by Leigh Vernon
---
Gianna scanned the area. She knew what had happened to the girl, and she was sure they couldn't have gotten too far. The others were dead in the car, but she was more than determined to put the boy down this time; she had suffered enough humiliation from his hands as it was. There was an alley to her left and she swerved into it. A group of beggars huddled together at one end of the alley. As soon as they saw her, many of them ran up to her quickly, thrusting their bowls and filthy hands towards her.
"Get your filthy hands off me!" She shouted at them, wriggling free of their hold.
She walked down the alley and saw another old beggar sitting alone.
"You are looking for him, don't you?" The man asked her.
Gianna stopped and bent to his level. "Yes," she answered. "Did he come through this way?"
The man raised a hand. "There's no need to look for him. When the time is right, he'll come to you by himself."
Gianna raised her head up. "That sounds about fair enough."
The man touched her lightly. "You should stay away from him if you value your life. He will be the end of you and your master."
She sighed deeply and got to her feet. The man followed swiftly, a knife in his hand. She caught him before he could stab her and threw him hard against the wall. The knife fell from his hand and she picked it up.
"You know, I did meet two girls like you before," she said to the man as she walked towards him slowly. "They thought they could play heroes, and you want to know what happened to them?"
The man didn't answer her. He tore open his shirt instead. "I don't fear death. I've lived long enough to realize that."
Gianna didn't know whether to be amused or disappointed at this stupidity.
"Quite the hero, eh?" She said to him.
He was going to say something when she said a few words. A small flash went into him and he gasped loudly. There was shock in his face as he began to fall to the ground slowly. Gianna held him back up.
"There are so many people out there who claim they don't fear death. What they don't know is that death is a luxury for them where I stand, and I can give you that luxury," she said to him slowly as he struggled. His soul rose up from him slowly and she took it in quickly, enjoying the feeling that washed over her as he fell to the ground.
She was about to go looking for the two Powereds who had made her life miserable when her phone rang. It was Sam.
"Get back here at once," he said to her. "We have bigger fish to fry now."
She bent down to the dead man and used a rag lying nearby to cover him up. Then, she took one long look at him before she got up and walked away.
---
Justin waited a few more minutes before he came out with Gem in his hands. She had passed out and become too heavy for him to carry around. So, when the blind beggar offered them a place to hide, he had no other choice. He looked at the dead man and shook his head; he had warned him she wasn’t someone he could take on, but he had decided to do so anyway. Justin checked to see if it was clear enough to walk out. Then, he slung the girl over his shoulder and walked away.
Chapter 14
The bus stopped and Sarah got off. She looked around to be sure she wasn't being followed before she walked down and sat on a bench. She checked her wristwatch; it was still a few more minutes before midday. If Justin and Gem were really going downtown, they would have to come through this place and she would be waiting. She looked at the city before her. The people were going about their lives, powered and normal humans alike. They were unaware of the danger that lurked in the shadow, the same darkness she had fought all her life to keep those she loved safe. The same darkness was what had made her wander around for five years, looking for someone prophesized to bring an end to all the troubles. And she had found it, the very day she had lost the only surviving family she had left. It left a sour taste in her mouth as she thought about it - she had sacrificed everything for this cause and it had taken everything from her. Maybe there was a way to rewrite the past, but she couldn't tell if it was worth it. There was no telling what was coming next but if it ever came, she would have to be prepared for it.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Someone asked behind her.
She turned to realize Justin had made it back. He was carrying Gem over his shoulders and dropped her slowly on the bench and sat down. He rubbed his stiff shoulders for a while, moaning slowly as he did.
"What happened to her?" Sarah asked him.
He gave the girl a long look. "Honestly, I have no idea. We were running towards safety when she suddenly blanked out."
Sarah touched the girl. "Did anyone see her using her powers?" She asked.
Justin looked confused. "I don't think there's any other answer to that question. Everyone saw her use her powers."
Sarah shook her head. "You're not getting me. Gem would never use her powers when there was anyone she considers a threat around."
Justin seemed intrigued by what she was saying. "And why's that?" He asked.
"Because this happens," Sarah answered, gesturing to the girl.
Justin seemed a bit confused but nodded. "So, how long will it take for her to get back to us?" He asked.
"Depends. Whenever she hibernates like this, it might take hours, days or even weeks for her to get back."
"What are we going to be doing in the time it would take her to get back up?" Justin asked. He seemed a bit concerned.
"Let me see," Sarah answered with sarcasm in her voice. "We could go see a movie, or take a vacation, or I don't know, wait for Christmas?"
Justin looked away from her. "Haha. Very funny."
Sarah wrung her fingers together. She wasn't in her best element, it seemed. "We need to get off the streets. Who knows what else is after us here?"
Justin nodded. "I agree that we need to get off the streets, but there might also be an opportunity to meet with those who might be willing to help us," Justin said to her.
"What do you mean?"
He checked on Gem, who was still out cold. "What I'm saying is that there are others who also want an end to all of this, like we do."
Sarah's interest was piqued. "And where will we find these people?"
"They are everywhere," Justin said slowly, gesturing to a man who was walking towards them.
The man seemed to have a gait in his walk as he approached. From what Sarah could tell, he was probably in his late fifties and was balding. He seemed to work out a lot, with the way he was built, but there was something else about him that Sarah couldn’t quite figure out yet - something very interesting.
"Hello Sarah, Justin," he greeted as he walked up to them. "May I?" He asked as he touched Gem.
Justin and Sarah nodded at the same time. He spent a while with the girl before he looked back up at them both.
"She'll come around soon. She's a fighter," he said.
"Sarah, this is Father Albert. He's a very resourceful man," Justin said as he introduced the man.
"Please to meet you," Sarah said, offering her hand for a shake.
The man took her hand in his and held it for longer than expected.
"You're angry," he said to her. "You want revenge at all costs, even when you know the price is too heavy for you to pay."
Sarah drew her hand back quickly. Father Albert smiled at her.
"Let's get you lot off the street," he finally said. "There's more about this place than meets the eye."
---
Sam sat sipping a glass of red wine as Gianna walked into the office. He dropped the glass as soon as she came in and walked up to her.
"You look like a mess," he commented. Then he sat on the edge of the large office table. "What happened out there?"
Gianna shut her eyes for a while, trying to gain her composure back.
"They're here. Those two," she answered.
"That I know," Sam said to her. "Now, tell me what really happened."
Gianna sat on the chair. "Well, we got into a little fri
endly chat and he tumbled our car over."
Sam's face lit up with surprise. "There's no way he could have done that," he said out loud.
"I don't know; he seems kind of different. The first time I went after them, he was scared, so scared that the woman was the one doing all the dirty work. But this time around, he seemed a little more… different."
Sam smiled at her. "That's because he is."
"What do you mean?"
He got off the table and walked to a picture hanging on the wall. It was a picture of himself and some men during the launch of his campaign for Mayor of the city.
"The beast, it was not just coming here - it was following him. He should have known better, but for some reason, it never dawned on him. Somehow, he and the beast are connected. I'm guessing he's yet to figure that out," he told her.
Gianna turned the chair around. "So, you're saying he's… what?"
"From what I can tell, he's a long-lost descendant of the Seventh. One of the originals."
"He's a pure breed?" Gianna almost yelled out loud. "No wonder I couldn't get through to him."
Sam walked back to her. "Do you know what this means?" He asked.
"We need him," she answered.
"Exactly," Sam said as he walked back to his chair and sat. "We need him on our side, or else he's going to be a very big pain in the ass. Moreover, he might prove more useful than the compass. I know you still haven't found that."
Gianna hated to be reminded of how she had failed where she could have easily succeeded. "I'm sure we will be able to find the compass now that they are in the city," she said.
"Well, maybe, or you could just find a way to show him what he really is. Either way, it's imperative that you find the compass or turn him over to our side."
Gianna knew it was a very hard task to convince the boy over to their side, especially now that he had tasted what true power really was. The odds didn’t favor her in any way, but she knew she still had to try.
"What's our next move?" She asked the still smiling Sam.
"We wait," he answered slowly. "Sooner or later, they're going to have to come out of hiding because he's drawn to the power of the Seventh himself. He'll want to find out who he really is, and that's where we'll be waiting for him."
Gianna nodded and got to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I need to change out of these clothes."
Sam waved her off with his hand. He turned the chair towards the wall and continued to smile.
---
The police officer walked back into the city at night. He looked around, searching for something that could be of use to him. A man and his wife were walking towards him, each of them giggling as they trudged closer. As soon as they saw the officer, they both stopped and walked silently towards him. The man noticed his appearance and came closer.
"Officer, are you okay?" He asked with concern.
The wife stood where she was, watching with keen interest as her husband touched the cop. The move was a disastrous one, as the cop suddenly twisted his arm, breaking it instantly. The man yelled out in pain, his eyes darting towards his wife immediately. The woman was torn between running for her life or staying to help her husband.
"Run! Get away from here!" The husband yelled out as the cop twisted his arm farther back.
The woman ran for a few meters and turned back. She hit the cop on the head with her bag, ranting a number of obscenities at him as she did so. The cop held the husband by the neck and choked hard till he slumped lifeless. The woman saw what was happening and began to run for her life. She had only made it a few meters when the cop caught up with her. He held her down as something came out of him and slithered into her slowly. When this was done, the cop let her go. He seemed surprised by what he was doing.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" He asked genuinely. "What happened here?"
He turned to check the surrounding area when he felt a sharp blow to his head, flooring him. As his life slowly ebbed away, he looked up and saw the woman with an inexplicable expression on her face.
---
"You can stay here for now," Father Albert said to the trio. "It's not much, but it keeps you safe, at the least."
Justin walked in first, still carrying Gem in his arms. Sarah got in after. She scanned the room and discovered that it felt a little homely. For someone who was used to living on the road, she was overwhelmed by the feeling running through her.
"How long before she's able to wake up again?" Justin asked, pointing to Gem, who he had placed carefully in the only bed available.
"That I can't say for now, but when she does wake up, you'll need to be around her," Father Albert answered, turning towards Sarah.
"Me? Why me?" she asked.
"Because you're the only person she regards as family now and as it stands, she'll need someone to walk her through the pain that comes after."
Sarah nodded and went to sit beside the girl while the men walked outside. Father Albert brought out a cigarette pack and held it towards Justin.
"No. I quit smoking," he told the older man.
Father Albert looked at him surprisingly. "You quit?"
Justin looked away from the man. It was a cold night and there were lots of people walking around the city. Of course, he had lived here before, running after strangers as they dropped whatever they could afford into his tiny little bowl. It was here that he had his first kill, and here that he had become used to the outside world. Since he was known to be a chain smoker, the surprise on Father Albert's face was justifiable.
"There are other things that mean much more than smoking to me," he answered. "And the way I see it, you're not doing well with your resistance army."
The man was caught off guard by the change in the course of discussion. "How'd you know about that?"
Justin smiled. "There's so much news about you on the streets, you know?"
Father Albert drew a long whiff of smoke. "We came very close to him, but he was much cleverer than we imagined."
“What happened?"
"Well, two of our finest, Lisa and Shantel, infiltrated his mansion and tried to get the key to the crypt off him. They never made it back."
Justin gave the man a long stare. "You let Lisa go in there? Shantel I can understand, but Lisa?"
"What can I say? The girl is as stubborn as you are."
Justin fell silent for a long time. He had known Lisa for a very long time and it didn't come as a shock to him that she had decided to brave the odds all by herself. It wasn’t unusual for people to want revenge. Had he not slaughtered a family just because of one person?
"What are you going to do now?" Father Albert asked, cutting through his chain of thoughts. "There's no way you can take him on alone."
Justin looked at the man. "Who told you I was going to take him on alone?"
The older man smiled ruefully. "It's written all over your face."
Justin reached into his chest pocket and brought out the compass. "He's going to come for this, or me - whichever one he figures out first. As long as I have it, he'll stop at nothing to come after me."
"What's this?" The man asked.
"Let's just say it's about the only thing that's stopping him from plunging us all into darkness. When he comes, you better be ready for him. He won't hold back this time around."
Father Albert drew on his cigarette again. "You know there's nothing that would give me more pleasure that seeing him burn. Let him come."
Sarah ran out of the room suddenly. "Gem - she's awake."
The men got up quickly from where they were sitting. Father Albert dropped his cigarette and stamped the butt into the ground. When they walked back in, the girl was sitting upright, looking lost.
"Why is she like that?" Justin asked.
"I honestly have no idea," Sarah answered as she hunched her shoulders.
Justin walked to the girl and shook her. She seemed to have been gone and then suddenly broke her daze.
"Hey. You okay?" He asked her.
<
br /> She nodded slowly. "There’s something else out there - something more dangerous than what we're up against, and it's coming for me."
Chapter 15
Sam walked slowly towards the beast, whose breathing was shallow and daunting. He touched it slightly, fascinated by the kind of powers that had come together to create a creature like that. He had heard news and read books; he had also done research numerous times into the possibility of the beast existing. It wasn’t that he didn't believe it did, he just didn't think he would actually be the one to bring it in. There had been prophecies about the one who would ride the beast and crush his enemies with it, using their bones as stepping stones as the beast ravaged them. He just didn't know he would be the one to achieve such a great feat.
He walked round the beast again and again, still awed by how magnificent it looked.
"You're such a beauty, aren't you?" He said.
The beast looked away from him, drawn towards something on the other side of the wall as it stared intently and made towards it. Sam caught the drift and walked closer to the wall himself.
"What is it?" He asked softly. "Is there something behind these walls that fascinates you? Something that tells you a lot about your origin?"
Sam watched it intently, expecting some sign. He was disappointed and walked towards the wall instead.
"You're right. Our master rests behind these walls. It's hard, you know? Waiting for him every single day, not sure whether he will be coming back or not."
He turned back to the beast.
"But with you back and that boy, we can achieve anything! Anything we want!"
The beast growled softly and turned away from him. Sam's phone rang.
"Hello?" He said into the phone. It was the governor calling. He listened to the man rant for a few minutes before he hung up.
When he got out, Gianna was waiting for him with news. There had been a fire at the Grey Pharmacy; Doctor Grey had been trying to get a few things done there when it happened. No bodies were recovered.
"They're all waiting for you," she told him finally.