Chapter Two

Gabriel

I'm so high.

I can hear heaven.
I'm so high.

I can hear heaven.
Oh but heaven, no heaven don't hear me.

He couldn't help it. He envied him. Gabriel watched as Moose danced with his girlfriend. They paid attention only to each other and the music. Music, he had loved it once, when he had first built the Grand Ball. Now it was just like white noise and he hated white noise.

"Gabe, it's time to go." He heard the soft voice beside him. He looked over to his sister. She seemed so innocent in her white dress but in reality, was far from it. He wondered how long Moose could hold out against her. Sure, he claimed to be faithful to Camille, but Eleanor could make a married man leave his wife after only one night.

"Not yet," He told her. She pouted though, and he knew she'd keep begging until he finally gave in. So he caved, wanting to avoid a fight.

Nobody noticed when the disappeared, no one ever did. It was how he always wanted it to be. Of course, Eleanor being Eleanor, wanted everyone to know that her brother was the one who belonged on the throne and that she was the Queen of the Grand Ball. But Gabriel forbade it, and she didn't argue. It wasn't worth it.

He didn't sleep again that night, there was too much work to do. More dance crews were demanding a chance to compete at the Ball, some being more vocal than others. Gabriel sighed as he wrote invitation after invitation. They didn't have what it took, though, they never did. His crew had been handcrafted and they won every time. They were just missing one thing: Moose.

Immediately, the jealously swelled within him as he wrote out a follow-up invitation to Moose, this time he was going to have to come alone. He had been lenient once, but the rules of the Grand Ball were strict and he had to uphold them. No one on the outside could know about the Grand Ball, it was too dangerous.

After he finished the last invitation and prepared it for his courier to pick up and deliver, he got up and walked into the kitchen area of the apartment. Sighing, he poured himself a glass of milk and thought back over the events of the night.

Moose had impressed, just like Gabriel knew he would. He made sure to keep a sharp eye on the young dancer, to make sure no one tried anything. One of his 'associates' had made mention of trespassers in the Grand Ball. They managed to catch one, and Gabriel would paying them a visit later that day, to silence them. He learned a long time ago, that if you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself.

"Still up?" He heard someone say and he looked up to see Eleanor. She had exchanged her silky white dress for sweatpants and a tank top.

"Just thinking..." Gabriel told her, but didn't elaborate. He didn't need to, Eleanor could read him like a book.

"They don't always have to die, you know." She told him, and Gabriel turned away from her. She moved in closer and reached to lay a hand on his cheek. His eyes met hers and her heart broke for him. He looked so sad and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She felt so powerless, and she hated it.

"You should get to bed, you have classes in the morning." Eleanor attended NYU and majored in theater. Gabriel was more than supportive of her, and was constantly encouraging her to succeed. Where he felt that he failed in life, he tried to make up for by being a good older brother. Even if there was only a one year difference between them.

"I'll see you in the morning?" It was a question because Gabriel usually left to take care of the day' business before the sun even rose. In response, he shrugged and moved away from her. Eleanor watched him go to his bedroom, silently wondering how long until he completely fell apart.

The next day, Gabriel found himself standing in Time Square. A large man stood beside him, and their eyes were trained on one target. Gabriel held his hand out, and took the gun that was handed to him. He pocketed the weapon in his coat, and watched as his companion moved through the large crowd. Their target panicked immediately upon seeing the large man but was too slow to react. Gabriel watched in satisfaction as the target was led away from the crowd. Gabriel waited for ten minutes before following after them.

The target was in an alley, beaten and bruised, begging for his life. Gabriel felt a small stab of remorse but it was soon overwhelmed by a sense of duty. With a curt and polite smile, Gabriel whispered something before raising the gun and firing two shots, ending another life.

There were some shouts in the distance as Gabriel ordered his companion to clean up the evidence before tossing the gun away. He walked back through Times Square where a cab waited for him. As he closed the passenger door, he looked back at the crowd. So many people, so blissfully unaware of the world they have stepped in.

"New York University, and step on it." Gabriel ordered the driver.

As he rode through Manhattan, he remembered when he first came to the city. It had been five years ago, when he was fifteen. He had wanted to make a name for himself. He wanted to build something great. That's when plans for the Grand Ball began.

He labored day and night, establishing the right connections. It wasn't for another year that he was able to obtain the warehouse. That's when the fun really started. The first night of the Grand Ball had been shabby, to say the least, but many saw potential and began to invest. Soon Gabriel was leading his own gang, much to the delight of some and the dismay of others. The Grand Ball became the place to be for many of the nation's gangsters. Then, on a whim, Gabriel began to the dancing competitions. The entire time he was building his empire, Gabriel never let anyone know he was the leader of the operation. It wasn't because of fear, but rather because he didn't need the attention. He never liked being in the spotlight, but rather behind the scenes. The throne had been built merely for show, to let everyone know that there was a king, whether they liked it or not.

"We're here." The driver announced, snapping Gabriel from his thoughts. He tossed a Benjamin to the driver, and got out of the car. His timing was perfect, Moose was leaving the engineering building.

The young dancer's eyebrows raised when he caught sight of Gabriel. Gabriel just smiled and motioned for Moose to follow him before turning and walking away. He didn't even look back to see if his orders had been heeded. He could feel Moose's presence behind them as they walked off campus to a cafe that a friend of his owned.

"Sorry for bringing you here on such short notice. I hope you don't mind." Gabriel said as they sat down in a booth.

"It's cool," Moose answered as he looked around the cafe and then at the menu. Gabriel chuckled to himself when he saw the dancer's eyes widen.

"Don't worry, lunch is on me. I actually brought you here because there are some things we need to discuss. Our...king...has expressed that he'd love for you be a regular attender of the Grand Ball." Gabriel began.

"Oh wow, um...I'm honored?" A waiter came over and took their orders. Gabriel opted not to eat, he never ate after killing someone. It was his way of honoring their death.

"You should be, this means you get certain perks and privileges," Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a Black Card, "This is yours, if you want it."

Moose nearly choked on his food, "Dude, that's a Black Card, you can't be serious. You're really handing that to me? Nah man, I can't take it." He took the card anyway and examined it, "Or maybe I could." Gabriel laughed, out loud this time, Moose was quite a character.

"Before you decide anything, there are rules that you have to obey. The first was explained in the invitation, no outsiders allowed in the Grand Ball. I enjoyed having Camille there, but that was a one-time exception. Unless she receives an invitation, she's not allowed to enter into the Grand Ball." Moose frowned at this before his expression turned thoughtful. Gabriel wondered if he would turn down the offer.

"What does she have to do to be invited?" Moose asked. Gabriel was surprised, most never asked that sort of question. They were usually too selfish to do so.

"It's ultimately up to the king...but I can ask for another exception to be made." Moose's expression lit up at this, and Gabriel wondered why he had just said that. He never made exceptions for anyone. What made Moose different?

"I can work with that," Moose grinned, "Looks like you've got yourself a new member of the Grand Ball." At that moment, Gabriel decided to keep Moose as close to him as possible. Many of the members knew the dark side of the Ball, but he never wanted Moose to see it. Ever.

They parted ways when Moose received a call from Camille and Gabriel received a text from one his lackeys. He hoped Moose didn't notice the sad look on his face as read the text and sent out orders to the workers of the Ball. He waved goodbye to Moose before paying for the meal and leaving the cafe soon after.

That night at the Grand Ball, Gabriel stood in the middle of the room. Silence had fallen upon the patrons and he wondered if anyone would stand up tonight. Behind him, another one of the trespassers struggled against the chains that held him in place. Gabriel watched the crowd as a gun was raised to the man's head. No one moved, no one said a single solitary word. Gabriel's eyes closed as a single shot was fired and the body was carted off.

No one had done anything. They just went back to their business, not even acknowledging that an execution had taken place. It angered Gabriel and soothed him at the same time. There was still order, and that was all that mattered.

But it did nothing to quell the war within him.

So that end the introduction into the story. Now you have an idea as to who Gabriel is. The story will alternate between his perspective and Moose's. It'll keep thing interesting. Anyways, now the fun can get started. Reviews are very much appreciated.

~As the Rush Comes~

Disclaimer: I do not own Step Up or Hero by Nickleback