Danny and Lexi were walking down the street, weaving through the vendors and the crowds. Danny was in the middle of a rant, his hands waving wildly as he spoke."I swear, my sister still thinks the Earth is flat. Like, genuinely believes it. I go completely mad when she starts on about it. But over the years, I've learned it's not worth the argument. I can never change her mind. Stubborn as a mule, she is."Lexi laughed, bumping her shoulder against his. "I don't blame her. Did you see your face just now? It was cute. I can imagine what you must look like during those arguments."Danny felt a blush creep up his neck. This gorgeous girl thought he was cute. Somehow, the idea made something flutter in his chest."She must love seeing that face," Lexi added, grinning.Danny smiled. She wasn't wrong. Every time he and Jenna argued, especially when he was getting riled up, she wouldn't take it seriously. She'd just sit there, making him look like a fool. Those were the moments he'd come cl

Content Warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of injury and medical trauma.He had begged for every single moment of his life, every perfection, every single turn that made him who he was. But somehow, one way or another, it all found a way to screw him over. It was almost laughable. Danny could just picture it: some high and mighty bastard up there, looking down with those all-knowing eyes, always on the hunt for the next poor sod to fuck over. And once again, lucky him, it was Danny's turn.The automatic doors of the Manchester Royal Infirmary barely had time to open before Danny was barging through, his heart slamming against his ribs, his eyes wild. He scanned the chaos of the lobby, zeroing in on anyone in scrubs or a white coat. The first one he saw, he was going to grab them, shake them until they told him what he needed to know.A siren shrieked, the sound like a knife to his skull. He flinched, his whole body wound tight as a piano cord. Lexi grabbed his arm, he

The black van rolled to a stop, its tinted windows revealing nothing of the occupants inside. Alex and Ethan stood their ground, their postures tense beneath the concealing bulk of their disguises. The van's door slid open, and three figures emerged.In the lead was Vince Gallo, known as Wormhole. A renowned underworld's premier broker, a man known for facilitating the impossible. He was flanked by two heavies, their frames bristling with barely concealed weapons and body armor.Gallo himself wore a mask, a sleek, featureless thing that glinted dully in the dim light. His men were similarly disguised, their faces hidden behind balaclavas and dark glasses.He approached the twins with a measured stride, his movements cool and unhurried. This was a man accustomed to being in control, to bending the wills of the criminal elite to his own ends.Alex felt Ethan's gaze boring into him from behind his own mask, a silent warning. But Alex brushed it off, stepping forward to meet Gallo halfway