TITLE: Ties That Bind
SUMMARY: In the darkest hours, the monsters rise from their crypts to prey upon the helpless. He had never strayed from the path of justice unto evil, until one night a human is caught in the crossfire between gargoyles and demons.
PAIRING: Gideon/OC
RATING: M-NC-17 for mature themes, violence, torture and later chapters.
GENRE: Action/Supernatural/Drama/Romance.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Saw I, Frankenstein – I enjoyed it so here is a story I thought up whilst watching the film. I am Australian so I already fawn over Jai Courtney as is because he is actually a good example of rising Australian talent. That and I adore Kevin, who created both Underworld and I, Frankenstein – he writes what I want to write and one day I would love to work alongside him. I titled the story and each of its chapters after Two Steps from Hell the composers as they have brilliant music and it felt fitting.
Not as long of an opening chapter as I normally do but I might expand on it - possibly.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything save for the original characters created for the purpose of this story. I make no profit from this story but in reviews.
Darkhaven, grim, muggy and blanketed in a fog so thick this late night it was hard to see but ten feet in front of your face. The buildings loomed overheard as the rain sleeted down steadily; the city was old, barely anyone ever renovated the buildings given it an almost surreal feel to it. It was a city of darkness – the name fitted. Even when the sun shone upon it, darkness was still present, always finding a way to press against the light and suffocate it.
With her coat and hood pulled tight about her, she strode as swiftly as able in her condition down the street. Her eyes always found their way to the cathedral that stood erect and shining strong in the heart of the city. People didn't venture inside – stories circulated of a cult taking residence in its halls while others claimed it was protected by forces beyond explanation. She scoffed at that and wondered if the gargoyle statues on the high peaks of the cathedral were cursed in some way.
The ideas were preposterous. Grace didn't believe in magic, or God, or anything like that. If god existed, this city would have been cleansed by now. All the attacks and disappearances and murders would stop and the city would not become a place of despair as it was now.
Perhaps if God had given her some sign of existing then perhaps she would pray for his help in her current situation.
The strain on her back was bad, her feet were swollen and aching and her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest from how exerted she was. Her tiny gloved hand pressed to her slightly belly as she ducked round the corner of O'dere and Timmons street, the cathedral at her back.
It was miserable weather to be out in, especially for a pregnant woman but Grace had little choice. She needed somewhere to stay for a few days. The baby was so close. Lincoln had shoved her out the door two months ago and she had been moving from place to place as she could; never settling and it was beginning to wear on her.
She was tired and knew her condition; especially lack of food and rest, was affecting the baby as much as it was her.
This was no life to bring a child into; constantly moving. Grace wished for a home, any kind of home but somewhere that she could live for the foreseeable future.
The side street was empty; she felt like a lost soul – wandering a graveyard city with no resting place, trapped in an endless-
Footsteps.
She was thrown out of her miserable thoughts by the sound of footfalls at her back. Grace froze, one hand dropped to her belly as the other came up to clutch tightly at the useless trinket about her throat. A relic of a faith she hardly saw fit to put her trust in. Where had God been when Lincoln had thrown her out for a younger, prettier girl? Where had God been in the months since? Where was he now?!
With a deep breath, she turned.
The street at her back was deserted; rain fell steadily about her. Not a cat raced about, no cars soared past; the city around her was dead.
Frowning, she began to turn back around when suddenly a hand wrapped tight about her mouth and dragged her backwards.
Grace did the only thing a woman in her situation and condition could do.
She panicked.
Screaming into the hand covering her mouth, she jerked and tried to pull herself free of her assailants grip to no avail. Her nails bit into flesh as her teeth found the soft skin between thumb and point and bit down as hard as she was able.
Her attacker, he, screamed aloud and tore away from her, shoving her forward. On instinct to defend her swollen stomach and the life therein she put her hands out to brace for the harsh impact of hitting a solid stone wall. Grunting she spat his blood to the ground, and glanced towards him.
There was something off about his face. Even in the dark of the night, Grace could tell something was wrong with the person before her.
"Little bitch!" he cursed.
Grace didn't have the time to react before she was suddenly pressed tight to the wall by another. She could hear screaming. Were the police here to miraculously save her? She didn't move, but she did draw in a deep breath. The smell encasing her was strange; reminded her of the church she had attended when she'd been a child.
In the dark, she turned her eyes upwards, hoping to catch a glimpse of a face with the person standing so close.
A man; at this proximity she found it was a man standing about her, his arms braced high on either side of her, shielding her from the rest of the world. Grace reached out to touch him, clasping at whatever she could grab on him.
A sharp jolt ran down her back and she gasped, her grip upon whatever he was wearing tightening.
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.
"Are you injured, little one?"
The voice was strong and commanding above her and all at once it soothed her immensely. "I think my baby is coming," she bit through gritted teeth.
Suddenly a firm hand found her belly. She did not move.
"Gideon."
The hand was removed and the man pulled away from her. He had been leaning in quite close, his warmth had been nice. The cold that came in its place sent a tremble through her. Her body was one large ache in that moment; this was too much. She wanted to fall to the ground and curl into a ball. "The girl is injured. I will take her to Tobias. Return to Leonore. Tell her I won't be long."
She heard two other voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Her hood was pulled tighter about her head and her jacket as further round her belly as able.
A small gasp of surprise left her as she was lifted from the ground and into the arms of her saviour. Grace wanted to fight and tell him to leave her be; she would be fine and make it on her own but she didn't have the strength. After the last two months of living on constant move, the knowledge of help being close almost reduced her to tears.
The hospital wouldn't take her in. Pregnant she may be but she had no money on her and no connections to anyone who might help her out in this situation. Forget Lincoln; he didn't want them.
"Where- Where are you taking me?" she asked into his throat; wrapping arms about his broad shoulders.
"To a safe place, little one, where there will be care for you and your child."
That voice washed over her like a security blanket. He was warm and right now that was all she was glad for.
Gideon was a commander; he had once led legions of his kin into war with the dwellers of hell. Over those long centuries though, their numbers had dwindled while the demon hordes continued to expand.
They had been hunting Halphas for the past two weeks; he had managed to ascend three of his ranks in the process and he had been the cause of numerous human deaths – which was beginning to become noticeable amongst the populace by what their familiars had reported.
Tonight he had strayed too close to the cathedral. Gideon had brought Rehael and Ambriel to capture the demon. Gideon had watched from his perch high upon the cathedral as a small figure had stumbled along the street; a human hooded and shrouded in the dark.
It had been the figure following behind a block back that drew his eye. Looking across at Rehael he had signalled for them to follow him. They had dropped from their perches and landed a few blocks back, changing into their human forms.
"Keep your wits about you, he is stronger than most," he warned.
They raced forward, the figures ahead turned into a narrow side street. He could not risk the life of another innocent in this war. Pushing forward, he rounded the corner they had disappeared round.
The street was empty. Ambriel came up behind him.
"Check the al-"
A shout drew their attention. Gideon raced forward and turned into a narrow alleyway. The human was pressed to the wall and Halphas was about to lunge.
He stepped between them as Rehael charged Halphas. He heard the small human draw in a breath before glancing up.
The human was female; young too. She reached out to clutch tight at him and Gideon heard her sharp intake of breath. Had he injured her?
"Are you injured, little one?"
She was with child. He reached forward and covered her belly with his hand. She was swollen, it was close – perhaps the fright had sent her into labour? He could not leave her out here in the miserable weather and in such a condition.
Tobias could help her. "Gideon."
He pulled his hand away and took a step back. Rehael was watching her closely. "The girl is injured. I will take her to Tobias. Return to Leonore. Tell her I won't be long."
"But-"
"What is wrong with her?"
He shook his head and with that both Ambriel and Rehael took flight, Halphas' unconscious form in their grip. Gideon glanced back towards the human. He reached forward and pulled her head and jacket tighter round her belly.
Gideon reached out and lifted the girl from the ground and into his arms. She was far lighter than he expected her to be. He was grateful familiars existed amongst the humans still otherwise he feared there was little he could do to help her.
He left the seclusion of the alleyway and stepped into the street, turning right and heading for the only place he knew Tobias would be at this hour.
"Where- Where are you taking me?" Small arms slid about his shoulders.
He smiled a little. Even exhausted and terrified, she was still curious. "To a safe place, little one, where there will be care for you and your child."
Tobias Walker, thirty-seven years old and one of the few remaining familiars among Darkhaven who had managed to stay under the radar of the demon horde serving his days aiding those who needed help as a doctor.
He did not work in the general hospital. Five years ago he had opened his own small hospice on the outskirts of the city. He had all he needed; a handful of trusted staff, two operating rooms and recovery rooms. He helped those who could not head into the hospital.
His father and grandfather were familiars just like him.
He had been raised with the rarely shared knowledge of the war between the gargoyle race and the demon horde. It was two in the morning when he was startled awake by the pounding on his back door.
Scrambling from his bed, pulling his glasses on from off the bedside table as he went and fixing his shirt down from where it had rode up in his sleep. Undoing the deadbolts and chains, he tugged the door open.
In the pouring rain, hood drawn and a heavily pregnant young woman in his arms was Gideon. "What on Earth?" he asked as the gargoyle shouldered his way by him.
"She is in need of help." A creature of few words, Gideon strode through the small bedroom. Tobias pushed the door shut and simply told him he'd be two minutes, giving him time to get dressed and splash some water on his face before following to find out what was going on.