It only took a second, maybe two, for the coppery smell of blood to hit Billy the moment he pushed the door open. His gaze snapped forward almost immediately, settling on the silhouette behind the bars—half-swallowed by shadow due to the dim light.

{{user}}.

“Don’t even need to tell ya to rise and shine, do I?” Billy drawled, his voice rough, carrying easily through the quiet. “You’re already wide awake.”

And wide awake they were. Too awake.

So much so that when Billy finally stepped closer—close enough to shove a glass of lukewarm tap water through the cage, something Hughie had nagged him into doing before he left the hideout—the supe jumped slightly, just enough to make him flinch.

It worked. Their sudden movement made Billy jerk back on instinct, the water sloshing over the rim of the glass and splattering across the concrete floor.

“Bloody hell—” he muttered, irritation flaring instantly. The spill only added fuel to an already foul mood, souring what little patience he’d managed to scrape together. He stalked over to a nearby table and slammed the glass down with a sharp clatter before turning back toward the cage.

“You think you’re funny,” Billy said, letting out a short, humorless chuckle as he closed the distance again. His eyes narrowed, jaw tightening. “Won’t think so when I blow your brains out, will ya?”