nottheboss | (no subject)

It's late at night. The corridors aren't quiet; they're full of men and women restlessly trying to sleep in their quarters. Bossie should be one of them. But instead he slips barefoot down the hallway to Carver's room, where he knocks.

"Hey, man, you up?"

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From:

nottheboss

"Put it down!" Bossie doesn't have his side arm but he has his knife. He has it up. "Put it down and listen to us. Listen to Carver. For fuck's sake."

He doesn't take his eyes off Riley. "You good, Fifty?"

From:

minuteofangle

And now there's a knife in play. Gabe tilts his head, frowning as he considers the situation and the way that Riley's voice rises up, up, and up and finally cracks as he yells. He thinks about the knife that Bossie's pulled and the way Carver sounds like he's about to cry.

Not good, is it?

"I'm good," he replies calmly. "Hey! How about we don't throw the stupid heavy shit at the blind guy?"

From:

nottheboss

"Yeah that was a bullshit move," Bossie snarls, and maybe he's protective of Gabe and maybe that's obvious now. "Put it down and I'll put this down and we can talk. Got it?"

From:

minuteofangle

"What the fuck!?" Riley repeats, nearly screeching, but he doesn't throw the pot. He doesn't bolt for the door, either, and nobody needs to get tackled to the ground or disarmed.

Progress. Maybe.

Gabe taps his bare foot against the floor, sighing loudly. "Hey, Anders? Wanna see a magic trick?"

"No!"

"Okay," Gabe continues, calmly. "But we're gonna talk now, so I need you to focus and breathe. Think we can try that? Carver, make some more coffee. Please. I'm not awake enough for this."

From:

nottheboss

Slowly, slowly, Bossie lowers his knife. "If you hurt Gabe or Carver I swear to god I'll take your arm off," he tells Riley, but he's willing to try this.

They have to make him see reason.

From:

minuteofangle

"Don't fucking threaten me," Riley hisses.

"Okay, how about we take like ten steps back?" Gabe suggests, tapping his bare foot against the ground. Everyone's emotional and tense and he's riding high on his zen; it's almost pleasant because so far nobody's gotten stabbed. That might change, though. He knows it, they all do. Everyone he's so goddamn well trained. Riley's been off active duty for a while but Gabe knows better than to underestimate a twitchy soldier, former or otherwise.

And this is a shock. Of course it is.

"Coffee," he repeats firmly. "And then we're gonna stand here and talk like adults. Nobody's going to hurt anybody, yes? Can we agree to that?"

From:

nottheboss

"Yes, sir," Bossie clips out, moving carefully, moving to the coffee pot. To the mugs. Never quite taking his eyes off Riley. He brings a mug back to Gabe and gently sets it in his hands.

Finally, finally, looks at Carver, who he dreads to look at because of how this must be hitting him.

From:

minuteofangle

Slowly, haltingly, the moment settles as much as it's going to. Nobody does any violence to each other. Not yet.

Gabe reaches out to feel for the wall, orienting himself. His goddamn feet are cold. And he can't see the expression on Carver's face, but his tech's synched up well enough to read the careful way Carver holds himself. Anxious, fighting back the fidgets.

"Okay," Gabe says slowly. "Monsters are real. We're fighting demons."

From:

nottheboss

"Fifty," Bossie says, alarmed that he's being so honest. But then what else is there? Riley will leave. So he looks at him. "We're fighting actual demons. They got Gabe. Then Gabe met us and we took up the cause."

From:

fortitudosalutis

"What?" Riley demands, wide-eyed. He presses a hand protectively over his breast pocket and Carver realizes suddenly that the kitten's in there. That Riley really was going to up and leave, just like that.

The realization goes tight in his chest. Carver swallows hard.

"We know how it sounds," he tries. "We do, I didn't believe it at first either. But Fifty, he can teleport."

Gabe hums, standing barefoot and unshaven in the kitchen. "Want a demonstration?"

Riley stares at him. "It gonna hurt the kitten?"

"No. Might make her squeak, though, it's disorienting."

From:

nottheboss

"I can hold her," Bossie offers, holding out a hand. Hoping this will convince Riley to stay, to give them a chance to save his life. "It really is trippy the first couple of times."

From:

fortitudosalutis

"It's okay," Carver tries, taking a risk and stepping closer. He holds out his hands. "We've all done it, it feels fucking weird but it won't hurt you. We just - we just want you to understand, Riley."

Riley's gaze darts between them. Wary. Then he exhales through his teeth and, with visible reluctance, takes Dulcinea out of his pocket and hands her to Carver.

From:

nottheboss

Bossie glances at Gabe and then back at Riley. "It'll all make sense after this."

From:

minuteofangle

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Maybe that's just a story they tell themselves to try and find some peace at the end of the road, among all this madness and ugly shit. Because if it makes sense, then it can't all be bad, right?

That's the story. And they need to hear it, Gabe knows.

He sighs and wiggles his hand in Riley's direction. "C'mon, man. I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm just gonna show you how it works."

Riley squares his shoulders. Then he takes Gabe's hand in his and his breath hitches when they teleport, popping suddenly to the roof and then back again, but he doesn't scream.

From:

nottheboss

Bossie watches Riley, braces for panic, for the worst case scenario. If this doesn't convince Riley, surely nothing will.

"He heals fast, too. And those things out there, the demons, they can, too."

From:

minuteofangle

Riley staggers away, bracing his hands against the counter. Gabe can hear him breathing, digging his nails into the metal. Trying to come to terms with something impossible. And God, that's a familiar sensation, isn't it?

"Riley?" Carver tries.

"Just...just give me a goddamn minute," Riley hisses.

Gabe steps back, motioning for Bossie. "C'mon, kid. Let's give them some space."

From:

nottheboss

"Okay." He gives Carver a look that he hopes is reassuring and then takes Gabe's arm and guides him out.

"How are you doing?"

From:

minuteofangle

"I'm barefoot and woefully short on coffee," Gabe murmurs, but he squeezes Bossie's arm gently. He could teleport them, but he walks. He thinks maybe Bossie needs this. "I'm doing okay, kid. How're you?"

From:

nottheboss

"Worried about Carver. He's not sleeping. I stayed with him last night and got him to nap..." How long can that go on?

From:

minuteofangle

Yeah. There's that. Gabe puffs out another breath, wondering what the hell they're going to do. He doesn't hear any yelling coming from the kitchen, so at least that's a start. But he remembers the fight that Riley and Carver had when this mess started and how things really haven't improved much since.

Demons are real. Monsters are out there. And they can get you in your dreams.

"How bad was it?" he asks softly.

From:

nottheboss

"Really bad. He can't go more than like an hour before he starts having nightmares." He draws a shaky breath. "Whatever happened to him... It was hell, wasn't it?"

From:

minuteofangle

Gabe doesn't say anything for a long moment. He lets Bossie guide him and listens to the sound of his breathing, the click of his boots against the ground.

"Yeah," Gabe replies, softer than he means. He shivers and then forces himself to breathe. To keep walking. "Yeah, kid, it was hell."

It's the only word that suffices.