Young Writers Society

The footsteps were getting closer.

"Great," Magic said, clapping their hands together, "we're all set. My magic might be a little funky after being in the wrong body, but I think I can rein it in and send you back to your homes."

"You think you can?" Télos repeated. Aquarius looked slightly paler beside him, even though it was hard to tell with his mask on again.

"Worse case scenario, you end up in the wrong reality," Magic said. "But it won't be a bad reality. And I can definitely get you back once I realize you're in the wrong place."

They turned to Robin. Now that she no longer had any tubes to break, she just looked...awkward as she stood in the corner of the room. "After that, I'll magic Robin and me out of here. The last thing this group needs is to get their hands on a grim reaper."

Robin opened her mouth to protest.

Then she closed it.

"Hopefully," Magic said, "if any of you do meet again, it'll be in much better circumstances."

With that, Magic started speaking the words to the spell that would bring them home.

Télos wanted to say goodbye - even though he wasn't really sure Bobby would want to hear it from him - but he didn't get a chance. One moment, he was standing in the wreckage of the lab. The next, he found himself back in the palace with a flash of warm, unfamiliar magic.

Zephyrus was nowhere to be found. But his twin brother was - Aquarius went stumbling into him as he appeared in the room, too. Télos was still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened, but he was interrupted by someone running in from the hallway.

"You're both okay," Zephyrus said. He threw his arms around the two. Even though his arms couldn't entirely reach around them, Télos could tell that it was supposed to be a hug. "I-I couldn't find either one of you anywhere. I don't know what could have taken you, but..."

He looked between the two of them.

"Where were you?" he asked.

Télos and Aquarius exchanged a look.

"It's, uh, a long story," Télos said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Aquarius gave a nod in agreement.

Bo didn't have time to say goodbye before the sight of the lab faded from his vision, and he found himself back on his porch.

It was night, now.

His cup of tea - which he'd completely forgotten about, now - had fallen on the deck, shattered. Whatever tea had once been spilled was long since dry.

Crickets and cicadas were chirping loudly, and in his corner of his apartment complex, things were still. The moon hung high with a shining, waning crescent and the stars hid behind the Los Angeles haze. Thin clouds could be seen in the distance, if he squinted.

The air was cool, and the breeze came in a little stronger.

Bo turned in to go inside, leaving behind his broken mug for later.

As he slid his screen door shut behind him he walked forward towards his couch and stood in front of it, slouched, before flopping down face-first and letting his legs hang off the arm.

That ended a lot better than the cruise ship, or Atlantis. But still... he was glad to be home. Glad it was over. He just didn't think he'd be getting any sleep before his shift the next day.

Oh well. That was what coffee was for.

Bobby woke up on the ground. His head was heavy and throbbing. The sound of footsteps turned the corner into his alley, and the muffled sound of voices gurgled through his disoriented senses.

Through his blurred vision, he could make out the vague silhouettes of the men he'd forgotten about in...in the dream? Hallucination?

He'd only just managed to prop himself up on bruised arms and try to get up to keep running, when there was a flash of gold, a feminine voice, and the two silhouettes dropped to the ground, replaced by just one.

The new silhouette came slowly into focus as the figure approached. "Come on kid," Queenie's unnaturally clear blue eyes rolled under blonde eyelashes, "I've gotta call cleanup to get rid of the mess," her head tilted toward the crumpled heaps that were just moments ago two healthy men, their necks now twisted at odd angles, lifeless eyes staring at the rolling grey clouds above. "But first you gotta get outta here, m'kay?"

Bobby gave a small nod and allowed Queenie to help him to his feet. She brushed him off, giving him a once-over. "Any broken bones?"

"I...I don't think so?"

"Then get out of here."

Bobby didn't have to be told twice.