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A figure stood before a convenience store, all four eyes examining the store behind the glass with a sort of strange tiredness- or maybe not so strange, considering the time. It was surely almost twelve, and yet this was the only time Nero managed to sneak out today. He wasn't going to be cooped up by the D-Techs all day. He sleepily rubbed a claw across his forehead, yawning softly before he finally pushed the door open. Jingle Jingle. He stalked over to the aisle with the fridge containing soda, eyeing all of them thirstily. He had to plan this trip carefully- he only had a bit of money. He looked up and down the shelves, clucking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Caffeine. Need caffeine. He let out a little sigh, letting the tip of a claw slip into his sweatshirt pocket in order to jangle the coins it held in an idle manner.

His sweatshirt truly wasn't much of a sweatshirt, it was black (with a few variously colored swirls going down the sleeves) and rather tight-fitting, and also ended above his belly. Beneath that was a multi-colored, striped shirt that ended a little short as well, covering much of his belly but leaving a strip of the effeminate yet slightly toned area exposed. He was also clad in a pair of rather snug jean capris, a black studded belt secured at his waist. His feet for once were not bare, but covered in a pair of tattered black sneakers, and his wrists (which the sweatshirt didn't fully cover) bore a few assorted, thin jelly bracelets. At his throat was his permanently placed collar, installed with the apparently ever-necessary tracking device along with a few tags. His ears bore a few brand new piercings, and the back of his hair was spiked up while the front came to frame his face rather nicely. He seemed to have really anticipated this small amount of time away from the D-Corp enterprise, judging by his appearance.

He began to hum to himself softly, head cocking itself to one side... He was always bad at making decisions, it made him nervous... Being the timid teen he was. He scritched the side of his head and sighed again. He knew that maybe putting more chemicals into his system after the last series of shots he received probably wasn't a good idea, but they left him feeling fatigued and a little ill. He craved that nice buzz you got from the caffeine.. Rather than what he usually felt nowadays. It was enough to drive a scorpion boy crazy.

The scorpion lad was about to pop open the fridge and grab his choice of some strange energy drink-soda hybrid, curiosity having won over familiarity. He would give something new a try- that was what this whole 'new life' thing he had going was about, right?

The sound of the gun sent chills straight down his back, and his tail automatically curled into the defensive position. He knew that sound all too well- he slowly released the handle of the door and turned his gaze to what lay behind him. Any fear he had was quickly overcome with confusion- what was going on here? He knew that guy holding that dreaded tool. He found himself turning to face the chaos, staring in disbelief at the shark-teen. He allowed everything his best friend told the man to click in his mind, and found his brows furrowing. What? This just didn't make any sense.

Albeit this not-even-5-foot teen obviously wouldn't pose much of a hindrance to this gang of rowdy teenagers, he took a step forwards anyways. "J-Jekel!?" He finally found himself stammering, his usually (and naturally) quiet voice taking on a strangely loud note- it almost didn't even sound like him. He tried not to look at the gun. Those were scary. They made him nervous.. And for good reason. He took a few more steps, continuing to stare at his friend in uncertainty, large eyes filled with confusion.

He took a moment to shoot a nervous and somewhat sympathetic look to the man behind the counter before jerking his gaze back to the familiar figure. Holding the gun. Holding the gun. His stomach flopped.

Nero's stare was broken when he found himself being surrounded by the strange guys who had come along with Simon, and who happened to be much taller and more imposing than himself. He shrunk back slightly, all four eyes flickering back and forth, from face to face as he was ridiculed.. It was nothing really to him, he had been bullied since he was younger because of his timidness and appearance, so he could handle that factor.. As long as they didn't touch him, anyways. But these guys were really unnerving. And what his best friend since childhood was doing was really unnerving.

He finally cringed when Simon raised his voice at the others- the yelling only made him more worried. He tightened his jaw and drew in a deep breath, watching as the group disappeared through the doors. This wasn't right.. He had to do something. Couldn't just stand here. This WASN'T RIGHT. And yet he couldn't get himself to move, panic thrumming through his body. The timid little creature was just stuck there, watching everything unfold, staring with desperation at the shark boy's back..

And yet he never turned around. He just followed the others out the door. Nero stood still for another moment or so before he managed to get himself to stand shakily beside the cashier, "A-a-a-are y-you o-okay..?" Concern and fear filled his wide eyes as he stared up at the older man, extra legs curled over his belly. He didn't stay there for long, and after another moment he was running for the door. He stopped at the doorway. "J-Jekel!" He attempted to shout, probably to no avail. Thus, he took off on his short yet surprisingly quick legs after that familiar D-Corp teen and his gang. He may be small, but he was built to be fast, as well as stealthy.. Albeit as soon as he started running, he felt the fatigue and sick feeling he started with begin to sharpen.

As the teen came to a stop, he found himself biting his lower lip- maybe he should have thought this one through more. He wouldn't have changed what he chose for anything, however he hadn't really thought of what he would do when he caught up. He took a half-step back, heart continuing to thud against his ribs so quickly it was almost painful. "I-I ju-just.." He hesitated, tail beginning to curl itself into the defensive position on its own. He stared up at the taller guys with his wide eyes, claws clenched at his sides. And then his tired eyes took on a serious sort of look, and he pursed his lips.

"I-I'm n-no he-hero." He admitted openly- that was something he would never allow himself to be called again. He couldn't save anyone... Not even the most important people to him. He could never be a hero if he couldn't even do that. He was just a coward. He drew in a deep breath and straightened himself up as tall as he could make himself. "I-I c-came to s-see J-Jekel." He announced, wanting to figure out what the hell was going on- and he doubted he could get any help from these mean, scary strangers. He attempted to peek around them and spot the shark, a slight trembling starting up in his arms. He was trying to seem brave, but it was hard.

The small teen continued to stare at Simon, twitching as the gun was shot. Suddenly his eyes were void of all emotion, fixated on the gun. The sound of gunshot. And then there he was, bleeding. Not breathing, bleeding from his chest. Nero snapped out of it to discover he was holding his breath. He lifted his eyes from the gun slowly, resting dully on his friend's face as he spoke. He drew in a soft breath, arms folding over his chest slightly. He suddenly felt incredibly cold, and a light tremor ran down his back. He tilted his head slightly, wide eyes clouded with some diluted form of confusion. He parted his lips, but remained silent. Something, maybe the chemicals, suddenly churned in his stomach and he felt immediately sick. He found himself swaying slightly, choosing to use his tail to ground himself. This was all too much.

He felt a searing pain stake itself in his chest, growing stronger and spreading out through his entire upper body. This was the guy who had protected him his whole life, who had always been there, who had always been rough but there. And now suddenly he was gone, and Nero found himself entirely alone. "I-it seems e-everyone.. D-died a l-long time.. Ago.." The boy said flatly, not even seeming to realize he said it. He bit into his lower lip, brows furrowing, "D-Don't... B-belong...?" He didn't belong? Not here. Not anymore, it seemed. Realization finally washed over him. His best friend no longer wanted him around. His eyes lit with a strange sadness, and yet a smile touched his lips. "I-I'm sorry, J-Jekel. I w-won't bo-bother you an-anymore." He wouldn't call this familiar teen by his gang name, because that is never who Simon would be to him.. But he also wouldn't burden him anymore. He saw that he had chosen a new life path. One that didn't involve him.

He turned slowly away from the group as they hurried down into the sewer. He drew in a shaky breath, and began to walk away unsteadily. It felt like the ground was wavering beneath his feet, more and more with every step. The jingling of his collar seemed so loud it hurt his ears- a constant reminder of his new life. Things were different now, he supposed. His father was dead, and Jekel was gone.. And the only place he had left to go was that horrid building he had come to dread. He supposed if he were physically capable, he'd be crying right now. But he couldn't. He stumbled slightly, taking a moment to sit down once he felt he was far enough. He was so tired.. And he felt so sick.

He pulled his knees to his chest and burrowed his face into them, sitting there on the side of the road. Alone. He felt cold, right down to the bone.