JFB Chapter 2: Before It All, Part II

In the dusk shade of an oak tree, Jake crouched against a tree, panting and fiddling with the fingers at his side as they still leaked grey smoke. His eyes were back to their original brown color, though still and always brimmed with a darkness not unlike the smoke just conjured. Never had he let loose so recklessly in such a crowded area, completely losing track of himself and feeling the bold power of fear in every corner of his body. But then again, never had he felt no choice.

         Ever since the world had known them as Fear and Deceit, Jake and Felix had worked toward erasing their previous identities so that they may never be caught. Felix was more at ease, sometimes going out in his true form and letting most of the marked Virtues know his face. But Jake had sunk further and further into seclusion and mystery, achieving the best advantage when all anyone saw was a disguise and shadows. Their mission would have ended on that street corner if he had been caught.

         With shaky joints, Jake rubbed his face and ruffled his hair, feeling the familiar smooth texture as it fell back into place. All he remembered was darkness… smoke… and a hollow wind, then finding himself on a path beneath some trees. A hill was nearby, and Jake figured he was in Yorkton Hill Park. The rush of the surrounding streets faintly reached his ears, the people getting over the shock of what had just happened. The museum alarm no longer sounded but sirens blared in the distance as Jake decided to make his way to the hotel.

         Tufts of grass licked at his boots as he trudged through it, trying to get a bearing on which direction he needed to go. The hill at the center of the park was just before him, a green silhouette against the night blue sky. The distant points of starlight shined from above, and before he realized it, Jake found he was rising to the top of the hill. When he reached the peak, he briefly scanned the skies.

         His mouth twitched into a slight smirk in the faint light of the stars. Rarely did his face meet open air, where the starlight revealed a hint of promise, though he didn‘t feel any, and his smirk made him glow with a peculiar cunning that added a sly charm to the act.  But when he returned his features to the landscape before him, the weight of the sky seemed to press down the corners of his mouth, and his straight, dark brown hair swept just above his eyes as they returned to their shadowy hue.

         It was a wonder indeed how the stars could sparkle each night without a shadow of doubt, no matter how ugly or stupid people could be; a cold unconcern that taunted Jake, who held no sway over them. Fear, or any other Virtue for that matter, was something that didn’t belong to the beauty of the world of stars, just beyond everyday life. A flicker of movement brought Jake back to his surroundings, and he realized he was not alone.

         A person was laying on the grass several feet to his right, resting on the decline of the slope. Jake’s eyes snapped cold, although he realized the person was sleeping. It was a girl in a tattered dress, with skin as pale as his. As he crept closer, he saw by her face that she was no older than himself, and that there was a light about her. Her long, raven hair fell in waves around her face, and her hand rested close to her neck on her dainty figure, where a silver chain glinted. Attached to the chain was the source of her light, a half of a crystal. Glowing subtle green, Jake realized he had seen it before, though he had almost forgotten about its starry sheen that gave a soft glow to the girl’s fair skin. None other than Felix owned what seemed to be the other half.

         The jewel Felix had owned since before he could remember, leading them to search the entire country to find its missing half. Of supposed mystifying power and the answer to the perplexing powers of the Virtues… whose worth was only fulfilled as a whole crystal. It was a strange coincidence that Jake was to discover it when it seemed another of their plans had failed so close by, and around the neck of a person. He eagerly reached for it, but a feeling stayed his hand.

         Could it be she was a Virtue? The girl had a presence different than the superficial images he considered everyone else. The normal people. It had been such a long time since he had been around another Virtue, besides Felix and their brief encounters with Merrick. And an especially longer time since he was not in disguise or working on a secretive agenda. A peaceful calm was frozen on her features, the brisk air having no effect on her relaxed appearance, though Jake could sense a complex strength just beyond this brief rest. The girl must have slept through his outburst, Jake grasped, wondering exactly which Virtue she was. As she quietly slumbered, Jake hesitated between taking the crystal and checking her left wrist for the mark of a Virtue, just to be sure. As his hand wavered between the two, she shuffled her body and yawned, her outstretched hand barely missing Jake’s face.



         She opened her eyes and straightened abruptly, hand flying to the jewel around her neck. Lightly stepping onto her feet, Eva concentrated on the grass around her, silently taking in her surroundings. Her arched brows furrowed as she brushed grass from her dark blue dress. She could have sworn she felt someone nearby, just at the edge of her sleep. Suddenly, Eva realized it was night and inwardly scolded herself for falling asleep. Yet, turning from the hill, she stiffened and felt it again.

         Jake ruffled his hair, a glint in his eyes. Yet again, he was thrown off guard, letting slip the perfect opportunity. Though he felt she was a Virtue, it was of a different sort than him, the way the light had shined on her while darkening his own shadows. Before she had seen him, he was already down the hill and into the trees, regretting not snatching the crystal. At least we still have one half, he thought, remembering Felix.

         It had been so close. Jake had no doubt Felix would have snatched the crystal in a heartbeat.

         “Great,” Jake grunted just outside the hotel. Felix had always disguised him when they stayed somewhere, so as not to attract attention, but Felix was already inside. No doubt the townspeople would never imagine Fear himself to the likes of the lone figure outside the inn, but his shadowed eyes were nonetheless eerie. Standing in one place too long for his own liking, Jake began to shift the fingers on his left hand. The sidewalk was deserted as smoke unfurled in his palm, pulling together to form a denser mass. A dark grey form was suspended in his left hand, and with a final blow of breath, the smoke cleared away to reveal a dark blue baseball cap. Shoving it on his head, Jake entered the front door of the hotel.

         A warm fire crackled in a corner of the entrance hall and there was a swish of cups as people sipped their warm drinks.

         “Good evening, sir,” a concierge lady called as Jake glanced at her, whisking by.

         Snakes. And the safety of her children. How lovely.

         That was all Jake took in before he hurried upstairs to his room.

         There was already a small fire going that sent flickers across the light brown walls and a mahogany table, a few glimmering artifacts strewn across it. The room was as spacious as could be managed with two beds, a fireplace, and a writing desk. Still, Jake felt it could look neater.

         “Was that you?” Felix immediately asked, the previous disguises faded to reveal an agitated expression.

         “What was me?” Jake answered, letting his temper flare.

         “The, you know, the darkness and the…” Felix was subconsciously stroking his collared shirt.

         Jake strode to the desk, flitting his eyes over the small gems and odd artifacts Felix had placed there. His hand fell on a stray penny on the edge, gripping it and facing Felix. “Where the hell did you go?”

         “What do you mean?” Felix was back to grinning, his concern ebbing away. Putting on some glasses, he sat at the desk to examine his loot. Jake placed the now charcoaled penny back on the table to clasp its sides.

         “What I mean is, Merrick almost caught me.”

         “Well,” Felix laughed, holding up a golden crest, “you got away.”

         Despite the rapt expression on Felix’s face, Jake knew it would fade soon enough. All the treasure of the world could not satisfy Felix for long, unless it was the one. The missing half of the crystal, his own half concealed somewhere on him. Remembering the hill, Jake straightened into an ominous presence.

         “You won’t find it. The other half.”

         “That’s because you’re pessimistic Jake, I think we’re getting closer.”

         “I saw the other half around the neck of a girl.” Felix looked up, and in a moment. realized Jake didn’t have it with him.

         “Why didn’t you take it? You could have seen her fears and scared her off! ” Felix demanded.

         “She was a Virtue,” Jake said, moving away, but Felix stood up, incredulous.          

         “It’s never stopped you before!”

         “It wasn’t that…” Jake started.

         “Then what was it?”

         Jake paced back and forth, trying to put his thought into words. His boots thudded softly and his dark coat gave him a brooding appearance.

         “You’ve treasured your half-crystal all your life. Heck, I don’t even know where you keep it. The girl was a Virtue like us, and I have a feeling she’s had her crystal all her life also. I don’t even know what Virtue she was, but I think she would have protected it with her life, as you would have done,” he finally said. Felix raised his arms in frustration and took off his glasses, tossing them on the desk. His eyes were icy blue compared to the warm colors of the room.

         “What you mean is, you gave her a fighting chance! The difference between us and any other Virtue is we have a cause. Some Virtues hide and some try to mix into the world, but we know how to be better. Not even Merrick would know true power unless he had the crystal… Both halves.”

         “What happened to owning a bookstore?” Jake sardonically asked, remembering their old dream, before their knowledge of the crystal’s powers. The only place they had been allowed to go on their own had been the library. Felix wasn’t amused.

         “O yes, Fear & Deceit’s Discount Books. If he doesn’t scare you, I’ll be sure to rip you off.” Now it was Jake’s turn to not be amused. But Felix continued. “Look, you can give up, but I’m not letting anyone stop me. What was your motivation for power again? To give the world something they should really fear… you said it so nicely that one time.”

         Felix looked tired as he folded his arms, waiting. Jake clenched his fists, glaring as if he was being lectured by a parent.

         “I don’t know if you’ve realized this by now, but people like us are cursed. We can’t be trusted by anyone. They may be brave enough to look in our eyes, but all the while… what they are really worried about, is what we see in theirs’,” Jake said, digging his hands into his pockets and fixing his dark eyes on Felix. “And all that’s left to do is… take the mess of a life we’ve been handed.” Both of their thoughts trailed to the starry sheen of the crystal once more, half-formed dreams of might filling their minds.

         Felix broke the silence, his frustration not yet exhausted. “You weren’t so good at taking anything though when you finally saw the other half of the crystal. Could it really be so close?”

         Felix abruptly moved closer and Jake had the sensation that he was reading his mind, the fundamental power of the Virtues. As Deceit, Felix could sense lies and secrets from that very moment to as far back as he wished. The shadows around Jake’s eyes scorched to a darker shade while he tightened his hands into fists once more. However, he did not look away.

         “Where is the Virtue?” Felix asked smugly, ready to interpret Jake’s answer.

         Jake flared. “Since when have I lied?”

         But Jake knew he would not answer. Something about his eyes shone differently this night, from amid their darkened depths, and Felix saw this. Merrick’s words echoed from the back of Jake’s mind, fixing a rigid doubt between the pair. You know, I wanted to work with Felix years ago, but he ditched me, just like he has ditched you. Both of their mouths seemed on the edge of words; truth, lies, misgivings and apologies, but the moment remained unspoken.

         Never being able to survive silences, Felix burst into his dazzling smile. “Perhaps Virtues can’t trust one of their own either.” His face flashed into a few disguises as he took a dignified step back.

         Just before he turned around though, his face flashed into a man’s face. His face was no longer Felix, but a man with a strong jaw line and disappointed eyes lined with wrinkles. The man had a familiar head of dark brown hair, though cropped shorter and flecked with grey.  Felix opened his mouth but the voice that came out was deeper, and grimmer. “If I am ever associated with… with that boy…”

         Jake swept toward Felix, eyes unrecognizable. His temper finally boiled over, giving Felix no time to gloat in a knowing grin. In a blaze, a darkness pounded in the room, even stronger than before, and shadows arced from Fear. They snaked and twisted into shady figures crowding the area, hiding Jake from Felix. The smoke had formed a crowd of people, who immediately began to send hushed whispers throughout the room.

         “What are you doing?” Felix asked annoyed, face back to normal, wiping the smoke people aside. The room had lost all warmth, its walls seeming to vanish into a long and distant plain. A child reached for Felix’s knees, the hazy arm vanishing on contact. Deceit repeatedly turned, as if to catch the face of the persons muttering behind his back and only finding strangers.

         Unexpectedly, he stopped. A young adult stood before him, with long hair of light wispy smoke, suggesting blond hair. She smiled cheerfully and a faint light emanated from her that calmed Felix as he reached out to her. His eyes wavered, and for a moment, his mood wasn’t recognizable. Felix, who was often quick to laugh in happiness or scowl in anger, stared vacantly. Just as his fingertips grazed the woman’s face, the smoke and darkness vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Twice that night Felix had felt the emptiness of fear, only this time there was nothing to trip on.

         Jake was visible now that the smoke cleared, staring straight forward from his seated position on the bed. Felix grit his teeth as his hand dropped limply to his side. The tips of his hair seemed alight with fury as he walked over to face Jake on the bed. For a moment, Jake thought Felix was going to punch him, but knew he wouldn’t. No punch or word of apology could put all the broken pieces back into place for either of them.

         “I was almost thinking this was becoming a matter of you no longer being heartless,” Felix sighed.

         “You don’t know who you’re working with,” Jake darkly stated.

         “I knew exactly who I was working with since the day I met you.”

         None knew what the other was thinking as Felix slowly walked to the desk. He truly was a treasure seeker of the world, but the items on the desk had suddenly lost their value. His bright blue eyes were frosty, his agile movements jerky as he packed his bag. Jake rubbed his face, then contented himself with snapping his left fingers over and over, each time gazing into the misty wisp of smoke that twirled upward till it disappeared.

         Felix spoke to the wall in front of him. “This life is a curse. But I’m going to outdo it.”





         Jake went to bed uncharacteristically early that night as Felix gathered the last of his stuff together before leaving. In the morning, he was gone, half-crystal, pennies, and all.

         Gradually, talk died down of the notorious criminals Fear and Deceit, them not making any more dreaded appearances. In fact, since that night, they never saw each other again.