In A Blink

The gathering was long and frustrating. Ideas came and left, were brought back and slathered with disagreement. Bluebell was walking amongst the Clans, tired on her feet, as she created bottles of cold water to hand to everyone. Many Sixths were helping her, including Gabe. Especially Gabe, actually - he brought out a cooler from the Pierce The Veil tour bus, which Bluebell kneeled beside and filled with clouds of color that turned to large chips of ice and several bottles of lemonade and water.

C.C. was watching over her carefully, constantly distracted from the discussion he and Jinx were having with Amy Lee, The Powering from Evanescence, and Pete Wentz, The Bonding from Fall Out Boy. He was lost from the conversation - again - when he watched Bluebell lean against the side of a tour bus and rub her face tiredly. He knew that look - she was overusing The Creators powers. Like any other Holding Hand, the Sixth was bound to be tired after the strong show of her powers - and now that she had been making water bottles and ice for well over an hour, she had to be exhausted.

Andy, I'm taking Bluebell inside. She's wearing down.

Andy didn't reply, but C.C. felt a vague sense of agreement so he cut the connection and started towards Bluebell. "Hey you," he hummed quietly, unlike himself, as he wrapped his arms around Bluebells waist and hugged her to his chest. The girl just smiled tiredly and leaned against him happily, all too glad to have a familiar someone to lean against. "Let's go inside - you've done enough," C.C. mentioned, voice muffled as he nuzzled into her hair. Bluebell agreed softly, letting C.C. turn her around and wrap an arm around her waist as they made their way through the crowd. Passing Jinx, the guitarist rubbed Bluebells purple hair affectionately before ging back to his discussion on Demon repelling rosaries for every Clan and its members.

Andy and Jake had pulled aside Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Zack Merrick of All Time Low, and Hayley Williams from Paramore. Andy and those three were the only four Voices int he entire group of at least a dozen Clans. "We found a portal to the Dark Unknown," Jake was explaining to them in a quiet voice, glancing at Andy with furrowed brows. "We set it on fire like in the legends, but we don't know if it'll stay gone or not. Those things don't just open randomly-"

"They've been extinct for thousands of years," Andy agreed in his low voice, one arm crossed over his chest as the other hand rubbed his face in thought. "I thought the Holding Clan were the only ones who know about F.E.A.R. and they're demons," Hayley said, arms crossed across her chest in an oddly serious stance as she glanced at Patrick for confirmation. "Exactly," he agreed, giving a shrug of his shoulders.

There was a moment of confused silence, then it seemed Zack had a sudden thought. "What if..." he trailed off, glanced tot he side of the camp. "What if... what?" Jake prompted, fidgeting nervously. "What if it was a Holding Hand who lost their entire Clan? Who had all of the others, but they were killed?"

No one said a thing. Everyone knew what he was saying - and who he was talking about. As if pulled by a single thread, five pairs of eyes turned towards a slightly smaller tour bus with Panic! At The Disco posted on the side. Sitting on the front steps was Brendon Urie, smoking a cigarette and actively ignoring everyone else. One by one, heads turned back to look at each other. Hayley and Jake looked confused. "What happened to his Clan, though?"

Andy glanced once more at Brendon, who was taking a swig from a silver flask. "He was The Closing," he said in a voice so low, even the four just by him had to lean forwards to listen. "When he and his clan were opening a ritual, their Bonding made a mistake. His name was Spencer - Spencer Smith, but his Holding Name was The Focusing. Good guy, but into some pretty hardcore drugs. When the ritual went wrong, it was because Spencer was buzzed on Crank and didn't bind their Powering tightly enough to his part of the ritual. When he slipped up, the portal swallowed their Sixth first before their Voice, Powering, and Stilling. Brendon tried to close the portal, but he wasn't fast enough. He was the only one left. He lost his Holding Name and his powers - at least, that's what he told the other Clans."

The group of Voices went quiet as Andy finished the tale. Patrick and Zack looked stricken - the thought of losing their Clans, even if they weren't complete... unbearable. "Oh my god," Hayley whispered, looking at Zack with huge eyes, "you think Brendon sided with the Dark Unknown?" Zack was already shaking his head before she finished her question, scowling. "No, no - he wouldn't. He's a jerk, but he doesn't want F.E.A.R. to return. No one does. Impossible."

He didn't sound entirely convinced, but no one pulled his strings.

It was another hour before the Clans returned to their respective buses with only a quarter of a plan. However, a quarter of a plan is better than no plan at all - and every Clan felt better about that. Andy and Jake returned to the bus as tired as they were after a good concert, and were greeted with whispered welcome backs and want a beer? Jake declined, jumping into the shower instead. Andy sat down on the couch next to Ashley and took a bottle, taking a deep swig gratefully.

"So what are we gonna go, Andy?" The bassist asked, brow furrowed in concern. Andy gave a great sigh, glancing over at the bunk beds. C.C. and Bluebell were already asleep, curled up together on one of the bottom beds. "We're going to keep touring," Andy sighed, "and we're going to ask Bluebell to make a bunch of those rosaries. We'll hand them out at every concert - hopefully, the fans will find that to be enough protection if F.E.A.R. continued to grow in power."

Ashley didn't respond, just taking another drink of beer. Sometimes there was simply nothing to say.

Notes