Safe For Now

[Nox]

Nox couldn't help the happy genuine smile that spread across his lips at Raffe's comment. "Oh duckling, I'll swoon for you anytime." Nox batted his eye lashed even as they parted to move on to the next phase of whatever they were going to do - which turned out to be moving to sit and talk. Sitting was good - but kissing Raffe would have been better.

They sat down against the wall and Nox didn't really say whether or not he was up to dealing with Sterling's parents or not. They'd deal with it when it all came down to it. But he wasn't about to let Raffe take any of the blame from any irate parents. So he supposed he'd already decided he'd be dealing with it. The only problem with the location was that Raffe was too far away. And getting up would be a problem. Though since he'd managed to sit down properly standing up would like be a little easier instead of like earlier. If he could only remember not to try to use his hand. Old habits died hard. "I'll deal with them, but I will definitely need back up."

But it wasn't that that worried him, the fear in Raffe's voice made the whole situation terrifying. What if Raffe said no more because of what he did? What if Carmen decided he was too dangerous to keep around? So many what ifs. Nox closed his eyes too as he leaned his head against the wall as well. "So how about I just talk then and you can ask questions when you need to."

Nox didn't really wait for an affirmative as he began telling Raffe quickly about the monsters he and Aria encountered in the tunnels. How they were unlike anything he'd ever seen. He told Raffe that he found a Vaia Plus employee in a white lab coat in the tunnels carting off a chupacabra in a net and that he was dead now. Nox gave Raffe a little history on chups - the whole parasite thing. He did not tell Raffe about Dane - no one needed to know about him. Nox wished he hadn't liked the man even though he knew he was dangerous. Too many emotions Nox had to stop for a second before he told him about the mission - to find Alistar Pavlo - a missing scientist Dorian killed but his body had been missing. There was the IA guy they found wandering around like the monsters - part of the collective. And then the walking dead scientist which ultimately lead to the end of the story where Nox got bit saving the rookie from an onslaught of monsters. Nova's harrowing rescue of his own self at the cost of his own life.

"Knowing that I was infected with something. They keep coming even after we killed them in the past. They had to spread easily. I made a decision. One that I'm pretty sure saved my life in the way that I'm not a monster - at least not completely." Nox took a big breath and spoke quickly, if he said it fast enough maybe it woudln't be true. "I think I'm still infected. Dorian said that Pavlo could wield the power of the gods when he encountered him before killing him. And that he controlled the hoard. I'm pretty sure I did that earlier."