Breathing With the Aid of Denial (Mikey/Ryan, Spencer/Jon, Frank/Gerard, Rated R)
Title: Breathing With the Aid of Denial
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Bandom
Pairings: Mikey/Ryan, Spencer/Jon, Gerard/Frank
Rating: R
Dislcaimer: I don't own. Except the plot, yeah, that's mine.
Summary: He should be happy. He was a light sider, which meant an automatic position in the government and control over the grayscales and dark siders of the city. Still, somedays Ryan wished things could go back to normal. Whatever normal meant in the world he lived in.
Word Count: ~21,750
Author's Notes: This is probably the most brilliant concept I have ever came up with, hands down. Let's just hope I portrayed it as wonderfully as it is in my head, lol. Title from Fall Out Boy's You're Crashing, But You're No Wave.
The jolt, the impact, of the ground with each step as he ran sent a wave of pain up his injured leg. He could almost smell the blood trailing behind him, a marker for those hunting. Sucking in a harsh breath, his hand reached out, touching the rough brick, as he followed the wall around the corner. He spotted the small alcove and darted for it, spine curving and body aching as he squeezed into the small space.
He fisted his hands, holding them to his chest as he gasped for air. Eyes wide, he waited, trying to strain his ears to hear the telltale sound of footsteps. A flicker of light caught his attention and he gulped, trying to push farther back into the safe darkness, which encircled him in a protective cocoon.
"I don't think he came this way," a voice commented.
"He's here," another replied.
Gerard fought down a shudder and twisted his neck around, peeking out of the alcove to see a tall blonde glancing down at his watch. The other, tattooed and be speckled, sighed. "We can't let him get away again."
Bob stared down at the light illuminating the alleyway, which originated from his hand. "He's just a stray, Andy. Let the little dark sider flee. I don't know about you, but I'd like to get some sleep tonight." Bob's hand flexed and the light flickering across the alleyway moved in tune with it. The ball of yellow-white light hovering over Bob's palm threatened to go out, but didn't. "He'll be back. He always is."
"When we return to base, his lack of presence will be on your head," Andy said without much venom, scanning the area one more time before turning on his heel and stalking past Bob, who seemed to tower over him as he made to follow.
Gerard slumped back into the alcove, releasing a rush of air from his lungs, air that he hadn't realized he was holding. He clenched his eyes closed and took a moment to calm himself. He pushed images of the past two days out of his mind, ignoring the desperate urge to follow Bob and Andy back to their stronghold in some hope of finding his brother--a search he had conducted repeatedly in the last few months. Slowly he uncurled his hands, wiggling cramped fingers before looking down at his leg.
His pant leg was soaked with wet blood, stiffening in the night air as it threatened to dry. Gerard leaned closer, peeling back the cut in his pant leg to inspect the actual wound. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the slightest trace of light energy left in the gash, eating away at his skin and muscle. That explained why it was still bleeding.
"Fuck," he hissed, slouching back. He couldn't heal it; he'd never been very good at utilizing energy for healing purposes, which was why light energy tended to hurt him more than most. He grabbed his shirt, ripping a strip off of it. The shirt had already been beat up in his confinement the past day when the light siders had caught him snooping around their complex. So it didn't bother him to mutilate the shirt even further. He wrapped it tightly around his leg, knotting it over the wound.
Tiredness washed over him and he curled up as small as he could. He would wait and hopefully have the energy to make it home after a few hours of sleep.
*
"Need some help?" Jon asked, poking his head around the door.
"Yes," Spencer hissed, sweat beading across his forehead as he focused on the man lying on the table before him. Gerard had been stripped down and placed in a pair of shorts, not that he was awake to realize this. Spencer stood next to his injured leg, hands hovering above the wound, palms overlapping. Tendrils of dark energy were shooting out of Spencer's palm, swirling in the air before diving into the ripped open flesh of Gerard's leg.
Jon rushed over, stepped up behind Spencer and wrapped his arms around Spencer in what could be an embrace. Jon's hands rested at Spencer's wrists. The dark energy surged out of Spencer's palms, suddenly working faster as it knitted and healed Gerard's leg. Strands of energy could be seen wrapping up Gerard's leg, absorbing into his body to rejuvenate the rest of him. Finally, Spencer pulled back, slumping into Jon's hold.
"God damn it," Spencer moaned painfully. "We need Mikey back. Fuck, I haven't the power to heal like he does. Gerard's my eighth patient this morning."
"Good thing I came along then, eh?" Jon asked, resting his chin on Spencer's shoulder. He nuzzled at Spencer's jaw, grinning when Spencer groaned. Energy work had always made Spencer extra sensitive to touch. "And you're good, Spencer. Really good. You just need to stop blocking yourself."
"I need Mikey back so he can finish my training," Spencer muttered, forcing himself to his full stature and pushing Jon away. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Here to interrogate your prisoner, sir," Jon said teasingly.
"Please be joking," Gerard croaked from the table.
"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!" Jon said cheerfully, bounding over to Gerard's side. Gerard glared up at him. "I'm here to take your report on the current status of the light sider party. Any new information that you may have found could be helpful. You know the drill."
"They're the same as always. They control the government, while us dark siders are left to rot underneath the city," Gerard growled, pushing himself into a sitting position. He looked down at his leg. "I found out why they're kidnapping dark siders, though."
"You mean aside from turning them into slaves?" Spencer asked, bitterly.
"They're doing experiments," Gerard said. "I think they're trying to find a way to use our power for themselves. Mikey..."
A silence coated the room. Spencer shifted nervously. It was no secret that Mikey was the strongest healer of their generation, which was unusual for a dark sider. To have that kind of power in the hands of the light siders, if they ever learned to utilize it, would be devastating. It would throw off the balance of power, which was already straining.
"What about the powerhouses?" Jon asked.
"A lot of new recruits have been added," Gerard said. "I didn't get many names. Those I got I'll have the files on by the end of the day. I'll get Frank on it."
"Yeah, you definitely need to go see him," Spencer said, turning to grab a washcloth out of a nearby cabinet. "He hasn't slept since you left."
"I told him--" Gerard began.
"He's your best friend," Spencer interrupted, wetting the cloth and wiping at his sweat covered face. "You can't expect him to think rationally about that. I wouldn't. If I had my best friend here."
Jon reached out, fingers trailing down Spencer's spine lightly. Spencer made a sound deep in his throat, full of want and need. Gerard cleared his throat. Spencer knew he should feel embarrassed, but he had healed Gerard often enough that the man knew how Spencer reacted to energy work. His body, once it began, didn't want to stop using it. So it transformed it into something sexual and volatile.
"I'll leave you two alone," Gerard said.
Spencer made a sound of acknowledgement, seeing Gerard leave out of the corner of his eye as Jon pushed him against the wall. Jon's hands slipped underneath his shirt finally skin touching skin, and he was already panting, whimpering under his breath. Jon kissed the corner of his mouth. "Shhh. Let me take care of you."
*
The hallway was too bright. Ryan blinked and tried to focus on the clipboard in front of him, but the dark lettering appeared to bleed in response to the light. Two years of living with the light siders and Ryan still wasn't used to the bright environment.
"Hey, you okay?" Patrick asked, handing him a few more papers to be added to the clipboard. Ryan shuffled through them, putting them in correct order: statistics, health, and experimental results. Patrick huffed a breath and opened a nearby door as they passed it. "Hey, Wentz! We're heading to room 93. Want to come?"
"Can't," Pete replied. "I've got signals of a light sider manifesting in the grayscale living space. Time to save another life. Eh, Ross?"
"Yeah." Ryan didn't meet Pete's eyes.
"You mean you're back on duty?" Patrick asked, shocked. "I thought they'd given up on you. Two years of being bumped down to paperwork doesn't really sound hopeful."
"Well, obviously you were wrong," Pete beamed, not effected by Patrick's disbelief. "Besides, I made sure to check the dark sider signals this time to ensure that a dark sider wasn't be manifesting in the same area. It's not my fault Ross' friend tried to attack me."
Ryan opened his mouth to protest, to say that Spencer hadn't attacked him. Spencer had been scared, terrified of the new power that had suddenly erupted in both of them overnight. Ryan's best friend had been trying to keep them together. And now they weren't. Ryan didn't know where Spencer was, or even if he was alive.
But he didn't blame Pete for that. Pete was a good man, if overzealous about his job.
Mouth closed, Ryan returned his gaze to the clipboard. He should be happy. He was a light sider, which meant an automatic position in the government and control over the grayscales and dark siders of the city. Still, some days Ryan wished things could go back to normal. Whatever normal meant in the world he lived in.
"Try not to get yourself killed," Patrick ordered Pete, before gently grabbing Ryan's arm. "C'mon. Let's go before he tries to talk us into joining him." Ryan allowed Patrick to guide him around the corner. "You sure you're up to this?"
"I don't have a weak stomach," Ryan replied. He wasn't entirely sure what he was about to see, the experiments done on captured dark siders were only known to the ones who worked on them, but he was pretty certain it would be gruesome. Besides, "If Brendon can handle it, I can."
"I'll keep that in mind," Patrick said with a small smile. "Read the info. We're shoving you onto a big one, so you better be prepared."
Ryan glanced down at the name on the top of the papers in his hand: Michael Way. He blinked. "Wait. This is the brother of the guy who ran off last week, isn't it? Bob and Andy weren't able to catch him."
"Odds are we'll never be able to catch Gerard," Patrick admitted, coming to a stop at the elevator. He pulled out a security badge and scanned it. The elevator opened.
"We had him for two whole days, didn't we?" Ryan asked, scanning the pages, eyes widening at some of the readouts.
"Gerard's a master at slipping in and out, unseen," Patrick said. "We got him, but he turned the entire thing right around on us and walked out of here. He got nearly three blocks away before anyone realized he wasn't in his cell. But not to worry. He'll be back. He always is."
"He's loyal," Ryan surmised, stepping out of the elevator with Patrick and following him down another long, brightly lit hallway. "I can understand loyalty."
*
Frank was small and compact while constantly vibrating with energy. In fact, if anything, that was Frank's gift: energy. He was a dark sider portal to all the energy a person could want. It was amazing he was able to work with computers at all. They had gone through five in the past year alone, due to when Frank's energy went into overload and no one was around for him to transfer it to.
"Who's your daddy?" Frank asked the moment Gerard entered the room. Frank was bouncing in his chair, a stack of files on one edge of his desk. He gestured at them with a flourish. "Everything you'd ever want to know about the light sider regimen, including what color underwear their fathers were wearing the day they were born."
Gerard ignored the files, grabbed Frank's chair, and spun it around until Frank was facing him. Gerard leaned in, fighting off the urge to be caught in Frank's gaze. He didn't touch Frank, knowing he would end up feeling the electrical charge of energy. He didn't need that distraction. Not yet, anyway. "A little bird told me you haven't been sleeping."
"Gee--" Frank started.
"Frank," Gerard snapped, "look at you. You look like you've been living off of pure adrenaline. Have you even been eating?"
"I had a bagel," Frank protested. He paused, before mumbling, "Two days ago."
"Frank!"
"Oh, fuck you Gerard," Frank growled. But he didn't reach up to push Gerard away. "You got to stop going to that place, Gee. I've already lost Mikey, I'm not losing you, too."
"I'm so close to getting him back," Gerard whispered. He clutched the arms of Frank's chair and sighed. After a moment he cleared his throat. "So, uh, when was the last time you did a transfer?"
"With you, five days ago," Frank said. Gerard scowled at him. "You know I don't feel comfortable giving that much power to people! I'd give it to Spencer, but I'm afraid it'd be the final thing to break down those damn walls of his. It's bad enough we have me running around being a ball of energy. And Joe wouldn't know how to handle it. Jon and Gabe are in the grayscale territories too much so it would be too dangerous. And don't get me started on the others! It's either you or Mikey and you know it. Well, guess what, Mikey's not here--"
"Alright," Gerard interrupted before Frank's rant could gain more momentum. "Let's get this over with."
"Oh, you want me bad," Frank teased, holding his hand up, fingers stretching toward the ceiling. Gerard glared at him, before reaching out and taking his hand. Their fingers interlaced and sparks of electricity caused Gerard to jerk in shock.
No matter how many times they did this, it always felt strange and new.
Frank's eyes met his, before closing tightly in concentration. For a moment, Gerard felt nothing, merely the subtle electrical charge that always emitted from Frank's skin. Then, like a wall had been let down, a painful jolt of energy swarmed up his arm from his hand, where it connected with Frank's. Yelping, Gerard dropped to his knees, resting between Frank's outstretched legs. Frank let out a soft moan, a mix of pain and pleasure that Gerard found himself echoing.
His head dropped forward as the energy, the power, poured into him. His forehead pressed into Frank's stomach, which trembled in response. Gerard panted, dragging air into his lungs. His leg throbbed, a memory of his injury returning as the dark energy accessed his flesh. Suddenly Frank arched underneath him, back curving elegantly. Gerard could feel Frank's hardness press against his jaw, but he tried to ignore it.
"Fuck," Gerard moaned, his own body reacting as Frank's own feelings passed through the connection. Normally Frank didn't have this much built up, not with Gerard and Mikey around. Gerard couldn't imagine what would have happened if he hadn't come back in time, what damage this would have done to the building and people within it.
Gerard's other hand came up, taking hold of Frank's hip, trying to stop Frank from thrusting his hips up again. Frank whined low in his throat. The energy transfer slowed down to a mere trickle. Gerard carefully pulled his hand from Frank's grip, feeling the power pulse through him. He would be able to ground the energy later, an ability Frank didn't have.
"Are you okay?" Gerard asked, not removing his head from Frank's stomach.
"Yeah," Frank said, breathlessly.
Blushing, Gerard pulled away and stood. There was no hiding the fact that this had effected him as much as it effected Frank. He slowly adjusted his clothes, before finally looking down at Frank. The other man looked utterly debauched, face lightly flushed, lower lip swollen from having bit into it, and eyes half-lidded.
"That was...different," Frank said, voice rough.
"Yeah, different," Gerard said, clearing his throat. "I'm going to...uhh...go." Gerard had barely made it to the door before Frank was calling out his name. Wincing, Gerard turned to look at him. Eyebrow raised, Frank gave the files on his desk a pointed look. "Oh. Right."
*
Brendon looked up from the computer readout he had been inspecting in order to grin at Ryan, who narrowed his eyes in response. Across the room Patrick stood staring through the glass wall at the room beyond. Sighing at his failed attempt to cheer up the room, Brendon turned back to his job at hand.
"So, this is your first time in the labs, right?" Brendon asked, gesturing at the glass. Beyond a tall, lean man was shackled to a chair in the middle of a white room. His head was bowed, hiding any facial features, and his white regulation clothes were nearly hanging off of him. "This is the guy that had the health department in a frenzy."
"I don't see the point in keeping him, though. We can't use him to heal us," Ryan commented, voice monotone.
"Yeah, it's kind of silly, but whatever, orders are orders, right?" Brendon replied, shooting Patrick a nervous look. It's not like he'd never questioned things, but sometimes it was safer to not think.
"What are we doing today?" Patrick asked, crossing his arms.
"Trying to get a blood sample," Brendon said. He shuffled nervously.
"Which explains why Ryan was chosen for this," Patrick commented, glancing at Ryan.
Ryan had undergone so much training in the past two years that he had almost forgotten that he was ranked top of the class in drawing blood, especially from an uncooperative patient. Ryan stepped closer to the glass division and swallowed. He'd have to go inside, up close and personal with a dark sider.
He wasn't stupid. He knew that this was a dangerous job. Light and dark energy were polar opposites and therefore able to destroy one another. If Way still had enough energy to fight back, he could easily hurt Ryan. But he couldn't kill Ryan. Not if Way was a true healer, anyway. Nature had created a few laws Ryan agreed with.
"Give me the tools," Ryan ordered, setting down his clipboard.
"I should warn you--" Brendon began nervously. He chewed on his lip. "This guy isn't the average dark sider. He's got power. If you've never been near a dark sider before it can be a little overwhelming--"
"I've been near one," Ryan interrupted, visions of Spencer flashing in his mind, both of them using their new powers before they knew what they were. Ryan probably should have died, considering some of the things they had done. But he had lived and now he had a stronger defense against dark energy than most.
"Okay," Brendon said timidly. He took in a deep breath and moved toward the computers. "I have to scan him for any signs of pulsing--"
"Pulsing?" Ryan asked.
"Uh, yeah," Brendon said, clearing his throat.
"It means Mr. Way is used to using his power frequently. Since he hasn't been able to use it, his body is releasing it in pulses. If you or one of us was near him at the time, it could kill us," Patrick explained. "We aren't for certain that he is a true healer, he could just be an average dark sider that has utilized his powers for healing. If so, he is definitely a danger. And, even if he is a true healer, an attack could still put one of us in a coma."
Ryan closed his eyes, trying to center himself. He didn't need to show his nerves, not to a guy he just met and someone that was technically his boss.
"Okay, we're good to go," Brendon announced. Ryan accepted the tools he would need from Patrick and walked toward the door, ignoring Brendon's hovering figure.
He could hear a series of clicks as the door unlocked and slid open. He stepped through and managed to not jump, as it nearly slammed shut behind him. The room seemed to lighten as he walked toward Way, keeping his footsteps soft. He paused before him, eyed his bare arms, trying to decide which to work on. Way's arms held sleek muscles that gave an allusion to strength. The kind of strength that could hold a man down.
Ryan gulped and knelt, setting his tools down. He picked up the tourniquet and reached for Way's arm. He slipped it around the upper arm, pulling it tight. With his eyes focused on his job, he almost didn't notice the shift in Way's body. One moment, Way had been loose, as though he was unconscious. Now he was tense and looked, if he hadn't been trapped, like he would bolt.
Slowly, Ryan looked up to see Way's face lifting. Their eyes met and all Ryan could see were pools of dark energy crackling in the air, rushing towards him. Pain encased him and, before he could even think to retaliate, he was sinking into a world of darkness.
*
Frank was used to weird shit happening. He was a dark sider with a black hole of energy within him for crying out loud. So when his energy levels spiked that evening, barely four hours after transferring most of it to Gerard, Frank shouldn't have been that surprised. But he was. It took days to build his energy back up after a transfer.
It resulted in the computer in his room to exploding and the electricity going out in half the building.
"You're unstable," Spencer told him, arms crossed and mouth pulled into a tight line. Frank winced at his expression. Spencer was working day and night, doing the work of two healers. Frank could feel Spencer's own energy levels buckling at the pressure, so he didn't take Spencer's anger too personally.
"I'm always unstable," he finally said.
Spencer scratched at his head and sighed. "Look, I realize you've been doing things a certain way and that Mikey has been letting you get away with it. But this has to stop. You can't just release the energy anymore like you're taking out the garbage. You're body is replacing the energy at a faster rate now. It has become used to your method and has found a way around it."
"Well, mini-doc, what do you suggest?"
"You need to bond," Spencer said softly.
Frank glared at him. "I'm not you, Smith. And I sure as hell don't have someone like Jon lying around to bond with--"
"Yes, you do," Spencer interrupted. "I think the problem is that you can't decide if it should be Mikey or Gerard."
Frank stood up, ripping off the wires Spencer had attached to his chest in order to monitor his levels. He stormed toward the door, pausing only to say, "You're a healer, not a psychiatrist. So stay the fuck out of it."
*
"Let me guess," Jon said as Spencer entered their bedroom and threw himself onto the bed next to Jon. "Frank was a piss ant during his exam today."
Spencer didn't reply. He rolled over and buried his face in Jon's neck. The tingling sensation of their connection sizzled between them and if he hadn't been so tired it would have brought a wave of arousal along with it. Breathing deeply, he took in Jon's scent.
"Spence?"
"He needs to find a grounding mate. He's such a stubborn asshole." Spencer's fingers dug into Jon's side, like it would keep him from moving barely an inch away from Spencer. "He doesn't understand how bad it can get."
"Considering the mess in his room, I'd think he'd get it."
"Jon."
"I know, I know. We're talking about the part where he loses control, the very thing every dark sider fears, the very thing you had to go through when we found you," Jon whispered against Spencer's ear. "I remember, Spencer. Don't you ever think that I could forget watching you try to destroy everyone and everything in sight. Frank can't see the connection between that and him."
"Fuck, I don't want to think about it," Spencer said. "If only Ryan had been with me. If they hadn't taken him."
"He was a light sider, he had to be trained."
"We were doing just fine before Pete Wentz showed up," Spencer said under his breath.
"So well in fact you had more power than you knew what to do with when you did lose control," Jon pointed out. Spencer lifted up his head and scowled at Jon. "I'm just stating a fact."
For a moment, Spencer's face looked like it was about to crumble and Jon half expected tears. Then it hardened as Spencer sat up. "I can't change what I did. Do you think I want that on my conscious for all eternity, knowing I've killed people on purpose?"
"It wasn't your fault--"
"Don't pull that with me, Jon. I set out to do it. The darkness had taken over and I was ready to slaughter every single person in this compound. And why? All because someone had taken my best friend from me. A worthless excuse."
"I know how you feel," Jon said.
"Jon."
"No. I mean, the best friend part. I never told you about Brendon, did I?" Jon waited for Spencer to shake his head. "He was this spazzy kid that literally glowed sometimes. Seriously, Spence, it was obvious he was a light sider before his power manifested. He was my best friend and one day he just disappeared. His parents claimed they never had a son named Brendon. The teachers at school refused to talk about him. He was just gone."
"I'm sorry," Spencer whispered.
"He's a scientist now, actually," Jon commented softly. "Gerard brought back his name. Frank suspects that he's the one doing the experiments on Mikey, but he won't let Gerard find out. We don't want Gerard targeting anyone in particular. It's strange. Brendon isn't the type of person I could picture doing something like that."
"We all do things we don't necessarily like, if it means fitting in and surviving."
Jon looked over at Spencer, their eyes meeting. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."
*
Brendon eyed the metal bars that lined the latest cage they had placed Michael Way into. He bit his lip, watching Way pace, before turning to glance at Ray. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Order are orders," Ray shrugged. And Brendon hated that. He hated that all of them had reached a point where they followed orders without thinking about the consequences. He couldn't picture the dark siders doing that, but heaven forbid if the light siders of the world didn't follow the rules and regulations set down by the establishment. "Dude, stop thinking."
Brendon glared at Ray, though the effect is lost. Ray, with his big hair and free smile, wasn't really effected by stuff like that.
"It's just...what if we push Way into losing control," Brendon finally said, glancing over his shoulder at Bob, who was there to rush in and save the day if Way turned violent. Despite his title, Bob wasn't just muscle. Brendon could tell he was worried about the same thing. "You saw what he did to Ryan and that wasn't intentional."
"Brendon, if you want off this project just fucking say so, okay?" Ray said, raising an eyebrow. "Otherwise, get to pushing buttons."
Brendon sucked in a breath and twisted a knob. The bars began to move closer to Way. After a small pause, Brendon, pressed a small white button. Light energy--white and electrical--surged through the metal bars. Way jerked, moving to the center of the square, eyes darting around the room warily. Brendon glanced at Ray, whom had his eyes lowered. The computer beeped, alerting them that they had recorded enough information.
Wincing, Brendon reached for a lever and pushed it upward, raising the amount of light energy that was coursing through the metal. Way curled in on him self, face turning pale. Hand trembling, Brendon twisted the knob once more, shrinking the cage in size, until Way had no choice but to remain where he was.
"Fuck," Brendon hissed, watching as Way collapsed onto the ground, energy in the form of black ink seeping from where his hands touched the ground.
"Turn it off!" Ray yelled. "It's too much, he's in too much pain."
Brendon fumbled with the switch, but just like Ryan before, he wasn't fast enough. Way's power surged out of him, swarming around the metal bars, before pushing outward. It was like a physical force ripping the bars apart. Pieces of metal slammed into the glass barrier. Brendon ducked, hand still groping for the switch.
"God damn it!" Ray cursed, scrambling over to where he was. Ray's hand pushed his to the side, taking over the controls. The current of light energy shut off.
But it wasn't enough. Way was now attacking the glass in full force, causing cracks to appear, turning it into a spider web. Brendon looked up at the monitor, but all the camera showed was a dark shadow, Way bowed to the ground. Brendon moved to get up, but a heavy hand pushed him back down. Bob didn't bother to look over; he merely pulled open the door, slipped inside, and shut it before the darkness could sneak in.
Brendon's heart threatened to beat out of his chest as a blinding light erupted in the other room. The sound of ripping echoed in his ears, the electrical snap of two corrosive energies collapsing onto one another. Ray's arms wrapped around him, holding him down as though Ray could read Brendon's need to go and help Bob.
There was a scream of pain and the glass finally shattered as an explosion wracked the room. Brendon ducked down just in time, barrier showering over him. When he could finally breathe, finally think, he couldn't move. He couldn't bring himself to find out what had happened.
part two
part three
part four
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Bandom
Pairings: Mikey/Ryan, Spencer/Jon, Gerard/Frank
Rating: R
Dislcaimer: I don't own. Except the plot, yeah, that's mine.
Summary: He should be happy. He was a light sider, which meant an automatic position in the government and control over the grayscales and dark siders of the city. Still, somedays Ryan wished things could go back to normal. Whatever normal meant in the world he lived in.
Word Count: ~21,750
Author's Notes: This is probably the most brilliant concept I have ever came up with, hands down. Let's just hope I portrayed it as wonderfully as it is in my head, lol. Title from Fall Out Boy's You're Crashing, But You're No Wave.
The jolt, the impact, of the ground with each step as he ran sent a wave of pain up his injured leg. He could almost smell the blood trailing behind him, a marker for those hunting. Sucking in a harsh breath, his hand reached out, touching the rough brick, as he followed the wall around the corner. He spotted the small alcove and darted for it, spine curving and body aching as he squeezed into the small space.
He fisted his hands, holding them to his chest as he gasped for air. Eyes wide, he waited, trying to strain his ears to hear the telltale sound of footsteps. A flicker of light caught his attention and he gulped, trying to push farther back into the safe darkness, which encircled him in a protective cocoon.
"I don't think he came this way," a voice commented.
"He's here," another replied.
Gerard fought down a shudder and twisted his neck around, peeking out of the alcove to see a tall blonde glancing down at his watch. The other, tattooed and be speckled, sighed. "We can't let him get away again."
Bob stared down at the light illuminating the alleyway, which originated from his hand. "He's just a stray, Andy. Let the little dark sider flee. I don't know about you, but I'd like to get some sleep tonight." Bob's hand flexed and the light flickering across the alleyway moved in tune with it. The ball of yellow-white light hovering over Bob's palm threatened to go out, but didn't. "He'll be back. He always is."
"When we return to base, his lack of presence will be on your head," Andy said without much venom, scanning the area one more time before turning on his heel and stalking past Bob, who seemed to tower over him as he made to follow.
Gerard slumped back into the alcove, releasing a rush of air from his lungs, air that he hadn't realized he was holding. He clenched his eyes closed and took a moment to calm himself. He pushed images of the past two days out of his mind, ignoring the desperate urge to follow Bob and Andy back to their stronghold in some hope of finding his brother--a search he had conducted repeatedly in the last few months. Slowly he uncurled his hands, wiggling cramped fingers before looking down at his leg.
His pant leg was soaked with wet blood, stiffening in the night air as it threatened to dry. Gerard leaned closer, peeling back the cut in his pant leg to inspect the actual wound. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the slightest trace of light energy left in the gash, eating away at his skin and muscle. That explained why it was still bleeding.
"Fuck," he hissed, slouching back. He couldn't heal it; he'd never been very good at utilizing energy for healing purposes, which was why light energy tended to hurt him more than most. He grabbed his shirt, ripping a strip off of it. The shirt had already been beat up in his confinement the past day when the light siders had caught him snooping around their complex. So it didn't bother him to mutilate the shirt even further. He wrapped it tightly around his leg, knotting it over the wound.
Tiredness washed over him and he curled up as small as he could. He would wait and hopefully have the energy to make it home after a few hours of sleep.
*
"Need some help?" Jon asked, poking his head around the door.
"Yes," Spencer hissed, sweat beading across his forehead as he focused on the man lying on the table before him. Gerard had been stripped down and placed in a pair of shorts, not that he was awake to realize this. Spencer stood next to his injured leg, hands hovering above the wound, palms overlapping. Tendrils of dark energy were shooting out of Spencer's palm, swirling in the air before diving into the ripped open flesh of Gerard's leg.
Jon rushed over, stepped up behind Spencer and wrapped his arms around Spencer in what could be an embrace. Jon's hands rested at Spencer's wrists. The dark energy surged out of Spencer's palms, suddenly working faster as it knitted and healed Gerard's leg. Strands of energy could be seen wrapping up Gerard's leg, absorbing into his body to rejuvenate the rest of him. Finally, Spencer pulled back, slumping into Jon's hold.
"God damn it," Spencer moaned painfully. "We need Mikey back. Fuck, I haven't the power to heal like he does. Gerard's my eighth patient this morning."
"Good thing I came along then, eh?" Jon asked, resting his chin on Spencer's shoulder. He nuzzled at Spencer's jaw, grinning when Spencer groaned. Energy work had always made Spencer extra sensitive to touch. "And you're good, Spencer. Really good. You just need to stop blocking yourself."
"I need Mikey back so he can finish my training," Spencer muttered, forcing himself to his full stature and pushing Jon away. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Here to interrogate your prisoner, sir," Jon said teasingly.
"Please be joking," Gerard croaked from the table.
"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!" Jon said cheerfully, bounding over to Gerard's side. Gerard glared up at him. "I'm here to take your report on the current status of the light sider party. Any new information that you may have found could be helpful. You know the drill."
"They're the same as always. They control the government, while us dark siders are left to rot underneath the city," Gerard growled, pushing himself into a sitting position. He looked down at his leg. "I found out why they're kidnapping dark siders, though."
"You mean aside from turning them into slaves?" Spencer asked, bitterly.
"They're doing experiments," Gerard said. "I think they're trying to find a way to use our power for themselves. Mikey..."
A silence coated the room. Spencer shifted nervously. It was no secret that Mikey was the strongest healer of their generation, which was unusual for a dark sider. To have that kind of power in the hands of the light siders, if they ever learned to utilize it, would be devastating. It would throw off the balance of power, which was already straining.
"What about the powerhouses?" Jon asked.
"A lot of new recruits have been added," Gerard said. "I didn't get many names. Those I got I'll have the files on by the end of the day. I'll get Frank on it."
"Yeah, you definitely need to go see him," Spencer said, turning to grab a washcloth out of a nearby cabinet. "He hasn't slept since you left."
"I told him--" Gerard began.
"He's your best friend," Spencer interrupted, wetting the cloth and wiping at his sweat covered face. "You can't expect him to think rationally about that. I wouldn't. If I had my best friend here."
Jon reached out, fingers trailing down Spencer's spine lightly. Spencer made a sound deep in his throat, full of want and need. Gerard cleared his throat. Spencer knew he should feel embarrassed, but he had healed Gerard often enough that the man knew how Spencer reacted to energy work. His body, once it began, didn't want to stop using it. So it transformed it into something sexual and volatile.
"I'll leave you two alone," Gerard said.
Spencer made a sound of acknowledgement, seeing Gerard leave out of the corner of his eye as Jon pushed him against the wall. Jon's hands slipped underneath his shirt finally skin touching skin, and he was already panting, whimpering under his breath. Jon kissed the corner of his mouth. "Shhh. Let me take care of you."
*
The hallway was too bright. Ryan blinked and tried to focus on the clipboard in front of him, but the dark lettering appeared to bleed in response to the light. Two years of living with the light siders and Ryan still wasn't used to the bright environment.
"Hey, you okay?" Patrick asked, handing him a few more papers to be added to the clipboard. Ryan shuffled through them, putting them in correct order: statistics, health, and experimental results. Patrick huffed a breath and opened a nearby door as they passed it. "Hey, Wentz! We're heading to room 93. Want to come?"
"Can't," Pete replied. "I've got signals of a light sider manifesting in the grayscale living space. Time to save another life. Eh, Ross?"
"Yeah." Ryan didn't meet Pete's eyes.
"You mean you're back on duty?" Patrick asked, shocked. "I thought they'd given up on you. Two years of being bumped down to paperwork doesn't really sound hopeful."
"Well, obviously you were wrong," Pete beamed, not effected by Patrick's disbelief. "Besides, I made sure to check the dark sider signals this time to ensure that a dark sider wasn't be manifesting in the same area. It's not my fault Ross' friend tried to attack me."
Ryan opened his mouth to protest, to say that Spencer hadn't attacked him. Spencer had been scared, terrified of the new power that had suddenly erupted in both of them overnight. Ryan's best friend had been trying to keep them together. And now they weren't. Ryan didn't know where Spencer was, or even if he was alive.
But he didn't blame Pete for that. Pete was a good man, if overzealous about his job.
Mouth closed, Ryan returned his gaze to the clipboard. He should be happy. He was a light sider, which meant an automatic position in the government and control over the grayscales and dark siders of the city. Still, some days Ryan wished things could go back to normal. Whatever normal meant in the world he lived in.
"Try not to get yourself killed," Patrick ordered Pete, before gently grabbing Ryan's arm. "C'mon. Let's go before he tries to talk us into joining him." Ryan allowed Patrick to guide him around the corner. "You sure you're up to this?"
"I don't have a weak stomach," Ryan replied. He wasn't entirely sure what he was about to see, the experiments done on captured dark siders were only known to the ones who worked on them, but he was pretty certain it would be gruesome. Besides, "If Brendon can handle it, I can."
"I'll keep that in mind," Patrick said with a small smile. "Read the info. We're shoving you onto a big one, so you better be prepared."
Ryan glanced down at the name on the top of the papers in his hand: Michael Way. He blinked. "Wait. This is the brother of the guy who ran off last week, isn't it? Bob and Andy weren't able to catch him."
"Odds are we'll never be able to catch Gerard," Patrick admitted, coming to a stop at the elevator. He pulled out a security badge and scanned it. The elevator opened.
"We had him for two whole days, didn't we?" Ryan asked, scanning the pages, eyes widening at some of the readouts.
"Gerard's a master at slipping in and out, unseen," Patrick said. "We got him, but he turned the entire thing right around on us and walked out of here. He got nearly three blocks away before anyone realized he wasn't in his cell. But not to worry. He'll be back. He always is."
"He's loyal," Ryan surmised, stepping out of the elevator with Patrick and following him down another long, brightly lit hallway. "I can understand loyalty."
*
Frank was small and compact while constantly vibrating with energy. In fact, if anything, that was Frank's gift: energy. He was a dark sider portal to all the energy a person could want. It was amazing he was able to work with computers at all. They had gone through five in the past year alone, due to when Frank's energy went into overload and no one was around for him to transfer it to.
"Who's your daddy?" Frank asked the moment Gerard entered the room. Frank was bouncing in his chair, a stack of files on one edge of his desk. He gestured at them with a flourish. "Everything you'd ever want to know about the light sider regimen, including what color underwear their fathers were wearing the day they were born."
Gerard ignored the files, grabbed Frank's chair, and spun it around until Frank was facing him. Gerard leaned in, fighting off the urge to be caught in Frank's gaze. He didn't touch Frank, knowing he would end up feeling the electrical charge of energy. He didn't need that distraction. Not yet, anyway. "A little bird told me you haven't been sleeping."
"Gee--" Frank started.
"Frank," Gerard snapped, "look at you. You look like you've been living off of pure adrenaline. Have you even been eating?"
"I had a bagel," Frank protested. He paused, before mumbling, "Two days ago."
"Frank!"
"Oh, fuck you Gerard," Frank growled. But he didn't reach up to push Gerard away. "You got to stop going to that place, Gee. I've already lost Mikey, I'm not losing you, too."
"I'm so close to getting him back," Gerard whispered. He clutched the arms of Frank's chair and sighed. After a moment he cleared his throat. "So, uh, when was the last time you did a transfer?"
"With you, five days ago," Frank said. Gerard scowled at him. "You know I don't feel comfortable giving that much power to people! I'd give it to Spencer, but I'm afraid it'd be the final thing to break down those damn walls of his. It's bad enough we have me running around being a ball of energy. And Joe wouldn't know how to handle it. Jon and Gabe are in the grayscale territories too much so it would be too dangerous. And don't get me started on the others! It's either you or Mikey and you know it. Well, guess what, Mikey's not here--"
"Alright," Gerard interrupted before Frank's rant could gain more momentum. "Let's get this over with."
"Oh, you want me bad," Frank teased, holding his hand up, fingers stretching toward the ceiling. Gerard glared at him, before reaching out and taking his hand. Their fingers interlaced and sparks of electricity caused Gerard to jerk in shock.
No matter how many times they did this, it always felt strange and new.
Frank's eyes met his, before closing tightly in concentration. For a moment, Gerard felt nothing, merely the subtle electrical charge that always emitted from Frank's skin. Then, like a wall had been let down, a painful jolt of energy swarmed up his arm from his hand, where it connected with Frank's. Yelping, Gerard dropped to his knees, resting between Frank's outstretched legs. Frank let out a soft moan, a mix of pain and pleasure that Gerard found himself echoing.
His head dropped forward as the energy, the power, poured into him. His forehead pressed into Frank's stomach, which trembled in response. Gerard panted, dragging air into his lungs. His leg throbbed, a memory of his injury returning as the dark energy accessed his flesh. Suddenly Frank arched underneath him, back curving elegantly. Gerard could feel Frank's hardness press against his jaw, but he tried to ignore it.
"Fuck," Gerard moaned, his own body reacting as Frank's own feelings passed through the connection. Normally Frank didn't have this much built up, not with Gerard and Mikey around. Gerard couldn't imagine what would have happened if he hadn't come back in time, what damage this would have done to the building and people within it.
Gerard's other hand came up, taking hold of Frank's hip, trying to stop Frank from thrusting his hips up again. Frank whined low in his throat. The energy transfer slowed down to a mere trickle. Gerard carefully pulled his hand from Frank's grip, feeling the power pulse through him. He would be able to ground the energy later, an ability Frank didn't have.
"Are you okay?" Gerard asked, not removing his head from Frank's stomach.
"Yeah," Frank said, breathlessly.
Blushing, Gerard pulled away and stood. There was no hiding the fact that this had effected him as much as it effected Frank. He slowly adjusted his clothes, before finally looking down at Frank. The other man looked utterly debauched, face lightly flushed, lower lip swollen from having bit into it, and eyes half-lidded.
"That was...different," Frank said, voice rough.
"Yeah, different," Gerard said, clearing his throat. "I'm going to...uhh...go." Gerard had barely made it to the door before Frank was calling out his name. Wincing, Gerard turned to look at him. Eyebrow raised, Frank gave the files on his desk a pointed look. "Oh. Right."
*
Brendon looked up from the computer readout he had been inspecting in order to grin at Ryan, who narrowed his eyes in response. Across the room Patrick stood staring through the glass wall at the room beyond. Sighing at his failed attempt to cheer up the room, Brendon turned back to his job at hand.
"So, this is your first time in the labs, right?" Brendon asked, gesturing at the glass. Beyond a tall, lean man was shackled to a chair in the middle of a white room. His head was bowed, hiding any facial features, and his white regulation clothes were nearly hanging off of him. "This is the guy that had the health department in a frenzy."
"I don't see the point in keeping him, though. We can't use him to heal us," Ryan commented, voice monotone.
"Yeah, it's kind of silly, but whatever, orders are orders, right?" Brendon replied, shooting Patrick a nervous look. It's not like he'd never questioned things, but sometimes it was safer to not think.
"What are we doing today?" Patrick asked, crossing his arms.
"Trying to get a blood sample," Brendon said. He shuffled nervously.
"Which explains why Ryan was chosen for this," Patrick commented, glancing at Ryan.
Ryan had undergone so much training in the past two years that he had almost forgotten that he was ranked top of the class in drawing blood, especially from an uncooperative patient. Ryan stepped closer to the glass division and swallowed. He'd have to go inside, up close and personal with a dark sider.
He wasn't stupid. He knew that this was a dangerous job. Light and dark energy were polar opposites and therefore able to destroy one another. If Way still had enough energy to fight back, he could easily hurt Ryan. But he couldn't kill Ryan. Not if Way was a true healer, anyway. Nature had created a few laws Ryan agreed with.
"Give me the tools," Ryan ordered, setting down his clipboard.
"I should warn you--" Brendon began nervously. He chewed on his lip. "This guy isn't the average dark sider. He's got power. If you've never been near a dark sider before it can be a little overwhelming--"
"I've been near one," Ryan interrupted, visions of Spencer flashing in his mind, both of them using their new powers before they knew what they were. Ryan probably should have died, considering some of the things they had done. But he had lived and now he had a stronger defense against dark energy than most.
"Okay," Brendon said timidly. He took in a deep breath and moved toward the computers. "I have to scan him for any signs of pulsing--"
"Pulsing?" Ryan asked.
"Uh, yeah," Brendon said, clearing his throat.
"It means Mr. Way is used to using his power frequently. Since he hasn't been able to use it, his body is releasing it in pulses. If you or one of us was near him at the time, it could kill us," Patrick explained. "We aren't for certain that he is a true healer, he could just be an average dark sider that has utilized his powers for healing. If so, he is definitely a danger. And, even if he is a true healer, an attack could still put one of us in a coma."
Ryan closed his eyes, trying to center himself. He didn't need to show his nerves, not to a guy he just met and someone that was technically his boss.
"Okay, we're good to go," Brendon announced. Ryan accepted the tools he would need from Patrick and walked toward the door, ignoring Brendon's hovering figure.
He could hear a series of clicks as the door unlocked and slid open. He stepped through and managed to not jump, as it nearly slammed shut behind him. The room seemed to lighten as he walked toward Way, keeping his footsteps soft. He paused before him, eyed his bare arms, trying to decide which to work on. Way's arms held sleek muscles that gave an allusion to strength. The kind of strength that could hold a man down.
Ryan gulped and knelt, setting his tools down. He picked up the tourniquet and reached for Way's arm. He slipped it around the upper arm, pulling it tight. With his eyes focused on his job, he almost didn't notice the shift in Way's body. One moment, Way had been loose, as though he was unconscious. Now he was tense and looked, if he hadn't been trapped, like he would bolt.
Slowly, Ryan looked up to see Way's face lifting. Their eyes met and all Ryan could see were pools of dark energy crackling in the air, rushing towards him. Pain encased him and, before he could even think to retaliate, he was sinking into a world of darkness.
*
Frank was used to weird shit happening. He was a dark sider with a black hole of energy within him for crying out loud. So when his energy levels spiked that evening, barely four hours after transferring most of it to Gerard, Frank shouldn't have been that surprised. But he was. It took days to build his energy back up after a transfer.
It resulted in the computer in his room to exploding and the electricity going out in half the building.
"You're unstable," Spencer told him, arms crossed and mouth pulled into a tight line. Frank winced at his expression. Spencer was working day and night, doing the work of two healers. Frank could feel Spencer's own energy levels buckling at the pressure, so he didn't take Spencer's anger too personally.
"I'm always unstable," he finally said.
Spencer scratched at his head and sighed. "Look, I realize you've been doing things a certain way and that Mikey has been letting you get away with it. But this has to stop. You can't just release the energy anymore like you're taking out the garbage. You're body is replacing the energy at a faster rate now. It has become used to your method and has found a way around it."
"Well, mini-doc, what do you suggest?"
"You need to bond," Spencer said softly.
Frank glared at him. "I'm not you, Smith. And I sure as hell don't have someone like Jon lying around to bond with--"
"Yes, you do," Spencer interrupted. "I think the problem is that you can't decide if it should be Mikey or Gerard."
Frank stood up, ripping off the wires Spencer had attached to his chest in order to monitor his levels. He stormed toward the door, pausing only to say, "You're a healer, not a psychiatrist. So stay the fuck out of it."
*
"Let me guess," Jon said as Spencer entered their bedroom and threw himself onto the bed next to Jon. "Frank was a piss ant during his exam today."
Spencer didn't reply. He rolled over and buried his face in Jon's neck. The tingling sensation of their connection sizzled between them and if he hadn't been so tired it would have brought a wave of arousal along with it. Breathing deeply, he took in Jon's scent.
"Spence?"
"He needs to find a grounding mate. He's such a stubborn asshole." Spencer's fingers dug into Jon's side, like it would keep him from moving barely an inch away from Spencer. "He doesn't understand how bad it can get."
"Considering the mess in his room, I'd think he'd get it."
"Jon."
"I know, I know. We're talking about the part where he loses control, the very thing every dark sider fears, the very thing you had to go through when we found you," Jon whispered against Spencer's ear. "I remember, Spencer. Don't you ever think that I could forget watching you try to destroy everyone and everything in sight. Frank can't see the connection between that and him."
"Fuck, I don't want to think about it," Spencer said. "If only Ryan had been with me. If they hadn't taken him."
"He was a light sider, he had to be trained."
"We were doing just fine before Pete Wentz showed up," Spencer said under his breath.
"So well in fact you had more power than you knew what to do with when you did lose control," Jon pointed out. Spencer lifted up his head and scowled at Jon. "I'm just stating a fact."
For a moment, Spencer's face looked like it was about to crumble and Jon half expected tears. Then it hardened as Spencer sat up. "I can't change what I did. Do you think I want that on my conscious for all eternity, knowing I've killed people on purpose?"
"It wasn't your fault--"
"Don't pull that with me, Jon. I set out to do it. The darkness had taken over and I was ready to slaughter every single person in this compound. And why? All because someone had taken my best friend from me. A worthless excuse."
"I know how you feel," Jon said.
"Jon."
"No. I mean, the best friend part. I never told you about Brendon, did I?" Jon waited for Spencer to shake his head. "He was this spazzy kid that literally glowed sometimes. Seriously, Spence, it was obvious he was a light sider before his power manifested. He was my best friend and one day he just disappeared. His parents claimed they never had a son named Brendon. The teachers at school refused to talk about him. He was just gone."
"I'm sorry," Spencer whispered.
"He's a scientist now, actually," Jon commented softly. "Gerard brought back his name. Frank suspects that he's the one doing the experiments on Mikey, but he won't let Gerard find out. We don't want Gerard targeting anyone in particular. It's strange. Brendon isn't the type of person I could picture doing something like that."
"We all do things we don't necessarily like, if it means fitting in and surviving."
Jon looked over at Spencer, their eyes meeting. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."
*
Brendon eyed the metal bars that lined the latest cage they had placed Michael Way into. He bit his lip, watching Way pace, before turning to glance at Ray. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Order are orders," Ray shrugged. And Brendon hated that. He hated that all of them had reached a point where they followed orders without thinking about the consequences. He couldn't picture the dark siders doing that, but heaven forbid if the light siders of the world didn't follow the rules and regulations set down by the establishment. "Dude, stop thinking."
Brendon glared at Ray, though the effect is lost. Ray, with his big hair and free smile, wasn't really effected by stuff like that.
"It's just...what if we push Way into losing control," Brendon finally said, glancing over his shoulder at Bob, who was there to rush in and save the day if Way turned violent. Despite his title, Bob wasn't just muscle. Brendon could tell he was worried about the same thing. "You saw what he did to Ryan and that wasn't intentional."
"Brendon, if you want off this project just fucking say so, okay?" Ray said, raising an eyebrow. "Otherwise, get to pushing buttons."
Brendon sucked in a breath and twisted a knob. The bars began to move closer to Way. After a small pause, Brendon, pressed a small white button. Light energy--white and electrical--surged through the metal bars. Way jerked, moving to the center of the square, eyes darting around the room warily. Brendon glanced at Ray, whom had his eyes lowered. The computer beeped, alerting them that they had recorded enough information.
Wincing, Brendon reached for a lever and pushed it upward, raising the amount of light energy that was coursing through the metal. Way curled in on him self, face turning pale. Hand trembling, Brendon twisted the knob once more, shrinking the cage in size, until Way had no choice but to remain where he was.
"Fuck," Brendon hissed, watching as Way collapsed onto the ground, energy in the form of black ink seeping from where his hands touched the ground.
"Turn it off!" Ray yelled. "It's too much, he's in too much pain."
Brendon fumbled with the switch, but just like Ryan before, he wasn't fast enough. Way's power surged out of him, swarming around the metal bars, before pushing outward. It was like a physical force ripping the bars apart. Pieces of metal slammed into the glass barrier. Brendon ducked, hand still groping for the switch.
"God damn it!" Ray cursed, scrambling over to where he was. Ray's hand pushed his to the side, taking over the controls. The current of light energy shut off.
But it wasn't enough. Way was now attacking the glass in full force, causing cracks to appear, turning it into a spider web. Brendon looked up at the monitor, but all the camera showed was a dark shadow, Way bowed to the ground. Brendon moved to get up, but a heavy hand pushed him back down. Bob didn't bother to look over; he merely pulled open the door, slipped inside, and shut it before the darkness could sneak in.
Brendon's heart threatened to beat out of his chest as a blinding light erupted in the other room. The sound of ripping echoed in his ears, the electrical snap of two corrosive energies collapsing onto one another. Ray's arms wrapped around him, holding him down as though Ray could read Brendon's need to go and help Bob.
There was a scream of pain and the glass finally shattered as an explosion wracked the room. Brendon ducked down just in time, barrier showering over him. When he could finally breathe, finally think, he couldn't move. He couldn't bring himself to find out what had happened.
part two
part three
part four