Some say that pain is a choice. Mind over matter, that we can decide to feel pain or not. Whether it's mental, physical, emotional, some believe it's all in our head. After this, I don't think I can side with them. Not anymore.

When the car starts running low on gas, I pull into an abandoned car park. I couldn't tell you what city this is. I couldn't tell you much of anything, all I know is that I'm alone. And that, potentially, there are two groups of people coming for me.

I haven't been alone since this change and it's an insanely vulnerable feeling. Cutting the engine, I focus on breathing, trying to stabilize my wild thoughts and stay calm. I'm useless, I realize, with no one else around. I'm a waste of space, no knowledge on how to protect myself and furthermore, no one around to manipulate their powers for myself. A sinking feeling hits me and I realize that even if Marcus reaches me prior to Jim, my fate has already been sealed. I can't do this on my own, I couldn't ever do it, yet I ran straight into the arms of danger for Phil.

The worst part is I don't regret it.

I'm not sure how long it is that I wait for, not sure how many hours have passed but the sun begins to go down sometime later. The car park is empty aside from myself and my anxiety which seems large enough to fill up the entire city. If there is anything I thought this life would bring me, I thought it would be time. Being immortal should mean that, right? It should bring with it the understanding that I've got centuries to figure all of this out, yet somehow, it's all going to be cut short for me. I don't have the luxury of figuring anything out at all. All I have is whatever meagre time is left for me in this abandoned car park in the middle of an unnamed city alone. 

Eventually, the sun starts to set behind the skyline. It must have been hours that I drove and even more hours that I sat here waiting for whatever the end of this may be to finally come. And when it does, I'm not ready. 

The dark SUV pulls into the car park sometime around midnight. The shallow moonlight washes over the dusty ground, Marcus' silhouette drifting towards me like the grim reaper. On his right stands who I can only assume to be Alfie. I'm not sure what comes next, standing here in this moment. All I know is I could make a million flowers bloom in this moment, feeling Phil's presence so close to me. I know he's in that car, alive even, to our extent, and it's enough for me in this moment to know I wasn't too late. 

"Daniel, hello," Marcus greets, his accent thick, a smug smile tugging at his lips. I grimace and nod once at him, standing my ground in front of the stolen black car behind me. "You made good ground all by yourself, you made it quite the chase for us." He almost scolds me, folding his hands in front of him. I risk a glance at Alfie, his dark eyes appraising me like a predator and I hate the way my stomach roils at the look. 

"My apologies." I bite back, glaring icily at him. Simply smiling, Marcus steps toward me. 

"What exactly was your plan for this moment? How did you envision this going?" He asks, glancing down at his fingernails, feigning indifference when I know he's bubbling with satisfaction inside. The bastard. 

"Dan what the hell were you thinking, you idiot?!" It's a voice I didn't quite expect to hear, not yet at least, maybe not ever again. I was hoping if I did it would be because I won somehow. But now it's during the fight. It's during the end. Pj comes to stand beside me, Chris closing the door to Jim's car behind them as the three of them approach me, surrounding me. Although they're angry with me, I can feel the relief washing over them in waves. Pj quickly hugs me, a brief touch, but more than I ever expected from him. He hasn't been my biggest fan, considering I'm the fault behind all of this, this entire catastrophe can be drawn right back to me. I don't blame him for resenting me for disturbing his otherwise easy existence. 

"I couldn't just leave him," I reply quietly, shaking my head, feeling completely and utterly terrified now that this is all so real. "You three shouldn't have come. You should've stayed safe." It's my turn to scold because if we lose, if any one of us doesn't come back from this, it'll be my fault, all over again. It's all relating back to me, all of these problems and dangers can all be traced back to the fact that I exist in their lives. 

"Dan, you're part of this family now. You were right that we shouldn't have left Phil, so here we are." Chris says, offering me a bit of a smile. All the while, I'm focusing on one thing. Alfie. I can feel the thin tendrils of his power the more I subconsciously reach out for them. It's a strangely powerful feeling, it's the feeling of life in my hands and knowing I can end them. Alfie's power is strong, stronger than most, I've realized. In the past month, I've done extensive research on common powers in our kind, and he exceeds the usual capacity. With a simple look, Alfie can have you on your knees, begging for the life he's sucking out of you. The existence you have, immortal or not, he can end it with a single look. 

And so can I. 

"As cute as all of this reunion shit is, I'm over it." Marcus snaps, obviously not enjoying the fact that even with his men, he's outnumbered. 

"So what now?" Jim asks, stepping in front of me. I don't like it, him placing himself in danger, so I step up beside him, tangling my mind in those thin lines of power radiating off of Alfie, trying desperately to connect myself to it, waiting, biding what little time I may have. 

But when all hell breaks loose, I realize my time is shorter than I previously anticipated. 

Phil emerges from the back of the SUV, a blur of black hair and shocking ivory skin in the night. A man with blonde hair spiked up falls to the ground with a grunt, his back hitting the dirty pavement with an audible thud. Wild blue eyes find me in the chaos and the faintest smile graces his lips. 

Suddenly, everyone's moving. Jim is lunging at Marcus, taking him to the ground and I take a mental note to ask- if we make it out of this- what underlying problems have gone on in the past between the two. Pj and Chris dart out around me, taking on the previously fallen blonde and the other blonde who emerged from the back of the car without me noticing. 

Phil begins to make his way forward and I know his intentions. They terrify me. He's absolutely insane. Once in front of Alfie, it all happens so fast. Alfie's hand shooting out, the sharp exclaim ripping from Phil's lips as his head snaps unnaturally to the side. I don't wait any longer, drowning out all the other yells and sounds from the others' as I focus solely on Alfie. 

Power courses through me, but before I can act, so does pain. An absolutely excruciating amount of it ricochets through my very bones. I hear a scream, and I think, somewhere along the line, it might be my own. Fighting through the pain I know isn't even real, I try to attach myself to the very baseline of it, the actual presence of this power, this harsh alter reality I'm living through. Phil's still on the ground, I can faintly see his body through my hazy vision. I think it must be Marcus' body that flies through the air, landing with a sickening crunch on a raised part of the curb. 

Alfie's hands wind around my neck, bringing it up at a sharp, pain staking angle. Another cry rips from my throat, but no one can help me. I'm alone in this moment, just as alone as I was prior to everyone showing up. But this time, I can protect myself. 

I push through the physical and mental pain ripping through my body, the fire-like feeling burning through every single part of me. Soon enough, it's Alfie whose screaming as his hands fall from around my neck, grasping at the side of his head. I breathe through clenched teeth, forcing my pain back onto him, gripping at the little bits of reality I still can. I can smell Phil's familiar scent near me and I cling to it, trying to ground myself from the turmoil surrounding me, desperately trying to grab onto things that keep me sane. 

It's absolute chaos, screams and growls biting through the chilly air, the sickening sounds of tearing flesh, of bones of immortals cracking under the ferocious hands of those able to break these barriers. After what feels like forever, Alfie's screams disappear into the darkness, his body collapsing onto the ground. Exhausted, body still reeling from the remnants of pain, I, too, fall onto the ground, gasping for air I shouldn't need, gripping the sediments and rocks on the ground for something to feel, something to distract myself. The sounds of a war continue on around me, but I'm too far gone to do what I know I should, to get up and contribute. 

Alfie's power fades from my grasp as suddenly as it had come, creating a rush of relief to wash over me. Finally, I close my eyes, letting myself succumb to the black around the edges of my vision, the comfort of rest. 

***

Smooth hands pass over my forehead and the sides of my neck. The first thing I notice in my conscious mind is stiffness. My entire body feels as if it's been thrown against a brick wall, mind blurry and still exhausted. I don't know how much time has passed, but the pain still clings to me with sharp fingers, digging into my muscles and my very bones. 

"He's waking up, you should grab him something to drink." Jim's voice sounds muddled through my half conscious state and I struggle to wake myself further, bring myself out of this stupor. Finally, I feel as if I can open my eyes. 

The room is dimly lit which I'm unbelievably grateful for. Pj steps into view with a cup of familiar, viscous red liquid that makes my mouth water. 

"Let's get you sitting up, okay?" Jim mumbles, settling his hands under my arms and helping situate my aching body into a sitting position. Once I've had enough to properly satiate me, Chris hands me some water which I eagerly gulp down. 

"Is everyone okay?" I ask, voice rough around the edges. 

"I'm sure everyone will be." Jim replies which tugs at something vulnerable inside of me. 

"What do you mean by that?" Glancing around the room, all I can see are the three people I care about, but the one I love the most is missing. 

"Phil's getting some proper help. Some healers are taking a look at him. We had one here earlier for you, as well." Pj explains, sitting softly beside me. I can see some well-aimed bruises and cuts littering his skin, but they'll heal soon enough. Chris is sporting a few visible wounds himself, as is Jim, but I'm just so glad they seem to be okay. 

"But he's going to be alright?" I confirm carefully, fear ripping its way into my mind, filling it with all the worst possibilities. 

"We can only hope at this point," Chris says softly. I want to be angry, but these are the people who showed up in the face of danger to save me, the ones who are my family, the ones who love me. My new life. 

"What about Marcus?" Jim glances at me smugly, running a hand through his hair. 

"I dealt with him." Is his simple reply. I want to know more, but it'll do for now. 

"The others?" 

"Joe and Casper are being held in a cell at the centre back in London. Felix himself came with some members of his personal guard to escort them back. We didn't want to kill them considering they were only doing what they were ordered to by their higher up. For all we know, their intentions were pure. And if they weren't, they will be dealt with accordingly." Chris explains as he folds up some of his clothes, tucking them into a suitcase. I notice finally that we're in a hotel room, presumably in whatever city I got us holed up in with my aimless driving.

"And you took good care of Alfie. You're pretty impressive, the way you manipulate powers so quickly and effectively." Pj adds on with a grin. I don't necessarily feel good about what I did, but part of me is proud that I was able to contribute so strongly, that I was somehow able to save myself, potentially save Phil and maybe the others as well. Maybe I'm not as useless as I thought. 

An unfamiliar woman walks into the room, her shoulder length brown hair reflecting the pale light in the room. Her sharp almond eyes glance around the room before settling on Jim with a doting look in her eyes. Reaching out, she traces a cut along his jaw. I watch in awe as it disappears beneath her gentle touch. 

"Dan, this is Tanya, my partner," Jim introduces. I offer her a smile in greeting, not able to bring myself to do much more. 

"Phil's strong, Dan, very strong. He'll pull through this," she reassures me, a lilt to her accented voice, maternal and soft. I force a small smile and nod at her. 

I know Phil's strong, I know he is. And I need him to pull through this. Or all of this means nothing. I just need Phil to be okay. 

*******

A/N: Thanks to all of you who are continuing to read this! It's coming to a close in a couple of chapters I think, so please show me some love for this book! Vote, comment, any way you want to reach out to me! I love to hear from you guys, it means the world! What would you like to see happen to Phil/ what do you think will happen? Let me know! Love you guys!