The next day, Will was telling Wendy and Bill about his time at Gideon's manor.

"And then after we hung out at the arcade, we went to an indoor pool. You heard it correct, a pool indoors!"

"It seemed like you had fun," Wendy smiled.

"I did," Will said. "And Gideon was a blast, I can't believe I ever felt uneasy around him."

Nearby, Bill was sitting on the couch, furrowing his brow. He was silent throughout the whole conversation, and Will was starting to worry.

"Bill, are you alright?

Wendy looked sideways at the blond. "He's probably jealous of the fun you had."

"You can't make me admit it," Bill told her. "And actually, I'm thinking about something else..."

"Like what, exactly?" Will asked.

Bill looked him in the eye. "I think the munchkin is tricking you."

He stared, and didn't think he heard correctly. "What? Why would you--"

Bill interrupted. "For one thing: he hung out with you. Willingly."

"Hey! I'm fun to hang out with!" Will protested, even though he didn't believe his own words.

"Nah, Gideon is definitely lying to you," His brother countered, his eyes narrowing.

Will could practically feel the overprotective aura around Bill. Understandably, the blond was suspicious, since his brother had gotten himself into dangerous situations, both result of his trusting nature. But, Gideon was different, he just knew it. The white haired boy didn't have the same demeanor as Norman or Kill, for the first time, Will felt like he made a genuine friend...

"Don't worry about me," Will told his brother, gently. "I think it's fair to say, that I can handle myself by now. So, don't try to stop me from seeing Gideon this afternoon."

Bill's eyes widened. "You're meeting up with him again?"

He nodded in return. "Yeah, he invited me to his father's factory."

"Who makes plans at a freaking factory?" The blond snapped. "Will, this is obviously a trap!"

Will narrowed his eyes. "No, it's not. I'm only going out with a friend."

"That guy isn't your friend," Bill shot back. "For once, can you actually think things through, before you start holding hands with people who want to kill you?"

"OK, now you're being unreasonable," He pointed out, then turned to the redhead. "Wendy, back me up here!"

The Guardian glanced between the two, then sighed heavily. "Will, I'm sorry...but Bill kinda has a point."

"Ha!" The blond exclaimed, triumphantly.

Will frowned at the woman. "But, why?"

Wendy rubbed her arm sheepishly. "Kid, in this town, there are a few amount you can trust. And there's still very little we know about this Gideon guy."

"Which is exactly why I'm forbidding you from seeing him," Bill chimed in, sternly.

The blue haired spun sharply towards his brother. "Are you serious now, Bill?"

Bill's expression softened. "I know it seems crazy, but I'm trying to protect you--"

"No!" Will snapped. "You're suffocating me! Just like you always do!"

In a fleet of frustration, he stomped towards the exit. Will paused outside the shack, when Bill called his name.

"Will, don't do this," He said.

Will turned his body around to face him with a glare, then held onto the door.

Bill gasped. "Don't you dare slam the door in an act of anger--"

That was exactly what Will did.

"Goddammit!" The blond yelled from inside.

Then, Will turned on his heels, and headed into the woods around him.

❇❇❇

A long while later, he had arrived at the destination Gideon had told him. He looked at the huge building, and wondered where his newfound friend was. That was, until a voice called from the roof, and Will was shocked to Gideon waving at him overhead, before he indicated to a nearby ladder. After a rather difficult ascent to the roof, he managed to settle beside Gideon. He then went on and vented to him about his troubles, and Gideon seemed understanding as always.

"I know it isn't my place to say this," Gideon started. "But, your brother sounds quite controlling, Will."

Will shook his head. "No, he's only wants what's best for me...even though, he can overreact at times."

"Yes, but even you must see that he's going too far," Gideon insisted.

He didn't answer, a part of him considering what the other boy told him. Will had to admit, Bill could be overprotective, but he also had the right to be, though...

"Let's change the subject," Will suggested, eager to move on. "Why did you invite me here, Gideon?"

Gideon's face once again melted into a kind smile. "I thought it had a nice view," He said, then gestured in front of him.

Will turned, and stared in awe at the whole scale of the town, as the sun slowly dipped in the horizon. Any other time, he would've been afraid at this height, but with Gideon, he couldn't be anymore relaxed. The only time he been this comfortable with someone, was with his brother, but somehow, that also changed with Bill's recent behavior. He wondered if Bill was worrying about him, the thought made him anxious.

"There's another reason why I brought you here," Gideon continued.

Will regarded him curiously, as the other boy took something from behind his back, and placed it between them. It was a long flat box.

"What's this?"

Gideon had a twinkle in his eyes. "A present for you."

The blue haired boy blinked, and a light blush dusted his cheeks. He couldn't remember a time when someone gave him a gift. Granted, his parents never bothered with celebrations like Christmas, or even their children's birthdays.

"For me? But, we only been friends for a short while," Will pointed out.

"Enough time for me to get attached," Gideon chuckled, sheepishly. "Will, you are not only my friend, but the first friend I made in years. I would do anything for you."

The boy stared, not expecting such a confession.

"Would do the same for me?"

It took a few seconds, before Will registered his question. "Of course. Friends stick together."

Gideon's smile widened. "So, we are at an agreement?"

Will tilted his head. "What agreement?"

"That we should kill your brother."

He froze, feeling his blood run cold, as he gaped at the disturbingly innocent smile on Gideon's face. "What?"

The white haired boy didn't reply, instead he reached out and peeled the lid off the box. Will looked in horror, at the row of sharp knives in the containment. Gideon picked up one of the blades, and admired it in the light.

"You'll do it tonight," He told Will, handing the knife to him. "Make sure Bill's back is turned, and then the rest will be easy."

Will batted his hand away, and scooted back, suddenly wanting to be away from the boy. "Killing my brother!? Are you nuts!?"

Gideon shook his head. "No. Listen, I looked into it, and I've seen the future where Bill destroys everything! He's not what he seems!"

"Seen the future?" Will repeated, nervously. "But, I thought you were a..."

"A fake?" He questioned, calmly. "Tell me, friend, is this fake?"

Gideon leaned closer to Will, so that the other boy was forced to back away. However, the white haired boy grabbed the other by his shoulders, and Will stared into his unblinking eyes. Then, for a flicker of a second, he was bombarded with visions, of a town scorched in flames, while an ominous figure rose above the destruction, with one golden eye.

Will gasped loudly, as Gideon released his grip, and the vision vanished. He was trembling violently. "What was that...?"

"Something we need to avoid," Gideon told him, seriously. "Which means, Bill needs to go."

"You don't know if Bill was responsible for that!" Will shouted.

"I know what I saw," He said, eyes narrowing to slits. "And you should've connected the dots by now. Janus: You see Bill as a friend, but that's all a lie. Distrust: He's the one that will make you lose trust. Finally, Death..."

Will shook his head rapidly, feeling his heart speed up in his chest. "No! Bill would never hurt me!"

Gideon's gaze softened, and he regarded the other in sympathy. "I know this is hard for you, especially since this is your brother. But, you have to believe me."

At that moment, Will didn't know what to believe. He knew that Bill was once a powerful Demon, but...it couldn't be, he refused to believe his brother would go down that path!

All of a sudden, he felt a warm hand placed over his. Gideon was giving him a near pleading look. "I wasn't lying, when I said that you are my friend. As my friend, I don't want to see you get hurt. Please."

Even though the things he was saying were crazy, Gideon honestly believed he was doing the right thing. But...

"I'm not killing my brother, Gideon," Will said, strictly.

Gideon frowned. "But, the vision--"

"I don't care what you saw. Even though he's annoying, Bill is the only family I have left, and I'm not going to hurt him," He growled. Then, he adopted a softer tone as he moved on. "I think of you as a friend, too, and I know you only want to protect me and this town. But, I refuse to go through with it."

There was silence on the other boy's part, then eventually, Gideon sighed. "I understand."

Will smiled, and froze when a pale hand brushed at his temple. He regarded Gideon puzzlingly, while the boy's expression darkened.

"I'll do it for you, then..."

Will's eyes widened, just when a fogginess drifted into his head from Gideon's fingertips grazing his skin. It wasn't long, before he entered a deep dreamless sleep.

❇❇❇

This was one of the rare times he'll admit this, but this was all his fault.

He dialed Will's phone countless times, while Wendy watched nearby. After many attempts, Bill didn't have an answer. He was about to throw his phone to the wall, when the redhead stopped him.

"Calm down," Wendy told him. "Maybe you should give your brother some space."

"I know," Bill admitted, grudgingly. "But, he could be in danger for all I know!"

The Guardian crossed her arms. "Sooner or later, you have to stop underestimating Will. He fought off Kill by himself, for Axolotl's sake."

"Red, you haven't grown up with him like I did," He countered. "As far as I can remember, Will always needed me to protect him."

"And what? Because he's becoming independent now, you feel like you're not needed?"

Bill flinched, but tried to hide it with a remark. "The point is, I care about my brother, but he can be naive."

"And you can be impulsive," Wendy shot back. "You both have your flaws, but you balance each other out, that's what makes you two a great team. You just need to trust each other more."

He pondered over her words, and knew she was speaking the truth. He was about to respond, when his phone rang. Bill's heart almost leaped out of his chest, when he saw Will dialing. He immediately accepted the call, and pressed it to his ear.

"Will, are you alright?" Bill demanded. "That little pipsqueak didn't do anything, right?"

"How flattering."

The blond froze, when hearing the eerie voice on the phone. "Gideon? Put Will on the phone!"

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

"Why not?" Bill growled.

"What's happening?" Wendy asked.

He couldn't answer her, because that was when Gideon spoke again.

"Well, he's very tired, that's all," He chuckled, softly. "If you want, you can come over and see him."

"Listen, you little pest," Bill hissed. "You're going to tell me your exact location, and then I'm going to march down there and beat you to a pulp."

"Sounds splendid," Gideon remarked, sarcastically. "On one condition: Don't you dare bring that redhead along with you."

Bill's eyes widened. "How did you--"

"If you tell her, your brother's little nap will be permanent."

He gritted his teeth, rage and fear pumped through his veins. "Fine, gremlin."

"I'll send you the address soon. See you then, Bill..."

Then, the call was cut short.

Bill slowly put the phone away, and took a deep breath. Then, he slowly headed towards the door. "Wendy, Will just called. He asked me if I could pick him up."

Wendy nodded. "Alright, do you need me to come--"

"No," He stated, calmly. "Don't wait up, I'll be right back..."

Then, he left without another word.