The Custodes

Chapter 5 - The Hospital

Axel was focusing on lifting up the pan and using a spatula to slide the cooked pancake out and onto a nearby plate. Neo felt his stomach rumble as he eyed the cooked pancake, but it seemed fair that the host get first digs at it. "Thank you." Kelsie said gratefully, quickly kissing Axel's cheek before scooping up the plate, alongside a knife and fork, and moving to sit at the dinner table. Axel poured some more pancake mix in the pan, picking up the conversation where it had left off. "So he is your brother then? And he's working with um...Zuro, that was his name right?" "Yeah. Both of those facts happen to be extremely unfortunate for me." Neo said with a small sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Eh, we've all got family issues." Axel said, trying to be a tad bit light hearted about it all "Lets just hope the authorities deal with Zuro and Nexus is too scared shitless to try again. If not, don't we worry. We won't let either of them lay a hand on you."

Neo looked at Axel for a minute, his mouth slightly open in stricken shock. He knew none of them hesitated in fighting Nexus, but that was because he had come into Kelsie's home and attacked them first. Neo hadn't quite expected help to the extent that Axel was offering. Maybe he didn't speak for the group as a whole, but the thought still filled Neo with a sense of reassurance. "I'll do whatever I can to stop them from causing you guys grief. You all shouldn't have to deal with this." Neo said, a small ball of anger forming in his gut as he thought about any harm befalling the group. "Neither should you." Kelsie spoke up from her spot at the table, halfway through eating her pancake "What's done is done, and whatever happens next, we'll deal with it. We're all relatively unscathed, so as long as I keep you all healed up there's nothing to worry about."

The girl's optimism was somewhat commendable, Neo thought. Considering the state she'd been in when Axel got injured, he was slightly doubtful that it would be as easy as she'd made it seem, but he appreciated her positivity nonetheless. "You're right" Neo said with a tiny nod, flashing Kelsie a small smile that she happily returned, before looking back at Axel "Speaking of injuries. How's the wound?" "Never better. It's like nothing ever happened." He said, flashing Kelsie a quick look of gratitude. "Yeah, you're damn lucky you have me. Though next time try not to get as much blood on the couch." Kelsie said teasingly, being far more light-hearted towards the previous night's events. "Next time?!" Axel cried with a feigned look of horror, making Kelsie laugh before he turned back to the pancakes with a grin.

The boy quickly grabbed a second plate out of the cupboard and slid the finished pancake onto it, then motioned for Neo to take it. "Breakfast is served. Enjoy the most mediocre pancakes you've ever had." "Thank you" Neo said as he moved over to take the plate, decided to stand and eat by the counter. The pancake was surprisingly good despite what Axel said, though Neo couldn't tell if it was just because he was starving or not. After the first bite however, he had to actively refrain from wolfing it down, so not to seem rude in front of Axel and Kelsie. He was still a guest, after all. "I meant to ask, is it alright if I use your shower at some point?" He asked Kelsie while pausing the inescapably ravenous munching of his pancake. "Of course. You know where the bathroom is, I'm guessing you managed to grab some clothes from your place?" She asked, turning to look at him. "Thanks, and yeah I did. Tumbling across rooftops and falling into alleyways certainly does a number on your clothes." Neo said, motioning to the dirty, tattered clothes he was wearing at that moment. "Unfortunately my powers don't work on apparel. But they do look like they could use it." Kelsie said with a small laugh, finishing off the last bite of her pancake.

Neo smiled a little, then focused on eating his pancake too. Once he'd all but licked the crumbs off the plate, he set it by the sink and moved towards the door. "Well, I'm away to shower then." He said, with Axel giving him a small wave as he left. As he made his way through the living room he stopped to quickly swipe his clean clothes from his backpack, sparing a glance at the still snoring Synthia before moving into the bathroom.