Enough with the obscure life references! Here's chapter six. It's quite a short chapter (like only three and a bit pages on Word) but I think it works. My brain kinda works in scenes, so once a scene is over that's the end of the chapter as far as I'm concerned. Bit weird, but oh well.
Time to get a bit more Talon time. Yay! Click the link to find out what he's up to now.
A Skeleton Duet
Chapter 6
When they’d got back to HQ it had taken a while to get an audience with Gregory. Apparently he was busy on another case and they were kept waiting in one of the meeting rooms for what felt like an eternity.
When he arrived, Gregory hadn’t seemed surprised at their failure at all. This had completely thrown Hades, because he had been so sure that the disastrous mission would have made the superior agent reconsider his leniency from before. Hades was so astonished that he didn’t remember much of what was said in their meeting, but he did remember Dirk getting very angry and Gregory ordering them to go home and get a night’s rest before pursuing the angel again. He’d told them he would put another team on surveillance and inform them of any critical developments.
And then that was it. He didn’t keep Hades behind to tell him he was dismissed. In fact, if anything, he just seemed optimistic they’d get it right the next day. Hades went home trying to rationalize everything that had happened to him in the last twenty-four hours, but it was an awful lot to deal with.
Finally alone in his room, Hades was still turning things over and over in his mind. He paced back and forth next to his bed, but his thoughts were just running in circles. He always came back to the same notion that if it hadn’t been for Blackburn bringing up the issue of his unborn sister, he probably wouldn’t have lost focus in the park and everything would have gone a lot smoother.
He’d been weak and let the wielder’s words get to him. It was foolish and he couldn’t afford to be so easily manipulated, not if he wanted to succeed as an agent; not if he wanted to prevent others from feeling the misery that had torn his family apart. Tomorrow he would have to remain calm in the heat of the moment. He might have to make a hard decision and he didn’t need personal biases getting in the way. And yet, when he imagined the parents of the hostage boy at the police station and the mother in tears, he didn’t think he could do anything as brash as to open fire when the boy was in danger, even if protocol permitted it.
Shaking his head, he realized he’d been standing still. He turned to start pacing again, because somehow the act calmed him and allowed him to vent. But when he turned, he stopped dead.
“Oh, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” a voice like treacle said from a dark corner of the room.
Its owner stepped forward and Hades felt his lungs constrict when he saw those distinctive black eyes.
“Although, that is a rather nice carpet you’ve got there. It would be a shame to wear it down,” Blackburn said, coming to stop a few strides from Hades.
The agent’s mind was screaming at him to pick up his gun, which was on the pillow just behind him, but for some reason his body just wouldn’t respond. He attempted to calm his breathing, which had already suddenly accelerated.
“What are you doing here?” his voice shook when he spoke.
“Oh, I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I’d pop by. I thought you might be interested by what I’ve discovered about the Terralyn Bridge incident. It’s a terribly interesting case; I couldn’t help but absorb myself into it,” the wielder’s casual, easy manner was enough to incense Hades.
“What – how did you – I told you I didn’t want your help!” Hades stuttered indignantly.
“Well, yes and I suppose it was incredibly rude of me to pry, but curiosity got the better of me and I thought perhaps if I told you of the extraordinary events, curiosity might get the better of you too,” Blackburn smiled earnestly.
Hades was in shock. How could this creature, this monster, know more about the case that killed his sister than he did? It was too wrong for his mind to contemplate.
“Forget it,” he snapped.
Blackburn threw his hands up in a casual manner. “Very well,” he sighed, though that dreadful smile was still fixed on his face. The sight of it made Hade’s skin crawl. He’d had enough of this, the wielder had to go.
He went to his bed to pick up the gun, but realized after a few seconds that his body hadn’t even twitched.
“Now we can’t have you messing around with guns. I only came here for a friendly chat,” Blackburn said.
Hades stared in shock. “You’re using your magic on me!” he cried. The very thought of it made him feel unclean.
“I wouldn’t have to if your behaviour was a little more civilised,” Blackburn replied. He seemed slightly irked, but Hades couldn’t shake the feeling that the wielder was putting it on.
“The Authorities will know you’ve been here. They’ll track you down,” Hades threatened.
Blackburn smirked, “That’s the funny thing, isn’t it? It’s illegal to use magic on a human and yet no one seems to care if it’s used on an agent. I don’t suppose they cared too much about your little escapade last night?”
Hades dropped his gaze. Blackburn was right. Gregory had definitely seemed more concerned about him detaining a wielder on no grounds than the fact that he’d pointlessly put his life at risk.
“No, I didn’t think so. I suppose if you put yourself in the firing line by becoming an agent, you forfeit the privilege of leading a magic-free life,” Blackburn said with a wry humour. “Although, that poor boy today, he didn’t put himself into the firing line, but then I suppose he’s – what did your friend say? ‘Collateral damage,’” he continued.
“What?” Hades gasped. “How could you know about that? Have you been following me?”
“No, of course not. I’ve got far better things to do with my time,” Blackburn laughed. “But then you stopped him, didn’t you? Interesting that, I suppose, has that got something to do with your unborn sister?”
“Are you reading my mind?” Hades asked incredulously.
“If only my magic were that powerful,” Blackburn said dreamily. “No, I can only do that through physical contact.”
“Then how are you-!” Hades had held onto his cool for as long as he could manage, but the wielder interrupted him before he could fully explode.
“You have a weakness to children. That was made incredibly clear today.”
Hades scowled. How could a wielder dare to profess such airs and graces in front of an agent? They were nothing more than animals.
“It’s perfectly acceptable of course,” Blackburn continued. “Everyone should. After all, they’re so young; so defenceless. But that weakness will be your ruin. You’ll never be a decent agent if you can’t get rid of such foolish principles.” Blackburn said. The smug expression on his face pushed Hades over the edge.
“What do you know!?” he roared.
“Well, everything,” Blackburn replied frankly. “The true agent,” he continued, “compartmentalises his emotions and becomes a machine, who simply acts as ordered and doesn’t question the morality of his actions. But then that will never be you, will it?”
Hades glowered at him. “It could be,” he replied stoutly.
“No, I don’t believe it could, because if you really did throw away your emotions then your morals would follow. You’d cease to be human and that’s everything you loathe, isn’t it? Anything non-human,” Blackburn said. The knowing look that played over his features set Hades fuming.
As much as he wanted to disagree with the wielder, he had admitted to himself earlier that his emotions had gotten in the way and ruined the mission. Still, he was sure he’d done the right thing. If he hadn’t made that call then the boy would be dead and he’d be no better than the monsters he was tracking down. It infuriated him, but Blackburn was right.
But how could he be? He was one of them. Wielders were nothing but cold-hearted monsters and were in no position to preach to him about morals - especially not this one, who used his magic so frivolously.
“You have no right to say something like that!” he growled.
Blackburn gave him a contemplative look. “No, I suppose you have a point there. Well, consider it a piece of friendly advice. You don’t want to end up like Gregory,” he shrugged.
Hades scowled. “Why? What’s wrong with him?”
“He is the archetype of the man who has given up everything for the job: his emotions, his morals, friends, family, everything. That’s a very poor way to live,” Blackburn explained.
“Well, forgive me if I don’t jump to take up your advice,” Hades said sourly.
A tiny quirk pulled at Blackburn’s mouth. “You’re forgiven,” he replied satirically. “Now, I suppose I’d better be on my way. Sleep well, Hades MacKenzie and don’t worry, I’ll see myself out,” he said, walking to the bedroom door.
He reached out a slender, pale hand and pulled down the handle. With one final, infuriating grin, he opened the door and left the room.
Hades almost immediately felt the cursed magic lift from his body, as it responded with a jerk to his brain’s frantic signals. Lurching for his gun, he was at the doorway faster than Blackburn could have left the apartment. But somehow, the creature had already disappeared from sight.
Hades pounded down the narrow dark hallway and flung open the door at the end. Out in the corridor he looked left and right. Blackburn was nowhere to be seen. The dark space was empty.
How could he do that? There was no way anyone could have left the apartment block that quickly, even if they ran as fast as they could. He checked left and right again. Nothing. How could he do that?
Hades panted. His legs felt weak. He had to sit down before he fell down.
Reluctantly he headed back into his apartment and threw the gun back on his bed before collapsing next to it.
Glancing at his alarm clock, he heaved a sigh. It was three o’clock in the morning. He had to be back at work by nine and the physical and mental exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours had taken their toll on him. Yet still, he couldn’t bring himself to sleep. Not now, when he knew Blackburn could find him so easily. If the wielder could turn up into his bedroom unannounced, there was no telling what he could do if Hades ever succumbed to sleep. No, this was going to be another sleepless night and to hell with the consequences. Hades was never going to close his eyes again. Not for as long as he could help it at least.
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