Origins- Chapter Three- Finbar

Chapter Three
In which we meet Dianne's father, and Niall is left out.



Dianne and Niall were walking to her house. Niall was walking along, nose bloody, fiddling with his glasses, trying to fix them so that they wouldn’t sit crooked on his nose, and he was losing. Dianne was worried about Niall. He was a great guy, but he could be a little over-confident, and he often overstepped a line. He was proud, and that was his problem.

Eventually, they arrived at her house. Dianne invited Niall in, but he refused, saying he had to cook dinner. Dianne shrugged, said goodbye, and walked into her house. When she had closed the door, a pair of arms grabbed her from behind and lifted her up off of the ground. Dianne screamed in shock, and she immediately heard footsteps pounding outside. Niall threw open the door, and his eyes fell upon Dianne's attacker. Niall laughed.

"Finbar, you worry me sometimes," Niall said, shaking his head. He used to call Dianne's dad "Mr Wrong", but Finbar had said he hated it, so Niall stopped.

"T'Sup, Niall-dude," Finbar said, putting his daughter down.

"Not much. I just thought my best friend was being attacked."

Now it was Finbar's turn to laugh. "Sorry about that, man. I just wanted to surprise Dianne."

"I know, but next time, just get her a cake or whatever. See you later, Finbar," Niall said, before walking out the door.

Dianne looked at her Dad and beamed.

"I thought you weren't getting home until tomorrow," she said.

"I wasn't, like, meant to get off, but, y'know, I took the day off anyway."

"Oh. Cool. How's Sharon?" Finbar and Dianne's mother had separated, but Finbar was a great Dad, and he visited often.

"Y'know, she's great," Finbar confirmed. "She's still got her cult thing or whatever, and the kid, but it's cool."

"Mum's not home yet, but I think there's cold turkey sandwiches in the fridge," Dianne said, before walking into the kitchen to check, her Dad following.

"How's Niall doing?" Finbar asked. "Is he still, like, what's the word?, y'know... cool? No problems?"

"No problems," Dianne said, then hesitated. "Well, he got beaten up by Cassidy today."

"Hmm-Kay. That dude's annoying. Not Niall. Cassidy. Niall's solid," Finbar said. He had taken off his shoes and was examining his socks. "Say, Baby-girl, do my socks look like they're both there to you?"

Dianne turned around to check. Both socks were indeed present, so she nodded at Finbar.

"Oh, Dianne?" Finbar said questioningly. "Is it cool if we have a guest this evening? He's like, one of the Sanctuary dudes, but I knew him before he sold his soul to those bureaucrats, and he's sound."

"Wait, so, you invited a guy over, on a day you weren't even meant to be here?"

Finbar had taken off his socks, and was now counting his toes to see if they were all there. He looked up from his accounting. "Pretty much," he said apologetically.

Dianne sighed. Her Mum wouldn't be home until at least ten PM, and that meant she's have to make the dinner. The only things Finbar could make were Pancakes and Brownies. (Admittedly, they were both excellent.)

"What do you want me to make?" Dianne asked.

Finbar looked up hopefully. "Brownies?" he questioned.


*****

The guest arrived at around eight o'clock, which was fine for Dianne. She'd told Finbar to mind the meal she'd prepared, and he'd let it burn. If it had been anyone else, Dianne would have been mad, but her Dad just shrugged it off in his goofy, easy-going way, and declared they would have pizza. She laid the table all the same, with cutlery laid out perfectly. Dianne's face must have been hilarious to see when she opened the door to let the guest in and saw the old man that had helped Niall out that afternoon.

"Hello, Dianne. Finbar's told me a lot about you," the American said in a kindly voice.

Finbar poked his head around the corner. "Candy-dude!" he exclaimed, before walking up to the man and hugging him tightly. Candy's discomfort was plain to see by his expression. "Come in, man, come in."

Candy reluctantly entered, and before Dianne could close the door after him, a brown cat jumped into the house.

Origins- Chapter Two- Safety

Chapter Two

In which a familiar face reappears, and the Narrator uses the word "Lorgnette"

Niall wasn’t doing very well. Cassidy was going to town on his face, and he couldn’t really see anything but two flesh-coloured blobs flying into his nose. He tried to get Cassidy off of him, but the thug was built like a grizzly bear, so he couldn’t really do much. He scrabbled around for a while, and eventually managed to weasel his way out from under Cassidy and locate his glasses. Although he would never be able to wear them as normal, he held the frame tightly and brought the lens up to his eye like a lorgnette. Although he would never be able to win in a physical fight, he could at least see.

With his newly acquired vision, he looked around to locate Dianne. Once he had found her, he gestured frantically for her to go, and jumped out of the way of an incoming punch. Dianne mouthed, “I’ll go get help,” but Niall didn’t want to make a fuss. Before he could stop her, Dianne ran out of the school gates.

“Fight me like a man!” Cassidy shouted, now annoyed that he couldn’t hit Niall.

“I’d really rather not, if that’s okay with you…”

They “fought” for another few moments, Cassidy swinging at Niall, and occasionally hitting him, and Niall trying his very best to avoid being beaten to a pulp. After a short while, Dianne came back, practically dragging a man over to them. The man looked to be in his late fifties to early sixties, and he wore a long black duster, with an odd cowboy-style hat. There appeared to be a cat following the man, but that would be absurd.

“You there, the big guy. Yes, you. I’d advise you to stop what you’re doing right now,” Cassidy said, in a thick southern drawl, his bristly beard quivering as he spoke. “I don’t like bullies.”

Cassidy snorted derisively. “You gonna make me?” He asked, a little too confidently.

“Well okay then,” Cassidy replied, more confidently than Cassidy had been. Slowly, Cassidy began to back away, with a confused look on his face. He turned, equally slowly, and just as bemused-looking, before walking into the school building.

“What did you just do?” Niall asked in awe.

“I think I just made your friend go and tell the headmaster about what he’s been doing. That’s what I did,” With that, the man turned around, and walked out of the school gates. Niall was almost positive the cat was following him.

“Where did you find that guy?” Niall asked Dianne.

“I don’t know,” she replied, “He was the first person I saw. He said he was a police officer, but his badge said “Candy” on it, so it was probably a fake.”

“Well, he sure was helpful,” said Niall, watching the man walk until he turned a corner and was lost from Niall’s impaired sight.

“Um, Niall? Do you want to go get more tape?” Dianne questioned.

“I think that’s probably wise.”

* * * * *

Later that night, Niall had trouble sleeping. The benevolent stranger had seemed to have amazing authority, and Niall wanted to know why. He had stayed up late on the laptop, looking up assertiveness and mind control, but none of those things seemed to fit in with what the man had done. Niall resolved to find out more about him when the morning came. He eventually dozed off, still wearing his glasses, a book on hypnosis lying open on his chest.

Origins- Chapter 1- School

Chapter One:
In Which We Are Introduced to Niall and Dianne




Niall held the two sections of his glasses in his hands, whilst his friend Dianne went into the Art room to get some tape. When she emerged from the classroom holding a roll of Sellotape, he immediately used it to stick his glasses back together.

"Man, you should really stop picking on the bullies," said Dianne.

"He deserved it, and I only insulted his parentage and his mother's occupation..."

"You said his father was a gorilla and his mother was-"

"I know what I said, and it was undeniably hilarious."

"Yeah, I guess it was," Dianne conceded. "Was it worth breaking your glasses for?"

"For sure," Niall grinned.

"Well, it's three thirty now, so we should probably leave school..."

"I guess you're right."

Niall and Dianne walked out of the school, Niall thinking of comebacks that would have been funnier, and Dianne worrying for his health. She started to worry a lot more once she saw the bully Niall had insulted waiting for them. Simon Cassidy fancied himself as a hardass, and to most people, he was. He was about six foot five, and his shaven head made him look like a henchman in a Bond movie. Niall despised bullies, and Cassidy threw his weight around more than anyone else in the school. Niall, however, had found a chink in the bully's armour. The bully was an idiot, and Niall knew it.

"Hey, Four Eyes!" shouted the thug.

"Cassidy, nobody over the age of eight says 'Four Eyes' anymore. Next time, try this one: 'Hey, I love your glasses, they cover up part of your face.' Use that one, it's funnier," Niall said without stopping.

The thug's face contorted in confusion. "You makin' fun o' me?"

"Indeed I am, why?"

Cassidy's face contorted again, this time in anger. "You think you're so big, don't you?" he asked.

"No, I'm about average height. You're big. I'm just smart."

Cassidy was dumb, but he was smart enough to know when a line had been crossed. He squared up to Niall
menacingly. "You wanta fight me?"

"No, Cassidy, but if I were going to fight you, I'd go for the eyes, groin and soft tissues, so I'd probably win."

"Niall, you're pushing your luck," Dianne said, tugging Niall's sleeve.

Niall turned to leave, but Cassidy shouted at him. Niall started to walk away with Dianne, but Cassidy was ready to go.

"Nerd boy, come back here!" Cassidy was visibly upset that he wouldn't be getting his fight, but Niall continued to walk on.

"If I can't get you, I'll get the girl!"

That made Niall turn. "What was that?"

"I said, 'I'll get the girl'," said Cassidy, pleased to have drawn a reaction.

"No you won't," said Niall in retort, before squaring up to Cassidy. "Remember what I said about soft tissue? Look forward to that."

"Niall, you don't have to do this," Dianne whispered.

"I kind of do," Niall replied, before turning to Cassidy. "Ready when you are."

Cassidy's fist slammed into Niall's face and his glasses broke again.

"Goddammit, now I can't see! You win."

Cassidy smirked. "This isn't over yet."

The punch came so hard and so fast, Niall felt like he'd kissed a moving train.

Origins- Prologue

Chapter 0
In which we are introduced to an American



"Officer Candy, we're going to have to transfer you to Ireland," said the neutral voice on the other end of the phone.

Candy rubbed his bristly white beard and considered the statement.

"You gonna tell me why?", he asked.

"... I'm afraid that I can't do that, officer."

"I thought as much."

For a while, there was silence, and Candy took the opportunity to pour himself a shot of whisky.

"Officer Candy?"

"Yes?"

"Are you taking the job?" The voice had managed to keep the neutral tone for the duration of the call.

"Do I have a choice?"

"... No."

"Well then, I'll do it," Candy answered.

"Good. We have a plane waiting for you at Houston Airport. It leaves in an hour."

Candy sighed. "Fine," he said exasperatedly.

"Goodbye, Officer Candy."

Candy didn't have time to say "Bye" back before they hung up.

"Come on Minerva, we're going to Ireland."

Minerva, Candy's cat, mewed at him, before obediently getting into her travel cage. She knew the drill. Candy couldn't help but smile at his pet, before he got his coat, gun, and stetson. He packed his suitcase, picked up Minerva's cage, and left for the Airport.