Chapter Nineteen
Free Fall
Trasher's Corner
Snohomish, Seattle
July 14, 2059
10:06 pm
Alona stepped into the darkened room. Above her unseen chains clinked together, blown by an unfelt breeze. The room was bathed in a thick darkness. Nevertheless Imira's eyes focused immediately on her heart's desire.
Despite the circles under her eyes and the bruises on her wrist and ankles Alone looked okay. Imira shifted her perceptions to the astral plane and saw that her daughter's aura was mundane. That was good. Barnabas had not infected her with the Human-MetaHuman Vampiric Virus.
The astral plane held a wealth of information open to Imira's mind. She saw the figures hunkered down in the shadows. Three of them bathed in colors of malevolence and anticipation.
The gutterpunks.
Barnabas stood not far from Alona. His aura was as unsettling as ever. Not quite human, not quite mage, but something else entirely. Much like Imira's own astral form. Unlike the gutterpunks, when he gazed at her on the astral plane he saw her. Even here his eyes spoke of something hidden in his dark soul.
There was a slight shuffling as the gutterpunks arrayed themselves. They're shadows danced across the walls as they moved. Not entirely invisible, but not easily seen either. They're movements give darkness surrounding the edges of the chamber were held a sinister feel. To Linna's credit she stayed close to Imira.
"You're late, m'lady." Barnabas said as Imira and Linna approached the center of the room.
"Mom!" Alona called.
"It's okay." Imira tried to sooth her. "I'm here now."
She looked around the chamber again. A sinking feeling settled on her when she realized that Nightsky was no where to be seen. Where was he? Had he left in face of this confrontation? Could his distrust and hate have changed his mind?
Barnabas beckoned.
"Hello Barnabas."
Barnabas looked behind her. "Who's that there? Have you brought someone in place of your daughter."
Linna flinched at that.
"You know I can't accept her, Imira. You made a mistake bringing her here."
"I am not here for a trade. I came to get my daughter."
"No. You are here to prove your loyalty to the Order." Barnabas paced around Alona. He scratched at her cheek with his fingernail. "Right, Imira? Darvish is very upset with you. The time has some to see where your heart lies."
Imira took a step forward and Barnabas raised his hand.
"Don't do anything you will regret."
Almost on que the three gutterpunks melted out of the shadows. Imira had known they were there. The gesture was his way of saying that no matter what she tried she wouldn't have time to save Alona.
"Enough of this talking. To business, Imira. Nails?"
Barnabas addressed the only female among the gutterpunks. The girl held a ceremonial knife in front of Imira. She took the knife with some reluctance.
Barnabas continued. "Fulfill you're place. Take your daughter's life. Show me that you have that ability and use her blood to strengthen your own magic just as Darvish taught. Show that you are still one of his faithful and all will be forgiven."
Linna made a sarcastic sneer. "Getting a little biblical there, huh?"
Barnabas and Linna exchanged glances. For a moment Imira thought she saw a look of recognition between the two of them.
He motioned at Spike. "Silence the whelp."
Spike grabbed Linna by her hair and locked an arm around her neck. A jagged blade came to her throat. "Stay with me, bitch. I'll show you a real good time after this is over. Hey, you can be my new squeeze. You squeeze real good you know. Nice and firm. Better than Alona. A hell of a lot better than Nails."
"Frag off." Nails spat.
"Just jealous, Nails. Me and this one are going to have fun after this is over."
Spike's face was twice as ugly than it ever was. His wounds had healed oddly and his nose was heavily distorted. In fact the entire side of his face was a bruised mess.
"Dream on, ugly." Linna snapped.
"Enough! Imira, the time is now. Take the knife and prove yourself. Do it not and all of you will die here. Complete the ritual and you will be forgiven by Darvish."
Imira looked at her daughter an the knife in her hand. The blade felt strangely familiar in her hand. It should for she had used something like it before when she was first initiated into the Order. Now, staring at her daughter, Imira knew the answer before she asked the question. She walked towards Alona wordlessly.
"No! What are you doing?" Linna screamed, trapped in Spike's iron grip. "This wasn't the plan."
Spike tightened his grip, forcing Linna to be silent.
Barnabas smiled eerily. "That's right, Imira. Show me that Darvish has not made a mistake in you. Show me that you haven't changed."
As Imira approached she spared a glance into the darkness about her. There was a faint jingle in the chains. Almost as loud as her footsteps.
Imira was standing directly in front of Alona now. Barnabas was just off to her left. Alona's eyes were filled the shock of misunderstanding as her mother raised the knife.
"Mom? What are you doing? Mom? Mom!"
Just this the problem, Barnabas." She breathed quietly.
Barnabas chuckled. "Problem?"
She glared at him. "I have changed."
And plunged the knife into Barnabas'throat.
Thick, red blood splattered across the floor. A fresh stream bathed Alona as Barnabas crumpled to the floor. The swiftness of the attack left him dazed as vital life fluid pumped from his open wound. It wasn't serious enough to kill him. Already the tissue was knitting back together, but it was slow. The magical properties of the blade forced Barnabas to push mana into healing his wound. However his windpipe had been pierced. Trying to unleash a terrifying howl only brought him more pain.
"Kill them!" Barnabas gasped. A sick, gurgling sound came from deep within him.
"Alona hold still!" Imira blocked her daughter with her own body as Willis pulled a Predator. Two slugs struck the vampire in the lower back. Imira gritted her teach as the bullets pushed into her flesh. They weren't enough to stop her. She had taken much worse before. Even worse from Darvish himself. The dark forces within her would heal her infected body.
Linna brought an elbow into Spike's gun and tried to snake out of his grip.
"Stupid slitch!" Spike pummeled Linna to the ground and raised his blade. "Too bad. You would've been fun too."
Linna braced herself for the slash that would surely end her life, but it never came.
"Back off halfscan!"
Spike hit the ground hard as Nightsky's foot slammed into his skull. The cruel blade skittered out of his grasp and made a screeching sound across the floor.
"Nightsky!"
"Finally, Michael." Imira sounded happy to see him. "I thought you had left."
"I'm not going back on what I said. I'm here to put an end to everything."
"Good." Imira eyed Barnabas. "If you will take care of his lackeys, I will take care of Barnabas."
"Agreed." Nightsky smiled. "Okay, Spike. Let's play."
"Where the fuck did you come from!?" Spike spat a mouthful of blood in his assaulter's direction.
The thick, hacking blade of Nightsky's sword came over his head. Emotionlessly he brought the heavy chunk of steel crashing down. It tore through tissue and broke bone. Fresh blood sprayed on Linna as Spike let out a ear-piercing wail.
"Spike!" Nails vaulted over an overturned chair. "Willis he hurt Spike!"
Heavy booms from a Predator rang out. The sound was deafening in the enclosed space. Sparks flew off the metal chains as the slug tore through the air. Nightsky dropped catching Spike with his heel on the way down. An Ares Viper came to his hand spitting a fire of silvery flechettes.
The slivers opened flesh like so many razors. Willis fell jerking in extreme pain. His left leg looked like a rabid animal had chewed on it.
Linna started to get up, but Nightsky shot her a look.
"Stay there!" He ordered as empty shell casings sprinkled the floor.
"Of frag, Nails, I'm hit! I'm hit!" Willis whined. "I'm bleeding! Oh saints I'm dying! I'm dying!"
"Give me your gun, Willis!"
A burst of flechettes cut through Willis' arm. The Predator hit the ground.
"Willis! Leave him alone or I'll kill you!"
Nails sounded different for some reason. There was a sharpness to her voice that had been there before. The reality had driven its way into her system for the first time. Seeing Willis bleeding and broken on the floor suddenly became too real. It wasn't like before when she seemed to be watching it in third person. Now the blood and the metal actually fell on her.
The Viper was poised to make it deathly real. Nightsky didn't hesitate as his finger squeezed the trigger.
And he suddenly found himself on the floor with a throbbing headache. The Viper had fallen out of his hand. Spike had nailed him somehow.
"You cut! You're going to pay for that!"
Nightsky brought his sword around to counter Spike's. The to blades grazed off one another.
"Linna!" Nightsky rolled to his feet, ducking as Spike's blade pasted inches from his nose. "Find the gun!"
"Right!"
"Stay down slitch!" Spike backhanded Linna.
Nightsky saw his chance and moved in. His heavy blade swatted Spike's aside. With that he drove his palm into the gutterpunk's chin, slamming his teeth together, and raking eyes with his fingernails. Spike gagged, tried to bring his blade up, and failed as his chest suddenly split open. Shock crossed his face as Nightsky's sword became covered in violent crimson. It was almost like he couldn't believe it was happening.
Then Nightsky lodged the thick, hacking blade into Spike's skull. The body thunked on the floor with a wet, sloppy sound.
"Spike? Spike!? SPIIIIIIIKKKKEE!" Nails cried. "You killed him! You sick frag you killed him! Damn you! DAMN YOU!"
The thick blade made a sick, crunching sound as Nightsky yanked it from Spike's cranium. Thick blood and gray matter clung to the blade like a stubborn stain. It swung in the direction of the remains gutterpunks.
Nightsky was beyond caring. Somewhere in the middle of the fray the line between right and wrong got blurred. Was it wrong to kill? Was it wrong to hurt people? Was it wrong to bear arms against another human being?
The questions didn't seem to hold any weight now. There was only one focus. Kill them. Kill them for a lifetime taken away. It doesn't matter how things turn out as long as they are dead in the end.
Nightsky started towards them, leaving Linna near Spike's mutilated corpse.
"Get Alona!" He barked at her.
"Right." Linna scrambled to her.
Willis continued screaming from his wounds. His blood painted the floor a crimson red. Who would have thought the kid would have that much blood in him?
"Drek!" Nails cursed as Nightsky drew closer. "Willis? Where's your gun? Where's your gun?! Where's your fragging gun?!"
Willis screamed in pain and fear. "Keep him away! Keep him away! I don't wanna die! Oh, god, no! Don't kill me!"
Nightsky hefted the heavy blade over his shoulder.
"I don't wanna die! Mommie! Mommie? Don't let me die! I-"
The sword came chopping down.
Willis went silent.
Nightsky's eyes met Nails. "Where you going?"
She had been searching for the gun Willis dropped.
"You next."
He yanked the blade from Willis' prone form. Linna looked on in shock.
"Oh yeah? Well," Nails looked around again. The gun was no where in sight. "Well come get some!" She took a defensive stance. "I'm not afraid of you! I'll kick your ass! I kill you! Then I kill those two!" She pointed at Linna who was untying Alona.
Nightsky didn't say a word. He just kept coming. The sword dripped blood off its menacing blade as he approached.
Alona watched fearfully. "He's not really going to do it, is he?"
Linna shut her eyes.
A moment later the remains of Nails hit the floor.
Meanwhile Imira slammed Barnabas into the wall. The magic that held his cruel soul in torment knitted his broken body together. The enraged vampire had inflicted a considerable amount of damage with her great strength and magic. Imira's ability to use magic to silence the banshee's horrifying wail gave her a severe advantage.
"Never again will I set idly by and do Darvish's bidding! Why couldn't you see that there was more than his will in my heart? I wanted my life back!"
Barnabas spat a mouthful of blood on the floor. "Foolish woman. Darvish's will shall be done! You are just unwilling to accept the inevitable."
"No, I think you are the one who is blind. To the inevitable." Imira delivered a blow combined with a spell that brought Barnabas to his knees. "You are the one who is broken. No matter how much your body heals itself I can still break it. One think I learned from Darvish was how to hurt someone."
She kicked him, sending the elf slamming into the wall.
"I think I learned quite well, don't you?"
"Yes, you did." Barnabas struggled to his feet. "But there's one thing you didn't learn."
"And what is that?"
"The ability to manipulate people."
A clanking metal sound came from behind her. Imira glanced over her shoulder to see Linna holding a crossbow at Alona's throat. Alona had a look of disbelief and betrayal on her face. She had no explanation.
"Linna?" Alona questioned. "What are you doing?"
"Shaddup!" Linna barked, a crazed look cracking her features. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this? Ever since you came to Seattle I've been watching you at my Master's command. Now I finally have a chance to fulfill his wishes and you are not going to mess this up for me!"
"Linna?! Have you lost your mind."
"I said shaddup! God, you'll never know how sick I am of you! Following you around every single day. Being your friend. All the time making sure your mother didn't try to take you and disappear. I was in hell! Hell for a whole year because of you! Now my Master will see my value. I can get out of this damned city!"
"You're crazy!"
"I'm being released!" She pulled the trigger. The wooden bolt buried itself in the middle of Imira's back. Imira froze instantly. The bite of the wooden shocked her nervous system. She fell.
Like this chapter? Then go on to the NEXT CHAPTER. Had enough of this story? Try going back to the Fiction Index and find something else. Thoughts, rants, comments? Email me and tell what you thought about it.