"You made me a promise. Will you meet death to keep it?"
The story is classic in the term "boy meets girl". Only one thing is weird about the picture, and that is that there is 2 girls. One day, Vincent goes home and finds two girls in his house, but is there more to these 2 than meets the eye?
Chapter 1: Summer Begins
June 15th, 2009, 2:10 pm, Clydesdale High
One slow day, a long day, and the last day. This was Vincent Garem's last day of sophomore year in his cruddy little high school. He remembered thinking all day, about how all the walls had cracks in them, the corroded blue paint was peeling off the walls, and that the school was so poor that they still used chalkboards instead of whiteboards. This must have been the longest day of testing in the world. He had to write 3 essays and do over 200 short answer questions. Vincent was a normal height boy, despite being very skinny. He was a weakling, an outcast, and worse of all, he was "the new kid" due to moving to the town only 3 weeks earlier. Staring the the school's old run down clocks, he counted every everlasting second until he could go back to his quiet house for the rest of the summer. Finally he would be able to go home to a silent house, now that his Father was on a work vacation in Peru. A nice quiet house. Vincent looked over at the clock once more, just as the bell rang, and the hallways exploded with students ready for the new summer break. Vincent got up, and ran to the front of his school, where he was to meet Alyson, his friend, and secretly his crush, and Jamie, his best buddy, whom he had met at lunch on his first day. Vincent wore all black clothing. Then, finally, we get to Vincent. He had hair to his shoulders, a dark brown, nearly black in shade. He wore sweatshirts all year round and, like Jamie, decided to become a reject, not only to be himself, but to be closer to his friend and crush. Vincent walked up to Jamie.
"Dude. We're finally done!" Said Vincent.
"Yeah. But you're a lucky little bastard, only having to spend 3 weeks here out of a whole year..." Said Jamie. Jamie's hair was black and spiked up. He wore chains and hoods all year round. He was the bad ass of the school, and instead of siding with 'the cool kids' he was dedicated to being an outcast, a reject, a freak.
"Yeah, Hey guys, we got to make sure we get together sometime this summer ok?" Alyson said, as she looked over at Vincent and smiled. Alyson was similar in clothes, but different in everything else. At first look, she was just a normal but beautiful high school student. On a closer look you would notice that she had a perfect smile, natural black hair all the way down her back, and the basic gothic look.
"Yeah. Whatever. As long as it isn't another one of your psychotic sleepover party things. Music was so loud they called the cops on us last time. Oh, yeah.. Vincent wasn't here then. Who was with us again? Never mind he got arrested. Oh well. Vincent, make sure you come over when she calls you or you're in deep crap because she'll kill you." Jamie said as he glared over at Alyson, who was trying to act as innocent as possible.
"Yeah. I will, but for right now I have a whole month of silent solitude at my house for once. I'm gonna love this!" Said Vincent as they walked away from the school building.
7:38 pm
Hours later, after hanging out with his friends for a long time Vincent walks back to his house and pulls out his keys. He walks up to the front door and shield his eyes from the light inside.. Then he notices something. Nobody is supposed to be home. No lights should be on! Vincent frantically fumbled around with his keys and tried to unlock his door and ran in to his house. He grabbed a stick he sharpened recently from next to the door and ran into the living room next to his front hallway only to see two girls sitting in his living room. Something seemed off about them. He shouted at them, "What the hell are you doing in my house???"
The taller one looked at him with slightly evil looking eyes as she said, "My name is Nina. Me and my friend will be living here from now on, Vincent."
One slow day, a long day, and the last day. This was Vincent Garem's last day of sophomore year in his cruddy little high school. He remembered thinking all day, about how all the walls had cracks in them, the corroded blue paint was peeling off the walls, and that the school was so poor that they still used chalkboards instead of whiteboards. This must have been the longest day of testing in the world. He had to write 3 essays and do over 200 short answer questions. Vincent was a normal height boy, despite being very skinny. He was a weakling, an outcast, and worse of all, he was "the new kid" due to moving to the town only 3 weeks earlier. Staring the the school's old run down clocks, he counted every everlasting second until he could go back to his quiet house for the rest of the summer. Finally he would be able to go home to a silent house, now that his Father was on a work vacation in Peru. A nice quiet house. Vincent looked over at the clock once more, just as the bell rang, and the hallways exploded with students ready for the new summer break. Vincent got up, and ran to the front of his school, where he was to meet Alyson, his friend, and secretly his crush, and Jamie, his best buddy, whom he had met at lunch on his first day. Vincent wore all black clothing. Then, finally, we get to Vincent. He had hair to his shoulders, a dark brown, nearly black in shade. He wore sweatshirts all year round and, like Jamie, decided to become a reject, not only to be himself, but to be closer to his friend and crush. Vincent walked up to Jamie.
"Dude. We're finally done!" Said Vincent.
"Yeah. But you're a lucky little bastard, only having to spend 3 weeks here out of a whole year..." Said Jamie. Jamie's hair was black and spiked up. He wore chains and hoods all year round. He was the bad ass of the school, and instead of siding with 'the cool kids' he was dedicated to being an outcast, a reject, a freak.
"Yeah, Hey guys, we got to make sure we get together sometime this summer ok?" Alyson said, as she looked over at Vincent and smiled. Alyson was similar in clothes, but different in everything else. At first look, she was just a normal but beautiful high school student. On a closer look you would notice that she had a perfect smile, natural black hair all the way down her back, and the basic gothic look.
"Yeah. Whatever. As long as it isn't another one of your psychotic sleepover party things. Music was so loud they called the cops on us last time. Oh, yeah.. Vincent wasn't here then. Who was with us again? Never mind he got arrested. Oh well. Vincent, make sure you come over when she calls you or you're in deep crap because she'll kill you." Jamie said as he glared over at Alyson, who was trying to act as innocent as possible.
"Yeah. I will, but for right now I have a whole month of silent solitude at my house for once. I'm gonna love this!" Said Vincent as they walked away from the school building.
7:38 pm
Hours later, after hanging out with his friends for a long time Vincent walks back to his house and pulls out his keys. He walks up to the front door and shield his eyes from the light inside.. Then he notices something. Nobody is supposed to be home. No lights should be on! Vincent frantically fumbled around with his keys and tried to unlock his door and ran in to his house. He grabbed a stick he sharpened recently from next to the door and ran into the living room next to his front hallway only to see two girls sitting in his living room. Something seemed off about them. He shouted at them, "What the hell are you doing in my house???"
The taller one looked at him with slightly evil looking eyes as she said, "My name is Nina. Me and my friend will be living here from now on, Vincent."
Chapter 2: House Rule
Vincent stared at her with wide open eyes. He couldn't believe it. His month to himself just had two random girls crammed into it. Then he thought of something. "Hey wait, who said you could stay here?"
"You're gonna kick two poor defenseless girls on to the street Vincent?" Nina questioned him.
"Um. No... Okay, another question. HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN MY HOUSE?!"
"Secret."
" ... Oh...." Vincent was annoyed. He tried to relax a bit, lowering the weapon and sighing. "Who's she?" He pointed at the other girl with an annoyed look on his face. She was sitting on his couch.
The second girl looked up at him. She had light blue eyes and almost black hair. Her hair was half down her back. Not nearly as long as Alyson's hair, thought Vincent. This girl seemed shorter, and more polite and sensitive than Nina. She seemed slightly off in a way.. but then again, so did Nina. This other girl's eyes held a sense of innocence where Nina's held a sense of hostility. She seemed a lot nicer and cuter, in a way. Vincent looked back at Nina. She was taller, and had nearly blond hair. He couldn't tell what other color was in her hair, but he knew something else was there. Nina wore jeans, and a tight fit t-shirt. The other girl wore a skirt and a slightly looser shirt, just enough to give her breathing room inside.
"I'm Mimi" She replied.
"Oh.. Well.. Um.. Hello." Vincent looked at his new housemates. Two beautiful and mysterious girls, his age, under his roof. No information other than their first names, and their looks, which, even so, seemed deceiving. But Vincent was certain that they told him their legit names. "So why are you staying here?"
Nina replied to him, "We flipped a coin, and Mimi got to choose who we would stay with. She won, and picked you. I liked my choice better."
Mimi said to Nina, "I think he was a rapist.. He looked all jock-ish. I didn't like him."
Vincent was totally confused. "These 2 girls broke into his house and were living with him over a coin toss? And why me?" He thought to himself. Vincent looked over at Nina's eyes, which he hadn't looked at yet closely. Her eyes were a strange shade of brown. The longer he looked at them, the more they seemed to turn red.. Crimson red..
"Hey! You alright buddy?" Nina said to him. "You're staring at me. It's creeping me out."
"No sh-.. er.. No duh I'm staring at you. You broke into my house..." Said Vincent.
"If we pay you, will you just stop questioning everything?"
"Huh? Pay?" Vincent thought for a moment about his family's situation. His mother was deceased, and his father was working very hard to bring in the little income they had. They were so poor they even had to move to this town. He hardly had money to pay the bills and buy food... "Umm.. I don't think two girls would have much mo-"
"$5000" She cut him off mid sentence. Vincent went numb. This girl he never met before just offered him five grand to let them stay there. It seemed shady, possibly counterfeit, but what choice did he have? $5,000 is quite a bit of money.
"Deal. Nina, Welcome home." Nina handed him a stack of money, and they shook hands to close the deal.
"You're gonna kick two poor defenseless girls on to the street Vincent?" Nina questioned him.
"Um. No... Okay, another question. HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN MY HOUSE?!"
"Secret."
" ... Oh...." Vincent was annoyed. He tried to relax a bit, lowering the weapon and sighing. "Who's she?" He pointed at the other girl with an annoyed look on his face. She was sitting on his couch.
The second girl looked up at him. She had light blue eyes and almost black hair. Her hair was half down her back. Not nearly as long as Alyson's hair, thought Vincent. This girl seemed shorter, and more polite and sensitive than Nina. She seemed slightly off in a way.. but then again, so did Nina. This other girl's eyes held a sense of innocence where Nina's held a sense of hostility. She seemed a lot nicer and cuter, in a way. Vincent looked back at Nina. She was taller, and had nearly blond hair. He couldn't tell what other color was in her hair, but he knew something else was there. Nina wore jeans, and a tight fit t-shirt. The other girl wore a skirt and a slightly looser shirt, just enough to give her breathing room inside.
"I'm Mimi" She replied.
"Oh.. Well.. Um.. Hello." Vincent looked at his new housemates. Two beautiful and mysterious girls, his age, under his roof. No information other than their first names, and their looks, which, even so, seemed deceiving. But Vincent was certain that they told him their legit names. "So why are you staying here?"
Nina replied to him, "We flipped a coin, and Mimi got to choose who we would stay with. She won, and picked you. I liked my choice better."
Mimi said to Nina, "I think he was a rapist.. He looked all jock-ish. I didn't like him."
Vincent was totally confused. "These 2 girls broke into his house and were living with him over a coin toss? And why me?" He thought to himself. Vincent looked over at Nina's eyes, which he hadn't looked at yet closely. Her eyes were a strange shade of brown. The longer he looked at them, the more they seemed to turn red.. Crimson red..
"Hey! You alright buddy?" Nina said to him. "You're staring at me. It's creeping me out."
"No sh-.. er.. No duh I'm staring at you. You broke into my house..." Said Vincent.
"If we pay you, will you just stop questioning everything?"
"Huh? Pay?" Vincent thought for a moment about his family's situation. His mother was deceased, and his father was working very hard to bring in the little income they had. They were so poor they even had to move to this town. He hardly had money to pay the bills and buy food... "Umm.. I don't think two girls would have much mo-"
"$5000" She cut him off mid sentence. Vincent went numb. This girl he never met before just offered him five grand to let them stay there. It seemed shady, possibly counterfeit, but what choice did he have? $5,000 is quite a bit of money.
"Deal. Nina, Welcome home." Nina handed him a stack of money, and they shook hands to close the deal.
Chapter 3: The Host's Fury
10:30 pm
A couple hours later, Nina and Mimi had settled down in the Living room and made beds with spare sheets and pillows Vincent found. Nina was fast asleep. She didn't look so devilish when she was asleep. Sprawled out on the blue couch on the far wall like a child. On the brown couch was Mimi, who was watching TV silently, was a smile on her face. Focused and happy. Vincent took another moment to absorb the situation. He had 1 month until his father came home. He also had 2 girls who broke into his house and bribed him sleeping in his living room. 2 very mysterious, shady girls. Vincent couldn't tell what it was, but something was DEFIANTLY off about them. Even in this town, something about them was weird. Mimi looked at him.
"Whats the name of the town we're in Vince?" She asked him.
"Clydesdale. Why?"
"Oh. What state?"
"It's a town in Vermont, just past the Massachusetts border. I don't think it's even on a map..."
"Hmm... Thank you. I appreciate you letting us stay here." She then turned off the Tv and cuddled up under her blankets. For the beginning of summer, Vincent's house sure was cold..
10:40 pm Meanwhile, on the roof of the school, a hooded figure stands near a strange shadow.
"You've seen the females in this town?" asked the mysterious form.
"Yes. I'm positive. I cannot conclude their exact whereabouts at this time though." Replied the hooded man.
"Find me those 2. I must have them in my grasp again...." The shadow dissolved, fading until it just wasn't visibly there anymore, and the man walked towards the edge of the 2 story building.
"Where are you, winged ones?"
Back in Vincent's living room. Nina and Mimi are whispering to each other. Nina says,
"Yeah. I know. I saw he had some 'bad' in him too. I wonder what his evil is?"
"I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who noticed. We should find out what it is before we get too close. We have to be careful nowadays..."
June 16th, 9:30 am the next morning...
Vincent woke up lazily and hit his alarm. He sat up and looked around, and suddenly became shocked at what he saw. He was on the floor, and Mimi and Nina were cuddled together on his bed. "What the f- .... to Hell with this. I'm getting food." Vincent got up and walked to his door, just to hear whispers behind him. He turned and looked over at Mimi and Nina, only to see them fast asleep. He opened the door, just to hear the ominous whispers behind him again. He ignored them and went to the kitchen. He turned the stove on and got 2 pans. He put bacon on one and eggs on the other. 20 minutes later Mimi and Nina walked out of the room, Dazed and half asleep. "Mornin'. Food?" Vincent handed plates to each of them. They took the food, and sat at the table next to each other. Vincent now noticed that Nina had a strange tattoo on her right wrist. Barbed wire looking, and sharp design. He looked over to Mimi, and noticed she also had a tattoo. He left wrist had a soft looking tattoo, not at all as sharp and deadly looking as Nina's. Vincent got up and washed his dishes in the sink, followed by the pans he cooked with.
"You're being too nice. What are you up to?" Questioned Nina.
"Nothing. I was hungry and decided to make you some food too. I'm a host aren't I?"
" ... Whatever you say kid."
"Fine. Cook your own damn food tomorrow." He threw the pan in the drainer and walked to the door. He grabbed his stick and slammed the door behind him.
".... Damn... I pissed him off."
Mimi looked at Nina. "His 'bad'?"
"Maybe... Lets follow him."
"No. I'll go alone. Wait here Nina.. Love ya!"
10:00 am
Vincent walked into the woods. He grabbed another stick while walking in. A less durable weapon then the one he made himself, for sure. He walked up to a specific tree. All the tree's around this on were gone. It wasn't a big tree, maybe 4 inches diameter, and the clearing was only about 10 feet long itself. Vincent raised the weaker stick and smashed it off the side of the tree. The stick smashed to bits after on hit. "Dammit. Ow... whatever." Vincent picked up another stick, and quickly turns back to the tree, unleashing a fury of quick blows to the side of the tree.
Up in a nearby tree, Mimi was watching. She saw that the tree was riddle with scars. Tears and slashes all across it. He must have come here a lot to do all this in 3 weeks of living in the small town. All Mimi could do was watch his fast paced blows on the tree and mouth one word. "Wow.."
Vincent continued to thrash at the tree for several minutes, until the second stick he grabbed also shattered. "God d...." He let out a long sigh and his eyes moved upward. All he saw was something, or someone, move from the tree fast. Whatever it was, It was gone now. It moved fast, as if it flew away in the tree line. Then suddenly Vincent though for a second. He knew what the silhouette looked like. It was Mimi's outline that flew away.
A couple hours later, Nina and Mimi had settled down in the Living room and made beds with spare sheets and pillows Vincent found. Nina was fast asleep. She didn't look so devilish when she was asleep. Sprawled out on the blue couch on the far wall like a child. On the brown couch was Mimi, who was watching TV silently, was a smile on her face. Focused and happy. Vincent took another moment to absorb the situation. He had 1 month until his father came home. He also had 2 girls who broke into his house and bribed him sleeping in his living room. 2 very mysterious, shady girls. Vincent couldn't tell what it was, but something was DEFIANTLY off about them. Even in this town, something about them was weird. Mimi looked at him.
"Whats the name of the town we're in Vince?" She asked him.
"Clydesdale. Why?"
"Oh. What state?"
"It's a town in Vermont, just past the Massachusetts border. I don't think it's even on a map..."
"Hmm... Thank you. I appreciate you letting us stay here." She then turned off the Tv and cuddled up under her blankets. For the beginning of summer, Vincent's house sure was cold..
10:40 pm Meanwhile, on the roof of the school, a hooded figure stands near a strange shadow.
"You've seen the females in this town?" asked the mysterious form.
"Yes. I'm positive. I cannot conclude their exact whereabouts at this time though." Replied the hooded man.
"Find me those 2. I must have them in my grasp again...." The shadow dissolved, fading until it just wasn't visibly there anymore, and the man walked towards the edge of the 2 story building.
"Where are you, winged ones?"
Back in Vincent's living room. Nina and Mimi are whispering to each other. Nina says,
"Yeah. I know. I saw he had some 'bad' in him too. I wonder what his evil is?"
"I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who noticed. We should find out what it is before we get too close. We have to be careful nowadays..."
June 16th, 9:30 am the next morning...
Vincent woke up lazily and hit his alarm. He sat up and looked around, and suddenly became shocked at what he saw. He was on the floor, and Mimi and Nina were cuddled together on his bed. "What the f- .... to Hell with this. I'm getting food." Vincent got up and walked to his door, just to hear whispers behind him. He turned and looked over at Mimi and Nina, only to see them fast asleep. He opened the door, just to hear the ominous whispers behind him again. He ignored them and went to the kitchen. He turned the stove on and got 2 pans. He put bacon on one and eggs on the other. 20 minutes later Mimi and Nina walked out of the room, Dazed and half asleep. "Mornin'. Food?" Vincent handed plates to each of them. They took the food, and sat at the table next to each other. Vincent now noticed that Nina had a strange tattoo on her right wrist. Barbed wire looking, and sharp design. He looked over to Mimi, and noticed she also had a tattoo. He left wrist had a soft looking tattoo, not at all as sharp and deadly looking as Nina's. Vincent got up and washed his dishes in the sink, followed by the pans he cooked with.
"You're being too nice. What are you up to?" Questioned Nina.
"Nothing. I was hungry and decided to make you some food too. I'm a host aren't I?"
" ... Whatever you say kid."
"Fine. Cook your own damn food tomorrow." He threw the pan in the drainer and walked to the door. He grabbed his stick and slammed the door behind him.
".... Damn... I pissed him off."
Mimi looked at Nina. "His 'bad'?"
"Maybe... Lets follow him."
"No. I'll go alone. Wait here Nina.. Love ya!"
10:00 am
Vincent walked into the woods. He grabbed another stick while walking in. A less durable weapon then the one he made himself, for sure. He walked up to a specific tree. All the tree's around this on were gone. It wasn't a big tree, maybe 4 inches diameter, and the clearing was only about 10 feet long itself. Vincent raised the weaker stick and smashed it off the side of the tree. The stick smashed to bits after on hit. "Dammit. Ow... whatever." Vincent picked up another stick, and quickly turns back to the tree, unleashing a fury of quick blows to the side of the tree.
Up in a nearby tree, Mimi was watching. She saw that the tree was riddle with scars. Tears and slashes all across it. He must have come here a lot to do all this in 3 weeks of living in the small town. All Mimi could do was watch his fast paced blows on the tree and mouth one word. "Wow.."
Vincent continued to thrash at the tree for several minutes, until the second stick he grabbed also shattered. "God d...." He let out a long sigh and his eyes moved upward. All he saw was something, or someone, move from the tree fast. Whatever it was, It was gone now. It moved fast, as if it flew away in the tree line. Then suddenly Vincent though for a second. He knew what the silhouette looked like. It was Mimi's outline that flew away.
Chapter 4: Tears of an Angel
10:10 am
Minutes later, Vincent returned home. He heard crying in the living room. He walked in, and stayed at the far side of the room. He heard Mimi crying and saying, "He moved so fast! He looked so angry! You should have seen the tree! He saw me too! He's gonna hurt me Ninaaaa!!!!"
Nina replied to her, "No he's not Mimi. He wouldn't do that. I don't think he would anyways. Are you sure he saw you, and if he did, did he know it was you?" She noticed Vincent standing in the doorway at that moment. "Crap. Never mind."
Vincent walked over to Mimi and looked her right in the eyes. "You think I would hurt you? I would never hurt you. I.. I just wanna know how you did that right now..."
Nina said to Vincent, "We're not human, if you must know. She's an angel. I'm a devil. We're bound to this world now. I can't go back to hell, and she can never return to heaven. That's why we have these tattoos on our wrists. These markings are shackles. Chains."
Mimi threw herself at Vincent and said to him, "Please don't hurt me! I don't want to be hurt!! I wanna be protected.."
Vincent looked at Nina, and said to Mimi, "Don't worry. I'll protect you."
"Promise?"
"I promise, and look at you! You're covered in tree sap Mimi. Go and wash up. Jeez. Sticky-ing up my sofa like that.." He smiled, and then got up and washed the rest of the dishes.
A few minutes later, Mimi was in the shower, and Vincent was finished washing everything. He sat down on the sofa and let out a huge sigh. "I'm so exhausted.."
Nina noticed cuts all over his hands. Particularly his left hand, which held the sticks that broke often. "Hey. Vincent. Did you get those cuts from the woods?"
"Yeah. I go there and train my speed almost everyday."
"Wow. And you're so scrawny?"
"The way I train wouldn't help my muscles much.. I'm not a total wimp, but I'm pretty weak. But, I am fast."
"... You made a promise. Would you meet death to keep it, Vincent?"
Vincent looked at Nina with fierce eyes. "The only way that promise would be broken is if I met death, Nina. I'll protect her. I never break a promise." He looked at her with a more curious look. "Devil huh? Heh. I even called you a Devil last night after you passed out.. I wanna ask you something Nina."
"Okay Host. Shoot."
"What's your story? I wanna know."
Minutes later, Vincent returned home. He heard crying in the living room. He walked in, and stayed at the far side of the room. He heard Mimi crying and saying, "He moved so fast! He looked so angry! You should have seen the tree! He saw me too! He's gonna hurt me Ninaaaa!!!!"
Nina replied to her, "No he's not Mimi. He wouldn't do that. I don't think he would anyways. Are you sure he saw you, and if he did, did he know it was you?" She noticed Vincent standing in the doorway at that moment. "Crap. Never mind."
Vincent walked over to Mimi and looked her right in the eyes. "You think I would hurt you? I would never hurt you. I.. I just wanna know how you did that right now..."
Nina said to Vincent, "We're not human, if you must know. She's an angel. I'm a devil. We're bound to this world now. I can't go back to hell, and she can never return to heaven. That's why we have these tattoos on our wrists. These markings are shackles. Chains."
Mimi threw herself at Vincent and said to him, "Please don't hurt me! I don't want to be hurt!! I wanna be protected.."
Vincent looked at Nina, and said to Mimi, "Don't worry. I'll protect you."
"Promise?"
"I promise, and look at you! You're covered in tree sap Mimi. Go and wash up. Jeez. Sticky-ing up my sofa like that.." He smiled, and then got up and washed the rest of the dishes.
A few minutes later, Mimi was in the shower, and Vincent was finished washing everything. He sat down on the sofa and let out a huge sigh. "I'm so exhausted.."
Nina noticed cuts all over his hands. Particularly his left hand, which held the sticks that broke often. "Hey. Vincent. Did you get those cuts from the woods?"
"Yeah. I go there and train my speed almost everyday."
"Wow. And you're so scrawny?"
"The way I train wouldn't help my muscles much.. I'm not a total wimp, but I'm pretty weak. But, I am fast."
"... You made a promise. Would you meet death to keep it, Vincent?"
Vincent looked at Nina with fierce eyes. "The only way that promise would be broken is if I met death, Nina. I'll protect her. I never break a promise." He looked at her with a more curious look. "Devil huh? Heh. I even called you a Devil last night after you passed out.. I wanna ask you something Nina."
"Okay Host. Shoot."
"What's your story? I wanna know."
Chapter 5: The Cost of Banishment
"Well," Nina started, " We came to your world because we were banished. We stayed with some man for a while, and he died eventually. We got all his money and left. Then we found you. The end." For some reason, Vincent couldn't figure out why, he felt like she was lying. but he didn't ask anything else.
6:50 pm
Hours later, Vincent was making dinner and trying to figure out what he was gonna do about the 2 strange girl who have been living in his house. They snuck into his room and stole his bed 2 nights in a row. More over, he saw that they weren't even human girls.. They were still hiding something. A lot of somethings. But he could tell that asking again would just get him the same story, so why even bother? Vincent finished making dinner, and gave them some. "So, do you girls have anything specific you like to eat?"
They both shouted answers at the same time. They were different answers, and got jumbled together. Vincent had no idea what they had even said.
"Ummm.. One at a time please?" He said.
"Meat. I like to eat burgers and steak and bacon and stuff." Nina said hungrily.
Vincent thought for a second, and then looked over at Mimi. "Uh huh... Mimi, What about you?" He asked
"Well I like eating fruits and macaroni and.. stuff... And chocolate. I really like chocolate.." Mimi said quietly
Vincent looked at them both for a while. After about 2 minutes he asked them "Do you 2 have anything in common?"
"Not anything for your eyes to see, Vincent." Said Nina. He knew what she was talking about, and got up to clear his dishes. He decided to wash them too, so he wouldn't have to do it later.
"Okay then. You're 2 totally different people who decided to team up?" Vincent said.
"Nope. Do you know what it takes to get sent away from heaven or hell?" Nina asked him.
"No clue. What?" Vincent said, as he turned off the water and dried his hands.
"The cost of banishment is a relationship with someone from the other side." Nina said with a grin.
Vincent though for a second. "You mean you had some kinda of a relationship with someone from heaven?"
"Yeah." Said Nina. "But it isn't you're issue who it was." Nina got up and left the house, leaving her plate, Vincent, and Mimi in the room.
Vincent stared at the dish she left behind, and then looked at Mimi. "Can you give me that? I gotta wash it." Mimi gave Vincent the dishes, and then left the house also. Vincent was thinking while washing the dishes. He finished washing all the dishes that they used as he turned off the sink and thought out loud to himself. "So Mimi had a relationship with a devil huh? And Nina had one with an angel... Now, I'm suspicious.." He walked over the door, put on his shoes, and opened it just to see a familiar face at the door. Jamie was there.
6:50 pm
Hours later, Vincent was making dinner and trying to figure out what he was gonna do about the 2 strange girl who have been living in his house. They snuck into his room and stole his bed 2 nights in a row. More over, he saw that they weren't even human girls.. They were still hiding something. A lot of somethings. But he could tell that asking again would just get him the same story, so why even bother? Vincent finished making dinner, and gave them some. "So, do you girls have anything specific you like to eat?"
They both shouted answers at the same time. They were different answers, and got jumbled together. Vincent had no idea what they had even said.
"Ummm.. One at a time please?" He said.
"Meat. I like to eat burgers and steak and bacon and stuff." Nina said hungrily.
Vincent thought for a second, and then looked over at Mimi. "Uh huh... Mimi, What about you?" He asked
"Well I like eating fruits and macaroni and.. stuff... And chocolate. I really like chocolate.." Mimi said quietly
Vincent looked at them both for a while. After about 2 minutes he asked them "Do you 2 have anything in common?"
"Not anything for your eyes to see, Vincent." Said Nina. He knew what she was talking about, and got up to clear his dishes. He decided to wash them too, so he wouldn't have to do it later.
"Okay then. You're 2 totally different people who decided to team up?" Vincent said.
"Nope. Do you know what it takes to get sent away from heaven or hell?" Nina asked him.
"No clue. What?" Vincent said, as he turned off the water and dried his hands.
"The cost of banishment is a relationship with someone from the other side." Nina said with a grin.
Vincent though for a second. "You mean you had some kinda of a relationship with someone from heaven?"
"Yeah." Said Nina. "But it isn't you're issue who it was." Nina got up and left the house, leaving her plate, Vincent, and Mimi in the room.
Vincent stared at the dish she left behind, and then looked at Mimi. "Can you give me that? I gotta wash it." Mimi gave Vincent the dishes, and then left the house also. Vincent was thinking while washing the dishes. He finished washing all the dishes that they used as he turned off the sink and thought out loud to himself. "So Mimi had a relationship with a devil huh? And Nina had one with an angel... Now, I'm suspicious.." He walked over the door, put on his shoes, and opened it just to see a familiar face at the door. Jamie was there.
Chapter 6: A Familiar Face
Vincent stood in the doorway, peering down the dark street over Jamie's shoulder. "So... James... What ya doin' here?"
"Strange. You never call me James.. I wanted to hang out for a little while. I'm bored. Also, Alyson decided when the hangout party would be." Jamie said.
Vincent looked at him. "Really? Cool. Can't wait for it. Nice hoodie. Is it new?"
Jamie looked down at his hooded sweatshirt. It had a strange red wing emblem on it, with wires piercing through the wings. One side was of a feathered wing, the other more bat like. Jamie looked up at Vincent for a second, slight panic in his eyes, then his eyes returned to normal, and he simply said, "Nope. Old."
Vincent looked at Jamie with a small twitch of distrust, but shook it off and let him inside. He took his shoes back off and closed the door, and the two of them went into the living room to relax and reminisce.
Meanwhile...
Nina was sitting on the top of a local corner store, staring down at the small towns nearby lake. The lake from this view reflected the growing moonlight, It seemed slightly red. Not a accepting red, but a hateful one. An evil red, A bloody red.
Mimi was suddenly there next to her, looking down on her. "You alright Nina?" She said.
"Look over at the water, Mimi. Doesn't it look bloody from here?" Nina said to her.
Mimi looked up towards the moonlight, across the small buildings roofs, right towards the towns eerie lake. "Yeah.. Somehow evil, hostile.... Familiar..."
"I think we should go home. Vincent will be worried. we've been gone for about an hour now.." Nina said as she looked up at Mimi. "Please?" She added.
Mimi looked down at Nina and smiled at her. "Of course Nina. Whatever you want."
The two hopped off of the building and went in the direction of Vincent's house.
Meanwhile...
"So you renting out your living room to these two girls?" Jamie said
Vincent replied "Yeah. Annoying little girls. They're really getting on my fu-"
Jamie cut him off, "What did you say they looked like again?" Jamie's eyes turned into a piercing glare, as he looked over at Vincent.
Vincent noticed the hate inside Jamie's eyes. A kind of bloody hate, full of some dark intent. "Just normal school girls. Relax. We have about 300 of them for the next couple years dude."
"Yeah, but these specific girls catch my attention." The look remained in Jamie's eyes, not fading this time.
Outside, Nina walked up to the door, she was about to turn the handle, when she glanced into the door's small window, through the light coming out of the hallway, she was into the living room, where Vincent was, She noticed Jamie there, and as she was the twisted emblem on his shirt, with the mangled wings on it, her eyes became filled with fear.
"Strange. You never call me James.. I wanted to hang out for a little while. I'm bored. Also, Alyson decided when the hangout party would be." Jamie said.
Vincent looked at him. "Really? Cool. Can't wait for it. Nice hoodie. Is it new?"
Jamie looked down at his hooded sweatshirt. It had a strange red wing emblem on it, with wires piercing through the wings. One side was of a feathered wing, the other more bat like. Jamie looked up at Vincent for a second, slight panic in his eyes, then his eyes returned to normal, and he simply said, "Nope. Old."
Vincent looked at Jamie with a small twitch of distrust, but shook it off and let him inside. He took his shoes back off and closed the door, and the two of them went into the living room to relax and reminisce.
Meanwhile...
Nina was sitting on the top of a local corner store, staring down at the small towns nearby lake. The lake from this view reflected the growing moonlight, It seemed slightly red. Not a accepting red, but a hateful one. An evil red, A bloody red.
Mimi was suddenly there next to her, looking down on her. "You alright Nina?" She said.
"Look over at the water, Mimi. Doesn't it look bloody from here?" Nina said to her.
Mimi looked up towards the moonlight, across the small buildings roofs, right towards the towns eerie lake. "Yeah.. Somehow evil, hostile.... Familiar..."
"I think we should go home. Vincent will be worried. we've been gone for about an hour now.." Nina said as she looked up at Mimi. "Please?" She added.
Mimi looked down at Nina and smiled at her. "Of course Nina. Whatever you want."
The two hopped off of the building and went in the direction of Vincent's house.
Meanwhile...
"So you renting out your living room to these two girls?" Jamie said
Vincent replied "Yeah. Annoying little girls. They're really getting on my fu-"
Jamie cut him off, "What did you say they looked like again?" Jamie's eyes turned into a piercing glare, as he looked over at Vincent.
Vincent noticed the hate inside Jamie's eyes. A kind of bloody hate, full of some dark intent. "Just normal school girls. Relax. We have about 300 of them for the next couple years dude."
"Yeah, but these specific girls catch my attention." The look remained in Jamie's eyes, not fading this time.
Outside, Nina walked up to the door, she was about to turn the handle, when she glanced into the door's small window, through the light coming out of the hallway, she was into the living room, where Vincent was, She noticed Jamie there, and as she was the twisted emblem on his shirt, with the mangled wings on it, her eyes became filled with fear.
Chapter 7: The Fallen Appear
8:00 pm
Mimi walked up to the door behind Nina and looked at her eyes for a single moment. After seeing the fear in her eyes, Mimi immediately looked into the door. She saw Jamie there, with his strange jacket, and suddenly her eyes filled with the same emotion. She started to pull Nina away, whispered into her ear, "Nina, we need to go now." Right as she whispered these words, Jamie's eyes shot straight up to Nina and Mimi. Mimi immediately pulled Nina away, and they both darted away from the house. About 2 seconds later, Jamie was at the door. He stared out the doorway, looking down the street in the direction the the girls went. They were gone.
Vincent looked at Jamie strangely, and he looked down the street as he said, "I think you're acting a little strangely Jamie. Maybe you should go home and rest. It is very late you know.."
Jamie looked back at Vincent and looked back down the street again. "Fine. See ya at the party, Vincent." His words were not friendly, rather the opposite. His words were full of hate. Jamie left the house, and walked down the street the same way he was looking down before.
Vincent closed his door and turned around. He walked left, into his kitchen. The window was open. "So... Whats the deal between you and Jamie?" He turned to the living room, and saw Nina and Mimi on his couch.
Mimi spoke up. "I have no clue. In.. I think Atlanta?"
Nina looked up at her. "Yeah. Atlanta."
"In Atlanta we were attacked violently by some cult called the fallen. They had a strange emblem. It's the sign of Icarus. Red, twisted wings. One evil, and one good. I don't know what their reasoning is though. I kinda didn't stop to shoot the breeze with them." Mimi looked over at Nina and leaned over to calm her. "It's gonna be okay Nina. they aren't gonna come back now."
Vincent looked over at Mimi and asked, "That mark means something special?"
"I don't know. All I know is that people with that mark chased us all across the country."
"Jamie has that as a tattoo. Him and Alyson said that it was some group thing. Jamie wanted me too get it on my hand, like him. I'm very glad I didn't now." Vincent walked out of the room and into the hallway. He locked the door, and walked back into the kitchen. he looked across the hallway again at Nina and Mimi sitting in the living room. Vincent noticed the ominous whispers again. He decided to shake it off, and go cook again.
8:50 pm
Roughly 40 minutes later Vincent walked out of the kitchen with a really tasty looking meal. Buttery mashed potatoes, Juicy looking cheeseburgers, and a small salad for Mimi. "Here." He dropped the plates on the coffee table in the middle of the room. "Food time." He turned to walk out of the room and he could here the ominous whispers again.
He listened closely, and what he made out of the words sounded something like, "He seems to be trust able. Should we really stay here?" "No. No no no. We have to leave soon. They will find us. They already have." "But.. I feel safe here.."
Vincent was no longer walking away. He stopped and turned to the two girls, and he looked at them with a weird look.
"What's the matter Vincent?" Asked Nina
Vincent looked closer at them, and noticed that when he turned around the sounds had stopped. He tilted his head as he asked, "Are you the ones making that ghostly voice?"
Mimi walked up to the door behind Nina and looked at her eyes for a single moment. After seeing the fear in her eyes, Mimi immediately looked into the door. She saw Jamie there, with his strange jacket, and suddenly her eyes filled with the same emotion. She started to pull Nina away, whispered into her ear, "Nina, we need to go now." Right as she whispered these words, Jamie's eyes shot straight up to Nina and Mimi. Mimi immediately pulled Nina away, and they both darted away from the house. About 2 seconds later, Jamie was at the door. He stared out the doorway, looking down the street in the direction the the girls went. They were gone.
Vincent looked at Jamie strangely, and he looked down the street as he said, "I think you're acting a little strangely Jamie. Maybe you should go home and rest. It is very late you know.."
Jamie looked back at Vincent and looked back down the street again. "Fine. See ya at the party, Vincent." His words were not friendly, rather the opposite. His words were full of hate. Jamie left the house, and walked down the street the same way he was looking down before.
Vincent closed his door and turned around. He walked left, into his kitchen. The window was open. "So... Whats the deal between you and Jamie?" He turned to the living room, and saw Nina and Mimi on his couch.
Mimi spoke up. "I have no clue. In.. I think Atlanta?"
Nina looked up at her. "Yeah. Atlanta."
"In Atlanta we were attacked violently by some cult called the fallen. They had a strange emblem. It's the sign of Icarus. Red, twisted wings. One evil, and one good. I don't know what their reasoning is though. I kinda didn't stop to shoot the breeze with them." Mimi looked over at Nina and leaned over to calm her. "It's gonna be okay Nina. they aren't gonna come back now."
Vincent looked over at Mimi and asked, "That mark means something special?"
"I don't know. All I know is that people with that mark chased us all across the country."
"Jamie has that as a tattoo. Him and Alyson said that it was some group thing. Jamie wanted me too get it on my hand, like him. I'm very glad I didn't now." Vincent walked out of the room and into the hallway. He locked the door, and walked back into the kitchen. he looked across the hallway again at Nina and Mimi sitting in the living room. Vincent noticed the ominous whispers again. He decided to shake it off, and go cook again.
8:50 pm
Roughly 40 minutes later Vincent walked out of the kitchen with a really tasty looking meal. Buttery mashed potatoes, Juicy looking cheeseburgers, and a small salad for Mimi. "Here." He dropped the plates on the coffee table in the middle of the room. "Food time." He turned to walk out of the room and he could here the ominous whispers again.
He listened closely, and what he made out of the words sounded something like, "He seems to be trust able. Should we really stay here?" "No. No no no. We have to leave soon. They will find us. They already have." "But.. I feel safe here.."
Vincent was no longer walking away. He stopped and turned to the two girls, and he looked at them with a weird look.
"What's the matter Vincent?" Asked Nina
Vincent looked closer at them, and noticed that when he turned around the sounds had stopped. He tilted his head as he asked, "Are you the ones making that ghostly voice?"
Chapter 8: Spectral Whispers
Nina looked shocked, and turned to Mimi for a moment.
Mimi looked over towards Vincent, and asked him "You can hear that?"
Vincent looked at her confused, and said "Uhhh... Yeah. Its just.. a.. Weird whisper thing..."
"Umm.. Right. Whatever.. How long have you been able to hear us?"
"I've heard it since the morning you 2 stole my bed. But Never really the words until today."
"Oh. Well.. It's surprising you can hear it. Humans aren't supposed to be able to hear it."
"Huh? What, is it some kind of Angel-Devil thing?"
"Kinda, and also only the person who I'm talking to should hear it. So only Nina should have heard it."
"What the heck is it that thing you do called anyways?"
Nina leaned in towards the food Vincent put down and picked up a plate. She handed it to Mimi and she said "It's a gift called Spectral Whispering. A Spectral Whisper is a special ability that is pretty much a private conversation between 2 people. It takes forever to learn, but I had a lot of free time while being dead and all. There isn't much to do in Hell. It's actually pretty bland. Not even all fiery as you would think."
Mimi was nibbling on her food and staring at Vincent closely. Even after Vincent noticed she continued to watch him. Her crystal blue eyes focused closely on him. Vincent looked at her for a few moments, and then turned to Nina. "Nina, I'm going to head into bed now. You two eat and try to get some sleep too."
Vincent went into his room and closed the door. In the living room, Nina and Mimi stayed up and talked about some things. The Fallen finding them again, Vincent hearing the Spectral Whisper, and how good Vincents cooking was. After about an hour or so, they walked into Vincents room and moved him off his bed and into the living room, and then lied down there instead of the couch.
9:00 pm Meanwhile...
On the roof of the local high school, A hooded figure stood atop it once again. The man was wearing a Fallen jacket. A dark form appeared next to him. The hooded man looked over to the moon reflected in the lake. Red as blood. He made a small motion over to the form, and said "Well, I didn't think you would show up tonight, 'Icarus'. "
The form moved towards the hooded man, and suddenly a small flash of blackened flames flashed out at him, knocking him down and pushing off his hood in the black night. The form spoke. "Do not temp me Jamie. I have power far greater than your useless human limitations. I shall kill you if you did not prove of use. You have called me here to call me names?"
Jamie, now without his hood, Looked in fear towards the dark cloud surrounding his leader. He spoke now filled with fear. "I went to someone I knows house. He seemed a little shifty the whole time I was there, and I saw two girls that matched the description you gave me. But I couldn't apprehend them."
The form then said "You are greatly failing my Jamie. You are running out of use. If you do not get me these two girls in the next few days, maybe even tomorrow night, then I shall have you replaced. You will no longer be of use to me. I think you can Imagine what shall happen then. And boy, If you ever call me Icarus again I shall end your life in an instant. The emblem may share that name but I do not."
Another hooded person, obviously female, jumped up to the rooftops via the small sub-roofs hanging off of the side of the school. She then said to the figure, "If Jamie fails to do his duty, I would love to be the replacement. I think Jamie is getting bad at the job. He could only recruit one person into our little group, and failed at even getting the boy Vincent. He seemed so easy to get too."
The form acknowledged her, but dissolved anyways, and left her standing there next to Jamie, who was still on the ground. Jamie simply looked up to her, and said words filled with hatred. "Traitor."
Mimi looked over towards Vincent, and asked him "You can hear that?"
Vincent looked at her confused, and said "Uhhh... Yeah. Its just.. a.. Weird whisper thing..."
"Umm.. Right. Whatever.. How long have you been able to hear us?"
"I've heard it since the morning you 2 stole my bed. But Never really the words until today."
"Oh. Well.. It's surprising you can hear it. Humans aren't supposed to be able to hear it."
"Huh? What, is it some kind of Angel-Devil thing?"
"Kinda, and also only the person who I'm talking to should hear it. So only Nina should have heard it."
"What the heck is it that thing you do called anyways?"
Nina leaned in towards the food Vincent put down and picked up a plate. She handed it to Mimi and she said "It's a gift called Spectral Whispering. A Spectral Whisper is a special ability that is pretty much a private conversation between 2 people. It takes forever to learn, but I had a lot of free time while being dead and all. There isn't much to do in Hell. It's actually pretty bland. Not even all fiery as you would think."
Mimi was nibbling on her food and staring at Vincent closely. Even after Vincent noticed she continued to watch him. Her crystal blue eyes focused closely on him. Vincent looked at her for a few moments, and then turned to Nina. "Nina, I'm going to head into bed now. You two eat and try to get some sleep too."
Vincent went into his room and closed the door. In the living room, Nina and Mimi stayed up and talked about some things. The Fallen finding them again, Vincent hearing the Spectral Whisper, and how good Vincents cooking was. After about an hour or so, they walked into Vincents room and moved him off his bed and into the living room, and then lied down there instead of the couch.
9:00 pm Meanwhile...
On the roof of the local high school, A hooded figure stood atop it once again. The man was wearing a Fallen jacket. A dark form appeared next to him. The hooded man looked over to the moon reflected in the lake. Red as blood. He made a small motion over to the form, and said "Well, I didn't think you would show up tonight, 'Icarus'. "
The form moved towards the hooded man, and suddenly a small flash of blackened flames flashed out at him, knocking him down and pushing off his hood in the black night. The form spoke. "Do not temp me Jamie. I have power far greater than your useless human limitations. I shall kill you if you did not prove of use. You have called me here to call me names?"
Jamie, now without his hood, Looked in fear towards the dark cloud surrounding his leader. He spoke now filled with fear. "I went to someone I knows house. He seemed a little shifty the whole time I was there, and I saw two girls that matched the description you gave me. But I couldn't apprehend them."
The form then said "You are greatly failing my Jamie. You are running out of use. If you do not get me these two girls in the next few days, maybe even tomorrow night, then I shall have you replaced. You will no longer be of use to me. I think you can Imagine what shall happen then. And boy, If you ever call me Icarus again I shall end your life in an instant. The emblem may share that name but I do not."
Another hooded person, obviously female, jumped up to the rooftops via the small sub-roofs hanging off of the side of the school. She then said to the figure, "If Jamie fails to do his duty, I would love to be the replacement. I think Jamie is getting bad at the job. He could only recruit one person into our little group, and failed at even getting the boy Vincent. He seemed so easy to get too."
The form acknowledged her, but dissolved anyways, and left her standing there next to Jamie, who was still on the ground. Jamie simply looked up to her, and said words filled with hatred. "Traitor."
Chapter 9: Clydesdale Mall
Early morning, Alyson's house. June 17th, 6:30
Alyson woke up, early and tired. She looked out towards the lake, at the just rising sun. It shined a lively red-orange onto the water. She looked over to her calender and noticed that, just like the past week, she had nothing to do. He memory sparked something inside her mind, and she immediately picked up her car keys, got dressed, and walked out the door.
30 minutes later, at Vincent's house.
Vincent had just woken up and looked at the clock. 7:00. He got up and looked round the room. The LIVING room. Not his room. "Annoying little brats." he said. He walked into the hallway and was about to go into the kitchen when someone knocked on his door. He decided it was someone stupid, probably trying to collect the bills, and walked into the kitchen. He was opening the fridge when the knock was heard again. He grabbed a can of Coca-Cola and walked to the door. Through the window placed on the doorway he saw Alyson's face.
Immediately Vincent opened the door. "Hi Alyson! What are you doing at my house so early?"
She walked right into his house and looked around for a moment, before turning back to him and looking at him with her greenish eyes. "I wanted to go to the mall. I was gonna bring Jamie too, But nobody would answer at his house. Will you go with me? I don't want to go alone."
Vincent looked around, to make sure that Mimi and Nina were still asleep. He then looked at her, and promptly said, "Yes I will."
Alyson smiled, and walked right out to her car. Vincent put on his shoes, and walked right out after her. He closed the door, and decided that Nina and Mimi would be fine without him. He walked over to the car and got in. Alyson started the car and they drove out of the driveway and down the street.
After talking to each other about things for the party, the summer so far, and how school was, Alyson and Vincent arrived at the mall. They both got out and walked up to the entrance. Alyson turned to Vincent and waved her finger in his face. "you better not go off and get lost on me again. last time you got me all worried sick. Now stay with me this time you hear? This mall is tricky, and you know all the freaks come here."
Vincent smiled, almost laughed, and then said, "We aren't freaks? I could have swore we were called freaks."
Alyson was stunned for a second, but then smiled and lowered her hand. "You're right. Everyone did always call us that. But you have me. So stay close. I don't want to lose you."
Vincent took a second to absorb her words, and looked up... and she was gone. He frantically looked around for her and didn't see her anywhere. She then walked out of the mall and looked at him with a concerned, gentle look in her eye. She motioned for him to come over to her, as she said "C'mon Vincent! I don't want to be alone here."
Vincent walked in after her. For a while they walked around together, talking, laughing and looking around. After about an hour or 2 of this, Vincent looked around and noticed something. Alyson wasn't there. Vincent was lost inside Farside Clydesdale Mall for the second time.
Alyson woke up, early and tired. She looked out towards the lake, at the just rising sun. It shined a lively red-orange onto the water. She looked over to her calender and noticed that, just like the past week, she had nothing to do. He memory sparked something inside her mind, and she immediately picked up her car keys, got dressed, and walked out the door.
30 minutes later, at Vincent's house.
Vincent had just woken up and looked at the clock. 7:00. He got up and looked round the room. The LIVING room. Not his room. "Annoying little brats." he said. He walked into the hallway and was about to go into the kitchen when someone knocked on his door. He decided it was someone stupid, probably trying to collect the bills, and walked into the kitchen. He was opening the fridge when the knock was heard again. He grabbed a can of Coca-Cola and walked to the door. Through the window placed on the doorway he saw Alyson's face.
Immediately Vincent opened the door. "Hi Alyson! What are you doing at my house so early?"
She walked right into his house and looked around for a moment, before turning back to him and looking at him with her greenish eyes. "I wanted to go to the mall. I was gonna bring Jamie too, But nobody would answer at his house. Will you go with me? I don't want to go alone."
Vincent looked around, to make sure that Mimi and Nina were still asleep. He then looked at her, and promptly said, "Yes I will."
Alyson smiled, and walked right out to her car. Vincent put on his shoes, and walked right out after her. He closed the door, and decided that Nina and Mimi would be fine without him. He walked over to the car and got in. Alyson started the car and they drove out of the driveway and down the street.
After talking to each other about things for the party, the summer so far, and how school was, Alyson and Vincent arrived at the mall. They both got out and walked up to the entrance. Alyson turned to Vincent and waved her finger in his face. "you better not go off and get lost on me again. last time you got me all worried sick. Now stay with me this time you hear? This mall is tricky, and you know all the freaks come here."
Vincent smiled, almost laughed, and then said, "We aren't freaks? I could have swore we were called freaks."
Alyson was stunned for a second, but then smiled and lowered her hand. "You're right. Everyone did always call us that. But you have me. So stay close. I don't want to lose you."
Vincent took a second to absorb her words, and looked up... and she was gone. He frantically looked around for her and didn't see her anywhere. She then walked out of the mall and looked at him with a concerned, gentle look in her eye. She motioned for him to come over to her, as she said "C'mon Vincent! I don't want to be alone here."
Vincent walked in after her. For a while they walked around together, talking, laughing and looking around. After about an hour or 2 of this, Vincent looked around and noticed something. Alyson wasn't there. Vincent was lost inside Farside Clydesdale Mall for the second time.
Chapter 10: Kia
8:43 am.
The first thing Vincent did, despite being the careless guy he was, was totally lose it and begin to panic. He had lost Alyson, the most beautiful girl he had ever met in his life, after she had deliberately told him not to, in the same place twice. He also had no idea where he was in this bizarre building. He turned to go into a nearby store to check for her, just to see someone bulling a girl nearby. At first he thought immediately "Some pervert picking on some poor girl" Then he looked closer at the situation. The bully had a Fallen emblem on his shirt. Vincent walked over to him and looked him right in the eye. "You have a problem with this girl?"
The Fallen Member looked at him funny for a moment, and then his face returned to normal. "Dude. Go away. that's my girlfriend." He said.
Vincent stopped for a moment. He felt so... So... Stupid. Vincent was about to walk away, when he felt a tug on the back of his sweatshirt. He looked over his shoulder to see the girl shake her head. All he could see was the top of her head, but he got the picture and turned back to the guy who was bullying her. "And if I don't believe you?"
"Who do you think you are? You can't pounce into the mall and do this. If you don't move, I'll kick your ass into tomorrow." As the man said this his eyes filled with the same rage that Jamie had the night before.
Vincent looked straight into the man's eyes and said to him, "I'm Vincent Garem. I don't give a damn who you are, but you better leave this poor girl alone. she hasn't done anything to you."
The guy laughed and looked at Vincent more carefully. "Vincent huh? Let me tell you something. I'm a member of The Fallen. We are the liberators of the things that shouldn't exist. We destroy what isn't. Get it, punk? Now that girl you're guarding is something that you don't even understand. My leader told me to bring her to him, and make sure she isn't something... Different. I don't care if you believe me or not, But I'm gonna bring you down if you don't move." The man stopped and though for a second. He then said "What did you say your name was again?"
Vincent, still absorbing his words, reiterated himself. "Vincent Garem."
The guy stopped for a second, and seemed to frantically think. He then said to Vincent, with a sudden smile, "Ohhh. You're Jamie's buddy. I'm Mark. I'm sorry we had a misunderstanding bro, I didn't mean to insult you. I was just messing around, sorry. So hard to get a girl these day you know? Well see ya!" Mark then turned tail and ran. Something about what Mark said, about The Fallen, seemed totally true. But, if what Mark had said was true, then what The Fallen, what Jamie wanted, was to kill Nina and Mimi. But that guy was also after the girl behind Vincent now. Did that mean she was a Devil or an Angel too? He turned to look at her closely.
The girl was wearing all white. A white turtleneck, despite it being summer, White pants, all the way to her feet. He couldn't see her shoes, if she had any, because the pants bottoms were covering her feet. She had white hair roughly as long as Alyson's, and her left eye was red. Her right eye was covered in some strange medical wrap, which seemed to go under her clothes. He then notices the same wrap hanging out of her sleeves, waist, and feet areas of her clothes. He didn't know her name, but she seemed a little familiar. Maybe it was the hair. It looked like Alyson's. Then Vincent remembered. He had lost Alyson. He turned to look around, but didn't see her at all. He felt a tug on his back again, and turned. It was the girl again. She didn't speak, but she pulled her hand out of her sleeve to show him something. she was wearing a bracelet, it read one word. A name. It said "Kia"
The first thing Vincent did, despite being the careless guy he was, was totally lose it and begin to panic. He had lost Alyson, the most beautiful girl he had ever met in his life, after she had deliberately told him not to, in the same place twice. He also had no idea where he was in this bizarre building. He turned to go into a nearby store to check for her, just to see someone bulling a girl nearby. At first he thought immediately "Some pervert picking on some poor girl" Then he looked closer at the situation. The bully had a Fallen emblem on his shirt. Vincent walked over to him and looked him right in the eye. "You have a problem with this girl?"
The Fallen Member looked at him funny for a moment, and then his face returned to normal. "Dude. Go away. that's my girlfriend." He said.
Vincent stopped for a moment. He felt so... So... Stupid. Vincent was about to walk away, when he felt a tug on the back of his sweatshirt. He looked over his shoulder to see the girl shake her head. All he could see was the top of her head, but he got the picture and turned back to the guy who was bullying her. "And if I don't believe you?"
"Who do you think you are? You can't pounce into the mall and do this. If you don't move, I'll kick your ass into tomorrow." As the man said this his eyes filled with the same rage that Jamie had the night before.
Vincent looked straight into the man's eyes and said to him, "I'm Vincent Garem. I don't give a damn who you are, but you better leave this poor girl alone. she hasn't done anything to you."
The guy laughed and looked at Vincent more carefully. "Vincent huh? Let me tell you something. I'm a member of The Fallen. We are the liberators of the things that shouldn't exist. We destroy what isn't. Get it, punk? Now that girl you're guarding is something that you don't even understand. My leader told me to bring her to him, and make sure she isn't something... Different. I don't care if you believe me or not, But I'm gonna bring you down if you don't move." The man stopped and though for a second. He then said "What did you say your name was again?"
Vincent, still absorbing his words, reiterated himself. "Vincent Garem."
The guy stopped for a second, and seemed to frantically think. He then said to Vincent, with a sudden smile, "Ohhh. You're Jamie's buddy. I'm Mark. I'm sorry we had a misunderstanding bro, I didn't mean to insult you. I was just messing around, sorry. So hard to get a girl these day you know? Well see ya!" Mark then turned tail and ran. Something about what Mark said, about The Fallen, seemed totally true. But, if what Mark had said was true, then what The Fallen, what Jamie wanted, was to kill Nina and Mimi. But that guy was also after the girl behind Vincent now. Did that mean she was a Devil or an Angel too? He turned to look at her closely.
The girl was wearing all white. A white turtleneck, despite it being summer, White pants, all the way to her feet. He couldn't see her shoes, if she had any, because the pants bottoms were covering her feet. She had white hair roughly as long as Alyson's, and her left eye was red. Her right eye was covered in some strange medical wrap, which seemed to go under her clothes. He then notices the same wrap hanging out of her sleeves, waist, and feet areas of her clothes. He didn't know her name, but she seemed a little familiar. Maybe it was the hair. It looked like Alyson's. Then Vincent remembered. He had lost Alyson. He turned to look around, but didn't see her at all. He felt a tug on his back again, and turned. It was the girl again. She didn't speak, but she pulled her hand out of her sleeve to show him something. she was wearing a bracelet, it read one word. A name. It said "Kia"
Chapter 11: Housing Issue
9:15 am
Vincent looked at the bracelet and then at the girl. "Your name is Kia?" He asked her. She simple continued to stare at him with that one red eye. She seemed somehow mesmerized by him. Vincent began to become a little unnerved by her stare, and looked around for Alyson again. He turned away from Kia again, only to have a tug at his back again. "What now?" He turned towards Kia and, to his surprise, there was another pretty girl there. Alyson.
"What did I tell you? Don't wander off!" She yelled. "I was very concerned about you. You should ditch me like that Vincent!"
Vincent panicked for a second, and then blurted out, "Well someone was picking on this girl Kia and it wasn't too nice so I had to stop him you know? I'm a nice guy and all. I wouldn't leave a girl all alone with some creep."
She looked at him with anger in her eyes now. "And leaving me alone in a Mall full of creeps is better? I almost bought a bat." She sighed. "So who's she?"
Vincent looked at Kia again. "Her bracelet says Kia."
Alyson looked at her closely. "She covered in bandages. She may be from the hospital. She has pretty long hair. I feel very competitive now.. Well, You like me better anyways, So I'm good. Should I bring her to the hospital?"
Vincent shook his head around due to the overload of Alyson's constant subject changing. he then said, "I don't think she came from a hospital for some reason. I think she's just like this. And what did you say about me liking who huh what?"
Alyson looked at him suddenly, a bit of hurt in her eyes, "You do still like me right Vincent?"
Vincent looked at her confused, shocked, and a little embarrassed. Did she really know that he liked her this whole time? He said, "Of course I do."
Alyson looked at him for a few more moments, and then looked at Kia again. "Well if we aren't gonna bring her to the hospital, we need to find somewhere for her to stay. You have 2 couches at your place. You could fit her.
Vincent was about to argue with this statement of hers, using Nina and Mimi, but then he remembered that they were a secret, and he shouldn't tell anyone after the event with Jamie the evening before. "I guess I do. You don't?"
Alyson shook her head. "Nope. Cousin is over. Annoying brat. Took my sofa."
Vincent stopped staring at Alyson and looked at Kia again, who was still staring at him with a blank face.
"She seems to like you better anyways." said Alyson.
Vincent looked at Kia again, who was still staring at him. "So, maybe we should let her decide?"
Alyson looked at him again. "Nope. No room at my place. You're stuck with her cutie-pie." She stuck her tongue out at him in a teasing way, then grabbed Kia's wrist and walked towards the exit.
A while later...
10:00
After a long, quiet ride home from the Mall, Alyson was just driving up to Vincent's house. Her words from earlier still echoing in his head. Plus, now he had to take care of Kia too. This summer was getting weirder and weirder. Was Clydesdale like this every year? Alyson parked in the driveway and opened the door. Everyone got out of the car and went to the front door. Vincent opened the door and the house was quiet and empty, but he heard a small ominous whisper sound. They were here. Nina and Mimi were probably just hiding. Vincent walked Kia inside and went to say bye to Alyson. "Well it was fun at the Mall with you. Lets hang out again sometime." He said to her.
She looked at him and leaned close to him, closer than she ever had, and whispered into his ear, "Let go somewhere alone next time, just you and me, away from the world next time." She kissed his cheek, and the turned around and walked away, got into her car and drove away, without looking at him again even once.
Vincent looked at the bracelet and then at the girl. "Your name is Kia?" He asked her. She simple continued to stare at him with that one red eye. She seemed somehow mesmerized by him. Vincent began to become a little unnerved by her stare, and looked around for Alyson again. He turned away from Kia again, only to have a tug at his back again. "What now?" He turned towards Kia and, to his surprise, there was another pretty girl there. Alyson.
"What did I tell you? Don't wander off!" She yelled. "I was very concerned about you. You should ditch me like that Vincent!"
Vincent panicked for a second, and then blurted out, "Well someone was picking on this girl Kia and it wasn't too nice so I had to stop him you know? I'm a nice guy and all. I wouldn't leave a girl all alone with some creep."
She looked at him with anger in her eyes now. "And leaving me alone in a Mall full of creeps is better? I almost bought a bat." She sighed. "So who's she?"
Vincent looked at Kia again. "Her bracelet says Kia."
Alyson looked at her closely. "She covered in bandages. She may be from the hospital. She has pretty long hair. I feel very competitive now.. Well, You like me better anyways, So I'm good. Should I bring her to the hospital?"
Vincent shook his head around due to the overload of Alyson's constant subject changing. he then said, "I don't think she came from a hospital for some reason. I think she's just like this. And what did you say about me liking who huh what?"
Alyson looked at him suddenly, a bit of hurt in her eyes, "You do still like me right Vincent?"
Vincent looked at her confused, shocked, and a little embarrassed. Did she really know that he liked her this whole time? He said, "Of course I do."
Alyson looked at him for a few more moments, and then looked at Kia again. "Well if we aren't gonna bring her to the hospital, we need to find somewhere for her to stay. You have 2 couches at your place. You could fit her.
Vincent was about to argue with this statement of hers, using Nina and Mimi, but then he remembered that they were a secret, and he shouldn't tell anyone after the event with Jamie the evening before. "I guess I do. You don't?"
Alyson shook her head. "Nope. Cousin is over. Annoying brat. Took my sofa."
Vincent stopped staring at Alyson and looked at Kia again, who was still staring at him with a blank face.
"She seems to like you better anyways." said Alyson.
Vincent looked at Kia again, who was still staring at him. "So, maybe we should let her decide?"
Alyson looked at him again. "Nope. No room at my place. You're stuck with her cutie-pie." She stuck her tongue out at him in a teasing way, then grabbed Kia's wrist and walked towards the exit.
A while later...
10:00
After a long, quiet ride home from the Mall, Alyson was just driving up to Vincent's house. Her words from earlier still echoing in his head. Plus, now he had to take care of Kia too. This summer was getting weirder and weirder. Was Clydesdale like this every year? Alyson parked in the driveway and opened the door. Everyone got out of the car and went to the front door. Vincent opened the door and the house was quiet and empty, but he heard a small ominous whisper sound. They were here. Nina and Mimi were probably just hiding. Vincent walked Kia inside and went to say bye to Alyson. "Well it was fun at the Mall with you. Lets hang out again sometime." He said to her.
She looked at him and leaned close to him, closer than she ever had, and whispered into his ear, "Let go somewhere alone next time, just you and me, away from the world next time." She kissed his cheek, and the turned around and walked away, got into her car and drove away, without looking at him again even once.
Chapter 12: Forsaken, Part one.
Vincent stared out the doorway and tried to breathe. He slowly closed the door as he tried to put together what had just happened. He turned slowly towards the living room and walked in there, followed by Kia. He sat on the blue couch and spaced out towards the TV, Still confused by the whole thing that had just happened. Mimi and Nina were suddenly in the room with them Nina walked over to Vincent and crouched down to his eye level. She looked him dead in the eyes.
"You alright, oh great mister host of the house?" She asked him.
Mimi walked over to Kia and looked at her bracelet. She sat next to her and started to talk to her. "Hi, I'm Mimi. I live here, are you gonna live here too? It's really nice here and Vincent is a really good cook. He has a great shower, and he's so awesome that he puts up with all of our pranks. He's really cool."
Kia just looked at her with her uncovered left eye. Her crimson gaze didn't seem to surprise Mimi at all. After about 30 seconds of silence, Mimi gave up on trying to talk with Kia and moved over to Vincent. "So. You brought another girl home? Shame on you. You already have 2." She smiled for a moment and then continued. "I'm just kidding. What did Alyson want, and why didn't you tell us you were leaving?"
Vincent finally looked up at Mimi. She must not have seen what Alyson had done before she left. Mimi and Nina didn't know about the kiss yet, and Kia was looking around, so she didn't know either. Vincent looked up at Mimi, and began to speak. "Well she wanted someone to go to the mall with. After the whole thing with Jamie yesterday I just decided to not tell anyone about you guys. I went to the mall and I saw a Fallen member picking on this girl, who I think is named Kia, and I stopped him. After I helped her out, Alyson dumped her on me and drove me home. Here I am."
They both seemed to believe him flawlessly. They got up and talked for a second, and then Nina walked away. Mimi was talking to Kia for a moment, then dragged her out of the room. Vincent got up and walked into the kitchen. There were 2 bowls in the sink, dirty, with a note on them. Vincent took it and read it out loud to himself, ignoring the loud voices in the room down the hall, probably his own. "Hey there, we didn't want to rob you of your job, so we left these here for you to wash! -With lots of love, Nina and Mimi" He looked at the bowls and smiled. Vincent hated washing dishes. He picked them up and washed them quickly. He put them away, and walked down the hall to his room. He looked at sign on his door and sighed, The door said "Girls room now. Sorry Vincent!" He knocked on the door and Nina poked her head out, and a flood of muffled arguing coming from Mimi filled the hall.
"Can I help you oh merciful host sir?" She said with an evil smile.
"Yeah. Can I have my room back?"
"Sorry, 3 against one. We need it more."
Vincent sighed, and then said to Nina, "Then can I get my stuff?"
Nina shook her head and looked at Vincent again. "Changing."
Vincent just gave up and walked away. He went into the kitchen and began to cook lunch, just some Spaghetti for the heck of it. He grabbed 2 boxes and a pot from his cabinet, and filled the pot with water. He flipped the box over and looked at the back of it.
Meanwhile... 12:00 pm
Jamie lie on the roof of his car, slowly waiting for something to happen as he sat just inside the cave on the far left side of town. The cave was cold, dark, and damp. The road went straight into the mouth of the cave, if anyone could find the road that is. There were stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and some just barely lost touch of the stalagmites on the floor. There were bats on the ceiling, but Jamie payed them no mind. A small river also came through the caves entrance and flowed inwards into the cave. The whole thing seemed so clean for a natural cave. Jamie was just getting restless, when a strange car drove up. It had an Icarus symbol on the hood. The girl from the night before, still hooded, black hair flowing out of the front of her hood, got out of the car. "So, you do any good today?" The girl asked.
Jamie sat up, the emblem on his jacket now apparent. "If I had any luck with them, would I be here alone?"
She looked around, then to the ceiling. "You aren't alone. You have your pets here." A bat flew down from the ceiling, and landed on her arm. She toyed with it for a while, and whispered to it, before it flew back up to the top of the cave like the others were. "They are still so nice to me."
Jamie looked at her with hate filled eyes. "You know whats going to happen. Vincent wasn't at home, but still I can't get them because of some strange power they seem to have, and you are just going to sit there and wait until I die to take my place." He jumped off of the car and picked up a small rock. "I really hate you." He threw the rock at her. The rock flew faster than any professional baseball player could have thrown it. At the speed it flew, It looked as if it was going to hit her. If she moved, then the car would loose it's windshield, then, suddenly, the rock seemed to spin off its path, just missing the girl and going over her car. "And if I was a evil person I would have just killed you. Get out of here. I don't need a traitorous friend like you."
Jamie opened his car door and was about to get in when the girl spoke. "Mark failed his mission today. You know what he was told last time he failed. HE will die tonight, just as you shall if you fail your mission. Do you want to know how he failed?"
Jamie turned towards the girl, as a smile grew upon her face. "Vincent was in the mall, and saved poor Kia from the bad man. Your friend did it."
"You saw this, and let him stop us? Why not use your stupid little girlish charm to woo him into joining us? Or even better, kill him yourself and get Kia."
"Oh, I could never kill someone. I'd much rather watch you all die by your own mistakes." She looked up just for enough light to illuminate the bottom half of her face. She was grinning. Smiling. Laughing at Mark and Jamie for failing their missions. "And you boys just make so many mistakes." She got into her car and drove out of the cave, down the dirt road, and out of view. Jamie was left there alone with the bats now.
He looked up and said out loud, "Will you desert me now also?" A thunderous sound started outside, as clouds blocked out the sun, and heavy rain began to pour. The bats all awoke, and turned toward the inner cave. The spread their wings and flew away. Jamie reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black book. It had an Icarus symbol on it, but he grabbed the cover and the whole cover seemed co crumple. as he pulled his hand away, it became noticeable that he had used the emblem to hide another surface. He dropped the piece of paper and looked at the book. He was holding a bible.
"You alright, oh great mister host of the house?" She asked him.
Mimi walked over to Kia and looked at her bracelet. She sat next to her and started to talk to her. "Hi, I'm Mimi. I live here, are you gonna live here too? It's really nice here and Vincent is a really good cook. He has a great shower, and he's so awesome that he puts up with all of our pranks. He's really cool."
Kia just looked at her with her uncovered left eye. Her crimson gaze didn't seem to surprise Mimi at all. After about 30 seconds of silence, Mimi gave up on trying to talk with Kia and moved over to Vincent. "So. You brought another girl home? Shame on you. You already have 2." She smiled for a moment and then continued. "I'm just kidding. What did Alyson want, and why didn't you tell us you were leaving?"
Vincent finally looked up at Mimi. She must not have seen what Alyson had done before she left. Mimi and Nina didn't know about the kiss yet, and Kia was looking around, so she didn't know either. Vincent looked up at Mimi, and began to speak. "Well she wanted someone to go to the mall with. After the whole thing with Jamie yesterday I just decided to not tell anyone about you guys. I went to the mall and I saw a Fallen member picking on this girl, who I think is named Kia, and I stopped him. After I helped her out, Alyson dumped her on me and drove me home. Here I am."
They both seemed to believe him flawlessly. They got up and talked for a second, and then Nina walked away. Mimi was talking to Kia for a moment, then dragged her out of the room. Vincent got up and walked into the kitchen. There were 2 bowls in the sink, dirty, with a note on them. Vincent took it and read it out loud to himself, ignoring the loud voices in the room down the hall, probably his own. "Hey there, we didn't want to rob you of your job, so we left these here for you to wash! -With lots of love, Nina and Mimi" He looked at the bowls and smiled. Vincent hated washing dishes. He picked them up and washed them quickly. He put them away, and walked down the hall to his room. He looked at sign on his door and sighed, The door said "Girls room now. Sorry Vincent!" He knocked on the door and Nina poked her head out, and a flood of muffled arguing coming from Mimi filled the hall.
"Can I help you oh merciful host sir?" She said with an evil smile.
"Yeah. Can I have my room back?"
"Sorry, 3 against one. We need it more."
Vincent sighed, and then said to Nina, "Then can I get my stuff?"
Nina shook her head and looked at Vincent again. "Changing."
Vincent just gave up and walked away. He went into the kitchen and began to cook lunch, just some Spaghetti for the heck of it. He grabbed 2 boxes and a pot from his cabinet, and filled the pot with water. He flipped the box over and looked at the back of it.
Meanwhile... 12:00 pm
Jamie lie on the roof of his car, slowly waiting for something to happen as he sat just inside the cave on the far left side of town. The cave was cold, dark, and damp. The road went straight into the mouth of the cave, if anyone could find the road that is. There were stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and some just barely lost touch of the stalagmites on the floor. There were bats on the ceiling, but Jamie payed them no mind. A small river also came through the caves entrance and flowed inwards into the cave. The whole thing seemed so clean for a natural cave. Jamie was just getting restless, when a strange car drove up. It had an Icarus symbol on the hood. The girl from the night before, still hooded, black hair flowing out of the front of her hood, got out of the car. "So, you do any good today?" The girl asked.
Jamie sat up, the emblem on his jacket now apparent. "If I had any luck with them, would I be here alone?"
She looked around, then to the ceiling. "You aren't alone. You have your pets here." A bat flew down from the ceiling, and landed on her arm. She toyed with it for a while, and whispered to it, before it flew back up to the top of the cave like the others were. "They are still so nice to me."
Jamie looked at her with hate filled eyes. "You know whats going to happen. Vincent wasn't at home, but still I can't get them because of some strange power they seem to have, and you are just going to sit there and wait until I die to take my place." He jumped off of the car and picked up a small rock. "I really hate you." He threw the rock at her. The rock flew faster than any professional baseball player could have thrown it. At the speed it flew, It looked as if it was going to hit her. If she moved, then the car would loose it's windshield, then, suddenly, the rock seemed to spin off its path, just missing the girl and going over her car. "And if I was a evil person I would have just killed you. Get out of here. I don't need a traitorous friend like you."
Jamie opened his car door and was about to get in when the girl spoke. "Mark failed his mission today. You know what he was told last time he failed. HE will die tonight, just as you shall if you fail your mission. Do you want to know how he failed?"
Jamie turned towards the girl, as a smile grew upon her face. "Vincent was in the mall, and saved poor Kia from the bad man. Your friend did it."
"You saw this, and let him stop us? Why not use your stupid little girlish charm to woo him into joining us? Or even better, kill him yourself and get Kia."
"Oh, I could never kill someone. I'd much rather watch you all die by your own mistakes." She looked up just for enough light to illuminate the bottom half of her face. She was grinning. Smiling. Laughing at Mark and Jamie for failing their missions. "And you boys just make so many mistakes." She got into her car and drove out of the cave, down the dirt road, and out of view. Jamie was left there alone with the bats now.
He looked up and said out loud, "Will you desert me now also?" A thunderous sound started outside, as clouds blocked out the sun, and heavy rain began to pour. The bats all awoke, and turned toward the inner cave. The spread their wings and flew away. Jamie reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black book. It had an Icarus symbol on it, but he grabbed the cover and the whole cover seemed co crumple. as he pulled his hand away, it became noticeable that he had used the emblem to hide another surface. He dropped the piece of paper and looked at the book. He was holding a bible.
Chapter 13: Forsaken, Part 2, Marva
12:00 pm
Inside Vincent's small, stuffed house, Vincent was just finishing cooking. He put the noodles into 4 bowls and put them on the table. "HEY! Girls, come and get your food before it gets cold!" He grabbed a bowl and looked at his table. 3 chairs. He leaned on the counter and relaxed as Nina came into the kitchen from the front hallway.
She looked at the bowls and her eyes became full of happiness. "FOOD!!" She sat down and started eating her food quickly. "Oh my gosh I was so hungry today, Me and Mimi can't cook for the life of us and you went out and we were soooo hungry!!!"
Mimi walked into the kitchen next, with Kia only a step behind her, wearing different clothes, but the same style and color. Mimi spoke up. "She wouldn't wear anything else. But her old clothes seem like they've been through all but heck itself, and stitched back together. I'm scared if I put them into the washer they'll fall apart." She looked at the food on the table and walked over to Vincent. "Thank you! You're so sweet to us!" She hugged him and then went to eat her food. "MMMMmmmm! It's so good too! Where did you learn to cook so well?"
Vincent, half in the middle of eating, finished chewing and then said to her, "Well my mother, before she passed away, rest in peace, was a cook for some awesome restaurant in the city. After she passed away our income fell through the floor and the restaurant closed. Shortly after all of that we started moving a lot. Dad got drafted in his job, so we moved here. Now he's gone off to work far away anyways." He looked at Kia's new clothes. She was wearing a newer version of her old clothes. Ribbons at the end of the sleeves, but other than that, it was basically the same. Kia sat down also. She looked at the food funny for a moment, until Vincent caught her attention by speaking. "You know, It's not toxic. You can eat it. Right, anyways, I read her cook books Mimi. I learned a lot from them."
Mimi smiled, and said to him, "Well she must have been really good, this food is great!" Kia looked back at the food and began eating, silently.
After a few bites, Nina stopped and looked at Kia. She took the fork and Kia stared at her. Nina said a few short, but demanding words. "Open your mouth." Kia looked around for a moment, but did as she was told. Nina looked inside her mouth closely, and then got up and looked around her neck too. After about 10 minutes of this strange act, she looked at Mimi. "Kia's a wraith." The room went silent.
Meanwhile, on the roof of the school... 12:15 pm
The hooded girl from The Fallen jumped up the building and reached the top. Expecting Jamie to be there, but finding only a girl she had never seen before. She spoke to this new girl with anger. "Hey! You!" The girl, who was sitting on the edge of the school looking at the rainclouds and the lake, turned to the Hooded girl. This girl had Deep Brown eyes, and blond hair halfway down her chest. She looked at the Hooded girl with confusion in her eyes. The Hooded girl spoke again. "Who the hell are you, sitting there like that? This is private property. You can't be here." The strange girl rose, and walked over to our hooded girl. She was wearing a Fallen jacket.
Meanwhile, inside the cave... 12:30 pm
Jamie sat, alone in the dark, damp cave. Suddenly a dark form rose from the ground. It stood near Jamie, and demanded of him, "Tell me, did you bring me the girls?"
Jamie looked up, and stared at the creature. He began to speak.
At the School... 12:15
The hooded girl immediately jumped back down the building and ran to her car. The conversation with this new girl had not gone well, and the hooded girl was in a rush. The only thought in her head was to get back to the cave as soon as humanly possible. She jumped into her car through the sunroof, and turned the car on. Within seconds she was half way down the street.
Back at the cave...
The dark form was shaking in anger. Jamie looked at him with uncaring, and uninterested eyes. His uncaring for the creature had reached it's peak. He leaned on his car and spoke again, "I said, the alliance you have formed here is not all you think. The girls who you wish so desperately to capture will be your downfall if you don't stop now. You are messing with a force not understood by yourself. These girls are... something else.." He looked at the ceiling, bare and cold. "I've been abandoned. I'm left alone for this. It's because of you y'know. It's all your fault." He looked at the creature, his dark eyes filled to the brim with pure hatred. "Marva"
The dark form moved forward to him, and Jamie leaned off of his car. In the distance, the two could hear a car. The dark form, Marva, seemed to pulsate with the darkness around him, feeding off of the shadows. Jamie backed away from the car a few steps. He spat words in Marva's direction. "That's your name, you Fallen fiend. A creature dragged back from Hell, or fallen from Heaven. You loose a certain mark on your body and become this. A Demon. Lost withing yourself, you have no emotion. Heartless, and longing to return to the real existence from which you fell. You will NEVER return." The car in the distance seemed closer every second.
Marva, the Demon nearby, unleashed a power, giving the entire cave a small illumination. The car flew backwards, and hit one of the stalagmites nearby. It exploded, creating such a large light it illuminated the entire clearing, letting you see the light from outside the cave, even from the far away car's distance. The roar of that car's engine grew louder. Marva spoke. "You have learned much on your own. Tell me. What is your secret, you pathetic mortal?"
Jamie looked over to Marva again. "I broke one of your rules. The sprites in this cave, you said, were never to be touched. So, I knew you would want to kill me, so I touched one 2 days ago. It gave me a book for letting it go. This." He held up an old book. "It tells secrets, Marva. Your secrets. You were banished from Heaven or Hell, by an unholy act of killing a Sacred, also known as High Angel or High Devil. You were not only booted from your home, but cursed as well. You, Marva, are the first of your kind. By reading this, I know what I have lost." He pulled out another book, one side with a Icarus on it, the other, a Cross. "I, by reading a forbidden text, have been forsaken. Abandoned. Lost forever. After I die, unlike what you had, I'll just disappear. No joy of heaven, or curse of Hell." He smirked, nearly laughed. "But, no more you either. I can kill you with this." The car pulled up, and the hooded girl got out, as she looked over at Jamie and Marva. Jamie continued, "Marva, You will die. After about 300 years, You can die now."
Marva's dark form quivered for a second, and suddenly shot over Jamie, The girl nearby watched in horror, as she watched her freind not just killed, but horribly mutilated. Burned and Slashed, Torn and Stabbed by all types of dark weapons. As Jamie died, Marva took a new form, only 3 feet high, the body of some insane male child. Spiked up Purple hair, and lines running down his face. Tattered black and purple clothes, and hands which were claws. As he stood, he retracted the claws, and they turned into normal human hands. He grabbed the blood stained book from the ground. "A bible.. Jamie, That's against the rules." He said as the book ignited, along with the text Jamie held before. "Now.. Who was forsaken?"
Inside Vincent's small, stuffed house, Vincent was just finishing cooking. He put the noodles into 4 bowls and put them on the table. "HEY! Girls, come and get your food before it gets cold!" He grabbed a bowl and looked at his table. 3 chairs. He leaned on the counter and relaxed as Nina came into the kitchen from the front hallway.
She looked at the bowls and her eyes became full of happiness. "FOOD!!" She sat down and started eating her food quickly. "Oh my gosh I was so hungry today, Me and Mimi can't cook for the life of us and you went out and we were soooo hungry!!!"
Mimi walked into the kitchen next, with Kia only a step behind her, wearing different clothes, but the same style and color. Mimi spoke up. "She wouldn't wear anything else. But her old clothes seem like they've been through all but heck itself, and stitched back together. I'm scared if I put them into the washer they'll fall apart." She looked at the food on the table and walked over to Vincent. "Thank you! You're so sweet to us!" She hugged him and then went to eat her food. "MMMMmmmm! It's so good too! Where did you learn to cook so well?"
Vincent, half in the middle of eating, finished chewing and then said to her, "Well my mother, before she passed away, rest in peace, was a cook for some awesome restaurant in the city. After she passed away our income fell through the floor and the restaurant closed. Shortly after all of that we started moving a lot. Dad got drafted in his job, so we moved here. Now he's gone off to work far away anyways." He looked at Kia's new clothes. She was wearing a newer version of her old clothes. Ribbons at the end of the sleeves, but other than that, it was basically the same. Kia sat down also. She looked at the food funny for a moment, until Vincent caught her attention by speaking. "You know, It's not toxic. You can eat it. Right, anyways, I read her cook books Mimi. I learned a lot from them."
Mimi smiled, and said to him, "Well she must have been really good, this food is great!" Kia looked back at the food and began eating, silently.
After a few bites, Nina stopped and looked at Kia. She took the fork and Kia stared at her. Nina said a few short, but demanding words. "Open your mouth." Kia looked around for a moment, but did as she was told. Nina looked inside her mouth closely, and then got up and looked around her neck too. After about 10 minutes of this strange act, she looked at Mimi. "Kia's a wraith." The room went silent.
Meanwhile, on the roof of the school... 12:15 pm
The hooded girl from The Fallen jumped up the building and reached the top. Expecting Jamie to be there, but finding only a girl she had never seen before. She spoke to this new girl with anger. "Hey! You!" The girl, who was sitting on the edge of the school looking at the rainclouds and the lake, turned to the Hooded girl. This girl had Deep Brown eyes, and blond hair halfway down her chest. She looked at the Hooded girl with confusion in her eyes. The Hooded girl spoke again. "Who the hell are you, sitting there like that? This is private property. You can't be here." The strange girl rose, and walked over to our hooded girl. She was wearing a Fallen jacket.
Meanwhile, inside the cave... 12:30 pm
Jamie sat, alone in the dark, damp cave. Suddenly a dark form rose from the ground. It stood near Jamie, and demanded of him, "Tell me, did you bring me the girls?"
Jamie looked up, and stared at the creature. He began to speak.
At the School... 12:15
The hooded girl immediately jumped back down the building and ran to her car. The conversation with this new girl had not gone well, and the hooded girl was in a rush. The only thought in her head was to get back to the cave as soon as humanly possible. She jumped into her car through the sunroof, and turned the car on. Within seconds she was half way down the street.
Back at the cave...
The dark form was shaking in anger. Jamie looked at him with uncaring, and uninterested eyes. His uncaring for the creature had reached it's peak. He leaned on his car and spoke again, "I said, the alliance you have formed here is not all you think. The girls who you wish so desperately to capture will be your downfall if you don't stop now. You are messing with a force not understood by yourself. These girls are... something else.." He looked at the ceiling, bare and cold. "I've been abandoned. I'm left alone for this. It's because of you y'know. It's all your fault." He looked at the creature, his dark eyes filled to the brim with pure hatred. "Marva"
The dark form moved forward to him, and Jamie leaned off of his car. In the distance, the two could hear a car. The dark form, Marva, seemed to pulsate with the darkness around him, feeding off of the shadows. Jamie backed away from the car a few steps. He spat words in Marva's direction. "That's your name, you Fallen fiend. A creature dragged back from Hell, or fallen from Heaven. You loose a certain mark on your body and become this. A Demon. Lost withing yourself, you have no emotion. Heartless, and longing to return to the real existence from which you fell. You will NEVER return." The car in the distance seemed closer every second.
Marva, the Demon nearby, unleashed a power, giving the entire cave a small illumination. The car flew backwards, and hit one of the stalagmites nearby. It exploded, creating such a large light it illuminated the entire clearing, letting you see the light from outside the cave, even from the far away car's distance. The roar of that car's engine grew louder. Marva spoke. "You have learned much on your own. Tell me. What is your secret, you pathetic mortal?"
Jamie looked over to Marva again. "I broke one of your rules. The sprites in this cave, you said, were never to be touched. So, I knew you would want to kill me, so I touched one 2 days ago. It gave me a book for letting it go. This." He held up an old book. "It tells secrets, Marva. Your secrets. You were banished from Heaven or Hell, by an unholy act of killing a Sacred, also known as High Angel or High Devil. You were not only booted from your home, but cursed as well. You, Marva, are the first of your kind. By reading this, I know what I have lost." He pulled out another book, one side with a Icarus on it, the other, a Cross. "I, by reading a forbidden text, have been forsaken. Abandoned. Lost forever. After I die, unlike what you had, I'll just disappear. No joy of heaven, or curse of Hell." He smirked, nearly laughed. "But, no more you either. I can kill you with this." The car pulled up, and the hooded girl got out, as she looked over at Jamie and Marva. Jamie continued, "Marva, You will die. After about 300 years, You can die now."
Marva's dark form quivered for a second, and suddenly shot over Jamie, The girl nearby watched in horror, as she watched her freind not just killed, but horribly mutilated. Burned and Slashed, Torn and Stabbed by all types of dark weapons. As Jamie died, Marva took a new form, only 3 feet high, the body of some insane male child. Spiked up Purple hair, and lines running down his face. Tattered black and purple clothes, and hands which were claws. As he stood, he retracted the claws, and they turned into normal human hands. He grabbed the blood stained book from the ground. "A bible.. Jamie, That's against the rules." He said as the book ignited, along with the text Jamie held before. "Now.. Who was forsaken?"
Chapter 14: Annabelle Enters
Inside Vincent's house... 12:15 pm
Mimi looked over to Nina, and asked once more, "She's a WHAT?"
Nina looked over at Mimi, and said, "She's a Wraith. Y'know, like..... a Wraith..."
At this time, Vincent was curious. He looked over at Kia, who was staring at him still. He asked Nina, while looking at Kia, "What IS a Wraith?"
Nina looked at Vincent, down to Kia, then back at Vincent. "Well Vincey, Host. It's the only physical manifestation of a neutral karma passer, AKA, She's someone who didn't have more evil than good, or good than evil, and became a ghost. She's a special type of a ghost. She, obviously, has learned to transform into a human. Any passer can learn how to shape-shift. May it be good, evil, or neutral. There was this one guy though, about 340 years ago, who died and went to one side. There, he was not very accepted though, and he struck out at one of the heirarchs, and ended up killing him, or her. He was sent to earth and totally cursed. It must've sucked for him. He was stuck into a certain form for a long time. Then he was locked into a shadow, until he could consume a traitorous soul. I certainly would get sick of that after 300 years. Everyone knows about him."
Vincent moved his gaze to Nina, "What was his name?"
Nina looked at Vincent strangely, "You don't know? I think after 300 years you would."
Vincent shrugged and continued. "Name please?"
Nina looked at Mimi and then back to Vincent. She said, with her voice filled with fear, "Marva Demonic"
Hours later, on top of the school... 8:30 pm
The girl from before, the girl with blond hair, was sitting at the edge of the school. She was staring at the lake's reflection still, but this time at the moon inside it. A shadow appeared behind her, and faded away, Marva seemed to simply appear behind her. Without even turning around, she knew he was there. She said, without any emotion, "You're late, Marva."
His face twisted into a grin, as he sat beside her. "You're still as heartless as ever. I haven't seen you since I was in Manhattan. How is it there?"
She continued, still without any emotion, "Hell. It has gone all wrong since you left. Nothing is really making sense there anymore. Anarchy riddles the seams of the organization there. 300 years of advancement, and you pick retarded teenagers to run Manhattan's wing? Whatever were you thinking?"
Marva looked over at her, changing the subject completely as he said, "I want you to go and see a boy for me."
Her expression changed completely, as every emotion possible cycled through her eyes, until it came to excitement. She nearly yelled as she looked over towards him, "I get to go and see a boy?"
Marva looked closely at her, as an emotion that matched her flawlessly had appeared. "Yes. This boy needs to be... persuaded.. Into telling us everything he knows. I want you to worm your way into every corner of his life, and slowly tear it apart. Anything you do will work, as he is new to the area. My previous control gave me information of two girls whereabouts. Not human. I need them alive, and he is totally up to you." He said to her.
She looked at him, and, full of happiness, she said, "I'll do it. Tell me where he is, right now."
Marva looked at her, smiling, as he said, "There is the attitude I know so well. Don't break him, Annabelle" He handed her a piece of paper, it had an address on it, Vincent's address.
Mimi looked over to Nina, and asked once more, "She's a WHAT?"
Nina looked over at Mimi, and said, "She's a Wraith. Y'know, like..... a Wraith..."
At this time, Vincent was curious. He looked over at Kia, who was staring at him still. He asked Nina, while looking at Kia, "What IS a Wraith?"
Nina looked at Vincent, down to Kia, then back at Vincent. "Well Vincey, Host. It's the only physical manifestation of a neutral karma passer, AKA, She's someone who didn't have more evil than good, or good than evil, and became a ghost. She's a special type of a ghost. She, obviously, has learned to transform into a human. Any passer can learn how to shape-shift. May it be good, evil, or neutral. There was this one guy though, about 340 years ago, who died and went to one side. There, he was not very accepted though, and he struck out at one of the heirarchs, and ended up killing him, or her. He was sent to earth and totally cursed. It must've sucked for him. He was stuck into a certain form for a long time. Then he was locked into a shadow, until he could consume a traitorous soul. I certainly would get sick of that after 300 years. Everyone knows about him."
Vincent moved his gaze to Nina, "What was his name?"
Nina looked at Vincent strangely, "You don't know? I think after 300 years you would."
Vincent shrugged and continued. "Name please?"
Nina looked at Mimi and then back to Vincent. She said, with her voice filled with fear, "Marva Demonic"
Hours later, on top of the school... 8:30 pm
The girl from before, the girl with blond hair, was sitting at the edge of the school. She was staring at the lake's reflection still, but this time at the moon inside it. A shadow appeared behind her, and faded away, Marva seemed to simply appear behind her. Without even turning around, she knew he was there. She said, without any emotion, "You're late, Marva."
His face twisted into a grin, as he sat beside her. "You're still as heartless as ever. I haven't seen you since I was in Manhattan. How is it there?"
She continued, still without any emotion, "Hell. It has gone all wrong since you left. Nothing is really making sense there anymore. Anarchy riddles the seams of the organization there. 300 years of advancement, and you pick retarded teenagers to run Manhattan's wing? Whatever were you thinking?"
Marva looked over at her, changing the subject completely as he said, "I want you to go and see a boy for me."
Her expression changed completely, as every emotion possible cycled through her eyes, until it came to excitement. She nearly yelled as she looked over towards him, "I get to go and see a boy?"
Marva looked closely at her, as an emotion that matched her flawlessly had appeared. "Yes. This boy needs to be... persuaded.. Into telling us everything he knows. I want you to worm your way into every corner of his life, and slowly tear it apart. Anything you do will work, as he is new to the area. My previous control gave me information of two girls whereabouts. Not human. I need them alive, and he is totally up to you." He said to her.
She looked at him, and, full of happiness, she said, "I'll do it. Tell me where he is, right now."
Marva looked at her, smiling, as he said, "There is the attitude I know so well. Don't break him, Annabelle" He handed her a piece of paper, it had an address on it, Vincent's address.
Chapter 15: Siren's Morn'
Vincents house... June 18th
Vincent woke up and looked at the clock. 7:00. Early. A feeling loomed over him for a moment. Like something was in the living room with him this morning. The TV was off, and the house was quiet. Vincent looked around the room, but saw no one. He rose from the couch, and looked out the windows and such. Confused, he turned around. Kia was lying, asleep, on the couch. He looked with slight disbelief. "She... Was in my bed..." Vincent said quietly, and then shook it off, and walked through the front hallway, and into the kitchen. "Wow.. What the heck was with that? Mimi and Nina kick her out of the bed or something? ... Naah, It could fit all 4 of us." He leaned on the counter's side, thinking for a little bit. After about 20 minutes of thinking, Vincent looked up to see Kia walk into the room.
Kia looked at him with the uncovered eye. She spoke. "Food?"
Vincent's expression turned into one of shock. He had never heard Kia talk before. He wasn't sure he heard her right. He asked, just to make sure, "What?"
Kia stared into his eyes with hers, and repeated, "Food?" Her voice was light, gentle, mesmerizing. Like that of a siren's song, her voice was one of captivity. Just another thing to stack onto the mysteries of devils and angels, this little ghost girl had the most beautiful voice Vincent had ever heard.
"Um." Vincent looked around frantically, He looked under his sink and pulled out a pan, and rushed to the fridge for eggs. He turned to Kia and said to her, "Yes Ma'am. Right away. What kind of host would I be if I just let you starve?" He smiled, and turned to cook the eggs.
Kia smiled, sat down, and waited. Several minutes later, Vincent was cooking bacon too, and making toast on the side. Kia was still staring at him, and she opened her mouth again, "I like you food."
Vincent stopped for a second, but continued cooking, and then turned to her. "You're awful talkative today. You didn't talk at all since I've met you. Why?"
"..Secret." Kia put her head down on the table, and yawned. She was just full of secrets. She was a Wraith, wasn't she? Nina found that out by looking at her sharp teeth, and some weird dots on her neck. But, the dots answered one mystery, Kia wore the turtleneck shirts to hide the spots.
Vincent put some eggs, and some toast on a plate and put it in front of her. "You're just full of little secrets aren't ya?" Vincent's thoughts instantly turned, he had no idea why Kia had the wrap on her. He was about to ask about that, when he heard a door open down the main hallway. Probably Mimi and Nina. That meant Kia wouldn't talk anymore. Vincent reached up, and grabbed 2 more plates from the cabinets above his counter. He put them down, and filled them with food, just as Mimi and Nina walked into the kitchen.
Mimi walked over to him, leaned on his back, and watched him cook. "Oooooo Food!"
Vincent noticed how close she was all of a sudden. "Um... Having fun?"
"Yup!" She looked closely at all the pans Vincent had. "I like your food. It's really good. The eggs are always perfect."
Vincent finished all the cooking, and turned the burners off. "Hey Mimi?"
"Yes Vincent?"
"I don't want to offend you but... You have to get off of my back. I need to serve the food.."
Mimi sighed. "Ooookkaaaaay.. " She got off of him, and went over to where Nina was sitting, and clung to her instead.
Vincent was placing the other 2 plates, and giving out the rest of the food when he noticed, he only had 3 plates. "Awww crap." He turned to grab another plate, just then there was a light, yet rapid, knock on his front door. "I wonder who is knocking?" He went into the main hallway, over to the door, and opened it. He saw....
Vincent woke up and looked at the clock. 7:00. Early. A feeling loomed over him for a moment. Like something was in the living room with him this morning. The TV was off, and the house was quiet. Vincent looked around the room, but saw no one. He rose from the couch, and looked out the windows and such. Confused, he turned around. Kia was lying, asleep, on the couch. He looked with slight disbelief. "She... Was in my bed..." Vincent said quietly, and then shook it off, and walked through the front hallway, and into the kitchen. "Wow.. What the heck was with that? Mimi and Nina kick her out of the bed or something? ... Naah, It could fit all 4 of us." He leaned on the counter's side, thinking for a little bit. After about 20 minutes of thinking, Vincent looked up to see Kia walk into the room.
Kia looked at him with the uncovered eye. She spoke. "Food?"
Vincent's expression turned into one of shock. He had never heard Kia talk before. He wasn't sure he heard her right. He asked, just to make sure, "What?"
Kia stared into his eyes with hers, and repeated, "Food?" Her voice was light, gentle, mesmerizing. Like that of a siren's song, her voice was one of captivity. Just another thing to stack onto the mysteries of devils and angels, this little ghost girl had the most beautiful voice Vincent had ever heard.
"Um." Vincent looked around frantically, He looked under his sink and pulled out a pan, and rushed to the fridge for eggs. He turned to Kia and said to her, "Yes Ma'am. Right away. What kind of host would I be if I just let you starve?" He smiled, and turned to cook the eggs.
Kia smiled, sat down, and waited. Several minutes later, Vincent was cooking bacon too, and making toast on the side. Kia was still staring at him, and she opened her mouth again, "I like you food."
Vincent stopped for a second, but continued cooking, and then turned to her. "You're awful talkative today. You didn't talk at all since I've met you. Why?"
"..Secret." Kia put her head down on the table, and yawned. She was just full of secrets. She was a Wraith, wasn't she? Nina found that out by looking at her sharp teeth, and some weird dots on her neck. But, the dots answered one mystery, Kia wore the turtleneck shirts to hide the spots.
Vincent put some eggs, and some toast on a plate and put it in front of her. "You're just full of little secrets aren't ya?" Vincent's thoughts instantly turned, he had no idea why Kia had the wrap on her. He was about to ask about that, when he heard a door open down the main hallway. Probably Mimi and Nina. That meant Kia wouldn't talk anymore. Vincent reached up, and grabbed 2 more plates from the cabinets above his counter. He put them down, and filled them with food, just as Mimi and Nina walked into the kitchen.
Mimi walked over to him, leaned on his back, and watched him cook. "Oooooo Food!"
Vincent noticed how close she was all of a sudden. "Um... Having fun?"
"Yup!" She looked closely at all the pans Vincent had. "I like your food. It's really good. The eggs are always perfect."
Vincent finished all the cooking, and turned the burners off. "Hey Mimi?"
"Yes Vincent?"
"I don't want to offend you but... You have to get off of my back. I need to serve the food.."
Mimi sighed. "Ooookkaaaaay.. " She got off of him, and went over to where Nina was sitting, and clung to her instead.
Vincent was placing the other 2 plates, and giving out the rest of the food when he noticed, he only had 3 plates. "Awww crap." He turned to grab another plate, just then there was a light, yet rapid, knock on his front door. "I wonder who is knocking?" He went into the main hallway, over to the door, and opened it. He saw....
Chapter 16: New Girl in Clydesdale
7:30 am
Before Vincent even had a chance to speak, a girl with blond hair as long as Alyson's was up against him. She was closer than anyone had ever been to him. An immense pressure suddenly loomed over Vincent. She leaned right up to him, and said a simple, short sentence. "Hi there." She leaned away, and suddenly the extreme pressure Vincent was feeling seemed to cease. This strange girl was wearing a loose, frilly red and black blouse, torn jeans, and a belt with a skull on it. She looked over at the kitchen, and was Nina, Mimi and Kia. She waved politely, with a bored look in her eye. She looked back at Vincent and her excitement seemed to return instantly. "Hello, my name is Annabelle. You can call me Anna, or Belle, or whatever you want. I'm staying in town for a little while. I was wondering if there was someone who would make my stay more .... Hmmm... Interesting. You seemed to be the perfect person for the job! You're cute too." She leaned back up to him, not as close, and suddenly Vincent was overcome with pressure again. Some strange feeling coming from Annabelle. Seductive. Attractive.
Kia got up, and walked over to Annabelle. She pushed her back away from Vincent, and slapped her across the face. Vincent's pressure was instantly gone, from the second he broke eye contact with Annabelle. He immediately looked over at Kia. She seemed angry. VERY angry. Vincent quickly went over to Nina and Mimi in the kitchen. He whispered to them, "Wow, She looks pissed!" Nina and Mimi nodded.
Annabelle took a few seconds, and her face was blank. Emotionless. She looked at Kia. "That hurt... I don't like you." She turned around, still emotionless, and walked out of the house. Nina and Mimi rushed over to the kitchen window, and watched her walk away. Kia slammed the front door, and locked it. Vincent was standing in the middle of the kitchen, totally clueless. "Ummm... What the hell just happened??"
Nina looked back at Vincent. She said, "Girlfriend of yours?" Vincent shook his head. "Then I have no clue. Maybe she's just some random chick with a massive male obsession. Either way, she got way too close, way too fast."
Mimi got up and walked over to Kia, and started calming her down, saying things like, "It's ok now." and "She's gone, you made her leave, okay?"
Kia seemed to calm down a little, but ran over to Vincent, and grabbed him. She walked, nearly dragged him, out of the room. Mimi and Nina looked at each other for a moment, then stood up. As soon as the 2 stood up, they heard a door slam, and a beautiful voice from the vents, coming from a nearby room. They assumed it was Kia's, started talking amongst themselves, and soon after that, the day was back to normal...
.... Later that night, on top of Clydesdale High... 8:00 pm
Annabelle sits quietly, her legs tightly held to her chest, holding a piece of paper in her hand, looking over at the lake, silent, and sadly. She seemed to have a hopeless look in her eye. A lonely look. When, suddenly, Marva appeared behind her, her eyes filled with anger. She stood, turned to him, and said, with anger, "Do we need the wraith girl?"
Marva, in his small form, sat and though for a while. After several minutes, he said simply, "Now with our new addition, I guess not."
Annabelle walked towards the fire escape, dropping the paper, and stated a message filled with hate. "She dies then."
Marva watched her leave the rooftop, and walked over to the paper. He picked it up, and laughed. He held it over the edge of the school, and dropped it. It slowly fell down the wall of the school, and landed silently at the foot of the school's staircase...
Before Vincent even had a chance to speak, a girl with blond hair as long as Alyson's was up against him. She was closer than anyone had ever been to him. An immense pressure suddenly loomed over Vincent. She leaned right up to him, and said a simple, short sentence. "Hi there." She leaned away, and suddenly the extreme pressure Vincent was feeling seemed to cease. This strange girl was wearing a loose, frilly red and black blouse, torn jeans, and a belt with a skull on it. She looked over at the kitchen, and was Nina, Mimi and Kia. She waved politely, with a bored look in her eye. She looked back at Vincent and her excitement seemed to return instantly. "Hello, my name is Annabelle. You can call me Anna, or Belle, or whatever you want. I'm staying in town for a little while. I was wondering if there was someone who would make my stay more .... Hmmm... Interesting. You seemed to be the perfect person for the job! You're cute too." She leaned back up to him, not as close, and suddenly Vincent was overcome with pressure again. Some strange feeling coming from Annabelle. Seductive. Attractive.
Kia got up, and walked over to Annabelle. She pushed her back away from Vincent, and slapped her across the face. Vincent's pressure was instantly gone, from the second he broke eye contact with Annabelle. He immediately looked over at Kia. She seemed angry. VERY angry. Vincent quickly went over to Nina and Mimi in the kitchen. He whispered to them, "Wow, She looks pissed!" Nina and Mimi nodded.
Annabelle took a few seconds, and her face was blank. Emotionless. She looked at Kia. "That hurt... I don't like you." She turned around, still emotionless, and walked out of the house. Nina and Mimi rushed over to the kitchen window, and watched her walk away. Kia slammed the front door, and locked it. Vincent was standing in the middle of the kitchen, totally clueless. "Ummm... What the hell just happened??"
Nina looked back at Vincent. She said, "Girlfriend of yours?" Vincent shook his head. "Then I have no clue. Maybe she's just some random chick with a massive male obsession. Either way, she got way too close, way too fast."
Mimi got up and walked over to Kia, and started calming her down, saying things like, "It's ok now." and "She's gone, you made her leave, okay?"
Kia seemed to calm down a little, but ran over to Vincent, and grabbed him. She walked, nearly dragged him, out of the room. Mimi and Nina looked at each other for a moment, then stood up. As soon as the 2 stood up, they heard a door slam, and a beautiful voice from the vents, coming from a nearby room. They assumed it was Kia's, started talking amongst themselves, and soon after that, the day was back to normal...
.... Later that night, on top of Clydesdale High... 8:00 pm
Annabelle sits quietly, her legs tightly held to her chest, holding a piece of paper in her hand, looking over at the lake, silent, and sadly. She seemed to have a hopeless look in her eye. A lonely look. When, suddenly, Marva appeared behind her, her eyes filled with anger. She stood, turned to him, and said, with anger, "Do we need the wraith girl?"
Marva, in his small form, sat and though for a while. After several minutes, he said simply, "Now with our new addition, I guess not."
Annabelle walked towards the fire escape, dropping the paper, and stated a message filled with hate. "She dies then."
Marva watched her leave the rooftop, and walked over to the paper. He picked it up, and laughed. He held it over the edge of the school, and dropped it. It slowly fell down the wall of the school, and landed silently at the foot of the school's staircase...
Chapter 17: Hello Veena
Clydesdale High, hours earlier, class 208. Summer School. 9:00 am, June 18th
The bright green paint on the walls of the classroom was peeling off, causing the light reflecting off of it to ripple around the room like water. A group of people are in the classroom, 16 to be exact, sitting in a 4x4 desk arrangement. Most are conversing quietly, and have short sleeves and backpacks. Only 2 students aren't. A boy in the front, who has a long, black cloth with him, all wrapped up, and a boy in the back left, who is sitting, doing his work, and has a few books on his desk, both of which are wearing familiar black and gray jackets. A lady walks into the room.
It was a Teacher, watching her students work, quietly pacing around the class. After a few minutes, she notices the student in the front desk, closest to the board, isn't working at all. She approaches him on his left. "Shouldn't you be working young man?" She moved to in front of him, and tried to look through his unkempt hair. She couldn't. "Young man, please do your work!" No response. He pulled out an attendance list, and began to read through the list to herself. She noticed something strange. She only had 14 students on the list. This boy wasn't one of them. "Young man, I think you're in the wrong class, Please leave immediately."
He stood up slowly, pushing the chair backwards and making a horrible screeching sound. He grabbed the sleek black cloth as it made a metal clinking sound. He stood there for a full minute.
"Sir, please leave immediately. I don't want you near me."
His familiar face looked up at her. "Well, then maybe you should back up." He moved quickly, as he moved two twin blades out of the cloth. 2 Cutlasses, In a mere second, he had slashed through the woman, and her scream was echoed through the hallways of the emptied building. Her blood landed on the whiteboard behind her.
In the back of the room, another boy rose from his seat, pulling out a gun, and taking out the rest of the class. Only the 2 boys were left alive in the room. The other boy spoke. "Marcus, next time give me a better hint. I was in the middle of my book." He dropped the gun, and it rolled across the floor into a puddle of blood.
"I have to do everything quickly. If I move slowly, then Marva will find that I'm still alive. Corvus was supposed to kill me."
"I know. He's the one who gave me the gun."
The 2 boys were now standing in a room full of corpses, blood across the whiteboard, talking slowly, calmly. They were both wearing the same jacket. Fallen. But on thing was wrong about it. It seemed slightly off. The emblem wasn't on the front. It had been torn off, stitch by stitch.
Marcus, also known as Mark, cleaned his swords and put them in cases, hidden by the cloth. He put the cloth on the floor, and rolled it out in front of the board. He pulled a stone from his pocket and placed it on the cloth. The blinds were all closed by the boy in the back of the room, and the lights turned off. The stone itself was glowing. It rose from the cloth, and the shimmering markings grew apparent. The walls reflected the light all over the room, and the stone moved over toward the board. instantly the splatter of blood turned into a different, darker red liquid. it pulsed and mutated, covering the whole wall. a circle of small markings covered the wall, and the liquid that flowed slowly over it. From the center of the circle, bubbles started to appear, and eventually a form started to pull itself from the wall. It struggled and let loose horrid shrieks as it warred with the liquid. The crimson covered creature pulled for what seemed to be hours, pulling head, arm, leg, all out from the strange concoction. After it finally pulled itself out, the rock shattered, and the room lit up immediately, like someone had shattered a panel of glass that held this horrible image.. The blood from the wall was gone, and the students and teacher lay sleeping in the room, no longer dead. The sunlight from the windows burned the liquid over the creature and it's true form became apparent. It seemed to be a small girl. The boy in the back of the room spoke to her as she slowly stood up. "Hello, Veena."
The bright green paint on the walls of the classroom was peeling off, causing the light reflecting off of it to ripple around the room like water. A group of people are in the classroom, 16 to be exact, sitting in a 4x4 desk arrangement. Most are conversing quietly, and have short sleeves and backpacks. Only 2 students aren't. A boy in the front, who has a long, black cloth with him, all wrapped up, and a boy in the back left, who is sitting, doing his work, and has a few books on his desk, both of which are wearing familiar black and gray jackets. A lady walks into the room.
It was a Teacher, watching her students work, quietly pacing around the class. After a few minutes, she notices the student in the front desk, closest to the board, isn't working at all. She approaches him on his left. "Shouldn't you be working young man?" She moved to in front of him, and tried to look through his unkempt hair. She couldn't. "Young man, please do your work!" No response. He pulled out an attendance list, and began to read through the list to herself. She noticed something strange. She only had 14 students on the list. This boy wasn't one of them. "Young man, I think you're in the wrong class, Please leave immediately."
He stood up slowly, pushing the chair backwards and making a horrible screeching sound. He grabbed the sleek black cloth as it made a metal clinking sound. He stood there for a full minute.
"Sir, please leave immediately. I don't want you near me."
His familiar face looked up at her. "Well, then maybe you should back up." He moved quickly, as he moved two twin blades out of the cloth. 2 Cutlasses, In a mere second, he had slashed through the woman, and her scream was echoed through the hallways of the emptied building. Her blood landed on the whiteboard behind her.
In the back of the room, another boy rose from his seat, pulling out a gun, and taking out the rest of the class. Only the 2 boys were left alive in the room. The other boy spoke. "Marcus, next time give me a better hint. I was in the middle of my book." He dropped the gun, and it rolled across the floor into a puddle of blood.
"I have to do everything quickly. If I move slowly, then Marva will find that I'm still alive. Corvus was supposed to kill me."
"I know. He's the one who gave me the gun."
The 2 boys were now standing in a room full of corpses, blood across the whiteboard, talking slowly, calmly. They were both wearing the same jacket. Fallen. But on thing was wrong about it. It seemed slightly off. The emblem wasn't on the front. It had been torn off, stitch by stitch.
Marcus, also known as Mark, cleaned his swords and put them in cases, hidden by the cloth. He put the cloth on the floor, and rolled it out in front of the board. He pulled a stone from his pocket and placed it on the cloth. The blinds were all closed by the boy in the back of the room, and the lights turned off. The stone itself was glowing. It rose from the cloth, and the shimmering markings grew apparent. The walls reflected the light all over the room, and the stone moved over toward the board. instantly the splatter of blood turned into a different, darker red liquid. it pulsed and mutated, covering the whole wall. a circle of small markings covered the wall, and the liquid that flowed slowly over it. From the center of the circle, bubbles started to appear, and eventually a form started to pull itself from the wall. It struggled and let loose horrid shrieks as it warred with the liquid. The crimson covered creature pulled for what seemed to be hours, pulling head, arm, leg, all out from the strange concoction. After it finally pulled itself out, the rock shattered, and the room lit up immediately, like someone had shattered a panel of glass that held this horrible image.. The blood from the wall was gone, and the students and teacher lay sleeping in the room, no longer dead. The sunlight from the windows burned the liquid over the creature and it's true form became apparent. It seemed to be a small girl. The boy in the back of the room spoke to her as she slowly stood up. "Hello, Veena."
Chapter 18: Roses
9:15 am
The girl, Veena, stood in the front of the room, looking around at all of the students and the teacher, sleeping silently. This girl had the appearance of a 12 year old. She had hair deep red in color, and it was put in pigtails, about a foot in length each. She was wearing a pink dress, and it continued down her arms and turned into gloves. Her eyes at this moment were a strange shade of brown, as she looked around the room confused. She walked over to the desk that had all of the teachers things on it, and she examined a rose. She picked it, and put it into her hair. She closed her eyes and smiled, and when she had opened her eyes again, they were a pink color. She looked over to Marcus casually, and said to him, "So, you needed me?"
Marcus looked over to the other hooded man, who was still leaning on his desk, his face in his book. Marcus turned his head back to the small, and adorable, Veena. "I didn't need you at all. I needed him, and he said to get you. So pretty much, I'm following orders." Marcus looked over at the people sleeping, and said, "I'm glad they aren't dead anymore. That would be a hell of a conscious letdown."
Veena walked slowly and quietly back to the desk the other person was leaning on, reading his book. She grabbed his book, and put a paper in it to mark his page. She looked into his eyes, as much as she could see though the shroud he wore, and said to him, "You brought me here. Now tell me why. I don't have all day."
The man rose, slowly, from his leaning position on the old wooden school desk. He rose a finger to his mouth, and pointed to the people in the room, who were still asleep. "You'll wake them up. You have to be careful what you awaken, Veena." He walked to the window nearby, and looked down at all the flowers in the small garden outside the window. There were all types and colors of flowers of every sort, happily and gracefully growing in the small, fully alive garden. He opened the window, and grabbed a black rose. He pulled at the strong roots, which resisted, until he snapped the small flower, and pulled it up. He closed the window, and walked back to her. The man pulled the book from her, and opened to his page. He pulled the paper out of the page, and instead put the rose there.
Veena notice the book he held was badly burned, torched until the cover, both front and back, were unreadable. Black ash, everywhere. The man closed the book, and slowly walked to the exit of the room. Veena called to him, "HEY! Tell me, now. Why am I here?"
The reader stopped, and slowly turned his head, as Marcus walked out of the room. He said one thing to Veena. One menacing sound escaped this mans lips. His voice filled with Wrath, Hatred in the purest form. "Marva." He left the room, leaving Veena standing alone, with all the sleeping people around her.
She lowered her head for a moment, and later she rose it. Her eyes were brown, filled with confusion, as her memory searched for this name. As if by solid, pure, and untainted luck, she remembered. Her eyes flashed instantly to a blue color. "I remember now." She walked out the door and down the hall, exiting the building, her bare feet against the warm stone walkway the summer had made. She looked to the top of the school, and she let 2 words escape her lips. "Little Brother"
The girl, Veena, stood in the front of the room, looking around at all of the students and the teacher, sleeping silently. This girl had the appearance of a 12 year old. She had hair deep red in color, and it was put in pigtails, about a foot in length each. She was wearing a pink dress, and it continued down her arms and turned into gloves. Her eyes at this moment were a strange shade of brown, as she looked around the room confused. She walked over to the desk that had all of the teachers things on it, and she examined a rose. She picked it, and put it into her hair. She closed her eyes and smiled, and when she had opened her eyes again, they were a pink color. She looked over to Marcus casually, and said to him, "So, you needed me?"
Marcus looked over to the other hooded man, who was still leaning on his desk, his face in his book. Marcus turned his head back to the small, and adorable, Veena. "I didn't need you at all. I needed him, and he said to get you. So pretty much, I'm following orders." Marcus looked over at the people sleeping, and said, "I'm glad they aren't dead anymore. That would be a hell of a conscious letdown."
Veena walked slowly and quietly back to the desk the other person was leaning on, reading his book. She grabbed his book, and put a paper in it to mark his page. She looked into his eyes, as much as she could see though the shroud he wore, and said to him, "You brought me here. Now tell me why. I don't have all day."
The man rose, slowly, from his leaning position on the old wooden school desk. He rose a finger to his mouth, and pointed to the people in the room, who were still asleep. "You'll wake them up. You have to be careful what you awaken, Veena." He walked to the window nearby, and looked down at all the flowers in the small garden outside the window. There were all types and colors of flowers of every sort, happily and gracefully growing in the small, fully alive garden. He opened the window, and grabbed a black rose. He pulled at the strong roots, which resisted, until he snapped the small flower, and pulled it up. He closed the window, and walked back to her. The man pulled the book from her, and opened to his page. He pulled the paper out of the page, and instead put the rose there.
Veena notice the book he held was badly burned, torched until the cover, both front and back, were unreadable. Black ash, everywhere. The man closed the book, and slowly walked to the exit of the room. Veena called to him, "HEY! Tell me, now. Why am I here?"
The reader stopped, and slowly turned his head, as Marcus walked out of the room. He said one thing to Veena. One menacing sound escaped this mans lips. His voice filled with Wrath, Hatred in the purest form. "Marva." He left the room, leaving Veena standing alone, with all the sleeping people around her.
She lowered her head for a moment, and later she rose it. Her eyes were brown, filled with confusion, as her memory searched for this name. As if by solid, pure, and untainted luck, she remembered. Her eyes flashed instantly to a blue color. "I remember now." She walked out the door and down the hall, exiting the building, her bare feet against the warm stone walkway the summer had made. She looked to the top of the school, and she let 2 words escape her lips. "Little Brother"
Chapter 19: She Dies Too
9:20 am
Veena stood outside the school, as she saw a girl, blond hair far down her back, muttering words of hate. The girl walked by, and after a few steps, she stopped. This girl walked back a few steps and stopped in front of Veena. "You... You're just like him." she stared at Veena for a few more minutes, and then grabbed her arm. "Come with me, I wanna show you something." She walked around the corner of the big school building, and over to a car. She dragged Veena over to the passenger's side, and opened the door for her. Veena got into the passengers side of the car. It was a brand new looking car, A dark shade of red, with an emblem on the front. Veena's eyes turned brown for a moment, then the girl opened the door to the driver's side and got in. She looked over to Veena. "My name's Annabelle." She started the car. "I know a guy you might want to see..." She pulled out of the parking space and through the town, Veena was silent the whole time. Annabelle, still angry, pulled down a dirt path, and down about 3 miles. After this long drive, she entered a short path heading inwards to a cave, and turned right into a cave clearing filled with fireflies. The cave has a distorted and totally ripped up corpse on the ground, and a small river running into the mouth of the cave. The whole place was all so clean. Annabelle got out of the car, and signaled for Veena to follow her. Veena opened the door and stepped out onto the gray-blue rock. She followed Annabelle into the small circular opening of the cave, and noticed that there was one burned book near the body. Annabelle spoke loudly into the cave. "HEY! I brought ya somethin'. Not one of the 2 little brats, but something else." She turned and walked away, as the opening leading past the cave's clearing seemed to pulse. The pulsing got closer, and in a split second, there air one was a dark phase appeared. It became clear what it was.
Veena, only now, began to speak. "Marva.." She said this as his dark form stepped forward, and the cloud around him faded. He stood in all his power and glory. Veena spoke again. "Have you gotten shorter? It's been, what, 30, possibly 40 years?"
Marva walked over to Annabelle, ignoring Veena for the moment. "So you couldn't get Nina and Mimi?"
She shook her head.
"Did the ghost have anything to do with it?"
She nodded, as all the fury of the world flowed into her eyes. Wrath.
Marva walked away from her, and back to Veena. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small earring, sharp and fang like, Similar to his own. His was Dark blue, but this one was a dark red. He gave it to Veena. "This is yours."
She looked up at him. Her eyes now a bright pink color. "Awww! Thank you brother!" She hugged him in a strange way, like she was really his family. Could this really be Marva's sister?
... Hours later, in front of the school... 8:01 pm
The hooded girl from the Fallen sit on the steps of the school, a distant sound of voices coming from the rooftops above her. She heard the 2 voices clearly after a long while, "Now with our new addition, I guess not." She listened closer, and heard another voice, Annabelle's, say "She dies then" The hooded girl looked up, surprised by this. She saw a paper fall down from the rooftops, and land in a small puddle in front of her. She picked it up, and read it aloud to herself.
"Amaer dies too." Her eyes filled with horror as she read the paper, over and over and over. "Amaer dies too." Annabelle was gonna kill Amaer. Annabelle's was gonna kill her.
.....
She rose quickly to her feet and ran across the street, as it began to rain. A car almost hit her, She jumped, a huge flip, and landed on the other side of it. She reached the car, a silver car, with a black stripe, and an Icarus sign on the hood. The same car from before, The same car she drove when Jamie died.... She opened the door to the car, and pulled out of the parking lot before she even closed the door. She drove to a house, extremely fast. A familiar house. Vincent's house. She ran up to the door and slammed into the house, Nina, Mimi, Kia and Vincent were eating dinner, and was this girl from Fallen entered the house. Vincent rose to his feet and walked over to her.
"HEY! you aren't supposed to be in here. You didn't even knock." He looked at her angrily. He really hated Fallen members.
She looked around over to Kia, Than back to Vincent. "You have to listen to me. My name is... Amaer. A girl is coming here to kill the Wraith. She's gonna kill me too..." She sounded so hopeless, and fell to the floor in a lowly slump. "She's gonna kill me too...."
Veena stood outside the school, as she saw a girl, blond hair far down her back, muttering words of hate. The girl walked by, and after a few steps, she stopped. This girl walked back a few steps and stopped in front of Veena. "You... You're just like him." she stared at Veena for a few more minutes, and then grabbed her arm. "Come with me, I wanna show you something." She walked around the corner of the big school building, and over to a car. She dragged Veena over to the passenger's side, and opened the door for her. Veena got into the passengers side of the car. It was a brand new looking car, A dark shade of red, with an emblem on the front. Veena's eyes turned brown for a moment, then the girl opened the door to the driver's side and got in. She looked over to Veena. "My name's Annabelle." She started the car. "I know a guy you might want to see..." She pulled out of the parking space and through the town, Veena was silent the whole time. Annabelle, still angry, pulled down a dirt path, and down about 3 miles. After this long drive, she entered a short path heading inwards to a cave, and turned right into a cave clearing filled with fireflies. The cave has a distorted and totally ripped up corpse on the ground, and a small river running into the mouth of the cave. The whole place was all so clean. Annabelle got out of the car, and signaled for Veena to follow her. Veena opened the door and stepped out onto the gray-blue rock. She followed Annabelle into the small circular opening of the cave, and noticed that there was one burned book near the body. Annabelle spoke loudly into the cave. "HEY! I brought ya somethin'. Not one of the 2 little brats, but something else." She turned and walked away, as the opening leading past the cave's clearing seemed to pulse. The pulsing got closer, and in a split second, there air one was a dark phase appeared. It became clear what it was.
Veena, only now, began to speak. "Marva.." She said this as his dark form stepped forward, and the cloud around him faded. He stood in all his power and glory. Veena spoke again. "Have you gotten shorter? It's been, what, 30, possibly 40 years?"
Marva walked over to Annabelle, ignoring Veena for the moment. "So you couldn't get Nina and Mimi?"
She shook her head.
"Did the ghost have anything to do with it?"
She nodded, as all the fury of the world flowed into her eyes. Wrath.
Marva walked away from her, and back to Veena. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small earring, sharp and fang like, Similar to his own. His was Dark blue, but this one was a dark red. He gave it to Veena. "This is yours."
She looked up at him. Her eyes now a bright pink color. "Awww! Thank you brother!" She hugged him in a strange way, like she was really his family. Could this really be Marva's sister?
... Hours later, in front of the school... 8:01 pm
The hooded girl from the Fallen sit on the steps of the school, a distant sound of voices coming from the rooftops above her. She heard the 2 voices clearly after a long while, "Now with our new addition, I guess not." She listened closer, and heard another voice, Annabelle's, say "She dies then" The hooded girl looked up, surprised by this. She saw a paper fall down from the rooftops, and land in a small puddle in front of her. She picked it up, and read it aloud to herself.
"Amaer dies too." Her eyes filled with horror as she read the paper, over and over and over. "Amaer dies too." Annabelle was gonna kill Amaer. Annabelle's was gonna kill her.
.....
She rose quickly to her feet and ran across the street, as it began to rain. A car almost hit her, She jumped, a huge flip, and landed on the other side of it. She reached the car, a silver car, with a black stripe, and an Icarus sign on the hood. The same car from before, The same car she drove when Jamie died.... She opened the door to the car, and pulled out of the parking lot before she even closed the door. She drove to a house, extremely fast. A familiar house. Vincent's house. She ran up to the door and slammed into the house, Nina, Mimi, Kia and Vincent were eating dinner, and was this girl from Fallen entered the house. Vincent rose to his feet and walked over to her.
"HEY! you aren't supposed to be in here. You didn't even knock." He looked at her angrily. He really hated Fallen members.
She looked around over to Kia, Than back to Vincent. "You have to listen to me. My name is... Amaer. A girl is coming here to kill the Wraith. She's gonna kill me too..." She sounded so hopeless, and fell to the floor in a lowly slump. "She's gonna kill me too...."
Chapter 20: Truth
8:30 pm
Vincent stood in his hallways watching this girl in front of him lay in a puddle of rainwater and tears. She came there for protection. She chose Vincent of all people to choose from. He leaned down and picked her off of the floor, walked into the living room with her, and helped her sit. He asked her, "This girl who's coming from the Fallen, What is her name?"
Amaer said to him, "Her name is Annabelle. She came in from Manhattan. She was brought here to retrieve the Angel and Devil from you." She paused for a moment. "Everyone in The Clydesdale Faction has a unique skill. She seems to be able to infiltrate the mind of any boy she wants, just using her looks. A boy named Marcus uses melee weapons, Dual-swords, as his skill, and mine is acrobatics. It seems Marva has no use for us any longer... He killed Jaime..."
Vincent looked up to her. "Jaime's dead?" He watched her as she nodded, and he continued. "So, this Marva person, What's up with him?"
She replied, "He's a shape-shifter. He can change his physical form at his mind's will. I saw a glimpse of him once, but he's usually hidden in shadow. It's a strange veil that seems to loom over his being. He commands every single faction through Clan Minds. Jamie was our Clan mind. He turned against Marva, and he was brutally murdered.. Parts flew everywhere... So horrifying.." She put her legs to her chest and cried for a short while longer, while Vincent went to the kitchen to speak to Kia, Mimi, and Nina.
He walked in as he heard Mimi and Nina whispering. "Hey, ladies, I got some info." They all stopped talking as he spoke, and he grabbed a chair and swung it around, so he could lean on the back of it. Kia went over and sat on it behind him. He ignored this, and continued, "This girl says the Blondie from before is gonna try and kill Kia and her. We probably are gonna have to run away. From what I've been told so far, They are a small group of talented people. That girl in there, Amaer, seems to be highly acrobatic. A boy named Marcus, probably that kid Mark from before, is a Dual-swordsman. Jamie was in the group too. I bet he had something to do with books. He was always reading a book." He pause for a while, and Kia fell asleep on his back. After this pause, his sudden words surprised the group. "Marva... I bet he's got a huge role in all of the people showing up here.. Deeper than we know.. But now we know the truth."
Nina looked over at Vincent and said, "Vincent.. We haven't been totally honest with you." She paused, but Vincent had no reply. "Well.. About how we got here, There was a guy who found us shortly after we landed. He was a Fallen member and tricked us into staying in a extra room for a night. we woke up in some locked room, and we couldn't seem to get out. He kept us there for days... He said that the next night he was getting a visit from his leader.. We were in Atlanta at the time. We .. We killed the man and took his money. Burned the house down too. We ran north, as far and as fast as we could, until we though we were safe... apparently we weren't, or aren't."
Vincent looked at Mimi, and then back at Nina. "Well... Thanks for telling me." He peered over his shoulder to Kia asleep on his back. "I should probably get her to bed..." With those words, he got up and carried her into the living room. A light turned off.
Mimi looked over to Nina, her expression worried. "We have one of them in our house... Do you think we can trust her?"
Nina returned her glance. "I trust her. I believe she told the truth."
They turned the lights off and left the living room.
... Meanwhile ... 9:00 pm
Marva stood, alone, on top of the school building. He stare into the moon, as if it was staring into him also. He heard a revving of an engine, and it broke his trance as he looked down to see a maroon car, slick and fast, pull into the parking lot and swirl around into a space next to the fire escape. A man with a Fallen jacket got out of the car. He seemed considerably older than the rest of the group, mid-twenties possibly, and his jacket was torn open in the front. He wore his hood up, and his dark red hair covered into his face. He looked up to the roof, his twisted smile clearly visible. As he climbed to the top of the fire escape, Marva spoke to him, "Corvus... You've not come to the last three meetings. Do you have a good reason for this blasphemy?"
The man, Corvus, sat on the edge of the school with his twisted smile and said fearlessly, "Easy, I'm not in the group anymore. I'm against you now." He looked at Marva, his smile unfading as he continued, "And I'm almost done with my role too. Jenix told me to give you a message: You're gonna die."
Marva kept a straight, and unsurprised face until the name, Jenix, arose. He turned to Corvus and asked him, "Who is this man, Jenix?"
Corvus's smile faded as he became serious in tone. He rose to his feet saying his words as he walked back to the fire escape, "He's the leader of the Forgiven. A Demon. Just like you, Only better, Hellwalker."
Vincent stood in his hallways watching this girl in front of him lay in a puddle of rainwater and tears. She came there for protection. She chose Vincent of all people to choose from. He leaned down and picked her off of the floor, walked into the living room with her, and helped her sit. He asked her, "This girl who's coming from the Fallen, What is her name?"
Amaer said to him, "Her name is Annabelle. She came in from Manhattan. She was brought here to retrieve the Angel and Devil from you." She paused for a moment. "Everyone in The Clydesdale Faction has a unique skill. She seems to be able to infiltrate the mind of any boy she wants, just using her looks. A boy named Marcus uses melee weapons, Dual-swords, as his skill, and mine is acrobatics. It seems Marva has no use for us any longer... He killed Jaime..."
Vincent looked up to her. "Jaime's dead?" He watched her as she nodded, and he continued. "So, this Marva person, What's up with him?"
She replied, "He's a shape-shifter. He can change his physical form at his mind's will. I saw a glimpse of him once, but he's usually hidden in shadow. It's a strange veil that seems to loom over his being. He commands every single faction through Clan Minds. Jamie was our Clan mind. He turned against Marva, and he was brutally murdered.. Parts flew everywhere... So horrifying.." She put her legs to her chest and cried for a short while longer, while Vincent went to the kitchen to speak to Kia, Mimi, and Nina.
He walked in as he heard Mimi and Nina whispering. "Hey, ladies, I got some info." They all stopped talking as he spoke, and he grabbed a chair and swung it around, so he could lean on the back of it. Kia went over and sat on it behind him. He ignored this, and continued, "This girl says the Blondie from before is gonna try and kill Kia and her. We probably are gonna have to run away. From what I've been told so far, They are a small group of talented people. That girl in there, Amaer, seems to be highly acrobatic. A boy named Marcus, probably that kid Mark from before, is a Dual-swordsman. Jamie was in the group too. I bet he had something to do with books. He was always reading a book." He pause for a while, and Kia fell asleep on his back. After this pause, his sudden words surprised the group. "Marva... I bet he's got a huge role in all of the people showing up here.. Deeper than we know.. But now we know the truth."
Nina looked over at Vincent and said, "Vincent.. We haven't been totally honest with you." She paused, but Vincent had no reply. "Well.. About how we got here, There was a guy who found us shortly after we landed. He was a Fallen member and tricked us into staying in a extra room for a night. we woke up in some locked room, and we couldn't seem to get out. He kept us there for days... He said that the next night he was getting a visit from his leader.. We were in Atlanta at the time. We .. We killed the man and took his money. Burned the house down too. We ran north, as far and as fast as we could, until we though we were safe... apparently we weren't, or aren't."
Vincent looked at Mimi, and then back at Nina. "Well... Thanks for telling me." He peered over his shoulder to Kia asleep on his back. "I should probably get her to bed..." With those words, he got up and carried her into the living room. A light turned off.
Mimi looked over to Nina, her expression worried. "We have one of them in our house... Do you think we can trust her?"
Nina returned her glance. "I trust her. I believe she told the truth."
They turned the lights off and left the living room.
... Meanwhile ... 9:00 pm
Marva stood, alone, on top of the school building. He stare into the moon, as if it was staring into him also. He heard a revving of an engine, and it broke his trance as he looked down to see a maroon car, slick and fast, pull into the parking lot and swirl around into a space next to the fire escape. A man with a Fallen jacket got out of the car. He seemed considerably older than the rest of the group, mid-twenties possibly, and his jacket was torn open in the front. He wore his hood up, and his dark red hair covered into his face. He looked up to the roof, his twisted smile clearly visible. As he climbed to the top of the fire escape, Marva spoke to him, "Corvus... You've not come to the last three meetings. Do you have a good reason for this blasphemy?"
The man, Corvus, sat on the edge of the school with his twisted smile and said fearlessly, "Easy, I'm not in the group anymore. I'm against you now." He looked at Marva, his smile unfading as he continued, "And I'm almost done with my role too. Jenix told me to give you a message: You're gonna die."
Marva kept a straight, and unsurprised face until the name, Jenix, arose. He turned to Corvus and asked him, "Who is this man, Jenix?"
Corvus's smile faded as he became serious in tone. He rose to his feet saying his words as he walked back to the fire escape, "He's the leader of the Forgiven. A Demon. Just like you, Only better, Hellwalker."
Chapter 21: Abyss
11:00 pm
Vincent's house relaxed, as the night time hours drew long. Nina and Mimi went into the bedroom, and Kia had returned to him in the kitchen, as they were talking in a little whispering conversation. Amaer lay in the next room, awake and listening to Vincent and Kia talk in the next room, amazed by the beauty of Kia's voice.
"I know that those people are coming back, but I ......" Kia paused, then continued after a few seconds. "I love this house Vince, and I love you living here. You have all of your things here, your memories of your Mother are here. Her books, her pictures, everything. we can't just leave all that to run away, can we?"
Vincent though for a moment, and responded calmly, "I made a promise to protect Nina and Mimi. I'm gonna say this, I promise to protect you too. No matter what they throw at us, It'll have to go through me to get to you, Kia. I'll make sure of it. They're not going to win this, and they certainly aren't going to kill you and my newest guest. I'm trying my best to be the greatest host I can be for you girls, but it's not as easy as it looks."
A car pulled into the driveway, the lights beaming into the kitchen, as Kia and Vincent ducked down. Kia panicked, "Is it them? Are they here for us already?" But before Vincent could respond to it, the car pulled out the driveway, and drove down the street.
"No... I guess he was just turning around. Scared the crap out of me though." Vincent and Kia got back up and sat on the chairs once more. "Are you hungry, Kia? I could make you some food." Vincent moved to the cupboard where he kept his pots and pans.
"I would like that very much, Vincent" She said, as her face changed with a smile.
Amaer was standing in the doorway. She said to Vincent, "They won't come right away. Marva wants to know where all of his soldiers are positioned before he does anything. He needs to know what everyone's faction is. Yours, His, or that new one that popped up, The Forgiven. I don't know anything about them, but.... Marva seems to have a reason to hate them already."
Vincent absorbed all o the information she gave him and, after a moment said, "Are you hungry too?" As he held up a pan and went to the fridge.
Amaer smiled from under her hood, and said, "I would like some food. Very much, thank you."
... Meanwhile ... 11:12 pm
Inside of the town church, the bell tower is one of the three best places to see the town, the other two being the roof of the store, and the roof of the school. Inside the bell room, the windows are small, but open. Cobwebs cover the dark ceiling, and a large rope hangs from the ceiling. Veena and Marcus are inside the room, and are having a casual conversation sitting on some of the small boxes filled with various items from the church.
"So, does he trust you, or are you just being ignored like some of us were before he ordered our termination?" Marcus said.
Veena was staring at the bottom of the rope with now gray eyes, holding her legs to her chest. Her response was a soft, childish whisper, "I .... Don't know."
Marcus looked out of the window. Most of the town could be seen from this window, other than the school, and the road out of town. Meaning also, if he couldn't see the school, they couldn't see Marva... But he couldn't see them either. "Well.." He said, "Jenix will be here soon... Corvus was supposed to go to Marva for some reason too."
Veena shot a worried look in Marcus' direction. "Jenix sent Corvus to Marva? Why would he do something so foolish? Corvus betrayed Marva, he could easily be dead right now, or being killed as we speak! We should check on him." She moved to the window swiftly, as wings appeared on her back, but Marcus reached his arm out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back as fast as she got up.
"Not so fast, shortie. Jenix is the smartest friend I have. My best friend too. If anyone knows exactly what is going on, it would be him... I can't let you go. Even if Corvus is being killed right now, what would you do against Marva? If you try to save him, Marva would know already. If Corvus is safe, you may jeopardize everything." He put her back on the box. "Just sit, and wait, Vee. He'll be fine."
Veena looked around at the walls, out the window, and looked back at the bottom of the rope, with her worried gray eyes. "You're right..."
"Of course I am! I'm Marcus Vergil! I'm always right!" He said with a joking smile on his face.
"Marva.... Whenever he has a post, it's always on the highest building around... He can always see the water from there, and seems to stare into it.."
Marcus' face seemed to lose it's joking smile, as he said, "Stare into the abyss... and the abyss stares into you"
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Hell, if I know! It's a quote. Friedrich Nietzsche said it."
"I wonder.. what he meant..."
The two stared at each other silently, until the trapdoor from under the rope opened, and Veena fall back, startled, as Corvus crawled through and sat in the corner of the room with his insane smile twisted across his face. He said, "Jenix is noted. Marva knows, just as I was ordered." He let out a psychotic laugh, as he rubbed his hands together. "Oh-ho-ho! This is gonna be fun to watch in the end!"
"Enough, Corvus." The voice echoed through the room, no origin apparent. Marcus noticed Veena staring at the ceiling, and followed her little gaze. Jenix sat on the top of the rope, just under the bell, and fell down through the hole, into the bell room. "Yes, Marva knows. But only of me and Corvus. Now, we shall begin to see what happens when Marva's abyss decides to stare back."
Vincent's house relaxed, as the night time hours drew long. Nina and Mimi went into the bedroom, and Kia had returned to him in the kitchen, as they were talking in a little whispering conversation. Amaer lay in the next room, awake and listening to Vincent and Kia talk in the next room, amazed by the beauty of Kia's voice.
"I know that those people are coming back, but I ......" Kia paused, then continued after a few seconds. "I love this house Vince, and I love you living here. You have all of your things here, your memories of your Mother are here. Her books, her pictures, everything. we can't just leave all that to run away, can we?"
Vincent though for a moment, and responded calmly, "I made a promise to protect Nina and Mimi. I'm gonna say this, I promise to protect you too. No matter what they throw at us, It'll have to go through me to get to you, Kia. I'll make sure of it. They're not going to win this, and they certainly aren't going to kill you and my newest guest. I'm trying my best to be the greatest host I can be for you girls, but it's not as easy as it looks."
A car pulled into the driveway, the lights beaming into the kitchen, as Kia and Vincent ducked down. Kia panicked, "Is it them? Are they here for us already?" But before Vincent could respond to it, the car pulled out the driveway, and drove down the street.
"No... I guess he was just turning around. Scared the crap out of me though." Vincent and Kia got back up and sat on the chairs once more. "Are you hungry, Kia? I could make you some food." Vincent moved to the cupboard where he kept his pots and pans.
"I would like that very much, Vincent" She said, as her face changed with a smile.
Amaer was standing in the doorway. She said to Vincent, "They won't come right away. Marva wants to know where all of his soldiers are positioned before he does anything. He needs to know what everyone's faction is. Yours, His, or that new one that popped up, The Forgiven. I don't know anything about them, but.... Marva seems to have a reason to hate them already."
Vincent absorbed all o the information she gave him and, after a moment said, "Are you hungry too?" As he held up a pan and went to the fridge.
Amaer smiled from under her hood, and said, "I would like some food. Very much, thank you."
... Meanwhile ... 11:12 pm
Inside of the town church, the bell tower is one of the three best places to see the town, the other two being the roof of the store, and the roof of the school. Inside the bell room, the windows are small, but open. Cobwebs cover the dark ceiling, and a large rope hangs from the ceiling. Veena and Marcus are inside the room, and are having a casual conversation sitting on some of the small boxes filled with various items from the church.
"So, does he trust you, or are you just being ignored like some of us were before he ordered our termination?" Marcus said.
Veena was staring at the bottom of the rope with now gray eyes, holding her legs to her chest. Her response was a soft, childish whisper, "I .... Don't know."
Marcus looked out of the window. Most of the town could be seen from this window, other than the school, and the road out of town. Meaning also, if he couldn't see the school, they couldn't see Marva... But he couldn't see them either. "Well.." He said, "Jenix will be here soon... Corvus was supposed to go to Marva for some reason too."
Veena shot a worried look in Marcus' direction. "Jenix sent Corvus to Marva? Why would he do something so foolish? Corvus betrayed Marva, he could easily be dead right now, or being killed as we speak! We should check on him." She moved to the window swiftly, as wings appeared on her back, but Marcus reached his arm out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back as fast as she got up.
"Not so fast, shortie. Jenix is the smartest friend I have. My best friend too. If anyone knows exactly what is going on, it would be him... I can't let you go. Even if Corvus is being killed right now, what would you do against Marva? If you try to save him, Marva would know already. If Corvus is safe, you may jeopardize everything." He put her back on the box. "Just sit, and wait, Vee. He'll be fine."
Veena looked around at the walls, out the window, and looked back at the bottom of the rope, with her worried gray eyes. "You're right..."
"Of course I am! I'm Marcus Vergil! I'm always right!" He said with a joking smile on his face.
"Marva.... Whenever he has a post, it's always on the highest building around... He can always see the water from there, and seems to stare into it.."
Marcus' face seemed to lose it's joking smile, as he said, "Stare into the abyss... and the abyss stares into you"
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Hell, if I know! It's a quote. Friedrich Nietzsche said it."
"I wonder.. what he meant..."
The two stared at each other silently, until the trapdoor from under the rope opened, and Veena fall back, startled, as Corvus crawled through and sat in the corner of the room with his insane smile twisted across his face. He said, "Jenix is noted. Marva knows, just as I was ordered." He let out a psychotic laugh, as he rubbed his hands together. "Oh-ho-ho! This is gonna be fun to watch in the end!"
"Enough, Corvus." The voice echoed through the room, no origin apparent. Marcus noticed Veena staring at the ceiling, and followed her little gaze. Jenix sat on the top of the rope, just under the bell, and fell down through the hole, into the bell room. "Yes, Marva knows. But only of me and Corvus. Now, we shall begin to see what happens when Marva's abyss decides to stare back."
Chapter 22: Kain
... On the school ... ~Fallen~ 11:50 pm
Marva stares into the lake and whispers into silence, in his solitude, the wind seams to moan, and his reply is heard only to his ears. He whispers, barely audible, "I understand, 'Icarus'." Marva turns, heading to leave, just as he sees someone there behind him, not that but a moment before.
The man was tall, proud seeming. He had a light colored hair, white in the moonlight, past his shoulders. He wore a Fallen jacket, fallen to his elbows, caught and held up. He had his hands in his pockets, and a pale white t-shirt was visible under the jacket. He wore jeans, and sneakers that looked fairly worn and overused. This man's t-shirt had a logo on his own on it. It read "Fall to the heavens" and the color scheme matched his Fallen jacket, but clashed against the white of the rest of the shirt. He had two Samurai Katanas, One on each side of his waist, held in the loops of his belt. He moved his head up, and looked at Marva. His voice was small, but somehow loud, and proudly superior. "I'm back, Demon."
Marva's eyes seemed to squint. He knew who he was looking at. He brought his hands behind his back, and stood formally in this strange, but proud, man's presence. He spoke to him just as any other. "You're late, Kain." Marva paused, and read no response from Kain. He continued, "It seems your brother has moved on past me now. He found a new hobby." He turned towards the lake again.
Kain spoke to Marva in the same monotonous tone. "Marcus has betrayed us?"
"Yes, it seems your Father didn't teach him respect. But it does seem he taught him skill with a blade. He easily escaped his assassination. He left, and is now with the "Forgiven" members. A new faction that has entered our little war. I'll be rid of them soon. We have a plan already spawned. Don't we, Icarus?" He turned his head over to the lake again, and at the very edge of the school's roof, the air seems to ripple, like it was water itself. An eerie sighing whisper is heard. No words are formed, but Marva nods to himself. "Marcus may die, Kain."
Kain seems to fall back into a laid back sitting position. "Well..." He pulls out a lollipop and unwraps it. He pops it into his mouth and moves it around. The stick poking out of his mouth. "I guess... I'll have to help that, wont I?"
... Bell Room ... -Forgiven- 11:55 pm
Corvus and Jenix have just caught Marcus and Veena up on the plan so far. They have argued with Marcus and Veena about their radical decisions, and the group has come to a stalemate. Silence has filled the air with several minutes, and Jenix finally breaks the silence.
"You know I was a radical man, Marcus."
Marcus shot back, "I know exactly how you pissed me off everyday with your B.S. decisions!"
"I know you don't mean anything bad about me. You're just mad again. Corvus is safe for now. We have an ace right now, and Marva knows it. Corvus is special since his mission overseas. Marva wont lose such an asset as simply as to kill him. He'll try to win him back, and he will fail at this as well. I've seen this world, above and below, inside and out. I can pull it apart at the seams." He looked out the window. Upon his stare back, he continued. "I'm something that hasn't existed before. Something that wont exist again." He pulled up his sleeves and showed his bare wrists. "I'm a free demon. Unchained. Unleashed. Totally free from the laws of this world. I will use my absolute to better this world."
"You know, you talk too much! I wish you would just shut the hell up, like you used to be. Talking reminds me of my damned brother."
"Oh... Yeah... By the way, Marcus, Kain is home."
Marcus' face seemed to drop. His heart skipped. He fell to the floor and held his breath. He stuttered when he spoke, "K-Kain is in Clydesdale again?"
"Yes. He may even be with Marva now."
".... I can't let him find me. If he does, we lose. Big time. Kain will use me to find you. If Kain finds you, J.... Forgive-nothin'! We're gonna be dead!"
12:00, June 19 ....
Marva stares into the lake and whispers into silence, in his solitude, the wind seams to moan, and his reply is heard only to his ears. He whispers, barely audible, "I understand, 'Icarus'." Marva turns, heading to leave, just as he sees someone there behind him, not that but a moment before.
The man was tall, proud seeming. He had a light colored hair, white in the moonlight, past his shoulders. He wore a Fallen jacket, fallen to his elbows, caught and held up. He had his hands in his pockets, and a pale white t-shirt was visible under the jacket. He wore jeans, and sneakers that looked fairly worn and overused. This man's t-shirt had a logo on his own on it. It read "Fall to the heavens" and the color scheme matched his Fallen jacket, but clashed against the white of the rest of the shirt. He had two Samurai Katanas, One on each side of his waist, held in the loops of his belt. He moved his head up, and looked at Marva. His voice was small, but somehow loud, and proudly superior. "I'm back, Demon."
Marva's eyes seemed to squint. He knew who he was looking at. He brought his hands behind his back, and stood formally in this strange, but proud, man's presence. He spoke to him just as any other. "You're late, Kain." Marva paused, and read no response from Kain. He continued, "It seems your brother has moved on past me now. He found a new hobby." He turned towards the lake again.
Kain spoke to Marva in the same monotonous tone. "Marcus has betrayed us?"
"Yes, it seems your Father didn't teach him respect. But it does seem he taught him skill with a blade. He easily escaped his assassination. He left, and is now with the "Forgiven" members. A new faction that has entered our little war. I'll be rid of them soon. We have a plan already spawned. Don't we, Icarus?" He turned his head over to the lake again, and at the very edge of the school's roof, the air seems to ripple, like it was water itself. An eerie sighing whisper is heard. No words are formed, but Marva nods to himself. "Marcus may die, Kain."
Kain seems to fall back into a laid back sitting position. "Well..." He pulls out a lollipop and unwraps it. He pops it into his mouth and moves it around. The stick poking out of his mouth. "I guess... I'll have to help that, wont I?"
... Bell Room ... -Forgiven- 11:55 pm
Corvus and Jenix have just caught Marcus and Veena up on the plan so far. They have argued with Marcus and Veena about their radical decisions, and the group has come to a stalemate. Silence has filled the air with several minutes, and Jenix finally breaks the silence.
"You know I was a radical man, Marcus."
Marcus shot back, "I know exactly how you pissed me off everyday with your B.S. decisions!"
"I know you don't mean anything bad about me. You're just mad again. Corvus is safe for now. We have an ace right now, and Marva knows it. Corvus is special since his mission overseas. Marva wont lose such an asset as simply as to kill him. He'll try to win him back, and he will fail at this as well. I've seen this world, above and below, inside and out. I can pull it apart at the seams." He looked out the window. Upon his stare back, he continued. "I'm something that hasn't existed before. Something that wont exist again." He pulled up his sleeves and showed his bare wrists. "I'm a free demon. Unchained. Unleashed. Totally free from the laws of this world. I will use my absolute to better this world."
"You know, you talk too much! I wish you would just shut the hell up, like you used to be. Talking reminds me of my damned brother."
"Oh... Yeah... By the way, Marcus, Kain is home."
Marcus' face seemed to drop. His heart skipped. He fell to the floor and held his breath. He stuttered when he spoke, "K-Kain is in Clydesdale again?"
"Yes. He may even be with Marva now."
".... I can't let him find me. If he does, we lose. Big time. Kain will use me to find you. If Kain finds you, J.... Forgive-nothin'! We're gonna be dead!"
12:00, June 19 ....
Chapter 23: Nineteenth
... Meanwhile ... Manhattan, Suite 535. 12:00, Midnight, June 19th
Enter Dante, a twenty year old guy, His hair a light color, Gray, but nearly white. His clothes are red, his jacket crimson. He has eyes of a near-red color, and he is a serious individual. His life in the word has brought him many turns and twists. Although he stands at the top of a corporation, He pays the social-political world around him no mind at all. He is one in tune with the hidden part of the world.
He is sitting down in the suite of his apartment, at a desk, writing something. A single light is on the desk, it alone tries to illuminate the large 12x12 room. It's attempt is futile, and the darkness overcomes the pitiful light. He puts the paper into an envelope and seals it. As he rises from his chair and formally walks towards the door of his office, he stops and closes his eyes. He turns to the corner of the room. He speaks, "You know, you can go now, Corta." He looked forward again and left the room. The door is closed and the light goes out. From the corner of the room small white circles glow like eyes.
Back to Dante, He walks to a metal plate on the wall and opens it. He goes to insert the letter, just as the phone rings. He drops the letter and picks up the phone. "Hello, Dante speaking." A voice from the other end, female. Words don't seem to form from this far away. "I understand. Finish and- ..... Yes, I understand..... All right, then as soon as you can, Flee and return home. I want you back to us here and- .... I told you, I understand- ...... I understand your situation, and you need to relax. Play along a little longer, you're almost ready to come home.. I guess now that you contacted me, I don't need this anymore." He moves his fingers over to the side a bit, and the letter ignites. He drops it on the stone floor and continues his conversation. "I wrote a letter to you, but now I know you're all right.. Yes. Okay, I'll await your return. And remember, I'm very proud of your infiltration there. Your sister would have been... proud.." The voice on the other side took a different volume and tone, and Dante moved his head away from the phone for a moment, then back towards it to say, "I know, I was there when it happened- .... Yes, Corta is still here... I don't see that little witch leaving us at all." He slammed the phone down, and looked back to the office door. It was creaked open, a small light coming from the corner in front of him, the white glare staring at him.
There was a knock on the door, and a voice is heard. "Dante Garemet, Package for you." Dante looked over to the door for a moment, and back to the office. The door was closed shut. Tightly.
Dante sighed and lied his hand in his hand. He moved over to his door and opened it. A UPS man gave him a box, saluted him for a moment, a friendly goodbye, and left. "Thanks, kid..." Dante said, as he closed the door and moved into his Kitchen area, luxurious as everything else was, and stared out a large window there. He saw a large part of Manhattan, beautiful and full of life. He opened a glass door and walked down a short pathway to a telescope, and looked through it. He saw the darkest parts of town, robberies, murders, and all sorts of hells existed there. He moved the telescope's view to the rooftops, seeing a group of people meet there. Dante looked at the group for a moment, and sighed after a few minutes. He walked back into his house, closed and locked the glass door.
A voice seemed to whisper from behind the office door. Revealing nothing about itself through it's voice. "Interesting cookbooks here, Dante..."
Dante responded, "My aunts books." He pulled a cup off of the counter and sipped it. Looking across the way at the box he had recieved minutes before. "She was... a cook in town.. She's gone now." He sipped the drink.
"All types of books line your office. Law books, Textbooks, Cook books, Bibles and Satanic tomes, Witchcraft too? My, my, my, you collect everything, Dante..."
"Corta, I'm a crazy person, or I'm just a very collective and strange individual." He sipped the drink and opened his mouth to speak once more, and then the phone rang. The whispered breathing stopped entirely, and only the ringing of the phone seemed to exist. Dante got up and walked to the phone. His eyes widened at the Caller ID, and he answered it immediately. "Vincent?!"
12:15 am, June 19th....
Enter Dante, a twenty year old guy, His hair a light color, Gray, but nearly white. His clothes are red, his jacket crimson. He has eyes of a near-red color, and he is a serious individual. His life in the word has brought him many turns and twists. Although he stands at the top of a corporation, He pays the social-political world around him no mind at all. He is one in tune with the hidden part of the world.
He is sitting down in the suite of his apartment, at a desk, writing something. A single light is on the desk, it alone tries to illuminate the large 12x12 room. It's attempt is futile, and the darkness overcomes the pitiful light. He puts the paper into an envelope and seals it. As he rises from his chair and formally walks towards the door of his office, he stops and closes his eyes. He turns to the corner of the room. He speaks, "You know, you can go now, Corta." He looked forward again and left the room. The door is closed and the light goes out. From the corner of the room small white circles glow like eyes.
Back to Dante, He walks to a metal plate on the wall and opens it. He goes to insert the letter, just as the phone rings. He drops the letter and picks up the phone. "Hello, Dante speaking." A voice from the other end, female. Words don't seem to form from this far away. "I understand. Finish and- ..... Yes, I understand..... All right, then as soon as you can, Flee and return home. I want you back to us here and- .... I told you, I understand- ...... I understand your situation, and you need to relax. Play along a little longer, you're almost ready to come home.. I guess now that you contacted me, I don't need this anymore." He moves his fingers over to the side a bit, and the letter ignites. He drops it on the stone floor and continues his conversation. "I wrote a letter to you, but now I know you're all right.. Yes. Okay, I'll await your return. And remember, I'm very proud of your infiltration there. Your sister would have been... proud.." The voice on the other side took a different volume and tone, and Dante moved his head away from the phone for a moment, then back towards it to say, "I know, I was there when it happened- .... Yes, Corta is still here... I don't see that little witch leaving us at all." He slammed the phone down, and looked back to the office door. It was creaked open, a small light coming from the corner in front of him, the white glare staring at him.
There was a knock on the door, and a voice is heard. "Dante Garemet, Package for you." Dante looked over to the door for a moment, and back to the office. The door was closed shut. Tightly.
Dante sighed and lied his hand in his hand. He moved over to his door and opened it. A UPS man gave him a box, saluted him for a moment, a friendly goodbye, and left. "Thanks, kid..." Dante said, as he closed the door and moved into his Kitchen area, luxurious as everything else was, and stared out a large window there. He saw a large part of Manhattan, beautiful and full of life. He opened a glass door and walked down a short pathway to a telescope, and looked through it. He saw the darkest parts of town, robberies, murders, and all sorts of hells existed there. He moved the telescope's view to the rooftops, seeing a group of people meet there. Dante looked at the group for a moment, and sighed after a few minutes. He walked back into his house, closed and locked the glass door.
A voice seemed to whisper from behind the office door. Revealing nothing about itself through it's voice. "Interesting cookbooks here, Dante..."
Dante responded, "My aunts books." He pulled a cup off of the counter and sipped it. Looking across the way at the box he had recieved minutes before. "She was... a cook in town.. She's gone now." He sipped the drink.
"All types of books line your office. Law books, Textbooks, Cook books, Bibles and Satanic tomes, Witchcraft too? My, my, my, you collect everything, Dante..."
"Corta, I'm a crazy person, or I'm just a very collective and strange individual." He sipped the drink and opened his mouth to speak once more, and then the phone rang. The whispered breathing stopped entirely, and only the ringing of the phone seemed to exist. Dante got up and walked to the phone. His eyes widened at the Caller ID, and he answered it immediately. "Vincent?!"
12:15 am, June 19th....
Chapter 24: Planning Begins
... Vincent's house, 11:00, June 18th.
Vincent opens by speaking right where he left off. "Yeah, My mother was a cook. I got a lot of her skills from over reading all her cookbooks." He reached into the fridge and pulled out some food. "After me and Pop lost her we kinda drifted around until we landed here." He set up the food and turned towards the table, Kia and Amaer sitting in some chairs. "Any questions, Ladies?"
Amaer spoke up, "So, your Mother was famous?"
"Amongst the lucky people who got her food, she was legendary."
"So... She's gone now?"
"Nothing ever disappears completely. Things just change into different forms, energy is everlasting, y'know?" He turned and moved the food around. He looked down and started thinking. "Hey, Am, You have any idea what we should do?"
"That? Oh, easy. Run. It should buy you at least a little bit of time."
"Me, or us?"
She looked confused. "Wait, what?"
"Do you want to come along with us? I mean, you have the car in this house. I can think of a place to stay eventually. I DO have SOME relatives. Well, living and free ones."
"Free?"
"Most are in jail or dead for some reason. Talk about bad morals."
Amaer looked over to Kia, who, once again, was staring at Vincent. She asked her, "Hey, You look at him a lot. Why do you like him so much?"
Kia looked over to her and stared for a moment. After about two whole minutes of it, she spoke to her. "He saved me." Kia then picked her legs up to her chest, and held them close, resting her head on her knees, and staring at Vincent again.
Amear got up. "Well, if we're going on a trip, I need to do some stuff first. I have a car with no gas, 5 people to bring, and no time to solve this all. I'll be back as soon as I can be... Save me some food." She got up and left.
Vincent stared after her as she left. "I wonder if we can trust her?"
...
After a short while, a car pulls up. Vincent opens the door, and Alyson is there.
Vincent seems shocked. "What are you doing here?"
Alyson hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek opposite from which Kia would have seen. "I'm here to check on you and... tell you some bad news. I'm surprised you're awake, really. I see Kia is doing well. I .. need to talk to you." She closes the door and sits down, continuing her sentence. "I need to tell you that I've had a family death... My uncle passed away this morning, and we're leaving in a few hours for the airport. I wanted to tell you so you could know that the party is canceled... Not that.. we'd have everyone anyways." She looked down, then looked back at Vincent. "Here, this is yours." She handed him a box, small dark gray, wrapped in a black ribbon. "I thought you'd like it. Don't open it now! Wait until later."
Vincent took it and smiled. "Dark colors? With you? That's totally unheard of." He said sarcastically. The two laughed and joked for a few minutes, and then Alyson got up and said her goodbyes. She left and drove away, and Vincent grabbed a book from the shelf nearby.
12:13 am, June 19th.
Vincent has plates of food, Kia's all gone, and Vincent has an address book and a phone. He flips through it and his eyes light up. He dials a number, and a voice suddenly appears on the other side. The man speaks. "Vincent?!"
"... Hello Dante, I need a favor."
Vincent opens by speaking right where he left off. "Yeah, My mother was a cook. I got a lot of her skills from over reading all her cookbooks." He reached into the fridge and pulled out some food. "After me and Pop lost her we kinda drifted around until we landed here." He set up the food and turned towards the table, Kia and Amaer sitting in some chairs. "Any questions, Ladies?"
Amaer spoke up, "So, your Mother was famous?"
"Amongst the lucky people who got her food, she was legendary."
"So... She's gone now?"
"Nothing ever disappears completely. Things just change into different forms, energy is everlasting, y'know?" He turned and moved the food around. He looked down and started thinking. "Hey, Am, You have any idea what we should do?"
"That? Oh, easy. Run. It should buy you at least a little bit of time."
"Me, or us?"
She looked confused. "Wait, what?"
"Do you want to come along with us? I mean, you have the car in this house. I can think of a place to stay eventually. I DO have SOME relatives. Well, living and free ones."
"Free?"
"Most are in jail or dead for some reason. Talk about bad morals."
Amaer looked over to Kia, who, once again, was staring at Vincent. She asked her, "Hey, You look at him a lot. Why do you like him so much?"
Kia looked over to her and stared for a moment. After about two whole minutes of it, she spoke to her. "He saved me." Kia then picked her legs up to her chest, and held them close, resting her head on her knees, and staring at Vincent again.
Amear got up. "Well, if we're going on a trip, I need to do some stuff first. I have a car with no gas, 5 people to bring, and no time to solve this all. I'll be back as soon as I can be... Save me some food." She got up and left.
Vincent stared after her as she left. "I wonder if we can trust her?"
...
After a short while, a car pulls up. Vincent opens the door, and Alyson is there.
Vincent seems shocked. "What are you doing here?"
Alyson hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek opposite from which Kia would have seen. "I'm here to check on you and... tell you some bad news. I'm surprised you're awake, really. I see Kia is doing well. I .. need to talk to you." She closes the door and sits down, continuing her sentence. "I need to tell you that I've had a family death... My uncle passed away this morning, and we're leaving in a few hours for the airport. I wanted to tell you so you could know that the party is canceled... Not that.. we'd have everyone anyways." She looked down, then looked back at Vincent. "Here, this is yours." She handed him a box, small dark gray, wrapped in a black ribbon. "I thought you'd like it. Don't open it now! Wait until later."
Vincent took it and smiled. "Dark colors? With you? That's totally unheard of." He said sarcastically. The two laughed and joked for a few minutes, and then Alyson got up and said her goodbyes. She left and drove away, and Vincent grabbed a book from the shelf nearby.
12:13 am, June 19th.
Vincent has plates of food, Kia's all gone, and Vincent has an address book and a phone. He flips through it and his eyes light up. He dials a number, and a voice suddenly appears on the other side. The man speaks. "Vincent?!"
"... Hello Dante, I need a favor."
Chapter 25: Lust Breaks, Part One
12:15 am, June 19th.
Dante and Vincent are on the phone, talking to each other. Dante is utterly surprised by Vincent's call, and responds as such. "I haven't seen you since.... How are you? Are you good? What's the favor?"
Vincent replies to the questions in order. "Good, Yeah, and I need a place for a bit. I'll explain when I'm there. I only have a little bit of time, I'm not sure about the person who's staying with me. But I have three or four people coming along, if you have space."
"Vincent, I own my own corporation, and have a whole hotel. I have 5 extra suite rooms on this floor alone. I think we're good."
"Okay. I'll explain later, but we should be there today." A car pulled into the driveway and the headlights went off. "I got to go Dante, See you then."
"Goodbye cousin.."
Vincent hung up the phone as Amaer walked into the house and looked over towards him. "We're all ready now. You get some sleep, okay?"
He responded, "All right. You too." He grabbed Kia's hand and as they walked out of the kitchen, He turned the kitchen light off..
9:15 am, June 19th.
The house is alive and busy, everyone grabbing the few things they need as Vincent finishes eating the breakfast he usually eats so slowly. They're all packing things into the trunk, and the trunk is finally closed. Vincent throws the dishes into the sink and walks to the door, grabbing his shoes and the stick from beside the door. He walks out of the house. Nina and Mimi hope into the backseat of the car as a dark red car drove up, an Icarus symbol on the front. Annabelle got out of the car. Kia came out from the house as Annabelle walked up to Vincent. she growled, and moved to run up to Annabelle as Amaer stopped her.
"Wait one second, I have to see this." Amaer said.
Annabelle walked straight up to Vincent and smiled at him. "Hey cutie, you moving or going on a road trip?" She looked past him around at everyone, counting and surveying the area. "And you're bringing my buddy?" She pointed over at Kia and Amaer's direction, as Kia got angrier. "She's grounded. Daddy said so."
Vincent looked over in their direction. "Her? Oh, she's just helping me for a minute. Community service." He glared back at Annabelle. "We're going soon. Please leave."
Kia watched closer and closer as her thoughts and emotions went wild. She seemed to growl again.
Annabelle moved closed, trying to look as cute as possible for Vincent. "So, want to hang out for a little bit before you go then? I still want to know you."
Kia moved forward to Annabelle and pushed her. Annabelle's eyes filled with rage as she pushed Kia over, and Vincent reacted too. He caught Kia and picked her back up then turned quickly to Annabelle. "All right, I don't know who you think you are, but I know this: You're not a good girl. You work for a little hell-spawned fiend with height issues. It doesn't matter to me what issues you had in your little Manhattan childhood that made you hate everyone, but leave me out of it. I can get on my life a lot better and easier without a parasite like you eating at my insides, and tearing apart my life. I don't know what your obsession is, but know this: Nobody likes you here. Go away." He grabbed Kia's hand and moved to the car as Annabelle stood on the lawn staring forward.
Amear closed the door, and walked down the path to the car, speaking as she walked past the shocked Annabelle. "Karma bites hard, Witch." She got into the car and it pulled out of the driveway and down the street.
Dante and Vincent are on the phone, talking to each other. Dante is utterly surprised by Vincent's call, and responds as such. "I haven't seen you since.... How are you? Are you good? What's the favor?"
Vincent replies to the questions in order. "Good, Yeah, and I need a place for a bit. I'll explain when I'm there. I only have a little bit of time, I'm not sure about the person who's staying with me. But I have three or four people coming along, if you have space."
"Vincent, I own my own corporation, and have a whole hotel. I have 5 extra suite rooms on this floor alone. I think we're good."
"Okay. I'll explain later, but we should be there today." A car pulled into the driveway and the headlights went off. "I got to go Dante, See you then."
"Goodbye cousin.."
Vincent hung up the phone as Amaer walked into the house and looked over towards him. "We're all ready now. You get some sleep, okay?"
He responded, "All right. You too." He grabbed Kia's hand and as they walked out of the kitchen, He turned the kitchen light off..
9:15 am, June 19th.
The house is alive and busy, everyone grabbing the few things they need as Vincent finishes eating the breakfast he usually eats so slowly. They're all packing things into the trunk, and the trunk is finally closed. Vincent throws the dishes into the sink and walks to the door, grabbing his shoes and the stick from beside the door. He walks out of the house. Nina and Mimi hope into the backseat of the car as a dark red car drove up, an Icarus symbol on the front. Annabelle got out of the car. Kia came out from the house as Annabelle walked up to Vincent. she growled, and moved to run up to Annabelle as Amaer stopped her.
"Wait one second, I have to see this." Amaer said.
Annabelle walked straight up to Vincent and smiled at him. "Hey cutie, you moving or going on a road trip?" She looked past him around at everyone, counting and surveying the area. "And you're bringing my buddy?" She pointed over at Kia and Amaer's direction, as Kia got angrier. "She's grounded. Daddy said so."
Vincent looked over in their direction. "Her? Oh, she's just helping me for a minute. Community service." He glared back at Annabelle. "We're going soon. Please leave."
Kia watched closer and closer as her thoughts and emotions went wild. She seemed to growl again.
Annabelle moved closed, trying to look as cute as possible for Vincent. "So, want to hang out for a little bit before you go then? I still want to know you."
Kia moved forward to Annabelle and pushed her. Annabelle's eyes filled with rage as she pushed Kia over, and Vincent reacted too. He caught Kia and picked her back up then turned quickly to Annabelle. "All right, I don't know who you think you are, but I know this: You're not a good girl. You work for a little hell-spawned fiend with height issues. It doesn't matter to me what issues you had in your little Manhattan childhood that made you hate everyone, but leave me out of it. I can get on my life a lot better and easier without a parasite like you eating at my insides, and tearing apart my life. I don't know what your obsession is, but know this: Nobody likes you here. Go away." He grabbed Kia's hand and moved to the car as Annabelle stood on the lawn staring forward.
Amear closed the door, and walked down the path to the car, speaking as she walked past the shocked Annabelle. "Karma bites hard, Witch." She got into the car and it pulled out of the driveway and down the street.
Chapter 26: Lust Breaks, Part Two
9:30 am, June 19th, Vincent's house...
Annabelle is standing on Vincent's lawn, and her knee's fail her she ends up on her knees on the grass, then just on her bottom altogether..
9:45 am
Annabelle is starting to absorb all Vincent said, and notice how right he was...
10:05 am
Annabelle sobs, laying alone and uncared for on the grass, noticing the people who she found and left had false feeling that she inserted just to get the information she wanted. She was a pawn, all for Marva's psychotic plot. Used over and over again, until she finally ran out. Vincent was different, he was something shielded from her. Something she failed to have. He was something that broke her, left her on the ground. Even though he had done it, she realized how cruel and diabolical she had been.... and how she didn't want to be this anymore. She got up and wiped her face, collected herself and walked over to her car. She made a quick U-turn and shot to the edge of town.
10:15 am
Soon she reached the cave in a few minutes, and got out of the car angrily. She slammed the door so hard the glass window cracked. She walked into the center of the cave, hands balled into fists, and screamed with all her might, "MARVA!"
A small and content voice appeared from behind her. "Yes?"
She turned around and kicked him in the face, he fell over, surprised, but not hurt at all. "What was that about?"
"They left. Got away. All of them, with that little wench with the silver car." She angrily stomped her foot. "That boy said horrible thing, but I noticed something when he did. You're USING ME! I get nothing from this! After you're done with me then you're just going to kill me and that will end it!"
"Oh? you're a bit late, everyone else already noticed, Annabelle. I've also noticed some things about you since you got here. You have connections with someone, you never mentioned it." His mouth twisted into a grin, Sharp teeth lining his smile. "It may have been useful to have a witch contact, but tell me, are you still in contact with her?"
"NO! She's gone. I'm done with this organization from Hell. Good riddance, fiend." She went to walk past him, as his arm changed, morphed into a different form.
His skin turned a sharp dark purple metallic scale, and his hand into claws. His arm had a spiral up it, and it split along the line, leaving a long stretch of his arm, as he moved it up, grabbing Annabelle and pushing her to the ceiling twenty feet above. "You're not leaving here today. No, you'll have to be the test then. See, I need to put a soul into a body I have here." His gaze moved over to Jamie's mutilated and torn body, the scraps the remained. "... and you're not useful anymore. Obviously the Lust in you has faded, you're a broken little girl now, more so than before." He looked back to her. "So I guess you're my new subject."
11:00 am
The scream was heard from town, people looking around to see its origins. The police couldn't find the road, the cave, or anything. No body, no clues, no trace at all. Back at the cave, Jamie's body was gone, but Annabelle's lay lifeless and untouched in the corner. No wounds or bruises on her body at all. Her skin was pale, her hair was left discolored in an odd green tint. Marva stood next to a small creature in the cavern.
"Hello, just a taste of what will be. you can try to get stronger with this, but I will need to assemble four more demons here to finalize the summoning. You shall be reborn soon, 'Icarus'."
Annabelle is standing on Vincent's lawn, and her knee's fail her she ends up on her knees on the grass, then just on her bottom altogether..
9:45 am
Annabelle is starting to absorb all Vincent said, and notice how right he was...
10:05 am
Annabelle sobs, laying alone and uncared for on the grass, noticing the people who she found and left had false feeling that she inserted just to get the information she wanted. She was a pawn, all for Marva's psychotic plot. Used over and over again, until she finally ran out. Vincent was different, he was something shielded from her. Something she failed to have. He was something that broke her, left her on the ground. Even though he had done it, she realized how cruel and diabolical she had been.... and how she didn't want to be this anymore. She got up and wiped her face, collected herself and walked over to her car. She made a quick U-turn and shot to the edge of town.
10:15 am
Soon she reached the cave in a few minutes, and got out of the car angrily. She slammed the door so hard the glass window cracked. She walked into the center of the cave, hands balled into fists, and screamed with all her might, "MARVA!"
A small and content voice appeared from behind her. "Yes?"
She turned around and kicked him in the face, he fell over, surprised, but not hurt at all. "What was that about?"
"They left. Got away. All of them, with that little wench with the silver car." She angrily stomped her foot. "That boy said horrible thing, but I noticed something when he did. You're USING ME! I get nothing from this! After you're done with me then you're just going to kill me and that will end it!"
"Oh? you're a bit late, everyone else already noticed, Annabelle. I've also noticed some things about you since you got here. You have connections with someone, you never mentioned it." His mouth twisted into a grin, Sharp teeth lining his smile. "It may have been useful to have a witch contact, but tell me, are you still in contact with her?"
"NO! She's gone. I'm done with this organization from Hell. Good riddance, fiend." She went to walk past him, as his arm changed, morphed into a different form.
His skin turned a sharp dark purple metallic scale, and his hand into claws. His arm had a spiral up it, and it split along the line, leaving a long stretch of his arm, as he moved it up, grabbing Annabelle and pushing her to the ceiling twenty feet above. "You're not leaving here today. No, you'll have to be the test then. See, I need to put a soul into a body I have here." His gaze moved over to Jamie's mutilated and torn body, the scraps the remained. "... and you're not useful anymore. Obviously the Lust in you has faded, you're a broken little girl now, more so than before." He looked back to her. "So I guess you're my new subject."
11:00 am
The scream was heard from town, people looking around to see its origins. The police couldn't find the road, the cave, or anything. No body, no clues, no trace at all. Back at the cave, Jamie's body was gone, but Annabelle's lay lifeless and untouched in the corner. No wounds or bruises on her body at all. Her skin was pale, her hair was left discolored in an odd green tint. Marva stood next to a small creature in the cavern.
"Hello, just a taste of what will be. you can try to get stronger with this, but I will need to assemble four more demons here to finalize the summoning. You shall be reborn soon, 'Icarus'."
Chapter 27: Rainbow
11:00 am, Somewhere along the road to New York.
A freeway turnoff, A gas station with a small store is on the side of a rarely used road, a forest surrounding the small road and gas station. The car is refilling it's gas here, and has stopped for a while.
Amaer was watching the rain fall and hit the road as the car was filling with gas. Nina and Mimi went in to get some snacks, and Vincent was whispering in the other side of the car next to Kia, with something in his hands.
"You see, the light goes into one of the sides, and a rainbow reflects through the other side. The light reflects by order on the spectrum it goes through." He pointed on the ground at a small rainbow. "Red is on top, because it travels the farthest. Violet is closer to the bottom, since it travels less. This is just a small part of the spectrum of waves, known as visible waves." He moved his hand and the shape of the stone was apparent. It was a small glass heart. He put it into Kia's hand, as Mimi walked out of the small store and watched secretly. Kia looked at the stone, and leaned up to his face to kiss his cheek. She then whispered something into his ear. They leaned together there for a while.
Nina walked out of the store with plastic bags full of food. She put them in the car, and hopped in while Mimi walked over to Amaer.
Mimi looked over and tried to see her face from under the hood. "Whatcha doin' Amy?"
Amaer, surprised by Mimi, moved and pulled her hood down more to hide her face. "I-I'm watching the rain... I do that sometimes.. I just.. Did you call me Amy? Why'd you call me Amy?"
"Because it's easier to say. Duuuuuh" Mimi smiled as she said that and looked up at the sky. She pointed and let out a little happy yelp, "Look a rainbow!"
Everyone seemed to turn to see it, Nina leaned out the window, looking over to it boredly. Amear looked up a little bit, then lowered her head again, Kia and Vincent turned their heads, and Kia stared at it.
A beautiful rainbow on a rainy day. The world never looked so peaceful as it had that day, in that area, watching the rain fall over the forest.
Kia pushed up the other side of her eye-patch for a moment, then dropped it back down. "Pretty..." Her words surprised the whole group, and everyone turned to see little Kia in awe at the beautiful spectrum of colors. After a minutes, a little ding was heard, and Amaer jumped over the car and pulled out the pump. She ran into the station, and back in a few seconds.
"Okay! We're good!" She jumped back over, and slide into the car through her window. After everyone had gotten inside the car, Vincent in the passenger seat, Amaer looked over to him. "Can you drive for me? I'm a little tired..."
Vincent was surprised by this, but agreed. Kia went to the passenger seat, Vincent to the drivers seat, and Amaer to the back. Vincent turned on the car, and ten minutes later, Nina was asleep on Mimi, Kia was staring out the window at the rainbow, and Amaer was asleep against her door.
11:30 am
Kia pulled out the heart Vincent had given him and held it to her chest for a minute. She held it up and the light came out in a spectrum of colors. Vincent noticed, and talked to her. "Like that?" He said with a smile, peering over every few seconds.
Kia nodded her head, and spoke a short word again. "Pretty..." She held it to her chest again, and leaned on the window.
"I'm glad you like it." Vincent looked ahead, and saw a small girl with a light blue dress. She had long blue-white hair, and her eyes seemed to glow white.
She was standing in the middle of the road....
Vincent slammed on the brakes, and everyone flew forward, waking everyone up. Nina looked up at Vincent, and yelled at him. "What the hell? What's going on?"
Vincent looked ahead at the road, until everyone else was looking forward also. Nothing was ahead except the road itself. Vincent looked ahead, confused. "I.. saw some girl... But she's gone now!"
Everyone spoke for a minute inside, as the girl ran her fingers along the top of the trunk, and then suddenly disappeared without being seen..
A freeway turnoff, A gas station with a small store is on the side of a rarely used road, a forest surrounding the small road and gas station. The car is refilling it's gas here, and has stopped for a while.
Amaer was watching the rain fall and hit the road as the car was filling with gas. Nina and Mimi went in to get some snacks, and Vincent was whispering in the other side of the car next to Kia, with something in his hands.
"You see, the light goes into one of the sides, and a rainbow reflects through the other side. The light reflects by order on the spectrum it goes through." He pointed on the ground at a small rainbow. "Red is on top, because it travels the farthest. Violet is closer to the bottom, since it travels less. This is just a small part of the spectrum of waves, known as visible waves." He moved his hand and the shape of the stone was apparent. It was a small glass heart. He put it into Kia's hand, as Mimi walked out of the small store and watched secretly. Kia looked at the stone, and leaned up to his face to kiss his cheek. She then whispered something into his ear. They leaned together there for a while.
Nina walked out of the store with plastic bags full of food. She put them in the car, and hopped in while Mimi walked over to Amaer.
Mimi looked over and tried to see her face from under the hood. "Whatcha doin' Amy?"
Amaer, surprised by Mimi, moved and pulled her hood down more to hide her face. "I-I'm watching the rain... I do that sometimes.. I just.. Did you call me Amy? Why'd you call me Amy?"
"Because it's easier to say. Duuuuuh" Mimi smiled as she said that and looked up at the sky. She pointed and let out a little happy yelp, "Look a rainbow!"
Everyone seemed to turn to see it, Nina leaned out the window, looking over to it boredly. Amear looked up a little bit, then lowered her head again, Kia and Vincent turned their heads, and Kia stared at it.
A beautiful rainbow on a rainy day. The world never looked so peaceful as it had that day, in that area, watching the rain fall over the forest.
Kia pushed up the other side of her eye-patch for a moment, then dropped it back down. "Pretty..." Her words surprised the whole group, and everyone turned to see little Kia in awe at the beautiful spectrum of colors. After a minutes, a little ding was heard, and Amaer jumped over the car and pulled out the pump. She ran into the station, and back in a few seconds.
"Okay! We're good!" She jumped back over, and slide into the car through her window. After everyone had gotten inside the car, Vincent in the passenger seat, Amaer looked over to him. "Can you drive for me? I'm a little tired..."
Vincent was surprised by this, but agreed. Kia went to the passenger seat, Vincent to the drivers seat, and Amaer to the back. Vincent turned on the car, and ten minutes later, Nina was asleep on Mimi, Kia was staring out the window at the rainbow, and Amaer was asleep against her door.
11:30 am
Kia pulled out the heart Vincent had given him and held it to her chest for a minute. She held it up and the light came out in a spectrum of colors. Vincent noticed, and talked to her. "Like that?" He said with a smile, peering over every few seconds.
Kia nodded her head, and spoke a short word again. "Pretty..." She held it to her chest again, and leaned on the window.
"I'm glad you like it." Vincent looked ahead, and saw a small girl with a light blue dress. She had long blue-white hair, and her eyes seemed to glow white.
She was standing in the middle of the road....
Vincent slammed on the brakes, and everyone flew forward, waking everyone up. Nina looked up at Vincent, and yelled at him. "What the hell? What's going on?"
Vincent looked ahead at the road, until everyone else was looking forward also. Nothing was ahead except the road itself. Vincent looked ahead, confused. "I.. saw some girl... But she's gone now!"
Everyone spoke for a minute inside, as the girl ran her fingers along the top of the trunk, and then suddenly disappeared without being seen..
Chapter 28: Pre-Events
"No. no, no. Take a left here!" Vincent said.
2:30 pm, Manhattan streets
"Fine! Jeez, boss, relax!" Amaer said as she sharply turned left into a garage. When she parked, a man walked up and opened the door.
"Dante is expecting ya' kids! Scurry yer arses!" The man said, then walked over to the elevator.
Vincent got out of the car and opened the back door. After everyone had gotten out of the car, they formed up at the elevator and the man stepped in with them. He closed the doors, and pulled out a small key he used at the top of the panel. He then pressed the button there, and re-locked the panel. At the top, everyone got off, and walked down the hall to the large door at the end of the hall. A door opened. Dante.
He stood at the door proud and tall, looking upon each of his new guests. He seemed pretty casual for the richest and most powerful man on this side of town. He was wearing a Crimson shirt, the sleeves cut short into a T-shirt. He had jeans, old, worn, and ripped. His hair was spiked back, and he was wearing socks. He smiled as the walked up to him, and he pulled his hands from his pockets and spread them out to his sides and a smile spead across his face. "Welcome! Eat what you want, watch what you want, do what you want! All of it is on me, people!" He looked over to Vincent as everyone but him and Kia went into the room behind Dante. Nina and Mimi immedeately started looking through Dante's food, Amaer looked around the living room and looked at the massive selection of movies Dante had. Back at the door, Dante was looking over to Vincent, and asked him casually, "So, you brought a Devil, an Angel, a Ghost, and a Fallen member with you?
3:00 pm, Clydesdale, the Bell Room
Everyone was sitting in a circle around the rope, talking quietly about plans and ideas, everyone but Marcus and Corvus, who seemed to be missing.
Veena spoke up louder than the rest. "But wait! If that scream wasn't one of that boy's party, then Marva killed one of his own! He only has two girls left."
Jenix looked over to her and responded, "One. It seems Marva's acrobat flipped out and ran."
The door on the floor opened, and Marcus crawled through it. He closed the door and sat on a box, where the then spoke, "Nope, None. Apparently Annabelle checked out of her hotel this morning. She told the guy at the counter she was going to go home, so I'm guessing that was Annabelle we heard earlier. Knowing Marva, Anna's dead. she was probably torn to shreds..." He looked over to Jenix. "Just like you were.
3:30 pm, Clydesdale, Sprite Cave
Marva stood next to a small dragon type monster. the creature resembled the mark on the Fallen jackets, and he had called it 'Icarus' before. The creature had a black bat wing, torn and beaten, and one white feathered bird wing, angelic. It's body basis seemed to be just a thick spine, and it stretched down into a tail. It's head held a strange crown-like bone, withing it's six spikes was an eye in each. Between these was a mouth, with a strange blue fire in the far back of it. Marva stood next to it, speaking. "Well, now we're down to Kain with this faction, and the other demon I used to work with went south a long time ago. He decided to terrorize an area in Bermuda. They call it the Bermuda Triangle now."
A strange blue-green light shone in front of the creature, and a sound like words was heard, but they couldn't be fully understood.
"Yes, there is her, but last time I saw her she tried to kill me. I'm not sure if I could trust her again."
The light appeared again.
"Good point. But it's her earring anyways, and to seal her again, she needs to be wearing it."
The light shone once again.
"No, Jenix won't be an issue, but I have a mission for you. I want you to go to New York. Find this car." He held up a photo. "You have several targets in there that you will need. We need the Devil and Angel.
2:30 pm, Manhattan streets
"Fine! Jeez, boss, relax!" Amaer said as she sharply turned left into a garage. When she parked, a man walked up and opened the door.
"Dante is expecting ya' kids! Scurry yer arses!" The man said, then walked over to the elevator.
Vincent got out of the car and opened the back door. After everyone had gotten out of the car, they formed up at the elevator and the man stepped in with them. He closed the doors, and pulled out a small key he used at the top of the panel. He then pressed the button there, and re-locked the panel. At the top, everyone got off, and walked down the hall to the large door at the end of the hall. A door opened. Dante.
He stood at the door proud and tall, looking upon each of his new guests. He seemed pretty casual for the richest and most powerful man on this side of town. He was wearing a Crimson shirt, the sleeves cut short into a T-shirt. He had jeans, old, worn, and ripped. His hair was spiked back, and he was wearing socks. He smiled as the walked up to him, and he pulled his hands from his pockets and spread them out to his sides and a smile spead across his face. "Welcome! Eat what you want, watch what you want, do what you want! All of it is on me, people!" He looked over to Vincent as everyone but him and Kia went into the room behind Dante. Nina and Mimi immedeately started looking through Dante's food, Amaer looked around the living room and looked at the massive selection of movies Dante had. Back at the door, Dante was looking over to Vincent, and asked him casually, "So, you brought a Devil, an Angel, a Ghost, and a Fallen member with you?
3:00 pm, Clydesdale, the Bell Room
Everyone was sitting in a circle around the rope, talking quietly about plans and ideas, everyone but Marcus and Corvus, who seemed to be missing.
Veena spoke up louder than the rest. "But wait! If that scream wasn't one of that boy's party, then Marva killed one of his own! He only has two girls left."
Jenix looked over to her and responded, "One. It seems Marva's acrobat flipped out and ran."
The door on the floor opened, and Marcus crawled through it. He closed the door and sat on a box, where the then spoke, "Nope, None. Apparently Annabelle checked out of her hotel this morning. She told the guy at the counter she was going to go home, so I'm guessing that was Annabelle we heard earlier. Knowing Marva, Anna's dead. she was probably torn to shreds..." He looked over to Jenix. "Just like you were.
3:30 pm, Clydesdale, Sprite Cave
Marva stood next to a small dragon type monster. the creature resembled the mark on the Fallen jackets, and he had called it 'Icarus' before. The creature had a black bat wing, torn and beaten, and one white feathered bird wing, angelic. It's body basis seemed to be just a thick spine, and it stretched down into a tail. It's head held a strange crown-like bone, withing it's six spikes was an eye in each. Between these was a mouth, with a strange blue fire in the far back of it. Marva stood next to it, speaking. "Well, now we're down to Kain with this faction, and the other demon I used to work with went south a long time ago. He decided to terrorize an area in Bermuda. They call it the Bermuda Triangle now."
A strange blue-green light shone in front of the creature, and a sound like words was heard, but they couldn't be fully understood.
"Yes, there is her, but last time I saw her she tried to kill me. I'm not sure if I could trust her again."
The light appeared again.
"Good point. But it's her earring anyways, and to seal her again, she needs to be wearing it."
The light shone once again.
"No, Jenix won't be an issue, but I have a mission for you. I want you to go to New York. Find this car." He held up a photo. "You have several targets in there that you will need. We need the Devil and Angel.
Chapter 29: Alexia
3:30 pm, Suite 535
Dante and Vincent spoke about all the things that have happened since school ended. Meeting Mimi and Nina, finding Kia, Annabelle, and what he knew about Marva. Dante ended their conversation, and moved to Amaer to interrogate her.
"So, you worked for The Fallen?" Dante asked her.
Amaer responded, "Yes, I did."
"And I'm assuming that 'Amaer' is a code name."
"Yeah, it is..."
"All right." He moved his hand swiftly, and her hood fell backwards. She fell too, surprised, and everyone was shocked by her appearance.
Vincent spoke to her, "Alyson?"
3:30 pm, Bell Room
Jenix was planning with the group about what they were planning to do now that Marva was down to a one man team. Veena was string out the window, bored, when she saw something that made her scream. Everyone crowded around the window to watch, as Icarus flew over the town creating panic, towards the direction of the freeway. Marcus looked over to Jenix. "He's going south, Jenix. Corvus is there."
Jenix responded, "Yeah, Corvus is there, and he's following Vincent... I think we might be in trouble."
"What will you do?"
"Take Veena and go to New York. Call me when you're there."
"What of you?"
"I have to go to the cave. I am in need of some friends." He said, as he looked up to the top of the room. There was a bat there, looking back at him.
3:34 pm, Suite 535
Amaer sat, shocked at what happened. "N-no.. I'm not.."
Vincent snapped back at her, "You have to be! you look just like her! ... I mean you!"
Nina pulled Vincent back and he fell down too. "At least listen to what the girl has to say."
Dante said to her, "Yes, I'm sure she has a lot to say. Start with name, age, and history."
She put her hood back on, and started. "My name is Alexia Mare, I lived in California with my father. My older sister is Allyson, but just by about ten months."
Vincent commented, "But you both have the same... everything!"
"No, My eyes are brown, and my hair is shorter, by about a whole foot."
"True."
"I lived in California with my father, until he died. Marva found me and I joined him. I just did what I was told, tried to become important. About a month and a half ago, he moved me to Clydesdale, where I saw my sister. He told me I wasn't to make any contact with her... I had to make a new name, so I mutilated my last name, and put and A in front of it. A-Mare... But this place was a Nightmare.... I cant believe the things I saw there, and then, They tried to kill me!"
Dante responded to this, "Well, that's what hell-spawn do. Most kill and pillage. I've taken one out myself. You'd be surprised the ways a soul can change."
Vincent said, "Well home many are there, Dante?"
"A lot... I guess now's a good enough time as any to tell you."
Dante and Vincent spoke about all the things that have happened since school ended. Meeting Mimi and Nina, finding Kia, Annabelle, and what he knew about Marva. Dante ended their conversation, and moved to Amaer to interrogate her.
"So, you worked for The Fallen?" Dante asked her.
Amaer responded, "Yes, I did."
"And I'm assuming that 'Amaer' is a code name."
"Yeah, it is..."
"All right." He moved his hand swiftly, and her hood fell backwards. She fell too, surprised, and everyone was shocked by her appearance.
Vincent spoke to her, "Alyson?"
3:30 pm, Bell Room
Jenix was planning with the group about what they were planning to do now that Marva was down to a one man team. Veena was string out the window, bored, when she saw something that made her scream. Everyone crowded around the window to watch, as Icarus flew over the town creating panic, towards the direction of the freeway. Marcus looked over to Jenix. "He's going south, Jenix. Corvus is there."
Jenix responded, "Yeah, Corvus is there, and he's following Vincent... I think we might be in trouble."
"What will you do?"
"Take Veena and go to New York. Call me when you're there."
"What of you?"
"I have to go to the cave. I am in need of some friends." He said, as he looked up to the top of the room. There was a bat there, looking back at him.
3:34 pm, Suite 535
Amaer sat, shocked at what happened. "N-no.. I'm not.."
Vincent snapped back at her, "You have to be! you look just like her! ... I mean you!"
Nina pulled Vincent back and he fell down too. "At least listen to what the girl has to say."
Dante said to her, "Yes, I'm sure she has a lot to say. Start with name, age, and history."
She put her hood back on, and started. "My name is Alexia Mare, I lived in California with my father. My older sister is Allyson, but just by about ten months."
Vincent commented, "But you both have the same... everything!"
"No, My eyes are brown, and my hair is shorter, by about a whole foot."
"True."
"I lived in California with my father, until he died. Marva found me and I joined him. I just did what I was told, tried to become important. About a month and a half ago, he moved me to Clydesdale, where I saw my sister. He told me I wasn't to make any contact with her... I had to make a new name, so I mutilated my last name, and put and A in front of it. A-Mare... But this place was a Nightmare.... I cant believe the things I saw there, and then, They tried to kill me!"
Dante responded to this, "Well, that's what hell-spawn do. Most kill and pillage. I've taken one out myself. You'd be surprised the ways a soul can change."
Vincent said, "Well home many are there, Dante?"
"A lot... I guess now's a good enough time as any to tell you."
Chapter 30: Soul-Morph
4:00 pm
Dante sat everyone around the fireplace he had in his living room. As everyone watched, Dante put stones next to the fireplace and picked up tongs to hold the rocks into the flames with. As they all watched him pick up the first rock and put it on a small platform, nobody noticed the small girl with light blue hair watching from the corner of the room...
As Dante put a small light blue stone into the fire, it seemed to change into a white flame nearly instantly. "Angels. They're known as souls with positive Karma at the moment of Death. When that happens, a soul will purify of most of it's sins, other than the largest sin, which is simply dimmed. They can also dim the sins of others. These creatures move to the heavens. Equipped with the essence of light, they can move the light, and seemingly use it as a weapon, to an extent. These creatures were the first Soul-morphs to appear, due to God existing before all else." Dante used the tongs to grab the stone, and put it back in the case. He grabbed the next stone in the line, a crimson-maroon stone. He put the stone on the platform, and the flames grew furious, and turned blood red. "Devils. They are known to be souls who died with negative karma." Everyone turned towards Nina, who seemed happy for the attention. Dante continued, focused on the stone, as if his eyes were locked to it. "These creatures control their own emotions as weapons. They can amplify the sins of others around them to an extent, and use that human as a shield, a tool, or simply as something to laugh at for a while." Everyone looked at Nina again, and here eyes widened as she shook her hands wildly. "These Devils belong to the plains of Hell. The Bible says it's burning, but the devils are sub-immune to heat increases... So they wouldn't notice too much. If you went though, you'd die. These Soul-morphs began to exist after Lucifer fell from the heavens." He removed the Devil's stone from the flame, and picked up the next in line. He placed it on the platform, and nothing seemed to change. The stone was a gray color. "Ghosts. Neutral karma, being bonded to the human realm. They are placed here until they un-equalize the karma, and are allowed to change planes if they wish. Extremely powerful emotions allow more of a physical form, but all spirits are allowed to disappear, and allowed to morph through solid objects. These Soul-morphs are the most like human souls." He moved the stone off of the flame, and pulled the flame shutter almost closed. As he picked up a jagged black stone, he looked to everyone in the room. "Please, everyone move back a bit." Everyone moved back, and he places the stone into the fire, and dropped the tongs. He quickly shut the glass, as the fire went deep black in color, and engulfed the whole fireplace. "Now... Demons."
Vincent interrupted at this time, "I though Demons didn't have souls?"
Dante continued, "Demons are creature who don't belong at all. Their souls are not taken, for that would end in an inanimate object, such as a corpse, a car, or dirt. They have souls with a negative value, just like electrons. Nega-Souls.. These Soul-morph have no home-realm, and usually have a dark intent of destruction, murder, and apocalypse. Remember Pompeii? Demon attack. They are able to shapeshift their entire body into a living weapon, based on their personality. Marva sounds like a slow mover, but hits heavy when the time comes... anyways, these creatures were created when Marva killed a High-Angel. He was an invader from Hell, and did his mission, at the cost of everything that he had left of himself. He knows how to make synthetic Demons, created from Passer-souls, such as Devils and Angels." He turned to the group, "But I'm not done yet. there have been sightings of other Born-right Demons, like Marva." He turned to the fireplace and pressed a button the turned the flame off. He opened the glass protector, and removed the stone. He picked up yet another stone.
"Wait, more?"
"Of course. You think that's all that can exist? We don't even know all the Soul-morphs possible yet. My accomplice and I are trying to study this. I'm quite good at my little job I would think." He showed the stone. It was a crystal with a strange wild power inside it. The power shifted, surging to escape. A futile fight. He placed the stone into the fireplace, and re-lit the fire. The flames exploded across the room harmlessly, in all forms and colors. They danced a wild dance along the air, and retreated into the fireplace, where it danced more calmly. "Now, I'll tell you about something interesting. Witches."
Dante sat everyone around the fireplace he had in his living room. As everyone watched, Dante put stones next to the fireplace and picked up tongs to hold the rocks into the flames with. As they all watched him pick up the first rock and put it on a small platform, nobody noticed the small girl with light blue hair watching from the corner of the room...
As Dante put a small light blue stone into the fire, it seemed to change into a white flame nearly instantly. "Angels. They're known as souls with positive Karma at the moment of Death. When that happens, a soul will purify of most of it's sins, other than the largest sin, which is simply dimmed. They can also dim the sins of others. These creatures move to the heavens. Equipped with the essence of light, they can move the light, and seemingly use it as a weapon, to an extent. These creatures were the first Soul-morphs to appear, due to God existing before all else." Dante used the tongs to grab the stone, and put it back in the case. He grabbed the next stone in the line, a crimson-maroon stone. He put the stone on the platform, and the flames grew furious, and turned blood red. "Devils. They are known to be souls who died with negative karma." Everyone turned towards Nina, who seemed happy for the attention. Dante continued, focused on the stone, as if his eyes were locked to it. "These creatures control their own emotions as weapons. They can amplify the sins of others around them to an extent, and use that human as a shield, a tool, or simply as something to laugh at for a while." Everyone looked at Nina again, and here eyes widened as she shook her hands wildly. "These Devils belong to the plains of Hell. The Bible says it's burning, but the devils are sub-immune to heat increases... So they wouldn't notice too much. If you went though, you'd die. These Soul-morphs began to exist after Lucifer fell from the heavens." He removed the Devil's stone from the flame, and picked up the next in line. He placed it on the platform, and nothing seemed to change. The stone was a gray color. "Ghosts. Neutral karma, being bonded to the human realm. They are placed here until they un-equalize the karma, and are allowed to change planes if they wish. Extremely powerful emotions allow more of a physical form, but all spirits are allowed to disappear, and allowed to morph through solid objects. These Soul-morphs are the most like human souls." He moved the stone off of the flame, and pulled the flame shutter almost closed. As he picked up a jagged black stone, he looked to everyone in the room. "Please, everyone move back a bit." Everyone moved back, and he places the stone into the fire, and dropped the tongs. He quickly shut the glass, as the fire went deep black in color, and engulfed the whole fireplace. "Now... Demons."
Vincent interrupted at this time, "I though Demons didn't have souls?"
Dante continued, "Demons are creature who don't belong at all. Their souls are not taken, for that would end in an inanimate object, such as a corpse, a car, or dirt. They have souls with a negative value, just like electrons. Nega-Souls.. These Soul-morph have no home-realm, and usually have a dark intent of destruction, murder, and apocalypse. Remember Pompeii? Demon attack. They are able to shapeshift their entire body into a living weapon, based on their personality. Marva sounds like a slow mover, but hits heavy when the time comes... anyways, these creatures were created when Marva killed a High-Angel. He was an invader from Hell, and did his mission, at the cost of everything that he had left of himself. He knows how to make synthetic Demons, created from Passer-souls, such as Devils and Angels." He turned to the group, "But I'm not done yet. there have been sightings of other Born-right Demons, like Marva." He turned to the fireplace and pressed a button the turned the flame off. He opened the glass protector, and removed the stone. He picked up yet another stone.
"Wait, more?"
"Of course. You think that's all that can exist? We don't even know all the Soul-morphs possible yet. My accomplice and I are trying to study this. I'm quite good at my little job I would think." He showed the stone. It was a crystal with a strange wild power inside it. The power shifted, surging to escape. A futile fight. He placed the stone into the fireplace, and re-lit the fire. The flames exploded across the room harmlessly, in all forms and colors. They danced a wild dance along the air, and retreated into the fireplace, where it danced more calmly. "Now, I'll tell you about something interesting. Witches."
Chapter 31: Witches
Everyone looked at Dante strangely as he smiled at them. "Ever hear of the Salem witch trails? They were searching for real Witches. Pity, they sucked at it. I know a Witch myself."
Mimi's excitement peaked, as she leaped at Dante, "Where?!"
Dante pointed over to the corner of the room, where the girl in the light blue dress was hiding. She came around the corner, everyone staring at her, and slowly and silently walked over and sat next to Dante. Her steps were not on the floor, but on air itself. She was levitating as she walked.
Dante spoke to her in a formal, caring voice. "Hello, Corta."
4:30 pm, Manhattan Streets
Corvus was standing on a street corner, looking up at a company building. The building was tall, a total of fifty floors. A powerful company. Corvus spoke, "Metatec. A company led by a strong and wealthy man. A man the public has not seen since his Aunt had died. Dante Garemet. I know you're with the team I'm looking for, but I'll let you alone for a bit longer. Enjoy the peace, while it lasts." He turned and walked away, as a girl walked by and looked at him strangely. She had brunette hair, put into a ponytail, a modern looking blouse, and a short skirt. She shrugged it off and walked away, towards Dante's hotel.
4:30 pm, Suite 535
"Corta's a Witch. Witches are special beings. When a Soul is torn from it's body, then another soul may enter it. Also, a Witch can be made by the removal, and replacement of one's soul. The body will not age, nor grow. But it will live for as long as the soul shall have power. That could be forever. However, than CAN die, just as Devils, Angels, Ghosts, and Demons can. Witches are more human, but also more in tune with the soul. They can use the very soul as a weapon, and can also see souls of others. Soul implantation changes the body's physical features, as you can see with Corta here. Witches tend to turn to healing, in churches and such, for religious souls are stronger. They also turn to curses, inside satanic cults, for the same is equal there. The religion of it grants them stronger souls. Some Demons also follow this, as the same goes for them. Some Demons are able to be vampric to human souls, a usually strict Witch ability. Witches take only what they need, like Corta, but Demons will suck a person dry."
Vincent added into the conversation again, "So, I'm assuming since you know so much, you've met Souls that are able to do these things?"
"Well, some. Others I have read in tales and books. I have good reason to believe in these tales. Those books told me that soul could crystallize, and now I have these souls here." He pointed to the stones he had placed into the fire before. "They also each react differently and in a different color." He looked over to Corta, "I bet you want to know about her. I found her, much like you found Kia. I was watching her be hunted by a girl, and I spoke to that girl. Developed a close tie to her. She's a Witch too. A good friend of mine now, I could say. She'll actually be here soon." A bell sound came from near the door, and Dante quickly went over to it. "Hello?"
A voice from the front desk, "Dante, there's a woman here to see you. She says her name is Bell."
"Yeah, sure, send her up. Make sure she's on elevator three."
"Yes, sir."
Nina looked around the corner at him. "Three? Why three?"
"It's the only one that goes to this floor. The guard for that elevator you met earlier is Jack. Nicknamed Haywire. He can tinker with anything electronic. I'm glad he's on my side." A knock was on the door, and Dante opened it. The girl with the skirt from before came in, and dropped a backpack on the table. Dante closed the door, and the girl shook. As she did so, her form seemed to change. Her hair went into a green color, and braided down to look like thirteen snakes at the bottom, the eyes being pins, each of a different Zodiac sign. She had a Fallen jacket, but it was too big for her, seeming to be two or three sizes too large. The Emblem was missing string in a few places, and appeared patched. Her skin turned pale, and her short little skirt changed into black jeans. She wore no sneakers or socks, just bare feet. Dante watched this as everyone else stared in awe, and then he said to her, "Welcome home, Medusa."
Mimi's excitement peaked, as she leaped at Dante, "Where?!"
Dante pointed over to the corner of the room, where the girl in the light blue dress was hiding. She came around the corner, everyone staring at her, and slowly and silently walked over and sat next to Dante. Her steps were not on the floor, but on air itself. She was levitating as she walked.
Dante spoke to her in a formal, caring voice. "Hello, Corta."
4:30 pm, Manhattan Streets
Corvus was standing on a street corner, looking up at a company building. The building was tall, a total of fifty floors. A powerful company. Corvus spoke, "Metatec. A company led by a strong and wealthy man. A man the public has not seen since his Aunt had died. Dante Garemet. I know you're with the team I'm looking for, but I'll let you alone for a bit longer. Enjoy the peace, while it lasts." He turned and walked away, as a girl walked by and looked at him strangely. She had brunette hair, put into a ponytail, a modern looking blouse, and a short skirt. She shrugged it off and walked away, towards Dante's hotel.
4:30 pm, Suite 535
"Corta's a Witch. Witches are special beings. When a Soul is torn from it's body, then another soul may enter it. Also, a Witch can be made by the removal, and replacement of one's soul. The body will not age, nor grow. But it will live for as long as the soul shall have power. That could be forever. However, than CAN die, just as Devils, Angels, Ghosts, and Demons can. Witches are more human, but also more in tune with the soul. They can use the very soul as a weapon, and can also see souls of others. Soul implantation changes the body's physical features, as you can see with Corta here. Witches tend to turn to healing, in churches and such, for religious souls are stronger. They also turn to curses, inside satanic cults, for the same is equal there. The religion of it grants them stronger souls. Some Demons also follow this, as the same goes for them. Some Demons are able to be vampric to human souls, a usually strict Witch ability. Witches take only what they need, like Corta, but Demons will suck a person dry."
Vincent added into the conversation again, "So, I'm assuming since you know so much, you've met Souls that are able to do these things?"
"Well, some. Others I have read in tales and books. I have good reason to believe in these tales. Those books told me that soul could crystallize, and now I have these souls here." He pointed to the stones he had placed into the fire before. "They also each react differently and in a different color." He looked over to Corta, "I bet you want to know about her. I found her, much like you found Kia. I was watching her be hunted by a girl, and I spoke to that girl. Developed a close tie to her. She's a Witch too. A good friend of mine now, I could say. She'll actually be here soon." A bell sound came from near the door, and Dante quickly went over to it. "Hello?"
A voice from the front desk, "Dante, there's a woman here to see you. She says her name is Bell."
"Yeah, sure, send her up. Make sure she's on elevator three."
"Yes, sir."
Nina looked around the corner at him. "Three? Why three?"
"It's the only one that goes to this floor. The guard for that elevator you met earlier is Jack. Nicknamed Haywire. He can tinker with anything electronic. I'm glad he's on my side." A knock was on the door, and Dante opened it. The girl with the skirt from before came in, and dropped a backpack on the table. Dante closed the door, and the girl shook. As she did so, her form seemed to change. Her hair went into a green color, and braided down to look like thirteen snakes at the bottom, the eyes being pins, each of a different Zodiac sign. She had a Fallen jacket, but it was too big for her, seeming to be two or three sizes too large. The Emblem was missing string in a few places, and appeared patched. Her skin turned pale, and her short little skirt changed into black jeans. She wore no sneakers or socks, just bare feet. Dante watched this as everyone else stared in awe, and then he said to her, "Welcome home, Medusa."
Chapter 32: Medusa
Medusa looked around the room at all of the new guests.She was extremely surprised to see new people in the house, as her expression clearly showed. She looked up at Dante, and spoke, "The guests are new, Dante. You adopt too many strange things." Her tongue was strange. Just like the rest of her body, it was also snake-like. A forked tongue. Her S sounds were also slightly dragged on, but only by a small amount. Medusa continued her words, "You have many soul-types now, even a falseling?"
This last statement captured Dante's attention, "Falseling?" He moves over to her mouth with his ear, and she whispered into it. He nodded at her words, and continued, "Well, then that's not too different, or special at all. Perfectly normal.
Her eyes narrowed into slits, and she seemed annoyed, moving her head to the side. She looked back at the group, her eyes locking onto everyone's faces, one by one. She stopped at Kia for a moment, but only that, and after examining everyone, she looked back to Dante. "Corta tell you yet?"
"Hm? Did she tell me what?"
"The Angel and Devil aren't transmorphs, and the ghost girl is a Wraith. Soul energy is highly intensified throughout her emotions, which it seems she doesn't use all too often other than with your cousin. The Devil and Angel are together, Soul-bind I'm assuming by the chant around them, Whisperers also. Also, that girl with them." She pointed at Alexia, "Is from the Fallen. Sprite cave faction by the looks of it. A runaway, her entire focus has changed. She's being hunted by the monster who leads them."
"Monster? You mean Marva?"
"Yes, Marva. He killed me you know." She looked up at Dante, her face expression showing no emotion, boredom, a familiar face.
"Yes, I know, which is why I had you keep the necklace. I told you that you would need the human soul for the plan to work. I just apologize that your body rejected the soul so quickly, I'm just glad you did everything you needed to before it happened."
Vincent piped in, confused. He yelled, "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Dante looked over to Vincent, surprised, and then he shook it off and spoke. "Medusa is my agent. I put a human soul into her, and put her soul into a small stone on a necklace. When she 'died', her real soul re-possessed her body. She would have started to change back then." Vincent's mind flashed back to when he was at home, he saw someone with a necklace, green colored. "She was placed to infiltrate the Fallen headquarters, and it led her to Marva himself. She called me often, but stopped for a day. I was going to send her a letter, but..." Dante's mind flashes, as he is on the phone, and tips the letter into the candle flame. "He had her run various tasks, all while she was under the disguise of a girl whom attacked us recently. We pulled her soul, and Medusa became her, but not perfectly. A clone, but not immaculate at all. The attacker was a girl with no emotions at all, and an overflowing feeling of lust." Vincent mind flashed back again, to someone who was emotionless, but physically close to him whenever she could be. A heartless seeming girl. "The problem was, Medusa is very emotional when anything happens. She gets upset and angry fairly easy." Another flashback, crying on Vincent's front lawn... "We put a soul of a girl from this city into Medusa. Her name, was Annabelle."
This last statement captured Dante's attention, "Falseling?" He moves over to her mouth with his ear, and she whispered into it. He nodded at her words, and continued, "Well, then that's not too different, or special at all. Perfectly normal.
Her eyes narrowed into slits, and she seemed annoyed, moving her head to the side. She looked back at the group, her eyes locking onto everyone's faces, one by one. She stopped at Kia for a moment, but only that, and after examining everyone, she looked back to Dante. "Corta tell you yet?"
"Hm? Did she tell me what?"
"The Angel and Devil aren't transmorphs, and the ghost girl is a Wraith. Soul energy is highly intensified throughout her emotions, which it seems she doesn't use all too often other than with your cousin. The Devil and Angel are together, Soul-bind I'm assuming by the chant around them, Whisperers also. Also, that girl with them." She pointed at Alexia, "Is from the Fallen. Sprite cave faction by the looks of it. A runaway, her entire focus has changed. She's being hunted by the monster who leads them."
"Monster? You mean Marva?"
"Yes, Marva. He killed me you know." She looked up at Dante, her face expression showing no emotion, boredom, a familiar face.
"Yes, I know, which is why I had you keep the necklace. I told you that you would need the human soul for the plan to work. I just apologize that your body rejected the soul so quickly, I'm just glad you did everything you needed to before it happened."
Vincent piped in, confused. He yelled, "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Dante looked over to Vincent, surprised, and then he shook it off and spoke. "Medusa is my agent. I put a human soul into her, and put her soul into a small stone on a necklace. When she 'died', her real soul re-possessed her body. She would have started to change back then." Vincent's mind flashed back to when he was at home, he saw someone with a necklace, green colored. "She was placed to infiltrate the Fallen headquarters, and it led her to Marva himself. She called me often, but stopped for a day. I was going to send her a letter, but..." Dante's mind flashes, as he is on the phone, and tips the letter into the candle flame. "He had her run various tasks, all while she was under the disguise of a girl whom attacked us recently. We pulled her soul, and Medusa became her, but not perfectly. A clone, but not immaculate at all. The attacker was a girl with no emotions at all, and an overflowing feeling of lust." Vincent mind flashed back again, to someone who was emotionless, but physically close to him whenever she could be. A heartless seeming girl. "The problem was, Medusa is very emotional when anything happens. She gets upset and angry fairly easy." Another flashback, crying on Vincent's front lawn... "We put a soul of a girl from this city into Medusa. Her name, was Annabelle."
Chapter 33: Suite 533
Vincent looked shocked and confused. Everyone looked confused, except Kia. Kia looked different. Kia looked angry. Vincent spoke to Dante, "Wait, Medusa is Annabelle?"
Dante responded, staring at Kia looking angrier by the second, "No, Annabelle is dead. We took her soul to use for our mission to get to Marva. She was, in a way, alive then, through Medusa... But now she's gone completely." He looked back at Medusa, breaking his stare from Kia,when she looked slightly less angry.
Medusa spoke to Dante, her voice still seemingly familiar, "Actually, The technique we used to swap the souls, made it so part of any personality, Annabelle's in this case, remains within my body. I have several personality traits now."
Dante just shrugged.Well, we did mess with big magic. I guess we just can't do that anymore. Anyways, go get sleep. You deserve it after that."
"But... I'm not finished yet."
"Sleep." Dante turned away from her and walked back to the group. Everyone was watching Dante as he kept talking, but Kia was staring at Medusa. Medusa looked over at her, looking upset, then closed her eyes tightly and ran away out the door, closing it on the way out. Kia looked over at Dante again, for a moment. He was still talking. "Yeah, but the thing is, soul wavelengths are ongoing energy. They derive the power from faith, will, and courage." Kia realized that nobody was watching her. She turned to where Medusa had gone to. She rose to her feet silently, and walked out of the room after Medusa..
5:30 pm, Sprite Cave
Jenix stands in the cave, the whole place bare other than a small pile of ash, and a large blood stain where Jamie's body was. Jenix looked around, thinking aloud to himself. "So, Annabelle is gone now, and they moved the body too..." He though for a second longer, then came to a conclusion. "Apparently, Anna hides more secrets then she told Marva about... But, if he pulled her soul, and she .... then..." He looked over to the exit of the cave. "That means he used my body to create that little Icarus." A drop fell from the ceiling of the cave, and Jenix looked up. The hood from the jacket fell off, and his appearance became apparent. He looked like Jamie, in a way. His eyes were painted deep black, his iris a thick red. His pupils were of a strange shape. He closed his eyes, and he curled his pale lips. A whistle echos from his lips, and into the deepest depths of the cave. As thee whistle echos on, panic and movement is heard from the back of the deep cave. Some large shapeless shadow heads towards him. In a second, the shape envelops Jenix. Bats. Thousands of bats swirl all around Jenix, and he holds out his hand. A bat lands upside down, and stares at him, eyes matching his. He spoke to it, as bat wings sprouted from his own back. He floated slowly, leaning his head towards the bat and petting it's head. "I miss you all, my little pets."
5:30 pm, Suite 533, Medusa's room
Kia stands outside of Medusa's room, leaning her ear to the door. Kia heard crying, and the sound of things being tossed and broken. A sound of glass shattered, but even the loudest sounds Kia had to focus on to hear through the locked and soundproofed door. She looked down both sides of the hall. The only one who was around was Haywire, leaning in his chair next to the elevator, asleep. Kia leaned on the door with both hands, and squeezed her eyes shut. She leaned forward, and she fell through the closed door, as if it wasn't even there...
5:32, Suite 533
Medusa looked over to Kia angrily as soon as she hit the floor. Medusa's room was dark and dreary. Her bed was a small one, a black sheet with green snakes stitched onto the design, and it looked like Medusa did it herself. She had many shelves and desks crowding her room, along the walls. They all had beakers and flasks, books of spells and black magics, curses and chants, some strange liquid here, an odd plant there. Only one cabinet looked untouched, a padlock on the front of it. Her walls were a black solid base, with all types of symbols and markings all over them. The wall opposite Kia was blank, other than a large drawing of a girl's outline, her hair stretched out into all of the different zodiac signs. For some reason, two of them went to Gemini. Shattered glass and broken doors and draws from all of the desks and cabinets, all over the floor. Torn paper filled the corner, a hole or two in the wall.. Medusa walked over to Kia, picked her up off the floor, and the waited for Kia to get a good hold onto her feet. After Kia was firmly standing, she spoke.. "You shouldn't be in here." She wiper her face of tears. "This is my room."
Kia looked away, shrugged into embarrassment, and rubbed her arm. After a few minutes, she let out a very light whisper, "Sorry......."
Medusa calmed down, and put her head in her hands. She looked up at Kia again, and then said, "It's okay. I was just not expecting anyone. Wait one moment." She moved over to all of the messes and picked everything up. She put it into a few different trash bins and the sat on the side of her bed and looked at Kia again. "Well, are you going to come in, or just stand in my hallway all night?"
Kia walked in, looking around at the walls that she couldn't see from her angle before. A bathroom door, a sink inside her room, and another cabinet filled with different liquid filled containers. What a strange room Medusa had.
Dante responded, staring at Kia looking angrier by the second, "No, Annabelle is dead. We took her soul to use for our mission to get to Marva. She was, in a way, alive then, through Medusa... But now she's gone completely." He looked back at Medusa, breaking his stare from Kia,when she looked slightly less angry.
Medusa spoke to Dante, her voice still seemingly familiar, "Actually, The technique we used to swap the souls, made it so part of any personality, Annabelle's in this case, remains within my body. I have several personality traits now."
Dante just shrugged.Well, we did mess with big magic. I guess we just can't do that anymore. Anyways, go get sleep. You deserve it after that."
"But... I'm not finished yet."
"Sleep." Dante turned away from her and walked back to the group. Everyone was watching Dante as he kept talking, but Kia was staring at Medusa. Medusa looked over at her, looking upset, then closed her eyes tightly and ran away out the door, closing it on the way out. Kia looked over at Dante again, for a moment. He was still talking. "Yeah, but the thing is, soul wavelengths are ongoing energy. They derive the power from faith, will, and courage." Kia realized that nobody was watching her. She turned to where Medusa had gone to. She rose to her feet silently, and walked out of the room after Medusa..
5:30 pm, Sprite Cave
Jenix stands in the cave, the whole place bare other than a small pile of ash, and a large blood stain where Jamie's body was. Jenix looked around, thinking aloud to himself. "So, Annabelle is gone now, and they moved the body too..." He though for a second longer, then came to a conclusion. "Apparently, Anna hides more secrets then she told Marva about... But, if he pulled her soul, and she .... then..." He looked over to the exit of the cave. "That means he used my body to create that little Icarus." A drop fell from the ceiling of the cave, and Jenix looked up. The hood from the jacket fell off, and his appearance became apparent. He looked like Jamie, in a way. His eyes were painted deep black, his iris a thick red. His pupils were of a strange shape. He closed his eyes, and he curled his pale lips. A whistle echos from his lips, and into the deepest depths of the cave. As thee whistle echos on, panic and movement is heard from the back of the deep cave. Some large shapeless shadow heads towards him. In a second, the shape envelops Jenix. Bats. Thousands of bats swirl all around Jenix, and he holds out his hand. A bat lands upside down, and stares at him, eyes matching his. He spoke to it, as bat wings sprouted from his own back. He floated slowly, leaning his head towards the bat and petting it's head. "I miss you all, my little pets."
5:30 pm, Suite 533, Medusa's room
Kia stands outside of Medusa's room, leaning her ear to the door. Kia heard crying, and the sound of things being tossed and broken. A sound of glass shattered, but even the loudest sounds Kia had to focus on to hear through the locked and soundproofed door. She looked down both sides of the hall. The only one who was around was Haywire, leaning in his chair next to the elevator, asleep. Kia leaned on the door with both hands, and squeezed her eyes shut. She leaned forward, and she fell through the closed door, as if it wasn't even there...
5:32, Suite 533
Medusa looked over to Kia angrily as soon as she hit the floor. Medusa's room was dark and dreary. Her bed was a small one, a black sheet with green snakes stitched onto the design, and it looked like Medusa did it herself. She had many shelves and desks crowding her room, along the walls. They all had beakers and flasks, books of spells and black magics, curses and chants, some strange liquid here, an odd plant there. Only one cabinet looked untouched, a padlock on the front of it. Her walls were a black solid base, with all types of symbols and markings all over them. The wall opposite Kia was blank, other than a large drawing of a girl's outline, her hair stretched out into all of the different zodiac signs. For some reason, two of them went to Gemini. Shattered glass and broken doors and draws from all of the desks and cabinets, all over the floor. Torn paper filled the corner, a hole or two in the wall.. Medusa walked over to Kia, picked her up off the floor, and the waited for Kia to get a good hold onto her feet. After Kia was firmly standing, she spoke.. "You shouldn't be in here." She wiper her face of tears. "This is my room."
Kia looked away, shrugged into embarrassment, and rubbed her arm. After a few minutes, she let out a very light whisper, "Sorry......."
Medusa calmed down, and put her head in her hands. She looked up at Kia again, and then said, "It's okay. I was just not expecting anyone. Wait one moment." She moved over to all of the messes and picked everything up. She put it into a few different trash bins and the sat on the side of her bed and looked at Kia again. "Well, are you going to come in, or just stand in my hallway all night?"
Kia walked in, looking around at the walls that she couldn't see from her angle before. A bathroom door, a sink inside her room, and another cabinet filled with different liquid filled containers. What a strange room Medusa had.
Chapter 34: Bonding
Kia walked over to a shelf of strange books, and some pieces of creatures long deceased. All different colors and shapes of unearthly beasts. Medusa was sitting in the form of a ball, staring at Kia as she sifted through all of the items Medusa had. Medusa went through explaining things as she went through them. She picked up a small broken earring, and Medusa perked her head up, her eyes widen a small bit, as her pupils expanded. "I forgot I had that one.... 'Demon Earring'."
5:40 pm, Streets
Corvus was walking, looking at all of the shops and little merchandise for sale. He went into a store and bought a few little souvenirs, including a book on witchcraft. He was reading through it, using his large body to simple walk past all of the people not paying attention to him, not paying attention to them. He was reading this, and a girl walked out of an alleyway and tripped him, his large build falling to the ground with a large thud. He got up and looked over to her, standing in the alleyway, walked over to her. Every step he took forward, she took one back.
She was wearing a white dress, not quite as casual as everyone else was in New York. She had blond hair to her shoulders, and black irises in her eyes. Her dress went down to her knees, and by the look of it, she was wearing something under it. She was holding a small tattered teddy bear in her left hand, The bear was seemingly a character of it's own. About a foot long from head to toe, an overall brown bear. The leg was burned, the left one to be exact. The right arm was covered in a more red color, moving onto the body and up the neck. Blood? Only one of it's ears was attached, a patch of some other fabric over the hole that was left from whatever removed the poor bears ear. One eye was missing, a button stitched to replace the eye, but the button was hanging an inch down from the place the thread met the bears face. The right leg still had three small stitched toes on the foot.
Corvus kept walking towards her, mostly of his simple curiosity. She backed up to the wall, then turned and backed down a dead end alleyway spanning off of that one. She backed up all the way to the end, and then stopped. Corvus stopped also, watching her closely, holding his bag of nick-knacks and his book. He tilted his head, his hair moving but still covering his eyes, and talked to her. "Hey, you. Girl. You suck!"
5:42, Suite 533, Medusa's room
Kia looked at Medusa with a strange face. She tilted her head to the side a bit, and a questioning expression showed. She looked to the earring in her hand, and back to Medusa. The earring looked like a fang, but an oddly colored one. The strange blue orange tint was slightly strange, for it to be a fang. The end was sharp, and the color got darker there, and lighter up top. Kia held it up by the small metal ring that was screwed into the top of the fang.
Medusa looked at her and answered her expression with her own words. "Well, when a Demon is created, they have their power manifested from within an artifact that has a positively charged soul. This counteracts the nega-soul they have, and gives them power. The power of the earring rises with their soul, and it greatly changes them. To put one of these earrings on a non-demon, would change them into one forever. NEVER put it on Kia. You wont exist anymore..."
Kia put it down quickly where she found it and sat at the end of Medusa's bed. Medusa moved next to her, and rolled into a ball again. She put her head on her knees and looked over at Kia. Kia pulled her legs up, and after a moment, was mirroring Medusa's action. Medusa was staring at Kia, and Kia was staring back. Medusa moved closer a few inches, and leaned up to Kia's face, staring into her eye. Kia seemed a little spooked, and backed up a few inches. Medusa still stared.
She looked back down at her feet, and Kia rested her head on her knees again. Medusa said, "You have interesting eyes... They're very unique, and interesting. The iris is red, which is rare by my standards, and the pupil seems to wave. It isn't solid... I like it, it's cool."
Kia was a little surprised, and responded, "Thank you.... You too."
Medusa was shocked at Kia speaking, and at her voice also. Kia's beautiful, innocent voice. "You... spoke to me?"
Kia blushed, and nodded, a little confused.
"But, I thought you hated me? I was infected with ... that girl.. and I was all over your boyfriend.."
"Not... my boyfriend.."
"But you're his girlfriend?"
Kia simply nodded, and hid her face between her knees.
Medusa laughed, and said "Well, That works I guess.. At least he shows a preference to you."
Kia nodded again, and the room sat quiet.
One minute...
Two minutes...
Five minutes...
"You know, you remind me of my big sister." Medusa said, breaking the silence.
5:40 pm, Streets
Corvus was walking, looking at all of the shops and little merchandise for sale. He went into a store and bought a few little souvenirs, including a book on witchcraft. He was reading through it, using his large body to simple walk past all of the people not paying attention to him, not paying attention to them. He was reading this, and a girl walked out of an alleyway and tripped him, his large build falling to the ground with a large thud. He got up and looked over to her, standing in the alleyway, walked over to her. Every step he took forward, she took one back.
She was wearing a white dress, not quite as casual as everyone else was in New York. She had blond hair to her shoulders, and black irises in her eyes. Her dress went down to her knees, and by the look of it, she was wearing something under it. She was holding a small tattered teddy bear in her left hand, The bear was seemingly a character of it's own. About a foot long from head to toe, an overall brown bear. The leg was burned, the left one to be exact. The right arm was covered in a more red color, moving onto the body and up the neck. Blood? Only one of it's ears was attached, a patch of some other fabric over the hole that was left from whatever removed the poor bears ear. One eye was missing, a button stitched to replace the eye, but the button was hanging an inch down from the place the thread met the bears face. The right leg still had three small stitched toes on the foot.
Corvus kept walking towards her, mostly of his simple curiosity. She backed up to the wall, then turned and backed down a dead end alleyway spanning off of that one. She backed up all the way to the end, and then stopped. Corvus stopped also, watching her closely, holding his bag of nick-knacks and his book. He tilted his head, his hair moving but still covering his eyes, and talked to her. "Hey, you. Girl. You suck!"
5:42, Suite 533, Medusa's room
Kia looked at Medusa with a strange face. She tilted her head to the side a bit, and a questioning expression showed. She looked to the earring in her hand, and back to Medusa. The earring looked like a fang, but an oddly colored one. The strange blue orange tint was slightly strange, for it to be a fang. The end was sharp, and the color got darker there, and lighter up top. Kia held it up by the small metal ring that was screwed into the top of the fang.
Medusa looked at her and answered her expression with her own words. "Well, when a Demon is created, they have their power manifested from within an artifact that has a positively charged soul. This counteracts the nega-soul they have, and gives them power. The power of the earring rises with their soul, and it greatly changes them. To put one of these earrings on a non-demon, would change them into one forever. NEVER put it on Kia. You wont exist anymore..."
Kia put it down quickly where she found it and sat at the end of Medusa's bed. Medusa moved next to her, and rolled into a ball again. She put her head on her knees and looked over at Kia. Kia pulled her legs up, and after a moment, was mirroring Medusa's action. Medusa was staring at Kia, and Kia was staring back. Medusa moved closer a few inches, and leaned up to Kia's face, staring into her eye. Kia seemed a little spooked, and backed up a few inches. Medusa still stared.
She looked back down at her feet, and Kia rested her head on her knees again. Medusa said, "You have interesting eyes... They're very unique, and interesting. The iris is red, which is rare by my standards, and the pupil seems to wave. It isn't solid... I like it, it's cool."
Kia was a little surprised, and responded, "Thank you.... You too."
Medusa was shocked at Kia speaking, and at her voice also. Kia's beautiful, innocent voice. "You... spoke to me?"
Kia blushed, and nodded, a little confused.
"But, I thought you hated me? I was infected with ... that girl.. and I was all over your boyfriend.."
"Not... my boyfriend.."
"But you're his girlfriend?"
Kia simply nodded, and hid her face between her knees.
Medusa laughed, and said "Well, That works I guess.. At least he shows a preference to you."
Kia nodded again, and the room sat quiet.
One minute...
Two minutes...
Five minutes...
"You know, you remind me of my big sister." Medusa said, breaking the silence.
Chapter 35: Circus
5:45 pm, Clydesdale
The town was in an uproar over the events that had occurred during this day. A girl's scream had pierced the sky and no origin was found. A Monster made of bone had flown over the city. The town was already in panic as the townspeople argued amongst each other. The sky was darkened, and the people looked up to see a pulsing black cloud moving quickly over the town. Wait, no... It wasn't a cloud. It was a swarm... a swarm of bats blocking out the afternoon sun..
5:45 pm, Suite 535
Medusa was looking at Kia, who was sitting at the end of the bed and staring at the walls. She said, "Hey, do you want to know about my sister?"
Kia looked over at her and nodded slowly.
"Well, When me and my sister were little, well I was little, she was fifteen... But a while back, we ran away from home. Our father was really mean.. He was always drunk, always rude, and always very demanding. Me and my sister left home, and we ran." Medusa was focused on something she had hanging from her shelves. "We ran out of that town, got out of the state." She paused. "When we got into the next state, a bit into it, we ran out of money, not that we started with much anyways.. But we had to work,, and my sister saw a traveling circus. She signed up to work there, and they let me and her live with them, traveling around. We met all of the people who also worked there, weird people. You could tell that some of them just weren't human.. I remember this one act, it was someone who had a tent full of webs. 'Come and see the human web-weaver' the sign said. we checked that tent out, and there was a person... What was his name?" Medusa paused again, still staring forward. "Arken. He called himself Arken. He said all of the webs were mostly props, or webs from the spiders who lived in his tent, but me and my sister never believed it. We met all of the people from the circus: Styx, the Game Manager, Radius, the Ringleader, Soula, A Fortune Teller, Titan, a really strong guy, Shade, who never really did anything, and then Arken. We stayed with there people for a few months. After a while, my sister got really close to Arken. She stopped talking to me after a while. Then, one night, we were sitting inside our tent and we got attacked. Someone in a large black flowing cloak came out of nowhere and jumped on my sister. Knocked her down.. Wasn't a very original costume at first, then I saw a metal clawed gauntlet reach out of the cloak and punch his hand into her chest... He pulled a strange light out of her, and she didn't even have any wounds. It was her soul. The attacker did something really weird next. they put it back, and my sister started moving a little, and started to look different. I didn't stick around though, I moved enough to the door that I just got up and ran. I was about four blocks away when it caught up with me, and pushed me into an alley. It did the same thing to me, and when I woke up... well..." She got up and waved her hand across her body. "This. I was only twelve. I don't know what... happened there, but I do know that it changed my sister, it hurt me, and... I never went back. Arken must have changed my sister. She was always so quiet and nice. She wasn't ever mean or angry until she started going around him."
Kia got up and looked at what Medusa was staring at. It was two tickets. They read, "Circus Styx, A traveling wonderland!" Kia looked down to Medusa, who was suddenly crying, and leaned down to hug her.
Medusa said, while she was crying, "I know she's still there... she never left."
5:50 pm
Medusa had stopped crying, and her and Kia were sitting on the end of the bed, Medusa was holding the tickets and leaning on Kia's shoulder.
Kia asked abruptly, "What was your sisters name?"
Medusa looked up at Kia, and said, "My sisters name... was..."
The town was in an uproar over the events that had occurred during this day. A girl's scream had pierced the sky and no origin was found. A Monster made of bone had flown over the city. The town was already in panic as the townspeople argued amongst each other. The sky was darkened, and the people looked up to see a pulsing black cloud moving quickly over the town. Wait, no... It wasn't a cloud. It was a swarm... a swarm of bats blocking out the afternoon sun..
5:45 pm, Suite 535
Medusa was looking at Kia, who was sitting at the end of the bed and staring at the walls. She said, "Hey, do you want to know about my sister?"
Kia looked over at her and nodded slowly.
"Well, When me and my sister were little, well I was little, she was fifteen... But a while back, we ran away from home. Our father was really mean.. He was always drunk, always rude, and always very demanding. Me and my sister left home, and we ran." Medusa was focused on something she had hanging from her shelves. "We ran out of that town, got out of the state." She paused. "When we got into the next state, a bit into it, we ran out of money, not that we started with much anyways.. But we had to work,, and my sister saw a traveling circus. She signed up to work there, and they let me and her live with them, traveling around. We met all of the people who also worked there, weird people. You could tell that some of them just weren't human.. I remember this one act, it was someone who had a tent full of webs. 'Come and see the human web-weaver' the sign said. we checked that tent out, and there was a person... What was his name?" Medusa paused again, still staring forward. "Arken. He called himself Arken. He said all of the webs were mostly props, or webs from the spiders who lived in his tent, but me and my sister never believed it. We met all of the people from the circus: Styx, the Game Manager, Radius, the Ringleader, Soula, A Fortune Teller, Titan, a really strong guy, Shade, who never really did anything, and then Arken. We stayed with there people for a few months. After a while, my sister got really close to Arken. She stopped talking to me after a while. Then, one night, we were sitting inside our tent and we got attacked. Someone in a large black flowing cloak came out of nowhere and jumped on my sister. Knocked her down.. Wasn't a very original costume at first, then I saw a metal clawed gauntlet reach out of the cloak and punch his hand into her chest... He pulled a strange light out of her, and she didn't even have any wounds. It was her soul. The attacker did something really weird next. they put it back, and my sister started moving a little, and started to look different. I didn't stick around though, I moved enough to the door that I just got up and ran. I was about four blocks away when it caught up with me, and pushed me into an alley. It did the same thing to me, and when I woke up... well..." She got up and waved her hand across her body. "This. I was only twelve. I don't know what... happened there, but I do know that it changed my sister, it hurt me, and... I never went back. Arken must have changed my sister. She was always so quiet and nice. She wasn't ever mean or angry until she started going around him."
Kia got up and looked at what Medusa was staring at. It was two tickets. They read, "Circus Styx, A traveling wonderland!" Kia looked down to Medusa, who was suddenly crying, and leaned down to hug her.
Medusa said, while she was crying, "I know she's still there... she never left."
5:50 pm
Medusa had stopped crying, and her and Kia were sitting on the end of the bed, Medusa was holding the tickets and leaning on Kia's shoulder.
Kia asked abruptly, "What was your sisters name?"
Medusa looked up at Kia, and said, "My sisters name... was..."
Chapter 36: Rooftop Meeting
6:00 pm, School Roof, Clydesdale
Marva stands on the roof, staring at the black cloud of bats on the horizon. Kain is nearby, sitting on the edge of the building with a lollipop in his mouth. Marva sighs, and turns around. A priest is on the building. The man is roughly six feet tall, blond hair. He has blue eyes reflecting the sunlight, and he is wearing a robe. He holds a bible in his hand, and has a small girl with silver hair next to him. She looks about eight years old.
Marva says to him, "Jayden. It has been a while. I didn't expect to see you so..." He pauses and looks at his robe and bible, then continues. "Religious. You also brought a friend. Amazingly, I have no wish to kill you right now. Although I should, seeing how you left our side.."
The priest, Jayden, smiled and replied, "Well, I have a greater life where I stand now. I like where I am in society. I'm second in command of the church. It's a wonderful place for me to be. I met Lilly there." He looked down at the girl, Who had a frown on her face and looked very much like she didn't want to be there. Her eyes were strange, a green color which seemed to grab the attention of the one who met her gaze. She looked at Marva, her facial expression still bored and annoyed.
Marva looked from her, back to Jayden and said, "Well, I need your help tomorrow. Possibly the next day if the plan goes wrong. The 'Demon of Bats' has also awoken. He goes by Jenix. By the time Icarus has returned, I can assure you that Jenix will be back too. With Jenix, Me, Veena, and a few others, this plan of mine will not die. Manervaeva will rise again."
5:50 pm, Suite 535
Dante was finishing an explanation on several things of interest, and turned around to notice something about the group. He said, "Hey, wait... Vincent, Where's your girlfriend?"
Vincent looked up, and then looked around him. "Kia?" He coughed for a second and mumbled "She's not my girlfriend", then continued, "I haven't the slightest clue. Did anyone see her?" The room saw silent for a moment, until someone spoke a short while longer.
"Where's Medusa?" Mimi said.
Everyone looked around for a moment, then all got up and ran to Medusa's room.
5:50 pm, Suite 533 (Medusa's room)
"My sister's name... Was..." Medusa's sentence was cut short as Dante forced open the door and looked at Medusa and Kia talking. He let out a sigh, and walked over to her. she said to him, "It's very impolite to slam into someone's room like that, and you should really apologize!" Her hands were clenched into fists, and her hair was all up and slithered in Dante's direction, as if it was ready to attack him.
Dante backed up a few feet, and Vincent ran by Dante and Medusa to get to Kia, who was standing up at the end of the bed confused.
Medusa yelled, "You better fix my door, Dante Garemet! I could easily kill you!"
Vincent was by Kia's side talking to her, "I was scared, I though you were fighting her, you were so mad at her earlier, and then you were both gone, I was scared you would fight her and lose, or kill her, or something bad."
She just stared at him for a moment, then hugged him tightly. "Medusa's like a sister." She said, and everyone looked over to her, surprised, including Medusa herself.
Medusa asked, "Like... a sister?"
Marva stands on the roof, staring at the black cloud of bats on the horizon. Kain is nearby, sitting on the edge of the building with a lollipop in his mouth. Marva sighs, and turns around. A priest is on the building. The man is roughly six feet tall, blond hair. He has blue eyes reflecting the sunlight, and he is wearing a robe. He holds a bible in his hand, and has a small girl with silver hair next to him. She looks about eight years old.
Marva says to him, "Jayden. It has been a while. I didn't expect to see you so..." He pauses and looks at his robe and bible, then continues. "Religious. You also brought a friend. Amazingly, I have no wish to kill you right now. Although I should, seeing how you left our side.."
The priest, Jayden, smiled and replied, "Well, I have a greater life where I stand now. I like where I am in society. I'm second in command of the church. It's a wonderful place for me to be. I met Lilly there." He looked down at the girl, Who had a frown on her face and looked very much like she didn't want to be there. Her eyes were strange, a green color which seemed to grab the attention of the one who met her gaze. She looked at Marva, her facial expression still bored and annoyed.
Marva looked from her, back to Jayden and said, "Well, I need your help tomorrow. Possibly the next day if the plan goes wrong. The 'Demon of Bats' has also awoken. He goes by Jenix. By the time Icarus has returned, I can assure you that Jenix will be back too. With Jenix, Me, Veena, and a few others, this plan of mine will not die. Manervaeva will rise again."
5:50 pm, Suite 535
Dante was finishing an explanation on several things of interest, and turned around to notice something about the group. He said, "Hey, wait... Vincent, Where's your girlfriend?"
Vincent looked up, and then looked around him. "Kia?" He coughed for a second and mumbled "She's not my girlfriend", then continued, "I haven't the slightest clue. Did anyone see her?" The room saw silent for a moment, until someone spoke a short while longer.
"Where's Medusa?" Mimi said.
Everyone looked around for a moment, then all got up and ran to Medusa's room.
5:50 pm, Suite 533 (Medusa's room)
"My sister's name... Was..." Medusa's sentence was cut short as Dante forced open the door and looked at Medusa and Kia talking. He let out a sigh, and walked over to her. she said to him, "It's very impolite to slam into someone's room like that, and you should really apologize!" Her hands were clenched into fists, and her hair was all up and slithered in Dante's direction, as if it was ready to attack him.
Dante backed up a few feet, and Vincent ran by Dante and Medusa to get to Kia, who was standing up at the end of the bed confused.
Medusa yelled, "You better fix my door, Dante Garemet! I could easily kill you!"
Vincent was by Kia's side talking to her, "I was scared, I though you were fighting her, you were so mad at her earlier, and then you were both gone, I was scared you would fight her and lose, or kill her, or something bad."
She just stared at him for a moment, then hugged him tightly. "Medusa's like a sister." She said, and everyone looked over to her, surprised, including Medusa herself.
Medusa asked, "Like... a sister?"
Chapter 37: Icarus Arrives
6:00 pm, Pokemon Center in NYC
A boy was staring across the room at Corvus, who was looking through the merchandise there. The small boy turned to his friend and said, "Hey, look at the weird dude in the torn up jacket." He pointed over at Corvus, who turned his head, then turned around at the boys. He walked up to them, and reached over their heads, grabbing a video game. He moved to the counter, and placed the game down. as he pulled out his wallet, his phone started to ring. He pulled out some money and gave it to the man at the counter, and then pulled out his phone.
"Yes?" Corvus asked.
"Core!" Marcus yelled from the other line, "I need you to be ready. It's happening Core! Icarus is out."
"Cool." Then he hung up. He picked up the game and walked out, as his phone rang again. He took it out of his pocket again, sighing, and answered it. "What now Marcus?"
"Don't hang up on me like that you jackass! We need to be coordinated, so go to the empire state building and We'll meet you there."
Corvus noticed, as the sun seemed top be blocked out at his feel, right at the exit of the store. He looked up, as did others who were screaming in terror, and saw it. "That made of bone and wire, Torn from the heavens and hell, man of all forms ties together to create the dark guardian beast, Manervaeva....." Corvus chanted. "Kinda dinky, ain't he?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Marva said it a lot."
"Oh.. Manervaeva? I thought it was Icarus..."
"Yeah, something's not right. If I die, it's my fault."
"Core! Stick to the-" Click! Corvus hung up and looked over at the boy.
"Yo, want a free phone?"
The boy's eyes widened. He said, "Boy, do I! Can I really have it?"
"Yup." He threw the phone to the boy.
The boy looked at it, and looked back up. "Thanks Mister... Where'd he go?"
Corvus was nowhere in sight.
6:01 pm, Dante's Appartment
Corta runs down the hallway to Medusa's room and pulls on Dante's sleeve. He turns, and without a single word, they run out of the room. Everyone else looks at each other for a moment, and then files down the hallway after them into the office. Dante pulls open the curtains and looks in horror as the bone wyrm flies over the city. It dips down into the streets, and screaming is heard through the thick glass. It returns to the sky moments later, as the sound dims down. Vincent turns towards the hallway, and starts to walk out. Dante turns to him and says, "What are you thinking of doing?"
Vincent replies, "I'm leaving. If we stay in New York we'll die, That thing is huge, our only chance is either to leave the city, or go underground."
Dante nods for a second, then says, "All right, I see your point. Come with me, I have an idea."
Dante walks everyone down to the end of the hallway, Corta at his side. He gets to the elevator and shakes Haywire, who falls off of his chair, wakes up, and looks up at the group. He says, " 'Ey. You all goin' on a field trip?"
Dante replies, "Kinda. We need to go to the basement."
"Basement huh? I can do that." Everyone follows Haywire into the elevator, and he pulls a panel off the wall next to the control board. He moves a few things, and the elevator starts going down. He closes the panel again. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now moving."
As the group reaches the bottom, they all leave the elevator, and begin to walk into the basement.
6:05 pm, A car somewhere between Clydesdale and NYC
Marcus closed his cellphone and slammed his fist against the steering wheel. Veena looked over at him, and asked, "Can't get him?"
Marcus snapped back at her, "Bastard gave his phone to some kid! I can't reach him now. If Icarus is already there then I don't know what the crazy bastard will do! He was never the same after that mission in Europe."
Veena turned her head and asked, "What happened to Corvus in Europe?"
A boy was staring across the room at Corvus, who was looking through the merchandise there. The small boy turned to his friend and said, "Hey, look at the weird dude in the torn up jacket." He pointed over at Corvus, who turned his head, then turned around at the boys. He walked up to them, and reached over their heads, grabbing a video game. He moved to the counter, and placed the game down. as he pulled out his wallet, his phone started to ring. He pulled out some money and gave it to the man at the counter, and then pulled out his phone.
"Yes?" Corvus asked.
"Core!" Marcus yelled from the other line, "I need you to be ready. It's happening Core! Icarus is out."
"Cool." Then he hung up. He picked up the game and walked out, as his phone rang again. He took it out of his pocket again, sighing, and answered it. "What now Marcus?"
"Don't hang up on me like that you jackass! We need to be coordinated, so go to the empire state building and We'll meet you there."
Corvus noticed, as the sun seemed top be blocked out at his feel, right at the exit of the store. He looked up, as did others who were screaming in terror, and saw it. "That made of bone and wire, Torn from the heavens and hell, man of all forms ties together to create the dark guardian beast, Manervaeva....." Corvus chanted. "Kinda dinky, ain't he?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Marva said it a lot."
"Oh.. Manervaeva? I thought it was Icarus..."
"Yeah, something's not right. If I die, it's my fault."
"Core! Stick to the-" Click! Corvus hung up and looked over at the boy.
"Yo, want a free phone?"
The boy's eyes widened. He said, "Boy, do I! Can I really have it?"
"Yup." He threw the phone to the boy.
The boy looked at it, and looked back up. "Thanks Mister... Where'd he go?"
Corvus was nowhere in sight.
6:01 pm, Dante's Appartment
Corta runs down the hallway to Medusa's room and pulls on Dante's sleeve. He turns, and without a single word, they run out of the room. Everyone else looks at each other for a moment, and then files down the hallway after them into the office. Dante pulls open the curtains and looks in horror as the bone wyrm flies over the city. It dips down into the streets, and screaming is heard through the thick glass. It returns to the sky moments later, as the sound dims down. Vincent turns towards the hallway, and starts to walk out. Dante turns to him and says, "What are you thinking of doing?"
Vincent replies, "I'm leaving. If we stay in New York we'll die, That thing is huge, our only chance is either to leave the city, or go underground."
Dante nods for a second, then says, "All right, I see your point. Come with me, I have an idea."
Dante walks everyone down to the end of the hallway, Corta at his side. He gets to the elevator and shakes Haywire, who falls off of his chair, wakes up, and looks up at the group. He says, " 'Ey. You all goin' on a field trip?"
Dante replies, "Kinda. We need to go to the basement."
"Basement huh? I can do that." Everyone follows Haywire into the elevator, and he pulls a panel off the wall next to the control board. He moves a few things, and the elevator starts going down. He closes the panel again. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now moving."
As the group reaches the bottom, they all leave the elevator, and begin to walk into the basement.
6:05 pm, A car somewhere between Clydesdale and NYC
Marcus closed his cellphone and slammed his fist against the steering wheel. Veena looked over at him, and asked, "Can't get him?"
Marcus snapped back at her, "Bastard gave his phone to some kid! I can't reach him now. If Icarus is already there then I don't know what the crazy bastard will do! He was never the same after that mission in Europe."
Veena turned her head and asked, "What happened to Corvus in Europe?"
Chapter 38: Codename Core
Marcus' voice responded, as the area darkened, entering into the flashback of Corvus. Marcus says, "He was stationed somewhere deep in Europe, somewhere kinda cold, and in a church. This was all about five years ago. Corvus was sent to assassinate someone, which he usually did very well. I remember him telling me..."
Marcus' voice fade's out, and Corvus's voice fades in, taking it's place, forming a terrain at his words. He says, "A cloudy day,The sky was a thick thick gray. It was a large stone church, A bell tower was the building on the left of the church, both of which were up stairs, and around a courtyard. Opposite the tower was a cemetery, filled with old tombstones. It was quiet, and at first I thought nobody was around at all. I did a headcount when I could, two small time priests, and the big guy I was after, Marva had called him 'Jayden'. Just some strange human priest who was satanically infecting the church of holy right.. But, Marva had ordered the hit, so I went there...."
Corvus walks up the stone steps of the church, which were decorated with small colored stone embedded into it. He walks up to the courtyard in the center and looks around. Nobody at all was around. Corvus seemed different now. He had his hood off, his hair was brown-red, and spiked up instead of in front his eyes. Corvus had bright blue eyes. He looked around, and saw a man on the hill in the cemetery. He casually walked up to him, as the man picked up a strange looking flower, and sat around the far edge of the tree. Corvus said to him, "Hello, Sir? May I talk to you?"
The man turned and looked up at him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was a man in his early thirties, married, by the ring on his finger, and had dark brown hair, nearly black in color. He had a beard which was obviously unshaven, and a smile upon his face. The man was obviously American, and a scientist at that. The man smiled at Corvus and said, "Well, hello there. A nice day, isn't it? Although, I will admit, we should get some rain." He said, looking up to the sky.
Corvus responded, looking up also, "Yes, it's looked like this since I got to the nearby town yesterday. I hope it doesn't rain during my job today, It may make it a little harder." He glanced back down to the man. "What brings you out to Europe, doctor, and to a place so dreary?"
The unshaven man responded, "Call me Victor. I'm learning. The people around here believe in magic of sorts, and suchas, I've been reading this book. The book has said I would need a flower" He stopped for a moment to lift the strange and beautiful light purple flower he had picked from the tree's root. "To complete one of the more interesting series, I hope to be able to see it in action, here today."
Corvus sat next to him, and pulled out a picture of a blond haired man, young, handsome, and well learned. "I'm looking for this man, my boss calls him Jayden."
"Ahh him." Victor replied, with a memory sparking in his mind. "The locals call him Jayce Deneroe. He's a priest in training, though he much doesn't seem interested. I'm assuming whatever you're doing here is dangerous, but I'll butt out of it."
Corvus replied, simply, "You should."
"So, who are you, my good and well mannered friend?"
"Call me Core." He held out his hand, and the men shook. "I'm just out here to do what needs to be done. I'm a cleaner."
Victor got up now, and stretched his legs. "Well, I'm going inside. I may see you later, Core, If my assumptions are right."
Corvus got up, and turned to where he was, but saw no one next to him at the tree. The space was blank, as if no one had ever been there, and the sky started to rain on him. Corvus looked up to the bell tower, and sighed, saying, "Well.. Break's over, back to work." As he walked over to the tower opposite the courtyard.
Hours later...
Two men walk up the stone stairs, and Corvus is in position in the clock tower, peering out of the window, holding a sniper rifle to his chest, and breathing slowly in the dust air of the bell room. The room has four windows, one opening to the courtyard, on to the roof of the church, and two out to the town on the horizon. Corvus takes a deep breath, and leans out the window with the gun as the two men get close to the top of the stairs.
One of the men is old, clearly not the target, a man of faith, A priest of much respect. The other has short blond hair, green eyes, and is walking next to the older man. They are talking, the older is clearly a trainer to the younger one. The older man is one who is well known in the town as Father Bronks. The younger man is his apprentice, Corvus's target, Jayce Deneroe.
Corvus leans out the window holding his gun up, placing his eye to the scope. He knows inside that he must take them both at once, for the other one would run into town. He lines up a shot as they make it to the center of the courtyard, one that puts the bullet's path through Father Bronks head, and past him into Jayce Deneroe's heart. Corvus places his finger on the trigger, and pulls. The bullet speeds along its path, but as the bullet meets near the Father, Jacye leans back by the smallest bit, and the bullet goes through Father Bronks head, past Jayce, and into the ground harmlessly.
Corvus stares in shocked disbelief as Jayce looks down at the Father's corpse, uncaring. His eyes moved up to the bell tower's window, where Corvus is surprised, and the gun slips from his shocked hands, it sliding down the wall, bouncing of a slightly purple stone, and sliding across the courtyard's stone ground to the feet of Jayce Deneroe. He looked down to the gun, then back up to Corvus, a twitch of happy insanity in his eyes. He picked up the rifle, and Corvus leaned back into the window to think about what his choices were.
He said to himself, "I can also go down the stairs to him, and try and sneak up on him.. But no, there's no cover." He peered over to the window, the one leading to the roof of the Church. "Hmmm..." Corvus thought for a moment. "Well, I could run, Pray, or run and pray he doesn't hit me... Hmph." He rose to his feet and jumped out of the window, a bullet passing his ear. He ran across the curved rooftops of the church to the end on the roof, and jumped over to the cemetery, as the final bullet in the rifle's clip shot through Corvus's hood. He hit the ground hard, the rain matting down his hair, but got up and kept moving.
Jayce dropped the rifle, it bouncing off the toe of his shoe and sliding away, down the stairs. He run forward into the cemetery at Corvus, much faster than he was moving. Jayce reached into his jacket as Corvus looked back to him. Corvus watch him pull out a magnum, and raise it up. Jayce was face to face with Corvus, the gun raised to his Right eye. Jayce had an evil little smirk as he pulled the trigger, the bullet traveling down the silver barrel, into Corvus's right eye, and out the other side of his skull. He fell to the ground, as Jayce walked away from his lifeless body. As his head hit the ground, the blood trickled down his face, and it was visible his his left eye, blue as can be, was slowly turning red with blood. The rain was washing away the blood he bled, but his eye stayed thick red. The rain stop then, and a door from the church opened, as the flashback turned dark, and came to a close...
...... Was Corvus really dead?
Marcus' voice fade's out, and Corvus's voice fades in, taking it's place, forming a terrain at his words. He says, "A cloudy day,The sky was a thick thick gray. It was a large stone church, A bell tower was the building on the left of the church, both of which were up stairs, and around a courtyard. Opposite the tower was a cemetery, filled with old tombstones. It was quiet, and at first I thought nobody was around at all. I did a headcount when I could, two small time priests, and the big guy I was after, Marva had called him 'Jayden'. Just some strange human priest who was satanically infecting the church of holy right.. But, Marva had ordered the hit, so I went there...."
Corvus walks up the stone steps of the church, which were decorated with small colored stone embedded into it. He walks up to the courtyard in the center and looks around. Nobody at all was around. Corvus seemed different now. He had his hood off, his hair was brown-red, and spiked up instead of in front his eyes. Corvus had bright blue eyes. He looked around, and saw a man on the hill in the cemetery. He casually walked up to him, as the man picked up a strange looking flower, and sat around the far edge of the tree. Corvus said to him, "Hello, Sir? May I talk to you?"
The man turned and looked up at him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was a man in his early thirties, married, by the ring on his finger, and had dark brown hair, nearly black in color. He had a beard which was obviously unshaven, and a smile upon his face. The man was obviously American, and a scientist at that. The man smiled at Corvus and said, "Well, hello there. A nice day, isn't it? Although, I will admit, we should get some rain." He said, looking up to the sky.
Corvus responded, looking up also, "Yes, it's looked like this since I got to the nearby town yesterday. I hope it doesn't rain during my job today, It may make it a little harder." He glanced back down to the man. "What brings you out to Europe, doctor, and to a place so dreary?"
The unshaven man responded, "Call me Victor. I'm learning. The people around here believe in magic of sorts, and suchas, I've been reading this book. The book has said I would need a flower" He stopped for a moment to lift the strange and beautiful light purple flower he had picked from the tree's root. "To complete one of the more interesting series, I hope to be able to see it in action, here today."
Corvus sat next to him, and pulled out a picture of a blond haired man, young, handsome, and well learned. "I'm looking for this man, my boss calls him Jayden."
"Ahh him." Victor replied, with a memory sparking in his mind. "The locals call him Jayce Deneroe. He's a priest in training, though he much doesn't seem interested. I'm assuming whatever you're doing here is dangerous, but I'll butt out of it."
Corvus replied, simply, "You should."
"So, who are you, my good and well mannered friend?"
"Call me Core." He held out his hand, and the men shook. "I'm just out here to do what needs to be done. I'm a cleaner."
Victor got up now, and stretched his legs. "Well, I'm going inside. I may see you later, Core, If my assumptions are right."
Corvus got up, and turned to where he was, but saw no one next to him at the tree. The space was blank, as if no one had ever been there, and the sky started to rain on him. Corvus looked up to the bell tower, and sighed, saying, "Well.. Break's over, back to work." As he walked over to the tower opposite the courtyard.
Hours later...
Two men walk up the stone stairs, and Corvus is in position in the clock tower, peering out of the window, holding a sniper rifle to his chest, and breathing slowly in the dust air of the bell room. The room has four windows, one opening to the courtyard, on to the roof of the church, and two out to the town on the horizon. Corvus takes a deep breath, and leans out the window with the gun as the two men get close to the top of the stairs.
One of the men is old, clearly not the target, a man of faith, A priest of much respect. The other has short blond hair, green eyes, and is walking next to the older man. They are talking, the older is clearly a trainer to the younger one. The older man is one who is well known in the town as Father Bronks. The younger man is his apprentice, Corvus's target, Jayce Deneroe.
Corvus leans out the window holding his gun up, placing his eye to the scope. He knows inside that he must take them both at once, for the other one would run into town. He lines up a shot as they make it to the center of the courtyard, one that puts the bullet's path through Father Bronks head, and past him into Jayce Deneroe's heart. Corvus places his finger on the trigger, and pulls. The bullet speeds along its path, but as the bullet meets near the Father, Jacye leans back by the smallest bit, and the bullet goes through Father Bronks head, past Jayce, and into the ground harmlessly.
Corvus stares in shocked disbelief as Jayce looks down at the Father's corpse, uncaring. His eyes moved up to the bell tower's window, where Corvus is surprised, and the gun slips from his shocked hands, it sliding down the wall, bouncing of a slightly purple stone, and sliding across the courtyard's stone ground to the feet of Jayce Deneroe. He looked down to the gun, then back up to Corvus, a twitch of happy insanity in his eyes. He picked up the rifle, and Corvus leaned back into the window to think about what his choices were.
He said to himself, "I can also go down the stairs to him, and try and sneak up on him.. But no, there's no cover." He peered over to the window, the one leading to the roof of the Church. "Hmmm..." Corvus thought for a moment. "Well, I could run, Pray, or run and pray he doesn't hit me... Hmph." He rose to his feet and jumped out of the window, a bullet passing his ear. He ran across the curved rooftops of the church to the end on the roof, and jumped over to the cemetery, as the final bullet in the rifle's clip shot through Corvus's hood. He hit the ground hard, the rain matting down his hair, but got up and kept moving.
Jayce dropped the rifle, it bouncing off the toe of his shoe and sliding away, down the stairs. He run forward into the cemetery at Corvus, much faster than he was moving. Jayce reached into his jacket as Corvus looked back to him. Corvus watch him pull out a magnum, and raise it up. Jayce was face to face with Corvus, the gun raised to his Right eye. Jayce had an evil little smirk as he pulled the trigger, the bullet traveling down the silver barrel, into Corvus's right eye, and out the other side of his skull. He fell to the ground, as Jayce walked away from his lifeless body. As his head hit the ground, the blood trickled down his face, and it was visible his his left eye, blue as can be, was slowly turning red with blood. The rain was washing away the blood he bled, but his eye stayed thick red. The rain stop then, and a door from the church opened, as the flashback turned dark, and came to a close...
...... Was Corvus really dead?
Chapter 39: Deathtoll
6:05 pm, Basement of hotel
The elevator doors opened slowly, and Dante stepped out into a room much like a vault. There were ancient artifacts, books, statues, tablets, machinery, weapons, and bones of creatures long since passed. The room itself was dark, coated in a slight layer of dust, and a little stuffy. The floor was a reflective black marble, and the walls a contrasting rough white stone. Dante walked them all the way down the corridor, from recent history, all the way down to the oldest times, then passed them still and went to a small safe. He turned the dial, twisting to a combination twelve numbers long, then opened the thick metal door. Nobody said a word. Nobody made a sound. Nobody even moved. Dante pulled out a book from the safe, in shambles. He laid it on a nearby platform, and turned back to them.
"This book.." He said to them, "Is a book of no parallel. Accurate more-so than any prediction made by man or technology to date. It tells of Marva's rising... his gathering, and even the events from today. Sadly, it's mostly illegible." He walked around the platform, to the other side, and turned the strange black book towards us. It was falling apart, the sides torn, pages brown with decay. The symbol of the Fallen was etched into the cover. "We dug this book up in a burial ground, but nobody has any idea when it was written... or how many languages it consists of other than the seven we deciphered, but this is not the first occurrence of this winged monster 'Manervaeva' ever rising. It existed long ago, and destroyed many lives, until one day it was struck from the sky by an unknown force. Some say it flew too close to the sun, and fell to the ground by that, or that god himself became angry at the beast, lashing it to hell. It fell, and from that day gained another name, Icarus. Nobody knows the death toll of it's kills, but it's estimated around 2,000,000.." He looked up at the rest of the group, expecting someone else to talk. As no one did, he moved the book back to it's safe.
Medusa then moved in front of them, sitting on the pedestal. She said, "The Fallen. They have an elite specialist group focused on a specific weapon each. I will tell you of each of these members. The first one you all know as Annabelle. She's dead now, but her weapon was her form. Beauty can manipulate anyone with eyes, she said. Kain Virgil, a master of Katanas. He's cold, intellectual, and precise. I have no record of him ever tripping up on a mission. His brother, Marcus. Marcus, known also as Mark, focuses on swords as well, but Broadswords with ridges and spikes. His personal name for them would be Chained Hell. Jaime Mellow, a boy from your school. His actual means of attack is hallucinogens, but he's dead as well. Alexia Mare, focused on acrobatics and close combat. Don't get in a fist fight with her please, especially since she's in the room with us. Corvus Insan, the team Assassin. From what I've seen, he only uses Snipers, but I may be wrong on this affect, since I've only seen the psycho once or twice."
The whole room was quiet, and trying to fully absorb what she had said. Then, Kia piped up with a small comment, "Only three left?" Her comment would remained unanswered for a long time...
6:10 pm, NYC streets.
Corvus walks down a street littered with soulless bodies, all taken by Icarus. He pulls of his jacket and hangs it on a broken pole. His arms are covered in black erratic lines, meeting up at his middle upper arm in one solid circle. He unholsters a magnum with a strange design of a crazed crow on the barrel of the gun. He walked to an intersection, West 72 and Columbus, and right before him landed Icarus. Corvus snickered, and looked up at the monster, the hair falling enough to see his right eye. It was pitch-black with rot, looking dead as can be. He said to the creature, "So, you intend to be my reaper this evening?" As a response, Icarus opened it's mouth in a roar, showing it's 5 pronged mouth with an eye at each end, before it closed back into it's shelled form. Corvus continued, "Well... why not go out with a bang?" With this comment he raised the gun, and the view shifts upwards. A gunshot is heard, and Icarus roars once more, then flies off. The view zooms to the ground, the magnum stained crimson. The words "Blood-stained Crowe" are carved into the gun...
The elevator doors opened slowly, and Dante stepped out into a room much like a vault. There were ancient artifacts, books, statues, tablets, machinery, weapons, and bones of creatures long since passed. The room itself was dark, coated in a slight layer of dust, and a little stuffy. The floor was a reflective black marble, and the walls a contrasting rough white stone. Dante walked them all the way down the corridor, from recent history, all the way down to the oldest times, then passed them still and went to a small safe. He turned the dial, twisting to a combination twelve numbers long, then opened the thick metal door. Nobody said a word. Nobody made a sound. Nobody even moved. Dante pulled out a book from the safe, in shambles. He laid it on a nearby platform, and turned back to them.
"This book.." He said to them, "Is a book of no parallel. Accurate more-so than any prediction made by man or technology to date. It tells of Marva's rising... his gathering, and even the events from today. Sadly, it's mostly illegible." He walked around the platform, to the other side, and turned the strange black book towards us. It was falling apart, the sides torn, pages brown with decay. The symbol of the Fallen was etched into the cover. "We dug this book up in a burial ground, but nobody has any idea when it was written... or how many languages it consists of other than the seven we deciphered, but this is not the first occurrence of this winged monster 'Manervaeva' ever rising. It existed long ago, and destroyed many lives, until one day it was struck from the sky by an unknown force. Some say it flew too close to the sun, and fell to the ground by that, or that god himself became angry at the beast, lashing it to hell. It fell, and from that day gained another name, Icarus. Nobody knows the death toll of it's kills, but it's estimated around 2,000,000.." He looked up at the rest of the group, expecting someone else to talk. As no one did, he moved the book back to it's safe.
Medusa then moved in front of them, sitting on the pedestal. She said, "The Fallen. They have an elite specialist group focused on a specific weapon each. I will tell you of each of these members. The first one you all know as Annabelle. She's dead now, but her weapon was her form. Beauty can manipulate anyone with eyes, she said. Kain Virgil, a master of Katanas. He's cold, intellectual, and precise. I have no record of him ever tripping up on a mission. His brother, Marcus. Marcus, known also as Mark, focuses on swords as well, but Broadswords with ridges and spikes. His personal name for them would be Chained Hell. Jaime Mellow, a boy from your school. His actual means of attack is hallucinogens, but he's dead as well. Alexia Mare, focused on acrobatics and close combat. Don't get in a fist fight with her please, especially since she's in the room with us. Corvus Insan, the team Assassin. From what I've seen, he only uses Snipers, but I may be wrong on this affect, since I've only seen the psycho once or twice."
The whole room was quiet, and trying to fully absorb what she had said. Then, Kia piped up with a small comment, "Only three left?" Her comment would remained unanswered for a long time...
6:10 pm, NYC streets.
Corvus walks down a street littered with soulless bodies, all taken by Icarus. He pulls of his jacket and hangs it on a broken pole. His arms are covered in black erratic lines, meeting up at his middle upper arm in one solid circle. He unholsters a magnum with a strange design of a crazed crow on the barrel of the gun. He walked to an intersection, West 72 and Columbus, and right before him landed Icarus. Corvus snickered, and looked up at the monster, the hair falling enough to see his right eye. It was pitch-black with rot, looking dead as can be. He said to the creature, "So, you intend to be my reaper this evening?" As a response, Icarus opened it's mouth in a roar, showing it's 5 pronged mouth with an eye at each end, before it closed back into it's shelled form. Corvus continued, "Well... why not go out with a bang?" With this comment he raised the gun, and the view shifts upwards. A gunshot is heard, and Icarus roars once more, then flies off. The view zooms to the ground, the magnum stained crimson. The words "Blood-stained Crowe" are carved into the gun...
Chapter 40: Unforeseen Events
6:20 pm, Basement
"So, we'll go down Columbus?" Vincent asked his friends.
"It sounds like a solid plan. There are some cars parked in the corporation I have down the street," responded Dante.
Haywire then commented, "So, uhh.. Mistah Garemet.. Where should I go?"
"You're to stay here. You'll be safe down here, I promise. There's no way it could fit in here, with how much it's grown from all of it's feeding."
Nina and Mini were aside from this conversation, talking back and forth.
Nina started, "Well, it's getting too hot with him. I mean, charging towards the enemy? I don't know about this."
Mimi responded, "We'll be fine. It's Vincent, so what could go wrong?"
"Only everything. He's just human, and same with the fallen girl here. Kia really can't do too much from what I've seen, we would be better off alone."
"He promised to protect us. With that promise, I know we'll be fine."
"What if he dies trying?"
To this, Mimi had no answer. Medusa and Kia were over looking at a map of the city, trying to find the best route to take. Icarus wouldn't have taken out any of the bridges, but the roads would be crowded with cars. Although most of the cars would have soulless people in them by now. The two found a good route, and marked it. They seemed pretty sure it would work, and went to show the others.
6:23 pm, Clydesdale School parking lot
Kain was standing near a normal looking car, and saw Jayden and Lilly walking towards him. He leaned off of the car, and slumped over, his hands in his pockets.
When Jayden reached the car, he spoke. "Hello, Kain. How are you?"
Kain seemed less enthusiastic, his usual monotonous self. "Did he even notice?"
"Well, no actually."
"Hm... He's not all as he claims. 'Demon of Power' he calls himself... I believe he is a demon of lies."
"Kain, so strange of you to say such things." Jayden opened the back door of his car, and Lilly sat inside, closing the door behind her. "I thought your loyalty was unwavering?"
"He plans to create a mass genocide of humanity, in order to strike out at the gods whom have imprisoned him on this rotting shell of a planet." Kain looked over at the setting sun. "Foolish... T'wer the gods at all threatened by Marva, he would have been stricken down where he stands now."
"Ahh, Kain." Jayden began, "You fail to remember, interference is a rule nowadays."
Kain just stood there, as Jayden got into his car and drove away. Kain was staring off into the distance, where the sky was turning into a form of red... A bloody red.
6:32 pm, Lobby of Dante's hotel
Dante walked up to the doors of the hotel and looked out, signaling the others over as the coast was clear. As everyone stepped outside, it became quickly apparent that nothing was right anymore. The cars were all forced to the side of the streets, with bodies laying lifelessly near them in heaps and piles. The ground was ripped and torn by the scratches the monstrosity had left in it's wake. The sky, bleeding a red which only a living creature bleeds. In this city, there was not a living soul on the streets other than themselves. The sky was darkened by the red clouds, and the damage seemed emphasized. The small rebellious team could not believe their eyes anymore. Marva had gone too far.
".. Are... those all people?" Nina asked in disbelief.
Vincent nodded, then took the first step down the stairs. The others filed behind him. Kia stepped down first, then Mimi and Nina, together. Medusa followed them, looking at a body thrown onto the stairs. Finally, Dante and Corta followed after them. They walked silently past all of the taken lives, each with it's own expression of tortured pain frozen on it's face from the last moments of the life which was now torn bloodlessly from the city. The group walked down the street numbers at a faster rate each time. 70th street was just as bad. 71st street was nearly bare of bodies, but covered in rubble from the buildings lining the streets. From that point to 72nd was just as bad, but the group halted there, shocked.
"Hey..." Medusa was staring down the the ground, near the intersection of the street. "Does anyone else notice the puddle of blood here?"
At the intersection of 72nd and Columbus, there was a large puddle of blood with no corpse nearby. It looked more like someone had been shot or stabbed here, but no weapon was near, no body to claim the wounds.
Vincent looked over to Medusa. "Well, someone definitely died here... but there's not a single trace of 'em."
He looked back down the street, towards Dante, who was carrying Corta on his back. It seemed like every single second of the next minute or two happened in slow motion. A roar came from the building along the side of Columbus, between 71st and 72nd. Everyone looked up to see Icarus on the roof next to Dante's location. It smashed the side of the building, the rubble falling down and landing over Dante, then the creature glided down towards the rest of the group, every beat of it's wings pushing them back. It landed then, next to Nina and Mimi. It pulled it's head back, opened it's mouth, swung down and began to breathe in. Nina and Mimi waited for the pain to come, but as it didn't they looked over at the monster. Vincent stood between them and Iin, and screamed in pain as a small orb of light seemed to tear from his chest. The rest could do nothing but stare in horror. Behind them, they heard what sounded like a bolt of lightning, and a red flash flew over them and struck Icarus. It pulled away then, Vincent's soul returning to his body, and then turned and flew away.
Vincent fell backwards, landing on the cold torn concrete, as his eyes faded to a dim gray...
"So, we'll go down Columbus?" Vincent asked his friends.
"It sounds like a solid plan. There are some cars parked in the corporation I have down the street," responded Dante.
Haywire then commented, "So, uhh.. Mistah Garemet.. Where should I go?"
"You're to stay here. You'll be safe down here, I promise. There's no way it could fit in here, with how much it's grown from all of it's feeding."
Nina and Mini were aside from this conversation, talking back and forth.
Nina started, "Well, it's getting too hot with him. I mean, charging towards the enemy? I don't know about this."
Mimi responded, "We'll be fine. It's Vincent, so what could go wrong?"
"Only everything. He's just human, and same with the fallen girl here. Kia really can't do too much from what I've seen, we would be better off alone."
"He promised to protect us. With that promise, I know we'll be fine."
"What if he dies trying?"
To this, Mimi had no answer. Medusa and Kia were over looking at a map of the city, trying to find the best route to take. Icarus wouldn't have taken out any of the bridges, but the roads would be crowded with cars. Although most of the cars would have soulless people in them by now. The two found a good route, and marked it. They seemed pretty sure it would work, and went to show the others.
6:23 pm, Clydesdale School parking lot
Kain was standing near a normal looking car, and saw Jayden and Lilly walking towards him. He leaned off of the car, and slumped over, his hands in his pockets.
When Jayden reached the car, he spoke. "Hello, Kain. How are you?"
Kain seemed less enthusiastic, his usual monotonous self. "Did he even notice?"
"Well, no actually."
"Hm... He's not all as he claims. 'Demon of Power' he calls himself... I believe he is a demon of lies."
"Kain, so strange of you to say such things." Jayden opened the back door of his car, and Lilly sat inside, closing the door behind her. "I thought your loyalty was unwavering?"
"He plans to create a mass genocide of humanity, in order to strike out at the gods whom have imprisoned him on this rotting shell of a planet." Kain looked over at the setting sun. "Foolish... T'wer the gods at all threatened by Marva, he would have been stricken down where he stands now."
"Ahh, Kain." Jayden began, "You fail to remember, interference is a rule nowadays."
Kain just stood there, as Jayden got into his car and drove away. Kain was staring off into the distance, where the sky was turning into a form of red... A bloody red.
6:32 pm, Lobby of Dante's hotel
Dante walked up to the doors of the hotel and looked out, signaling the others over as the coast was clear. As everyone stepped outside, it became quickly apparent that nothing was right anymore. The cars were all forced to the side of the streets, with bodies laying lifelessly near them in heaps and piles. The ground was ripped and torn by the scratches the monstrosity had left in it's wake. The sky, bleeding a red which only a living creature bleeds. In this city, there was not a living soul on the streets other than themselves. The sky was darkened by the red clouds, and the damage seemed emphasized. The small rebellious team could not believe their eyes anymore. Marva had gone too far.
".. Are... those all people?" Nina asked in disbelief.
Vincent nodded, then took the first step down the stairs. The others filed behind him. Kia stepped down first, then Mimi and Nina, together. Medusa followed them, looking at a body thrown onto the stairs. Finally, Dante and Corta followed after them. They walked silently past all of the taken lives, each with it's own expression of tortured pain frozen on it's face from the last moments of the life which was now torn bloodlessly from the city. The group walked down the street numbers at a faster rate each time. 70th street was just as bad. 71st street was nearly bare of bodies, but covered in rubble from the buildings lining the streets. From that point to 72nd was just as bad, but the group halted there, shocked.
"Hey..." Medusa was staring down the the ground, near the intersection of the street. "Does anyone else notice the puddle of blood here?"
At the intersection of 72nd and Columbus, there was a large puddle of blood with no corpse nearby. It looked more like someone had been shot or stabbed here, but no weapon was near, no body to claim the wounds.
Vincent looked over to Medusa. "Well, someone definitely died here... but there's not a single trace of 'em."
He looked back down the street, towards Dante, who was carrying Corta on his back. It seemed like every single second of the next minute or two happened in slow motion. A roar came from the building along the side of Columbus, between 71st and 72nd. Everyone looked up to see Icarus on the roof next to Dante's location. It smashed the side of the building, the rubble falling down and landing over Dante, then the creature glided down towards the rest of the group, every beat of it's wings pushing them back. It landed then, next to Nina and Mimi. It pulled it's head back, opened it's mouth, swung down and began to breathe in. Nina and Mimi waited for the pain to come, but as it didn't they looked over at the monster. Vincent stood between them and Iin, and screamed in pain as a small orb of light seemed to tear from his chest. The rest could do nothing but stare in horror. Behind them, they heard what sounded like a bolt of lightning, and a red flash flew over them and struck Icarus. It pulled away then, Vincent's soul returning to his body, and then turned and flew away.
Vincent fell backwards, landing on the cold torn concrete, as his eyes faded to a dim gray...
The remaining chapters are under the "Devils and Angels" tab labeled "Post Chapter 40" (still in progress, of course.)
© Sebastian Dow 2009 - 2011