Midnight City (boyxboy)

|Thirty Three: Keep You Safe|

He finally blinked his eyes open, and found five figures stood over him. He recognised only one of them, but only had a second to register their face before his body was groaning in pain. It was his stomach, which felt as though it had been ripped open over and over again. Not only that, but his back ached, and he was stiff from whatever piece of furniture he had been sprawled across.

"Theo?" he managed to croak out, voice hoarse and sore as he attempted that one, single name. The wizard came in and out of focus, his brown eyes trying to adjust to the light he was now exposed to.

However, he found that when they did focus, he was able to see every minute detail on his friend's face. The small pores in his skin, the almost invisible freckles adorning it, each tiny hair that lay there.

"You're finally awake," the wizard observed, surveying his friend from head to toe, who struggled to sit upright. When realising this, another member of the anonymous group moved to steady him and was sent a grateful smile in return. "How are you feeling, Nick?"

Nick looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings, spotting a lit fireplace, another armchair with red, embroidered cushions for decoration, several photographs of strangers sat atop the mantel and hung on the walls, and a large open window reveaing a city he didn't recognise.

"Where am I?" His voice came out a whisper, which was all he could manage after sleeping for days. His eyes once again searched for Nancy among the strangers, but she was nowhere to be seen. His ears picked up on the sound of a loud slam, the noise reverberating through his bones, causing him to flinch.

"It was just a door closing," a stranger informed him reassuringly, "a mile away," he finished.

Nick blinked at him.

"Do you remember what happened?" Theo asked him, hazel eyes wary and concerned.

Nick racked his brain for any recollection of what may have brought him to this place, but remembered nothing. So he shook his head, which emitted a sigh from the wizard's throat.

Where was Sam? Where was Nancy? Where were his friends?

Another member of the group, with pastel pink hair, violet eyes and a kind smile, handed him a glass of water, which he gulped down immediately. It soothed his throat, but barely. When he was finished, she took it from him and set it gently down on the wooden coffee table in the centre of the room. It sat atop a rather eccentric looking rug, one he'd seen nothing like before.

He couldn't help but let his eyes drift to the window, where florescent lights shone and flickered in the distance, stars twinkling above a magnificent city skyline, with buildings so tall he couldn't see the top of them. Neon colours flashed in the distance, and he was able to pick up the sound of party music playing from all different directions.

"Where the hell am I?" Nick asked again, voice coming out a low growl, a demand, not a question. The pink haired girl flinched at his tone, and the group shared a knowing look.

"Midnight City," someone answered. Nick looked up at him, the tanned skin, the shoulder length brown hair, the sharp jawline and the muscular build. His biceps bulged as he crossed his arms, setting himself into a dominant stance as he stared down at him. A glimpse of sympathy flashed in his almost onyx eyes, but it disappeared as he said, "You're going to... transition soon."

A grimace from Nick. "Transition?"

"You- You were in an accident," Theo explained.

"An accident?" Nick's voice became panicked. "Where's Nancy? Can someone explain what's going on? Please I... I'm scared."