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Chapter 1 - Clover

Clover pushed through sweaty bodies, e he couldn’t see He wouldn’t be noticed Not with his dishwater blond hair, gray hoodie, or his unih, not when the croas as bloodthirsty as a pack of starving dogs in a post-apocalyptic wasteland

Pyro’s grunt was like the roar of a speeding vehicle, but despite the clang of metal that followed, Clover wasn’t worried That hadn’t been a sound of pain or dismay Pyro was in his element, even if Clover couldn’t see him yet, since his vieas blocked by raised hands He could barely discern the dull thuds of fists hitting flesh, but as he moved toward the podium, blue hair flashed behind the thick steelhim that his instincts had been correct

The spectators weren’t a solidhis head low to protect his sensitive eyes frolow of lamps overhead

He hated this place, but he couldn’t leave Pyro on his own

Pyro’s next punch threw his opponent at the mesh, and Clover yelped when blood sprayed from the man’s broken lip The croere like sharks, and ild at the display of violence

“Ugh… stay down,” Clover whispered to Pyro’s opponent, but it was so he only did out of frustration, because the man whose eye was so swollen Clover couldn’t see it, wouldn’t have heard him anyway

For endless seconds the entire room held its breath, as if it wasn’t a collection of individuals but a hive The et up

In the bright light, Pyro’s hair was a frizzy crown He stood over his opponent, his bloodstained chest rising and falling, eyes hard, ready to catch any anizer, arbiter, or whoever that was, entered the cage and grabbed Pyro’s ar it in triumph

The crowd erupted in shouting, soressive Clover feared for the safety of the loser Alhters, and if soly

Clover was here for one reason, and he dashed through an opening between bodies in an atteot pushed back several tih five hi closer

“Pyro!” he yelled, reaching out in frustration The last thing Clover needed was Pyro disappearing for drinks with strangers

But in the flood of noise, which had just been joined by loud rock

His face shiny with sweat and blood, he was still in the post-fight rush Clover had seen too many times to count His movements were stiff, as if his knees had partially locked, but he ith the flow of people who, after a sequence of victorious fights, adored him for the cash he made them

After fourfor Boar, Pyro had to unleash his aggression sohts were his poison of choice Far fro up in people’s deaths, concussions and bites, they were so Clover hated on principle, but what really worried hih for no other reason than to release violence on a world that had betrayed him

So all Clover could do was be there for him and pick up the pieces if necessary

Someone handed Pyro a sulps from as if it were Dr Pepper, and then sprayed the rest onto the crowd, drinking up their adoration

Clover was certain his attempt to attract attention had been futile, but then Pyro’s dark eyes settled on hi to reach hi on, so arms

He gasped into the kiss that seared his lips with alcohol and the metallic taste of blood, but at least he was close There was no point in trying to stop Pyro froed, he pleaded, but none of that had worked, so if Pyro was to take part in them anyway, Clover preferred to at least knohere Pyro was The last thing he wanted after losing Boar was to find Pyro dead in a dark alley And it had coo, when Clover had been so fidgety about Pyro’s absence in thethat Tank had driven with him, only to spot a familiar car in a ditch

Pyro had coe bruise on his forehead, but it hadn’t taught hi either Tank had decided to wash his hands off Pyro after that, but the poor guy was grieving, and Clover couldn’t desert his, but also because of Boar, who they still hoped to find