"Hey you can't do that." May said catching up with Jay. "He left. He has no right to be saved." He growled as a response and May grabbed his hand. "I did not raise you to be a hateful child. This isn't like you. Don't become like this." She said and he lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry mom. I really am." He said and May patted his back. 

He sighed and walked back to the med ward. He stood in the doorway and watched Nio sleep. His wings were stretched out and bandaged. Jay stiffened when he saw what he had done to Nio. His eyes fell across his stomach. It had hundreds of scars form just the three years he had been gone. 

He looked at Nio's neck and face and actually studied it. There were scars on his neck and scars on his face. He saw where they implanted a tracker in his neck and he must have taken it out. He went over and looked at the report on the building they found him in. Jule walked in. "They are letting him go." He said and Jay nodded.

"Hey Jay, are you really mad at him?" Jule asked and Jay turned to face him. "No I don't hate him. I'm hurt. He played us. Now he got captured for god knows how long and I hurt him. I'm not mad at him but I'm mad at myself." He said and Nio sat up.

"That's a surprise." He said dryly and tried flexing his wings. He winced and stood up. "I'm going. Thanks for nothing." He said glaring at them. Jay sighed and put his head in his hands. 

Nio stalked out of the place and ignored the stares he got. "Hmph." He huffed and walked to the sea. He remembered the first time he escaped for a few days. He came here and hid. Although they did find him. Nio walked across the rocks, not caring that his feet were bruised and bloody.

He stood with his back to the city. His hair whipped around him. He saw a kid coming up to him. "Hi mister. Where did you get all those scratches?" The kid asked politely. "Ah well I made a mistake and when I saw the person he kinda beat me up." He said. The kid sat next to him. Nio lowered himself to sit on the rocks next to him.

"I'm Marlo. What's your name?" Marlo asked and Nio smiled at him. "I'm Nio. Where are your parents Marlo?" He asked and Marlo shrugged. "Ah well I just escaped from a place I hated. They sold me to it." He answered and Nio stiffened. "Hey Marlo is it alright if I bring you to a place where they can never find you again?" Nio asked and Marlo nodded. Nio stood up and held Marlo's hand as he led him to The Night Owls.

"Just go through that door. Got it?" He asked and Marlo nodded. He smiled and waved to him as the doors closed. He started walking back to the sea when he heard something land next to him. He ignored it and kept walking. "HEY." Jay yelled and Nio started running. He jumped over a fence and tore more feathers from his wings. He hissed in pain but kept running. He wiped tears away diving into the sea.

He closed his eyes and let the salt sting his wounds. He sat on the bottom of the ocean floor, sinking like a rock. He lied down and opened his eyes. He could see a light and he smiled. "Finally." He mumbled as the water around him was stained red. It swirled and mixed with the sand.

Jay stood on the side and saw the fins of something heading towards him. He ran in and tried to find Nio. Nio's eyes slowly closed. He passed out and got pulled out further into the ocean. Jay stood in shock as the blood and fins dissipated and so did his hope. He choked out a sob. Mira stepped out onto the beach and lowered her eyes.

She pulled Jay out of the water and held him. Jay sobbed into her shoulder. "I never got the chance to say sorry." He whispered and fell to the ground. Bee dived into the water with grace and quickly swam out. "If anyone's gonna find him it's her." Mira said and Luce came over with a blanket.

Nio had opened his eyes and started choking on water. Bee noticed the change and swam toward where she heard the sand moving. She popped her head up for a gasp of air and dived back down grabbing his arms. She started waving frantically to Mira who left Jay with Luce and Jule. She dived in with the same grace and helped Bee.

"What the hell-" Maki said finally arriving with a med team. "SHIT HE'S NOT BREATHING." Bee yelled and Jay looked up. He still had tears rolling down his cheeks and Luce stood up. "MAKI GET OVER HERE." She yelled and he ran over. Jay watched as they tried CPR.

"Shit, shit shit." Bee mumbled under her breath. The med team grabbed what they needed. "He's gonna throw up a shit ton of water so.." The leader said and applied CPR. Another medic pressed on Nio's stomach lightly and he started coughing. He rolled over and threw up water in the sand. 

The meds started packing up their stuff and Nio looked around disoriented. He stood up shakily and fell. He threw up more water, but this time it was stained red. He wiped his mouth and coughed. Jay watched in horror as he fell limp against the sand. He was still breathing.

"Jay.... we need to go." Mira whispered and wrung out her hair. "We know he is gonna be ok." She whispered and helped Jay up. "But what if he-" His voice broke as he looked down. "He's survived this long. We can't waste supplies. You are lucky we came out at all." The med leader said and turned his back.

He sighed and walked towards the car. He looked back and saw that Nio was gone. All that was left was a body imprint. He sighed and stayed quiet on the trip back home.

Nio staggered to his hiding spot and sat there. He rubbed his eyes and leaned back. He heard the cars drive away. He looked around his small little place to see if any of his supplies were still there. He smiled and grabbed a bandage. Nio started wrapping up his wounds and curled up in a ball. 

Jay walked into May's office and slammed his hands on the desk. "Why.." He said with his voice shaking. "Why the hell did they leave him." He said and she sighed. "We can't keep him here. Go rest." She said and he left slamming the door. Jay changed and walked onto the street.

"Wait mister..." Marlo yelled. "I uh- Nio said to go here." He whispered and Jay sighed. "Nio says a lot of things kid. Can you believe he once said he would never leave me." He said and Marlo blinked. "Look just go in there. They will take care of you." He said and Marlo nodded walking in.

Jay sighed and walked aimlessly through the city. He ended up at the same place every time. The ocean. The 5th time he found his way there and sighed and walked on the sand. He saw a man slamming a van door and a couple other near the rocks. He shrugged his shoulders and sat on the sand, along, looking at the sunset.

"GET HIM IN." The man yelled and Jay turned. He saw someone throw something in the back of the van and they took off. Jay wrinkled his nose and turned back to the ocean.

Nio awoke to people kicking him. He gasped from the pain. "Ha. Serves you right for leaving us." He whispered and Nio felt the chain on his neck. "It's been too long. Actually no it's been a week." Marcus said chuckling. "Go out and fight bitch." He snarled in Nio's ear. He flinched and was hauled to his feet. 

He was dragged to a different ring. It was bigger. He gasped as the lights shined in his eyes. The handler smirked and yanked the chain. He whimpered and was thrown into the ring. He shakily stood up. His wings were still torn and he was bleeding. The man inside already smirked. "Ha." He stepped out of the shadows and Nio shrank back.

This man had fangs. He blinked as the man struck; fast like lighting. He gasped in pain as the man punch him in the gut. His eyes hardened and he kicked him in the nuts with his good leg. The man winced and Nio took that opportunity to slide down and kick his feet. The man fell and Nio crunched both his ankles.

He snarled as Nio broke off his fangs. He used them to make to large wounds on his neck. The man gasped for breath and fell still. Nio's heart was pounding. He realized how much he had changed. He go yanked back by the chain and they threw him in a smaller, dirtier room. The man smiled and tied the chain so it dug into his neck. He gasped when it was tied to the wall and the man left with locking both the doors.

He set with his legs out and his head pinned against the wall. He tried to raise his hands but realized that they had put chains on them too. He whimpered in the dark and a voice rang out. "Hah they caught you too." The female voice said. Nio gasped out a yes. 

"I saw what you did out there.." The female voice said and he heard a chain clink against the ground. "You were on their catch list." She said coming into the dim light. She had long white hair and black eyes. She had a fin on the back of her. "I'm Fin. An orca hybrid." She said and Nio gave a thumbs up.

There was a bang and screaming. Her eyes flew open when the doors clicked open. Nio closed his eyes and focused on trying to breath. "Ugh. There was a kid with a gun. Put him in." He heard Marcus say and Fin cussed under her breath. "Christ are you alive kid??" She asked Nio.

He groaned softly and she flicked her eyes to the door. Marcus cussed. "Loosen the chain around his neck a bit." The handler through the person hin and loosened the chain on his neck. Nio gasped and the door slammed shut. "Oi new kid. Why did you bring a gun to this place." Fin asked and a clear voice rang out. "I saw him get taken. Fuck I need to get him out." Jule said and Nio's eyes flew open.

"WHy are you here." He rasped out. The chain was still tight making it hard for him to talk. "Look man, you obviously need help. Why do you keep running away?" Jule asked working on getting his own neck chain off. "Habit. I've been living one way for my entire life. I have given up. Old habits die hard." He answered and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes.

"Look I can't give you hope for me. Take Fin." Nio said and Jule looked at him. "But-" "No. I'm a lost cause. Just leave me and take Fin." He repeated and Jule looked at him. Fin looked at Jule and narrowed her eyes. "Whatever. Just get me out of here." She said and Jule walked over and released Fin. She stood up and looked at Nio.

"Thanks." She whispered and Jule picked the lock to the doors. Marcus came into the room and cussed. "Fuck." He yelled and kicked Nio. "Ha he left you. You aren't worth anything anyway." He smirked at him. "Might as well just throw you in the ring and see how long until you die." He smiled and unhooked his chain. He pulled Nio to a smaller ring and pushed him into it.

Nio stood up and his opponent punched him in the face. There were five fighters other than Nio. He got kicked in the back and he stumbled forward. The third fighter tripped him and the fourth pinned him down. They each took turns kicking and punching him.

He faded in and out. He heard loud cheering and someone being declared the winner. He closed his eyes and willed it all to go away. It went quiet and he opened his eyes expecting to be somewhere else. What he found was an empty arena. He heard shouts and he crawled to a hiding spot. Nio shivered and hoped that this was a joke.

He looked at the alcohol on the ground and shuddered. He watched as feet walked past him. Nio held his breath and he heard Fin yell. "Look there is blood all around that arena. He couldn't have left." She yelled and he stifled his breathing. He stayed for what felt like hours and waited for them to leave.

He heard the doors slam and he took that chance to run. Nio found the back door and ran out side. He ran not looking back. Nio breathed heavily and stopped to take a break. The city lights were far away and he sat in the grass. He stared at the moon and the birds flying by.

Nio felt a tear rolling down his cheek. "I'm free." He whispered into nothingness. "I'm truly free." He said and tears fell from his eyes.