Chapter Fourteen
I did not sleep well at all. As it had been every night since Thanos had sacrificed himself for my sake, I tossed and turned, resting for several hours but somehow waking up feeling as if I had not slept in days. All night I had thought of how Thanos was trapped with the Leaders and I could stand it no longer. I didn't have a plan but I knew how the Resurrectors and the Leaders operated. If I was going to go to the Resurrector facilities then I needed to at least dress as if I wanted to have nothing more than a meeting with them.
Slowly I dragged myself out of bed, fighting the urge to lay there and forget about everything. Not having Thanos around left me with a gaping void inside. I moved over to my closet, dug through it, and found a long black dress. It was perfect for what I was thinking of doing. The dress was just formal enough for a meeting with the Leaders. It was long and had a simple and modest cut to it. I pulled a brush through my hair in an attempt to get all of the tangles out. Finishing that took longer than I wanted it to. Then I tied my hair out of my face with a black ribbon.
Nothing else seemed to matter to me at that moment, nothing else but Thanos. Adrienne could handle the Reapers; she had proven that to me time and time again during training. If something happened to me then I knew she would continue on with the duties of Death. All of the Reapers had open-ended contracts and if it truly came down to it I believed Adrienne would figure out how to recruit more.
Regardless I decided to leave a short note for her detailing the basics of recruiting Reapers, just in case. I left it in the study sitting in the middle of one of the tables. I had completed everything I needed to before leaving, except for getting a progress report from Adrienne. It was the only thing keeping me from going after Thanos. I didn't want to wait any longer.
I walked out of the study and headed down the hall towards the lounges and the kitchen. The Reapers spent most of their time there when they weren't training. Adrienne and Gabe were sitting in the main lounge, talking and laughing. I stepped in and they both looked up and stopped talking. "Where are the others?"
"They're out in the field," Adrienne answered. "We figured it would be best to work in shifts. Do you want me to call them back?"
I shook my head. "No, that's fine. Thanks for keeping everything organized. I'm going to go to the Resurrector facilities. I need to meet with the Leaders about Thanos. Since I don't know what will happen I'm leaving you in charge, Adrienne. No matter what happens we need to ensure that the Balance remains intact. We cannot allow the Resurrectors to tip the scale in their favor."
Adrienne stood up and walked over to me. "Be careful, Tam. You have no idea what you are walking into and what you find may be worse than you imagined."
I closed my eyes and pictured the Resurrector facilities and when I opened my eyes I was there, standing in a hallway. It had only been a few weeks since I had last been in the building, but it seemed as if everything had changed. The Leaders must have decided that it was time for a makeover because they had rearranged furniture and repainted the entire place. I found it to be odd as they had darkened the coloring of the walls, going from cheerful yellows and pastel colors to more muted darker greens and blues. Even more than that there were dark shades over all the windows.
A young Resurrector turned the corner and froze as she saw me. I didn't blame her for her caution and fear. These were dangerous times and they would only get worse if I didn't get Thanos back. "Who…who are you?" she asked as she kept her distance from me.
"Who I am doesn't matter. I need to speak to the Leaders."
"But…I…I cannot. The Leaders, we haven't seen them at all in three weeks."
Somehow her revelation didn't surprise me. The Leaders always did tend to hide when things became messy or stressful. "Go to their quarters and knock on the door. I have an urgent matter to discuss with them and it would be very unfortunate if they decided to ignore me." I paused and stared down at her. I knew she needed more reason to go, more motivation. The best I could give was my title. "I am the Angel of Death."
Her eyes widened. "I…what should I say to them if they answer the door?
"Tell them I will be waiting in the meeting room."
She nodded quickly. Now she was almost eager to do my bidding. It reminded me of when I was still a Resurrector. The young Resurrectors were always jumping to do whatever the stronger more experienced ones asked. Clearly this was one of the things that wouldn't change. "Do you need someone to take you there?"
"No. I still remember my way around here." Then I turned and walked down the hall, certain that she would do as I said. It was apparent that the newest class of Resurrectors had been told of the new Angel of Death and just how dangerous the other side was. The Leaders would not have neglected that portion of training. In fact, considering my history with the Resurrectors it made sense that they would focus on the Angel of Death lessons even more.
I walked into the meeting room and sat down in one of the chairs. It was strange to think that I had been in the room only weeks before. It felt like it had been an eternity. My time without Thanos seemed to have crept by and I couldn't help but think of just how important he had become in my life. I had become so used to being with him and then he had been taken. Even a few weeks later I was no closer to adjusting or operating without his presence.
Soon I would see him and I knew it would be the most important time ever, and quite possibly the most dangerous. Adrienne told me that I needed to control my emotions and I could not do that, not without years of practice. I certainly did not have enough patience to wait for years before saving Thanos. However, I only needed to control what I felt for a few minutes, and that was more reasonable. This was going to be difficult; that much I knew. When Thanos came into the room I would have to force myself to remain calm, for his sake. I had to make the Leaders think that I could manage just fine without him.
Samuel burst into the meeting room. As usual he seemed to be upset about everything. "Just what do you think you are doing here?"
"I came to talk to you about what is going on." I paused and waited for the other Leaders to enter the room but no one arrived. "Where are the other Leaders?"
"We have nothing to discuss, and they are busy with other matters."
"Of course we do. One of your Resurrectors told me that none of them have seen you in weeks. What could have all of the Leaders so wrapped up that you would neglect those who work under you?" I asked. "Then again, I seem to recall that was a natural occurrence for you guys. In fact, I found it shocking when we actually did see you out of your quarters." Okay, so maybe I was trying to push his buttons. It was possible that it wouldn't help much but typically I found that when Samuel was angered then he revealed a lot more information.
"Just what are you doing here, Tamesis?"
He was getting right to business, good. I really did not want to deal with all of the small talk. Now I just needed to try and keep my emotions in check. "I would like you to release my boss."
"That is not going to happen. To release him would be to suggest that we have given up on defeating Death."
"You aren't winning, Samuel. Nothing has changed at all. The Balance remains as it should be. Now let me see him." I wasn't about to step down from my demands. When it came right down to it, I was here for Thanos and no matter what I had to do I would get him out of the Leader's hands. I stared over at Samuel, waiting for him to say or do something.
He said nothing in response, nor did he move. Instead it seemed as if we were about to have a stare-down.
"I am not going to back down. My team is perfectly capable of handling everything, including your Resurrectors. I can stay here for quite some time."
That caused Samuel to chuckle. "Your team? You have no one else on your side. As per the rules laid down between Death and the Leaders there is only to be one Angel of Death working on that side."
I smirked. "Who said anything about there being another Angel of Death?" I questioned. "I'm still the only one
by that title. However, there is another classification level and the Reapers are perfectly capable of the task they have been assigned." It was a glorious feeling of satisfaction to know that I had gotten around the rules once again.
At that Samuel gave me an evil glare and his face seemed to deepen to a rather nice shade of red. "You cannot do that!"
"Oh? Why can't I? There is nothing in the rules that prevents it. Now, to continue on with the business at hand. I am here for my boss. You will release him."
"Thanos is our prisoner."
"I am here to negotiate for his release. At the very least you will let me see him." I crossed my arms over my chest. I was not going to leave until I had seen Thanos and, with any luck, freed him from this place.
Samuel stood there for a moment then turned and he walked to the door. He said something to one of the Resurrectors he had posted outside. After closing the door he turned and looked over at me. "He will be here momentarily."
I held back a sigh of relief. So far things were going the way I wanted them to. In a short few moments I would get to see Thanos and then we would be leaving together. Now all I needed to know was what it would take for the Leaders to release him. If it took everything I had left, even my life, I would give it up for Thanos. "What will it take for you to release him?"
"You have nothing to offer us that would even be close to enough for his release."
"I have to have something you want. There is no way that the Leaders are completely content with what has been going on lately." I had been valuable to them before and I still had the ability to heal more rapidly and fully than any other Resurrector.
He turned away from me. There was something going on and Samuel was trying to hide it. His shoulders dropped down slightly, as if being pushed on by a heavy weight. When he spoke his voice was soft. "Perhaps there is something that you could give us but then again, maybe you will see your boss and decide that he isn't worth the trouble."
I froze and focused on Samuel's back since I couldn't see his face. What was he saying? What circumstances would ever mean that I would decide that Thanos wasn't worth rescuing? I had to wonder if he was serious or if he was trying to get me to give up. I could feel my body tightening up, preparing for whatever was coming next. "Whatever mind game you are trying to play, it won't work. No matter what you say, I will never change my mind. Maybe you don't remember just how seriously I take my job."
"I am not playing a mind game on you. It is merely a statement of fact. Death does not do well here, in a center of power that concentrates on healing and life. Once he walks in here you may decide that striking a deal would mean giving us more than you are receiving in return."
"No," I answered, shaking my head. "Any deal I made would be a fair one." Whatever had happened, it could be fixed. Thanos could be healed. I was sure of that. And if I couldn't do it by myself then I had the Reapers to help me. We would get through this, as we had everything else.
Samuel chuckled. "We shall see about that." He sounded so certain that I wouldn't strike a deal because of inequality but he didn't understand how much Thanos was worth to me and to the side of Death and Balance.
There was a knock on the door and Samuel called for them to enter. The door opened and two figures walked into the room. One was a Resurrector and the other…
My eyes widened and I gasped at the sight in front of me. No, this wasn't happening. How…how was this possible?
I stood up and took a step towards them.
Thanos had changed so much since I last saw him. Samuel had not been lying when he said that Death did not do well here. It seemed like Thanos had aged several years in just a few weeks. He was thin, so thin it was sickly, and he could barely hold himself upright, but I could see no sign that he had been beaten or mistreated. I saw strands of gray in his black hair. It was almost an understatement as his hair was mostly gray. Hints of wrinkles had grown on his face.
Even despite all of that his dark blue eyes still held the same intensity and once again I was trapped in his gaze. The feeling of being drawn to him by his eyes was one that I had missed. A powerful urge swept over me and I wanted to rush over to him and pull him against me. By now I was getting used to my body wanting things I didn't completely understand. It only solidified my decision; I had to get Thanos out of the Leaders' grasps, no matter what it took.
I took a deep breath to steady myself and then looked over at Samuel. "Now we will discuss the deal you would like to make because no matter what you say, I am taking my boss out of here today."
"Tam…Don't do this." Thanos' voice was gravelly and weak. It sounded as if he was dying and it was not a sound I enjoyed.
"I have to Thanos," I answered without taking my gaze off Samuel. I knew if I looked at him he would weaken my resolve. His eyes had a way of changing my mind. "Well, what's it going to be?"
Samuel smirked and moved to the other side of the room. "What would you do for him?"
"I would do anything in order to free my boss." No matter what I had to remember to refer to Thanos as my boss while here. Our feelings for one another had already caused enough trouble, though it was probably too late to try and feign indifference. Samuel knew we cared about each other and he would use that against us.
"He's dying, Tamesis. Ironic, isn't it? Death is dying and no one can stop it. There's just one problem with all of this. Already his decline is causing others to lose strength and power, dragging them closer and closer to death themselves. We tried to stop it but the other Leaders fell to this plague as they tried to heal it from others."
"So if Death dies, all of us die? Is that what you're saying?" I asked. "If that's the case, then why did you agree to the exchange three weeks ago?"
Samuel growled. "We did not know of this consequence. Nothing we have tried has worked." He paused as if he did not want to say more but then he looked over at me. "Even our most skilled healers have failed to reverse this."
"I'm guessing that leads to the deal you are going to offer me?" I already had an idea of what he wanted. Their most skilled healers had failed but they knew my skill was better. Now he was trying to save his fellow Resurrectors, even if that meant that he had to give up his prisoner.
"Heal our people and you can take him away."
I stared at him, waiting. It was stupid but I wanted to punish him for this. Of course waiting also meant that I was hurting Thanos. That I couldn't live with. "Even if I could heal your people, how much good would that do? You said that no one could stop Death from dying and when he dies all of us will."
"You have been able to heal others when no one else could. When you were still a Resurrector you snatched a soul back from the Angel of Death. We know about it, even if you decided not to inform us of the event. If anyone can stop this plague then it is you."
I had to admit that it made sense and part of me swelled with pride at Samuel recognizing my skill level. Even now I knew I could heal people that others could not. It was entirely possible that I could end this. "How many have come down with this? Is it just the Leaders or others as well?"
"In total we have almost twenty. Some of them may not last much longer."
Twenty was more than I had ever handled at one time. Even when the Resurrector workload had tripled I had only really had to deal with mostly easy heals. "Then I'll see what I can do," I replied. "Starting with Thanos."
Samuel took a step towards me and then hesitated. "I would not advise that. Start with our people."
I shook my head. "No. If I start with Thanos and manage to heal him successfully then no one else will be affected. However if I heal the others but then cannot do the same for Thanos then everyone will just become ill all over again. It would just be counterproductive. You're the ones in trouble right now, Samuel, not us."
"You never were one to listen to our instructions."
"And yet I still managed to get the job done. Now, if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do." I turned my attention to Thanos, moving over to
his side and helping him walk to a chair. When I reached him he latched onto me as if I was the only one keeping him from falling. It was true. None of the Resurrectors wanted to touch him. As I had come to expect Thanos' touch sent a shock through my body. This time it was muted, as if his frailty was affecting the feeling.
He practically collapsed in the seat and looked at me, obviously concerned about what I was going to try to do. As he stared at me he took a few ragged breaths. "Tam, please don't do this. It is foolish," he said softly. To me it sounded like he was struggling to speak.
"Have faith. I know what I'm doing," I told him. When I said it I was trying to reassure myself as much as him. This was a huge undertaking with serious risks. Logic said that it was not worth it but I could not be trusted to think logically, especially now.
He shook his head slightly, though the motion seemed to pain him. "No, it will kill you." Thanos knew my work ethic and my limitations, almost better than anyone. He wanted to save me but if he died then there was no way to save anyone. Just having Thanos alive helped to maintain the Balance.
I looked into his eyes and reached over to grab his hand before giving it a gentle squeeze. "If I die, then it will be for a good cause."
I didn't even wait for him to say anything else. He would try and talk me out of it and I couldn't allow that to happen. I set my right hand over his heart and placed my left on his temple. It had been a couple weeks since I had last healed anyone and yet it was just like I had never stopped. Some actions were just natural and I had been raised for this one. Healing used to be my life and I remembered the pure high, the exhilaration of knowing that I had kept someone from an untimely death. Now it seemed to be that much more important.
If this worked then I wasn't just saving Thanos; I was pretty much saving everyone. Of course, I knew that some people would still die, but it wouldn't because of the death of Death.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on the extensive damage that had been done to Thanos due to the rapid increase in age. It seemed odd that his body could age; I had thought that Death was an immortal being, one that wouldn't age or die. Then again, Thanos had said that he hadn't always been Death. Before this he was most likely alive, doing something that he had never told me about. Once more I was reminded of the fact that I knew a lot about Thanos now but knew nothing about who he was before. That would have to change after I succeeded in healing everyone. After this I would find a way to get him to open up to me.
I felt some of my energy flowing out of my body and fueling Thanos, assisting his body in repairing the weakening organs. The energy was pumping out faster than I was used to and I felt a little dizzy. I had never felt this much of a drain before but I knew I couldn't stop. My desire to help Thanos and to help the multitudes that were not yet supposed to die pushed me to keep going. I understood the necessity of Balance and I was glad to be working for such a purpose.
The heal seemed to be taking longer than normal and that concerned me slightly. Thanos should have been fully healed but it seemed as if I had just started, almost like I had just set my hands upon him. I thought his injuries were improving but now they seemed worse. Was something wrong? My focus slipped slightly at the thought but I pushed it aside and refocused my efforts. I could not think negatively about this. Forget limitations. I would do whatever it took to heal Thanos.
Behind me I heard a door slam open. "Sir, the Leaders are waking up. I…I don't know how but they're better!" someone exclaimed.
I mostly ignored them, not wanting to break my concentration. The announcement did alert me as to why this heal was taking so much longer than usual. I wasn't just healing Thanos; I was healing everyone else through Thanos. Apparently as I healed him he pulled the illness back out of the others and then it gave me more damage to repair. Of course this meant that I really had no idea how close I was to finishing the task.
Samuel had said that there were almost twenty people who had fallen to this problem. I had never tried to heal that many at once. It had been a struggle for me to heal a family of five. Not many Resurrectors could handle even that many without assistance. I knew that none of the Resurrectors would help me with this. They were trained to oppose the side of Death, even if saving Death would also save the life of everyone. It really was a messed up system.
I could feel just how much energy this was taking from me. I was struggling to breathe and I could tell that Thanos was looking at me. His eyes were probably begging me to stop but I couldn't. My stubborn pride kept me from giving up. I had never failed to complete a heal before and I wasn't going to start now. Thanos may have been right when he said that this would kill me.
Death wasn't that bad though. I had seen it in the past months, just how helpful death could be to people. It wasn't like they were left to die alone. No matter what a person had someone like Thanos or myself to guide them to the afterlife. Personally this didn't seem like a bad way to die. I was helping someone I cared about…no, someone I loved. It struck me that Adrienne was probably right, and now I wouldn't get a chance to tell Thanos.
I could feel that I had almost finished the task. Thanos's organs were becoming healthy and strong and yet I was struggling to keep air in my lungs. As I finished the heal I collapsed practically on Thanos's lap. It was over. Everyone was healed and Thanos was free of this imprisonment. I had succeeded in my task and that was all that mattered. Though my eyes were still closed I felt as if I were spinning around in circles on unsteady ground. It was as if I was watching as my body just gave in to the exhaustion and I knew no more.
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Project Death: Resurrection Page 34