Chapter 279: I am a caged Guide
Brent had thought that he’d gotten over the bitterness of being left behind thanks to what Sergei had done, and how Kellen had acted the night before. So he was rather perturbed at himself as he sat in Aunt Dina’s apartment, his arm across his chest as he stared outside.
He was barely aware of the others talking around him or even at him. He was too focused on how the sun was moving down in the sky, curiousity like damn worms under his skin. He wanted to know. He really, really wanted to know what they were doing.
What were they discussing? How was it going? Were they fighting? Did Kellen shoot someone? Did Sergei pull a fast one on him and shoot someone instead of Kellen? There were so many things that Brent wanted to know but instead he was stuck back home, frustrated and annoyed.
He wasn’t aware he was tapping his foot on the ground, nor that when anyone gave him a straw, he’d drink whatever was given to him. They didn’t give him anything terrible, just things that would keep him going as he continued to glare out the windows.
No one approached him. That was thanks to Aunt Dina. Even Kellen’s parents wanted to approach and disrupt his watch. They wanted to take his mind off of it, maybe chat about what they would do at the press conference.
That had already been spoken about ad nauseum because what the fuck else did Brent have to talk about? Everything was at a standstill, waiting for Brent to be able to declare who he was and why that was important as he dispelled his brother’s lies about him.
Brent sighed for the 100th time while the Lieutenants who could spare the time shared looks. Aunt Dina had simply brought her laptop into the kitchen and had turned the stool around so that she could keep an eye on him. Kellen’s parents floated in and out of the room, speaking to several people that they knew all day while still keeping an eye on Brent.
Brent didn’t take his eyes off of the window, watching where he’d seen the others depart from. He knew that they would come from the same direction and that was why he was watching at this particular angle. He was pissed that they couldn’t take cellphones, annoyed even if it was a reasonable excuse.
They couldn’t use them because there was no connection, there were Espers that would disrupt it, and there was the simple fact that it would be an easy way to sneak a recording device in and give it to the media, the E.A.G. if there were spies, those kinds of people. Brent just wanted to know that they were okay. That everything was okay.
That no one had ambushed them and that they were safe. Was that so much to ask for?
Brent sighed again and the youngest of the Lieutenants, Zaria, finally snapped.
"Alright, enough of this." She said loudly, slamming a book closed that she was reading on the couch next to Brent. Brent jumped, not even aware that she was next to him. He turned to look at her, his eyes wide as she glared at him and pointed a finger at him. "You’re like some caged Guide waiting for his Esper to come back." She accused and Brent blinked several times.
"I am a caged Guide waiting for my Esper to come back." Brent told her. She paled. "While it’s not intentional, I could be kidnapped and killed if I go outside. What is that if not a caged Guide?" He asked and she hesitated for only a second before continuing.
"So? That doesn’t mean you have to behave like this. Captain Dina gave you permission to move around the tower more so you can do more than sit wistfully and sigh as you stare out the window." She grabbed his upper arm and pulled, getting to her feet as well. "Come on. It’s only noon and I know they are going to be gone until after it gets dark. I can’t watch this any longer." She tugged, forcing Brent to his feet even as Brent tried to make himself deadweight.
Damn Espers.
She grinned at him, her purple ponytail swaying as she got him to his feet.
"Come on, Brent. Let’s go to the shooting range or something. You need to do something, anything besides sighing and staring out the window. I’m going to lose my damn mind." Zaria said. "I have no idea how you aren’t and you’re the one doing it!" She complained. Brent slid his gaze to her and she shut up for a moment.
Brent didn’t mean to glare at her, not really. Sure, he was annoyed that she was interrupting him, but he was just annoyed in general. It wasn’t because she was doing anything.
"Zaria, if Brent doesn’t want to leave, don’t force him." Aunt Dina voiced and they both turned to look at her. She was still typing away at her computer, her face lit from the small screen as her fingers moved across the keys. She looked older from the light that was washing her out, but Brent would never, ever tell her that. Zaria wouldn’t either.
"But-" Zaria started to protest when Aunt Dina looked up from the screen to stare at the younger Lieutenant.
"We’ve already forced him to do what we say, Zaria, he is allowed freedom when he mopes." She told him. Hearing her calling what he was doing moping was a nail in Brent’s heart. Brent didn’t mope. He wasn’t no damn moper. He was just frustrated he couldn’t leave. That didn’t mean he was moping!
"I’m not moping." Brent argued and Aunt Dina slid her gaze to Brent. There was no judgement there.
"Then you aren’t." She agreed easily. For some reason that rubbed Brent the wrong way. Why was she agreeing so easily? What had happened? What did she do?
"What is going on?" Brent asked and she stared at him blankly.
"Nothing, Brent. I’m working, Zaria is keeping watch and trying to keep you company. We’ve been feeding you shakes that Henry brought to keep your energy levels up. Nothing is truly happening. Do you wish something was happening?" She asked as she shrugged her shoulders. "The waiting for everyone to come back from these meetings always feels like hell. It doesn’t matter if I’m involved with someone going there or not. I’ve never gone and always opted to be the one who stays behind. I’m used to it."
That little revelation gave Brent more understanding of what was going on. While her whole life was in turmoil, this was a normal kind of upset. Something she had gone through several times and usually without great consequence. That didn’t mean that it was easy, but it did mean that she was used to it, and it was why she was so calm about what Brent was doing.
She was doing the same, Brent realised, since the angle she was sitting at in the kitchen gave her the same view that Brent had of the window.
Brent sighed, dropping his head to stare at the cushions of the couch for a long moment. They weren’t bouncing back quickly because Brent had sat there, still, for so long.
What the hell was he doing? Kellen would beat his ass if he knew that this was what he was doing while he was gone. He also didn’t want to worry Sergei when he came back. They would be shocked and horrified if they found out he’d been still as a damn statue waiting for them to come back.
"Let’s go shooting." Brent muttered and Zaria brightened. Brent raised his head to meet Aunt Dina’s gaze. A lot passed between them in the few seconds their eyes remained locked and she gave a small nod. She knew what Brent was doing. He wasn’t being subtle about it, and she was telling him that she would keep an eye out for him.
Having that confirmation gave Brent a small sense of security before he moved to the apartment door. Zaria chattered away eagerly at his side, happy to be moving. Brent just hoped she was enough to distract him from his worries and stupid thoughts.
~
Brent didn’t have to worry, since at around 2 pm Kellen’s parents found them and provided their own kind of distraction.
Eleanor, or Ellie as she insisted Brent called her, offered to go through some sparring with Brent. She knew that the others weren’t as comfortable with doing it with him, and Kellen hadn’t been able to do so because he’d been busy while here. She was the one who taught Kellen, so it was likely that Brent was familiar with her training style and she thought it would be a good way for them to stretch their muscles and learn from each other.
Brent was worried that Henry would protest, but he didn’t even bat an eyelash. He smiled encouragingly at Brent and his wife, delighted that he would be able to watch. He did say he would film it for Kellen to watch back.
Brent was Kellen’s first successful student, after all, and he would want to review it. Especially if he was sparring with Kellen’s own Mom.
Brent was nervous, but also happy that she brought it up. Brent wouldn’t have even considered it if she hadn’t suggested it. So that was how he found himself dressed in loose workout clothes, in the sparring part of the gym that the Phoenix Guild had with several Espers crowded around, excited to watch.
They stayed at the borders, of course, not wanting to get in the way. Brent was a little worried about how this would go down, but Ellie seemed to be excited. Thrilled, actually.
"Go easy on him, sweetie. He’s been out of the game for a little bit. He’s not Kellen." Henry called from where he was standing with Zaria, both holding phones up to record. Brent should have taken offense to that, but he knew himself well enough to know that was true.
"I also don’t have another limb right now." Brent added, and Ellie’s eyes curled up as she smiled, showing off her wrinkles. It only made her prettier. Damn Kellen was going to look the same when he got older too.
"Don’t try to fool me, Brent. I know Kellen would have taught you with and without your extra limb." She told him. Brent wanted to tsk, because that is exactly what the other man did. She smiled at him, closing the distance between them for a moment cup his cheek before she gently slapped it. It felt more like she was warning a child then punishing him. "Now don’t strain yourself. The first round is just to get back into the hang of things. If I think you can go farther, I will push you farther. You need to get back into your best shape, and sparring is the best way. Especially against me, and S Classes." She told him.
Brent took what she said to heart, calming his breath before he focused. He nodded, both of them getting into position before Henry called it.
Brent ended up on his back, the breath leaving his lungs as Ellie stood over him, her ponytail hair pooling over her left shoulder as she stared down at him. Her eyes were glowing purple as Brent coughed, then laughed. She offered her hand and Brent took it, getting to his feet.
"It’s like getting laid out by a train." Brent joked and she laughed.
"Only a train?" She teased and Brent wheezed.
"This was the first time. Give me some room to play around." Brent joked. They got back into formation.