#we live for unestablished environments and half a storybeat

[will-falling-fell]

Now we feature a one-shot based on an image I can't draw trapped in my head. Once again, focused on @fluffy-papaya 's Apocalypse ZITS AU... No edits we die with the first draft.

Warnings: violence, armed threats, choking (ask to add more)

They were alone when he saw Zedaph's face clearly, for the first time since meeting.

But that wasn't entirely true.

Despite the man being several inches taller, it took almost no effort to knock him over and pin him with a knee to the chest. It only took another moment to have a knife to his neck, his other arm bearing down Bdubs's bodyweight on his throat to prevent any cry for help. "I should've known," he snarled.

Zedaph looked terrified and scrabbled at his neck, his other arm clutching Bdubs's shoulder and pushing to keep the knife away.

"Where is Doc?" He didn't have much time. This trio were never apart for very long. "What happened to him?"

Zedaph grabbed the arm on his neck and made an unintelligible sound. Reluctantly, Bdubs shifted his weight and watched as Zedaph wheezed. "I-I don't know," he rasped, voice half-choked still.

Bdubs pressed the knife deeper, drawing blood with the tip. "Tell me the truth or I'll slit your throat."

"I don't know!" Zed repeated, pitch rising in panic. "He got caught– Beef and Etho found him helping people get out of that company! They—" Zedaph gasped as the knife bit deeper, twisting away for any extra room. "All I know is they got into a fight! And Doc- Doc never made it to the rendezvous!"

Bdubs glared at Zedaph, itching to kill him anyway. There was a knock on the door, and he suddenly remembered his mission. Dammit, Beef.

"You two get lost in there?" Impulse called.

Bdubs eased back just a bit. He needed Zedaph alive to finish the mission, at least easily. "I know you know more."

Zedaph gulped down more air, still only able to half-fill his lungs. "It was a gunfight, okay? Between your pals and the guys getting out. Doc got caught in the middle. We only escaped because they stopped shooting after he got the brunt of a pipe bomb. I don't even know if he's alive."

Skizz's voice interrupted, only slightly muffled through the door. "I'm comin' in! I'll laugh if you two are smoochin'."

Bdubs pressed his weight down on Zed's neck and chest again, barely registering him scrabble weakly. Every instinct in his body told him to finish Zed off and kill the rest, here and now. Three Fox Hole needed them alive, Beef hadn't explained why but Bdubs knew he had a good reason. With a growl he stood up and sheathed his knife. Zedaph curled on his side and coughed violently while Bdubs quickly positioned the nearby dropped bike helmet, and posed himself with one hand worriedly gripping Zed's shoulder. Just seconds later, Skizzleman and Impulse rounded the corner.

"Dudes- what happened?" Skizz rushed forward.

"He tripped and fell weird on his helmet!" Bdubs didn't have to feign the nervousness in his voice. "Saved himself a broken nose but sure looked like it hurt."

"Zed, you gonna be alright my dude?" 

Zedaph's breaths still rattled in his throat. He looked up when Skizz brushed his hair out of his eyes and offered a weak grin and a thumbs-up. He didn't look at Bdubs.

"Jeez- is that blood?" 

Bdubs regretted the knife as his heartbeat kicked up to racing.

"Not cool. C'mon Zed, let's get you cleaned up."

Bdubs helped Skizz help Zedaph to his feet, picking up his helmet. He caught Impulse's eye and quickly looked away, well aware the ruse would only last as long as Zedaph decided to keep quiet. He hoped it would be just a few days more, and doubted it would even take an hour.

He didn't like how Impulse had been watching him; how the man's cold gaze felt like it could almost read his mind. It made his skin crawl.