**I've been meaning to revamp this - maybe I will. This is the original for now. Tremaine can't bear to face the Phoenix Riders after getting his own team disqualified from the tournament. The rage gets to be too much for him. CW: anger, mention of steroids, emotional turmoil

Who's the most underrated Warcross character and why?**

     A storm rumbled through the mist. Violent bolts of lighting pierced the thick silence and shook the air. The stress and the guilt had become too much for Tremaine Blackbourne. He sat curled up tightly on his bed in the Phoenix Riders' dormitory, holding his knees to his chest. He was failing to fight back tears as he submitted to his rage, letting it tear him apart inside like an Obscurus to a young wizard. A storm of so many emotions that he knew well from his youth kept snapping its beastly jaws at him.

     He thought he was doing the right thing at the start, really. He thought he could be a strength to his team. It was the hope and enthusiasm to prove himself that kept him going. He thought - no he was absolutely sure - the pills would help. But now, here he was, a coward, dried blood on his knuckles. That fistfight had gotten his team suspended. It wasn't the pills that led him to that. That was something else entirely.

     It started out fine. Tremaine was shocked when Asher gave him a chance. Moving into the dorm seemed surreal. But what really made the experience seem to be destiny was the kind soul that had stayed up late into the night helping Tremaine train. The kind soul that had helped Tremaine realize that he didn't have to be a weakness to the team. The soft brown eyes and the knowing smile.

The soul Tremaine fell for.

The soul that fell for Tremaine in return.

Of course, Roshan was asleep right now, as were the rest of the Phoenix Riders. Moonlight was shining through Tremaine's window, illuminating the room. It was almost sunrise. He had played and replayed the Memory of the conversation he'd heard. It was like a stone being weathered. The Memory drilled down at his consciousness with unforgiving scorn. That conversation had caused him to lose his temper during the Warcross game. And each time he played it, he felt his heart shatter just a little bit more. Tiny pieces breaking into even smaller shards.

"I'm sorry, son," Mr. Ahmadi was saying, gently patting Roshan's shoulder. "But what did you expect? It was only a matter of time before he followed his mother's example."

Not being worthy of the Riders? Sure, Tremaine was no stranger to that thought. But that moment, when he heard Roshan's father's words, was when it dawned on him. It was hopeless. He was hopeless.

~

Far into the next day, Tremaine had barely moved, unable to do much more than sob and let himself get caught in the violent tornado of his own mind. The sun shone into his room, as if urging him to do something.

And he did.

He swung open his closet door, tears blurring his vision, and grabbed his suitcase. Opening it and laying it on his bed, he started quickly stuffing in all of his belongings. Clothing was shoved in disorderly piles, and the only thing he cared about was his phone, which he plugged his earbuds into and tucked in his pocket. Once everything was packed, Tremaine put his earbuds in and turned up his music all the way, drowning himself in BTS. He zipped his suitcase closed, picked it up, and left his room without a second glance. He didn't care that his eyes were red and puffy, or that his hair was a mess or that his knuckles were bloody. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that he left. He was a blemish on the face of the Phoenix Riders. A smudge in the ink. A crack in the glass. A mistake.

He didn't tell Asher. He didn't say goodbye. Not a word, even to Roshan. His heart was pounding as he headed for the side door so as to not have to walk through the atrium and see what he was leaving behind. It seemed like nobody had noticed, until-

"Tremaine?" came the voice, muffled over the music.

"Tremaine!" The voice was getting closer. Footsteps. Running footsteps. Tremaine picked up speed on his way out. He was almost at the exit when he felt his earbuds tug out of his ears and a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see a confused and angry Roshan. Damn. What was he doing awake this early? And why did it have to be him?

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" asked Roshan, noticing the full-to-bursting suitcase. He met Tremaine's eyes, his face slacking from its confused tightness to a look of sympathy. "Trem," he whispered. "What's wrong?"

"I-" Tremaine's words caught in his throat at Roshan's saddened expression. He managed to shake his head. "I-I'm sorry, Roshan..."

"Sorry? Why- why? F-for what?"

An idea came to Tremaine. It wasn't good, and he knew for certain it would break Roshan's heart. But it was all he had. So he jumped at it.

"I can't do this anymore, Ro," he said wearily. "I-I've- Darren Kinney and I, we- ." You're a fool, Tremaine Blackbourne. "We've been...seeing each other. I didn't want you to know." None of that was true, of course. Tremaine hung his head. He could practically hear Roshan's heart shatter.

The way Roshan's face fell made Tremaine want to confess the truth and sob and apologize. He didn't.

"I thought we could be happy-" Roshan began.

"Well, we can't!" Tremaine interrupted, a growl in his voice, with a mix of anger and pain. "There's no use being hopeful that this is gonna work."

He released a shaky breath, a tear slipping down his cheek. When Roshan took one final step closer, Tremaine backed away. He couldn't be near him right now, as much as it hurt to distance himself. This was how it had to be.

He forced himself to meet Roshan's eyes. Those eyes. "Look...we're done. We were never meant to be. you're you and I...I'm just me. Our families, they'd never-" he sighed once more, wanting anything but to be doing this.

"T-Tremaine...that means nothi-"

"Goodbye, Roshan."

"Am I not good enough?!" Roshan's voice cracked like a whip.

The words lingered in the air. Tremaine's back was turned. The door was opened, the cool twilight air flooding in and sending a chill up Tremaine's spine.

"Goodbye." Tremaine's lip quivered. "I hope you find someone...someone better."

The door softly shut, drowning Roshan in silence. A wall had been built. A wall stronger than any material object.

Tremaine knew that that had been for the better. As much as it felt like his heart was being wrenched out...this was what he deserved.