Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

That was the problem, they both wanted the other to go first, Jay so she had time to mentally prepare herself, and John because he didn't want to try and conceal everything from Elliott. But they were both incredibly competitive and didn't want to loose either. And Chas knew this and had shamelessly exploited this fatal flaw. The two leaned forwards. Each brought down their clenched fists on their palms three times, before flipping to their chosen item. Jay chose scissors, while John had picked paper. Jay was going first. "Fairs fair, looks like I'm going first" She shrugged, everyone except Elliott knowing that this was the way it would have ended regardless.

John got up and off the couch to make room for Jay. Elliott took his customary position on the coffee table in front of her. Everyone in the room knew the drill, Cal included. Elliott needed physical contact to first create and then keep the link. So that usually meant keeping a hold of somebody shoulder, arm or hand "See you on the other side" were Jay's words, echoing what Elliott had said to her the last time they went Mind walking, which had been back in The House with Kay and John.

She closed her eyes, extended her left hand. Elliott's eyes changwd from the molten gold they had turned to ever since he'd returned to Attil, they took on their characteristic mind walking blue hue. He took a hold of her hand, then touched her forehead with the other, transferring their consciousness around. That hand fell back one it had performed its purpose, but the other stayed gripping Jay's. "Well those two are equally stupid when it comes to each other" Cal groaned once she was sure that neither could hear her.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay was actually glad that Jay won and had to go first, she may not have wanted to, buy it was fairer on everyone. Elliott included. She didn't need to move luckily as when John did, it left enough room for Jay without her having to move. She just adjusted her position to sit back facing forward slightly. If she could have given Jay a reassuring pat on the shoulder or something, she would have, but she didn't want to intrude and Elliott and her had moved and started the mind walk pretty quickly.

Kay then glanced up at Cal when she commented on the two of them and raised an eyebrow. "So you noticed it too huh?" She replied. Not that the two of them were as discreet as they probably thought they were being, Kay was certain everyone in the nearby radius could see how much they liked each other and how they reacted with each other.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I think the entire fucking planet has noticed by now." Cal replied, earning a chuckle of agreement from John "It really is obvious if you know either of them well enough". Once the two were in the near vicinity of each other it was pretty damn obvious how they felt. (At least in Cal's opinion.) "I'm abusing my sibling rights and demanding all the details all of you know about what is or isn't going on between those two." she added, learning back in the chair and gesturing at all of th to emphasise her point.

"Well when they first met they tried to kill each other for reasons unknown. And we think Jay would have succeeded had the rest of the gang" "A. J's gang?" Cal inquired for context. "That's the one." John nodded, wondering if there were other gangs he didn't know about. "Had they not intervened. What happened between then and now isn't clear, but Jay ended up joining the gang, although it seems like she's still the outsider among them. They don't fully trust her unless it's for her medical and weapon knowledge"

"Considering she's an Isogrii, I'm not surprised. They are damn badass fighters and pilots. They are basically like an assassin thief guild, but with a penchant for dramatic heists and armed with razor playing cards and a ridiculous amount of bladed weapons." As she spoke, Cal picked up the knife Jay had left on the table, and carefully balenced it on one finger." You do not want to fuck with them"

"Well he doesn't have the balls to make a move for fear of getting beaten into next year. She gave him that black eye cos he opened an old wound about her brothers death." "Understandable, but what's her deal? Past trauma? Imposter syndrome? Survivors guilt?" "No idea, but I'd guess all of them and some more" Chas answered.

 

[MzHyde]

When Cal replied with what she did, Kay too chuckled, nodding in agreement. She was about to try with something when Cal spoke up a bit more and wanted to know more about Jay and Elliott. A topic that both Chas and John knee in better depth than she did. She did remember being told it, but it's still not the same as it coming directly from those two. She noted how Elliott just have told her about AJ's gang, considering she mentioned AJ.

When Cal then proceeded to explain more about who Jay was, her whole demeanor seemed to make a lot more sense and those gaps in their information of her, finally seemed to begin to fill in. She watched as Cal balanced Jay's knife perfectly on one finger and decided she wouldn't ever piss her off. Anyone who could handle a blade quite like that wasn't someone to piss off in Kay's mind. She let Chas also join in on the information sharing conversation, echoing all of their answers perfectly. They didn't know the full story, yet as annoying as it could be, it wasn't theirs to know.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John and Chas took it all in, the pieces beginning to make sense. Chas felt she might be onto something with either imposter syndrome or survivor's guilt. She tended not to get involved with them, in the same way that Rinaa tended to isolate herself from the group (albeit for different reasons). And it had been all but stared that she'd seen her brothers death with her own eyes and they knew for certain she balmed herself for it. "And I'm guessing she doesn't sleep great either, judging by the massive dark circles round her eyes." Cal continued, gesturing with her other hand at the particularly prominent rings around her eyes.

"Only on ships, that's what she said the first night on the ship when she raided the place for sleeping pills" "but she's a pilot" "And a good one too." "which means this is a new thing, most definitely trauma related. Could it be to do with her twin?" Cal knew by John and Chas expressions that this was new information to them. So she added clarification, "Jay's brother wasn't just her brother and her pilot in crime, he was her twin"

 

[MzHyde]

Kay took a guess that a lot of Jay's inner pain and turmoil was down to survivors guilt. She was no psychologist, but it just seemed that way to her, especially after that outburst she gave them on the ship that one time. Blaming yourself for someone else's hurt or death was a prime example of survivors guilt after all. Hell, she was certain that John suffered with that too, but she obviously would never say it out loud. She was sure he knew it anyway.

She just nodded at the next question thrown their way that Chas answered. He had spent the most time with Jay, being her co-pilot, so it made sense he would know more about her sleep deprivation than either her or John. However, like both Chas and John, she was thrown off guard and surprised by the twin comment before Cal clarified on the comment. "That must be why she's taking it even harder than a normal family death.. what with twins having some weird link" she thought to herself.

"I'm taking it you've heard all of this from Elliott?" She asked.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John hadn't seen that coming. But it made so much sense, and she'd light on something Elliott had said in his message. "So that's why he said Jay and I had more in common than you'd first think" He hadn't intended to say that part out loud, but it came out anyway. He'd never known his twin, but he still felt a hole where he should have been. But Jay actually knew gers, they were partners in crime. And to lose a live twin, probably her closest family member, he would bet that she had lost a part of herself along with him.

"The twin part yes, he said quite a bit about her. Now I know why he was so willing to talk about her. He didn't tell her entire backstory, actually next to none of it. The literal basics, where she was born, her abilities, her adoption into the Isogrii. The fact she was in prison for something serious, then broke out. And that somewhere along the way her brother died, his ship exploded. The rest, just educated guesses. I'm not telepathic or empathic or anything like that. Now if you really want to find out about somebody through observation ask Cliff. She's literally a lie detector and psychologist rolled into one, yet she has no powers related to either."

 

[MzHyde]

The moment John said what he did out loud, Kay glanced up at him. It certainly did make sense now, Elliott even told her in her message that him and Jay were more alike than they knew, and if they came clashing to keep them apart. Now she fully understood why that was said to her. "He said the same in my message about you and her" she told John. She decided to keep the second part of the message to herself however. She then looked back at Cal when she confirmed some.of her information did indeed come from Elliott.

"Good to know" she just replied with about Cliff, making a mental note to try and not let anything show in front of her. She was used to being the one who was observant, but not the one being observed. She dreaded to think what Cliff would notice about her, especially as she pretty much guessed Rinaa was Jay and Elliott's kid without them either confirming or denying the guess.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Of course he did. Judging by it, he probably said the same to all of ye." "That honestly wouldn't surprise me, considering he had you followed back home cos he doesn't trust you not to do anything stupid." Chas added with a smirk. "He didn't tell me this story" Cal replied, although she could pretty much fill in the blanks herself. So Chas told the bare bones version of it, which made her smile. "That sounds like him alright."

She put the knife back down from the table after testing it's weight and balance in varying positions. "I'm guessing I should probably tell you a bit of what happened after Qui was exiled." "If it's not totally weird to do so" Chas replied. "Nah, it's cool, and besides, you all have the right to know, its not some big shameful secret round here or anything." John and Chas nodded, John sitting himself on the chair Jay had left empty, pulling it closer to hear. "Any particular questions you want answered first, or should I just tell my life story?" she asked, directing the question at all of them.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay let Chas explain the story. She smiled as he told it, even though she was aware Elliott did the same to her that one time, which lead to a Netflix marathon. Kay knew she'd always remember that day fondly, even if at first the feeling of being followed unnerved her slightly. She knew Elliott did out of protection and no other reason. As Cal put the knife back where she found it, she looked over at her when she said about telling them a bit about after Elliott's exile.

Kay didn't want Cal to feel like she had to tell them for the sake of making chit chat, but when she responded to Chas' own reply about it, she realised Cal was okay with it. Out the corner of her eye, Kay noticed John take the seat Jay once occupied so he could listen on comfort. "Dunno about these two but just start from where you want" she replied, really not bothered where Cal started with the story of what she cared to disclose first. That, and she couldn't think of any questions immediately to ask.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I guess the best place to start is when you found out what was going on" John responded, there was no doubt in his mind that it would be painful for Cal to tell her story, but she had offered to tell them. And he did want to know, and with Elliott out for the count, it was the perfect opportunity.

Cal took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts and began. "It was a school day for me. So I went as usual, there was no signs of anything out of the ordinary with my father, even though he damn well knew what was coming" the lack of affection in her voice spoke volumes. "So there I was in class, writing a stupid poetry analysis when I got a text. It was from a friend, whose older brother was in the royal guard. He was on duty in the government building, and all hell was breaking lose. And that Elliott was involved. I knew just then, I just knew that something awful was happening."

"I left my stuff, and I ran, not caring what anybody thought. I hot wired somebody's bike and broke at least seven laws, three benches, a fence and ruined some flowerbeds getting myself there. Sure, they tried to stop me, but a pyrokinetic, espescially an angry one isn't to be messed with. I kicked down that fucking door and walked in, arms blazing up to here" she gestured half way up her arm "with fire. I tried to stop them, but there is only so much you can do as a sixteen year old in a school uniform with only back alley fighting skills. Since I couldn't get to Qui, I tried to kill my father instead" "did you succeed?" "No, I didn't, I ended up getting knocked out in order to be restrained."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay listened to Cal's story about how it all unfolded. She couldn't imagine finding out your younger sibling was in trouble whilst in school. She also though couldn't resist being impressed when she mentioned about her pyrokinetic powers and how strong they must have been even at that young age. She tried to imagine herself in her shoes, putting Sam in Elliott's position, and knowing if her abilties were accessible then, she definitely would have tried the same thing.

"That must have been so hard..." Kay just commented, clear empathy in her tone. The tone that seemed to be second nature to her, as she always empathised with anyone who told their story. She knew Cal was a badass, but she had even more respect for her now.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"At the time it didn't seem that way, it was only afterwards that I realised just what I'd done" she replied, appreciating the sentiment. It hadn't been tough at the time, it was coping with the chaos that ensued after that had been the hard part. "So what happened next?" Chas enquired, finding himself engrossed in the story. Cal told it well, considering what exactly she was talking about.

"Next the shit well and truly hit the fan. It was bad enough to see the way people feared Elliott after his magic came to light. Never mind the fact that he had Mindwalking abilities, which are incredibly rare. It was fear I suppose. Seeing what my father did to his own son, and how nobody in power did anything to stop it. Well...except for a few, but nobody listened to them" Cal was telling the story fairly, not making out everybody to be a villian or a hero, it was far more complex a situation than that. "Of course they didn't"

"I came round a few hours later with an absaloute splitting headache and a massive lump on the back of my head. The mother of all shouting matches going on between my parents. My mother was berating him for everything. She left him a week after. Haven't seen her since" "And you, what did you do?" "I took all of Qui's stuff and rented a lock up anonymously for it. There was no way in hell I was letting my father near it. Then I added my important stuff, strippedthe house of anything important, withdrew all my savings, stole the equivilant of six thousand pounds from my father and walked out." "Well damn that must have taken balls"

 

[MzHyde]

Cal was truly an amazing person, not just an amazing big sister. Not many people would have had that much empathy for another person, and it was proven in her story. Kay was glad to hear there were some people who didn't want happened to happen though, and it seemed to Kay that their mother was one of those people. She felt sorry for them both having not seen their mother though, she knew what that was like albeit under different circumstances.

Kay was back to feeling impressed by Cal's quick thinking to get all she could stashed away for Elliott to start his journey away from Attil. "That's an understatement... That was seriously brave of you Cal" she echoed John's sentiments. To go against parents is hard enough for the most minor of things, but to do it to save your siblings life was something else in Kay's mind. That's serious protective qualities that should be treasured and be proud of.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Oh it took a lot of...." she tried to think of the right word, but the only one that came to mind was an untranslatable Attili word. "I don't know what. I'd cut all ties, so if something went wrong, there was really nobody to bail me out" She explained. It had been a tough decision to make, sixteen and already having to be totally self dependent. She didn't trust the majority of her old friends to stay loyal. "So where did you go?" "I lived in the lock up for a few months to save money. From day 1 I started looking for a job and got extremly lucky. The blacksmith was recruiting for an apprentice. Normally a sixteen year old would have no chance. But I'm a pyrokinetic, fire immunity being one of the side effects. Turns out I had a natural talent for making things"

"combine that with your need for money and willingness to prove yourself" Chas listed, seeing exactly where this was all going. "I made the perfect candidate. I got the job, and started earning a wage. The blacksmith was a man by the name of Dan, a really solid guy, he let me sleep in the spare room in the forge and raid the fridge whenever I felt like it. He encouraged me to perfect my talents. He even taught me some basic fighting skills, claiming it would help me better understand how to design weapons and understand their weight and balence. He kind of adopted me I guess. He'd lost his family in a terrorist attack and moved to Attil for a better life." It was clear that the blacksmith was more of a father to her than her birth father had been.

"Before my eighteenth birthday I signed up for pilots academy. I was accepted, but continued working in the forge part time. From there, I got my wings, got my ship and asiigned to a squad, then got promoted, trained hard, worked harder, to prove myself I guess. Well it worked, I passed the Royal guard trials. I don't know how much you know, but Royal guards are the creme de lá creme. They are the top pilots, fighters, warriors. Despite the name, we mostly don't go on royal duty we continue regular duties. And then after that" she smirked slightly before dropping a literal bombshell "I kind of beat up the crown prince" "You did WHAT?" John exclaimed, while Chas merely gaped, hoping she was joking.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay got completely taken in by her story. Some things she could half relate to, starting new, having another adopt you, and other things she couldn't imagine what it'd be like. She smirked and nodded at the fire immunity comment as she definitely could relate to that one. She had done so much for someone so young really, it was truly commendable and admirable.

Then came the bombshell and like both John and Chas, she looked wide eyed and shocked. "You're not joking are you? Why the hell did you do that?!" She asked, the shock evident in her tone. Now that was something she definitely wouldn't have the guts to do. She hoped he seriously deserved it because that seemed like it'd be the most insane thing to do.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"No I'm not, and besides, he needed taking down a few pegs." Cal smirked before listing some of her various grievances with said prince. "And somebody needed to shake his braincells into proper functioning order and to rip that stick out of his arse. Seriously, it was stuck so far up there he could probably see it when he yawned" she griped, earning a snort of laughter from John. He knew the insult well, it was one Elliott frequently used when it came to talking about authority figures, idly he wondered who had come up with it. "Sounds like a delightful guy"

"Oh that he was. Anyway, he came into the royal guard barracks. He'd got into some stupid bet with one of his friends. Which involved him challenging the Royal guards to a fight. Naturally most of them refused, not wanting to loose their jobs if they won." "So why did you do it" Chas inquired, very much interested in this story, leaning forwards in his seat to make the most of it. "Well, I didn't volunteer as such, Cliff volunteered threw me under the bus on that one. Anyway, we fought, I beat seventeen shades of crap out of him. Guess he was expecting me to hold back or something. Well my stubborn pride got in the way, I sure as days wasn't going to let him win."

"So you beat him then what?" John was enthralled by the story too, and he had a feeling there was more where this one came from. "I spent the next week fearing for my fucking life that's what. I was so sure I was going to be fired or exiled or that they'd resurrect the death penalty just for me. This was the heir to the throne after all. I refused to leave the forge, and tried to come up with an escape plan. Then I got the summons to the Royal Court.."

 

[MzHyde]

Like the others, Kay thought the crown prince sounded like a right asshole. She was beginning to think it was in the contract of being a royal. She continued to listen to the story, actually feeling quite proud of her for not holding back in a weird way. It was probably down to the whole a woman standing her ground to a man that stirred the pride emotion towards Cal. She kept listening, finding the story of her life utterly fascinating, she honestly felt like she was hearing the story of one of her favourite books or something and here was the main protagonist sitting in front of her. It was no wonder to Kay, that Elliott admired her so much.

"What happened when you were summoned?" She asked.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I went in there fully expecting not to come out again. So I wasn't taking any shit, I think I concealed about seventeen daggers on myself, plus a giant broadsword. I ended up sassing most of the royals and nearly challenged them all to a duel" John raised an eyebrow, now that was seriously impressive. "In the end I got a offered a promotion instead. And not just for me, for my whole squad as well." "Bloody bollocks that is some impressive shit there." John was seriously impressed now of he was stating such a fact.

"Yup, it was. We got offered a job training up the royals so they wouldn't make absaloute tits of themselves." "Did ye accept?" "Only on a part time basis, we do have other life commitments, like actual work, family, blah, blah, blah. But we did get something more important from them. We only accepted under the condition that they would approve our plan to form a plas-ball team. They agreed, albeit slightly reluctantly. But it was totally worth it. Also turns out once you get past the douchy exterior and the immense pressure placed on him by his parents that crown Prince isn't too bad of a person per say. A bit of an areshole sure, but he has a rebellious streak and some very useful contacts"

 

[MzHyde]

Normally when long stories were told, Kay would unintentionally zone out, snapping back to reality every now and then, but with Cal's she was actually gripped all the way through. She was impressed that Cal even got in with that many weapons concealed. She would never have guessed the next part though. When she said she got a promotion for her and her squad, her mouth dropped. She even glanced at John when he openly showed how impressed he was. Something that next to no one could ever achieve. She then looked back at Cal when she began to explain the rest of the story and how they got what they wanted, and how the price isn't as bad now she knows him.

"That's seriously impressive! Really really impressive indeed" she said in reaction. "And useful contacts you say?" She then couldn't help but enquire. She wondered if the crown prince could get on their side when it came to getting Elliott out of here and bring him back to earth with them.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Yeah as crown prince he was basically born with connections. Other royalty, top class weapons dealers, that kind of thing. He knows people who can do things legally, and the crew and I know people who can do things illegally. So generally when it comes to opps or sourcing stuff, between all of us, we got it covered." she shrugged. "Plus if we're desperate he has access to shifts and can change them. A power I may or may not have abused to get some petty revenge on people I don't like" she added with a smirk. "Well what else are you supposed to do with that kind of power?"

"Exactly" Cal agree one hundred percent with that. She was in no means perfect and petty revenge was one of life's smál pleasures. "Whose this crew you talk about?" Chas inquired. She'd mentioned them a few times before, mostly in relation to helping sneak Elliott out. "My pilot squad. My version of A. J's gang I guess. There's eight of us in total, plus the prince, a full time techie and a full time mechanic. The eight pilots also cover roles like doctor, CSI, prison guard, techie, mechanic, pilot, fighter, blacksmith, interpreter and smuggler on occasion. Plus we have gaming tournaments and go on the piss together for important things like engagement announcements."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded when Cal explained about what connections the crown prince and herself have. It all made sense to her, and to no surprise, John seemed to agree with abusing the power of those connections to get your own way. It some ways she did agree, in some ways she didnt. Yet she knew when push came to shove, she'd barely be any better. She knew deep down, if she had connections when she was on the run, she would have done all she could to get what she needed out of them to get free of her pursuers. Unfortunately, she never had that luxury so couldn't really speak for that topic.

Then Chas asked who her squad was, a little question that was on the tip of her own tongue, since hearing her mention them a few times within this story. "So..next question, any of them trust worthy to help out with this next little jail break for Ell?" She had to ask it, no matter what the answer would be. She'd only regret it if she didn't, or was certain that either John or Chas would ask it given the chance.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Considering they're already helping us pull this whole thing off, yes they most definitly are." She refrained from adding her second reason as to why one of them would certainly be helping. She hadn't told Elliott everything about her life yet, and wasn't quite sure how to break the news to him. Her hand went to the ring around her finger, twisting it around as she continued speaking. "Though I haven't brought the prince into it yet, but he's going to be my last resort if we get caught. He might just have enough sway to make sure we don't get totally get fucked over. Also, if anyone asks I was doing this solo. If this whole thing goes bad, I'm going to throw myself under the bus and literally take one for the team."

"They must be some team then" Chas noted, Cal was clearly loyal if she was willing to take a fall this size for them. "Oh they are. We look like a bunch of rejects on the outside, considering our combined backstories and skill sets. As a team we kind of formed by accident during pilot training. We were kind of the collective outcast rebels which I guess drew us to one another. The big wigs realised we could actually function as a team, so we got assigned together. It was a bit rocky at first, but honestly, we're damn awesome together. I speak as a highly biased source." She added, with a smirk. "I'll trust your judgement on this one."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded. She trusted what Cal said on the matter, she felt she had to really. It's not like they were in a familiar territory where they could rally in their own reinforcements. She glanced down and noticed Cal spin a ring on her finger. So.. she was married and judging by the trigger sentence that made her do so, her partner was in the squad she trusted so dearly. She wondered if Elliott knew or not, but it wasn't her business so she kept quiet. She kept listening to what she had to say, willing to sacrifice herself in any which way for this.

Chas spoke what she was thinking, and she could help but smirk at her choice of words. It honestly felt like their group. They all, with the exemption of Chas and John, seemed to have joined together by sheer accident or situations that lead each other to one another. "Like Chas, I trust your judgement on this... especially if you married one of your squad" she commented, nodding her head to the ring on her finger. "Sorry..just noticed and kinda put two and two together." She added.

 

[_gallifrog_]

So Kay had been paying attention Cal realised. Although it was pretty obvious from the state of the apartment that more than one person lived there. There was of course the second name on the door. Up on the pinboard were two separate sets of timetables, rota shifts and pilot shifts. There was a definite split between the weapons indicating two different preferences. The knives and swords were Cal's and as she had begun to say earlier, the bows were somebody else's. Looking further, the clothes strewn in a pile near the ironing board (even though they consisted mainly of jeans, t-shirts, hoodies and sweatpants) showed two slightly different fashion tastes.

She stopped fiddling with the ring "I'm not married.....yet" she admitted. "Engaged then?" "Yes, and Kay, you're right, they are on the squad. And before anybody asks, no I haven't told my brother yet." "I'm gonna be an idiot and ask why" was John's response to the revelation. He honestly hadn't noticed the details of the apartment, but was definitly seeing them now. Cal sighed "It's kind of hard to find a convenient place to say "hey, you know those years I spent thinking you were dead and beating up royalty? Yeah, I kind of managed to find somone and proposed a while ago." "