FEAR
Spoilers: some from "Diseased" and "Money for Nothing
Pt. 2"
Fawkes almost had him. At the house, in his personal laboratory—clutching
his neck and lifting him inches off the ground. Gagging and gasping for breath, couldn't even (or didn't want to)
look into Fawkes' flaming red eyes.
Almost had him after the gland surgery as well. Fawkes picked up three scapels and knifed
him in the shoulder. When that wasn't
enough, he picked up a rifle and aimed at his cowering victim.
Arnaud de Föhn managed to escape
certain death. He knew Fawkes wanted
revenge for Kevin's murder, as if he had been the one who actually pulled the
trigger. Arnaud didn't understand
Fawkes' filial loyalty. From what Kevin
had told him, they hadn't even spoken to each other in years and didn't always
get along as children. Hell, if Fawkes
ever killed Arnaud's brother Huisclos (which he probably wouldn't do anyway),
Arnaud would care less. His brother was
weak. Weakness, not cunning and
shrewdness, had landed Huisclos in jail while he roamed freely, even though he
was being hunted. That was Arnaud's
life—acting blasé even in the face of danger.
Keeping that cool, confident façade like he owned the world. But Fawkes had come too close that last
time. He had seen Arnaud shaking as he
pointed the gun. Too close.
Arnaud woke with a start. He wiped the light sweat from his brow and
cheeks, cursing at the stubbly growth on his face. (His hair had started to grow back, but also on all the wrong
places.) He got out of bed and headed
to the bathroom to shower. He turned
the water on and waited for it to get as hot as possible. Whe steam began to fill the room, he stepped
in. Arnaud had discovered quite by
accident that hot water could temporarily cool off the Quicksilver. It was the only way to see his skin
again. He stood under the water,
marvelling at his body, touching his face and admiring his icy blue eyes in the
fog-proof mirror he set up in the shower stall. He thought of shaving, but the water was too hot and he didn't
want to irritate his delicate skin. The
water began to get tepid and his body faded again.
Nobody knew his secret; Arnaud
didn't want to own up to it either, but it was true. He was afraid. Fawkes had
proven that he was more than capable of pushing him to join the Choir
Invisible. As Arnaud stepped out of the
shower stall, he looked into the empty mirror.
More than anything, Arnaud was afraid he'd never see himself, normally,
again…
THE END
