The Key to Strangers (Parts 1-9, Complete)

[Ciuty80]

phenomenal cliffy

i´m in loss for any words with sense

but i need to say this bit made me giggle so hard

because still the change of bodies and dying can´t cure keys sickness

i like that

Keys’ eyes drifted shut, his lips lifting at the corners. “Everything scares you. Hh--hh!” Turning his face into Lex’s shoulder, he muffled a pair of sneezes. “Hih’itshxshh! Huh! Huhh…NXGTshhg!-uhh.” “How can you still be sick?” Lex asked, his incredulity masking his concern. “You died, changed bodies, died again, then changed bodies again, and still, you’re--”

please even moarrrrrr!

[sneasons greetings]

What? How do you even leave somebody right THERE?

You're killing us, I swear.

[Scion]

So, I am officially the worst person ever, and I have no excuse. But if anyone is still interested, here is the final part. I said I'd finish this, and I WILL. <3 I'm sooooooooo sorry it took me so long. Seriously, I'm the worst, and you're all the best, and did I mention I'm the worst? I wrote this a while ago but because I am a failure, I didn't post it. :(

PART NINE

- - -

At the exit of the tall, iron fence that surrounded the compound, Stranger pressed his thumb to the computerized recognition system. The screen flashed white and a mechanical voice said, “Stranger, Property of Brother Blackbarr.”

The gate swung open.

And Brother Blackbarr stepped inside.

“Oh, well that’s just great,” Stellen said beside him. “He’s one of them, isn’t?”

“That would be a yes,” Iliath answered silkily.

“Since when?”

“Since,” Iliath said with great emphasis, “I tried to kill him. He merged us together as punishment, thinking you could sway me.” A smile flitted across his face. “And what do you do, my Brother? You stab him in the back.” Pause. “Well done.”

“Do you think so?” Blackbarr asked, tossing a compact electroshocker from one hand to another. “Precisely how ‘well done’ can a failure be?”

“Burnt to a crisp,” Stellen said, reaching for the dagger at his belt.

Blackbarr sucked his teeth with a feigned wince. “Sounds painful.”

“It will be,” Stranger announced, “once we stop posturing and start fighting.”

Iliath fiddled with the silver ring on his middle finger. “You have such a way with words, my dear brother. Up or down?”

Stranger didn’t hesitate. “Down.”

As Blackbarr was busy deflecting the dagger Stellen threw at his chest, Stranger put Keys down on his feet while Iliath approached the evil Brother of Virtue from the left. After feigning a kick to Blackbarr’s chest, Iliath swung down and stabbed a knife straight through White Suit’s equally white shoe.

The man growled, then flicked a hand out at Iliath, shouting, “DOWN ON YOUR KNEES, PUPPET!”

Iliath went to his knees, head bowing to the ground.

Blackbarr turned to Stranger, who was sneaking up on his right side. “On your knees,” he commanded. Stranger dropped down subserviently.

“Well isn’t this just great,” Lex muttered. He was so tired of all the violence. Was it too much to ask to go home, sit on the couch, maybe watch a little TV, have something really greasy to eat? Of course it was.

“Don’t pout, Doc,” Keys said from the corner of his mouth as he leaned into Lex’s side. “Be a man.” He sniggered then added, “If you can. Be a man if you can.”

“Wow. You’re rhyming now. Isn’t that nice.” Lex put himself in front of Keys, who immediately shifted back to his side.

“When I said ‘be a man,’” he confided, “I didn’t say I’d play the woman.”

“Sexist, much?” Lex snorted.

“Stranger,” Blackbarr boomed, his reptilian eyes bright with excitement, “kill that bothersome little boy.”

“He means you,” Keys said behind his hand.

Lex glared. “I got that. Thanks.”

Stranger drew out a silver gun with an oddly shaped and narrow muzzle. His target was very clear, and Lex felt rooted in place.

Stranger took the shot.

Brother Blackbarr, laughing in triumph, fell to his knees with a convulsive shudder. A set of metal prongs protruded from his chest, sinking through his suit and into his skin. Blood spread in a nimbus of red against white. Energy passed through the weapon Stranger held, down a thin, almost invisible wire, into the prongs, and then into Blackbarr.

With one final convulsion, the man plummeted face-first to the pavement.

Iliath hopped up, squatted next to the fallen man, and cut a hole through his suit and undershirt. Then he reached inside the chest and removed the metal heart.

“Who wants to do the honors?”

“Me,” Lex said, surprising himself. “I mean…” He looked to Keys. “If that’s okay.”

Keys’ smile was tinged with sadness. “Let Iliath do it. He’s done it before.”

With a shrug, Iliath dropped the heart to the ground, then crunched it under his boot, grinding it hard into the pavement.

“You know this is only temporary,” Stellen said as the five of them stepped out of the compound and into relative safety. “His body’s still locked up nice and safe somewhere no one knows about.”

Iliath smiled slyly. “Actually, Brother, I know exactly where it is.”

“Where?”

“With mine,” Iliath replied, and smirked.

- - -

“Ihh…ihhihhh…HIHnnxgshhieew!”

Tucked into Lex’s bed under layers of blankets, Keys still shivered. After calling his sister to make sure she could stay at her friend’s a little longer, he’d paced the kitchen in a panic until Stellen had finally taken pity on him.

“Soup,” he said, patting Lex on the back. “You got any of that? It comes in a can. You pour it into a pan and heat it up on the stove? Any of this ringing a bell?”

Lex snapped out of his trance. “Yes! That’s it!”

And so twenty minutes later, there he was in his room, sitting down on the edge of his bed with a bowl of piping hot soup cupped in his palms. Keys, his brow dappled with sweat, crawled over to him and began to rub his cheek on Lex’s knee, a hum of contentment vibrating in his throat.

“What are you doing?” Lex asked.

“Paintin’ my toenails, Doc.”--rub, rub--“What’s it look like ‘m doin’?”

“It looks like you’ve morphed into a cat.” He petted Keys’ hair. “You want me to scratch behind your ears?”

“I’m not a dog!” Keys spat, offended, though Lex didn’t miss the spark of mirth in his eyes. He sniffed at the bowl. “What’s that?”

“Soup.”

Keys flopped onto his back with an exaggerated groan. “Cats don’t eat soup,” he said, sounding entirely forlorn.

Lex pulled a can of cat food out of his jeans pocket, face set with a dire expression. “Then it’s a good thing I picked this up from the store on the way home.” Snapping the cap open, he handed the can to Keys.

Keys rubbed his nose on the blanket, a sweetly disgruntled look on his face. “Hhh…hih’UXGTschh--hih! Hhhh…” He scratched at his nose, shook his head a little, then captured another one between thumb and forefinger. “Mm’gxshhnff!”

“Bless you,” Lex said as Keys sniffled pitifully. Although he’d never been great at expressing his emotions, he himself recognized the tight coil of anxiety inside his belly for what it was: worry for this boy, this man, for Keys.

But he wasn’t ready to let it show. Yet.

Keys took the can of cat food and licked the ambiguous, brown, gelatinous meat. “Not bad,” he decided.

Lex made a noise of disgust. “What is wrong with you?”

Keys smiled slyly. “Do you want a list?”

“You know what?” Lex said, snatching the can away and tossing it into the garbage. “Yes. Yes I do. Color coded if possible.”

“Hate to interrupt your little love fest,” Stellen said, poking his head around the door. “But these two big hunks of junk are wondering when the Magically Mysterious Magician Man, meaning you, plan on--” He mimed stabbed himself through the heart.

Lex traded a look with Keys, who shrugged.

“All right,” Lex said stoutly. “Let’s do this.”

- - -

THE END.

[Ciuty80]

Scion you are back i´m happy to see you again!!

don´t be so strict with you!

so this is the last chapter??

i wanted to reply with an intelligent answer but i´m still a bit confused

maybe i need to re-read the whole story again to get it right

but hey keys and lex are together that´s more important!

thank you!

[EmeraldThread]

LSKJFASL;FJA;SDLKFJASDL. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW HAPPY I WAS TO SEE THIS UPDATED.

Seriously, I lurk around the forum all day and I totally never expected this when I just happened to refresh the page and then HERE. Here is this!! I love you. And I love Keys. He's so adorable and just...just...hang on while I find some words. Never mind, I don't have any because I'm way too happy and surprised and you're not the worst person ever because you finished it and therefore have redeemed yourself completely with this beautiful story.

[VividBubbles!]

Omg. *explodes*

I LOVE THIS!

bye.

[LeadaAlexys52]

*giggle* I was just thinking about this the other day. And magically it appears! YAY!

[obsessed]

You are the best as well.

[Ciel]

WHY DID I MANAGE TO MISS THIS ALL ALONG??

*dissolves into a happy puddle*

[Akahana]

WELCOME BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!! I'm so glad you decided to continue, I really love this story!! Yay, things are starting to settle down again~ (but knowing you, not for long lol) it was a great part, you write so well~~~ <333 And Lex and Keys nit-picking at each other, ALL OF MY LAWLS!!! They're just so cuuuute~ <3333 Don't leave us hanging so long this ime ok?