The night was officially derailed. Charlotte had a full docket today, but some idiot just had to go and try to kill her.  Admittedly, capturing a member of Eclipse for questioning was an even better outcome, but disruptions like this were still a pain. 

She was in the kitchen listening in on the conversation going on in the next room while trying to look like she was just getting some paperwork done. There was a notepad right next to the stack, and anyone could tell what was going on, but it was easier for the two of them to pay her no mind if it looked like she was busy with other things.

Gaius and Alex were sitting and staring each-other down. Alex was handcuffed to a kitchen chair, while Gaius was leaning a bit too far back on another chair. Somehow, neither of them had visibly melted down… yet.

“I’ll make this quick.” Gaius was calm, but firm. There was not a hint of animosity in his voice, but there was a hint of pain. “I don’t want you sticking around, but I need to talk to you before I can let you go.”

“What’s there to talk about? I’m getting rid of that vampire and taking you home.” Alex said this in a concerningly earnest way.

“Oh really?” Gaius raised an eyebrow. He was sure Hikari would try to recapture him, but would she really go out of her way to have Charlotte killed? What was he thinking, of course she would.

“Well, it’s not like she told me to…” Alex admitted. “But she’s been a mess since you’ve been gone. Hell, HQ has been a mess since you volunteered to help her with those experiments.”

“Volunteered? We both know that’s a load of crap.” Gaius stopped leaning back on the chair, gently setting it down on all fours as he leaned forward.

“Okay, more like forced to volunteer.” Alex looked away, embarrassed but not remorseful. “But come on, I’ve seen Boss’s tests. You were almost never fighting back, and-“

“That’s enough.” Gaius almost shouted. He hated losing his temper like this, but it felt as if pins and needles were being stuck into the place his heart used to be.

“So then, what is it that you’re really trying to do here?” Gaius abruptly changed the subject. “You could have easily let Charlotte suffer, but you gave up the moment you saw her face to face. You don’t have the heart to actually kill anyone, so what are you here for? Did you just want to appease Hikari, or do you want everyone to know what a badass you are?”

It actually hurt a little to taunt Alex like this, but Gaius so desperately wanted to avoid any more confrontations with him, which meant putting him in his place.

“Look, I know things can’t go back to normal.” Alex sounded more desperate with each word he spoke. “But I can’t watch this go on anymore. Boss spends all of her time in those labs or talking to that witch. Everyone else is on edge all the time, even more than before Boss took charge.”

There was a pause, not because this was new information to Gaius, but because of how his younger peer was taking it. Was Alex really so naive that he didn’t realize what was going on?

“Everything was set in motion long before you or I became a part of Eclipse. The two of us just happen to be fools for sticking around. You were still a trainee during Daiki’s last days, you didn’t see just how deranged he was. You’re just seeing the atmosphere he fostered.” Should he be speaking ill of the dead when Eclipse was at least functional under him? Gaius couldn’t bring himself to respect his late brother-in-law right now.

“But everything was supposed to change!” Alex started struggling, but he was dealing with metal cuffs, metal chair, and no ideas for how to deal with it. Any attempts to mess with the temperature would end with him burned, and his magic reserves were running too low to try and enhance his strength as much as he would need to.

“Alex”, Gaius’s stomach was churning. “The director of Eclipse died under suspicious circumstances, after decades of paranoia and fearmongering about the natural government. That’s not a recipe for positive change.”

“But The Boss-”

“Let me stop you right there.” Gaius had been in control of his emotions up until now, but he was now visibly angry. “I knew her more than anyone for years. The Hikari we know wouldn’t do that, but that woman does not exist.”

“That’s rich, coming from you! Tell me, before you vented about your personal problems to the entire goddamn internet, did you even try talking to her?”

“You think I wouldn’t try? She barely acknowledged my existence!” He lost control of his temper again, and did a much worse job of holding himself back when he snapped back. Neither of them noticed Charlotte flinching.

The both of them realized how futile this conversation had become, and the room fell silent. After the both of them regained some sense of composure, Alex finally spoke up.

“You really do hate her, then. Enough to throw everything away.” Alex had no more energy for anger, only disappointment, and possibly pity. “So what’s your end goal here? Killing her? Destroying everything she’s been trying to keep together?”

Gaius looked away. Truth be told, he didn’t even stop to think about what he wanted to do about that mess. There was a burning drive to do something, but he was also too terrified to think a plan through. Before he was sent to the labs, he was just trying to get away from it all, but he couldn’t stop himself from blowing the whistle on the way out.

“You have the wrong idea. I don’t want anything to do with this mess, let alone hurt anyone. I have an act of kindness to repay, and then I’m disappearing. No dramatics, no retaliation.”

“So then, why am I here?” Alex was now annoyed on top of being disappointed. “Kidnapping and interrogation isn’t exactly staying out of it.”

“Like I said, I have a favor to repay. We’re looking for The Physician, and if I can talk you out of going along with whatever the hell is going on back at HQ, that’s even better.” Gaius was somewhat lying. Both he and Charlotte doubted that he knew anything, but he wasn’t about to abandon one of his former students when there was a chance to try and save him.

“I mean, it’s not like anything changed since you went to the labs.” Alex grasped at the chance to change the subject immediately. “He still hasn’t left that apartment. Nobody could tell if he’s a captive, or just a recluse, but if I guess he must be a captive if his vampire lackey came for him.

A chill went up Charlotte’s spine as she overheard the conversation. She finished up with her paperwork, and stood just around the corner, listening.

Gaius, in the meantime, didn’t know if he should refute that statement. Sinclair never spoke about Charlotte, and disclosing that may not be entirely appropriate. So he simply decided that’s all he wanted to ask.

“I guess I can at least thank you for that. You won’t be staying long, I promise. But…” Gaius didn’t want to say what he was about to say, but he had to. “

The next time I see you, I may not be able to show you mercy. If you truly believe what you’re saying, then you need to take things seriously. Otherwise, you need to get out of here.”

This was all Gaius could take. He turned around and left without a world. On the way out, Charlotte discreetly stopped him. “I’ll take care of him. When you’re feeling better, could you go out and pick up a few things?”

She handed him a small list of items, clearly just trying to keep him distracted. Gaius numbly nodded, and Charlotte made her way towards the living room.

He looked over to a small pot of flowers sitting on top of a bookshelf. Charlotte had brought it to him near-dead from overwatering, but he could tell it was getting a bit more energetic already. Plants were so much simpler, this one simply needed to be left alone to heal.

He tried to think of anything else to focus on, before remembering the business card. His vision was now good enough to read it, and Charlotte would surely ask about it. He withdrew the card, and the color instantly drained from his face.

Of all of the people to get involved with this mess, why did it have to be him? This was a rough night, maybe he should conveniently ‘forget’ about it until tomorrow evening. Gaius didn’t want to discuss how to deal with the hunter with multiple confirmed kills.

In the meantime, he needed to at least take some steps to improve his situation on his own, and he knew where he needed to start. Gaius dragged himself out of bed and over to the old laptop sitting atop a small desk. No matter what his next steps are, there’s something he needs to do first and foremost.

The drive was longer than Alex was expecting. Charlotte hadn’t even bothered cuffing him, only threatening to tie him back up if he didn’t put his seat belt on. He wasn’t able to try anything else tonight, and they both knew it.

“Will you stop looking at me like that?” Charlotte spoke first. “I’m taking you out of town. I can’t take you directly to Eclipse, but you’ll be safer there then at Desert Fields. If I left you at the bus station, you’d likely get picked up by a cop, or worse.”

Supernatural humans did live in normal communities, but police, neighborhood watches, and churches were all to eager to persecute them in any way they can. Alternatively, they couldn’t care less what they do to each-other in their own territories.

“You seem to be doing fine there.” Alex decided that he may as well make small talk.

“I was born and raised here. I know how to interact with naturals more than my fellow immortal.” There was a mix of pride and melancholy in her voice.

“Wait, you’re from here?” Alex’s eyes widened immediately. “But you kinda just appeared from nowhere and started working for The Physician. Did you get turned out of town or something?”

“It’s a long story, and you don’t need to know. That’s between me and Sinclair.” Charlotte didn’t want to answer that. She can disclose at least parts of her past to a potential ally, but not to an active member of Eclipse. 

However, Alex was already starting to speculate, and made a mental note to get to the bottom of just who and what she was. “To be honest, The Physician gives me the creeps, but he must be a much better guy then he seems, if someone like you is willingly dealing with him.”

Charlotte could feel her blood boiling, but she was too tired to outwardly show it. “He isn’t very friendly with strangers, but he’s still a great guy. I thought it was great that he was working with Eclipse again after the change in leadership, but…”

She didn’t need to finish that sentence. Alex nodded knowingly, while questions were racing through his head. The reason The Physician was expelled was confidential, but why was he allowed to work with the higher-ups so much? And just why wasn’t he leaving that apartment? He wondered if he should actually ask Hikari what’s going on.

“Hold up.” Charlotte stiffened up as she realized just what she was discussing with the man who made a half-assed attempted to kill him. “Just why are you asking about all this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I don’t trust him.” Alex was, indeed, loyal to a fault. But true loyalty meant being honest, and doing what’s best for everyone. And in his honest opinion, Sinclair Darwin was a serious problem.

Charlotte laughed nervously, and nobody said anything else after that. They pulled over in front of city hall, and Alex was unceremoniously dropped off out front.

As she drove away, Charlotte noticed the time. Crap. It had been so crazy, that Charlotte didn’t think to check and make sure she had time to get home before she left. Charlotte wasn’t exactly welcome here, but she still had time to book a motel room in a bad part of town, where she wouldn’t be bothered. She’d have to let Gaius know, but one night away from home shouldn’t be a big deal, right?