breathing with the aid of denial, 2/4
part one
Gerard sat in the small cafeteria of the dark sider headquarters, sipping cold coffee from a paper cup and reading the latest grayscale newspaper. The man across from him was complaining, loudly, about the latest kid they had rescued. Gerard nodded occasionally, giving off the air of someone that was actually listening.
"Gabe, shut up," Frank ordered as he bounded over, slipping into the chair next to Gerard. He immediately scooted closer, so their bodies could press alongside one another. "What'cha reading?"
"Nothing important," he admitted, setting it to the side. Gabe was watching them with interest, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping. "I heard you blew up your computer."
"Tiny details," Frank said, waving a hand.
"Frank..."
"I know, I know. I could have come to you, blah, blah, blah. I didn't realize I needed to transfer, okay?" Frank took a sip of his coffee. "Oh, gross."
"Get your own," Gerard said, pulling the cup away from him. It might have been cold, but it was still his. "Look, I just worry about you, okay? If only my brother had been here. They should have taken me, then he'd be able to help you--"
"Stop it," Frank growled in frustration. "I'm not going over this again, okay? Between Spencer and you, I'm starting to think I haven't been as obvious as I thought. Mikey's my best friend, Gerard." He ignored the way Gerard started to frown. "But you're...you're something more. A friend, yes, but something else that I can't exactly explain. Think about that next time you start talking about letting other people take you from me."
"Are you going to kiss him now?" Gabe asked with a slight leer. "Because the man is begging for it, Gee."
"Go find Joe or something," Gerard snapped.
"Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it," Gabe said with his hands raised.
*
Ryan stood in the small white room, staring at the dark figure laying prone on the bed before him. He rubbed his head, the ache that had appeared after he'd awakened still present, but slowly fading. Apparently, that was good enough for the higher ups, because he was already on assignment once more. "Take a few nursing classes and suddenly your everyone's favorite dark side healer."
Way's hand twitched and a soft sound of pain emitting from his throat.
"And of course you can hear me," Ryan muttered. He pulled over the chair he had been offered, opening the bag of bandages they had given to him. Way's shirt and pants had already been removed, revealing the small amount of damage that the explosion had caused. Most of it was energy based, which meant Ryan was going to have to figure out a way to fix Way's energy patterns without using his own energy.
Thankfully, after a couple of years experimenting with Spencer, he knew how to manipulate dark energy well enough to put it to rights. Energy wanted to work right, for the most part, but sometimes it needed an extra push in the right direction.
Ryan cleaned the small cuts and the two burns he found on Way's side, bandaging them in white. Afterwards, he paused. He, technically, wasn't supposed to fix the damage Bob had done to Way's system. But Ryan knew that Way would never heal physically if they weren't fixed. Odds were there were strains of light energy corroding him as Ryan sat there pondering the problem. They were probably finding dark energy in Bob right then, as well. Bob, being a light sider, was worth the time. Ryan didn't envy Patrick at that moment. Bob didn't seem like a corporative patient.
"I have to, uh, do an energy reading on you, Way," Ryan said after a moment.
Eyes slit open and Way peered over at him, as though he were some mirage. When he spoke, his voice was rough and cracking, "Gerard? Where's...?"
"He's not here. You're still at the light sider compound, " Ryan said, forcing to not reveal any emotion.
"Who are you?" Way asked, eyes narrowed.
"Ryan. My name's Ryan."
Way's eyes showed a spark of recognition. They darted around a moment, before landing on Ryan once more. "Spencer."
Ryan's breath picked up. "You know Spencer? Is he okay? What happened to him? Does he...does he remember me?"
A small smile appeared at the corner of Way's mouth. "He's fine."
He could be satisfied with that. Taking in a deep breath, he released it and found himself smiling back at Way. "Uh, I should get started on this. I have to warn you, the only dark sider I've ever done this for was Spencer and that was a few years ago when I hadn't any training."
"I'm a healer. I'll tell you when you're doing it wrong," Way replied. He watched Ryan a moment. "I think I can trust you."
Ryan paused, hands hovering over Way's midsection. He met Way's eyes. Slowly, he lowered his hands until they were resting against Way's bare stomach. His thumb brushed one of the bandages. They had been told, in light sider training, that to touch a dark sider was to ask for your own death. Touching Michael Way didn't feel anything like death. Ryan felt a small shiver run through him as he realized this was going to be far more intimate than he thought, more so than the light siders he had healed or Spencer.
Way's energy was leaping up toward him, trying to coax him into the stream of it. Ryan closed his eyes and allowed it to pull him into its current. Way's energy was blocked, heavily, in a number of placed. The blockades radiated with light energy and, while they were pleasant feeling to Ryan, he knew they had to be painful for Way.
He started with the small blockages, pulling out the light energy slowly and digesting it into his body, where he could then ground it. When he got to the bigger ones, his task became more difficult. The energy broke apart, threading into Way's own energy. Ryan meticulously worked, pulling strand after strand of light energy out. Finally, it was done.
Ryan pulled back, attempting to pull out, but Way's energy caught a hold of him at the last minute. Tendrils wrapped around him, deep and dark like a black opal. It glittered in beauty and it felt like an embrace. Then, it released Ryan.
"You're good," Way said softly. He was watching Ryan with something new in his eyes, speculation and an emotion Ryan couldn't quite identify. "You're a lot like Spencer, so much potential bottled up and ready to burst. I keep trying to get him to break down his walls, but he won't."
"You're his mentor," Ryan said in sudden understanding. Light siders didn't have one on one teachers, they took classes with others.
Way nodded, smirking slightly. The smirk faded as quickly as it appeared. "Please, tell me. Has there been any attempts from my brother, Gerard, to rescue me?"
Ryan was silent for a moment, looking down at his hands, which were still resting on Way's stomach. "Yes. It's been a couple of weeks since his last attempt. He's stubborn and the way he slips in and out of here is amazing. If he could only get someone on the inside on his side, he'd have you out of here in two hours, tops."
Knowing he had said too much, Ryan began packing up his supplies. Way's hand reached out and grabbed his wrist as he stood. They looked at one another, silently speaking. Ryan smiled. "If...you want to get a message to your brother, I could try. I can't make any promises, but they're used to me venturing out into the city on my own."
"Yes, thank you."
"It's not a problem, Way."
"Call me Mikey," the other man replied, smiling that small smile yet again. Ryan had to force his eyes away from it.
*
Joe shifted from foot to foot as Gabe knocked a rhythm out on the green door before them. He glanced over his shoulder, taking in the clean street with perfect homes. There were children's toys in the yard, the fact that no one was worried about them getting stolen proof that they were close to light sider headquarters. He turned back as the door swung open, revealing a beautiful older woman who narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously.
"We're here about Victoria," Gabe said, all signs of his joking interior gone.
The woman's eyes narrowed even further and she scanned their clothing carefully. After a moment, she looked up and met Joe's gaze. He stared back at her, letting her take whatever she wanted from his expression. She sighed. "For a moment I thought you were light siders."
"Please, no need to be rude," Gabe said, breaking into a bright grin that calmed the woman even further. Gabe had that effect on people, an ability to wrap them around his little finger. It was why he was so good at his job. Getting families to hand over their children wasn't exactly easy. "Can we see her?"
She nodded, stepping back to let them inside. Joe could feel the pressure of dark energy the moment he stepped through the doorway. He looked up at the ceiling, in the direction it was originating from. Quickly he followed Gabe up the stairs, taking them two at a time. They waited for the mother to open the bedroom door. Joe sucked in a breath at the sight within.
Thick, inky black energy crawled its way across the walls, floor, and ceiling. It came from a dark corner of the room, where a young woman around their age, was curled up, head hidden against her knees. Gabe took a step forward and the energy pulsed out from her, a warning to stay away.
But that wasn't a problem. This was what Gabe and Joe were trained for, to subdue those that had just come into their powers and make sure no one was injured in the process. Normally, they were a perfect team and never failed.
Joe refused to think about Spencer.
*
Spencer wasn't the type to worry about things that had happened in the past. If he did that, then he'd be a psychiatric patient or something. He knew some people would be horrified by the fact that he didn't think about the deaths he had caused, not realizing that by thinking about them he ran the risk of losing control all over again.
In the end, Spencer was the dark sider's example of why training and control was important.
Unlike Mikey, who was a prodigy among them, Spencer wasn't a true healer. This had been proven when the destructive power of his darkness had corroded those around him, driving them insane and to the point of suicide. But Spencer had too much power--even he understood this--to be used in another area. Healing was safe and took more effort than most were able to withstand. So, Spencer was perfect for the job. But he wasn't Mikey and he was beginning to think that the others forgot that.
The dark siders and light siders were sneaky in their fighting tactics. An outsider would never realize there was an actual war happening between them. But there was and Spencer had to deal with the injured members of his party.
"Spencer, you need to rest," Jon said.
Spencer looked away from the mirror he had been staring at, blinking as his mind fought to connect. He swallowed. "Are there any more?"
"No, that was the last of the blast victims," Jon replied, walking forward. "How do you feel?"
He wasn't normally one for metaphors and words of emotion, but he found himself saying them anyway. "Like my soul's been cut out. I'm so tired, Jon."
"If you would just--"
"Don't," he ordered, wearily. "Don't tempt me to let go. Not now, not when there's no one strong enough to stop me."
It sounded conceited, but the words were true. There wasn't anyone in the building strong enough to stop him if he truly let everything out. Not even Gerard and Frank, who are the best on their team. Looking back, Spencer knew that he hadn't used his power to its full benefit when he had lost control the last time. He had walls built up before he even realized he was creating them.
Jon pulled him into a hug, face pressing against his neck. Spencer shivered, immediately feeling his skin turn sensitive at Jon's touch.
"I just want to sleep," he whispered. "If only our stupid leaders would follow my request for a new healer to train. I know I'm not finished with my own training, but I can't do this by myself."
"I know. Come on, let's get you to bed," Jon said, gently tugging him toward the doorway.
Someday Spencer knew that Jon would get tired of taking care of him. But he was hoping that day wouldn't be for a very long time.
*
Ryan's plan had been simple. Most days he was able to sneak out of the building undetected and venture into the grayscale part of the city. He figured he could do the very same thing he always did, only this time head toward the dark sider designated area. He didn't take Brendon into account.
"I haven't been out of this place in a year, Ryan, a year!" he complained, trailing behind Ryan. "Do you want me to go insane?"
Ryan had only been able to sigh and agree to let Brendon tag along. He supposed he could wait until his next venture to speak with Mikey's brother.
However, the more he thought about it, the more he remembered Brendon's expression when Brendon told him about the last experiment done on Mikey. Brendon had looked shaken and Ryan suspected that his faith in the organization he was a member of was failing him. Ryan bit his lip as they walked through the busy city, ignoring those around them. Brendon was peering into shop windows like he had never seen them before, even though Ryan knew that Brendon had been born in the city's northeast sector, which was barely a mile away.
"Have you ever known a dark sider outside of the complex?" Ryan suddenly asked. He wasn't sure where he was going with this, but he figured he could wing it.
Brendon remained silent for a while. "His name was Jon. He was so awesome." Brendon stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground. "I don't think he knew he was a dark sider yet, not when I knew him. But I could tell. He had this energy about him that he always kept contained. He looked relaxed and easy going, but he was always in control. I've figured out that's a dark sider thing, trying to be in control."
"While light siders want perfection," Ryan commented.
"Yeah, perfection," Brendon mumbled.
Ryan sucked in a breath, turning the corner and heading south. "I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise you won't say anything."
Brendon turned to him with wide eyes, looking moderately excited at the prospect of knowing a secret.
"I'm serious, Brendon. I could be killed for what I'm about to do."
"Okay," Brendon said, voice hushed. "I won't tell."
"I'm going into the dark sider domain," Ryan began, ignoring Brendon's intake of breath. "I promised Mikey--I mean, Way--that I'd tell his brother something. I...Brendon, I have to get him out of there. We're killing him. You know what we're doing to him is wrong."
Brendon looked down, shoulders hunched as he nodded. "I know."
"You're in charge of his experiments--" Ryan began.
"No, I'm not," Brendon snapped, narrowing his eyes. "Do I look like the type to want to do that to someone? Ray doesn't want it either. We both get our orders from the higher ups. If anything, you should be accusing your boss, perfect Patrick Stump, for not letting Way be healed properly."
Ryan stared at Brendon a moment, before a sudden thought hit him and he laughed in shock. "God, I'm such a fool."
"What do you mean?"
"Patrick played me. He knew I wouldn't be able to leave Mikey half-healed, not when I'm..." Ryan trailed off, shaking his head. "This is such bull shit. All of us hate what we're doing and yet instead of working together, we're doing our own little separate campaigns."
Brendon didn't say anything, he just watched Ryan carefully.
"Come on, one step at a time," Ryan muttered. "We need to find Gerard."
"I heard he's kind of scary," Brendon commented, immediately perking up as they drew closer to the dark sider's home. The dark sider's weren't as obvious about their headquarters. If anything, it was a series of derelict looking buildings. The only sign that there was life inside were the lights in the windows. As they drew closer, Ryan could feel the thick pressure of darkness, so much heavier than light. He glanced at Brendon, hoping the other boy would be okay. "Like, seriously creepy."
"He's human like everyone else," Ryan said with an eye roll.
Brendon stared up at the largest building, frowning. "So, what, do we just knock?"
"They probably know we're here," Ryan replied, reaching out to knock lightly on the door. He could hear it echo inside. They stood there for a while, at least five minutes, before he heard a series of locks being undone on the other side of the door. It swung open to reveal a short man with tattoos, looking overly energetic.
Brendon sucked in a breath and took a step back. Ryan grabbed him to help keep him upright. He understood where Brendon's trouble was coming from. This man pulsed with dark energy, like a siren call for more.
"We're looking for Gerard," Ryan said, keeping his voice neutral.
"What the fuck?" the guy said in confusion, before shaking his head. "Whatever, just, stay here okay? We've got a new trainee and the last thing we need is for her to be damaged by a couple of idiotic light siders. What the hell are you two doing here, anyway?"
"I need to speak with Gerard," Ryan repeated, calmly.
The man glanced at Brendon and then shrugged. The door slammed shut and, distantly, Ryan could hear the man's footsteps walk away. Brendon turned to him with a worried look, but before Ryan could say anything the door was opening again and yet another man was slipping through, shutting it behind him. Ryan recognized him immediately. He had never seen Gerard Way, of course, but there was no mistaking that this was Mikey's brother.
"Who are you?" Gerard demanded, glaring at them both.
Ryan let Brendon hide behind him as he dug into his pocket, pulling out a slip of paper. He handed it over. "It's from Mikey."
Gerard accepted the paper with trembling fingers, staring at Ryan with a hint of disbelief. He quickly opened it, eyes scanning the page, sucking in a breath of relief as he did so. Ryan watched as his thumb caressed the paper, feeling a small pang of sympathy in what Gerard must be feeling. He remembered that feeling, that constant longing for Spencer to be back with him. He fought down the urge to ask about Spencer, to beg to be let in so he could see him. This was Gerard's moment; the only thing Ryan could give him right then.
Ryan vowed to himself to get Mikey back to his brother, not just for the expression on Gerard's face but in hope that he could make Mikey just as happy.
"He probably says he's fine in there," Ryan said softly. "I didn't read it, but he seems like the type to insist he's okay. I tried...I'm trying to keep him as healthy as possible, but..."
He glanced over at Brendon, whose body was shaking slightly. Brendon looked away, refusing to meet his eyes.
"How much longer?" Gerard asked, raising his eyes. "Mikey's strong, but I know he's not invincible and I don't know what the fuck you sadists are doing to him. How much more can he take?"
"Not much," Ryan admitted. Brendon let out a sound, almost a sob, which was quickly muffled as Brendon turned on his heel and walked away. Ryan crossed his arms and let him leave. "His body is healing fine, but his energy levels are slowly deteriorating. It's like he's used to receiving it from another source. I'm working on opening up the conduits, so he can pull in dark energy more often on his own. But it's hard when I don't have regular access to him, unless he's badly injured."
"Fuck."
"I want to help," Ryan blurted out, wincing when Gerard narrowed his eyes. "I do. What kind of healer am I if I just sit around and let him slowly die?"
"A light side healer, I'd imagine."
"That's not fair and you know it," Ryan hissed, a rush of anger suddenly running through him. "I can't help how I was born any more than you can. I'm trying to help you, I'm trying to help Mikey--"
"You have no right to even say his name, as far as I'm concerned," Gerard interrupted.
"On the contrary, he gave me permission," Ryan replied. Gerard blinked, a look of surprise passing over his face. Ryan sighed and rubbed at his temple. "I'm telling you the truth, Gerard. You're never going to get him out of there unless you have someone on the inside to help you."
"And I suppose that person is you."
Ryan stared at him a moment, smiling sadly. "I'm all you've got."
*
Frank watched from the doorway as Gerard tossed and turned, muffled sounds of distress escaping his throat. He took a step into the room, slowly making his way toward Gerard's struggling form. Silently, he sat down on the bed and rested his hand on Gerard's back. Gerard jerked underneath his touch, before twisting around to look at him, eyes wide.
"You okay?" Frank asked, rubbing small circles into Gerard's arm with his fingertips. He could feel his energy bleed into Gerard naturally, but ignored it.
"Yeah. Nightmare," he replied, rubbing at his eyes. "What time is it?"
"Too early to be up," Frank said, grinning. "I heard you through the wall, but I should let you get back to sleep--"
"Wait," Gerard said, capturing his wrist. Gerard lowered his eyes and took a moment to compose himself. "You can stay. If you want."
Frank didn't say anything; he just climbed under the covers and curled up into Gerard's warm side. Gerard's hand landed on his hip and he stilled, waiting for Gerard to pull away. Frank released a long breath when it became apparent that Gerard wasn't moving. He pressed his nose against Gerard's shoulder. They lay there in comfortable silence, the energy that thrummed through Frank slowly seeping its way into Gerard. He could feel Gerard automatically grounding it and he suddenly realized how easy this was, how simple.
"I want to do this forever," Frank admitted. Gerard started to roll away, but Frank caught him. "I'm serious. Gerard..."
Gerard sighed and turned onto his side so he could give Frank his full attention. "You don't want to make that decision right now. Let's just go to sleep, okay?"
"That's shit and you know it," he said, leaning in close to Gerard, their eyes locked. "You Ways and your thinking that you have control over the situation. I've already made my decision, long before I climbed into this bed."
"Frank--" Gerard began, in that voice that often infuriated him. He loved Gerard, but sometimes the man couldn't get let go of the idea that he knew best.
"Don't make me desperate, Gerard." He scooted closer and pressed their foreheads together. "Don't make me wish for something I'll never have."
"I just...with Mikey gone," Gerard sighed, "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
"Everything's going to be fine," he said. He might be too hopeful, but Frank preferred to look at the good things in life. He'd go mad otherwise. "You have that kid's help now and--"
"Did I make the right decision, accepting help from him?"
"He's Spencer's old friend, right? He probably hasn't changed that much."
"He didn't even ask to see Spencer. I don't have the heart to tell Spencer I saw him," Gerard said softly. "He might not be the person Spencer remembers."
"You said he sounded genuinely upset over Mikey being hurt," Frank replied. "As far as I'm concerned, anyone looking after Mikey is good in my book."
Gerard nodded, smiling slightly. They looked at one another, before Gerard pressed his lips to Frank's. A soft sound escaped Frank's throat as he parted his lips, deepening the kiss. It remained soft, a first kiss played out perfectly. When they parted, Frank sucked in a breath, the fingers of one hand clutching Gerard's shirt.
"Whatever you want," Gerard whispered, "I'll give to you."
*
Ryan watched as they pulled Mikey into yet another examination room. This time, he was strapped onto a steel medical bed. Ryan crossed his arms as Mikey looked over at them. He could feel the glasses that Gerard had given him in his lab pocket and knew that Mikey couldn't really see them, they were just blurs that brought pain. "What are we doing this time?"
Brendon looked over at him, his face paler than usual. Across the room, Ray stood with a scowl on his face. He could feel the tension in the room and it took a minute to realize why. Neither one of them were happy. Ryan swallowed and tried to not think of what this could mean, whether or not it was a good thing for Mikey.
"Pinpoint shots," Brendon finally whispered.
He felt his stomach drop and grabbed Brendon's shoulder. "Wait. Let me check him over before you start. Any residual light energy could affect your results."
He entered the exam room before either of them could tell him no. He was the healing professional present, so he knew that any decision he made would be the ruling one. But he couldn't stop the experiment, not before it began. He reached Mikey, hand stretching out to touch him. He paused, Mikey's eyes on him, and glanced over his shoulder at the glass divider. Ray was pointedly looking away, as though he knew that Ryan was about to do something that would get them all in trouble. Brendon stared at him with hopeful eyes.
Ryan pulled out the glasses and gently slipped them onto Mikey's face. "From your brother."
Mikey's mouth twisted upward, but it wasn't a real smile.
"They're...they're performing pinpoint shots on you today," Ryan told him, looking away as Mikey's eyes widened. Pinpoint shots were no different than being shot by a laser beam, only for the light siders the beam was made of the purest, most concentrated light energy available. It did the most damage and often results in more deaths than not. Ryan's jaw clenched. "I can't stop them, but I can lessen the effects."
"Won't you get in trouble?" Mikey whispered. Ryan felt a finger brush his arm and he looked down to see Mikey's strapped down hand trying to touch him. Something in Ryan's gut tightened.
"I don't think Brendon's telling anyone at the moment and Ray..." Ryan glanced over his shoulder one more time. "Ray's playing at being passive. I don't want you to get hurt, Mikey, so it wouldn't matter either way."
Mikey's lip twitched, but he simply stared up at Ryan patiently and Ryan was struck with just how amazing this man was. Here Ryan was, essentially aiding in the pain he was about to experience, and yet Mikey managed to look past it. Or at the very least, give the impression he wasn't blaming Ryan for any of it. Ryan sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, hand laying to rest on Mikey's stomach, a touch that he admittedly enjoyed much more than he should.
"Tell me if it hurts," Ryan said.
"You don't hurt me," Mikey replied softly, finger brushing the inside of Ryan's arm once more.
He lowered his head, ignoring Mikey's words in order to concentrate. He reached out, feeling the thrumming, tumbling energy of Mikey crackling under his skin as though it were waiting for some dam to break. Ryan drew light energy toward his palm, trying to be as discreet as possible. The less the others saw, the less likely they would get reprimanded for his choices. Letting it trickle slowly past his own skin, Ryan concentrated on forming a thin shield of light just underneath Mikey's skin. The darker energy pushed against it, but light was flexible and was able to withdraw and return without much effort.
"The shield should absorb the majority of the shots," Ryan whispered, starting to pull his hand away. Mikey grabbed it before he could get far and Ryan automatically threaded his fingers through Mikey's. "Your brother doesn't exactly trust me."
"He likes people to prove themselves, once you do you'll be his favorite," Mikey replied, starting to smile.
"I have to go," Ryan said, glancing back at the others. Brendon was still watching them carefully, a frown forming on his face. He paused for a moment, squeezing Mikey's hand, before gently pulling himself free. Mikey turned away, eyes looking upwards, where a small cylinder was sticking out of the white ceiling. It didn't look like much, but that was were the beam would shoot from. Ryan shuddered and quickly left the room, eyes lowered.
*
Gerard walked through the long corridors of the main building. The lights were dimmed, shadows creeping out from the corners. He kind of liked the ambience it set off. It was fitting. A dark world for a dark people.
He looked over his shoulder, knowing there was no one there but unable to keep himself from checking. He knew that Frank was asleep, he had left him curled up in his bed after all, but he kept expecting Frank to jump out of the nearest corner and demand to know what he was doing. Gerard's shoulders hunched inward slightly and he slid through the nearest shadow. He disappeared into it, body and skin easily masked by the darkness, as though he were literally a part of it. Unlike the others, Gerard's darkness wasn't afraid to bleed out and latch onto the shadows around him.
It made him the perfect spy.
Frank's office wasn't locked. Inside was as pristine as ever, Frank's chaotic and energized personality never effecting his workspace. Gerard could only thank his lucky stars, for as long as he'd known Frank he could never understand how the man's mind worked.
He headed for the long wall of file cabinets, or as Frank preferred to call them: the Files of Death Row. There was a file on every person Frank had ever encountered, both dark and light. It was because of Frank's meticulous way of keeping his information and astounding ability to get correct details of any given person that had kept him from being locked up by the higher ups when he first arrived. Just like with Spencer, they knew not to throw away something that could end up saving everyone's ass at the end of the day.
He immediately went to the cabinet marked 'R' and pulled it out, scanning the headings until he came across 'Ross, Ryan'. He paused, biting his lip, unsure if this was a good idea. He had agreed to accept the boy's help. Did he really need to know the kid's life story in order to trust him?
Curiosity got the best of him. He pulled the file out and flipped it open.
For further information see:
Spencer Smith
Patrick Stump
Brendon Urie
Michael Way
Pete Wentz
He glanced at the clock. He had about three hours before most of the complex was awake, at least five before Frank managed to get into the office. Giving into temptation, Gerard pulled Urie and Stump's files out of their respective locations as well. He already knew Ryan's connection with Spencer and Wentz, having heard the story of Spencer's separation from Ryan from Spencer himself. He sat down at Frank's desk and opened each file, glancing at the pictures presented.
He paused on Brendon Urie's picture. It was taken just outside of the light sider's headquarters. Urie was wearing a science coat and Gerard's mind flashed to the young boy who had been hiding behind Ryan a few days ago. Momentarily ignoring Ryan's file, Gerard began skimming Urie's. He couldn't explain why he was so interested in it, but there was something about the boy.
"Experimental scientist?" Gerard read aloud. "Why the fuck would they have a kid like that doing something so dangerous? He's hardly older than Spencer." Gerard paused when he reached the summary of Urie's current activities. Mikey's name leaped out at him, momentarily blanking out his mind. He blinked and sucked in a shaky breath. "No."
Gerard slammed the filed closed and shoved it away. The file slid off the desk and went flying onto the gray floor. He tugged briefly at his hair, before jerking Ryan's file to him. He scanned it, but found that Ryan hadn't lied to him. He was a healer and had been placed on the team working on Mikey.
His eyes felt drawn to Urie's file once more, jaw clenching. All the time he had snuck into the light siders' domain he had never had a target. He had gone blindly and as a result had gotten captured every single time. But Frank had known whom to target all along. He had the list at the touch of his fingertips and he never once said anything to Gerard.
Gerard fought down his anger at Frank and instead focused it on the person who deserved it, the person that was slowly yet surely trying to kill his brother.
Mikey had once told him that he was the best big brother a person could have, a little crazy but perfect. Gerard had never really worried about living up to that title, not until now. Well, now he was going to. Now, he was going to get revenge.
part three
part four
Gerard sat in the small cafeteria of the dark sider headquarters, sipping cold coffee from a paper cup and reading the latest grayscale newspaper. The man across from him was complaining, loudly, about the latest kid they had rescued. Gerard nodded occasionally, giving off the air of someone that was actually listening.
"Gabe, shut up," Frank ordered as he bounded over, slipping into the chair next to Gerard. He immediately scooted closer, so their bodies could press alongside one another. "What'cha reading?"
"Nothing important," he admitted, setting it to the side. Gabe was watching them with interest, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping. "I heard you blew up your computer."
"Tiny details," Frank said, waving a hand.
"Frank..."
"I know, I know. I could have come to you, blah, blah, blah. I didn't realize I needed to transfer, okay?" Frank took a sip of his coffee. "Oh, gross."
"Get your own," Gerard said, pulling the cup away from him. It might have been cold, but it was still his. "Look, I just worry about you, okay? If only my brother had been here. They should have taken me, then he'd be able to help you--"
"Stop it," Frank growled in frustration. "I'm not going over this again, okay? Between Spencer and you, I'm starting to think I haven't been as obvious as I thought. Mikey's my best friend, Gerard." He ignored the way Gerard started to frown. "But you're...you're something more. A friend, yes, but something else that I can't exactly explain. Think about that next time you start talking about letting other people take you from me."
"Are you going to kiss him now?" Gabe asked with a slight leer. "Because the man is begging for it, Gee."
"Go find Joe or something," Gerard snapped.
"Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it," Gabe said with his hands raised.
*
Ryan stood in the small white room, staring at the dark figure laying prone on the bed before him. He rubbed his head, the ache that had appeared after he'd awakened still present, but slowly fading. Apparently, that was good enough for the higher ups, because he was already on assignment once more. "Take a few nursing classes and suddenly your everyone's favorite dark side healer."
Way's hand twitched and a soft sound of pain emitting from his throat.
"And of course you can hear me," Ryan muttered. He pulled over the chair he had been offered, opening the bag of bandages they had given to him. Way's shirt and pants had already been removed, revealing the small amount of damage that the explosion had caused. Most of it was energy based, which meant Ryan was going to have to figure out a way to fix Way's energy patterns without using his own energy.
Thankfully, after a couple of years experimenting with Spencer, he knew how to manipulate dark energy well enough to put it to rights. Energy wanted to work right, for the most part, but sometimes it needed an extra push in the right direction.
Ryan cleaned the small cuts and the two burns he found on Way's side, bandaging them in white. Afterwards, he paused. He, technically, wasn't supposed to fix the damage Bob had done to Way's system. But Ryan knew that Way would never heal physically if they weren't fixed. Odds were there were strains of light energy corroding him as Ryan sat there pondering the problem. They were probably finding dark energy in Bob right then, as well. Bob, being a light sider, was worth the time. Ryan didn't envy Patrick at that moment. Bob didn't seem like a corporative patient.
"I have to, uh, do an energy reading on you, Way," Ryan said after a moment.
Eyes slit open and Way peered over at him, as though he were some mirage. When he spoke, his voice was rough and cracking, "Gerard? Where's...?"
"He's not here. You're still at the light sider compound, " Ryan said, forcing to not reveal any emotion.
"Who are you?" Way asked, eyes narrowed.
"Ryan. My name's Ryan."
Way's eyes showed a spark of recognition. They darted around a moment, before landing on Ryan once more. "Spencer."
Ryan's breath picked up. "You know Spencer? Is he okay? What happened to him? Does he...does he remember me?"
A small smile appeared at the corner of Way's mouth. "He's fine."
He could be satisfied with that. Taking in a deep breath, he released it and found himself smiling back at Way. "Uh, I should get started on this. I have to warn you, the only dark sider I've ever done this for was Spencer and that was a few years ago when I hadn't any training."
"I'm a healer. I'll tell you when you're doing it wrong," Way replied. He watched Ryan a moment. "I think I can trust you."
Ryan paused, hands hovering over Way's midsection. He met Way's eyes. Slowly, he lowered his hands until they were resting against Way's bare stomach. His thumb brushed one of the bandages. They had been told, in light sider training, that to touch a dark sider was to ask for your own death. Touching Michael Way didn't feel anything like death. Ryan felt a small shiver run through him as he realized this was going to be far more intimate than he thought, more so than the light siders he had healed or Spencer.
Way's energy was leaping up toward him, trying to coax him into the stream of it. Ryan closed his eyes and allowed it to pull him into its current. Way's energy was blocked, heavily, in a number of placed. The blockades radiated with light energy and, while they were pleasant feeling to Ryan, he knew they had to be painful for Way.
He started with the small blockages, pulling out the light energy slowly and digesting it into his body, where he could then ground it. When he got to the bigger ones, his task became more difficult. The energy broke apart, threading into Way's own energy. Ryan meticulously worked, pulling strand after strand of light energy out. Finally, it was done.
Ryan pulled back, attempting to pull out, but Way's energy caught a hold of him at the last minute. Tendrils wrapped around him, deep and dark like a black opal. It glittered in beauty and it felt like an embrace. Then, it released Ryan.
"You're good," Way said softly. He was watching Ryan with something new in his eyes, speculation and an emotion Ryan couldn't quite identify. "You're a lot like Spencer, so much potential bottled up and ready to burst. I keep trying to get him to break down his walls, but he won't."
"You're his mentor," Ryan said in sudden understanding. Light siders didn't have one on one teachers, they took classes with others.
Way nodded, smirking slightly. The smirk faded as quickly as it appeared. "Please, tell me. Has there been any attempts from my brother, Gerard, to rescue me?"
Ryan was silent for a moment, looking down at his hands, which were still resting on Way's stomach. "Yes. It's been a couple of weeks since his last attempt. He's stubborn and the way he slips in and out of here is amazing. If he could only get someone on the inside on his side, he'd have you out of here in two hours, tops."
Knowing he had said too much, Ryan began packing up his supplies. Way's hand reached out and grabbed his wrist as he stood. They looked at one another, silently speaking. Ryan smiled. "If...you want to get a message to your brother, I could try. I can't make any promises, but they're used to me venturing out into the city on my own."
"Yes, thank you."
"It's not a problem, Way."
"Call me Mikey," the other man replied, smiling that small smile yet again. Ryan had to force his eyes away from it.
*
Joe shifted from foot to foot as Gabe knocked a rhythm out on the green door before them. He glanced over his shoulder, taking in the clean street with perfect homes. There were children's toys in the yard, the fact that no one was worried about them getting stolen proof that they were close to light sider headquarters. He turned back as the door swung open, revealing a beautiful older woman who narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously.
"We're here about Victoria," Gabe said, all signs of his joking interior gone.
The woman's eyes narrowed even further and she scanned their clothing carefully. After a moment, she looked up and met Joe's gaze. He stared back at her, letting her take whatever she wanted from his expression. She sighed. "For a moment I thought you were light siders."
"Please, no need to be rude," Gabe said, breaking into a bright grin that calmed the woman even further. Gabe had that effect on people, an ability to wrap them around his little finger. It was why he was so good at his job. Getting families to hand over their children wasn't exactly easy. "Can we see her?"
She nodded, stepping back to let them inside. Joe could feel the pressure of dark energy the moment he stepped through the doorway. He looked up at the ceiling, in the direction it was originating from. Quickly he followed Gabe up the stairs, taking them two at a time. They waited for the mother to open the bedroom door. Joe sucked in a breath at the sight within.
Thick, inky black energy crawled its way across the walls, floor, and ceiling. It came from a dark corner of the room, where a young woman around their age, was curled up, head hidden against her knees. Gabe took a step forward and the energy pulsed out from her, a warning to stay away.
But that wasn't a problem. This was what Gabe and Joe were trained for, to subdue those that had just come into their powers and make sure no one was injured in the process. Normally, they were a perfect team and never failed.
Joe refused to think about Spencer.
*
Spencer wasn't the type to worry about things that had happened in the past. If he did that, then he'd be a psychiatric patient or something. He knew some people would be horrified by the fact that he didn't think about the deaths he had caused, not realizing that by thinking about them he ran the risk of losing control all over again.
In the end, Spencer was the dark sider's example of why training and control was important.
Unlike Mikey, who was a prodigy among them, Spencer wasn't a true healer. This had been proven when the destructive power of his darkness had corroded those around him, driving them insane and to the point of suicide. But Spencer had too much power--even he understood this--to be used in another area. Healing was safe and took more effort than most were able to withstand. So, Spencer was perfect for the job. But he wasn't Mikey and he was beginning to think that the others forgot that.
The dark siders and light siders were sneaky in their fighting tactics. An outsider would never realize there was an actual war happening between them. But there was and Spencer had to deal with the injured members of his party.
"Spencer, you need to rest," Jon said.
Spencer looked away from the mirror he had been staring at, blinking as his mind fought to connect. He swallowed. "Are there any more?"
"No, that was the last of the blast victims," Jon replied, walking forward. "How do you feel?"
He wasn't normally one for metaphors and words of emotion, but he found himself saying them anyway. "Like my soul's been cut out. I'm so tired, Jon."
"If you would just--"
"Don't," he ordered, wearily. "Don't tempt me to let go. Not now, not when there's no one strong enough to stop me."
It sounded conceited, but the words were true. There wasn't anyone in the building strong enough to stop him if he truly let everything out. Not even Gerard and Frank, who are the best on their team. Looking back, Spencer knew that he hadn't used his power to its full benefit when he had lost control the last time. He had walls built up before he even realized he was creating them.
Jon pulled him into a hug, face pressing against his neck. Spencer shivered, immediately feeling his skin turn sensitive at Jon's touch.
"I just want to sleep," he whispered. "If only our stupid leaders would follow my request for a new healer to train. I know I'm not finished with my own training, but I can't do this by myself."
"I know. Come on, let's get you to bed," Jon said, gently tugging him toward the doorway.
Someday Spencer knew that Jon would get tired of taking care of him. But he was hoping that day wouldn't be for a very long time.
*
Ryan's plan had been simple. Most days he was able to sneak out of the building undetected and venture into the grayscale part of the city. He figured he could do the very same thing he always did, only this time head toward the dark sider designated area. He didn't take Brendon into account.
"I haven't been out of this place in a year, Ryan, a year!" he complained, trailing behind Ryan. "Do you want me to go insane?"
Ryan had only been able to sigh and agree to let Brendon tag along. He supposed he could wait until his next venture to speak with Mikey's brother.
However, the more he thought about it, the more he remembered Brendon's expression when Brendon told him about the last experiment done on Mikey. Brendon had looked shaken and Ryan suspected that his faith in the organization he was a member of was failing him. Ryan bit his lip as they walked through the busy city, ignoring those around them. Brendon was peering into shop windows like he had never seen them before, even though Ryan knew that Brendon had been born in the city's northeast sector, which was barely a mile away.
"Have you ever known a dark sider outside of the complex?" Ryan suddenly asked. He wasn't sure where he was going with this, but he figured he could wing it.
Brendon remained silent for a while. "His name was Jon. He was so awesome." Brendon stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground. "I don't think he knew he was a dark sider yet, not when I knew him. But I could tell. He had this energy about him that he always kept contained. He looked relaxed and easy going, but he was always in control. I've figured out that's a dark sider thing, trying to be in control."
"While light siders want perfection," Ryan commented.
"Yeah, perfection," Brendon mumbled.
Ryan sucked in a breath, turning the corner and heading south. "I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise you won't say anything."
Brendon turned to him with wide eyes, looking moderately excited at the prospect of knowing a secret.
"I'm serious, Brendon. I could be killed for what I'm about to do."
"Okay," Brendon said, voice hushed. "I won't tell."
"I'm going into the dark sider domain," Ryan began, ignoring Brendon's intake of breath. "I promised Mikey--I mean, Way--that I'd tell his brother something. I...Brendon, I have to get him out of there. We're killing him. You know what we're doing to him is wrong."
Brendon looked down, shoulders hunched as he nodded. "I know."
"You're in charge of his experiments--" Ryan began.
"No, I'm not," Brendon snapped, narrowing his eyes. "Do I look like the type to want to do that to someone? Ray doesn't want it either. We both get our orders from the higher ups. If anything, you should be accusing your boss, perfect Patrick Stump, for not letting Way be healed properly."
Ryan stared at Brendon a moment, before a sudden thought hit him and he laughed in shock. "God, I'm such a fool."
"What do you mean?"
"Patrick played me. He knew I wouldn't be able to leave Mikey half-healed, not when I'm..." Ryan trailed off, shaking his head. "This is such bull shit. All of us hate what we're doing and yet instead of working together, we're doing our own little separate campaigns."
Brendon didn't say anything, he just watched Ryan carefully.
"Come on, one step at a time," Ryan muttered. "We need to find Gerard."
"I heard he's kind of scary," Brendon commented, immediately perking up as they drew closer to the dark sider's home. The dark sider's weren't as obvious about their headquarters. If anything, it was a series of derelict looking buildings. The only sign that there was life inside were the lights in the windows. As they drew closer, Ryan could feel the thick pressure of darkness, so much heavier than light. He glanced at Brendon, hoping the other boy would be okay. "Like, seriously creepy."
"He's human like everyone else," Ryan said with an eye roll.
Brendon stared up at the largest building, frowning. "So, what, do we just knock?"
"They probably know we're here," Ryan replied, reaching out to knock lightly on the door. He could hear it echo inside. They stood there for a while, at least five minutes, before he heard a series of locks being undone on the other side of the door. It swung open to reveal a short man with tattoos, looking overly energetic.
Brendon sucked in a breath and took a step back. Ryan grabbed him to help keep him upright. He understood where Brendon's trouble was coming from. This man pulsed with dark energy, like a siren call for more.
"We're looking for Gerard," Ryan said, keeping his voice neutral.
"What the fuck?" the guy said in confusion, before shaking his head. "Whatever, just, stay here okay? We've got a new trainee and the last thing we need is for her to be damaged by a couple of idiotic light siders. What the hell are you two doing here, anyway?"
"I need to speak with Gerard," Ryan repeated, calmly.
The man glanced at Brendon and then shrugged. The door slammed shut and, distantly, Ryan could hear the man's footsteps walk away. Brendon turned to him with a worried look, but before Ryan could say anything the door was opening again and yet another man was slipping through, shutting it behind him. Ryan recognized him immediately. He had never seen Gerard Way, of course, but there was no mistaking that this was Mikey's brother.
"Who are you?" Gerard demanded, glaring at them both.
Ryan let Brendon hide behind him as he dug into his pocket, pulling out a slip of paper. He handed it over. "It's from Mikey."
Gerard accepted the paper with trembling fingers, staring at Ryan with a hint of disbelief. He quickly opened it, eyes scanning the page, sucking in a breath of relief as he did so. Ryan watched as his thumb caressed the paper, feeling a small pang of sympathy in what Gerard must be feeling. He remembered that feeling, that constant longing for Spencer to be back with him. He fought down the urge to ask about Spencer, to beg to be let in so he could see him. This was Gerard's moment; the only thing Ryan could give him right then.
Ryan vowed to himself to get Mikey back to his brother, not just for the expression on Gerard's face but in hope that he could make Mikey just as happy.
"He probably says he's fine in there," Ryan said softly. "I didn't read it, but he seems like the type to insist he's okay. I tried...I'm trying to keep him as healthy as possible, but..."
He glanced over at Brendon, whose body was shaking slightly. Brendon looked away, refusing to meet his eyes.
"How much longer?" Gerard asked, raising his eyes. "Mikey's strong, but I know he's not invincible and I don't know what the fuck you sadists are doing to him. How much more can he take?"
"Not much," Ryan admitted. Brendon let out a sound, almost a sob, which was quickly muffled as Brendon turned on his heel and walked away. Ryan crossed his arms and let him leave. "His body is healing fine, but his energy levels are slowly deteriorating. It's like he's used to receiving it from another source. I'm working on opening up the conduits, so he can pull in dark energy more often on his own. But it's hard when I don't have regular access to him, unless he's badly injured."
"Fuck."
"I want to help," Ryan blurted out, wincing when Gerard narrowed his eyes. "I do. What kind of healer am I if I just sit around and let him slowly die?"
"A light side healer, I'd imagine."
"That's not fair and you know it," Ryan hissed, a rush of anger suddenly running through him. "I can't help how I was born any more than you can. I'm trying to help you, I'm trying to help Mikey--"
"You have no right to even say his name, as far as I'm concerned," Gerard interrupted.
"On the contrary, he gave me permission," Ryan replied. Gerard blinked, a look of surprise passing over his face. Ryan sighed and rubbed at his temple. "I'm telling you the truth, Gerard. You're never going to get him out of there unless you have someone on the inside to help you."
"And I suppose that person is you."
Ryan stared at him a moment, smiling sadly. "I'm all you've got."
*
Frank watched from the doorway as Gerard tossed and turned, muffled sounds of distress escaping his throat. He took a step into the room, slowly making his way toward Gerard's struggling form. Silently, he sat down on the bed and rested his hand on Gerard's back. Gerard jerked underneath his touch, before twisting around to look at him, eyes wide.
"You okay?" Frank asked, rubbing small circles into Gerard's arm with his fingertips. He could feel his energy bleed into Gerard naturally, but ignored it.
"Yeah. Nightmare," he replied, rubbing at his eyes. "What time is it?"
"Too early to be up," Frank said, grinning. "I heard you through the wall, but I should let you get back to sleep--"
"Wait," Gerard said, capturing his wrist. Gerard lowered his eyes and took a moment to compose himself. "You can stay. If you want."
Frank didn't say anything; he just climbed under the covers and curled up into Gerard's warm side. Gerard's hand landed on his hip and he stilled, waiting for Gerard to pull away. Frank released a long breath when it became apparent that Gerard wasn't moving. He pressed his nose against Gerard's shoulder. They lay there in comfortable silence, the energy that thrummed through Frank slowly seeping its way into Gerard. He could feel Gerard automatically grounding it and he suddenly realized how easy this was, how simple.
"I want to do this forever," Frank admitted. Gerard started to roll away, but Frank caught him. "I'm serious. Gerard..."
Gerard sighed and turned onto his side so he could give Frank his full attention. "You don't want to make that decision right now. Let's just go to sleep, okay?"
"That's shit and you know it," he said, leaning in close to Gerard, their eyes locked. "You Ways and your thinking that you have control over the situation. I've already made my decision, long before I climbed into this bed."
"Frank--" Gerard began, in that voice that often infuriated him. He loved Gerard, but sometimes the man couldn't get let go of the idea that he knew best.
"Don't make me desperate, Gerard." He scooted closer and pressed their foreheads together. "Don't make me wish for something I'll never have."
"I just...with Mikey gone," Gerard sighed, "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
"Everything's going to be fine," he said. He might be too hopeful, but Frank preferred to look at the good things in life. He'd go mad otherwise. "You have that kid's help now and--"
"Did I make the right decision, accepting help from him?"
"He's Spencer's old friend, right? He probably hasn't changed that much."
"He didn't even ask to see Spencer. I don't have the heart to tell Spencer I saw him," Gerard said softly. "He might not be the person Spencer remembers."
"You said he sounded genuinely upset over Mikey being hurt," Frank replied. "As far as I'm concerned, anyone looking after Mikey is good in my book."
Gerard nodded, smiling slightly. They looked at one another, before Gerard pressed his lips to Frank's. A soft sound escaped Frank's throat as he parted his lips, deepening the kiss. It remained soft, a first kiss played out perfectly. When they parted, Frank sucked in a breath, the fingers of one hand clutching Gerard's shirt.
"Whatever you want," Gerard whispered, "I'll give to you."
*
Ryan watched as they pulled Mikey into yet another examination room. This time, he was strapped onto a steel medical bed. Ryan crossed his arms as Mikey looked over at them. He could feel the glasses that Gerard had given him in his lab pocket and knew that Mikey couldn't really see them, they were just blurs that brought pain. "What are we doing this time?"
Brendon looked over at him, his face paler than usual. Across the room, Ray stood with a scowl on his face. He could feel the tension in the room and it took a minute to realize why. Neither one of them were happy. Ryan swallowed and tried to not think of what this could mean, whether or not it was a good thing for Mikey.
"Pinpoint shots," Brendon finally whispered.
He felt his stomach drop and grabbed Brendon's shoulder. "Wait. Let me check him over before you start. Any residual light energy could affect your results."
He entered the exam room before either of them could tell him no. He was the healing professional present, so he knew that any decision he made would be the ruling one. But he couldn't stop the experiment, not before it began. He reached Mikey, hand stretching out to touch him. He paused, Mikey's eyes on him, and glanced over his shoulder at the glass divider. Ray was pointedly looking away, as though he knew that Ryan was about to do something that would get them all in trouble. Brendon stared at him with hopeful eyes.
Ryan pulled out the glasses and gently slipped them onto Mikey's face. "From your brother."
Mikey's mouth twisted upward, but it wasn't a real smile.
"They're...they're performing pinpoint shots on you today," Ryan told him, looking away as Mikey's eyes widened. Pinpoint shots were no different than being shot by a laser beam, only for the light siders the beam was made of the purest, most concentrated light energy available. It did the most damage and often results in more deaths than not. Ryan's jaw clenched. "I can't stop them, but I can lessen the effects."
"Won't you get in trouble?" Mikey whispered. Ryan felt a finger brush his arm and he looked down to see Mikey's strapped down hand trying to touch him. Something in Ryan's gut tightened.
"I don't think Brendon's telling anyone at the moment and Ray..." Ryan glanced over his shoulder one more time. "Ray's playing at being passive. I don't want you to get hurt, Mikey, so it wouldn't matter either way."
Mikey's lip twitched, but he simply stared up at Ryan patiently and Ryan was struck with just how amazing this man was. Here Ryan was, essentially aiding in the pain he was about to experience, and yet Mikey managed to look past it. Or at the very least, give the impression he wasn't blaming Ryan for any of it. Ryan sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, hand laying to rest on Mikey's stomach, a touch that he admittedly enjoyed much more than he should.
"Tell me if it hurts," Ryan said.
"You don't hurt me," Mikey replied softly, finger brushing the inside of Ryan's arm once more.
He lowered his head, ignoring Mikey's words in order to concentrate. He reached out, feeling the thrumming, tumbling energy of Mikey crackling under his skin as though it were waiting for some dam to break. Ryan drew light energy toward his palm, trying to be as discreet as possible. The less the others saw, the less likely they would get reprimanded for his choices. Letting it trickle slowly past his own skin, Ryan concentrated on forming a thin shield of light just underneath Mikey's skin. The darker energy pushed against it, but light was flexible and was able to withdraw and return without much effort.
"The shield should absorb the majority of the shots," Ryan whispered, starting to pull his hand away. Mikey grabbed it before he could get far and Ryan automatically threaded his fingers through Mikey's. "Your brother doesn't exactly trust me."
"He likes people to prove themselves, once you do you'll be his favorite," Mikey replied, starting to smile.
"I have to go," Ryan said, glancing back at the others. Brendon was still watching them carefully, a frown forming on his face. He paused for a moment, squeezing Mikey's hand, before gently pulling himself free. Mikey turned away, eyes looking upwards, where a small cylinder was sticking out of the white ceiling. It didn't look like much, but that was were the beam would shoot from. Ryan shuddered and quickly left the room, eyes lowered.
*
Gerard walked through the long corridors of the main building. The lights were dimmed, shadows creeping out from the corners. He kind of liked the ambience it set off. It was fitting. A dark world for a dark people.
He looked over his shoulder, knowing there was no one there but unable to keep himself from checking. He knew that Frank was asleep, he had left him curled up in his bed after all, but he kept expecting Frank to jump out of the nearest corner and demand to know what he was doing. Gerard's shoulders hunched inward slightly and he slid through the nearest shadow. He disappeared into it, body and skin easily masked by the darkness, as though he were literally a part of it. Unlike the others, Gerard's darkness wasn't afraid to bleed out and latch onto the shadows around him.
It made him the perfect spy.
Frank's office wasn't locked. Inside was as pristine as ever, Frank's chaotic and energized personality never effecting his workspace. Gerard could only thank his lucky stars, for as long as he'd known Frank he could never understand how the man's mind worked.
He headed for the long wall of file cabinets, or as Frank preferred to call them: the Files of Death Row. There was a file on every person Frank had ever encountered, both dark and light. It was because of Frank's meticulous way of keeping his information and astounding ability to get correct details of any given person that had kept him from being locked up by the higher ups when he first arrived. Just like with Spencer, they knew not to throw away something that could end up saving everyone's ass at the end of the day.
He immediately went to the cabinet marked 'R' and pulled it out, scanning the headings until he came across 'Ross, Ryan'. He paused, biting his lip, unsure if this was a good idea. He had agreed to accept the boy's help. Did he really need to know the kid's life story in order to trust him?
Curiosity got the best of him. He pulled the file out and flipped it open.
For further information see:
Spencer Smith
Patrick Stump
Brendon Urie
Michael Way
Pete Wentz
He glanced at the clock. He had about three hours before most of the complex was awake, at least five before Frank managed to get into the office. Giving into temptation, Gerard pulled Urie and Stump's files out of their respective locations as well. He already knew Ryan's connection with Spencer and Wentz, having heard the story of Spencer's separation from Ryan from Spencer himself. He sat down at Frank's desk and opened each file, glancing at the pictures presented.
He paused on Brendon Urie's picture. It was taken just outside of the light sider's headquarters. Urie was wearing a science coat and Gerard's mind flashed to the young boy who had been hiding behind Ryan a few days ago. Momentarily ignoring Ryan's file, Gerard began skimming Urie's. He couldn't explain why he was so interested in it, but there was something about the boy.
"Experimental scientist?" Gerard read aloud. "Why the fuck would they have a kid like that doing something so dangerous? He's hardly older than Spencer." Gerard paused when he reached the summary of Urie's current activities. Mikey's name leaped out at him, momentarily blanking out his mind. He blinked and sucked in a shaky breath. "No."
Gerard slammed the filed closed and shoved it away. The file slid off the desk and went flying onto the gray floor. He tugged briefly at his hair, before jerking Ryan's file to him. He scanned it, but found that Ryan hadn't lied to him. He was a healer and had been placed on the team working on Mikey.
His eyes felt drawn to Urie's file once more, jaw clenching. All the time he had snuck into the light siders' domain he had never had a target. He had gone blindly and as a result had gotten captured every single time. But Frank had known whom to target all along. He had the list at the touch of his fingertips and he never once said anything to Gerard.
Gerard fought down his anger at Frank and instead focused it on the person who deserved it, the person that was slowly yet surely trying to kill his brother.
Mikey had once told him that he was the best big brother a person could have, a little crazy but perfect. Gerard had never really worried about living up to that title, not until now. Well, now he was going to. Now, he was going to get revenge.
part three
part four