(BL) Taming the Field Guide

Kellen felt like the meeting had been a success, even with a few road bumps. He’d made a few new enemies, he could feel it, but he’d managed to avoid the worst of it. He was fairly certain, at least.

He did have quite a few Espers want his contact information. That way they could reach out to him about training Field Guides and other things related to what was going on with their cities that Kellen could provide some input in. Kellen wasn’t sure why they weren’t reaching out to their own people, since they were the boots on the ground, but Rhys helped him navigate those moments.

Kellen was grateful for his fiancé. He seemed to handle international relations better than Kellen could. That was, until some of the Espers, along with their Guides, were gathering up on the rooftop with Kellen, Sergei and Rhys to head back to the Phoenix Guild, scoffing at Kellen.

"Please tell me you haven’t always been that oblivious?" It was an Esper that scowled at everything, but had fought the hardest against what the E.A.G. were doing outside of Kellen and Rhys. Kellen blinked, uncertain what they meant as Rhys handled another Esper approaching them.

Sergei’s shoulders shook.

"Unfortunately, Guide Kellen has always been like this. It is why it took them seven years dancing around each other to admit their feelings for each other." He told the group. That seemed to surprise many of them, including the Guides.

"Seven years?" Someone repeated and Kellen’s face warmed.

"There was an age gap, and then there was a Class difference...it just wasn’t going to work out until now." Kellen muttered, embarrassed. "Why would I think it would work out well between a C Class and an S Class? That’s absurd, and he was far more famous than I was." Sergei snorted.

"False, but you can believe what you want, Guide Kellen." Sergei’s words made Kellen’s hand clench.

"I’m not the one who is plastered all over magazines, Sergei." Kellen said hotly and Sergei gave Kellen a soft look that made Kellen’s spine stiffen.

"No, you were just all over the television when I was a child and I watched you grow up like I knew you personally. Clearly that left no lasting impression of you on myself." Sergei teased. Kellen’s face was bright red.

"I had no control over that! My parents barely did! They were just insistent!" Kellen argued. "Besides, that all stopped when I became an adult." Kellen argued. Sergei’s eyes still held laughter as he stared at Kellen.

"For you, Guide Kellen, but that was because you fled for the front lines and got away from it all. The same could not be said for your sister. Up until she joined the Saturn Guild, she was all over the television. She is very famous in her own right, especially because she is her mother’s daughter. Your old photos circulate, or did before your press conferences. When you were younger, smaller, softer." Kellen had no idea what to say to that, and had no idea that was the case.

He rarely watched t.v., and didn’t look at magazines if he didn’t have to. He tried to turn his mind away from such things, but here he was, finding out that was foolish for him to do. He hadn’t done his research, hadn’t found out the truth about what his sister was facing because he hadn’t wanted to face his own issues.

Kellen frowned deeply in response to Sergei’s words.

"Is that true?" Kellen asked, cautious. A few of the Espers around him nodded, along with the Guides. They were softer, usually A Class or B Class Guides. The S Class Guides and their Espers having already left. They were waiting for the others to lock up the tower and bid Elder Ellis goodbye.

"It’s...very true, Guide Kellen. Lots of us grew up with you, around the same time. It’s a bit like meeting a celebrity, only you’re very calm." One of the Guides said.

Kellen felt his head swim at the information. The people in his city treated him normally, well, as normal as anyone could. He’d been able to get a job outside of the front lines. He’d worked hard for it, trained. He thought he’d gotten it because of that, not his family name.

Kellen looked shocked at hearing this information, and Rhys, sensing something was wrong with Kellen, came back quickly.

"Why the face, Kellen? Did something happen?" He asked, bis voice soft and his gaze sharp as he looked at the others. Sergei sighed, taking the brunt of it.

"It seems that Guide Kellen was unaware of how popular his family is outside of the city." Sergei said, and Rhys, a man who grew up without a t.v., blinked.

"Oh really?" Rhys said, and Sergei and the others stared at him. Even as Rhys wrapped Kellen up in his arms, offering him comfort. "I wasn’t aware. I didn’t have a television growing up, and then when I awoke I dove into controlling my powers and remaining sane. There wasn’t exactly any time for me to surf the internet or t.v." Rhys told them.

Sergei, all at once, realised that for these two fools, the roles truly were reversed. If one thing had slipped up, Rhys would have known Kellen more as a famous child from a famous couple, but things had stayed perfect. He only knew Kellen as a Woods, and as a Field Guide. It was impressive in its absurdity.

"You two are made for each other." Sergei muttered, almost with disgust. Rhys frowned but nodded.

"Yeah, we are." Rhys said, squeezing Kellen tightly. "Now, sugar, come on. We have to leave. Are you ready to do that?" Rhys asked Kellen. Kellen, numbly, gave a nod as he slowly reached for his gun. He wasn’t fully aware he was doing it, and Rhys didn’t think anything of it either for some strange reason.

Until Kellen pulled the gun out and Sergei’s eyes went wide. He was about to shout, telling Kellen to put it down when the gun went off, someone started coughing, and the invisible person who had been sneaking up on both Kellen and Rhys started bleeding.

That shook Kellen out of his stupor as blood began to splatter onto the roof. The Espers with Guides pulled them close, away from the chaos as Kellen wondered how the hell he had known where to shoot?

The person, the invisibility Esper who Kellen had guided, flickered into view. It was clear she knew that she was caught, and from what she was holding in her hand, her intentions had not been pure.

She held a taser, a good one, one that was made for S Classes. She had either been planning to harm Kellen, or kidnap him, or both. Kellen hadn’t shot her to kill her but instead had shot her in the shoulder.

The wind whipped, Rhys growled, and Sergei took a protective stance in front of both of them.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Rhys growled. Kellen blinked, stunned as he realised he’d shot her. He’d unconsciously shot her. He couldn’t detect his Mom or sister when they were moving through the house or training grounds as a kid, but he’d somehow been able to detect her? An S Class?

Kellen was too stunned to speak.

The sound of rapid footfalls approaching told everyone that the others inside the tower had heard. Of course they had. They were all S Classes and Kellen hadn’t brought a silent gun, or his silencer.

The door to the roof flung open and Elder Ellis stood there, panting.

"What in the world is going on? Who shot someone?" His eyes zoomed in on Kellen, holding his gun still while Rhys was wrapped around him, and the bleeding female Esper not far off, still holding her taser. Anger filled his gaze as he motioned for Sergei to do it. Sergei picked her up, the woman struggling suddenly as her feet were picked up off the ground and Elder Ellis approached.

"I’m sorry, Elder Ellis. I...I reacted to something and shot them." Kellen apologised. He didn’t know what problems this would cause and when Elder Ellis looked over at Kellen, his expression was tight. Kellen couldn’t see the strained look on Rhys’ face as he heard Kellen apologise, nor was he focusing on how the other Espers were puffing up, getting ready to get angry on Kellen’s behalf. Kellen thought for a moment it was because of him until Elder Ellis reached out and placed his hand on Kellen’s head.

"You are in no ways in the wrong here, Guide Kellen. It did not cross my mind. I can’t believe she was so foolish to attack you while still on the tower. Are you dumb, Esper Flitwood?" Elder Ellis turned to the woman still bleeding. She seemed to be in shock.

"He...shot me." She muttered, sounding as shocked as Kellen felt. Kellen nodded in response to her words. Yeah, it was shocking. Kellen himself wasn’t sure how he managed it.

"I sensed something was wrong unconsciously and just...grabbed my gun." Kellen muttered as Elder Ellis glanced over at him. He had no idea what else to say. What could he say? This wasn’t like him, not really. Kellen hadn’t even felt a tingling in his gut. His hands had moved.

Kellen felt a small ball of cold fear settle in his gut. What did that mean? Why hadn’t he even questioned it?

"Kellen, it’s okay." Rhys murmured. "You protected yourself, and probably me at the same time. It’s okay." Rhys soothed but Kellen wasn’t sure if he trusted Rhys’ words.

"Don’t talk to him like I’m a bad person." The woman hissed, surprising both Kellen, Elder Ellis, and Rhys. She shifted in the invisible hold that Sergei had on her, the shock fading from her face finally as she hissed, spitting at Rhys and Elder Ellis. "You’re the fools for keeping him from me. He belongs with Invisibility Espers. That’s the stock he comes from. He shouldn’t be with others." Kellen stared at her as she rambled. "I deserve to have him, not Esper Thatcher! I’ve been searching just as long for a Guide that would help me and my people! I’m not a bad person for wanting him!"

"No, you aren’t." Rhys agreed surprisingly calmly. "But you are bad for trying to take him against his will." Rhys kept being calm, much to everyone’s surprise. Then again, it made perfect sense to Rhys. He knew what it was like to want Kellen, and had fought against the desire to take him against his will as well.

That only made him slightly better than the woman who had acted in fear. Rhys saw it. She was afraid that she would never get another chance to get her hands on Kellen after this, and she was right. She wouldn’t. Especially now.

"We’ll take her with us for punishment. No doubt Kellen’s parents will want to be involved." Rhys said reasonably, while Kellen stared at the woman still in shock. He was still grappling with what he did.

"Sounds reasonable, Esper Thatcher. If you want to handle her punishment, I will allow it. The meeting was almost over, anyways." Elder Ellis muttered, before he sighed. "I’ll come with you as well. I’d rather explain it to the Woods in person then get a quiet visit in the middle of the night." He muttered, looking older than he had the whole time he’d been hosting the meeting.