Title: Uncontrollable, or, simply, Gone.
Fandom: The Covenant
Characters: Caleb/Tyler, Reid, and Pogue.
Prompt: Innocence
Rating: PG-13 - R
Word Count: 3500 or so.
A/N: This is set before Caleb Ascends, and yes, there will be a companion piece to fill in the details and follow up. The more reviews I get, the faster the follow up will be written! winkwink

In the dark, Caleb's cell phone went off. With all the daintiness of a grizzly bear woken prematurely from hibernation, Caleb pawed his cell phone off the nightstand next to his bed and stuck it somewhere in what he hoped was the vicinity of his ear.

"Caleb?" The familiar voice on the other end of the line ventured.

"Yeah, man, what is it?" Caleb answered sleepily on the other line, his voice tinged with equal amounts of annoyance and grogginess.

"It's Tyler, man. You gotta get down here."

"Dude," Caleb sighed, "it's like three in the morning. I have a test tomorrow."

"He's fucked up bad man. Someone- I don't know. You've gotta get down here. We're at Reid's place."

Something in Pogue's voice, maybe it was the soft insistence that wasn't usually there, maybe it was the gentle quavering, but something made Caleb sit up straight in bed, made him snap instantly awake. Something made his stomach turn. "Shit. Alright, I'm on my way."

…..

Caleb's silver Mustang GT pulled up to the Garwin mansion, not even bothering to wait for the gates to be swung open for him. His eyes melting into fathomless pools of black, he manipulated the lock and chain with his own Powers, and the gates soundlessly opened, admitting him into a place where everything was telling him he really didn't want to be.

The Sons of Ipswich had always shared a sort of intangible link. Especially when they had gotten their powers at thirteen. Sure, they had grown up together, but they had been standing in expectation of the taste of greater things to come. Thirteen years was a long time to wait for anything, but to a young boy who had been promised power beyond what the rest of the world could ever even dream up, it was an eternity that stretched beyond understanding.

So when they'd ascended for the first time, yes, they'd already been close. But it was simple, hum brotherly bonds of affection. Now, they were so much closer. Even if they disagreed and that fought, they were bound by the power that ran in their veins. Power that flowed between them, that clung to them and that shackled them together by invisible lines of paranormal energy. He knew when one of the Covenant was injured, he knew when they felt pain, when they felt joy, and when they felt sorrow. He perhaps more so than anyone.

Caleb pulled up into his customary parking space, just across from the south wing, and pulled himself along the walkway to the door. The closer he got, the more a feeling of unease weighed down on his mind. His foot steps seemed innumerable, and heavy.

When his fingers touched the doorknob to turn it, the unease turned to dread and despair in one dark shockwave of pain. "My God." Caleb whispered, using every ounce of strength that was within him to force himself to turn that knob.

He trudged across the foyer, through one of the Great Rooms, past the Kitchen, and down the stairs. Reid's room, unlike his own, was in the basement, and not on one of the upper floors.

The door was closed, but he could hear soft voices coming from just behind it.

Another closed door, another door knob.

This time the feeling came before Caleb touched the knob. If you turn this knob it won't ever be the same. Turn around now and don't look back. There was a little voice, a little repugnant voice in the back of his head that told him to turn around and run.

But he couldn't do it. He just couldn't. His calloused finger tips brushed against the brass of the knob, and he turned it. The voice screeched as he pushed the door open –You're a fool! Everything will change! Turn back- But it was too late.

He opened the door, to see Pogue standing in the doorway. Obviously he'd heard Caleb coming and was about to open the door right before Caleb had.

Pogue said nothing. Caleb said nothing.

There was nothing to say.

Tyler was on Reid's bed, and he was curled up, and he was crying, and Reid was a little teary around his eyes, and he had Tyler's head in his lap, and he had his fingers in Tyler's short hair, ruffling it gently, and there was an indentation next to them in the bed where Pogue had probably been sitting.

But all Caleb noticed, in the whole scene, was that Tyler was crying.

He moved forward, and as he did, Reid looked up, his face angry and white, but more scared than he had ever seen it in a long time. The normally smart-mouthed blonde had nothing to say, it seemed. He had no biting comebacks, no nasty looks. There was nothing left for him to do but scoot over slightly so Caleb could sit down, let go of Tyler for just a split second so Caleb could take him.

The eldest witch crawled unto the queen-sized bed and crawled around, settling himself behind Tyler and perpendicular to him. Their youngest had curled himself into a tiny ball. Caleb didn't know what had happened. He wanted to know, he wanted to make it better. But he knew Tyler. He wouldn't tell them what had happened. Not yet, anyway. Not until after.

Caleb's big hands found a place on Tyler's back. Gently, he began rubbing small circles into the muscles. Flits of memory, of hurt and of pain and of desolation began to run up and down Caleb's fingers, eventually finding their way up his arms. And Caleb wanted tp pull back. He wanted to let go and get away from these feelings. But he knew he couldn't, and he never would.

He looked over to Pogue, saw the tenseness in his face, and knew he felt the same. By now, Pogue had moved back to his place up near Tyler's chest, by Reid. He was slowly running his hands up and down Tyler's arms.

Tyler never moved, except for the shuddering of his chest. He never made a sound, except for the quiet hiss of his cries.

He looked back to Reid. The blonde boy's eyes had melted into dark, shining black. Now there was only Pogue.

When he looked to his friend, the red blaze of initiation was just fading across equally dark orbs.

He took a deep, shaky breath. He hadn't done this in a long time.

…..

Two hours later, it was finished. Tyler finally raised his head from Reid's tear soaked bedspread.

With bloodshot eyes, he shakily looked around the room, eyes floating from first Pogue, then to Caleb, and then from Reid back to Caleb.

"You gonna tell us what happened, baby boy?" Caleb asked, his hands on Tyler's shoulders, helping him to sit up, to swing his legs over the side of the bed.

Tyler looked down. He rubbed furiously at his raw face, at the tears brimming there again. "I…" He began, "I…I can't."

"Ty, you've gotta tell us. We'll fix it. Whatever it is, man." Pogue encouraged, his hand reaching for Tyler's.

"You know we've got your back Tyler." Reid put in. "We're worried about you."

"You don't know! You won't understand…and I can't tell you. I just can't." Tyler moaned, dropping his head into his hands.

"Guys," Caleb said, after a moment of silence. "Give us a minute." Caleb used the tone that meant he was serious, that said he wasn't taking any shit from them at the moment, that meant he was the leader of the Covenant and that meant they were leaving, right now.

Silently, Pogue and Reid filed out, and as the door closed tears descended on Tyler once again.

Caleb pulled him closer. He wrapped his arms around him and Tyler laid his head down on his chest, and really cried, cried long and loud. He wailed like a newborn baby in the night, until he couldn't cry any more, until his voice hoarsened into hiccupping sobs, until there was not a single tear drop left within him.

….

When Caleb finally came out, it had already grown light to the east. He found the two boys in the living room, Pogue was sitting tensely on a stool and Reid was nodding off in a recliner. Both of them jumped out of their seats when they heard the door open.

"He told me." Caleb said with calm simplicity.

Both looked exasperated with his vague answer. "Well?" Reid prodded. "What the hell happened to him?"

Caleb covered his face with one hand, rubbing at his sinuses hoping to ease away the migraine that had come over him, formed in a mixture of exhaustion and shock.

"It's not important. What's important right now is that Tyler has been through a lot, and he needs to rest."

Normally, Caleb was fairly easy going with them, but today, it seemed, he was taking full advantage of his status as leader of their group, and expected them to follow his orders. With a stern flash in his eyes that said he wouldn't be taking any shit today, especially from Reid, he laid down his rules. "I don't want either of you bothering him. I told him to sleep and he is. He's sleeping and as far as you're concerned, that room is off-limits until I get back, do you understand?"

"Whatever you say, Caleb." Pogue said with an ease that showed he was fine with his place in the Covenant.

It took Reid a little longer, but he finally nodded. "Got it."

….

"We have to check on Tyler man. He's been asleep for a long time." Reid paced the length of the room they'd retreated to like a caged panther, his hands stuck deep in his pockets, and his patented surly scowl having been in full effect for the last half hour or so. "I don't like this. I don't like being kept in the dark. Caleb knows, and he's not telling us."

"Reid, Caleb's not an idiot. Who knows what the fuck happened? It could have been anything. He's not answering his cell." Pogue looked down at his phone, which he had in his hand as if to prove this. "He told us to wait, and we are."

"Yeah, you always do what you're told?" The blonde shot back, growing more impatient by the second.

"Reid," Pogue's voice was growing deeper, a little louder, a sure sign he was aware of what Reid wanted to do."

"Screw this, I'm going in there. If he's sleeping, I won't fucking wake him up. It's that simple." Reid took off for the door, his fingers closing around the knob before Pogue had time to react.

"Reid! You idiot, stop!" Pogue growled, coming up behind the smaller boy and visciously yanking him back by the shoulder. Of course, this was a split-second after Reid turned the knob, and the door swung open, revealing a purple tinged Tyler laying on the bed.

"Tyler's not sleeping! He put a spell on him!" Reid said with a mixture of triumph and betrayal in his voice. "Fucking, Caleb put a resting spell on him."

Pogue grabbed Tyler around the shoulders, and yanked him up off the bed. Thankfully, resting spells were harmless little things that were easily broken with but a little willpower. With a shake, and a quick flash of Power directed into the direction of the other boy, he'd drawn Tyler out of the spell.

"Ty? Tyler, you awake?" As Tyler groggily opened his eyes and looked up, Pogue began talking. "Tyler? What did they do to you? You've got to tell us." When Tyler didn't answer, just turned his head from him. Pogue, furious, shook him. "Caleb's gone, and we don't know where he is, or why he put you in a spell. You have to fucking tell us." He shook Tyler again, harder. "Tell us!"

Tyler whispered it in Pogue's ear, his voice breaking. "They raped me."

Pogue dropped Tyler. Reid didn't have to ask because now Tyler was crying, and he was on the floor, and he was repeating those same words over and over, louder and louder. "They raped me. They raped me. They raped me."

Reid was standing in the corner, staring at his friend in utter shock. He knew it was bad…but this…this…

But Pogue's heart seemed to have stop beating, the blood drained from his face so quickly. "Caleb." He said quickly, "We have to find Caleb. We have to stop him."

His eyes strayed to Tyler, who was immobile on the ground, at the same time Reid spoke. "Wha….what about Ty? We can't leave him alone. I can't…" Reid looked lost, and alone, with his hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders scrunched up like he was cold.

Pogue sighed heavily. His world was turning inside out. He was tried, hungry, and their leader had gone AWOL on them. The person he was so used to following was the one who was putting everyone in the most danger.

He was never cut out to be a leader. He was an excellent second, but Pogue, in his heart, never wanted to be the One. Only now he was, for the time being, and he had to take care of Tyler.

Pogue pushed a hand into his face, fingers rubbing his sinuses gently for a few seconds before he suddenly looked up, eyes as black as night.

"Shh, Tyler. Shh," He soothed, pointing a hand at the boy curled up on the floor. Immediately, the hysterical sobs began to subside into quiet hics of pain, and then into quiet nothingness as Pogue pushed Tyler under his own resting spell.

"That'll keep him for a good few hours." Pogue stated with authority. "Now let's find Caleb."

….

Pogue and Reid didn't really have trouble tracking down Caleb, although he hadn't taken his car.

There was a trail of magick leading straight too him. Magick so dark and so strong that Pogue was afraid of his friend. He knew Caleb was strong. No one in the group liked to admit to it, but Caleb had always had the most Power. When they got a taste of it at thirteen, they were supposed to all have equal amounts of it, but everyone knew Caleb had gotten more. The eldest always did. And now that his Ascension was only months away… Pogue had sensed and extra crackle around Caleb for weeks now. An abnormal spark, and extra kick that had never been there before, when he used.

He was afraid. Really, really afraid when they followed the trail of magick, undetectable to normal humans, but clear as day to them, out unto the highway and into town. He turned his head and glanced at Reid. He didn't open his mouth for fear the nausea that was beginning to rumble in his stomach would rise up, but their eyes met for a spilt second and he knew, Reid was feeling the same way.

…..

Down on a dark corner, just past the apartments on Aberline road, someone knocked on a door. The man who answered looked to be in his early thirties. He was skinny, obviously underfed and from the three day scruff on his chin, looked to be down on his luck. –well, anyone who lived on this side of town was assumed to be-

"What?" The first words out of the mans mouth were….flimsy was the word. They were slippery and slimy, and weak.

The broad shouldered man who had knocked stepped into the dim light emanating from the shack, revealing his shadowed face. "I'm here to collect." He let his eyes remain below shoulder-level, focusing on the rotting flooring of the front steps.

"You're not s'posed to come to the front door, man." Visibly, the man relaxed, but he looked up and down the street warily, and Caleb got the distinct impression of a weasel. "Bernie send you? Well?"

Finally Caleb looked up, just in time for the man across from him to see a veil of red fire descend over his eyes.

And this time, the spark was hot. Hotter than it had ever been before. He could feel the heat radiating from the back of his eyes, all through the rest of his body. From his toes to the top of his head, the Power was rumbling. It was alive, and it was moving and for the first time, it was angry.

"No." Caleb answered, his facial expression seeming set in stone, even when the man jumped at the sight of his flashing eyes.

He took a step closer, and the weasel took a step back. He took another step, this time over the threshold of the ramshackled house, and the man nearly fell over his feet in an attempt to get away.

"You know. Last night. The teenager." For the time being, Caleb let the weaselly little man continue retreating. He stood in the door way, hands folded over his chest. "I bet you thought you could just fuck him and know one would know, huh?"

And then Caleb's temper exploded.

….

"Here! Stop here." Reid was already yanking his seatbelt off, fiddling with the door handle impatiently. "Why are you so goddamn slow Pogue? He's in here."

Pogue, his mind in another time and place, completely ignored Reid's little threats and belittlements. It didn't matter, anyway. He could feel Caleb. He'd had a bead on him for about half a mile now, and suddenly that smoke trail had blown up into something huge. Something that made his head ache, from the simple Power in it. Something he had never felt before. Caleb was using, and he was using in that house.

….

"Stop!" An anguished voice cried out. "Please, stop it! Stop hurting me. Please please please. I'll do anything you want, just let me go."

"Did Tyler say the same thing, huh? Did he beg for you to stop? Did he get down on his knees and look at you with those big blue eyes of his?" The quiet, reserved Caleb of before was gone. Now there was a wild eyed Witch pacing in the room. He yelled his words at the top of his lungs, little sparks of Power flickering all around him. "Did you like it when he cried? Did you just fuck him harder when he begged for you to stop?"

Caleb stretched out a hand towards the man, whose name, he had learned, was Daniel, and supposedly Daniel wasn't sure what he was talking about, and he had a family, and he just did a couple drug deals here and there, but nothing major.

Bullshit, Caleb said.

With a simple flick of his wrist, and all the power that the Covenant had given him at his command, Caleb sent Daniel flying across the room, slamming him first through a rickety card table, and then into the wall.

A puff of plaster and dry wall whirled up as the man impacted with a bone shattering crunch.

His screams of agony only propelled Caleb forward.

The front door was shut, but it wasn't locked, so when Reid and Pogue burst in, they didn't make all that much noise, and even so, Pogue wasn't sure that Caleb would have heard them, anyhow.

The long-haired brunette watched in a combination of horror and awe as Caleb effortlessly wielded his power with a prowess that surpassed even their fathers. Caleb was literally surrounded by a murky cloud of Power. It pulsed around him, fluttering in rhythm with his heartbeat and his intake of breath. It was his, and it existed only to serve him.

Pogue watched, (Reid was just behind him) while Caleb tossed around a bloodied and bruised body. Coming down the road moments ago he had heard anguished screams coming from what he thought was this house, but the man in Caleb's Power wasn't screaming now. He wasn't even whimpering. He was like a ragdoll, his head flopping around aimlessly, arms and legs flailed out here and there, occasionally bent in abnormal angles that made Pogue's stomach turn a little more with each passing moment.

"Caleb!" He heard his voice, but he wasn't in control of it. His eyes were on the Power around Caleb, on the blood that was on the floor, on the wall, on the man, on Caleb. "Caleb, stop. Stop Caleb." He felt himself move, put a hand on Caleb's shoulder.

Then he felt the Power rise up in indignant rage at his attempt at interruption. With no visible movement, Caleb sent him flying back, against Reid. The force behind the shove sent them both careening into the corner of the doorframe.

Openmouthed, Pogue held his elbow where he'd hit it, hard.

Where his best friend had once been, there was a blistering, whirling void. There was no conscious thought, no recognition in the power when it threw him across the room. There was nothing of his friend that he could touch, see, or feel.

Caleb was gone. He was so far gone.