The week after Kellen and the rest of the crew got back was peaceful for Kellen because he had no other choice. That, however, was not the case for anyone else.
It was chaos in its most basic form. Rhys, simply because he was the Captain, had a lot on his plate. He had given Kellen an illusion of how calm everything was in the first few days, but that was gone. After they had given the all clear on the Poison gate, things were moving at full throttle without much of anyone else's control.
The funerals had to be prepared, the public announcements had to be drafted and sent out. The true success of the mission had to be acknowledged in a tactful way so that the families who had lost their sons, daughters, siblings, partners could feel like they weren't brushed aside. It was a damn impossible job for Kellen, so he was glad that someone like Pamela was in charge of it.
There was also the task of classifying the gate. Everyone was in agreement that the classification had been wrong after the gate had stabilized, but now they needed to find out why. This classification system had been working without any obvious flaws for almost 30 years, why is it changing now? Was this a sign that more powerful gates were going to be appearing? Was this a hint of what was to come?
A tense atmosphere could be felt by everyone who visited Kellen that first week. No one was spared from the terrible cloud that hung over everyone. Kellen felt really bad for those of his people who were busy trying to pick up the pieces, and while they were busy, Kellen tried to stretch his own influence.
He started reaching out to his friends, family, aunts and uncles all around. He was looking for a few pieces of information. The first? Did they know a Brent Jameson? Second, if they did, could they point Kellen in the right direction to find him? The third question, if they didn't, did they recognise a picture of him? Kellen would then repeat that with Gunther.
Kellen was aware that he was having tunnel vision. Something that he knew was never a good thing and something that he taught against with his students. Kellen could be forgiving that he'd been in a very stressful situation at the time, but now he needed to make up for it.
He had let Charlie down, he had let Brent down, and he had let Gunther down. Rhys had enough on his plate, this was something he could do with one hand and from the comfort of his couch. Maybe a stool with a cup of tea nearby, but certainly not downstairs where he was forbidden to go unless it was his two day check up.
So, Kellen sent out his feelers and found a rather surprising result. Most people did not know a Brent Jameson, but they did know a Brenton James. It was such a slight change that it made perfect sense that it was him.
Kellen had smiled. So he hadn't really lied, he'd just told everyone a nickname for himself. That was rather cute of him, especially if he was trying to run away from people. They would have been able to sniff him out easily. At least, that was what Kellen felt.
Either way, they knew his real name, and they knew his location. He was in one of the older parts of the world. A part of the world that would have been considered several countries that were a part of one union. That hadn't changed much in the grand scheme of things. The countries were still united, but that had taken some time to form.
Survival of their own people came first.
Either way, it seemed that Brent came from a rich family. A rich family known for giving birth and producing strong Espers to fill their Guild, and also they had a factory that created cutting edge technology for false limbs.
Things were making sense in Kellen's mind. All the little comments, Brent's knowledge of the inner workings of Guilds, why he had gone to the front lines. While most things added up, some things didn't. Brent might have come from wealth, but he didn't give off the vibe. Kellen knew plenty more people who had come from wealth and ended up on the front lines but they were spoiled, didn't even know how to cook, and were overall, a bother.
Brent hadn't been that for Kellen. He had been a problem, and knew nothing, but not in the basic life category. Maybe it was just Kellen thinking the worst since he had looked so damn miserable being back with his family and the fact that he had disappeared the way that he had, but Kellen got a bad feeling when he watched the footage a few times. It wasn't like his old feeling, it was just a knowing.
Things were not as they seemed, and Brent was probably in a severe amount of danger. So, Kellen moved. Quietly, he had his uncle who was the closest to Brent's family reach out. He asked his Uncle to antagonize them, pester them specifically for an A Class Field Guide who had gone missing in the middle of a monster raid. To not back down until they let him see that Brent was okay.
His uncle, normally a rather laid-back A Class Esper had listened to what his nephew had said and made a long hmm noise on the other side of the line.
"This isn't your secret lover, is it? I don't want to be killed by an S Class Esper." He had said back and Kellen had sputtered. He knew his uncle was pulling his leg, especially as the man began to laugh as Kellen tripped over himself to deny his claims.
"Uncle Clancy!" Kellen had shouted, flustered. "Brent is my partner, but not that way!" Kellen had to defend both his honour and Brent's.
"Sorry, sorry. It was just amusing, and honestly, I just wanted to see how you would react. I haven't heard from you in months and this is what you ask of me? To be a pest? I mean, I'll do it, but you owe me, kiddo." His Uncle said and Kellen couldn't deny that he did. Kellen sighed. He wanted to push his hair out of his face, but with his one hand in a wrap he wasn't able to.
"I know. Good news and bad news, I'm going to have to get down there at some point, so I'll make sure to pay you a visit. Maybe I'll even cook for you too." Kellen told him. He kind of expected that he would be excited to hear that Kellen was coming. Not the dead air he heard on the other end of the line. "Uncle Clancy?" Kellen said, worried that their conversation had cut off.
"You shouldn't come here Kellen." His Uncle's voice was low, hoarse. "It's a warzone out here, and it isn't the monsters or the gates I'm talking about. The humans, the Espers are the most dangerous thing right now. I know you're dealing with your own E.A.G. bullshit, but it's…" He trailed off. "It's bad, Kellen. Really, really bad. I don't want you to come here. I know you're confident in yourself and that you are strong, but they are just…" He trailed off again, sighing.
Kellen sat with his Uncle's warning, absorbing it for a moment before he spoke. He knew that his Uncle was speaking from a place of concern. He wasn't demeaning Kellen in the slightest, which meant that Kellen had either not been told the full truth of the state of the other parts of the world when it came to the E.A.G., or things had ramped up significantly when he had been in the gate.
He had a feeling it might be both.
"I've survived one attack, er, two attacks already." Kellen told his Uncle.
"And stop testing it. You're a baby, and you aren't on your own anymore, Kellen. You have a partner, an Esper who's fucking crazy and I like that about him. You need to think about not just yourself anymore, Kellen." His Uncle warned. Kellen frowned.
"They have one of your people. Rhys' best friend. I sent him there to be a spy and we haven't heard back from him." Kellen told his Uncle, knowing the man wouldn't say anything about it. Uncle Clancy sighed.
"Fuck. They've got their claws in everything, Kellen. Guides are not safe right now. Even now, I have to protect any Guide who works for me, and I can't trust all of my people anymore. It's bad, Kellen. I really, really think you should just trust some of us already here, especially if they have already painted a target on your back. It's the same reason why your parents haven't moved back into their home, right?" Kellen swallowed.
It was true. They were worried, as everyone would be, given the situation. This news only made Kellen's chest tighten. These mother fuckers kept messing with his city, his people, and his life. He was going to deal with them.
"I can't let them win." Kellen told his Uncle. His Uncle was quiet for a moment before he let out a low breath.
"It feels like I'm talking to your Mother sometimes when I speak to you, Kellen. Alright. I'll do as you ask, and hope I don't get killed in the process. Make sure to call your Aunt, too. She would love to hear from you, especially if you plan to go after the E.A.G. She's got some bad blood with them, and a plan she's working on." His Uncle told him before they exchanged a few more words and hung up.
Kellen didn't like the sounds of that. It did not sound like Gunther was safe at all, and that Kellen had underestimated how much danger he was in. Kellen bent, resting his head on the cool countertop near him, groaning.
The guilt ate him alive. Over what he had done, and what he couldn't do. If things were this dangerous, they were going to have to be very, very careful with whatever plan that they made for Charlie, and Kellen was of the belief that now was the time to tell Charlie exactly how dangerous it was going to be for him going forward.
Speaking of that, Kellen's chest ached as an idea formed in his mind.
Charlie guiding Rhys. Not anything crazy, just basic stuff and just to get Rhys to a more stable level so that he could use his powers. If he was able to use his powers, he might be able to help them plan what the right next steps could be with better insight. They were all relying on their own knowledge right now, and while that was good, having someone who could see the future vouching for their choices couldn't hurt.
It did make Kellen's stomach roll. He couldn't even imagine how Rhys would take it when he suggested it to him. He could already see the look of betrayal on his face. Maybe he was borrowing his powers or something. Rhys would not take it well, and Kellen already wasn't, but it was something that should be offered.
Personal feelings aside, Charlie wanted to be useful, and what was more useful then helping out the Captain of the Guild while his Guide was severely injured? It was the right thing to suggest, especially with so many lives resting in the balance.
Just hand holding. That is all it would be. Just hands touching hands.