(a short & sad yet fluffy Killicah--the best ship name I could come up with--chapter because they're my otp aside from Hevelyn. I also decided Colin O'Donoghue will play Killian because a lot of you suggested him. I was torn between him and Michael Malarkey, but Colin fit better for the edit above lmao. you can imagine whoever, though, of course. anyways, hope you enjoy xx

p.s. yes, the crown dripping blood was inspired from the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard--and I didn't like the empty space under them. I never claimed to be a creative editor lol) 

CHAPTER TWELVE

GAVRIEL IS THE ONE to warn the group of the Turned experiments up ahead. He says there is only a handful of them, all very rotten and past the point of return. Death will be a mercy for them, each of them realize this. There is no refusal to walk right into them, but there is concern from Eve's brother that makes everyone pause.

"Shouldn't we just go around them?" Max asks, frowning deeply with a soldier from his camp behind him.

"Don't you kill them for fun?" Micah snaps back, raising his eyebrows. "This should be easy for you."

"I kill them when they come to my camp and endanger my people," Max replies with a snarl, and Micah can hear his heart rate pick up in frustration.

Killian touches Micah's elbow to keep him from losing his temper. Instead, Micah huffs and turns away from the man.

Eve, thankfully, steps in. "If there's only four of them, it won't be a problem. We can probably just let Harry, Gavriel, and Micah take them out."

Harry is too busy listening intently to their surroundings to add his own remark.

"I'll stay behind with Robbie, Caroline, and Maxie," she tells them.

Micah shrugs. "Let's get this over with."

Gavriel adds what he considers to be a comforting thought, "Don't worry. Most of them can hardly stand up on their own. It'll be quick."

Max cringes, and so does his friend.

"I'll go," Killian says.

Micah doesn't bother arguing, since it doesn't appear to be dangerous and Killian wouldn't listen to him anyways. Instead he stays close, making sure to keep his attention split between Killian and himself. Just in case one of these Turned experiments are more dangerous than Gavriel thinks.

The four leave behind the rest as Gavriel leads the way, parting the branches ahead. He had seen them while scavenging for food and instantly came back to report. Micah hates the Turned almost as much as he hates the regular experiments. Not only are they disgusting in appearance and smell, but they're completely unpredictable. One that looks ragged could be the strongest in the bunch, simply because he's farther gone than the others and more insane.

When the group comes into sight, Harry holds a hand up. "There's others," he says, his lips barely moving with the words. "Three to the left, five to the right."

And the four in the middle.

A total of twelve against four.

Micah is indifferent, honestly. They've had more extreme odds that they somehow overcame, so he isn't too worried.

Killian unstraps his bow from his back, then reaches for an arrow and notches it. "I've only got three arrows."

Harry nods his approval, and Killian lets them fly one by one, each making a mark straight through an experiment's throat. Three of them gurgle on their own blood before collapsing backwards, and Harry confirms their hearts have stopped.

The thudding of the bodies hitting the ground frightens the one left standing, but it also draws the attention of the other eight lingering in the trees. They emerge, joining their lone psycho comrade in the center of the clearing. There's a deformed woman missing an ear and her entire nose who steps forward as if she's in charge, snapping her broken yet sharpened teeth threateningly.

"So," Gavriel muses, "we each take two?"

Harry shrugs. "Best a plan as any, I suppose."

Everyone knows Harry hates fighting, but everybody knows he likes the reassurance that his friends are safe more. The only reason he agreed to take these Turned out were probably to make sure they wouldn't come back to hurt any of them later.

Killian snatches out his dagger while Micah, Harry, and Gavriel crack their knuckles. Then the four of the jump out from their cover simultaneously and crash into the group of lunatics.

It's easy for Micah to snap the first one's neck, but the second one had been waiting for him to finish so he could pounce. He does so with dirty nails and oozing skin, like he had multiple pimples on his face that burst all at once. It makes Micah nauseous, but he tries to ignore the stench as he meets the experiment head on, gripping his wrist. He pins the experiment's arm behind his back and kicks the back of the experiment's knees, forcing him to the ground.

The experiment lashes out, snapping his head back and he hits Micah in the stomach. Micah grunts, but holds firm, trying to get a decent clutch on the crazy's head. He doesn't want to make this messier or more graphic than it has to be.

Micah has to jump back before the experiment's teeth scrape his hand. He curses colorfully, shaking his hand out though the experiment hadn't touched it. He can't get bitten or even scratched by those poisonous teeth or he'll turn, too.

Micah kicks the experiment in the chest to knock him over, then he quickly gets on top of him, grabbing a fistful of his hair. The experiment tries to bite him again, but Micah is faster this time and yanks the experiment's head sideways. His body falls limp in the dirt, his crazed eyes open wide and still appearing ravenous.

That's when Micah hears Killian shout, and a fear like he'd never felt before sends chills down his spine.

He whips around and finds Killian instantly, but it hadn't been a scream of pain. Before Micah can feel relief, Killian's knife drops to the ground where the experiment he must've just killed lay. Instantly, Killian is tackled to the ground with a terrible hissing sound from the second experiment he was supposed to finish.

Micah is with them within milliseconds, smacking into the experiment and knocking him off of Killian. Micah growls, baring his own fangs as he wraps his forearm around the experiment's throat, gripping his hair with his free hand.

Killian's face makes him hesitate.

Killian is crying.

Micah falters, nearly losing his grip on the creature.

"Troy," Killian whispers, his bottom lip quivering.

Killian's boyfriend.

The entire reason Killian and Micah met to begin with. Killian had been trying to steal a hover to find his beloved, and Micah nearly killed him to keep from fighting over it. Killian has told Micah plenty of stories about Troy, how genuine and pure he is--was. He once told Micah that Troy had gotten whipped simply for challenging Killian's headmaster when he was at the orphanage. The headmaster had been abusing Killian, and Troy didn't care about the consequences, only about Killian's safety.

And now Troy is a rabid monster, foaming at the mouth and gnashing his teeth for anything he can reach, his eyes wicked and insane.

The Troy Killian knew no longer exists.

Killian slowly gets to his feet, his fingers twitching like he wants to reach out to Troy but knows he can't. He doesn't speak, but tears continue to trail down his cheeks.

Micah knows he needs to end Troy, but he can't bring himself to do it. Not with Killian watching. Not with Killian broken in front of him.

Harry and Gavriel have already finished their experiments, and have been watching for some time now. Harry steps forward cautiously, placing a gentle hand on Killian's shoulder to turn him around. Killian doesn't let him. He loses his calm instantly, crying out Troy's name as if repeating it will bring him back to normal. Harry has to wrap his arms around Killian's waist to keep him from lunging forward, from grabbing Troy and potentially getting bitten.

Gavriel is at Micah's side, his eyes full of sympathy. "I can do it, mate," he says quietly, offering a kindness.

Micah swallows the lump in his throat and watches as Harry pulls Killian away, trying to whisper words of comfort to soothe his broken heart.

Then Micah gives Gavriel a curt nod, handing him the still thrashing Troy. Micah turns his head as Gavriel finishes the job, a sickening crunch echoing throughout the clearing. It sounds louder than it really is, like a bomb exploding. Micah's chest aches. Not for Troy, but for Killian, who had been so hopeful in finding his boyfriend normal and unscathed.

Micah doesn't say anything to Gavriel as he walks off, towards where Harry and Killian immersed back into the trees. He needs to see him. He needs to make sure he's okay, though he knows he's very far from it.

He finds Harry and Killian a little ways away from the rest of the group, probably intentional on Harry's part to keep everyone else from seeing Killian in such a state. Micah feels gratitude towards Harry for respecting Killian's privacy. Harry sees him appear and gives Killian's shoulder one last squeeze before heading back to everyone else.

Killian is sitting in the dirt with his back to a tree, his knees pulled up to his chest with his face buried in them. Micah can hear him crying still.

Micah sits in front of him and crosses his legs. He doesn't know what to say or do. He's never been in this situation before, where he actually cared about someone's loss. It's usually easy for him to brush them off as another person dead, but this is different. This isn't another person dead--it's Killian's boyfriend who had saved his life.

Thankfully, Killian speaks before Micah is forced to find something to say. "I was always scared of this."

If not for Micah's adept hearing, he probably wouldn't have heard him.

Killian looks up with red-rimmed eyes and rosy cheeks, either from the cold or his tears. His eyes meet Micah's, and Micah swears he hears his own heart crack. "A part of me knew I would be too late, but I... I just hoped too much. It's hard to imagine something so horrible happening to a person so good."

Micah is afraid Killian will start crying harder, but somehow he keeps it together.

He looks down at his knees, shaking his head and biting his still wobbling lip. "I don't know what to do," he whispers. "I'm scared, Micah. I don't want to become something like that."

I'll never let you, Micah wants to say but doesn't. He's scared to interrupt in case he says the wrong thing. He doesn't want to hurt Killian any more than he already is.

"Troy was all I had left... He was the only reason I didn't..." Killian squeezes his eyes shut, fresh tears pressing out of them. "I would've ended my own life a long time ago without him. He was the only thing keeping me alive."

Micah feels another lump in his throat, though he isn't sure why.

Killian opens his eyes and sniffs, wiping his cheeks with his sleeve. "I guess I haven't lost everything." He turns to face Micah, a weak smile on his lips. "I still have you."

The words pulls Micah out of his stupor and he slides around to sit next to Killian, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Killian leans in, laying his head on Micah's collarbone. "You'll always have me," he whispers, frightened to speak any louder as if it might break Killian.

Killian starts crying again.

Micah wants to cry with him, but remains stoic for his sake, keeping his arm protectively around Killian's body. He holds Killian tight and whispers promises that he'll never let go.