The Glass House: Chapter Five
Jan. 29th, 2008 01:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wolfanficsTitle: The Glass House
Author: Sashataakheru
Beta: The wonderfulrana_narsilion <3
Fandom: The Chaser/AusComedy RPS
Starring: Adam Hills, Sepulchre (OC), Wil Anderson, Hamish Blake, Craig Reucassel, Tim Minchin, Julian Morrow, Chas Licciardello, Charles Firth, Chris Taylor, Andrew Hansen, Caleb (OC), Dr Rachel Hardy (OC), Antoinette Laurent (OC), Dr Samantha Reddings (OC), Dominic Knight, Shane Cubis, Gregor Stronach, Tim Brunero, Andy Lee
Pairings: Andrew/Chris; Adam/Hamish; Jules/Chas; Rachel/Antoinette(/Samantha); Adam/Seb; Adam/Wil; Craig/Caleb; Adam/Wil/Tim; Andrew/Craig, Wil/Chas;
Word Count: 4,120
Chapter: 5/28 [Previous]
Warnings: violence, gore, smut, bondage themes, swearing, angst, Craig being an irritating prick,
Rating: FRAO
Disclaimer: I don’t know them, not associated with them, just a slashy fangirl admirer with a very active imagination.
Author’s Notes: FYI, fullwing = winged human capable of flight. Halfwing = fullwing/human halfbreed, usually unable to fly, sometimes have vestigial wings, but can be removed to pass as human and not as winged.
Summary: Escapes are made, safety is reached, but at what cost to Hamish? Adam reflects on the past while Wil offers the only comfort he can.
Chapter Five
Only when Hamish’s feet touched solid ground again did he finally relax, but he had no time to comprehend his surroundings before he was pulled inside a dark warehouse and through some long corridor before finally coming to a stop in a large spacious room, still darkened like the rest of the building. It took a few seconds to recognise the man standing before them.
“Adam. Tim. This is a surprise,” Wil said.
“Fucking cops raided Hamish’s place. Luckily there were only two, and we managed to kill them, but they’ll be swarming all over the place now. Did you see what they did to Seb this morning?” Adam said bitterly.
“Yeah. I did. In all it’s horrifying detail. I was with him before he was taken. We were at the cave. I swear I’d only just left when they swarmed in. How they found us, we’ll never know, but we can’t go back there again. They’ve probably bugged the place. Fucking watching the place for signs of anyone returning so they can arrest them. Bastards. I got things to tell you, but not here. Get settled and then we’ll talk. You know where to go, yeah? We have plans for something big,” Wil said.
“I know. We got the usual room?” Adam said.
“Yeah. I never let anyone else stay there. It’s all yours,” Wil said, handing over a set of keys.
“Thanks. I’ll come see you later, ok?” Adam said.
“Sure. Let me know if you need anything,” Wil said.
And with that, Hamish found himself led back out of the room and into another corridor – or was it the same corridor? Hamish couldn’t tell. They walked for a while before they came to a room at the end of the corridor. There was an eagle painted on the door. Adam stopped and unlocked the door, revealing a small one bedroom flat. Well, it was really only a bedroom and a small living room, but it’d do.
“Where are we, Adam?” Hamish said, still not sure where he was. Adam kept a lot of stuff like this from him to keep him safe. Hamish understood why Adam did this, but it still made him feel left out, just a little bit, especially when he got dragged out to havens and the like at a moment’s notice.
“Doesn’t matter. This is our room. Tim, you want the sofa? I’ll go talk to Wil while you guys settle in,” Adam said.
“Oh, yeah, sure. You go. We’ll be fine here,” Tim said, bringing Hamish into the room.
“Won’t be long,” Adam said, giving Hamish a quick kiss before closing the door behind him.
“You and Adam have been here before?” Hamish said, walking into the room, looking at the basic nature of the room. Sure, it wasn’t luxurious, but a safe haven didn’t need to be. The carpet was old, the wallpaper peeling, the furniture about to break, but it was comfortable.
“Yeah, a few times. Meetings and whatnot. We do a lot of planning here. The cops think this place doesn’t exist. Actually, they’re convinced no one lives in this part of town at all so they don’t patrol here. Stupid bastards. If they actually bothered to look we’d be in trouble. We’re not the only ones living off the land here,” Tim said, taking a seat on the sofa.
“There’s other groups here? Who else is out here?” Hamish said, sitting down next to Tim.
“Rebels, free thinkers, musicians, the homeless, squatters, those on the margins of society driven from the cities, everyone the State would very much prefer to be dead,” Tim said.
“You’d never know it to look out there, would you?” Hamish said.
“All part of the guise. We can’t have any signs of life at all. No fires, no visible trucks, nothing. It’s vital to our survival,” Tim said.
“Must be hard having to live like that,” Hamish said.
“You have no idea. But now it's your life too,” Tim said.
Andy found himself back outside Hamish's flat, shocked by what was going on there. He'd heard the report over the police radio and had recognised the address. He'd gone straight there. The flat was crawling with cops who were busy cleaning up the mess Adam and Tim had left behind.
“What the hell happened here?” Andy said to the first cop he came across.
“Two of our boys got slaughtered in there. It ain't pretty. What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be on patrol?” the officer asked him.
“I – the guy who lived here, he was a mate of mine. I can't believe he'd kill. It wasn't in his nature. I've known the guy since childhood. He's not a killer,” Andy insisted.
“Well, got any other ideas then? He didn't have anyone living with him that could've done this?” the officer said.
“No, no, he lived alone as far as I knew,” Andy said, not liking where this might be going.
“Well, he was seen arriving here, but he's nowhere to be found now. It's as if he's disappeared completely. No one saw anything, as usual. We've got a warrant out for his arrest, but you know how these things are. If he's gone, he's gone. Nothing more we can do. If we find him, he'll be charged, tried and executed, unless you can convince me he didn't kill them,” the officer said.
“I dropped him off here, yes. He was shocked from the parade earlier. He was always weaker than me, much as I hate to say it. He had no stomach for violence, none at all. That's why he never served his time. He was so worried about it, he was institutionalised and excused from service, though official records have him medically discharged. If you think he killed them, you're wrong. He's just not capable of it. Can I see the flat, please?” Andy said.
The officer looked at him wearily, as if sick of being asked that very question. He sighed. “Very well, since you knew him,” he said at last.
“Thanks, mate. I'll buy you a round later on,” Andy said with a grateful smile.
“Make it two,” the officer said.
“Deal,” Andy said.
The officer led Andy through the maze of people to the flat, stopping him at the front door. “This is as far as you're going for the moment. They haven't finished collecting evidence yet.”
“What do they think happened?' Andy said.
“As far as we know, they were doing patrols around the flats. The two officers in question came to this flat, and by some mystery, they both ended up dead, and your friend is now missing. It's not looking good for him,” the officer said.
“Shit. What the hell has he been getting up to?” Andy swore, pretending he had no knowledge of what happened.
“You don't know much of his private life?” the officer said.
“Not really. I mean, he was alone as far as I knew. I'm at work a lot, you know how it is, so I don't get as much time for him as I used to,” Andy said.
“No girlfriend then?”
“Not that I was aware of, no. He'd tried with a few girls recently, but they'd ended in nothing.”
“The door's been bashed in. Surely, that meant they had reason to force their way into his flat. Why would they do that if he was alone?”
“I don't know. He lived alone as far as I knew. He was alright, you know? Gentle sort. Wouldn't hurt a fly.”
“You mean he was gay?”
“No, I don't mean that at all. He's not gay. He just had a difficult childhood. His father died when he was very young, and his stepfather wasn't exactly loving to him either, in spite of his mother's protestations. He really was a wreck when he was taken into hospital,” Andy said, exaggerating the truth to protect him.
“He was abused?” the officer said softly, giving away how much he understood of that sort of situation.
“No, no, nothing like that, but his stepfather's rejection and his half-brothers taunting didn't do him any good at all. He hated them. I think that's why he spent so much time at my place. He was getting away from them,” Andy said.
“Hmm. It is curious though. One was very badly mutilated, both shot and cut up, whereas the other was very neatly executed with a single accurate slice across the throat. One suggests a hurried, unplanned killing, the other, cold, calculated murder. It's as if there's two different killers. We're testing the blood spatters now for any potential matches, should it lead to the identities of any other people in the room at the time. That's about all we know for the moment,” the officer said.
“Right. I suppose I'll be questioned at some point,” Andy said.
“Of course, but that can wait til later when we get all the evidence together. The only crimes that seem to be taken seriously anymore are ones where cops are killed. If your friend does contact you, be cautious, alright? That's all I'm saying,” the officer said. He gestured for Andy to leave.
“I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I should get home,” Andy said, making to leave.
“You watch your back, alright? Your friendship with him does not sit well at all,” the officer warned.
“Thanks for the warning. I’ll try to keep out of this,” Andy said as he was shooed away.
Shaken at what had just happened, Andy left in a hurry, unsure what to make of the situation. He made his way home, having been given leave for the afternoon because of what had happened at Hamish's place. He sunk into his couch after grabbing a beer from the fridge, wondering what had gone so wrong.
“Ham, I hope you haven't got in too deep. I'd hate for you to get yourself in trouble,” Andy murmured. “I wish I knew where you were, mate. Then maybe I could rest easy, knowing you were alright.”
He took a long drink of his beer, trying to drown out his worries. It was another seven before he was asleep on the floor, his body unused to such potent beer in such quick succession.
Adam made his way to Wil’s room without having to remember how to get there. He’d been there hundreds of times before. Wil was leaning against the door frame when he arrived, evidently waiting for him.
“Come in,” Wil said, beckoning him forward.
Adam obeyed, closing the door behind him.
“In here,” Wil said from the bedroom.
Adam gave a half-smile. Of course. Nothing like a bit of sex to add to whatever it was he was going to tell him. Wil lay down on the bed on his back, smiling at Adam. Adam soon joined him, lying on top of him, staring into his eyes.
“So what was it you wanted to tell me?” Adam said.
“I missed you?” Wil said hopefully.
“Nice try.”
“It’s about Seb.”
“Of course it is. Did he know it was coming? His arrest, I mean?”
“Yeah. Said he felt it. His time was up. But he wanted you to take over. He said he couldn’t think of anyone better to lead us. You’re the next Seb, Adam. He gave me his sword to give you. It was one of the few things I could save before I left. The cops took everything else.”
“God I hated watching that today. That’s no way for a warrior to die. I felt everything. I wanted to kill so much today. That cop I killed, I mutilated him. I wanted him to pay for what he did to Seb. Tim had to calm me down before I had sense enough to realise what I’d done. I’ve never been so angry before. Am I that evil a person, Wil?” Adam said, a finger gently stroking Wil’s cheek.
“No, you’re not evil, Adam. We’ve all had to kill in order to survive. It’s a way of life for us now. Kill or be killed. Don’t worry about it. Would you have rather been arrested and dragged down the street like Seb was?”
“No, I couldn’t put Hamish through that. It’d tear him apart to see that happen to me. Is this what we’ve been reduced to? Don’t you remember when we were free to walk the streets? When we were actually citizens of this country and not rogue mutants hunted down like wolves?”
“Yeah, I remember that. But that’s dead now. Gone forever. You know how much Seb loved you, yeah?”
“Yeah. I do. Hamish doesn’t know we were ever involved, but-” Adam inhaled, trying not to cry, “he does know how much he meant to me. I love you as much as I love Seb, you know.”
“I know you do. You’ve proved that far too many times for me to doubt it now. Hamish doesn’t-”
“No. He doesn’t. I’ve done my best to keep him in the dark for his own safety. He doesn’t fully understand why I do that though. He said he understands, but I know he doesn’t like it.”
“Might as well tell him. There’s no way he’ll be able to go back into the city now. He’s a wanted man.”
“I was planning on it. Should I mention you and I?”
“Why? It doesn’t involve him.”
“Wil, you know how paranoid he is about losing me.”
“So don’t tell him. You and Seb was over years ago-”
Adam looked away, as if knowing that wasn’t strictly true. He got up off Wil and sat on the end of the bed, facing away from his friend.
“It was over years ago, right?”
“It was so hard to not be close to him. Hamish has every right to hate me.”
“What did you do?”
“What we’d always done. Seb was the first guy I ever loved. It was so hard to forget him when we were always together. In a sense, we never really broke up, even when I met Hamish.”
“How long has the guilt been eating you up?”
“Far too long,” Adam whispered, hiding his face in his hands.
Wil crawled over to sit beside him, an arm around his shoulders. “Shit. Don’t you think Hamish has a right to know?”
“Maybe. I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Wil cupped Adam’s face with a hand, bringing him round to meet his gaze.
“Don’t Wil-”
“Shh. It’ll be alright. I’ll deal with it,” Wil said, bringing their lips together in a gentle kiss.
As soon as they kissed, Adam felt all the stress melt away. Wil was good at that. Years of memories fed his actions, Hamish forgotten as he pulled Wil close to him. He wanted to cry, wanted Wil to make everything better. Wil obliged, gently lying him stomach-down on the bed again, knowing Adam wanted him to take charge. Wil was gentle with everything, doing his best to soothe Adam’s shattered spirit.
But what really helped ease Adam’s pain was Wil giving him Seb’s sword. Adam had it made years ago as a gift, and to receive it back, knowing Seb wanted him to take his place, the joy and sorrow was overwhelming. Wil held him as he cried, wondering if Hamish would ever be able to understand what Seb meant to Adam.
//flashback//
August 9th, 2006.
Adam was walking home, his wings wrapped around him to keep out the cold. It was a strangely cold day, and he was impatient to get home. He’d had a bad day, and was in no mood to deal with anyone until he’d had a couple of drinks and a decent meal.
As he was approaching his street, he noticed another winged human like himself running up the street, waving some sort of flag, Adam couldn’t see it at first, shouting to everyone about how the Government was filled with corrupt men, and that the people needed to fight for their freedoms or they’d lose them.
A couple of cops were chasing him, shouting at him to stop, but the man kept on running. Adam watched him running towards him.
Then he took flight, hovering above the cops, teasing them, waving his flag still, defiant that he would not be caught.
Something stirred in Adam as he watched the man. The cops were getting their guns out, shooting at him, but he had something on his wings, protecting him. Wing armour. Adam had heard of it before, but had never seen it. Something about the defiance this man showed towards the cops made Adam feel slightly better about his crappy day. Before his brain had time to realise what he was doing, he’d flown up beside the man, grabbing his hand in support.
“What-” the man said, looking at him in shock.
“We fight them together,” Adam replied. “I’m Adam.”
“Sepulchre. Stupid name, I know.”
“I like it.”
“Thanks. Want to burn the flag with me?” Sepulchre said, holding a lighter close to the flag he was holding.
“Do it.”
As soon the flag was in flames, it was dropped on top of the cops below. Neither were badly burnt, but it slowed them down enough for Sepulchre and Adam to escape.
They flew off, landing back at Adam’s place. They fell against a nearby wall, laughing at what they’d just done.
“You’re incredible,” Adam said.
“So were you. And you haven’t got any wing armour. You were lucky not to get shot,” Sepulchre said.
“I know. But it was worth fighting for. It’s rare to find someone who believes the same as you these days. Everyone else is happy to deal with the status quo. There are few who believe we need real change round here,” Adam said.
“A worthy cause. But I fear they won’t listen until it’s too late. You hungry at all?” Sepulchre said.
“Yeah, I was just going to have one of those frozen dinner things. I can’t cook for shit.” Adam said.
“I’ll take you out to dinner. My treat. And don’t say no, or I’ll be terribly upset,” Sepulchre said.
“Then how can I refuse?” Adam said with a grin.
Sepulchre smiled at him.
They went to this restaurant on the outskirts of town. Good food, mostly populated by winged humans. Three hours and as many bottles of wine later, and both were a little too inebriated to fly straight. Somehow they ended up back at Adam’s place – neither could ever remember quite how they’d gotten home, just that one minute, restaurant, next minute, Adam’s. Giggling and laughing, they stayed up all night discussing politics and philosophy, before eventually ending up in bed together. Neither had admitted they were gay, but somehow they both knew. Waking up in Sep’s arms – as Adam had shortened his name to – the next morning, Adam felt deeply connected to this stranger he’d only met the night before, a powerful symbol of rebellion, a lone voice shouting amongst the silent obedience, willing to think and fight and reason for himself. Sure, Sep was several years older than him, but it didn’t matter.
They spent every waking moment together. Sep taught him many wonderful things about politics, religion, philosophy, every topic under the sun and moon. Adam couldn’t remember ever meeting anyone quite like Sep before.
At some point, Sep became Seb, but it didn’t matter. Seb was his mentor, lover, angel, and Seb called him his spirit. Seb called him Anael. He said it was the name of the angel of the star of love. Adam had always thought that was beautiful. No one else knew about the name. Adam liked keeping it to himself. But then, no one else knew Seb away from his public life, protesting, planning, trying his hardest to save the country from itself. Adam and Seb had their sanctuary, where they would spend hours together. It was their special place, and even now, Adam wasn’t sure anyone else knew it even existed.
//end flashback//
Thinking about their sanctuary again brought Adam out of his thoughts. Maybe it was still around. Maybe it hadn’t been destroyed when the Government went around burning anything they felt was going to corrupt the people. Adam had to find it again. Maybe then he’d be able to find some peace.
“Adam? You alright?”
Wil’s voice pierced his consciousness, breaking him out of his thoughts for good.
“Me? Yeah, I’m fine. I have to go. There’s something I have to find,” Adam said.
“Alright then. Keep out of sight and stay safe. I’ll finish catching you up with things later,” Wil said.
Adam dressed, reverently took the sword in his hands and left, heading back to his room to tell Hamish and Tim where he was going. He found them talking quietly together on the sofa when he get back to their room. They turned to look at him as he entered.
“Hey there. Where’d you get the sword?” Hamish said.
“It’s Seb’s. Was Seb’s. He wanted me to take his place. He wants me to lead the rebellion. But I have to go now. There’s something I just have to do before I can begin planning our attack. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’ll send word when I’m coming back so you don’t worry about me. Stay here, and just… stay safe, ok?” Adam said, walking over to the sofa.
“You don’t want me to come with you?” Hamish said, feeling a little hurt.
“No, you’re safer here than with me. Sorry. I have to do this,” Adam said. “I’ll miss you.” Adam hugged Hamish tight, not wanting to let him go.
“You look after yourself too. You come back to me in one piece, you hear?” Hamish said, breaking the hug.
“You know I will,” Adam said.
And with one final goodbye kiss, Adam grabbed his wing armour and left, leaving Hamish and Tim alone.
“Is this about Seb?” Hamish said, turning to him.
“Most likely. I don’t know where he’s going though. But give him time. I think he needs time to say goodbye to Seb properly,” Tim said.
“I barely knew him. Seb, I mean. I think I only met him twice. Adam really loved him. That much I know. If he needs time to get his head sorted out, so be it, but I’ll still miss him every second he’s not here,” Hamish said.
“I know you will. So will I,” Tim said, more worried than he appeared. Neither quite knew who they were referring to, but both agreed it made sense, whoever it was.
The phone ringing some time later dragged Andy out of his drunken sleep as he fumbled about his dark house, looking for the phone. He found it just as it clicked over to the answering machine. He cursed at his lack of speed. His head ached from the sudden movement, reminding him of what he'd done to himself. Then a voice from the machine grabbed his attention completely.
“Hey, Andy, it's me. Hamish. Um, just wanted to say... I'm sorry. For everything. Don't try and find me. It's best for both of us if this is where we end it. I don't want you getting in trouble. Oh, shit, I gotta go now. Goodbye, love.”
The machine clicked off, signalling the end of the message as Hamish hung up.
“No, Ham, no. This isn't how it's supposed to be! Christ, what have you gotten yourself messed up in? Stupid shit. Who'd have thought you'd be the one in trouble, hey?” Andy cursed his bad timing again. He replayed the message again, trying not to cry at the loss of his best friend.
“Hey, Andy, it's me. Hamish…”
Andy collapsed into tears, thumping his fists on the bench in anger, as he listened to Hamish's voice echoing through the dark apartment.
Hamish set the phone back on its cradle and looked up at Tim. Tim squeezed his shoulder gently, giving him a sympathetic look. Seeing his flat flooded with cops on the news had triggered the sudden phone call. Even if he couldn't say much to him, Hamish wanted Andy to know he was alright. He’d never felt so alone before, especially without Andy there to protect him, like he promised he would.
“I'm never going to see him again, am I?” Hamish said.
“Probably not,” Tim said.
“Probably… Probably for the best, hey?” Hamish said, brushing a tear away.
“Yeah. Come on, let's get out of here,” Tim said, bringing an arm around Hamish's shoulder and leading him away. Hamish nodded and sniffled, not wanting to dwell on it any further.
Author: Sashataakheru
Beta: The wonderful
rana_narsilion <3Fandom: The Chaser/AusComedy RPS
Starring: Adam Hills, Sepulchre (OC), Wil Anderson, Hamish Blake, Craig Reucassel, Tim Minchin, Julian Morrow, Chas Licciardello, Charles Firth, Chris Taylor, Andrew Hansen, Caleb (OC), Dr Rachel Hardy (OC), Antoinette Laurent (OC), Dr Samantha Reddings (OC), Dominic Knight, Shane Cubis, Gregor Stronach, Tim Brunero, Andy Lee
Pairings: Andrew/Chris; Adam/Hamish; Jules/Chas; Rachel/Antoinette(/Samantha); Adam/Seb; Adam/Wil; Craig/Caleb; Adam/Wil/Tim; Andrew/Craig, Wil/Chas;
Word Count: 4,120
Chapter: 5/28 [Previous]
Warnings: violence, gore, smut, bondage themes, swearing, angst, Craig being an irritating prick,
Rating: FRAO
Disclaimer: I don’t know them, not associated with them, just a slashy fangirl admirer with a very active imagination.
Author’s Notes: FYI, fullwing = winged human capable of flight. Halfwing = fullwing/human halfbreed, usually unable to fly, sometimes have vestigial wings, but can be removed to pass as human and not as winged.
Summary: Escapes are made, safety is reached, but at what cost to Hamish? Adam reflects on the past while Wil offers the only comfort he can.
Chapter Five
Only when Hamish’s feet touched solid ground again did he finally relax, but he had no time to comprehend his surroundings before he was pulled inside a dark warehouse and through some long corridor before finally coming to a stop in a large spacious room, still darkened like the rest of the building. It took a few seconds to recognise the man standing before them.
“Adam. Tim. This is a surprise,” Wil said.
“Fucking cops raided Hamish’s place. Luckily there were only two, and we managed to kill them, but they’ll be swarming all over the place now. Did you see what they did to Seb this morning?” Adam said bitterly.
“Yeah. I did. In all it’s horrifying detail. I was with him before he was taken. We were at the cave. I swear I’d only just left when they swarmed in. How they found us, we’ll never know, but we can’t go back there again. They’ve probably bugged the place. Fucking watching the place for signs of anyone returning so they can arrest them. Bastards. I got things to tell you, but not here. Get settled and then we’ll talk. You know where to go, yeah? We have plans for something big,” Wil said.
“I know. We got the usual room?” Adam said.
“Yeah. I never let anyone else stay there. It’s all yours,” Wil said, handing over a set of keys.
“Thanks. I’ll come see you later, ok?” Adam said.
“Sure. Let me know if you need anything,” Wil said.
And with that, Hamish found himself led back out of the room and into another corridor – or was it the same corridor? Hamish couldn’t tell. They walked for a while before they came to a room at the end of the corridor. There was an eagle painted on the door. Adam stopped and unlocked the door, revealing a small one bedroom flat. Well, it was really only a bedroom and a small living room, but it’d do.
“Where are we, Adam?” Hamish said, still not sure where he was. Adam kept a lot of stuff like this from him to keep him safe. Hamish understood why Adam did this, but it still made him feel left out, just a little bit, especially when he got dragged out to havens and the like at a moment’s notice.
“Doesn’t matter. This is our room. Tim, you want the sofa? I’ll go talk to Wil while you guys settle in,” Adam said.
“Oh, yeah, sure. You go. We’ll be fine here,” Tim said, bringing Hamish into the room.
“Won’t be long,” Adam said, giving Hamish a quick kiss before closing the door behind him.
“You and Adam have been here before?” Hamish said, walking into the room, looking at the basic nature of the room. Sure, it wasn’t luxurious, but a safe haven didn’t need to be. The carpet was old, the wallpaper peeling, the furniture about to break, but it was comfortable.
“Yeah, a few times. Meetings and whatnot. We do a lot of planning here. The cops think this place doesn’t exist. Actually, they’re convinced no one lives in this part of town at all so they don’t patrol here. Stupid bastards. If they actually bothered to look we’d be in trouble. We’re not the only ones living off the land here,” Tim said, taking a seat on the sofa.
“There’s other groups here? Who else is out here?” Hamish said, sitting down next to Tim.
“Rebels, free thinkers, musicians, the homeless, squatters, those on the margins of society driven from the cities, everyone the State would very much prefer to be dead,” Tim said.
“You’d never know it to look out there, would you?” Hamish said.
“All part of the guise. We can’t have any signs of life at all. No fires, no visible trucks, nothing. It’s vital to our survival,” Tim said.
“Must be hard having to live like that,” Hamish said.
“You have no idea. But now it's your life too,” Tim said.
Andy found himself back outside Hamish's flat, shocked by what was going on there. He'd heard the report over the police radio and had recognised the address. He'd gone straight there. The flat was crawling with cops who were busy cleaning up the mess Adam and Tim had left behind.
“What the hell happened here?” Andy said to the first cop he came across.
“Two of our boys got slaughtered in there. It ain't pretty. What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be on patrol?” the officer asked him.
“I – the guy who lived here, he was a mate of mine. I can't believe he'd kill. It wasn't in his nature. I've known the guy since childhood. He's not a killer,” Andy insisted.
“Well, got any other ideas then? He didn't have anyone living with him that could've done this?” the officer said.
“No, no, he lived alone as far as I knew,” Andy said, not liking where this might be going.
“Well, he was seen arriving here, but he's nowhere to be found now. It's as if he's disappeared completely. No one saw anything, as usual. We've got a warrant out for his arrest, but you know how these things are. If he's gone, he's gone. Nothing more we can do. If we find him, he'll be charged, tried and executed, unless you can convince me he didn't kill them,” the officer said.
“I dropped him off here, yes. He was shocked from the parade earlier. He was always weaker than me, much as I hate to say it. He had no stomach for violence, none at all. That's why he never served his time. He was so worried about it, he was institutionalised and excused from service, though official records have him medically discharged. If you think he killed them, you're wrong. He's just not capable of it. Can I see the flat, please?” Andy said.
The officer looked at him wearily, as if sick of being asked that very question. He sighed. “Very well, since you knew him,” he said at last.
“Thanks, mate. I'll buy you a round later on,” Andy said with a grateful smile.
“Make it two,” the officer said.
“Deal,” Andy said.
The officer led Andy through the maze of people to the flat, stopping him at the front door. “This is as far as you're going for the moment. They haven't finished collecting evidence yet.”
“What do they think happened?' Andy said.
“As far as we know, they were doing patrols around the flats. The two officers in question came to this flat, and by some mystery, they both ended up dead, and your friend is now missing. It's not looking good for him,” the officer said.
“Shit. What the hell has he been getting up to?” Andy swore, pretending he had no knowledge of what happened.
“You don't know much of his private life?” the officer said.
“Not really. I mean, he was alone as far as I knew. I'm at work a lot, you know how it is, so I don't get as much time for him as I used to,” Andy said.
“No girlfriend then?”
“Not that I was aware of, no. He'd tried with a few girls recently, but they'd ended in nothing.”
“The door's been bashed in. Surely, that meant they had reason to force their way into his flat. Why would they do that if he was alone?”
“I don't know. He lived alone as far as I knew. He was alright, you know? Gentle sort. Wouldn't hurt a fly.”
“You mean he was gay?”
“No, I don't mean that at all. He's not gay. He just had a difficult childhood. His father died when he was very young, and his stepfather wasn't exactly loving to him either, in spite of his mother's protestations. He really was a wreck when he was taken into hospital,” Andy said, exaggerating the truth to protect him.
“He was abused?” the officer said softly, giving away how much he understood of that sort of situation.
“No, no, nothing like that, but his stepfather's rejection and his half-brothers taunting didn't do him any good at all. He hated them. I think that's why he spent so much time at my place. He was getting away from them,” Andy said.
“Hmm. It is curious though. One was very badly mutilated, both shot and cut up, whereas the other was very neatly executed with a single accurate slice across the throat. One suggests a hurried, unplanned killing, the other, cold, calculated murder. It's as if there's two different killers. We're testing the blood spatters now for any potential matches, should it lead to the identities of any other people in the room at the time. That's about all we know for the moment,” the officer said.
“Right. I suppose I'll be questioned at some point,” Andy said.
“Of course, but that can wait til later when we get all the evidence together. The only crimes that seem to be taken seriously anymore are ones where cops are killed. If your friend does contact you, be cautious, alright? That's all I'm saying,” the officer said. He gestured for Andy to leave.
“I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I should get home,” Andy said, making to leave.
“You watch your back, alright? Your friendship with him does not sit well at all,” the officer warned.
“Thanks for the warning. I’ll try to keep out of this,” Andy said as he was shooed away.
Shaken at what had just happened, Andy left in a hurry, unsure what to make of the situation. He made his way home, having been given leave for the afternoon because of what had happened at Hamish's place. He sunk into his couch after grabbing a beer from the fridge, wondering what had gone so wrong.
“Ham, I hope you haven't got in too deep. I'd hate for you to get yourself in trouble,” Andy murmured. “I wish I knew where you were, mate. Then maybe I could rest easy, knowing you were alright.”
He took a long drink of his beer, trying to drown out his worries. It was another seven before he was asleep on the floor, his body unused to such potent beer in such quick succession.
Adam made his way to Wil’s room without having to remember how to get there. He’d been there hundreds of times before. Wil was leaning against the door frame when he arrived, evidently waiting for him.
“Come in,” Wil said, beckoning him forward.
Adam obeyed, closing the door behind him.
“In here,” Wil said from the bedroom.
Adam gave a half-smile. Of course. Nothing like a bit of sex to add to whatever it was he was going to tell him. Wil lay down on the bed on his back, smiling at Adam. Adam soon joined him, lying on top of him, staring into his eyes.
“So what was it you wanted to tell me?” Adam said.
“I missed you?” Wil said hopefully.
“Nice try.”
“It’s about Seb.”
“Of course it is. Did he know it was coming? His arrest, I mean?”
“Yeah. Said he felt it. His time was up. But he wanted you to take over. He said he couldn’t think of anyone better to lead us. You’re the next Seb, Adam. He gave me his sword to give you. It was one of the few things I could save before I left. The cops took everything else.”
“God I hated watching that today. That’s no way for a warrior to die. I felt everything. I wanted to kill so much today. That cop I killed, I mutilated him. I wanted him to pay for what he did to Seb. Tim had to calm me down before I had sense enough to realise what I’d done. I’ve never been so angry before. Am I that evil a person, Wil?” Adam said, a finger gently stroking Wil’s cheek.
“No, you’re not evil, Adam. We’ve all had to kill in order to survive. It’s a way of life for us now. Kill or be killed. Don’t worry about it. Would you have rather been arrested and dragged down the street like Seb was?”
“No, I couldn’t put Hamish through that. It’d tear him apart to see that happen to me. Is this what we’ve been reduced to? Don’t you remember when we were free to walk the streets? When we were actually citizens of this country and not rogue mutants hunted down like wolves?”
“Yeah, I remember that. But that’s dead now. Gone forever. You know how much Seb loved you, yeah?”
“Yeah. I do. Hamish doesn’t know we were ever involved, but-” Adam inhaled, trying not to cry, “he does know how much he meant to me. I love you as much as I love Seb, you know.”
“I know you do. You’ve proved that far too many times for me to doubt it now. Hamish doesn’t-”
“No. He doesn’t. I’ve done my best to keep him in the dark for his own safety. He doesn’t fully understand why I do that though. He said he understands, but I know he doesn’t like it.”
“Might as well tell him. There’s no way he’ll be able to go back into the city now. He’s a wanted man.”
“I was planning on it. Should I mention you and I?”
“Why? It doesn’t involve him.”
“Wil, you know how paranoid he is about losing me.”
“So don’t tell him. You and Seb was over years ago-”
Adam looked away, as if knowing that wasn’t strictly true. He got up off Wil and sat on the end of the bed, facing away from his friend.
“It was over years ago, right?”
“It was so hard to not be close to him. Hamish has every right to hate me.”
“What did you do?”
“What we’d always done. Seb was the first guy I ever loved. It was so hard to forget him when we were always together. In a sense, we never really broke up, even when I met Hamish.”
“How long has the guilt been eating you up?”
“Far too long,” Adam whispered, hiding his face in his hands.
Wil crawled over to sit beside him, an arm around his shoulders. “Shit. Don’t you think Hamish has a right to know?”
“Maybe. I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Wil cupped Adam’s face with a hand, bringing him round to meet his gaze.
“Don’t Wil-”
“Shh. It’ll be alright. I’ll deal with it,” Wil said, bringing their lips together in a gentle kiss.
As soon as they kissed, Adam felt all the stress melt away. Wil was good at that. Years of memories fed his actions, Hamish forgotten as he pulled Wil close to him. He wanted to cry, wanted Wil to make everything better. Wil obliged, gently lying him stomach-down on the bed again, knowing Adam wanted him to take charge. Wil was gentle with everything, doing his best to soothe Adam’s shattered spirit.
But what really helped ease Adam’s pain was Wil giving him Seb’s sword. Adam had it made years ago as a gift, and to receive it back, knowing Seb wanted him to take his place, the joy and sorrow was overwhelming. Wil held him as he cried, wondering if Hamish would ever be able to understand what Seb meant to Adam.
//flashback//
August 9th, 2006.
Adam was walking home, his wings wrapped around him to keep out the cold. It was a strangely cold day, and he was impatient to get home. He’d had a bad day, and was in no mood to deal with anyone until he’d had a couple of drinks and a decent meal.
As he was approaching his street, he noticed another winged human like himself running up the street, waving some sort of flag, Adam couldn’t see it at first, shouting to everyone about how the Government was filled with corrupt men, and that the people needed to fight for their freedoms or they’d lose them.
A couple of cops were chasing him, shouting at him to stop, but the man kept on running. Adam watched him running towards him.
Then he took flight, hovering above the cops, teasing them, waving his flag still, defiant that he would not be caught.
Something stirred in Adam as he watched the man. The cops were getting their guns out, shooting at him, but he had something on his wings, protecting him. Wing armour. Adam had heard of it before, but had never seen it. Something about the defiance this man showed towards the cops made Adam feel slightly better about his crappy day. Before his brain had time to realise what he was doing, he’d flown up beside the man, grabbing his hand in support.
“What-” the man said, looking at him in shock.
“We fight them together,” Adam replied. “I’m Adam.”
“Sepulchre. Stupid name, I know.”
“I like it.”
“Thanks. Want to burn the flag with me?” Sepulchre said, holding a lighter close to the flag he was holding.
“Do it.”
As soon the flag was in flames, it was dropped on top of the cops below. Neither were badly burnt, but it slowed them down enough for Sepulchre and Adam to escape.
They flew off, landing back at Adam’s place. They fell against a nearby wall, laughing at what they’d just done.
“You’re incredible,” Adam said.
“So were you. And you haven’t got any wing armour. You were lucky not to get shot,” Sepulchre said.
“I know. But it was worth fighting for. It’s rare to find someone who believes the same as you these days. Everyone else is happy to deal with the status quo. There are few who believe we need real change round here,” Adam said.
“A worthy cause. But I fear they won’t listen until it’s too late. You hungry at all?” Sepulchre said.
“Yeah, I was just going to have one of those frozen dinner things. I can’t cook for shit.” Adam said.
“I’ll take you out to dinner. My treat. And don’t say no, or I’ll be terribly upset,” Sepulchre said.
“Then how can I refuse?” Adam said with a grin.
Sepulchre smiled at him.
They went to this restaurant on the outskirts of town. Good food, mostly populated by winged humans. Three hours and as many bottles of wine later, and both were a little too inebriated to fly straight. Somehow they ended up back at Adam’s place – neither could ever remember quite how they’d gotten home, just that one minute, restaurant, next minute, Adam’s. Giggling and laughing, they stayed up all night discussing politics and philosophy, before eventually ending up in bed together. Neither had admitted they were gay, but somehow they both knew. Waking up in Sep’s arms – as Adam had shortened his name to – the next morning, Adam felt deeply connected to this stranger he’d only met the night before, a powerful symbol of rebellion, a lone voice shouting amongst the silent obedience, willing to think and fight and reason for himself. Sure, Sep was several years older than him, but it didn’t matter.
They spent every waking moment together. Sep taught him many wonderful things about politics, religion, philosophy, every topic under the sun and moon. Adam couldn’t remember ever meeting anyone quite like Sep before.
At some point, Sep became Seb, but it didn’t matter. Seb was his mentor, lover, angel, and Seb called him his spirit. Seb called him Anael. He said it was the name of the angel of the star of love. Adam had always thought that was beautiful. No one else knew about the name. Adam liked keeping it to himself. But then, no one else knew Seb away from his public life, protesting, planning, trying his hardest to save the country from itself. Adam and Seb had their sanctuary, where they would spend hours together. It was their special place, and even now, Adam wasn’t sure anyone else knew it even existed.
//end flashback//
Thinking about their sanctuary again brought Adam out of his thoughts. Maybe it was still around. Maybe it hadn’t been destroyed when the Government went around burning anything they felt was going to corrupt the people. Adam had to find it again. Maybe then he’d be able to find some peace.
“Adam? You alright?”
Wil’s voice pierced his consciousness, breaking him out of his thoughts for good.
“Me? Yeah, I’m fine. I have to go. There’s something I have to find,” Adam said.
“Alright then. Keep out of sight and stay safe. I’ll finish catching you up with things later,” Wil said.
Adam dressed, reverently took the sword in his hands and left, heading back to his room to tell Hamish and Tim where he was going. He found them talking quietly together on the sofa when he get back to their room. They turned to look at him as he entered.
“Hey there. Where’d you get the sword?” Hamish said.
“It’s Seb’s. Was Seb’s. He wanted me to take his place. He wants me to lead the rebellion. But I have to go now. There’s something I just have to do before I can begin planning our attack. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’ll send word when I’m coming back so you don’t worry about me. Stay here, and just… stay safe, ok?” Adam said, walking over to the sofa.
“You don’t want me to come with you?” Hamish said, feeling a little hurt.
“No, you’re safer here than with me. Sorry. I have to do this,” Adam said. “I’ll miss you.” Adam hugged Hamish tight, not wanting to let him go.
“You look after yourself too. You come back to me in one piece, you hear?” Hamish said, breaking the hug.
“You know I will,” Adam said.
And with one final goodbye kiss, Adam grabbed his wing armour and left, leaving Hamish and Tim alone.
“Is this about Seb?” Hamish said, turning to him.
“Most likely. I don’t know where he’s going though. But give him time. I think he needs time to say goodbye to Seb properly,” Tim said.
“I barely knew him. Seb, I mean. I think I only met him twice. Adam really loved him. That much I know. If he needs time to get his head sorted out, so be it, but I’ll still miss him every second he’s not here,” Hamish said.
“I know you will. So will I,” Tim said, more worried than he appeared. Neither quite knew who they were referring to, but both agreed it made sense, whoever it was.
The phone ringing some time later dragged Andy out of his drunken sleep as he fumbled about his dark house, looking for the phone. He found it just as it clicked over to the answering machine. He cursed at his lack of speed. His head ached from the sudden movement, reminding him of what he'd done to himself. Then a voice from the machine grabbed his attention completely.
“Hey, Andy, it's me. Hamish. Um, just wanted to say... I'm sorry. For everything. Don't try and find me. It's best for both of us if this is where we end it. I don't want you getting in trouble. Oh, shit, I gotta go now. Goodbye, love.”
The machine clicked off, signalling the end of the message as Hamish hung up.
“No, Ham, no. This isn't how it's supposed to be! Christ, what have you gotten yourself messed up in? Stupid shit. Who'd have thought you'd be the one in trouble, hey?” Andy cursed his bad timing again. He replayed the message again, trying not to cry at the loss of his best friend.
“Hey, Andy, it's me. Hamish…”
Andy collapsed into tears, thumping his fists on the bench in anger, as he listened to Hamish's voice echoing through the dark apartment.
Hamish set the phone back on its cradle and looked up at Tim. Tim squeezed his shoulder gently, giving him a sympathetic look. Seeing his flat flooded with cops on the news had triggered the sudden phone call. Even if he couldn't say much to him, Hamish wanted Andy to know he was alright. He’d never felt so alone before, especially without Andy there to protect him, like he promised he would.
“I'm never going to see him again, am I?” Hamish said.
“Probably not,” Tim said.
“Probably… Probably for the best, hey?” Hamish said, brushing a tear away.
“Yeah. Come on, let's get out of here,” Tim said, bringing an arm around Hamish's shoulder and leading him away. Hamish nodded and sniffled, not wanting to dwell on it any further.