Levi leant against the exit from the stairwell, none of the others in sight. His cold blue eyes sparked beneath the halogen lighting, vast and uneasily pale beneath the crow's wing of his hair.

"Jack says he knows what Cassie's like with jerks like that asshole. Verbatim, of course." Levi flashed his teeth, and straightened up. "I asked if I came under the umbrella and he told me I'll have to see if you'll see past all the sleaze. Do you know what I told him?"

"Do I want to?" Casper's spine prickled while he crept up the stairs on the opposite side to Levi. It sounded like Jack's words, but it didn't sound like Jack saying them to some random creep.

Then again it wasn't some random creep. These were Jack's new family. Three years clawing their way through the end of the world made the kind of bond Casper couldn't dream of. Made the gross way this guy cut away Casper's skin with his eyes not matter for shit, because he was Levi, y'know. He's a total weirdo but he's a good guy.

Levi leant against the door arch, feet stuck out to the opposite edge. Casper had to climb over his designer fucking shoes to get past.

Right when Casper stepped over, when he could feel the way Levi's acid heat poisoned the air, the guy moved. Jerked forward, hand above Casper's head on the door arch and grinned with something feral thrumming in his dead-fish gaze.

"I told him there’s nothing left behind the sleaze, and that sounds like just Cassie's type if he's going to be making eyes at the King of the Apocalypse."

Nausea squeezing up his throat, Casper bolted. But Levi caught up when Casper caught sight of the others, Jack swaggering with his hands shoved in his pockets, and Ella walking hand-in-hand with Bunny.

"It's funny, you know," because apparently now Casper was Levi’s monologue receiver. Glowering at Jack's back, Casper stuck his hands in his pockets and resigned himself to listening. "From the second we met Bunny, she couldn't stand Ella. Pinned her for a coward and I'll let you in on a secret, Cassie baby – Bunny scored on that one. She only faced up to the apocalypse because otherwise she’d lose it all, and that’s the only thing that scares her more.

“But look at them,” Levi breathed. “Like none of it existed but the way the edge of existence smothers us all with such pathologically thick glue that we can’t help but stick together to gum up our torn parts. It makes us feel whole, desperation – like all of it means something and we’re more than our mean normality.

“But they’ll see, Cassie. They’ll all see that when the glue wears down, we’re nothing but petty creatures who can never change.”

Up ahead, the others stopped at a door, and even with the grin Jack flashed back at him, Casper couldn’t breathe for the chills that wracked his spine and Levi’s poisoned heat seeping into his lungs.

“Ah, and do you know who’s going to be the worst of them all? What did you call him? King Cult. He thinks he’s found his redemption in Ella – he thinks she’s a light, but watch his eyes, Cassie baby. Watch his eyes as this sparkling normality he’s found crumbles around him no matter how desperately he clings to the pieces. Watch his eyes when he sees she’s nothing more than an attention-starved little girl with a new plaything.”

They reached King Cult’s door, and like nothing had happened, Levi slipped past the others and knocked, leant idle against the frame with his hips cocked.

No answer. Bunny glanced over her shoulder at where Ella stood beside Casper. "You did tell him we was coming, right?"

A sheepish edge came to Ella's smile, one she cast at Casper like suddenly they were sharing secrets and not virtual strangers. "I mean I told—"

The door clunked open. From down the hall against the wall, Casper couldn't see whoever had opened it, but he did hear the loud groan that underlaid Levi's sleazy purr of, "Long time no see, darling."

"Who the bloody fuck told you where I live?"

Biting his tongue, Casper leant out a bit, but he still couldn't quite see inside. Guy had a nice voice though, give him that. The exasperated Estuary lilt made Casper grin.

Bunny draped herself across Levi’s shoulders. “Sayin’, Romeo? This place is sweet.”

“It was nicer when you lot—”

Bunny carried on as if he hadn’t talked, tugging on Levi and stepping into the doorframe. “So how many people did you kill for this place?”

A tightness came into King Cult’s voice. “I murder competing businesses these days, Bunny. Not people. But yes, by all means come in.”

Casper laughed again at the airy sarcasm in his voice, and he got a hell of a scowl from Jack. Even Ella gave Casper a delicate little frown. Jack snarled some insult at King Cult while he barged inside, but Ella took one light step closer to Casper.

“Cas…” She kept her words whispering low, eyes focussed on the empty doorway. “Jack’s right, you know? He’s different with me and that means he’s different with all the rest of them too, but … just be careful, alright?

Really made him wonder what that was supposed to mean when her whole face lit up as she stepped into the doorway. Totally different to point two seconds ago, and the voice she spoke in was bright and peppy.

“Hi, Kitty!”

“Ell—" The word caught and long fingers curled around the doorframe as if he leant there. King Cult cleared his throat. “Ella. It’s—It’s, ah—I’m glad you came too.”

A teasing smile turned the corners of Ella’s lips. “You knew I was coming. It’s only the others that were the surprise.”

There was a long pause, the fingers tightening on the doorframe. “Oh—God ... yes—I only mean, it’s good to see you again. Do you—" The fingertips drew back. “Do you want to come in?”

Jesus Christ, this was pathetic.

Ella beamed anyway. Casper trudged after her as she slipped through, hands jammed in his pockets. This was going to be a nightmare.

Before he got inside, the door started to swing closed. Casper had to jump to catch it, squeezing past into painfully white minimalism, and in there, he froze, his heart lodged in his throat as he trailed his eyes up King Cult.

Modelling shit. Yeah, that made sense.

A few heartbeats passed while the guy stared forlornly after Ella as she left the hall, moon-eyes jarringly soft in the cunning lines of his face. Casper managed to swallow the burst of arousal, and just about got the scowl fixed on when King Cult turned around. Since when had Casper liked guys in shirts with combed hair anyway?

The arch, deliberate way the guy lifted his eyebrow when he caught sight of Casper almost melted him to a puddle of chocolate again. Shit, who let supervillains look this good?

Or maybe that was the bit that got Casper’s heart racing.

“And who are you supposed to be?”

Gone was the stumbling voice of Ella, right back to a dry, gut-tingling drawl. Casper bared his teeth back.

“Sick of all you shitty wizards.”

A flicker of wideness went through Cain’s eyes, echoed by a burst of rich laughter. “The worm’s not-so-dead boyfriend.” King Cult stepped back, a flick of his fingers almost like the way you’d sign off a bow, and the door swung open on a breath of chill. “Come in, Casper. I wouldn’t wait too long, or Jack may try to gnaw on my ankles more for looking at you.”

Oh, this piece of arrogant, stuck-up… Grinning, Casper stepped inside. His eyes came level with King Cult’s chest, but the way the guy looked at him made him feel more like three foot than five-five. Casper should hate it. Damn, he should hate it, but the little spark in King Cult’s eyes brought the whole thing to life.

King Cult’s voice rang out before Casper could make his escape, a rich drawl that made his skin as hot as if the guy had run his tongue down Casper’s spine.

“It’s Cain, by the way.” And with a hint of mocking, breathy wonder, “The man who ended the world.”