A/N: I was surfing the net the other day and I came across this string of pictures posted from /b/ talking about "anonymous". Well... I decided to see what UrbanDictionary had to say and it spawned this little gem. :3 IMPORTANT NOTE: You might wanna grab a sandwich and a drink, 'cos long fic is long. XD
julliette: This one isn't Reid/Tyler, but to say more would kill the fic. :3
Dark Angel Kira: I lived in the snow, like 10 years ago almost. After nearly a decade of living in Florida, I am no longer prepared for this weather. XD
philomina: I wanted to make Reid seem a little less prickish. It was for the best. :3
forgetMEalways: Posessive Reid is always a turn on. :D
beginningxofxthexend: Yeah, I thought the little "annoying" nickname would make things seem a little more real. And it doesn't seem like you've jinxed Malachite and Epsilon. The bastards come and go as they please anyways, lol.
Caleb sat at his laptop, bored as he could physically be without being comatose. He had updated his facebook, myspace, twitter, wordpress blog, and livejournal. He'd visited every funny website he knew of to look for a cheap laugh. He logged onto his instant messenger and sighed. Reid was on. But the last thing Caleb wanted to do was start a conversation with Reid. The blond was abnormally prickish over the internet, seeing as how Caleb would have to walk all the way to Reid's dorm to hit him and he was usually too lazy to bother. So Reid said whatever he wanted without restraint. Tyler was on, but he was always too busy working on something to really ever talk, so that was a waste... There was a chime from the computer and a new message popped up.
"You have one new message from: Anonymous2806. Accept message?"
Curiosity got the better of Caleb and he clicked the "yes" button. If it was one of those bots or annoying people, he could always block the screen name later.
Anonymous2806: I was waiting for you to log on.
Caleb blinked at the screen. Who in the hell was "Anonymous", and how in the hell did they know him? He quickly typed a response.
ZedRising: Who the hell is this?
Anonymous2806: I wouldn't be very anonymous if I told you who I was, now would I?
ZedRising: How do you know me?
Anonymous2806: Easy. We have class together.
ZedRising: Which class?
Anonymous2806: Well, for starters, there's third period Advanced Placement Literature.
ZedRising: For starters?
Anonymous2806: We have a few classes together. -shrug-
Caleb stared at the computer screen. Who in the holy goat was this guy?
ZedRising: Why are you messaging me?
Anonymous2806: To make it easier to tell you the truth.
ZedRising: And what's the truth?
Caleb tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for a response.
Anonymous2806: In my time I've known contessas, milkmaids, courtesans and novices, whores, gypsies, jades and little boys, but nowhere in God's western world have I found anyone to love but you.
Caleb paused, running the lines through his head, wondering why they felt so familiar. He ran the phrase through a search engine and it clicked.
ZedRising: "The Lion in Winter". It was a good play.
Anonymous2806: I know. I saw you there. All three nights it was shown at the theatre downtown.
ZedRising: What the fuck are you? Some kind of stalker?
Caleb was beginning to get pissed. He wanted to know who this guy was.
Anonymous2806: I'm the farthest thing from a stalker. Unfortunately, I also have to leave. Goodbye, Caleb.
Anonymous2806 has logged off. All messages sent will be deilvered to the user when they log back on.
Caleb re-read the conversation he had with the anonymous person. He would say stranger, but whoever it was knew a hell of a lot about him. Caleb saved the chat log for future studies and closed the laptop. He decided that the best thing to do would be to head out into town and get something to eat and stop thinking about whoever was sending him the messages. He shrugged on his coat and grabbed his scarf and opened the door. Where Tyler stood, about to knock.
"Uh, hi." Tyler smiled.
"What's up?" Caleb asked. Tyler never went to Caleb except for when something was wrong.
"You know what, it's nothing. You look like you're going somewhere. Don't worry about it." Tyler said with a forced smile.
"I was heading to town for some air and a little food. I could use the company." Caleb said.
"Okay."
Neither one of them spoke until they were on the road when Caleb asked, "You gonna tell me what's wrong?"
"It's Reid. We've been together for a year and a half today and he doesn't remember why it's such a special day." Tyler said, voice heavy with exhasperation.
Caleb chuckled.
"You think it's funny?" Tyler asked.
"Tyler, it's Reid we're talking about. Be glad he remembers the whole-year anniversaries. He's the type of guy to wake up on Thanksgiving day and wonder what the fuck is up with all the turkey." Caleb pointed out.
"Yeah... I guess you're right." Tyler sighed.
Caleb's mind began to wander, now that Tyler's problem was sorted out. He had his own issues to deal with. It was just his luck to want a little adventure to take his mind off of being so bored and end up with someone sending him anonymous messages to annoy the fuck out of him and wonder just who may or may not be stalking him.
"So what's wrong with you?" Tyler asked.
"Instant Messanger service."
"What?"
"I logged in and got an IM from someone with the screen name of 'Anonymous2806', and they won't tell me who they are." Caleb sighed.
"Anonymous, huh? Next time they log on, ask them what their vow is."
"What?" Caleb asked, sparing a glance at his childhood friend.
"Ask them what their vow is. How they answer may determine if you ever figure out who they are." Tyler shrugged.
"What do you mean?"
"For the love of everything sacred... You spend most of your day locked up in your room on your computer and you don't know the story behind /b/ and Anonymous? The hell is wrong with you?" Tyler asked.
"Just tell me." Caleb growled.
"Well... How you view us depends on which side you're on."
"Us?" Caleb asked. Tyler winced.
"I'm one of those Anonymous. Just chill out and listen. Some people view Anonymous as the 'Final Boss of the Internet'. There are a few bad apples that ruined our whole lot. A few assholes hiding behing Anonymous hacked a couple of myspace accounts because they were being made fun of and it all went downhill, so now we catch a bad rap. Those of us that still stand up for the Anonymous Manifesto hold true to keeping the internet machine turning. Next time you log onto one of your cheap laugh sites, look at the comments left. Count up how many of them are absolutely hilarious and worth reading. Now see how many of them were left by 'Anonymous'." Tyler said, his eyes lighting up.
"You're part of this cult?"
"It's not a cult." Tyler huffed.
"You said it depends on which side you're on, how you view Anonymous." Caleb reminded him, trying to get back on track.
"Right. Then there are those who think we're all just a bunch of lifeless retards with nothing better to do than flame people and hate on everyone. And sometimes they're right. You should try it sometime."
"Okay. So how do I know if this guy is sticking to the 'Anonymous Manifesto'?" Caleb asked.
Tyler opened Caleb's glovebox and pulled out a notebook and a pen that Caleb kept stashed there in case he got a phone call and needed to write something down or something. Tyler started writing furiously.
"This is the beginning of the 'Anonymous Vow'. The whole thing is long as fuck, so mostly it just goes by this. If you ask who he is and he gives you the 'A For Anonymous' speech, he obviously knows what he's talking about." Tyler said, ripping the paper out.
"The 'A For Anonymous' speech?"
"You know that scene from 'V for Vendetta'? The one where the guy uses all of those words beginning with 'v'? Same thing, but with 'a' words." Tyler shrugged.
"You guys really have no life." Caleb laughed as he parked the car.
"Any idea who this guy could be?" Caleb asked as they walked into the diner.
"Please. The whole idea behind Anonymous is anonyminity. There's no way to tell."
Caleb wasn't much of a conversationalist that night. He didn't really say much to Tyler, being too busy wondering what in the fuck was going on with his own life. When he got back to the dorm and logged on to his messenger service, Anonymous was waiting.
Anonymous2806: Well hello there.
ZedRising: Do you have a vow?
Anonymous2806: We are Anonymous. We are legion. We are one. We do not forgive. We do not forget. We will crush anything that stands in our way. But we will be hailed as saviors of the internet.
ZedRising: Who. Are. You.
Anonymous2806: Aha! To be astounded. An association armed with an arsenal of asinine ambiguously adult anonymii. This ambidextrous armada, no mere attack force, is an astounding assembly of articulate aristocrats, assuming the collective affliction has not atrophied. Another day of ardent internet argument arises. Under the ambiguous aegis of internet anonyminity, all annoying ascertations may be announced with reckless abandon. The armored amplifiers of Info, the antithesis of approbates, aided and abbetted by all things arbitrary. Apology? Do not forgive, do not forget. Alas, I am all aflutter. You may call me "Anonymous".
Caleb nearly smashed his head into the table.
ZedRising: I'm never going to know who you are, am I?
Anonymous2806: You will. Eventually.
ZedRising: How soon is 'eventually'?
Anonymous2806: Depends on how well you play along, Caleb.
ZedRising: How do I play along?
Anonymous2806: Let's call it a scavenger hunt.
ZedRising: A scavenger hunt?
Anonymous2806: You have until sunrise to figure out where I am and possibly who I am before you reach me.
ZedRising: What's my first clue?
Anonymous2806: Go to your "Dr. Phil", your man with all the answers. He'll have clue number two.
Anonymous2806 has logged off. All messages sent will be delivered to the user when they log back on.
Caleb sat back and thought. Who did he go to when he had questions? Well... If it was a homework question, he went to Tyler. If it was a question about the day-to-day workings of life, he went to Tyler... He realized the only thing he would ever ask Reid would be which girls had STDs and the only thing he'd ever ask Pogue is the details of the newest Ducatti model. But if Tyler was who he was supposed to see...
"Why in the fuck didn't you tell me you know who he is?" Caleb demanded when Tyler opened the door.
"Shut the fuck up! Reid's asleep." Tyler hissed, stepping outside and gently closing the door behind him.
"Answer my question!"
"Because he asked me to uphold the ideals of Anonymous. There's a part of the Code that he used against me. 'Betrayal of Anonymous is both impossible and unaccepted'. Besides, this is more fun."
"Why'd you tell me all that bullshit about Anonymous if it wouldn't get me anywhere?" Caleb demanded.
"Because it was an agreement that he and I had worked out. If you were really curious to know about him, you'd ask him what I told you to ask. If you asked him those questions, then he'd know you were interested and continue on with this little plan."
Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Tyler.
"Look, the longer you stand here arguing with me, the less time you have to figure out who this guy is. So take this," Tyler handed him an envelope, "And get the fuck out of here."
Caleb looked down at the expensive-looking envelope and saw his name written neatly in black ink. He flipped it over and saw a red wax seal holding the envelope closed. Caleb closely examined the symbol and was irritated to find that it was a run-of-the-mill, garden-variety Celtic Cross stamped in the center, a print that could be made by anyone. Caleb sighed and broke the seal, pulling out the stationary from inside.
"Caleb, you'll find your second clue in the Hollow of your youth. Think carefully and don't run around like a headless chicken and your night may not be so Sleepy. Love, Anonymous."
Caleb read the letter over to himself a few times. The hollow of his youth? Why was it capitalized? And what an odd choice of words... Caleb read it again, looking for patterns in the writing. Everything was so carefully written. Why were certain words... Caleb smiled to himself and shoved the letter into his back pocket. Sleepy Hollow. The 1999 Tim Burton rendition with Johnny Depp was his favorite when he was younger, about 9 or 10. He watched the move two or three times a day for nearly a year. He ran back to his dorm room and grabbed the DVD case from the shelf. He opened the box and saw a bit of paper with his name written on it tucked inside.
"So far, so good. You'll find the next clue where Persephone's downfall and the curse of Midas met and then met a messy, crimson end. Love, Anonymous."
"Midas had the golden touch. Persephone... Persephone... She was the one that was kidnapped by Hades... What was her downfall?" Caleb asked himself.
It was some sort of food... A fruit... Crimson...
"Pomegranite! A golden pomegranite? Right! When Aaron took that girl's art project and tossed it at the library!" Caleb smiled to himself.
Caleb hurried through the cold night to the side of the library where Aaron had proved himself the biggest dick ever and ruined a girl's project. He approached the wall slowly, carefully, not wanting to miss the clue. He saw someone materialize from the shadows and recognized her as Dahlia, the girl that sat next to him in his Economics course. She walked towards him, a pristine white envelope in her hand.
"You're in on this?" Caleb asked.
"I owed him a favor."
"Who is he?"
"He's anonymous until you find him. That's the way the game's gotta work." Dahlia shrugged, brushing a bit of her blue hair away from her face.
Caleb took the envelope from her with a sigh.
"Caleb, you're getting closer now, much closer. Go to the pool. Locker 551. The combination is the end of the world. Love, Anonymous."
Caleb walked slowly to the pool, turning the thought over in his head. End of the world? It had to be a date... Caleb slipped into the pool unnoticed and walked to the locker room. He soon found number 551 and looked at the lock. The first thing he thought to try was "12/12/12". That didn't work. He spun the dial back to zero.
"When else would the world end?" Caleb asked, leaning his head against the locker. He saw something sticking out of the bottom of the locker and he gently tugged the paper out, hoping it was his clue. He sighed. It was a picture of a zip-up hoodie with a skeletal system on it.
"Donnie Fucking Darko." Caleb smirked to himself. He spun the dial to "28/06/42/12"(1) and the lock popped open. He opened the locker up and found a white envelope sitting in the center on a bed of rose petals. He broke open the seal and read the note.
"Where you go to think is where you should go to ponder the truth and what awaits you. I love you, Anonymous."
Caleb knew exactly where Anonymous was leading him. There was an old, twisted tree with branches so low they almost touched the ground in some places. It stood alone in a rocky stretch of land where only the strongest of weeds could grow. Caleb let his mind wander as his feet followed the painfully familiar path. What truth would await him? Probably a hint to find the next clue. Caleb sighed and looked up when he saw rocks under his feet instead of grass. He slowly approached the tree that was devoid of it's leaves except for a few sturdy patches. He walked up to the tree and put a hand to the trunk. He heard a thud behind him and turned to see someone crouched on one of the low limbs near him, their hand holding a branch above for stability.
"Hello?" Caleb asked, slowly inching closer to the person, wishing it weren't so dark.
"Hello, Caleb." The person drawled.
"Who are you?"
"Anonymous unmasked." The mystery man whispered as the clouds shifted around the moon. There was a faint flicker of light that barely touched the stranger's face as he leaned a bit closer to Caleb. Caleb took a step closer and was able to begin seeing the outline of the stranger's face. The stranger leaned even closer to Caleb and their lips were brushing. A jolt went through Caleb at the faint contact and he moved closer so their lips were touching fully. The moonlight found a break in the clouds and Caleb stepped back.
The stranger wasn't a stranger after all. His blue eyes seemed more like molten silver and his dark hair was streaked with mercury.
"Chase? You set all of this up?" Caleb asked.
Chase dropped from the tree limb and stood in front of the bewildered teen.
"I did." Chase nodded.
"Why go through all the trouble?"
"Nothing is too much trouble to go through if it's for you."
"Why put up the Anonymous facade?"
"Because you're adorable when you're flustered." Chase smirked, brushing his fingertips across Caleb's face. Caleb leaned into the touch.
"You got Tyler and Dahlia in on it. How?" Caleb asked.
"Tyler's known for a while how I feel about you. His intuitions are damn good for someone who hardly interacts with anyone that's not Reid. And I helped Dahlia cheat on a test so she could pass chemistry last year. I just told her to wait for you to show up and give you the envelope and to refuse to tell you who gave it to her."
"How did you know about me being at the play all three times and this place?"
"I was at the play all three times, too. Sat near you every time. And I followed you here once. I was planning on telling you how I feel and then I saw you climb up the tree and you looked peaceful for once. It was beautiful." Chase smiled.
"So you're telling me that you're an anonymous ninja stalker? Great." Caleb smiled.
Chase didn't say anything. He instead kissed Caleb again as the clouds covered the moon back up. Caleb wrapped his arms around Chase's neck with a flicker of a smile. There was nothing anonymous about his asinine aristocrat anymore.
(1) In the original Donnie Darko move (They have since released a parallel film, S. Darko), Donnie sees this guy in a bunny suit that tells him he as 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds until the end of the world. Making it Halloween, 1988. Obviously combination locks don't go upt to 88, so I settled for a four number combo. :3
A/N2: I realize that this one is really fucking long and, in my opinion, really, really shitty. =/ The problem is that it was the last little real flash of inspiration Epsilon dropped off before he went travelling to Hawaii with some cute myspace boy. -_-' And did I mention Malachite was similarly distracted by the sudden urge to rework a concept for a Torchwood fic? Yeah. So don't hesitate to tell me where I went wrong with this one. I gotta learn to work without the complete cooperation of my Muse and Inspiration. Thanks so much for tolerating me!!!!! I LOVE EACH AND EVERY FUCKING ONE OF YOU!!!!