October 5th

0512 EST

"Put her down!" Tristan screamed, all of his emotions released through his cracking voice. His powers were useless against Rune; he stood frozen to his spot, a result of his own rampant emotions.

Rune's dark lips just curled into a deeper, more menacing sneer. "How do you plan on saving her?" He cackled, his grip tightening on Avi's neck. "You are powerless, you did this to yourself! Look around child, you couldn't save your family or friends, how do you expect to save the others?"

Hundreds of bodies lied in a mass next to Tristan. At the top, his parents lied unmoving, clad head to toe in their old super suits. Their faces were pale and tinged blue, their eyes glazed over. Next to them, Aaron laid face down, his shirt tore to pieces and ripped up. His dark ebony hair was sticking in all directions in a way it never was when he was alive.

And finally at the top of the heap, CJ rested completely still. Blood continued to spread from his body, coating the corpses beneath him. This was your plan, Tristan reminded himself. You're the reason CJ is dead.

Bristol and Olive lied unconscious at the feet of Psyche and Phobos. Avi was dangling in Rune's grip, and Tristan was frozen solid because of his own stupidity.

Dangling by her neck from Rune's grasp, Avi frantically looked around, her eyes finally landing on Tristan. Help, she silently begged. Fear was evident in her eyes, but there was also something else. Confidence. She actually believes you can do this.

"Tristan?" She called softly, her mouth not moving.

"Tristan?" Avi called again, pulling Tristan out of his nightmare. "Are you okay?" Avi questioned. Her skin glowed a dull green in the lack of light.

Ice slowly disappeared from Tristan's bed, leaving no trace of the frost as he tried to calm down. "What's wrong?" He asked anxiously, his breath still shaky from the dream.

Avi glanced at him, worry written all over her features. "Your headset would not stop beeping and you were not waking up."

Tristan ran his hands through his dark hair and tried to slow his unsteady breathing. He restlessly tossed in his bed, his sheets sticking to his sweaty body.

"Nightmare?" Avi asked. She pulled back his damp covers and sat down beside him. "It is okay. I'm here." Avi took his shaking hand and placed it in her own stable one.

Tristan wrapped his arms around Avi's solid waist, pulling her closer to him. "Don't leave," he whispered into her shoulder, loud enough so only she could hear.

"It's Priscilla," Avi said, gesturing to Tristan's headset. "Mission details. I'm not sure why it could not wait, but she wants to see you in her office."

Tristan took a shaky breath, forcing away his panic. There wasn't time for that now. "Okay," he sighed, running another hand through his already disheveled hair.

Avi smiled sympathetically. She stood up slowly, and padded back to her charging station. She shot Tristan a careful glance as she closed the glass door.

Tristan pushed himself off of his bed and stalked over to Avi's closet. When he first started sleeping in Avi's room, he brought a few t shirts and pants over in case he ever needed them. Now, he was in sweatpants and nothing else, and he didn't exactly want the lecture from Priscilla about showing up to intel meetings in inappropriate attire, as she called it. He grabbed a white t-shirt from the rack, pulled it over his head, and headed out of the room.

The chill of the hallway floors was enough to shock some sense back into Tristan as he headed towards the control room, which had become Priscilla's makeshift office in the weeks past. The draft was familiar, and calmed him down. Cold was familiar to him, heat was not.

However, as he turned the corner, a sight warmed him straight to his feet. Bristol leant against the wall, half asleep and adorable as ever. Her dark hair was rumpled and her arms were folded over her black tank-top clad chest. She was barefoot, but she wore cerulean pajama pants with cartoon penguins printed over them.

Tristan's lips quirked up into an amused smile. Who would've thought that the girl who threatened to fight the world on a regular basis would wear penguin pajama pants?

"Nice pants," Tristan said.

She must've been dozing off, because her eyes fluttered open and she held a delicate hand to her lips to suppress a yawn. "Nice face," she mumbled.

Tristan arched his eyebrows, unsure if it was a compliment or an insult, but before he could clarify, the door to the control room swung open.

Priscilla stood behind it, strands of her flamboyant hair falling out of her signature bun. Her eyes were bloodshot, but she still had managed to dress professionally, unlike the heroes standing before her.

"I see you both got my summons," She said, an airy quality to her voice.

"Hard to ignore such a request at 5 in the morning." Bristol retorted, stretching her arms.

Priscilla arched an eyebrow, but turned on her heel, stalking into the room. "Come in," she called over her shoulder.

Tristan let Bristol go first, still smiling at the novelty pants, and followed her in. He shut the door behind him, and leant against one of the control panels.

Priscilla paced until she was seated at the central island, glowing screens on a desk before her. "As you probably have deducted by now, there's valid reason for waking you up this early." She glanced at the screen before her, as if she didn't like what it displayed. "The Contingency has issued another duo mission and you are the selected heroes to execute it."

Instantly, Tristan's sapphire eyes darted over to Bristol. As tired as she seemed, she processed the information and he could discern her muscles tensing at that fact. Bristol hadn't been on a duo mission since her failed one with CJ, the one that resulted in her kidnapping and Tristan's worst nightmare come to life.

He sent her a sympathetic look and glanced back at Priscilla. "What's the task?"

Their caretaker sighed, tapping some things on the panel before her. "As you both know, Alexander Grayson, now calling himself Mania in some cases, has been known to have ties to Rune. Now that he is evidently using telepathic abilities, these connections are confirmed. Your job is to go back to the mansion and spy on him, gather as much intel on his actions as possible."

"That's it?" Bristol asked.

Priscilla suppressed a sigh. "Yes, Bristol, that is it. What were you expecting? Rescuing a princess from a fiery keep?"

Bristol tilted her head as if considering that suggestion. "No, but that surely would be an interesting mission." Her lips laced into a sleepy smile, but her eyes were filled with a sort of hostile amusement.

Tristan smiled, but it was washed off his face almost instantly. Looking at Bristol, a sadness filled his heart, but also a little bit of pride. He was slightly apprehensive towards going on a mission with her. She was more impulsive now, and he didn't know if that could cost them the mission or not.

And staring into her dark eyes only brought back pain that he had tried to ignore since her return.

"Tristan? Did you hear that?" Priscilla's voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he looked back at her, tearing his gaze from Bristol.

"What?" He asked.

"You guys leave at nine sharp, so you have a few more hours to rest." She nodded towards the door, where Bristol was already waiting.

Tristan sighed and headed over to her, trying to avoid her calculating gaze. Sleep still glazed over her eyes, but it didn't mask the intrigue.

"You wanna tell me why you've been so melancholy or is that confidential?" She asked. He noted that her voice was softer, less assertive. It still had the same melody that made his heart do a tap dance, but it was much softer.

"Afraid so," He managed, running a hand through his hair. He flexed his hands, forcing away any ice from his system. Just being around her triggered so many emotions that his abilities had started to go haywire.

Bristol scoffed sarcastically. "Not surprised," she mused.

"Nothing surprises you anymore," Tristan retorted, turning the corner.

Bristol smiled slyly. "That's because we've been dealing with the same old thing all over again. No reason to be surprised."

Tristan rolled his eyes and tried to fight a smile. Before he knew it, they had reached her bedroom, and she was glancing at him tentatively.

He knit his eyebrows. "What?"

Bristol shut her eyes. "Nothing," she sighed. "I'll see you in a few hours." She slipped past her doorway and Tristan watched as the door shut, cutting him off once again from the words he needed to confess.

His feelings had his heart in a vice, keeping it hostage until his mind tried to develop a ransom of reason. It was so aggravating, that he couldn't decide whether being with her or away from her helped more. He had chosen the latter; seeing her with CJ was often too much.

Trapped in thought, Tristan headed back to Avi's room, ice in his steps.

"Hey," Tristan mumbled as he shut the door behind him. He trudged over to his bed and collapsed on it with a groan.

"Bad mission?" Avi asked quietly. "CJ?"

Tristan groaned louder, "Bristol. Guess where we're going?"

As he waited for Avi to reply, he curled up into his bed and threw his pillow over his eyes.

"Hm, I am not sure. Just tell me," she responded after considering her options.

"Eric. We're spying on Eric," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Avi's eyes widened and she emitted a dull buzz, audible in their silence. "Why, why are you spying on Eric? Is he okay? Did Priscilla say?" Avi stuttered, her words barely louder than a whisper.

"I don't think anything is wrong, she just wants us to gather as much intel as possible," Tristan mocked in his best Priscilla voice.

Avi didn't reply, just slightly nodded her head. "Please don't hurt him Tristan," she whispered. "I know that seems like a lot to ask, but please," she pleaded.

Tristan pulled the pillow off his face to look at her. "Of course I won't," he assured her. "Though he deserves it," he chuckled halfheartedly.

"That is not a false statement," she smiled sadly. "What are you going to do about Bristol?"

Tristan rubbed his eyes until black spots began to form in front of them. "I don't know," he groaned. "What would you do?"

She laughed out loud, "Tristan, you are asking a robot for love advice? One specifically who is in love with a villain with multiple personalities?"

"You'll still know what to do. You always do," he retorted.

"Honestly, I would think of her as a friend or something of the sort if you cannot do that. A stranger perhaps. If you continue to interpret her as your love interest, you will never move on from her," Avi concluded.

Tristan pulled the pillow back over his face. "So you don't think I should tell her how I feel?" He asked dejectedly.

"No, not while she is with CJ. Our team needs cohesion now more than ever. Wait until after we fight Rune and then if you still feel that way, you should tell her."

"You're right, like always," he smiled. Tristan rolled onto his side and faced the opposite wall. "Night Av," he mumbled.

"Goodnight Tristan."

Tristan lied awake for the next hour, every possible outcome of the mission running through his mind. He thought about Bristol in her pajamas and then his talk with Avi. He overthought the situation to the point where he gave himself a dull headache.

After he resigned himself to the fact that whatever is going to happen, will happen, he began to slowly slip back into his previous dream.

When Tristan opened his eyes, the scenery had changed. They were no longer near the ancient, crumbling fortress, but instead in Tristan's family's backyard.

Near their old swing set, lied the mass of bodies. As Tristan regarded the bulk more closely, the faces of the battered corpses began to morph into familiar faces. He saw visages of old school friends and the kids on his little league baseball team. Every face morphed into one he recognized, and it was his fault they were dead.

From the top of the slight hill, Rune cackled cruelly. "I will destroy every single person who was once important to you and the rest of your team." He lifted Avi in his arms higher by her neck until she morphed into a different figure.

The girl's long brunette hair cascaded over her features, masking her terrified expression. Her once bright turquoise super suit was now a gray blue, caked with dirt and blood. Bristol.

"What are you going to do when I kill the girl you love?" Rune tittered in a faux empathetic voice. From where Tristan stood, he could see Bristol's lip quiver as Rune dragged his gloved hands up her body.

Tristan threw his body forward, but barely nudged the ice encompassing his limbs. He closed his eyes and focused on all the pain Rune has caused like Avi told him to. The ice began to melt off his body, freeing his movement, but not fast enough.

"Wouldn't it be nice if I didn't already kill the speedster? I'm sure he could get out of his head long enough to save his true love." Rune paused for a minute, pretending to think through the situation. "She always did love him more didn't she? Oh well," he shrugged indifferently. "Won't matter now."

Bristol's face gradually began to turn blue as Rune slowly closed his hands around her neck. As she took one last breath, Tristan threw his body forward; a vortex of glass like ice shards flew toward Rune.

The ice surrounded him, puncturing him in every visible location. Tristan waited for the gashes to start seeping blood, but nothing happened.

Rune threw back his shroud, revealing himself untouched. He threw his head back, his cackles raking through his entire body. "I thought you could do better."

With one swift turn of his wrists, Bristol's neck snapped with an obtrusive crack, and she fell to the ground at his feet.

In a split second, every nerve in Tristan's body turned to ice. A million thoughts ran through his head in an instant. Before he knew what he was doing, an ice and hail jumble was shooting toward Rune, turning to lethal spikes in the air.

Tristan fell to his knees, sending every ounce of his effort into killing Rune. White snow swirled around him and the others, blocking everyone's vision. Every time his attack slowed, he'd force another, stronger than the last.

He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The snow around them fell with his control.

As the whiteness cleared, Tristan noticed a figure bent over in the dull mist. He tried to focus, but his vision just blurred more.

The figure stood up slowly and carefully stretched his limbs. He began to walk toward Tristan, his steps uneven.

His piercing azure eyes radiated hate and fury, without a trace of their usual jest. Rune flexed his fingers slowly. "My turn," he growled.

As Tristan lied on the damp grass, the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a dark black smoke grasping the remaining air from his body.

Tristan woke with a start, jumping up from his resting position. His body was saturated with a cold sweat and his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

His chest rose and fell rapidly with his hasty breaths. The nightmare was enough to ruin the mission before it started. He would go tell Priscilla that he couldn't go and have CJ go.

But the last time they went on a mission, Bristol didn't come back. He couldn't risk that again and he couldn't make Avi go. Tristan knew he had to do it himself, but could barely move enough to get out of bed.

Avi gazed at him with sadness from her station. "Take a cold shower. It will help you," she advised.

"Good idea," he whispered, his voice still shaking.

Tristan pushed himself off the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. He winced at the florescent lights and turned on the shower to its coldest setting.

He quickly stripped himself of his clammy attire and stepped into the shower. Letting the freezing water run over him and energize him.

Tristan stayed in the shower for an hour until a quiet knocking shook him out of his tranquility.

"Tristan! Get up!" A muffled voice said from the hallway, followed by distant knocks. Bristol.

Shit, he thought. He must have stayed in there longer than he had expected. He quickly turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Upon opening the door back into Avi's room, a realization dawned in his mind. This wasn't his room and he didn't have any clothes.

"Oh," he said sheepishly, a blush casting over his shoulder.

"Go!" Avi pointed towards the door, giggles racking her body.

Warmth spread through him as he hastened to the bedroom door. He swung it open and prepared for the worst. Naturally, his luck just worsened.

Bristol hadn't abandoned her post outside his room. She was staring daggers at his door, dressed in her supersuit. His entrance into the hallway was enough to spur a reaction from her. She glanced at him as if he were just movement, until the realization of his current condition dawned on her.

"Tristan!" She yelped. Her eyes ran down his body and she bit her lip, averting her gaze forcefully. Something filled her chocolate irises, and Tristan couldn't place if it was fluster or hostility.

"Is there a reason why you're coming out of Avi's room this early with nothing but a towel?" She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him.

Tristan matched her gaze, shoving past her into his room. "Is there a reason why you're stationed outside my room in the first place?"

Bristol leant against the doorway, folding her arms with a bitter look on her face. "Answer my question." She demanded.

Tristan rolled his eyes, disappearing into his own bathroom. He came out, supersuit on with the same visage as Bristol's. "You first." He retaliated.

The brunette took a slow breath, fury in her eyes. Maybe it was Tristan's imagination, but she seemed to shoot a glare towards Avi, who emerged from her room and headed down the opposite way.

"Well?" Tristan demanded, hastily trying to dry his hair.

Bristol took note of this and flicked her hand towards him. Quickly, the water droplets stopped falling, and when Tristan glanced into the mirror on his wall, his hair was perfectly dried.

"You're insufferable." She scoffed, pushing off the doorway.

Tristan stalked after her. "You're detestable."

Bristol didn't say anything after that. She forced her gaze ahead, her hands balled at her sides. Tristan imagined that if he said anything else, he'd be doused or burnt or worse.

Thankfully, they continued on in silence. Eventually, they entered the cortex, where Priscilla was waiting atop the portal pad. Her clipboard was in her hands, and watched Tristan and Bristol enter with a bored look on her face.

"You both understand your task?" She asked.

"Spy on Grayson, don't get caught. Got it." Bristol folded her arms.

Priscilla ignored her, spreading her palm out beside her. Rays of light curled from her fingers like the tendrils of fog in the forest. The familiar sight of the portal reminded Tristan of all the times they had used their own to find out what Rune was up to, and it almost made him long for those times.

"Have at it, then." Priscilla said, stepping back. "Call for backup if necessary, but lay low."

"For the last time, we know the drill." Bristol grumbled. She strode past Priscilla, stepping into the portal.

Priscilla watched her go, and Tristan was almost astonished by the hateful look in her eyes. However, it faded as she met his gaze.

"Keep an eye on her," Priscilla heaved a sigh. "She's a spitfire and she'll get herself killed if she doesn't control her temper."

"She doesn't want to be controlled in the first place," Tristan mumbled, brushing past Priscilla and disappearing past the portal.

When he came up on the other side, he stood on the grounds of Grayson's manor. He and Bristol were standing in the gardens, on a cobblestone path surrounded with dying flowers. The house seemed empty, and just looking up at it brought back the feeling of initiative he had felt all those months ago.

"It looks different," Bristol noted, the soft tone in her voice causing Tristan to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Tristan asked, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion.

Bristol didn't answer, she glanced over her shoulder at a stone bench lying on its side a few feet away. Behind them, the garden seemed to be destroyed, as if more battles had been waged on the grounds.

"Don't worry about it," Bristol muttered. "Let's go."

~~~

Hours dragged by.

Together, Tristan and Bristol made their way through the manor. However, it appeared to be abandoned. Despite its vastness, no servants or maids or Grayson himself showed signs of appearing.

"It's weird seeing it like this," Bristol whispered as they entered the foyer where they had fought Mania for the first time.

Tristan looked up and sure enough, the chandelier was still gone. Looking closer at the ground, he could still see the traces of the fight and the party that had preceded it. It was almost like the past few months hadn't happened, as if the party and the fight had ensued just yesterday.

"Agreed," Tristan said softly.

The hallways held an eerie feel, like they were being watched. Tristan half expected some tormented spirit to be following them, waiting for the right time to strike. It chilled him to the bone, and he had half a mind to wrap an arm around Bristol for comfort. He refrained, but his heart twisted.

They prepared to head back the way they had come, when a figure materialized at the base of the stairs. Instantly, Tristan tensed, his eyes turning icy as the temperature dropped.

"You both should not be here," Eric said. His ginger hair was out of control, and like Priscilla, his eyes were bloodshot. He wore slacks and a dress shirt, stained with a rust color that looked too much like blood.

"You shouldn't be alive," Tristan retorted, ice coating his hands. "You hurt her."

Eric's eyes filled with panic, and he gripped the banister. "I-is Nova okay? Please tell me she is well. Please."

"She is perfectly fine, thank you very much." Tristan said. "But you won't be if you don't tell us what the hell is going on."

Bristol looked between them, confusion displayed on her features. "Who are you talking about?" She asked skeptically.

The wind around them began to pick up and although it was growing into a gale, Eric held his ground. He opened his mouth to speak until pain tensed up on his face.

Tristan's stomach flipped. "Bristol, run."

She knit her eyebrows. "What? We can't, he—"

"Run!" Tristan demanded, taking her hand and bolting down the hallway.

"You can run but you can't hide, heroes!" A booming voice filled the foyer behind them. Tristan felt a resonation tingle the back of his mind, and he urged himself to keep running.

"Oh, not him again." Bristol groaned. "The guy's already insane, he needs an alter ego?" She thrust her hand behind her as she ran, a flare of fire emerging from it.

Tristan's mind was overriding with strategy. He blasted ice behind him as he and Bristol ran out into the gardens. The sound of the impact crackling in his wake was enough to stimulate his senses. He and Bristol ran down the cobblestone paths until they reached the center.

"Alright, so what's the tactic here? Blast and run or be sitting ducks?" Bristol ran a hand through her hair, her dark eyes wild with anticipation—and if Tristan wasn't mistaken, a bit of fear.

A distant blast shook them both, and they locked eyes with one another. A mutual understanding passed between them—they had no choice but to face Mania.

"Sitting ducks it is," Bristol murmured. "Strategy?"

Tristan's mind ran with possibilities. If CJ were here, there could be a shot to do the supersonic punch again. If Avi were here, she could hold Mania back with her own telepathic abilities.

"We need to slow him down. He's already slow enough as it is, considering the fact that he's fighting himself as he goes. By making it harder for him to get to us, we'll wear him down." Tristan reasoned, another blast shaking the ground as a sickly purple glow emanated from the ballroom doors.

"You can run, but you cannot hide, heroes." Mania's booming voice resonated throughout the courtyard.

Tristan surged forward, but Bristol beat him to it. She clawed her hands and thrust them forward. Instantly, the rock beneath them trembled in a shockwave like manner until it reached Mania. Then, it shot up in jagged pillars and sheets, creating a wall of rock that he couldn't get past.

"Smart thinking," Tristan noted.

"Thanks," Bristol wheezed. She gripped the side of a nearby railing, her knuckles turning white. The summoning of earth still must have affected her.

Despite his attempts otherwise, his heart still froze at seeing her in pain. He covered his hand with hers, looking into her dark eyes. "Are you alright?"

Part of him panged with fear, as if expecting the same grimace he had seen in Rune's fortress to make another appearance onto her delicate features. However, Bristol only rolled her eyes and groaned.

"I'm fine," She snapped. "Bigger fish, Tristan, bigger fish."

Tristan scowled and took a tentative step back. He glared back at the wall she had created, only to find a gleam of purple light splitting through the rock. Dust and ruins crumbled from the crevice, until it burst open.

"You call that an obstacle?" Mania taunted, his irises disturbingly visible from many yards away.

Looking at him, it felt as if someone had ignited a fire within Tristan. A flame of pure resentment burned within him that would only be put out if the man creating it was defeated. His hands iced over, and his irises shone with their ferocious icy qualities.

His anger alone was enough to create a miniature blizzard around him. Bristol yelped as the temperature dropped, sending a bitter look his way. However, Tristan continued on with his motions.

Mania stalked down the central pathway, and he was halfway to the duo of heroes when Tristan released his arctic tempest. He yelled defiantly, and the silvery energy he had summoned around him shot forward with inane speed. It barreled towards Mania, knocking him backwards.

Tristan balled his fists, his eyes still shining. He shadowed towards Mania, the hiss of his icy footprints on the cobblestones adding fuel to his fire.

"Not so powerful now, are you, Eric?" Tristan taunted.

The telepath, now sprawled twenty yards away from where Tristan was standing, looked up. His eyes were still glimmering, although the glow was slightly weaker now. Despite the frost surrounding him and the cuts along his face, the menace still had the nerve to grin.

"Where's your whole team?" He observed the courtyard, his eyes glinting maliciously upon Bristol in the distance. "Has my patron finally destroyed them?"

"You could've done it yourself if you weren't so inept." Tristan retorted.

Eric's eyes narrowed as he pushed himself up. As soon as he tried, Tristan shot another blast of energy at him, pushing him farther back.

"You underestimate my abilities, Deep Freeze." Mania retaliated gravely. "Soon your precious little city will fall, and the first structure to crumble will be your training facilities."

"Keep talking, Mania, you're not doing yourself any favors." Tristan snapped.

Mania stumbled to his feet, but kept a cautious eye on Tristan. "That best friend of yours will be the first to go. She'll never see it coming." He said smugly.

That did it.

"Don't ever lay a hand on Avi. Or I will kill you myself." He said gravely.

Tristan roared defiantly. He threw his hands forward, summoning another blast towards Mania. However, his target jumped out of the way. The wall behind where he once stood was frozen over.

"Then after that, maybe Rune will handle your girlfriend. Or possibly that speedster." Mania mused, leaping out of the way anytime that Tristan surged forward.

Tristan wanted nothing more than to destroy the telepath—and every other telepath for that matter—right in that moment. Mania had no right to talk about Avi that way, or Bristol, or even CJ. Not as long as he was alive.

Tristan did a 180 and he was facing the way he had came. Mania stood in the center of the courtyard, and Bristol was nowhere to be seen. Tristan didn't dare look around for her, but anxiety rose within him.

"Tell you what, little hero. I'll spare you. Your powers are indeed very strong, maybe Rune could use you. All you have to do is—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a starburst of fire erupted from above, spiraling down like the form of a dragon swirling from the sky. A flare of light gleamed from within the flame, but Bristol leapt down from a nearby pillar of her own making, an aggravated look in her eyes.

She pushed herself up, dusting off her hands. "Man, he's annoying."

Tristan should have felt relieved, although Mania was nowhere to be seen and he still needed answers. He now had a vendetta of his own, and Bristol had interfered.

"What the hell? We didn't finish the mission!" Tristan exclaimed, waving a hand wildly at where Mania had once stood.

Bristol glared at him coldly. However, Tristan detected something else in her visage, like she was holding back tears. "Not the first time," She said sharply.

For a moment, both of them stared one another down. Even from their distance, Tristan could feel the tension permeating the air around them. Before he could interject the spell of silence, Bristol sniffed and pressed a finger to her ear.

"Priscilla? Portal. Now." She demanded, looking up at the darkening sky. She didn't meet Tristan's gaze as the swirls of light burst into existence a few paces from her.

Her silence spoke louder than words as she marched into the expanse, the sound of her heels clicking on the icy cobblestones becoming synonymous with Tristan's heartbeat.

~~~

Tristan needed to think. His heart hadn't stopped racing since he and Bristol got back from their mission. They got the necessary lecture from Priscilla on more cohesion, but that wasn't on his mind at all.

It was dark, it was cold, and Tristan couldn't sleep. He paced the hallways, following an imaginary maze into his deepest thoughts and the girl that incited them.

He didn't remember how he got to the cortex, but the first thing he heard was the babble of the fountains on the far wall, and the first thing he saw was Bristol leaning against the column nearest them. Looks like he wasn't the only one with insomnia.

"Hey," he called, and immediately regretted it. He was probably adding insult to injury at this point.

Bristol turned around slowly, her eyes obtaining a shattered look. "Hey," she responded, hardly above a croak.

With a twist of his heart, he realized that she had been crying. A pang of guilt reverberated through him and he wanted nothing more than to leave her alone and not make it worse.

But he didn't move. If anything, he moved closer to her until he was standing a few feet away.

"Are you okay?" He asked tentatively. His heart was racing, and he was thankful for the babble of the fountains to mute it.

Bristol turned around entirely, watching him with a sort of calculating look of despair. "You're kidding, right?" She managed.

Tristan pressed his lips together, forcing himself not to lose his confidence. "Really, Bris. Are you okay?"

The fire that he had learned to love about her found its way back into her eyes, igniting her irises. "No," she said after a long pause. "I'm still...bitter."

"About what?"

"None of your business."

"It has to do with me, right?"

"Well, aren't you cocky?"

Tristan clenched his fists. She really wasn't making this easy in any way, shape, or form. "Bristol, come on."

He heard Bristol curse under her breath before meeting his gaze. The force of it almost made him stumble back.

"I didn't know how much you loved her," her voice cracked a bit and she forced her gaze away as her eyes turned glassy.

Tristan's heart stopped. How he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms right then and there and confess the feelings that had racked his mind for months upon end. The thoughts he had conjured, the sentimentalities that didn't suit his nature at all, he wanted to confess all of it to her and make her see that she was the one he truly cared about.

But he didn't.

"Avi? I love her, yes, but in a completely platonic way," He said carefully, gauging her reaction.

Bristol's eyes widened but she didn't meet his gaze. "Platonic. Sure."

"It's the truth," Tristan rolled his eyes.

She stamped her foot on the ground. "Why are you doing this? Why are you playing these games with me?"

Tristan watched her in utter disbelief. "You're one to talk," he scoffed.

"Oh, yeah, I bet." Bristol rebuffed.

Tristan couldn't take it anymore. He stormed over to her, causing her to back up until she was pressed against the wall. He glared into her dark eyes as she returned the favor, matching his gaze.

"Are you kidding me? I'm the one playing games?" He sneered. "Has everything meant nothing to you? Did that night meant nothing to you? Does this mean nothing to you?" He interrogated, his voice catching as he gestured between them.

Bristol pressed her lips into a thin line, her glare softening. "Of course it does," she said, hardly above a whisper.

Tristan became very aware at their proximity, and his heart started to race even more. The slightest step and they would be pressed up against each other. He leant an arm above her against the column, hunching down so their faces were inches apart.

"Then why are you with CJ?" Tristan choked, feeling his defenses come down.

Bristol didn't answer. And for once, Tristan wasn't angry at her for it. His free hand found its way up to her face, cupping her face in his hands. He thought she would attack him right then and there, but the heat of the moment was too much.

She leant up, he leant down, and Tristan felt his heart stop as their lips brushed against one another. Fireworks exploded all over, and arcs of electricity shot down his spine.

He stumbled away, half of him angry for pulling away and the other half begging for closure. "Why?" He asked.

Bristol bit her lip, her eyes filled with a sickened realization at herself. "I could ask you the same question," she said softly.

Neither of them said anything once more, and before Tristan could try to salvage the moment, Bristol's eyes filled with tears and she stormed off, the fountains she had been admiring shutting off in her wake.