TW : Mentions of r*pe

"How did you get a tattoo at sixteen? Aren't you suppose to be an adult for that?" Zoe asked from her big cafe chair that Teddy left her in.

"My uncle's a tattoo artist," Howl explained as he tried to look down at the art piece on his chest that he had lifted his shirt for Zoe to see. "So after years and years and years of begging my moms, they finally caved and let me get one for my sixteenth birthday."

"Would you put your shirt down already? There are other people here." Fisher groused with a slight blush to his cheeks.

Howl snickered at Fisher's bashfulness and shifted his attention back to Zoe as he pointed to a faint mark above the tattoo. "And this little purple spot is from Fisher's attempt at giving me a hickey when I took his virginity a few days ago."

Fisher's face and ears turned a deep shade of red now as he stared at Howl in shock. Howl laughed and finally dropped his shirt to wrap his arms around Fisher and make sure he didn't run. Taking Fisher's virginity was something that Howl was very, very proud of and wanted to brag about to everybody he spoke to, since he had such a big mouth. However, Fisher was a very private person and was even more bashful so discussing sex and his virginity so casually was not his favorite pass time.

"You guys did it?" Zoe perked up in her seat, her brown eyes full of interest and curiosity.

"Oh, hell yeah." Howl bragged with a cocky smirk. "Multiple times. Over and over again."

"Jesus Christ, Howl!" Fisher exclaimed as he slapped both of his hands over Howl's mouth, sitting twisted and awkward in Howl's lap. "Don't you ever shut up?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Zoe whispered as she scooted forward to sit at the edge of her seat.

Fisher and Howl carefully studied Zoe, who looked very serious and invested. Fisher turned to face forward and slouched into Howl's embrace, allowing himself to relax despite the warmth in his face.

"Shoot, princess." Howl said.

Zoe pulled her lips into a fine line as she search for the right words. "Uh-Uhm... How?"

Howl's eyebrows gently pulled in above his nose as he tried to decode Zoe's very weird, very broad question. Even Fisher sat in silence as he tried to put Zoe's stumbling words together. It wasn't like she was asking a very difficult question but, if she was asking what they thought she was asking, then neither of them really wanted to answer.

"What do you mean, Zoe? Do you need me to explain gay sex to you?"

Zoe's eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. She definitely didn't mean that, although, she was incredibly embarrassed when she realized that's how it sounded. "N-No! That's not what I meant! I just meant, because Fisher has always been very reluctant with you.. it's hard to imagine he'd agree to something like that..."

"Oh!" A knowing grin spread across Howl's face. "You mean, how did I seduce him?"

"He didn't seduce me! Don't listen to him!" Fisher blurted before Howl could say anymore. "It only happened because we made a deal and he actually followed through with it so I graciously decided to reward him."

"You made a deal? What kind of deal?" Zoe asked.

"Howl was instructed not to touch anybody when he went out to a bar, and he says he didn't, so I agreed to finally have sex with him. I just needed him to prove that he's capable of being loyal to someone." Fisher said with his chin held high.

"Oh..." Zoe frowned and sunk into her chair.

There wasn't anything in that story that she could apply to her own situation. If she made that deal with Teddy, he would probably laugh at her and walk away. Her only competition was Kim, and maybe Jennie, yet neither of them had really been a problem besides the one incident. Maybe Teddy was still talking to Kim and Zoe didn't know, but she didn't think he would. He said he wasn't interested in Kim and Zoe would take his word for it, since they promised not to lie to each other.

"Are you trying to seduce Teddy?" Howl asked, breaking Zoe out of her thoughts.

Zoe cast Howl a shocked stare. "Wh-What? No! I-I was just asking be-because-" She awkwardly stammered before Howl interrupted.

"Because you're planning on seducing him?" Howl smirked.

"Howl! No! I was just curious because-"

"It's alright, princess. I think you should do it." Howl shrugged. Zoe calmed and studied Howl with a bit of suspicion swirling in her brown eyes. She was so used to being teased, she expected him to make a joke out of this. "You already know I've been rooting for you two to get together since forever. If you're thinking about seducing Teddy, I think you should do it. It's not like it'd be that difficult."

"What do you mean?" Zoe asked, fighting a smirk at the implication of Howl's words. Did he know something? Did Teddy secretly like her?

Howl peered up at Fisher when Fisher looked over his shoulder at Howl. They had already gossiped about what Teddy said about the last time him and Zoe made out and they had been gossiping about their relationship for months now. It was clear to both of them that Zoe and Teddy were sexually attracted to one another. At this point, their sexual tension was like a ticking time bomb. Howl and Fisher were just waiting for that timer to go off and for Teddy and Zoe to finally jump each others boners.

"Judging by that smile on your face, I don't think I have to spell it out for you." Howl chuckled at Zoe, which made her smile brighten. "Teddy's not going to be able to resist you forever, Zoe. If you keep picking away at him, he's going to break. And, I imagine, sooner than later."

Zoe wiggled in her seat with a proud smile on her face and her bottom lip between her teeth. She liked to think that Teddy was attracted to her so much that he had to actively resist her advances. Of course, she didn't want to pressure him into anything and she certainly didn't want him to regret giving into her, but he liked her in some way. Howl was making that very clear. By the way he made it sound, all she had to do was give it a solid try and she'd have a good chance at breaking him.

"What are you going to do?" Fisher asked with a slight smirk. "To seduce him?"

Zoe blushed and shyly shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know.. I've never had to.. seduce anybody before. Guys always want me more than I want them."

"Brag about it." Howl scoffed.

"I'm not bragging! Quite the opposite, actually. I'm at a disadvantage here. How do you seduce someone that's trying their best to resist you?" Zoe asked.

"Easy. Aim for his weaknesses. Tempt him with something he can't say no to." Howl suggested.

"If I come at him with his weakness, he's going to know what I'm doing. Shouldn't I be more subtle?"

"Maybe.. But if you're too subtle, then Teddy might shrug off your advances and not take you seriously."

Zoe slouched again as she tried to brainstorm what she could do to seduce Teddy and what she could actually pull off. It wasn't like she had ever done something like this before. Teddy was her first kiss. He was the only guy she had ever kissed, for crying out loud. And now she was thinking about having sex with him, which was slowly beginning to weigh on her.

Did Zoe actually want to have sex? With Teddy? Did she really want to swap v-cards with him, like Teddy had once teased her about? Was it totally naive of her to want to have sex with the only guy she had ever kissed? What would it even be like to have sex with Teddy? Would he be sweet and gentle and caring or would he express his more aggressive and intense side?

Teddy could be both. He was both. She just didn't know which side he would lean on when he was making love. And, when she thought about it, she would be okay with either. Imagining Teddy touching her gently, kissing her tenderly, and whispering sweet-nothing's to her was nice. But imagining him pinning her against a wall, leaving love bites all over her, and taking complete control of her body was also very fun. She was pretty much okay with anything as long as it was Teddy because she trusted him.

Zoe's wandering mind eventually made her blush. She really liked Teddy. A lot. Almost every single day, she found herself becoming more and more fond of him. He was undeniably handsome and he had such a big heart. She trusted him so much, no matter what. There was no doubt in her mind that Teddy wouldn't make something like sex a comfortable and enjoyable experience for them both. He was just the right level of calculated and considerate and wild and uncontrollable.

Not to mention, he was a good kisser, so they would at least be enjoying one thing.

"Zoe." Howl chuckled, pulling Zoe from her thoughts again. "You're turning redder than Fisher and I didn't even know that was possible."

"Sorry..." Zoe raised her hands to her cheeks and tried her best to fight a smile. She felt giddy and warm and excited just thinking about the possibility of having sex with Teddy. "I just only ever imagined it happening. I never really thought it would be possible, you know.."

"Oh, it's possible. Trust me." Howl reassured with a wink.

Of course, Howl worried about the outcome of Teddy and Zoe pushing their relationship into such intimidate territory, but he knew it was inevitable. That Abe guy said Teddy would be gutted by Zoe's own mother if she knew they were in love, but they already were in love. Teddy was already risking a lot just to protect Zoe as her friend. Howl could only assume that Teddy would be willing to risk more if that meant he could finally have her. Teddy just had to forgive himself for accidentally ending up in the position he was in and he could finally have everything he ever wanted.

No matter if they had sex or not, no matter if they were in love or not, Teddy and Zoe would do anything to protect each other either way. So, Howl figured, they might as well have some fun in between all the chaos. They deserved it. They deserved each other.

-

The Icy Lakes Resort was not in the middle of nowhere, so when Abe led Teddy out of the resort and down the street, they were greeted by a busy main street with shops, restaurants, and smaller hotels on the other side of the road. Abe and Teddy trudged through the snow, crossed the main street in silence, and trudged through the parking lots of various shops. Teddy didn't ask where they were going but he did have a bad feeling about this situation.

That feeling only grew heavier in Teddy's chest when he realized Abe was heading towards a bar. He still didn't say anything, though. Not even when he spotted two different Sensation trucks sitting outside. Teddy simply took a deep breath and straightened his posture, trying to convince himself that he would be fine. As long as he used his head, he would make it back to Zoe. He had no other choice because there was no way he would leave that girl behind.

Abe pushed into the bar with Teddy in his wake and walked through it as if he had been here a thousand times. Teddy reluctantly followed, his eyes shifting all over the bar as he examined it and everybody here. There were some people that just looked like couples and friends, young and old, simply in here to drink and chat so Teddy didn't pay much attention to them. He did, however, cautiously stare at those sitting at different tables and booths that looked like men with scars, tattoos, and leather jackets.

"These men, here, are all part of Mission Z." Abe explained as he gestured towards the men who were all looking up from their conversations to stare at Teddy. "I've been working with this unit for four years. Some of us get switched out depending on if something important comes up, otherwise, we're tasked with watching and following Zoe Yang. You might recognize a few of them from under the bridge."

"What?" Teddy blurted and stopped in his tracks to stare at Abe. "Rin has a whole unit of henchmen following Zoe around everyday? Why the hell would she recruit me if she has all of these fucks?"

Abe smirked, obviously amused by the answer to that question. "You wouldn't leave her side, Morgan. Even after we warned you to. You were an uncontrollable variable in a very controlled environment, so Rin thought it'd be best to recruit you. Besides, Mission Z is a standby unit. We don't act unless given orders to. You, on the other hand, are on the front lines, right beside Zoe, capable of protecting her in situations that we can't."

Teddy was shocked, trying to silently wrap his head around all of this new information as quickly as he could. It kind of made sense. Rin was overprotective and treated Zoe like her precious trophy so it was easy to believe that she would always have people nearby to protect her property. Teddy did wonder what kind of orders Rin would give this Mission Z crew. It could be anything but Teddy hoped it was only good things and Rin wouldn't order them to rush Zoe's house and murder him or something.

"Have you been given orders since she came to Ohio?" Teddy reluctantly asked, his eyes shifting to meeting those that there still staring. They all looked very big and intimidating.

"Only one." Abe answered, only continuing once Teddy's eyes locked with his. "We were ordered to find you and give you a warning. We were going to catch you when you got off work but missed our chance so we beat you home and then, well, beat you."

Teddy scoffed and slumped his shoulders. He couldn't believe there had been a secret unit of spies, basically, that had been keeping track of him and Zoe this entire time.

"Were you ordered to follow her here? To the resort?" Teddy asked.

"This unit has existed for years, Morgan. We don't need those types of orders anymore, we just do it. We follow her all around the world. Once your tests are over, you'll be traveling right along with us so start shopping for a durable suitcase now." Abe explained.

Teddy was at a loss for words. This whole world that Rin had built was bigger than Teddy ever imagined. There was a mini secret society of buff, ruthless , robot bodyguards lurking in the shadows of every town Zoe ever visited. And now, Teddy was one of them. Since he was a trainee, it seemed he wasn't qualified or ready to travel the world with this pack, but apparently he would eventually have to. That concept was even harder for Teddy to grasp.

Did Zoe even know this unit existed? If she did and he had to join them, how long until his cover got blown? Was this why Rin had him escorting Zoe to that studio? So he would become accustom to waiting on Zoe and following her around to always be there to protect her? Is that what Abe meant when he said Teddy was on the front line? Why was he even thinking about all of that when there was no way in hell that he would be following Zoe around the world in this pack?

From the very beginning, Teddy claimed he couldn't grow attached to Zoe because he had plans for his future. Even if that didn't involve Ezra anymore, he still had some plans to follow through with. Like college. He couldn't just abandon his future to follow Zoe around the world with these imprisoned henchmen. He couldn't leave Carmen and the kids behind to climb the ladder and avoid becoming disposable, like Abe had suggested he do. This was too much for him. This was madness.

"Sit with them. I'm going to wait for Brian outside." Abe said as he gently grabbed Teddy's arm and pointed towards a round table where a few men were playing cards.

Teddy watched over his shoulder as Abe sauntered out of the bar and looked back at the men around the table, all of whom were staring at him. Very cautiously, Teddy pulled out a chair and planted himself in it. As soon as he did, the men turned their eyes away from him and started muttering and grumbling to one another as they bickered about whatever card game they were playing. There was a pile of cash in the center of the table that kept everyone heavily invested in the game.

One of the men was rounder than the others with a long, thick beard that was peppered with grey hair. He had a few small face tattoos and a piercing through his eyebrow. He looked like the oldest here but probably still nimble enough to keep up and lay someone out in a single swing. Another looked maybe in his late thirties, around Abe's age but looked much, much more modest. He just looked like a suburban dad with a Supercuts hairstyle and varsity jacket but he was smoking like his life depended on it.

The third had a flat death hawk haircut with a spiderweb tattooed where his head was shaved. He had a septum piercing, lip piercings, wide gages, his nails were painted black. The fourth and last one was also a bit older with greying hair and reading glasses that sat at the tip of his nose as he stared down at his cards. He had a bit of beard as well but it was nicely trimmed and groomed, like his gelled hair. He looked like a fancy barista that could cut someone open with a smile on his face.

"Got any cash on you, Morgan?" The first guy asked as he tossed a few cards into a discarded pile and reached for the other pile to replace them.

"No." Teddy answered, eyeballing the guy. He didn't like that he knew his name. They probably all did if they had been ordered to beat him under that bridge.

"You're fucking the bosses daughter and don't even get paid for it." The third one with the death hawk joked with a wide, goofy, sideways grin. For some reason, his mouth was green, like he had been sucking on some kind of green lollipop. "She must fuck like she does in my dreams."

"Watch it, Finnegan. What did I tell you about making jokes like that?" The varsity guy absently warned, his thoughts glued to his cards.

"It's alright, Booger. You know I'm not talking about your daughter. Don't get so riled up, daddy." Finnegan playfully teased as she reached to grab the back of the varsity guy's neck.

Varsity guy shoved Finnegan's arm off of him and shot him a very serious, heated glare. His eyes then shifted to Teddy and softened a bit, although, he was still obviously angry. "It's Burgess, by the way. Kent Burgess. Don't listen to the crackhead. He's lucky none of us have killed him yet."

Teddy gave Burgess a simple nod and studied him for a moment longer before he looked at Finnegan, who was busy picking his green teeth with one of his cards. Teddy had never been more out of his element and he was the most uncomfortable he could possibly be. These people were strange. This world was strange. And he had not mentally prepared himself for any of it.

"Julius." The fourth man casually introduced, offering a hand towards Teddy but not tearing his eyes off of his cards. Teddy took it and shook his hand.

"Wilford." The first guy said in a simple introduction. "Wilford Cox."

Teddy nodded again, too overwhelmed to speak.

"You're a very unique recruit, Morgan." Julius began as he sat back to retrieve his cigarettes from the front pocket of his button up shirt. "Nobody except Kenneth has worked so closely with Zoe before."

Teddy frowned and shifted a bit in his chair. "I don't work with Zoe. She's my friend. I'm only doing this because-"

"You're doing it for the same reason as the rest of us. No need to explain yourself." Julius interrupted, pausing to light his cigarette and pick his cards back up to join the game again. "Still, my point stands. You're in a very unique position. I don't know if that makes you a lucky bastard or a goner."

"I came here to make sure I wasn't a goner." Teddy retorted. "Abe said I should try not to become disposable."

"Like Finnegan?" Burgess smirked from across the table.

"Disposable, my ass!" Finnegan shouted. "Ain't nobody do my job as good as me, Booger. I'm fucking top dollar."

"What does he do?" Teddy asked Burgess, frankly too intimidated to speak directly to Finnegan.

"He's a thief and a con artist. Pretty damn good at his job but absolutely insufferable." Burgess answered.

"Why would Rin need a thief?"

"I work for my boys, Mr. Build A Bear." Finnegan chimed, holding Teddy's very reluctant stare. "We don't get paid in gold so if we get hungry or need free motel rooms or somethin', I handle it. I once masqueraded as an employee at a casino to get us some cash and these asshats took turns sucking my dick for the rest of the night."

Julius was quick in landing a smack to the back of Finnegan's head, which made him flinch but still snicker like an evil, cartoon, sewer rat.

"Abe told you to make sure you're not disposable?" Wilford asked, causing Teddy to nod. "He must see some potential in you. He couldn't care less who becomes disposable around here, as long as it's not him."

"What about Brian?" Teddy asked with a bit of suspicion. He wouldn't be very shocked to hear that Abe made that whole potential and disposable speech to every new trainee.

"Brian's been disposable since Rin found him. He's been filling useless positions in various units for months but I have a feeling this is his last one. Rin wouldn't give someone the task of seducing her daughter without planning on murdering them." Wilford explained, casting a glance at Teddy. "Makes me wonder what she has in store for you."

Teddy felt his blood run a bit colder all of a sudden and nervously gulped, although, he tried to stay as composed as possible. That was a very good point. If nobody that worked for Rin had ever been this close to Zoe, what did that say about him? The only person like that was Brian and he was a deadman. Of course, Brian and Teddy were clearly not on the same level but it was clear that Rin did not like anybody being anywhere near her daughter.

Why was Teddy the exception? What did she really have planned for him?

"If Abe sees something in you and you're already working with the bosses daughter, I sure hope you don't fail this test, Morgan." Burgess said. "It would be a shame to see a kid with actual potential lose to a dead man."

"I'm not going to lose." Teddy quickly and confidently argued, causing all four sets of eyes to land on him. They were struck by his unwavering confidence in that declaration. "And not because I don't want to be disposable or because I want to please Rin or whatever bullshit. I just want these tests to end as soon as possible."

Burgess nodded in understanding, Finnegan smirked, Wilford averted his gaze without a word, and Julius's stare lingered before he also gave a nod and returned his attention to the game. Teddy didn't want to tell everybody here that he would do anything for Zoe and he was here to protect her, since that was beginning to feel like his one weakness, so he kept his reasoning simple. He just wanted the tests to end so he had to complete them as soon as they were given to him and hope that all of this would be over sooner that way.

But, in reality, Teddy just wanted them to end because he worried about Zoe. If she wasn't the center of these tests, he would endure them for as long as he had to in order to keep her safe.

"Brian Decker, meet Teddy Morgan. Morgan, Brian." Abe said once he was stood beside Teddy's chair with Brian at his side.

Brian offered Teddy his hand as he stared down at him but Teddy simply scowled at him. He refused to greet this guy like they were formal coworkers. He was a rapist and a murderer and a deadman. All Teddy wanted to do was remove him, physically, from Zoe's life and throw him in a dumpster. But considering the things this man was capable of, it sounded like he belonged in a wood chipper. Ant man willing to rape and murder a woman deserved a fate that gruesome.

"What?" Brian snorted a condescending laugh as he smirked at Teddy. "Can't work up the courage to shake the hand of the man that's about to fuck your girlfriend?"

Teddy was out of his seat so fast that he nearly knocked it over, but before he could take a swing at Brian, Abe had his forearm across Teddy's chest as he stepped between him and Brian. Teddy could feel a crowd of people staring at him, observing him, judging him, but he kept his eyes glued on Brian as he ground his teeth. His chest heaved against Abe's arm as he fumed with pure anger.

"Control yourself, Morgan." Abe quietly warned. "Giving into shit talk like that makes you look weak. If you snap anytime someone spits shit at you, people are gonna toss you around just for the fun of it."

Teddy stared at Brian's cocky smirk, imagining every single way that he could beat that smirk off of his face. After a moment, though, Teddy relaxed and shoved Abe's arm off of him. Abe let out a heavy sigh and looked around the henchmen staring at him. With a simple flick of his wrist, all of them stood from their seats and shuffled out of their booths. Teddy looked around, curious and wary, as men collected their jackets and made their way towards the back exit of the bar.

"Step into line, Morgan." Abe calmly ordered.

Teddy carefully studied Abe, looking for some kind of sign that would tell him he's about to get killed. Abe didn't reveal such things in his expression, however. He had completely mastered his poker face.

So, very reluctantly, Teddy turned and followed the others outside and into a circle formed by the Mission Z men. He slowly turned as he looked around at all of the men staring at him, feeling his heart rate begin to increase as his nerves caught up with him. The only other guy in the circle was Brian as Abe walked the inner perimeter of the circle and fished a handgun with a long suppressor out of the waistband of his jeans.

Teddy was slightly shocked to see Abe had a gun on him when he had just been threatened with a knife a few minutes ago.

"I don't think I really have to explain anything here. Brian, Teddy, you're going to duke it out until only one of you is left standing. This gun is for the loser. One bullet hole as punishment. Understood?" Abe asked as he waved his gun beside his head.

Teddy scoffed and shook his head, looking annoyed, although he was already beginning to tremble a little. It was a bit excessive to bring a gun into the mix. Teddy was just hoping to beat Brian in a fight so it would be agreed upon that he won this test and it would be over. However, even he understood how unlikely it was that he'd win, but he figured he could let Brian toss him around for awhile and postpone Brian's plan for as long as possible. If Teddy could distract Brian until the end of trip like this, then the test would be over, and Brian would have failed.

Teddy's plan wasn't going as he imagined, however, because now Abe was taking control of this fight. Now, Teddy would have to fight a little harder than he originally planned, in order to not die.

Brian and Teddy patiently stared at Abe, however, waiting obedient for him to order them to fight. Abe said nothing as he dropped his gun to his side and let his eyes bounce between Teddy and Brian.

"What? Do you want me to remind you how to throw your fists at someone? Fuckin' go!" Abe shouted.

Teddy flinched at Abe's command, shocked by how sudden and blatant his order was. He expected this to be a lot more formal since everything else seemed to catch him by surprise. It wasn't formal or uniform in any manner, Teddy realized, as Brian took a single step forward and threw his fist directly into his jaw. Teddy stumbled and nearly collapsed, which put him in the perfect position for Brian to grab his shoulders and throw his knee into Teddy's chest.

Falling to the ground with a heavy, breathlessly groaning, Teddy stared up at the white sky and then looked to the men around him. A few were snickering while some pulled out their wallets and began placing bets on Teddy and Brian. The fact that Teddy didn't hear his name in any of these bets hurt almost as much as Brian's fist. But it reminded him of what Abe said about being disposable, fighting harder, and using his head. This wasn't the time for sulking or writhing uselessly on the ground. Teddy simply had to fight and fight and fight until he couldn't anymore.

So, Teddy pushed himself off the ground and dove at Brian, keeping in mind every move that Abe pulled on him while they were training before. Thinking of Brian as Abe actually seemed to help because, when Brian swung his fist, Teddy was already prepared to block and counter his attacks. It was even more helpful since Brian wasn't Abe. He was more skilled and noticeably stronger than Teddy but he wasn't Abe.

Besides, Teddy had a high pain tolerance and he could get back up every time he was knocked down. That would certainly keep Brian distracted and probably even entertained.

-

"This kid can take a lot of hits!" One of the men boisterously laughed from the circle. "What, is he numb? Hit so many times he can't feel it anymore?"

Abe stood with his arms crossed and a permanent scowled etched into his scarred features. "You're not too far off, Buck."

"Those are real Jordan's, huh?" Finnegan asked Abe as he stumbled up to him, his eyes still glued to the two brawling in the middle of the circle. "You'll let me get those shoes when you shoot Mr. Build A Bear, right, Abraham? I could sell those babies in the blink of an eye."

Abe grabbed two fistfuls of Finnegan's shirt and tossed him into the circle, where Teddy and Brian were basically wrestling. He didn't like people using his full name. Especially, Finnegan, who was always looking for a way to be as disrespectful as possible. Abe was also looking for a way to reset this fight. Brian had Teddy pinned for nearly ten minutes as he wailed on him to try and knock him out. It was getting boring. He liked it better when they were throwing each other around the circle and not cuddled together in the mud.

Luckily, Finnegan crashed into Brian and knocked him off of Teddy, who was finally free to take a deep breath and regain his footing. Teddy didn't know how long him and Brian had been beating on each other but it was long enough for the snow under them to melt and become mixed in with the dirt under it. Both of them were covered in cold, dirty slush and blood from their various cuts and bloody spit. Teddy was dizzy, breathless, aching all over with trembling legs, and was pretty sure his nose was broken.

That was the only think he could think to explain why blood was pouring from it and dripping into his mouth, where blood was already gathered from his teeth piercing the skin inside his mouth.

Teddy stumbled to regain his footing, his eyes struggling to focus as he searched the circle for Brian. When he spotted him, he was relieved to see Brian wasn't after him anymore. He was kicking Finnegan out of the circle and cursing at him so aggressively that bloody spit was flying out of his mouth and mixing in with the cold mug beneath his feet.

Teddy was happy to see that Brian was noticeably beaten with a purple bruise on his face, a few cuts on one side of his face, and blood trickling from his mouth. Even his hair was dirty and messy from being pinned into the snow and dirt by Teddy a few minutes ago. Of course, Teddy was dirtier since Brian was capable of pinning Teddy down for a lot longer than Teddy could pin him down. It was clear Teddy was losing but he had, at least, done some good amount of damage.

"I'm really getting sick of this, Morgan!" Brian roared as he peeled off his dirty bomber jacket and tossed it into the dirty slush. "Do I have to kill you myself or are you going to willingly stay down?"

"If you have to bribe your enemy into staying down, that doesn't prove your strength, Brian." Abe calmly retorted from the perimeter of circle. "Use your fist, not your mouth."

"I'll kill him if I have to, Abe!" Brian barked. "Give me your knife! Better yet, give me the gun. I'll decide which one of us is the loser."

Teddy's eyes shifted towards Brian's jacket as he bickered with Abe, and when he spotted a small rose pinned to the inside of his jacket, a lightbulb flicked on behind Teddy's eyes. It was the pin. Brian's pin. He had abandoned his jacket, and thereby, abandoned his pin. This was Teddy's chance. He had a plan again. He wasn't a goner, he wasn't disposable, he wasn't jus Brian's temporary punching bag.

All Teddy had to do was get that pin.

Attempting to sober himself up a bit, Teddy rolled his aching shoulders and blinked passed the blurriness that his light head was causing. Teddy spit a ball of blood into the mud and shook out his hands, feeling pain spark in a few fingers but ignoring it the best he could. Teddy could tell one of his eyes was swelling but the throbbing around his eye socket was overshadowed by the throbbing in his head from getting punched so many times.

Once Teddy felt like he could stand up straight, he rushed towards Brian, who was still shouting at Abe to give him a weapon to kill Teddy once and for all. Teddy used whatever strength he had left within him to raise his leg and throw it into Brian's hip. Brian stumbled sideways and broke through the circle as Teddy also fell and hurried to scramble through the mud to get to Brian's jacket. Abe realized what Teddy was doing and grabbed his gun from the waistband of his jeans, causing the others to stand with alert as they also realized what Teddy's goal was.

With the dirty jacket in Teddy's grasp, he grabbed the rose pin inside and tore it from the fabric. Abe's grip on his gun anxiously tightened and the circle went silent, but then Brian was on top of Teddy again and shoving his face into mud. Teddy was careful in securing the pin in his clenched fist under his chest and used his other hand to try and turn his body so he could shove Brian off of him. Brian was too heavy with a lot of muscle in him and Teddy was too weak after fighting for his life for so long.

Brian managed to snake his arm around Teddy's neck and pulled his head off the ground, bending his damaged body backwards as he stayed planted on top of Teddy's back. Teddy's cry was strained and weak before he began coughing and clawing at Brian's arm in an attempt to free himself. Brian didn't budge for even a moment as he curled his other hand around the back of Teddy's neck and began to snicker as he realized he had Teddy in the perfect position to snap his neck.

"Give it up, Morgan. Tap out... or die." Brian groaned, trying to stay on top of Teddy despite his struggling. "I could snap your neck right now, motherfucker. Are you willing to die for that little blonde bitch or are you going to let me have her?"

Teddy mustered up all his strength to twist in Brian's arms and nail him in the side of the head with his elbow, risking the chance of snapping his own neck just to land a hit. Teddy's sharp elbow against Brian's temple was luckily enough to disorientate him and cause his grip around Teddy's neck to loosen. Despite every single ache and pain igniting inside Teddy, he turned over and shoved Brian off of him as hard as he could. Brian struggled to roll over and get his hands under him to push himself up again but Teddy knew he had already won.

Throwing his hand and the pin into the air, Teddy showed off the little rose and stared directly at Abe. "I got it! I took his pin! He lost!" Teddy shouted, forcing the words out of his mouth so quickly that blood trickled sloppily from his lips.

Abe's eyes shifted from Teddy to Brian and then he lifted his gun and pulled the trigger. His gun had a long suppressor on it that dulled the sound of his shot but Teddy still flinched and turned to look at Brian, who was laid in the mud on his stomach and face. Brian's blue eyes were still open but they were completely lifeless now as they stared at Teddy. The sight of him all of a sudden dead hit Teddy like a truck and forced a heavy breath of shock from his chest.

Shoving his aching body up so he was sat in the mud, Teddy averted his eyes to Brian's back and spotted the hole in the middle of his shoulders that was dying his dirtied shirt a dark red color. Teddy gulped, although his mouth and throat were suddenly very dry. Maybe it was the multiple blows to the head or the lack of air making it to his brain but Teddy was having a hard time wrapping his head around the reality that Brian was dead.

In an instant, without a beat of hesitation or mercy, Brian was gone.

"Congratulations, Morgan." Abe said with a proud smirk as he hid his gun away and stepped towards Teddy. "You've completed your second test."

Teddy stared up at Abe with his mouth agape and eyes wide. When Abe offered his hand, Teddy hesitated but eventually raised his hand and locked it with Abe's. Teddy hopped on one foot when he realized one of his ankles felt horribly twisted and Abe wrapped his arm around Teddy's torso to help him stand. Meanwhile, a few guys went for Brian's body and began dragging him towards one of the Sensation cars parked behind the bar. Teddy watched them stuff Brian into the trunk of the cars as Abe helped him back into the bar.

"Burgess, help me get Morgan to the bathtroom so we can clean him up a little bit." Abe said once they were inside. "He's still on a school field trip after all. We can't return him like this."

Burgess wiggled his way under Teddy's other arm and Teddy groaned but didn't protest. As they passed the bar, Abe fished some cash out of his pocket and slapped it on the counter for the bartender. Nobody asked why but Teddy figured Abe was bribing him into not asking questions and not calling the cops after watching Teddy come back caked in blood and mud.

"Going for the pin. Not a bad idea." Burgess chuckled as he helped Teddy sit on the toilet in the single person bathroom. "I heard a rumor you were a smart kid. Looks like your quick thinking saved your life."

Teddy didn't humor Burgess's flattery as he gripped his shoulder to keep it from falling out of its socket, or at least, that's what he felt like he was doing. While Abe and Burgess ripped crude paper towels from the dispenser and wet them under the bathroom faucet, Teddy raised his free hand to look at the rose pin still clenched in his palm. He still couldn't believe he just inadvertently killed a man. He was a rapist, a murderer, and a deadman already, but Teddy never prepared himself to be the cause of Brian's death. He never prepared himself to stare into the eyes of a man he had killed.

"You can keep that, by the way." Abe said with that same proud smirk as he stepped towards Teddy. "Think of it as a trophy for your kill."

Teddy's already contorted expression twisted even more with disgust as he dropped his hand to his thigh and let his eyes fall shut. It made him sick to his stomach to look at this rose pin, which felt like a curse, and think of it as a trophy. It was twisted and dark and heartless. It was a reminder that Teddy was not built for this lifestyle.

"Brian wasn't my kill." Teddy spoke with a hoarse, broken voice and winced when Abe wiped the mud off of the side of his face with the wet paper towels. "You shot him. I just wanted to save my own life and protect Zoe."

Abe scoffed but Teddy didn't open his eyes to see whatever wicked expression was on his face.

Teddy let Burgess and Abe wipe his face clean, only making a fuss when they pressed against a forming bruise or cut. When Teddy looked far too relaxed and almost asleep, Burgess slapped Teddy's face to wake him up. Teddy pried his eyes open and glared at Burgess but didn't get to properly scowl at him before Burgess reached to clean the mud out of and from around his ears. Teddy tried to lean away from Burgess and push him away but everything hurt too badly, and eventually, his pain made him submit to Burgess's help.

"Give me your jacket and I'll try to wipe it off." Burgess insisted as he tried to open Teddy's leather jacket.

Teddy jerked away from Burgess and grabbed his wrists with a surprisingly tight grip. Burgess met Teddy's stare and a grim smirk slowly pulled at his non-threatening features. After watching Brian get shot for shedding his jacket and losing his pin, Burgess understood that Teddy was probably very cautious about letting anybody near his jacket or his pin. Burgess was only trying to offer his help and he had no ill intentions, however, he was somewhat proud of Teddy for being so cautious.

Maybe Abe was right, after all. Teddy was smart and a quick learner so maybe he did have some potential.

"You're a part of Mission Z, Morgan." Burgess calmly said as he removed his hands from Teddy's jacket. "The Mission Z crew are your brothers, for the most part. None of us want you dead."

"How would I know that? Abe was just willing to kill me if I lost that fight." Teddy coldly retorted as his eyes shifted to Abe. "How do I know he's not always ready to kill me?"

"I will always be ready to kill you, Morgan. That's part of my job as the ring leader around here. But I wasn't going to kill you today." Abe clarified with a simple glance towards Teddy as he wet a few more paper towels. "I said the loser gets a bullet hole as punishment. I didn't say you'd die from it. If you lost that fight with Brian, I was planning on aiming for your leg."

Teddy stared at Abe in shock and disbelief. "Wh-What? Are you fucking with me?"

"No, I'm not fucking with you." Abe stepped towards Teddy and grabbed his hand to wipe it clean of mud. "I told you, Morgan, Brian was disposable. He couldn't afford to lose that fight. You could afford it, it just would've cost you a bullet in the leg. Rin doesn't want you dead yet after all, and hopefully, if you continue to use your wits like you did today, she never will."

Teddy was shocked into silence as Abe cleaned his fingers and Burgess wiped mud off the arms of his leather jacket, since he wasn't willing to take it off. His mind was racing faster than it ever had before. There was so much he had to catch up on. Mission Z, killing Brian, fighting for his life so he didn't become disposable. There was so much happening and so much ahead of him. It was all starting to intensify his headache, which was already pounding painfully against his forehead.

"So you're the leader of this crew?" Teddy asked Abe. He knew it was true but he wanted it verified.

"Yes." Abe answered plainly.

"And that gives you the right to shoot anybody you please? Rin gave you that much authority?"

"I have been doing this for a long time, Morgan. I know what will and won't please Rin. She has placed rules for our crew and I follow and enforce them. I have enough authority to do exactly what I did today." Abe clarified.

Teddy nodded and fell silent again. He couldn't imagine the type of things Abe had to do to earn his standing. He shot a kid only a few years older than Teddy and said he had killed other trainees as well. It made Teddy wonder just how much power she handed out to the people she trusted. What would she do if there was an uprising, a rebellion, a mutiny? That woman was smart and cunning, sit here was no doubt that she had ideas, but Teddy was curious.

What did he have to do to reach Abe's level? Did he had to do this for a couple of years before he earned her trust or could he impress her with his wits? What did he have to do secure the safety of his family, of Zoe, and himself?

"Get up and wash the mud outta your hair in the sink." Abe commanded as he grabbed Teddy's arm and forced him off of the toilet. "I'll walk you back to the resort afterwards but then your buddy, Howl, is gonna have to take care of you from there, you understand?"

"Yeah, I got it." Teddy groaned as he nearly collapsed against the bathroom sink. "This means the test is over, right?"

"That's what I said." Abe said as he used his broad frame to wedge the bathroom door open after Burgess left.

"You said the test ends at the end of the trip so I was just making sure. Reading the fine print, you know?"

"Smart." Abe snickered and slapped a hand on Teddy's back, which made him flinch and wince. "Your test is over, Morgan. You pulled out a trick none of us expected, otherwise it would've been the whole trip. You can relax now. You're free and Zoe's safe. For now."

Teddy watched Abe's reflection in the mirror as he turned and slipped out of the bathroom, leaving Teddy to finish washing up. Teddy braced himself with his hands on either side of the sink as he took a few deep breath and stared back at himself. He looked like a mess. He was heavily bruised, had a few more cuts on his face, and dried blood at the corner and in the cracks of his lips. Not to mention, his body felt like he had been dragged to hell and back.

Teddy turned the sink on and let it run as he placed the rose pin under the running water and cleaned it off with shaky fingers. When he lifted the rose pin to look at it again, he found himself itching to smile. He didn't feel good about having someone killed, even though Brian really deserved it for being such a piece of shit, but he smiled anyways. He smiled because he protected Zoe. Rin ordered someone to seduce and likely harm her daughter but Teddy stopped her. Teddy saved Zoe. She was okay because he used his head and won.

Teddy finally won. He finally proved that he could protect Zoe, like he always wanted to and always doubted. He did it and he could do it again. He could protect her.

And that realization felt fucking amazing.