Chapter Text
“Sir, Mikey just radioed in. It seems we might have a problem.”
“I’m coming,” Tyler replied, shooting his boyfriend a look before pushing up from his chair. It felt like the two of them had less and less time to do anything these days before an interruption arose.
“What do you think is going on?” Josh asked as he followed Tyler up the spiral staircase and down the hallway, at his heels the entire time. Ever since Josh’s accident, and giving up his chance at being human again, Tyler had put Josh in charge of security, which basically just meant he got to boss Gerard and Mikey (and occasionally Brendon) around. However, when a problem arose that needed more guidance than just Josh, Mikey and Gerard were to go straight to Tyler, who was the esteemed leader of the entire clan.
“We haven’t had a severe problem in a while, so honestly, I have no clue.” Tyler shook his head as the two of them rounded a corner, where Pete joined them, looking just as worried.
“He’s at the front end, past the garage. You know, where the city meets the woods.” Pete, second in command, had done a lot for the clan, and still insisted that Tyler be leader. Tyler and Josh owed everything to him.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know everything, he just said it was important I tell you. You guys should get there as soon as possible.”
“I can head out ahead,” offered Josh, “I’ll get there a lot faster than either of you.”
“True,” Tyler agreed. “Go ahead, Pete and I will get there as soon as we can.”
Josh turned to leave when Tyler grabbed him by the shoulder and swiveled him around to plant a quick kiss to his lips. “I love you,” he whispered, “be safe.”
“I will,” he promised, his hand lingering where Tyler grasped it. Pete nudged him forward.
“We’ll be there soon,” he said. “I’ll take care of lover boy here, okay? Go.”
Josh nodded, ran a hand through his freshly dyed yellow hair, took one long, deep breath, and began a quick jog. Down the hallways, out the door, and whoosh-- there he went, nothing but a yellow blur. The sun beat down over his head as he darted silently through the woods, his vision crystal clear as he avoided trees and tripping over roots. Gerard’s faded red hair was in view when he was finally able to slow.
“I forgot how fast you are,” he commented, pursing his lips in satisfaction. Mikey grinned.
“Awesome. Boss man one and two on their way?”
“Yes. What’s going on?”
“I think it’s better if you see for yourself.” Mikey gestured to his right, where an unfamiliar girl lay crumpled, like she had been knocked out. Josh frowned.
“She’s a talent.”
“Good observation,” Gerard muttered sarcastically. “I found her about a mile in. She was mumbling about the “almighty” super race.”
“Which I’m guessing is us,” Mikey added.
Josh cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, and?”
“Let me rephrase this. She was mumbling about killing us.”
“Yeah dude, she’s got a gun.” Mikey nudged it with his foot and took a step away. Josh squinted. Why wouldn’t she use her talent?
“You thought she was going to find us? Guys, I don’t think this is anything ‘Tyler Level.’ You could have called me, y’know.”
“It just seemed important is all,” Mikey argued, “After what happened with you all those years ago.”
Josh frowned. He was never going to live that down, was he?
Although he knew there was nothing in the world that would make him regret his decision that crisp March day.
“Did one of you knock her out?” Josh stepped closer and set his hands on his hips.
“Nah, she fainted. Actually, to be more specific, she saw Gerard, charged him, and then fainted.” Mikey crossed his arms and frowned. “Something’s weird about this.”
Josh crouched and reached out to roll the girl over. Her hair was a bright, flaming red, her skin almost a pale purple, and she was foaming from the mouth. He pressed two fingers to her neck.
No pulse.
“I think she’s dead,” he whispered.
“She looks sick,” Gerard commented as he too crouched down and pressed two fingers to her wrist. “Yeah, no pulse. I think you’re right.”
“Do you think she was one of Brent’s people? A straggler maybe?”
“We destroyed that building almost four years ago, what are the chances we’d have some crazy person from Brent’s clan hunting us down?”
“I’m more than sure people managed to escape. The question is how she knew we were in here.”
“Brent knew, didn’t he?” muttered Mikey.
“Maybe it’s time to move.”
“We aren’t moving.” Blurry’s gruff voice came from the woods, and the three of them turned where Pete and Tyler had come out of the trees. Blurry’s eyes drained back to Tyler’s deep brown.
“Bring us up to speed,” Tyler demanded. Josh stood up, crossed his arms, and nodded towards Mikey and Gerard.
“We were doing our runs,” Mikey started, “when Gerard and I heard this girl howling and screaming about killing talents.”
“But she’s one,” Pete raised an eyebrow.
“Exactly,” Gerard continued. “She also had a gun. Why use that when you could use your talent?”
“Maybe she has one that doesn’t help kill. It’s not like teleportation can kill anyone,” Tyler added. Mikey shrugged.
“I guess that’s true.”
“That’s not it though. She fainted, started foaming from the mouth, and now she’s dead.”
“I can confirm that,” Josh spoke up, gesturing to the unknown girl. “She doesn’t have a pulse.”
“Shit.” Pete took a step back. Tyler sighed.
“Okay, so we find a way to amp up security. I’ll talk to my dad, he might know a way for us to make ourselves invisible.”
“You think there’s a way to do that?” Josh asked.
“Well, wait a second,” Gerard interrupted, “why don’t we ask Gabe to make it foggy or something? There’s no way anyone will be able to find their way around the woods to home base when we’re covered in thick fog.”
“That’s a good point,” Pete nodded his head in agreement.
“Plus Jack could make it dark,” Mikey added.
“Another good point,” Josh said.
Tyler nodded as well. “I guess if we all pitch in, it shouldn’t be too hard to give ourselves more protection.”
“There might be a chance she’s a straggler from Brent’s clan.”
Tyler raised an eyebrow. “You think so?”
“Gerard’s a bit skeptic, but I think there’s definitely a chance.” Josh swallowed loudly and looked around the trees. He expected a bunch more talents to crawl out on all fours, also foaming from the mouth.
“It makes sense I guess. What are the chances we actually managed to kill all of Brent’s clan?”
“If she’s from Brent’s clan, then she should consider herself lucky she’s already dead, because I would have killed her myself,” Pete spat. Tyler laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
“There’s no guarantee, Pete.”
Pete shrugged out of Tyler’s touch. “I know that. I’m just saying. We should increase security. We don’t need anymore people betraying us.”
“So you’re saying we’re no longer going to allow people to join us?” Gerard asked, his voice growing a bit louder. It was evident he wasn’t very happy about Pete’s statement. “Wasn’t that the entire reason of starting Home Base? It was supposed to be a safe haven. We were supposed to give a home, food and water, to those who needed it.”
“Yes, we let Brent in. Yes, he was a traitor. But that shouldn’t mean we give up completely.” Mikey stood up taller and moved closer to his brother.
“We can have a group meeting and talk about that later. For now, Gerard, could you run into town and call the police? Anonymously, of course. Somebody needs to help her.”
“Sure thing.” Seconds later, Gerard was gone, leaving the leaves swirling around their feet.
Pete huffed. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
“Nobody is going to get hurt,” Mikey said.
“People already got hurt,” he growled, causing Mikey to take a step back. Tyler once again laid a hand on Pete’s shoulder while Josh held his arm protectively in front of Mikey.
“Pete, calm down.”
“Don’t fucking start with me, Joseph.”
“Guys--”
“Patrick CAN’T FUCKING TALK BECAUSE OF BRENT!” Pete shoved Tyler off of him, harder than he had before. “I’ll be fucking DAMNED if we let another person in!”
“Yeah? Well that’s not up to you,” Tyler shouted back. His eyes flickered red. “Maybe you should go take a walk or something.”
Pete scowled, and disappeared into the woods.
“Asshole,” Mikey muttered. Tyler shook his head.
“I understand he’s upset. We were all upset. We’re still upset, deep down. Trauma clawed its way inside of us all those years ago and hasn’t left since. We’re all scared. Deep down, we all know there’s another chance this same thing could happen again.”
“Especially after what your father said about the black market.” Josh mumbled.
“Yeah. Exactly.” He turned towards Mikey. “Would you mind taking me back home?”
“Not at all Boss Man. Josh? You good to go on your own?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Mikey smiled. “Cool.” He latched onto Tyler’s bicep, and they were gone within the blink of an eye. Josh turned back towards the body of the dead girl and rubbed at his eyes.
Something about this situation didn’t feel right to him. Sure, it wasn’t surprising that maybe she’d want to kill her own kind. Humans killed other humans all the time. It wasn’t surprising to him either that maybe one of Brent’s people was on the hunt for them. After all, they were responsible for the destruction of their home and their work. Josh wasn’t sure what it was, but something was off. How could she have dropped dead?
A white blur zoomed past him. Josh assumed that was Gerard, which meant the police were on their way.
With one last glance, Josh darted back into the woods.
---
“Okay, this meeting is in session.” Tyler glanced around the room before he looked over at Josh standing next to him. Pete leaned up against the back wall, his face still twisted in fury. Patrick stood next to him, looking more intrigued than upset. Most people didn’t even know what this meeting was for. “Thank you all for coming.”
“What’s going on?” Hayley asked, her hair flickering to a dark shade of blue.
“Everything will be explained, don’t worry,” Gerard said, which calmed the crowd down a bit. He and Mikey stood up next to Tyler and Josh. They had offered Pete a place, but he had wholeheartedly refused. Josh assumed Pete would say what he wanted to say when he felt the time was right. He tended to do that quite a bit.
Josh stepped forward. “Look. It’s been four years since the whole Brent debacle, and we’re all still pretty shaken up by it, right?” The crowd filled with murmurs. “I know I am. I still have nightmares. Sometimes I forget I’m like... this, even after all these years. My mother asks questions. Each reminder is like a knife digging deeper into my trauma. And I know there are others who feel the same way.”
Brendon stepped forward looking significantly less cocky than he usually did. He cleared his throat. “I still have nightmares too.” A pang of guilt ran through Josh’s body. He knew he was part of that reason.
“I do too,” Mikey admitted quietly. Gerard put an arm around his shoulders.
“Me three,” Alex added.
“Point proven.” Josh stepped back so Tyler could have the floor once more.
“So here’s the thing. Today, Gerard and Mikey found a lone talent wandering around the woods muttering about wanting to off all talents. And she had a gun.” More murmurs rocketed through the crowd. Tyler waited for them to quiet down. “The thing is, some of us believe there’s a possibility she was a member of Brent’s clan.”
“How? I thought we destroyed that place,” Lynn looked doubtful.
“Brent’s clan was huge. The idea that we could have offed every single person is absurd,” argued Mikey as he crossed his arms. Vecchio pushed to the front of the clan.
“You guys definitely did not manage to kill everyone. Trust me. Some of them still try and get in contact with me.”
Tyler’s brow furrowed. “Why haven’t you told us this?”
“I didn’t think it was important. I don’t talk to them.” Pete’s fist connected with Vecchio’s jaw before anyone could stop him, sending him crumpling to the floor. The dining room filled with chaos as Zack and Andy yanked Pete off of Vecchio while Boyd and Soren came to his rescue. Finally freed from Pete’s grasp, Vecchio spat out blood and eyed him angrily.
“What the fuck, dude?”
Pete’s nostrils flared. “What the fuck? You’re asking me, what the fuck? I oughta fucking KILL YOU!” Patrick pulled on his boyfriend’s arm, his eyes glowing gold. Pete relaxed.
“Everybody please calm down. Look, Vecchio, that seems like pretty important information, especially since you basically committed treason. As for Boyd and Soren, we let you in here as a gesture of kindness.”
“I oughta fucking kill you too!” Pete charged towards Boyd, who raised his fists in defense. “You fucking DID THIS TO PATRICK!”
“Pete! Calm the fuck down!” Brendon helped pull Pete back this time, Patrick’s eyes still glowing.
“I’m sorry,” Boyd said about ten times, “I know what I did was wrong, and trust me, I appreciate you letting me stay here more than you could ever know.”
“I know that,” Patrick said, his voice appearing in everyone’s head as it had to now for him to communicate. “I forgave you years ago.”
“How? Fucking how?” Pete was beyond furious. “Our clan was great before you allowed those outsiders in!”
“That’s the whole point of this place!” Gerard shot back. He was angry too. “If we don’t welcome everyone in with open arms, then our purpose is nothing but a lie!”
“We let Brent in with open arms and look what happened,” Jack straightened his posture and joined Pete’s side. “Maybe Pete’s right.”
“Guys, please!” Tyler threw his hands up in the air. “We can have an argument, but let’s be civil about this.”
“Like you were ever fucking civil before, not with that monster inside of you,” Pete glared at Tyler, his face red, the veins in his neck pulsating, as a hush fell over the crowd. Josh acted quickly, snarling, as he zipped across the room and punched Pete in the face. Josh wasn't quick to violence, but he was furious.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he growled, “That’s my fucking boyfriend you’re talking about.”
Pete spat and looked up at Josh’s dark eyes. He scoffed and turned to address the crowd as Tyler pulled Josh away from him. “Don’t you guys understand? We’re turning against each other. This wouldn’t have happened if we had kept to ourselves.”
“If the three of you had kept to yourselves, none of us would be here,” Brendon moved to side with Gerard. “I agree with Gerard. If Tyler hadn’t found me, I would probably be dead. This place saved my life.”
“Jack, you’d be dead too if you hadn’t come here. Remember?” Alex cocked an eyebrow as he too moved to Gerard’s side. “I have to side with Gerard and Brendon on this matter. This place gave me a home.” Jack rolled his eyes.
“This place gave me a family,” Hayley said softly. Keegan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a side hug.
“I just think we need to be cautious with who we let in,” Frank chimed in. “We don’t want another Brent situation on our hands, but we also let some of his people in.” He looked over at Vecchio, Boyd, and Soren, who glared back at him.
Tyler sighed. “Look you guys, I can see both sides. Yes, we need to amp up security. Yes, we need to be wary. But we also need to keep in mind the reason why I started this place.”
“Well put,” said Dallon. Pete grumbled under his breath.
“Shouldn’t we also be worried about the fact that this girl was foaming from the mouth?” Mikey exclaimed, seeming quite distraught that no one had brought that up yet. Tyler nodded his head.
“Oh yeah. Forgot to mention this girl was dead. Not only dead, but foaming from the mouth.”
“She seemed almost... rabid,” Gerard added. Pete continued to glare.
“Did she seem sick? Any obvious symptoms? What about her skin? Any rashes? Bumps? Anything like that?” asked Dallon. Josh almost slapped himself. Of course! Dallon knew all about this kind of stuff. They should have brought him to her.
“She’s was really pale,” Josh said, “Her veins were like, a gross purple compared to her skin.”
Dallon frowned. “I assume the police have already taken care of the situation.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize. Honestly, I’m not sure what could have been wrong with her. Chances are whatever sickness she had caused deliriousness and possible hysteria. Hopefully she didn’t belong to any clan.”
“I don’t know how I’ve never asked this question, but are there any diseases that affect only talents? You know, like how cows can get Mad Cow Disease.”
“We aren’t susceptible to many human diseases, but there hasn’t been any news of a ‘talent only’ virus. I can do some research tonight though.”
Tyler nodded and turned back to address the group as a whole. “Can we put this argument on hold for now? Gabe and Jack, if I could speak to you in private, that’d be nice.” The two nodded their heads.
“I’ll be in on this conversation as well,” Pete announced, separating himself from Patrick’s grasp. Patrick reached back out, his lips pressed into a frown, and Josh assumed they were having a private conversation of some sorts. Josh nudged Tyler, who looked over at him worriedly. Ever since they learned that there were ways they could communicate telepathically, they had spent lots of time and effort perfecting their silent methods.
You aren’t seriously going to let Pete in on this conversation, are you?
Tyler shrugged in response and turned back around. “Very well,” he said. “Meeting adjourned.”
The crowd departed, all except for Tyler, Josh, Jack, Gabe, and Pete. Gerard and Mikey lingered behind, only leaving after Josh gave the thumbs up that everything was going to be okay. Patrick too hung back, his arms crossed, lips tilted into a frown. Josh was sure he was worried about Pete’s short temper.
Tyler sat them down at a table, Josh next to him, while the other three sat across. Gabe played nervously with the side of his sunglasses, Jack ran a hand through his hair, and Pete sat stoic, his arms crossed against his broad chest.
“Gabe, is there any way you could mask the building in fog?”
“If I thought about it, maybe. But to narrow in on our home twenty-four seven will be quite difficult, mi amigo. Unfortunately I don’t have the attention span nor the experience to keep us masked at all times.”
“If Vecchio helped you out, you think you could practice and figure some things out?”
Gabe nodded. “I’d be happy to try. Anything to keep the ones I love safe.”
Tyler smiled. “It’s appreciated. Jack.” Jack looked up from his fingernails. “You think you could make it dark? You know, make it difficult to locate the building if you are unaware where it is.”
“Definitely. How far out do you need me to go?”
“Probably a little past the garage.”
Jack thought about it. “Hmm, so a little bit over a mile. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Fantastic. I really appreciate it guys. I’ll probably talk to some others, see what we can do to make this place safer. Pete, what do you think about installing cameras and maybe a keypad system?”
Pete sniffed. “Definitely something I could do. I’ll get Andy and Zack to help me out.”
“Sounds good. Josh can help too, if you need an extra set of hands. He’s in charge of security around here anyways.”
“Which never really made sense to me.” Pete sent a death glare Josh’s way. There was still a bit of dried blood under his purpled nose. “Since he’s the one that trespassed.”
“Seriously dude? That was four fucking years ago.”
“Guys, please don’t fight.” Tyler rubbed at his temples and sighed. Josh raised an eyebrow.
He’s being an asshole, Josh thought. He could hear Tyler sigh once more, internally this time. Man, he was really trying to be a mediator today.
I know, J, just please don’t push things. At least not right now.
Pete stood up from the table. “I’m not dealing with this shit right now. To be honest, I feel like it’s time for a new leader. Someone who knows how to actually get stuff fucking done.” he swiveled on his heel and stomped down the hallway.
“Oh, fuck you,” Josh called after him. Tyler’s hand curled over his knee as a silent plea to not push things.
“I don’t agree with him there,” Jack mumbled, back to picking at his nails. Gabe nodded his head.
“You are a fantastic leader and an even better friend.”
Tyler smiled once more. “Thank you guys. For your cooperation and everything. I’ll get this stuff sorted out eventually.”
“We believe in you,” Jack replied, standing up from the table. He waved Gabe to follow him, and they too disappeared down the hallway, leaving Josh and Tyler alone in the dining room. Tyler let his head drop to the table and let out a loud groan. Josh laid a hand on his back.
“Pete’s just being a dick. We can provide more protection without completely banning anyone from joining us ever again. As for Vecchio and Boyd, I’ve definitely forgiven them too. They’ve proved they belong here.”
“I know that,” Tyler spoke into the table. “I just feel like Pete is completely avoiding what the real problem was. That girl, whatever happened to her, isn’t normal. No matter what anyone says.”
“I agree. There’s something weird about it.”
Tyler sat up and cracked his neck. He wiggled his paintless fingers. Tyler spent less days with the paint covering his arms, and Josh was extremely proud of him for that. He was finally learning to love himself. “I’m going to drive up to my parent’s house and talk to my dad. Can you come with?”
“Of course,” Josh responded without question. “This is all of our fight, not just Pete’s. He’ll learn.”
“Thanks for sticking up for me. I gotta admit, you’re pretty fucking sexy when you’re acting all badass.” Tyler smirked and Josh rolled his eyes. That, however, did not stop him from pulling his boyfriend into a kiss. They kissed for a few minutes before Tyler pulled away and stood up from the table. “Guess we should probably start looking into security systems, huh?”
Josh nodded. “Guess so.”