(BL) Taming the Field Guide

Chapter 206: When a man gets curious another gets cautious

With everyone finally calmed down and soothed, they could begin talking about the major, glaring problem.

Brent’s family and the E.A.G.

How the two were connected, what to do to take them down, and the announcement that Brent was the new head of the family. So far, the city had noticed a small shift, but it wasn’t obvious yet.

Rhys, Kellen and Sergei had discussed what they wanted to do before they had arrived in the city during one of their meal times. They had come up with a suggestion, but they wanted to bring it to everyone before they put it in action.

They wanted to hold Brent’s inauguration as the head of the family after the meeting with the S Classes. Why?

They wanted to see if they could convince a few of them to come as bodyguards and as a threat. Rhys had essentially asked for this meeting because it had been too long since they had had a meeting, and the threat of the E.A.G. had grown too large for it to be a coincidence. Had Sergei also suggested that one of the S Classes who showed up could be the head of the E.A.G. and that they might have gotten to the others?

Of course that was just an option, but Kellen had an itchy trigger finger and he really, really wanted someone to show up near him that wanted to harm him and his family.

There was also the chance that none of the S Classes took them up on their offer, even without E.A.G. interference. Sergei didn’t think that was likely, especially after he made it clear who Brent was and what he looked like. He looked like he had swallowed a bag of nails admitting that, but Kellen just waved it off when they had been discussing it. It wasn’t necessary to bring Brent’s looks into it. They could just say that they had harmed a Guide and probably taken his arm.

Kellen knew Espers. He knew that would upset any Esper, but especially an S Class. From the looks he’d gotten from both Rhys and Sergei when he suggested that angle, he knew that he was right.

His plan progressed exactly the way he had predicted when he brought up this topic too. His parents were for it, but with stipulations, his Aunt Dina was against it entirely, but half of her Lieutenants were for it, while the others were cautious. They knew what working with an S Class was like, and they knew that if they asked for help from several other S Classes things could get messy.

They had already invited three S Classes into their Guild, Kellen included. Things could get worse with more personalities in one tower. Kellen understood their fears, he did. He knew what managing so many S Classes could mean, but Kellen was up to being that person.

Rhys didn’t like hearing that, nor did his parents or Brent.

"No. That wasn’t what we agreed upon." Rhys argued, his eyes growing brighter. "You never said anything about that when we were discussing it prior to this, Kellen." He accused, and Kellen flinched. He was right about that.

Kellen had been assured that he would have a way to mark Rhys when he had been discussing these plans, but Rhys didn’t. Kellen swallowed thickly.

"I promise that I have a plan in place to dissuade them." Kellen said, and Rhys’ gaze narrowed.

"Dissuade them of what?" He demanded and Kellen hesitated, glancing at the others around them. It was a bit uncomfortable to say it out loud with so many people around, but if it was to help soothe Rhys, he was willing to do anything.

"That I’m off the market and that I have no desire to be with any of them. I know how possessive you are, Rhys, but I’m also possessive. I’ve already thought of a way to eliminate both of our concerns." Kellen assured him. Rhys frowned.

"Why haven’t you said anything about this until now, then?" Rhys asked and Kellen flushed. He was trying to be subtle, but he didn’t think he was doing a good job.

"Well, I needed time, and uh, help to get it sorted. Don’t worry. It’s nothing bad, I promise." Rhys stared at his boyfriend, somehow not picking up on the tiny smiles on Kellen’s parents’ faces and Brent’s open grin directed at him.

"Nothing bad, but you won’t tell me right now?" Rhys asked and Kellen swallowed.

"It would be uh, bad if I did right now, I think. Plus, I’m missing something to do so, so uh, please be patient? I don’t want to worry you the most." Kellen told him. He swore the man was frowning and pouting that he hadn’t gotten a proper answer from Kellen.

"This is annoying. What use are my damn powers if I can’t see what you’re up to?" Rhys muttered and Kellen grinned.

"Well, they are incredibly useful. You’ve already seen some things that are going to happen in the city, haven’t you?" Kellen teased, glad for the pivot. Rhys wasn’t easily appeased, but from his look Kellen knew that he was right.

"I’ve had a few." He muttered, clearly still upset and Brent latched onto that.

"Have you? What did you see? Is it anything we can use to our advantage?" Brent asked. "We need good PR and we also need to thwart the E.A.G.’s plans. Anything will help, Captain." Brent said and Kellen watched as Sergei flinched.

It was a reminder where Brent’s allegiance was, and that he was a part of the Saturn Guild, not the Nemesis Guild. Kellen gave a proud, cocky smirk in Sergei’s direction. Sergei looked away from Kellen quickly.

Thankfully, Brent’s ability to turn Rhys’ attention away from the topic was prolific. Kellen didn’t think that the conversation was done, but he had bought himself more time. Hopefully enough time to talk to his parents, get the rings, and talk to Brent about how his research had turned out.

It did turn the topic of the conversation back to the original worries, and what they could do about it. One of the Lieutenants disappeared for a second and came back with a portable wall where they began writing down the incidents that Rhys was talking about. All of them were connected to major accidents that were going to happen soon.

Kellen thought this was perfect. This was exactly up Sergei and Rhys’ alley. They did a lot of this kind of work in the city, so as long as they wore an outfit that denoted that they were related to the Phoenix Guild or Brent, it would be perfect. Even if the newspapers didn’t advertise what they were doing or the police tried to stop them, Kellen would be there, and so would onlookers.

You couldn’t silence everything.

Especially when it looked like these upcoming plans were targeted. No one could deny that the timing of these attacks, and how quickly Rhys felt that they were coming and the areas that he had pointed out were too convenient. It wasn’t like Rhys was hiding that the S Classes were coming, but it was clear that the E.A.G. was also planning to use this time to make things harder for Brent and all of the others affiliated with them.

They had just one problem. They forgot that Kellen also existed.

Kellen hadn’t had a vision since the other ones. He’d had a long time of peace and silence, so he truly wasn’t expecting that while they were in the middle of workshopping what they could do to be a pain in the side of the E.A.G. and also how to announce Brent to the world, that he would get another one.

He wasn’t sure who was more surprised. Kellen, or every Esper in the room and Brent.

Kellen felt it first coming on as a small pain in the back of his head before it grew and then suddenly exploded. Kellen gasped, falling into Rhys’ side. The man caught him, his loud voice echoing in Kellen’s ears but fading as the vision flashed before his eyes.

It was of Brent, dressed up, all prim and pretty as he spoke at a podium. Kellen could see that he had a detail with him as well as a huge crowd watching him speak. There were so many media people that Kellen realised his press conferences were nothing in comparison. There were so many Espers and others around that even in Kellen’s vision he was feeling uncomfortable.

That was when it happened. One moment, Brent was alone, the next moment there was a man who had his hands on Brent’s shoulders. Kellen materialised from the darkness behind Brent and pressed a gun against the other man’s shoulder, firing the gun.

Blood splattered, people screamed and the man who had tried to harm Brent was the loudest. Rhys and Sergei were there in a second, slapping something onto the man’s neck and wrists as he bled out from the wound Kellen had made.

Kellen’s eyes were that of a blue-eyed beast as he stood over everything, watching on with a quiet detachment as he checked on Brent. Brent wasn’t scared either.

Then the vision faded and Kellen came back to reality. He was gasping, his lungs screaming as if he had been holding his own breath. His vision was blurry, made worse by the eye patch.

"I think I’m gonna throw up." Kellen managed before he was moving and he got to the toilet just in time for Kellen to empty his stomach of the tea and the meal they’d eaten before arriving. Kellen heaved for a few minutes, barely aware of those around him.

When he did come down it was to find Rhys at his back, stroking him, petting him down from his discomfort while his Dad stood guard, protective of his son. Brent was also there, looking pale and ill as he stared at him.

"All I felt was a sudden suction and then you started screaming." Brent whispered and Kellen stared at him blankly. Oh. His lungs hadn’t hurt because he’d stopped breathing, they hurt because he’d been screaming.

Kellen bowed his head, sighing and coughing.

"Fuck." Kellen swore. That seemed to shock Brent more than anything else that had just happened. "We’re on the right path." Kellen rasped and Rhys’ grip on him tightened.

"Kellen." He said with a hint of warning and Kellen chuckled.

"However, we need a few things. The S Classes are going to say yes, I think, we need to contact all of the media in the city, we need a stage, and I need black body paint. There was something else I saw that I’m unfamiliar with." Kellen mumbled, exhaustion hitting him and Rhys felt it the moment that Kellen went lax.

"Love, we can talk about it later. Rest for now, alright? You can tell us later, okay?" Rhys sounded desperate as Kellen chuckled and gave a loopy smile.

"Okay." Kellen mumbled, closing his eyes as everyone who hadn’t experienced it before panicked in the other room. Rhys held his partner close, wishing he didn’t have to experience this kind of pain as his powers awoke. Brent looked stricken as he stared at his best friend.

Was this the cost of his selfishness?