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Nov. 15th, 2003 04:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nanowrenletThese group jobs could really be a pain in the ass. Pete had suggested they carpool in his van, which was fine by Justin, the less time spent on Pittsburgh's public transportation the better, but about four blocks from their appointment address they hit a roadblock. Literally. The police had brought out barricades and strung tape across the road, and were forcing all traffic to turn onto a side street.
Pete rolled his window and motioned to one of the cops directing the tide of cars. "Is there some problem, sir?"
"Yeah, it's some kind of demonstration down at the courthouse. Nothing to worry about, but we're not letting traffic through. Just in case."
Pete nodded and smiled politely at the man, and rolled his window back up. "Well, what do you guys think? Try to make it around in time?"
The other three reapers eyed the sea of cars in front of them, and Monique pointed out the passenger window. "The municipal garage is just there, we could always park and walk."
Justin agreed, and after a bit of grumbling from Brandon that's what they wound up doing. For a guy who looked as fit as he did, Brandon sure wasn't much into exercise. Justin wondered if maybe he just figured he didn't need to bother anymore.
It was a decent enough day for a walk, bright but not too hot. They walked past the same cop that Pete had spoken with, and he waved. Evidently, whoever had given the order to block the streets off hadn't really cared about foot traffic. Then again, he had said it was a demonstration; for all the cop knew, that's exactly where the reapers, and the trickle of other people on the sidewalk with them, were heading. Their address was just on the other side of the courthouse, hopefully they could skirt around whatever was going on and still make their destination in time.
They could have. They would have, passing by on the other side of the street from the protest, if Justin hadn't happened to turn his head at just the right time to catch a glimpse of red hair that he'd have known anywhere in the world. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, puzzled, wondering what the hell Debbie was doing at the courthouse. And what his mother was doing standing next to her, holding up... some sort of sign. And chanting something that Justin couldn't make out until it got louder, until a group of people started coming down the courthouse steps, and every single thing became suddenly, horribly clear.
"No Bail for Bashers! No Bail for Bashers!"
Chris Hobbs walked down the steps, flanked by his parents and lawyers. The knot of protesters surged towards him, pushing against a line of security guards set to hold them back, and a pair of iron bands around his chest held Justin back like maybe they were someone's arms, and the noise in Justin's ears was his own screaming.
Everything was white and red and -loud- for what felt like forever, until there was pain in his knees and a jolt that snapped his jaw shut as Justin and whoever was holding onto him crashed to the ground.
"Let me go! Fucking let me go!"
Brandon's voice was disturbingly calm. It pissed Justin off how fucking calm he was. "No, I don't think I will."
Justin was frantic, twisting and arching in Brandon's arms for all the good it did him. "God, don't you get it? He did this to me! That fucking bastard -murdered- me!"
"What would you do if I let you go, right now?"
He was breathless by then, panting, and his hands itched like he wanted a pencil but he didn't, he didn't want to make something, he wanted to -hurt- and that was in his hands, too. Justin was a -reaper-, for fuck's sake, and the knowledge of all that meant crystallized inside of him. "I could do it. I could hurt him."
"He won't even know who you are, Justin."
"I don't care! I don't care if he -ever- fucking knows why, I can hurt him! I can fucking make him pay!" He surged forward again but it was useless, Brandon's hold was as unbreakable as steel. As implacable as death. The most Justin could do was keel them both further forward on their knees.
Monique had her hand over her mouth like she was too frightened to even cry. Pete just looked stunned. And all around them people kept walking, stepping around them and going casually on their way like the reapers didn't exist. On the other side of the street, some people vanished into waiting cars and others started their trek to where the protesters had been allowed to park, blocks away.
Brandon snapped at Pete, "Would you fucking call Rube, already?"
Pete nodded, fished his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. Justin laid his forehead down on the sidewalk and just sobbed.
[837/837/27993]
Pete rolled his window and motioned to one of the cops directing the tide of cars. "Is there some problem, sir?"
"Yeah, it's some kind of demonstration down at the courthouse. Nothing to worry about, but we're not letting traffic through. Just in case."
Pete nodded and smiled politely at the man, and rolled his window back up. "Well, what do you guys think? Try to make it around in time?"
The other three reapers eyed the sea of cars in front of them, and Monique pointed out the passenger window. "The municipal garage is just there, we could always park and walk."
Justin agreed, and after a bit of grumbling from Brandon that's what they wound up doing. For a guy who looked as fit as he did, Brandon sure wasn't much into exercise. Justin wondered if maybe he just figured he didn't need to bother anymore.
It was a decent enough day for a walk, bright but not too hot. They walked past the same cop that Pete had spoken with, and he waved. Evidently, whoever had given the order to block the streets off hadn't really cared about foot traffic. Then again, he had said it was a demonstration; for all the cop knew, that's exactly where the reapers, and the trickle of other people on the sidewalk with them, were heading. Their address was just on the other side of the courthouse, hopefully they could skirt around whatever was going on and still make their destination in time.
They could have. They would have, passing by on the other side of the street from the protest, if Justin hadn't happened to turn his head at just the right time to catch a glimpse of red hair that he'd have known anywhere in the world. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, puzzled, wondering what the hell Debbie was doing at the courthouse. And what his mother was doing standing next to her, holding up... some sort of sign. And chanting something that Justin couldn't make out until it got louder, until a group of people started coming down the courthouse steps, and every single thing became suddenly, horribly clear.
"No Bail for Bashers! No Bail for Bashers!"
Chris Hobbs walked down the steps, flanked by his parents and lawyers. The knot of protesters surged towards him, pushing against a line of security guards set to hold them back, and a pair of iron bands around his chest held Justin back like maybe they were someone's arms, and the noise in Justin's ears was his own screaming.
Everything was white and red and -loud- for what felt like forever, until there was pain in his knees and a jolt that snapped his jaw shut as Justin and whoever was holding onto him crashed to the ground.
"Let me go! Fucking let me go!"
Brandon's voice was disturbingly calm. It pissed Justin off how fucking calm he was. "No, I don't think I will."
Justin was frantic, twisting and arching in Brandon's arms for all the good it did him. "God, don't you get it? He did this to me! That fucking bastard -murdered- me!"
"What would you do if I let you go, right now?"
He was breathless by then, panting, and his hands itched like he wanted a pencil but he didn't, he didn't want to make something, he wanted to -hurt- and that was in his hands, too. Justin was a -reaper-, for fuck's sake, and the knowledge of all that meant crystallized inside of him. "I could do it. I could hurt him."
"He won't even know who you are, Justin."
"I don't care! I don't care if he -ever- fucking knows why, I can hurt him! I can fucking make him pay!" He surged forward again but it was useless, Brandon's hold was as unbreakable as steel. As implacable as death. The most Justin could do was keel them both further forward on their knees.
Monique had her hand over her mouth like she was too frightened to even cry. Pete just looked stunned. And all around them people kept walking, stepping around them and going casually on their way like the reapers didn't exist. On the other side of the street, some people vanished into waiting cars and others started their trek to where the protesters had been allowed to park, blocks away.
Brandon snapped at Pete, "Would you fucking call Rube, already?"
Pete nodded, fished his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. Justin laid his forehead down on the sidewalk and just sobbed.
[837/837/27993]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 02:51 pm (UTC)I knew, from the first moment I saw the word "courthouse" out of the corner of my eye, that bad things were coming.
Gowritemorenow.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 02:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 09:32 pm (UTC)Oh, Man. This broke me in Whole New Ways! I feel emptied-
Date: 2003-11-15 02:59 pm (UTC)Waaaa!!! Poor Justin!! Rube better be a little bit understanding. No way for Justin to have been prepared to See that, or at that point avoided it. I'm going to go curl up in a ball & finish sobbing now.
Re: Oh, Man. This broke me in Whole New Ways! I feel emptied-
Date: 2003-11-15 09:32 pm (UTC)OH!
Date: 2003-11-15 03:03 pm (UTC)the last line did it for me. it hurts. but in a good way, sorta. poor, poor justin. i'll be over here in the corner, in a small fetal position, sucking my thumb.
Re: OH!
Date: 2003-11-15 09:33 pm (UTC)*pats* I'm glad the hurt is good? :)
no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 09:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 04:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 09:35 pm (UTC)Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-15 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-16 08:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-16 03:47 am (UTC)Oh my g-d. I'm weepy.
so very good.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-16 08:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-16 10:57 pm (UTC)*is speechless and muttering to self now* uh... uh...
no subject
Date: 2003-12-03 10:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-01 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-11 09:10 am (UTC)Scary!
Date: 2008-07-18 12:26 am (UTC)