Chapter Text
“Mythos!” Phase yelled over her shoulder watching as the shadowy figure dropped like a stone on the street. Residual electricity crackled through the air, sending a full shiver through her body. While her heart beat heavily in her chest with her friend down, she still turned to face the electromancer stupid enough to still face her in that moment.
“Alright,” the girl panted, “Now that your buddy is out of the picture are you ready to call it quits?” Phase narrowed her eyes and stalked forwards towards the girl. She lashed out, throwing sparks in Phases direction with reckless abandon. The shocks couldn’t touch Phase, only passing through her with an uncomfortable stinging sensation. The girl backed up, eyes wild and scared as Phase pressed forwards with a seemingly murderous intent. “Back off, bitch!”
Phase took the sting but allowed the deviants sparking arm to pass through her chest as she had backed right into the trap Mythos had laid out for her. Phase reached around and grabbed the thick insulated wire from behind the girls head and began to wrap her in it. “Hey, get off me!” There was nothing the girl could do as she couldn’t land a blow on Phase. Once she was secured, Phase ran back to Mythos. He seemed to be unconscious, but she couldn’t tell if there was any more damage as he didn’t have any normal vital signs. After radioing in the villains pickup, she scooped her lanky friend up into a fireman's hold.
She commandeered a cab and left the confused cabbie on the side of the road, easing Mythos into the backseat and driving off. There wasn’t any way she was going to be able to drive her motorcycle with him out of order like this.
The doorbell was ringing incessantly. David was shocked to find Phase at the door cradling a shadowy Mythos in her arms. Her face was scrunched up as usual but it didn’t seem to be angry this time. “Finally.” She pushed her way past him and stomped inside. “Where’s his room?”
Flabbergasted, David pointed down the hall. “What’s going on?” He fell into a nervous step behind her.
“I don’t- I don’t know. Bring me some water. And a washcloth.” Phase kicked Mythos bedroom door open as David rushed off. Ever so gently, she set him on the bed. Without him looming over her, his form seemed rather small. Nervously, she adjusted his head on the pillow. What was she supposed to do with a shadow creature from another dimension? Dr. Kennedy had no idea how to handle Mythos when he was healthy. She felt his forehead but it was room temperature. Was he supposed to be warmer? Cooler? She knew that he didn’t breath but-
“Here!” David was suddenly next to her, pressing a cup and a washcloth into her hands. He received a small static shock off her and shook his hand. Her hair seemed to deflate a little. “What now?”
Phase didn’t really know.
She stared down at the item in her hands, blankly. Something had to be done.
“David, go take a nap. Do your thing, see if you can contact him… I’ll stay here.” David nodded behind her, spinning on his heel with determination but Phase didn’t see it. There was a panic in her throat that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She pulled her mask down and tried to regulate her breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth. She sank onto the edge of the bed and wet the washcloth, dabbing it around his “face”. Maybe the temperature change could wake him up. Nothing happened for a few minutes and the feeling that lodged in her throat spread down and tightened around her chest cavity. Phase placed the cup shakily on the bedside table.
“You need to get up now.” She squeezed his hand. “Mythos. Please.” She choked on her own breath. Memories that she wished she could burn flashed through her mind. “I-I don’t think you’re biodegradable.” Phase squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the feeling of his light hand in hers, trying to breath through the moment. His fingers twitched and her eyes snapped open to watch his body morph slowly, flickering into something more human. It was strangely horrific but when his human form was complete and he took a breath, she had to stop herself from scooping him up.
Quickly she lowered her ear to his chest and made sure his heartbeat wasn’t irregular. He still had not woken up but his breathing was soft and continuous. It was easier to monitor him in his human form, she checked his body for burns but there was not a mark on him. Electricity must just disrupt his regular state of… being. She would ask him when he woke up, because he was going to wake up. There was a very strong urge to shake him.
Phase pulled the blanket from the bottom of the bed and gently covered him. The anxious energy twitched under her skin because there was nothing she could do besides try to make him comfortable.
David came back in a bit later, how later was none of her concern. It could have been minutes or days, everything else could wait. Her ears were still ringing with the panic of Mythos unmoving in front of her.
“He seems to be alright, a bit hazy at the moment, but he’s by a pool so he’s definitely relaxed. I’ll watch him if you want to go.”
“No. It’s fine. I’ll stay.” There was a brief pause and she thought that he had left.
“Phase,” His hand was on her shoulder and her whole body tensed. “It’s been a few hours, you should rest.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
David sighed. “Alright… Well, I’ll set the guest bedroom up for you.” He turned to walk out of the room.
“Don’t worry about it.” She wasn’t leaving his side. Phase could feel David's eyes boring into the back of her head. She knew this was a reason he didn’t like her. She was stubborn and intrusive. They had uprooted his life without care and now he was hosting them and their ethical madness and pursuit of retributive justice. She should have brought Mythos back to her apartment, but she felt he would be more comfortable here as he called it home. David was the closest thing to family that Mythos had and if he was going to…
Well, even if David didn’t care, this was where Mythos was most comfortable.
She lightly brushed her free hand’s gloved fingers over his arm. Mythos liked human interaction, physical interaction. He was always touching her in small ways, a hand on her shoulder when she was on the computer, a light touch on the small of her back when they turned down a hallway. At first it was uncomfortable and annoying but she had grown accustomed to it. Physical touch wasn’t really her strong suit. The rough rubber tips of her gloves must not feel great. Phase pulled the glove off with her teeth to avoid releasing his hand and gently resumed the soft petting motion on his arm. His skin was soft and warm, a reassurance that he was very much alive.
—
After another half hour David poked his head back in the room. Phase was slumped forwards in the chair, her head resting on the bed with both hands still attached to Mythos’s arm. He figured she would drop soon, there was never a moment where she didn’t seem tired. David draped a small throw blanket over her shoulders and absconded to the living room to read.