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lavandarlizard2Mainly because it will be a couple of days before the next post, I think. I have to work and we're doing inventory. Bleh. No idea what's going on with that, and I may be homicidal by the time I get home.
Anyway, here is the last part of this cycle. There is more, though, so no pouting or threats. No dying either; it stinks up the place.
BFB - 083e - Strange Days I
County Road 17 begins three miles outside of the town and snakes through the foothills and over the mountain to connect with the interstate. Along its length are dozens of private roads and hundreds of dwellings, ranging from one-room shacks to multi-million dollar estates. About half are vacation homes. He was here somewhere; had been for over 24 hours…
Duo… Angel…
My first stop was a quarter mile from the interstate. I found not the slightest hint of Duo. No sign at the next stop, or the next or the subsequent ten, twenty, fifty places I landed.
Outwardly, I’m sure nothing gave a hint of my increasing inner terror. Wyverns in their natural forms are not gifted with ‘expressive’ countenances. But inside…? Why couldn’t I ‘feel’ him? Why couldn’t I track him? He couldn’t possibly… No! I would know! I would… know… Surely, I would… Wouldn’t I?
So I howled and roared and let that futile noise take the edge off my frustration and mounting fear. Every living thing within range trembled, shrank, and hid from my rage. I was as near as I have ever been to being out of my mind when I landed near a small house. A dark blue SUV was parked under a carport roof, but no one appeared to stare at the dangerously unhinged Dragon in the driveway.
And blessed be to all Powers, Dragon, Magical and Human alike, I found his scent!
But even stronger, I found blood. A lot of blood.
Between one blink and the next, I was through the door of the house and standing in… an abattoir.
Blood…
On the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling, on the furniture… And with it, the scent also of something more… substantial.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was turning wildly within that small space, screaming his name. A single, faint *something* caught my attention and led me to an alcove almost hidden by a blood-soaked sofa.
He was there! My Banshee, my Duo, my Chosen… Curled in a ball, splattered with blood and gore, and with his wrists chained to an iron ring set into the stone wall. He didn’t move or respond to me, but I could see the slow rise and fall of his chest, hear his heart beating and feel the warmth of his body.
I flung the sofa out of my way and wrapped one arm around him as I broke the shackles from his wrists. He slumped insensibly against me and I gathered him up and carried him out of that charnel house. My thirst for revenge was gone; it’s hard to hurt a splotch on the floor. Only Duo mattered now.
I settled on top of a picnic table with Duo resting in my lap, and changed form. I took out my cellphone and dialed. Trowa answered on the first ring, his normally calm voice shrill with agitation.
“I have him,” I said immediately. “Alive.” I looked at the charming wooden sign at the bottom of the driveway. “Number 91, Pine View Way. I don’t know where that is in relation to your position.”
“Don’t worry!” he crowed. “We’ll find you! Are the police there yet?”
“Called you first.” Hn. Yes, I would have to inform the Human authorities…
“Thanks, Heero,” he said warmly, and I heard Wufei in the background shouting questions. “We’ll get Inazuma and Enrique and we’ll be there shortly.”
“Hn.”
I called the police, curtly informing them that Detectives Mason and Wilkowski needed to show up at this location, along with their Crime Scene team and a Coroner.
My civic duty having been fulfilled, I turned my attention to my angel, who still hadn’t regained consciousness. One side of his face sported a dark ugly bruise, and his wrists were torn and bloody from the shackles, but I couldn’t find any other obvious injuries and I feared to examine him too closely.
Damn, but I wanted him *home*, but I didn’t want to fly with him in this condition. I wanted him to wake up and smile at me, to tell me I was having a nightmare, that none of this was real. That he wasn’t hurt and unconscious. That it wasn’t my fault…
So, I held him tightly, stroking his hair and whispering soft nonsense in his ear. And very slowly, he came back to me; back from wherever he’d gone to hide during his ordeal.
But still… Something was wrong. He whimpered with every breath, his body twitching with spasms and deep shudders. Pain washed over his face in waves.
“Baby,” I pleaded, stroking his bangs from his face. “What’s wrong? Angel, can you tell me? I’m sorry, baby, so sorry it took me so long to find you.” I have never felt so ineffectual, so guilty in my life… Dragons! What happened to my Chosen while I was flailing about so uselessly? “This is my fault: I should have been with you. I should have *been* there.” If I could have gotten my hands on the one responsible for this, I would have torn him to shreds.
“…Hurts…” he whimpered faintly. It gave me only slight relief to know that he was conscious. Awake again to pain... and to fear.
“We’ll take care of it, I promise, baby.” Damn right we would. “Where do you hurt, angel?” Not… please not that… Please do not make this the second time… that I failed to protect…
“…Everything…” he breathed. He looked up at me, purple eyes gone black with pain. “…Heero… you found me…”
I nodded miserably. “I’m sorry I wasn’t quicker, baby. I’m so sorry…”
“…No…” he moved his head a tiny bit and flinched. My gut twisted as he struggled to continue. “…Not your fault… My fault,” he whispered. Another shudder wracked his body and left him with tears standing in his eyes. “…tr-trusted her…” He shuddered again, not as hard as before.
In the distance, I heard a siren. His fingers twitched convulsively and I took his hand in mine, lifting it to my lips. His lips curved in what should have been a smile, but wasn’t.
“…Something…” he began. “…s-something in m-my drink…”
“She drugged you?” I growled. Dammit, no wonder he was so shaky! Something as simple as two aspirins could be disastrous for a Magical Creature with a sensitivity to the substance.
“…ro… ro… something…” His breathing became more labored, as he struggled to speak. “…heard them… talking…”
I clutched him against me. Damn that bitch! I should have just ripped her heart out when I had the chance! My Chosen… Mine to protect. I had failed to protect, but I could still deal out justice…
Duo moaned, turning his face against my chest. A few seconds later, the convulsion hit him.
...tbc...
Anyway, here is the last part of this cycle. There is more, though, so no pouting or threats. No dying either; it stinks up the place.
BFB - 083e - Strange Days I
County Road 17 begins three miles outside of the town and snakes through the foothills and over the mountain to connect with the interstate. Along its length are dozens of private roads and hundreds of dwellings, ranging from one-room shacks to multi-million dollar estates. About half are vacation homes. He was here somewhere; had been for over 24 hours…
Duo… Angel…
My first stop was a quarter mile from the interstate. I found not the slightest hint of Duo. No sign at the next stop, or the next or the subsequent ten, twenty, fifty places I landed.
Outwardly, I’m sure nothing gave a hint of my increasing inner terror. Wyverns in their natural forms are not gifted with ‘expressive’ countenances. But inside…? Why couldn’t I ‘feel’ him? Why couldn’t I track him? He couldn’t possibly… No! I would know! I would… know… Surely, I would… Wouldn’t I?
So I howled and roared and let that futile noise take the edge off my frustration and mounting fear. Every living thing within range trembled, shrank, and hid from my rage. I was as near as I have ever been to being out of my mind when I landed near a small house. A dark blue SUV was parked under a carport roof, but no one appeared to stare at the dangerously unhinged Dragon in the driveway.
And blessed be to all Powers, Dragon, Magical and Human alike, I found his scent!
But even stronger, I found blood. A lot of blood.
Between one blink and the next, I was through the door of the house and standing in… an abattoir.
Blood…
On the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling, on the furniture… And with it, the scent also of something more… substantial.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was turning wildly within that small space, screaming his name. A single, faint *something* caught my attention and led me to an alcove almost hidden by a blood-soaked sofa.
He was there! My Banshee, my Duo, my Chosen… Curled in a ball, splattered with blood and gore, and with his wrists chained to an iron ring set into the stone wall. He didn’t move or respond to me, but I could see the slow rise and fall of his chest, hear his heart beating and feel the warmth of his body.
I flung the sofa out of my way and wrapped one arm around him as I broke the shackles from his wrists. He slumped insensibly against me and I gathered him up and carried him out of that charnel house. My thirst for revenge was gone; it’s hard to hurt a splotch on the floor. Only Duo mattered now.
I settled on top of a picnic table with Duo resting in my lap, and changed form. I took out my cellphone and dialed. Trowa answered on the first ring, his normally calm voice shrill with agitation.
“I have him,” I said immediately. “Alive.” I looked at the charming wooden sign at the bottom of the driveway. “Number 91, Pine View Way. I don’t know where that is in relation to your position.”
“Don’t worry!” he crowed. “We’ll find you! Are the police there yet?”
“Called you first.” Hn. Yes, I would have to inform the Human authorities…
“Thanks, Heero,” he said warmly, and I heard Wufei in the background shouting questions. “We’ll get Inazuma and Enrique and we’ll be there shortly.”
“Hn.”
I called the police, curtly informing them that Detectives Mason and Wilkowski needed to show up at this location, along with their Crime Scene team and a Coroner.
My civic duty having been fulfilled, I turned my attention to my angel, who still hadn’t regained consciousness. One side of his face sported a dark ugly bruise, and his wrists were torn and bloody from the shackles, but I couldn’t find any other obvious injuries and I feared to examine him too closely.
Damn, but I wanted him *home*, but I didn’t want to fly with him in this condition. I wanted him to wake up and smile at me, to tell me I was having a nightmare, that none of this was real. That he wasn’t hurt and unconscious. That it wasn’t my fault…
So, I held him tightly, stroking his hair and whispering soft nonsense in his ear. And very slowly, he came back to me; back from wherever he’d gone to hide during his ordeal.
But still… Something was wrong. He whimpered with every breath, his body twitching with spasms and deep shudders. Pain washed over his face in waves.
“Baby,” I pleaded, stroking his bangs from his face. “What’s wrong? Angel, can you tell me? I’m sorry, baby, so sorry it took me so long to find you.” I have never felt so ineffectual, so guilty in my life… Dragons! What happened to my Chosen while I was flailing about so uselessly? “This is my fault: I should have been with you. I should have *been* there.” If I could have gotten my hands on the one responsible for this, I would have torn him to shreds.
“…Hurts…” he whimpered faintly. It gave me only slight relief to know that he was conscious. Awake again to pain... and to fear.
“We’ll take care of it, I promise, baby.” Damn right we would. “Where do you hurt, angel?” Not… please not that… Please do not make this the second time… that I failed to protect…
“…Everything…” he breathed. He looked up at me, purple eyes gone black with pain. “…Heero… you found me…”
I nodded miserably. “I’m sorry I wasn’t quicker, baby. I’m so sorry…”
“…No…” he moved his head a tiny bit and flinched. My gut twisted as he struggled to continue. “…Not your fault… My fault,” he whispered. Another shudder wracked his body and left him with tears standing in his eyes. “…tr-trusted her…” He shuddered again, not as hard as before.
In the distance, I heard a siren. His fingers twitched convulsively and I took his hand in mine, lifting it to my lips. His lips curved in what should have been a smile, but wasn’t.
“…Something…” he began. “…s-something in m-my drink…”
“She drugged you?” I growled. Dammit, no wonder he was so shaky! Something as simple as two aspirins could be disastrous for a Magical Creature with a sensitivity to the substance.
“…ro… ro… something…” His breathing became more labored, as he struggled to speak. “…heard them… talking…”
I clutched him against me. Damn that bitch! I should have just ripped her heart out when I had the chance! My Chosen… Mine to protect. I had failed to protect, but I could still deal out justice…
Duo moaned, turning his face against my chest. A few seconds later, the convulsion hit him.
...tbc...
