3.16 Misconception and Regret

Warning: Minor Cursing. 

A very angry Tommy met Apollo in the armory the next day. Apollo dragged his feet, in no mood to actually go out and coexist with David for more than five minutes. He wasn't mad at David after hearing his story initially, but now, Apollo was livid. Was any of that crap about humans taking advantage of him and performing experiments even true? Probably not, David was just spewing nonsense to get away with punching Apollo in the face. Apollo found himself face to face with the man he had come all this way searching for. Except, he was hoping his reaction would be a bit nicer.

"You're not going to be wearing that today, are you?" Tommy scoffed.

"Well, it's really the only outfit I have with me. I didn't think I'd be staying here..." Apollo murmured.

"What did you even come here for?" Tommy looked at Apollo indignantly.

"To find you and explain everything. I thought that you'd be a little more willing to accept me than you are though," Apollo answered honestly.

"It was a waste of a trip then." Tommy turned his back to Apollo and examined the weapons on the walls.

"It doesn't have to be if you'd just hear me out-" Apollo began but was quickly interrupted by Tommy once again.

"How can you expect me to accept someone like you? When we kissed," Tommy lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "I was confessing my attraction to you. I was letting all those feelings that I was constantly being told were wrong, all out. I wasn't expecting to feel any sparks, but I did and I got scared and ran off. Stupid me for thinking that you'd come running after me like it was some sort of movie. When I finally got the courage to come back, I find you with my sister and when I confront you about the spark I felt, I saw it in your eyes that you felt it too. But here you are, married to my sister. I can't accept someone who isn't true to themselves. I may be a lot of things, but fake isn't one of them."

"You're right, I did feel that spark. After you kissed me, I was terrified. I was one of those people who were accepting of people who were gay, but I didn't think that it was right for me to be that way. I told your sister what happened that night and she kissed me. She asked me whose lips tasted better and obviously the choice was you," Apollo breathed, his heart beating faster and faster.

"That's a load of bull," Tommy growled.

"It isn't!" Apollo protested.

"Then what the hell happened?" Tommy demanded.

"I don't know!" Apollo exclaimed, holding his now pounding head. "I was home one day and then bam, it's suddenly four years later and I'm married to Lynette."

"Come up with a better excuse," Tommy said as he began to push past Apollo.

"It's the truth, Mason did it, he said something about doing the guardians a favor. I don't know..."

Tommy froze in his tracks but spoke again, with his back to Apollo. "Change that ugly shirt. You're a dead giveaway. We don't have those characters." He pointed to the bright skulls on Apollo's T-shirt. "David will give you something."

"I will?" David asked, coming in to the room.

"Yeah, you will," Tommy said bluntly.

"Picking you as my human was one of the best and worst decisions of my life," David smirked, pulling Tommy in by the waist and planting a kiss on his cheek.

Apollo quickly interrupted the two by asking a question. "Can I ask what you mean by 'picking him as your human'?" 

"I forget that not every human is as smart as mine." David unlinked his arms from Tommy's waist and began to explain. "Humans are not allowed here unless given permission by Damian. I wasn't lying about that part. In order to ensure the human's understanding, loyalty and safety, a supernatural has to accompany them, as what you guys would consider a sponsor or mentor. Of course, nobody here is really too fond with humans. You guys, well most of you guys like to screw things up. That's why we call you guys our pets, because if we find someone worth taking all the crap for, they're ours."

Apollo let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you guys meant that humans were like slaves or something!"

David shook his head. "Even we're not that messed up. Just stick with that freakin ice girl and you'll be fine. You're brainwashed by the guardians enough as it is."

"We need to talk about that later actually," Tommy whispered to David who nodded in response. "Give Apollo a shirt. I have things to do. When you guys are done meet Damian in the throne room. We have little time to wait." He made his way to leave but stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Apollo, this isn't some video game. It's real life, so don't screw up."

"Nice of you to join us gentleman," Damian said calmly.

Both David and Tommy bowed down to Damian. Apollo stood in his place, unaware of what he should be doing. He was a bit confused. He wasn't just going to bow down to the guy who he had just seen a week ago in University. It was weird. Instead, his eyes trailed to a very subdues Frost Bite. She was leaned against the wall, eyes shut. "Are you ok?" He blurted out.

"I'm good, just had a misunderstanding with Mr. Vampire King over here." Frost let her shoulders droop as she looked up at Apollo. "I don't like this green guy, be careful."

"I'm right here!" David grunted.

"You punched him in the face!" Frost shouted. "What the hell?"

"He shouldn't have broke Tommy's heart. He fucking deserved it!" David shouted back. "He's a fucking asshole!" Damian sighed and began to rub his temple. 

"Enough! What the hell is the matter with the three of you?" Tommy asked. "Show the headmaster some respect!"

"Excuse me?" Frost stepped forward and leaned down so her face was inches from Tommy's. "You may have control over lizard boy over there, but Apollo and I are not under your jurisdiction. It's pitiful, how you bend to Damian's every will. Big whoop, he's letting you stay here. No need to kiss his feet. You have no reason to even be here."

"Frost..." Apollo began but Tommy cut him off.

"Don't think that because you're a guest, that you're privileged. I can't hit you but I can make your little puppet pay for all the crap that the guardians have done." Tommy didn't have to look at Apollo. He knew that he was the puppet. Apollo sure as hell felt that he was being used, not just by the guardians but by everyone, even Tommy and Damian.

Damian let out a low chuckle and all eyes landed on him. "You're such a liar, Tommy. Ignore him Apollo, he won't hurt you, and you know that. As for you Frost Bite, I can only tolerate you for so long before I detain you. I'm trying my best to be kind to you because of Apollo, but you're treading on thin ice here."

 "Hahaha!" David held his stomach as he laughed. "Ice...get it?" Tommy hit his stomach quickly, causing the green boy to shut up.

"I...." Apollo began. He felt his lips going dry. "I just have a question for all of you."

Glares fell on Apollo from everyone except Damian who just nodded calmly. "Go ahead."

"Ok, uhmm..." Apollo scratched his head trying to find a way to word his question.

"Are you sure it's a question you'd like to ask in front of everyone?" Frost asked innocently.

"Do you have something to hide?" Tommy asked.

"Whats....well, what's going on? I want a straight answer for once!" 

"We don't have time for this!" David groaned. "We have a mission to do!"

"I told you everything yesterday," Frost said, ignoring the green haired male.

Apollo shook his head. "No, you didn't. You forgot to mention the therapist. The reason that you so willingly took me to Tommy to avoid telling me about."

"We had a deal. I can't tell you about the therapist, I'm sorry..." Frost said quietly.

"Fine, then tell me why everyone is so obsessed with my family! Damian, you tell me. Let's see if your stories match up."

"I touched on this a little bit the other day, but there are three factions fighting right now. The guardians want to save the future and they think they can do it through ten generations of the Gray family.Everyone else is trying to stop the guardians and so unfortunately you and all the other heirs to the Gray family will be targeted by many." 

"I have one more question..." Apollo began but Damian waved his hand.

"You guys really need to go to your investigation. Besides, wouldn't you rather hear that answer from Tommy himself?"

"How did you...?" Apollo stuttered. He was going to ask Tommy why he was here of all places.

"Vampires can read minds," David whispered. "Kind of annoying sometimes."

Once everyone was gone, Frost began to yell at Damian. "What the hell are you putting in Apollo's head?"

"Me? I don't know anything about a therapist, and apparently that's the key to solving this little mystery," Damian said calmly.

"What mystery? There isn't any mystery! It's just the guardians working together with the Gray family to make a better future!"

"May I ask you something, and get a serious answer?" Damian questioned. "What exactly is the plan? How are ten generations going to help you achieve your goal?"

"Why do you care?" Frost spat.

"I want a better future, but I can't jump on board with the guardians unless I'm sure that what you guys are doing is right."

"By the span of ten generations, Lunar Lakes is supposed to fall. The people begin to fight and it's absolutely horrible. The whole planet becomes uninhabitable and because of their former isolationist policies, once everyone dies, thats it. Nobody knew about Lunar Lakes. That fall destroyed many people that were the cause of such great achievements in the future. We need to stop that fall," Frost said. 

"How do you expect to do that if Apollo lives in Sunlit Tides?" Damian asked.

"We're working on it. Legacies aren't exactly the easiest thing to control," Frost sighed, lightening up a bit. "I assure you, that we mean absolutely no harm to the Gray family. We're just trying to help!"

"You must understand that the end doesn't justify the means," Damian spoke. "You might be spreading the Gray family, especially Apollo too thin. Consider relinquishing him to my care."

"What? No way! I can't do that. We need him. We aren't doing anything to hurt him. Some mistakes have been made, sure, but no plan is going to be perfect! Apollo doesn't need t o know everything. Don't they say that ignorance is bliss? Why are you trying so hard to thwart our plans? A better future for Moonlight Falls is possible too, that's why Angel is working with us!"

"She's leading you," Damian corrected. "She's leading you down a path of misconception and regret. She isn't the pretty face that you guys thing you know so well. Think about it Frost, if time travel was real, how come the future hasn't been more adversely affected? Why is there only Oasis Landing in the future?"

"Not this again! Emit controls the timeline, that's why the future is tameable. Oasis Landing is one big place where everyone is happy. Don't you get it, Damian? We're doing the right thing!"

"You're wrong, and Mason is proof."

"Mason isn't a product of us, and he never will be!" Frost protested, but it fell on deaf ears. Damian had his ideals and Frost had hers. Only, whose was right? 

"Tell me again why this is necessary?" Apollo looked down at the faint plaid white shirt he was wearing. Button downs were definitely not his thing. He probably looked like an idiot. 

"If we don't hide like this then the target will see us," David said.

"No, I get that. I mean why are we doing this to begin with?" Apollo asked.

"Do you even know where we are?" Apollo shook his head and David continued. "That right there is the vault of antiquity. All of the supernatural texts from the beginning of time are stored there. You need to have certain blood to get into the place. There's this guy who's been seen trying to break in with his magic several times. Tommy heard him say that he'd be here at this time so now we're waiting for him." 

"What do you mean certain blood?" 

"The supernatural higher ups. Angel, Damian, Xepher and Lucas. Angel represents the fairies, Damian represents the vampires, Xepher is in charge of the mages and wizards and Lucas is the head of the werewolves," David answered.

"What about you? What exactly are you?" His skin was green and scaly, he could be a mage. He looked more like a humanized lizard person. Well, maybe he was just being jealous, but that was besides the point. 

"I'm an imaginary friend," David mumbled, looking away.

"What?" Apollo asked but was cut off by David's voice.

"Look, over there! That's our guy! We're listening for the reason that he could be trying to bust into the vault. Keep your ears and eyes open, and don't get caught."

It was a handsome male around his age, if he had to guess.

"What is he doing?" Apollo whispered.

"That allows you to tell your horoscope by looking at the moon, it's pretty nifty," David said. "Its weird for a mage to be using that, considering they have spells that could tell him the same thing."

"Can't you just look at the constellations or something?" Apollo asked,

"Just listen to the guy, will ya?" David rolled his eyes. 

"Aww man, bad luck?" The man sighed. "The stars aren't aligning for me, today."

"It's daytime how is he checking the moon..." Apollo began.

"Shut up, no comments from the peanut gallery!" David hit Apollo's arm.

The man walked away, looking considerably upset, as if his horoscope was going to come true. He made his way towards a smaller building which David pointed out was the Vault of Antiquity. "Wait, David. If only four people can get in, why are you guys threatened by him?"

"Magic is a funny thing.If you can wield it well enough, you can do anything." Maybe I need a mage to help me stop Mason, Apollo thought to himself. 

 

The man's phone began to ring. He looked down at it and let the song play for a few seconds before answering it.  "Yo!" The man began to pace back and forth as he talked to the man. "Dude, where are you?" He listened for a few minutes before speaking again. "What do you mean? Thirty minutes? Come on, seriously?" He looked visibly upset. "I am being patient, but this is important! You're the only one who can help me Ella, please come as soon as possible....yeah, I know, but I thought that we could hang out before, I know but...yeah, got it. I'll wait for you here." He sighed before hanging up the phone. "This girl is going to be the death of me," He said to himself.

"What do you think?" David asked Apollo.

"He is meeting up with his girlfriend Ella?" Apollo guessed.

"I wish we could hear what she's saying."

"Well you know her name is Ella, can you search for her? Maybe finding out about her will tell you everything you need to know," Apollo suggested. 

"Ella what? That's all we know about her. Do you know how many Ella's there are probably living here?"

"She's probably a mage, start with that. Search the internet or something."

David poked his shoulder. "Watch his demeanor, see if that says anything about him."

The man leaned up against the door of the vault casually. He stretched his arms above his head before settling them behind his head. "You try to be nice to a girl and she automatically thinks that you're hitting on her. Typical..." He looked deep in thought. This Ella girl didn't seem like his girlfriend. Apollo kept listening for hints of her, thinking that'd be the best way to solve this case. The man kept checking his watch constantly. "Come on..." He said impatiently, stepping away from the door. 

"I think we may be on to something," David whispered as he inched a bit closer. "This guy speaks his mind, perfect."

"Careful..." Apollo whispered back, gently tugging David's shirt. "Don't screw up," He taunted.

"How could Tommy like an ass like you in the first place?" David turned back to the target but Apollo saw the smirk that was playing on his lips.

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The intense stakeout will be continued in the next chapter! Thanks for reading :)