[Original Fiction] Kei and Gabriel (Complete)
23 August 2007
Judging by the "last edited" dates on these files, they were written between September 2000 and February 2001. I distinctly remember scribbling some of them out on lecture pads in Linguistics lectures.
I retain some affection for Kei and Gabriel, so I'm resurrecting it here on LiveJournal.
--
Prologue: Intervention
She saw him the moment she stepped into the club. Dark hair, dark eyes, handsome face showing signs of Asian ancestry, chatting animatedly with one of the pretty gothic girls that habitually frequented the place. To her eyes, he was stunning. His power beckoned with invisible fingers.
She would have this one.
No one else was paying much attention to him, save the pretty blond in the corner. That one simply watched, intently and somehow reflectively. He was no danger.
The blond caught her eye for some reason as she approached the other young man. She tossed her hair back and leant over to speak to him as she brushed past.
"You're wasting your time," she said, words calculated to be insulting, smirking triumphantly. "He's straight, he's not interested in you."
His eyes flicked to her for a few seconds, but he didn't reply.
She moved on, smiling sweetly. She would have this one, definitely - she was a Huntress, and the Hunters drew their power from their Pets, the humans they entranced and bewitched to stay with the Hunter until he or she should decide their ultimate fate.
Perhaps this one would not even stay a Pet, maybe she would make him her heir. Yet, she had thought this of many before and they had all disappointed her. Most likely this one would too. But he would make a very beautiful Pet.
He turned to smile at one of his friends, mouthing the words ‘she likes me,' eyes shining with the joy of young love.
Yes, a very nice Pet.
She moved closer, surreptitiously licking her lips.
As she moved to close in on her target, the blond appeared in front of her. She frowned reflexively, - she hadn't seen him move.
The room seemed to glow brighter, the shadows of a dimly lit room receding in some places and intensifying in others. The blinked, but the only glow grew brighter, seemingly centred above the blond.
She thought she saw the shadow-flick of great eagles' wings behind the light.
Realisation set in. She backed off, quickly. "I didn't," she muttered, hurriedly, hands in front of her. "I didn't touch him."
He frowned impatiently. "Begone," he said in a voice intended for her ears alone, "he is not yours to take."
She was outside a club, though she had no knowledge of how she got there. The sign glinted in the moonlight. "Encounters", she murmured, reading the sign.
She decided to move on. Somehow, she knew there would be no Hunting there that night.
--
Dialogue
Kei waved Emma off, and returned to his blond friend, grinning. "We're meeting for dinner on Sunday," he said, enthusiastically. "Isn't that great?"
Gabriel nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips in vague amusement at his companion's excitement. "Where to?" he asked, politely.
"Fernando's," said Kei, naming the best Italian restaurant in the area.
"Good. That's safe," murmured Gabriel, so low that Kei was certain he had misheard. He glanced at his friend quizzically, but the blond made no attempt to repeat or clarify.
"I saw you talking to that other girl earlier," continued Kei. "Any luck?"
The blond raised his eyebrows. "She was after you."
"Her? But I was already talking with Emma."
Gabriel shrugged. "That means nothing to her type."
"So, if she was after me, why was she talking to you?"
"I knew you didn't want to be interrupted." He paused for a moment, in thought. "And she was dangerous."
"Dangerous," repeated the other, blankly. "You were playing ‘protector' or something, you mean?" Kei folded his arms, giving his companion a mildly irritated look. "I do know how to look after myself, you know."
Gabriel turned to look him in the eyes. "She was a Huntress," he said, seriously. "If she'd spoken to you for even a minute, you could be dead. Or worse."
Kei companion snorted. "I'm not so stupid as to go off with some strange woman I've only just met."
"You wouldn't have any choice," said Gabriel, earnestly. He seemed about to continue, but Kei cut him off.
"I'm not about to lose all my common sense over a pretty girl, you know. Especially not when I've got Emma."
"You wouldn't be the first. Nor the last."
Kei shook his head dismissively. "So, if she was so dangerous, how was it that you convinced her to go away?" he asked, almost used to his friend's strange ideas by now.
"She wouldn't dare interfere after I told her not to," said Gabriel, not really listening to his friend's babble. He was looking down, lost in thought.
Just for a second, Kei was almost afraid of his friend. He seemed... powerful. Like that quiet, aloof manner was merely a mask over the true reality of Gabriel's power and he could be just as dangerous as this Huntress. Or more so.
The feeling passed just as suddenly as it had appeared. His friend was just an ordinary young man - blond, with shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes. Certainly, his ideas were a little odd, but everyone had their vices... None quite like this, however.
"You're so strange," said Kei, helplessly. "Sometimes, I really don't understand why we're so close."
"I have to protect you," said Gabriel, distantly. "It's my duty."
"Your duty?" repeated Kei, stung. "What duty? You mean, our so-called friendship has nothing to do with me at all?"
Gabriel shook his head, seeming vaguely distressed. "It has everything to do with you. I talk to you because I want to, not because it's required of me."
"So, being my friend isn't your ‘duty'?" Some part of him was still wondering about what this duty could be, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to ask again.
The blond shook his head in response to Kei's question, still seeming slightly distracted.
"Then what is your duty?" asked Kei, irritably.
Gabriel blinked, seeming to come back to himself. "To protect," he said, shrugging. "You are a Target. I am here to even the odds a little."
The other boy stared at him. "You're so weird," he said, eventually. "Why do I even listen to you? I don't believe in conspiracy theories. And I definitely don't see why I need a protector."
"You don't understand anything," said the blond, almost sadly. "But you must understand this: they are out to ‘get you', and you specifically. You are a Target."
"Who are?" asked Kei, in a demanding tone. "If you're so certain of this, tell me who."
"All of them. There are many types. None that you can ever fight on your own. And none at all that you can fight now."
Kei groaned. "I should know better," he said mournfully. "You never make any sense."
The blond shrugged. "It isn't time for you to know it all yet."
"I give in," said the other. "You're hopeless."
Gabriel looked away into the crowd, seeming to ignore Kei for the moment.
"Home? I'll give you a lift."
The blond turned to look at him. "How much have you had to drink?" asked Gabriel, with a slight frown.
"Not enough to put me over the limit," protested Kei, slightly annoyed. "I'm not stupid," he added, quieter.
Gabriel nodded, and together the two headed outside to the car. "Cars aren't safe, either," he said, very quietly.
"So, if you're so worried about me and all," said Kei as he pulled out of the car park, "how come you're not insisting on sitting in on Emma and I at the restaurant on Sunday?" He paused for a second. "Or are you?"
Gabriel shook his head. "Some places are Safe. Fernando's is one of them."
"Heh. So what makes one place safe and another not?" Kei asked, curious in spite of himself.
"People," said Gabriel, slowly. "Fernando's is a place of light, nice atmosphere, people enjoying themselves."
"And Encounters isn't, I take it?"
"Encounters is darker. People make it dark by wanting it to be. They are attracted there by the atmosphere."
Kei shook his head. "You're going into the conspiracy theories again," he said, teasingly.
Gabriel smiled faintly, although not in a completely pleasant manner. "It's not a theory."
~ * ~
"Gabriel," called Kei, impatiently tapping at his friend's door. "Are you even coming in today?"
The door swung open, revealing Gabriel, as unruffled as he always was. "I'm here." He locked his apartment door and followed Kei down to the car.
Kei wasn't exactly sure how his friend afforded the one-bedroom apartment - Gabriel had no obvious source of income, although when questioned he just shrugged and said something about ‘old money'. He'd never met Gabriel's parents, nor had Gabriel ever spoken of them. Kei was sometimes amazed by exactly how little he knew of his friend, even after two years' friendship.
"So, what about uni?" asked Kei as they headed onto the main road.
"I'm sorry...?" asked Gabriel, sounding confused.
"University. Is that safe?"
"Uni... it depends on where you are. Most of it is."
"And I suppose all the places that aren't are the ones you accompany me to?" said Kei.
Gabriel shrugged. "Some of them. Not all the time. Sometimes you don't need me."
Kei tried to find logical meaning in that statement, and failed. "So there are different degrees to safety, or something?" he asked, confused.
Gabriel seemed to hesitate. "In a way. Again, it's not easy to explain."
"Is it really that, or is this just another one of those things I'm not supposed to know about yet?"
Gabriel shrugged again. "A little of both, really."
Kei gave a little sigh of frustration. "All this secrecy is beginning to seem rather sinister," he said in a jokingly warning tone.
Gabriel laughed without humour. "It is sinister. Only I'm not the sinister one."
Kei groaned. "I just wish you'd at least tell me who these 'enemies' of mine are."
"Most of them look just like ordinary people. And they're not all of one group. Names wouldn't help."
"Okay. How about why they're trying to kill me?"
"Not kill. Most of them wouldn't really want you dead."
"Then why...?"
"There are worse things than death, Kei," said Gabriel, distantly.
Kei shivered involuntarily. "So, why me?" He indicated to turn left into the uni.
"I can't tell you that," said Gabriel, apologetically. "Just accept that you are a Target and that they want you to be theirs."
A disturbing thought occurred to Kei as he navigated the car park in search of an empty space. "What about Emma?" he asked, pausing at a crosswalk. "Will she be safe, if she's with me?"
"Emma? Most of them wouldn't touch her. The more daring might."
Kei parked the car and glanced at Gabriel, alarmed. "Might?!"
"They probably won't. It's too much of a risk for them. They know what they're doing."
"Why not, though? Why me, and not those close to me?"
Gabriel got out of the car smoothly, and headed towards the Science faculty. Kei hurried to catch up with him. "Well?"
"You're more likely to hurt them, to fight back, when you're scared for someone else..." he said, cryptically.
"Dangerous," repeated Kei, blankly. "Me?"
"Wouldn't you do anything you could to protect Emma?" asked Gabriel, regarding his friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, yes, I suppose I would... Within reason, of course..." said Kei, hesitantly.
"That's what they'd be afraid of."
"You're not making any sense, Gabriel! You've said before that I don't have any defences against these people!"
"You don't know any. You might learn on your own, if you had reason to. If you were on your own, you wouldn’t know to be afraid. If they took Emma, you would see it, and want to do something about it. They know this."
"Gabriel... You're being weird again. Explain in a clear and logical manner, please?"
Gabriel smiled slightly. "You asked. But I've said too much already. I'm sorry."
"So, when can I find out the truth?" asked Kei, irritably.
"Sooner than I would wish," said Gabriel, and then he would say no more on the subject.
--
Hallowe'en
Gabriel was waiting patiently by Kei's car when Kei arrived after seeing Emma off. He would be picking her up at eight, hopefully in costume. "Gabriel!" called Kei. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was finalising arrangements with Emma for tonight. Although I still don't know what costume I'll wear..."
Gabriel glanced at him, puzzled. "Costume? Tonight? What's happening tonight?"
"A party, of course! We're all going to Encounters. You can come too, if you like. It's not a date, exactly."
"You're going out on Hallowe'en?!" exclaimed Gabriel.
Kei blinked at his friend, surprised. He wasn't sure that he'd ever seen that much emotion from Gabriel before. "Well, yes. Why wouldn't I?"
"But... it's..." began Gabriel.
"Oh, come on," interrupted Kei, "you don't believe all that stuff about spooks and spirits being free to roam on one night of the year, do you?"
"What I believe doesn't matter," said Gabriel, in a calmer manner now. "What's important is that some people believe it's true. People make it happen by believing it..."
Kei sighed resignedly. "Well, look, if you're not comfortable with it, don't come with us."
"But it's not me I'm worried about! You have no idea what kind of danger you could be in!"
"You're worried about me? Gabriel, it's just a party. I'll be fine."
"Kei..."
"No. I'm not going to listen. It's just another night of the year, like any other."
"I'm sorry Kei. But that's not entirely true."
"Fine! Whatever. So, are you coming, or not?"
"I'm coming," said Gabriel, forcefully.
"Excellent," said Kei, his good mood returning. "You can help me find a costume."
~ * ~
"You do realise that since it’s Hallowe’en, there won’t be many costumes left in the store?" said Gabriel as they got out of the car.
"Oh, be quiet. They'll have plenty of historical ones, just not any character ones. There’ll be something I can wear," muttered Kei, irritably.
Half an hour later, Kei was beginning to enjoy himself. "How about this?" he asked, pulling a piece of a Victorian outfit from one of the seemingly endless racks of clothes.
"Kei..."
"Oh, come on. You’d make a wonderful Vampire Lestat. You have the hair for it."
"Kei, I thought we were looking for a costume for you."
"Fine, fine..." said Kei, squashing the urge to pout. He grabbed vaguely Asian-style period outfit from the racks and headed to the changeroom to try it on. "How about this?" he asked, striking a pose with the plastic katana he’d found attached to the costume.
Gabriel looked him up and down. "I’m sure Emma will like it."
"Now there’s an evasive answer if I ever heard one." He glanced in the mirror. "Seems fine to me. Come on. And you are wearing the Victorian outfit."
Gabriel sighed. "Whatever you wish, Kei."
They paid for the costume hire and headed back out to the car. "I hope Emma’s not planning on going as some futuristic chick or anything because that would just look odd," muttered Kei, more to himself than to his friend.
"Hm?" said Gabriel, seeming distracted.
Kei didn’t think it necessary to repeat himself.
~ * ~
Much to Kei’s relief, Emma was dressed simply, claiming to be ‘the woman in the red dress’. "You look nice," he said, smiling as he watched her lock her apartment door.
She grinned at him, angelically. "And you look very... dashing."
"Thanks," he said, dryly.
"No, really, it looks good. I like it."
"Really?"
She nodded. The two of them headed down to Kei's car and the Victorian-clad Gabriel.
"So, Kei managed to convince you to come along too, did he, Gabriel?" asked Emma, with a grin.
"In a manner of speaking," said Gabriel, with a slightly worried smile.
"Cool. Encounters is always great, and at Hallowe'en especially so."
Gabriel nodded absently, not really paying attention.
Emma huffed slightly, and turned her attention back to Kei.
The club was lit up as usual on the outside, but inside was decorated Hallowe'en style, which meant lots of black drapes and fake cobwebs. Kei fought off the urge to groan with difficulty. Emma seemed to be in her element.
The minute they walked into the club, Emma spotted a group of her friends and rushed off to say hello. Kei decided to take this chance to have a few words with Gabriel.
"You know, you could at least try to be nice to her."
Gabriel blinked at him. "I'm sorry?"
Kei sighed. "She's only teasing you. She's not trying to insult you. So stop treating her like she's unimportant."
"I’m not..." began Gabriel.
"You are. Stop it."
Gabriel nodded, rebuked.
Emma rushed back and grabbed Kei by the arm. "You are going to dance, right?"
"Of course I am," he said, smiling, and allowed himself to be led onto the dance floor.
~ * ~
An hour or so and a few drinks later, Kei and Emma were sitting by the bar talking. Halfway through one of Kei’s sentences, Emma let out a frustrated sound.
"What is it?" asked Kei.
"That guy," she said, frowning. "He’s been watching us all night."
"Which guy?" asked Kei, frowning.
Emma indicated subtly whom she meant.
"I wonder why... Where’s Gabriel?"
Emma blinked at the apparent non sequitor. "Um... I think he’s over there. In the corner."
"Excuse me for a second..." Kei headed off to his friend. Emma stared after him, confused.
"Gabriel!" said Kei, swinging himself into the seat next to Gabriel. "I want to ask you something."
Gabriel stared at him. "What?"
"There’s this guy. Emma says he’s been watching us all night. I thought you might... you know... have something to say about it..."
"Which guy?" asked Gabriel, sitting up straighter.
"He’s... uh..." Kei paused for a second, searching the crowd. When he spotted him, he almost dropped his drink in shock. "Gabriel! He’s the one there, talking to Emma!"
Gabriel’s head snapped up to look where Kei was pointing.
While they were watching, Emma got up and followed the man out of the club. Gabriel frowned.
"Gabriel!" shrieked Kei. "Why would she follow him? She was afraid of him, I’m sure of it!"
"He's one of Them. She didn't have any choice," said Gabriel, soberly.
"But... I thought you said they wouldn't attack her!"
"I didn't think they would," said Gabriel, quietly. "But... tonight is Hallowe'en. It makes Them restless. And careless."
"But... I have to do something! Why are you so calm? Help her!" Now he did drop his drink, and began pushing his way through the crowd in the direction Emma had gone.
"Kei!" called Gabriel, hurrying after his friend. "Kei, no, wait!"
Outside, the air was cold against Kei’s face. "Emma!" he yelled, looking in both directions frantically. There was no response, nor could he see her anywhere.
He heard Gabriel come up behind him. "She’s over that way," said Gabriel, quietly, pointing towards a nearby alley.
Kei didn’t bother asking how Gabriel knew. He just ran for the alley. He heard Gabriel’s footsteps behind him.
As they reached the entrance, Gabriel grabbed Kei’s shirt. "He wants to get you on your own. I’m not going to let that happen. We go in together, okay?"
Kei blinked at him for a few moments, until comprehension settled in. He nodded.
Gabriel released him and together they entered the alley.
Kei could see what looked like Emma’s still form crumpled against the far end of the alley. The man they had seen earlier was leaning against the wall between them and Emma, with an air of patient waiting. He man smiled slightly as he saw Kei. "You took longer than I expected." His gaze settled on Gabriel, and his eyes widened slightly. "Well. You keep odd company."
"Who are you?" demanded Kei. "What have you done with Emma?"
"Oh, your pretty girl? She’s fine. She’ll continue to be fine if you just come quietly, too." He gestured to the prone body at his feet.
Blinding rage settled upon Kei for the briefest second, before Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"It’s very dangerous, what you’re doing," said the blond, quietly. "I’m not sure you quite know what you’re dealing with."
"Oh, I know. He has Power and I have to kill him before he Realises it."
"If he Realises it now, you won’t survive," said Gabriel, voice full of certainty. "If I were you, I would leave the girl alone."
"You’re not me. You’re on his side. If I leave the girl, I won’t have any bargaining power. And whilst I’m very flattered that you think I can stand up to you, I’m not stupid.
"But if you kill me now, you kill the girl too. So, you see, I have the power here."
"Gabriel?" said Kei, in a small voice. "What are you talking about?"
"You mean he doesn’t even know? Well, that is rich. Let me explain it for you, little boy. If you kill me, the girl dies. If you walk away, the girl dies. If you come to me, I release her. It’s as simple as that."
Kei was silent for a moment. "Well, I guess I don’t have any choice then." He took a step forward.
"No, Kei, don’t..."
"You take Emma when he releases her, okay?" said Kei, quietly.
"Kei, you won’t be able to..."
"Gabriel - shut up."
Gabriel shut up. But that didn’t stop him moving around the man to Emma’s body. He put a hand to her forehead and closed his eyes.
Kei took several steps closer. "Here I am. Now, release her."
The man smiled again. "Good boy." He shut his eyes for the briefest moment.
Distantly, through the part of his brain that wasn’t frightened, Kei heard Emma gasp. "She’s awake," said Gabriel, turning to look at his friend, wide-eyed.
"Now I’ve kept my part of the bargain... It’s time for you to keep yours. I can’t have you if you’re not willing, boy."
Kei took the last few steps necessary, and then all that he felt was agony. Pure mental pain, even though the man wasn’t touching him.
Dimly, he heard Gabriel screaming. "Kei!"
"You interfere, he dies, angel," replied the man.
Angel? thought the part of Kei’s mind that wasn’t hurting, that was trying desperately to find some way to fight back.
"Not that it really matters," continued the man, "since he'll soon be dead. And then I can take the girl, too."
"You said you'd let her go!" yelled Gabriel.
"I did release her. I said nothing about letting her stay free."
Kei felt, rather than saw, Gabriel stand up. The pain increased and he screamed. I can't die, he told himself. I can't die, not if I want to save Emma. I can't die...
Suddenly, inside his mind, he felt a strange opening, like some knowledge he hadn’t know he had possession of had suddenly made itself known. On instinct, he reached for it.
The agony increased tenfold. He opened his eyes in pain, only to see his attacker disappear in a bright flash of light. Ash rained down, coating his clothing in a fine white powder. All was silent.
After a few moments Gabriel stood, the sound of his footsteps shattering the deathly calm like glass. "Kei?" he asked.
His voice seemed very small, very weak. Kei was sitting back against the wall, staring at the ground.
"Kei?" asked Gabriel again, coming to kneel by his friend.
"Gabriel... what just happened?"
"You saved Emma, Kei. You used your Power."
"Gabriel... that doesn't make sense."
Whatever Gabriel might have said in reponse to that was forgotten as Emma's quiet voice cam from the end of the alley. "Kei? Gabriel? What happened?"
Gabriel stood and went to her. "You were assalted by a man and taken out here," he said, slowly and carefully. "Kei followed you and got you free. The man ran away."
"Oh..." said Emma. "I... I..."
"You're in shock. Look, why don't we take you home, okay?" continued Gabriel, smiling comfortingly. "You need some sleep."
"I... thank you. I think I need it..."
"Come on," said Gabriel, taking her by the arm and leading her in the direction of the car. "Kei?"
"I'm coming," said Kei, bewildered.
~ * ~
They dropped Emma off at her house, where her parents fussed over her and thanked Kei profusely for saving their little girl. They promised to see her straight to bed, and Kei and Gabriel departed after some coffee, pleading exhaustion.
"Gabriel... I want you to explain what happened," said Kei as they got back into the car.
Gabriel nodded. "I will. But not here."
"Your place?"
The blond nodded again. Kei started the car and drove off.
About fifteen minutes later, they were inside Gabriel's modest apartment, with more coffee.
"What was it?" asked Kei, nervously handling the cup. "Was it magic?"
"Of a kind. We call it Power. There aren't any spells or anything, it all comes from the mind."
"So... it was you that did this to me? That was you, right, not me? I can't see how that could have been me... I've never done stuff like that before..." said Kei, putting the cup down and wringing his hands in the air.
"You never had any need to..." said Gabriel, softly. "You've always had that power, it's just never awoken before. Remember what I told you about being more concerned for others than for yourself? That's why it manifested then, when you were afraid for Emma."
"But it won't happen again, right? I'm normal again?"
Gabriel shook his head, somehow sadly. "No.. once it awakens, you have to learn to control it. That's what I'm here for."
"So, you can get rid of this... this thing?"
"No. But I can teach you how to use it."
"I don't want to learn how to use it! I want it gone, do you hear?"
"I'm sorry, Kei. You don't have any choice. Either learn to deal with it, or risk losing control and hurting people you care about."
"You mean... if I don't learn to control this thing, I could hurt Emma?"
Gabriel simply nodded. "You saw what happened tonight..."
Kei conceeded the point. But it didn't make him any happier. "I don't want this, Gabriel," he said, softly.
"I know. I'm sorry. But it's been a part of you since you were born... If I could have spared you discovering it this way, maybe eve discovering it at all, I would have."
"It's not fair," he said, not caring that he sounded like a sulky child.
"It never is," said Gabriel, gently. "Go home, Kei. Get some sleep. We'll talk about this again in the morning."
~ END ~
Sidestory: Kei, Encounters, Gabriel
Kei's life changed significantly for the first time about three months after he left school, two weeks after his eighteenth birthday. To be completely accurate, it was the first time he visited the popular teen goth hangout, Encounters.
It was still summer and the night was warm, so he left his jacket at home, settling for plain black jeans and shirt. He left his short, naturally-black hair in its usual, unkempt style. His sister liked to joke that he had gothic tendencies and, though he hated to admit it, sometimes she was right.
He drove to the club and parked carefully, making a mental note not to drink very much as he certainly couldn't afford a taxi home. He walked to the club somewhat nervously and obediently presented his ID when asked. The bouncer waved him through and he let out a breath he'd been completely unnecessarily holding.
The club was crowded with dark haired teenagers, some of them surely underage, in black clothing. He took a few moments once inside to take in the atmosphere. It was dark, he eventually decided. This definitely wasn't the kind of place you'd here the Backstreet Boys in. Currently the DJ was playing something by an underground group Kei was mildly familiar with through one of his friends. On that line of thought, he began to look around anxiously for someone he knew. He felt vaguely relieved when he spotted an old school friend, who apparently spotted him at the same time.
"Kei!" Joshua greeted him, walking over with a girl clutching his arm with her left hand, drink held in right. Kei noted absently that Josh had gained a nosering since Kei last saw him. "Meet my girlfriend, Sunny," Joshua continued. Sunny, despite her name, also had dyed black hair with black lipstick to boot.
"Hi," said Kei, trying not to look too interested. Emotions were Out in this crowd at the moment.
"I like this place," said Sunny, dreamily. "It has... atmosphere." Kei decided she was probably high. Nevertheless, he nodded, sensing agreement was expected. She released her hold on Joshua's arm just long enough to brush her hair out of her eyes, putting her empty glass on a nearby bench, and then replaced it full force. "Let's dance, okay?" she said, forcefully leading him over to the dance floor. Kei began to wonder why he'd come here. Being at a loss for anything else to do, Kei followed them and spent a good half hour or so lost in the music. Unfortunately, the smoky air and a certain amount of nervousness eventually forced him to go in search of a drink.
While he was sitting at the bar trying to ignore the rest of the club, another man sat down next to him. "How are you going," he asked Kei in a quiet voice.
Kei glanced at him and decided he was probably going to attempt to sell Kei drugs. "Fine thanks," he said, trying to seem polite but uninterested.
Even as he finished saying it, he knew it hadn't worked. The man grabbed his arm. "Why don't you come outside," he said, tightening his grip so hard it almost bruised. Kei winced. "I have something to show you."
"Uh... I don't think... I'm not..." Kei stuttered, uncertainly. Scenarios ran through his mind. He wondered what would happen to him if he refused to go. The man would probably break his arm. He glanced helplessly around, but no one seemed to be noticing.
The grip tightened again, and Kei decided it would probably be best to do what he wanted. After all, he was probably only a drug dealer, right? And once he discovered that Kei didn't have to money to pay for such things, he'd be free to go. He hoped. Kei obediently followed his attacker outside, around a corner, and into a dimly lit alley that reminded Kei of a set from a slasher horror flick setting.
He was becoming worried that he might become the victim in this film. He edged towards the alley entrance, but his companion seemed to anticipate this and moved to block his way. "That was really too easy," said the man lazily, smiling in a distinctly unpleasant manner.
Kei began to think he would have been better off staying in the club. At least then there would have been people around, and that would prevent his attacker doing any real harm. "Why...?" he gasped, in a small voice. If he was going to die, he at least wanted a reason for it.
"You don't know?" the man laughed. "Well, good. That makes it even easier." He drew both his hands up above his right shoulder and closed his eyes momentarily. Kei watched in morbid fascination.
"Don't touch him!" yelled an unfamiliar voice.
Kei's attacker spun and swore. Kei craned his head to see the speaker. The image that met his puzzled eyes was that of a halo of soft gold hair framing a pale face, surrounded by glowing white light and ghostly wings. It hardly lasted a second before he was forced to shut his eyes against a flash of bright light. When he opened his eyes again, his attacker was gone.
In his place was a boy of about his own age. He had blond hair, certainly, but he was dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt. "Are you okay?" asked the blond, seeming concerned.
Kei rubbed his head. "I think I hit my head on something," he said. It was the only reasonable explanation for what he thought he'd seen. "Uh... thanks for helping me. How did you get him to go away?"
The other boy shrugged. "I think... once he realised he'd have a witness he decided it wasn't worth the risk."
Kei frowned. "That's pretty lame," he said, accusingly.
The other boy looked at him seriously. "You shouldn't follow people outside alone. It's not safe."
"Yeah, well. I wasn't thinking very straight," said Kei, embarrassed. In retrospect he could see what a stupid thing it was to do, although it had seemed perfectly logical at the time. "It won't happen again."
"It will do..." said the other boy, still serious. "Now they've tried once, they'll try again and again and again..."
Kei stared at him. "You're weird," he pronounced, after a time.
The other boy flushed slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that. But you really must be careful."
Kei nodded absently. He held out his hand, deciding it was long past the proper time for introductions. "I'm Kei. Thanks again for, you know, saving me."
The blond took his hand and shook it lightly. "My name is Gabriel."
"Well... nice to meet you, Gabriel," said Kei, at a loss for words. "I think I'd better get home." Clubbing had lost its appeal for the night. "I'll see you around, I guess."
Gabriel nodded approvingly. "We'll meet again, Kei," he said, with an air of foretelling the future.
Kei waved and headed off to his car. He spared a moment to wonder why the blond was so sure of their future meeting, but brushed it off as soon as he reached his car.
Six months later they were practically best friends and Kei was still wondering exactly why.
Judging by the "last edited" dates on these files, they were written between September 2000 and February 2001. I distinctly remember scribbling some of them out on lecture pads in Linguistics lectures.
I retain some affection for Kei and Gabriel, so I'm resurrecting it here on LiveJournal.
--
Prologue: Intervention
She saw him the moment she stepped into the club. Dark hair, dark eyes, handsome face showing signs of Asian ancestry, chatting animatedly with one of the pretty gothic girls that habitually frequented the place. To her eyes, he was stunning. His power beckoned with invisible fingers.
She would have this one.
No one else was paying much attention to him, save the pretty blond in the corner. That one simply watched, intently and somehow reflectively. He was no danger.
The blond caught her eye for some reason as she approached the other young man. She tossed her hair back and leant over to speak to him as she brushed past.
"You're wasting your time," she said, words calculated to be insulting, smirking triumphantly. "He's straight, he's not interested in you."
His eyes flicked to her for a few seconds, but he didn't reply.
She moved on, smiling sweetly. She would have this one, definitely - she was a Huntress, and the Hunters drew their power from their Pets, the humans they entranced and bewitched to stay with the Hunter until he or she should decide their ultimate fate.
Perhaps this one would not even stay a Pet, maybe she would make him her heir. Yet, she had thought this of many before and they had all disappointed her. Most likely this one would too. But he would make a very beautiful Pet.
He turned to smile at one of his friends, mouthing the words ‘she likes me,' eyes shining with the joy of young love.
Yes, a very nice Pet.
She moved closer, surreptitiously licking her lips.
As she moved to close in on her target, the blond appeared in front of her. She frowned reflexively, - she hadn't seen him move.
The room seemed to glow brighter, the shadows of a dimly lit room receding in some places and intensifying in others. The blinked, but the only glow grew brighter, seemingly centred above the blond.
She thought she saw the shadow-flick of great eagles' wings behind the light.
Realisation set in. She backed off, quickly. "I didn't," she muttered, hurriedly, hands in front of her. "I didn't touch him."
He frowned impatiently. "Begone," he said in a voice intended for her ears alone, "he is not yours to take."
She was outside a club, though she had no knowledge of how she got there. The sign glinted in the moonlight. "Encounters", she murmured, reading the sign.
She decided to move on. Somehow, she knew there would be no Hunting there that night.
--
Dialogue
Kei waved Emma off, and returned to his blond friend, grinning. "We're meeting for dinner on Sunday," he said, enthusiastically. "Isn't that great?"
Gabriel nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips in vague amusement at his companion's excitement. "Where to?" he asked, politely.
"Fernando's," said Kei, naming the best Italian restaurant in the area.
"Good. That's safe," murmured Gabriel, so low that Kei was certain he had misheard. He glanced at his friend quizzically, but the blond made no attempt to repeat or clarify.
"I saw you talking to that other girl earlier," continued Kei. "Any luck?"
The blond raised his eyebrows. "She was after you."
"Her? But I was already talking with Emma."
Gabriel shrugged. "That means nothing to her type."
"So, if she was after me, why was she talking to you?"
"I knew you didn't want to be interrupted." He paused for a moment, in thought. "And she was dangerous."
"Dangerous," repeated the other, blankly. "You were playing ‘protector' or something, you mean?" Kei folded his arms, giving his companion a mildly irritated look. "I do know how to look after myself, you know."
Gabriel turned to look him in the eyes. "She was a Huntress," he said, seriously. "If she'd spoken to you for even a minute, you could be dead. Or worse."
Kei companion snorted. "I'm not so stupid as to go off with some strange woman I've only just met."
"You wouldn't have any choice," said Gabriel, earnestly. He seemed about to continue, but Kei cut him off.
"I'm not about to lose all my common sense over a pretty girl, you know. Especially not when I've got Emma."
"You wouldn't be the first. Nor the last."
Kei shook his head dismissively. "So, if she was so dangerous, how was it that you convinced her to go away?" he asked, almost used to his friend's strange ideas by now.
"She wouldn't dare interfere after I told her not to," said Gabriel, not really listening to his friend's babble. He was looking down, lost in thought.
Just for a second, Kei was almost afraid of his friend. He seemed... powerful. Like that quiet, aloof manner was merely a mask over the true reality of Gabriel's power and he could be just as dangerous as this Huntress. Or more so.
The feeling passed just as suddenly as it had appeared. His friend was just an ordinary young man - blond, with shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes. Certainly, his ideas were a little odd, but everyone had their vices... None quite like this, however.
"You're so strange," said Kei, helplessly. "Sometimes, I really don't understand why we're so close."
"I have to protect you," said Gabriel, distantly. "It's my duty."
"Your duty?" repeated Kei, stung. "What duty? You mean, our so-called friendship has nothing to do with me at all?"
Gabriel shook his head, seeming vaguely distressed. "It has everything to do with you. I talk to you because I want to, not because it's required of me."
"So, being my friend isn't your ‘duty'?" Some part of him was still wondering about what this duty could be, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to ask again.
The blond shook his head in response to Kei's question, still seeming slightly distracted.
"Then what is your duty?" asked Kei, irritably.
Gabriel blinked, seeming to come back to himself. "To protect," he said, shrugging. "You are a Target. I am here to even the odds a little."
The other boy stared at him. "You're so weird," he said, eventually. "Why do I even listen to you? I don't believe in conspiracy theories. And I definitely don't see why I need a protector."
"You don't understand anything," said the blond, almost sadly. "But you must understand this: they are out to ‘get you', and you specifically. You are a Target."
"Who are?" asked Kei, in a demanding tone. "If you're so certain of this, tell me who."
"All of them. There are many types. None that you can ever fight on your own. And none at all that you can fight now."
Kei groaned. "I should know better," he said mournfully. "You never make any sense."
The blond shrugged. "It isn't time for you to know it all yet."
"I give in," said the other. "You're hopeless."
Gabriel looked away into the crowd, seeming to ignore Kei for the moment.
"Home? I'll give you a lift."
The blond turned to look at him. "How much have you had to drink?" asked Gabriel, with a slight frown.
"Not enough to put me over the limit," protested Kei, slightly annoyed. "I'm not stupid," he added, quieter.
Gabriel nodded, and together the two headed outside to the car. "Cars aren't safe, either," he said, very quietly.
"So, if you're so worried about me and all," said Kei as he pulled out of the car park, "how come you're not insisting on sitting in on Emma and I at the restaurant on Sunday?" He paused for a second. "Or are you?"
Gabriel shook his head. "Some places are Safe. Fernando's is one of them."
"Heh. So what makes one place safe and another not?" Kei asked, curious in spite of himself.
"People," said Gabriel, slowly. "Fernando's is a place of light, nice atmosphere, people enjoying themselves."
"And Encounters isn't, I take it?"
"Encounters is darker. People make it dark by wanting it to be. They are attracted there by the atmosphere."
Kei shook his head. "You're going into the conspiracy theories again," he said, teasingly.
Gabriel smiled faintly, although not in a completely pleasant manner. "It's not a theory."
~ * ~
"Gabriel," called Kei, impatiently tapping at his friend's door. "Are you even coming in today?"
The door swung open, revealing Gabriel, as unruffled as he always was. "I'm here." He locked his apartment door and followed Kei down to the car.
Kei wasn't exactly sure how his friend afforded the one-bedroom apartment - Gabriel had no obvious source of income, although when questioned he just shrugged and said something about ‘old money'. He'd never met Gabriel's parents, nor had Gabriel ever spoken of them. Kei was sometimes amazed by exactly how little he knew of his friend, even after two years' friendship.
"So, what about uni?" asked Kei as they headed onto the main road.
"I'm sorry...?" asked Gabriel, sounding confused.
"University. Is that safe?"
"Uni... it depends on where you are. Most of it is."
"And I suppose all the places that aren't are the ones you accompany me to?" said Kei.
Gabriel shrugged. "Some of them. Not all the time. Sometimes you don't need me."
Kei tried to find logical meaning in that statement, and failed. "So there are different degrees to safety, or something?" he asked, confused.
Gabriel seemed to hesitate. "In a way. Again, it's not easy to explain."
"Is it really that, or is this just another one of those things I'm not supposed to know about yet?"
Gabriel shrugged again. "A little of both, really."
Kei gave a little sigh of frustration. "All this secrecy is beginning to seem rather sinister," he said in a jokingly warning tone.
Gabriel laughed without humour. "It is sinister. Only I'm not the sinister one."
Kei groaned. "I just wish you'd at least tell me who these 'enemies' of mine are."
"Most of them look just like ordinary people. And they're not all of one group. Names wouldn't help."
"Okay. How about why they're trying to kill me?"
"Not kill. Most of them wouldn't really want you dead."
"Then why...?"
"There are worse things than death, Kei," said Gabriel, distantly.
Kei shivered involuntarily. "So, why me?" He indicated to turn left into the uni.
"I can't tell you that," said Gabriel, apologetically. "Just accept that you are a Target and that they want you to be theirs."
A disturbing thought occurred to Kei as he navigated the car park in search of an empty space. "What about Emma?" he asked, pausing at a crosswalk. "Will she be safe, if she's with me?"
"Emma? Most of them wouldn't touch her. The more daring might."
Kei parked the car and glanced at Gabriel, alarmed. "Might?!"
"They probably won't. It's too much of a risk for them. They know what they're doing."
"Why not, though? Why me, and not those close to me?"
Gabriel got out of the car smoothly, and headed towards the Science faculty. Kei hurried to catch up with him. "Well?"
"You're more likely to hurt them, to fight back, when you're scared for someone else..." he said, cryptically.
"Dangerous," repeated Kei, blankly. "Me?"
"Wouldn't you do anything you could to protect Emma?" asked Gabriel, regarding his friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, yes, I suppose I would... Within reason, of course..." said Kei, hesitantly.
"That's what they'd be afraid of."
"You're not making any sense, Gabriel! You've said before that I don't have any defences against these people!"
"You don't know any. You might learn on your own, if you had reason to. If you were on your own, you wouldn’t know to be afraid. If they took Emma, you would see it, and want to do something about it. They know this."
"Gabriel... You're being weird again. Explain in a clear and logical manner, please?"
Gabriel smiled slightly. "You asked. But I've said too much already. I'm sorry."
"So, when can I find out the truth?" asked Kei, irritably.
"Sooner than I would wish," said Gabriel, and then he would say no more on the subject.
--
Hallowe'en
Gabriel was waiting patiently by Kei's car when Kei arrived after seeing Emma off. He would be picking her up at eight, hopefully in costume. "Gabriel!" called Kei. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was finalising arrangements with Emma for tonight. Although I still don't know what costume I'll wear..."
Gabriel glanced at him, puzzled. "Costume? Tonight? What's happening tonight?"
"A party, of course! We're all going to Encounters. You can come too, if you like. It's not a date, exactly."
"You're going out on Hallowe'en?!" exclaimed Gabriel.
Kei blinked at his friend, surprised. He wasn't sure that he'd ever seen that much emotion from Gabriel before. "Well, yes. Why wouldn't I?"
"But... it's..." began Gabriel.
"Oh, come on," interrupted Kei, "you don't believe all that stuff about spooks and spirits being free to roam on one night of the year, do you?"
"What I believe doesn't matter," said Gabriel, in a calmer manner now. "What's important is that some people believe it's true. People make it happen by believing it..."
Kei sighed resignedly. "Well, look, if you're not comfortable with it, don't come with us."
"But it's not me I'm worried about! You have no idea what kind of danger you could be in!"
"You're worried about me? Gabriel, it's just a party. I'll be fine."
"Kei..."
"No. I'm not going to listen. It's just another night of the year, like any other."
"I'm sorry Kei. But that's not entirely true."
"Fine! Whatever. So, are you coming, or not?"
"I'm coming," said Gabriel, forcefully.
"Excellent," said Kei, his good mood returning. "You can help me find a costume."
~ * ~
"You do realise that since it’s Hallowe’en, there won’t be many costumes left in the store?" said Gabriel as they got out of the car.
"Oh, be quiet. They'll have plenty of historical ones, just not any character ones. There’ll be something I can wear," muttered Kei, irritably.
Half an hour later, Kei was beginning to enjoy himself. "How about this?" he asked, pulling a piece of a Victorian outfit from one of the seemingly endless racks of clothes.
"Kei..."
"Oh, come on. You’d make a wonderful Vampire Lestat. You have the hair for it."
"Kei, I thought we were looking for a costume for you."
"Fine, fine..." said Kei, squashing the urge to pout. He grabbed vaguely Asian-style period outfit from the racks and headed to the changeroom to try it on. "How about this?" he asked, striking a pose with the plastic katana he’d found attached to the costume.
Gabriel looked him up and down. "I’m sure Emma will like it."
"Now there’s an evasive answer if I ever heard one." He glanced in the mirror. "Seems fine to me. Come on. And you are wearing the Victorian outfit."
Gabriel sighed. "Whatever you wish, Kei."
They paid for the costume hire and headed back out to the car. "I hope Emma’s not planning on going as some futuristic chick or anything because that would just look odd," muttered Kei, more to himself than to his friend.
"Hm?" said Gabriel, seeming distracted.
Kei didn’t think it necessary to repeat himself.
~ * ~
Much to Kei’s relief, Emma was dressed simply, claiming to be ‘the woman in the red dress’. "You look nice," he said, smiling as he watched her lock her apartment door.
She grinned at him, angelically. "And you look very... dashing."
"Thanks," he said, dryly.
"No, really, it looks good. I like it."
"Really?"
She nodded. The two of them headed down to Kei's car and the Victorian-clad Gabriel.
"So, Kei managed to convince you to come along too, did he, Gabriel?" asked Emma, with a grin.
"In a manner of speaking," said Gabriel, with a slightly worried smile.
"Cool. Encounters is always great, and at Hallowe'en especially so."
Gabriel nodded absently, not really paying attention.
Emma huffed slightly, and turned her attention back to Kei.
The club was lit up as usual on the outside, but inside was decorated Hallowe'en style, which meant lots of black drapes and fake cobwebs. Kei fought off the urge to groan with difficulty. Emma seemed to be in her element.
The minute they walked into the club, Emma spotted a group of her friends and rushed off to say hello. Kei decided to take this chance to have a few words with Gabriel.
"You know, you could at least try to be nice to her."
Gabriel blinked at him. "I'm sorry?"
Kei sighed. "She's only teasing you. She's not trying to insult you. So stop treating her like she's unimportant."
"I’m not..." began Gabriel.
"You are. Stop it."
Gabriel nodded, rebuked.
Emma rushed back and grabbed Kei by the arm. "You are going to dance, right?"
"Of course I am," he said, smiling, and allowed himself to be led onto the dance floor.
~ * ~
An hour or so and a few drinks later, Kei and Emma were sitting by the bar talking. Halfway through one of Kei’s sentences, Emma let out a frustrated sound.
"What is it?" asked Kei.
"That guy," she said, frowning. "He’s been watching us all night."
"Which guy?" asked Kei, frowning.
Emma indicated subtly whom she meant.
"I wonder why... Where’s Gabriel?"
Emma blinked at the apparent non sequitor. "Um... I think he’s over there. In the corner."
"Excuse me for a second..." Kei headed off to his friend. Emma stared after him, confused.
"Gabriel!" said Kei, swinging himself into the seat next to Gabriel. "I want to ask you something."
Gabriel stared at him. "What?"
"There’s this guy. Emma says he’s been watching us all night. I thought you might... you know... have something to say about it..."
"Which guy?" asked Gabriel, sitting up straighter.
"He’s... uh..." Kei paused for a second, searching the crowd. When he spotted him, he almost dropped his drink in shock. "Gabriel! He’s the one there, talking to Emma!"
Gabriel’s head snapped up to look where Kei was pointing.
While they were watching, Emma got up and followed the man out of the club. Gabriel frowned.
"Gabriel!" shrieked Kei. "Why would she follow him? She was afraid of him, I’m sure of it!"
"He's one of Them. She didn't have any choice," said Gabriel, soberly.
"But... I thought you said they wouldn't attack her!"
"I didn't think they would," said Gabriel, quietly. "But... tonight is Hallowe'en. It makes Them restless. And careless."
"But... I have to do something! Why are you so calm? Help her!" Now he did drop his drink, and began pushing his way through the crowd in the direction Emma had gone.
"Kei!" called Gabriel, hurrying after his friend. "Kei, no, wait!"
Outside, the air was cold against Kei’s face. "Emma!" he yelled, looking in both directions frantically. There was no response, nor could he see her anywhere.
He heard Gabriel come up behind him. "She’s over that way," said Gabriel, quietly, pointing towards a nearby alley.
Kei didn’t bother asking how Gabriel knew. He just ran for the alley. He heard Gabriel’s footsteps behind him.
As they reached the entrance, Gabriel grabbed Kei’s shirt. "He wants to get you on your own. I’m not going to let that happen. We go in together, okay?"
Kei blinked at him for a few moments, until comprehension settled in. He nodded.
Gabriel released him and together they entered the alley.
Kei could see what looked like Emma’s still form crumpled against the far end of the alley. The man they had seen earlier was leaning against the wall between them and Emma, with an air of patient waiting. He man smiled slightly as he saw Kei. "You took longer than I expected." His gaze settled on Gabriel, and his eyes widened slightly. "Well. You keep odd company."
"Who are you?" demanded Kei. "What have you done with Emma?"
"Oh, your pretty girl? She’s fine. She’ll continue to be fine if you just come quietly, too." He gestured to the prone body at his feet.
Blinding rage settled upon Kei for the briefest second, before Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"It’s very dangerous, what you’re doing," said the blond, quietly. "I’m not sure you quite know what you’re dealing with."
"Oh, I know. He has Power and I have to kill him before he Realises it."
"If he Realises it now, you won’t survive," said Gabriel, voice full of certainty. "If I were you, I would leave the girl alone."
"You’re not me. You’re on his side. If I leave the girl, I won’t have any bargaining power. And whilst I’m very flattered that you think I can stand up to you, I’m not stupid.
"But if you kill me now, you kill the girl too. So, you see, I have the power here."
"Gabriel?" said Kei, in a small voice. "What are you talking about?"
"You mean he doesn’t even know? Well, that is rich. Let me explain it for you, little boy. If you kill me, the girl dies. If you walk away, the girl dies. If you come to me, I release her. It’s as simple as that."
Kei was silent for a moment. "Well, I guess I don’t have any choice then." He took a step forward.
"No, Kei, don’t..."
"You take Emma when he releases her, okay?" said Kei, quietly.
"Kei, you won’t be able to..."
"Gabriel - shut up."
Gabriel shut up. But that didn’t stop him moving around the man to Emma’s body. He put a hand to her forehead and closed his eyes.
Kei took several steps closer. "Here I am. Now, release her."
The man smiled again. "Good boy." He shut his eyes for the briefest moment.
Distantly, through the part of his brain that wasn’t frightened, Kei heard Emma gasp. "She’s awake," said Gabriel, turning to look at his friend, wide-eyed.
"Now I’ve kept my part of the bargain... It’s time for you to keep yours. I can’t have you if you’re not willing, boy."
Kei took the last few steps necessary, and then all that he felt was agony. Pure mental pain, even though the man wasn’t touching him.
Dimly, he heard Gabriel screaming. "Kei!"
"You interfere, he dies, angel," replied the man.
Angel? thought the part of Kei’s mind that wasn’t hurting, that was trying desperately to find some way to fight back.
"Not that it really matters," continued the man, "since he'll soon be dead. And then I can take the girl, too."
"You said you'd let her go!" yelled Gabriel.
"I did release her. I said nothing about letting her stay free."
Kei felt, rather than saw, Gabriel stand up. The pain increased and he screamed. I can't die, he told himself. I can't die, not if I want to save Emma. I can't die...
Suddenly, inside his mind, he felt a strange opening, like some knowledge he hadn’t know he had possession of had suddenly made itself known. On instinct, he reached for it.
The agony increased tenfold. He opened his eyes in pain, only to see his attacker disappear in a bright flash of light. Ash rained down, coating his clothing in a fine white powder. All was silent.
After a few moments Gabriel stood, the sound of his footsteps shattering the deathly calm like glass. "Kei?" he asked.
His voice seemed very small, very weak. Kei was sitting back against the wall, staring at the ground.
"Kei?" asked Gabriel again, coming to kneel by his friend.
"Gabriel... what just happened?"
"You saved Emma, Kei. You used your Power."
"Gabriel... that doesn't make sense."
Whatever Gabriel might have said in reponse to that was forgotten as Emma's quiet voice cam from the end of the alley. "Kei? Gabriel? What happened?"
Gabriel stood and went to her. "You were assalted by a man and taken out here," he said, slowly and carefully. "Kei followed you and got you free. The man ran away."
"Oh..." said Emma. "I... I..."
"You're in shock. Look, why don't we take you home, okay?" continued Gabriel, smiling comfortingly. "You need some sleep."
"I... thank you. I think I need it..."
"Come on," said Gabriel, taking her by the arm and leading her in the direction of the car. "Kei?"
"I'm coming," said Kei, bewildered.
~ * ~
They dropped Emma off at her house, where her parents fussed over her and thanked Kei profusely for saving their little girl. They promised to see her straight to bed, and Kei and Gabriel departed after some coffee, pleading exhaustion.
"Gabriel... I want you to explain what happened," said Kei as they got back into the car.
Gabriel nodded. "I will. But not here."
"Your place?"
The blond nodded again. Kei started the car and drove off.
About fifteen minutes later, they were inside Gabriel's modest apartment, with more coffee.
"What was it?" asked Kei, nervously handling the cup. "Was it magic?"
"Of a kind. We call it Power. There aren't any spells or anything, it all comes from the mind."
"So... it was you that did this to me? That was you, right, not me? I can't see how that could have been me... I've never done stuff like that before..." said Kei, putting the cup down and wringing his hands in the air.
"You never had any need to..." said Gabriel, softly. "You've always had that power, it's just never awoken before. Remember what I told you about being more concerned for others than for yourself? That's why it manifested then, when you were afraid for Emma."
"But it won't happen again, right? I'm normal again?"
Gabriel shook his head, somehow sadly. "No.. once it awakens, you have to learn to control it. That's what I'm here for."
"So, you can get rid of this... this thing?"
"No. But I can teach you how to use it."
"I don't want to learn how to use it! I want it gone, do you hear?"
"I'm sorry, Kei. You don't have any choice. Either learn to deal with it, or risk losing control and hurting people you care about."
"You mean... if I don't learn to control this thing, I could hurt Emma?"
Gabriel simply nodded. "You saw what happened tonight..."
Kei conceeded the point. But it didn't make him any happier. "I don't want this, Gabriel," he said, softly.
"I know. I'm sorry. But it's been a part of you since you were born... If I could have spared you discovering it this way, maybe eve discovering it at all, I would have."
"It's not fair," he said, not caring that he sounded like a sulky child.
"It never is," said Gabriel, gently. "Go home, Kei. Get some sleep. We'll talk about this again in the morning."
~ END ~
Sidestory: Kei, Encounters, Gabriel
Kei's life changed significantly for the first time about three months after he left school, two weeks after his eighteenth birthday. To be completely accurate, it was the first time he visited the popular teen goth hangout, Encounters.
It was still summer and the night was warm, so he left his jacket at home, settling for plain black jeans and shirt. He left his short, naturally-black hair in its usual, unkempt style. His sister liked to joke that he had gothic tendencies and, though he hated to admit it, sometimes she was right.
He drove to the club and parked carefully, making a mental note not to drink very much as he certainly couldn't afford a taxi home. He walked to the club somewhat nervously and obediently presented his ID when asked. The bouncer waved him through and he let out a breath he'd been completely unnecessarily holding.
The club was crowded with dark haired teenagers, some of them surely underage, in black clothing. He took a few moments once inside to take in the atmosphere. It was dark, he eventually decided. This definitely wasn't the kind of place you'd here the Backstreet Boys in. Currently the DJ was playing something by an underground group Kei was mildly familiar with through one of his friends. On that line of thought, he began to look around anxiously for someone he knew. He felt vaguely relieved when he spotted an old school friend, who apparently spotted him at the same time.
"Kei!" Joshua greeted him, walking over with a girl clutching his arm with her left hand, drink held in right. Kei noted absently that Josh had gained a nosering since Kei last saw him. "Meet my girlfriend, Sunny," Joshua continued. Sunny, despite her name, also had dyed black hair with black lipstick to boot.
"Hi," said Kei, trying not to look too interested. Emotions were Out in this crowd at the moment.
"I like this place," said Sunny, dreamily. "It has... atmosphere." Kei decided she was probably high. Nevertheless, he nodded, sensing agreement was expected. She released her hold on Joshua's arm just long enough to brush her hair out of her eyes, putting her empty glass on a nearby bench, and then replaced it full force. "Let's dance, okay?" she said, forcefully leading him over to the dance floor. Kei began to wonder why he'd come here. Being at a loss for anything else to do, Kei followed them and spent a good half hour or so lost in the music. Unfortunately, the smoky air and a certain amount of nervousness eventually forced him to go in search of a drink.
While he was sitting at the bar trying to ignore the rest of the club, another man sat down next to him. "How are you going," he asked Kei in a quiet voice.
Kei glanced at him and decided he was probably going to attempt to sell Kei drugs. "Fine thanks," he said, trying to seem polite but uninterested.
Even as he finished saying it, he knew it hadn't worked. The man grabbed his arm. "Why don't you come outside," he said, tightening his grip so hard it almost bruised. Kei winced. "I have something to show you."
"Uh... I don't think... I'm not..." Kei stuttered, uncertainly. Scenarios ran through his mind. He wondered what would happen to him if he refused to go. The man would probably break his arm. He glanced helplessly around, but no one seemed to be noticing.
The grip tightened again, and Kei decided it would probably be best to do what he wanted. After all, he was probably only a drug dealer, right? And once he discovered that Kei didn't have to money to pay for such things, he'd be free to go. He hoped. Kei obediently followed his attacker outside, around a corner, and into a dimly lit alley that reminded Kei of a set from a slasher horror flick setting.
He was becoming worried that he might become the victim in this film. He edged towards the alley entrance, but his companion seemed to anticipate this and moved to block his way. "That was really too easy," said the man lazily, smiling in a distinctly unpleasant manner.
Kei began to think he would have been better off staying in the club. At least then there would have been people around, and that would prevent his attacker doing any real harm. "Why...?" he gasped, in a small voice. If he was going to die, he at least wanted a reason for it.
"You don't know?" the man laughed. "Well, good. That makes it even easier." He drew both his hands up above his right shoulder and closed his eyes momentarily. Kei watched in morbid fascination.
"Don't touch him!" yelled an unfamiliar voice.
Kei's attacker spun and swore. Kei craned his head to see the speaker. The image that met his puzzled eyes was that of a halo of soft gold hair framing a pale face, surrounded by glowing white light and ghostly wings. It hardly lasted a second before he was forced to shut his eyes against a flash of bright light. When he opened his eyes again, his attacker was gone.
In his place was a boy of about his own age. He had blond hair, certainly, but he was dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt. "Are you okay?" asked the blond, seeming concerned.
Kei rubbed his head. "I think I hit my head on something," he said. It was the only reasonable explanation for what he thought he'd seen. "Uh... thanks for helping me. How did you get him to go away?"
The other boy shrugged. "I think... once he realised he'd have a witness he decided it wasn't worth the risk."
Kei frowned. "That's pretty lame," he said, accusingly.
The other boy looked at him seriously. "You shouldn't follow people outside alone. It's not safe."
"Yeah, well. I wasn't thinking very straight," said Kei, embarrassed. In retrospect he could see what a stupid thing it was to do, although it had seemed perfectly logical at the time. "It won't happen again."
"It will do..." said the other boy, still serious. "Now they've tried once, they'll try again and again and again..."
Kei stared at him. "You're weird," he pronounced, after a time.
The other boy flushed slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that. But you really must be careful."
Kei nodded absently. He held out his hand, deciding it was long past the proper time for introductions. "I'm Kei. Thanks again for, you know, saving me."
The blond took his hand and shook it lightly. "My name is Gabriel."
"Well... nice to meet you, Gabriel," said Kei, at a loss for words. "I think I'd better get home." Clubbing had lost its appeal for the night. "I'll see you around, I guess."
Gabriel nodded approvingly. "We'll meet again, Kei," he said, with an air of foretelling the future.
Kei waved and headed off to his car. He spared a moment to wonder why the blond was so sure of their future meeting, but brushed it off as soon as he reached his car.
Six months later they were practically best friends and Kei was still wondering exactly why.