Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

John eyed the phone, then walked over to it. Anybody who knew Elliott well enough would know that he wouldn't be answering today. Yet this clearly wasn't a spam call, judging by the nickname. BlueJay, why did that sound so familiar? His meshed together as he thought, then it hit him. He knew who was calling.

He answered (the first he had spoken that day since Elliott's nightmares) "it's John, not Elliott, obviously." "Dammit" Jay hissed, punching the desk she was sitting at. "I figured it wouldn't be, all things considered." So did she knew, just as John suspected. Yet something had happened that made her call anyway. "If you knew, then why call?" he asked bluntly. "He asked a favour, the illegal kind. Can you take a message?" "yeah"

John grabbed a page from the pile on the table. He wrote down what Jay told him, before hanging up, neither bothering with a goodbye. He pinned the note to the wall, where Elliott couldn't miss it when he arriged. It read:

Jay rang,
she got through and has the files
apparently it is worse than you thought
Go to the hub ASAFP
(She said you'll understand)

 

[MzHyde]

Kay glanced up seeing John had taken a call. She went back to cooking. The kitchen many ingredients around and there was a pot on the stove. The smells coming from it even made Kay hungry. Spices and fragrances filling the kitchen as it cooked. She was a rice one pot dish that she learned from her friend Sam's mother.

It was always a hit that everything in. Veg, rice and seasoned sausages. She tidied up as everything was cooking, making sure to keep out stuff for finishing the cake she was baking.

She pulled her headphones down just briefly, "Did you want a coffee or anything whilst I'm not busy John?" Hoping she'd at least get an answer to such a simple question.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Nah, I'm fine." His response was curt and using the minimum amount of words possible. As Kay had gathered, he wasn't in a talkative mood. He wasn't thirsty either, and as always, his appetite had all but vanished. No doubt he'd eat everything in sight tomorrow, but for now he wasn't hungry at all.

It was just as John sat down and lit another cigarette that Chas entered the apartment. He hadn't slept much either, that much was obvious, and his general good mood was diminished slightly. Clearly whatever was effecting John, was having an impact on him too. "Afternoon Kay" he said, before turning his mate, "you look like shit John" "you're no beauty yourself mate" John replied, with a hint of his old sarcastic self.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded. She expected as much that'd be his answer but she figured she'd ask to just check on him more than anything.

When Chas walked in and smiled, "hey" she replied. She made herself more coffee and just stayed in the kitchen out the way. She even went through cleaning the area up in general. It was messy and she couldn't accept that.

She knew Chas would know what to do or say to John on this bday so she left Chas to deal with him. She spent a good twenty minutes cleaning. Then she took out the cake and grinned to herself. It was perfectly baked. She removed it from the cake tin and left it to cool on one side whilst she checked the lunch pot. Happy with it, she turned the oven and stove off and put the pot on the table under a heat protective mat. She put a serving spoon in and placed a pile of bowls next to it. Luckily, Kay thought ahead with this. It was something that would keep for a couple of days, so even if John didn't eat, he'd have it tomorrow to tuck into, as would Elliott whenever he got back.

She made herself a bowl and sat down on the opposing chair to the couch. "Chas I made some food that would feed like 20 people, it's on the table so just help yourself if you fancy it" she told him.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas and John didn't talk much, they could read everything that needed to be said from each other's expressions. Experience had been a tough teacher for both of them, but they had survived everything life had thrown at them. Theirs was a bond that couldn't be broken easily.

Chas looked up at Kay as she sat down. The meal did smell great, and on a normal day he would have eaten at least three bowls, but today wasn't a normal day. "I would, but I never have an appetite on this day, needless to day, neither does John." John rolled his eyes, exhaling smoke. "thought as much. He' been like this all day, yeah?"

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded, "it's fine..it keeps. You can take some home later or something" she started saying. "yeah he has. Which is why I've left him to it. Cleaned the kitchen and obviously cooked and baked a cake because I felt like it." She explained.

"I may not be in tune with all this but I know when to stay out of it unless I'm called for" she finished finally, shoving the fork in her mouth to eat. "I'll probably make myself scarce later again" she thought out loud.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I'll take some home for Trish and Reneé." Chas smiled. "They'll appreciate it" he added gratefully. He was impressed that Kay had copped on so quickly to it and not tried to make John do anything or try to drag him out of it. Trying to drag him out of it would only make things worse.

"If you need a lift, I'll drive you. It' a slow day fares wise today."

 

[MzHyde]

She smiled nodding. She was glad her hard work would help someone out. It didn't take her long to cotton on because when her folks left when she was 9, she retreated into herself just like John. That's why she wasn't phased by the situation.

"Cheers Chas. Appreciate that" she replied. She had no idea where she'd go but she knew giving John space was more important. Finishing her meal, she got up and went back into the kitchen to finish the cake. It became a chocolate cake topped with sliced strawberries. It was neatly iced with buttercream and had dark chocolate filling.

"Chas, will Renee or Trish want a bit of chocolate and strawberry cake?!" She asked.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Oh most definitly. They both have a massive sweet tooth. Make it two big slices, please. I'll bring it home later." He looked up from the newpaper, the headline raving about aliens. He turned to look at John "you finished wallowing in self pity, enough to consider going out later and sending a truckload of demons back to hell?"

A dangerous smile spread over John's face, and a glint apperaed in his eyes. "I will be." Every year, on the anniversary of Newcastle (bar the year in and after Ravenscar) John would make dann sure the demons knew he was a force to be reckoned with, and that no matter what they'd done to him, he would always fight back

 

[MzHyde]

"coming up!!" She replied, making sure she cut two pieces just as he requested and out them in Tupper wear along with her one pot meal for them then put them to one side.

Considering the day she felt strangely useful having done all this work. It actually made her feel slightly more like her old self for a while. Kay then walked back into the living room just as John replied to Chas and she saw how different he was. She didn't let it get to her though. She just kept telling herself that people react to bad times of the year differently and this was normal.

If she didn't she'd probably be a tiny bit scared of John. She grabbed a book from the table to read, and deciding she might go to the roof to read. "I'll leave you two to it" she said, leaving for the roof.

 

[_gallifrog_]

(I'll reply after band)

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas nodded as she left, before turning back to John. Without Kay around their conversation turned more personal and the silence more painful. It wasn't that they didn't like having Kay around, but there were things they didn't want her to know about or weren't comfortable talking about in front of her.

There were three people on the roof, speaking in hushed tones. One was swinging from the monstrosity of disused aerial (it was more like a small radio telescope than a television aerial.) While the others were perched on the chimney pot. They appeared to be playing cards. Behind them was a view of the London skyline, it was by no means beautiful by cinematography standards, but the roughness and smog had it's own charm.
(last post)

 

[MzHyde]

Walking out onto the roof she noticed she wasn't going to be alone and sighed. "So much for alone time Kay" she mumbled to herself.

She found a corner that no one was in and sat on the edge. She opened her book she brought up and started to read. She could have looked out at the skyline but she always chose not to. Kay figured if she did that, someone may come over and try talking to her.

So the book was her choice. The book wasn't anything special, just a regular fiction piece about a Fae warrior. She realised the irony of reading about a fictional character where her species probably truly exists and is nothing like how they're depicted in the book. But it was escapism for her.

 

[_gallifrog_]

The three noticed her but didn't say anything, turning back to their game of cards and conversation. (Which was filled with speculation about some unnamed person and what she may have done in her past that warranted being locked up in prison. One was a die hard believer that this person had been an assassin or spy, while the others had more moderate opinions. Wrong place, wrong time or that they were framed and it was prison life that turned her into the cold, dangerous person she was today.

Chas and John got out the whiskey and began to toast the dead. They didn't drink enough to get totally pissed, Chas still had to drive after all. There was a lot of names, but each one was said and remembered and in their own way, honoured by Chas and John.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay stayed out on the roof for around three hours just reading. She hoped that was long enough time to give Chas and John. The sun was beginning to set and the cold London air was beginning to get to her.

She closed her book and sighed. Looking out on the skyline once more. She hoped to whatever higher being would listen that Elliott would be okay wherever he was. She swung her legs over to the safe part of the roof and stood up.

Pulling her sleeves right down over her hands, she decided she'd go back down into the warm. So she walked to the door and walked inside, climbing down the stairs towards John's apartment.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John and Chas looked up as she was arrived. John looked a lot better than he had earlier. He snapped out his earlier monosyllabic phase, and although he had dark circles around his eyes, his eyes were wide awake and seemed to burn with an intense energy. Two tumblers of whiskey sat on the table, and he and Chas were pouring over a map of London.

On the map were spots of blood, some dried, but others very much wet. Tow of Chas's rifles were lying on the table and he had the third on his lap. It was partially disassembled and he was cleaning out the build up of dirt. There was a box of shotgun shells on the table, some regular, others with a tell-tale magic glow.

 

[MzHyde]

Putting her book on the chair she looked over what they were looking at. She was glad John looked a bit better than he had earlier. "Going out on a hunt then?" She said, taking in everything she was looking at.

She clearly had been missing alot between the two of them when she was gone but it wasn't her place to say much on that. "Not that it's any of my business mind, so if you don't want to tell me you don't have to" she added.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"More of beating seventeen shades of ever living shite out of any demon stupid enough to cross John or try and take a shot at him tonight" Chas explained "but hunt will do" he added, to which John smirked. "In other words I'm actually looking for trouble, instead of just riding the syncronity wave of crap the universe sends at me."

Chas gestured at the map. "Scrying map in case you were wondering, extremly useful and easy enough to make, all you need is a psychic. The blood becomes wet when trouble is brewing. The house has a whole host of these." The way he said 'the house' implied that he did not mean John's apartment.

 

[MzHyde]

She looked up and smirked when Chas replied and John added his own definition of what they were doing. She looked down at the map when Chas gestured to it, explaining the blood spots and so forth.

"Cool" she remarked. She truly meant her reply too. Though she was curious about what he meant by 'the house'. "The house?" She asked. Her curiosity was piqued too much to not ask the question.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John smirked "did you really think this was my only place to crash? I also have two apartments in the states, for when I'm required to be there." He didn't say why, but Chas knew he was referiing to the Justice League, based of the snark in his tone on the word 'required'. "But what Chas is refering to is The House." It was a capital T, capital H affair.

"The House of Mysteries, to give it it's full title. And John didn't name it that, it already had that name when he won in a game of poker." "the trinity were so pissed at that." John added, laughing internally at the memory.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay held her hands up in that mock defensive surrender manner at John's words. She guessed the state side apartments would be down to the Justice League ties as she remembered trying to help him figure out what they up to a few weeks ago.

She just nodded in acknowledgement at Chas' explanation about The House. "Okay..makes sense" she replied simply. "Should have guessed you'd have something like that really" she remarked.

"Anyway, when you two planning on going out and picking fights with demons, and secondly, you want another team member or want me to stay back here?" She spoke up.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"'Bout a half hour or so" Chas shrugged "I need to check the rifles first, make sure they are properly working, so soon enough." As he spoke he caregully began deconstructing the gun with his pocker knife. He took pride in keeping his guns in working condition, along with his house and cab. It was yet another one of his traits that balenced perfectly with John's.

"I think the real question is do you want to come? 'Cos tonight there is no holding back" it's vengeance for what they have done he continued internally, but ot was visible in his eyes, he was going to make the demons pay for everything.

 

[MzHyde]

She glanced up at the clock when Chas said in about half hour. She had no idea why the first reaction to a time schedule was to check the time on a clock, but it always was.

Then John threw her question back at her. Oh how she hated when he did that. She'd spent the whole day telling him it was down to him where she was to be and then he went said that.

She pushed herself off the table and folded her arms looking at him. "Seems to me I got two options, 1) go with you two and make sure you don't get into a level of trouble that requires Chas calling for backup or 2) stay here twiddling my thumbs so to speak and be worried out of my god damn mind for the both of you" she told him.

She could see the determination of vengeance in his eyes. She didn't have to go through whatever he did to know that look. It was a look that could be understood by anyone. Truth was, she was terrified of seeing demons up close yet again, the previous torture did stain her mind alot but she wasn't prepared to let them know that. Yet she knew she would be going insane staying behind.

Don't left her with only option 1.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas nodded sadly "that really is what it boils down to. A rock and a hard place, as always." He started to oil the mechanism with practiced carefulness. "Well we won't be completly alone, Ellie put a tail on all three of us today. Seems he doesn't trust me either. So we kind of do have back up already" Chas added.

John smirked at that "so much for you being the responsible one mate." "at least he cares. Though I kind of pity the three of them for being up on the roof for the past few hours."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay's attention turned to Chas first when he spoke. She was about to point out that Chas got where she's coming from when he spoke again about Elliott putting tails on the three of them. She didn't know whether to be offended or not that Elliott thought she'd do something stupid like John would no doubt do.

It was however, Chas' last comments that made her get a look of surprise on her face. "Wait! Those guys up on the roof are our tails?! I wondered why they all stared at me when I went up there to read!" She chimed in. "Now it all makes sense!" She added, her arms waving up in the air before folding back across her chest. She was also referring to that feeling of being watched when she went shopping.

Her whole reaction to that little bit of information was quite animated and comical. It was no wonder at times like this that Sam would sometimes say it's like Kay stepped out of a movie or something. "Well...if I'm be tailed no matter what, I'm coming with." She said.