Hey Guys!
So, before you start reading this fic, I recommend you go read 'A New Uprising', which I cowrote with supersassysnakeeatingbadger, simply because the events in this fic are based on the events that happened in A New Uprising. Also, since this takes place around seven years after the events of A New Uprising, supersassysnakeeatingbadger is writing some shorts, which they are posting on their account, so keep an eye out for them. They will be called; A New Uprising: TITLE, so that they are easy to find.
You will notice as well that the main OCs have Shadowhunter last names. This is just to add some more symbolism to the names, and does not link it to the Shadowhunter universe. Just me being a dork.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters/settings/events apart from the ones I have invented. They belong to Rick.
-2-
Jack
Well, this day was turning out just great wasn't it? I readjusted my grip on the unconscious girl, hands slick with the blood oozing from the wound in her shoulder.
The wound I had caused.
I needed to get her someplace where I could give her a proper medical examination. I was way too exhausted to heal her right here. Shadow-travelling took a lot out of you. But where could I go? I had only come to this dismal town to hunt down those empousai, so I had absolutely no idea where anything was. Let alone where I could take a bleeding girl without someone calling the cops. I could dump her at the hospital, but that would then raise a lot of awkward questions that I really wasn't in the mood for answering. Plus, I was pretty sure all she needed was some ambrosia and rest. I walked down another alley, checking around the corner to make sure no one was there. I really had no idea where I was going. As I walked I noticed something. The streets around the butcher were deserted, when they should have been full of mortals going about their daily business. Odd. I readjusted my grip again, the girl's head leaning on my shoulder. For someone her height, she was pretty light. I continued walking, still thinking of where I could take her.
No, not there. There's too public. Where even was that?
It was hopeless. The only way I knew how to navigate this town was from the rooftops, but that clearly wasn't an option with a bleeding girl in my arms. I sighed heavily. I couldn't even just shadow-travel into a thicket of trees or something. I was worn out.
I trudged on. Where could I go? The nearest safe place that I knew was more than five hours away on foot and with a girl in his arms, that wasn't likely to happen. Plus, that place was only meant to be a very last resort. I could find somewhere else. Lost in my thoughts, I turned another corner without looking, and ran straight into a policeman's back.
...
I was keenly aware of the blood on my arms and staining the girl's clothes as the policemen all turned to look at me. My eyes widened and I backpedalled quickly around the corner I had just walked around, pressing my back to the wall in the faint hopes they hadn't seen me. Why were the cops here? Had somebody seen me and called them? I couldn't remember seeing anyone. I turned and started to run as best as I could. Too late. They'd seen me.
"Stop. Stop right now, young man!" One of the cops shouted behind me.
I didn't stop.
More voices joined the first and when I looked back, I saw they were all armed. I glanced quickly down at the girl in my arms and wondered if she was really worth the trouble. Standing straight, I turned so that I faced the cops.
"Put your hands in the air," one of them yelled, gesturing with his gun.
Were they serious? I looked pointedly at the girl in my arms and then back at the cops, raising an eyebrow. The cops glanced at each other and then back to me.
"Put the girl down in front of you," another one yelled, "and then back up a few steps, hands in the air."
I rolled my eyes. These idiots were hopeless. Clearly the girl was bleeding. There really wasn't time for negotiations. So, I complied. I put the girl down gently on the street and then backed up a few paces with my hands raised. Two of the cops ran forward to the girl, crouching down next to her. They examined her, completely ignoring me. They then brought out a photo and compared it to her face. I frowned. Why were they identifying her? She wasn't dead. Yet. But she would be if I couldn't help her. One of the cops signalled to the others and two more ran over.
"This the one?" one of them asked as they crouched down too.
The other cops nodded.
"Um, hi," I interrupted, "What's going on?"
The cops all looked up at me, at the blood staining my clothes and arms.
"Kid," one of them started, making me bristle, "Do you know this girl?"
I shook my head. Technically not a lie. I didn't even know her name.
"Well then," said the same cop, who I had now dubbed 'Egghead' because of his receding hairline, "I suggest you go home and wash that blood off of you. We'll take it from here."
"Where are you taking her? She's hurt." I asked, surprising myself. I barely knew her, why did I care about her?
Egghead frowned.
"To the station, she's under arrest," he said, kneeling back down next to her.
What in Hades?
"What?" I asked, "What did she do?"
Egghead sighed heavily.
"Kid." Again with calling me kid. "She killed three girls with cleavers she stole from the butcher."
I frowned down at the girl. They must have meant the empousai. Cleavers. Real subtle, but props for extravagance. Egghead mistook my scolding frown for confusion, so he stood back up and grabbed my shoulders.
"It's okay," he said slowly and I tried not to roll my eyes, "It's not your fault. You are a good person for trying to help her."
I resisted the urge to laugh as Egghead turned me by the shoulders and gave me a little shove. I started walking away. Great. Now it wasn't just a rescue mission. It was a jailbreak.
This should be fun.
...
I darted around the corner as soon as I was out of the cops' sight. Heading for the metal ladder on the side of the building - the one that led directly to the roof - I climbed quickly, hardly touching the rungs in my haste. When I reached the top, I peeked over the edge. The cops were lifting the girl onto a stretcher that they had pulled out of somewhere and were starting to walk down the alley. I darted along the roof and jumped to the next, landing lightly in a crouch. I continued like this for several minutes, following the policemen from a couple yards behind as they traversed through the town streets. They had tried, and failed, to bandage the girl's wounds while they were walking, managing to do a really shoddy job of it. The blood was already starting to seep through the bandages.
Amateurs.
About five minutes and a cross of the street later, they entered a building on the other side of the road, nearly losing the girl off the stretcher as they tried to fit her through the door. As a medic, I found it hard to watch; they were undoubtedly making her injury even worse. I slid down the ladder on the side of the building I was on and crept around the corner. The door was closed; they must have gotten the girl inside already, hopefully without injuring her even more. I stood and was just about to cross the street when I realised that I still had the girl's blood all over my shirt and hands. Looking around the corner again, I decided it should be fine; the street was practically deserted. After that brief moment of indecision, I dashed across the street, keeping low and staying in the shadows. I pressed myself against the wall in the alley next to the building the police had entered and surveyed it. There was the front door but that would probably be in clear sight of whoever was inside. Same with the back door. The windows were those annoying rectangle ones that were too small for me to fit through, and I needed to be able to get the girl out too. Letting out a sigh of frustration, I realised I would either have to sneak her out, or take out the cops, neither of which had an easy solution. I walked quickly to the wall of the building, moving around to the back.
There was a vent on the roof that I could try to get in through. I glanced around quickly and then jumped, grabbing onto one of the windowsills and pulling myself up. I balanced for a couple seconds on the small space, coming close to falling. In a quick movement, I launched myself up again, latching onto the gutter. Gravel skittered as I paced over to the vent. Crouching next to it, I examined how it was held on. I chuckled softly. These guys were as hopeless with security as they were with medical procedures. It was only held on by a couple stubby screws. Already deciphering the mechanisms in my head, I reached into my pocket, grabbed my kit and got to work.
It only took me about two minutes to remove all the screws and lower the cover softly to the ground, making almost no noise. I slipped inside, headfirst. Shuffling through the vent, my elbows and knees made soft thumps as I used them to propel myself forward. I reached a split in the vent and paused. Left, or right? I shrugged. Left. Hearing voices up ahead and I stopped to listen to them. I frowned. I couldn't hear them properly and could only catch part of the sentences. Words like; dangerous and delinquent. Could they be talking about the girl? Sure, she looked a bit rough around the edges but she didn't look like one of those really bad kids that would mug you and then steal your car. Not that I was one to talk. I continued forward to where the voices were coming from. There was a vent up ahead that was facing downwards, and it seemed to lead to the room where I could hear the voices. I crawled forward until it was directly in front of my elbows. Peering over the edge into the room below me, I saw there were two men inside, one sitting behind a desk and the other pacing, his face bright red, near the door.
"She's dangerous," the one next to the door practically yelled, "She killed three girls in cold blood, sir. She should be in a cell. Locked away where she can't hurt anyone else."
The cop behind the desk, the one just referred to as 'sir', simply shook his head.
"Do you have a body?" he questioned, leaning forward, "A witness to the murder? Any I.D on the dead girls? Have you even recovered their bodies?"
The cop by the door, who I had now dubbed Tomato due to his heated, flushing cheeks, threw his hands up in the air.
"No!" he yelled, "But we have witnesses say that that girl ran out with cleavers with blood on them, and we haven't seen the girls chasing her since."
'Sir' looked around incredulously, "And?"
Tomato looked flustered.
"Well, there were some screams from that area," he muttered.
Sir gestured at the door.
"And the girl," he said slowly, "Is injured. Maybe, she was the one who screamed. Does that sound plausible, officer?"
Tomato licked his lips.
"Yes sir, but…" he started but he was interrupted by Sir.
"If there is no evidence, officer," he concluded, "Then we have no reason to hold her. Let her go and get her a blooming doctor."
I nearly applauded. This was quite entertaining, watching Tomato and 'Sir' fight. I almost wanted some popcorn.
"We can't get the girl a doctor, sir," Tomato said sadly.
What, why? I closed my eyes, tilting my head back. Please don't be dead, I thought desperately.
"Why not, officer?" Sir asked.
"Sir, she's one of Ms Ives'," Tomato said, shaking his head.
Sir pursed his lips and ran a hand through his hair.
Not dead, thank the Gods. But, one of Ms Ives? What did that mean? I shifted, hoping to get a better view. The vent below me creaked and I only had enough time to swear before I dropped into the room with the officers.
...
My luck was just great today. Tomato dragged me into the main room by the scruff of my shirt, my feet trailing behind me. Oh. It just kept getting better. Tomato let go and I dropped to the ground. I coughed and then raised my head.
I stared. A good fifteen cops stared back. At my dishevelled black hair, my bloodstained clothes, my mischievous looking face. This probably didn't look too good from their perspective. And it really wasn't looking good from mine. Egghead stepped forward.
"What are you doing kid?" he asked tiredly, "I thought I told you to go home."
"Who is he?" Someone up the back asked and a couple people echoed his question.
I swallowed. This didn't look like it was going to end well.
"It's alright boys," Egghead said, easing the tension, "He's probably here to check on the girl."
Egghead looked at me.
"Which means," he said, crouching down to my level, "That you didn't tell me the truth, kid. You do know her, don't you?"
"I-I-I know her," I lied, looking up at Egghead, "She's my friend, I didn't know what to do. Is she okay?"
Egghead shook his head.
"There's not much we can do, kid," he said, rubbing a hand over the bottom half of his face, "She's one of Ms Ives'."
I nodded my head sadly, like I knew what in Hades' name that meant.
"Can I see her?" I asked quietly.
Egghead nodded, extending a hand to help me to my feet.
"Sure kiddo," he said clapping me on the back, "She's just through there."
I turned to the door Egghead had pointed at and made myself nod slowly. I walked over, twisted the handle and slipped inside. I cringed once the door was closed. Wow, these cops were really bad at medical procedures. Someone had tried to wrap a bandage around the girl's wound on her shoulder, but it was way too loose and it wasn't making any difference to the pints of blood pouring out. Someone else had even placed a wet towel on her forehead, despite her not having a fever, and there were enough pillows stacked behind her head that she was sitting nearly bolt upright.
I sighed as I untied the bandage and started redressing it again, pulling it tight to limit the blood flow. There really wasn't much more that I could do with the rudimentary supplies that were here. I glanced around the room hoping for an easy way out. One that wouldn't injure the girl anymore. The only way I was getting out was back through the door that I had just came through. I sat on the chair next to the door, staring at the girl whose name I didn't even know. Under the layers of dirt, I could make out lightly tanned cheeks. She looked like she had a hard life. I really didn't have much choice here; either I bluffed my way through all the cops back out there or maybe … I jumped up and looked out the tiny window, having to stand on my toes. I narrowed my eyes. It would be tight, but I could probably make it. Probably. A knock sounded on the door.
"Kid, are you all done?" Egghead asked.
I didn't have much time. I lifted the girl back into my arms, adjusting her so that I could still see out the window. I focussed outside, picturing it in my mind and moved. Shadows twisted and twirled around me and the girl, as I used the shadow world to transport me from inside the small room to outside, in the alley. The shadows dissipated and I leaned against the alley wall, catching my breath, feeling drained. The pressure in my ears released with a sharp pop. I could thank my mum for that handy little trick. A slam and shouts from inside told me that the cops had realised that I was gone, so I ran.
...
I swerved down the streets and alleys, no idea where I was heading, just trying to stay in front of the cops. I let my feet take control, running with my head down. I needed somewhere, anywhere, to heal this girl. She was getting deathly pale in my arms and I could almost feel her life-force ebbing away. My foot caught a loose tile and I stumbled, almost dropping her. I stopped, panting, stitches wracking my side. I couldn't keep this up much longer. I was too tired. There was a place I could go. I knew it, had known it from the start that I could go there, but it was pretty far away, and I had promised myself that I would only go back if it was my last resort. I looked around me, to the bleeding, unconscious girl in his arms. The situation definitely looked desperate enough to me. I sighed through my nose and kicked the alley wall. I was hoping it wouldn't have come to this. But, I turned back around and kept running. It was hours away by foot.
I needed some kind of car.
There was a park nearby. I would have to try my luck there.
Setting the girl down gently in a nearby alley and tightening the bandage again, I searched for a car, any car. Driving wasn't one of my best skills; I was only fifteen, so I didn't technically have a licence yet. But I knew the road there by heart, so I should be alright. As long as I didn't get pulled over. My eyes were drawn to a man down the street, who had just stopped opposite the park. Plucking a hoodie off a random clothesline, I pulled it over my head to hide my bloodstained shirt. I watched carefully, eyeing him as he placed papers on the roof, pulling a laptop bag out of his back seat. He started walking into the park, and I changed my route so that our paths would intercept. I shouldered him heavily, and just as I planned, he fell.
"Sorry, sir. Are you alright?"
I helped him pick up his paper and he thanked me, continuing on his way. He wouldn't be thanking me later when he realised I had taken his keys out of his back pocket. Waiting until he was out of sight, I unlocked his car, sliding into the front seat. Alright. I eased it carefully onto the street, coming to a stop near the entrance of the alley where I had left the girl. Piling her into the back with as much care as I could manage, images of where I was going flowed unchecked through my mind. I tried to shake them away, but I couldn't. Instead, I did as much as I could on the girl's wound, flowing as much of my healing power into her as I could manage. But after all the shadow-travelling I had done, it wasn't much. At least she didn't seem to be in as much pain. Covering her bloody clothes with a jacket left in the man's car, I realised that was pretty much all I could do for now.
So I just started driving.
The house was hidden in the dense forest, back where you couldn't see it unless you knew it was there. When I was younger, I had thought that was so cool. Now I saw the underlying reasons as to why we were this far away from everyone else. Bundling up the girl - jacket and all - into my arms, I started the walk up the driveway, the fresh pine smell making my head spin a little. I was still really weak, and was starting to see faint doubles. Finally, I staggered through the front gate. Memories flooded me and I stumbled back a step and right into the fencepost. This place. I gritted my teeth and walked slowly to the double windows on the side of the house. I crossed my fingers and tapped lightly. I waited a couple of seconds.
Come on Zo, I thought, come on, come on!
The curtains were flung open and Zoe stared at me, eyes wide. I smiled weakly at my little sister and gave a feeble wave. Zoe's gaze went down to the bleeding girl in my arms and her mouth dropped open. I mouthed 'window' at her, and tilted my head to the other side of the house. Zoe nodded and ran off. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked quickly over to the other side of the house. The windows were open when I got there and Zoe was glaring at me. I placed the girl on the windowsill and Zoe grabbed her and, with a bit of a struggle, lowered her onto one of the two beds inside. I heaved myself up and through the window, muscles groaning in protest. I collapsed on the floor as soon as I was inside, my head in my hands. Zoe crouched next to me.
"Are you okay?" she whispered.
I looked up at her, sadness welling in my stomach.
"I can't stay," I answered, my words scratching on my dry throat.
Zoe nodded, disappointment evident in her grimace.
"I figured," she said softly. She gestured to the girl on the bed, "Friend of yours?"
I snapped back to the present, standing quickly to go to the girl's side. She had lost a lot of blood and was very pale.
"Zo," I said, ignoring the question and turning back to my sister, "Is my medical stuff still here?"
She nodded and ran out of the room on quiet feet. I watched her go. Zoe had grown up so much since I had last seen her. I shook my head and focussed on the task at hand. I had to help this girl.
...
Zoe came back with my medical equipment and dumped it on the desk to my right.
"Ambrosia and nectar too, if you please," I said, going through my equipment.
Zoe nodded, leaving again and I turned back to the girl. It was lucky I had stopped a lot of the blood in the car. Otherwise this could have been a lot worse. I paused. There was a lot of bleeding around her shoulder, which was to be expected, but there was also a lot of blood on her side. I pulled out a knife and ran a slit up the side of the girl's shirt, peeling it away from her skin. Dammit. One of the empousa must have raked her with its claws. The wound was pretty nasty. I grabbed my knife again and cut another slit so that I could work on her shoulder.
I hoped the girl hadn't been too fond of this shirt.
A tap on my arm. Zoe had returned with the ambrosia and nectar. I muttered my thanks as I placed an ambrosia square in the girl's mouth and helped her to swallow it. The colour returned slightly to her cheeks and I grabbed my disinfectant from the desk. The ambrosia would heal her, but I wanted to make sure the wounds were clean. If anything was stuck in the wound when the ambrosia got to work then it would stay there, and that could lead to a really nasty infection. I gently washed as much of the blood away as I could from her shoulder. I then did the same for her side, getting it as clean as I could. Sitting back, I looked over my work. The ambrosia had already started to slow the bleeding. Stitches would just hinder the ambrosia's process so there really wasn't anything left for me to do except wait, as much as it grated at my nerves to do so.
"Will she be okay?" Zoe asked, a thin hand on my shoulder.
I nodded. The girl should be fine and I would check with her when she woke up to see if she felt any other pain.
"How long until she's mobile again?" Zoe asked hesitantly. I knew why she was asking, but it still hurt that I couldn't stay long.
"She should wake up in about twelve hours," I answered, "We'll try to be gone by tonight."
Zoe nodded and left the room, leaving me alone with the sleeping girl.
I stood and went over to the bed. The girl was sleeping heavily now thanks to the ambrosia. I laid a hand on the girl's forehead. No fever. I looked closer at the girl's face. She looked thin, too thin for it to just be genetic, definitely a little malnourished. Her eyes were sunken and had large, dark rings underneath them. I pursed my lips, feeling regret for the girl. Her hair was limp, another sign of malnutrition. She looked like she had been through a lot. I couldn't heal that. All I could do was give her some food and make sure her wounds were healed properly. Sometimes I really hated being a healer. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't heal everything.
...
I was woken from my restless sleep by a noise. I sat up, looking around. It was the girl. She was twisting in the bed, muttering and sweating. Nightmare, I figured. I got up and walked towards her and placed my hand on her arm. She was shaking, a little too violently to be normal. What had happened to this girl to scare her that bad? I sighed and pulled over a chair. I would have to stay up and make sure that she didn't hurt herself. She started muttering again. Her hand flew to her chest. I jumped up, thinking that she was having chest pains, but instead saw that she was clutching something in her hand. A necklace. I pried open her tensed fingers and frowned. A Camp Half-Blood necklace, nearly identical to the one that I was wearing around my own neck. The only difference were the beads. I looked at her. How? I had never seen her at camp. Shaking my head, I sat back down. I would have to wait until she woke up.
I needed some answers.
Hope you enjoyed! If you have any requests/recommendations/issues/general comments, don't be afraid to chuck them in a review, as long as they're constructive criticism and not flames. Next chapter will be posted in 8 days, and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Peace out - excusemewhileiasdfghjkl
