been like… three fuckin’ months max?”

Alucard glanced around the room, Cyclops couldn't have moved too far and Alucard had an idea. He put a hand on Cassandra’s shoulder as a silent assurance and slipped away into the living room.

“Cyril,” Alucard practically appeared next to Cyclops, startling him a little. 

“Huh? Oh, hey Al,” he smiled, holding his drink and throwing his arm around Alucard’s shoulders.

“Cool glasses dude,” one of his coworker bros said. Alucard ignored him in favor of looking at Cyclops.

“Come on, I need you. We’ve got a situation.”

A huge grin crossed Cyclops’ face, “‘Course.”

“Hey wait you’re Alucard,” one of the other bros said. “Cyclops talks about you all the time.”

Alucard couldn’t describe the way that little nugget of information made him feel, but Cyclops went bright red.

“Don’ listen to him…” 

“He makes you sound like the coolest guy ever,” the first bro said. 

“Huh. He should tell me that more often,” Alucard said coolly, loving the way Cyclops was trying to frown with such flushed cheeks. 

Both of the coworkers were drunk, but the second one took another long drink of jungle juice and paused. “So since you’re dating, which one of you is like, the guy?” 

Cyclops’ frown turned to a snarl, and Alucard acted quickly, grabbing his arm and steering him away. Sure, he loved to see Cyclops get mean but not to his coworkers at a job he needed to keep. 

“This is for your own good,” Alucard said lowly. 

“Drunk bastards,” Cyclops muttered. 

“I feel like I’ve just experienced a gay rite of passage,” Alucard said. “We should tell him the guy in our relationship is Cassandra.”

Cyclops’ laugh in response, a real hearty belly laugh, made Alucard smile. 

“So is there actually a situation, or did you just wanna have me all to yourself?” Cyclops teased. Alucard prayed he wouldn’t lose his mind right now. 

“Yes. But actually there is a-”

The screen door leading from the dining area to the backyard slammed shut hard enough to practically rattle the whole house as Cassandra stormed outside. Immediately Alucard rattled from his horny thoughts to remember the situation at hand.

“ Dammit ,” he hissed, the music of the party drowning him out. Pico still seemed stuck with Boyfriend and Girlfriend, all of them in varying degrees of agitation. 

“Okay. You need to get Pico out of talking to his ex, I need to go make sure Cass doesn’t blow this house up.” Alucard said.

“Aw shit Ex Boyfriend’s here?”

“Worse. He’s here with a new Girlfriend.” Alucard said.

“Fuck, man.”

“I know,” Alucard said. “So whatever you can do-”

“I got it, babe,” Cyclops said with a smirk. He downed the rest of his drink and set the bottle on the counter. Then he called out. “Hey Pico!” 

A flicker of relief crossed Pico’s face as Cyclops practically shoved Boyfriend and Girlfriend out of the way, obviously pretending to be drunker than he is, to clap Pico on the back.

“O-oh, hey bro.”

“Can I get one a’ those?” Cyclops asked Pico, who opened the fridge again for a beer. Cyclops took a key from his own keychain and popped the bottle open with the jagged edge, didn’t even need an opener. Hot , Alucard muttered under his breath. 

“Have fun, boys,” Alucard said, right before disappearing out the sliding door to the backyard just as Cassandra had. There’s a few people milling about out here among odd furniture but Alucard made a beeline to the weird plastic garden shed in the corner, and found Cassandra right where he expected: hiding behind it with her knees drawn up to her chest. She practically hissed like a raccoon with a light shone on it.

“Fuck off-! Oh, godammit Alucard.”

Alucard leaned down. “What’s going on?” 

“Is Pico still talking to Boyfriend?”

“No, I threw Cyril at him.”

“You’re insane.”

“What? They get along great.” 

Cassandra sighed and hugged her knees tighter to her chest. Alucard crouched beside her and said nothing for a long time. 

“Pico’s pissed at me. He defended Boyfriend! Fuckin’ Boyfriend, who already moved on from him like he doesn’t even care about how he would fuckin’ feel-!”

“Boyfriend moving on is a good thing, isn’t it?” Alucard asked.

“Yeah, but it fuckin’ pisses me off!” Cassandra exclaimed. “Ugh, I thought they’d rebound back to each other ! Fuck! Pico doesn’t deserve this. I just… I can tell it hurts him, y’know?”

“They weren’t getting back together,” Alucard said, “Just because Pico’s hurt from breaking up doesn’t mean he’s not over him.” 

“He doesn’t fuckin’ seem over it.” 

Alucard wanted to point out how dense she was being, but she’d deny it. So he went with a tactical approach that always works: appealing to her kill drive.

“He is. And you should go hang out with him.”

“What-?”

“He invited you to this party, he wanted you here,” Alucard said, “Hell, Boyfriend doesn’t have to be the only one who moved on fast as a weird flex, two can play at that game. Help Pico stick it to him by being seen with him.”

Cassandra’s eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and real mischievous delight.

“You’re a fuckin’ evil genius.”

“I prefer regular genius.”

Cassandra hopped up and brushed off her pants before starting back toward the house. 

“Don’t start a fight.”

“I won’t promise shit!” She called, slamming the screen door behind her. 

Alucard followed her back into the musty too-hot house. 

Cyclops and Pico howled with laughter together, faces flushed red from the alcohol. For a moment Alucard could see exactly why Cassandra would feel the way she does about Pico, but that thought left as quickly as it came with how absolutely handsome Cyclops was, his laugh made Alucard want to laugh too. 

Alucard and Cassandra exchanged looks. 

“Seems I made a mistake.”

“Fuck no this is great,” Cassandra said. 

Pico lit up immediately. “Cass, hey!” 

He rushed up to them and grabbed her forearms like he were just seeing her for the first time in a while, his eyes imploring in a sort of puppy-like way. Alucard shot Cassandra a knowing look, eyebrows raised, but she was too flustered to notice. 

“Hey Al! C’mere!” Cyclops pulled him into a bear hug the likes of which he’d never experienced, not even from him. 

“Mmm… hi Al…” Cyclops buried his face into his dense curls, his nose right under Alucard’s ear. 

“Hey… wow,” Alucard patted him on the back. “You should have some water.”

“Nah, we’re just gettin’ started though.”

“Yeah!” Pico raised his cup, must be the noxious jungle juice and took a big swig.

“We were just talkin’ about how apparently there was another robot that attacked Purgatory the same night we were there,” Cyclops said, hands on Alucard’s shoulders. “Isn’ that fuckin’ crazy?”

A creeping sense of dread slid down Alucard’s neck. 

“Yeah, it must have been after you guys left, nearly made the basement collapse in on itself.” Pico said. “It was small and I took care of it easy but I kept thinking you and Cy were gonna pop up and merk that thing.” 

“Oh… yeah we left early…” Alucard said, feeling sick.

“Ah, well don’t worry about it, that shit follows me everywhere.” Pico said. 

Alucard pressed his lips into a thin line, wanting to say that he guaranteed that for once, it wasn’t Pico attracting the robots to Philadelphia. He and Cyclops left in a rush, so this one must have been dispatched on late notice. 

“I figured, you’re like a magnet,” Cassandra said. At this Pico laughed. 

“Right? I attract monsters and robots and alien attacks- no offense.” 

“Fuck off!” Cassandra shoved him playfully, which only made Pico laugh harder and sling an arm around her shoulders. 

Alucard gave Cyclops a knowing look and got a lopsided drunk smile in return. The ruddy flush on his cheeks and nose was a telltale sign, if everything else wasn’t enough. 

“Cyril, let’s go-”

“Hey… where the fuck is Hanzou?” Cassandra asked. She, Alucard and Cyclops exchanged looks. 

“I haven’ seen them,” Cyclops said.

“Well Nene said Han was getting ready at her place, and Darnell was picking them up,” Pico said. 

“And I haven’t seen them either,” Alucard said, “This party doesn’t have that many people, we would’ve seen them by now.”

“They haven’t replied to my texts,” Pico said, voice sobering. “Weird.”

“Maybe they found a better party,” Cassandra said. 

“That wouldn’t be hard,” Alucard drawled. 

Pico snorted, “C’mon it’s not that bad-“

“They’d at least tell us.” Cyclops said. 

“So now what?” 

The frustration of just wanting a moment alone with Cyclops entirely replaced itself with a sinking worry. It’s like the almost imperceptible tillness in the air before an earthquake, when the animals go silent. 

The entire house rattled, and the party erupted into screams and panicked shouts. What was that? A bomb, a gun? 

Cyclops pulled Alucard close as if on instinct. Pico moved first, darting out the front door with Cassandra right behind him. Cyclops and Alucard followed into what seemed like complete chaos. People outside their houses or running along the street with armfuls of their possessions. 

In the opposite direction, an enormous tank rolled down the street, not firing but rolling over parked cars and cracking the street pavement under its weight. 

As it drew closer, Alucard could see that bird symbol emblazoned on the side of the tank in brilliant gold. 

“Guys!” Nene and Darnell called, running up to them from the direction of the tank. Next, Hanzou landed on the pavement and skidded back, clearly dressed for the party. They were wearing matching pink crop tops with Nene, but pink shorts as opposed to Nene in a pink miniskirt. 

“Man what the fuck!” Cassandra rushed forward, whipping their gun out from their pocket. Cyclops moved but Alucard held an arm out to stop him. 

“Nope, you’re drunk.” 

“But-”

“Cyril. No.” Alucard stepped forward, and Cyclops stood down, an action he’d only do for him.

“This thing is crazy heavy, my weapons won’t do anything.” Hanzou said. “It doesn’t even slow down.” 

“I’ve been tryin’ to make a bomb, not sure it’ll even make a dent.” Darnell added. 

“A knife is useless,” Nene shrugged. 

Between the three of them, they looked haggard, hair and makeup and clothes smudged stained and rumpled. Alucard looked back at the tank rolling ever closer. 

Another robot sent from his shitty father attacking his friends and his city and now keeping him from making out all night with his boyfriend? Well if his father wanted power he’d show him power, and maybe he’d reconsider wasting his resources on these robots. 

“Fuck’s sake,” Alucard grumbled. He extended a hand and focused, albeit sloppily, honing energy right in the center point of the tank and coalescing it into a tightly wound ball. 

Then he clenched his fist and released it, tearing the tank apart with telekinetic energy like the metal was just tissue paper. An metallic awful screech filled the air and the tank came to a rolling halt, torn in two right down the center of that stupid bird emblem.

Immediately Alucard’s head throbbed in pain, too much psychic output at once. He swayed a little, or it felt like a little until he realized he’d been caught in Cyclops’ arms, a welcome solid anchor to fuzzy pain behind his eyes. 

“Jesus Christ Al,” Cyclops said, a distinct awe in his voice, “if we ever fight ‘m lettin’ you win.” 

Alucard wanted to laugh but a heaviness pressed down on him like the air had suddenly become lead, he rested his cheek against Cyclops’ shoulder, and slipped unconscious.