Through the open kitchen door, Sky could hear the faint laughter of Mitch and Ian as they drew nearer to the main cave. They must have been collecting water from the underground river, Sky thought.

Deadlox gave Steve and Tyler another scowl before stalking out of the kitchen. "We have visitors," Sky heard him say. Mitch and Ian grew silent until Deadlox led them into the kitchen.

Mitch and Ian stared at Steve and Tyler. Steve and Tyler stared at Mitch and Ian.

"Mitch!" Steve exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Mitch laughed, beaming.

"Jerome was lookin' for you guys," Steve explained. "He put out a bunch of posters with rewards so we figured we'd kill two birds with one stone by finding you and getting money."

Tyler frowned. "Wait, why are we killing birds?"

"Why would Jerome be looking for me all of the sudden?" Mitch wondered aloud.

"Hold up, hold up." Ian held up his hands. "You guys know each other?"

All three nodded, smiling at each other.

"We worked with each other, Jerome, and a few others to protect a city from an invasion. It's the same city where Jerome stays now." Mitch's eyes shone. "We haven't seen each other since the night before I left. We celebrated the defense of the city."

Steve gave Tyler a sly smirk. "That was some night." Tyler's face became beet red.

"Sorry to interrupt your little reunion," Deadlox cut in, obviously irritated, "but what are we going to do about this situation? Mitch, are you just going to leave us to go with these idiots?"

"Hey! We're not-"

"Yes," Mitch replied, staring Deadlox straight in the eyes. His excitement had turned to hostility. "I am. Got a problem with that?"

"Yes, in fact, I do." Deadlox returned his glare. "We are a team. You cannot leave us just because two strangers—bounty hunters—told you someone is looking for you."

"They aren't strangers, moron," Mitch growled. "They are friends, unlike you, you little-"

"Hey!" Ian stood between the two, holding his hands out. "You guys need to chill out!" He huffed. "If his best friend is seeking him out, Mitch needs to go." Deadlox opened his mouth to object, but Ian cut him off. "If it makes you feel better, I will go with them. I'm pretty sure that Mitch and I can take these two if they aren't trustworthy."

"We should all go, to make sure everyone is okay," Sky suggested.

Ian hesitated, then shook his head almost sadly. "Someone has to stay behind to protect the base."

Sky felt a growing sense of worry. He knew that it was important that Mitch go to his friend, but splitting up was not a good idea. They were still being hunted by Jason.

But the worst part was that they had just settled down. For two months, they had a home and a team. They could rely on each other and Sky didn't want to lose that. What if they were attacked on the way there? What if they were attacked on the back? What if Jason found them? What if he found the cave?

"I'm staying." Deadlox's voice was firm. Sky knew that there was no chance of changing his mind.

"Then I'll stay too, I guess..." Sky's own voice was faint and uncertain.

Mitch nodded. "If he was left alone, he'd probably run off," he muttered a little too loudly. Deadlox growled softly, and Sky put a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down.

"Alright! When'll we leave?" Tyler asked loudly, cutting through the tension in the room.

"Right now. If Jerome sent bounty hunters out to find us and put out 'wanted' posters, it has to be urgent." Mitch opened a cabinet door and pulled out several food items, placing them on the counter. "We have to hit the road before nightfall."

Steve and Tyler groaned simultaneously while Ian left the kitchen to find two bags.

"I'm tired," Steve whined. "I don't want to go!"

"That's unfortunate, because you aren't staying here," replied Deadlox, who had decided to help Mitch. Sky stood where he was, feeling useless, until he remembered Steve's earlier request. He left the kitchen and entered his own room, rummaging through drawers to find a new pair of pants.

-

Deadlox watched as Mitch, Ian, Steve, and Tyler disappeared into the trees. He could still hear complaining about the briars and the lack of a path, but the voices grew fainter with every second that passed.

As their voices faded, the storm inside of him grew. He could feel it in his chest, growing larger as his feelings of frustration and anger and betrayal grew with it. The storm had always been inside of him, but it had been much easier to control, as those feelings only lied in the past. He had grown close to nobody, so there was nobody to leave him—until now. Those two months had done a lot to Deadlox, making him trust people again, enough to live with them and consider them friends. Those two wonderful, horrible months where he had gone soft.

He discovered quickly that he wasn't the only one with the same feeling.

Only seconds after the signs of their friends had gone completely, someone raced past him, crashing through the brush in an effort to reunite himself with those who had just left. Realizing who it was, Deadlox raced after Sky, finding it harder to catch up with the boy than he thought it would be.

"Sky! Stop!" he called. "They have to go!"

"We're a team!" came Sky's reply. "We have to stick together!" He sounded so desperate that if Deadlox had been human, he might have felt a massive amount of pity for the boy.

Putting on an extra burst of speed, Deadlox crashed into Sky's back, knocking him onto the forest floor. He pinned him to the ground, ignoring the other's cries and pleas to let him go.

"They have to go, Sky," he told him sharply. "There's nothing you can do. Would you prevent Mitch from reuniting with his best friend?"

Sky grew quiet and stopped struggling. Deadlox took this as a 'no' and slowly got off of him, not taking his eyes off of him.

Sky got to his feet as well, standing quietly for a moment, unmoving. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Deadlox, capturing him in a hug as Sky cried softly onto his shoulder.

"I was alone for my whole life, minus a couple of friends here and there," he muttered shakily. "But you guys are the first group I've been with. I didn't want to lose you. I thought...I don't know...I had a fantasy of always being together..."

Deadlox was standing stiff, not hugging back but not pulling away. This will be my human contact for the month. "I...understand. I do not grow attached to people, but for some reason..."

He trailed off as Sky released him and wiped his face off. He gave Deadlox a sad smile. "I get what you're saying." He took a couple of deep breaths—Deadlox assumed it was to calm himself down—and nodded to himself. "Let's get back to...to home."

----------------------------------------------------
I wasn't planning on putting a note down here, but...oops.

I know, I know, I took forever. This chapter was in my notes for, like, a month. In my defense, I'm working on a new story that should be out fairly soon.

I thank you all for all of the comments and votes and reads. ;u; love yall