Marvel owns them. Neither am I making any profit from this fic.
Dedication: To incomparable Ms. McKenzie, with sincere apologies for being
so dreadfully late in fulfilling my promise.
Giving due: I had the best possible beta-readers for this. Any fault you
might find lies with my execution and not with their editing. Also there is
an addendum at the end of the fic with a couple of explanations, should you
need it.
****
Blood Stand.
Another morning. Another dreary, rainy, cold morning. Bleh.
You'd think after thirty years he'd be used to this. Thirty years….
Bright Lady, had it really been that long?
Getting old. Still, he'd better get up, wouldn't do to be outstripped by his
students. Pipe.... what he wouldn't give for ten hours of sleep. And a warm
bed. And Majira to be here.... And Nate.
*Heh, while I'm at it might as well wish for flonqing Xavier to come down
from the sky, tear off Haight's head and shove it up his a.... * "Good
morning, Alyssa."
"H'lo."
"You can go back to sleep, dearling; we're not moving out for another
couple of hours."
"'Kay." the huge eyed, blonde creature smiled at Tetherblood sleepily and
toddled off back to her bunk, tripping on her nightshirt occasionally.
Feeling the now-familiar pang of regret as he observed the small
figure, 'Blood swore softly and, using the decisiveness brought on by the fit
of temper, exploded out of bed. Swiftly, not giving himself a chance to
change his mind, he sprinted out of the barn and dived into the lake
headfirst.
*BRRR! Coooold! Aiiiii.*
Diving deeper and deeper, he willed himself to ignore the cold, waiting for
his body to adapt. As soon as he brushed the bottom, with the tips of his
fingers, he launched himself back upward, breaking the surface of the water
moments later, greedily gasping for air. Driving himself to the beach with
few powerful strokes, Tetherblood left the chilly embrace of the lake and
started his customary morning run with the usual slow, measured pace.
As he inhaled and exhaled, slowly picking up speed and bringing his body
back under his control with practiced ease, he let his thoughts wander.
Maddeningly, the small, white-clad figure smiling at him kept coming back to
dance before his mind's eye.
*Pipe. She shouldn't be here. No flonqing way is this a place for her. What
am I blabbering about…. this is no place for any of them. They should be at
home, going to school, sweet talking each other into things that would make
their mothers faint. Kingra's Ghost, I'm tired of this.... *
Deftly sidestepping a treacherously hidden root, 'Blood glared at it in
passing and continued on. By now he was running at full speed, driving his
body to the extreme, giving his surroundings no more than a cursory glance.
*They are so young. So sure of their own immortality. Kids. They're always
the ones who pay.… I should have never taken this job. I can't do this.
Leading them to death time after time... What sort of sick world is this?
Oath! Aly is only six for Lady's sake, she shouldn't see the Dark Bride so
soon. And yet.... what could I do? *
Leaping over boulders, skirting the occasional bush or a tree, the greenery
blurring as he raced past.
*We had to take her, didn't we? If we had just left her there she'd have
been dead by the end of the day. And who knew she'd get so attached on the
way back.... *
Grinning slightly despite himself, his feet seeming barely to touch the
ground.
*Heh. That poor Sosh woman. Aly can sure cry when she wants to... *
Chortling aloud now, his body unerringly adjusting for the changes in
terrain.
*I though K'nera was going to shoot her. And Anya.... Anya! The same girl
that almost out-drank Kane just to prove she could. Same girl that looks at
me daggers every time I call her one... Hahahaha. Maternal instincts… Who knew?*
Slowing down now, as he approaches the beginning of his circle. The sweat on
his face and neck feeling cool against the chilly morning's wind.
*Ah well. What is - is. We'll take care of her.*
Almost walking now, getting his breath back. His mood was almost cheerful...
but for that persistent nagging at the back of his head.
As if he's missing something. Something important.
Frowning slightly, Tetherblood came to the barn's gate. Shaking his head, he
muttered a vicious curse that he learned from the dock-workers in Kanakin.
The nagging persisted.
Growling softly, the foul mood, he awoke with, coming back,
he put his hand on the handle, ready to take out his ire on his students. Of
course that's when it came to him.
*Oath! Easy now 'Blood, me boyo. Easy. Nothing is wrong. Nothing in the
world is wrong... Just open the gates... that's the way. Easy now...And step
inside. Drakon ice 'em - no birds. How did I miss it?! *
"All right, puppies, we're in for it now. Getcher asses in gear."
Not a moment's hesitation, he noted with the detached satisfaction.
As usual, Majo had gottten up early and was already in full armor. K'nera,
half dressed, with the last drops of shower still running
down the ebony skin of his shoulders, immediately dived away from the window
and came up with a rifle covering the door. The rest followed suit.
That cold, calculating feeling that always took hold of him before a fight
has already extended its tentacles through his brain. *They must have come
by hover. Stopped couple of miles out and hiked to keep quiet… Probably have
some mind-benders with them too... Magnus's Blood, I should have posted
sentries! But they were so tired... and I thought we'd be safe here....
Pipe!*
"All right, here's the deal. My guess, it's two centuries maybe more. You
know the drill, play it like it's a full cohort. Chances are we are
ringed... they probably got a couple of Jaegers too."
Someone whistled softly. The sound echoed, shockingly loud, in the quiet
and murkiness of the hall. Tetherblood's eyes swept across the crouching,
standing and hurriedly dressing figures, as he reached for the bundle of his
knapsack and guns.
Good kids. The best. He got them into this.... Never should have taken this
job.
Mechanically reloading the PEG-11, he snarled savagely, remembering the day,
long ago when Kungas talked him into it.
* 'You are one of our most distinguished field commanders,' he said
- read, 'You are getting on in years, 'Blood.'
'If you don't want this we can always use you in Free Territories. Men of
your caliber are hard to come by in Assembly,' he said - read, 'Take this or
I'll bury your ass in paperwork until you scream.'
Bastard!
'Just take some of our younger, promising recruits and show them what's
what,' he said - read, 'These rookies _might_ be good for
something later, if they don't get themselves killed now, so I'll just
unload them on you.'
Probably figured I'd take the safest options with them on my back...
Oops. *
The click of the clip, sliding into magazine of his "Cyclops", brought a
dozen pairs of eyes to bear on him. Calm eyes. Unafraid. Trusting in the
Great Flonqing Companion of the Flonqing Chosen One to get them out.
*Stab your eyes, Kungas! May Makkenazi Curse befall you, you buckra,
for doing this to me. *
*All right, T. Get it together. NOW. Assess. Evaluate. Formulate. Right.
Pipe. Pipe. Pipe. *
When Tetherblood finally spoke, his voice was his usual half-amused, soft
baritone...
Unconsciously his charges relaxed, their implicit trust in him verified.
"All right, kiddies. Standard "Alamo". On my count you go through the back.
They will be waiting for you, so hit the ground running and hair on fire.
Majo - you are with me. Adrian give him the 'Bastard'. "
The bespectacled, skinny Tverian reluctantly parted with the M-430 Portable
Cannon AKA "The Bastard." Picking up his rifle instead, he blinked at
Tetherblood,"You do know what happened at Alamo, right?"
"Really not in the mood for an ancient history lesson, Ad. Really. All
right, everybody ready?"
Not hearing the usual consenting chorus, 'Blood raised his eyes. His gaze
growing flinty and his voice dropping the room temperature by several
degrees, he inquired acidly,
"And what, if I may ask, are you waiting for? Your mommies come and hold
your hand?"
Much sniffling and eye-contact-avoiding.
"Well?!!"
Much unintelligible muttering.
"Whatta flonq are you waiting for?! Get to the tunnel! Now!"
Finally Dahveed, shrugging self-consciously, raised his voice, "Umm... sir...
We just think... erm... we just ...why don't we go together, I mean? There
is no chance in Hell...I mean even for you it's gonna be hard to punch out of here after we go... Sir."
*Damn kids. My kids. Dead kids, if I won't come through. *
"All right. This is the first and the last time I'll discuss my orders. Is
that understood? IS IT?"
"Yessir!"
"Our only advantage here, people, is they just MIGHT not know that we know
that they are out there. Well, that and the fact that this barn's been used
as a Resistance base since Scions of Genetics' time. They will wait a
little, hoping that we'll obligingly come out so they can
slaughter us. If we won't come out, they'll just pulverize this hovel, till
we barbecue inside. I'm hoping that they only used heavy hovers to get
here, but there are bound to be at least several scouts on the sleds - so
trust me you ARE gonna have your hands full. We know the
terrain. We divide here, they will have, too. You scatter out there - they
probably will too.
There are a lot of them, but not enough to make an effective search and
destroy op. That's why they set this up so neatly. Trying to get us in one
blow, instead of chasing us all across Caledonia. If we all go - we won't
get far!
We need a screen. Anyone here think they're more qualified? Well? No? Goood.
Get out there, then!"
Tetherblood returned to checking over his weapon, pretending not to see
while, if by some unspoken agreement every soldier, before disappearing into
the tunnel, dropped in the ever growing pile either an extra clip or a grenade or a MedPack.
Each and every weapon and MPpaid for in blood.
Oh yes, the Clan was better equipped now, but it came with a price... Always
with a price...
Still, now they at least had a ghost of chance. Not like the
beginning... nothing like trying to stop a "Behemoth" with a bunch of spears
and a museum-worthy plasma rifle to remind one of his
mortality. Chasing the slight shudder away, Tetherblood looked around
Only K'nera and Anya left to go. As Majo and K'nera quietly said their
goodbyes, 'Blood beckoned the girl over.
"Whatever happens, Lyssa gets out alive. I'm counting on you, Ann. Get her
out."
The always serious face, framed by bright red, short hair, grew stony,
"We'll take care of her. You just don't get dead on us, old man... sir."
Finally after the wrist-slapping farewell with his blood brother and a nod
to Tetherblood, K'nera dived into the tunnel.
***
The tunnels are old. Dug so long ago... Kept up by every group of would-be
terrorists, rebels,or bandits coming through here over the centuries.
Hopefully Canaanites don't know about them.
It's dark down there. Confining darkness that induces an unconscious horror.
That gut-sure feeling that the dark will never end. That you will never see
the sun again. Until finally you notice the light.
Waiting. Fighting the urge to carefully peek through bushes. To sneak a look
outside.
Quiet. Every eye is fixed on Dahveed's hand as he nods that he linked with
Tetherblood. Eleven pairs of eyes are anchored to that tanned hand as the long,
slender fingers bend.
One. The quiet is deafening. Every breath seems shockingly loud. Every
movement a thunder .
Two. The sun is shining outside. So warm. So peaceful...
Three. Time.
***
A wall of flame stormed across the opening ground followed by the hurricane
of death. Liare was not at her full control of her powers yet, but she
already was counted as one of the most powerful pyrokinetics in the Clans.
Even to 'Blood's experienced eyes it seemed for a second that there was no
way anyone could have survived their salvo. As the sleds erupted, seemingly
straight from underground, he allowed himself a glimmer of hope.
And then the universe exploded.
He never lost his cool in a fight. Not since he was a little kid. You lose
it - you buy it.
The scarred 22-year old veteran of Kaheer gang wars, Ghota, taught him that.
Aliya always said that he was the weirdest fighter she ever met. Going from
a coldly rational automaton to screaming berserk in a matter of minutes.
Nate just grinned at her, when he heard that.
Goddamn, there are too many of them.
"Majo, a candle on your 9! I'll roof it, 86 the bastard 'fore he drops a
stick on us!"
*The kids got away all right, at least. I think... Unless these fastardos
left a hover force in reserve. *
"Always an optimist, eh T?"
"Shut up, Nate. Flonqing figments are gonna lecture me now. You aren't here
are ya? Back in the flonqing Stone Age, neh? There we go - the Jaegers.
This is it."
Well, he still can pull the trigger. Majo too. Guess all those years around
Askani came in handy after all.
Of course mental shields ain't gonna do squat if they have...
Mortars.
Bright Lady.
Nothingness.
Odd. He always thought that afterlife would be more... well just more. Oh.
It would probably help if he opened his eyes. Oh well.
*Let's be honest here. I mean... A cave? Disappointed. Much.*
A big cave to be sure. With a lake in the middle. A small waterfall
splashing softly on the lake's surface.... The makeup of the stone is kind
of strange, twinkling, almost hypnotically.
Flowers growing in the walls. Flowers growing in the ceiling. A small
orderly garden at the age of the lake. A tall, silver-haired woman tending
it. Several remarkably life-like statues...
Waitaminute... a woman?!
"Hello, Tetherblood. Be welcome in my abode."
*Umm... okaaaay.*
"Greetings, lady. I thank you for your hospitality, my sword is yours. May I
ask, how do you know my name?"
*Oath, she's beautiful. Those blue eyes... Snap out of it, T!*
The woman straightened up and turned to him, her smile flashing brightly in
the dusk of the cave and in contrast with the darkness of her skin. "I know
many things,O Faithful Companion."
"Oh please. Ro! For God's sake don't start reciting Moorcock as The Creed?
Please? I'm not sure I can take it."
*Oh, perfect. A talking statue. So this is what it's like to be crazy. And
to be dead. I'm dead and crazy. Lalalalala. *
"Robert, I think you are unnerving our guest."
"Really? Wheeee."
"Robert."
"All right, all right. Killjoy."
As Tetherblood looked on, somewhat fatalistically at this point, one of the
statues moved. Its surface fractured and fell off, striking the floor and
breaking into a myriad of little pieces. One of the fragments reached
'Blood's feet. Carefully picking it up, he realized that it was ice.
As he looked back up, there was a man standing in place of the statue.
Dressed in tattered jeans and a tee-shirt with a strange logo emblazoned on
it.
Tetherblood firmly decided not to think
who was Bugs Bunny and why he should vote him for president. He had a
feeling he was better off not knowing. A very strong feeling.
"Yo, 'Blood. Wazzup?"
"Umm... hello."
Casually creating an ice-slide, Robert made a circle around the wary
Tetherblood.
"So you are him, hah? You know... I'm not disappointed. He'll do, eh Ro?"
The woman shook her head chidingly, without any apparent effect on Robert.
"Eh... excuse me. Mr... Robert, lady. Where am I exactly? Somehow I don't
think this is the Midnight Hall."
The man snickered as he leaped off his slide, landing on the floor with a
catlike grace, "What,our little place is not up to standards of your
neo-Valhalla rip-off? I'm crashed. Watch me weep."
The original awe he had experienced fled and in fact Tetherblood was
beginning to get a little mad.
"Just where am I? Who are you people? And why am I here?"
"You called."
Wheeling around, 'Blood fixed his eyes on the woman. "What?!"
"You called for me. I came."
"Whe... no. No way. No flonqing way in Seven Hells of Koba. Can't be."
The iceman snickered again, suddenly appearing right behind Tetherblood and
patting him on the shoulder consolingly, "Doesn't look very goddesslike,
does she? Well HAH!"
"Robert."
"What? What?! You never let me have fun! That's it. I'm gonna go sulk now.
Be seeing you, O Faithful Compa... nah, no way I can say it with a straight
face...."
Somewhat shell-shocked, Tetherblood numbly observed the man walk to the
middle of the lake. Walk. To. The. Middle. Of. The. Lake.
Suddenly turning, Robert asked grumpily, "What? Never saw anyone walk on
water before?" Before 'Blood could come up with an adequate retort, the man
laughed and turned into water,disappearing from sight.
"Don't mind him. He likes to show off and he's been somewhat bored lately. I
apologize."
*Right. Show off. No problem. I am not worried. Probably just some kind of
hydro-kinetic. Right. Just a coincidence. Iceman... yeah, right! Be cool, T.
There is no reason to go into fits of gibbering terror just because you are standing in front of the Bright Lady and Drakon just made fun of you. It's all perfectly all right.... Wonder if
straight jacket they'll give me be blue. It does so flatter my cheekbones.*
"So... ah, you are… eh, Her? I mean you are the Bright Lady. Right?"
The woman smiled gently, "In a manner of speaking. Please call me Ororo.'
"What do you mean 'in a manner of speaking' ?"
She shrugged uncertainly and motioned her hand toward a flat rock, standing
on the border of a little garden, "I'm afraid that the extent of my powers
has become somewhat exaggerated over the years. I can no more revive the
dead, than you."
*Well. You are doing an okay job from where I stand. No complaints here.
Nonono. *
Tetherblood suddenly realized that his back was completely wet, from his own
sweat. "Umm... I think I will sit-down, Lady."
*Yeah, wouldn't do to fall down and start giggling crazily. Nah-uh. *
"So... umm... my thanks again for bringing me... here." *Oath,would you
listen to me?! I sound like rookie on a first inspection!*
She grinned at him. An expression strangely mischievous, that should have
been completely out of place on the gently regal face. It wasn't. Not in the
slightest.
"Don't worry. You are not dead. That barn where you were besieged was a
shrine to the Mother at one time. I have.... certain power over such
places."
"What about Majo?" In his concern, Tetherblood missed an approving glance
Ororo sent his way.
"Your friend is also here. He's... sleeping."
"Oh. Thanks. Not to sound ungrateful but… Why? I assume that acts of divine
intervention are not an everyday occurrence. Why us? Why now?"
"Not really divine. We -- Robert and I -- are just more evolved. Perhaps...
Elementals is the closest term you can use."
*Gods, Elementals. Smart-mouthed guys walking on water... I need a rest.*
"I see, Lady. Still... why?"
"Coincidence, really... and necessity. You are too important to allow to be
destroyed."
*Gee. I think I am flattered. On other hand... No. *
"I think you have the wrong Chosen One, Lady. Nate I am not."
She looked at him, a little sadly, "You miss him don't you?"
*Miss him. Why would I miss that headstrong, idiotic masochist with a death
wish?! The farther he is from me, the better. I prefer my survival chances
to be at least 50-50, thank you. Miss him? Hah!*
"Yes."
She nodded somberly, "'Tis hard to lose friends, I know. Especially if you
think of them as family..." Her eyes grew distant for a second. "Hard... "
Alert again.
"Harder for you, no? Knowing that everything you do, everything you love can
be unmade in a moment. By your friend. By your brother. That's how you think
of him, do you not? Your little brother?"
Tetherblood's face grew cold. Some things should be respected even by the
Gods.
"I know my duty, Lady."
"Yes. I know. Just remember - all any of us can do is only what we can and
not an iota more. Hmm. What is - is. The great trial is coming, Tetherblood.
You need to be ready. Stay alive."
Great pounding white noise just behind his eyelids. Groaning, he wrestled
his eyes open, wincing as the shooting pains reverberated through his head.
Almost immediately he wished, he hadn't. A wave of the Canaanites was advancing on him. At least 80.
Shaking his head,'Blood attempted to locate his rifle, finding only a
charred and bent, metal object. Looking around for another weapon, his eyes
fell on Majo's motionless body sprawled over the "Bastard," clip only half empty.
Tetherblood crawled over and moved the body, noting in detached relief that
Majo was still breathing faintly.
*Not like it's gonna matter much in a second. Oh, well. Going quietly into
the night is not my style.*
***
Veterans of the 13th Legion, 5th and 3rd cohorts would never have to pay for
their drinks again after that day. Ever. As soon as they mentioned that they
were there, in the Blood Stand, they were bought free round after round in exchange for the tale. Strangely, not all agreed to the exchange.
Some did, of course.
A strange expression would come over their faces as they remembered. They
would again be there on that clearing. Closing on the little barn. Ready to
finish off the routine assignment. They would see him again. A tall,
dark-golden man suddenly appearing in the doorframe with that huge antique
flechette cannon in his hand.
They would remember how some began to laugh... and then they would remember
how the laughter died as they saw his eyes. That feral expression of a lion
cornering his prey. The upper lip pulled up in a savagely-happy snarl. A
little trickle of blood streaming down his forehead.
They would remember how the Death walked among them as he flayed their ranks
with that gun. They would remember and they would shrug. It wasn't the first
time the Clanners made desperate last stands. Wasn't the first time the
Legionnaires paid a dear price just to take some stinking farmlet.
They would remember with respect, how the terrible scythe slowed and stopped
as the ammo ran out and how the man just smiled, drew the sabhar and walked
toward them.
They could respect that. They were soldiers too. But in the end they
remembered HER.
Bright Lady has come, they would say and ask for another drink.
***
Tetherblood knew he was going to die. But somehow it seemed unseemly to
speed it up, so he just walked toward the Canaanites, his sword lightly
touching the occasional flower.
He thought of many things as he walked the longest road of his life. He
thought of Aliya. Of Tyler. Of Nate.
Of the kids and whether they made it out. Of Majira.… Of the little farm in
the Zadir hills,that Faldor promised him.
Oddly he never once thought of Her. Until she came.
"YOU HAVE BREACHED THE BOUNDARY OF MY SANCTUARY! LEAVE. LEAVE AND KNOW
FOREVERMORE THAT THIS
PLACE IS UNDER MY PROTECTION!"
They never described Her.
Never would Tetherblood speak of how she looked.
They'd say that there were no words. And ask for another drink.
He'd just shake his head.
It was never entered in the official report, of course. The official entry
simply mentioned a natural disaster and stated that some rogue and
unregistered Alpha might have been responsible.
The officers who got curious about the fact of hurricane in August Caledonia
speedily found themselves assigned to Sino border.
They came back for him. His Pups. Ambushed and tore the mobile Canaanite
units apart, then doubled back.
It wasn't them that spread the gossip though. They knew better. Some
irregulars who made it to the site to help did that. Still it was never
proven. Even when Kungas got him drunk and asked
straight up, Tetherblood just chuckled and whispered that it was a religious
experience.
But legends don't need proof.
Only faith. And Men capable of inspiring it.
That's all.
******************** *********************
Notes:
All right. I feel vaguely guilty, cheating like this. All of this stuff
should have been explained in course of the fic, if you are reading this... it wasn't clear enough.
Sorry:) I just couldn't bring myself to rework this thing yet again. So here
you go...
Legions, cohorts and centuries are obviously the units of Roman Armies.
I used the similar scheme for Cannanites.
Jaegers: Literal translation from German means "hunters." In military
terms, this word eventually became synonymous with light infantry. First
used by Austrian army against Turks, the volunteer borderers were at
first simply irregular forces acting as scouts and skirmishers, by the
19th century a compliment of Jaegers, or like entity, was a fact of life
for any army. I used the concept to identify the psions and other
"unconventional" forces in "employ" of Cannanite forces.
PEG 11 - plasma rifle.
Caledonia - Scotland.