The Sin Eater - The Watch #2 - ch. 6 (Patreon)

Unedited/Unbeta'd. Subject to change if I reread it and determine it sucks.

Payton

The rest of the day flew by in a flurry of rumors and accusations, with the instructors struggling to keep people on task. Payton was also too distracted to really pay any attention to his studies. Not due to the hacker, but Boone and their office encounter. Payton only put aside thoughts of the headmaster once they were all back at the dining hall, the din of knives and forks on china filling the silence surrounding Peregrine pod. They were all in their usual seats minus Remi and Drake and Dove and Gift. Their absence left a hole in the flow of their usual dinner conversation. 

“You think Remi will come to dinner?” Morgan finally asked, worry causing little wrinkles between her brows. 

Diego paused mid-bite. “You think someone should go check on him? Someone has to be giving him food, right?” 

“Did anyone talk to him today?” Jay asked. 

Everyone shook their heads. 

“Someone said he was in his room all day,” Luca said. “But then another person swears they saw him heading into the server room.” 

“Weird,” Jay said. “Maybe he went to talk to West? He canceled classes today.” 

Payton listened to them volley questions back and forth, realizing for the first time that Remi had become a big part of their group. He’d always been part of their pod, hanging out on the fringe, seemingly happy just to be there. But Payton had never considered him part of his and Gift’s inner circle. Mostly the circle was a square which included Dove and Morgan. Drake, once he’d arrived, had entered their bubble by default, since he was their roommate. 

And with Drake came Remi. 

In the beginning, Remi was nothing more than Drake’s shadow, following him around, seemingly desperate for his attention. This quiet little mouse, always content to sit at Drake’s feet and feast on the scraps of his attention. Now, seeing the worry on Morgan’s face—hearing the others in the pod fret over his wellbeing—it was clear that, somewhere along the way, they’d all grown fond of the quiet boy. 

It was hard not to like him. He was always eager to help others, Payton included. He seemed to accept people just as they were, even if those people were cold-blooded psychopaths like Drake. 

And Payton.

Like Gift, Remi seemed like a soft kid—and maybe he was—but Payton suspected there was far more to him than anyone knew. Especially now. Remi was one of the smartest people in the school. He had a mind like a computer. Maybe that’s why hacking came so easy to him. If they wanted to find this hacker, they would be smart to just set Remi loose on them. 

Payton was impressed with how Remi had handled the situation that morning. Sure, he’d been upset. But he hadn’t fallen apart the way Payton would have expected. Payton used to wonder why Drake hung out with someone like Remi. Now he wondered why someone like Remi would hang out with an asshole like Drake. Drake who, like Remi, was also suspiciously absent from dinner. 

“I wouldn’t come to dinner after a tape like that. Would you?” Lennox asked, dragging Payton from his thoughts. 

“It’s all so stupid. Like what’s the point of all this? Some tech nerd feels slighted and wants to flex their skills?” Diego asked. 

Mos made a sound of agreement. “And why start with Remi? Hardly makes this person seem like a formidable opponent to go after someone so soft and quiet. It makes all their so-called evidence look like bullshit.” 

“You think they made it up?” Persephone asked, around a bite of her burger. “It sure looked real to me.” 

“That’s the problem with this deep fake shit,” Luca said. “It all looks so fucking real. It’s so fucked. Like there’s no non-nefarious reasons for a technology like this to even exist.” 

“Still, lucky for us it does,” Jay said with a shrug. “It makes our jobs easier. When you have no evidence, you can just manufacture it.” 

Morgan’s lip curled. “It should be illegal for just anyone to have access to this type of technology. In the wrong hands, it could ruin people’s lives.” 

“I’m pretty sure that most people would consider us the wrong hands,” Diego said with a laugh. 

“But we’re doing it for international security,” Jay said magnanimously. 

“Yeah. We’re not like those sleazeballs using it to make revenge porn and shit,” Persephone said. “But now, thanks to this kind of tech, we can’t even trust our own eyes and ears. We can’t believe anything this fucking hacker says. They’ve all but said they’re lying about some, if not all, of the shit they said. I’m choosing to believe it’s all lies.” 

“Persephone’s right. If we just don’t believe this hacker person, we take away their power and render them utterly useless,” Diego agreed. “Maybe they’ll just go away.” 

Morgan snorted. “When, if ever, has ignoring a problem made it go away.” 

Diego never got a chance to answer. The chatter in the cafeteria swelled around them until the combined voices sounded like the low hum of electricity. That could only mean one thing. Remi had decided to come to dinner. 

The boy appeared next to the table, carrying his tray, with his head down and his hoodie up. He didn’t sit, just hovered anxiously looking at each of them like he was waiting for them to reject him. 

Morgan gave him a weird look. “What are you just standing there for? Sit.” 

Remi’s shoulders sagged. He slipped into the seat beside her, the one usually reserved for Dove. 

“Where is Dove?” Payton finally thought to ask. 

“She and Gift were finishing up a project. She said they’d meet us before dinner’s over.”

Had Gift told Payton that? Was he so far gone on Boone that he’d forgotten about Gift? In Payton’s defense, he’d been after Boone for months and now, finally, he’d made progress. 

His heartbeat spiked as he remembered being on his knees for the older man, the heavy weight of him on Payton’s tongue, the sounds he’d made while Payton sucked him off. And after dinner, Payton would finally know what it was like to feel Boone’s cock splitting him open. Payton almost felt guilty having the best day of his life while Remi was having the worst.

He bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from getting a very awkward erection while surrounded by his friends. He picked up his fork, playing with his food more than eating it. Mostly, he just watched the others in the room watch them. They pointed and laughed. They whispered behind their hands like that somehow made them seem less suspicious. 

Payton was so caught up with people watching that he almost missed Drake’s entrance. He was easy to spot as he towered over the others. Payton tracked him through the room, following his blonde head as he grabbed his food. It was only once he was headed towards the table that Payton noted he wasn’t alone. Gift and Dove surrounded him, gesturing emphatically, faces animated. 

When they reached the table, they fell silent, glowering at him. Drake went to take his usual spot beside Remi, but Dove put an arm out, barring him from doing so. “I don’t think so. You can sit at the end of the table until you remember how to human.” 

She pointed to the end of the bench, then slid in beside Remi so she and Morgan flanked him. 

Morgan nodded, wagging her finger at Drake. “Yeah. Bad psycho, no Remi for you.” 

Remi didn’t acknowledge Drake in any way. He didn’t really acknowledge any of them, just ate silently. With the whole pod where they belonged, Payton allowed himself to study Remi. He looked worse for wear. He’d changed out of his uniform at some point and now wore baggy jeans and an oversized Dartmouth hoodie. With the hood up, most of his face was in shadow. 

Remi hadn’t gone to Dartmouth. He’d attended MIT. Payton’s gaze darted to Drake. Drake had attended Dartmouth for his undergrad. Was Remi sitting there wrapped in Drake’s sweatshirt even while he ignored him, looking for comfort from him even when he refused to give it? Something about that made Payton want to punch the blonde psychopath in the face. He truly didn’t deserve Remi. 

Gift shifted restlessly beside him, looking from Remi to Drake to Payton, expression pained. Payton just nodded, acknowledging that he really didn’t know what to do either. Unsurprisingly, none of them seemed to know what to do. The problem with a school like this was that even the neurotypicals were more or less just diet neurospicy. They didn’t really do feelings well either. 

Even Remi. 

It was Morgan who spoke first. She placed an arm around Remi, who jumped at the contact, her tone shockingly gentle as she asked, “Did you get any rest?” 

Remi glanced up just long enough to say, “No, I was working.” Before he continued to shovel food into his mouth. 

His pretty eyes were bloodshot and he looked pale beneath his tan. Payton’s temper flared. The others were right. It was fucked up to go after someone like Remi when there was a whole school full of people far more deserving. 

“Working?” Jay asked. 

Remi didn’t answer him, just stuffed another forkful of food into his mouth, chewing aggressively, like he was in a hurry. Maybe he was. It wasn’t like the dining hall was the friendliest place at the moment. Remi deserved a medal just for showing up. It took balls to face a bunch of prying eyes. 

Payton heard Luca mutter an exasperated, “Here we go,” a moment before Navy stopped at their table, directly behind Remi. 

She was still in her uniform, though she’d shucked off her jacket somewhere, probably her table. Two girls stood behind her, expressions smug. He didn’t know them. He didn’t want to know them. 

“Can we help you?” Dove asked, giving the girls a cold look. 

A mean little smirk appeared on Navy’s pinched face. She had something in her hand. She approached Remi, tapping him on the shoulder. He didn’t startle this time, just glanced up at her, looking her up and down before dismissing her to return to his food. 

Her face fell comically fast, flummoxed by Remi’s lack of response. “Here, I’m returning your Inter-Governmental Relations notes.” 

She attempted to drop the notebook straight into Remi’s food, but Payton snatched it from the air, glaring at the girl, who huffed out a breath like a pouting toddler. Remi didn’t even glance up. 

“I don’t need them anymore,” she said breezily. 

“Why did that house finally fall on your sister?” Gift said sweetly. 

Navy flinched but otherwise ignored Gift’s comment. “Though, I suppose once the board finds out about everything you’ve done, you won’t need them either. Did they meet yet?” she asked, her friends tittering behind her. 

Payton rolled his eyes. “What is this, middle school?” 

“What?” Navy said, full of mock innocence. “I’m just saying…he’s probably going to get kicked out after the dirty things on that tape. Even if they are fake. The enemy could use it to blackmail you into selling our secrets. Oh, wait. You already do that.” 

“Funny…” Drake said from the end of the table, his tone implying it was anything but.

Navy did a double-take. Maybe she’d expected him to be on her side after that morning or maybe she just hadn’t noticed him sitting there, straddling the bench, arm resting on the table.

“What’s funny?” Navy asked, giving Drake a cautious look.

For all her bluster, she was more than a little afraid of Drake. He was the worst when it came to hiding the monster lurking underneath the mask. His cold eyes often ]gave even the teacher’s pause. 

But Payton wasn’t afraid of Drake. He shot him a warning look, but he missed it, eyes locked on Navy. If Drake made this situation worse, Morgan and Dove were going to take a cheese grater to his dick and Payton would hold him down. 

Gift’s leg bumped Payton’s under the table, giving him another uneasy look like he wanted him to fix it. But Payton had no idea how to defuse the situation or if Remi even wanted him to. He was still eating as if he couldn’t hear the conversation swirling around him. To his credit, his lack of attention seemed to be making Navy crazy. 

Drake shrugged, his expression amused. “I just admire your ability to not give a fuck.” 

Navy’s shoulders deflated, her smile returning as she waved a hand dismissively. “It’s hardly the first time I’ve been cheated on. Men are trash,” she said, earning another giggle from her two friends. 

Drake gave a humorless laugh. “I agree. Men are trash. But I was referring to your lack of fucks given your current predicament.” 

“Predicament?” Navy echoed, smile fading into a frown of confusion.

“Mm,” Drake said. “It takes a truly astonishing level of psychopathy to bully your victim…in public…in front of witnesses…witnesses who may be called to testify.” 

“What are you going on about?” Navy’s friend snapped. 

Navy’s eyes bugged as she practically screeched, “Victim?” 

A smile played at Drake’s lips. “People say I'm cold-blooded but I think even I might be a bit nervous if I were in your shoes.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Navy said through clenched teeth, peering down her pointy nose at him. 

Drake shifted on the bench, his finger dancing around the rim of his water bottle. “I’m talking about how cool you’re being when you, yourself, are—at best—going to be expelled and—at worst—going to federal prison. I thought I was unbothered, but you’ve taken it to the next level. Are you sure you're in the right program? You’re awfully reptilian for just a handler.” 

Payton’s brows went up, riveted just like everyone else in the room. They all seemed lost as to what was happening. But nobody more so than Navy herself.

“Wh-what?” Navy asked, her stutter giving away how unsure she was. “What are you talking about? I’m the victim here.” 

Drake made a face like he was impressed. “Wow. I hope you keep that same energy in the courtroom.” 

“Courtroom? Are you high or something?” the girl on the left asked. 

Drake shrugged. “Funny you should say that. Picture this…a girl confesses to the entire school that her supposed ‘boyfriend’ cheated on her right after a video surfaces of her drugging said boyfriend the same night he is assaulted on camera by four strangers.” He looked her up and down like she was an insect. “That doesn’t sound like you’re the victim.”

Dove nodded, lip curling before she said, “I never thought these words would leave my mouth, but Drake’s right. It kind of looks like you planned to have your boyfriend drugged and raped on camera as a form of revenge.” 

“Holy shit,” Gift whispered. 

Morgan’s arm went around Remi’s shoulders, glowering at Navy, whose eyes were locked on Drake. 

Payton smiled meanly, enjoying the way the color drained from Navy’s face, leaving her with an unpleasant pallor. 

Drake continued on, sounding genuinely impressed. “But hey, good for you. I’m sure a pretty girl like you will do just fine in prison.” 

Remi didn’t look up, but his fork had stilled, hovering above his plate. 

“First of all, my dad would never allow me to go to prison—” Navy said. 

“That’s the spirit,” Drake said, winking at her. 

She clenched her fists at her side. “Second, he’s not my boyfriend. And third, I never drugged him. Th-that never happened,” Navy shouted, pointing at him with a shaky hand. “And you’re on that tape too. You of all people should know it’s fake.” 

“But this morning you said he was your boyfriend, no?” Persephone asked, faking confusion.

“You also said you saw Drake and Remi together that night,” Jay added. 

“Yeah,” Dove said. “While he was your boyfriend. Remember?” 

“That part's real,” Navy snapped, flummoxed. 

“Which part?” Morgan asked. “The Drake part or the boyfriend part?” 

Navy was seething. “Shut up, all of you.” 

“We’re just trying to get the whole picture here,” Morgan said patiently. “So, to be clear, the parts that make you look like a victim are real but the parts that make you look like a vindictive fucking monster are fake?” 

“How convenient,” Persephone muttered. 

Navy spun in a circle, addressing the other students. “They’re twisting my words to make me look bad.” 

“You were the one standing there shouting to the whole student body that Remi was your boyfriend and that he cheated on you with Drake. You said if that part was true, it must all be true,” Diego said. “That is what you said, isn’t it?” He looked at the others. “That is what she said, right?” 

Navy’s color had returned in full force, her whole face bright red. 

The others nodded, making hums of agreement. 

“So by your own logic,” Mos said, his words sounding almost musical in his South African accent. “If Remi is a cheater…you are a rapist.” 

Navy’s chest was heaving like she might be hyperventilating. She kept looking to other students like she was pleading for help but nobody said a word. Finally, she seemed to snap. “Fine. I lied. I lied about him being my boyfriend. But I’m telling the truth about Drake and Remi in the parking lot. Ask them,” Navy said, desperate. 

“What else are you lying about?” Persephone asked, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “Seems like we can’t believe anything you say.” 

“Not surprising from a sex offender,” Dove said, in a stage whisper. 

“Don’t call me that,” Navy shouted. “This isn’t about me. It’s about him. He’s the one who has been selling secrets to someone. Why are you all turning this around on me? When he’s guilty of-of…treason.” 

“Because you are a pick-me girl,” Morgan said. “And I hate pick-me girls. And you’re the worst of the worst. It didn’t matter so much when you were only annoying your pod, but now you’ve brought it to ours and we protect our own.” 

“So you admit you’re protecting him?” Navy said, like this was her gotcha moment. 

“Our friend was drugged and assaulted and his assailant is slandering his name. Of course, we’re protecting him,” Gift said, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

“Stop calling me that. I’m not the one who put him in that bed with four guys at once,” Navy said, looking two seconds away from rupturing a neck vein. 

“You did if you drugged him,” Drake said, voice flat and eyes cold. 

“And if you didn’t drug him, and he isn’t your boyfriend, then chances are the rest of it is bullshit, too,” Luca said. 

“Doesn’t it bother you that someone is clearly setting you up too?” Diego asked her. “They are literally making you look like a deranged sexual predator.” 

“Which means you should be protecting Remi too,” Persephone added. “Because he’s the real victim here.” 

“You all should be protecting him,” Payton said, raising his voice to be heard by the other students. “Because that…thing in the video isn’t done yet, and tomorrow that deep fake could have your face pasted onto it. Do you want the whole school turning on you?” 

The other students looked at each other, chatting low like they hadn’t thought of that. They probably hadn’t. But the fact was, this was only the beginning. Whoever or whatever was behind this cyber attack definitely had some kind of agenda. 

But Payton couldn’t imagine what it might be.

“I don’t get it,” someone said from one table over. “You keep saying it’s a deep fake, but then Morgan talks like Remi was actually assaulted and Drake definitely confirmed he made out with Remi in the parking lot. So are you saying the gang bang was real too but it was non-consensual or are you saying its all bullshit?” a guy asked from right behind Navy. 

Remi dropped his fork onto his plate where it clattered, startling those close by. “I don’t even know why I’m bothering, but I will tell you the truth,” Remi snapped. He stood, then stepped up onto the bench just like Navy had that morning. “Yes, Navy drugged me that night at the club.” When she opened her mouth to protest, but he held out his hand. “But it was just molly.” 

There was a small gasp at that revelation, but Remi wasn’t done yet. “No, Navy and I were never dating, though she definitely wanted to. Yes, I did make out with Drake in the parking lot. Again, I was high. And despite what Drake may have said about me, we’ve never had sex.” 

A guy in a black and gold hoodie raised his hand like he wanted to ask Remi a question. Remi ignored him. “That was not me in the video with those…men. I don’t know who that was. And while it was me in the parking lot giving an envelope to someone, it had nothing to do with anyone’s secrets.” 

“Then why make the exchange in the parking lot,” someone yelled from deeper in the room. “Are you dealing drugs?” 

Remi rolled his eyes. “Oh, my God. No, I’m not.” He sighed. “I write specialized encryption software and sell it to interested parties. All that’s in that envelope is a micro SD card and the instructions on how to use it. It’s not illegal, just security sensitive. My…clients don’t like paper trails” 

“Would the school think it’s legal?” Navy asked, staring up at Remi who now towered over her. 

“The school is well aware, Ms. Grimes.” 

Payton’s head snapped around, eyes going wide when he saw Boone standing there. Navy turned around slowly, like she dreaded what she’d find when she completed her rotation. “And-and what do you plan on doing about that?” she asked, primly. 

“About what?” Boone asked. “Remi worked on that software as an extra credit assignment with West. Since Remi created the code for the tech, he can do as he pleases with it. It’s not proprietary. There’s nothing in the software that puts the school or the program at risk.” 

“Oh…” Navy muttered lamely.

“Oh, indeed,” Boone said, shaking his head. “I came to let you know that we’ve called your father and informed him of the allegations against you. He asked to be present when you go before the board, so he’ll be arriving tomorrow.” 

“What?” Navy gasped. “Me? I’m the one in trouble? Over his word?” 

“And your own,” Boone said. “You’re on room restriction until the meeting tomorrow. Please return to your room. Your meals will be brought to you there until then.” 

With that, Boone turned and walked away, leaving Navy standing there, mouth gaping. “What are you looking at?” she screamed, then ran from the room. 

“Well, that was dramatic,” Mos said, picking his fork back up. 

Drake stood, walking to where Remi still stood on the bench, flicking his gaze upward. “We need to talk.” 

Remi glowered at him. “I have nothing to say to you.” 

“Can we not do this here?” Drake asked, his tone irritated, but his eyes imploring. 

“We can not do it at all,” Remi countered. 

Drake huffed out a breath through his nose. “For fuck’s sake…” 

Before anyone could even guess his next move, he grabbed Remi behind his knees and tossed him over his shoulder, turning and marching out the door with him, while Remi swore a blue streak, his fists hitting his back. 

“Should we…do something about that?” Gift asked. 

Payton shook his head. “Remi can take care of himself.” 

“You’re only saying that because you want to chase after Boone,” Gift countered. 

Payton grinned. “You’re right.” He jumped to his feet. “Don’t wait up.” 

Gift scoffed. “I won’t. I’m sleeping in Park’s room tonight.” 

“That’s nice, dear,” Payton said, distracted. 

He grabbed his stuff, then ran from the dining hall, hurrying to catch up to Boone. They had unfinished business.