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raynedanserwritesTitle: Into the Mist
Chapter 10 / ?
Fandom: popslash AU
Pairing: Lambs
Rating: R
Author’s Notes:
♥ Don’t know ‘em, but they’re fun to play with sometimes.
♥ Previous chapters for Into the Mist can be found HERE
********************
Justin stared into the dark as he tried to catch another glimpse of the man. He jumped quickly to his feet and ran across the roof and back down the rickety stairs, all thoughts of safety forgotten as he tried to figure what the man had meant. He could hear Lance following behind him.
Justin used the term "man" loosely because this didn't feel like any man he'd ever encountered before. Yet - he didn't feel like one of "them" either. So what the hell was he? Who was he? And what the hell had he meant?
At street level, Justin stopped on the sidewalk to catch his breath, bent over with his hands on his knees. He had time. The other man was still near. As plainly as he could feel his own heartbeat, Justin could still feel him. He waited until Lance was almost caught up before sprinting away again.
It was late and dark and there were Others outside now, but Justin ignored them, ran past them even as they leered and reached out for him. They didn't try to follow him, though, and Justin tucked that bit of information away for later. He was a fast runner, always had been, and he was closing in. He could see the man's back now, could almost hear his breathing over everyone else's.
The man took a sudden, sharp turn down an alley that Justin was familiar with and he grinned. He had him now. The alley was long and narrow with tall brick buildings on either side. Fire escapes, windows and doors had long ago been removed at ground level because of the Others. A couple of dumpsters were on one side of the alley and Justin ignored them. There was a metal door set into the wall about half way down. It had just closed again when Justin and Lance reached it.
Justin leaned hard against the door and pushed it open. The room on the other side was lit by a single bulb dangling from the ceiling and empty - nothing hanging on the walls, no furniture, no windows - and no other door.
"Where is he?" Lance asked in confusion. "You're sure you saw him come in here?"
Justin ignored Lance as he walked around the edge of the room, lightly touched his palm to the walls as he did. His eyes were closed as he walked slowly. When he reached his starting point again, he stopped a moment then began examining the floor. Finally, he stopped in the center of the room and stared at the ceiling.
"Justin?"
"He was here," Justin answered eventually. "I can feel it. It's more faint than normal, but it's there. But where did he go? He was here and now he isn't. It doesn't make sense."
"We better get back. Maybe Chris or someone else will have an idea," Lance suggested.
*****
The five of them sat hunched over steaming mugs of coffee. Chris and JC had been up, but Joey had had to be woken up. So, there was coffee as everyone tried to reach or stay at a decent level of awakeness. Well, most of them. Joey was 'resting' his forehead on the table, but Justin knew he wasn't sleeping.
JC ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're positive he wasn't in the room when you got there?" he asked again.
Justin nodded. "I watched the door close. The room was empty when Lance and I got in there," Justin explained.
"What if he never went in there?" Joey mumbled against the table's surface. He spoke without picking his head up and his voice was slightly muffled. "What if the goal was to make you think he did, but he was really doing something else? Like hiding to get away while you were in the building? What if he can do something we didn't know about?"
"Like fly?" Lance suggested. Joey nodded, rubbing his head against the table top. "Shit. But why not fly after Justin took off after him?"
"Maybe you were supposed to chase him. Maybe you were supposed to go in that room," Joey answered as he finally sat up. He rubbed at his forehead.
"Same question. Why? Why let Justin feel him in the room?" Lance asked.
Joey sat up and shrugged. "That's what we need to find out."
"And I'm assuming you know people we can ask." Justin sipped at coffee that no longer steamed, wrinkled his nose, then sipped again. Cold or not, it was still caffeine.
Chris thunked his mug onto the table. "Of course we do. We all have our little contacts. Let me see what mine have to say." He checked his watch. "They're just waking up right now. You guys ready?"
Joey groaned and dropped his head onto the table again. "Now?" he whined.
JC chuckled. "Poor Joe. We'll let him get some more coffee into him. Those few minutes won't make that much of a difference," he continued as he poured Joey another cup of coffee.
~TBC
Chapter 10 / ?
Fandom: popslash AU
Pairing: Lambs
Rating: R
Author’s Notes:
♥ Don’t know ‘em, but they’re fun to play with sometimes.
♥ Previous chapters for Into the Mist can be found HERE
********************
Justin stared into the dark as he tried to catch another glimpse of the man. He jumped quickly to his feet and ran across the roof and back down the rickety stairs, all thoughts of safety forgotten as he tried to figure what the man had meant. He could hear Lance following behind him.
Justin used the term "man" loosely because this didn't feel like any man he'd ever encountered before. Yet - he didn't feel like one of "them" either. So what the hell was he? Who was he? And what the hell had he meant?
At street level, Justin stopped on the sidewalk to catch his breath, bent over with his hands on his knees. He had time. The other man was still near. As plainly as he could feel his own heartbeat, Justin could still feel him. He waited until Lance was almost caught up before sprinting away again.
It was late and dark and there were Others outside now, but Justin ignored them, ran past them even as they leered and reached out for him. They didn't try to follow him, though, and Justin tucked that bit of information away for later. He was a fast runner, always had been, and he was closing in. He could see the man's back now, could almost hear his breathing over everyone else's.
The man took a sudden, sharp turn down an alley that Justin was familiar with and he grinned. He had him now. The alley was long and narrow with tall brick buildings on either side. Fire escapes, windows and doors had long ago been removed at ground level because of the Others. A couple of dumpsters were on one side of the alley and Justin ignored them. There was a metal door set into the wall about half way down. It had just closed again when Justin and Lance reached it.
Justin leaned hard against the door and pushed it open. The room on the other side was lit by a single bulb dangling from the ceiling and empty - nothing hanging on the walls, no furniture, no windows - and no other door.
"Where is he?" Lance asked in confusion. "You're sure you saw him come in here?"
Justin ignored Lance as he walked around the edge of the room, lightly touched his palm to the walls as he did. His eyes were closed as he walked slowly. When he reached his starting point again, he stopped a moment then began examining the floor. Finally, he stopped in the center of the room and stared at the ceiling.
"Justin?"
"He was here," Justin answered eventually. "I can feel it. It's more faint than normal, but it's there. But where did he go? He was here and now he isn't. It doesn't make sense."
"We better get back. Maybe Chris or someone else will have an idea," Lance suggested.
*****
The five of them sat hunched over steaming mugs of coffee. Chris and JC had been up, but Joey had had to be woken up. So, there was coffee as everyone tried to reach or stay at a decent level of awakeness. Well, most of them. Joey was 'resting' his forehead on the table, but Justin knew he wasn't sleeping.
JC ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're positive he wasn't in the room when you got there?" he asked again.
Justin nodded. "I watched the door close. The room was empty when Lance and I got in there," Justin explained.
"What if he never went in there?" Joey mumbled against the table's surface. He spoke without picking his head up and his voice was slightly muffled. "What if the goal was to make you think he did, but he was really doing something else? Like hiding to get away while you were in the building? What if he can do something we didn't know about?"
"Like fly?" Lance suggested. Joey nodded, rubbing his head against the table top. "Shit. But why not fly after Justin took off after him?"
"Maybe you were supposed to chase him. Maybe you were supposed to go in that room," Joey answered as he finally sat up. He rubbed at his forehead.
"Same question. Why? Why let Justin feel him in the room?" Lance asked.
Joey sat up and shrugged. "That's what we need to find out."
"And I'm assuming you know people we can ask." Justin sipped at coffee that no longer steamed, wrinkled his nose, then sipped again. Cold or not, it was still caffeine.
Chris thunked his mug onto the table. "Of course we do. We all have our little contacts. Let me see what mine have to say." He checked his watch. "They're just waking up right now. You guys ready?"
Joey groaned and dropped his head onto the table again. "Now?" he whined.
JC chuckled. "Poor Joe. We'll let him get some more coffee into him. Those few minutes won't make that much of a difference," he continued as he poured Joey another cup of coffee.
~TBC
