(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 351

Chapter 351: It’s not fast enough
Kellen had thought that Carlos was going to be very confident about the poison pouring out of the gate. Originally, he was pretty sure that Carlos had been confident, cocky even. Now?

Carlos had a rather grim expression on his face when Sakura brought it up, and even more so when Lieutenant Spencer pulled up some stats. Stats that neither Gunther, nor Kellen knew at this point. Kellen knew that this was a very big insider scoop, and the reason they were probably hearing this was because Kellen knew Carlos and Sakura.

It was from a friendship that had been formed from high school, and from a life he once saved.

Lieutenant Spencer was spewing out numbers, and asking questions that Kellen didn’t fully understand. Gunther even seemed a little confused, but Kellen was able to pick up on a few things thanks to being in the research department most of the time.

From his understanding, they didn’t have anything that could act as a potion that could counter the poison coming from the gate. Neither the gate from their front lines, nor the gate that had exploded across the ocean. With that being said, and was also quite alarming considering the man’s power was literally poison, they were able to make some potions that were able to partially fight the poison.

For the other gate, the lower Class one, the potions were proving that if the creatures they were testing on had a ‘contamination level’ lower than 60%, whatever that meant, they were able to recover. If it was from the gate that they had on the front lines?

The contamination level was 30% or lower.

That was an alarming note, and Kellen was also worried about what or who they were testing on. They should be testing on humans, since they were what was going into the gate, but it was also too soon to do so.

So Kellen asked the question. He knew Sakura wasn’t a cruel person, but he was worried. Animal testing wasn’t exactly outlawed, and this wasn’t like a normal test. They would probably be affected by the poison faster than a human would, but there were other options.

“We’re using plants. Pothos plants, to be specific.” Sakura told him, a knowing smirk on her face, in her eyes. “Why? Did you think we were using animals, Kellen? That’s rude. Even if Carlos suggested it, I can still hold my own in my own Guild.” Kellen glanced at Carlos, who shrugged.

“What? I’m used to working with animals. Do you think that a terrorist group would use fucking plants? No. That’s also one of the reasons why we keep asking for samples from the front lines. We’re comparing and contrasting what our plants in the lab are like, versus what’s actually next to the gate.” It made sense then why Miro was so heavily being used then.

“This would be easier if you could travel.” Kellen muttered and Carlos laughed.

“Just tell me to my face that you want me to die, Kellen. It’ll hurt less.” Kellen frowned at his words.

“I saved your life, I’m not going to throw it away so carelessly.” Kellen told him tartly and Carlos grinned.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” Kellen sighed.

“Okay, so if I’m understanding the gist of what you guys are talking about.” Kellen started, and everyone turned their gaze to him. “Things are progressing, we just don’t have anything foolproof yet.” Sakura nodded. She too, had her arms crossed, leaning back in her chair. Her ankles were crossed, showing off the heels she was wearing. They were pink, matching her uniform.

“Yes, that’s correct.” Kellen glanced at Carlos.

“How long did it take you to get to 30% and 60% respectfully?” Silence met his question and Kellen knew that wasn’t a good answer. If they all grew silent at his question, it was too long. Far too long considering the timeline they were probably working with.

Someone needed to get into that gate, touch the core, and get the fuck out sooner rather then later. They should probably do that with the exploded gate overseas first, but no one wanted this gate to explode either.

Carlos wouldn’t make eye contact with Kellen, and that was telling enough. Lieutenant Spencer was pretending she was working on her phone, while Sakura was looking away from Kellen. She was the one who met his gaze, before guiltily looking away.

“Sakura, I’m about to have the same response as the public. Why is it taking so long?” Kellen asked, his tone dark. Carlos cleared his throat, coughing, before rustling in his pocket and pulling out a cough drop. He threw it into his mouth, swishing it around before he began speaking.

“It’s not fucking easy to reverse engineer a poison, Kellen! Any idiot can make one, but it takes a lot of work, and a lot of trial and error to make something that can counter it. Not to mention, both of these poisons are so complex that I’m having a hard time pinning down their sequence.” Kellen didn’t even know that poisons had a sequence, but he also wasn’t going to question the man whose powers were poison. Normal rules didn’t apply to him. “If it was someone else, they wouldn’t even be at the stage that I’m at. There’s a reason that gate exploded, alright? So just be grateful for what I’m able to do right now.” Carlos muttered, rubbing his throat.

All this talking must be irritating his old wound, and Kellen sighed. He ran a hand over his face, suddenly tired.

“No, you’re right. I’m sorry for getting a little testy. I just…someone needs to get inside that gate soon, and I’m just worried about my city. I will go in to close it if things get too close.” Everyone in the room began to protest.

“No you are fucking not!” Gunther shouted, followed by Sakura’s exclamation.

“There is no way in hell I’m greenlighting that proposal! You are not going in that gate!”

“Do you want to fucking die?” Carlos added, while Lieutenant Spencer gave him a hard look with her brown gaze. Kellen didn’t back down.

“So I am just supposed to let it explode? I think not. I know Rhys would understa-”

“He would absolutely not. He’s already lost enough, Kellen, don’t make him have to lose you too.” Gunther’s words struck a chord inside of Kellen. Something he hadn’t even realised. Rhys had lost a lot. His regular humanity, his childhood, his home, probably some friends. He lost his anonymity, his way of life, everything.

Kellen had always known that there was a reason why S Classes tried to create places where they were at the top, and that they could belong. It was really hitting home at this exact moment why. From the moment they were announced, their whole worlds were turned upside down. He hadn’t even realised fully that that was the reason why he was hiding Charlie from the world until this moment.

Add to that the theory that Rhys had about why S Classes formed, or how they formed, they were…quite pitiful.

Kellen sighed.

“I’ll just take him with me then.” Kellen muttered, and Gunther let out a bark of laughter.

“So you can kill both of you? What a selfish-”

“Carlos will have a better potion by then, and probably a better hazard suit as well, Gunther. I’m not going in naked on a damn suicide mission. I wouldn’t want to do that either. I just can’t watch the whole city get swallowed by this, let alone what other parts of the world would be affected. I would rather Rhys by my side in that case instead of outside worrying.” Kellen told him and Gunther narrowed his gaze.

“You’re reckless, Kellen. You always have been. I know you’re good at your job, but you always go a little too far. I’m going to be gone so I won’t be able to keep an eye on either of you, so I’m worried. Hill’s good, but she’ll bend to you and Rhys. I know she will if you push hard enough. Miro’s not paying attention to you idiots, and Pamela is busy with stuff I don’t deal with. Casper…” Gunther let out a shaky sigh. “He’s probably got some other stuff going on, so no one is really going to keep an eye on you.” Gunther’s gaze grew sharp. Kellen huffed.

“You’re talking as if I’m going to dive headfirst into this gate. I’m not even near the front lines. Brent is going with the first batch of Field Guides as they wet their feet in a simple, relatively easy gate!” Kellen protested.

“Sure, you’re sending Brent. Great. But you’re going to go there too, aren’t you? Maybe not right away, but you will. Will Rhys come with you every time you go to the front lines? What about when he has to go overseas for meetings with other S Class and Guilds? Are you going to let him go by himself? Are you going to put your job above your pair?” Kellen wasn’t really expecting these kinds of questions from Gunther.

Honestly, he kind of expected him to still be a little broken from all that happened with Casper but maybe he should have been expecting this. He was probably rather self-reflective right now. Turning his gaze inward after what others had said to him, he had probably asked himself these questions.

Kellen was frozen in place, having never considered these things before.

He just assumed that everything was going to work out because it was him and Rhys, but he had never considered what would happen once this gate was dealt with, and things returned to ‘normal’.

Gunther scoffed as Kellen remained quiet.

“You’ve never even considered that before, have you?” Kellen didn’t think that was a far accusation from Gunther, and he didn’t keep quiet about his opinions.

“Gunther, I’m not like you. I didn’t see a future with Rhys because our statuses were so different and vast. I also never had any other matches worth mentioning, so of course I’ve never considered things like this before. That’s not a fair thing to ask, nor is it a fair thing to get all prissy about. I understand your point that you are trying to make. Things are pretty easy right now, I get that, but I’ll figure it out.” Kellen defended himself, his cheeks warm as he felt anger fill him. Sakura whistled.

“So you really meant it when you said you liked him.” She teased and Kellen cast a quick glance at her.

“I’ve had a crush on him since high school.” Kellen admitted and Sakura, who had been all laughter, froze, her smile falling from her face as her eyes widened.

“No!” She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Kellen nodded grimly.

“Yeah.” He admitted, and Gunther stared at him before he sighed. He got up, grabbing the wig that had remained on the floor until this moment and putting it on his head.

“Well, just don’t hurt Rhys, or I’ll hurt you.” Gunther told him. “I’m going into the hallway to get some air.” He muttered, before doing just that. Kellen didn’t think he would run away, so he let him go. Sakura stared after him, her face contemplative.

“Is he going to be alright?” She asked and Kellen shrugged.

“No idea. He just had his heart broken, so he’s working through it.” Kellen admitted, not telling her more and Sakura’s gaze grew sympathetic.

“Awe. That fucking sucks. Let’s finish this meeting and then you two can leave.” Sakura said and the five of them turned back to the details. While Guide Martinez wasn’t speaking or participating in the conversation, she was still here, and was still listening. Kellen sat and listened, just like her, while the three Espers remaining in the room continued speaking.

All the while Gunther’s questions circled in the back of his mind.