Disclaimer: I do not own "His Dark Materials," or ANYTHING associated with said franchise, movie(s), literature, games, merchandise, or other media. All of the credit for the wonderful world of "Earth Enthralled," and "Lyra's World," belong SOLELY to Philip Pullman.
Before-You-Read Background: This BOLD, "Pre-Story Pretext," is my important, intrinsic, "Before-You-Read Background," and these "Before-Chapter-Author-Notes," will almost ALWAYS contain UPPER-CASE Letters, of SOME sort. Proper grammar, and other things are used CORRECTLY in these "Pretext Prologues," though. …And while you should know that, you should also know that the ACTUAL STORY WILL contain GREAT spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage-and-mechanics, syntax, and semantics. Reading/RETAINING the NEXT portion of BOLDED text of IMPORTANT INFORMATION is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Author Announcement(s): While the above statement is true, however, inspiration for starting my own series of novels, falls to Mrs. Suzanne Collins (Even Though Her Ideas Are FAR From Original), Mrs. J.K. Rowling, Mr. D.J. MacHale, Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien, Mr. C.S. Lewis, Mr. Philip Pullman, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the darkly noble Mr. George Orwell (surprised he's in that list there, right?). One day, IF (BIIIIG IF, Since It's a VERY SLIM Chance) I should happen to ever manage to get my book(s) series published, and one of you awesome readers are sitting there in "Barnes & Noble," trying to read the novel in one sitting in the store, so you won't have to pay for it (hey, no shame in it—I do it sometimes…), you might just look up at the author and say: "HEY! I KNEW that guy! I read his FanFiction! …I deserve some of his profits!"
Author Advertisement(s): That's right. Ads. I have TWELVE—Count-'Em, TWELVE—FanFictions On here, that will ALL end-up, being OVER 100K-Words, and they will ALL be updated REGULARLY—HOPEFULLY—from this point-on. …So, if you happen to read in any of the OTHER FanFic FanDoms, that I write for, then, PLEASE, by all means, do NOT hesitate to check-out some of my OTHER FanFictions! Check-out my profile for more information (And Some Awesome Quotes, As Well!), and MESSAGE ME, if you have ANY questions, or just want to chat! I, contrary to popular belief, LOVE to hear from fellow FanFiction-Readers, as-well-as, my own readers! …Also, it should be noted, that ANY AND ALL of my Comic-Based-FanFictions, are VERY EASY to understand, and they are MADE for EVEN a NOVICE/NON-Comics-Reader, to be able to understand VERY EASILY, and things are explained VERY clearly in these above-mentioned Comic-Based-FanFictions, of my own creation.
Important Information: This is NOT an AU ("Alternate Universe"). This story takes place FOUR YEARS, AFTER the END of "The Amber Spyglass." This story is a Fan-Fiction "continuation" of the series. EVERYTHING that happened in the series, has ALREADY happened here.
Author's Amendment: …ANYWAYS… …I hope that any and all of you read and enjoy this work of FanFiction, and that I get some REVIEWS! I would greatly appreciate your opinion and/or review of this story (Or Any Other Story Of Mine You Happen To Find Yourself Interested In), as I take every last review and comment into account, in order to make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone reading it. ENJOY!
Heaven, Hell, and Hereafter: The Divine Dreadnaught
A FanFic By: D. Raj David
I. Arbitrary Angels and Divine Demons
He crashed chaotically into the pavement before him. The imminent impact was harsh and unforgiving. He left a charred, cracked, crater where his body had hit the pavement only moments before. He readily rose from the crater, as if he felt no pain. The man suddenly stood tall, swiftly surveying his surroundings.
He was where he needed to be, but he was far from his intended target. He was far from Lyra. He narrowed his brutal blue eyes as he speedily scanned the streets around him. He was in her world. He was sure of it. He had made sure to fall in a perfectly precise manner. He had made sure that he would land in her world.
His bright blond hair ruffled restlessly as the winter wind picked up. He sighed. He hadn't thought this all the way through. Lyra could be anywhere in this universe. She could be dead by the time he reached her—if he reached her.
His flawless frosted skin seemed to exude a sense of finished defeat as he realized that finding Lyra Belacqua would be next to impossible.
He turned his head to the right, and he quickly noticed a young dark-haired woman watching him curiously. Her head was tilted to one side, as if she was making a drastic decision. The man smiled sincerely, and she proceeded to blush a deep red. His smile grew wider, and he approached the young woman.
The woman stood silently, stunned, and speechless. She had just seen this man plummet from the heavens and land in the street. She had also seen him rise as though it had never happened. But the crater some feet behind the man said otherwise. She could not comprehend this shocking situation.
And, to make matters worse, he was attractive. She was easily flustered around attractive men. Her dæmon was shyly situated on the woman's shoulder. Her dæmon was small squirrel with beautiful black fur. The dæmon was warily watching the man as he approached the woman. The woman's heartbeat quickened as he approached her.
He steadily slowed to a halt as he neared the woman, and his brilliant blue eyes seemed to stare right into her—or, rather, right through her. The small shirt and jagged jeans that adorned his distinctly defined physical physique were clothes from this world, but they somehow seemed…outlandish.
He smiled at her once again, and once again, her heart melted.
"Excuse me, miss. I was wondering if you would mind assisting me with something." he said sweetly, and she simply nodded in response.
He smiled sincerely, once again. She blushed once again, as well. "I was looking for a place, where one could learn to read an 'alethiometer.'" he stated simply. The woman took some time to compose herself, and after some time she finally managed a coherent response.
"…Y-You would have to speak to Dame Hannah Relf about the study of the 'alethiometer.'" she stuttered, slightly embarrassed.
He smiled at her. "And, where, might I ask, may I find Dame Hannah Relf?" he inquired intricately.
"She is the headmaster of Saint Sophia's School, a school for young girls. The school is in that general direction." the woman readily responded, pointing off into the distance. The man followed her finger to a building in the far forward direction. He nodded at the woman.
"Thank you." he replied, before taking off the direction she had indicated.
The woman blinked rapidly. She tried to forget what had just happened. But, she just could not forget him. There was simply something about him.
Lyra lunged, and Lily parried. Thatcher watched the two fighting females with curiosity, and exuberant excitement. Lily rebounded, and her blade bounded forward, intending to make contact with Lyra's chest. It never did. Lyra swiftly spun to her left, and she ducked under Lily's backhanded attack, and she skillfully shot up, between Lily and her blade. Lyra braced her left foot behind Lily's right foot, and Lyra reeled her feet in. Lily fell, and Lyra was on top of her, straddling her, a blade balanced at her throat a moment later. The two dæmons of the two girls sat silently, watching the fight with interest. Pantalaimon had made good friends with Maltosta, the dæmon of Lily, and the two dæmons were just as close as Lily and Lyra, themselves, were.
Even through Lily's mask, Lyra could see her friend frowning. Lily hated losing. Lily never lost—except when she competed against Lyra.
The ballpoint end of Lyra's bouncing blade shimmered in Lily's face. Lily sighed deeply and removed her protective mask. The fight was over. Lyra had won, again.
Lyra removed her own mask, and she extended her hand to her friend. Lily frowned and refused the help. Lily didn't need help. Lyra smirked and shrugged. She readily raised herself up from the position that she had held over Lily's defeated form. Lily got to her feet, and she sighed again.
"One of these days, I'm going to pay you back for all of those fights—tenfold." Lily said seriously.
Lyra smiled at her friend. "Yeah, one of these days. But not today." she replied, smiling. Lily rolled her eyes.
Lyra's brash blonde hair and her bold blue eyes contrasted irreverently with Lily's baleful brown hair, and hardened hazel eyes. The two were different in many ways. They were the same in many ways as well, though. They were similarly different, and differently similar. They were friends—best friends. They constantly berated each other, and they took any opportunity to poke fun at each other. Sometimes their rude ways were the only things that hey held in common. But, they were the only ones with whom they did not have to speak to communicate. They just knew. They both did. There was no need for words between the two.
When Lyra had returned from her adventures and misadventures that had taken-place in other worlds, Lyra had met Lily. They hated each other immediately. They fought constantly. They still did.
Lyra was rude, outspoken, and confident. She was also sad, lost, and depressed—but only Lily was be able to infer that. Lily was insolent, bratty, and angry. She was also lonely, misplaced, and unloved—but only Lyra would be able to infer that. After some time, the two had finally found something in common, and that something was the reason that they hated each other. They were jealous, which was preposterous, as they both wanted what the other had but had failed to see the downsides.
Soon after this, Lyra and Lily started competing in everything together—and against each other.
Fencing was the perfect sport for the two fierce females. They could release rage, anger, and fury, without hurting one another—at least, not too terribly.
Fencing also had a welcome side effect for Lyra. It took her terribly troubled mind off of the one thing that could defeat her. It kept her mind off of Will.
Lily knew about Will, but she didn't know the details, and she didn't ask. She was sure that Lyra would tell her, and if she didn't, then Lily was sure that she didn't want to hear anyway.
The two girls walked over to the sidelines, and they collapsed on the bench, as their teacher, Thatcher, strolled over them, and offered them water. They greedily accepted it.
Lily and Lyra were the two best fighters in Thatcher's fencing class. And they knew it. They progressed practically every day. Fencing was one of the few electives that Lyra took at St. Sophia's School, and actually enjoyed. The rest of the classes that she took were required, or due to a need to compete with Lily.
The two girls downed their water, and in seconds, their breathing began to normalize. Thatcher raised an eyebrow at the two girls. He shook his head, his dark midnight hair, and experienced eyes silently stating that he wondered why he let these girls run circles around him.
Lyra smiled at him. "Thanks, teach. I really—" Lyra started, but here she was interrupted by Thatcher.
"Dame Hannah wants to see you two, now." he said seriously.
Lyra raised an eyebrow and looked over at Lilly. She shrugged. There were a number of things that the girls could be in trouble for.
Lyra grinned. "Okay, just let me finish—" she began, but was cut off again.
"No. Now." Thatcher replied.
Lyra's eyes went wide. This was serious. She nodded. Lily and Lyra left the training grounds, and they ventured out into the crisp night air, heading for Dame Hannah's office.
The two wandered through the campus of the school, taking the long route on purpose, as their dæmons sat silently on their shoulders. Lyra liked Dame Hannah. But she wasn't too pleasant when she was angry. Of course, Dame Hannah always had a good reason for being angry at Lyra.
Finally, the two girls reached the front of the ornate office of Dame Hannah Relf. Lyra looked to Lily, and she stared back blankly at her friend. Lyra sighed deeply.
She pushed past the unlocked door, and the two girls made their way into the office.
Lyra stopped short. There was a man in the office, standing over Dame Hannah. Dame Hannah never had anyone in her office—except for Lyra, when she was occasionally misbehaving, or Lily, when she joined Lyra in occasionally misbehaving.
Dame Hannah looked up from a stack of papers, and her solemn stare shot right through Lyra.
Dame Hannah looked adamantly angered. Lyra gulped.
"You may go, now, Lily." Dame Hannah said with an authoritative air.
"…But—" Lily began to protest, but was cut short by Dame Hannah.
"I said now." Dame Hannah responded, her aged, angered, face showing signs of severe stress.
Lily nodded and scurried speedily out of the office, before shooting her friend an apologetic glance. Lyra nodded at her retreating friend. She understood. Dame Hannah was not a woman to be trifled, tested, or tried with. Lily left, her brown ponytail swaying chaotically behind her, and Lyra turned her attention back to Dame Hannah, and the man standing beside her.
He was a tall, thin, muscular man, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was admittedly attractive, although Lyra pushed this fruitless fact to then back of her mind. He was wearing the mark of a member of the mighty Magisterium, colloquially called "The Church." Lyra gulped once again. The Magisterium had been weakened since Lord Asriel's war against the Authority, but they had retained quite a large amount of prominent power. They held their clamps into the society of this world, and Lyra knew that they had their murderous sights set on her. She was allowed to stay out their way, and thus out of the foster-system, and reside here at St. Sophia's School, as long as she dutifully attended any and all of her alethiometer-reading classes and learned the art proficiently. Apparently, the Magisterium thought that she might be useful if she learned to read that device again. Lyra didn't care, because she was never going to assist that organization.
Looking from the man, to Dame Hannah, and back again, Lyra knew why Dame Hannah was angry. Lyra had missed her last four alethiometer-reading lessons, and the Magisterium member was probably here to check on Lyra's progress. Lyra would fail his test. She would prove to the Magisterium that she was defiant, and useless, just as they thought.
They would win. Dame Hannah cared deeply for Lyra, and as such, she did not want the Magisterium painting targets on the girl's back.
Lyra suddenly sighed. The man swiftly shifted his view from Dame Hannah to the girl. He smiled. Lyra knew that she should have shuddered. Smiles shot off by men of the Magisterium were threatening, terrible, and terrifying. Lyra didn't feel any of those emotions, though. This man was heartfelt—horrendously heartfelt. Lyra narrowed her eyes, as she scanned him again.
Lyra's eyes went wide. He was not from the Magisterium. He was an imposter, an impersonator. Lyra was shocked—stunned—into silence. But she still smirked. The man caught her smirk, before returning his emotionless gaze to Dame Hannah Relf, as the two conversed casually. Lyra could not hear what was being said.
Lyra did not like the Magisterium, just as so many others disliked the Magisterium. Many people had questioned their validity and honesty after Lord Asriel's war had been won, and although Lord Asriel had won, few people knew that a war had even been fought.
Thus, those that questioned the Magisterium, questioned them quietly. But, that number was growing. The Magisterium was losing power, and because their texts were not telling truths anymore, people were surely seeing it for what it was—a lie. Still, the Magisterium had struck back. Anyone that dared question them, was pursued, prosecuted, and punished—severely. The criminal charges for impersonating members of the Magisterium were severe, and sometimes it resulted in death.
Lyra knew that this man had to have known that. But he didn't care. Lyra didn't know this man, but she liked him already.
Finally, the man turned away from his conversation with Dame Hannah, and he approached Lyra.
"Well, miss Belacqua, if I am correct, it is time for a demonstration of your alethiometer-abilities." the man said, addressing Lyra. Lyra frowned. He wasn't a member of the Magisterium. She wondered why he held the act so well.
"Yes. I believe it is." she replied, in a monotone voice.
Dame Hannah nodded to the man, and he then led himself out of her office. Lyra then tuned to Dame Hannah.
"…What—" Lyra started, but Dame Hannah cut her off.
"Just take him to your quarters, and show him some simple techniques. I managed to convince him that these techniques are all that were able to be learned in the given amount of time. He will see himself out, when you are done. You can thank me later—by actually showing up for our next lesson!" Dame Hannah erupted.
Lyra cringed slightly. She nodded. "Yes, ma'am." she replied, walking out of the office. "…And, thank you." Lyra added aptly, before running back and giving Dame Hannah a tight hug.
Dame Hannah sighed and patted Lyra on her head. This was the reason that she never had any children. Dame Hannah sighed. "Lyra, you never have to thank me for any of this. Now, go. We don't want to keep 'His Holiness' waiting." she replied.
Lyra chuckled, before nodding and heading out of her office. Lyra met the man outside, and she led him, quietly, to her quarters on the far side of the campus.
The man stalked silently behind her. Lyra suddenly shivered. She didn't have a very good feeling. She should have voiced her thoughts to Dame Hannah. This man may have been a member of the Magisterium, but Lyra didn't believe that for a single second. Something was wrong, and Lyra was leading this stranger directly into her own personal sanctum. She wanted to kick herself. She hadn't felt this stupid, since she and...Will...had traveled to the land of the dead.
Lyra walked warily, expecting the man to pounce on her at any second. He didn't, and soon they reached her dormitory.
She unlocked the door, and she swiftly stepped inside, her footfalls failing to mask her nervousness. The man entered after, and he shut the door behind himself. Lyra's quarters consisted of a small apartment-style building, with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom, all on the same floor.
"Make yourself at home." Lyra called from the kitchen, as she mentally kicked herself for saying that. She didn't want him to make himself at home. She wanted him to leave.
Lyra walked back into the living room, and Pantalaimon jumped off of her shoulders, and onto the nearby couch. The alethiometer was clearly cupped in her hands. The man saw this, and he nodded.
Lyra opened the alethiometer, and she began to turn the needle-like arms of the device, before the man held his hand up, to stop her.
"I would like you to answer one question of mine. After you have answered this question correctly, I will be satisfied, and I will leave." the man said suddenly.
Lyra looked at him for moment, before responding to him. "I'll answer your question, if you answer mine." she replied.
The man chuckled. "Very well then, child. Ask away." he said.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Fine." Lyra said, before sighing very deeply, and posing her question. "We both know that you're not from the Magisterium. We both know that the penalty for impersonating them is sometimes death. We both know that you would have only done these things and risked these consequences if you were after something of equal—or greater—pay-off." she said.
The man smiled at her. It was another heartfelt smile. "You are right. But that is not a question, Miss Belacqua." he replied.
She let out a breath. He didn't deny it. She nodded and continued. "Yeah, I'm getting to that. My question is coming up next. What, exactly, is so valuable to you, that you would risk these things? What are you after?" she inquired intricately.
The man smiled. "Isn't it obvious? I'm after you." he replied.
Lyra nearly chocked on her own saliva. She couldn't have heard correctly. But she knew that she had. Lyra quickly eyed the decorative sharpened steel blades that were hanging on her living room wall. The man caught her apprehensive action.
He chuckled. "I have a vested interest in you, young Lyra. I want your life." he stated.
Lyra didn't wait for an explanation. She lunged at the swords, and she snatched them off of the wall, as she turned and sliced skillfully at the man. He avoided the blow, as though it was severely unimpressive.
Lyra charged at him again, and this time, she swung her sharp steel at his head. The man ran directly at her, and at the last moment, he deftly ducked under her swing, as he continued to run forwards, his upper half now below her waist.
Lyra quickly recovered, and she turned to the man once again. He smiled at her. She lunged at him.
This time, the man stood still. Lyra swung her steel swords at him again, and as she did so, the man jumped backwards, and hit the wall behind him with his feet first, using them to propel himself up and over Lyra's head as he flipped flawlessly over the stunned girl. He landed behind her and he swiftly swept her feet out from under her.
Lyra hit the floor—hard. The man stood over her, and he offered his hand to the defeated girl. She swiftly spun around and got to her feet. She leveled the swords at him, once again. The man shook his head.
"You misunderstand, Lyra Belacqua, just as you misunderstand yourself." the man said.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "I understand you just fine!" she screamed. "You want to kill me! You came here to kill, so I'm going to beat you to it!" she yelled again.
The man shook his head. "No. I said that I wanted your life, Lyra, not your death. I have a vested interest in your life, but not because I want to take it. I have a vested interest in your life, because I want to save it." he replied. Lyra's eye went wide. She quickly cleared her face of any and all emotions, though.
"You lie." she accused.
He nodded. "Yes, I do. But that is irrelevant." he responded.
Lyra looked at him in astonishment. She slowly shook her head from side to side, her ponytail becoming confoundedly chaotic, as she did so.
"What? What do you mean? Why are you here? Who are you?" Lyra asked the man, holding her swords to him, once again.
"That will all be answered, soon, Lyra. But, you will only hear the answers, if you live to listen to them. And, you will only live, if you do as I say, and trust in me." he replied.
Lyra laughed. She laughed so hard, that for a moment, she thought that she might be able to be happy again. But it was only a moment. "You're insane." she replied.
The man shrugged. "By the standards of your world, yes, I suppose I am insane." he said seriously.
Lyra stopped short. "…The standards of my world? …Whose world are you from, exactly?" she asked in return.
The man smiled at her. "…Not, from young William's world, if that is what you are inquiring." he replied.
Lyra looked lurid. This man knew about Will. She wondered what else he knew. "…How do you... …How do you…" Lyra said, trailing off.
The man raised an eyebrow. "How do I know about William? I know that, the same way that I know everything else, such as the fact that, in five minutes, this building will be under attack, and you will die, if you do not come with me." the man replied.
Lyra dropped her swords. She was too shocked to move. "Why should I trust you?" she asked.
"You have no reason to do so. That is why you should trust me. You remember that girl that always wanted to see what the outcome of every possible occurrence was, regardless of what the consequences were, don't you, Lyra? I remember that girl. And she's standing right in front of me." he answered her.
Lyra shook her head. "That girl died. She died a long time ago." Lyra replied.
The man smiled. "No. She was only lost. She was not killed. I have found her again. You have to find her now too, Lyra. I need you to find her. I risked everything to find her. You risked everything to bury her. We need that girl though, Lyra. If we are to live, I need that girl to follow me, to understand me, to trust me." he pleaded with her, glancing quickly at the clock in her kitchen, above the sink in the next room.
Lyra lividly looked up at the man. She made eye-contact with him. "What do you need?" she asked.
He smiled. "I need you, Lyra. Come with me, be quiet, and bring the alethiometer." he order her. She looked at him stubbornly, before gathering her alethiometer, and swiftly sheathing her swords, as she placed them on her back.
He chuckled, as he watched her perform these actions. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?" she asked, angrily.
"Those," he said, pointing to her two steel swords, "won't stop them." he replied.
"…And, just who, exactly, is them?" she asked.
Footsteps pounded along the roof of the building. The man looked up, and his smile faltered.
"Unfortunately, Lyra, you are about to find out. Stay behind me at all times. Those are orders. Is that clear?" he aptly asked her.
Lyra smirked at the man. "Yeah, it's clear, but all that means is that it's easier for me to look through it, and not follow those so-called orders." Lyra replied. The man rolled his eyes. It was as though he had just adopted the teenage daughter that no one else wanted—the one that was a teenager in an orphanage for a reason. He sighed. He nodded at the girl.
"…Hey, what was that question that you wanted to ask me, anyways?" she asked him.
The man got in front of her, and just as he did so, the roof collapsed, and five grown, massively muscular men stood there over the debris. They looked lethal.
The man in front of Lyra smirked at the five other men. He ejected two murderous metallic blades, from each arm—one from underneath his wrist, and one from his forearm—and he turned back to Lyra to answer her question. He grinned at her.
"The question I wanted you to answer was a simple one. Are you prepared for an adventure?" he asked her.
Lyra swallowed hard, and after a few moments, her brain seemed to start working again. She nodded, and soon her mouth twisted into a sincerely sure smirk. "Always." she replied, as Pantalaimon jumped back onto her shoulders.
The man nodded. "Good." he said, before lunging at the five men in front of him.
TTT
The woman brutally blazed through the atmosphere, and she hit the ground with incredible force as the ground cleaved and split apart beneath her. She rose from her temporary resting place to view her surroundings. She was in a city. The sky was stunningly sunny. The steel skyscrapers around her rose and touched the sky. She turned around, and she saw a group of five civilians looking at her, as though she was an alien. She wasn't an alien, but their silent assumption was close enough.
She raised an eyebrow at these five civilians, and then she realized what she had done. She looked down at the small crater that her body had left, after her incredible impact with the pavement.
She looked back up at the five civilians. She began to approach them. They fled. She shrugged. She continued on her way through the city—through London, England.
She soon came upon two other civilians. These two appeared to be a young couple. The woman smirked as she approached the two.
Her beautiful brown skin, perfectly tanned, seemed to shimmer in the splendor of the sunny day. Her experienced eyes swiftly scanned the couple, and she smiled as she approached them. The man smiled at her. His girlfriend frowned at him.
The woman smiled in return. Her dark midnight hair was let loose behind her distracting body. Her tall, thin figure was little, light, lithe, and…lethal.
She smiled seductively at the man, as she reached his side, and his reaction was almost immediate, and he swallowed to contain the saliva that threatened to leak out of his mouth. His girlfriend swallowed hard to contain her murderous urges.
The woman titled her head to one side, and innocently, asked the man, "Why hello, there. I seem to be slightly lost. Would you mind helping me find my way…handsome?" she inquired intricately, as she gently stroked his chin with her right index finger.
His brain melted. His girlfriend clenched her fists, and she drew blood.
"…Um… …Y-Yeah, s-sure…" the man responded, trailing off stupidly.
She smiled at him. "Thanks, hon. See, I'm looking for a doctor. Can you help me?" she asked, shaping her mouth and face in an attractive way.
His mind exploded.
"…" He needed some time to process her request.
He nodded.
She smiled. "I'm looking for a Doctor Mary Malone. Know where I can find her?" she asked.
He nodded, and he eventually snapped out of his stupor, and he nodded again. He eventually replied. He pointed to the east, across the city. "She lives in the upper east side of London, near the suburbs, and sometimes she visits her nephew, in the suburban section of the city to the east of downtown London." he replied. She smiled. She didn't have to shoot seductive looks at him to gain that information. Doctor Mary Malone was quite well-known in this world, and she knew that. She just thought that toying with this poor man would be fun. And it was.
"…Her nephew?" she asked.
He nodded. "Will… …Will something-or-other… He isn't her nephew by blood, though—at least I don't think so." he replied.
She nodded, and smirked seductively at him, before walking and walking away. "Thanks, hon." she called over her shoulder. The man waved dumbly after her.
His girlfriend rolled up her sleeves. He caught sight of this action. He ran. The woman chuckled slightly, as she heard the young couple running around the city block.
Will ran. He ran as fast as he could. But it wasn't fast enough. It was never fast enough. He could never escape the nightmares. The dreams. The nightmares. The memories. Lyra. He couldn't escape her, because he was constantly chasing her. He couldn't stop. He was always running. So, he joined the track team.
Here, he could run all he wanted, and then run some more. Will was the fastest on the team. He put everything he had into this team. It kept his mind off of the other thoughts, the other memories. He was happy for that, at least. He had very little things to be happy about, anymore.
Will crossed the finish line, and moments later, his best friend, Kyle Warner, crossed the finish line as well, after a number of other runners had crossed before him. Kyle smiled at his friend. He patted Will on the back, as he made eye contact with him, and Kyle's light emerald eyes bore into Will's dark ones, as he talked.
"Damn, man. If…I…could…run…like…that…" Kyle said between bursts of breath. Will smiled and rolled his eyes.
Kyle finally caught his breath. "You know that you don't have to run from me, right? I'm not gonna to hurt you, man. I mean, I know I'm scary, and all, but c'mon, a face this nice," Kyle said, gesturing to his own face, "can't belong to someone that gets into fights. I can't risk the pretty." Kyle finished.
Will chuckled. "Kyle, your face is your greatest asset, but your brain is your biggest weakness." Will said, chuckling once again.
Kyle frowned. "Well, I don't have a brain. No brain, no weight. It's why I'm so fast, so untouchable." he responded, smiling triumphantly. Will laughed again.
"Almost untouchable." Will reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah." he replied. "One of these days, though, I'm gonna catch you." he warned Will.
Will nodded. "Yeah. One of these days. But not today, so be a good a follower, and let's hit the showers." Will responded, and Kyle rolled his eyes. Just as the two boys were about to walk off the track, though, two girls approached them, equally exhausted and out-of-breath.
"Hey, Kyle. Good to see you're not so far behind, anymore." one of the girls commented comically, wrinkling her nose cutely as she did so. Kyle loved when she did that, and she knew it.
"You're so funny, Jenny, that almost forgot for a second that you have no personality." Kyle replied to her remark.
She scowled playfully at him, her red hair falling over face perfectly as she did so. "For someone with no personality, you sure pay a lot of attention to me. I passed you, but that wasn't the reason that couldn't keep your eyes off my ass." she reprimanded him. He smirked at her.
"You have no personality. But, you've got everything else." he replied, smiling.
She blushed slightly.
"I'd lose any day, as long as I lose to you, because that view is worth a thousand trophies." he said, chortling slightly. She flamed red.
"KYLE!" she yelled.
"Easy, I was only joking—about your personality, not about the other thing." he said in response. "…I actually like it when you yell at me. Would you care to do it some more? Perhaps tonight? At the City Festival?" he asked.
She scowled. "Should I leave my personality at home?" she asked angrily.
He smiled. "Nope. That the best part. It's almost as sexy as your looks are, and it's definitely more killer than your looks, which is saying something." he stated smugly. She blushed.
"Fine. But, pick me up promptly at seven. Any later, and this scowl stays on permanently." she said, giving-in. Kyle smirked and nodded.
Kyle and Will exchanged a look and Will shook his head, while Kyle grinned. The two boys looked back at Jenny, and they realized that her friend had yet to say a single word.
Jenny elbowed her friend in her side.
The girl next to Jenny finally spoke-up, after a moment, as her adamant amber eyes locked with Will. "…Hey, um, Will, I was wondering, about the City Festival tonight… …I was wondering if maybe you'd wanna go with me?" she asked hopefully.
Kyle smirked at his friend, and then turned back to Jenny and her friend. "He'd lov—" Kyle started, but Will elbowed him in the side, cutting him off.
"…Actually, Mia, I have plans tonight. I'm really sorry. Maybe another time?" he said, shooting her down. Mia looked down at her shoes, her brown hair covering her face she did so.
She looked back and smiled brightly at Will. "Sure. Rain check. Sounds good. …Um, okay, then guys…. …Later…" she said, trailing off, and quickly fleeing the area.
Jenny looked at Will in confusion, and then Kyle, who simply shrugged. Jenny shook her head and took off after her distraught friend.
Kyle turned to Will.
"Dude?! What the hell?! Mia is almost as hot as Jenny, and as a plus, she is actually nice! She is, like, the sweetest girl in the entire junior class! What is wrong with you?! She's going to be crying for weeks over this! Man, that was a big—" Kyle started his rant, but Will cut him off with a look. Will didn't want to talk about it, and Kyle knew why.
"It's Lyra, isn't it?" he asked his friend. Will didn't answer.
"Look, I know I will never understand what happened with you two. I know I may never understand true love. But, I do know that if she was a great as you said, then she wouldn't want you to just wallow around in self-pity. It's depressing, man! Seriously, look at yourself! You are, without a doubt, the second sexiest guy in the greater London area! You can't let that body go to waste! Man, if I was a girl, or I suddenly became gay, I would bang you! That's how hot you are! You are William goddamn Parry! Your dad traveled the world, and conquered the modern man's fears. Conquering is in your blood! Get up! Go say yes to that girl!" Kyle exploded at his friend.
Will got up from the bench that he was sitting on, and he looked his friend in the eye. "Second sexiest?" he asked comically.
Kyle shrugged. "I can't count myself out." he replied.
Will laughed so hard that he thought he might die. Kyle was one of the few people that knew how cheer him up.
"Come on, man. Let's get out of here." Will suggested. Kyle sighed, and he nodded at his friend.
"Is Mary picking you up?" Kyle asked. Will nodded.
"You coming?" Will asked. Kyle was welcome in his home any time of the day, and he usually took very gracious advantage of that invitation.
Kyle shook his head. "Nah. I'm going to go home and catch some sleep, before tonight. Track practice today wore me out. Besides, if things go well, I might need all the energy I can get tonight, know what I mean?" he asked, elbowing his friend. Will sighed.
"Yes, Kyle, I know what you mean. Be careful, though, Jenny isn't like other girls. She isn't disposable. If she finds out that you think of her that way, she'll make it so that you can never perform your favorite activity again." Will said, chuckling.
Kyle smiled. "That's just it, though. I don't think of her like that, at all, actually. I wasn't kidding. I really do like it when she yells at me. She isn't like other girls. She doesn't blush at all of my stupid comments, and she gives me back exactly what I throw at her. I like that. It's like…like…" Kyle trailed off.
"…Like a competition?" Will asked.
Kyle grinned. "Yeah, man! That's it, exactly! …Plus, have you seen her in a strapless? Don't tell her this, but she's better-looking than me in that thing!" Kyle said excitedly.
Will smiled happily at his friend. He knew exactly what it felt like to be with some who challenged him, gave him back everything he threw at her, and made him stronger by giving him something to work towards. Kyle had found his Lyra—or someone close enough.
The two retreated to the locker rooms, and they showered and changed.
Kyle nodded at his friend, as he heard a honking car horn from the front of the school. Will snapped out of his reverie. Mary was here. Will nodded goodbye to Kyle, and he ran to the parking lot, where Mary was waiting in her black sedan.
Will hoped in, and shut the door behind him, as his dæmon, Kirjava, joined Mary's dæmon, named Tyrinal, in the backseat—as only Will and Mary could see or sense another's dæmon, in their own world. Mary began to pull away from the curb. She looked over Will, and she noticed the small smile on his face. She ventured an attempt.
"Meet a girl?" she asked.
Will sighed. "Yes. Four years ago." he replied somberly. His smile was gone. Mary cringed. That was the first smile that Will had shown on his face in almost four years, and she had just made it disappear. She cursed herself.
"I know. I was there. I liked that girl." Mary replied, smiling slightly, and watching Will out of the corner of eye.
"I know. She was the reason that you put up with me." he replied, smiling slightly once again.
Mary chuckled and nodded. "Yes. Yes, she was. You're still as broody and depressed as ever, though, kid. It's like you grew up in the 'Bat-Cave,' or something." she replied. He looked at her, and raised an eyebrow.
"Nevermind." she said. He nodded.
Mary continued to drive towards his home, silently, speedily, and seamlessly.
They reached his house, and the two got out of the car. Usually Mary went home, after she dropped Will off, but today was Wednesday and on Wednesdays, she stayed and ate dinner with Will and his mother. Mary was not related to Will, or his mother, by blood, by they were her family by every definition of the word.
Mary and Will grabbed the groceries that she had picked up for dinner, and the two proceeded inside to find that the door was unlocked.
Will looked at Mary, and they both froze, shock and panic clear on their faces. They raced into the house, inspecting the house, and expecting the worse.
Will almost dropped his groceries. Mary did drop her groceries. Will's mother, and a stranger were sitting on the couch, conversing casually, and drinking tea. The stranger was a female, and she was skillfully twirling a sharpened blade in her left hand. She was tall, thin and tan, with light brown skin and midnight raven-black hair. She was admittedly attractive, but Will pushed this fruitless fact to the back of his mind. She was little, lithe, and lethal. There was a look in her eyes that Will recognized too easily. It was the look of a killer.
The woman looked over at the two guests, and she smiled—seductively—at them. Will narrowed his eyes.
"Step away from her." he ground out.
The woman smiled, raised her hands, and obliged obediently. She got off of the couch, and walked across the room, to examine some pictures of Will and his family from earlier days.
Will clenched his fists, and he gave a swift signal to Mary with eyes. Mary understood, and she raced off to retrieve the knife—the knife that had cost her and Will everything to repair, the knife that was worth more than the price that was paid for it, the knife that was the last part of Lyra that Will had left.
The tan-toned woman smirked and laughed mirthfully at the boy that was behind her back. "That knife won't stop me. If I wanted you dead, you would be dead. I want you William Parry. I want your life. But, I do not want to take your life. I want to preserve it." she said seriously, as she turned around, smiling seductively at him. Mary returned seconds later, and she tossed the Subtle Knife to Will. He caught it in his left hand, and the three fingers that remained on that hand curled around the hilt of the blade instinctively. Kirjava and Tyrinal jumped onto the couch, trying to protect themselves, instinctively.
The woman smirked. Will's mother screamed. Will shifted his eyes from Mary to his mother. Mary nodded, and she quickly ushered his mother out of the room. Will narrowed his eyes, and focused them of the lethal woman in front of him.
"Well, honey, if you want to dance, I'm pretty hard to keep up with." the woman said, getting into a fighting stance.
Will tossed the blade into his dominant hand, and he held the blade with deft skill.
"I like my men to take initiative. Make the first move, honey. I'll make the last." she said smugly, winking at him.
Will lunged at her. She deftly dodged out of his way, and to his left. She swiftly spun around him, to his back, and Will ducked under a slow strike that she delivered from behind him. He raised himself to his feet, and he aimed knife at her throat. He lunged. She ducked under the boy's arms, and she skillfully slid—face first—under his airborne feet, as she planted her hands firmly on the floor, and flipped forwards, and away from Will, while she wrapped her ankles around Will's throat. Will struggled and chocked, and eventually he crashed to the ground, face first, directly in front of the waiting woman.
Will readily raised himself to his feet, and he glared at the woman, as he aimed his knife at her.
She clapped mockingly. "Nice footwork, honey. But, your hands could use some work. Trust me, ladies like a man with good hands." she said, winking at him again. Will lunged at her yet again. She ducked away, and swiftly swiped his feet out from under him, while reaching up and grabbing his throat. She tightened her grip, as she slammed him into the floor, neck first.
Will looked up at his attacker, shocked, stunned, and silenced. He couldn't win. He couldn't even land a hit.
She smiled. "Are we done with the foreplay, because I'd like to get down to business? As I said, I came here to save you, not to kill you." she said sincerely.
Will got to his feet, breathing heavily, and he dusted himself off. "Save me from what?" he asked aptly.
Footsteps were heard on the roof of the house. The woman looked up. She cursed silently. Will raised an eyebrow.
"From them." she said, pointing up.
Will raised his knife to point at the ceiling, preparing for a fight. She shook her head. "That," she said, slightly amused, "won't stop them." she stated seriously.
"…And, who, exactly, are they?" he asked her.
"If you don't do what I say, then you'll find out, and trust me, you do not want to find out." she said solemnly.
Will nodded. He didn't like this woman, but he did respect her. He knew that she wasn't lying. She could have killed him multiple times already. She wasn't here for his blood. She was here for his safety. "What do you need?" he asked aptly.
"Go get your mother and Doctor Malone. Get them to grab their essential belongings, and meet me back here in the living room, quickly." she ordered him. Will nodded, sheathed his knife, and raced off the find Mary and his mother.
Moments later, Will returned with his mother and Mary in tow. The woman nodded at him. "All of you, stay behind me, at all times. That is the only way that you will survive this. That is an order. Is that understood?" she asked them. Will looked to his mother and Mary. He nodded at them. They nodded in return. Kirjava and Tyrinal jumped back onto the shoulders of their respective masters.
"Good." she replied.
Will stepped beside the woman and drew his knife. She looked at him angrily.
"They will kill you. I will not fail, because a stupid brat decided to play hero." she spat vehemently.
The footsteps on the roof grew louder.
Will smirked sincerely. "I'm not a hero. I'm a killer, and a survivor. I'm not that easy to kill." he replied.
"You are a roach." she spat back.
"Roaches are hard to kill. You should know." he replied, smiling.
She rolled her eyes. "Lyra is one lucky lady." she said sarcastically.
Will stopped short. "…How do you…" he said, trailing off.
"I know a lot of things, kid, like the fact that you should move to your left if you want to live." she said, and just as she did so, Will leapt out of the way, as the ceiling collapsed, and five men descended into the house.
The five men looked lethal—very lethal.
The brown-skinned woman smirked. She extended two blades from each arm—one rom under her wrist, and one from her forearm—and she smiled seductively at her enemies.
"What? Only five? The Destroyer is getting lazy. I'm a little insulted." she teased.
The leader of the five men stepped forwards, and he responded to the woman. "Five is more than enough to deal with trash like you. The boy and the girl will not live through the night." the man spat.
The woman chuckled. "Oh, please. Deity found the girl before your boys did. She's safe. …But, your boys aren't." she replied.
The leader's eyes went wide. "What?! H-How do you know this?" he asked, incredulously.
The woman smirked. "Deity is good at finding things, and he's good with women. I would know." she said, winking at them.
This angered the leader, and that was clear in his response. "I will send you back to hell, tonight!" he yelled.
She smiled. "I'll meet you there, then. Wanna car pool?" she asked teasingly, smiling seductively once again. The leader prepared to lunge. She beat him to it.
She lunged at the five men with speed that surprised even Will, and with that action, his world was shattered.
A/N: Well, I hope that you all enjoyed that chapter. On a side-note, any and all of you, wonderful readers/reviewers, should surely check-out my profile, and see what other of my publicly posted FanFics might interest you! There may be a few. If you have read a book, then the chances are that I have read it as well, and if I have read it, then I'd love to talk about it! Message me, if any of you guys have any questions, or just want to chat, about ANYTHING. I'd love to hear from you! Well, stay tuned for the next update, and please click that subscribe/alert button, if you want the alerts for updates on this story, or simply message me, and ask me to message you every time I update, as I would be HAPPY to do so! So, please R&R, and stay tuned for the next update!