gemini book one of two // phandom big bang 2016

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Author: @skyboidjh​

Beta: @icomparemyselftoyou​

Artist: @nataliadeluckah​

Rating: PG-13

Summary:

colors whirling, thoughts flashing-it felt as if the butterflies in his stomach had lit themselves on fire.

“you weren’t supposed to find out…”

or, the one where Dan and Phil end up with superpowers, including the ability to feel each other’s emotions and hear each other’s thoughts, are declared threats and taken into custody by the government, Dan’s confused, and Phil has a secret.

Warnings: nondescriptive violence, acephobia, mild ableism

Word Count: 3580 for this chapter! (So Many in total)

Chapter 4

3:46PM @phantasticlions: guys. [https://twitter.com/purpleverence/status/801544721432793096 ] [https://twitter.com/bullshitphanfic/status/801544409363976193 ]

3:46PM @amazingangie: i’m kinda scared? my friend paige isnt responding to my texts and wasnt in school today and my anxiety is just overall going fucking nuts

3:46PM @lilphanficer: me too. my mom wont stop asking me what’s wrong and idk how to answer her, she hates the concept of youtube and would probably be glad that two of ‘those internet creeps’ were missing

3:47PM @sarulia1994: where tf are they?

3:47PM @phuttyandrutty: i dont know??? thts kind of the whole point of the situation no one knows

3:47PM @phantasticlions: dont get sassy and start drama clara that’s literally the last thing we need, demon phannies like you starting drama

3:48PM: @phuttyandrutty: wow i cant believe ur so mean to me 😩😩😩

3:49PM: @lilphanficer: y’all. rly?

3:57PM: @lilphanficer: sorry im just rly on edge and cant stand people joking about this, it’s serious

4:01PM: @phuttyandrutty: you’re right, you don’t have to apologize. These people on my tl joking about it are driving me nuts

4:02PM: @amazingangie: block their asses

4:02PM: @phuttyandrutty: im on it

4:05PM: @ghcstdicks: i just got online and saw im crying in math class what the fuck this is so scary

4:06PM: @amazingangie: [http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdcbi9ZuIt1rjd8x5o1_400.gif ]

-=II=-

  Dan squeezed his eyes shut at the sound of brakes squealing on asphalt, trying his best to calm his racing heart and ignore what he knew must’ve just happened before him. Not real not real not real not real…

  It had been exactly like Phil said, feet strapped to the ground, projector overhead and all around, the car…

  He felt sick.

  The straps at his feet were released and he was led over to a chair, where the next few minutes passed in a blur. Suddenly more people were entering the room, and Dan could feel their emotions from across the room- emotions that felt too intense, like they were forced, so strong that they seemed to be screaming at him even from a distance. He remembered Phil mentioning these- Anger, jealousy, happiness, fear, hope- negative and positive mixed around his head in a blur. Memories started to crowd in too as he moved down the line, all things that these people were deliberately remembering in order to force their emotion or things that had just happened. All of the thoughts were pushing and shoving and vying to be heard- one, belonging to the jealous man, seemed to jump out.

  It was a simple recent memory, of him walking into the room just moments ago. But it was pushing at Dan, prodding at and invading his every other thought- so Dan pushed back at it.

  He shoved it harder and harder, just wanting it to go away- until suddenly he was the jealous man, walking in through the door, seeing his own anxious face as he sat at the chair in the center of the room, white as a sheet.

  Then, the memory was gone.

  The jealous man flinched away from Dan’s brief touch as if doused in ice water, before looking around in a confused manner. His forced jealousy wavered and faded into confusion, and Dan could tell that that memory simply… wasn’t in his head anymore. But Dan could remember it so vividly, as if it had happened to himself.

  The people exited the room swiftly after that, as the jealous man had been last in line, leaving Dan alone with his assessment proctor once more.

-=II=-

  “What do you mean? Like, you actually erased it?”

  The whole group from the van were eating dinner together, crowded around a table in the mess hall- apparently this would be the normal eating space, they hadn’t used it at lunch because it was still being set up. Paige was leaning slightly over the table, staring at Dan in rapt fascination.

  “I think so,” he muttered. “Not just that, either. It was almost like I took it for myself. I can remember it clear as day, almost like it happened to me, but he can’t anymore.” There was something so horrifying about admitting that to himself, that he had actually taken a memory from someone and erased it from their awareness, without them ever knowing. It had only been a tiny memory, one that most likely wouldn’t ever affect them again, but the implications were much more massive.

  What about memories that were bigger? More significant? Weddings, childbirths, families… He could just erase massive parts of life, he realized, slumping down in his seat a bit further. He wouldn’t, of course, but he could.

  L’appel du vide, as he’d called it in a danisnotonfire video once. The call of the void. He never would do it, of course not, but he could.

  And that terrified him.

  Sensing Dan’s sudden discomfort and silence, Phil thankfully changed the subject. “So, did any of you guys find out any new powers?”

  “Apparently I can talk to plants,” Alan said, eliciting giggles from around the table.

  “What?” Phil asked with a laugh.

  “Yeah, of all the weird and useless powers in the world,”

  “Hey, I’d love to be able to do that!” Phil smiled, “I could finally get to know all of my houseplants.”

  “Has anyone seen Janice?” Dan asked suddenly, realizing that the woman was nowhere to be seen.

  “She was here for a little while, but she said she wasn’t hungry and left to go back to the dorm,” Alan replied.

  “That’s odd,” Aoife remarked, “Do you think she’s alright?”

  “I’m going to talk to her when we get back- I think for now she just needs to be alone for a bit- but anyways, the rest of you? New powers?”

  “They weren’t the ones to say it, but I’m pretty sure I’ve officially got future vision,” Ivan said with a sigh. “Last night I dreamed every single thing that would happen to me today, literally down to me telling you all this.”

  “Nothing new for me,” Paige responded. “Still just the moving things by thinking, and I’m still having a tough time controlling it.” She seemed a little disappointed with this.

  “They’re not sure what I can do,” Aoife said. “I haven’t got the foggiest idea either, honestly. I’m hoping that nothing does show up, after all. Alex, though…” She grinned widely. “He can project his thoughts into other people’s heads, it’s incredible. He can talk, sort of.”

  The little boy grinned as well, slumping down in his chair shyly as everyone turned to smile at him. A soft ‘hi’ seemed to echo around Dan’s brain, quiet, but definitely there. Everyone at the table was ecstatic, smiling and cheering him on. Paige had tears in her eyes, pausing in her rapid-fire sign language conversation with her brother to wipe at her eyes.

  “He’s still a bit more comfortable talking in BSL for now, as he’s still not used to it, so we’ll still have to translate for a bit. But… Alex can talk!” Paige couldn’t stop smiling, seeming to glow like the sun.

  Their excitement and congratulations were interrupted by an announcement over the loudspeakers, telling them that schedules would be passed out to everyone later that night, based on the results of their assessments. An uneasy murmur passed around the room, but everyone was still too excited to let it get to their table.

  They continued to chat away amicably for the rest of dinner, finally retiring to their rooms after a while.

  “Hey, guys?” Alan said, speeding up his stride to catch up to Dan and Phil as they began walking back, “Don’t ask Janice about her powers yet. I think she’s pretty freaked out about whatever happened and maybe we should wait for her to say something first, to give her a bit of space.”

  “Alright, that makes sense,” Phil agreed. “I hope she’s alright.”

  Sure enough, as they entered the room, Janice was facing away from them, rolled up in all of her blankets and curled into a ball.

  “We missed you at dinner, Janice,” Dan said hesitantly. She didn’t respond.

  “Hey, now that we’re back here, I can show you all what I got before you showed up!” Alan said, excitement in his voice. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn deck of cards. “One of the guards gave it to me, I had been trying some small talk to maybe learn some more about this place and he seemed pretty sympathetic when I talked about how little we had to do around here.”

  “That’s a good idea, thanks Alan,” Dan said.

  “What games do you guys know how to play? I was never really one for cards, so I’m not much use beyond Go Fish and Spoons…” Alan said.

  “Me too, just those and Snap,” Dan replied.

  “Same here,” Phil said.

  “I know poker,” Janice said from the corner, surprising them all, “Used to play in college. I dunno how good I’ll be at explaining, but I can give it a try.” She straightened up and scooted to the end of her mattress, avoiding everyone’s eyes. She began to explain in a soft tone, taking the cards from Alan and dealing them out properly. The game that ensued was slow-going, as everyone learned the rules and got a hold on the way everything worked, yet Janice remained patient and helpful as they went, taking her obvious victory with no more than a small nod and immediate redealing of the cards.

  The second game went a bit faster, Janice winning again. They re-shuffled and dealt the cards a third time, this time for a round of Go Fish, which was a much more quickly-paced and lively experience.

  Halfway through the second round, Janice finally spoke what had been almost visibly weighing her down.

  “I think I saw a dead person,” she said suddenly.

  Everyone looks up, staring at her in shock.

  “It was during my assessment, I didn’t- I didn’t see him, exactly, he was like a sort of blur, just standing next to the man who was doing all the tests. I don’t know how I knew he was a he, I just… felt it.”

  “Janice, that’s- I’m-” Dan tried to say something, but was unsure what he should say.

  “Really bad, yeah,” she laughed hollowly, “I just keep thinking, what if I were to see my dad? My grandparents? What if someone I knew a long time ago but never spoke to again shows up without me ever having known that they died? I don’t want this,” she put her cards down, hugging her legs to her chest.

  “How much sleep did you get last night? Maybe it was just…” Alan floundered around for an answer that never came.

  “I know it was real,” Janice shook her head. “I just… I need some time to come to terms with it, I-I’ll be fine…”

  “Let us know if we can do anything, okay?” Phil asked, brow furrowed.

  “I’ll be fine,” she snapped. She froze, casting them an apologetic look but not voicing an apology before continuing in a much softer voice. “So, Alan, want to learn Snap?”

-=II=-

  At eight o’clock that night exactly, four pieces of paper were slipped under the door and the loudspeaker crackled to life.

  “Attention. Timetables have just been distributed to your dormitory door. Do not damage or lose these papers, as they are the only copies you will receive. On each, you will find a name and revised ID number at the top of the page, followed by a weekly schedule. Each schedule is unique to the person named at the top of the document and them alone.

  “Some papers will only have a name and new ID number on them. Those that are named on papers with this information and this information only are expected to follow the directions listed below their information and bring that paper to Admissions by 8:30 PM sharp. If you are not present, punishment will be severe.

  “Please look over your schedules and report to Admissions if necessary. Lights will be turned out at 9:30 PM. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  Click.

  The rush towards the door was immediate after the loudspeaker was finished, everyone scrambling for their papers.

  Dan was the first to get to his, heart sinking in uncertainty as he saw that his paper held no schedule.

Please gather all personal belongings that may be in the dorms, including clothes and personal items.

Bring this form and personal items to the Admissions Office (see maps at the end of each hallway) by 8:30 PM.

  He moved out of the way so that everyone else could get their papers, sinking down onto his cot. Why was he going to Admissions? Why was he being singled out? What did the new ‘-06’ mean at the end of his ID number?

  “Oh,” Phil whispered as he picked up his own paper.

  He quickly walked over to Dan, grabbing his paper and feeling what felt like a ton of weight lifted from his chest when he saw that they were going to be doing the same thing. Surely everyone going to Admissions would be sticking together, right? But why? What for?

  Janice couldn’t stop the quick gasp from leaving her lips. There was no schedule here. They must’ve found out, he panicked brain supplies. They know what a freak you are. She dared to hope for a moment that it meant she was going home, but what if they really had found out about what she could do? There would be no letting her out of their sight if that was the case.

  “Who else has to go to Admissions?” She asked, voice surprisingly hollow, “Please, don’t tell me I’m the only one.”

  “Both of us,” Phil answered..

  “I’m… not going with you,” Alan groaned.

  “It’s not like you’re leaving though, right? Maybe they just need to give you special schedules or directions for some reason, and then you’ll be back?” Alan asked.

  “Lights go out at 9:30,” Phil pointed out. “This shouldn’t take too long, then.”

  “Yeah, they probably wouldn’t make us walk back in the dark.”

  “Guys, I hate to be the one to say it, but what if we’re not coming back? Going somewhere else, I mean,” Dan added cautiously.

  “But why us, then? What do the three of us have in common that Alan doesn’t?” Janice questioned.

  The group pored over the schedules for as long as they could, quickly ruling out their ID numbers (the first parts of them were similar, between 21 and 24, but the new second number seemed completely random) and powers. Soon, though, it was almost 8:30 and they couldn’t wait any longer without being late. Alan gave Janice a hug, awkward handshakes to Dan and Phil, and made them promise to be back before too long. It was a hopeful sort of goodbye, because what more could they ask for than hope?

-=II=-

  Admissions was the same as it had been when they had come through yesterday, now with about thirty people milling around, waiting for… whatever it was that they were supposed to be waiting for.

  Dan clutched tightly onto his pyjamas, which he had changed out of shortly after arriving- yes, comforts of home were nice, but they were bright blue cookie monster pants and a slightly too-small white shirt- no matter how desperate he was to keep that little bit of home and comfort with him, there was no way that he’d walk around a building full of strangers in those for any longer than he had to.

  He glanced around the room, scoping out the people for any hints as to why they were here. No characteristic seemed to be shared between them, at least not one he could see at first glance.

  Suddenly, he spotted a familiar shock of curly brown hair across the room. Paige. Thank God for a familiar face. He, Janice, and Phil immediately strode up to her, struck with worry when they saw that neither her parents nor brother were there.

  She turned to them with worry in her eyes, but seeming slightly relieved to see them.

  “Where’re the others?”

  “They had to stay behind, Mom tried to come with me anyways, but they wouldn’t let her. Why the hell are we here?”

  “No idea. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  As if on cue, the muttering crowd all around them fell silent for a moment, then roared wildly with shouts and questions. From Dan’s height-advantaged position, he could see the top of a blonde head weaving through the crowd, before hopping up onto a small raised platform to one side. It was Amelia Hartford.

  The questions and yells grew even louder now that everyone could see her, though she seemed unbothered by the noise.
  “When are we going home?”

  “What do you want with us now?”

  “Are we leaving?”

  “Let me out!”

  After a few seconds, Amelia appeared to have heard enough, raising one hand in a gesture for silence. It worked, everyone wanting to hear the answers to their inquiries.

  “You all are a group of extraordinarily gifted individuals,” she began, “and talent like that needs closer… guidance. From here, you all will be moved out to another location-”

  Outraged cries followed this, and she held up her hand again, but this time, the gesture was ignored.  “SILENCE!” She finally shouted after a few other failed attempts at peace, shocking most of the crowd back into noiselessness.

  “At this new location, you will receive better accommodations, more personalized power control lessons, and chances to help improve the world with your gifts.”

  “But what about my family!” Paige shouted, having finally recollected herself from the shock of the news. “They’re still here, I can’t leave without them!” This was met with scattered shouts of agreement throughout the crowd.

  Amelia continued as if nothing had been said. “Now, everyone, proceed out the door to your left in a calm and orderly fashion. A bus is waiting outside, please take a seat and we will be leaving momentarily.” She smiled sweetly and began to step down from her platform, suddenly surrounded by guards on all sides. The door she had mentioned swung open, and those near it flinched away as if it held an angry lion just outside.

  “Go on then, I’ll be with you in a moment!” Amelia said, now out of sight.

  No one moved.

  The guards that lined the room started to step towards the center, shoving everyone forwards.

  Outside of the door were more guards, providing no chance for escape, almost seeming to herd them towards their destination. A large, black bus loomed ahead in the dark with thick, blacked-out windows and wide tires.

  “Where are we going!?” Another voice shouted.

  Dan did his best to stick with his group as they were shoved along, finally giving in and clutching onto Phil’s hand tightly.

  The colors swirling around him were darker than usual, more invisible with the black night sky above. Phil’s fear, worry, and a bit of anger all settled in the pit of Dan’s stomach like a rock alongside his own feelings. Phil’s outraged thoughts and desperation were a constant tug in his chest, paired with worry’s cloud and… something else, egging him on.

  The crowd of people were shoved into a sort of rough line, most groups struggling to stick together in the chaos of it all.

  Inside, the bus seemed fairly nice, with rows of cushioned seats (although the pattern on them was truly awful, like a rainbow threw up) and lights all around. Each row had four seats in total, with a narrow walkway running down the middle to split the rows into two and two, lit up by ridiculous flashing pink and purple lights. Dan and Phil made their way to the back of the bus, almost tripping several times in the narrow space as they ducked to avoid the ceiling.

  They sat down uncomfortably, pulling their legs up as best as they could- being tall really did have its disadvantages- and buckled their seatbelts as the rest of the group filed in. Paige and Janice chose the seats across from them.

  At one point, a man had stopped, right in the middle of the aisle, trying to turn around and get back to someone sitting further up the bus. The confusion and fear of the people all around was so strong that it leaked off them in waves, making Dan nauseous. The guards started shouting at the man who had stopped and Dan leaned back in his seat, eyes closed in an attempt to alleviate his oncoming headache.

  “You alright?” Phil asked, noticing his friend’s face had gone suddenly paler.

  “Everyone’s feeling too much. Making me a bit dizzy.”

  “Sorry,” Phil said, wishing he could do something to help.

  “Not your fault,” Dan replied, “Just need to get some sleep or something.”

  “Alright,” Phil said, “I’ll try to think about happy things, if that helps.”

 Dan opened his eyes for a moment, shooting Phil a grateful smile before returning to the brink of sleep again.

[next chapter]