Archive of Our Own ^beta

A cloud of sporic dust enveloped him, wiping his thoughts clean and leaving him in the literal dark.

Even as it settled by his feet his senses felt numb, his hearing muffled words behind a wall, his vision just a dark expansive plane; remnants of the mysterious substance, a heavy fog at his feet.

His body seemed to ache endlessly, his head pounding as he tried to recall what had happened before the dust.

Mike calls out to his friends, the ones he swears were just with him.

Only she responds.

The voice that he can't get enough of, bouncing in his skull, as if it had come from within himself.

"Mike" it echoes and he feels himself relax, his muscles loosening despite the pit in his stomach screaming that something was wrong.

She overrode his system, the immense need of her overpowering every other thought. Her silhouette appeared at the edge of the darkness as indeterminate as a cloud. Formed from the mist at his feet, she called to him.

His friends less than an after thought he reached a heavy arm for her.

Without taking a step they collided, her perfect form just inches from his, her hair fluttered lightly in a non existent breeze and what he imagined to be her scent filled his soul: Deep flora.

Heavy vegetation that boarded on the edge of decay, a smell that seemed to be the opposite of what he'd expect from her but his mind yielded to the discrepancies, she was in his grasp, that's all that mattered.

All that mattered.

Mike felt her slender fingers reach out towards him wrapping themselves around his wrist.

"Jules" he slurs, the only words he can force out as every little movement he makes feels like a battle, and yet... It's so peaceful. Surrounded by a thick blanket that held them together.

He felt as she slowly wrapped her self around him, tighter and tighter. Her arm around his chest, snaking her hand up to his neck, she managed to wrap her whole palm around it.

She grasped his throat slowly tightening her grip, his heavy limbs tried to struggle but he felt her strong hands pinning him in place, this wasn't right.

His mind fought with itself almost as much as he fought her hold. Back and forth, back and forth. This is all he ever wanted and terribly wrong, she wouldn't do this, what is she doing?

He gasped for breath as his throat began to close, her arm now tightening around his chest too, squeezing out all the air.

His thoughts a maddened mess that left him useless till a shriek filled the air and he felt her go limp.

He looked up and realized he was laying on the ground, the darkness around him subsiding as Chuck's face came into view staring down at him in worry.

"Dude, you alright?" He asked untangling a mess of green vines around Mike's neck.

Mike groaned in response, his energy felt completely drained as his senses and memories made their way back to him.

Slowly he looked around catching a glimpse of Dutch and Texas leaning on each other as the pulled leftover vines from their wrists and legs.

"Where's Julie?" He asked, sluggishly sitting up despite the pounding headache that he had developed.

"She went to tail Kaia further down in the depths, said she'd send out a signal if anything happened" Chuck explained.

Mike must've looked at least a bit nervous at that answer because Chuck quickly began to elaborate, "Julie was already scouting ahead so Kaia doesn't know she's with us. Plus she probably ran out of seed bombs since there weren't even enough of these plants to trap all of us".

Mike nodded slowly, his body still felt like a bag of bricks but if they were all safe now...

"What the heck even are these things?" He asks wriggling out of the vines grasps.

"Not sure," the Blond responded, "they seem similar to the kind the Terra's used in Deluxe but they seemed to basically knock you guys out too"

Mike gave his brother a hum in response as he poked at the plant, "Texas won't say what happened but Dutch says they say Tennie and that it completely undid him"

Mike stilled, he knew how he felt about her. Anytime he asked Dutch what it was like all he could do was picture himself with Julie.

They weren't even dating and yet he felt that his life would be incomplete without her, he longed for the end of a mission when she'd run up and cling to him in relief, safe in each other's arms.

If Dutch saw Tennie, and he saw Julie... It must've been some sort of trap. A false sense of security to allow the plant to fully take hold.

Is that why he was so sluggish?

"I saw her" Mike said sheepishly, staring at the ground, it felt wrong now that he knew what it was; sugar for his snake trap.

"What?" Chuck asked, whether he had spaced out like Mike or simply forgotten what they were talking about Mike sighed and repeated himself.

"Dutch saw Tennie, I saw ... you know who", he didn't want to say it. He was in love with one of his best friends of years, it felt wrong, like he was lying to her.

"Ohhh" Chuck nodded sagely peaking over his shoulder at the others to see if they'd stopped bickering long enough to hear, and understand, what their leader had said.

"So it's kinda like a siren" he said looking back to Mike who returned his gaze with a dumbfounded look, "it's a fish monster from myths and fantasy, it basically disguises itself as your one true desire, usually a hot girl" Chuck supplied.

"Hmh" Mike acknowledged looking back at the dirt, he supposed Julie fit into the category of 'hot girl', though it felt way too simple. Like saying you're getting a snack and having a feast instead, she was so much more than hot.

A yellow light blinked twice before them, a non-urgent call for back up, Mike stared at it, mind lost in thoughts of the person it belonged to.

"I know you have your plans and you want to wait but ... I really think you should tell her bro" Chuck said standing up and offering Mike a hand.

Mike took it, "maybe you're right..." He said turning to the guys behind him, "let's ride, Julie needs some back up" he called marching towards them and the cars.

It was time to save his girl.