Chapter 95: Sergei hates public speaking

Sergei knew that he shouldn’t be as angry as he was, but he couldn’t help it. He was pissed. Furious.

If he was in Rhys’ shoes, he would be groveling at Kellen’s feet. Pleading for the man to never leave him, forgive him for every transgression he had ever done to him. Sergei knew that he would be doing the same once he had Brent in his hands.

The man was his everything. Just the thought that he might be able to speak to him soon was keeping his pulse moving in his body. Sergei could not understand keeping something so big from Kellen. Sergei hadn’t kept things from Brent. Even in their brief time together, Sergei tried to be honest with the man.

Tried to explain things, tried to learn everything he could about Brent. Tried to show sides of himself to Brent that he could trust, care for. Even if Sergei wasn’t sure that he had those sides, he had attempted to do so.

Then he turned around and found that something incredible had happened to Kellen, again, and the damn fucking Esper was keeping it from the man? The same man who had been calm, focused, and serious, was now smiling like a fool and had no idea why his personality had changed so much? That the others were keeping it from him until they got a certain machine in to test him?

Kellen was going to serve them up on a damn platter, and Sergei couldn’t even feel bad about losing a powerful Guild over it.

The issue was so big that it was distracting Sergei from his current duty, main distraction for the E.A.G and the city while Rhys and their people attacked their main hideout. Again, because Kellen had seen where it was. Sergei sighed heavily, shaking his head as he walked towards the stage.

Rhys was pushing his luck. Kellen was a good man, but there were only so many things that he would put up with. Even if he loved the other man. Kellen came from two very powerful people in the city, and was so well connected that it scared Sergei. What did Kellen mean that he had an aunt in the city that Brent was in?

What did he mean that said aunt was the one who was limiting contact between Sergei and Brent? With one text from Kellen Sergei had gotten a five minute phone call with Brent. Sergei had been begging, pleading for even a glimpse of him. Maybe a photo with the current date or something, just to make sure he was okay.

A phone call? That hadn’t even been something that Sergei would have considered.

Had it been awkward as well? Yes. They had barely spoken, the weight between them so heavy that Sergei didn’t even know how to speak. Even Brent, his normally chatty Guide, was mostly quiet. That told Sergei that at the very least the man could feel that they had a lot to speak about. It was a relief. A great relief for Sergei that he was able to hear his voice and know that he was at least somewhat okay. Sergei asked about injuries, asked about if he was eating properly. Everything that he needed to get out except asking about what they were. He would never do that over the phone.

That wasn’t proper, and Sergei would rather be rejected in person if that was what Brent decided then over the phone, miles away from each other.

This was all to say that Kellen had gotten that for him. With one text to his ’aunt’. That was a horrifying power. He had known that Kellen was powerful before, but the man never abused it. He only used it to help others.

Who was to say that the new Kellen was going to be the same? Sure, he was happy now, but once he found out that Rhys and the rest of his Guild had been keeping something from him, about him, a secret? Sergei wasn’t sure that he would be so forgiving.

“Captain, it’s time.” It was a soft prompting from Beth that shook Sergei out of his own troubled thoughts. She was right. He didn’t have time to be worrying about this right now, not when he was about to explode the trust that the city had had in their Espers just so that they could build it up again.

It was time.

Sergei nodded to both Beth and Evie, two of his Lieutenants before he sighed and pushed open the curtain. He had taken a page out of the Saturn Guild’s book and had printed his Guild’s logo on the large piece of fabric he was moving with his hand casually. He had a feeling that once Kellen touched it, he might have a heart attack. He’d been surprised when he realised that the fabric protecting him was the same fabric that was used in his uniform. He’d be even more surprised that Sergei had used it for a backdrop.

The sounds of the people chattering and snapping pictures hit him with full force. His two Lieutenants entered behind him as Sergei moved towards the podium. Sergei checked the surroundings, seeing his people where they had positioned them, and some in places that he hadn’t told them to be, but Beth surely had told them to be. He didn’t question it.

Beth wasn’t the kind of person to betray him like this. She would have just stabbed him if he had betrayed her. She was honest like that.

Sergei scanned the people below him, seeing a rather strange medley of people. Lots of civilians, lots of press. Sergei swallowed. He hated talking in front of others. It was one of the least favourite things that he ever had to do as a Captain. Should he have assigned someone else to do it? Yeah, maybe, but he also was happy with others thinking that his Guild wasn’t ’friendly’ like the other two Guilds in the area. It meant he got some strange fellows coming to his Guild, but that was okay.

Sergei could deal with strange fellows. He could not deal with flashing cameras.

“Hello everyone.” Sergei began and watched as a hush fell over the crowd. “First things first, I would like to thank you all for coming out on such short notice. I know I rarely do things like this, so I appreciate you all taking the time out of your busy days to listen to me speak.” Sergei said. That put a proper hush over the crowd. Sergei sighed. “I would like to say that we are having this chat because of good news, and in a way, we are, but I think that there are some things that must be clarified for the peace of mind of our people.” Sergei said, scanning the crowd.

It was a little humourous to see people attempt to not fall into the fountain in their eagerness to get close to the stage, to get a better shot of Sergei.

“As you all have been informed of previously, a new type of gate was found on our front lines.” Sergei’s voice was firm, unshaking as he spoke. “That new gate was not unknown to us, since a gate like it had shown up before, but that had been almost a decade prior to the second gate showing up. I speak for all of the Captains at that time that we were unprepared for the hell that this gate would bring to our borders.” Sergei said. “It was a Guide, the newest member to the Saturn Guild, in fact, who was able to pinpoint that there was something wrong with the gate and that we needed more information.” Sergei shook his head, smiling softly at the memory. “While Captain Thatcher and I were busy battling it out for gate rights, we didn’t even consider what was inside of the gate.”

Was it a blunder to admit something like that? Sergei didn’t think so. Most Espers and Guides knew that, so why didn’t civilians? They might know, they might not, but he shouldn’t treat them like they were idiots.

“Either way, we attempted to keep it from the public at first because we, the Espers in charge, needed time to figure out what this would mean for us.” Sergei told the people. “Was it wrong? I won’t lie and say that I wouldn’t do it again.” Sergei could tell that statement the public rustle, uncomfortable with Sergei’s candidness. “My job as a Captain of a Guild in this city is to make judgment calls to protect the people who live here. If I deem that something shouldn’t be told to the public because it would cause unnecessary panic? I would make the judgment call to keep my mouth shut again.”

Sergei sighed, his hands tightening on the edge of the podium tightly. He heard the wood crunch slightly under his hands.

“However, I also agree that you have the right to know what is going on in your city, and what is going on just outside of your city if it would impact your health and wellbeing. It is why we haven’t come down harshly on those who snuck into the front lines to film the gate.” Another ripple through the crowd, more murmuring. “Yes, we know who you are, and no, we aren’t going to punish you more than a fine for being somewhere too damn dangerous for your own safety.”

He had to make that clear. That was something he needed to do for his own sanity.

“The gate, as of now, has been stabilized. Partially for observation reasons, and partially because we need to know how this gate formed, and why now.” Sergei told them seriously. “This was also no easy feat. I am sure that the public has heard that it exploded, but that’s not exactly correct. The gate didn’t explode, spilling out the contents of the gate into the regular world. It sucked in members of the front lines into the gate while they were unprepared. Swallowing them whole.” Sergei could see the horror on the faces closest to them. His jaw tightened as the familiar feeling of helplessness filled his chest. “It was the worst outcome. The worst thing that could happen. We had prepared everyone. Everyone who could be near the gate was wearing protective gear, but it wasn’t enough.” Sergei closed his eyes for a moment, his senses expanding while his eyes were closed.

No surprise attacks would be able to get to him while emotions made him ’weak’.

“The worst part of the ’explosion’ was the fact that the front lines were also being attacked by monsters. A terrible duo that meant it took far too long for our people to be able to figure out who was missing.” Sergei swallowed, opening his eyes. God, he wanted to stop talking already. “A terrible situation made worse by missing members. Unaccounted for people that are cared for and loved. It was only made worse by the fact that no one was willing to send in people to save them, especially the D.E.C. who then owned the gate.” Gasps of horror around the fountain. Sergei didn’t smile. “There is a reason you haven’t seen the old leader of the D.E.C. around, and if you do, please let either the Peach, Nemesis or Saturn Guild know.” Sergei’s voice was firm.

Tom was not getting away with this.

“It took too long, but we eventually had a volunteer who decided that they were going to go into the gate. They were given the best equipment, the best of everything we had to offer. Honestly, if anyone could have done it, they are the one person I would trust to be able to do so.” Sergei admitted. “They are who I hinted are going to join me today. It took days, several painful, crucial days, and yet they managed to do the impossible. They stabilized the poison gate and saved so, so many people who had been sucked into the gate.” Sergei let out a harsh breath. “So I want you all to be kind when you see them. This is the cost that comes with doing something impossible, and please, do not make them feel worse for not being able to save everyone. Death is not something to be made a mockery of, and he was the one who pointed out where each body could be found.” Sergei’s gaze was harsh as he scanned the group before him.

He could tell that they had some idea of who was coming, he just knew that they weren’t fully prepared. He hoped the little hint he’d given was enough to have the E.A.G. scrambling. Now, it was Kellen’s turn to provoke everyone.

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