Please read A/N at the end ;3
Chapter Thirteen: Venus
Homicide detective Argent Melentos hated his job. He really truly did, especially when he had to be the one to break the news to a family, a mother and father - maybe a brother or a sister or cousin - and tell them that their son would never be coming home. That he'd never be eating dinner with them again, or playing the music too loud, or gaming to the crack of dawn - he'd never do any of that...
- Because he was dead.
Argent always hated that part - the big reveal - hated telling some poor saps that someone they cared about was dead, but it was always worse - closer to home - when it was a teen or a child. He couldn't help think to himself "what if that was my little girl?" "what if it was me that got the knock on the door that said she'd been murdered brutally in some back alley in the school"?
He'd be furious.
He'd want to blow the whole damn building to the ground.
But more than anything he'd want to curl up into a ball and cry.
So yes, Detective Argent Melentos hated his job. But at the same time he couldn't help but think... if he found the killer now, if he gave it his all and stopped them or him or her before they stuck again... then it would be worth it. He'd have spared another family the pain of loss, and most importantly he'd have made the world a little safer for his own.
Argent sighed as he pulled up to the house of the dead boy - Jacob Sydney - eighteen, six- two, basketball playing all star, eviserated and drained of all his blood ... Sick. Twisted. Demented - almost demonic in nature - the state of that poor boy... he shook his head, gaze drawn down to the file beside him, the tips of some pictures - a few post-its - a coffee stain and a paperclip peeking out - memories he'd rather not relive so soon - and shakily grabbed it, numb fingers fumbling with the edges before setting it in the backseat. He sighed, gulped, and shivered; not from the cold - that folder - that case, it had a sinister nature about it, something so bad that - if he didn't already feel so strongly about it - he would have given it to someone - anyone - else.
Even as it was, he knew he was in for some intense psyche sessions when this shit was over.
Argent sighed and got out the cruiser, fedora low on his head, brown trench coat bunched up close to his body, black gloves wrapped around his fingers in a feeble attempt at staving off the cold, a few gentle snowflakes falling prettily to the ground. It was cold, and that's all this neighborhood could see. It was all they had to worry about at this time, a quiet empty street, save for the young lady walking her dog in the pale evening light.
The cruiser door closed beside him and he blew into his hands, his breath fogging in front of him before flexing his fingers and stretching, back cracking; knocking out the kinks in his spine and bones. The house in front of him was quaint - small - average, unassuming, the kind of house you'd expect to see in a classic family movie where everything was just fucking perfect. The irony wasn't lost on him, when he'd arrived at the scene... the way he'd found Jacob... it was truly disturbing. Images of organs hanging from his sides, pants down, penis still erect, face a weird mix of surprised and pleasured, suggesting it may have possibly been a hazing gone terribly awry... it was horrible, and not a fate he'd wish even on his worst enemy.
Not the type of death you wanted to tell a parent about.
Or anyone really.
Argent sighed and walked up the walkway leading to the front door. So unsuspecting it wasn't fair. Sounds of laughter could be heard from inside the house, smells of food wafting from inside.
He knocked on the door.
-School Days-
Vanity prided herself on being someone who wasn't easily surprised, someone who'd scare the people who worked in one of the haunted mazes at the local carnival before they could think of scaring her - but when she walked into Center Square and saw how Pitch had changed, well she couldn't help but give pause; she pursed her lips. "Well fuck me - what the hell happened to you?"
Pitch made a face, deathly gray lips thinning into a grimace, and ran a hand through his slicked back hair. "Mother happened." He deadpanned pointing a thumb to the lady beside him, lounging on the couch like she owned the place - which - granted, she technically did.
"Vanity, how lovely to see you," Gaea drawled, voice harsh and uncaring like it was in fact a great struggle to see her, let alone say hi to her. That her very presence was a privelage and Vanity's existence was the bane of the Earth. Vanity felt she probably should've been offended by that, but luckily she didn't have that capacity for emotion. All she could feel - all she needed to feel - was libido, hate, revenge, sadism - and an intense need to see things killed in the most gruesome ways possible - nothing more, nothing less - nothing else mattered.
So instead of being angry Vanity simply smirked and strutted across the room to the love seat across from Gaea - plopping down - her signature nail file already in hand. "Great to see you too mother dear, I hope the bowels of hell have been kind to you as of late."
Gaea glared. Okay, so maybe Vanity had been a little offended, but now beyond that one snide comment - she really truly did not care. Her need for revenge had been sated.
See she really was a fairly simple person.
Andrew cleared his throat, hood still drawn over his face. "You shouldn't talk to Gaea like that Vanity."
Vanity stuck out her tongue, filing stopping momentarily as she leveled her gaze on the boy still standing by the entrance. "Oh stop being such a prick Andre- "
"He's right you know," Gaea mused, cutting off Vanity's sentence and giving her a glare of her own. "You really ought to show me more respect," she flicked her wrist and Vanity's chair tipped to the side. "Even from here I have more power than you could ever dream of having."
She turned to Andrew. "Now Fabian I wish you'd stop wearing that blasted hood and use the name your mother gave you, there's nothing wrong with it."
Andrew didn't respond right away, just made his way over to where Pitch was standing. "What's so urgent you had to call for us now? Ethan's only been gone for a couple hours."
The Lady of the Deep stretched out a leg, letting the muscles flex and a sigh escaped her lips, her animated dress of vines moving languidly across her body. "I wish you wouldn't bring up the name of that Guardian scum so early in the evening - "
"Ex- Guardian scum technically - you did make sure of that mother," Pitch interjected none too kindly.
Gaea paused and tapped her nail against the arm of the sofa, muscles in her mouth working, her hair changing to a vibrant red, her eyes flashing between the colors of lava, the bottom of her dress crumbling and changing to the color of death and rot. "Yes, I did, Black," she said - not looking at her son. "And I'd do it again too - actually I'd have just killed him - so stop complaining and be grateful your old power is coming back. Now anymore questions? Or may I finally continue? This form does take energy you know." She looked at them each in turn.
Pitch grumbled but stayed otherwise silent.
"Good." She cracked her neck. "Now, I'm sure you have questions as to the nature of my visit," she paused. "Well actually I know you two," she pointed to Vanity and Andrew in turn. "Are wondering that, you've been very vocal on the matter," she sighed, "I'll have you know it has nothing to do with - " her jaw worked and her eyes flashed. " - Ethan," she growled out, the Earth shaking slightly as she said the name.
Pitch glanced up at the ceiling and flicked some fallen dirt from his suit. "Your love for him is admirable, though I do think next time you could do without the - uh - aesthetics," he drawled sarcastically.
Gaea glared. Pitch shut up. "As I was saying - my power is growing - and you know what that means correct?"
"You've made contact with the Bennett girl," Vanity murmured.
"Yes, it does - not all of us have been sitting twindling our thumbs doing nothing." The ground shook again and Vanity looked away; Gaea turned to Andrew, "Fabian - how are preperations at the school?"
"If all goes according to plan the Guardian children and the Bennett boy will be seperated from their parents on the night of the solstice."
Gaea raised an eyebrow, her look one of menacing destruction. "And is it going according to plan?"
"Yes, they'll be in the Thusia with the others when the time comes."
Gaea murmured her ascent. "Vanity, how goes breaking the Bennett boy? If he is broken he can not be used by the enemy."
Vanity paused her filing, setting it down and taking out some purple nailpolish. "He ran out the room this morning a nervous wreck and I haven't seen him since - though I did stockpile some more energy for the ceremony, only need a few more victims."
"Good. Now Pitch, I trust you know what to do?"
"Mmm, keep plaguing the girl with nightmares, check up on Ethan, threaten him for you, have sex with him later, and get Vanity to summon you if you aren't already here," he paused, "that 'bout right?"
The Lady grimaced. "Yes... that's... the general idea."
"Well then," Pitch clapped his hands and stood up from his chair, "I think this meetings about over then. That right mother?"
Gaea's eyes narrowed, she did not appreciate Pitch's attitude. "... Yes."
Pitch grinned, all pointed teeth and evil sadistic malice. "Well then I've got a girl to torment."
-School Days-
Jamie dropped the controller - brow scrunched in confusion - and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose - mouth gaping slightly as his eyes traveled slowly from the screen to the abused piece of plastic now resting pathetically against the ground beside him. He pursed his lips, words on the tip of his tongue, shapes and figures on its rounded edge - yet nothing but empty air dared escape. "B". He most definitely pressed the "B" button, had the distinct memory of pressing down almost dangerously hard against it, so much so that the circular edge had left an imprint against his thumb - yet staring at the screen - slow paced mournful music playing in the background whilst the scene gray-scaled - the sad and almost horribly to the point words "You Died" written across it in suspiciously red "paint" splatters dripping and rippling its way to the ground... well - that seemed to think otherwise.
"I pressed 'B'," Jamie said - wetting his lips and brushing a few stray strand of hair out of his face as if saying it aloud would magically make it true. "I'm positive I did."
Jack just grinned up lazily from the floor and patted Jamie's thigh with his foot, his own controller now coming to rest in the space in front of him, his shirt riding up slightly against the small of his back - pale creamy skin showing gently in the harsh television glow. "Sure you did."
Jamie nodded. "Of course I did - obviously your controllers are defective, you ought to invest in a pair of new ones - or perhaps I'd be able to rectify the problem myself," he picked up the offending device and turned it gingerly in his hand. "there must be a short circuit somewhere..."
Jack laughed and rolled onto his back, propping himself up on his elbows - smirk still in place. "Or maybe your memory's not as good as you thought it was."
Jamie glared and tossed a pillow halfheartedly in his direction. "My memories perfect."
"Uh-huh - now Jamester - you do know I have a pretty incriminating video that says otherwise right?" Jack said raising an eyebrow and waggling his phone in between his fingers.
Jamie's eyes narrowed. "You told me you deleted that."
Jack shrugged and grinned wider.
"Do not force my hand Jack, I will have no qualms hacking your e-mail to properly eradicate that piece of blackmail material," Jamie deadpanned, crossing his arms and fixing Jack with a pointed look.
"Awwww," Jack reached over and pinched his cheek, "is Jamie-waymie getting a little hissy wissy?"
"Stop that," Jamie batted his hand away, "god you're like a damn Cheshire Cat."
Jack pulled back and raised a brow, but didn't respond, instead changing the subject. "So you done playing then eh?"
Jamie nodded. "Yes, I am not in the mood for playing glitchy games, besides - " he glanced at the clock. "- it's already ten and we do have school in the morning, best to get some rest now then."
Jack sighed and stretched, before reaching over to turn off his television, the room now bathed in nothing but pale moon light. "You can have the bed," he said, glancing over his shoulder while stripping down to his boxers, "It's too small for the both of us now that you're the jolly good giant."
"What?" Jamie blinked a couple times and Jack laughed, setting a hand on his shoulder and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "You're adorable you know that right?"
Cheeks flushing red, Jamie pushed him away and fumbled with his glasses setting them on the nightstand beside him; promptly jumping into the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and turning to face the wall, not even attempting to persuade Jack to take it instead. "Shut up." He mumbled.
Jack laughed again and Jamie couldn't help but smile in return, even if he couldn't see it and Jamie waited until he heard Jack settle into the sleeping bag stashed in his closet before speaking again.
"Jack?" He whispered tentatively.
"Yeah?"
"Is the relational dynamic between you and Ethan proper or... was I right in assuming that it was a tad... strained?" He phrased it as casually as possible but still he could sense when Jack tensed, the air between them suddenly heavier before Jack responded.
He laughed, the sound clipped and short, not at all like it should've been. "Everything's fine Jay, couldn't have just said 'are you and Ethan okay' like a normal person huh?"
Jamie forced himself to laugh as well. "Correct."
Jack chuckled again this one sounding slightly more real and shifted again in his sleeping bag. "Night Jay."
"Goodnight Jack," Jamie responded biting back a sigh, I wish you'd tell me what was wrong.
Because Jamie knew when something was eating at Jack, he knew when he was lying.
He just wished Jack would trust him enough to tell him.
A/N: *Cough* Hi... well... errr what's it been? Like... 6months? And wow... not even a decently lengthed chapter... I'm terribly sorry about that... I just can't seem to figure out what to write next, literally I've had this part sitting on my computer for like three weeks now and I just haven't been able to come up with a scene that I felt was like... good enough... so here it is, I figured why keep tormenting you, something's better than nothing right? I mean... unless my writings totally gone to crap LOL, but yeah... i figured you'd probably all like it more if I at least gave a little something then more nothing :/ BUT YEAH I AM TERRIBLY SORRY D; I totes won't be surprised if I've lost some of you in my absences just... got sucked away by my Perico fics (Falling Into Nothing,Betrothed, TelmaH) and school and just the combined effect was something that sadly this fic became slightly (majorly neglected) BUT DONT WORRY i fully intend to finish this thing even if it kills me, just... bear with me please? And thank you? (HUE slightly new format to the chapter hue) Anyone notice the slight change in Jamie? And next time I'll try and aim for my usual 4k ish words. THANKS AGAIN FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL AROUND
-ARCHIE
Jack and Jamie love you