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occasionally-good-authoring · 2 years ago

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The Library’s Keepers

@indigothemuse behold what happens when my one-braincell ass takes the librarians and smashes kotlc into that universe.

Fitz Vacker is the Librarian, sole protector of the world from magic. Wylie Endal is his Guardian, who would like it if Fitz would stop calling himself the sole protector of the world from magic. Dex is a hacker with a ticking time bomb in his head and a list of people who don’t deserve what they got. Xe’s a Librarian. Keefe is a man made of lies, a grifter and a thief with a past he’d rather not talk about, not until that past drags him into a world of magic. He’s a Librarian. Sophie Foster is a genius, math, science, literaure, you name it, he’s probably got it under her belt. She’s stuck in Oklahoma to no one’s fault but his own. She’s a Librarian.

It was the usual job. Catch a murderer that the cops didn’t feel like investigating, much better than the cheating cases Wylie usually got hired to do. The pay wasn’t too good for this one, but twenty dollars an hour would add up. Eventually.

Especially since he’s on hour seventy three. It would pay half the rent, so all he would need was another job.

Alice Cartoff was a Class A asshole who was keen on carrying around this stupid pendant. It looked like a gold coin, probably antique. Wylie might be able to pawn it for a nice amount if it wasn’t important to the case, which it didn’t look like it was. It was supposed to be a casual thing, get her to confess to him while being recorded and hand her over. What he didn’t account for was a floral-clad housewife to have a handgun.

And know how to use it. She hadn’t fired it yet—thank god, he knew who the cops would arrest—but had it pressed against his back. If he could turn around fast enough, he could knock it out of her hand. Or maybe a kick to her knee would work. He could throw an elbow back into her shoulder, that might even get her to drop the gun.

“It was flawless. There was no way anyone could figure it out, the only witness was Arthur!”

“Dead men tell tales if you listen long enough, sweetheart.” The gun digs deeper into Wylie’s back, not a good thing to say, apparently.

“And you’ve got a good ear, right? How’d you find out, Wylie. How’d you find out.” That’s a good enough confession for Wylie.

She’s expecting trouble from him and is looking for an excuse to shoot him. One bruise of her and she’s getting off scot free for another murder. He’ll have to talk his way out of this one. God he should’ve taken more lessons from that grifter in Boston, they could’ve gotten out of this in a snap.

“It was simple. Everyone had motive to kill Arthur, but no one skilled enough to leave no trace would kill him if they had a visible motive. According to everyone, you and Arthur got along swimmingly,” Wylie says. “You committed the perfect crime a bit too perfectly.”

She laughs. A door opens beside them. Wylie looks over to see something he definitely didn’t expect out of this. A young man in a green sweater vest, yellowing white button up, and black dress pants.

“What on earth are you doing here? Who are you,” Alice yells. Wylie almost flinches away from the sound, but figures any movement will end with him getting shot, and manages to stay still.

“I’m the Librarian,” he says with a crooked smile and a British accent. Something clouds over Alice’s face and Wylie takes his chance. He throws his elbow into her shoulder. The gun falls to the floor; Wylie kicks it away from her.

“Damn it!”

Wylie turns around quickly, ready to knock her out and be done with it. He’s greeting with a fist to his face—for a housewife, she’s got a good left.

“That looked like it hurt,” the Librarians winces.

“Because it did,” Wylie grumbles. He tries to throw another punch to Alice’s jaw, which she blocks. She is unnaturally good at this for someone who looks like she’d cry if she got tapped too hard. She kicks Wylie’s gut. He gets thrown back into a table—ow.

The Librarian winces again. His eyes catch something and light up. Wylie tries to sweep Alice’s feet out. She jumps over them and knees Wylie’s chin. A flash of white goes over his vision—not good. Wylie scrambles back before Alice can land another kick.

“Please keep her busy for me, restrained if you can!” The Librarian shouts.

“What do you think I’m trying to do, kid!”

“Keep it up then!” Wylie swings a fist towards her neck, a punch he’s thrown many times before. It lands, Alice stumbles back, gasping for breath.

“You dick,” Alice breathes. Wylie grabs a vase from the table he was thrown into and lunges for Alice. She tries to get away but he manages to hit her over the head with it. Alice crumbles to the floor. He reaches into his pocket at pulls out the tape recorder and turns it off.

“Well that would do it.”

Wylie had forgotten he was there, if he’s being honest. The Librarian finally leaves the doorframe he was standing in. He walks like one of the show choir kids Wylie went to school with, all bouncy like he’s got music playing in his head. Jolie was always like that. He plucks the gold coin from her neck.

“Thank you for your help—Wylie, isn’t it?”

“Hey, give me that coin, I have rent to play, kid.” The Librarian jumps back before Wylie can reach out for the coin. That thing must be worth at least a thousand, no need for another case.

“Afraid I can’t do that, Wylie. This thing is too powerful for anyone to have, let alone be pawned off to pay rent.”

“It’s a gold coin, kid.”

“I’m twenty-one, stop calling me kid. Gold is a good conductor, and gold this old? It’s a miracle there’s only one murder.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Wylie grabs his phone from his pocket. He texts Technopath—the hacker from Portland—to send people to come get Alice. “If you don’t want me calling you kid, what’s your name?”

“Call me the Librarian. Though, seeing as I have to go, you won’t be addressing me after now.” The Librarian shoves the coin in his pocket. Wylie could still grab it, the thief from Georgia taught him well enough to pickpocket the kid. “I best be going now, see you never!”

“Hey wait—”

He waves goodbye before running out the door. Wylie sighs. He’d better leave before whoever Technopath called comes—its lead to a few too many awkward conversations when he hasn’t left in time.

He ties Alice up with a blanket before heading to his car.

…

“Getting weak, Cal!” Fitz calls to Excalibur. Excalibur responds by knocking the sword out of his hand with a move Fitz really should’ve seen coming. “Okay, don’t mock the magic sword, lesson learned.”

Excalibur shakes in a way Fitz has learned that’s laughter.

“Fitz, good to see you practicing,” Livvy says. “We have a guest.”

“What? A guest? You let someone in? That’s—oh it’s you.” Fitz sets his sword against the bookshelves. The PI from Caligula’s Coin is standing awkwardly next to Livvy. “What are you doing here? Livvy, what’s he doing here?”

“Mr Endal here is your Guardian, Fitz.”

Fitz laughs before realizing ce’s serious. “I don’t need a Guardian, send him home. I have something to work on and I don’t need a distraction, most certainly not a fool who almost got himself mixed in with magic! He tried to pawn Caligula’s Coin, Livvy! How is he invited to the Library? Impossible. Send him home.”

Fitz turns and heads for the Annex. Mrs Chebota’s murder won’t solve itself and Fitz cannot for the life of him figure out what that painting means. Or why she had it in the first place. Or how she got stabbed. Or why her ghost can’t communicate.

“Magic isn’t real!” Wylie calls. “And that coin had to cost thousands of dollars.”

“How is that what you’re focusing on? Go home, Wylie. You’re of no use to me, and as the Librarian, you’re of no use to the Library.”

“We both know that’s not how it works, Fitz,” Elwin says. Wylie—who seemed not to have noticed the fact there was a man in the mirror—pulls out a pocket knife. He almost drops it when he sees Elwin.

“Excuse me but what the fuck.”

“Hello, Guardian. I’m Elwin.” They smile warmly, Wylie walks up to the mirror and flips it to the back. “I do know this is a bit surprising, but please keep me upright. I get dizzy.” Wylie puts the mirror back.

“Sorry?” He stands there for a second, Fitz decides to ignore Wylie until he goes away and pulls the white board out from between bookshelves. “So magic is real? Like, you’re not pulling my leg here?”

Fitz sighs. “Yes, magic is real. Now will you go home?”

“I know Ms Sonden told me my job, but what is it again? This barely makes any sense to me. And what’s your name? If you have one.”

“My name is Elwin. As a Guardian, you will accompany the Librarian and keep him safe. No matter how much Fitz here thinks he doesn’t need help.”

Wylie turns around, a comeback on his tongue when he sees the whiteboard. Something makes him stop. He walks up to the whiteboard and takes Maruca’s photo off of it.

“Don’t touch that!”

“How did you get this photo? Have you been following me? What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything. Someone killed her on our front steps. Why?”

“She’s—she’s my cousin. I don’t—how? How did she die? Was it fast?” Fitz softens.

“She was stabbed, she died quickly. But her ghost is here, she’s not completely gone.”

“I need to see her.”

“She can’t communicate with you.”

“Like hell she can’t. Take me to her.”

…

When she sees Wylie, Maruca panics. What is he doing here? This place is dangerous, he can’t be here. For gods sake, this place got her killed. Even if Wylie’s older, it’s not by enough. Immortals from the beginning of time aren't old enough to be safe in this place.

She tries to tell him that, but her mouth won’t move. Whatever that man did to her before she died, it was enough to keep her silent.

“Why can’t she talk, is that a ghost thing? We both know ASL, why can’t she use that?”

She notices Fitz in the room now. God, if she wasn’t friends with Biana, she’d strangle him for bringing Wylie here.

It was a spell. Fitan. Arthur’s Crown.

But neither of them know any of that.

…

“I don’t know how she knew about this place.” Fitz says. “She shouldn’t have, and she most definitely shouldn’t have known my name. There’s a spell that’s keeping her from communicating, but I can’t figure out which one it is and until I do, I can’t undo it.”

Wylie rifles through his pockets and pulls out a letter with gold script. One he thought was familiar, and for a good reason as it turns out.

“She got a letter. Three years ago, she got a letter just like this one. She told me how weird it was and that she wasn’t going to go all the way to New York for a letter. Maruca was going to work here.”

That’s when a strings finally connect. At least, theoretical strings for a very plausible theory. Fitz rushes up the stairs of the Annex, Wylie following behind him. Fitz rifles through bookshelf after bookshelf, only realizing once he grabs the Record Book he could’ve used the card catalog.

He flips until he sees his name.

“Search these names. Kenric Fathdon.”

“Died in a fire.”

“Calla, no recorded last name but a biologist.”

“Dead.”

“Ethan Benedict Wright II.”

“Dead.”

“Leto Kerlof.”

“Dead. What’s this about?”

“Someone’s killing Librarian candidates. Three years ago, the Library sent out hundreds of letters. It looks like only the top ten candidates.”

Wylie types in the last few names on the list.

“Three of them are still alive, at least to my knowledge. We have to go and get them. We’ll bring them back, they’ll be protected here, won’t they?”

“They will. I’ll take Sophie Foster, you get Dex Dizznee. We’ll get Keefe Sencen together. I’ve been needing to talk to him for a long while anyway.”

“Okay. It looks like Sophie lives at Havenfield Sanctuary. Can you handle finding Dex? I can find xem if you can’t.”

“Of course I can, I’m the Librarian. Now go, if I’m right, they don’t have long.”

…

Dex wasn’t a good thief. Xe had no idea why Biana thought xe was, or why ae had xem try and pickpocket the mark, but ae did. And now xe’s testing out xyr—horrible—grifting abilities. That was always Keefe’s job.

“I’m sorry sir, I thought you were a friend.” Xe really wished the mark would let go of xyr wrist.

“Do you pickpocket your friends?”

“Yes. It’s an inside joke.” Xe had no idea why Keefe wasn’t helping over comms. He was the only real grifter they had, and without a hitter, if xe couldn’t talk xemself out of this, a jail cell was likely. Dex hated jail cells. They were always so cold.

“An odd joke, boy. Care to explain it to me?” Shit. Dex was never the best liar, much to Biana and Keefe’s dismay. They could never teach xem how to cover xyr tells.

“Well—”

“Dex! There you are!” yells a person Dex has never met in xyr life. “Oh god, did you mistake someone for Carter again? I’m sorry sir, I keep trying to tell xem not to do it unless xe’s sure, but xe never listens.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m the Librarian.”

For some reason, that makes the mark falter long enough for Dex to get xyr wrist back. Xe tries to rub away the grubby feeling that man’s fingers left. Xe knows it’s going to bruise. Something xe’s not excited for.

“It’s best we go now, Dizznee. A bluff that bad won’t last long.”

“How the hell do you know my name?” Dex works hard to keep xyr name a mystery. Keefe and Biana only know his first name, everyone else just gets Technopath. An awfully bad name, but the triplets begged him to use it.

“For the same reason someone’s after you. Come with me or you’re going to die, Dizznee.”

“Tell them to get in line, they’re not special. I have a job to do.” The stranger is probably right though, xe should really leave before the mark thinks too hard about xyr lie. To xyr dismay, the stranger follows him into the street. God, xe’s going to have to shake him. Xe’s not exactly good at shaking a tail, not when xe’s failed every athletics check Biana’s given xem.

The stranger grabs Dex’s wrist. He lets Dex pull it back but his eyes tell Dex he won’t let xem the next time he has to chase after Dex.

“My name is Fitz Vacker. If you do not come with me, you are going to die. I can only protect you if you let me, so let me.”

Xe knows that name. But it can’t be. The chances are so low that they couldn’t even be calculated. Though, he does look a bit like Biana. Same blue eyes and same warm brown skin. It’s impossible, but xe knows that name.

Dex takes xyr comm out. “What is this about?”

“Three years ago you got a letter to join the Library. Someone is after you because of that letter, let me help you.”

“Gold lettering. It was slipped under my door, I thought it was a trap.”

“Will you come with me?”

“How good are the people coming after me?”

“Good enough to have killed seven other people. Skilled people. They can get you wherever you go unless you come with me.”

Dex crushes the comm under xyr feet. It can be tracked if someone tried hard enough and if these people are as good as Fitz says, they’ll try. Xe can come back for Keefe and Biana later, when xe has enough information to keep them safe along with xem.

“Only until they’re gone. Then I’m leaving.”

Fitz nods. “Is there any way anyone can track you with anything you have now.”

“Only by my comm—” xe motions to the crushed earpiece on the ground— “but I dealt with that. Let’s go. How are we getting out of here?”

Fitz pauses. “I’ll figure that out as we go.”

Dex pulls out his phone. “Where do we need to go?”

“New York.”

“Great, we have a plane to catch.”

…

“Come on Verdi, take it easy. I can’t feed ya until you calm down,” Sophie says. Edaline’s in town buying groceries and Grady’s at the school, so Sophie’s stuck trying to give Verdi her medicine. It’s like giving a cat medicine but worse. “Darlin’ please, this’ll clear you right up.”

Verdi neighs and backs up. Sophie takes that as permission to enter Verdi’s stall. The medicine was poured in the sugar cubes in Sophie’s hand. It’ll be easy to trick the horse into eating them, so long as Verdi doesn’t smell them before eating.

He holds out his hand to Verdi. For what has to be the first time, Verdi sniffs something before she eats it. And refuse to eat the sugar cubes.

“Fine, have a cold.”

“Let me try, Soph.” Sophie turns around quickly. Edaline and Grady shouldn’t be home anytime soon, and they aren’t. Instead, Wylie’s standing in the open barn door with a soft smile. Sophie would run to hug him if Verdi wouldn’t do the same. Never good to surprise a horse if she’s learned anything over the years.

“Wylie! When did you get in?”

“About an hour ago. Kind of last minute and I’ll have to leave again soon.” He takes the sugar cubes from Sophie and holds them out for Verdi. The traitor of a horse eats them. Sophie waves Wylie out of the stall and closes it behind them both. She leans against it, hands in her jeans front pockets.

“Why? What’s up?”

“Well, I have two plane tickets out of here and one hour until I gotta be at the airport. Two, you need to come with me.” Sophie pushes off the stall with his foot and walks out the barn door, Wylie following him out and closing the door behind him.

“I can’t leave here, Wylie, and I don’t know what you’d want me to leave for. If you need my help on a case, you shoulda just called.” Sophie pulls off her riding gloves. She’d planned to take Silveny out after Verdi, but if Wylie’s here, she’ll wait until he’s gone.

“Sophie, it's important. It’s—three years ago you got a letter.”

“You think I remember what was goin’ on three years ago?”

“Shut up and listen, Sophie. It had gold writing and it was slipped on your door. It was from the New York Public Library inviting you to work with them.” Sophie stops walking.

“How do you know about that?”

“I got the same letter. Now. Someone’s coming after you because of that letter. You’re not safe here, Sophie. You gotta come with me, now.”

“That’s ridiculous, Wylie. There ain't anything about me that anyone’d want me for. I can’t even get Verdi to take her medicine.”

“You’ve got to trust me here, Sophie. They already—”

A car pulling up the gravel driveway cuts Wylie off. Sophie sees him stiffen, trying to wave Sophie behind him. It’s ridiculous. Sophie can wrangle a bull with one pair of gloves and a rope, she can handle someone who’s probably just lost. Sophie starts to walk to the car. It looks pretty new.

Wylie grabs his wrist.

“Stop being stupid, Wylie.” She grabs her wrist back and walks to the drivers side of the car. He knocks on the window, the driver rolls it down. It’s a young man, black baseball cap with an eye on it pulled to cover most of his face. Wylie shifts, ready to move forward. Sophie throws him a look, telling him he better stay put.

“Are you Sophie Foster?”

“Sophie, step away—”

The young man smiles, Wylie’s panic saying very clearly, that this is Sophie Foster. The car door slams into Sophie’s gut. The young man springs out of the car and towards Sophie. Wylie tackles him to the ground.

“Sophie go! Get to the airport, I’ll meet you there.” Baseball Cap knees Wylie’s gut, pushing him off.

“Like hell I’m leaving you.”

She grabs a rope and ties a loop at the end. Wylie gets on his feet, Baseball Cap following him after. Wylie throws a kick that Baseball Cap dodges. Baseball Cap throws a kick that throws Wylie into the open front seat of the car. Baseball Cap drags him out by his feet, Wylie’s head hitting the car.

Sophie finishes the knot and twirls the rope over her head. He throws it forward, the loop wrapping around Baseball Caps waist. She yanks on it as hard as she can, sending Baseball Cap to the ground. Wylie’s up on his feet—swaying a bit—when Sophie gets over. He pulls the rope tight around Baseball Cap.

He kicks his legs around trying to get free from the rope. Wylie kicks his head hard enough to knock Baseball Cap out.

“How’d you do that?” Wylie pants. Sophie wraps Wylie’s arm over her shoulder, he puts his weight on her. He’ll be a bit wonky from that knock to the head for a while now. She leads Wylie to the other side of the car.

“Horses are ‘bout nine hundred pounds give or take. He was a walk in the park, Wyles.” She opens the door and deposits him in the passengers seat.

“Why am I in his car? Are you stealing his car?”

“Think of it as karma.”

Baseball Cap left his keys in the ignition. Apparently, even a skilled fighter can be stupid enough to make it so easy.

She peels out of the driveway as fast as the gravel will allow.

“So. You weren’t lyin’ when you said people would be after me, were ya, Wyles.” Sophie says. The panic started to set in. There are people after Sophie. People who were willing to come to the middle of bum-fuck Oklahoma to get her.

“I wasn’t. We need to get to the airport in town. It’s the small one. If you think you’re in the wrong place, you’re at the right place. I got a guy there.”

“You have a guy everywhere.”

“Part of the gig.”

“I’ll never understand your job.”

…

By the time the plane lands in New York, Wylie’s head has stopped swimming. He knows it’s going to take more to deal with a concussion, but that’s not something he has to worry about right now.

“So, where are we going?” Sophie asks. “I have to get back as soon as this is over, Grady and Edaline will be worried. I texted to tell them I was goin’ to be out of town for a while but still. I don’t want them worryin’.”

“The Library.”

“Do you know how little that narrows it down? I don’t know much about New York but I’ll bet it’s got more than one library.”

“The letter was inviting you to the New York Public Library, yeah?”

“What’s that got to do with this? And who was that? What the hell is going on and how did you get involved? How did I get involved? Photographic memory ain’t worth that much.”

“Because of what’s under that library. There’s another library under it, that’s the Library. It’s a place that holds magical artifacts.”

“That’s bullshit, Wylie, you knocked your head a bit too hard.”

“You’ll believe me when you see it.”

“Sure I will, Wyles.”

They’re silent until the plane lands, Sophie helping Wylie up and Wylie saying he doesn’t need her help. They’ve just gotten the door down the Fitz and someone Wylie assumes is Dex are running towards the plane.

“Move over! We have to go. Now!” He yells and he runs.

“Get the plane started again,” Wylie yells to the pilot. The engines start up, Sophie and Wylie getting back into their seats. Fitz and Dex make it onto the plane in just enough time, as it starts moving as soon as the plane starts up.

Something smacks the side of the plane. Hard. Everyone jumps except for Fitz.

“Well. Go to see you’ve got Sophie,” Fitz says, panting as his slips into his seat. He nods his head to Dex at his side. “I’ve got Dex.”

“I can see. Could you stop yelling?”

“Oh dear, you’ve gotten into another fight, haven’t you? You’ve got to stop doing that, Endal.”

“Pretty sure it’s my job, Librarian. Seriously, stop yelling, I’ve already got a headache.”

Fitz pulls something from his pocket. A glass vial of some green liquid. “You’re not a Guardian, Endal, it’s a mistake. Didn’t think the Library could make those, but here we are.” He hands Wylie the vial. “Drink that.”

Wylie raises his eyebrow. “…what is it? If that coin was bad too and magic, this can’t be much better.”

“Bathsheba’s Healing Oil. Only affects you if you drink too much, and that’s only if you call immortality a downside. I would, so do restrain yourself, Endal.” He turns to Sophie and holds out a hand. “Fitz Vacker, the Librarian. Nice to meet you, I’ll be keeping you alive for the next however long. Probably a few days. Maybe more. Always a bit iffy with this sort of thing though I don’t have much expirence with this sort of thing.”

Wylie downs the vial, his headache going away instantly along with the other bruises and aches he’s had since Alice Cartoff. He’ll have to keep this stuff on hand.

“That’s real reassuring, darlin’,” Sophie says, not at all reassured.

“I second that,” Dex chimes in. Xe turns to Wylie, who xe’s apparently deemed more reliable. “Does he have any actual way of protecting us, or did I come here on a bluff. Because if so, I’d very much like to head back to Portland. I was kind of doing something.”

“Oh, I do have to tell the pilot we’re headed to Portland. Be right back.”

“Then why’d we even come here!”

“The spell I used to track Mr Sencen only just worked once we got to New York.”

“Wait, say that again for me.”

But Fitz has already bounced to the pilots cabin to tell him. Wylie sighs. He can tell this is going to be a pattern with him.

“You know, he says that name like he knows it. Do ya think he knows this Sencen, Wyles?” Sophie shifts in his seat.

“Yeah, I do. I also think he isn’t the only one. Dex?”

Dex looks uncomfortable. Xe looks like xe’s going over how to answer this, a look Wylie’s seen a fair amount of times. Like xe’s weighing how bad a lie would end up for xem. Wylie almost thinks to tell xem he’d rather not deal with a lie right now.

“He’s an associate. We’ve, er, worked together before.” If possible, Dex looks even more uncomfortable. Wylie decides to try and ease that, if only for a little bit.

“So, what do you do for a living, Dex?”

Xe gains a wary look. “I work in technology. What about the both of you? I mean, I could find out but small talk, you know? Figured it’s better to ask and I should stop talking.”

“I work at an animal sanctuary, especially with the horses. Wylie here is a private eye.”

“Oh thank fuck,” Dex breathes. Xe visibly deflates into a more comfortable posture. “It was either that or a cop.”

“Why would you be worried about that?”

“Yeah, so, the technology I deal in is of the ‘defraud the rich and please god don’t tell the cops’ variant. I mean, I can get out of a jail cell but I am not good at it. I’m no thief. Well, I’m a thief but not that type of thief. Not my job.”

“The day I turn in an honest thief is the day I turn in one of my best helping hands.” Wylie laughs. “Technopath is the one keeping my business afloat. Was. I guess. Do I still work as a PI if I’m with the Library?”

“Yes, because you don’t work with the Library, Endal,” Fitz says, sitting next to Wylie. “Could I have the Oil, please?” Wylie hands it over. “Thank you.”

“Fitz, when we get Keefe, let me take the lead,” Dex says. “Even if he won’t follow you—which honestly, he probably will—he’ll listen to me.”

“And why is that, Dizznee? Sencen is my problem to deal with, not yours.”

“And Keefe’s my friend.” Dex falters before the word friend.

“I’m the Librarian, Dizznee, it’d be best to listen to me. I don’t need to protect you. I’ve done this by choice, and it’s a choice I can take back.”

“I’m fucking Technopath, Wonderboy, I don’t need your protection. I can get someone else just fine. I’d even bet Wylie here would rather go with me than you, seeing as I’m the one keeping his damn business afloat. Show some respect. I got the letter, same as you, you’re just lucky I didn’t show up, Librarian.”

Wylie can see Fitz’s temper—which must be short as all hell—start to flare.

“Dex is right, Fitz. If they work together, xe’s probably our best bet at getting Keefe to safety. And yes, we do have to protect these three, because as much as you hate it, I’m your Guardian. You don’t have a choice. If you have a problem with that, I really don’t care.”

“It’s not my job—”

“Like hell it isn’t! Your job is to protect people from artifacts or people using them, these people need protection. If you don’t do your job, I’ll do it for you.”

Fitz doesn’t calm down, but restrains himself.

“Fine. Dex, you take the lead with Sencen. I’m going to sit with the pilot.”

Wylie nods. Once Fitz is gone, Wylie turns to Dex with a smile.

“So, you’re Technopath?” Dex laughs nervously and scratches xyr neck. Sophie leans forward.

“What the hell are y’all talkin’ about?”

…

The last thing Fitz expected when Dex got Keefe on the plane, was for Keefe to throw Fitz a smile like nothing was wrong. Like they were just the stupid seventeen year olds drunk on summer nights and playing truth or dare. Fitz remembers that night like it was a thousand years ago, the next morning like it was yesterday.

Biana had been gone. Keefe didn’t pick up his phone when Fitz called. He spent a year panicking, waiting for them to come home. The next, his letter had come. Gold script that wrote itself as he read, inviting him to New York Public Library. To, as Elwin put it, a life of danger and glory. A life of happiness and heartbreak and protecting the world.

Fitz hasn’t been sure on spending his life for others, but he hadn’t wanted to go home.

“What’s going on here anyway. I get we’re in danger, but from what? People to scared to tell me they’re after me. The chase is no fun if you don’t know you’re running, yeah, Dex?” Keefe laughs, tossing an arm around xyr shoulders. Xe rolls xyr eyes but doesn’t pull away. Fitz pointedly ignores it. Keefe still sounds the same, narcissistic air to his voice, though Fitz knows half the time it’s faked. Same Australian accent he’s had since he moved in second grade.

He never wanted to learn an American one, neither did Fitz. Biana would always laugh about how stupid they both sounded.

“You and I have very different ideas of fun, Keefe.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t like the thrill of the chase. The danger of getting caught is what makes it fun. If it’s easy, it’s boring.”

“Not when they might actually getcha,” Sophie chimes in.

“They’re called the Neverseen,” Fitz says. He ignores Wylie’s scoff. “They want to use the magic of the Library for themselves.”

“Magic? I think you’ve lost your mind, Fitzy,” Keefe laughs. Fitz doesn’t have time for his jokes. He pulls the penknife from his jacket pocket and slices open the palm of his hand. Everyone yells some form of “oh my god, what the fuck”. Fitz doesn’t bother listening to their outrage, he just uncorks the vial of Bathsheba’s Healing Oil and swig. His hand heals instantly, holding it up for everyone on the plane to see.

Wylie’s face reads of “oh yeah, he has that” and “oh thank god, he has that”.

Everyone else is going rapidly through the five stages of grief, never really landing on acceptance. Fitz sighs.

“I know I sound bonkers, I thought this all was crazy when I first got my letter. But a script that color of gold doesn’t write itself, trust me, I checked. Magic is real, and I’m not crazy.”

“At least not in that respect, right?” Keefe says. Fitz pushes down the anger bubbling up. It’s going to be fine, they’ll all be gone as soon as he’s dealt with the Neverseen.

“Trust me. Follow me to the Library and I can show you a world full of misery and joy. Magic and reality intersecting in the weirdest, most beautiful ways. I can’t promise you a long time. I’m offering protection until what you need protecting from is gone and dealt with. Believe me or don’t, trust me, or don’t. But follow me, and learn to.”

They’re all quiet for a while then.

“Sounds like one hell of a deal,” Sophie says.

“Oh, believe me, Foster, it’s the best deal you’ll ever get.”

#monkey brain won my friends #librarians #kotlc #keefex #keefitz (eventually)#keefe x dex x fitz (eventually)#sophie foster with a southern accent >>>#(writing this made me realize how close i was to having a southern accent)#sophie foster #biana vacker #wylie endal #maruca chebota #god i can’t wait to put fitz in a time loop #*me creating this*#*cherry picks all my favorite episodes. hell to order*

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