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Nightmare in Jrusar

Chapter 5: Chapter 4

Summary:

Fearne and FCG have some real-talk. The Bells take their investigation findings to the Greenseekers.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Fearne thought about bringing Ashton back to Milo's house, but in the end, asked Rocky to drop them off at Nana's. Not that Fearne didn't like Ashton's older sister. Milo was a lot of things Ashton wasn't. She did well in school, was good at keeping their mouth shut in dangerous situations. As far as Fearne knew, Milo carried all the memories of her and Ashton's childhood. Where Ashton couldn't remember anything about their parents, or their upbringing before the age of 12, Milo would fill in the blanks. Or, Milo would smile sadly and protectively hide the hurtful truth from Ashton.

Fearne appreciated Milo most of the time. At least if she wasn't with Ashton, Milo could be there to care about them. Fearne also didn't fully trust Milo. Ashton carried baggage from their upbringing. Milo had been brought up in that same house. She wanted so much to keep Ashton safe, help them realize their full and beautiful potential. And Fearne was pretty sure, bumming off of Milo indefinitely was not how they were going to do that.

That's how Ashton ended up sprawled out on Fearne's bed, FCG attentively staying the night in Nana's armchair, and Fearne sleeping on her couch.


Fearne's alarm sends a piercing ring throughout the house. "Someone turn that gods-damned phone off!" Ashton shouts from the bedroom.

The phone is in the kitchen, and a half-asleep Fearne stumbles up from the living room to turn the racket off. She sees Orym's little face on the screen, and groans. It's not her alarm, Orym is calling her.

"Orym?" Fearne picks up the phone, answering sleepily.

"Fearne? Is everything okay?" Orym sounds worried, and slightly out of breath. Muffled sounds of the city can be heard through the phone.

"Yeah, why? What's up?" Fearne holds the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she fumbles around to put on a pot of coffee.

"I tried calling you three times this morning. Is Ash with you? Are you home?" Orym seems to be calming down slightly, but the worry is still evident in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Ashton and FCG are here at Nana's with me. I'm just putting on some coffee, if you want to come over."

Fearne hears a slight exhale over the phone. "Okay, I'll see you soon. I was already on my way over."

He must have been running over, Fearne thinks. She vaguely feels bad for making him worry. She didn't mean to, after getting home Fearne had texted a thumbs up to Orym last night. Letting him know she was all good. THen she had called FCG to help her out with Ashton, and then she had passed out on the cough, exhausted. Fortunately, the Paragon's Call first aid attendant had done a good job. FCG had told them Ashton just needed to rest for at least a day.

Orym's knock on the door wakes FCG from Nana's old recliner, as they come out of the bedroom to join Fearne and Orym in the kitchen. Fearne is retelling last night's adventure to Orym when their senior trainer comes limping into view.

"Hey FCG, I'm glad you're here to take care of Ashton." Orym gives the older man a curt nod. There's still a bit of tension hungover from the Lake Korron tournament in Yios. Fearne knows Orym isn't mad at FCG, but he probably feels like he has to watch the older man more carefully now.

"I'd do anything, for any of you. You know that Orym." FCG leans against the counter to take a sip of the mug Fearne hands them. "Before you get too worried Orym, Ashton is fine. They're tough. And, it looks worse than it is."

Fearne clocks a darkening of Orym's expression and gives her friend a hug. "I'm sure they'd love to see you Orym."

Orym takes a step towards Fearne's bedroom.

"Oh, wait!" Fearne pulls a plastic bottle out of the fridge. "Take this." The unnatural blue stands out in her pale hand. "I think they could use the electrolytes."

Smiling, Orym takes the bottle from Fearne and leaves the kitchen.

"Well, Ashton should be taking a break from practicing for today, but I know you have some stuff to work on." FCG catches Fearne's attention with lacrosse talk. "I can hang around here, or bring them home while you're busy."

"Thanks FCG. I think it might be a good idea to help Ashton recover here for now. Sorry it's such a mess..." Fearne adds.

"Don't you worry about that Fearne. You have a lot on your plate right now." When Fearne doesn't answer, FCG continues. "You start thinking about what you're gonna' do once the season ends?"

Fearne doesn't know. Her parents expect her to go to university, even if they don't take the time to see her in person. And even though they don't plan on helping her with tuition either. Nana had left Fearne a college fund, which would be more than enough to financially support herself through a degree. But she's not sure what she should study. Part of her wants to go away somewhere for school. Starpoint Conservatory, here in Jrusar, gave her a conditional acceptance already. She had missed entrance exams when Nana had died. But Starpoint said, as long as she passed first-year Marquesian and first-year Calculus with a C , then she could attend and qualify for varsity in the spring.

"Maybe I should just go to Starpoint. They have a pretty good Psychology department. Maybe I could figure out why my family is so fucked up."

Fearne goes to light an old blunt, and FCG stops her. "That sounds like a great start. And that, looks like a great end to your day." FCG takes the blunt from her and stores it safely in one of the child-locked drawers in the kitchen. Probably just to deter her from reaching for it, Fearne is pretty sure FCG knows she can open those drawers now.

The young woman sighs and sips at her coffee. Thoughts floating back to that room in the Paragon's Call house she found herself in last night. Worry for Ashton and the job they had agreed to, and the seriousness of this little investigation the Bells have taken on.

"This was all just supposed to be for fun." Fearne's staring off at the kitchen wall now.

FCG doesn't respond right away, but Fearne knows they're listening and formulating an insightful response. "You're going to have to elaborate a little more on which thing you're referring to."

Fearne wishes FCG had let her smoke that joint. "I don't know." She shrugs. "This investigation. This game... Me and Ashton."

She says that last bit before she has a chance to realize it's coming out of her mouth. But if there's one person who might understand, it's FCG. She looks over and downwards at him.

They're smiling back, because they're always smiling. "It can all still be fun, Fearne. The other emotions just mean you're growing up. It's okay to care about stuff, it doesn't make you weak, okay?" FCG pats Fearne's arm.

She doesn't know why, but all of a sudden, her cheeks are wet. Fearne's vision blurs slightly, and FCG's voice gets a little muffled.

"Oh, hey Fearne. It's okay, you're okay." They hold her arm softly, and pull her into a warm hug.

Fearne quietly cries into FCG's sweater. She can't remember the last time she cried. She can't remember the last time someone consoled her like this.


Evidence in hand, Orym, Fearne, and Imogen seek out the Greenseekers. Imogen had insisted they take time to shower and put on "something a little more official than workout clothes" to share what they've found out.

"What are you kids doing here?" Gus greets them in the office entranceway.

"We have information for you." Orym waves his phone subtly. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

Gus looks around the office, it's pretty empty, but gestures for the three of them to follow him. They go down a hallway and around a corner towards a dark oak door with the Greenseekers crest on it. Olly is in the room, and gets up when they enter.

"Gus, what-?" She glares at Gus and then the Bells. "We're busy."

"These folks say they have some information for the investigation." Gus sighs, and waves the three friends into chairs. He closes the door. "Feel safe to tell us what you know."

Orym proceeds to show the Greenseekers the photos from Fearne on his phone. He has them backed up in two different places, but doesn't tell the Greenseekers that, just in case. Fearne provides context to the photos.

"How did you get all this?" Olly is leaning over Gus to see Orym's phone, her tone sounds more impressed now.

Orym looks to Fearne, who looks to Imogen. "What can I say?" Imogen smiles wryly. "We're not just some inner-city kids who play lacrosse."

Gus smiles at that. Olly sighs though. "This is interesting. But unfortunately, you're too late. We already caught the guy."

"You did? But how? You were barely on to Paragon's Call-what four days ago?" Fearne guffaws.

"And what can I say?" Olly smirks at Imogen. "We're professionals."

Imogen lets a slight laugh out at that. "You got me there."

"Look, this is real good information." Olly continues. "And I won't even ask how you got it." Gus is nodding in agreement.

"Can you share any information about the guy you caught?" Orym asks, hopefully.

Olly steps back from Gus' desk and returns to her own. She exchanges a look with Gus. "There will be a statement this afternoon. But, since you kids are so invested..."

"Ever hear of the Hishari?" Gus offers.

Orym and Imogen exchange looks, shrugging. They both turn to Fearne, head's cocked. Neither of them has heard this name before. "Yeah, why?" Fearne's answer gets incredulous looks from everyone else in the room.

"You start." Olly nods towards Fearne.

"My understanding, from, you know my research and stuff..." Fearne starts nonchalantly. "The Hishari are like, a group of people loosely affiliated with the Earth Ashari religion."

Olly continues to nod. "A group of extremists, taking the principles of the Earth Ashari in a very different direction than most practitioners. Their destructive activities peaked about two decades ago, and no one has heard much of them since."

Orym is trying to catch Fearne's eye, but she ignores him and stares straight into Olly's. "So, what about them?"

"I'm not sure how you got on the Paragon's Call tail... But we were following that lead too." Olly's eyes narrow slightly, returning Fearne's smouldering stare. "But we were following a red herring. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was planted intentionally. The mayor's would-be assassin was found dead this morning, in an apartment owned by a known former Hishari operative."

"We thought, she was formerly Hishari. But evidence would say, she's very much active." Gus continues. "Her name will be in the press release. We're looking into her now. But please, do not follow that lead." Gus emphasizes that last bit. "You did great, thank you. Go home, and get ready for your rescheduled home games. I think we can re-open the arena now, what would you say Olly?"

Olly stands and offers her hand towards each of the Bells. "Thank you for your support on this case. If you're unfortunate to be swept up in our work again, well... I'm sorry."

"You kids have a knack for this though. If you're considering the force as a career, let us know." Gus smiles genuinely.

They thank the Greenseekers for their time, and somewhat dejectedly leave the police station.


"They Hishari? Why the fuck do you know about them, when the rest of us don't, Fearne?" Imogen already has her phone out, it looks like she's already skimmed three articles in the time between shaking Olly's hand and getting out of the station.

Fearne shrugs, wondering if she should tell the truth. The truth is, Ashton had been talking in their sleep last night. The word 'Hishari' had come up more than once, and a curious Fearne knows how to use an internet search engine. But she wants to talk to Ashton about it first. She's not sure how they'd take it with Orym and Imogen knowing too.

"These folks look real dangerous. I'm kind of glad we only got caught up with some loser thugs for hire." Imogen's eyes are still glued to her phone screen as they walk down the sidewalk. "There was this one attack, ten years ago. A whole town was taken out! Apparently people thought the organization had disbanded, but it looks like it just went underground. And then, all of a sudden, this awful attack. One little boy was the only survivor. Gosh, this is horrible."

They get to where they had locked up their bikes. "I think I'm going to go home and check in on Ashton." Fearne says.

"How are they? Do they want visitors?" Imogen asks, tentatively.

Fearne shakes her head. "I don't think so. They're doing fine, don't worry. But I think they might be a little embarrassed?"

"Okay, no worries. What should we say to the coaches?" Imogen looks to Orym and back, addressing Fearne.

Fearne thinks about it for a minute. "I would just wait for now. Ashton can send them a note, and if they need one of you to help smooth things over... we'll let you know."

"I'm bringing you two and FCG dinner over tonight." Orym is adamant. "So I'll see you later regardless. I'm going grocery shopping now, text me if you need me to pick you up anything out of the ordinary, Fearne."

"Wish them my best." Imogen smiles, almost giving Fearne a hug, but then stepping back at the last minute.

Fearne closes the gap, and hugs Imogen, then Orym. The three friends all go their separate ways.


"Greenseekers find man behind the Mayor's assassination attempt!" Ashton exclaims from the couch as Fearne enters Nana's house.

He's wearing clean clothes and is half sitting on the couch, supported by pillows. A partially eaten sandwich sits on the TV tray beside them. Ashton waves their phone at Fearne, who sits next to them on the couch.

"They found some asshole, dead. Who's apparently responsible for the poisoning!" Ashton laughs bitterly. "No relation to Paragon's Call. But they are relating him to the Hishari? a cult that hasn't been heard of for, like, twenty years."

Finally, Ashton looks up at Fearne. He seems angry. But Fearne isn't sure where the focal point of that anger is. "Crazy, right? I actually just got back from talking to the Greenseekers. Though, they said we'd have to read the press release ourselves, and didn't tell us much information about it. Can I see?"

Ashton hands her the phone, and she quickly sees a grainy headshot of the man. "This is the guy who was following us..." Then, she quickly scrolls down past the information she already knows. "...Hishari weapons... poison found in Mayor's system... found dead in a rental apartment... Jiana Hexum... That name mean anything to you?" she looks up at Ashton as she finishes skimming the article.

Ashton's eyes narrow. "Hexum... weirdly, yes? I mean, the name doesn't mean anything, but I looked her up. And, her picture looks familiar."

Fearne knits her forehead, thinking.

"Wait, did you say this would-be assassin was following us?"

"He's 100% the guy I saw at the museum, and then again at the field."

"That doesn't seem like a coincidence." Ashton is contemplating something. "Maybe I should be taking my martial arts training more seriously. Think Ratanish would like a sparring partner?"

Notes:

Mystery solved! Sort of? if only to create many more questions. I think I can wrap this story up next chapter... Also thinking of doing an Imogen POV next, then getting some insight into Ashton's POV during Mystery at Lake Korron and Nightmare in Jrusar (plus the Imogen POV), instead of doing a standalone Ashton story.