(BL) Taming the Field Guide-Chapter 108: Come on, you’re not my Mom

"Did you eat breakfast?" Aunt Dina asked and Brent rolled his eyes.

"I would be strangled by you or someone else if I didn’t."

"Did you shower?" She asked.

"Of course."

"The clothes fit you well?" She asked and Brent rolled his eyes.

"I’m literally wearing them right now. You can see that they do, right?" Brent turned his body slightly, showing off the outfit he was wearing. She frowned slightly.

"You don’t feel uncomfortable anywhere? You brushed your teeth?" She kept asking silly questions and Brent just wanted to shake his head and the ridiculousness of this situation.

Today was the day that he was supposed to leave the Guild building for the first time. He was going to the lawyer office, he was going to fuck up his brother’s plans, and it was clear that Aunt Dina hated all of that as an idea and concept.

However, she wasn’t about to go back on her word, so instead she had shown up at the apartment she had assigned him and was asking him individual questions and trying to delay him. She was sitting on a kitchen stool, her arms crossed, her face twisted into a rather displeased look, and her eyes glowing red.

Brent wanted to shake his head at her, but knew better than to do that. That would only delay him more, and Esper Parker and Esper Gardner were waiting nearby. Esper Gardner was smirking, her own eyes fiery as she wore a suit instead of her Guild uniform, while Esper Parker was in full Phoenix Guild regalia.

Aunt Dina was in the same, while the clothes that had been bought for Brent was a dark suit, with a dark undershirt. It looked like he was in mourning, and his blonde hair and green eyes really popped with all the black.

He would have liked to wear something from a Field Guide uniform but Aunt Dina had just shook her head. In her words, that would have taken too long to arrive for this moment, even if she was the one currently delaying that moment longer.

"Aunt Dina, look." Brent started, leveling her with an exasperated look. "You’re the one who benefits from this. You’re the one who made me wait this long. You’re the one who wouldn’t let me wear a vest under this, or give me a gun. You know how good I am with them, and you know that if I had this my way I would have had this done last week, right? All of us would already be dealing with the aftermath of this whole situation. Plus, the longer we delay, the more they get to plan." Brent pointed out.

Aunt Dina’s face grew more severe. She clearly didn’t like when Brent ran his mouth off, but she also didn’t snap at him or punish him for his words. She let him do it, but her eyes were angry, mad as she warned him without words that what he was saying greatly displeased her.

Was Brent using the fact that he was an injured A Class Guide to his full use? Well, he had to. Unlike the Saturn Guild, the Phoenix Guild really hid their Guides. Brent still hadn’t seen the last Lieutenant, the one who had the same position of Casper in the Saturn Guild.

He also hadn’t seen another Guide, at all. Everyone around him was an Esper, and honestly? Brent had been gone from this city for over 3 years. He had no idea what had happened in that time outside of what he heard on the news, and frankly, he had very little understanding of the city while he had lived here as well.

He’d been ’sheltered’ as some would say. Brent would phrase it as ’keeping his head down so that he could survive’. So, he might feel shitty about the fact that he hadn’t been around his own people, but he did know that they were around. The Espers around him kept fluctuating in their power levels, so it was clear that they were getting guiding.

It just...bothered Brent that they didn’t trust him enough to show him their Guides. It probably wasn’t something like that, but Brent couldn’t always stop the thoughts that entered his mind. Like a small, poisonous pill that wouldn’t leave him alone and was weaseling its way into all aspects of his life.

"I can still feel like shit for putting you in danger’s way, Brent." Aunt Dina grumbled and Brent let out a loud, humourless laugh.

"You aren’t the one who put me there. If I recall, it was my brother, it has always been my brother who has made the first move. We’re just responding in kind. So, for fuck’s sake, let me leave this damn place so that I can go to the other damned place and claim my damn rights." Brent muttered. He wasn’t able to hide his annoyance anymore.

He was done with being confined, and Aunt Dina stared at him for a long, long moment before she sighed, closing her eyes. Brent stood, staring at her while she gathered herself, Esper Parker and Esper Gardner stood nearby, waiting. It was only a little bit annoying that they were so loyal. If they had been a little less loyal they might have taken Brent out on his own. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Fine. I know I’m being an ass. I just...I don’t like the idea of you going out on your own, Brent. I know that you’re a big boy, that you are used to this kind of thing, but that honestly only makes my emotions go even more wild. I hate the idea of you being in danger. I hate the idea of Kellen being in danger. I hate the idea of others finding out that you got injured on my watch and having to deal with that damn fallout." Aunt Dina said gruffly, sighing, and Brent felt his eyes widen.

"Um, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but as you said. I’m a big boy, and do you honestly think that treating Kellen the same way you’re treating me would fly?" Brent asked and watched as her face curdled further. She knew the answer and Brent was annoyed that he wasn’t wearing his prosthetic so that he could cross his arms. Instead, he placed his hand on his hip, staring at the other woman. "Exactly. You’re lucky I’m letting you get away with as much as you are. Neither Kellen nor I are blushing violets. While we might not deal with the E.A.G. or other shitty Espers as much as you do here, we aren’t afraid to defend ourselves. I specialised in fluctuating gates, Aunt Dina. I’m good at what I do."

It was the first time that Brent had told her exactly what he did on the front lines, and while he watched her nostrils flare and her jaw tighten, he watched Esper Parker shift on his feet, his eyes going completely dark for a second before he brought his powers into sharp control. Esper Gardner didn’t even try.

Her eyes were still the fiery shade of her powers as she scanned Brent, looking impressed.

"I’m giving him a gun once we get to the car." She said and Aunt Dina snapped her head in the direction of her Espers.

"What?" Aunt Dina hissed and Esper Gardner shrugged.

"What? He’s a good shot, and I would rather defend self defense than an ambush, wouldn’t you?" She said it casually, but it got a rather violent reaction from Aunt Dina. It was, however, the right thing to say.

"Self defense has a lot of wiggle room." Brent added, getting a smirk from Esper Gardner.

"It does. Plus, if Brent also let it loose that he’d already had to do something in self defense but it was hidden from the public...can you imagine what they would say?" Esper Gardner added. Brent felt a shiver run down his spine when Aunt Dina growled, the air in the room getting excruciatingly hot.

It was unlike when Rhys or even Sergei got pissed. Then again, she was a fire Esper, and an S Class at that. A little temperature fluctuation wasn’t a big deal for her.

"They would never say anything because Brent isn’t going to stand still in front of the public." Aunt Dina commented and Brent chuckled.

"What? You don’t want me to pull a Kellen and start shooting in the middle of a press conference? I think it would get my point across very well if that did happen." Brent joked and finally, the temperature in the room shifted and Aunt Dina stood up. She waved her hand dismissively, turning away from Brent and the others.

"Get out of here before I change my mind." She muttered and Brent didn’t need to be told twice. He moved, heading for the door but somehow, Esper Parker was there first, a kind smile on his face but his eyes serious. Esper Gardner placed a hand on his elbow, meant to guide him and control him if something happened.

"We’ll be back soon!" Brent called over his shoulder, knowing that he didn’t need to say that, but that it would probably soothe her a little if he did. He didn’t get a response as they left the room and Brent got to see the hallway. It was so nice to be out of the ever-changing room, even if it was for a few seconds.

Brent even got escorted to the elevator, both Espers practically glued to him, but Brent didn’t really mind. Esper Parker and Esper Gardner were silent, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Brent just listened to the music playing as they went down, shaking his head slightly to the beat.

They ended up going directly to the lower levels and began to move around the lower levels going past rows and rows of cars. Brent had no doubt that most of these belonged to the Lieutenants. He didn’t think that Aunt Dina, with her huge ceilings of her Captain apartment, liked confined spaces all that much.

Esper Parker escorted him to a black car that basically doubled as a tank and Brent got into the backseat. So did Esper Gardner, and again, Brent didn’t push. He was getting what he wanted, he needed to be flexible about certain parts.

True to her word, Esper Gardner pulled out a gun and handed it to Brent. Brent asked for her help to tuck it into his pants, but beyond that, he was good. He had always made sure to train with one hand for situations like this, and honestly, the second hand had always been a little awkward to fire with.

Esper Parker sat in the front seat for a moment, before he sighed and turned to look at Brent. His eyes were kind, but hard at the same time.

"Please don’t take all of Dina’s actions in a negative light." Esper Parker said quietly. "She’s..."

"Delicate." Brent finished for him, surprising Esper Parker and Esper Gardner. "I’m not an idiot. It’s why I’ve been letting her get away with as much as she is. I can feel the instability she’s working with. I’m not going to blame her for it, but I’m a different kind of Guide. I’m not going to take to it for long." Brent warned both of them as well. Esper Parker swallowed, nodding, while Esper Gardner let out a soft laugh.

"Well, we needed someone to shake up this city. I can only imagine what’s going to happen once you do." She said with a wink. "Now, let’s get out of here before she changes her mind, Jeff." Esper Gardner reminded Esper Parker and he turned back to face the front.

Soon, the car was moving and Brent got to see his first glimpse of the outside world since he’d been brought to the Phoenix Guild.

Wow. He really loved concrete.