Fair Ain't What I'm Looking For
Chapter Three: Castle Made Of Sand
He could hear it, that sound again, the room was freezing cold. An onslaught of shivers jolted through his body and his breath ghosted in the air. He was locked in a rusty metal room laying on the cold metal table covered by nothing more then the thin clothes they made him wear. Loud clanging went on just outside the heavy metal door and an odd sound of laughter. The sound of shooting, the sound of screaming, he flung his hands tightly to his ears to cover them. It never helped, it always came through no matter how tight he pressed his hands to his skull.
Everything seemed to waver and then all went black.
A calm and serious female voice spoke, "He's not right, break him."
A bright light flooded the room and pierced his eyes the room was too bright to see anyone. He'd lost track of how long he'd been in this place. Though he honestly believed it was a little under a month.
The next thing he felt was excruciating pain. He felt like severe pressure was being applied to his head.
A sudden wave of nausea hit. His breathing picked up. He could barely keep it steady. He suddenly felt very hot, cold sweat as his skin prickled and he shivered. He couldn't stop trembling.
Everything wavered again and went black.
He could hear voices, people talking, talking about him. What they planned on doing with him now that his parents had killed each other. Good riddance, how dare they send him to this place. At least there was something he could find solace in. Oddly enough, knowing just that seemed to make half the pain worth it.
Somewhere off to his left a female voice spoke, different from the other voice that usually came, "That sounds good, we'll take him..."
Shawn bolted up in bed, he was shaking violently, hyperventilating, and sweating profusely. He felt so cold. He surveyed the room and tried miserably to regulate his breathing. Next to him Anthony slept peacefully on his side one arm stuck under his pillow.
He clenched his eyes shut still breathing too deep, too rapidly. Carefully he got out of the bed and braced himself against the wall as he made his way to the bathroom in the dark. The room was spinning, but he didn't want to bother Anthony with this.
He slightly fell forward as he made it to the bathroom catching himself on the counter top. Slowly he crouched down and reached under the sink to grab a brown paper bag and sat down on the shut toilet and started breathing in and out of the bag. He didn't bother turning the light on, he didn't want to see the state he was in, it always made the situation worse.
He was Shawn, he was the leader of this place, there was no room for him to be falling apart at the seams from pathetic memories. God, why couldn't he slow his breathing yet? He hated this feeling. He hated that dream. His body continued to shake violently.
A voice came from just outside the door causing Shawn to jump violently in his place.
"You ok Shawn?" Anthony turned on the bathroom light and groggily stepped in.
He nodded, "Y-yeah."
Anthony stared at him for a moment, trying to focus then realized that Shawn was shaking and breathing into the brown paper bag, "How long have you been like this?"
Shawn shrugged, "S-since I w-woke up."
Anthony pressed the back of his hand against Shawn's forehead, "You're fucking burning up!"
"R-really? Because I feel f-fucking cold," Shawn tried to laugh, but it only made him sound worse.
"Want me to send David out?"
"Anth-ony w-we have enough medicine to to cure a century," Shawn hated how he couldn't stop stuttering.
"Let me get you something," Anthony reached for the cabinets above the sink and pulled out a small brown box and pulled out four white pills, "This should make the fever go."
"Now if-f only they had a p-pill to make the shak-ing s-stop," he dry swallowed them.
Anthony frowned and grabbed the cup they usually left in the bathroom and filled it with water and handed it to Shawn. He took it and all but gracefully swallowed all the contents and shakily handed it back to Anthony and continued to breath into the bag.
"Let's talk, if you're talking, you can't hyperventilate," Anthony sat down on the floor carefully tugging Shawn down next to him.
Shawn leaned his head down on Anthony's shoulder, his eyes clenched shut as he continued to breathe into the bag.
"So the new guy, what're your plans?" Anthony started stroking Shawn's damp hair.
Shawn pressed the back of his semi clenched hand to his eyes, "Uh, s-show of faith...angh."
"Patrolling already?" he could tell Shawn was in pain.
"Yeah, I kind of got p-plans for the guy," Shawn lowered the brown paper bag, finding more comfort in Anthony's touch and voice.
"What kind of plans?"
"You'll find out-t if he passes today," his voice was becoming a little more stable.
"You going to be out there with him?" Anthony didn't for one second doubt Shawn would be in danger of any sort, but after nights like this Shawn was always a little off his hinges at some point.
That's what worried him.
"Who better to judge?"
"I guess I'll send out the summons first thing in the morning."
"Good," Shawn had started shaking less.
"How you feeling?"
"Good."
"You feel like heading back to bed?"
"My s-side of the bed's completely covered in sweat," his voice was much more steady.
"Why don't we take a lukewarm shower and by the time we get done everyone should be waking," Anthony smiled gently down at him.
"Yeah, sounds great," mumbled Shawn.
-x-
He and David were sitting in the dinning room quietly eating once again. Only this time it wasn't in an uncomfortable silence. It felt warm and inviting, Jack could hardly ever remember having this feeling before in his life.
"I was thinking, maybe I would show you around Rhapsody today," David looked up from his plate.
"Sounds great, cause it sounds to me like The City is a confusing place."
"Well Rhapsody is only one sector, there's still Gotheral, Bythindril, City of Rocks-"
"City of Rocks?" Jack looked up from his plate.
"It's, not really a place many people tread into. It had the most bodies from what I understand, half of which Shawn had killed when he got here."
Jack gaped for a moment, "... he what?"
"Well, not everyone had been killed, the ones who were still alive had severe mental and physical problems. What's a freaked out thirteen year old to do?"
"Go on a killing spree?" asked Jack disbelieving.
"I'm surprised he's as sane as he is," said David going back to his food.
Jack stared down at his plate a slight awkward silence now.
When the door was knocked on loudly they both jumped.
Jack swallowed hard and looked to David, who shrugged and stood. Jack followed seconds later.
David opened the door to reveal Christopher.
"Well don't you two look happy to see me," Christopher smiled, he was holding a white envelope.
"The summons, who is it for?" asked David letting him in.
"Nothing gets past you," Christopher only took a few steps into the place.
"What's going on?" Jack felt a little out of the loop.
Christopher flipped the envelope so that the giant gold and red S was facing up, "Actually, Jack, this summons is for you. I'm supposed to take you as soon as you're ready."
"What's it for?" asked David watching carefully as Jack took the envelope and tore it open.
Jack quickly scanned the letter, "Alls it says is that I'm supposed to go to Rhapsody immediately at Shawn's request."
"He's testing him isn't he?" asked David frowning.
"You're a very un-trusting guy for someone whose got a lot of trust placed in them," Christopher seemed to find it amusing.
David ignored the comment, "Jack, finish eating before you go."
Jack and Christopher watched as David left the room.
Jack turned to Christopher and shrugged, "Uh, I guess I'll finish eating."
"Probably for the best, you'll probably be gone for a while," said Christopher nodding in understanding.
David was nurturing, yet, distant to almost all the people who ever stayed with him. David left for the the same reasons he had. He'd been a sympathizer, accidentally outed by his sister Sarah. Christopher had actually liked her, that was till he found out what kind of person she was. That was almost a year ago now.
Jack walked out of the dinning room, "I guess I'm ready now."
"Good," Christopher lead him out the house to Rhapsody.
Upstairs David watched as the two of them walked off down towards the tunnel to Rhapsody. He sighed and wondered why Shawn was testing him so soon. It had been at least a week and a half till Shawn had tested him when he came to live in The City.
David turned his gaze from out the window to the photograph hanging beside it. It was a picture of him and his family, a sepia tone, and worn around the edges. This had been taken just days before he'd had to leave home. All because his sister couldn't keep her mouth shut.
Not even hours after he and his sister had returned from the market someone had come banging at his parents door. Sarah had tried to press her explanation that she didn't think anyone of importance had been listening. Though David knew that Sarah could care less who was around when she got caught up in her own world.
They had opened the doors and took him away. He was gone for two weeks, and Robert, who also lived in Hedos now had also been taken away. When David finally got home he knew he had to get Robert away the second the Reformers let him go back home. That's how he met Christopher and heard about The City. It really did feel like a long time ago...but at least he was stronger now in ways.
-x-
Jack had to wonder why exactly it was only he and Shawn running around the top "patrolling". He almost got the feeling Shawn was out to kill him discreetly. Shawn for some reason looked a little on edge. They had just spotted someone too close to a hidden entrance and devised a plan to capture him and take him down for questioning.
Shawn was currently perched in a tree, having told Jack to be the one to take the guy down. Jack figured it had more to do with the fact that Shawn was the leader of The City. Can't have your supreme teenage ruler killing over.
The guy seemed to notice something then turned and paused, Jack took this as his moment to deck the guy. His plan to take the guy down in one blow didn't quite go off as he'd expected and Jack was struggling to win. The guy had flipped him causing the air in his lungs to exit hastily, leaving Jack coughing and gasping for air. The guy tightly pressed his arm into Jack's neck, cutting off his air.
Jack thrashed and desperately tried to yank the guys arm from his neck. He caught a glimpse of Shawn in the tree above an eyebrow cocked. The expression on Shawn's face wasn't disappointment or approval either, more like interested. Jack reached up and pressed his thumbs as hard as he could into the guys eyes.
He didn't get much chance to do anything since Christopher, a brunette wearing glasses, and a fair skinned black kid came to his rescue. Shawn came down from his tree and crouched down to stare at Jack.
"I really thought you were gonna die," Shawn was smiling, like he was impressed.
The fair skinned black kid turned to Jack, "His eyes are bleeding, I don't think I could ever do that."
The brunette wearing glasses helped Christopher lift the limp guy.
"Kelly, that right there is Nick, good kid," Shawn had gestured at the fair skinned black kid then to the brunette, "and that's Fletcher."
"Good kid? Shawn, we're the same age," said Nick smiling brightly and helping Jack up.
"Not for long kid," said Shawn cocking his head.
"Me and Fletcher will take this guy to the holding place," said Christopher.
"Yeah, Nika told me Robert ain't doing too good, so," Fletcher shrugged obviously anxious to get back home.
"Chris can take him, just go home," said Shawn waving him off dismissively.
Nick was still smiling, "Jack right? How you feeling?"
"I think I prefer being shot at," muttered Jack finally able to inhale a proper amount of air.
Nick laughed, it sent an odd shiver down Jack's spine, it just sounded too genuinely cheerful.
This was the last of the people Shawn kept close to him. Anthony, Christopher, Nick, and Ryan. The three of them continued to wonder the top for a few more hours, but came across no one else.
Nick took this opportunity to show Shawn his and Fletcher's handy work on covering up the hole Jack had fallen in. While the two of them bonded over the covering of The City, Jack stared out across the lake. A long haired brunette girl was standing at the other side, like she was waiting. Jack stared behind him, Shawn and Nick were staring at her as well now.
Shawn leaned over and whispered something to Nick who nodded and left.
The girl across the lake jerked her head in a different direction and walked off. Jack for the life of him, couldn't help but compare her to the picture hanging on David's wall. At the same time though she reminded him of that girl who got him caught...
"We got other pressing matters, Kelly, lets go," Shawn walked off not bothering to see if Jack was following him.
The pressing matters Shawn spoke of was the guy they had just captured. When they got back to The City Shawn had lead him down an array of corridors down to what felt like the deepest core of the world. It was cold, it was damp, and traces of blood still lingered on the metal walls. Jack got a feeling he knew where Shawn had taken him, where they had taken the guy. What a horrible place it was.
Shawn opened a heavy metal door and the first thing Jack noticed was how the entire room was covered in dried blood. Spatters everywhere, like they used it to paint the metal walls. The guy was laying on the floor, a notebook was resting on the only piece of furniture in the room, a rusting metal chair. Water was dripping from a crack in the corner, the only sound.
Shawn picked up the notebook and scanned through it then snapped it shut. He walked over to the guy, his wrists and ankles tied together. Shawn slugged him across the face and the guy groaned. Jack winced. He understood that he probably deserved it, but he was human too.
"Wake up now," said Shawn in a cold voice.
Jack suddenly wished it was someone else in the room and not him, Shawn looked...void.
The guy spat out a string of curse words and Shawn hit him again busting his lip in the process.
"I'm going to ask questions, you're going to answer them," Shawn slowly started to circle the guy, hands folded behind his back.
Jack could only watch as Shawn drawled out questions and seemed to get angrier as they were not answered. At one point Jack had to look away as Shawn grabbed the chair and slammed it over the guys head.
The guy spat out more curses and garbled out sentences that hardly made any sense.
Shawn flung the chair across the room causing Jack to flinch and duck. Shawn now had a gun pulled out and pointed at the guy.
"I'm going to ask you one more time, if you answer, I won't kill you, if not..." the look on Shawn's face made it seem like he didn't even consider the guy to be of flesh and blood...like he harbored no soul.
The guy nodded and Jack exhaled happy that this would be over soon.
"What are they planning?"
The guy was spitting out blood as he spoke and Jack could only gather bits and pieces of what he was saying. Though what he did understand was that they had someone who was in contact with this place. That they were hoping to get close to him, Shawn, and take him out. To start a civil war of sorts within and make it fall apart.
When the guy finished Shawn merely arched an eyebrow and walked over to Jack and handed him the gun.
Jack took it and stared at Shawn, "What do you want me to do with this?"
"Kill him," said Shawn simply.
"You said you weren't gonna," Jack felt his pulse pick up.
"I say a lot of things Kelly, you can either do it, or get the hell out The City."
"I'm not gonna kill him!"
"You don't have much of an option!"
"Screw you, that just ain't fair!"
"Yeah, well fair ain't what I'm looking for!" yelled Shawn as he roughly took the gun walked over to the guy and shot him straight in the head...point blank.
He arched an eyebrow at Jack and wiped the specks of blood off his hands on the guys shirt and headed out the metal door tossing the gun aside as he left.
Jack just stood there shaking, staring. He looked at the guy on the floor, blood starting to pool around his head, mixing with the leaking water. Jack closed his eyes and as calmly as he could walked out the room, shutting the door behind him.
As Jack walked down the hall lost but determined Shawn lit a cigarette and inhaled. Anthony opened the door the notebook in his hands as he shut the door behind him.
"He's not so bad."
Shawn only nodded and headed off down the corridor a plume of smoke in his wake. Anthony simply jotted some things down in his notebook and followed after.
-x-
A/N: Wow, what a chapter. Quite a lot going down in The City, Jack's so out of the loop for now. Though now I'm sure he prefers it. Don't ask me why, but when I first drawled out the notes for this what I had down was a scroll sign with welcome to the city. It sat dead center top on the blank white paper. Then I wrote notes around it different events, as it was folded in two . A handful of quotes and a general plot. It grows every day.
Chapter Four: Off His Tree Top He Goes
Having wanted a place in the world, when you get it, is it really worth it?