I stood on the rooftops of downtown LA, watching the crowds. It was a cloudy, overcast day, which fit my mood. I jumped off the roof, dropping down into the alley on my left, ducking inside my sage-colored rain jacket. Nenona had been suspended for two months. Barely a day into her punishment, she had disappeared, taking only her motorcycle, minimal clothes(including her leathers), and emptying her bank account of 70,000 in cash. She left a note, and a few clues for the Guardians so we could find her in case we needed to, but other than that, we didn�t know.
I missed her. In a short while I had gone from seeing her as a spoiled city brat, to a wizened leader. She was a good friend and always valued our input on things.
It had been about four days after she left when Katty called me, wanting to know if I felt like doing a small, local assignment (like I had a choice). The council said that we were free to search for Nenona, but they were keeping us busy.
The �small, local assignment� consisted of using my sensitivity powers to find other metaphysical beings, and recruiting them for the PO, or at least getting them help. I was discouraged after finding a few, only to see them disappear out of fear of discovery, or just use me for gain and then run away. A girl werewolf a few days ago�.we have a sort of cure�.we could�ve helped her, but she ran instead.
My khaki cargos, brown hiking boots, dark green coldgear shirt, rain jacket, and dark green leather sling back didn�t exactly reinforce a tough image, but I know body language well enough to know what to do. I strode confidently though the alleys, keeping a wary eye out. It was sunset, so the shadows were long and most of the alley was in dark.
I stopped at the sight of a human couple in the demon-block. Nothing wrong, except that the guy was carrying his red-headed girlfriend, who seemed to be unconscious. I rushed toward them, putting my hands up to show that I meant no harm.
�It�s okay, I just want to help.�
�I don�t think you can. She�s been this was for a while.� the teen retorted, backing up.
�What happened?� I asked, and he was quiet. �Nevermind, just�..let me see what I can do. Please?� he slowly came forward, and I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her. She was cold, and a redhead, like me. I wondered if her eyes were green, but I couldn�t freak the kid out. Something gnawed at my tongue, but I couldn�t quite place it. Her head seemed fine, and she didn�t have any bodily trauma at all. I didn�t sense an infection either. I checked her neck for bite marks, just in case, but nothing.
I put my hand on her forehead. Last resort�mind reading. I worked quickly, figuring out as much as I could. Paulie was the her guy�s name. Zo� is hers. She had been through trauma, catatonia possibly--wait, she was a Vis Vires�at person of strength. That why she seemed vaguely familiar. Vis Vires are ordained fighters held under another part of the council, separate from Michael�s job. Like knights, they were accepted into the ranks, but like ninja, they did odd jobs, and like spies they preferred to work alone. We had male and female Vis Vires, and many were in our patrol groups.
That still didn�t explain the weird vibe I got from Paulie. The I noticed him avoid what little sunlight there was�.he was a vampire. It made no sense, but I think they were friends before either one turned�and Paulie somehow still had his soul.
And odd couple, but still, he had the chance to run away, to kill her, and he didn�t. I stood up, carrying her in my arms, my jacket still wrapped around her shoulders.
As I handed her to Paulie, he was clearly weak from carrying her. They probably had nowhere to go.
�Do you have somewhere to stay?� I asked.
�I have a place. They won�t ask questions. They�ll give you a room for a week, but any longer and you�d have to file for it. They�ll give you clothes and a proper meal too.�
�Thanks, but no thanks. Our situation�.�
I nodded. He thought that they would kill him and take her away.
�Then you�ll need a place still�� I thought there were a few places I had learned about, safe havens for the homeless. There was a warehouse nearby that would do.
��.Follow me.� I said, leading the way, and picking up my backpack.
I pulled open the warehouse door, then set about making the room more vampire-friendly. I threw paint on the windows and I set up some tarps I found, sectioning off certain places. The bathroom and such was clean, although covered in dust. I checked the water valves and found that the place was rigged to work off a nearby building. No cots, but I found lots of blankets and a not-too-bad mattress, and I made a place for the girl. I dragged an old couch over to the area while Paulie watched.
�What are you?� He asked.
�I should be asking you the same question.�
I finished and brushed my hands off, then turned and extended my hand to shake his.
�I�m Andrew. I�m a Guardian, the wood guardian to be exact.�
�I�m Paulie.�
�You�re a vampire.�
Paulie released my hand and backed away.
�Relax. You�ve had plenty of chances to eat her before I was here, and you haven�t. So I�m not gonna take her away. I just want to help.�
�What�s wrong with her?�
�I think she�s in something called a catatonia--sort of like a coma.�
�Can�can you help her?�
The guy was young�.maybe only a high-schooler, and he had been turned recently. I felt pity for him, and the girl. I resolved to do whatever was in my power to help. I was not going to lose another charge.
�I will try. Catatonia is usually induced from high stress or bodily damage.�
�Will she be okay?�
�I don�t know�but let�s focus on what we can do. I can get you some better clothes, and food.� I eyed his worn clothing and rather guant cheeks.
�I haven�t fed in weeks, and even then, it�s only been animals�.I�I can�t eat humans.�
�That�s okay. We have an alternative. Plenty, actually.�
Blood synth would be easiest to get at night, and since I�ve met Daria, the distributor, she gave up ten bags and a mini-fridge at my request.
I spent the whole next day in the library and about two hours in the afternoon looking for better clothes for both of them.
Boots, for both. The girl was wearing only flats with no support, and the guy worn-to-death sneakers. Socks, BDU�s and jeans for Paulie, plus a few t-shirts. A long canvas jacket. I went to Samantha, the wardrober, for stuff for the girl. Two duffel bags full, one for Paulie and the other for Zoey, sat in the back of my car along with some basic toiletries for both, the mini-fridge, and two brown paper bags full of stuff for my attempt to bring her out of her catatonia. I couldn�t help but flash back to my mom and dad, still in Africa, and all that they taught me over the years.
Once at the warehouse, I brought everything inside and set it down, quickly plugging in the refridgerator. The new ones today worked on very little electricity, and this one was meant for transport, so it had an internal back-up battery.
�Thank you for helping�I kinda knew that she was alive still, so I couldn�t stand to just dump her, you know?�
I nodded and threw him his duffel, then began unpacking the paper bags. Candles, incense, chalk, colored powder, also a borrowed library book from the advanced magics section�I have a key.
I swept an area of the floor clean, and opened the book to the page I had marked, then started on the circle. First I figured out where north was, then I laid out a regular guardian circle, with the two opposing arrows, facing N/S, and a thick solid bar from E/W. I placed candles, gemstones, two crystals, and herbs in a smudging pot around the center piece. I lit the candles and threw some incense and a lit match into the smudge pot. Paulie had finished taking a shower and watched me as I set it up, then helped me set Zoey in the center.
I sat across from her, in the middle, with both of our legs crossed. I cast a circle. I held her hands and reached into my powers, then I entered her mind.
She was scared, quiet. She didn�t know what had happened to her and I found her alone, in what I took to be her old room, rocking back and forth, her knees pulled up to her chest.
�Zo�?� I called to her.
�Who are you?� she said, turning her tear-streaked face to me.
�Andrew�Zo�, what�s wrong? Tell me what�s wrong.�
�I�m a freak.�
I laughed. I couldn�t help it.
�Zo� Dannielle O�Connelly. You don�t hold a candle to the people I know.. Yes, it�s strange that your most devoted friend is a vampire with a soul, and that you�re a vis vires, but weirder and worse situations have existed, trust me.� She searched my face and I noticed her eyes were the same brilliant green as mine now were�they were originally brown.
Freckles dotted her cheeks, and a halo of frizzy red hair, unmatted by mud, stuck out from around her head.
�Paulie is looking after me?�
�Yes.�
�Where am I?�
�Los Angeles. In a warehouse.� I held out my hand. �Would you like to wake up?� I asked her.
�I don�t know.� she said, hugging her knees tight.
�Paulie misses you.�
�He does?�
�Yes. He was really worried about you. He wants you to get better.� She took my hand.
�Then I want to wake up.�
�Ugh.� she said, noticing the crust of grime, oil, dust, and mud over her entire body.
�Yeah, I know what you mean.� I crossed over to where her duffel was and picked it up, then tossed it to her. Hers was larger than Paulie�s, I noticed. Samantha had loaded her down, but Zo� still handled it easily.
After spending an hour in the bathroom, Zo� came out, wearing flared khaki cargos, a dark green cropped polo with a white long-sleeve shirt underneath. She sat down on the mattress to pull on the brown hiking boots I had gotten her. Her hair had curled into soft waves and was no longer frizzy. It was long, and it fell over her face as she tied her bootlaces.
I leaned against one of the pillars and watched her as she stood up and picked up my dirty rain jacket.
�This is yours, isn�t it?� She held it out to me.
�Yeah, it is.� I took the grubby jacket back.
�Sorry�� she began to apoligize.
�It�s okay, you needed it more than I did. Also I think Sam put a jacket in your duffel for you.�
I switched the jacket over to my right hand, and she noticed my sandalwood rosaries entwined with my left hand�s fingers.
�What are those?� she pointed.
�Rosaries. Sandalwood ones. I guess that I have a thing for wood jewelry.� I reached up and pulled out my wooden bead necklace with a carved cross out of my shirt collar. I was wearing a green Henley, with a black bonsai t-shirt over it, along with light brown hiking pants, and my boots.
�Cool.� she said.
�I was wondering if you were hungry at all?� I said, before I lost my nerve.
She laughed.
�Yeah, starving.�
�So d�you want to eat somewhere? Both of you?� I looked from Paulie to Zo�.
Paulie was a short, brown-haired guy. His hair seemed like it had once been cut short, but had since grown out into a shaggy mop. He did look better, though, wearing clean clothes instead of the ripped, grimy rags from before. He was wearing his black BDU�s, calf-high boots, and a gray t-shirt.
She had been �normal� for a long time. Her mom and her had lived together, until her powers appeared and things started going crazy. Shortly before Paulie was turned, she revealed her powers to him.
How she got into a catatonia I also learned. The warlock vampire had attempted to do a consciousness switch between Zo� and his undead girlfriend.
So, yeah, she had been through a lot.
I took some time to explain to them both who I was, and also offer advice.
�You�re going to need combat training, both of you.�
�I don�t want any. I�m not going to fight.� Zo� stated.
�You need some.�
�No, I don�t. I don�t want to be used by your company.� she raised her voice as she said, �I refuse to be used.�
�This is to avoid that. So you can be strong, so you have the confidence to make your own decisions, so you don�t end up being used by another.�
She was quiet. I kept going.
�I�ve seen it happen before. He tried so hard to avoid the big things that suck you in, and when he did get caught he lost himself.�
�What would you teach me?�
�Staff fighting. Very Non-lethal. I can teach you more, but the staff is a good place to start.�
�Won�t I look weird carrying around a big stick?�
�Not really.� I said, pulling out on of my collapsible staffs. �This is the one that I�ve been using.� It was a smooth metal cylinder, with graduated ends, in all about 18 inches long. I stroked three fingers along it.
�I�ll show you how to open it once we get back to the warehouse. It might get messy if I do it in here.�
�Okay.� she agreed, and I put the staff back into my shoulder bag.
Later on we were in the warehouse, and I pulled out one of the staffs and gave it to her, then pulled out another for myself. I showed her how to expand it, causing it to telescope out into a five � foot long weapon.
After doing so, I backed up and twirled mine nonchalantly. I was used to the feel, the weight and balance of these, even though I preferred a bowstick or wooden staff. Zo� handled it awkwardly.
�Don�t be afraid of it. Feel free to drop it, twirl it, etc.� She attempted to twirl it like I had, but twisted her hands around one another and she dropped it, the metal clanging on the concrete.
�Sorry!� She said, scrambling to get it.
�It�s okay.� I admitted, chuckling softly at her being so embarrassed. �May I refresh you what I was before this? I still am, to some extent, a klutz. Once you�re comfortable with it, it will get a lot easier, and I can teach you to some exercises to do with it, so you�ll be more familiar with your staff.�
�ok.� she said, holding he staff parallel to the ground.
I taught her some basic blocks, parries, and I showed her the basic weak points on the human body. I noticed that it was nearing dawn.
�Hey, I have to go. I have a shift today.�
I collapsed my staff down and Zo� did the same, then attempted to give it to me.
�No.� I said, putting mine in my bag and zipping the bag shut. �Keep it. It�s yours. You need it to practice with.�
�Thank you.� she tightened her grip on it, holding it in both hands.
�No prob. I�ll see you again tonight.�
I left in the car, getting back to my apartment with barely enough time to shower and report for a training session, then to a supervising shift.
When the shift ended, I snuck down to the tech department. I hoped Marco wasn�t there. He had issued both fine-tuned staffs himself. I hated taking things without asking, but I needed two staffs. I couldn�t walk around without a backup plan. It was about seven pm, and they closed every day at five, unless it was a big project one a deadline, which I would�ve heard of at the briefing or something.
I felt around in the dark for the storeroom�s light switch, flipping it on and going over the shelves, trying to find the pelican box with the staffs in it. I knocked over a case and plastic smacked concrete with an ear-splitting BANG! I froze and resisted the urge to unleash a colorful, many-languaged stream of curses.
�Do I even want to know what�s going on?� Marco asked, right behind me, at the end of the aisle. He had snuck up and has his arms crossed, black combat boots firmly planted, shoulder-width apart.
�Probably not.� I retorted, turning around.
�What are you looking for?� He asked.
�Can I tell you and have you not be mad?�
�Try me.�
�I need another staff. I �er�lost one of my issued ones.�
�Uh-huh.� He said, walking over to a shelf and pulling the box off of it. Then opening it and pulling out two staffs, collapsed into their compact form.
I reached out my hand for them.
�I have to find-tune it. It won�t take five minutes.� He turned to leave and I followed him.
After hooking up his laptop to pull up my measurements, he set small weights on the extended pieces, and changed the flexibility slightly. He collapsed them both, and held them out to me. I reached for it but he pulled it slightly out of my reach.
�Tell me what�s going on and I�ll give you them, Andrew.�
�I can�t.�
�Andrew.� He paused to sort out his words. �I want you to get something here. I am first, and foremost, your friend and teammate. I have a right to be worried, and a right to your trust. Now spill.�
I sighed.
�I found a vis vires. A homeless one and her vampire boyfriend, actually. She needed help. She still does. I�m teaching her how to fight. I don�t want her to get used or taken in by their separatist group. They�d kill her soul.�
�Alright then.� He said, handing me the staff.
I spent the next few weeks teaching her, letting her get comfortable with how she moved, and teaching her to fight defensively. I taught her to duck, and roll whilst holding her staff, and some basic karate. I moved onto throwing the staff, using two at a time, and switching from one to the other.
She progressed quite well, moving quickly through the lessons. Every once in a while, Paulie joined in. Sometime I brought her food, sometimes all of us went out. I made sure the fridge was always stocked with blood-syth, though I still didn�t trust Paulie completely.
Zo� burst out of the ice cream shop, carrying a frozen cappuccino, she stopped and waited for me to join her. I had a soy milkshake, and as we strolled along the sidewalk, I brought up something that had been bothering me.
�Do you have any ID on you?� I asked.
�No.� she answered, tugging on her jacket sleeve. �I left them all behind when I was COMATOSE.� she put strain on the word.
�Sorry, but either way you�ll need to get some ID soon. A job too. You can�t live in that warehouse forever.
�Why not?� she said, looking at me.
�Zo�, I know it seems like you have forever, but you don�t. I don�t want to see you as just another homeless kid.� She stuck out her tongue.
�I know silly. You needn�t worry about me.�
�Zo�, I get that you�re a warrior now, but even though you and Paulie can fight, it doesn�t change the fact that both of you are still kids.�
�I�m 16.�
�Exactly. You two need to either join a group home or go back to school.�
Just then, my senses tweaked. A black SUV had been following us.
�Zo�, don�t worry, but I think that�� My voice was cut off by the squeal of tires. I threw down my milkshake and yelled to Zo�. �RUN!!� She obeyed, following me down the sidewalk and into a courtyard. The SUV pursued us, bowling over trashcans and knocking small trees down. The SUV overtook us, cutting our path off, and five agents piled out of the cars, surrounding us. I reached for my ever-present staff, held in my leather sling pack, and I heard the sound of semi-autos being cocked.
�Freeze, Pretty boy.� One of the agents ordered, his low, grating voice sounding like a growl.
I froze.
�Put your hands on your heads.� I did as bidden, as they zip-tied my hands together as they forced me to my knees.. They shoved Zo� in the SUV, and took off. Once they had left, I fell from my kneeling position to the ground, crying.