A/N abuse triggers and a short chapter sorry :(

Reynolds walked out with John slung over his shoulder, Conway following with Alex in tow, his hands clamped behind his back and red-flushed cheeks streaked with dried tears.

"Levi," Maria growled, her hand crawling around under her jacket to find her knives.
"You know each other?" Conway hissed, in both surprise and bitterness. Maria didn't reply, she was too panicked, her knives were missing.

"Yeah, Maria here is my bitch," Levi chuckled darkly, prowling closer to Maria.
"Was your bitch," Maria hissed, squinting at him dangerously. "Now I'm gonna make you mine," she smirked, plucking her wad of bubblegum off her tongue and sticking it to Levi's cheek.

Levi's arm snapped up and he grabbed her wrist, baring his teeth like a hungry predator.
"I'd like to see you fucking try, whore," he spoke in a low voice, tugging her wrist closer so her whole body was ripped forward, his breath hot on her face as he peeled the bubblegum off his cheek in disgust.
Maria swung her leg up to slam her knee into his crotch but Levi was expecting it, blocking her with his shin before surging forward and throwing her body to the concrete ground like a rag doll.

Alex watched on with wide eyes, unable to make a sound, wheezing desperately and still thrashing weakly in Conway's grip.
Maria was quick to get up but Levi only shoved her back down on her back, a yelp of pain escaping her lips. He dropped to all fours and slunk over her like a snake, straddling her and pinning her arms down with a malicious grin.
"Not so tough now, are you bitch?" he spat, raising one hand to her neck and squeezing gently.

"I'll kill you, I-I'll kill you," she choked, jabbing her free hand around weakly, scratching at his face. Levi threw his head back with a hyena's hysteric cackle, his whole body shaking.
"Oh Maria, I always hated your persistence, do I have to beat it out of you again?" He laughed with dark eyes, digging his nails into her skin slightly.

Maria's breath hitched and she shut up, shaking her head erratically.
"Oh I think I do darling," Levi giggled, stroking her hair sweetly before grabbing a fistful and yanking it violently. Maria screamed and tears prickled her eyes as she looked up at Levi, she was shattering again. In 5 years she had been able to rebuild herself into a stronger, more resilient woman than she ever was, but simply seeing him now was breaking her down again into tiny, helpless shards.

"P-please, please," she begged hoarsely, her whole body shaking in fear underneath him. Levi simply laughed harder.
"You're weak Maria. You're fucking weak. I don't know why James always wanted you," he laughed, shaking his head slowly. "I have never seen a more patheti-"

Levi was interrupted by two booming barks. His head whipped up and he gasped in surprise as Artemis launched herself directly at him, smashing into him, effectively knocking him off of Maria and sinking her teeth into his shoulder. Levi let rip a scream of fury and he snatched a switchblade out of his pocket, jabbing it into Artemis' side.

Artemis whimpered and released her jaws, Levi throwing her limp frame to the side with a grunt.
"Dumb fucking mutt," he growled, swinging his leg back to kick the dog before Maria slammed her body into him, knocking him down.

Levi yelped and growled in anger.
"Get them out of here! I'll deal with the whore," he growled up at Maria. Maria had her fist raised ready to punch out Levi's daylights, but when she saw Conway and James making their escape with Alex and John, her stomach dropped, and so did her guard.

"No! Stop!" She yelled, stumbling to her feet and running after them, but Levi snatched up her wrist and ripped her backwards, slamming her back into the ground.
Upon the impact her head slammed into the ground with a sickening thud.

Like the flick of a switch the whole corridor began to spin like a carousel on steroids. Levi stood over her with a smirk, leaning down and twirling her fringe between his scarred and thatched fingers.
"To fuck, or not t-"
"LEVI!"

A knife sliced through the air right past Levi's ear. His head shot up with an animalistic growl. Hercules was running down the hall with Maria's knives in his grasp, aiming another right at him.
Levi shot up to his feet and smirked, jogging backwards.
"You're too late!" he giggled maliciously, flipping his hood back on.

Hercules shot him a confused glance, making him laugh even harder.
"Your boys are mine, John is mine!" He cheered, turning and bolting down the corridor, the shadows of the night swallowing him whole.

Hercules' throat suddenly felt drier than a desert, his pupils dilating in shock and fear.
"No." he breathed, picking up his pace in a panic-fuelled burst of adrenaline. "NO!"

He came to an abrupt stop seeing Maria groaning on the floor, Artemis not too far away bleeding out.

"Hercules?" Lafayette shouted nervously from the end of the hall.
"Laf!" Hercules cried as he dove for Artemis, watching Maria carefully while he applied pressure to the dog's wound.
"Mon dieu! What happened?" Laf gasped in horror, running forward to come to their aid.

"Levi Weeks isn't dead." Hercules barely croaked, his hands sticky with Artemis' blood.
"Wha-what?" He muttered, shaking his head with a weak laugh. "Non non, don't joke like that Herc," he muttered in denial.
"He's not joking," Maria gasped, shakily lifting her head. All attention turned to her as she struggled to find balance, clawing at the floor uneasily.
"L-Levi, he- they took- they kidnapped A-Alex and John," she managed to get out before her head lulled backwards to the concrete once more.

Click. She was out like a light.