Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2023 00:16:27 -0500 From: Fang Saito Subject: Welcome to Avernus - Chapter 6 This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and is protected under copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproduction is allowed without the author's consent. Conversations and feedback are appreciated to Greyson B. via email at hokkaidohotel86it@gmail.com. I love hearing from readers. If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/. Welcome to Avernus Chapter 6 I was pretty tired of the twists and turns, and didn't want to play the games anymore. Time for the direct approach, feelings be damned. I took her hand, and she held it limp, as if expecting me to do the work of shaking hands. It was as cold as it had been yesterday. I let go and looked straight at her, screwing on my best "resting bitch face". "So which is it? Erin or Wren?" With the most playful, Cheshire grin, she asked, "That depends on when I saw you last? Was it here, last night? Or was it two nights ago, at the hotel?" "Alright, I'm done." I turned to leave. Fuck this noise. It was bad enough that something or someone was fucking around with me behind my back. I wasn't going to have it done to my face. "Wren, cut it out," I heard Garrett say. "Fuck Dom, but this kid didn't ask for this." I was a full table away when she called out to me. "Please, Jason. I apologize. Come back." I was still pissed, but for some reason I started picturing her soft brown eyes in my head and stopped walking. I knew if I turned around now, there would be a softer look in them. As much as I wanted to storm off in anger, I wanted to make her happy. Not just that, but I wanted her to be happy with me, specifically. I took another step and just knew that I was going to upset her if I continued going. I didn't want that. Not only did she have answers that I needed, but I wanted to be on her good side. I wanted her to like me. I slumped my shoulders and turned. I tried to stay mad, but the look of relief and friendliness on her face meant I couldn't stay mad. I walked back over to their table. I wanted to let her know I was still upset though, so I walked over to Garrett's side of the table. It was the best way I could think of to punish her back. Childish, and yet petty. Nice. Looking down at the models on his side of the board, I thought I recognized them as well. "These are the Rebellion guys, right? The Scions, or something like that?" Garrett's eyes flicked up at Erin, then back at me. "The Scion Rebellion are the traitors from the Cosmos Emptor. They get power suits and tanks like them. These are the Remnant. They are the other rebellion group, but are more grassroots." He picked up one of his men, a Human wearing a more normal conventional military uniform. "These guys are more about throwing meat grinders at the enemy. More of a horde army." "Oh, cool." I said. "What was the other army you found?" I was confused at the change of subject for a moment, so he clarified. "You mentioned that my friend over here overlooked an army, and you did some research?" "Oh, yeah. That," I said. "The Collective looked really cool, and looked unique." "If you are just starting," interjected Erin, "Why not try out Cosmos Emptor? It's pretty much everyone's starting army. The easiest to play and easiest to collect." Sighing and shaking my head, I answered, "Like I said yesterday, Humans are boring. I want something more unique than what everyone else is playing. I also said that weird is better." Looking back at Garrett, I asked, "Just clarify that I'm not going crazy," He grinned at me, "but did you not see me talking to her," I gestured to Erin, "last night, right over there? And did you not call her Erin?" "We are not trying to fuck with you," said Garrett. "I promise. Wren and I were watching you eat dinner two nights ago, and you had a conversation with Erin yesterday." "Multiple personality much?" I smirked. "You tell me," Erin-Wren said, nodding to indicate the store behind me. There she was again. They must be twins or something, because there she was walking across the store toward us. She was dressed exactly the same as the girl across from me and Garrett, in acid washed skinny jeans and a rose colored skin tight hoodie. The white hair was the same, as were the eyes. "I'm so fucking slow," I muttered. "Twins, of course." I glanced across the table. "So you're Wren, and she's Erin." Wren nodded. "Correct. My sister and I are twins, and we have cultivated the look." "Jason," called out Erin as she approached. She was carrying something that was either a small suitcase or a large briefcase, which she set on the floor under the table. "It's good to see you again." "At least this is finally fucking cleared up," I said. Even I couldn't decide if I was annoyed or relieved. "So were you two fucking with me on purpose?" "No, babe," the new arrival, Erin, said as she leaned into Wren for a side hug. "It was just a coincidence that we were running into you at different times." She continued leaned into her sister. Apparently they liked touching. "Any more secrets I need to know, that you guys aren't telling me?" The two sisters glanced at each other, practically touching foreheads they were so close, then looked at Garrett. "There are a few," said Wren, the seated one, "although we can't tell you everything right now. Public, and all that." "I'm seriously not going to put up with this shit for much longer," I said. "What can you tell me then? What happened to this apology committee?" Garrett laughed while looking at Wren. "That's all you, bitch." Wren sighed, clearly annoyed. "I've been sent, well, I and Montgomery over there, were asked to apologize that Dominic Tsui was unable to meet with you last night as planned. He will reschedule-" "But we did!" I interrupted. Silence hung over the four of us. Finally, Wren said, "You did, what?" "We met," I insisted. "For dinner?" "You did?" asked Garrett. "Yeah. Third floor, long hallway with a dining room instead of a hotel room?" When the other three looked at me like I had a third head, I continued, trying to convince them. "One of his armed goons took me up through a second elevator around the corner from the first. Takes you up to a lobby with a reception desk and a glass conference room?" "Fuck," muttered Garrett. "Hey," said Erin. "I was just about to fuss at Jason here over his potty mouth. Not you, too." "Drop it, Erin. This is serious." "Fill me in, guys," I said. "Seriously. Fill me in or I walk. Was I drugged or some shit? `Cause I passed out in my food, and woke up in bed." Wren had her face in her palm by this point. Garrett was looking at me like I was crazy. Then Erin started laughing. "Dom's lost it," she exclaimed. "I love this. Maybe he'll fail here, finally!" "Guys? Hello?" Wren looked up at me with a serious look. "Let's just say that Dominic... overstepped. He's done a few things that he had the power to do, but not the authority." "What's the difference?" I asked. Erin answered, saying, "You have the power, the ability, to walk over there and punch the store owner." Instinctively I glanced over at the guy behind the counter, reading a magazine, then looked back at Erin. "However, you don't have the authority to do so, and would be arrested." "So what you're sayin' is, Mr. Tsui has done something he shouldn't be?" All three nodded. "Like bringin' me here, maybe?" "Bringing your family here, yes," said Wren. "Naw uh. Bringin' me here. Me." I was getting frustrated and a bit scared. My Alabama accent was coming out, which of course frustrated me even more. Still, I had to get everything out and try to get some answers. "He said so, last night. Mr. Tsui said my dad only got this job to get me up here." Wren looked over at Garrett. "And you were worried about me getting censured? If he plays this wrong, this could bury him." "Ugh," I yelled in frustration. A few people from other tables looked over at my outburst. "I'm not going to get any answers from you people, am I? And here I thought you guys were gonna be nice." Wren looked at me in genuine surprise, a smile on her face. "Oh, I think I'm going to like this kid," she said to the other two. "I'll make you a promise, Jason. These two will witness it." Both of the others nodded, as if this were something more official. "I'll ask for permission. You are kind of a special case, after all. Everything I can get permission for, I will share with you." "They were fucking right," I muttered. "You Ravens are a secret society of something." "Or something," Wren said without a trace of humor. "I'll give you something to chew on," said Garrett with a laugh, changing the mood, "since I can practically smell the pheromones coming off you, kid." I looked at him, trying to decide how much he was fucking with me. "These two, over here?" he said, gesturing at the two across the table from us. In a sing-song voice he added, "They-'re no-ot si-sters!" "What?" I was completely confused. I looked at the two girls. They had to be twins. If not, they looked remarkably alike, and had to have perfected that appearance. "Seriously, you're tellin' me you two aren't twins? You're fuckin' with me, right?" "Oh, they're twins, alright," said Garrett. Erin and Wren smiled at me in a "we've got you" kind of way. Then Garrett added, "Just not identical. Wren here is Erin's brother." "Fuck off!" I laughed. "Nope," said Wren with a seductive smile. She, or rather he, slid Wren off his knee and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, practically laying across the terrain. "I'm one hundred percent, all natural, home grown boy." "Well fuck me." "If that's an offer," whispered Wren, in a stage whisper loud enough for just our table to hear. I gulped and blushed, unable to keep my interest hidden. I was normally better than this, but at this moment, I was 110% horned up, and shamefully would have done anything he asked. Out of nowhere, I found myself lost in his cocoa brown eyes, my cock suddenly straining in my pants. Nobody else in the room existed. Hell, nobody else in the world existed. I was so unworthy of this man's attention, and yet I had to be with him. I had never felt this way, ever. And then something snapped in my head and the... whatever that was, passed. I felt like people describe how being drunk is supposed to feel like, lightheaded and wobbly on my feet. I felt foolish over the thoughts I had just had flash through my head. Sure, I'd found him unbelievably cute when I thought he was a girl. And he was flat out hot, knowing he was a guy. But whatever had just happened was way harsher than the deepest lust I've ever felt. It was wrong, and it scared me. Just like that, Wren sat back up, and as if on cue, he and Garrett went right back to setting their models in place. It was as if nothing at all had happened. I was shaken, really thrown off my guard, and I think the others knew it. Erin grabbed her case she had walked in with and guided me over to the next table. From her case she pulled out trays of miniatures, talking me through what she played, and asking me about my research. I told her about finding a new army called the Collective, and that they seemed interesting. They were an insectoid species, something like the Zerg from Starcraft. But instead of being monsters, they were a psychic race of scientists, using other non-sentient creatures bio-engineered as weapons in order to protect their planets from the Cosmos Emptor. So they looked like cool monsters, yet they were intelligent and crafty, and just as "human" as the Humans. We spent about an hour where Erin used her models to teach me a bunch of the basic rules of the game. Meanwhile, I kept trying to ask questions and dig for more information, even telling her things about me to get the ball rolling. She did her part in teaching me just how good she was at dodging questions and deflecting away from answers. "What am I supposed to tell my parents about all this?" I finally asked. Erin grinned at me. "Do you always tell your folks everything going on with you?" "No, but I usually don't have people like Mr. Tsui walking up to my mother, and tell her that I am being invited to join a social club for teens," I responded. "She's going to ask how it went and what we did." "No, she won't," Erin said confidently. "Yes," I insisted, "she will. You don't know my mother." "I'll let it go," she said cryptically. "How about this? Don't bring it up first. If she does bring it up, tell her... you met a few friends that will help you out with some socially acceptable hobbies." She gestured at the game room as she said that. Eventually we ended up back at the merchandise wall, where Erin pointed out the few boxed units they had for the Collective army. I ended up picking up a specialist unit and a leadership character, but they had no basic troops. I felt like I was being led around by the hand as she pulled me over to the counter and explained to the employee three different boxes she just insisted I needed, for him to order. He explained that orders were placed on Mondays, and arrived that Thursday, meaning it would be a week before I would have the models I needed to play. Then, as I was paying for my two boxes I had, I got hit with more disconcerting news. With Erin on my left, her voice spoke from behind my right shoulder. "So what colors were you thinking about painting them?" I whipped around, confused, only to realize that Wren had joined us at the counter. "What do you mean, what color? I pointed to the box artwork. "They're grey, right?" For some reason I shuddered as he placed a hand on my shoulder. It wasn't dread or horror or anything. More like anticipation, or desire. I couldn't quite identify it. Then Wren leaned into me, reaching to point at a small line of text printed in the lower corner. "All miniatures supplied unassembled and unpainted." "Fuck guys," I muttered in embarrassment. "These are gonna look like shit. I've never done anything like this before." As Wren pulled his hand back, there was a "click" sound, like someone was using one of those little clickers used for animal training, and he bumped into me, shoving me slightly against the counter. "I apologize," he said, placing his hand back on my shoulder. I hadn't realized he had removed it. Then he set another box on the counter. "Roger, put this on my tab." I looked at what Wren had set down. It was labeled as a beginner paint set, and seemed to come with about a dozen choices of paints, plus a pair of brushes. In addition, he had a hobby knife and what looked like a pair of little nail clippers. Finally, from a counter display, he grabbed a little bottle of glue. As the employee started bagging Wren's supplies with my two boxes, I protested, "My guy, I've got money." "Call it my apology. I did say I was with the apology committee, did I not?" He picked up my bag, swinging it around to pop into my chest. Not enough to hurt, but hard enough to engage my reflexes and make me catch it. "When do you need to be back?" he asked. I pulled out my phone and checked. It was just after nine. "Hrm. I probably need to be back by ten. So maybe another 20 minutes?" "Good enough," he said. With Erin in tow, Wren casually tossed his arm over my shoulder, much as Montgomery had done earlier, and walked me back into the gaming area. Garrett joined us at an empty table that was not set up for gaming, and the three of them spent some time showing me how to use my tools, as well as the basics of using my paints. Erin ended up pulling out some partially done models, letting me practice with the tools. The modeling knife kind of scared me at first, with how much it looked like a scalpel. But they went over safety and tips for using the tools and assembling the models. We didn't open my own boxes due to time, but at least I had some idea of what to expect when I did. Both of the twins offered to meet me the next evening, but I told them I wasn't sure if I would be available, with the unpacking and all. I thought it was kind of cool that they respected me enough to not ask for my new address, but then again, maybe they weren't interested enough. Eventually I felt like I needed to break away and say my goodbyes. I've never seen another group of people manage to walk such a fine line between being disappointed, and yet not seeming to give a shit. It was truly weird. Leaving the shop with my bag of new hobby materials, I carried my board and chose to walk rather than ride. My mind was too distracted, and I knew I would hit a rock and go flying. Garrett was exactly what he had been in my first impression. He was handsome, well put together, and gave off the impression of wearing designer everything, from his scent to his clothing. He also had a designer attitude, meaning he had seemed to only have time for me once it was apparent that Wren, and then Erin, had an interest in me. Speaking of the twins, they fascinated me in a way that I hadn't felt before. Erin was funny and entertaining, with a kind streak that stood out whenever I was around her. In comparison, Wren stood out as, not arrogant, not quite, but more... confident. There was a sureness to him, almost like I imagined someone with authority and power would act. It's like he knew the world around him was going to bend to his will, so he didn't feel like he needed to stress how it would happen. It wasn't condescending, even though it felt like it should be. Because once he spoke, his confidence didn't come off as arrogance. That was Garrett, not Wren. And this whole thing with the twins looking exactly alike, like they were the hottest girls I had ever seen, and yet one was a boy. What was up with that? And I didn't mean that in a judgmental way. Rather, I was fascinated. Wren obviously used "he/him" pronouns, yet the way all three of them had discussed him, it didn't seem like they were saying Wren was trans. No, it was made clear that they were decidedly not identical twins, and instead had cultivated their looks to be identical, and definitely on the feminine spectrum. Speaking of feminine. Ho-ly Fuck. I've always self identified as, like, 98% gay. I like my wank-crushes to have dangly bits in their pants and am as turned off by melon-tits as I am by anything else. But I am also the first to admit that I like soft curves on my fantasy ideal. It meant that the closer a person can get to that line between boy and girl, the more it tickles my fancy, if you get my drift. Androgynous, they call it. Fucking hot, I call it. Erin was already getting my attention, in the same way that someone with a lot of those Goth and Emo looks did. But then to get that same girlish body, skinny waist and long hair, while knowing the right equipment was waiting down below? I was one hundred percent interested. Not that I stood a chance, but I was definitely interested. I could have predicted exactly how the next day was going to go. I kept my head down through breakfast, but all that did was frustrate my father that he didn't have anything to bitch at me about. Even still, he took every opportunity to somehow take too long in exiting my hotel room, even though I was packed and out by the car well before either of my parents. Mina and the old, tall guy were there to check us out. Mina even managed to slip me her phone number when neither of my parents were looking. I'm not sure what that was about, exactly, but in addition to her phone number, the note included the cryptic message, "If you need a friend". So who knows. I mean, at least she had been nice. But then, so had most of the hotel staff. But no, the real problems started when we got to the house. While waiting for the moving truck to arrive, I was both "in the way" and yet also "Being lazy and not helping". Not helping with what? I have no idea. All they were doing was sorting their suitcases from the trip. They had new furniture to put their stuff in. I had nothing until my furniture from the old house arrived. I doubt they wanted me helping out in their bedroom. Then the movers arrived. Dad shouted at me to help the three massive guys begin unloading the truck, but the guys were cool and told me, politely, that their insurance didn't allow me to help. All the boxes were marked where they belonged, so I figured the best thing I could do was head up to my new room, and as my shit was brought up, figure out where it went. I mean hell, I knew what furniture there was and how big it all was, so I had already decided what would go where. Barely an hour into the truck being unloaded I heard Dad yelling at me to come downstairs. I figured it was for lunch, given the time. It was a little earlier than I expected, but whatever. Instead I was met by him being pissed off, as usual. "Why am I just hearing from your mother that you have to go to your school today?" he yelled. "I don't know," I said. "Yeah, I have to pick up my laptop and schedule and stuff. But, I mean, I wasn't given a time." "And it didn't occur to you to fucking get it done before all this," he gestured his arms around us, "got so busy?" "Jeremy," yelled my mom from the kitchen, "leave the boy alone! He's got plenty of time and not much to do!" "Stay the fuck out of this, Renee!" he yelled back. "The fucker needs to be here to help out." "God damn it, you bastard!" came the reply. "You will not talk to me like that!" She came storming out of the kitchen, a skillet in one hand, a saucepan in the other. "I put up with your bullshit the entire time we were in the hotel." I was glad I wasn't on the receiving end of her screwed up face this time. "But this is my house we are in now! And I won't have it!" "The fuck it's your house, woman! You'll take what I fuckin' give you!" A pair of the moving guys slunk down the stairs during this exchange, clearly uncomfortable at being witness to all this, and I shrunk in embarrassment, knowing how fucked up both my parents were acting. The dudes were staring, unsure what they were witnessing and how bad it might turn. When Dad yelled, "The fuck you looking at?" toward the guys, one of them put up his hands in a "We're not part of this" gesture, and then hurried outside. Using the movers' interruption as an opportunity to deescalate, Mom looked in my direction and in a more normal volume said, "Baby, why don't you run up to the school now. We'll eat lunch when you get back." "The fuck he will," yelled Dad. He wasn't about to take the hint about calming down. "He'll stay here and get back to work." "Jeremy, you know now's as good a time as any. He's in the way of the guys unloading right now anyway." Like turning on a dime, Dad looked in my direction and yelled, "You heard your mother! Get your ass to the school and get your shit!" He was yelling as if it had been his idea the whole time. I was done with this and ready to get out of the house. I didn't even bother going upstairs for a jacket. I just took the opportunity and slipped out the front door. Finding the school wasn't difficult, especially with GPS on my phone, and I was right. It didn't even take 15 minutes to walk there. It was a pleasant day, even if it was a bit chilly with only my hoodie. Still, it was comfortable enough with the sun out. Getting into the school and finding the office again was no problem, and the secretary from the other day seemed pleased to see me. However, when she went into the back to get my laptop for me, another lady brought it out instead. Setting it on the counter, she said, "I heard a few things about you, so I took the initiative to load the student handbook onto your desktop. On page 15 you will find the dress code. Ensure that, come Monday, you are following it, Mr. Docker." And before I had an opportunity to even register what she had said, much less formulate a reply, she had already turned and walked away, without even an introduction. Man, what a bitch. I'm betting that was the principal the others had warned me about. I made it back to the house, only to find out that Dad had run out and picked up fast food without anyone bothering to ask me what I might want. It seems that almost as soon as I had left, the movers had announced it was their lunch break, so Dad decided to run and get food without waiting for me. So he was already back with food. I mean, I guess the burger and fries he had gotten for me were fine, but the place he had chosen definitely had better options. Not to mention, now it was cold. About two hours after lunch, I was upstairs in my room, staying out of the way and reading over the instruction booklet that had come with the painting kit, when I heard the type of call I always dreaded. From all the way downstairs I could hear my dad's voice. "Oh, hell no!" he yelled from somewhere muffled. Then closer and clearer, I heard him yell, "Jason, get your fuckin' ass down here!" Shit. No idea what that could be, but the longer it took for me to answer, the worse he was going to make it. I got to the stairs as quickly as I could without running, and looking down, there he was at the bottom. "There you are! Get your ass down here." He kept staring and motioning for me as I made my way down the steps. I kept expecting him to say something, since he looked like he was ready to explode, but it was obvious he wanted me down there. As it turned out, he wanted me in arm's reach. I had two stairs left when he lunged forward and grabbed a handful of my hoodie, yanking me off my feet and down to the ground. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, he was already tearing into the back pocket of my jeans, ripping the fabric and grabbing my wallet. Dropping me to the floor, I looked up to see him going through my wallet. "You motherfuckin' thief," he growled. Taking out the money I had, he threw the wallet at my face and stuffed the bills into his front pants pocket. "What the hell-" I started to say, catching my wallet so it didn't hit me in the eye or something. "Your mother told me you had a bunch of my money!" he yelled. He reached down and grabbed my hoodie again, lifting me up as if I weighed nothing. It had been a while since I had seen him this pissed. "Now where's the rest of it?" I only got as far as, "She gave me that-" before I was lifted up higher by his grip on my chest, brought up to meet his downward fist. My neck snapped to the side with the force of the blow, and then I dropped to the floor as he let go of me. I bolted upstairs, slamming my bedroom door. I went into the bathroom, needing to see how bad it was in the mirror. And it was bad. I was going to have a shiner. Not my first, and probably not my last. But definitely enough to piss me off. My emotions and the adrenaline started catching up to me, and I found myself crying. Not hard, but seriously unable to hold it in. Of course, that just frustrated and humiliated me more. Thank fuck nobody was here watching me lose it. Minutes later, I heard shouting from downstairs. I heard my mom's shrill voice, and of course Dad's yelling. But also other voices. First one, then more. I thought it might be the moving guys. I was staying up here though. No way was I going out there. The yelling continued for a couple of minutes, then sounded like maybe it had moved outside. I did my best to ignore it, calming myself down and wiping my face. I was too caught up in my own head to pay attention, but at some point the shouting stopped. Well, the people yelling back at my father. Him, I could still hear occasionally, yelling at Mom and occasionally yelling my name as well. I was starting to realize that I had a bit of an advantage with this setup, due to the shared bathroom. It meant if it really came down to it, whichever bedroom he entered, I could always run out the other. I don't know how long it was, whether it was three minutes or fifteen, but I heard a few other voices. I heard my dad yelling, but the talkers weren't yelling back. I was curious, but unsure whether I wanted to ignore it or investigate. I still hadn't decided, when I jumped as someone knocked on my bedroom door. It opened before I could cross the room, and I was met by a uniformed police officer standing in the doorway.