Father Gabriel and his flock
Father Gabriel gaped. Did I do that? He knew he hadn't done anything that would cause the neighborhood lights to go out, but the timing was so perfect that he couldn't help but wonder. I guess fate is just on my side, again. Let's not waste it!
He turned to the crowd, their awed faces lit by the silvery light shining upwards from Bouchard Keep. Sheep in awe of the slaughter house. He decided it was a perfect time for a culling.
"My flock! My friends!" All eyes turned back on him, his form a sharp silhouette as he was backlit by the compound behind him. He pushed his will harder, his eyes glowing a warm gold as he did. Gasps of awe and reverence floated from the crowd in front of him, a few even kneeled and bowed their heads. It took all his will to not let his grin turn feral.
"The heavens have given us a sign! NO - an edict! This is the test put before us! We have come together against the encroaching darkness, and that is good. We have fought monsters, and that is good! Now the greatest monster yet is in front of us - humans who would leave us in the open cold to die!"
Their eyes were rapt and quiet susurrations of incoherent affirmations were being whispered throughout the crowd. "Will we rise to the task or will we let evil win?"
A few exclamations to that, but not nearly enough. He needed to whip them into a frenzy. He opened his Tome and held it above his head, pouring all his will into the book before forcing it into the crowd. He pushed feelings of disappointment and self-doubt into them, his connection so great at this moment that touch wasn't required.
"Look at all of you." The disdain and contempt in his voice was a shift they'd never heard before. His tone had always been loving and supportive, laden with comfort and peace. The sudden withdrawal of that support made the impact of his contempt all the harder.
"You call yourself a community? You call yourself strong? You call yourself my flock??" He met each of their eyes then, satisfied as each head dropped in shame in turn. "I traveled so far to meet you. To care for you. To LOVE you. I gave you everything I had and asked for nothing in return! NOTHING! I have protected you from the dangers that surround you! I have removed those that would see you brought down low! I have ripped open my soul and given you my very heart, only for you to repay me with this??"
He dropped his head, shaking it ruefully. "Perhaps I made a mistake coming here."
Cries of "No!" and "Father!" came from the crowd.
He held the silence a moment longer, took a dramatically deep breath, then released it in a sigh. He lifted his head to the sky, beseeching. "Oh heavens, what else must I give? What else can I sacrifice? Please give me the strength to make them whole again! Lend me your strength that I can use this poor, weak body to help my fellow man! Give me your power!"
The Tome shot up again and this time he pulled the self-doubt out and pushed pride and happiness into each of them. Now he did smile, as the cries of love and support roared like a tsunami crashing into an unsuspecting city.
Tess and Cass
The crowd roared and Tess gritted her teeth against the sensation. Now that she was immune to his spells they had no effect on her, but the waves of emotion that flowed into the crowds buffeted her like a physical force. She leaned into it, inching closer to the stage.
Get the book. Get the rosary. Get them far away from him.
Get the book. Get the rosary. Get them far away from him.
The mantra repeated in her head as she moved through the crowd like a shadow, her passage as invisible as a wraith. She neared the stage, keeping her eye on Gabriel. The second that book comes down… She had Shimmer in hand, gripping it tightly. She hoped that the blade could cut through the links of the rosary but was ready to take the whole hand off if it didn't. I'm getting that rosary, Father, she thought as she inched another step forward.
Here. She'd reached the edge of the stage and was standing on the outskirts of the crowd that was pressing it. She didn't want to give herself away too soon by stepping out into the open, so she was grateful for the crowd that was pushing itself towards Gabriel. He had his head up now, spouting some bullshit about the heavens giving him strength. Just lower your arms, asshole! Just drop them!
Without warning a notification flashed in her head to be invited to a party chat. She swore internally, then into the chat.
"What?" she said over the connection.
"Tess?" Zavier's voice replied. "Good!"
"What's going on?" Luna's voice chimed in. "Mom, dad - what's happening out there?"
"The shit is hitting the fan, Sweetheart," Zavier said. "Are you guys safe in there?"
"The Bouchards aren't freaking out or anything - I don't know if they even know how to freak out, but they definitely look nervous. They're talking about what they should do."
"What are they saying?" another voice came over the line.
"Who is that?" Luna asked.
"His name is Ed, he's a friend of mine. He's here to help us."
"Help us with what??" Luna's voice was growing more frantic. "And why isn't Cass in the chat?"
"Not a lot of time to explain, Honey," Zavier said. "That preacher guy is out here and he has the whole neighborhood stirred up like a nest of hornets. He wants them to attack the Bouchards."
"Get the book. Get the rosary. Get them far away from him."
"What was that?" Luna's voice was even more confused.
"Oops. Sorry, that was nothing, Honey," Tess said. "Thinking a little too loudly over here."
"Okay, enough chatter everyone, we need to focus." Zavier's voice stilled any further conversation. "Gabriel is going to try to attack the Bouchards. Tess is going to try to get his horcruxes."
"Seriously?"
"Sorry Luna, his totems of power. She's going to grab them and disappear into the woods. Ed and I are going to try some mind magic to clear everyone's heads. Tell the Bouchards not to hurt anyone. If they can just stay inside and be safe, do that - but don't hurt anyone!"
"Dad, I don't think they do things in half measures over here. They're brainstorming ideas on how to reduce the lethality of the wall guns, but Madison hadn't ever considered that they'd need to lower their power. She doesn't know how to turn them down."
Zavier swore into the chat and Tess looked around worriedly. We may not be close friends but these aren't bad people!
Ed's voice came over the chat then. "Luna, you have to tell the Bouchards that this is how his power works. He gets people to kill each other and he gets most of the experience for it. He does this in every neighborhood he goes to. If they start killing people he will only get stronger. He doesn't give a shit who dies, just so long as a lot of people do. It's probably been his plan all along to get the Bouchards to wipe out the neighborhood."
"Okay, hold on." The chat was silent for a minute then Luna was back. "They said they understand and they'll do everything they can, but the guns don't know the difference between people and animals. Oh, wait," and she went silent again, then was back. "Owen said that an attack is an attack and anything trying to kill his family will get treated the same."
"Fuck!" Zavier yelled over the chat. "Put him on the phone! Oh shit, it doesn't work like that. Luna, you tell him that if he kills a single person I'll… I don't know what I'll do, but it'll be something! He can't hurt these people. They're under a spell and they're all too low level to hurt his family anyway. We just need to get rid of Father Gabriel and they'll go back to normal!"
There was silence, then Luna's nervous voice came on again. "He says he'll try his best, but you'd better keep them away from the walls. The guns don't care why they're attacking."
"Tess, we're coming out and we'll do what we can, but I don't think any of it's going to work while he's holding those items. You HAVE to get them from him."
Tess gritted her teeth. "I'm trying but there's a whole conversation going on in my head and it's making it hard to think."
"Okay, we'll go radio silent unless it's an emergency. Let us know when you have them and we'll take it from there."
"Dad?" Luna's voice was plaintive. "Where's Cass?"
Another pause, and everyone could hear the sadness in Zavier's voice. "He's with the Father. Nothing we can do to help him right now. We have to get those items and him as far away from Gabriel as possible."
A small squeak came over the line and then there was silence.
Tess focused on the stage again. That damned preacher was still holding the book high above his head and shouting into the crowd.
"You who have spells, it's time to use them! You who can fight, it's time to put steel to wood! It's time to tear down this Tower of Babel and take back what has been stolen from you! It's time to take this wall!"
His voice reached a crescendo, cracking like a boy hitting puberty. The crowd didn't notice as they turned as one and rushed across the cul-de-sac in a roaring wave.
"Oh no! Get out here now Z!" Tess sent over the chat. "They're rushing the wall!"
The crowd surged around her and it took all her agility to weave through them without getting bowled over. She saw small flames and crackling lightning appearing in some hands, others started shooting glowing darts out of their fingers. A few had pulled out machetes, axes, hammers, and even kitchen knives in their mad dash for the wall. As the last of the crowd flowed past her she saw Gabriel's smile widen in a wolf's grin, his arms finally dropping.
She lunged, closing the gap between them in an instant, as quiet and deadly as a shadow.
CLANG.
Shimmer was almost knocked from her hand as it bounced off of something solid. She looked in confusion at the small shield in front of her and followed the arm that held it up until she could see his face.
"Cass?"
"What are you doing here, mother?" Her heart hurt at the lack of boyhood in that voice, devoid of any warmth.
"Cass, what are you doing?"
He stood up, then lowered himself into a defensive crouch in front of Father Gabriel. Tess looked over Cass's shoulder and saw the wicked, triumphant smile on Gabriel's face. She turned to look at Cass again.
"Honey, I'm-"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" His shout cut her words short and she took an involuntary step backwards. "I'm not your helpless, defenseless, pathetic little boy anymore, Mother." He straightened and took a step towards her.
"Hon - Cass. You were never that to me. You're my boy and I love you, but you've never been any of those things to me!"
A flicker crossed his face, disappearing as quickly as it had come when Gabriel spoke. "He can see your lies, Tess. He knows what you've always thought of him - the way you coddled him because you thought he was weak. The way you failed him by making him think he was the failure. The way you gave Luna all the love and support she wanted, but were never there for him. He sees it now." Gabriel touched Cass's shoulder and the flow of energy between them was obvious in the darkness.
"Cass, that isn't true."
"LIAR!" He screamed at her, spittle flying from his lips. "Nothing I've ever done is good enough for you. For HIM." Cass nodded towards the house and Tess's heart broke.
"To me, you're perfect." Gabriel's words flowed through the air like oil.
Tess lifted Shimmer and pointed it at him. "Shut the fuck up or I swear to god I will cut your tongue out, consequences be damned."
Cass moved in front of her, blocking her view of Gabriel. He held his bat in one hand and gripped the shield in the other. "Well, mother? Come see how strong I am now."
In the darkness she saw the faint crackle of electricity form around his body. She had just enough time to wonder if it was a new skill when he disappeared, and she was flying backwards through the air.