Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Avid exited Mildred Manor, marching forward with purpose, book in hand. He had to share this information, he must! It was like, his duty to spread stuff around town. (Or so he thought it was...)

Avid noticed a small group of people conversing near the towns fountain (if you could call it a fountain, anyway). He walked up to the group, and looked to see who was in it. Drift, Cleo, Ren, and Owen.

He held the book up triumphantly, "Look what I found!" Avid declared in a sing-song voice.

Cleo sighed, "Let me guess... Information about the alleged vampires?"

Avid held a hand up in defense, "No, no! No, no, no, not this time! It's a history book, about Oakhurst!" He eyed Cleo's sword cautiously as her hand rested cooly on the hilt.

"Ah, is it now? Let me have a look." Drift leaned in curiously.

Ren looked over, "Ah, a relic of fine history! Oh, if only one could read such divine pages, don' 'cha know?"

"Ay, let me see that...! Think there's any information about my family in there??" Cleo was very interested in the book now.

As the four humans huddled around, fussing about the books contents, Owen stared blankly at the group. Could it be...? Where could have Avid even find one of those, let alone intact? He could've sworn the library had only mere ashes left for supply once he was finished with it... At least, the last he had looked at it. Now it was Cleo and Pearl's house.

But there was one thing Owen knew for certain; he had no interest in hearing about what he already knew. He turned to leave...

"Ha! The mayor clearly wasn't the brightest flame, huh?"

Owen stopped dead in his tracks. Certainly a different mayor, right?

"What's his name, huh? Lewis?"

Owen turned, slowly, to see who said that. Low and behold, there Avid was, laughing about some... Financial decision, or something of the works.

He couldn't remember the last time ire had risen in him, so quickly, so intense. Owen's ears rang, and he could hardly hear them over his own thoughts. With shaking hands and boiling blood, he reached into his bag and slowly pulled out his axe...

Drift was debating Avid on his claim about the former mayor, when Cleo noticed Owen was... Off. Like she could feel the anger radiating from him. Ren looked over, too, and began to worry. Especially when he was holding that axe like that...

"Ah, are ye' alright, lad? One is trembling as if a leaf barely holdin' onto a branch, don' 'cha know." Ren carefully went up to put a hand on Owen's shoulder, only to be shoved to the side as the angered man stepped forward.

"Care to repeat that, Avid?"

Now he'd gotten everyone's attention. Avid froze, staring at the axe.

"Owen..." Cleo said with a bitter taste in her mouth, "What are you gonna do with that?"

Owen ignored Cleo, "Avid. Repeat what you said."

"I- uh... Uh...! I-I didn't mean to upset you, or anything, Owen! Whatever it was, I mean..." Avid stammered, slowly backing up. Drift looked between the two, though she seemed to recognize any attempt to diffuse the situation may be in vain.

Owen couldn't hear Cleo, or Drift, or even the kind voice of Ren calling him, pleading him to give Ren the axe and step away to calm down. Or maybe he just wasn't listening. All he cared about was making Avid pay his due.

"I didn't ask what you meant. I asked what you said." He narrowed his eyes, gripping his axe until his knuckles went white. Cleo reached to wrestle him for it, but he knocked her to the ground, startling everyone present. Her protesting fell on deaf ears... And it became clear that touch would lead to the same fate.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Avid yelped.

Owen groaned in frustration, stepping dangerously close, sending Avid scrambling backward. "What you said about him. About Lewis. Repeat it."

Avid stammered for a moment, then looked a little confused... "The former mayor? Wow, you're a little intense in politics, huh..."

Owen swung his axe. Avid outright screamed, and began running into town. Owen followed in suit.

Cleo, Drift, and Ren looked at where the two had been.

"As much as I don't like Avid," Cleo began, "we need to stop him before he kills someone. Or himself!"

Drift looked on, "I wonder why Lewis set him off? Owen's always so calm, I didn't think he'd just... Lose it, like that."

"We have little time!" Ren declared, "We must go onward, and stop our friend, for he has turned to a beast!"

Cleo nodded, already rushing into town. "Yes, I agree with... Whatever Ren said. Come on!"

Owen chased Avid through town, dodging campfires, patches of garlic, and gawking townsfolk. Through his ringing ears and the bustle of confusion, he could faintly make out the sound of Cleo yelling at him to stop running and put the axe down.

But he continued. He pursued Avid, even as he plead for help, as he apologized again, and again and again.

Honestly, part of Owen was begging himself to stop as well. To turn around, give his axe to Ren and face the consequences of what he had already done. But another part, a much larger piece of consciousness, told him to keep going. To pursue. To hunt. To make Avid pay for what he said. Because after all, that's what he was here for, wasn't it? To make the townspeople pay for coming back. To spill their blood for Lewis. So why wait? Why listen?

"Stop him!" Cleo yelled, pursuing the duo with haste. Ren followed behind her, and Drift had gone to run around town and ask for assistance. "Jeez, he's fast... How is Avid keeping ahead??"

"We cannot stop 'im... Not as two!" Ren rasped, trying his very best to keep up. "We need assistance, don' 'cha know?!"

"Yeah...!" Cleo shouted back, "We definitely can't catch him alone! At least... Not like this."

Cleo stopped, turning to face Ren. "I have a plan."

Avid ran out of town and into the woods, panting furiously as adrenaline carried his feet further, dodging tree roots. He fiddled with his bag, grabbed his wooden stake, and threw it at his perpetrator. He missed.

"Look... Owen! I-I'm... sorry! Please... Please stop!"

Owen had a crazed look in his eyes, he didn't stop for anything. Avid could've sworn he saw a vampires fang poke out from under his top lip, causing him to shriek, running faster.

Avid was startled when he met a dead end. He stopped in his tracks, turning to see his pursuer.

"Owen! Please...! Let me live! Owen!!"

He didn't listen, jumping at the opportunity to see Avid's head on the ground.

"INCOMING!"

Owen turned just in time to see Cleo tackle him to the floor.

Chapter Text

It all happened so fast.

Owen on the floor, Cleo keeping him still, and Ren rushing for the axe... Avid breathed heavily, staring at the three. He leaned against the stone behind him and slowly slid to the floor. What had just happened?

Ren kneeled to Avid's level, looking into his shaken eyes. "Ah, are ye' alright there, lad? One could 'ave sworn a lad's head was a mere breeze away from such a blade, don' 'cha know..."

Avid looked to Owen, "You... You nearly killed me! You nearly had my head, you phyco!! I knew something was wrong with you! I knew it!" He looked down at his hands, trembling at the thought that if Cleo hadn't been there, Owen would've taken his head clean off.

Owen had stopped struggling by then, but he still shook, seething with rage. He breathed heavily, staring daggers into Cleo's intimidating eyes, unfazed by her piercing glare. Almost daring her to say something. Anything compelling.

Cleo slowly let Owen free, standing slowly as to not fall on her backside. She looked down at Owen, panting. "So... You gonna tell us what that was about?"

Owen looked to Avid, "Keep his name out of your unpure lips..." He began to shake his head, laughing bitterly. "If I hear anything of him again, I'll kill you. I'll kill you and it'll be the very last thing you say, Avid."

Avid breathed faster, "You're crazy...! You're insane, Owen!"

"Would you like to die with those words in your mouth?" Owen had a sword up to his neck quicker than he could even finish that sentence. The silver blade grazed him, leaving the smallest cut on his throat.

Cleo held the sword up fiercely to his throat, "There will be no death, not by your hands, Owen. Goodness, what's wrong with you?"

"Youn' lad, why has so much ire raised in one's soul at somethin' that seem' so little?" Ren looked at Owen, not with fear or even anger, no, just concern. How could Ren remain kind to him, even after what he had done?

Seeing as Owen had stopped threatening people, Cleo released him from her protective stance. "You need to be away from people until your anger is in check. Away from Avid, in specifics."

Ren nodded, "Ah, I agree! Why don' you and I go on a walk in the woods, fresh air for the soul?"

"No." Owen stood, "I'll go on my own."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Cleo remarked, "You're not in your right mind, Owen."

"I don't care what you think is 'good' for me." Owen snapped, "I am done being on my best behavior, I am done pretending that everything is okay. You have no idea how sick I am of this town. So I'll go alone, as nature intended." He turned a piercing glare towards his prey, "Isn't that right, Avid?"

Cleo and Ren both turned to Avid.

"I- uh! I'm... Not sure what you're... Talking about." Avid stammered in a soft voice, but he knew what Owen meant. And he'd think he'd be much more excited.

"Go on, say it." Owen persisted, "Tell them. Earn your triumph. You have proof now."

Cleo looked between the two, "Avid, what is he on about?" She turned to Owen, "What are you on about??"

"I-I... I can't say, you won't believe me!" Avid said, desperately searching for a place to flee, like a fawn running from a wolf.

"I'm not that scary, am I?" Owen taunted him ruthlessly, "I'm outnumbered, see? You could easily overpower me! Especially with all that silver..."

"Eh, lad... Yer're scarin' the poor youn'in, don' 'cha know..." Ren said hesitantly.

Avid backed himself up as far as he could, "Owen, look man, I-I'm sorry...!"

"Say it. Tell them what I am." Owen got close enough that Cleo had to pull him back by the back of his shirt.

"You're... You're... You're a vampire!" Avid rasped, backing himself into a tree.

Cleo sighed, "Avid don't be ridiculous..."

"That's right."

Cleo turned to look at Owen in bewilderment, "Owen, that's not funny."

"I never claimed it to be." Owen said in a strangely calm voice, "I'm not laughing. Are you?" He bared his fangs, causing Cleo and Ren to back up on instinct. "He's right. Go on, congratulate him."

"Owen, whatever you're scheming ends now." Cleo warned the self-proclaimed vampire, "We can talk about this." Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, of which she never sheathed in case Owen tried something once again.

"Talk about what?" Owen narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm dangerous. A threat to be taken out. Aren't I?" He took her wrist, the one holding the sword, and raised it to his stomach. "Go on. Do it."

"Take me out."

-_- bonus! -_-

Scott and Shubble were sitting outside the small shack they had built for each other, eating some raw beef while talking about the rules of being a vampire.

"So you're telling me I can turn into a bat??" Shubble said excitedly.

Scott chuckled, shaking his head. "Yes, yes. Of course you can. Keep your voice down!"

Drift ran up to them, gasping for air. "Owen... Owen's gonna kill Avid!"

"Owen's gonna kill Avid?" Scott repeated thoughtfully, "Now what on Earth compelled him to do that?"

"It's complicated... Something about some Lewis guy, used to run Oakhurst..." Drift sighed, "We shouldn't focus on why, we should focus on stopping him before he hurts someone, or himself!"

Shubble blinked at Drift, "I feel like we should also be worried about whether or not it's justified."

"Hold on," Scott paused for emphasis, "you mean to tell me Avid said something about Lewis... In front of Owen?" He laughed, "Oh Owen's gonna kill him. Popcorn, anyone?"

"Scott this is serious!" Drift persisted, before pausing. "Wait, you know about this Lewis guy?"

Shubble looked towards Scott, "Yeah... You know this guy?"

"Oh, no." Scott shook his head, "I just know Owen is very protective surrounding him. Never learned why, didn't really care, to be honest."

Drift sighed, "Well, thanks for the information, I guess." They scurried away to try and get the assistance of someone else.

Shubble looked over at Scott, "Do you think Owen's gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. He'll be fine~!" Scott replied, almost sarcastically.

But they both couldn't help but wonder... What's going on?