Love hurts...

The pack-leader was the first to submit, blinking he lowered his gaze to the floor. "I -" he began, before being abruptly cut off.

"Desist! I do not wish to hear those words from you. I have heard them before, and they mean NOTHING!" Obscuring-Darkness spat at him, unconsciously hunkering down into a offensive stance, talons splayed out while he glared at his bond-mate. When he saw Invokes-The-Storm uncharacteristically cringe back, he realized what he was doing and relaxed. He lowered his arms and stood upright again. "Hrrr, I apologize. It is not easy...I - I find myself unsure of many things..." he lapsed into silence again.

"I cannot - hrrr, incorrect. I will not use my mental injuries as an excuse. I am resigned to the fact that they are part of who I am. The Observer assisted me to understand that, and for that I am grateful to him. He has also insured they will never influence me again..." he stopped speaking when Obscuring-Darkness took a hesitant step toward him, then stopped. The pack-leader felt a faint spark of hope begin to blossom inside him.

Obscuring-Darkness couldn't help himself. One step led to another, until he was standing in front of his bond-mate, and he could see the faint look of hope in the four, jet-black eyes staring back at him.

With an ear-shattering roar of incoherent emotional pain and anger, the first blow sent the startled pack-leader reeling backwards with a cry, the blood flying from the jagged tears on his neck and face. Regaining his balance he looked up, stunned, at his bond-mate whose face was a twisted mask of rage and despair. Obscuring-Darkness advanced on him, talons splayed out and breathing heavily; his eyes were narrowed and focussed squarely on him.

Obscuring-Darkness grabbed the unresisting pack-leader, sinking his extended talons deep into his shoulders and chest, and screamed when he hurled him into a bank of fabrication machinery. Sprawling on his back among the sparking wreckage with wounds bleeding freely, Invokes-The-Storm watched, wide-eyed, as Obscuring-Darkness bore down on him again. He grunted loudly and his bony chest-plates made a loud crack when his bond-mate kicked him, hard, in the chest.

"FIGHT BACK! DEFEND YOURSELF! " Obscuring-Darkness roared when he picked his bond-mate up again and shook him roughly.

Another powerful blow knocked Invokes-The-Storm staggering back against the solidly anchored nano-fabrication machine. He desperately reached back and gripped it with his rear hands to prevent himself from collapsing on the floor. Black blood flowed freely from dozens of wounds all over his body, spattering, glistening, to the floor. In a daze, he slowly swung his head from side to side while Obscuring-Darkness lumbered toward him, hissing and spitting furiously.

"FIGHT ME, ANCESTORS DAMN YOU! WHY WILL YOU NOT FIGHT ME?!" the engineer screamed at him.

Invokes-The-Storm doubled over when the stunning blows smashed relentlessly into his body, but didn't raise a single talon to defend himself.

Obscuring-Darkness' skinsuit was splattered with dark sprays of blood, and his talons were also dripping with it. The blood that streamed down his face was his own, however, as he cried out his pain. He watched, hearts hammering in his chest while his bond-mate struggled to his knees after the last slashing blow had forced him yet again to the floor.

"Hrrr! Defend yourself! Please!" he pleaded while back-handing the warrior across the face with his fist, sending him crashing to the floor.

Sobbing uncontrollably, Obscuring-Darkness half raised his talons again, but stopped. He sank to his knees and tipped his head back, neck exposed, and his eyes closed instead. "Why will you not hurt me? Why will you not fight me?" he cried out, hoarsely.

Pain from the wounds stabbed through Invokes-The-Storm's body as he slowly and painfully stood up from the cold concrete. He swung his head around to stare at his despairing bond-mate through his damaged and half-closed eyes. He staggered over and watched, hearts breaking, while sobs wracked the young Vanguard's body. The pack-leader grunted from the agony in his broken body and he dropped to his knees in front of Obscuring-Darkness. His bond-mate didn't resist when he drew him into a tight embrace.

"Please...hurt me?"

Invokes-The-Storm winced and closed his eyes when he began a rumbling purr deep within his chest while he clung to the other half of his soul. "Hrrr, there has been enough hurt for the both of us; I tire of it."
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Drawn for me by the talented, lovely Drakainaqueen [link] here on DA. Thank you so, so much for this brilliant rendition of the scene, you do me great honor <3