(BL) Hunting The Field Guide-Chapter 460: The expected outcome

There wasn’t much that the two of them could say to each other after that. Rhys and Kellen just held each other, drifting off into rather restless sleep, both waking up periodically in the night just to make sure that the other person was still there.

In the morning, the call came.

No one else had volunteered. Unlike last time, Rhys was at Kellen’s side when the video call went through. No one looked well. Everyone looked tense, stressed, and like they hadn’t slept well.

Sakura looked particularly ruffled, her normally groomed appearance lacking and her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. She wasn’t wearing her uniform and instead looked like she was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and Kellen hoped for a pair of sweats. She was allowed to wear normal clothes.

Kellen came in his uniform, only because he was getting ready for the day. He was actually wearing the Saturn Guild’s uniform. He’d been wearing the Field Guide uniform but today it just...felt right.

Rhys was holding onto his hand in his Field Captain uniform. A form of solidarity. Kellen knew this was going to hurt him, and honestly, Kellen didn’t know if he was making the right choice. Everything felt so damn confusing, so absurd. He didn’t know what the right answer was, even after begging Rhys to stay behind.

Hill, Taylor and a rather on edge Sergei were on video from the front lines. Hill looked rough, her hair a curly mess and her eyes the orange of her powers. Taylor didn’t look much different. Her hair was still in a ponytail, but her eyes had giant bags under her eyes. Her Doctor’s coat was smeared with dirt and dust, making it look like she’d gone through some shit. She probably had.

Sergei? Well, Kellen could tell the man was on the cusp but he had probably insisted on being here. Kellen wondered what had pushed the man over the edge. There were too many options for Kellen to know what it was. Brent disappearing, the monster attack, the gate...swallowing people up, the D.E.C. bullshit, the E.A.G. bullshit. Any of that could be what was weighing Sergei down.

The silver of his piercings stuck out on his pale skin, his normally blue eyes leached with the yellow of a surge. His sclera were slowly changing from white to black, but he looked rather calm about the whole situation. A guide was beside him, holding his hand, doing their fucking best as sweat poured down their face.

Kellen felt terrible, but he was sure that Sergei felt terrible as well. It was probably a good thing that Taylor was next to him.

Lieutenant Fisher was looking rather bleak as well. His hair was disorganised, his eyes dark pits in his face. Out of the faces that stared back at him, he looked the most guilty. Like he hated that there was no other choice.

"No one else volunteered, right?" Kellen felt like he had to be the one to say it. Rhys’ hand tightened on his hand as Lieutenant Fisher wouldn’t meet his gaze.

"No. I’m sorry, Kellen." A strange sense of peace came over Kellen as soon as he heard those words.

"It’s okay." Kellen said, sounding a lot stronger than he felt. "I’ll use the day to get everything sorted, and I’ll head out around 12, maybe 11 pm depending." Kellen said. It was going to be better for him to go down at night then it would be for him to go during the day. It wasn’t like there wasn’t a target still painted on his back. The E.A.G. would probably love to have his head on a silver platter before he even stepped foot in the gate.

"Kellen, he’s working on another suit. Stop by before you go." Sakura said tiredly. Kellen nodded. Everyone was looking between him and Rhys, but it was Hill who asked.

"Is the Captain going with you?" Her voice held an edge to it. Kellen opened his mouth, ready to take the full brunt of it, but Rhys beat him to it.

"We discussed it, and I’m staying behind." Rhys said and Hill’s face twisted.

"What? You two are a pair! You’re supposed to be together! You’re practically imprinted now!" Hill’s words pierced Kellen’s heart. It hurt to hear, hurt to see the anger on her face, and how even Taylor looked uncomfortable. Kellen was ready to defend himself, even as his chest ached painfully.

"I’m going to go under while Kellen is inside the gate. Just for a little while. It’s okay, Karen. We decided this together." Kellen felt like an asshole hearing how strained Rhys was while saying that. He’d been okay yesterday to some degree. Crying had really helped him get all of this out, but now? Hearing Rhys say it to others? He was only doubting himself.

He needed to be stronger. He needed to be more firm in his decision. It wouldn’t help him or Rhys if he begged him tonight to come with him. He needed to be firm.

"Rhys, he’s working on two suits, you don’t have to-" It was Sakura who had spoken up, worry in her tone more than anger but Rhys cut her off.

"It’s okay, everyone. Kellen told me he’s coming back." Kellen swallowed. He didn’t know what state he would be coming back in, but he did have confidence that he would be coming back. The look of horror on Taylor’s face as she realised to some degree what was going on made Kellen’s stomach drop.

"Are you serious? You’re trusting your gut feeling? Now? Are you crazy?" Taylor’s soft words shredded Kellen on the inside and Kellen opened his mouth to respond, but Rhys once again spoke for him.

"Green, Kellen isn’t just trusting his gut. He’s...I know you were there the first time, but I don’t know if you’ve been briefed on this, but he’s had two visions so far. Both have, tragically, come true in some regard." Rhys’ words were soft, but meaningful. Taylor’s expression looked horrible. She clearly hadn’t heard about the second time since Kellen had kept it close to his chest.

He told Rhys, but Taylor hadn’t really been roped into the second time. That was partially on Kellen, but the way she was looking at him. She shook her head, closing her eyes and covering her face. The soft sound of crying had Kellen’s whole body stiffening and Hill wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Taylor, I-"

"You fucking better be right." She raised her face, her tears pouring tears. The words sounded like they hurt coming from her throat. "You better be fucking right Kellen, or I’ll kill you with my own hands." She was filled with emotions. "You need to see me before you go in." She told him, before brushing off Hill’s hand and storming off and out of the tent that they were in.

Kellen didn’t know what to say. It was an order, and he needed to make sure that he did.

"Do you want my team to reach out to yours about the going under procedure?" Sergei spoke up, his tone sounding tense. He was doing his best to keep himself together, but he was not well. "And I’m sorry you have to do this, Guide Kellen. I wish that we could reach out to others, but the process..." Sergei didn’t need to explain it to him.

He knew how slow the international world was. How responding to emergencies wasn’t done quickly so most countries were left to their own devices unless they knew in advance that something terrible was going to happen. Which was an insane policy.

Kellen had long wanted to change it, but hadn’t had the power to do so. Maybe when he came back that was something he could work on.

Kellen was kind of finding it funny that this was what pushed him to decide on a goal for after this. It was almost funny how many times he’d gone into gates before now and hadn’t had any of these kinds of thoughts, but now? Now he was having hope for after he got out? When it was the most dangerous gate that they had ever encountered?

Kellen chuckled.

Everyone turned to look at him, including Rhys and Kellen just shook his head.

"Sorry. That was inappropriate. I was just thinking about how foolish the system in place is and I just had a little chuckle about how useless it is." Kellen said. "Please have your team reach out. Rene is already here, so you could send it to her. She’s been helping with my parents." Kellen said and another tense silence fell over the group.

Sergei broke it with a deep sigh. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"I’m glad to hear that she’s there. Your parents need it. With both kids going into the gate...Fuck. I can’t even imagine." Sergei muttered, his expression shifting slightly. He looked...sad? It was hard to tell when someone was so close to surging.

"Dad’s not taking it too well." Kellen said lightly, bellying how terribly the man was, indeed, taking it. Hill, who had been around the man more out of the group on the screen winced.

"Fuck. And your Mom?" Hill asked and Kellen just shook his head. Hill looked away. It was clear she was battling her own emotions on this, and Kellen understood. It had to be hard. Being Rhys’ friend first, but also Kellen’s friend meant that she probably felt like she had to pick a side. She didn’t have to. Kellen was okay with her taking Rhys’. He wanted her to, in fact.

"We should let you two go. We’ll keep you two up to date, but just...go. Spend the day together. Stop by before you go. Like around 5 or 6? I’ll text you if he’s done by then or before then." Sakura said, speaking for the group. "Sergei, get your ass back under. We don’t need an S Class Esper surging on top of everything." Sakura scolded and Sergei chuckled.

"Thanks Captain Sakura for looking out for me. I’ll go knock myself out then. I just wanted to see Kellen before he went into the gate." Kellen’s heart ached. That was nice of him.

"Don’t sure before, during, or after I’m out of the gate." Kellen told him and Sergei’s lips turned up.

"Don’t find Brent in there and I’ll do my best." He said before he left with the Guide. Well. That answered that question for him.

Sakura let out a deep breath.

"Who knew that pairing up would have such a drastic impact on everything?" Sakura joked, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "Get out of here you two. We’ve got this for now." She insisted, and Kellen and Rhys left. It felt odd not to do more, be there, but Rhys seemed fine with it. For once, the man was fine letting someone else take over.

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