-- YOU CAN'T TRUST THE SYSTEM && [nell]

Annabel had backed into the wall by the time Nell opened the door and Bryce stood two feet from her, his expression smug and full of ill intent. Would he hurt her? Bryce did not even know himself. "I never paid you much attention, did I, sis? What a shame." He didn't know what was going through her mind as those blue eyes filled with fear narrowed at him, the girl trying to make her demeanour look tough. It was cute, really. Did she maybe think he was being a creep? No, Bryce wasn't like that. Incest wasn't his style. He liked making her afraid, though. Liked the power, the rush of adrenaline. Power always made him feel great. It was a high greater than drugs. A rush better than sex by all means. Not that he experienced a lot of the latter. His personality tended to drive people away too fast. Annabel seemed to fix on something behind him and in the next moment he heard the door open and turned to face Nell. "I'm visiting the house of my childhood, silly Nell," he said in a dangerously cheerful voice. It was falsely so, enough to be sinister. Ice splintered through the cheer and turned it to something frightening. "I wanted to spend time with my sister! Isn't that right, Annabel?" He didn't take his eyes entirely off Nell as he glanced quickly to said sister and then back. He didn't trust the Earth, not after the last time. "Leave me alone, Bryce." Her voice quavered in her throat. So weak.

By the way that Annabel seemed to keep looking between he and Nell, Bryce assumed she was thinking about running to her future sister-in-law. He was in the way, though, enough to make the move a risky one, and it satisfied him that she didn't try it. He probably would reach out and grab her just because he could. He did not want to let Nell win, after all. I have more power than I did the last time, Nell. Watch yourself. Did she know? He wondered if that was the case. It was her darling half-brother that Bryce had to thank for that power. A cooperation of fiends, a deadly friendship. "Lesson? I'm sorry, were you under the impression that you'd taught me anything?" Oh, Bryce knew what she meant. It sent a shiver down his spine to think of the vines that had wrapped so tightly around him, that had stopped him from doing what he'd so wanted to do in his psychotic episode. His memories were vague, but they were there. Funny. He didn't want Josh dead now, just wanted to scare him. Make him regret all the times he'd proved he was better. Bryce hated being second-best. The psychosis didn't listen to reason, though. There were times when he snapped. "Three minutes? Be fair, Nell, I only just arrived. You have impeccable timing, sister. Am I allowed to call you that?" Oh, he knew as well as Annabel did that Nell and Josh weren't married yet, he just figured it would bother her.

He liked being a pain in the ass.

Nell wasn't attacking and that was making him cocky, about as cocky and triumphant as he'd felt the moment he had heard the word police pass her lips. "I was hoping you'd mention them. The cops, I mean. I don't think Joshua would approve, Nell. Not at all." No, Bryce was positive that his brother would not want to go to jail. There weren't many people that would enjoy jail. Especially not people with so much going for them. He hated that Josh had a lot going for him. It bothered the Fire more than he could put into words. He'd like to see him behind bars, but... "So I guess you'll need to deal with me after all, won't you? I've never met an Earth that liked to play rough." There were daggers in his smile as he stepped away from Annabel and toward Nell for only a moment. Annabel took this as a good chance for escape and slipped around him, running toward Nell and hugging her tightly for a moment. "Nell, thank god," she breathed. "I thought..." Apparently she didn't know what she thought because she broke off and detached herself, content to stand beside Nell and look a lot less frightened. More wary. There was anger, too. She was defiant. "Where's my dear brother? I'd like to say hello. Give him my regards." Oh how he'd love to rub his threats in Joshua's face. "I'd like to stay a while, if that's alright." He knew it wouldn't be. It was why he said it. To get on her nerves.

Bryce was actually a little impressed by Nell's comeback, if not as frightened as he should have been. Amusement glinted in the cold, dark blue eyes of the Fire elemental as he smiled at her. The smile was just as devoid of friendliness and warmth as his gaze and it was not hard to see. He'd never been good at covering up his intentions lately. People that knew his dark side knew that it didn't go away unless he was heavily, heavily medicated. He'd 'forgotten' to take his medication, conveniently so, and there was no hiding now. "Joshua said you were a nice girl, Nell. You don't seem all that sweet to me." Did he know that it was only because he was pushing her buttons and trying her patience? Of course he did. Bryce might not have had much control over himself but he wasn't completely stupid. He knew some things and one of those things was how to rub people the wrong way. He tried to do so, it gave him a thrill. "By all means, if you want to go to jail, Nell, I'll walk right alongside you. You can run me down and I'll be laughing in my grave." He wondered if Nell actually would. She didn't seem psychotic, didn't seem like him. Then again, maybe she did have that crazy streak. Maybe she would kill him, say 'fuck you' to the consequences. She couldn't call it defence unless he attacked her, right? Bryce knew a thing or two about the law because he'd been on its wrong end a few times. "I'll speak to Annabel all I want. She's my sister." Annabel just shook her head, a silent 'No I'm not' if there ever was one.

There it was, the question that he'd been waiting for. The sinister smirk played his lips for a moment as he gave a pause before answering. Bryce liked to think that the ball was in his court, that he had control at all times. He could keep her waiting if he wanted to. He didn't want to wait too long, though, he was excited for this, and so after several seconds he decided to give in and answer her question. "I hear my dear brother did something the police wouldn't be too fond of," he said softly, Annabel looking confused. She probably didn't know. Bryce knew that Nell did, though, and it was Nell he was concerned about. "If you want them to find out, then by all means..." He shrugged and spread his arms wide as if inviting Nell to call them or to do something that would offend him. He loved having power over his brother and Josh's family. He did not really consider them his family even if they were by blood and association. They had left him high and dry. His grandparents were the only decent ones of the lot. They'd tried to understand him. Tried. It hadn't worked but it was more effort than his brother had ever put forth. "And don't play dumb, Nell. I think you know what I mean. I wouldn't call my bluff unless you want me to make a few calls of my own." If she tried to test him then he might just use his weapon against her. He'd prefer to keep it safe a while longer but if necessary, he would strike.

"I'm no more out of my league than you are." She was an Earth. She might have been older than him by a year and she might have had a lot more training with her powers but he'd had some tutoring to stop him from exploding in a fiery rage over the other patients at the hospital. So he wasn't the strongest but still strong. "You're tiny, no offence. Do you really think you could take me?" He smirked. "You got lucky last time." He hated her for that. He was somewhat relieved that he hadn't followed through with murder and went to jail for the rest of his life but he hated Nell anyway for simply existing and for daring to best him in any way, shape, or form. Bryce hated being a loser. "Will he? Perfect." He couldn't wait to see the look on Joshua's face when the older elemental found out that Bryce was no longer completely powerless. Nell seemed pretty determined to fight him and Bryce found this quite funny. "Be careful, Nell," Annabel said worriedly, clearly not wanting the Earth to get hurt. She's scared. How cute. The thought was scathing. "Lead the way then, sister. I don't know what you think you can do to me." But he was willing to try and force her into testing him, giving him even more power. He thrived off it.

The blue eyes glinted. "I'm almost... impressed." He liked it when people bit back, when they tried to fight him. Confrontation was fun whether the other party wanted to be confronted or not but that did not mean that he enjoyed it all the exact same. He preferred a bit of a challenge. He liked wordplay and argument. Better yet, he liked people to argue when he knew (or thought he knew) he had the upper hand. He liked to see people talk tough only to have him crush their words. It was empowering in a way. "It's a bit late for that, seeing as I already have." She was an Earth elemental and a girl, a short one at that. What power could she have over him? Bryce was cocky and overconfident at the moment and so he did not feel the least bit threatened by her. In the beginning he had, when she was not restricted in her hate, but now he had a weapon of sorts. "That's too bad, Nell, because I'm not going to listen to you! Sorry." He didn't sound sorry in the least, mostly because he was not, and he was smirking as he spoke. He thought that the Earth elemental was a fool for continuing to push his buttons and he still didn't believe she was capable of murder. Underestimating. Oh, if Bryce had known what she'd done to her mother, what fun he'd have twisting those words around on her.

Nell definitely knew, then. Bryce stared back without blinking, allowing her to see and believe how serious he was in this situation. Bet you wish you hadn't been so cocky now, huh? The thought was smug. If she did anything too serious to him, both she and his brother would go down for it. It was enthralling to think of putting them both in jail for their separate crimes. He would revel in that thought as long as possible. "I have friends in helpful places." He raised his eyebrows and let this speak for itself. He did consider Rafael a friend. United in hatred. Bryce didn't have many people he could consider friends, mostly just people he would use for the sake of using them, but there were a couple of exceptions. Rafael hated Josh and Nell, Bryce hated Josh and Nell, it worked out quite nicely. "Wouldn't you like to know what Josh did, Annabel?" His voice was sugary sweet as he glanced at his sister. "It's not nice of them to lie to you, is it?" The girl looked torn and confused, glancing between Nell and Bryce for a moment. Loyalty won out and she fixed her gaze on Nell for a time before looking back at him. "I won't believe you." He smirked. It would be the truth. "What a shame." He considered telling her just to plant the seeds of doubt but he was more focused on Nell and decided against it after a brief pause. Maybe some other time he would.

He laughed. "Is that wise, Nell? Threatening me?" He wondered if she thought that he wouldn't do it, that he wouldn't call up his friend and start trouble for the both of them. But hey, it would be awfully convenient if he allowed Nell to mess with him. He'd try his best to defend himself and he'd probably succeed but if he didn't he could hold that over her head. It would be glorious. "Suit yourself. You're more foolish than you look." Annabel said something in Nell's defence but he wasn't paying his sister any mind by this point. He wiggled his fingers in a mocking wave goodbye as he followed Nell, fully intending to fight her like she wanted. He'd like to pin her against a wall or something inside the house but he figured if it came down to elemental powers he'd want to make sure he could fight back without setting the house on fire and trapping himself. He didn't care about his sister or Nell as much as he did his own hide. He was expecting her to try something and so he reacted when she turned around, jerking back to avoid the punch. The height difference made it a little difficult as well. A chihuahua challenging a Great Dane. Or a pitbull, vicious as Bryce could be. "You're cute," he mocked, making to shove her backward, a taunting ploy rather than a particularly vicious attack. Did she really think she stood a chance?

[Josh can come in whenever - just say the word xD]

Bryce's laugh was cold like the winter winds outside as it passed his lips, his eyes glittering with that same ice. He hated Nell and Josh, more so than he hated a lot of people. He also hated his parents for giving up on him, for abandoning him, but he hated his brother for being the cause and he hated Nell for existing. Plain and simple. Nell was... in the way. He couldn't explain it better than that, not even to himself. He never tried to justify things, his feelings and actions. He let them happen, let the chips fall where they may. "That's not a very nice thing to say about family, Nell," he said in a condescending tone that was meant to mock disapproval. He was one to talk. Of course, Bryce knew that he hated his family and so that was a moot point. Hell, he could hardly consider them family any more. "Oh, I'm terrified. Just sense my fear." He was mocking her again as she told him about promises, clearly not impressed. Bryce was cocky but he felt that he had every reason to be. Nell didn't seem like a very tough-shit opponent. He turned out to be right when he could both dodge the punch easily and then shove his future sister-in-law back with a single movement. He laughed as he watched her stumble back, though he figured it would have been more satisfying if she'd tripped and fell. Oh well, he could fix that. And he had every plan to fix that before she wrapped vines around him and tripped him up. An angry snarl burst from his lips as he fell back on his ass, burning the vines with a swift movement and scrambling back up. "Fucking bitch!" Oh, he wasn't going to play around any more.

Gathering a large surge of energy fuelled from anger and adrenaline, the burst of fire came easily into the air. It reared back like a serpent and then he blasted it toward Nell... only to have it turn around just as abruptly and hit him in the face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Bryce?" Joshua's words were growled as he dropped the hand he'd lifted back to his side, expression livid. Annabel had been waiting at the door for him when he'd gone into the house and it had only taken a frantic and rushed explanation about Nell being in some kind of trouble with Bryce to take him out into the backyard. He'd witnessed Nell's attempt to punch Bryce and his retaliation before he was close enough to intervene but thankfully they'd avoided a serious confrontation. Bryce didn't play nice, he fought dirty. If this had been left for too long, it wouldn't have ended well. The knife was in his hand before Joshua was conscious he was gripping it, more for the sake of a security blanket than anything else. He liked to feel like he had some kind of protection, especially after the last time. Bryce, who had stumbled back and put his hands to his face by first reaction, now ignored the redness to his skin and sneered at his brother. "Might want to put that away, Joshy. Wouldn't want to have you stabbing anyone else, would we?" Joshua's attention immediately switched to Nell, his gray gaze sharp and full of wariness and surprise. How does he know? The communication was silent, no words needed for the two of them to speak. It was something he usually took the time to appreciate but right now he was too busy being angry.

Though Bryce had advised against it, Joshua did not put the knife away. He remembered the last time with the kitchen knife and the near-death experience, didn't want a repeat. He did not feel afraid of his brother. When Nell was threatened, there was no fear. Only a desire to protect her. His instincts kicked in fast and hard. "Are you alright?" She didn't seem hurt but he could not always trust first glances. If he'd done something to her before Joshua'd had a chance to intervene—the mere thought caused an infuriated tremble. "Get the fuck off our property or I'm calling the police." Our property, he'd said, cementing the fact that he was with Nell, loyal to Nell, everything that was his was also hers. The bond he had with Nell was thicker than his blood ties to Bryce by far. Unfortunately, his brother looked more pleased with this demand than he should have. Josh was wary and stuck close to his fiancée, not liking this in the least. "Are you going to force me, Joshy?" Ugh, Joshua always hated when his brother took on that snide and condescending tone. Like everyone else was below him, like he was on top of the world. He looked at Nell, clearly irritated and uncomfortable. How did he get in? He made a note to ask Nell for details when they weren't facing off in the backyard like they were now. "I'd really be careful what you wished for, dear brother. I mean, if you hurt me, you never know who that might upset." Bryce looked at Nell on these words and Joshua looked at her too, not understanding how cryptic Bryce was being and not liking it, either. He trusted Nell and didn't suspect her of telling him. Rafael? It seemed bizarre. Who the hell would hang around his brother?

[Nell's rage is so adorable I can't-- xD]

It bothered him to see the trembling in her limbs and know that his brother, his flesh and blood was the cause for it. Nell is more like family than Bryce has ever been. Family loyalty had always been rather important to Joshua. He'd forgiven his father's countless faults, he was close with his mother, and his protective streak over Annabel could not get any more prominent. Bryce? He had severed those ties the moment he'd tried to kill him. There were certain things you could not bounce back from in any type of relationship and violence of that kind was one of those things. He stepped closer to Nell and put an arm around her waist, for her comfort as well as his own. His gray eyes were blazing with anger as he turned his gaze to Bryce. You shouldn't be here. Joshua had always felt safe at home. Always. It was like the mansion was an impenetrable fortress, a military base deep underground that no one but the residents could access. Apparently he'd been wrong to feel that safe. "I'm sorry about my brother," he said coldly. "He should have learned to stay away after the first time." Joshua had not been much help in fending Bryce off the last time he'd been here but he was sure Nell knew what he meant. The police had been called and Bryce had been arrested, the couple going back to their day after the threat of his brother was eliminated. But it had been a rather uncomfortable day, really, because there were certain things that could shake a person up. Near-death experiences were one of those things.

He could not explain the chill that ran down his spine when his doubtful suspicions were concerned. Rafael and Bryce alone were bad enough, but together? It was not something he had ever wanted to hear about. She probably felt him tense, being so close, and alarm flashed like lightning through his eyes. "Ah." He hated seeing the satisfaction in Bryce's eyes. He looked incredibly pleased with himself, the cat that ate the canary. What a fucked up friendship that is. Should have known. His brother had always fallen in with the wrong crowds, even when they were kids. This was not just the wrong crowd, though, this was Rafael. He deserved to be in a league all of his very own. Nell warned him away from calling the police and Joshua's expression was grim with understanding. If he called the cops Bryce might end up going to jail, sure, but he'd get out in the blink of an eye. Josh would lose years of his life if Rafael reported him. "Fine, no cops," he agreed, shaking his head. He looked irritated. He hated being backed into a corner like this. First Rafael held power over him, now Bryce? It gave him a headache to consider it. I don't want to go to jail. There was the fear again, coiling around his lungs like a serpent and squeezing until he found it hard to breathe. He tried not to show the fear, didn't want to give his brother the satisfaction, but he felt that Nell would know how he was feeling without his needing to say a word. They'd discussed this when he'd first let himself slip and stab Rafael in the first place, she knew his standing.

It was like a bad movie as they stood there facing one another, neither side giving too much ground. Nell and Joshua had the upper hand in a fight but Bryce had a trump card that could undo almost any move they might make. It was a tough situation. "How did you get in?" He asked Bryce instead of Nell, wondering whether he'd give a straight answer. "Through the front door." Joshua opened his mouth to call bullshit on this, picking the lock would set off one of the many security systems, but then Bryce fished a key from his pocket and held it up. "Change your locks, bro." Joshua shifted his jaw and looked upset with himself, sending an apologetic glance toward Nell. When he'd had his own place in terms of the apartment he'd never had to change the locks because the building owners did that for everyone. He'd forgotten about that necessity—well, not so much forgotten as overlooked its importance. What had he cared about blocking his parents and sister out? He'd thought they were the only ones with keys, had completely forgotten about his asshole of a little brother. "Yeah, we'll do that," he said sharply, and he would. Bryce wouldn't be getting in again. "Now will you get the fuck out?" He wanted Bryce off their property. He was not entirely sure how he would go about accomplishing this goal without doing something to provoke Bryce. He seemed to understand this, lips curling into a sneer. "And what are you two planning to do if I don't?" Joshua looked at Nell, blinked. Fuck. What do we do? Maybe they could think of... something?

[trolololol ]

Joshua hated that his brother had power over him. He had always hated it when they were kids as well and his parents had taken Bryce's word over his. He was the younger one, Josh was the big brother, and in their eyes it was like that meant that all problems caused had been Joshua's fault. It had not been until Bryce had finally snapped and came at him with a knife that they'd realised how far gone their younger son was. There had been no apologies. Now he was standing and seeing that same smug expression on his brother's face that Bryce had wore whenever Donovan would punish Josh for their arguments or when Patricia would ground him for the week and coddle his 'crying' brother. I hate you. I hate you so much. It was real hate, the kind of loathing that he'd never thought he would feel against a family member. Ever. "What if that is what I want?" Joshua narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand what Bryce was getting at. Then his brother quickly clarified with, "What if I want to... stick around a while?" His grin was like that of the Chesire cat, sneaky and sly. Joshua's gray eyes widened for a moment in shock before anger blazed through them. "No," he said immediately, and his voice was rough with the anger that he could not contain. He could never cope with the rage and the way that it drained his energy and made him feel hollow. The drain hadn't hit yet, though, he could go on for a while yet. "Absolutely fucking not. Not in our house. No." He looked at Nell and the alarm, the sheer abhorrence of the idea was as plain as day.

He hated the triumph. Knew what it meant. "What if you don't have a choice?" There it was, the threat. Joshua had known even when the insistence had left his mouth that his brother was going to counter with his trump card. He loved this, holding something over their heads in such a spectacular way. I bet that's why he's here. "You don't need to stay here, Bryce. Just go." He wanted to punctuate the sentence with curses and threats but he knew it was not in his better interest. The struggle was evident on his face as he worked his jaw, anger smouldering like embers in his colourless eyes. "Would you let me stay, Nelly?" Bryce was using that innocent, mocking tone again and Joshua practically snarled on the words, "Don't call her that." His voice was low with warning and he wanted to step forward and wrap his hands around Bryce's throat. Clock him across the jaw. Burn him to a crisp. It bothered him more than he could put into words that he could not do any of this without worrying about Bryce reporting him and Rafael reporting him. Bryce was insane, Josh might be able to play those cards in his own defence by saying it was self-defence, since he knew Bryce would certainly hit back, but it was a lot harder when his brother had another weapon. Plan B, B for back-up. He flipped the knife shut and pocketed it so he wouldn't be tempted. "Well, Nell, what do you say?" Josh could tell Bryce was using her name regularly more to mock his brother than to avoid offending him.

The idea still bothered Josh, as did the fact that if they tried to turn him away he might take that a little too far and run with it. Josh knew that the Statute of Limitations in British Columbia would not protect him for some time yet. It would need to have been two years before he could pull the rug out from Rafael and claim the stabbing to be null and void. The law couldn't touch him any more then. Two years was a long time to wait, unfortunately. Two years was not now. "Annabel is here, Bryce. I don't want you near her or Nell." He didn't care so much about himself, wasn't worried about Bryce hurting him as he was about the girls. Not because they were girls but because they were his family. "I don't care about your bitch of a fiancée," Bryce said with a smile on his face, and even though he knew the insult was meant to offend, the reaction was immediate. Joshua slid his arm back and stepped forward with obvious aggressive intent, Bryce stepping back with an infuriating, "Careful, Joshy! Wouldn't want to hurt anyone, no?" The anger was making him shake and he looked at Nell, said one of the more reckless things he'd ever let slip. "Nell, I don't give a shit about what he can do. If you don't want—if you want him gone, he goes." Joshua felt like he could handle it but Nell? He didn't want to compromise her safety. Or Annabel's, though she was likely safer since Bryce didn't have anything against her. He'd never hurt her even when they were kids. "Would you do that, Nelly? I go or he does, what a choice." Joshua glared at him and really, really wished that murder was not illegal.