On leur a tiré dessus ! Et cet imbécile de Phinks qui a stoppé le projectile avec son bras ! Machi va les dépecer vivants s'ils retournent chez elle avec un blessé si tôt après l'avoir visitée ! Shalnark cherche du regard le tireur. Il n'y a qu'un utilisateur de Nen qui puisse charger un tir de cette façon et…
Une décharge de puissance dans son dos, sèche brève et…
Feitan tombe.
/Quoi ? Mais… non !/
Le jeune homme fait volte-face mais il n'y a plus personne. Feitan a atterri sur un genou, les yeux agrandis de surprise. Ses sourcils se froncent et Shalnark ne sait pas si c'est de douleur ou de fureur. L'odeur cuivrée du sang s'élève.
— Fei ?
Il ne répond pas. Seuls ses yeux sont visibles sous ses longues mèches noires. La peau entre ses yeux est livide. Pincée et tellement pâle. Il n'a pas émis le moindre son. Il tient Rose près du corps, il… il la couvre. Lorsqu'il a vu l'attaque sur Phinks, il a rassemblé son ko autour du bébé, certain que sa vitesse naturelle lui permettrait d'esquiver. Sauf que… qui que soit leur assaillant, le manipulateur n'a rien senti avant l'attaque.
Et à présent…
Il ne voit personne non plus. Qui que soit leur assaillant, il a disparu.
Ou il se cache.
— Fei !
Phinks se précipite à leurs côtés sans aucune pensée pour la discrétion. Shalnark roule des yeux.
— Tu ne peux pas crier un peu plus fort ? Je crois qu'il y a un petit vieux au bout du parc qui ne t'a pas encore entendu.
Il ne met pas autant de mordant qu'il ne le voudrait dans sa réponse. Feitan ne s'est pas encore relevé. Ce n'est pas normal, ça. Son corps tremble, frissonne. Il a posé une main à terre, le bébé tenu dans son autre bras, en appui sur un genou. Phinks ignore les paroles de Shalnark et s’agenouille devant son partenaire. A nouveau, le jeune homme sent la colère monter en lui.
Quel idiot !
Comme si Feitan pouvait lui rendre ses sentiments. Ce n’était pas comme si leur interrogateur était seulement humain.
Une bête fauve, cruelle et…
Et qui protége un bébé après avoir été blessé.
Crétins ! Aussi bien Phinks et Feitan.
Shalnark se compte dans le lot lorsqu’il se voit s’agenouiller aux côtés de leur petit compagnon, tout en surveillant ses arrières.
Uvogin doit se tordre de rire de là où il les regarde !
Le projectile de nen irradie toujours d’énergie dans le corps du petit homme, dans le dos, au niveau des reins. Ça ne doit pas faire du bien et… Shalnark sait comment son compagnon réagit à la douleur.
Mal.
— Fei… Laisse-moi prendre le contrôle, murmure-t-il sans réussir à masquer sa nervosité.
L’aura du jeune homme a déjà un peu changé et Phinks le regarde avec un air buté, de la sueur brillant sur son front.
De la sueur ?
Ou de la fièvre.
— Fei ! répète-t-il d’une voix urgente.
Il a déjà son aiguille dans la main, il n’attend plus que l’assentiment de l’intéressé. Les yeux gris s’écarquillent.
/Merde ! Pas bon, ça !/
À ses côtés, Phinks gronde et… Le grand blond la lui prend des mains pour la planter dans la nuque de la minuscule araignée… avant qu’elle ne puisse refuser ou même réagir. Son Black Voices s’active et Feitan s’affaisse et Shalnark a juste le temps de l’attraper par les épaules tandis que le guerrier récupère la petite Rose.
— Porte-le. Je ne pourrai utiliser qu’un bras mais… Il suffira à vous protéger, gronde Phinks.
Shalnark n’envisage même pas de manipuler le corps de Feitan comme une marionnette, il le soulève prudemment. Le petit homme est aussi léger qu’il semble minuscule. Sa tête roule en arrière et le blondinet le réarrange plus confortablement avant de se redresser et de suivre Phinks. Ce dernier n’utilise pas son Nen. Pas avec le projectile toujours fiché dans son bras et qui irradie d’énergie. Ils ont deviné qu’il était prévu pour réagir à la moindre décharge d’aura.
Ils ne rejoignent pas Machi.
Pas question de compromettre une autre araignée.
La planque où les emmène Phinks se trouve dans un quartier industriel miteux, un hangar en ruine parmi tant d’autres. Au moins, la couverture réseau est décente et Shalnark prévient les autres membres de la troupe après avoir installé Feitan sur une couche improvisée.
Despite denying it, Feitan can never help but get anxious when Shalnark is out on a mission or doing something that's risky without him.
If Shalnark isn't back for a while, Feitan will become agitated and will start pacing back and forth until he returns.
BONUS: Shalnark ALWAYS make sure to smother Feitan with hugs when he comes back to calm the little man down.
14 for - please don't judge my ship- shalnark and feitan
no judging my dude! your request is completed!
#14: Things you said after you kissed me
“Maybe… this isn’t where we should be.” Kalluto commented, looking around at the overly brightly colored atmosphere of the city of Aiai. “When you said we would be playing a game to find the boss, I didn’t think it would it would have something that my older brother would even enjoy.”
“Relax Kalluto!” Shalnark said, giving the young boy a smile. “We’re here to relax and have fun! And what better way to do it than to do it in this city?”
Kalluto frowned, but didn’t comment as he stepped back to get out of the way of a girl running by with a piece of bread in her mouth. Shalnark mocked the typical stereotype in his head as Phinks shifted awkwardly on his feet.
“Fun you say? What’s so fun about it?”
“Hmm, well if this isn’t your thing I suppose… we can make another game out of it?” Shalnark asked out loud, and the whe group nodded, none of them seeming interested in what the city had to offer for them. “Ouch, okay! If you hated it so much you could’ve said so already. But since that’s the conclusion,” he said, turning to look at the sun in the sky. It was almost sunset; he smiled at that. “We can play hide-and-seek!”
“Hide-and-seek? Here?” Feitan asked next to him, Shalnark turning to look at the shorter man as he spoke up. “What exactly makes this place ideal for that?”
“Why Feitan, I’m glad you asked!” Shalnark said cheerily, poking his nose. “Anything and everything is a distraction! It’d be hard for the seeker to find anyone if they use all of this to their advantage! Plus, it’s almost dusk, which means parties and balls and such are going to be good places for hiders to lose the seeker in! It’s perfect for hide-and-seek!”
Feitan smiled at that, a hand going to his chin as he did.
“Now that you mention it, those are very good things… for the hiders, of course. Too bad you’re going to be it Shalnark.”
“I figured.” Shalnark said, smiling back. He turned to the group, and everyone already looked about ready to dash off and find a spot to hide. “Do we want to put any stakes on this or just do it for some plain ol’ fun?”
“It’s not fun without stakes, but let’s do this round without it. I’d rather be out of here before the sun hits the horizon.”
“Gotcha. I’ll start my search when it does!” Shalnark said, and without much else from any of them, they disappeared, Shalnark losing track of their forms jumping across roof tops or darting through the roads in only a few seconds. “Well, might as well watch the sunset while I’m here.”
Shalnark waited a good few minutes after sunset had ended before he started his search. He wanted them to be ansty by the time he got to them so he could have a good chase. It wasn’t hard finding some of them, like Kalluto and Phinks, who either really didn’t know how to socialize well in these settings or were to loud about it. When they were found, he sent told them to get a hotel in Masadora and wait for everyone else there. When they left, Shalnark continued with his search.
Two hours passed, and he had found everyone but Feitan, but Shalnark had somewhat expected this. Feitan was small, this he could hide virtually anywhere and be missed when overlooking for him in crowded areas. He was also faster than Shalnark, which made it hard to actually tag him to finish the game.
Just as Shalnark was about to give up, Feitan appeared on his own a few feet away from him with a grin on his face.
“Having trouble?”
“If that’s what you call yourself, then yes.”
Feitan’s eyebrows shot up, his smile disappearing to form a poorly concealed portrayal of shock on his face.
“That… was unexpectedly smooth. Do I praise you for that?”
“I do like a few rounds of applause for my accomplishments, yes, but I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Shalnark said, taking a step forward. Feitan got the hint of what type of game they were playing now, and he smiled again.
“Maybe because you know they’re not that good in the first place?” Feitan took a step back.
Shalnark shrugged.
“At least I still look good.”
Shalnark took a step forward.
“Are you calling me ugly?” Feitan asked, then cursing himself at not taking the opportunity to continue his streak.
“No, that’d be blasphemy, because no words can ever accurately describe you.” Shalnark said, taking another step forward. He was only one more step away from Feitan now, and it was making him nervous.
“Calling me a god isn’t even far from the truth, but at least you know you’re not on my level.” Feitan smirked, stepping back quickly. His back hit a wall, but he had no concern for it; he would win this.
“You’re right; you’re so far out of my league I’m blessed just even being in your presence.” Shalnark took a step forward, a smile on his face as if victory was assured. Feitan smiled back.
“Then let me bless you with more than just my presence.” he said, stepping forward and catching ahold of Shalnark’s vest, pulling him down to where he could place a kiss on his lips. He let go almost immediately afterwards, letting Shalnark stumble back from the kiss, his face a shade darker than before. Or maybe the was due to some lanterns being lit up around them. Probably not.
“Wow.”
“Is that really all you have to say to that?” Feitan asked, crossing his arms as Shalnark composed himself.
“Do you want me to compliment you on that or something?”
“I do like a few rounds of applause for my accomplishments, if that’s what you’re asking.” Feitan replied back, smiling almost evilly as he reused Shalnarks words. Shalnark pouted.
“Hey! That’s not fair!”
“Life’s not fair.”
“This is a video game, it’s gotta be somewhat fair.” Shalnark complained, and Feitan almost wanted to kiss him again. Almost.
“Whatever, let’s just get going.”
“Yeah yeah, the rest of them are probably bored out of their minds by now! Oh, and Feitan?”