----Dae----
The aftermath of a successful guiding session was comparable to waking up after a night out clubbing. Dae discovered this upon waking on the morning of the mission. Other Esper's waxed poetic about high compatibility guiding every chance they got. Dae always wavered between thinking them fools and fantasizing how good it could have been with Nox.
Anything he'd imagined didn't come close to reality. Just as nothing came close to the embarrassment Dae felt the moment his eyes opened. Things were fuzzy, but Dae remembered everything.
He swung his feet over the side of the bed in his guiding room, a bed he'd never used before, and rubbed his hands over his face. The room was still. The emptiness had never bothered Dae before, or maybe it always had. Maybe having Nox, the person Dae had always wanted occupying his space, actually there in the flesh, just highlighted how empty it truly was.
Dae used the bathroom in the guiding room instead of his own. There were no signs of Nox having been there. Dae didn't know what he was expecting. White hair clogging the shower drain, hair pins, a packet of the lube Nox always carried with him. A pathetic, wounded part of Dae hoped to find evidence of Nox 'relieving' himself but that was a secret Dae would take to his grave.
The shower was cold, and long. A meditation on regret and repentance. The icy stream did nothing to dull the warmth lingering in the ghost of Nox's touch.
The guild was buzzing with activity. Those who met in the conference room were just the strike teams. Now those teams are joined by many others. Coordinators mumbling into their comms units, tech teams checking the functionality of all the gear, even Medics assessing the strike team members.
Esper Stiles flagged Dae down. He arched his brow as he brought up Dae's stats, "You call me in a frenzy to take care of him then you go and do this!"
Dae flushed and looked down at his feet like a child being scolded. Stiles jumped in to fill the silence.
"I didn't get any calls so I assume it wasn't too rough on him," Stiles sighed and began Dae's physical exam, "So how many 're goin' with you today?"
"How many what?"
Both Dae and Stiles jump at Nox's voice. Nox leaned against Dae's shoulder and peered over at Stiles.
"Young man!" Stiles nearly screamed and Nox jumped back in shock.
"Sir!" Nox replied, trying to match Stiles' energy.
"You shouldn't be walking, let alone going on a mission."
Stiles grabbed Nox by the shoulder and began checking him over. Nox blinked harshly as Stiles shined a pen light in his eyes and gave Dae a confused look. Dae avoided his gaze, suddenly invested in his shoes again.
"You cleared me yesterday, you said it wasn't serious."
Stiles gave Dae an imploring look then focused his attention back on Nox, "Are you not the one responsible for Esper Kane's current level of corruption?"
Nox frowned between Stiles and Dae then looked down to his watch. After tapping it a few times he looked up, more bewildered than before, "He's still under 1%. Is there some other issue I don't know about?"
"But- I…ah-" Stiles blubbered looking between Dae and Nox.
"He's universally compatible." Dae offered as if Stiles hadn't already seen how well he'd gotten on with other universally compatible guides.
It was enough to tell Stiles Dae won't be elaborating any further. He finished his check and cleared both Dae and Nox before heading off to worry over someone else. Once he left Dae turned his attention to Nox. Nox who was shockingly absent.
Dae's eyes flitted around before finally landing on Nox talking comfortably with one of the tech team. Dae approached slowly. The techie noticed him before Nox did.
"Hello Esper Kane! Good luck out there!"
Dae nodded politely but awkwardly. He wracked his brain but failed to come up with a name before Nox took it upon himself to introduce the other Esper, "This is Leanna, she's a d-class transportation Esper and she is- ah well was, one of my regulars back at the EGC!"
Leanna looked mortified to be introduced to Dae as one of Nox's regulars. She seemed to sense the possessive tint to Dae's gaze. She held her hands up defensively and took a step back, physically distancing herself from Nox.
"Guide Nox is so talented I only ever needed to hold his hand. I don't think we had a session that lasted more than ten minutes. Hah…" She trailed off awkwardly.
Nox tilted his head at her in concern and confusion, "I would never share the details of an Esper's sessions. You don't have to-"
"I WANTED TO!" Leanna cut Nox off anxiously, "It just seemed like Esper Kane was the kind of person who would like to appreciate your ta..lent…" She trailed off at Dae's stormy expression, "Oh would you look at that they're calling for me I need to- uh, bye!"
She shot past Dae. Nox's eyes followed her then shifted up to Dae. He cocked his brow and Dae avoided his gaze and hurried off, also pretending to have just been called for. Cowardly? Yes. Necessary for Dae's sanity? Also yes.
Jin-Won walked into the changing area right as Dae was ready to leave. He gave her a professional nod and was about to walk back out when she caught his arm. He turned to her with a confused expression. She wordlessly held up a white collar.
Dae's chest felt tight. He glanced between Jin-Won and the collar. Hers was already secured around her neck. Dae took it out of her hand with shaking fingers and snapped it into place around his neck, it sealed itself with another Esper's powers. No metal, no loopholes.
"Stop moping, at least yours is just a sedative." Jin-Won spoke with an air of humor but the fear behind her eyes betrayed her. Dae couldn't bring himself to say anything in response to her implication. The collar around her neck had an engraved X on the back. Dae's had a Z.
It felt unfair to express fear or aversion. So Dae squared his shoulders and looked away.
"Where's your partner band?"
Dae was happy for the change in conversation, but this new topic was almost as uncomfortable as the last.
"I don't have a partner," Dae used his height against Jin-Won, looking in her direction but pointedly over her head. His insubordination was met with a swift punch to the gut. He doubled over. Wheezing but not vomiting so she'd clearly held back. A little.
"Where. Is. Your. Partner. Band?" Jin-Won's fingers pressed bruises into Dae's shoulder. He winced and stayed bent over, unwilling to meet her gaze or answer her question.
"I was just about to bring it to him!" Nox materialized next to Dae like a guardian angel, "Nice to see you again Esper Song!"
"You as well Guide Nox."
Dae looked between Jin-Won and Nox. Both of them were wearing bright smiles and speaking with friendly tones but something felt…off. Before Dae could decipher their odd behavior, he felt Nox's hands on his thigh. He squeaked and moved away.
Nox looked like he wanted to laugh but he restrained himself. His eyes flitted towards Jin-Won and he moved towards Dae again. Dae tried his best to stand still as Nox fitted the thin flexible band to his leg.
Dae tried to fill the awkward silence and calm his heart as Nox ran his finger between the band and Dae's leg to straighten it out, "Why blue?"
Nox looked up at Dae through his lashes and Dae wished he hadn't spoken at all.
"It's my favorite."
An offhanded, innocuous comment. Of course Nox had a favorite color, so why did it shake Dae to his core to hear it? Was it the neutral way Nox relayed the information? Or maybe that Dae was being forced to confront the fact that he knew next to nothing about Nox.
"What's yours?" As always, Nox beat Dae to the punch.
"Ah- um white I guess…"
"I thought it was black?" Dae's whole world narrowed down to Nox the moment the guide's fingers brushed against Dae. Jin-won's voice shattered that bubble and almost made Dae jump. He turned to her and flushed deep red.
"Um- maybe, I mean isn't that like, depressing? I mean I- isn't that up to me? Wha- I- ah fuck what would you know!" Dae tumbled through every stage of grief in his incoherent babbling. Jin-Won's eyebrows were threatening to fuse with her hair line and she was biting her lip in amusement.
Beside Dae, Nox started choking on his own laughter. Dae looked between the two, torn between anger and embarrassment. Luckily, he was saved by their watches buzzing. All three of them looked down.
"The first teams are being deployed in ten minutes." Jin-Won announced as Dae read a similar message telling him to be on standby.
"I need to head out now," Jin-Won and Dae's attention snapped to Nox.
"Why would you be separated from your Esper?" Jin-Won's voice was high and strained. Nox looked up at her with innocent apathy.
"I don't have a designated Esper."
"Yes but-" Jin-Won cut off and stared at Dae, urging him to step in. As little as Dae wanted to give into his desire to possess Nox, he was equally opposed to sending Nox into a gate on his own.
It was true that Nox had more experience in field missions than Dae, but this was a gate that'd already claimed dozens of lives. A gate that needed Dae specifically. Having to leave Nox's safety in another Esper's care made Dae feel woozy.
"Ah, Um… Jin-Won? Will they be upset if I get there early?"
Nox eyed Dae suspiciously, "I don't ne-"
"They only had you hold off on the assumption that you'd need to conserve energy. Go on ahead!" Jin-Won grinned at Dae. It was the same grin she used when she saw an opening in a battle. Made worse by the fact that Dae couldn't tell if he was her ally or opponent in this scenario.
She grabbed both Dae and Nox by the arm and pulled them into the teleporter. Nox looked at Dae helplessly as he was manhandled by a 5'2'' woman. Dae was fairing no better so he was in no position to help.
As the teleporter began to glow, Nox tossed several other partner bands in various colors onto a nearby table. Hanging on to a single one. Once Dae's eyes adjusted to the morning light of the gate site, he looked over to Nox who was grinning at him and holding up a white band.
"You know those colors have meanings right?" Nox rolled his eyes and started attaching his band as he hopped towards the gate.
"If you can name a single meaning I'll grant you a wish."
Dae's mind went blank the moment Nox proposed the wager. He wouldn't be able to remember his own name let alone technical bullshit.
"Hah! That's what I thought!" Nox punched Dae's shoulder playfully. Before stopping suddenly, "Didn't you invent these?"
Dae's looked at the ground, mortified. Because Nox was right. He had designed them. Nox, for his part, was delighted at Dae's idiocy. He cackled and brought a hand up to wipe tears from his eyes.
"Ah… Sorry," Nox's laughter trailed off and he fell into step with Dae once again, "I was told the color indicates the distance it can work at," Dae was about to agree but Nox continued, "But, inside the gates, distance doesn't work the same way. So they all end up being functionally the same."
It was Dae's turn to stop and stare. First at Nox then down at the band on his leg. A white dot blinked pointing towards Nox. Nox's band had its own blue band pointing back at Dae. Dae created these bands for dedicated partners, a more analog method for tracking in case watches were damaged in some way. No one told him their secondary function was rendered useless in the field.
"I… No one told me?" Dae's voice was small. He felt pathetic. All this time he'd spent trying to make being in the gates safer while missing information like this.
"Dont' feel bad, I only realized recently. Most gates aren't that big anyways. Tech always goes haywire in there so I'm sure people just thought it wasn't important."
Nox's reassurances only made Dae feel worse. Time and time again Dae rationalized his reluctance to be in the field. Told himself he was avoiding wearing guides out. That he was better behind a desk. But the truth had always been there, there were some things you have to learn through experience. And Dae had just been burying his head in the sand.
"Be honest," Dae was forcing the words out. Hesitant to ask the question he knew he had to, "Has that defect gotten anyone injured or killed?"
Nox walked back to Dae. He knit their fingers together and pressed a kiss against their entwined hands. The guiding energy whispering out from the gentle press of his lips confirmed Dae's worst fears.
"We tell rookies what I told you. Sometimes they don't listen."
They wouldn't have any reason to overestimate if someone had bothered to tell Dae. No. If Dae actually used them himself. Run any tests in a gate. He knew gates didn't work the same as their dimension. He should have realized that tech would be the same.
Nox yanked on Dae's arm. Pulling him both out of his own mind and towards the gate. As Jin-Won said, A-team was entering as Dae and Nox arrived. The manager's eyes lit up when she saw Dae and Nox.
"Esper Kane! You're here early! You must be accompanying your guide!" Dae nodded sheepishly and shrank in on himself as everyone turned to look.
"Hmm… Well we had Guide Nox going ahead with Squad Beta…." She tapped her chin as she considered her options.
"I'll go in with Squad Beta then!" Nox chirped cheerfully, already walking over to join the team. Dae's hand twitched, he wanted to reach out and stop Nox. But he restrained himself. The small motion didn't go unnoticed.
"Oh- I don't want to separate you from Esper Kane!" The manager interjected. She placed a hand over her heart sympathetically. Nox looked over his shoulder with a silent question to Dae.
"Surely there's a reason you wanted me to go with Squad Beta. I'm sure Esper Kane will understand."
Dae looked away, lying by omission. He was getting good at that.
"Well, you're the most compatible with Esper Smith. He's our A-class pyro and we need him to deal with the corpses."
"Aren't there ot-" Dae started but Nox cut in.
"Oh! Kaspar! We work well together!"
A vaguely familiar, sepia toned face emerged from the crowd. He smiled at Dae awkwardly then turned a softer more intimate expression towards Nox. Nox reached out and took Kaspar's hand excitedly.
Kaspar was more handsome than Dae remembered. He was young, as Dae had deduced in their first interaction in the training center. He had a strong jaw and cheekbones. His hair was twisted into thin locks and pulled back in a high ponytail. His eyes were wide, heavy set, opal pools that reflected Nox's gentle smile beautifully. A stylish red jewel hung down from one of his ears. Dae started to feel the metal around him humming.
Sensing the tension, the manager stepped in, "Oh I see your levels are properly managed, Esper Kane! In that case you can help Squad Beta clear a path to the armor! We'll send the rest of your team in when the corpses are more under control."
Dae nodded curtly as he joined Nox and the rest of Squad Beta. Nox took Dae's hand as they stepped up to the gate. When they arrived on the other side Dae felt Nox's hand twitch in his. He looked over to see what was wrong but Nox seemed unperturbed.
They were outside of the castle walls, at the edge of the pocket dimension. Behind them stood the gate and a poorly rendered flat image of empty fields curving around the castle. A body fell in front of Dae and Nox with a sickening thud. Dae startled back and dropped Nox's hand. Nox moved forward.
He bent down and stroked along the head. It turned up towards the light and screeched, its avian beak now visible. Nox had his knife to its throat in half a second, and Dae's powers drove it fully through in the next.
Nox blinked up at Dae in shock, not even waiting to confirm the creature was dead. Dae shrugged and focused on rebuilding the blade on the hilt still clutched in Nox's hand. Nox watched the progress with interest.
Another Esper dropped to the ground in front of them. She was covered in blood and panting. She swore loudly and kicked the dead harpy in annoyance.
"Shit! Sorry! I thought she was gone!"
Before Dae could snap at her, say something about proper communication and ensuring a clear, Nox stood up and extended his hand.
"Not a problem! Esper Kane decided to enter early so we're more than equipped to handle stragglers. I'm Guide Nox Levi, universally compatible. Gimme your hand,"
The Esper noticed Dae and gawked at him for a moment before tentatively accepting Nox's outstretched hand. They dropped to their knees in the grass and Nox chuckled.
"Sorry, that happens sometimes."
Dae nodded knowingly only to still when he noticed two other Espers doing the same.
Nox pulled his hand back and wiped it off. Smearing his grey pants with licorice dark blood. The Esper looked down at her own hands and seemed to realize for the first time that she was covered in the stuff.
"That should be the last one. I-ah maybe it's time for me to take a break."
A guide, one that had been part of squad Alpha with the Esper, dropped to the ground next to her and pulled her up. They smiled tiredly at squad beta and led the Esper back towards the gate.
Several other Espers and guides dipped down from where they'd been suspended in the sky. They all looked considerably better off than the first Esper. The battle with the harpies must not have been that bad. That or the first woman had taken on significantly more than her colleagues. Dae was hoping for the former.
Squad Beta walked through the gates and were met with a large empty expanse. A well marked the midpoint between them and the door to the inner part of the castle. There were toppled stands and the embers of what might have once been stables. Most unsettlingly, there were no corpses.
The three guides, including Nox, fell back. The Espers moved forward, heads on a defensive swivel. Dae took a deep breath and let his powers spread out from him, he tried to sense any metal. All he could find were nails and a smattering of horseshoes. He put his hand on his hip and pulled out the aluminium bar he'd brought with him. He anxiously kneaded it with his fingers.
The Esper to Dae's right whistled and pointed. Dae didn't look but he felt metal clasps and jewelry come into reach near the ruins of the stables. Now knowing what to look for, Dae reached out in the remaining directions.
"Under, the corpses are under." Dae barked out, "I can't tell how many. Most don't have weapons or jewelry. Mages from ahead and to the right."
The other Espers made soft noises of conformation and braced for the impending attack.
A decayed hand broke through the soil. Dae and the other Espers stayed still as eight animated corpses exhumed themselves. Once their bodies were mostly visible Kaspar stepped up and slammed his palm against the ground. Fire spread out along the ground. When it met with the corpses it climbed them and turned them into writhing bonfires.
Dae watched the display with begrudging admiration. The control and destructive power were impressive, especially coming from someone so young. One of the corpses started to crumble but the other seven charged forward.
Two more Espers surged past Dae and lashed out with their own flames. One wielded something like a whip. It danced out and cracked against the corpses, dismembering and maiming. The other Esper wielded something like a sword. She struck at the closest corpse and cleaved it in half.
Dae focused his attention at the mages approaching from the left. A tremor of anxiety throbbed painfully in the scar on Dae's throat. Every known beast in this gate was humanoid. Just like back then, Dae used the wisps of Nox's cleansing smoke to steel himself.
The mages were little more than cloaks over shadows that implied a human form. Nothing like the creature he'd faced before. Dae reached out for the clasps, ready to test a theory.
"I'm gonna try something with a mage. Brace." His voice came out loud and steady. One of the Espers not currently engaged in combat started to groan but cut it off as one of the guides kicked him.
Dae undid the clasp and yanked the cloak away with it. He'd been ready for the shadow underneath to continue with no issue, or at worse lash out. What he hadn't been prepared for was it crumbling as soon as it was exposed to the light.
Dae straightened out of his battle ready stance and stared as the cloak he'd pulled off fluttered to the ground lamely, "No fucki…"
Before they could celebrate the ground shook. An explosion ripped up from underground. Soil and gravel rained down on the group. Everyone ducked and looked around in a panic.
"The fuck was that?" The team lead exclaimed. Dae and the other Espers shook their heads in confusion. Nox's voice broke through.
"You unmade the mage so its creations became unstable."
Swears echoed through the ranks at Nox's observation.
"Esper Kane, can you do that again once we fall back?"
Dae was about to tell the team lead he most certainly could when Nox interrupted again, "DONT!"
Dae was startled at how harsh Nox's tone was. It was unnatural to hear him so urgent and commanding.
"Why not, Guide Nox?"
Nox stepped up and put a hand on Dae's shoulder. No guiding energy, just Nox's grounding presence.
"Unstable means the explosions could get worse. Or a different reaction entirely. It's not safe. Especially when Da- Esper Kane can't even tell us where they are, let alone how many there are."
Dae glanced back at Nox with surprise. The team lead was doing the same. Nox took in both of their expressions and huffed out in annoyance, "I've seen something like this before. Don't take the chance that it won't get worse. Especially not in a gate this contained."
The false wall surrounding them seemed to flicker, echoing Nox's assertion. It was true, some gates were smaller than others. The gate with the kids echoed out like a house of mirrors, this one was more like a snowglobe. Nox was right to caution them against shaking it.
"Are you ready to take responsibility for the wasted corruption?" Dae shot the team lead a warning look as she snapped at Nox. She held firm, refusing to bend under Dae's class advantage.
"Of course!" Nox replied. He'd never taken his eyes off of the approaching threat. His gaze was confident and steady. That confidence died in what little opposition remained in Dae after being reminded not to pull rank.
"We can handle it, Don't worry Guide Nox." Kaspar spoke evenly. Dae could see a smile curling the edges of his full lips as he looked out at the battlefield. Dae's distaste for the other Esper ebbed at his confidence in Nox.
Handle it, they did. Each new round of corpses that broke the soil were swiftly carved into ribbons by the pyro Espers. Dae busied himself harassing the mages. He pulled on the horse shoes and formed them into something resembling a wasp. He had the iron wasps flit about and poke and prod their cloaks.
It worked shockingly well on what were little more than projections with human-like tendencies. Whatever intelligence they possessed seemed to perceive Dae's creations as an uncertain threat.
Nox noticed this as well, stepping up to whisper, "Do you think they can perceive ability level like guides can?"
The iron wasps faltered in the air for a second as Dae considered this. If that were true it could mean that the gates would adapt to the presence of stronger Espers. That they were complex ecosystems. It was a theory that had been proposed before but never proven. Maybe Dae could-
A guide screamed. Dae whirled around and saw her foot locked in the grasp of a decayed hand. She tried to flee and ended up falling as the creature's hold held firm. Dae's hand, the one not directing the wasps, molded the aluminium into a thin wire. The wire shot out and wrapped around the hand, severing it with surgical precision.
Nox grabbed the other guide under the arms and hoisted her up to her feet again. She screamed again when the severed hand continued to grip into her flesh. Nox dropped to his knees and pried the hand off the other guide. Only for it to whip around and sink its nails into Nox's wrist. Showing no signs of pain or distress, Nox beat it off with the hilt of his knife then pinned it under his boot where it spasmed helplessly.
Kaspar, noticing the guide's screams, turned around and placed a hand over where the rest of the corpse was trying to unearth itself. The grass around his hand blackened and a wisp of smoke curled up from the stump of the arm. Dae was impressed until the ground started to sink around them.
Kaspar, the team lead, and the other Espers were able to move out of the way quickly. Leaving the three guides and Dae falling into the newly created pit of charred flesh, silt, and violently flailing bony appendages.
The aluminium that had been a wire molded into three hooks. Each hook snapped onto a guide's harness and roughly tossed them to safety. Nox's eyes flashed with shock as he was pulled up and away from Dae's falling form. With no hesitation he pinched the clasp on his harness and fell out of it, following Dae down into the pit.
----Nox----
Nox hit loose dirt, then rolled inward. He felt himself press against Dae right as the ground opened up beneath them yet again, sucking them deeper into the earth. Nox reached forward and locked his fingers around Dae's harness. They both fell through damp cool air before thudding onto something smooth and icy.
Both men choked out groans and rolled away from each other. Nox sat up and looked at his new surroundings. It looked to be modeled after a french crypt. Nox scowled as he brushed dirt off his pants.
"Can't even bother being consistent." He muttered under his breath. Bitter over the mixed historical architecture. He looked up and saw a rectangular gap above, still spilling loose dirt.
"Are you two ok?" Kaspar's voice echoed down from above.
Nox called out "Yes" as Dae called out "No."
Nox looked over at Dae who was scowling but otherwise healthy. Nox reached over to put a hand on Dae's mouth but Dae ducked away.
"Uhh…. So are you alright or not?" Kaspar called from above.
"We're fine." Nox replied, glaring at Dae, daring him to argue. He remained silent but returned Nox's glare in full force.
"Why would you do that?" Dae hissed. Nox stared at him indignantly. He thought it was clear why he'd make an effort to remain with his designated Esper. Instead of answering, Nox shrugged.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Dae looked livid. Nox flinched. He'd never seen Dae angry, especially not at him. It felt foreign and wrong. Especially in response to Nox following basic field protocol. Nox's heart beat quickened and he was gripped with the uncanny feeling that he needed to calm Dae down as fast as possible.
"I'm safest when I'm with you!" Nox spoke quickly, panicked and unsteady. But his words had the intended effect. Dae softened, his shoulder went slack. A trace of anger remained in his eyes but it was small enough that Nox was able to relax.
"How long until you can get us out?" Dae called up.
"Uhhh…." Kaspar's voice sounded strained, the battle must have resumed above.
"Either get yourselves out or wait for Squad Gamma." The team lead sounded pissed. Nox hoped Kaspar wasn't being blamed for his current predicament.
"Can't you like hover us out on some metal or something?" Nox held a hand flat and slowly lifted it, illustrating his proposal. Dae regarded him with subtle annoyance.
"You know we're heavy right? And that I can only manipulate metal."
Nox nodded, "But what if we were on top of it."
Dae sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Unless I have enough to make a platform big enough to displace your weight, I'd probably just end up forcing it through or around your body."
Nox shivered, thinking of the corpse's hand and the harpy's head falling away in an instant. He shook the image out of his head, "Then how did you move me before?"
"It was like I'd shoved you, one short application of force. And I used the harness," Dae pressed an accusatory finger against Nox's chest, "The harness you lost somewhere in the dirt up there."
Nox looked up then hissed as falling dirt got in his eyes. As he rubbed it away he spoke again, "My harness has metal attachments right?"
Dae nodded, eyes going wide with understanding. He looked up and held up his hand. Nox could see his powers stretching out. It looked like a wisp of spider silk. A little tendril that flowed and whipped around in the air. It went taught and Dae curled his fingers in towards his palm.
Extra dirt was displaced as the harness came tumbling down into Dae's hand. He held it out to Nox eagerly, "Don't take it off again."
Nox returned Dae's grin as he fastened it around himself again, "But if I do you'll just get it for me, right?"
"No promises," Dae replied, his usual soft friendliness returning.
The only light in the crypt came from above, making it difficult to make out their surroundings. Nox squinted and tried to make out any shapes in the darkness. As he strained he heard a click next to him and the room suddenly filled with light. He blinked several times to adjust to the brightness. Dae held a flashlight and stared at him, unimpressed.
"You also have one ya know."
Nox flushed and looked away. He reached down and pulled the thin but powerful flashlight out of his pants pocket. While Dae explored ahead, towards the castle, Nox looked behind.
The first thing Nox noticed was a wall. The wall was made of skulls stacked on top of each other, like Paris's catacombs. The skulls were imperfect replicas, clearly meant to imitate humans. The placement of the holes for the nose and eyes were off and instead of being round some were more angular or longer than they should be.
Nox clicked his tongue in annoyance. The little aesthetic failures of the gates always managed to get under Nox's skin. These spaces, able to rip through space and time, able to create near infinite energy and level entire cities were laid out like poorly researched historical TV shows.
"It ends over here," Nox called out, turning to face Dae again. Dae glanced back at him with a grim expression. One look past him showed Nox a horde of reanimated corpses, looking out at the two of them.
Dae reached a hand up and made a sharp pulling motion. Nox's head jerked up as a scream came from above. He watched in abject horror as Kaspar free fell from above. Nox ran forward and stretched out his arms to catch Kaspar or at least cushion his blow. Unsurprisingly Nox was unable to handle a full grown man hurtling towards him like a meteor.
Both men collapsed to the ground in a tangle of limbs and pain. Dae quickly reached down and pulled Nox to his feet, dusting him off and looking more concerned than he had any right to.
"Are you alright?"
"Shouldn't you be asking me that?" Kaspar groaned. Nox turned to him and helped him up while glaring daggers at Dae over his shoulder, "You knocked me in, right?"
"We needed your abilities," Dae said simply, pointing towards the shambling corpses moving closer to them. Kaspar swore when he saw them.
Nox's hand ghosted along Kaspar's arm, taking in his corruption. Nox could tell it was starting to affect his abilities. It seemed Kaspar knew it too. He looked at Nox imploringly. Nox reached forward and cupped him behind the neck. He pulled Kaspar into a rough kiss, messy and harsh. He bit the inside of his mouth and forced Kaspar's lips apart with his tongue.
Blood mixed with Nox's spit and he transferred both to Kaspar along with his guiding energy.
Kaspar's vessel was strange. It took the shape of a grandfather clock. When Nox was cleansing him it felt like polishing gears and setting the hands straight.
When Nox pulled away Kaspar looked at him with slightly glazed eyes. Nox swore and reached out to flick him in the forehead. The fog cleared with the impact, a small mercy. Kaspar's gaze hardened and he walked past Dae to face the corpses.
"As compensation for throwing me down here, go on a double date with me this weekend." Kaspar struck down the closest corpse. He ripped a strip of fabric from it which he tossed back to Nox. Nox laughed as he wrapped the strip around his knife. The fabric was greasy with decaying fat and other fluids Nox didn't want to think about.
"Why not?" Nox stepped up beside Kaspar and held out his wrapped blade to be ignited, "With who? If you don't mind me asking."
Kaspar and Nox stepped apart to take down two corpses approaching from opposite directions. Nox was shocked to see the flame from his makeshift torch spread out to consume the corpse, still flickering with Kaspar's energy.
"You, Agh-" Kaspar ducked away from bony claws grasping at his neck, "Me- fuck!" A stumble backwards. Nox fell back and put a hand on his back to steady him, "My boyfriend, and him." Kaspar gestured back towards Dae.
Nox glanced back to see confusion written across Dae's face. Nox wasn't a fool. He was well attuned to Esper's possessive instincts. It was clear what Dae assumed about Nox' relationship with Kaspar. Nox had been more than happy to feed it after seeing Dae's vessel the night prior. Even if he already knew that Kaspar was a lovesick puppy when it came to his lover.
"Wait then how's it a double date?"
Kaspar straightened and wiped black blood from his hands while glancing over his shoulder at Dae and Nox.
"Me and my partner," Kaspar paused and looked forward. With a groan he tossed a ball of fire into the hallway, "And you and Dae."
Nox's eyes went wide and he took care not to look back at Dae, worried that his mask would crack if he saw even a hint of excitement on Dae's face. Behind him, Dae made a strangled choking sound. The chance to see Dae flustered almost broke Nox's resolve. Dae was cute when he was embarrassed. Nox chastised himself silently.
"We're not…" Nox trailed off. Then darted in to beat back a corpse that had managed to get back to its feet, "By the Gates this is a mess! We need to get moving to the exit before all these bastards come back."
Kaspar nodded ahead of him and threw out another fiery burst. All three men started clamboring over the downed bodies, occasionally being grabbed or bitten as the creatures recovered enough to move again.
The crypt, which initially smelled like moss and damp earth, was corrupted by the scent of melting flesh and decaying bodies. It was sweet in a way that twisted Nox's stomach. The smoke wafting up from Kaspar's victims reminded Nox again of Dae's interview. A guide that felt like smoke. And the scent of smoke Dae found on Nox's skin.
By the time they reached the stairs they were all covered in scratches and the hems of their pants were in tatters. Nox fell back to assess Dae and Kaspar for serious wounds. As he glanced between their bodies and his watch he realized that Dae's partner band showed a rapidly blinking red light.
He swore as he looked down at his own leg. Both Kaspar and Dae spun around defensively. When they saw Nox standing still and staring down at himself they both rushed back.
"What's wrong!" Kaspar asked.
As Dae put a hand on Nox's shoulder and asked, "Are you hurt?"
Nox waved them away and pinched the bridge of his nose, "No, I just lost my band. I'm fine."
Dae swore loudly as Kaspar let out a relieved breath. Both men turned to each other sharply. They initiated a needlessly tense standoff.
"Most of the guides don't have partner bands, he'll be fine." Kaspar crossed his arms and rolled his eyes like Dae was an overprotective parent.
Dae's eyes narrowed and he pointed at Nox, "Easy for you to say! I'm fucked if anything happens to him!" Dae's eyes went wide and he turned to Nox in horror. He held both hands up and opened his mouth to defend himself.
Nox pushed through both of them. He wasn't in the mood to entertain Dae's self flagellation or Kaspar's inferiority complex.
"I'll be fine as long as the two of you work together like good boys. Maybe I'll even give you a gold star after this is all over." Nox's tone was dripping in sarcasm and annoyance. Nox despised Espers throwing tantrums in the middle of missions.
Kaspar laughed and took the stairs two at a time to catch up with Nox.
"Can I trade my gold star for that double date?"
Nox looked back at him with confusion tinged with his earlier annoyance. Kaspar stood firm against his distaste.
"Why're you so fixated on the double date? Esper Kane and I aren't dating, what good would a date with two third wheels do?"
Kaspar pursed his lips and averted his eyes then tucked his hands behind his back for good measure. A child trying to conceal a mud covered toad they'd brought in after playing in the rain. Nox decided he didn't care enough to press the issue.
The doors at the top of the stairs were at least twelve feet tall. When Nox pressed against them he felt resistance from the other side. Dae brushed him out of the way and pressed his palm against the door.
"There's a wooden drawbar on the other side."
Nox rolled his eyes and kicked the door pathetically. Dae turned to him with a bright grin and Nox perked up again.
"The hinges are metal." Nox returned Dae's grin and gestured for him to get on with it, "Ahh actually there's one problem…"
"It would fall on us," Kaspar sighed and leaned his head against the door, "Yeah my plan's got a similar flaw. It's already hard enough to breathe down here. If I turn one of the two air holes into a bonfire it's gonna choke us out."
Nox chewed the inside of his cheek as he considered their options. Technically both plans had a chance of turning out in their favor. Nox didn't like their odds when their rescue's deployment was an unspecified wait away. He pulled out the flashlight he'd pocketed out and surveyed the staircase.
"I've never been so grateful to see the gate's shitty architecture!" Kaspar and Dae looked where Nox's flashlight was pointing.
"Is that a fucking gargoyle?" Kaspar chuckled under his breath then approached the statue.
"Normally you can only call a statue a gargoyle if it functions as a water spout buuuutt…" Kaspar's hand traced along the statues mouth as he noticed the detail Nox had latched onto, "These have holes, probably hollowed out too. Guess The Beyond never bothered learning the architectural details they were stealing."
Dae approached the statue from the other side. He shuffled alongside it then braced his shoulder against it with an experimental push.
"Good for us. We might actually be able to move it now."
Kaspar joined Dae beside the statue and pressed into it. It wobbled for a second. The grinding of stone on stone made Nox flinch. It came back down and both men made disappointed noises. Nox pocketed his flashlight and pulled Dae out so he could sandwich himself between the Esper's.
"Ok, If you two let me fall you're on your own for the rest of the mission."
"What?"
"Push on three!"
Both Espers rushed to comply as Nox counted. When he hit three he jumped up and braced his feet against the wall behind the statue. He pushed out with all his strength and gasped excitedly as he felt gravity take over. Only to scream as he followed the statue's descent. He screwed his eyes closed and pulled his arms up to his chest.
But he didn't fall.
Two pairs of hands grasped his forearms on either side. His feet swung out under him helplessly as Kaspar and Dae held him up. Both of them exchanged disgruntled looks with each other while they lowered Nox to the ground.
"Thaaank You!" Nox drawled out, as casually as he could, having screamed like a toddler seconds before. He looked to Dae expectantly, "Door?"
Dae sighed heavily but nodded all the same. He pushed Nox back towards Kaspar who wrapped his arms around Nox like Nox was planning on running out to be crushed by the door. Nox rolled his eyes but allowed them the peace of mind.
Clinking popping sounds came from the door. Nox thought he could see Dae's face crinkled in concentration. He freed one of his arms from Kaspar's hold and laid his fingers between Dae's shoulderblades. Dae's muscles loosened as Nox poured energy into him. A low creaking sound queued Nox to fist his hand in Dae's shirt to yank him back right as the door smacked down in front of them.
It began sliding down the steps with a horrible creaking scraping sound and all the men flinched away from it. As it passed by, Nox noticed something familiar about it. He tilted his head and watched its slow descent, trying to remember where he'd seen it before.
"No!" Dae muttered. Nox looked at Dae and followed his gaze to the room beyond the door. Sets of armor lined the hall. Nox felt his stomach twist. Kaspar's breath quickened on the back of Nox's neck.
The sets or armor turned towards the newly opened door, towards the three of them, in sync. Nox's face fell and he closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself.