...

Mom... Dad...

How do I be honest to myself?

If I tell myself I hate me,

and mean it,

is that a good thing?

...

Is it okay for me to want more?

Do I deserve stagnation?

Or is insatiable temptation

a greater punishment for me?

...

It's been a while since Niel's seen his face, but there's no mistaking it: Voltaire is the Electric Mute Thief. No wonder why Dwayne said he was troubled. Thankfully, Voltaire doesn't recognize him. The other kids don't seem to know about Voltaire's history, though it's likely that the adults were told. Why would they take in someone like him? There's no way he'll be anything but trouble.

Though the introductions go well, Voltaire looks completely uninterested. At times, he even looks scornful. Niel places a hand on his chest expecting to feel the familiar bump of the Warden's Key underneath his shirt, but its absence reminds him that he preemptively hid it away. As much as he hates it, he feels almost defenceless without it. Voltaire is given a tour around the house in the same manner Niel was when he first arrived here, and his bedroom is confirmed to be the empty one across the hallway from Niel's. Dwayne and Gabriel lay the rules thickly on the young criminal, much to the latter's obvious lack of enthusiasm.

The rest of the day doesn't go much better. Instead of socializing and getting to learn more about his new housemates, Voltaire secludes himself in his room and forces out anyone who tries to enter, at one point even barricading the door with his dresser. Mabel slipping past his defences using her Mute does convince him to remove them, but he stays in his room even during supper. The adults decide to respect his solitary wishes and let him eat alone. Despite everyone trying to wear away at his armour, Voltaire isn't seen again until the next morning.

Though his supper was brought to him the previous day, his breakfast won't be treated the same—if he wants to eat, he has to go downstairs to get it. He'll still be given a fair chance to get it. Perhaps a good night's sleep improved his mood?

"Voltaire? Breakfast is ready! Come downstairs to get it!" Mabel calls through his door. Behind her stands Niel, ill-trusting of the asocial boy and protective of his guardian.

"Go away! I'm not hungry!" Voltaire shouts back at her.

"If you're not already, you will be soon," Niel says, partially calling his bluff. He knows that sleeping well can ward off an appetite for a bit, but that's only if Voltaire slept well in an unfamiliar place he clearly does not like being in. "Poppy makes good food. It's better than whatever you were eating..." Niel catches himself from saying juvie. He's not supposed to know that. "...before."

"I don't care."

"Someone has to care about you."

"No one does!"

That was a strange response. Did he misunderstand what Niel meant? Mabel turns to face him.

"You go downstairs now and finish your breakfast. I'll talk to him," she says reassuringly. Niel reluctantly nods and disappears downstairs.

"He's not coming down?" Reed asks Niel when the latter sits back down to the table.

"Mabel's trying, but he really isn't budging," Niel reports.

Reed leans back in his chair. "Man, next week's our last week until school starts again..." he groans. They don't want to say it and come off as rude, but none of the kids are happy about their final week of peace being interrupted by Voltaire's discordance. The stairs creak with trudging footsteps until Mabel rounds the corner.

"He'll come down to eat when everyone is finished," she announces.

"I guess we have to hurry, then..." Lydia bemoans, her enthusiasm reflected by the other three eating with her.

After putting away their breakfast with a hastier approach than the norm, the kids make themselves scarce in their rooms so Voltaire can eat—and even then, it still takes Mabel some extra coaxing to draw him downstairs. Niel watches it unfold through his Dust. He wants to pick Voltaire up using his Dust and carry him downstairs, but not only does Mabel not like that approach, it would also draw Voltaire's curiosity (or his ire) to what Niel's Mute might be.

Speaking of curiosity, with Voltaire's history as a thief, Niel is concerned that Voltaire might sort through his belongings when he isn't looking. If Niel draws Voltaire's ire, then Voltaire could steal something as a sort of payback. Outside his phone and the money in his wallet, he doesn't have a lot that he cares much about, but the Warden's Key is a different story. Niel can't wear it at all around Voltaire, otherwise the latter might become curious—and if Voltaire learns that it's his most important object, then he may swipe it from greed or anger. Because of these possibilities, Niel has decided to hide the Warden's Key under his dresser where he kept the Brookes' notebook.

The days go by, and while Voltaire does leave his room more and more, he's still in no mood to play nice. The most attention the other kids get from him is a scornful glare. His acts of avoidance are forcefully halted, however, as everyone's least favourite time eventually arrives: back to school. At least Niel and Illia get to stay home, but that gives little comfort when a walk on a beautiful day taunts them through the windows. Reed and Lydia have returned to their high school for their second-last and last year, respectively. As for Voltaire, he was sent to the same school as them following some kind of agreement or plan made between the detention centre and the school, though this was all Niel caught when he overheard Dwayne.

Along with this, it also turns out that Voltaire's birthday is this Friday, and with his lack of interest in anything and refusal to open up to anyone, nobody knows what would be best to give him. Whatever they decide on, it should be meaningful, as perhaps they can appease him with a good enough gift. Mabel continues to dig throughout the week for any kind of clue regarding Voltaire's likes and dislikes, but it's clear that the only thing she's getting is on his nerves. Though something personalized would be better, all they can decide on is a fifty dollar bill so he can pick out something on his own later.

The date turns to Friday soon enough, and again, it takes a lot of time and persuasion from both Mabel and Dwayne to coax Voltaire downstairs. They're eventually successful, and the three of them join everyone else in the kitchen to celebrate his birthday. What they can't convince him to do though is even pretend to care. He keeps his arms crossed and close to his body, he hardly touches his vanilla cake, and he disappears back to his room as soon as he gets his money. Overall, this could have gone better. They just have to take solace in the fact that he did join them for a time.

>>>>>>

Everything about this place pisses Voltaire off. He never wanted to come here, never wanted to go to that school, and never wanted to get involved with people. He's fine by himself. Of course, that changed when they arrested him. Now everyone is making what should be his choices for him. He sees it everywhere: no one gives even a single shit about him. That 'party' last night was fake. They're all fake. Yet they want to pretend they care. It's all that guy's fault for being so stupid.

If he had a Phase Mute, he'd be long gone by now. Phase Mutes are so good at running and hiding. Even the cops who said they'd find him anywhere wouldn't be able to. Conjuring nickel and cadmium might be great when it comes to hurting people, but it doesn't help him get out of this situation. Well, he can get out of this situation, but he can't stay out of it. Maybe if he hurts everyone here they'd move him elsewhere, but that would only exchange one problem with another.

It would take him away from her, though.

One of the kids knocks on his door letting him know that the kitchen is vacant for him. Voltaire never bothered to remember his name. At least he's useful and takes the guesswork out of when they're all done. He even moves out of the way without being told to. With no one around to bother him, Voltaire steps freely downstairs where his breakfast is waiting for him.

The food here is better than what he had in juvie or out on the street, but that isn't saying much. If only the company went with it. Mabel hovers around him like a fly, and whenever he tells her to leave, she never does it for long. It must be due to that party yesterday because she's especially irritating today.

"How is it Voltaire?"

"How do you feel today?"

"Do you want another glass of water?"

It's too much. "Shut up."

Mabel is taken aback by this. He's been rude to her more than a few times, but he's never told her to shut up before. Though she needs to be stern with him, she also needs to act motherly. Aggression will only lead to more aggression.

"Voltaire, I don't appreciate you—"

"I don't appreciate you annoying me so much! Shut up!"

"Voltaire!"

"I said SHUT UP!"

Voltaire leaps out of his chair, but instead of running upstairs like Mabel expects him to, he lunges at her and grabs her. She can't Phase away in time before he shocks her, and she can only scream and crumple as he does. Suddenly, he's flung out of the kitchen with force. Before he can even register what's happened to him, an enraged Niel's hands are clamped around his neck, wringing the life from him like a wet sponge. Voltaire grabs his hands and tries to shock him, but it does nothing. Niel and his vision are getting darker and darker. A blank spot in his eyes is getting brighter. The vibrations of footsteps get stronger, and Niel suddenly releases him to gasp and cough on the floor. Everyone in the house is here now. Voltaire looks up to see Gabriel angrily send Niel upstairs before turning his outrage to him. Maybe he can finally leave this place now. If not, he knows who he can target with no remorse.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

* * *

Niel's a single step away from losing it completely; he's so angry he can hardly think straight. He thought it might have been a mistake to bring someone 'troubled' to the home, he knew it was a mistake to let the Electric Mute Thief stay here, and he was just proven right! Voltaire is a danger to them! And now he's getting punished for rescuing Mabel! It takes everything for Niel to not slam his room door. Light is billowing from the Warden's Key around his neck—he instinctively grabbed it as soon as he heard shouting. Niel throws open the window and ducks out in Shadow Dive. He knows running from the house again will only cause more problems, but if he stays, he's going to break something out of anger.

At first Niel is gravitated to the glade, but it's too nice to damage so he travels further in, discovering another clearing with raised rock and fallen trees; someone used their Mute here before, and so will he. He reinforces his knuckles with Dust and throws a haymaker at a boulder, chipping it. Another punch is thrown, then another, then another—right, left, right, left, roaring in frustration, cursing Voltaire's name. He pummels the boulder to dust, reduces a tree to mossy pulp and toothpicks, and breaks apart another stone outcrop. Niel doesn't know how long he's been here, just that breaking things feels good. It's like when he fought Invictus. He knows he shouldn't be hurting others, but it feels gratifying when they're bad people. He almost wishes some of them were here now. Niel is about to turn his fist towards a new target, but a napalm fireball hits it first.

"Finally found you," Reed says. He's accompanied by Lydia and Illia, and the sight of them cools Niel enough to where he can listen to reason.

"You shouldn't have ran. Mabel and Gabriel are pissed," Lydia says. "But..." Illia shares Lydia's concerned sentiment when they look at the destruction to the forest around them.

"Most of this was done by someone else a while ago," Niel asserts, using a rotting and mossy fallen tree as his evidence.

"You need to come back to the house, man. The longer you stay out here, the worse it's going to get," Reed says.

"NOT if Voltaire is still there! I want him OUT!" Niel roars.

Rather than argue with Niel (mainly because he agrees with him after what Voltaire did), Reed calls Mabel to report that they found him, and to communicate Niel's demands. After hearing a background Gabriel's less-than-calm response, he hangs up the phone.

"Gabriel says Voltaire is staying, both of you are in trouble, and that you need to come back right now," Reed reports. Niel's knee-jerk reaction is to turn a slab of rock behind him into powder in one explosive punch.

On their way back home, the four plot and decide to pay closer attention to Voltaire. If he's willing to do this once, then another outburst could happen again, and to anyone. Illia should always be with someone since she's defenseless, and someone should always be at maximum one room away from Mabel unless Voltaire is in his room. And if he hurts anyone again, the four of them will protest until he's removed from the house. What's certain is that none of them feel safe anymore.

Niel and Voltaire's punishments are set: Niel is barred from leaving the house for a week, and Voltaire gets... a stern talking-to from the three adults in his room? Niel hardly believes that's an apt punishment for hurting Mabel. Though, having to confront Dwayne about it doesn't make it much easier. Niel is also forced to apologise to Voltaire about strangling him. At least Mabel thanks him for protecting her afterwards when they're out of Voltaire's earshot, though he's scolded for the lengths he went to in the same breath.

The next week is a rough one, and for many reasons. Most obviously, Voltaire has it out for Niel. More than a few times throughout the week, Niel finds his otherwise neat room dishevelled, or items or money mysteriously missing. The Warden's Key thankfully remains undiscovered. Mabel and Gabriel get involved to help, but he has to barricade his room day and night just to stop this from happening. Along with the stealing, Voltaire is getting more physical: purposely bumping into Niel, jolting him, or sometimes even outright shoving him. He can't even clear his Voltaire-induced stress because he's barred from leaving the house to go on walks. Illia feels so bad for him, she refuses to go on any walks herself, even when Mabel invites her to go on one.

In order to limit the harassment received, Niel spends most of his time with Reed in his room or near his guardians. On a day when he employs the latter half of this tactic, he watches Mabel attempt to paint a frame-worthy picture. It's a painting of a landscape—not dissimilar to the ones he's seen before of the same topic—but the watercolours along with her being a novice brings its own unique charm. It's done by the end of the day, and it looks great hung on the living room wall. The next day, Niel stops Voltaire from cutting the canvas to ribbons with a conjured nickel knife, and this predictably starts a fight. Voltaire throws a punch, and Niel throws Voltaire. Once again, the adults have to get involved, and Niel is exonerated of any wrongdoing.

That night, Illia wakes from a disturbance coming from Niel's room. She doesn't know if it's Niel moving and talking in his sleep again, or if Voltaire found a way inside and is causing another dispute. She should check it out either way, so she gets up and steps out into the hallway... and nearly jumps out of her skin. Illia wasn't expecting to see Voltaire's shadowed figure standing next to Niel's door, let alone him staring at her from it. He doesn't acknowledge her much in any other way. Another noise from Niel's room pulls their attention off of each other; Illia is drawn to take another step, but she stops when Voltaire looks at her again. She feels like a cat whose path is being cut off by a large dog.

"Are you going to do something about him, or just stare at me?" Voltaire growls.

His annoyance compels her to continue her cautious approach, and while he doesn't back away to make space for her, he does allow her to get between him and the bedroom door. Niel can be heard mumbling in his sleep through the door, though all they can pick out is something that sounds like 'yal' or 'bao'. She tries the doorknob, and while it isn't locked, the door does not budge from the barricade behind it.

"Obviously it's blocked. I would've been in there already if it wasn't."

Now Illia is the one getting annoyed. Who was it that made him block it in the first place? Her audible sigh of irritation makes him grit his teeth in rising aggravation. She tries knocking instead, and this approach is almost immediately awarded by the sound of suddenly shifting fabric inside. The blockade is pulled away, and Illia—and only Illia—is allowed inside; Voltaire finds himself unable to move forward due to an invisible barrier, so when he's locked out again, he bitterly returns to his own room.

"I was mumbling in my asleep again?" Niel questions after Illia's explanation, and she nods in confirmation. "Sorry..."

Illia shakes her head; he doesn't need to be sorry about this. She knows how much anguish he's been going through lately. The meaning behind Niel's mumbling is brought up, but he says he doesn't know what he might be saying. It's late, so after promising to spend another evening together on the roof sometime soon, they bid each other a good night.

Niel's punishment inevitably runs its course, but Voltaire's poor behaviour does not. At least the former is able to escape it now by leaving the house. Illia has also been waiting to go on walks, so the pair leave whenever they're able to and travel wherever their hearts take them. They go to the glade more often than not, and Niel finds himself recalling less-than-fondly of the time he was confronted in the woods back in April. Maybe... something like that could work again.

One Tuesday after school, Voltaire is being particularly snappy with Reed and Lydia. Sounds like he got himself in trouble in school and them saying it's his own fault is angering him. Gabriel tries to defuse the situation, but it's only ramping him up more. This escalation continues until Voltaire grabs a spoon with the intention of throwing it. Now it's Niel's last straw.

"Voltaire!" Niel shouts as he approaches the kitchen from the living room. Voltaire's arm is locked upward by Dust just as he tried to throw the utensil. Gabriel sees him struggling from the invisible force and takes the spoon away from him. Once Niel releases him, Voltaire hops out of his chair and angrily approaches, but Niel picks him up again and pushes him towards the door.

"Put your shoes on. We're going outside," Niel orders.

"You're not the boss of me!" Voltaire growls.

Niel has little patience left for these games. "Put your shoes on, or I will make you put your shoes on!"

"Niel!" Gabriel says sternly. He doesn't want a repeat of last time.

"He's been after me all week. If he has so much energy to burn, he can burn it on a walk."

As afraid as Gabriel is of letting the two of them be alone without supervision, perhaps this is what Voltaire needs. He's clearly defiant of the adults in his life, so maybe going on a walk with someone closer to his age will help rein him in. Voltaire reluctantly puts his shoes on and the two of them leave the house. Of course, he stops just outside the door, unwilling to move.

"Come on," Niel says.

"No," Voltaire refutes, causing him to be pulled by another invisible force.

"You can walk on your own, or I can make you walk. It's your call."

Voltaire growls and walks out to the sidewalk with Niel, but he doesn't go any further.

"Come on," Niel says again, this time with a wave of his hand.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a dog!"

"Then start acting like a person!"

This really annoys Voltaire, but he folds and walks with Niel of his own accord. Niel says they're going out to a place in the forest that he and the other kids found a few months ago. Voltaire isn't happy with the distance, but they arrive at the glade all the same.

"You've had a bad attitude ever since you arrived here, and you've been picking fights with me all week last week," Niel begins. "You want to get your frustrations out? We can't break anything here." He stretches out his arms invitingly. "Take your best shot."

This is the best offer Voltaire's gotten in the last few months. Niel just got lucky last time when he had him by the throat. He may be able to push and pull things, but all Voltaire needs is one good grab and the fight's over. Maybe he'll take his time with some punches, just to show off his superiority. On the other side, Niel knows exactly how this will end.

Voltaire walks up to Niel and throws a hateful right punch aimed at the jaw, but Niel crooks his body and expertly avoids it and a leftward follow-up. He then catches Voltaire's right arm and knees the Electric Mute Thief in the stomach to put him on his knees. Instead of following up and taking advantage of Voltaire's openness, Niel just takes a step back and lets him regain his composure. Voltaire already gives up on punching and just wants to win, so he lurches ahead, grabs Niel by the forearm, and cranks the voltage. But... nothing happens? In reality, he's grabbing an insulating layer of Dust that he can't see and mistaking it for Niel's flesh. Now wide open, he watches in slow motion as Niel pulls his free fist back and slugs him in the jaw, and he crumples from the impact.

It's too familiar for him not to catch on.

"It was you..." Voltaire groans as he lies on the dirt. "You're that asshole from back then! You're the reason why I got arrested!"

"The hell I was!" Niel retorts immediately, rubbing and shaking the pain from his knuckles. "Robbing and hurting people was why you got arrested! I was just the person who stopped you! And if it wasn't me, it was going to be someone else, whether they caught you like I did, or killed you!"

"No one was going to kill me."

"Really? Were you a part of Invictus? A gang that's been labelled as one of the most violent gangs in the country? A gang that kills people for operating in their turf? You really don't think they would've killed you if you were scaring their customers away, or if you robbed one of their own?"

Voltaire doesn't have a comeback in mind for this, so he just growls angrily. Niel takes a quick breath and sigh to lose some of the frustrations in his voice.

"We're not your enemies here. Believe it or not, I come from a similar place as you do. I—"

"Did your parents abandon you!? No!"

So this is what put him on the street.

"I was taken from my parents when I was young. Hurt in many different ways. I spent years on the street, running from these bad people. I'm not proud of it, but I had to steal to survive, too. But when I collapsed in this forest, it was them at the home who found me and took me in. I'm here because of them."

"Then why do you get to do what you want? Why do I have to keep listening to what everyone says? Why does everyone get to make my choices for me?"

"Remember how your actions got you arrested? Same deal here: consequences. If you want to act aggressive and push people around, then your choices are going to be made for you. But if you give us a reason to trust you, then we will trust you."

"Do you really think I can just trust you?"

"No, of course not. I'm not asking you to trust us, or even like anybody in that home. I don't even expect you to like me! All I'm asking for is a reason for us to trust you. Once you show that you're able to listen, then you'll be awarded your autonomy. But it comes down to you."

Having enough of this lecture (and nursing his jaw), Voltaire pulls himself to his feet and starts walking away. "I'm going home."

"Do you even know how to get back?"

"I'll figure it out."

Niel sighs and catches up to Voltaire before he gets himself lost.