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Ah yes. The daily routine for the upcoming match of Crossroads, hosted by Flipside Idols, Valk and Dom. They announced a special tournament today, and it could last almost the entire day, so they specifically included every Phighter who were gonna compete to get some good exercise and practice before the tournament.
Sword had already finished training with his father, Venomshank, before he had to leave for some meetings at SFOTH’s with the other deities. Sword wanted to go to that tournament so freaking bad, since the reward was 10k Bux.
Venomshank promised he would be home somewhere after the tournament, and he would be in his room, working on Deity stuff.
After Venomshank took his leave, Sword was left alone at the apartment, changing into something more fitting for the match.
That was, until Sword came to a halt, mid change of his clothing, as a small jolt of pain shocked him from his back, as it rippled through his body like a sound wave.
Sword’s feathers were puffed from the shock, quietly wincing, as he bit his lower lip with his sharp canines, to hold back a squeak, but looking over his shoulder, to see what the pain had come from, there was nothing. Strange.
He probably slept on the wrong side of bed, maybe even strained a muscle too, but he’s very cautious with training and exercising to the point that he never hurts himself.
Sword sighs quietly, the pain slowly fading into an obscure absence from his back.
Sword lifted his head, looking over at the wall clock ticking like a time bomb. The time read 7:48 AM. He still had time. That's good.
He hurriedly finished getting change, getting a quick breakfast, which was toast, and got his other belongings, such as his holster for his gear, keys to the apartment, his phone, and some painkillers.
He wanted to bring them in case of the sudden surge of pain from his back again in the tournament, or after.
Sword opens the front door, a cool breeze hitting his face like a blast of cold mist.
Sword takes one last glance behind him, looking at the neatness of the apartment, taking one last small huff, before closing the front door, and locking it.
~~~
Sword arrived shortly after in the lobby for the tournament to begin soon. There were lots of Phighters competing, but no sight of his best friend, Rocket. Probably had to stay behind, by the lack of work he does with his father at Da Shop.
Sword chuckles under his breath, muttering something barely audible to his surroundings. “...Silly Rocket…”
As on cue, the speakers had the same exact jingle of the Flipside, cueing the time for the chosen map for the tournament.
“Whats up, Whats up, Whats up, Phighters!” Valk boomed with excitement from the speakers, followed by a small sigh behind, most likely from Dom.
Everyone had chosen the maps for the whole tournament that day, as it had begun shortly after.
~~~
After a LONG tournament, it was over. Sword was absolutely wrecked with cuts, bruises, dirt, and dust from all the chaos.
He did take a painkiller during the match, the same surge of pain coursing through him mid-game, but nobody seemed to notice his sudden falter for a moment.
His back was on fire. He only brought one case of painkillers, and his back felt very sore, heavy and weak.
One of the phighters seemed to notice the change of Sword instantly, as they walked over to Sword with caution.
Sword looked over his shoulder, seeing his brother, Medkit, approach him. He hurriedly tried hiding the pain, by looking away, but Medkit had the same exact expression he gives when he knows Sword is hiding something.
“Are you alright, Sword…?” Medkit started gentle and soft, his gear held tightly in his hands.
Sword wanted to lie, but the look of Medkit was telling him not to. Sword turned around slowly, swallowing his dry throat.
“...Just some back pain…” Sword mutters, rubbing his hand behind his feathery neck, still sweaty from the recent and last match.
Medkit stares at Sword with a small disapproval on his face,
“Did it start recently...?” Medkit crossed his arms, one of his ears twitched with slight annoyance.
Sword briefly nods, letting his hands rest at his side. “..Y-yeah… started this morning…”
Medkit sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, before releasing it. “You should get some rest. Maybe take a shower from all the dust and dirt you have.” Medkit softened slightly, worried etched on his face a little.
Sword looked for a moment, before nodding slowly. “I will, Medkit.”
Medkit nods as of approval, before hearing a distant shout of his name being called.
Medkit shot back a glare behind him, before yelling back in a respond manner. “I’ll be there!”
Sword stood there, his back feeling MORE heavy like he was being pulled down in quick sand.
Medkit sighs, before turning around, back facing Sword.
“Please travel home safely, Sword.” Medkit whispers, barely heard, but clear hearing from Sword.
Sword nods once more, before giving off a small wave. “I will.” as he begins to walk out of the lobby. Forget about the prize, he wanted to be home ASAP, and just rest. His back was weighing him down a ton, and he doesn’t know why.
~~~
The pain got even worse on the way back too. He kept biting back a wince in public, but some Inphernals gave some odd looks, and Sword zipped through the crowded ways of Crossroads.
“...Damn it, Sword… keep it together…” Sword whispers to himself, bumping into other inphernals but doesn't apologize right away.
Sword did find himself turning in other directions, away from his apartment, due to the lack of throbbing pain on his back, causing him to get confused and stuck along the way.
His vision gets dark for a moment, as he wobbles his way towards a wall, to lean against to regain his vision.
Slowly, the vision clears up, the darkness of the corner of his eyes fades behind his sockets.
He takes a few quick glances around the small area he was in. He was behind a building with a few graffiti on the broken bricks with lots of vines that were very tall, or few short. More tall vines, less short vines.
He lifts his head up towards the sky. It was full of lumpy dark clouds, barely any rays of sun seeping through them. A storm was approaching slowly, and Windforce seemed very upset about something.
Sword pushes himself off the wall from leaning on it too much, causing his back to ache more, and again, he winced quietly. He was leaning on the wall for a long time, and his knees almost buckled.
Quickly he clasps a hand over his mouth, taking looks around his surroundings once more, to make sure nobody heard or saw.
Once again, he is zipping through the crowded sidewalks in between shops, and apartments. More Inphernals giving odd looks.
To Sword, the buildings felt like they were closing in on him, and the inphernals too, but he was going insane. His back felt like the pain was going to his brain, making him go crazy.
Sword finally reaches his destination, looking both ways to make sure no Inphernals were following him, before quickly dashing down the narrow alley way to his apartment.
Dashing up the metal stairs, giving small creeks as he went up, he reached the front door.
Sword shuffles through his pockets hurriedly, trying to find the keys to the apartment.
He was panicking. The pain was getting severe like he was gonna pass out on the stairs halfway.
His breathing was fast and shallow, muttering a few curses here and there.
It had started to rain slowly, wind howling fiercely, leaves swaying in the sky dancing with the rain and wind.
Sword quickly pulls out the keys to the apartment, taking him a couple of times to get the key into the lock, and turning it.
Once he heard the click of the door, he hurriedly slammed open the door, rushing inside, then closing it with the bottom of his boot.
He tossed his things aside, dashing into the kitchen with a couple of strides as he quickly reached for the cabinet with the vitamins, and other pills to keep a hold just in case.
Some of them were empty, needed for a refill, but other than that there was one more pack of Painkillers for Sword to use. He was lucky.
Quickly, Sword takes the pack, taking off the seal of the medication before downing the 2 last pills of Painkiller with a cup of cold water from the kitchen faucet.
Sword tosses the empty cup into the sink, as he quickly runs out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
His back was throbbing with agony of each different type of pain that Sword couldn’t bear.
Once to his room, he quickly opens the door, taking off his helmet, boots, cape, and lastly, his shirt, showing his bare feathery chest.
Sword flopped down face first into his mattress, muttering some curses, shuffling himself around like a toy.
The pain kept coming and going, and the constant shuffling and turning wasn’t helpful for this situation.
Sword finally sits up, grabbing the pillow with such force, and brings it close to himself.
He held the pillow tightly, as small whines and small mutters of pain, as he rested his face in the pillow.
He quietly sniffles in the pillow, tears stinging his eyes from the pain on his back, getting worse and worse, and as a cue, he sobs uncontrollably.
The rain was matching with his utter sobs of pure fear and hurt, hitting aggressively on the window like the rain was copying his crying, wind with sniffles, and thunder of pain.
Suddenly, he stopped for a moment, something piercing his back like knives that were repeatedly stabbing over and over.
Sword jerks instantly, screeching quietly, before throwing the pillow at the wall, with a small thump after.
His eyes were everywhere, looking around the room, but he could barely see, since his vision was blurry.
Finally, the pain settled down, like it faded away like magic, and Sword thought that it was over, but… it wasn’t, until something was felt behind his back, like something was moving under his skin, then…
A tear. Flesh torn clean out from behind his shoulder blades.
He tore out a raspy scream from the indulging pain from his back, more tears swelled his eyes, and his face was flushed with sorrow and pain.
His eyes were sharp, like daggers that pierce its way through something rough, as more screams and sobs filled the room, like the room was a jar full of tears to be long collected and never gone to waste.
He jerked himself to a stand, throwing stuff around the room. A book, some pillows and blankets, lots of paper, and others. His room was like a rage room at that point.
He kept sobbing and screaming over and over, and finally, it broke. Something broke out of his skin.
Another raspy screech, but louder, as he slams himself on the mattress, kicking his feet repeatedly on the bed frame.
That was, until Sword felt something behind him, like he just got shot behind and it caused bleeding.
Warm blood was trickling down his back, as it soaked his bed sheet in a dark crimson.
He stopped for a moment, feeling it drizzle down his back, and the strong smell of blood in the room.
He slowly lifts himself up, keeping his head low from even looking around more. His head felt like sludge, too much movement, can hurt him. He already has an indulging headache, more close to a migraine.
The rain was still pattering on the window, but the storm had eventually calmed down over all the screaming and sobbing, Sword hadn’t seemed to notice it had. The howling wind came as a small soothing breeze for Sword, small rays of sun barely making through the clouds, but enough to at least add a tad of light in Sword’s room.
Sword felt his back getting sore, and more weak, but the pain had stopped, and he hoped it stayed like it.
He was scared to even look behind his back to see what had happened, scared he might freak out more, and go insane over it, but he was brave enough to at least take a peak.
Sword lifted his head that was surprisingly heavy, as he slowly turned it to look behind his shoulder, blinking a couple of times for the extra tears still trapped in his eyes to at least clear his fuzzy vision, and there they were.
Wings.
The wings were covered in dark crimson red, most notably, blood and having a couple of feathers from the base of his shoulder blades. The color started a light brown to beige, and colors yet not shown.
He let out a raspy gasp, clearly in astonishment of seeing the new wings attached to him. So that’s why he was having the sore back pain. Sword also took small glance around his room, clearly ashamed that it was a big mess after something he should’ve reacted big about.
Sword voice came out tiny and weak, his body trembling from the amount of sobbing. “...Please come home…dad.”
Sword now had to wait for his father to come home. Slowly he brought his knees up to his chest, closing in between, hands held tightly around his legs, as he stared for a moment, before tears prickling at his eyes once more, coming into small tiny sobs.
He just wants his dad to comfort him…
~~~
After a while, Venomshank had finally arrived home. Took him longer cause he was pulled back to have a small chat with his brother, Darkheart, but it was just mostly jokes from Darkheart.
“I’m home!” Venomshank called out, but there was no response. Venomshank lifted his head slowly, seeing the slight mess from the kitchen, to upstairs, leaving behind small feathers.
Venomshank knelt down to pick up the small feather, examining it closely, until it hit.
Venomshank quickly puts the feather in his coat pocket, as he hurriedly went up stairs, taking large steps and avoiding them to get up quicker.
Once at the top, he slowly crept to Sword’s bedroom door, where the feathers had trail off, hearing the muffled whimpers behind the door.
Venomshank stops in front of the door, giving a small knock.
“Sword? May I come in?” Venomshank started small, a pang of worry etched on his face behind his mask.
No response from Sword.
Venomshank reaches for the door knob, giving it a small jiggle to let Sword know he was coming in.
Slowly, the door swung open, and Venomshank instantly looked at the scene that unfold in his son's room.
Sword turned his head around slowly, face still flushed red, small tears still trickling down his face, giving a small stare at his father.
Venomshank takes a moment to process the scene. First of all, his son has wings, and blood stained both his feathers, and the bed. Second of all, the wings were still new, seemingly not too long ago, and third of all, he was alone, with no one to comfort him.
Slowly, Venomshank gives off a small sigh, taking small steps towards Sword with ease.
Sword doesn’t move, only staring as his dad approaches him slowly. His eyes were still sealed with tears, his hands covered in dried blood from touching his wings, and resting on the sheets.
Venomshank came to a halt in front of Sword, looking below him with a stare, but Sword could have swore that he could see a worried face behind the mask.
Suddenly, Sword reaches for his father, holding him tightly, as he quietly sobs in his shoulder.
“...I was scared…D-dad…” Sword whispers, voice quivering and trembling. His voice was worn out, by the looks of it.
Venomshank took a moment, before slowly wrapping one hand around Sword's back, giving small reassuring motions, and avoiding accidentally hitting the wings, and his other hand brushing in between Sword’s messy hair, hands being gentle as possible, and possibly combing out the messy hair.
The wings were still new, and will take some time to get used to, especially if this occasion wasn't prepared, which in fact, it wasn’t. Usually it happens over 20, but it happened earlier than expected for Venomshank. He didn’t even have the right ointment for new wings to be more clean and soft. He had really strong ointments since Venomshank had his wings for his entire life. (Like literally), but he will worry about that later.
“...It's over, Sword. I’m here now…” Venomshank responded quietly, inspecting the new wings his son had carefully. He felt a pang of sorrow for his son to experience this, a small frown etched on his face behind the mask he always wears.
Sword doesn’t pull back, keeping himself from pulling back like a clingy Koala that never wants to let go. The blood on his wings had already dried up, the feathers all stuck together and knotted, and definitely needed preening after.
Venomshank sighs quietly, before talking small and gentle. “Lets get you cleaned up…I’ll take care of the mess, and you go get yourself clean…”
Sword finally pulls back, wiping his teary eyes with his palm. “...a-alright…” His voice was really sore and raspy, from all the screaming and sobbing.
Sword slowly sits up from the bed, taking one last glance around his room, before leaving the room, and making his way to the washroom to get cleaned up.
Venomshank muttered a few curses, looking around the room for any broken furniture. Luckily, Sword hadn’t done too much damage, which was good, all there was were a ton of feathers, scattered books and pillows, and blankets thrown all over the room, and Venomshank had to clean it up since Sword couldn’t at the moment.
~~~
Sword had finished bathing himself, washing the dirt, dust, and blood from his body, and taking care of the cuts he forgot to care for after the tournament. He quickly takes care of that, disinfecting it, and washing it, before adding a simple red color bandage.
Slowly, he steps out of the washroom, a towel wrapped around his lower half, and his wings rested neatly behind him. The wings were already weighing him down a ton, keeping his balance off slightly, wobbling his way back to his room.
Venomshank had just finished cleaning the mess, putting the bloody sheets into the wash for a deep clean, sweeping the discarded feathers around the house, and fixing anything that had fallen over.
Sword eventually made it back into his room, where his father still was, picking up the feathers from the carpet. He stares for a moment, glancing at how clean it was now.
Venomshank lifts his head up slowly, turning it towards his son, standing in the doorway.
“You done?” Venomshank started, the same gentle and soft voice from before.
Sword nods firmly, walking over to the dresser to get a baggy shirt.
Venomshank looks back at the carpet, continuing to pick up the feathers. He sometimes examines them more, looking at how the colors fade from light brown to a dark brown, even twirling it in his fingers.
Sword puts on the big, loose shirt. The design had the flipside logo on it, with the iconic Idol’s and their colors. Sword walks back to the washroom to hang the towel back up, and grabs his discarded clothing after, tossing them in an empty basket for dirty clothes.
Venomshank had finished right on time once Sword came back, discarding the feathers in the waste bin in the corner of his room.
Sword slowly approached the bed, staring down at the mattress, since the sheets were in the wash, before groaning tiredly and flopping onto the mattress, with the small creak of the springs, responding with the movement.
Venomshank dust off his hands, the fluff from the feathers sticking to his silked gloves, before turning around to look at Sword. He felt really guilty since he wasn’t here to comfort him, even though it wasn't planned, and not to mention about his friends too.
Sword mutters something barely audible in the mattress, most likely some curses, slowly lifting his head to look at the wall. There were 2 small pictures still hung up perfectly on the wall. One being a picture of Him and Venomshank, and another with Him and Rocket.
Venomshank shifts his gaze to the pictures as well, seeing Sword smiling so wonderfully, but now he's just all drained out from the smiling and joyfulness, after what recently happened.
Sword sighs quietly, turning his head to look at his father, before clearing his throat to catch his father’s attention.
Venomshank shifts his gaze again to look at his son, since he could tell he was trying to get his attention.
Sword sits up slowly, hands resting on his lap, before giving off a small smile. The same smile he does in the pictures. Wide, happy, and full of joy.
Venomshank stood there, staring for a moment, before speaking with a gentle tone.
“You… Are you happy?” Venomshank stammered for a moment, before slowly walking up to Sword with his hands behind his back.
Sword nods briefly, his wings giving off a small twitch of affection and care. “Of course I am… even though the pain wasn’t the best, I'm always happy and I'll stay happy.” Sword chuckles softly.
Venomshank sighs with a chuckle in between, coming to a halt in front of Sword before ruffling his hand in Sword’s hair.
“That’s what I like to see… You being happy and always come back up smiling, even if the worst happens along your way.” Venomshank pulls his hand away, as it rests at his side.
Sword looks behind his shoulder to take a look at the wings. They were still knotted and messy, and he doesn’t even know how to preen. Sword turns his head back, scared to even ask for help, but Venomshank just nods slowly, which caught Sword’s attention.
“I’ll help you preen them, Sword.” Venomshank started softly, spreading his wings softly, before folding them back behind his back neatly.
Sword takes a moment, before nodding, turning around to face the wall, spreading his wings slowly, followed with a small wince from the knots shuffling too much and tugging on the feathers.
Venomshank gently rested his hand on one of Sword’s wings, pulling his hand down the feather softly, before beginning to undo the knots, each one coming out of tangles, coming into soft pretty feathers, the sun rays shining in between them, casting the pretty glow on them.
Sword shifts some of the time, even quietly wincing from the big knots getting done, and Venomshank apologizing often once he heard the small wince.
The first wing was done, and Venomshank had moved to the other one, pulling the knots apart gently and with care. He worked precisely to get them all done.
The sun rays were casting long beams of light in the room, and the sunset had an amazing view of purple, pink, and red skies, orange clouds following along with the colors.
Finally, after some time, Venomshank finished pulling his hand back, dusting his hands on his coat, tapping Sword’s shoulder to see if he was awake or not, since Sword was completely still the whole time… ish. Little so movement through the process.
Sword jerks himself awake, taking glances around the room like a hawk, before his gaze shifts to his nicely preened wings. Sword gives off a small flutter to make sure the knots are all out. Luckily, they were. All the knots out like they even weren’t there at all.
Venomshank gives off a small nod, before walking to the doorway and stopping mid-way, his back facing Sword.
“You should get some rest… today was rough. Was it not?” Venomshank says with a small hint of something of guilt but also relief.
Sword nods slowly, shifting around slowly to get comfortable for a good sleep, but he had other plans.
Before Venomshank could exit the room, he was cut off by a small tap behind him. Venomshank turns slowly, seeing Sword looking up at him with the same small smile.
“Can I…Invite Rocket over for the night…please?” Sword whispers, scared to even raise his voice at his father, his arms crossed over his shoulders.
Venomshank takes a moment, before responding with a small chuckle, and a nod. “...Yeah. you can. Just make sure Zuka is okay with it.”
Sword gives off a small gasp, then gives a small giggle. “Thank you, dad!” as he hurriedly goes to get his phone to give Rocket a call and ask if he can stay over for the night.
Venomshank gives a small chuckle, getting a last glance at Sword’s clean room. The whole scene now changed from all the chaos that happened while he was gone, but it was over, and it hope it stayed like this.
What a crazy bird.