Story [The 4400 AU] Brothers In Arms-(Kyle, Shawn) angst vignette

Title: Brothers In Arms
Author: brodiew
Characters: Shawn Farrell, Kyle Baldwin
Genre: drama, angst
A/N: This was a 4400 season 4 AU bunny which would not relent.


The 4400 Center was a terrible place to try and defend. The large, glass windows, spacious classrooms, and dormitory provided little in terms of fortification. Who knew that the Center would be the location of a pivotal opening battle in the war for the future?

Shawn Farrell and Kyle Baldwin sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the door frame at the entrance to the center. Broken glass littered the lobby as well as the concrete entry way.

Kyle?s right arm hung limply at his side and small cut under his right eye oozed a tear of blood. Similarly, Shawn?s mouth trickled blood and his right cheek swelled.

?Feel like healing me, now?? Kyle asked, nudging Shawn with his good elbow.

?Not yet,? Shawn replied, nudging him back. ?You can suffer a while longer.?

Kyle pulled his knees up and wrapped his left arm around them and laid down his head. ?I?m sorry, Shawn,? he said into his knees. ?It was all a lie. Cassie, Jordan, White Light. All lies.?

Shawn heard the words, muffled as they were. He stood up with some effort, using the door handle as a support. ?Nice try, Kyle, but Maia Skouris is dead. Jordan?s attack, your attack, caused that to happen!?

Kyle looked up sharply, a mixture of rage and anguish masking his face. ?I know! Damn it! I know!?

?Just because you made one right decision, tonight, doesn?t negate everything you?ve done.?

?Shut the hell up, Shawn!? Kyle said, using his anger to fuel his energy to stand. ?I?m tired of your accusations! Don?t you think I know what I?ve done? Is repentance not enough for you? Do you want my blood in exchange for hers??

Shawn?s ire was spiking as well. He swallowed hard, considering his next words. His fists were at his sides clenched to white knuckles. This was a civil war: brother and against brother. Was there room for forgiveness; especially when pain was still new?

?Well??

Shawn?s lips were pressed into and hard line and his eyes shot daggers at Kyle. He spoke softly. ?Don?t talk, Kyle. Just be quiet. I want to pummel you right now.?

?I thought the pummeling was over,? Kyle said holding out a hand in peace.

?I still have some fight that is itching to hurt you, Kyle. You have to understand that. I never regretted bringing you out of your coma. I even ?healed? you from being possessed after you killed Jordan. Granted, after Isabelle, it was you that gave me a chance to live, but that was when you went soft in the head. What the hell, Kyle? Jordan the Messiah? God on Earth? You took the word of an invisible girl and 50 year old book and turned on your family.?

?Are you done? I don?t need a history lesson,? Kyle said, limping toward Shawn, who had moved further into the lobby. ?I lived it. Forget that you hate me for the moment. What do we do now? P-positives are killing each other. Jordan?s message of love has turned to a message of genocide. He wants an airborne Promicin.?

That caught Shawn?s attention. ?Airborne??

?Yes.?

?This is way beyond kidnapping Kevin to stop his research. I knew Jordan wanted a p-positive world, but this a marked move from rhetoric and passive resistance to the possibility of mass murder.?

?I can?t follow Jordan down that road. But, it?s not the only reason I left Promise City. The White Light book named names of those that needed to take the shot in order to bring about Paradise. My father?s name is on that list. He is important to future events. We?ll that?s what I thought. Cassie knew things about the future that proved to be true. That?s what initially hooked me. But after months in Jordan?s camp, doing what needed to be done to enable to cause, Cassie?s demands became more intense. She asked me to remove you as an obstacle. I wasn?t sure what she was asking. Was I supposed to kill you? She played it cool and said that was not what she meant. What else could she mean? When you came for Kevin, she became intolerabl

 

This was a very complicated fandom to walk into, but I think I get the general idea. In any case, I liked the tension you set up between the two men, and the internal conflict with Shawn. If you love somebody, but detest them enough to enjoy watching them bleed, that's hard core. I'm still not entirely clear on everything that Kyle did, but Shawn's reaction makes it clear that it was nasty.

You also did a nice job of keeping Kyle sympathetic, even though he's evidently done a lot of stupid things.

The ending was great too--sounds like a terrific drama/action setup. A pity that it seems this show's been canceled.

 

Thank you, Ophelia, for reading this story. I apprecaite any effort you made in researching the fandom as well. I am a huge fan of the first two seasons, but became disenchanted, yet no less loyal, as the third and fourth seasons progressed.

This vig was meant to show how two cousins, best friends really, reconsile after the many ups and downs of being associated with the 4400.

This scene was set in the 4th season after Sean and his group from the 4400 Center liberated one of their own from captivity in the oppsing camp.

In the counter attack to the counter attack, a well known character is killed. That, and couple of other things, help Kyle to see the error of the side he had chosen.

I had not thought of continuing as multi post stories are a weakness of mine. Perhaps, I'll rethink that.

Brodie