(no subject)
Title: Nowhere to Turn
Fandom: Bandom
Pairings: Mikey/OMC
Word count: 3557
Warnings: Slavery, including references to sex slavery/prostitution. Non-con.
Summary: Mikey doesn't care how good things are now, he just cares that Gerard is somewhere Mikey can't protect him. Then, he finds someone who offers to help. For a price.
Author's notes: Written for the 'blackmail' square for hc_bingo I may be stretching the definition of blackmail a bit. Oh well.
When Mikey gets put on the bus for Aeon, he gets a seat next to a boy who’s too pretty to be anything but a bed slave.
He’s thin and his features are pointed. There’s nothing about him to remind Mikey of Gerard, but he does anyway. He can’t help thinking that this could be Gerard. He hasn’t seen his brother in more than six months.
So, Mikey doesn’t speak to the kid and doesn’t even know his name, but he tries to keep an eye on him. He glares at the other slaves when they crowd too close and the kid looks nervous. As pretty as he is, he’s probably never been among such a large group of working slaves like this. He looks intimidated.
The blond guy, Patrick, cooks some food and Mikey fills a bowl for himself and one for the kid, who accepts it with a brief nod.
He finds empty bunks for them both in a quiet part of the dorm. At some point he introduces himself, but the kid just nods and doesn’t reply. He hasn’t said a word to Mikey. He hasn’t spoken to anyone.
The next night Mikey and the kid are both scheduled for shifts, Mikey’s starts at eleven and the kid’s starts at midnight. They wait at a table in the kitchen area and two men come in, one with an enormous head of hair, the other shorter and looking a little bit pissed off. The taller guy calls Mikey’s number out, and he stands up. The shorter one, though, is looking at Mikey’s companion intensely, and then he says “Ryan? Ryan!” He looks desperate, ready to break.
In the chair beside Mikey, the kid jerks and shudders, but then he says, “Spencer?” and Mikey knows Ryan doesn’t need him anymore.
All up, Mikey’s in the temporary quarters for nearly ten days. He gathers that that’s a bit longer than most people. He’s fine with it, though. The temporary quarters are nicer than any other place he’s slept since he became a slave. He works with a bunch of different crews, and eventually Patrick tells him that someone’s asked for him to move into their quarters. It’s not anyone he’s worked with before, and when someone comes to take him to his new quarters, he doesn’t recognise them.
“My name’s Andrew,” the guy introduces himself. He’s big, much bigger than Mikey. He’s older, in his late thirties maybe, and he’s fairly good looking, with light brown hair and green eyes.
Andrew is very nice to Mikey. He wants to know everything about him; is always asking questions. Mikey never feels much like talking about himself, so he usually doesn’t really answer Andrew’s questions. He can tell Andrew is still curious about him, though, and sometimes he notices Andrew watching him.
And then, one day, they are sitting around a few hours before their work shift starts and someone pulls out an issue of Green Lantern. It’s a fairly new issue that Mikey hasn’t seen before, but it still makes him think of Gerard, because Green Lantern was his favourite comic. He thinks he must have whispered Gerard’s name under his breath, or maybe Andrew just interpreted his expression correctly, because he knows something’s up then, and pretty soon he gets Mikey to spill the whole story.
“Gerard’s my brother,” he says. “We were together for awhile, but then we were sent for sale. This guy was looking at me. He was a brothel owner. I think he was going to… but then Gerard distracted him. He got the guy to pay attention to him instead, and then he bought Gerard.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Seven, eight months ago, maybe?”
Andrew is thoughtful after that, but he doesn’t say anything to Mikey until they’re alone, later on.
“Listen, Mikey,” he says. “I like you. You seem like a good kid. And I wouldn’t do this for just anyone, but I can tell how much you miss your brother. I might be able to do something about it.”
“Really?” Mikey found that hard to believe. Andrew was a slave, the same as him, what could he do? But the idea was so tempting that Mikey couldn’t ignore it. “How?”
“Schecter, he’s the foreman here, I get on well with him. If I ask, he might keep an eye out for your brother when he’s purchasing. He’s done it before.”
“Ryan!” Mikey realises. “And… and Spencer? Was that… did you get him to find Ryan?”
“Oh! Oh, sure.” Andrew nods vigorously. “Yeah, Spencer and I had a deal.”
“A deal?”
“Well, yeah.” Andrew puts a hand on Mikey’s shoulder and draws him close. “I like you, Mikey, but you know how things are, right? No one’s gonna do you a favour for nothing. I help you, and you help me.”
Mikey slumps, because he knows there’s nothing he has that Andrew will want, and the hope he’d briefly had of seeing Gerard again is already fading. “I don’t have anything to deal with,” he says. Andrew just laughs.
“Oh, don’t be too hasty,” he says. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
**********
Andrew does think of something. Mikey gets down on his knees thinking of Gerard, thinking that Gerard is going through so much worse for his sake, and this is the least he can do. Andrew seems satisfied, once he’s done. He pats Mikey’s shoulder and promises to talk to Schecter in the morning. They go to work their shift and come back, and Mikey hopes that soon he’ll be able to see his brother again.
Mikey and Andrew share a room. He hadn’t thought anything of it before, but now he wonders if Andrew set it up that way deliberately. He sleeps for a few hours, and wakes up around dinner time. Andrew’s sitting on his own bed, looking at Mikey.
“Hey,” Mikey says awkwardly. He wants to ask if Andrew’s spoken to Schecter yet, but he’s wary. He doesn’t want Andrew to know how desperate he is. It seems like Andrew can tell, anyway.
“Hey, Mikey,” he says. “Bad news. Schecter’s out of the factory today, I haven’t been able to see him. He’ll be back tomorrow, though.”
Mikey just nods. It’s disappointing, not to have any sort of news, but it’s just one day.
Andrew doesn’t seem to bothered, anyway. “Mikey, wouldja do something for me?” he asks, unzipping his pants. Mikey sighs and goes along with it. It’s for Gerard.
He doesn’t want to stay in the quarters after, though. He’s learned that they basically have free run of the factory, and he won’t be punished for walking around, although Andrew has told him he should stay on the ground floor. So he goes wandering, avoiding anywhere that has too many people. He finds one room all set up like a classroom, with a whiteboard at one end, and another room full of books. There’s someone sitting behind a table up the back, who says, “Hey, you looking for anything in particular?”
Mikey jumps slightly because he hadn’t realized anyone was there. Then he shakes his head and leaves. This place is weird.
After that, he finds a room that looks like it’s used for storing musical instruments. Mikey has no idea why the factory even has a room like this, but he doesn’t waste time worrying about it. He walks through the room and picks up a guitar, wondering how much he can remember of the lessons his grandmother bought for him years ago.
Not much, as it turns out. It’s humbling to realize how much he’s forgotten, but it’s not a bad way to spend the evening. He leaves when it’s time to start work, and makes a mental note of the room’s location so he can find it again.
Andrew is pissed off when he sees Mikey. “Where the hell have you been?” he snaps. Mikey isn’t sure what to say. He doesn’t want to tell Andrew the truth, so he just shrugs. Andrew snorts and ignores him, which is something of a relief.
The shift finishes at one in the afternoon, but Mikey doesn’t dare wander off again. He meekly follows Andrew back to their quarters, wondering what he will want this time. Afterwards, he works up the nerve to ask if Andrew is going to talk to Schecter today.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get around to it,” says Andrew dismissively. “Keep your pants on. Or, you know,” he smirks unpleasantly, “Don’t.”
Andrew laughs loudly at his little joke, but Mikey can’t find it even slightly funny. Andrew rolls over and goes to sleep after that, but Mikey lies awake for an hour or two, hearing Andrew snore and hoping he doesn’t wake up. He gets up and makes himself a small snack in the kitchen area.
No one else is up, which Mikey is glad of. He doesn’t know how much the other guys know about what’s going on, and he doesn’t want to have to face awkward questions.
After eating he goes out again, back to the room with all the instruments. He spends a long time there. He thinks maybe he dozes off for a few hours, but he’s not sure. He doesn’t really want to go back to the quarters, but he doesn’t want Andrew to be angry with him again. If Andrew’s not happy with him, he might decide to call off their deal.
Andrew does seem pleased that he’s come back, and he lets Mikey off with a blowjob. Afterwards, Mikey goes back to the instrument room again. He’s used to it being empty now, so he isn’t expecting anyone to be there when he opens the door. But someone is.
It’s the guy with all the hair who’s crew he’d worked on a week ago. Ray, that was it. He’s sitting against the wall holding a guitar and playing something that sounds awesome, much better than anything Mikey could manage. He looks started when Mikey walks in, and Mikey blushes at having interrupted. He’s backing out stammering apologies when Ray calls to him and tells him to stay. Mikey isn’t sure, but he looks kind, and it would be nice to have some company. Someone who isn’t Andrew, or on his crew.
They spend a long time talking about music, and Ray plays some things for him. He tries to get Mikey to play something as well, but Mikey isn’t willing to embarrass himself, no matter how nice Ray seems.
Ray asks Mikey how he’s settling in. “Fine,” says Mikey. “How’s Ryan doing?” he asks.
“Good,” says Ray. “Fine.” He looks like he doesn’t really want to talk about it, and Mikey doesn’t want to bother him but there are some things he really wants to know.
“There’s someone on your crew that Ryan knew, right? From before?”
“Spencer,” Ray confirms.
“Yeah,” says Mikey. “Wow, huh?” Ray just nods absently, so he keeps going. “Was… um, was Schecter or somebody… did they know? I mean, was it just a coincidence, or…”
“Oh, no,” says Ray. “Andy told them to look for Ryan.”
Mikey sits back, pleased to have confirmation. So Andrew really did have a deal with Spencer, and eventually he’d delivered. It wasn’t all that great at the moment, but if Mikey keeps doing what Andrew wants, eventually he’ll be able to make Gerard safe.
Ray gets up to leave later on, explaining that his shift is starting. Mikey isn’t sure if he should stay or not. Maybe Andrew will want him again, or maybe he’ll be sleeping. It’s pretty late. Ray says he should stay, but he seems surprised when Mikey explains that his shift doesn’t start till 4 am.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asks.
Mikey just shrugs awkwardly and says he doesn’t feel like it. Ray’s expression says that he finds that strange, and Mikey is annoyed at himself for not saying something more convincing. But Ray eventually leaves, anyway, and he’s alone again.
It’s another typical day, filled with work and around two hours of sleep and dutiful sex with Andrew. Mikey doesn’t ask about Schecter and Andrew doesn’t mention him. Mikey keeps hoping, though.
He makes his escape in the evening again. Back to the music room, where he hesitates outside the door for a good fifteen minutes, wondering if Ray is inside and if he dares go into the room, even if he is. He doesn’t hear any noise, though, so he decides to chance opening the door. The room is empty, so he walks in and picks up the guitar he likes. He still can’t remember how to play much of anything except a couple of scales. He plays them over and over, though, and it’s soothing.
He loses track of time for awhile, until the door opens and Ray walks in.
“Oh, hey!” he says. “You’re here.”
Mikey’s not at all sure whether Ray is okay with having his space invaded, and he offers to leave, but like the day before, Ray won’t hear of it. Mikey is happy to stay where he is, but then he realizes Ray has noticed the guitar he’s holding, and wants him to play something.
Mikey is not so keen to embarrass himself, but Ray looks so expectant that he finds himself trying to play the opening chords of a song he barely remembers. It turns out he remembers even less of it than he thought he did, and he stills the strings with his had to muffle the unpleasant sound of the last fumbled chord. He expects Ray to make fun of him, but he doesn’t.
He asks Mikey about learning to play, and that opens up the whole subject of Elena and Gerard and everyone Mikey tries not to think about. Ray is kind enough to let Mikey change the subject after that. They talk about music and Ray notices how tired Mikey is getting. It’s been a few days now since he’s had a good night’s sleep. He offers to listen if Mikey wants to talk, but Mikey refuses. The last thing he needs is Ray trying to offer him a deal too.
He goes back to the quarters just after 2 am, and Andrew is asleep. It’s a big relief, and Mikey takes the opportunity to get a little sleep himself. It’s not very restful, though. With Andrew in the room, he can only doze, always slightly aware of the sound of Andrew’s breath.
They get up for work and Andrew glares at him. “You’ve gotta stop disappearing all the time, I miss you when you’re gone,” he says. Mikey nods. It’s for Gerard.
They go to work and come back and Andrew wants something different. “Bud likes you,” he says. Mikey nods. Bud is another guy in their crew, and he’s friendly with Andrew. “Think you can be nice to him?”
Mikey is very, very nice to Bud, but he’s not sure how this is supposed to get Schecter to do anything for him. Afterwards, when he’s done being nice to Andrew as well, he tries to ask about it, but he doesn’t finish the first syllable of Schecter’s name before Andew cuts him off.
“Yeah, I’m gonna talk to him today,” Andrew says. “Probably today, or definitely tomorrow.” Mikey wants to cry.
He knows that it pisses Andrew off when he’s gone, but he doesn’t want to be around the quarters after that, so he goes to the music room and spends the rest of the afternoon there, just sitting. It’s a relief to be alone, and he’s sort of hoping that Ray doesn’t show up tonight, even though Ray is nice company.
Ray does turn up, though, and he’s got someone with him this time. It’s a young, dark haired man by the name of Brendon, who is totally awed by all the instruments. Ray looks Mikey’s way with an apologetic expression, like he can tell how unsettled Mikey is by the unexpected extra person.
Ray sits by Mikey on the floor while Brendon wanders around looking at the instruments, and from his body language Mikey is expecting some sort of painful non-music when he finally sits at the piano, but Brendon surprises him by playing a soft, soothing melody.
It goes on for awhile. He and Ray sit quietly and listen, and between the music and Ray’s solid presence, Mikey feels safe. He doesn’t mean to fall asleep, but he’s tired and it’s a struggle to keep his eyes open. He closes them to rest for a few minutes, and jerks awake hours later.
“Uh,” he groans. His neck is stiff and his legs are cold from resting on the hard concrete floor. It’s pretty much the most uncomfortable position he could possibly have chosen to sleep in.
Ray looks down at him with an expression of concern. “You all right, Mikey?” he asks. That’s when Mikey realises he’s been leaning against Ray as he slept, his head on Ray’s shoulder and probably drooling on his shirt. It’s completely mortifying.
“Sorry,” he says, blushing deeply.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Ray. “You need the sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“About half past eleven.”
“Oh. What? Don’t you have a shift?”
“No, tonight’s our night off.”
“Oh.” Mikey takes a minute to absorb that, the idea of having a night off. His crew doesn’t have the night off. Soon enough, Mikey’s going to have to head back to the quarters, and Andrew.
“Mikey,” Ray whispers to him. Brendon’s still playing. He’s left the piano now, and is playing a guitar. The sound almost drowns out Ray’s words, he speaks so softly. “Mikey, what’s wrong? I can tell something is.”
Ray’s gentle concern combined with Mikey’s exhaustion and worry is nearly his undoing. He drops his head and breathes out shakily, unable to make the decision to answer Ray’s question or deflect it. Ray doesn’t give him the chance, either way.
“Is it your… your brother? You mentioned him the other day.”
Mikey lets out a surprised gasp. He hadn’t expected Ray to come to the right conclusion so easily.
“If you know his electronic I.D.,” says Ray, “Then maybe I could pass it on to Schecter…”
“No,” says Mikey quickly. “It’s okay. I already worked something out with Andrew.” One deal that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere is really all that Mikey can cope with. He hopes that Ray will let it go.
He doesn’t. “What do you mean, you worked something out with Andrew?” Ray asks, frowning.
Mikey tries to end this conversation as quickly as he can. “You know, like he did with Spencer.”
Ray shakes his head slowly, looking confused. “Andy is the one who told Schecter to look for Ryan,” he explains. “That redheaded guy who hangs out with Pete and Patrick? He was in charge of our crew until he left.”
“Oh,” says Mikey, feeling stupid and disappointed. Maybe Andrew isn’t going to deliver after all.
“What exactly have you worked out with Andrew?” Ray asks forcefully.
********
After that, things take a bit of a surreal turn. Ray drags Mikey off to talk to Schecter, who is nothing like Mikey expected. He’s short and covered in tattoos, and seems… nice, which just isn’t how a factory foreman should be.
Between Ray and Schecter, Mikey is pushed into explaining everything that had happened with Andrew since he’d arrived. It’s embarrassing, and Schecter seems really pissed when he hears what’s happened, which is frightening.
The whole ordeal takes more than an hour, and Mikey starts to get anxious, because he’ll have to go to work soon, and face the rest of the crew, and he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe Schecter can tell what he’s thinking, because he says, “Mikey, I don’t think you should go back to the same quarters. Ray, can you keep an eye on him until we work something out?”
Ray agrees, but Mikey feels obligated to explain, “I’m supposed to be working in a couple of hours.”
“Don’t worry about that,” says Schecter. Mikey is all set to leave when he asks something else. “Mikey, do you remember your brother’s electronic I.D.?”
Mikey does, of course. All voids have a chip implanted with a unique code for identification. Most telekinetics will call slaves by their code rather than bothering to remember their names, and Mikey remembers Gerard’s as well as his own. He stammers out the code, unable to believe this is really happening. Surely Schecter will just laugh at him now, and tell him that after all the trouble he’s caused there’s no way anyone will go looking for his brother.
Schecter doesn’t do that, though. “We’ll see if we can find him,” he says. “We should be able to track him down with his I.D. Do you have any idea where we should look?”
Mikey doesn’t, exactly. “He was sold to a brothel,” he says. Schecter looks sympathetic, but doesn’t try to offer any unconvincing platitudes, which Mikey appreciates.
“Get out of here,” he says. “And don’t worry about Andrew. We’ll take care of him.”
Mikey still isn’t sure what’s going to happen, but Ray takes his hand and leads the way out of Schecter’s office, and it becomes easier to let some of the worry go.
Fandom: Bandom
Pairings: Mikey/OMC
Word count: 3557
Warnings: Slavery, including references to sex slavery/prostitution. Non-con.
Summary: Mikey doesn't care how good things are now, he just cares that Gerard is somewhere Mikey can't protect him. Then, he finds someone who offers to help. For a price.
Author's notes: Written for the 'blackmail' square for hc_bingo I may be stretching the definition of blackmail a bit. Oh well.
When Mikey gets put on the bus for Aeon, he gets a seat next to a boy who’s too pretty to be anything but a bed slave.
He’s thin and his features are pointed. There’s nothing about him to remind Mikey of Gerard, but he does anyway. He can’t help thinking that this could be Gerard. He hasn’t seen his brother in more than six months.
So, Mikey doesn’t speak to the kid and doesn’t even know his name, but he tries to keep an eye on him. He glares at the other slaves when they crowd too close and the kid looks nervous. As pretty as he is, he’s probably never been among such a large group of working slaves like this. He looks intimidated.
The blond guy, Patrick, cooks some food and Mikey fills a bowl for himself and one for the kid, who accepts it with a brief nod.
He finds empty bunks for them both in a quiet part of the dorm. At some point he introduces himself, but the kid just nods and doesn’t reply. He hasn’t said a word to Mikey. He hasn’t spoken to anyone.
The next night Mikey and the kid are both scheduled for shifts, Mikey’s starts at eleven and the kid’s starts at midnight. They wait at a table in the kitchen area and two men come in, one with an enormous head of hair, the other shorter and looking a little bit pissed off. The taller guy calls Mikey’s number out, and he stands up. The shorter one, though, is looking at Mikey’s companion intensely, and then he says “Ryan? Ryan!” He looks desperate, ready to break.
In the chair beside Mikey, the kid jerks and shudders, but then he says, “Spencer?” and Mikey knows Ryan doesn’t need him anymore.
All up, Mikey’s in the temporary quarters for nearly ten days. He gathers that that’s a bit longer than most people. He’s fine with it, though. The temporary quarters are nicer than any other place he’s slept since he became a slave. He works with a bunch of different crews, and eventually Patrick tells him that someone’s asked for him to move into their quarters. It’s not anyone he’s worked with before, and when someone comes to take him to his new quarters, he doesn’t recognise them.
“My name’s Andrew,” the guy introduces himself. He’s big, much bigger than Mikey. He’s older, in his late thirties maybe, and he’s fairly good looking, with light brown hair and green eyes.
Andrew is very nice to Mikey. He wants to know everything about him; is always asking questions. Mikey never feels much like talking about himself, so he usually doesn’t really answer Andrew’s questions. He can tell Andrew is still curious about him, though, and sometimes he notices Andrew watching him.
And then, one day, they are sitting around a few hours before their work shift starts and someone pulls out an issue of Green Lantern. It’s a fairly new issue that Mikey hasn’t seen before, but it still makes him think of Gerard, because Green Lantern was his favourite comic. He thinks he must have whispered Gerard’s name under his breath, or maybe Andrew just interpreted his expression correctly, because he knows something’s up then, and pretty soon he gets Mikey to spill the whole story.
“Gerard’s my brother,” he says. “We were together for awhile, but then we were sent for sale. This guy was looking at me. He was a brothel owner. I think he was going to… but then Gerard distracted him. He got the guy to pay attention to him instead, and then he bought Gerard.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Seven, eight months ago, maybe?”
Andrew is thoughtful after that, but he doesn’t say anything to Mikey until they’re alone, later on.
“Listen, Mikey,” he says. “I like you. You seem like a good kid. And I wouldn’t do this for just anyone, but I can tell how much you miss your brother. I might be able to do something about it.”
“Really?” Mikey found that hard to believe. Andrew was a slave, the same as him, what could he do? But the idea was so tempting that Mikey couldn’t ignore it. “How?”
“Schecter, he’s the foreman here, I get on well with him. If I ask, he might keep an eye out for your brother when he’s purchasing. He’s done it before.”
“Ryan!” Mikey realises. “And… and Spencer? Was that… did you get him to find Ryan?”
“Oh! Oh, sure.” Andrew nods vigorously. “Yeah, Spencer and I had a deal.”
“A deal?”
“Well, yeah.” Andrew puts a hand on Mikey’s shoulder and draws him close. “I like you, Mikey, but you know how things are, right? No one’s gonna do you a favour for nothing. I help you, and you help me.”
Mikey slumps, because he knows there’s nothing he has that Andrew will want, and the hope he’d briefly had of seeing Gerard again is already fading. “I don’t have anything to deal with,” he says. Andrew just laughs.
“Oh, don’t be too hasty,” he says. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
**********
Andrew does think of something. Mikey gets down on his knees thinking of Gerard, thinking that Gerard is going through so much worse for his sake, and this is the least he can do. Andrew seems satisfied, once he’s done. He pats Mikey’s shoulder and promises to talk to Schecter in the morning. They go to work their shift and come back, and Mikey hopes that soon he’ll be able to see his brother again.
Mikey and Andrew share a room. He hadn’t thought anything of it before, but now he wonders if Andrew set it up that way deliberately. He sleeps for a few hours, and wakes up around dinner time. Andrew’s sitting on his own bed, looking at Mikey.
“Hey,” Mikey says awkwardly. He wants to ask if Andrew’s spoken to Schecter yet, but he’s wary. He doesn’t want Andrew to know how desperate he is. It seems like Andrew can tell, anyway.
“Hey, Mikey,” he says. “Bad news. Schecter’s out of the factory today, I haven’t been able to see him. He’ll be back tomorrow, though.”
Mikey just nods. It’s disappointing, not to have any sort of news, but it’s just one day.
Andrew doesn’t seem to bothered, anyway. “Mikey, wouldja do something for me?” he asks, unzipping his pants. Mikey sighs and goes along with it. It’s for Gerard.
He doesn’t want to stay in the quarters after, though. He’s learned that they basically have free run of the factory, and he won’t be punished for walking around, although Andrew has told him he should stay on the ground floor. So he goes wandering, avoiding anywhere that has too many people. He finds one room all set up like a classroom, with a whiteboard at one end, and another room full of books. There’s someone sitting behind a table up the back, who says, “Hey, you looking for anything in particular?”
Mikey jumps slightly because he hadn’t realized anyone was there. Then he shakes his head and leaves. This place is weird.
After that, he finds a room that looks like it’s used for storing musical instruments. Mikey has no idea why the factory even has a room like this, but he doesn’t waste time worrying about it. He walks through the room and picks up a guitar, wondering how much he can remember of the lessons his grandmother bought for him years ago.
Not much, as it turns out. It’s humbling to realize how much he’s forgotten, but it’s not a bad way to spend the evening. He leaves when it’s time to start work, and makes a mental note of the room’s location so he can find it again.
Andrew is pissed off when he sees Mikey. “Where the hell have you been?” he snaps. Mikey isn’t sure what to say. He doesn’t want to tell Andrew the truth, so he just shrugs. Andrew snorts and ignores him, which is something of a relief.
The shift finishes at one in the afternoon, but Mikey doesn’t dare wander off again. He meekly follows Andrew back to their quarters, wondering what he will want this time. Afterwards, he works up the nerve to ask if Andrew is going to talk to Schecter today.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get around to it,” says Andrew dismissively. “Keep your pants on. Or, you know,” he smirks unpleasantly, “Don’t.”
Andrew laughs loudly at his little joke, but Mikey can’t find it even slightly funny. Andrew rolls over and goes to sleep after that, but Mikey lies awake for an hour or two, hearing Andrew snore and hoping he doesn’t wake up. He gets up and makes himself a small snack in the kitchen area.
No one else is up, which Mikey is glad of. He doesn’t know how much the other guys know about what’s going on, and he doesn’t want to have to face awkward questions.
After eating he goes out again, back to the room with all the instruments. He spends a long time there. He thinks maybe he dozes off for a few hours, but he’s not sure. He doesn’t really want to go back to the quarters, but he doesn’t want Andrew to be angry with him again. If Andrew’s not happy with him, he might decide to call off their deal.
Andrew does seem pleased that he’s come back, and he lets Mikey off with a blowjob. Afterwards, Mikey goes back to the instrument room again. He’s used to it being empty now, so he isn’t expecting anyone to be there when he opens the door. But someone is.
It’s the guy with all the hair who’s crew he’d worked on a week ago. Ray, that was it. He’s sitting against the wall holding a guitar and playing something that sounds awesome, much better than anything Mikey could manage. He looks started when Mikey walks in, and Mikey blushes at having interrupted. He’s backing out stammering apologies when Ray calls to him and tells him to stay. Mikey isn’t sure, but he looks kind, and it would be nice to have some company. Someone who isn’t Andrew, or on his crew.
They spend a long time talking about music, and Ray plays some things for him. He tries to get Mikey to play something as well, but Mikey isn’t willing to embarrass himself, no matter how nice Ray seems.
Ray asks Mikey how he’s settling in. “Fine,” says Mikey. “How’s Ryan doing?” he asks.
“Good,” says Ray. “Fine.” He looks like he doesn’t really want to talk about it, and Mikey doesn’t want to bother him but there are some things he really wants to know.
“There’s someone on your crew that Ryan knew, right? From before?”
“Spencer,” Ray confirms.
“Yeah,” says Mikey. “Wow, huh?” Ray just nods absently, so he keeps going. “Was… um, was Schecter or somebody… did they know? I mean, was it just a coincidence, or…”
“Oh, no,” says Ray. “Andy told them to look for Ryan.”
Mikey sits back, pleased to have confirmation. So Andrew really did have a deal with Spencer, and eventually he’d delivered. It wasn’t all that great at the moment, but if Mikey keeps doing what Andrew wants, eventually he’ll be able to make Gerard safe.
Ray gets up to leave later on, explaining that his shift is starting. Mikey isn’t sure if he should stay or not. Maybe Andrew will want him again, or maybe he’ll be sleeping. It’s pretty late. Ray says he should stay, but he seems surprised when Mikey explains that his shift doesn’t start till 4 am.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asks.
Mikey just shrugs awkwardly and says he doesn’t feel like it. Ray’s expression says that he finds that strange, and Mikey is annoyed at himself for not saying something more convincing. But Ray eventually leaves, anyway, and he’s alone again.
It’s another typical day, filled with work and around two hours of sleep and dutiful sex with Andrew. Mikey doesn’t ask about Schecter and Andrew doesn’t mention him. Mikey keeps hoping, though.
He makes his escape in the evening again. Back to the music room, where he hesitates outside the door for a good fifteen minutes, wondering if Ray is inside and if he dares go into the room, even if he is. He doesn’t hear any noise, though, so he decides to chance opening the door. The room is empty, so he walks in and picks up the guitar he likes. He still can’t remember how to play much of anything except a couple of scales. He plays them over and over, though, and it’s soothing.
He loses track of time for awhile, until the door opens and Ray walks in.
“Oh, hey!” he says. “You’re here.”
Mikey’s not at all sure whether Ray is okay with having his space invaded, and he offers to leave, but like the day before, Ray won’t hear of it. Mikey is happy to stay where he is, but then he realizes Ray has noticed the guitar he’s holding, and wants him to play something.
Mikey is not so keen to embarrass himself, but Ray looks so expectant that he finds himself trying to play the opening chords of a song he barely remembers. It turns out he remembers even less of it than he thought he did, and he stills the strings with his had to muffle the unpleasant sound of the last fumbled chord. He expects Ray to make fun of him, but he doesn’t.
He asks Mikey about learning to play, and that opens up the whole subject of Elena and Gerard and everyone Mikey tries not to think about. Ray is kind enough to let Mikey change the subject after that. They talk about music and Ray notices how tired Mikey is getting. It’s been a few days now since he’s had a good night’s sleep. He offers to listen if Mikey wants to talk, but Mikey refuses. The last thing he needs is Ray trying to offer him a deal too.
He goes back to the quarters just after 2 am, and Andrew is asleep. It’s a big relief, and Mikey takes the opportunity to get a little sleep himself. It’s not very restful, though. With Andrew in the room, he can only doze, always slightly aware of the sound of Andrew’s breath.
They get up for work and Andrew glares at him. “You’ve gotta stop disappearing all the time, I miss you when you’re gone,” he says. Mikey nods. It’s for Gerard.
They go to work and come back and Andrew wants something different. “Bud likes you,” he says. Mikey nods. Bud is another guy in their crew, and he’s friendly with Andrew. “Think you can be nice to him?”
Mikey is very, very nice to Bud, but he’s not sure how this is supposed to get Schecter to do anything for him. Afterwards, when he’s done being nice to Andrew as well, he tries to ask about it, but he doesn’t finish the first syllable of Schecter’s name before Andew cuts him off.
“Yeah, I’m gonna talk to him today,” Andrew says. “Probably today, or definitely tomorrow.” Mikey wants to cry.
He knows that it pisses Andrew off when he’s gone, but he doesn’t want to be around the quarters after that, so he goes to the music room and spends the rest of the afternoon there, just sitting. It’s a relief to be alone, and he’s sort of hoping that Ray doesn’t show up tonight, even though Ray is nice company.
Ray does turn up, though, and he’s got someone with him this time. It’s a young, dark haired man by the name of Brendon, who is totally awed by all the instruments. Ray looks Mikey’s way with an apologetic expression, like he can tell how unsettled Mikey is by the unexpected extra person.
Ray sits by Mikey on the floor while Brendon wanders around looking at the instruments, and from his body language Mikey is expecting some sort of painful non-music when he finally sits at the piano, but Brendon surprises him by playing a soft, soothing melody.
It goes on for awhile. He and Ray sit quietly and listen, and between the music and Ray’s solid presence, Mikey feels safe. He doesn’t mean to fall asleep, but he’s tired and it’s a struggle to keep his eyes open. He closes them to rest for a few minutes, and jerks awake hours later.
“Uh,” he groans. His neck is stiff and his legs are cold from resting on the hard concrete floor. It’s pretty much the most uncomfortable position he could possibly have chosen to sleep in.
Ray looks down at him with an expression of concern. “You all right, Mikey?” he asks. That’s when Mikey realises he’s been leaning against Ray as he slept, his head on Ray’s shoulder and probably drooling on his shirt. It’s completely mortifying.
“Sorry,” he says, blushing deeply.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Ray. “You need the sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“About half past eleven.”
“Oh. What? Don’t you have a shift?”
“No, tonight’s our night off.”
“Oh.” Mikey takes a minute to absorb that, the idea of having a night off. His crew doesn’t have the night off. Soon enough, Mikey’s going to have to head back to the quarters, and Andrew.
“Mikey,” Ray whispers to him. Brendon’s still playing. He’s left the piano now, and is playing a guitar. The sound almost drowns out Ray’s words, he speaks so softly. “Mikey, what’s wrong? I can tell something is.”
Ray’s gentle concern combined with Mikey’s exhaustion and worry is nearly his undoing. He drops his head and breathes out shakily, unable to make the decision to answer Ray’s question or deflect it. Ray doesn’t give him the chance, either way.
“Is it your… your brother? You mentioned him the other day.”
Mikey lets out a surprised gasp. He hadn’t expected Ray to come to the right conclusion so easily.
“If you know his electronic I.D.,” says Ray, “Then maybe I could pass it on to Schecter…”
“No,” says Mikey quickly. “It’s okay. I already worked something out with Andrew.” One deal that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere is really all that Mikey can cope with. He hopes that Ray will let it go.
He doesn’t. “What do you mean, you worked something out with Andrew?” Ray asks, frowning.
Mikey tries to end this conversation as quickly as he can. “You know, like he did with Spencer.”
Ray shakes his head slowly, looking confused. “Andy is the one who told Schecter to look for Ryan,” he explains. “That redheaded guy who hangs out with Pete and Patrick? He was in charge of our crew until he left.”
“Oh,” says Mikey, feeling stupid and disappointed. Maybe Andrew isn’t going to deliver after all.
“What exactly have you worked out with Andrew?” Ray asks forcefully.
********
After that, things take a bit of a surreal turn. Ray drags Mikey off to talk to Schecter, who is nothing like Mikey expected. He’s short and covered in tattoos, and seems… nice, which just isn’t how a factory foreman should be.
Between Ray and Schecter, Mikey is pushed into explaining everything that had happened with Andrew since he’d arrived. It’s embarrassing, and Schecter seems really pissed when he hears what’s happened, which is frightening.
The whole ordeal takes more than an hour, and Mikey starts to get anxious, because he’ll have to go to work soon, and face the rest of the crew, and he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe Schecter can tell what he’s thinking, because he says, “Mikey, I don’t think you should go back to the same quarters. Ray, can you keep an eye on him until we work something out?”
Ray agrees, but Mikey feels obligated to explain, “I’m supposed to be working in a couple of hours.”
“Don’t worry about that,” says Schecter. Mikey is all set to leave when he asks something else. “Mikey, do you remember your brother’s electronic I.D.?”
Mikey does, of course. All voids have a chip implanted with a unique code for identification. Most telekinetics will call slaves by their code rather than bothering to remember their names, and Mikey remembers Gerard’s as well as his own. He stammers out the code, unable to believe this is really happening. Surely Schecter will just laugh at him now, and tell him that after all the trouble he’s caused there’s no way anyone will go looking for his brother.
Schecter doesn’t do that, though. “We’ll see if we can find him,” he says. “We should be able to track him down with his I.D. Do you have any idea where we should look?”
Mikey doesn’t, exactly. “He was sold to a brothel,” he says. Schecter looks sympathetic, but doesn’t try to offer any unconvincing platitudes, which Mikey appreciates.
“Get out of here,” he says. “And don’t worry about Andrew. We’ll take care of him.”
Mikey still isn’t sure what’s going to happen, but Ray takes his hand and leads the way out of Schecter’s office, and it becomes easier to let some of the worry go.