Angelus: Chapter VI

And due to exams, StarCraft II and Spore, it's been a while since i posted, so I decided to finish this thing off. These are the rest of the chapters, one in each post. Enjoy~!

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VI

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A week passed by, and Kade knew it was time to get a move on. Amy and Noire had finally settled down to a less… audible form of intimacy, and the rest had slept better for that. Personally, Kade had to hold himself back from jumping into Spin’s bed. There was that small fear he would be insufficient. But it was an uphill battle.

The day of departure rolled around, and everyone gathered around, weapons in hand and with bags of food and water on their backs. Nine was out collecting money from some of the banks, and they were all waiting nervously for him to return. Now that they were going back out, the old, familiar paranoia had returned. Noire and Amy had their arms around each other, hugging each other quietly with their eyes closed. Spin had her own hand around Kade’s waist. Kade rested his head on Spin’s shoulder, him stomach roiling and fear rolled through him. Were they really going to make it? Was it even possible? Who knows, those things could learn… Kannabis had remembered how to use his axe, after all. If they had learned where the exit points were and had blocked them, then all of them were destined to die.

Rage was the only one who didn’t show any emotion. He stood, stock-still, waiting for Nine to return so they could leave. Rage was glad to see all his friends scared, because it meant they had something to live for. Fear could be a good thing, sometimes. He himself had lost anything he cared for, except for these friends of his who had stuck by him. In that case, he should be scared himself, right? Whatever.

Nine returned soon enough, bringing with him five small bags filled with money of all denominations, an even mix of small and large. Clearly, he had thought about this and not just shoved anything into the bags. There was plenty to go around, and light enough so it wouldn’t inhibit running speed.

"All right, allowance time!" Nine sang out. "That’s it for the week, and make sure you do your chores."

'Ha ha, Nine," Kade said with a grin, "But thanks for the cash. Now all we need is to get out of this dump of a city… You guys really should come with us, you know…"

"Thanks, but I can’t see Mrs. Mills here running around with a medieval weapon, hacking Windigo to bits. She can’t go far, so I’m here for protection, until she no longer needs me."

"Alright. You will be coming with us to the city border though, right?"

"That, I can do. Now, shall we get going? You all are still young, and time stands still for no one."

Without any more delay, the little group left, bidding a farewell to Mrs. Mills. Kade took the lead, with Spin side-by-side. Amy and Noire came next, still holding hands, while Rage and Nine pulled up the rear. Nine was usually bounding around, a little way ahead, behind, on either side, ever alert for the sign of Windigo. They started out west, hoping to reach the city limits by day’s end. Staying outside at night was like asking for trouble, and they had enough of that as it was.

The first day was no trouble. Either the Windigo weren’t out, or Nine kept them away, but they travelled the whole day without meeting a single creature. They camped at night in an old office building, sleeping in turns to keep watch. Nine was awake, it seemed, throughout the whole night. At any given moment, he was prowling the floors, looking to see if any Windigo were hiding.

The second day didn’t prove as well. Around mid-day, the attack came, the Wendigo more bloodthirsty than before. It started with the howling, as it always did. They smelled prey, and they were on the prowl. A soon as the howls ripped through the air, everyone broke into a run, Kade and Nine at the rear, Amy and Noire in the middle, Spin and Rage at the front, the fastest of the group. They raced down the roads, eager to make it out of the city or at least put distance between the Windigo and themselves. Pointless. Yet they tried. Pushing on and on, they ran and ran. And then Kade fell behind. He was the only one who was out of shape, and while he could walk for hours, running wasn’t part of the deal.

“Shit!” Kade muttered, hefting his sword and swinging it. “Looks like it’s my turn to hold them off, eh?”

“I’ll cover you,” Said Nine, right beside Kade. “You can’t take them all on alone.”

“You sure? I’d rather you kept Spin and the rest safe, if that’s cool with you…”

“Don’t worry. They’ll be fine. The windigo are behind us today, not in front of us. Your girl and the rest of them will be A-OK. It’s you I’m worried about…” His voice trailed off as he eyed Kade. “Can you still fight?”

“Not like I have a choice, right? Besides… Need to make sure Spin gets out of here safely.” The words barely left his mouth before he heard her voice, calling his name. He turned around to see her running towards him, the rest of the group following her.

“Get out of here!” Kade yelled. Spin stopped dead in her tracks. “I’ll be fine, you guys get to safety… Head to the Hawthorne! That place is close to the edge of town…”

Spin started running again, towards him. Wordlessly, she threw herself at his chest, hugging him tightly, her lips finding his. He kisses her and then pushed her away. “The Hawthorne. Wait for me there. Two days max. Then get the hell out.”

“You better show up, alright? If you die, I’ll kill you…” Spin said, her voice steady but one single tear sliding down her cheek.

“Five will get you ten, I’ll beat you there.” Kade grinned, as if all was right with the world. “Now get going, Spin… Two days.” He turned and saw the Windigo charging towards him, they’re alabaster forms bouncing down the road. Kade threw a glance at Nine, who nodded once, and together they charged the Windigo. Kade turned and yelled once. “I love you! GO!”

He didn’t even hear what she said. Blood was pounding in his ears, sending new strength into his body. It was fight time now, and he was ready to kill.

Spin watched him charge the Windigo, Nine’s feral form alongside him. Her shoulders trembled, but she clenched her fist, rubbing her arm across her eyes before running back to the rest of the group, taking the lead, taking them towards the Hawthorne hotel.

* * *

Spin punched the wall. Again. And again. Her knuckles screamed at her. It had a day already. Yesterday she and Kade had parted, him charging a group of Windigo that had been following them. She had gone with Noire, Amy and Rage to the Hawthorne hotel, which was near the edge of town. It was there so that tourists coming in would quickly find a place to stay for reasonable rates. Location, location, location indeed… She clenched her fist, visibly shaking. Two days, he said. Two fucking days… She hardly had been able to manage two hours, if Amy and Noire hadn’t threatened to tie her up… She knew it was hopeless. But she knew she’d wait forever, until he showed up, one way or another. If he came back to her as he was, then they would leave together. If he came back with white skin and black eyes… Then they’d die together. But she wasn’t going to leave until she saw him again, and fuck the two day limit. She’d send the rest of the group off with a smile, and she’d wait. There was more than enough food in the hotel freezers to eat, in case she ran out of rations from Nine’s house.

She walked out of her room, pacing up and down the hallways. She passed Amy’s room, and found herself outside Rage’s. He and Kade had been the closest friends for years. She knocked, half-expecting him to be out and about himself.

“Come in, Spin…” She heard, and she pushed the door open and walked in, closing it. Rage was lying in his bed, eyes closed but not anywhere near asleep. His head rested against the headboard, his weapon propped up against the wall, the head of the polearm digging into the paint. Spin always wondered how he managed to use the monstrous thing, but he did, and rather well. She sat down on the end of his bed.

“So, what troubles you?” Rage asked, his eyes still closed. “Or rather, I know what bothers you… Do you want to hear the truth, or do you want to hear what you want to hear?”

“Truth, please… Rage, you’ve been his best friend from ages, you know him best… Will he make it here?”

“Now, that’s tough… I’ve known him to break promises every now and then, but I can tell you, they were one’s he made knowing he’d break them… Like, he’d promise to get along with his Step-mom and shit… But he’s never broken a promise he planned to keep. Whether it got his arrested, or beaten up, or nearly killed… So let me tell you this. He will do everything humanly possible of him to make it here before his deadline.”

“But will that be enough? I mean, is everything humanly possible enough for him to make it here?”

“Can’t say, not with that tubby surrounded by Windigo… He’s got Nine with him, so I’m sure he put up a hell of a show for those alabastards… But whether it’s enough for him to make it here, only time will tell… My suggestion: Don’t think ‘what if he doesn’t make it?’ Think, ‘I’ll be so happy when he shows up!’… It may sound stupid, but it does help… and get some sleep, you look like a zombie… Come on, to be honest, there’s not much more we can do but wait for him. I mean, there’s no way we can just magically summon him here…”

“True, true… Alright, I’ll go get some sleep… And some food, I’m hungry as hell…” Spin got up, walked towards the door, then turned. “Rage?”

“Yarp?” he asked, still with his eyes closed.

“Thanks…”

“Shush. Off to bed with ye, lass, and get some food in yer belly…”

“Aye, cap’n!” She replied and left, making her way to a vending machine and cracking it open with a kick, her rewards being a can of iced tea. She grabbed the can, popped it open and chugged half of it down, then returned to her room, opening her bag and making a meal of the sandwich and tea. Not the most filling, but it was enough, and she rolled herself into her blanket, closing her eyes. Before she had time to feel shocked at how tired she was, she was asleep.

Down the hall, Noire was spread out on her bed, Amy’s head resting on her chest, dozing slightly. Noire looked down, brushing stray hair from Amy’s face. She was rather amazed at how fast they had moved, having met barely a few weeks ago… But she was glad. True, it seemed to have been too fast, but she didn’t regret it, and she didn’t deny her feelings. She was glad the rest of the group had accepted her choice. They had always been a tolerating group, all except Kannabis, that is… And it’s not that they tolerated her… They encouraged her, in their own way. Spin with her smiles and laughs, Kade with his teasing, Rage with his… Well, she was sure even Rage approved. It was a good thing for her, and she was glad they supported her. She felt Amy stir and leaned her head down, soft kisses pressing against Amy’s forehead. Amy’s eyes slowly opened, focusing on Noire’s face, a smile breaking out across her own.

“Hey there… Did I fall asleep?”

Noire giggled. “Only for a bit… I guess we’re all tired…”

Amy nodded, frowning… “Will Kade be safe?”

“He’s got Nine with him, and though he’s round, he’s a badass with that sword… I’m sure he’ll make it back to us.”

“What about Spin? She must be dying inside…”

“She’s a tough girl. Besides, she knows Kade will do his best to come back… We all know that…”

“But still… They’re like family to me now, I couldn’t bear it if I lost anyone…”

“Don’t worry, we’re not losing anyone. Kade’ll be fine, and he’ll act like it was never a problem. He’s like that… Always ready to throw himself into the fire to save someone else from burning…”

Amy hooked an arm around Noire’s neck, dragging her head down slightly to kiss her. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve been with them long enough… He’ll show up just fine.”

“Which reminds me, how did you all wind up living together? And in the middle of all those Windigo, too…”

“It just kind of happened, to be honest. I think it was Kade and Rage who were roommates, and the rest of us just got pulled in. We all stayed behind for a reason… I know I stayed because I was waiting for Jesse… I think Spin was here because she got lost during an evac and never made it out… And Kannabis, well, no one knew his story… Even when we lived with him, we never knew…”

Amy frowned again, remembering watching Kannabis turn into a Windigo in front of their eyes. It had scared her witless, to see how violent it was… and how sudden it could set in.

“But all that’s in the past now. You’re the present, my present…” Noire said, sliding her arms around Amy’s neck to kiss her. “And you’re not going anywhere without me…”

“I don’t think I could go anywhere without you…” Amy shivered. “Spin is really a strong girl, to let her man go like that and trust he’d come back alive and unharmed.”

“You have no idea… From what I’ve heard, she went through some hardships of her own.”

“Like what?” Noire just smiled and shook her head. “Her story, love, you’ll have to ask her.”

Amy nodded, and curled up in Noire’s arms, snuggling against her lover’s warm body. Noire grinned and wrapped her arms around the girl, holding her tight and closing her eyes.

“Mind if I take a nap, love?”

“I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Noire grinned and let herself relax, slipping away silently. Amy smiled, listening to Noire’s breath even out, her hand reaching out to brush her hair.

“I’m not going anywhere…”

* * *

Two days were up. He said two days. Why wasn’t he here? Where was he? Spin sat on her bed, legs pulled up to her chest. Dammit, she thought, Where is he? He said he’d be here… She knew that she should have left hours ago, when the light was still shining. But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t leave him here. She had told the others to go without her, but fools they were, they didn’t. She could tell that Rage was just as anxious as her, waiting for his best friend to get back, and Amy and Noire… Well, they were family to Kade and her. No way they’d leave until they were sure of Kade, whether he was alive, dead, or… She refused to think about it. He’ll be here, she thought, he has to get here.

She got up, snatching her kusarigama off the bedside table. Kade had made these for her when she had shown up, two scythes, joined by a chain. He told her that he thought they matched her, small but lethal, quick to strike and dangerous with a partner who knows what’s what. And she had accepted them. Learned to use them. And now she was just as he said, quick and lethal. Dammit, where was the man!

She stalked down the hallways, planning to get to the ground and go scouting for him. At least, that was the plan, until Rage got a hold on her arm.

“Now now, just be patient… Besides, it won’t do us any good if you get jumped out there. And I’m sure he’d be pissed if he came back and saw you all banged up and hurt.”

“It’s been two days, Rage… What if he… What if he went on ahead, thinking we left? What if he’s blindly going on without checking if we were here?”

“You really think he’d do that? Just because he told us to go on, doesn’t mean that he’d go on without making sure we were here first. Now relax, or I’ll get Amy and Noire to really tie you up…” Rage stared off into the distance for a moment, imagining. “You know what, that may not be so bad to watch…” Spin punched him in the arm.

“Mm-mm, now what would Kade say if he knew what you were thinking?”

“He’d ask me why I never thought of it sooner… I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you spent some ‘quality time’ with our lover pair…”

“You and him… Pervs, both of you.”

“Ah yes, we are, but then again, almost every man wants to see something like that…” Spin giggled and let her shoulders droop. “I’m worried sick about him, though…”

“Go back to your room, relax, and unwind a bit… He’ll be here soon, I’m sure.”

As if on cue, footsteps came down the hallway. Spin readied her weapons, alert instantly. She looked at Rage, who nodded and whispered. “It might be him, but I’ll get the others… It is night, who knows if it might be those bastards…” He ghosted away from her side silently, knocking softly on Noire’s door and slipping into his, grabbing his polearm. Moments later they were all there, Rage in front, weapon ready. The footsteps were closer, one soft, light, the other heavy, like a person dragging their feet. Spin tensed up. Fight time, or not? Two figures rounded the corner, then stopped as they were spotted.

“So, this is the welcome party? Do I get a last beer?” Kade’s voice whispered down the hall. Spin dashed at him, sliding under Rage’s polearm to run straight at Kade, tackling him and cutting off his words with her lips. The rest of the group laughed as Spin thoroughly worked on Kade for a moment, then cocked a hand back and punched him squarely in the stomach. Kade coughed a bit and sat up, rubbing his abdomen.

“Ground rules, woman… No rough sex until we’re alone… I thought you knew that…” Spin threw her arms around Kade, sobbing. Kade looked from one person to the next, bewildered. Rage was next, dropping the end of his polearm on Kade’s head, a solid thunk echoing down the hall.

“Dude! What the fuck! I get sucker punched by the love of my life, then my best friend tries to give me a concu-“ He got cut off as Spin kissed him again.

“I think she missed you. We all did. You’re late, dumbass.” Rage said, grinning. Amy and Noire came rushing around, pulling Spin off of him and pulling him to his feet, hugging him. Nine sat by and watched, then jumped when Spin turned and gave him a bear hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered, “thank you for keeping him safe.”

“Ummm… No sweat?” Nine said nervously as Spin let him go. Rage grinned and laughed. Spin let go of him and went back to Kade, hugging him softly. “Don’t you ever do something like that ever again” She growled into Kade’s chest. “Ever!”

“If this is the reception I get, I might just… Though next time, let’s leave the punches out until I get my gimp costume on…” Spin laughed, then started sobbing. Kade hugged her tight. “I’m sorry, babe… I am…” He held her close, letting her sob into his shirt as he held her tight, kissing her forehead. He let her get it out of her system, realizing just how worried she must have been. “I won’t do it again,” he whispered in her ear.

“Bullshit. You’d do it all over again to keep me safe, wouldn’t you?”

“Guilty as charged. I suck at lying.”

“Next time, I’m with you, though.”

“And that would, in effect, make the whole point of staying behind moot. Doesn’t matter, we’re almost out of here anyways. From here, Beldaris shouldn’t be more than a day’s travel… Depending on roadblocks, anyways.”

Spin’s body slowly stopped shaking. She wiped her eyes on Kade’s shirt and stood up, pulling Kade to his feet with some difficulty. Turning to the rest of the group, she smiled. “Thanks for putting up with me for the last two days, guys.”

“Anytime, girl, you know that.” Noire replied instantly. Amy and Rage nodded in unison. Spin grinned and dragged Kade to her room. “Food, now. I bet you’re starving.”

“Damn straight! Make me a sammich, woman!” Then two minutes later, “OW!! Alright, I was kidding!!”

Nine chuckled. “Something tells me he’s in for some serious hurt soon.”

“Nah, that’s just him. Speaking of them and food, though, Nine, I’m sure you could use a bite to eat as well.” Rage spoke up.

“Come to mention it, I could. Although, I could probably go home and get Mrs. Mills to whip me something up…”

“And have her put you on lockdown? Have you seen yourself in a mirror lately? You’re pretty banged up.”

Nine grinned. “Point. I guess I’ll raid the vending machines.”

Nine ambled off to find a machine to vandalize. Rage trotted back to his own room, kicking Spin’s door on the way down the hall, eliciting a “WHAT THE FUCK!” from Kade. Amy, hand in hand with Noire, giggled and made her way to the room they both shared. For now, they could relax.