Title: The Adventures of Rage: Gay Crusader
Volume 1 Issue 5
By: Bridget McKennitt
Disclaimer: Queer as Folk and company are owned by Cowlip and other companies. They are used here without permission, and for entertainment purposes only. No challenge or infringement upon the copyright is intended, nor should any be inferred.
Summary: Never fear, for in the city of Pittsburgh, the gay crusaders Rage and Zephyr are here to the rescue!
Author's Notes: This is a cross between AU and Queer as Folk US canon.
Justin gasped and tightened his hold around Brian's waist as Brian pounded into his ass. "I can't believe you're fucking me again."
"Yeah, well," Brian panted. "You know what they say – Rage has the strength to fuck a hundred men."
Justin reached up and grabbed Brian's face so he could kiss him. Brian thrust deep into him and Justin groaned as he came. He relaxed his legs as Brian slipped out of him and disposed of the used condom. He came back and stretched out on the bed. Justin shifted onto his side so he could face Brian. He smiled and started stroking Brian's chest.
"Six times in a row. Must be a new record." Justin smiled. "Just another perk of having the gay crusader as my boyfriend."
Brian made a face and looked at Justin like he was crazy. "You may know Rage's secret identity, but that doesn't make him or me your boyfriend. Now get up. I have work to do."
"What work? It's a Saturday."
"That's the life of a cold-hearted ad executive. We even work the weekends." Brian reached over and squeezed Justin's ass cheek. "Don't you have schoolwork or something to do?"
"Nothing due until next week." Despite his words, Justin got out of the bed and began putting on his clothes. He had a shift at the Liberty diner soon anyway. He waved at Brian and left through the front door of the loft.
Brian sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. Despite his harsh words to Justin, he did not mind being called his boyfriend. That was the reason he had to kick Justin out. The fact that he did not mind was bothersome and out of character. He was Rage, Pittsburgh's own superhero, who fucked anyone at any time and never fucked a trick more than once. So what made Justin so different?
Not wanting to think any further about it, he pushed the thought to the side and got out of bed. He really did need to work on an ad campaign.
* * *
The bell above the diner's door rang and Justin looked up from his position behind the counter. Michael entered the diner and Justin could not help but wince in response. Michael was furious when he found out that Justin knew their secret identities. With Brian as Rage, it only made sense that Michael was Zephyr. It took Brian awhile to calm Michael down, a shock in itself as it was usually the other way around, and while Michael finally did, Justin still avoided him, just in case.
Michael walked further in and sat at the counter. He looked up at Justin and grunted. "Coffee, and make it quick."
"Yes, sir." Justin picked up the coffee pot and a mug and started pouring coffee into it. "Anything else?" he asked as he passed it to Michael.
"Yeah. How about a nice big plate of leave us the fuck alone?" Us meaning him and Brian, especially Brian.
"Sorry, that's not on the menu. Try something else."
"I mean it, Justin. There's no room for you in Brian's life." He took a sip of his coffee. "So it's best if you just leave."
Justin placed the coffee pot on the counter and leaned forward. "I'll leave if and when Brian tells me to. But until that day arrives, I'm staying right here. Now. What else would you like to order?"
Michael sighed. It was worth a shot. "Just some lemon bars."
"Coming right up." As Justin turned around to get the lemon bars, he accidentally hit the coffee pot, knocking it down. The pot crashed on the floor, spilling hot liquid and glass shards everywhere.
Justin hissed as he received the full brunt of the spill.
In another part of town, Brian clutched his head in his hands as intense pain hit. He folded over in his chair and fought against it. The pain soon subsided and Brian took in a ragged breath. What was that? Surely not a migraine, he was too young. It almost felt like...a psychic echo. As Rage, he possessed many powers of the mind, so it was entirely possible to have received a psychic cry. But from who?
He turned his head towards Cynthia who looked at him with a curious expression on her face. "Anything wrong, sir?"
"No. Uh, listen, I'm going on my lunch break now." Brian stood up from his chair and grabbed his briefcase. "I need to see someone."
Cynthia nodded. "As long as you come back. It doesn't take an entire day to get sucked off, you know."
"Haha. You're such a riot, Cynthia. Seriously, I'll return after I check up on some things." At this time of day, both Justin and Michael would be at Liberty diner. It was the perfect place to go to figure out the psychic cry.
* * *
Michael wiped the ground with a wet towel, careful to avoid the shards of glass. He glanced over at Justin who was holding a towel to his bloody hand. "You doing okay, kid?"
"Just fine. I can't believe I did that. It was so stupid." He shook his head and sighed.
"Don't worry about it. Happens to all of us." Michael cleaned up the last of the spill and started on picking up the glass.
"Yeah, knocking over the coffee pot and then cutting myself on the glass." Justin looked up as the bell rang and tried not to let a smile appear on his face at the person who entered. "Hey, Brian."
Brian spotted Justin sitting on a stool and smiled. He crossed the distance between them, noticing as he came closer the bloody towel. "What the fuck happened to you?"
"I fought against a coffee pot and lost. Michael's helping me clean up the mess." He grinned. "So what can I get you?"
Brian shook his head and sat in the stool next to Justin. "Let me take a look at that." He carefully took Justin's hand and lifted the towel. The flow of blood had trickled down, but it still looked bad. "Does this hurt?" He moved Justin's hand and Justin jerked.
As soon as Justin jerked though, Brian felt a throb of pain. "Fuck!"
Michael glanced up from his task at hand and stared curiously at Brian. "You okay there?"
"Yeah, just fucking fine. Let's get you bandaged up," he directed the last part at Justin. "I have to head back to the office soon." He found some gauze in the first aid kit under the counter and wrapped after washing and putting medicine on it, he wrapped Justin's hand up. "Stay here while I talk with Mikey."
Brian pulled Michael outside of the diner and took out a cigarette to light up. "Something's wrong," he said as he blew smoke out of his mouth. "Terribly wrong, and Justin's involved somehow."
Michael snapped his fingers. "I knew it! Justin's just bad news for you. Shall I go back in and tell him to fuck off?"
Brian looked at him funny before taking another drag of his cigarette. "Fuck no. I meant that it's not bad, but it's fucking good either. I think there's some sort of mental connection or some shit like that between us. I think I felt Justin's pain when he cut himself on the glass and when I moved his hand. Listen, I want you to watch Justin like a hawk until I come back. Okay?"
"Sure." Michael nodded.
Before Brian left, he had a thought. He grumpily said, "But don't fuck him. I probably would be able to feel that and...no."
* * *
After Brian left, Michael took Justin to their secret headquarters. Justin dropped his bag on the floor and glanced around. "I know you don't like me much, Michael, so why take me to your headquarters?"
"Brian wanted me to watch you, so what better place than here? Make yourself comfortable. Brian won't be back for quite awhile."
Justin rolled his eyes. "Geez, it was only a cut. Nothing to worry about. He's acting like he cares," he said sarcastically.
Michael said nothing. He did not think Brian wanted Justin to know the real reason why he was supposed to watch him. A psychic connection though, that had never happened before with anyone else Rage had saved. There had to be a reason for it and Michael was going to find out.
The room started flashing as an alarm wailed. Michael cursed and looked at Justin. "Stay put. Business calls." He did not wait for Justin's response as he ran into the other room to change into his costume. As soon as the last piece was on, Zephyr took to the air and flew off.
Rage was already on the scene fighting off Ice Queen when Zephyr landed. She laughed and bounced an ice ball between her hands. "You couldn't defeat me before, Rage. What makes you think you can this time?"
"That's some pretty cocky talk considering you don't have one." Rage smirked and flew into the air as Ice Queen threw the ice ball. While she was distracted, Zephyr slammed into her from behind. Ice Queen fell to the ground but soon got back to her feet.
"See you boys!" She opened her hands and a snowy mist spread throughout the street. When it faded, Ice Queen was gone.
"Fuck!" Rage landed and shook his head. "Damn iced up drag queen."
"Yeah, she always gives us the slip." Zephyr grinned as Rage nudged him in the shoulder.
The two gay crusaders took to the air towards their headquarters. Rage flew side by side of Zephyr. "How's Justin?" he asked.
"The kid's frustrated that he's being treated like a kid."
Rage glanced at Zephyr. "Did you tell him why I wanted you to watch him?"
"Of course not. That's for you to tell him. You are planning on telling him, right?"
"Sure, Mikey." He reached over and planted a kiss on Zephyr's cheek. "You're a good friend."
They landed at their secret headquarters high above Pittsburgh and found Justin waiting. Rage opened his arms as if to hug him, but Justin took a step back. "Don't touch me."
"And why the fuck not? I thought you like having Rage as your boyfriend," he said, tongue in cheek.
"Treating me like some kind of child is not what I would consider boyfriend-like behavior. You're such a fucking prick, Brian. It was just a damn cut, barely a scratch, and you freak out. You made Michael here watch over me." Justin sneered, not as well as Brian could, but it was close. "Well, I won't have that."
Zephyr placed a hand on Justin's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "You don't understand what's going on, Justin. Just calm down and let Brian explain."
"No!" He looked back at Rage, who just stood there stoically. "Consider this my goodbye." Justin turned on his heel and walked out.
Zephyr ran after him, leaving Rage alone. He stood there watching Justin go.
