C10 Friendly Ghost

Kailan hadn't been expecting to be dragged down through a shabby part of Seattle. Still, their situation was unsettling. Vincent was in no shape to fight, and Kailan himself hadn't used his powers in years—and he had no intention to start now.

The both of them were beginning to feel a bit unnerved, their paces picking up as the swish and grind of loose gravel followed in the distance. For every step they took, it seemed the followers took three more. Things had become all the more eerie now that they had trapped themselves in the desolate, grunge-infested filth of a decaying col-de-sac.

Then, they were both choked back by a harsh tug on their collars and leashed down a narrow alley. They had been quite forcefully towed out of harm's way, yet there was no one in sight. It was only the two of them, Kailan and Vincent, alone, with little space between them. Chests heaving, the both of them looked around for an explanation. They had been dragged into a small fissure of an alley, so small in fact, there was no room for either of them to turn and no light to make sense of the cramped spaces. Still, Vincent could see Kailan's face quite clearly. Too clearly. Something about it made his stomach drop—or perhaps it rose? It was an uncomfortable feeling, whatever it was, and before he could make sense of it, a small and feminine 'shhhh' sounded at his side. Warm fingers grasped him by the arm, like a child's ghost leading him off. Kailan was dragged along as well, the look on his face just as perplexed as Vincent himself. There was nothing holding them. Nothing at all. But obviously, something was there.

They were led on, and as they walked, the crevice grew wide, and soon they could trudge through puddles side-by-side without bumping shoulders. Even as street-lights shown down on them, they saw no one in front of them—no one squeezing them by the wrist, no one tugging them along. The experience was strange to say the least, but they had more troubling issues at hand, and they followed along without a fight.

From the distance, they could see the men in suits, passing on by. They didn't take a single glance in their direction. They were chameleons in the shadows. Once the sound of footsteps faded, the pressure on their arms let up, and a chirpy giggle filled the air.

"Hey, Kai."

Tensing up at his name, he quickly spun to face the sound, but no one was there. As he stared, a ghostly figure appeared. Only a soft foggy outline at first, but inch by inch, she became opaque. It was like she was being washed away of invisible ink. And once she was fully palpable, he was surprised to see a girl with big purple curls and a cheeky grin smiling back at him.

"April, you're—" He was actually at a loss for words.

"A Wicked?" She hardly batted an eye, "Mhm, and I saved your ass. So I guess that makes me a hero too, huh? Who's he, by the way?" She threw a thumb in the direction of Vinny, who was staring rather dumbfounded at the sudden appearing act.

"Vincent." Vinny raised a brow. "You just—where did you come from?" He'd never seen anything like it before, but then again, there wasn't a Wicked in their right mind who'd show their power in public. There were so many variations he'd heard of. Elementals like himself, clairvoyants and psychics, and those who had strength beyond a man's wildest dreams. Who was to say turning invisible was out of the question? But as he noticed her petite figure, that all became irrelevant. He took a drink of her doll-like features and his tone of voice shifted.

A charming smirk filled his lips as he gave her an appetizing look once over. "And do you come here often?"

April's expression lit up, a small amused laugh jumping from her throat as she looked between the two. "You were serious earlier?" she asked Kailan, who nodded his head knowingly. "Holy shit, that's gross." She practically shoved Vinny aside to stand next to Kailan, narrowing her eyes as she gathered in Vincent's appearance.

"I don't see what's so special about him. You sure the girls at your school weren't just really boring?" Kailan was trying his hardest not to laugh, but a loud snort managed its way up.

Vinny's smile faded into a thin line as he cocked a brow at the stranger. He wasn't exactly used to the rejection. At the very least, girls giggled with every spoony syllable he spoke. He played his words like a violin, and there was always an encore at the end. Not this time. Kailan was the only person who ever saw through his bullshit, until now. Well, aren't they just perfect for each other?

"Where's the petite one?" Kailan asked as he tried to suppress his laughter.

April gave a small frown. "Back in Paris with her family, she left this afternoon."

Kailan comforted her with a pat to the head. He enjoyed April's company. She was a short one, but the girl was lively and energetic. Not to mention she didn't fawn over Vinny, which made the whole situation better.

"Are we just going to ignore what the hell happened back there?" Vincent was growing weary of the small-talk. He tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned a shoulder to the nearest wall. "Who were those people chasing us? You seem to know, considering the circumstances."

"I do know." Her eyes lifted to Vinny, then she turned abruptly on her heels. "But I can't tell you here. Follow me."

The two only stalled long enough to exchange expressions. There was hesitance, but it washed away as an unsettling clatter arose from the entrance of the artery. It couldn't have been much more than a rat or an alley cat, but it was enough to remind them of just what dangers were in store had they turned back now. With April a few yards ahead, they trekked on. It was a long walk, and the girl was fast on her feet, but after thirty minutes or so, they found themselves in the more industrial side of the city. Even at night, the air was thick with the taste of salt, and the scent of fish, and occasionally, the foggy haze that spewed from the Puget Sound ports. As they took a sharp turn down a seemingly never ending alley way, the harsh smells and commercial docks faded away and were quickly replaced with small restaurants, antique shops and dozens of quaint little cafes.

Vincent had never been to this side of the city. It was like a clean cut line between downtown Seattle, and the bustling business waterfront. But they took little time to admire the architecture of the shopping complexes around. April hadn't slowed her pace, instead leading them to a more residential area, where shops mixed with houses and apartments towered beside family restaurants. They passed through a latched wire fence, and met their destination in front of a large warehouse. The doors were padlocked, and nature had begun to take hold of its frowsy rust-stained walls.

"Here we are." April rocked back on her heels, beaming at the others. She reached into her pocket, and took out a set of keys, spinning them on her fingers as her feet scraped the dark cement. She didn't bother with the front door, but instead rounded the side of the building where a second set of doors awaited. It took a moment of fussing with the locks, but the door swung open with a subtle crack, and she gestured for them to come in.

"Where is 'here', exactly?" Kailan couldn't help but mutter as they stepped inside.

The place was nearly entirely made of metal, the only light was that which gleamed in from the rafters above. For an abandoned warehouse, it looked well-maintained. Aside from the occasional rust stain on the metal pipes and weeds growing in from the cracks on the floor, the place looked as though it had been taken over as a residence. Furniture sat abundantly, most of it nestled behind the second-floor railing above. A couch, a television, chairs, a table, a desk—which was covered in a mess of paper piles and leaning books—and a few other comfortable essentials, like book shelves and a rusty old refrigerator. For the most part, the warehouse was nothing more than a wide empty space.

"Do you... live here?" Was all that Vinny could think to say.

"Nope." April gleamed, tossing a look behind them. "He does."

Vincent turned hesitantly, his eyes meeting the sharp dark lenses of an older man. He was in his mid-thirties at most, his skin a burnt sienna and his facial features ridged and strong. Faded tattoos roamed from his shoulders to his fingertips, all the while, traveling down two long, muscular arms. Muscular was an understatement. These things were biological killing machines.

"April, what is the meaning of this?" His voice was deep, a baritone grumble that echoed off of the warehouse walls. It was laced with a deep Jamaican accent, and the dialect made it rather difficult to understand him at first.

April's doe-eyed stare fluttered from the boys and back to the rather large, intimidating stranger. "Jahni, they're one of us."

"We don't help everyone, April," he replied.

"Come on, Jahni. They need us," she spoke up, a whine ringing in her voice. "We can help them, and they can help us too."

The man only shook his head.

Kailan frowned. "So you're both Wickeds."

April nodded, palming the sky in an innocent shrug. "If I'd known you were one, I woulda told you about my powers earlier. I couldn't just spill it out in the streets, yanno? Especially not with those wolves sniffing out every breathing one of us."

He understood, but it still felt surreal—like something out of a movie. He'd never been in a room with so many of his kind before. In fact, he hadn't known any other Wickeds apart from Vincent and Sage. Back then, they'd thought it was something you contract, like an airborne virus. First, it had happened with Vincent. After the fire, the three of them were in a constant state of awareness. It was a game of chance. Will I pull the shortest straw? As it turned out, they all had.

Kailan was the last to unearth his abilities. Sage had known about her curse all along, but he couldn't blame her for keeping it quiet. Who in their right mind would let the cat out of the bag, only to watch as it's brains were blown out by heartless poachers? It was because of Sage that Vincent had learned to hush his fire, and Kailan his storms. She was a tutor in their midsts, and they were blessed in that way. The likeliness of all three of them ending up in the three-percent—it was a miracle, more than anything. A curse, but a miracle. Now they were meeting two others, two more people who carried the burden on their shoulders. It was a lot to take in, but he knew better than to dwell on it.

Instead he focused on the one called Jahni. His expression was unreadable as he looked over the three of them. The silence was unnerving. The air stiff around them.

"So—"

"Don't speak." Jahni was quick to shut down anything Kailan had to say, coaxing a glare out of the much younger man.

"Jahni," April fretted, "the syndicate is after them. And you know they'll find us too, eventually. Don't you think they could be useful?"

"We have spoken of this." Jahni's intonation was firm, his large arms crossing over his mass of chest. "We are not strong enough to rebel, April. Nor are we that stupid."

"But maybe they can help!" she pleaded, desperate eyes landing on Kailan. "What is it you can do, Kailan?"

Kailan tensed for a moment, unsure what to say. He hated his ability. Hated everything about it. But they were both looking at him, pressing him, and he sighed softly: "Atmokinesis."

"Atmo-what?" April slanted her brows, befuddled by the term.

"Manipulation of weather, mostly severe storms in my case." He forced a grin, but he had no desire to talk on about his ability. Just as Vinny feared fire, storms terrified Kailan. They were one in the same in that aspect; scared shitless of their abilities.

"Oh, that's so cool!" April nearly squealed. "I love storms!"

Why? Kailan almost asked the question aloud, but he just shrugged and followed April's beaming gaze to Vinny.

"What about you, Vinny?" Her head dropped to the side like a curious puppy.

Before Vinny could say a word, Jahni interrupted: "They could be liars, April."

"Why the hell would we lie? We're not dangerous." Kailan took a fearless stride towards the older man. "I don't like liars. I take offence to that."

"I said you could be. Do not twist my words," he growled in a low grumble, looking all too much like a very annoyed parent.

Vincent let out a sigh, his sight stuck on Kailan. He really hoped the little shit wouldn't start a fight here. This Jahni guy looked like he could send a man flat on his back with the flick of a pinky finger. He put a firm hand on Kai's shoulder, anchoring him back a bit. Then he brought his attention back to April.

"Fire," he spoke softly, forcing down the lump in his throat. "You know. Pyro-whatever." He sounded more ashamed of his ability than anything, and a hand came up to rummage through his hair. "You mentioned a syndicate? What syndicate?" He was desperate for a change of subject.

"We don't really know anything about them." April's expression paled. "We just know that they've taken people we care about. Wickeds like us. That's how I knew about you guys; they only go after Wickeds. That's why,"—her soft eyes flickered to Jahni and a frown pulled at her lips—"we need to stick together."

Jahni stared vacantly for a long while, before a quiet sigh deflated his chest. "Perhaps you're right." As his features softened, so did his voice. "I have many acquaintances who had disappeared at the hands of these men. Their presence has become a thorn on the side of the Wicked community. As such, I have much intel on them, but nothing that bids us any good. At most I can say that the syndicate is entirely comprised of ex-military personnel. They know how to fight, and handle a gun. They carry with them advanced weaponry, including a stunning device that delivers twice the voltage thought capable of killing a human being. It's said we have the biological fortitude to survive such a shock, but it is most certainly effective against subduing creatures like us."

"They're not killing us," April translated with the shake of her head. "They're taking us away."

Jahni nodded. "Correct. No one knows just when the Syndicate became. No one knows why, or who has control over these men. Those who had gotten close enough to answers—well, they are no longer here."

It wasn't exactly news to them. Shady things had been happening to Wickeds for the past twenty years. Laws were implemented to protect them, but few abided by them. And those who didn't rarely received punishment. Eventually, it became a 'don't ask, don't tell' situation. Slowly, Wickeds faded from the surface.

"The entire U.S. government already sees Wickeds as terrorists. They're probably behind all this." Kailan snorted, finally shrugging Vinny's hand off of him. He didn't need his friend, whom nearly fought the whole football team, to try and keep him at bay. "So, cool. It's like Salem all over again, right? They're witch hunters and we're the witches."

April nodded, turning to Jahni with a plea for approval. There was a beg in her stare, like a young child asking her father for something costly.

"If they become useful, they can stay." Jahn's words were directed at April, treating Kai and Vinny as if they were a third party that simply didn't exist. "But I do not trust them." This time his gaze was strictly on Kailan, "Show me they can be trusted."

"Us?" Vincent narrowed his brows. "From what it sounds like, you wanna fight these guys. Which means you need us more than we need you. Why in the hell are we being put under a lens?"

"You are incorrect." Jahni took a step forward. His footsteps sounded heavy, and the floor seemed to groan under his weight. "Someone has discovered your powers. For no other reason would the Syndicate know you are Wicked. Now that they are aware, they will keep searching for you until you are found." His black irises focused on Kai, his deadpan expression unwavering. "As the annoying one said, we are but witches in the eyes of society. Human beings have exiled us. Any choice to live a normal human life has left you long ago."

His large build rotated as he turned away from the group, giving them one last glance over his broad shoulder. "You have a choice to make. Play fruitless games with the Syndicate or return here tomorrow and show me what you are capable of."

April opened her mouth to protest, but by the firm step in Jahni's gait, it was obvious that the conversation had met its end. Instead, she only watched as Jahni marched across the loud metal panels, clanking tinny below his boots. The crack of a door confirmed his leave, as he disappeared into a room at the back of the warehouse. Then the three fell silent.

Show him what we're capable of?

Kailan and Vincent faltered at the thought. The both of them were quite terrified of their abilities. And yet they were being asked to provide Jahni with proof of the very things that they feared the most. The two exchanged expressions. Ones of concern and anxious discontent.