Wrath and Love

Full Summary: -Todd decides that he can't join Pepito's cause and the two gradually drift apart while attending separate colleges. When Pepito rises to power, Todd is amongst those who refuse the mark. He is imprisoned in a type of concentration camp. Pepito does not know what happened to him (maybe he has been looking for him, assumed he died, or just didn't think about it purposefully) until he gets a call from some of his minions calming that they may have found the new incarnation of Christ.


Wrath and Love: Chapter One

The President of the United Nations released a deep sigh along with a torrent of smoke from a freshly lit Cuban cigar. At this point, importation of such items, any items really, was no longer an issue. For four years now, he had been working toward ushering in a state of unprecedented peace and trade, the likes of which the civilized world had yet to see, but it wasn't until the previous year that he had really accomplished this on a grand scale.

A tan hand rose to touch the scar on his forehead where the bullet had entered. It had been an assassination attempt, and a good one at that. The public hailed it a miracle that he had survived virtually unscathed. And it was...a dark miracle.

After that, he had realized his mistake, changing his strategy drastically. Diplomacy clearly wasn't doing the trick with these people. What he needed was more power, and with the right words, the right bribes, and the right instructions to his followers, he had acquired it in short order. Then he had tightened his grip on all those blind, cretinous sheep, forcing them to tremble before the might of the worthy, as is nature's dictate when it is not encumbered by the irrational, self-righteous altruism of most the world's religions.

Those who were worthy now wore his mark upon their right hands, which allowed them to travel and trade freely. Those who did not had been forced into servitude, where they belonged, or scattered to the corners of the Earth to dwell in hidden places until the forces of his New World Order finally caught up with them.

He lowered the cigar to a silver ashtray that sat upon his imposing desk, tapping it against the metal to loose the accumulated ash as he pursed his lips in thought. There were still far too many people on the planet, an unsustainable many people that dogmatic idiocy had provoked and then protected from the inevitable consequences of environmental, economic, and social collapse for two millenniums. Even with his Elite Guard roaming the streets, dishing out some good, old Roman-fashioned Lex Talionis, it wasn't enough. It was time to start the process of really instituting his Eugenics plan beyond the mentally and genetically defective to include most of those in the work camps.

Letting the cigar rest in the tray, he lifted a thick manila envelope from his desk to uncover the finished proposal, but his eyes stuck on the address on the envelope and he tore it open, dumping the contents onto the desk. One raven eyebrow arched as he read the short note from his mother explaining that she was cleaning out his old room and thought that he might like to keep a few of the smaller things.

Only four sentences this time, and the first correspondence in almost a month. Fighting a sudden urge to crumple the paper or set it on fire, he placed it in the top drawer with forced composure. Of course she wouldn't want his things laying around anymore.

Another deep breath and he picked up the stack of memories, flipping through old family photos, some of which he knew to be the only copy, drawings he had given his mother for the refrigerator, bus tickets from his yearly visits to Mexico City. He suddenly slammed the whole stack back onto the polished wood, nearly knocking his cigar onto the floor. Did she think that she could just package his past up and make it as if it had never happened? As if he had never happened! His fiery eyes narrowed at the phone to his left as he contemplated calling her. But no. He wouldn't dignify this with a response. It would only make him look weak in the end.

The man made to move the stack into a drawer for later storage, but on the way another photo fell from the pile: this one of two teenage boys, one a Hispanic youth in gothic attire and the other a pale boy with unruly dark brown hair and big, innocent, but all too aware hazelnut eyes. An elegant finger traced the figures lightly as he took on an almost sentimental, faraway look.

--

It was the fall of their Senior year of High School. He had snuck up using his powers to avoid making little crunching noises in the dried out grass on Mystic Hill, where his best friend, Todd Castil, sat on a blue blanket, bent over a notebook as usual. “Hola, Amigo!”

“Ah!” The other teen started at the unexpected greeting, clutching the notebook to his chest as if attempting to protect a sacred treasure or expecting it to somehow protect him, before registering the familiar voice and relaxing a bit. “Oh, hey, Pepito.”

He plopped down on the blanket beside his friend, resting an arm easily around his shoulders for reassurance. Even though it was great fun to scare his still somewhat timid companion, he did have to keep his anxiety disorder in mind. “I tried calling you,” he complained.

Todd meet his eyes apologetically. “Ummm. Yeah. Sorry. I just really needed some time alone.”

Pepito raised a brow suggestively. “Alone? What for?”

“Not that.” Rolling his eyes, but also cracking a small smile, Todd brushed his arm away in mock disturbance. “I just needed to think.”

“Yeah? About a new story?” He leaned over to spy upon the notebook in Todd's lap, even though he knew that he hated letting anyone read his uncompleted work. “Is it the one you were telling me about the other day, about the mutant cholera that lies dormant in algae to cross the ocean?”

“Nooo. That was real. I saw it on the Discovery Channel. This..actually isn't a story.” His voice became more serious, contrite even. “It's a college application...to California State.”

“California State?” Pepito's posture became rigid as the hurt accidentally slipped past his lips. “But, Amigo, Yale is on the other side of the country. Why do you want to stay here?”

“Well, going out of state is a little out of my budget. Plus, State has a pretty good English Department.”

Pepito shook his head. “Squee, you know I have connections. I could easily arrange for you to get a scholarship.”

“I know, Pepi, but I really feel like this is something I need to do on my own. And I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of our friendship ...or like I owe you anything.” He tagged the last bit on with some apparent trepidation, making it more than easy for Pepito to read between the lines.

“So, you've made your decision already then?”

“Yes. Pepito, I...I'm really sorry, but I just can't. I can't give my soul to anyone.” He seemed to become even more nervous when there was only silence from the other, reluctantly reaching out to lay his hand on the other's. “Say something, please.”

Pepito looked away, closing his eyes tightly for a few seconds to make sure that no tears escaped before looking back to his friend's worried countenance. Todd was his only really genuine friend. He was the only person who really knew the whole Pepito, besides his parents who were obligated to love him. Everyone else just knew one half, and he was fairly certain that they wanted it that way. “Todd...if that's your choice then ...I will respect it.”

“Really? Just like that?” Even though Pepito had told him as much several times, the boy still seemed surprised.

“Yes. Just like that. But...” He trailed off, looking down at the blanket in shame. He really shouldn't have been letting anyone else reduce him to such a pathetic state, but he could never help feeling so..attached to Todd.

“Pepi?” The hand on Pepito's moved to actually clasp it.

It was an odd feeling for darker boy, as he was usually the one doing the prying and the comforting in their relationship. “Does this mean you that you no longer wish to be my friend?”

Now Todd looked a little hurt himself. “No. Of course not. I'll always be your friend.” His voice sounded slightly guilty for making Pepito think such a thing.

The half-demon let out a deep breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding. “May I have your word on that?”

Tilting his head to the side, Todd pretended to consider what he obviously thought a practical non issue. “Only if you promise too.”

Smiling, Pepito tightened his grip on his friend's hand before offering his free hand with the pinkie extended. It was something he hadn't done since he was four or five with his mother...something about cookies before dinner. “I hereby solemnly vow to always be your friend.”

Letting out a relieved laugh at the childish ritual the other presented, Todd wrapped their fingers together with hardly any hesitation. “I promise too. Best friends.” He was a little taken aback when Pepito leaned forward to quickly place a light kiss on his slightly parted lips, and then he turned that perfect shade of pink that always accompanied the rare moments when their friendship seemed to run a little too deep. But he had never complained.

“Thank you, Amigo.”
-------

The last time he had seen Todd had been the summer after they had both graduated from college. Separate colleges, in fact, though that had been the other's decision. It had been a short meeting, full of awkward pauses, unshared sentiments, and half sincere plans to stay in contact. After that there had been occasional letters, fewer phone calls, and a couple of post cards. Then, after last year, nothing at all.

He was drawn from his reminiscing by the phone on his desk ringing, and he tossed the last picture into the drawer with the others, pushing the lingering feelings down into the dungeon of his mental fort, where he could maybe starve them of attention until they died. Taking the phone to his ear, he listened as his secretary announced the caller, giving her permission to put them through before speaking in a cool, even voice. “Hello, Karl. Lilly said you have something important to report?”

“Yes, Pepito-er ..President Diablo.” The older man quickly corrected himself when his leader growled low in his throat at the informality. “I think we've found him.”

That was all it took. “Where are you?”

“Work Camp thirty one.”

“I'll be right there. Wait for me.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

He returned the phone to the hook without so much as a good buy, taking one last draw from his cigar before putting it out and heading up to the launch pad on the roof.

End Chapter One

Notes:

-This chapter is for DesdemonaKakalose on DA, who asked me to write a small clip of this idea into a story. I might not continue though, and if I do I'm not sure which direction in will go in. It might end badly.

-Most of the things mentioned in this chapter are inspired by the silly, literalist interpretations of the Bible (Revelations) and the Church of Satan's five-point-plan as explained by Magus Peter H. Gilmore in Satanism: The Feared Religion (found on the Church of Satan website under theory and practice).

-I'm think that this is a completely separate story line/universe from Sub Awake and obviously The Fluff too.

-I don't own Pepito and Squee. They belong to JV.