breathing with the aid of denial, 4/4
part one
part two
part three
He had a tight hold on the boy's neck before he was even noticed. Slamming Brendon Urie backward, Gerard had to fight back the knowledge that he took pleasure in the pure fear that flashed across Urie's face as his back connected with the hard, white wall. He paused, looking around the room. He had dropped down through one of the vents, into what appeared to be a science lab. Urie had been standing in front of a microscope before Gerard had grabbed him.
"Oh god, please," Urie stammered out, before screaming out, "Help! Shit, Bob!"
Gerard grabbed his wrist, spinning him around and pressing him face first into the wall. He yanked his arm upward, ignoring Urie's gasp of pain. He leaned in close and growled, "I know what you've been doing to my brother."
"I-I," Urie stammered, body trembling. "I'm sorry, I'm really, really--"
"Shut up," Gerard hissed. He couldn't seem to control his own rage. Normally, Gerard was all words. He got angry, and then he lectured and ranted about it for hours. He had never truly felt like injuring someone before. Not until now.
"You might want to back off," a calm voice said.
Gerard turned to see a taller man with large, bushy hair standing in the doorway. His arm was outstretched, glowing tendrils of light energy sparking between his fingers. The threat was clear. Behind him stood another man, who Gerard recognized from the last time he had escaped from the complex.
"I'm just having a conversation," Gerard replied, twisting Urie's arm a little more. Urie squeaked in pain.
"This is a bad idea, Way," the man said. "Just let him go and we'll keep you being here a secret." The blonde shot him a look, but said nothing to disprove his statement. "If you hurt him, or anyone for that matter, you'll be locked up. I don't want to have to hurt you."
"What's your name?" Gerard asked, tilting his head. "He's Brendon, I know, but who are you two?"
"Ray and Bob," the blonde replied, eyes narrowed as he blocked the way to the door.
"Right, well, Ray, I'd like to see you try to get a hold of me," Gerard said casually, taking a step back into the barely there shadows that lined the wall, leading to the shelves of chemicals. Gerard seemed to meld into the gray space, turning it darker until he was practically invisible. He pulled Urie with him, who had gone pale, sweat breaking out across his forehead from fear.
A spark of light illuminated the room, illuminating the shadow that Gerard had faded into, leaving him standing there, raising a hand to block his eyes. The light dimmed and Bob smirked at him. "Don't try your luck, Way."
Gerard clenched his jaw, eyes darting around the room in search of another exit. There was none, aside from the vent, but he knew that he'd never be able to climb back up there. Mentally cursing his own hastiness, he turned back to the others. He pulled Urie closer to himself, using the boy as a shield just in case. "I just want to see my brother. I want to save him. How hard is that to fucking understand? Or are you that cold-hearted?"
Urie let out something that sounded close to a sob, but Gerard ignored him in favor of the other two. They were the problems, the ones blocking his path.
"You light siders think you can control everything, don't you?" Gerard asked. "All you do is destroy people's lives, so you can build what? You're version of a perfect fucking world. A world like that doesn't exist and you know it, but that doesn't seem to stop you from trying, now does it? There's got to be some kind of heart left in you. You can't be that much of a puppet. So let me see my brother!"
"You have room to talk," Ray replied, sounding tired. "It was dark siders that destroyed my entire neighborhood. Dark siders that killed my parents and my girlfriend. Dark siders killed Bob's father. We're not a part of this regime because we're heartless, Gerard, we're here because your organization has left us no other place to turn." He slowly lowered his hand and glanced at Bob, a silent moment of conversation. "Now, let Urie go and we'll take you to see your brother."
"How do I know I can trust you?" Gerard said, warily.
"You don't," Bob said with a casual shrug. He pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. "And you're not going to be too happy about it, but we have to cuff you. If someone catches you walking around in here without it, we could lose our fucking necks."
Gerard stared at the handcuffs, mind racing. He could stay where he was and continue to fight them, but he was outnumbered and, for some reason, all the rage he had been feeling was slowly dissipating. Urie hadn't talked, he just stood there trembling and crying silently. The idea that these two would really help him was just enough to make him see hope.
He let go of Urie.
*
Spencer stared at the mirror. He had stared so long his reflection was practically a blur. He took in every detail: hair, eyes, skin, and mouth. Nothing had changed. Days later and still there was no change. He felt like it should be noticeable. He had brought someone back from the dead. He had broken the basic law of life, a law that no one talked about because it was generally known that no one would ever have enough power, enough strength to attempt necromancy.
And yet Spencer had and he had walked away with the barest hints of draining. It had been like a walk through a park for him, far too easy.
He wondered what else he could do. He could feel the power thrumming underneath his skin and knew he had only touched the surface of what lay there. He wondered if he could destroy the world. Which was a crazy and absurd thing to think about, but Spencer hadn't exactly lived a normal life. But, even more so, he wondered if he could do it again.
He could remember the others dying, their minds twisting into something unnatural until they couldn't take it anymore. At the time, it had been what Spencer had wanted. A young boy, hating the world and everything in it. He just wanted someone to hurt as much as he had.
Now, though. Now he kind of wanted to save it. He just wasn't sure how.
"Hey," Jon greeted, entering their bedroom, door shutting behind him. Spencer noticed that he didn't look over, could barely raise his head.
Spencer turned back to his reflection, hand reaching out to touch it. He blinked. "Are you afraid of me?"
There was a pause until, finally, Jon said, "No."
It was a lie. Both of them knew it, but neither one had the guts to say anything.
*
"Hey, hey!" Pete called, jogging to catch up with them. Brendon shot Gerard a nervous glance, watching as Gerard's hands twisted uncomfortably at the small of his back, before turning toward Pete with a fake smile. "Wow, huh. When did he show up?"
"Not too long ago," Ray replied with a small shrug.
Pete stared a Gerard a for a second before bouncing on the balls of his feet and grinning. "Hey, Urie, have you seen Mr. Ryan Ross? I have some stupid form for him to fill out."
"Oh, uh, no," Brendon said. He knew, of course. Ryan was with Mikey. He was always with Mikey. "Maybe you should check with Patrick or something?"
"Good thinking," Pete beamed. He glanced at Gerard one last time. "Uh, don't let him get away again, okay? I don't want to have to listen to the superiors bitch." Pete shook his head. "They're so lame."
"Whatever you say, Pete," Ray said, sounding amused.
Once Pete was gone, Gerard kept looking at them all, like he was begging to ask something. Finally, Bob prodded him in the back. "Ow! Motherfucker. ...Is that guy your boss?"
"No," Bob said.
"Thank god, I was seriously worried for a minute there," Gerard muttered under his breath as Ray shoved him into the elevator.
Brendon couldn't help but think that they were a strange group of people walking down the white hall. Gerard trudged along, obviously eager at the prospect of seeing his brother but not trusting them enough to follow through. Brendon half expected someone to jump out and catch them. They could get into a lot of trouble doing this, but Brendon knew that he would have done it anyway, even if Ray and Bob had not been there to make the final decision.
The prisoner floor was just as bight as all the others. A small square window was the only thing that allowed them to inside each cell. Most were full, the captives typically laying on their beds: white on white. The entire effect was washed out, like color couldn't exist on this floor. It made Brendon uncomfortable, as most things did these days. A light charge lined each doorway, which would send a severe shock into anyone's system if they attempted to open and pass through any of the doors without authorization. That was the reason they had no need for guards, not here where the prisoners were experiments.
On an even lower level rested the people who actually performed crimes, the dark side terrorists and light siders that decided to fight the system. Gerard was usually placed there, with Andy as his guard.
Brendon crossed his arms nervously and followed the others. He could see Gerard glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes. The man didn't seem as angry as he had before, but Brendon had the distinct feeling that if he took one step out of line Gerard would be on him and Bob and Ray wouldn't be able to stop him. Brendon hoped seeing Way would make up for something, even though he honestly felt the desire was fruitless. He had screwed up, plain and simple, by not thinking for himself.
He looked up at the sound of a low-pitched bang. The door to Way's room had opened, to show Ryan scrambling to get off of the bed. He looked flushed and irritated.
Gerard didn't seem to notice both Ryan and Way's compromising appearances. He started to rush forward, but Bob grabbed him by the arm as they all stepped inside. The door shut behind them. "What the fuck? Let me go."
"I thought you might want use of your arms," Bob commented, releasing him and raising an eyebrow.
Gerard looked at him a moment, before turning his back to him, giving him access of his bound wrists. Bob released him just as Way had managed to stand up, staring at his brother behind his glasses as though he were a mirage. Gerard took a couple of steps forward, before grabbing his brother and pulling him into a hug. He burrowed his face into Way's neck, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out, shaky.
"Hey, Gee," Way said, mouth twitching into a pleased smile.
Out of the corner of his eye Brendon could see Ryan covering his mouth, hiding a wide smile that radiated from his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Gerard demanded. "What am I saying, of course you're not okay."
Way blatantly looked over at Ryan, and Gerard jerked, a sign that he had noticed. "It could have been worse."
"Idiot. Always looking at the bright side of things."
"Guys? We need to keep this short. There's no telling how long Ryan's been in here," Ray said. "They might come checking any minute now."
"They're not going to let me take you home," Gerard said softly, looking up at his little brother. "But I'm going to get you out of here. I'll think of something. I'll even get the others on it, okay? Frank and Jon and Spencer--"
Ryan suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, catching everyone's attention. His large brown eyes had gone impossibly wider. Brendon watched the way Ryan's fingers twitched and fluttered as the boy searched for words.
"What?" Brendon finally asked.
"I've got a plan," Ryan said. He turned to Gerard, their eyes meeting, both large and holding more emotion than the owners were aware of. "If Spencer's...if he's the way I thought he'd turn out, then I definitely have a plan."
"What do you mean?" Gerard asked slowly.
"This is what we've been waiting for," Ryan said, turning to look at Brendon and the others. "All of us have been waiting for our chance to change things. This is it. If we can get the others on our side. Andy, Pete, Patrick..."
"Greta and Brain," Brendon added.
Ryan nodded. He looked toward the two dark siders. "You'll have to do most of the work. Spencer will have to do most of the work."
"Why are you so sure Spencer can do anything?" Way asked. His question was merely curious, like he had all faith in Ryan no matter what his reply was. It made Brendon recall Brian's words once more, about a true bond between a light and dark sider.
"You told me he was powerful, remember? I remember the expression on your face and I remember what it was like when his power manifested the first time. If my plan's going to work, we're going to have to rely on him." Ryan looked toward Gerard. "This could be it, I swear to you. My plan could work."
Gerard glanced over at the others. Brendon lowered his eyes, still uncomfortable with his position in all of this. He heard Gerard sigh. "Okay, kid, let me hear it."
*
Frank slowly uncrossed his arms, watching as Gerard carefully shut the bedroom door and silently began moving around the room, obviously thinking he was alone. Frank was frustrated and angry, but most of all he was disappointed in Gerard for leaving like he had. But he knew Gerard enough that he would try and avoid any kind of confrontation, so that left Frank no choice.
He pounced.
Gerard hit the bed with a yelp, trying to kick Frank off of him in a moment of panic. Frank, however, was fast and managed to get Gerard pinned to the bed, face pressed against the comforter. Frank sat back, resting on the curve of Gerard's lower back. "Guess what? We get to have a little discussion about being an idiot."
"Get off me," Gerard ordered, voice muffled.
He leaned down, lips brushing Gerard's ear as he said, "No."
"Frank--" Gerard started.
"I'm not done talking," Frank interrupted, nails momentarily digging into Gerard's sides. Gerard squirmed; making a low sound that could have been annoyance, or arousal. Frank was hoping it was the latter. "You ran off like a fucking idiot, Gerard. You didn't tell anyone where you were going. You just left. The only reason I know where you've been--and yes, I do know--is because you can't put files away properly to save your life. What if something had happened to you?"
Gerard turned his head, sucking in a bit of air. "Nothing bad happened. In fact...I think something good happened. I need to talk to you about it."
He rolled his eyes. "Did you listen to a word I said? I'm upset with you, Gerard Way. You're supposed to be offering sexual favors for my forgiveness."
Gerard began twisting around on the bed. Frank lifted himself up a bit, waiting until Gerard had settled on his back before he sat back down. He felt Gerard's hands slide up his hips and underneath his shirt where he felt a charge dance across his own skin as his own energy searched out Gerard's touch. He closed his eyes briefly, biting his lip, before reopening them.
"Okay," Frank whispered. "I'm listening."
"How do you feel about bringing down the light siders headquarters and everyone inside it that isn't sympathetic to non-light siders?" Gerard asked.
"You can't be serious." Frank chuckled weakly. "Gerard, that place is massive. Just because you managed to sneak in and out of there doesn't mean the rest of us can. And what sympathizers, aside from that Ross kid? What happened, Gerard? You're not telling me everything."
Gerard broke into a wide grin. "I saw him, Frank."
"Shit, seriously?" Frank beamed. "Is he okay? He's going to be okay, right? When we get him out of there?"
"He's hiding it, the way it's effected him, but..." Gerard sighed, fingers rubbing lightly at Frank's skin. "I think I'm going to have a brother-in-law after all of this is over."
Frank raised an eyebrow.
"Ryan. They, uh. Let's just say, they weren't as subtle as they thought they were."
"Fuck, Mikey with a light sider? Is that even healthy?" Frank asked. Gerard's expression made it clear that he wasn't sure. "That's just like Mikey, isn't it? Get captured by the bad guy and get one of them to fall in love with him, probably just by laying there like a cute little war veteran."
"Actually, I think that's how it happened," Gerard replied. "It's the whole soldier and nurse thing. Except in this case, they're both nurses."
Frank shifted on top of Gerard. He started to grin. "So...plot the demise of the government or crazy sex?"
"Crazy sex, then government demise," Gerard decided, pulling Frank down for a kiss.
Frank thrust his tongue into Gerard's mouth, tugging at the buttons on his shirt. He jerked back as one of the buttons popped off, flying across the room and hitting the wall. Gerard giggled, lifting up to slid his shirt off before pulling up Frank's. He lifted his arms, ducking his head to bite down on Gerard's shoulder as his shirt was tossed to the side. He felt hands on his pants, unzipping and nudging his pants down his hips an inch.
Gerard's mouth met his and they kissed, soft and searching. Arms wrapped around him, the heat from Gerard's body searing his skin as Gerard rolled them and pinned Frank to the bed. Frank sucked on Gerard's tongue as hands once again returned to his pants, shoving them down until he was bare from waist to thigh. Gerard thrust against him and Frank gasped, the rough denim rubbing against his sensitive skin and hard erection. He bucked as Gerard's thrust his hips once more.
Moaning, Frank could only roll his hips upward as his pants kept him from spreading his legs enough to gain purchase on the bed with his feet. Gerard continued to rock against him, tongue delving into Frank's mouth. Frank pulled away, sucking in air. "Fuck, Gee."
On hand clawed down Gerard's back, nails digging into skin and causing Gerard groan. The intensity of his jeans rubbing, creating friction against his body was almost too much, just bordering on perfection and the smallest twinge of pain. He couldn't help but trying to get more, hands scrambling for purchase, one taking hold of the low headboard, knuckles going white as he met each of Gerard's thrusts.
"Gee, shit, I'm--" Frank gasped. Suddenly hands were taking hold of his hips, pinning them to the mattress and pushing him away from Gerard, away from the friction. Frank whined low in his throat, back arching as he tried to get some kind of relief. He had been so close. "You bastard."
Gerard was grinning at him, obviously pleased with himself. He sat back, releasing Frank, fingers trailing down soft thighs before he took hold of Frank's pants and began pulling them the rest of the way off. The moment Frank was able to, he surged up onto his knees, grabbing a hold of Gerard and pulling him into a hard kiss. He palms slid down Gerard's back and he could feel spots of skin that had risen due to his scratching.
"I'm going to get you for that," Frank whispered.
"Looking forward to it," Gerard said.
*
Patrick Stump was a hard guy to read, unless the person trying to read him was Pete. Ryan knew this, so he didn't even bother attempting to understand the expression that was on Patrick's face as Ryan hovered next to the cabinet, accepting needles and rolls of gauze from him and placing each one carefully on the shelves. Patrick kept looking at him, like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should. Ryan knew the feeling.
"How's Way?" Patrick asked.
"Fine." Ryan was handed another roll of gauze as Patrick nodded casually.
He had no idea as to how he was going to approach the topic of his plan, if Patrick was even open to the idea of it. He had a feeling Patrick was, the man didn't seem like the type to purposely stand in the way of social evolution. And he was a healer; it was innate for him to want to help people. But...he was also Ryan's boss, which was a little daunting.
"You let me heal him," Ryan said, for lack of anything better.
Patrick visibly stilled, head lowering slightly. He seemed to be waiting for Ryan to continue. Ryan sucked in a breath and decided, if any of this crazy idea was going to work, now would be when he'd find out.
"I need to discuss something with you."
*
Jon was trembling as he stared up at the light sider's complex, the large building hovering over them like a symbol of oppression. He saw Gabe and Gerard disappear around the corner, moving into place to set off the warning blasts. He swallowed. Those blasts would be merely child's play, a sign to alert the ones on their side to evacuate the building. They'd have fifteen minutes to clear out and then...
He looked over at Spencer and Frank, who were huddled together in the darkness of the alleyway. Neither spoke. Spencer's face was pale. Slowly, Jon walked over, reaching out to touch him. Spencer jerked away. "Don't."
"Spence," Jon started.
"I can't do this," Spencer whispered, eyes wide as he shook his head almost desperately. "I can't, Jon. I'll lose control. This isn't like bringing a kid back to life or healing the injured. This is...this is destroying something. I'm not...I'm not sane enough for this. Don't make me do it, Jon."
"Shh," Jon said, grabbing him and pulling him into a hug. "You don't have to do anything. Gerard asked, remember? He didn't order. You can back out of this anytime you need to. We can do--"
"You wont be able to," Spencer said, face pressed into Jon's shoulder. "I--"
An explosion rocked the air, the sound of glass hitting the ground echoing in their ears. They couldn't see the damage, which was on the other side of the massive building, but the sounds had been vivid enough to tell them that the message had been sent loud and clear. And just as Gerard had told them, seconds within the blast someone was exiting the building.
They watched as people ran out of the doorway, silent as they hoped the plan was working, that those were the good guys.
Jon's eyes narrowed as he spotted a small boy being dragged out by a large blonde. The boy was protesting loudly, yelling about someone being left behind. Jon recognized him immediately. "Brendon."
"You mean--?" Spencer looked over. There was a moment of silence between the two of them. "If Brendon is here, maybe Ryan..."
"Spencer?"
"I'll do it," he said softly, pulling away and turning to Frank. "We better get prepared."
"Shit, are you sure about this? I don't know..." Frank was vibrating, uncontrollable energy almost visible underneath his skin. "I could damage you, Spencer."
"We don't have time for this, Frank, fuck do it already." Spencer reached out and took hold of Frank's arm, hissing at the contact. Frank sighed, letting his head drop.
Jon could only watch as Spencer let out a grunt of pain, the energy transferring from Frank to Spencer. He couldn't begin to imagine what Spencer was feeling. He was already too strong, he already held too much power, and now he was going to hold more. Maybe Spencer was right, maybe he couldn't handle this. But it was too late.
Black lines began to appear on Spencer's skin, swirls lightly dancing up his arms and neck. His eyes opened, black pools of energy, streaked with the darkest blue and purple. Spencer blinked, the mere flutter of his eyelashes causing a spark to appear in the air. Just as Spencer's hair was beginning to streak black, Frank pulled away.
Frank slumped against the wall, eyes fluttering and lungs heaving. He slid down the wall, legs sticking out in front of him. When he spoke, his voice cracked. "Okay, that wasn't so much fun."
"You okay?" Jon asked. He felt useless. Frank gave a weak nod.
"Jon?" Spencer said, turning to look at him and that, Jon decided, was one of the creepiest things he had ever seen. The person before him looked like Spencer, sounded like him, but there was something about the way he tilted his head that indicated this was a part of Spencer that never should have been let free.
"Yeah?"
"Do me a favor," he said, reaching out to cup Jon's face. Jon felt the touch vibrate all the way through him; it burned and yet it was like the greatest aphrodisiac ever created. "If I go too insane? Kill me."
"What? No! What the fuck, Spencer," Jon demanded. "I'm not going to kill you."
"Don't be stupid," Spencer said simply. And that was just like Spencer, to take something so dire and turn it into a simple procedure waiting to be completed. Jon wanted to hit him just as much as he wanted to kiss him. Spencer turned away, though, and began walking toward the building. "Time's up."
*
"Go! Go!" Ryan yelled, shoving Andy toward the elevator. He could see Andy's surprised face and the very moment where he was about to protest before the doors slid shut, leaving Ryan alone in the prisoner's ward. He turned and rushed for Mikey's cell, fumbling with his badge along the way. He nearly dropped it as he attempted to scan it, waiting with baited breath as the door opened. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Mikey said nothing, which Ryan was pretty sure meant they were actually perfect for each other. If he had started talking, Ryan probably would have killed him from the stress alone.
"We have less that two minutes to reach the first floor and get out of here," Ryan announced as they rushed for the very elevator he had just shoved Andy through. "This was a terrible plan."
"Not so terrible," Mikey offered as they entered the elevator. "Shouldn't we have used stairs?"
"There are none." Ryan glanced at him. "You're prisoners. If there's a fire, you're not supposed to survive."
"Ah," Mikey nodded.
The elevator opened with a cheerful sound. They exited into a hallway of complete disorder. People were rushing back and forth, trying to determine the direction the attack had come from and what measures they were supposed to be taking. Ryan watched them a second, momentarily caught off guard at how they all behaved like laboratory mice, uncertain of their direction and waiting for some kind of reward if they got the answer right.
Shaking his head, Ryan grabbed Mikey's wrist and began pulling him through the maze like hallways of the building. He thought briefly of the front door, but decided against it. Odds were, that would be where Spencer would enter and Ryan was not prepared to be caught in some kind of crossfire, not when he had Mikey to protect.
Mikey, for his part, was following calmly. There was a tension around his eyes that indicated he was as freaked out as Ryan was about these turn of events, but he managed to keep them hidden. Having met Gerard, Ryan figured he knew why Mikey was so good at that. They turned another corner just as the screams behind them grew louder. Mikey turned, stumbling. "What--?"
He didn't want to look, but curiosity got the best of him. He had expected dark energy, something resembling the pulsing and smoking substance similar to what Mikey had attacked Bob with. This...it was dark, but it was more than that. It was the epitome of darkness. "Oh. Fuck."
He couldn't move. Just being this close to it was sending shocks of pain through Ryan's body. Within the darkness he could see the vague outline of a figure, someone that he could distantly remember if he put his name to it.
"Hey," Mikey said, catching his attention. He ripped his eyes away from the sight of the plaster on the walls beginning to crumble, allowing Mikey to cup his face. "Focus on me and get us out of here."
"Right," he breathed. "I can do that."
He took hold of Mikey's hand and, ignoring the wave of chaos behind them, he ran.
*
He tripped, tumbling over chunks of cement that once belonged to a sidewalk. Hands took hold of his arms, tugging him upward. He looked up to see a young woman with a gentle expression helping him up. A light sider, there was no doubt. He glanced briefly at her nametag--Greta Salpepper, Head Librarian--before he looked over her shoulder to see a clump of people hiding out between the buildings. It was a small number, but more than he had suspected.
Gerard turned to look back up at the building. No longer did it shine in the sunlight. The metal that had lined the windows was now made of rust; the glass itself turned a dark, ugly brown. Cracks filled with black ooze were appearing all over the frame of the building and he expected it to fall to the ground at any moment.
Two figures suddenly darted out of a side door, an inky black substance following them like a plague.
Everything seemed to still. The energy surrounding the place came to a dead stop. Then, a sensation filled the air, similar to the suction of a vacuum. Gerard blinked, spotting Mikey and Ryan darting behind a large piece of cement. Then a roar filled his ears. Screaming for the others to duck, Gerard grabbed Greta and threw her to the ground, covering her with his body.
All he could hear was the impossibly loud sound of a boom. All he could feel was pressure, crushing at his very bones.
It lasted only a second, but it was a second Gerard never wanted to repeat. He lifted his head, slowly climbing off of Greta and giving her a hand up. She wobbled there for a moment, looking like she was going to vomit. He turned toward his brother, picking his way over as he avoided looking at the building. He could barely walk in a straight line.
Jon dodged past him just as he reached Mikey, who was slowly getting to his feet. They watched silently as Jon ran toward the building. No one bothered to stop him. None of them would have been able to.
"Well? Did it work out the way you planned?" Gerard asked Ryan.
Ryan looked up at the building. It was still standing, if it could even be called a building anymore. It seemed to be more like a void, a space made up of nothing but energy, where nothing could exist and yet everything existed at the same time. Gerard shuddered, thinking of the corrupt light side politicians and scientists that had been left inside the building. In the slim chance that any of them had survived, well, Gerard doubted they would have the mental capability to fight the rise of someone else into power.
"No one can ever imagine the destruction they can cause before it happens," Ryan finally said. "I didn't think...I didn't realize he would go this far."
"Spencer's too thorough to do anything less," Mikey stated.
They fell silent as Jon emerged from the building, Spencer's unconscious body in his arms. Jon's face was expressionless as he carried Spencer over. Dark liquid dripped steadily off of Spencer's skin as the black swirls decorating his skin faded, leaving a trail behind Jon. Mikey stepped forward. "Hand him over."
"He's alive," Jon said, clearly unable to think beyond that very fact: Spencer was alive, he had survived. "He's..."
"He's drained, Jon. Give him to me, let me check him over," Mikey said softly, calmly. It was the voice that made him such a good healer. Gerard felt a wave of pride and, underneath that, guilt. He would have done all of this over again, if it meant saving his brother.
*
There was no celebration. The dark siders were just as stumped as the grayscales on what had happened. However, the dark siders couldn't fight the fact that it had been one of their own that had done the damage. From what Brendon could tell, the grayscales had finally opened their eyes, shocked by the recent events into realizing that a person of one polar power could not and would not be able to rule properly.
Brendon just hoped they knew what to do with the city, now that the light siders were knocked from their platform and the dark siders were given a freedom they had not felt in at least two thousand years.
He slowly let out a breath, scooting closer to the warmth of Bob's body as he gazed around the room. The survivors had banded together afterwards. Sometimes as he watched the dark and light siders speak with one another Brendon wanted to call Ryan and Spencer heroes, but he knew he couldn't. No one was a hero in this world. Bob's arm wrapped around his shoulders and slowly he felt his shivering stop. Three months and he still hadn't fully recovered from the effects of Spencer's attack. He was better off than most of the others, however, who hadn't had someone to block him or her from the worst of it.
Brendon couldn't bring himself to look at Bob's damaged back which, despite Mikey's efforts, had yet to be healed.
"Stop thinking," Bob murmured.
"Not much else to do around here," Frank commented from across the room.
"Who'd ever think we'd miss the good old days," Spencer commented, voice cracking and eyes half-closed. He had only awoken a few days ago. He could barely walk. "At least we had something to do."
"Yeah, war had its advantages," Frank agreed.
"I'm ignoring this conversation," Gerard announced stubbornly. Frank smiled and leaned into his side.
Brendon looked over at Ryan and Mikey, who were huddled together in the corner. They had barely separated, neither one allowing the other to go too far. He watched them, as their fingers laced together, and couldn't help but feel a small spark of hope. He turned toward the others and asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "What do we do now?"
Author's End Notes:
Much love goes to my f-list for suffering through my endless babbling about this fic. Especially wishfulclicking who actually asked me questions that made me flesh out this world just a tiny bit more.
part two
part three
He had a tight hold on the boy's neck before he was even noticed. Slamming Brendon Urie backward, Gerard had to fight back the knowledge that he took pleasure in the pure fear that flashed across Urie's face as his back connected with the hard, white wall. He paused, looking around the room. He had dropped down through one of the vents, into what appeared to be a science lab. Urie had been standing in front of a microscope before Gerard had grabbed him.
"Oh god, please," Urie stammered out, before screaming out, "Help! Shit, Bob!"
Gerard grabbed his wrist, spinning him around and pressing him face first into the wall. He yanked his arm upward, ignoring Urie's gasp of pain. He leaned in close and growled, "I know what you've been doing to my brother."
"I-I," Urie stammered, body trembling. "I'm sorry, I'm really, really--"
"Shut up," Gerard hissed. He couldn't seem to control his own rage. Normally, Gerard was all words. He got angry, and then he lectured and ranted about it for hours. He had never truly felt like injuring someone before. Not until now.
"You might want to back off," a calm voice said.
Gerard turned to see a taller man with large, bushy hair standing in the doorway. His arm was outstretched, glowing tendrils of light energy sparking between his fingers. The threat was clear. Behind him stood another man, who Gerard recognized from the last time he had escaped from the complex.
"I'm just having a conversation," Gerard replied, twisting Urie's arm a little more. Urie squeaked in pain.
"This is a bad idea, Way," the man said. "Just let him go and we'll keep you being here a secret." The blonde shot him a look, but said nothing to disprove his statement. "If you hurt him, or anyone for that matter, you'll be locked up. I don't want to have to hurt you."
"What's your name?" Gerard asked, tilting his head. "He's Brendon, I know, but who are you two?"
"Ray and Bob," the blonde replied, eyes narrowed as he blocked the way to the door.
"Right, well, Ray, I'd like to see you try to get a hold of me," Gerard said casually, taking a step back into the barely there shadows that lined the wall, leading to the shelves of chemicals. Gerard seemed to meld into the gray space, turning it darker until he was practically invisible. He pulled Urie with him, who had gone pale, sweat breaking out across his forehead from fear.
A spark of light illuminated the room, illuminating the shadow that Gerard had faded into, leaving him standing there, raising a hand to block his eyes. The light dimmed and Bob smirked at him. "Don't try your luck, Way."
Gerard clenched his jaw, eyes darting around the room in search of another exit. There was none, aside from the vent, but he knew that he'd never be able to climb back up there. Mentally cursing his own hastiness, he turned back to the others. He pulled Urie closer to himself, using the boy as a shield just in case. "I just want to see my brother. I want to save him. How hard is that to fucking understand? Or are you that cold-hearted?"
Urie let out something that sounded close to a sob, but Gerard ignored him in favor of the other two. They were the problems, the ones blocking his path.
"You light siders think you can control everything, don't you?" Gerard asked. "All you do is destroy people's lives, so you can build what? You're version of a perfect fucking world. A world like that doesn't exist and you know it, but that doesn't seem to stop you from trying, now does it? There's got to be some kind of heart left in you. You can't be that much of a puppet. So let me see my brother!"
"You have room to talk," Ray replied, sounding tired. "It was dark siders that destroyed my entire neighborhood. Dark siders that killed my parents and my girlfriend. Dark siders killed Bob's father. We're not a part of this regime because we're heartless, Gerard, we're here because your organization has left us no other place to turn." He slowly lowered his hand and glanced at Bob, a silent moment of conversation. "Now, let Urie go and we'll take you to see your brother."
"How do I know I can trust you?" Gerard said, warily.
"You don't," Bob said with a casual shrug. He pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. "And you're not going to be too happy about it, but we have to cuff you. If someone catches you walking around in here without it, we could lose our fucking necks."
Gerard stared at the handcuffs, mind racing. He could stay where he was and continue to fight them, but he was outnumbered and, for some reason, all the rage he had been feeling was slowly dissipating. Urie hadn't talked, he just stood there trembling and crying silently. The idea that these two would really help him was just enough to make him see hope.
He let go of Urie.
*
Spencer stared at the mirror. He had stared so long his reflection was practically a blur. He took in every detail: hair, eyes, skin, and mouth. Nothing had changed. Days later and still there was no change. He felt like it should be noticeable. He had brought someone back from the dead. He had broken the basic law of life, a law that no one talked about because it was generally known that no one would ever have enough power, enough strength to attempt necromancy.
And yet Spencer had and he had walked away with the barest hints of draining. It had been like a walk through a park for him, far too easy.
He wondered what else he could do. He could feel the power thrumming underneath his skin and knew he had only touched the surface of what lay there. He wondered if he could destroy the world. Which was a crazy and absurd thing to think about, but Spencer hadn't exactly lived a normal life. But, even more so, he wondered if he could do it again.
He could remember the others dying, their minds twisting into something unnatural until they couldn't take it anymore. At the time, it had been what Spencer had wanted. A young boy, hating the world and everything in it. He just wanted someone to hurt as much as he had.
Now, though. Now he kind of wanted to save it. He just wasn't sure how.
"Hey," Jon greeted, entering their bedroom, door shutting behind him. Spencer noticed that he didn't look over, could barely raise his head.
Spencer turned back to his reflection, hand reaching out to touch it. He blinked. "Are you afraid of me?"
There was a pause until, finally, Jon said, "No."
It was a lie. Both of them knew it, but neither one had the guts to say anything.
*
"Hey, hey!" Pete called, jogging to catch up with them. Brendon shot Gerard a nervous glance, watching as Gerard's hands twisted uncomfortably at the small of his back, before turning toward Pete with a fake smile. "Wow, huh. When did he show up?"
"Not too long ago," Ray replied with a small shrug.
Pete stared a Gerard a for a second before bouncing on the balls of his feet and grinning. "Hey, Urie, have you seen Mr. Ryan Ross? I have some stupid form for him to fill out."
"Oh, uh, no," Brendon said. He knew, of course. Ryan was with Mikey. He was always with Mikey. "Maybe you should check with Patrick or something?"
"Good thinking," Pete beamed. He glanced at Gerard one last time. "Uh, don't let him get away again, okay? I don't want to have to listen to the superiors bitch." Pete shook his head. "They're so lame."
"Whatever you say, Pete," Ray said, sounding amused.
Once Pete was gone, Gerard kept looking at them all, like he was begging to ask something. Finally, Bob prodded him in the back. "Ow! Motherfucker. ...Is that guy your boss?"
"No," Bob said.
"Thank god, I was seriously worried for a minute there," Gerard muttered under his breath as Ray shoved him into the elevator.
Brendon couldn't help but think that they were a strange group of people walking down the white hall. Gerard trudged along, obviously eager at the prospect of seeing his brother but not trusting them enough to follow through. Brendon half expected someone to jump out and catch them. They could get into a lot of trouble doing this, but Brendon knew that he would have done it anyway, even if Ray and Bob had not been there to make the final decision.
The prisoner floor was just as bight as all the others. A small square window was the only thing that allowed them to inside each cell. Most were full, the captives typically laying on their beds: white on white. The entire effect was washed out, like color couldn't exist on this floor. It made Brendon uncomfortable, as most things did these days. A light charge lined each doorway, which would send a severe shock into anyone's system if they attempted to open and pass through any of the doors without authorization. That was the reason they had no need for guards, not here where the prisoners were experiments.
On an even lower level rested the people who actually performed crimes, the dark side terrorists and light siders that decided to fight the system. Gerard was usually placed there, with Andy as his guard.
Brendon crossed his arms nervously and followed the others. He could see Gerard glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes. The man didn't seem as angry as he had before, but Brendon had the distinct feeling that if he took one step out of line Gerard would be on him and Bob and Ray wouldn't be able to stop him. Brendon hoped seeing Way would make up for something, even though he honestly felt the desire was fruitless. He had screwed up, plain and simple, by not thinking for himself.
He looked up at the sound of a low-pitched bang. The door to Way's room had opened, to show Ryan scrambling to get off of the bed. He looked flushed and irritated.
Gerard didn't seem to notice both Ryan and Way's compromising appearances. He started to rush forward, but Bob grabbed him by the arm as they all stepped inside. The door shut behind them. "What the fuck? Let me go."
"I thought you might want use of your arms," Bob commented, releasing him and raising an eyebrow.
Gerard looked at him a moment, before turning his back to him, giving him access of his bound wrists. Bob released him just as Way had managed to stand up, staring at his brother behind his glasses as though he were a mirage. Gerard took a couple of steps forward, before grabbing his brother and pulling him into a hug. He burrowed his face into Way's neck, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out, shaky.
"Hey, Gee," Way said, mouth twitching into a pleased smile.
Out of the corner of his eye Brendon could see Ryan covering his mouth, hiding a wide smile that radiated from his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Gerard demanded. "What am I saying, of course you're not okay."
Way blatantly looked over at Ryan, and Gerard jerked, a sign that he had noticed. "It could have been worse."
"Idiot. Always looking at the bright side of things."
"Guys? We need to keep this short. There's no telling how long Ryan's been in here," Ray said. "They might come checking any minute now."
"They're not going to let me take you home," Gerard said softly, looking up at his little brother. "But I'm going to get you out of here. I'll think of something. I'll even get the others on it, okay? Frank and Jon and Spencer--"
Ryan suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, catching everyone's attention. His large brown eyes had gone impossibly wider. Brendon watched the way Ryan's fingers twitched and fluttered as the boy searched for words.
"What?" Brendon finally asked.
"I've got a plan," Ryan said. He turned to Gerard, their eyes meeting, both large and holding more emotion than the owners were aware of. "If Spencer's...if he's the way I thought he'd turn out, then I definitely have a plan."
"What do you mean?" Gerard asked slowly.
"This is what we've been waiting for," Ryan said, turning to look at Brendon and the others. "All of us have been waiting for our chance to change things. This is it. If we can get the others on our side. Andy, Pete, Patrick..."
"Greta and Brain," Brendon added.
Ryan nodded. He looked toward the two dark siders. "You'll have to do most of the work. Spencer will have to do most of the work."
"Why are you so sure Spencer can do anything?" Way asked. His question was merely curious, like he had all faith in Ryan no matter what his reply was. It made Brendon recall Brian's words once more, about a true bond between a light and dark sider.
"You told me he was powerful, remember? I remember the expression on your face and I remember what it was like when his power manifested the first time. If my plan's going to work, we're going to have to rely on him." Ryan looked toward Gerard. "This could be it, I swear to you. My plan could work."
Gerard glanced over at the others. Brendon lowered his eyes, still uncomfortable with his position in all of this. He heard Gerard sigh. "Okay, kid, let me hear it."
*
Frank slowly uncrossed his arms, watching as Gerard carefully shut the bedroom door and silently began moving around the room, obviously thinking he was alone. Frank was frustrated and angry, but most of all he was disappointed in Gerard for leaving like he had. But he knew Gerard enough that he would try and avoid any kind of confrontation, so that left Frank no choice.
He pounced.
Gerard hit the bed with a yelp, trying to kick Frank off of him in a moment of panic. Frank, however, was fast and managed to get Gerard pinned to the bed, face pressed against the comforter. Frank sat back, resting on the curve of Gerard's lower back. "Guess what? We get to have a little discussion about being an idiot."
"Get off me," Gerard ordered, voice muffled.
He leaned down, lips brushing Gerard's ear as he said, "No."
"Frank--" Gerard started.
"I'm not done talking," Frank interrupted, nails momentarily digging into Gerard's sides. Gerard squirmed; making a low sound that could have been annoyance, or arousal. Frank was hoping it was the latter. "You ran off like a fucking idiot, Gerard. You didn't tell anyone where you were going. You just left. The only reason I know where you've been--and yes, I do know--is because you can't put files away properly to save your life. What if something had happened to you?"
Gerard turned his head, sucking in a bit of air. "Nothing bad happened. In fact...I think something good happened. I need to talk to you about it."
He rolled his eyes. "Did you listen to a word I said? I'm upset with you, Gerard Way. You're supposed to be offering sexual favors for my forgiveness."
Gerard began twisting around on the bed. Frank lifted himself up a bit, waiting until Gerard had settled on his back before he sat back down. He felt Gerard's hands slide up his hips and underneath his shirt where he felt a charge dance across his own skin as his own energy searched out Gerard's touch. He closed his eyes briefly, biting his lip, before reopening them.
"Okay," Frank whispered. "I'm listening."
"How do you feel about bringing down the light siders headquarters and everyone inside it that isn't sympathetic to non-light siders?" Gerard asked.
"You can't be serious." Frank chuckled weakly. "Gerard, that place is massive. Just because you managed to sneak in and out of there doesn't mean the rest of us can. And what sympathizers, aside from that Ross kid? What happened, Gerard? You're not telling me everything."
Gerard broke into a wide grin. "I saw him, Frank."
"Shit, seriously?" Frank beamed. "Is he okay? He's going to be okay, right? When we get him out of there?"
"He's hiding it, the way it's effected him, but..." Gerard sighed, fingers rubbing lightly at Frank's skin. "I think I'm going to have a brother-in-law after all of this is over."
Frank raised an eyebrow.
"Ryan. They, uh. Let's just say, they weren't as subtle as they thought they were."
"Fuck, Mikey with a light sider? Is that even healthy?" Frank asked. Gerard's expression made it clear that he wasn't sure. "That's just like Mikey, isn't it? Get captured by the bad guy and get one of them to fall in love with him, probably just by laying there like a cute little war veteran."
"Actually, I think that's how it happened," Gerard replied. "It's the whole soldier and nurse thing. Except in this case, they're both nurses."
Frank shifted on top of Gerard. He started to grin. "So...plot the demise of the government or crazy sex?"
"Crazy sex, then government demise," Gerard decided, pulling Frank down for a kiss.
Frank thrust his tongue into Gerard's mouth, tugging at the buttons on his shirt. He jerked back as one of the buttons popped off, flying across the room and hitting the wall. Gerard giggled, lifting up to slid his shirt off before pulling up Frank's. He lifted his arms, ducking his head to bite down on Gerard's shoulder as his shirt was tossed to the side. He felt hands on his pants, unzipping and nudging his pants down his hips an inch.
Gerard's mouth met his and they kissed, soft and searching. Arms wrapped around him, the heat from Gerard's body searing his skin as Gerard rolled them and pinned Frank to the bed. Frank sucked on Gerard's tongue as hands once again returned to his pants, shoving them down until he was bare from waist to thigh. Gerard thrust against him and Frank gasped, the rough denim rubbing against his sensitive skin and hard erection. He bucked as Gerard's thrust his hips once more.
Moaning, Frank could only roll his hips upward as his pants kept him from spreading his legs enough to gain purchase on the bed with his feet. Gerard continued to rock against him, tongue delving into Frank's mouth. Frank pulled away, sucking in air. "Fuck, Gee."
On hand clawed down Gerard's back, nails digging into skin and causing Gerard groan. The intensity of his jeans rubbing, creating friction against his body was almost too much, just bordering on perfection and the smallest twinge of pain. He couldn't help but trying to get more, hands scrambling for purchase, one taking hold of the low headboard, knuckles going white as he met each of Gerard's thrusts.
"Gee, shit, I'm--" Frank gasped. Suddenly hands were taking hold of his hips, pinning them to the mattress and pushing him away from Gerard, away from the friction. Frank whined low in his throat, back arching as he tried to get some kind of relief. He had been so close. "You bastard."
Gerard was grinning at him, obviously pleased with himself. He sat back, releasing Frank, fingers trailing down soft thighs before he took hold of Frank's pants and began pulling them the rest of the way off. The moment Frank was able to, he surged up onto his knees, grabbing a hold of Gerard and pulling him into a hard kiss. He palms slid down Gerard's back and he could feel spots of skin that had risen due to his scratching.
"I'm going to get you for that," Frank whispered.
"Looking forward to it," Gerard said.
*
Patrick Stump was a hard guy to read, unless the person trying to read him was Pete. Ryan knew this, so he didn't even bother attempting to understand the expression that was on Patrick's face as Ryan hovered next to the cabinet, accepting needles and rolls of gauze from him and placing each one carefully on the shelves. Patrick kept looking at him, like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should. Ryan knew the feeling.
"How's Way?" Patrick asked.
"Fine." Ryan was handed another roll of gauze as Patrick nodded casually.
He had no idea as to how he was going to approach the topic of his plan, if Patrick was even open to the idea of it. He had a feeling Patrick was, the man didn't seem like the type to purposely stand in the way of social evolution. And he was a healer; it was innate for him to want to help people. But...he was also Ryan's boss, which was a little daunting.
"You let me heal him," Ryan said, for lack of anything better.
Patrick visibly stilled, head lowering slightly. He seemed to be waiting for Ryan to continue. Ryan sucked in a breath and decided, if any of this crazy idea was going to work, now would be when he'd find out.
"I need to discuss something with you."
*
Jon was trembling as he stared up at the light sider's complex, the large building hovering over them like a symbol of oppression. He saw Gabe and Gerard disappear around the corner, moving into place to set off the warning blasts. He swallowed. Those blasts would be merely child's play, a sign to alert the ones on their side to evacuate the building. They'd have fifteen minutes to clear out and then...
He looked over at Spencer and Frank, who were huddled together in the darkness of the alleyway. Neither spoke. Spencer's face was pale. Slowly, Jon walked over, reaching out to touch him. Spencer jerked away. "Don't."
"Spence," Jon started.
"I can't do this," Spencer whispered, eyes wide as he shook his head almost desperately. "I can't, Jon. I'll lose control. This isn't like bringing a kid back to life or healing the injured. This is...this is destroying something. I'm not...I'm not sane enough for this. Don't make me do it, Jon."
"Shh," Jon said, grabbing him and pulling him into a hug. "You don't have to do anything. Gerard asked, remember? He didn't order. You can back out of this anytime you need to. We can do--"
"You wont be able to," Spencer said, face pressed into Jon's shoulder. "I--"
An explosion rocked the air, the sound of glass hitting the ground echoing in their ears. They couldn't see the damage, which was on the other side of the massive building, but the sounds had been vivid enough to tell them that the message had been sent loud and clear. And just as Gerard had told them, seconds within the blast someone was exiting the building.
They watched as people ran out of the doorway, silent as they hoped the plan was working, that those were the good guys.
Jon's eyes narrowed as he spotted a small boy being dragged out by a large blonde. The boy was protesting loudly, yelling about someone being left behind. Jon recognized him immediately. "Brendon."
"You mean--?" Spencer looked over. There was a moment of silence between the two of them. "If Brendon is here, maybe Ryan..."
"Spencer?"
"I'll do it," he said softly, pulling away and turning to Frank. "We better get prepared."
"Shit, are you sure about this? I don't know..." Frank was vibrating, uncontrollable energy almost visible underneath his skin. "I could damage you, Spencer."
"We don't have time for this, Frank, fuck do it already." Spencer reached out and took hold of Frank's arm, hissing at the contact. Frank sighed, letting his head drop.
Jon could only watch as Spencer let out a grunt of pain, the energy transferring from Frank to Spencer. He couldn't begin to imagine what Spencer was feeling. He was already too strong, he already held too much power, and now he was going to hold more. Maybe Spencer was right, maybe he couldn't handle this. But it was too late.
Black lines began to appear on Spencer's skin, swirls lightly dancing up his arms and neck. His eyes opened, black pools of energy, streaked with the darkest blue and purple. Spencer blinked, the mere flutter of his eyelashes causing a spark to appear in the air. Just as Spencer's hair was beginning to streak black, Frank pulled away.
Frank slumped against the wall, eyes fluttering and lungs heaving. He slid down the wall, legs sticking out in front of him. When he spoke, his voice cracked. "Okay, that wasn't so much fun."
"You okay?" Jon asked. He felt useless. Frank gave a weak nod.
"Jon?" Spencer said, turning to look at him and that, Jon decided, was one of the creepiest things he had ever seen. The person before him looked like Spencer, sounded like him, but there was something about the way he tilted his head that indicated this was a part of Spencer that never should have been let free.
"Yeah?"
"Do me a favor," he said, reaching out to cup Jon's face. Jon felt the touch vibrate all the way through him; it burned and yet it was like the greatest aphrodisiac ever created. "If I go too insane? Kill me."
"What? No! What the fuck, Spencer," Jon demanded. "I'm not going to kill you."
"Don't be stupid," Spencer said simply. And that was just like Spencer, to take something so dire and turn it into a simple procedure waiting to be completed. Jon wanted to hit him just as much as he wanted to kiss him. Spencer turned away, though, and began walking toward the building. "Time's up."
*
"Go! Go!" Ryan yelled, shoving Andy toward the elevator. He could see Andy's surprised face and the very moment where he was about to protest before the doors slid shut, leaving Ryan alone in the prisoner's ward. He turned and rushed for Mikey's cell, fumbling with his badge along the way. He nearly dropped it as he attempted to scan it, waiting with baited breath as the door opened. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Mikey said nothing, which Ryan was pretty sure meant they were actually perfect for each other. If he had started talking, Ryan probably would have killed him from the stress alone.
"We have less that two minutes to reach the first floor and get out of here," Ryan announced as they rushed for the very elevator he had just shoved Andy through. "This was a terrible plan."
"Not so terrible," Mikey offered as they entered the elevator. "Shouldn't we have used stairs?"
"There are none." Ryan glanced at him. "You're prisoners. If there's a fire, you're not supposed to survive."
"Ah," Mikey nodded.
The elevator opened with a cheerful sound. They exited into a hallway of complete disorder. People were rushing back and forth, trying to determine the direction the attack had come from and what measures they were supposed to be taking. Ryan watched them a second, momentarily caught off guard at how they all behaved like laboratory mice, uncertain of their direction and waiting for some kind of reward if they got the answer right.
Shaking his head, Ryan grabbed Mikey's wrist and began pulling him through the maze like hallways of the building. He thought briefly of the front door, but decided against it. Odds were, that would be where Spencer would enter and Ryan was not prepared to be caught in some kind of crossfire, not when he had Mikey to protect.
Mikey, for his part, was following calmly. There was a tension around his eyes that indicated he was as freaked out as Ryan was about these turn of events, but he managed to keep them hidden. Having met Gerard, Ryan figured he knew why Mikey was so good at that. They turned another corner just as the screams behind them grew louder. Mikey turned, stumbling. "What--?"
He didn't want to look, but curiosity got the best of him. He had expected dark energy, something resembling the pulsing and smoking substance similar to what Mikey had attacked Bob with. This...it was dark, but it was more than that. It was the epitome of darkness. "Oh. Fuck."
He couldn't move. Just being this close to it was sending shocks of pain through Ryan's body. Within the darkness he could see the vague outline of a figure, someone that he could distantly remember if he put his name to it.
"Hey," Mikey said, catching his attention. He ripped his eyes away from the sight of the plaster on the walls beginning to crumble, allowing Mikey to cup his face. "Focus on me and get us out of here."
"Right," he breathed. "I can do that."
He took hold of Mikey's hand and, ignoring the wave of chaos behind them, he ran.
*
He tripped, tumbling over chunks of cement that once belonged to a sidewalk. Hands took hold of his arms, tugging him upward. He looked up to see a young woman with a gentle expression helping him up. A light sider, there was no doubt. He glanced briefly at her nametag--Greta Salpepper, Head Librarian--before he looked over her shoulder to see a clump of people hiding out between the buildings. It was a small number, but more than he had suspected.
Gerard turned to look back up at the building. No longer did it shine in the sunlight. The metal that had lined the windows was now made of rust; the glass itself turned a dark, ugly brown. Cracks filled with black ooze were appearing all over the frame of the building and he expected it to fall to the ground at any moment.
Two figures suddenly darted out of a side door, an inky black substance following them like a plague.
Everything seemed to still. The energy surrounding the place came to a dead stop. Then, a sensation filled the air, similar to the suction of a vacuum. Gerard blinked, spotting Mikey and Ryan darting behind a large piece of cement. Then a roar filled his ears. Screaming for the others to duck, Gerard grabbed Greta and threw her to the ground, covering her with his body.
All he could hear was the impossibly loud sound of a boom. All he could feel was pressure, crushing at his very bones.
It lasted only a second, but it was a second Gerard never wanted to repeat. He lifted his head, slowly climbing off of Greta and giving her a hand up. She wobbled there for a moment, looking like she was going to vomit. He turned toward his brother, picking his way over as he avoided looking at the building. He could barely walk in a straight line.
Jon dodged past him just as he reached Mikey, who was slowly getting to his feet. They watched silently as Jon ran toward the building. No one bothered to stop him. None of them would have been able to.
"Well? Did it work out the way you planned?" Gerard asked Ryan.
Ryan looked up at the building. It was still standing, if it could even be called a building anymore. It seemed to be more like a void, a space made up of nothing but energy, where nothing could exist and yet everything existed at the same time. Gerard shuddered, thinking of the corrupt light side politicians and scientists that had been left inside the building. In the slim chance that any of them had survived, well, Gerard doubted they would have the mental capability to fight the rise of someone else into power.
"No one can ever imagine the destruction they can cause before it happens," Ryan finally said. "I didn't think...I didn't realize he would go this far."
"Spencer's too thorough to do anything less," Mikey stated.
They fell silent as Jon emerged from the building, Spencer's unconscious body in his arms. Jon's face was expressionless as he carried Spencer over. Dark liquid dripped steadily off of Spencer's skin as the black swirls decorating his skin faded, leaving a trail behind Jon. Mikey stepped forward. "Hand him over."
"He's alive," Jon said, clearly unable to think beyond that very fact: Spencer was alive, he had survived. "He's..."
"He's drained, Jon. Give him to me, let me check him over," Mikey said softly, calmly. It was the voice that made him such a good healer. Gerard felt a wave of pride and, underneath that, guilt. He would have done all of this over again, if it meant saving his brother.
*
There was no celebration. The dark siders were just as stumped as the grayscales on what had happened. However, the dark siders couldn't fight the fact that it had been one of their own that had done the damage. From what Brendon could tell, the grayscales had finally opened their eyes, shocked by the recent events into realizing that a person of one polar power could not and would not be able to rule properly.
Brendon just hoped they knew what to do with the city, now that the light siders were knocked from their platform and the dark siders were given a freedom they had not felt in at least two thousand years.
He slowly let out a breath, scooting closer to the warmth of Bob's body as he gazed around the room. The survivors had banded together afterwards. Sometimes as he watched the dark and light siders speak with one another Brendon wanted to call Ryan and Spencer heroes, but he knew he couldn't. No one was a hero in this world. Bob's arm wrapped around his shoulders and slowly he felt his shivering stop. Three months and he still hadn't fully recovered from the effects of Spencer's attack. He was better off than most of the others, however, who hadn't had someone to block him or her from the worst of it.
Brendon couldn't bring himself to look at Bob's damaged back which, despite Mikey's efforts, had yet to be healed.
"Stop thinking," Bob murmured.
"Not much else to do around here," Frank commented from across the room.
"Who'd ever think we'd miss the good old days," Spencer commented, voice cracking and eyes half-closed. He had only awoken a few days ago. He could barely walk. "At least we had something to do."
"Yeah, war had its advantages," Frank agreed.
"I'm ignoring this conversation," Gerard announced stubbornly. Frank smiled and leaned into his side.
Brendon looked over at Ryan and Mikey, who were huddled together in the corner. They had barely separated, neither one allowing the other to go too far. He watched them, as their fingers laced together, and couldn't help but feel a small spark of hope. He turned toward the others and asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "What do we do now?"
Author's End Notes:
Much love goes to my f-list for suffering through my endless babbling about this fic. Especially wishfulclicking who actually asked me questions that made me flesh out this world just a tiny bit more.