I'm Half-Doomed and You're Semi-Sweet

Jack nervously led Pete down the dark streets, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake by bringing him right to their only hideout in the city.

“How do you know Kira?” Pete tried.

“Long story,” Jack mumbled, waving the question away. Pete had to restrain himself from striking him in frustration.

“Why did Alex send her?”

“To find you,” he answered simply.

“So what does he want to…’talk’ to me about?” he changed the topic sardonically.

“Um…you’ll see,” Jack replied lamely, not being able to rack his brains for an actual answer. Pete rolled his eyes impatiently.

“I give up,” he muttered under his breath, and by that time they’d approached the seemingly deserted building. They entered through the back door, heading up a crooked staircase and down the dark, empty hall.

“Wait here,” he told Pete, leaving him in the room at the end in order to find Alex.

He quickly headed up another set of creaking stairs.

“Did you find Kira?” Alex questioned upon Jack’s abrupt entrance to the room.

“Not exactly…” Jack trailed off hesitantly. Alex raised an eyebrow, waiting. “I brought Wentz here.” Alex’s expression changed from mildly curious in a split second to livid, eyes turning red.

“You idiot!” Alex snarled back. “Now he’ll know where we stay! Did any of this occur to you?” he rolled his eyes. “Tell me, Jack. Did you leave your brain back in Maryland next to your jar of common sense?”

“I thought you should see where he stands before you go through the trouble of what to do with Kira,” Jack quickly tried to redeem his mistake. “If he helps you, then you won’t even need Kira anymore.”

“I guess you’re right,” Alex allowed stiffly. “Where is he?”

“The back room upstairs,” Jack informed him.

Besides, on the off chance that Wentz would go along with Alex, maybe it wasn’t too late for Jack to save Kira, like he planned to do at any cost.

Alex wordlessly walked past and up to where Pete was waiting, Jack hesitating a few seconds before following.

“Wentz,” Alex said, entering the back room and shutting the door behind himself, leaving Jack in the hallway. Pete acknowledged him with a swift nod.

“Don’t bother with the formalities, Gaskarth.”

“You think I want to kill you, don’t you?” Alex scoffed, moving closer. “That’s hardly worth my time or effort.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Pete was unsure how long he could keep this act of indifference.

“We could split the city between the two of us. I’m willing to negotiate borders,” Alex cut to the chase.

“I don’t want the city. How do you expect to take over an entire city of vampires?”

“I’m not stupid, Wentz. I know I can’t do it alone. All these vampires keep peaceful out of fear of Urie, but I know better. That was supposed to be you. Beckett was yours to destroy,” he pointed out, with a smirk that exposed his fangs. “You crave your revenge. You deserve your revenge.”

Pete growled.

“What are you saying?”

“I think you know what I’m saying,” Gaskarth airily replied.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to get rid of Brendon and then help you gain control of all the vampires in the city.”

“You’re smarter than you look, Wentz,” Gaskarth mused.

“You’re delusional. I won’t do it.”

Gaskarth laughed loudly.

“You know it’s what you want, even if you won’t admit it to yourself. Power, control, and revenge. It’s all anyone ever wants after they’ve been wronged. Urie is standing in your way. I’ll even cut you a deal, Wentz. I can tell you all you ever wanted to know about our friend Kira. She’s not as innocent as you think.”

Pete clenched his teeth; that one touched a nerve.

“I’m leaving,” he growled, daring Alex to challenge him. Alex made no move to stop him and Pete stormed out, glad that there was still about an hour to get back to the warehouse before dawn.

“Jack!” Alex called, once Pete was out of earshot. Jack appeared from the hallway, where he’d been pacing seconds before. “Follow him. Don’t mess up this time; I don’t have any more patience for error.”