Chapter 10
Of Souls
"They've left us nothing. Nothing. Why do we have to right their wrongs? Sometimes one must be sacrificed." -1
"Sal…"
…
'Hey. You have to wake up.'
Pain.
"No…"
'Salvatore, wake up!'
Wha…
'Thank goodness. Coherent thought… '
Groan.
'You need to wake up! Thomas is getting worried!'
"Please don't die…"
'Very worried.'
Worried?
'Scared.'
….
Why?
'Why?'
Why…
'True colors show.'
True… colors?
'It'll be clear in time. Let's hope it's before something goes terribly wrong…'
Twitch.
Pain!
Ahg!
'Careful!'
"Oh God… Sal…"
T-Thomas?
'Yeah.'
"Don't die, don't die… I-I…"
He's…scared….
'Like I said.'
…
"Wake up! Move! Do something!"
Twitch.
Ahg!
'Try opening your eyes first, Neophyte.'
Grunt.
Blurry images.
And outline…
Thomas?
"Thomas?"
Pain.
'You're in good hands now.'
"Sal!"
----
Change POV
Sal's eyes adjusted slowly, taking in the dark outline of Thomas.
"W-we're alive…?"
"Y-yeah. Barely."
The dark hired boy tried to push himself up however ended back on the ground with a sharp wail. His face twisted in pain as he rolled over gripping his shoulder in pain and his vision blurred for a moment.
"Hey! Careful!" Thomas grabbed Sal with strangely placid touch. "That…thing nearly took a chunk out of you're shoulder."
"W-what?" Sal glanced up at Thomas through squinted eyes as he propped himself up carefully, to avoid farther damage to his shoulder. "The last thing that I can remember is-is you falling…. You're ankle! Are you ok?!"
"I think it hurt more dropping into the sewer."
"Ah…ah! Sewer! That's right… I'm sorry."
The brunette male gave the other a bewildered look. "Sorry?"
"With the sewer thing… and you're ankle… That must have hurt." Sal looked away with a shameful face. How could have he allowed this to happen and then force Thomas down a sewer whit a possibly broken ankle? Stupid!
"Stupid!"
Looking back to Thomas with a frown, Sal gave a low chuckle. "No joke…"
"I'll pretend to have not heard that." Thomas replied sedately. He swiped hand through his hair and Sal went still.
"You're hand…"
"Wha-?"
"Why's there blood on you're hand?!"
"It's n-"
"Are you ok?! That fall didn't hurt you more, did it?!"
"It's YOUR blood!"
Stale silence fell around them.
Thomas huffed, turning away from the younger boy. "You were bleeding pretty badly…"
The boy gripped his shoulder. With sudden realization, he noticed that Thomas was missing his jacket and the cloth over his shoulder felt different from earlier.
"Your jacket."
"Like I said, you were bleeding pretty badly. I had stop it or risk having you bleed out."
A pause.
"And I rather not have to explain to Grandpa why we're down a houseboy."
Sal laughed.
Thomas' lip twitched upward but he kept a steely complexion.
"But you really are stupid, Sally."
"What?" Sal drooped.
"Honestly… The sewer thing was my idea." The male gripped his leg. "So why are you blaming yourself? Heck… I was the one who had a hissy fit and ran off. You just followed."
"I…"
"…"
"I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing! This isn't your fault!"
"But-"
"No! No but! There was nothing you could have done to prevent this."
"There must have been som-"
"Oh for christ sake!"
"Please, I really-"
"I'd be dead if you hadn't shown up!"
Thomas drew away, clamping a hand over his mouth.
Strained silence.
"…"
"…"
"I-"
"If you say you're sorry ONE more time, I will lose it."
"…"
"…How… Is your shoulder okay?"
"It really hurts…but… Thank you." Sal smiled.
"For…?"
"Stopping my bleeding."
"…Heh…it's nothing…"
A soothing hand was placed on Thomas' shoulder. The male looked back at Sal who had a small grin on his face.
"It's not nothing to me."
Neither moved for a moment, as something seemed to flash in both males eyes.
'You remind me of him. You forget to remember to be afraid.'
Thomas seemed to pale a great deal and pulled away as he watched Sal with wide eyes.
"What…"
Sal looked away.
'I felt him!'
Who?
'5!'
Your friend?
'*Our* friend.'
…
'He's in there, I felt it.'
I believe you.
"Sal..?"
He looked up. "Huh?"
"…Nevermind."
"Oh…ok."
"…"
"…"
"..."
"Hey…"
"Hm?"
"With your hurt ankle… and my hurt shoulder…"
"Yeah?"
"How are we going to get out of the sewer?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"*Fuck*"
----
"MORONIC MACHINE!"
A loud crash and the shatter of glass was heard.
A angered voice, strangely metallic, bellowed.
"Bring them to me *ALIVE*!"
Noises, twirps, screeches, pulses, responded.
Glass crunched beneath feet.
"Useless… They are useless to me dead."
More clamor.
"What I want…"
Low buzz.
"No."
Eyes opened wide, bloodshot and deranged, red pupils glowed inhumanly.
"What I need…"
A hand flew out, gripping a rag doll hanging limp from a case, and yanking it. Pieces from it's already broken hand flew off.
"Are their souls."
----
One hand gripped another, as tingles went through it.
"Sir?"
Old, tired eyes looked up. "Yes?"
"Are you alright, sir?"
The elder wringed his right hand as if easing a sort of pain.
"I'm perfectly fine."
'Lies.'
Shut up.
Frowning, the tall and burly male nodded. "Yes sir. Sorry for bothering you sir."
"Quiet you. It's nothing to apologize about."
"Yes sir."
'You're foolish for ignoring my words.'
I take orders from few. And you are not included.
'And you will pay the consequents for omitting my heeds-'
A barrier went up, blocking the strange voice from his thoughts.
He rubbed his face tiredly.
A glint of sunshine on a picture caught his eye.
A woman with short brown and twinkling grey eyes smiled, gripping a male with light brown hair and dark hazel eyes. A smile graced his pointed face, giving him a look of unusual warmth.
Tonya…
'Come on, Vernon! You would be wonderful in the military!'
'Tonya, my dear, I don't think-'
'Vernon Ferninad.'
'…'
A sweet smile and a peck on the cheek.
'Don't fool yourself, darling. This war needs a leader like you.'
A delicate hug.
'They need a protector like you.'
----
The silence in the shop was piercing. Edward sat stiff, staring blankly at a wall. Oliver examined a small KooKoo clock but his heart was lacking from it. His thoughts lingered only on his grandson and the new Nove boy. The red head's words danced around him like manic nymphs.
'Oh, Thomas… Please be ok…'
He twirled a screwdriver in the small clock.
Nothing happened.
He sighed.
'Thomas always was better at fixing.'
There was a small shuffle as Edward stood on shaky legs. He looked around nervously before advancing towards the elder. He paused a foot away as if scared to get any closer.. One hand absently tapped the key hanging from his neck. His eyes flew from one corner of the room to the next, never setting on the other male.
"Is there something wrong, Edward?"
Startled, the boy jumped back and shook his head erratically. "N-no. Sorry."
Oliver turned to look a the boy better and smiled gently. "Now, now. It never worked when Thomas said it and it won't work for you. What's wrong?"
The small teenager gripped his necklace tightly.
"I…"
"Yes?"
"I-I don't want to see you die…" He hesitated. "Please…forget everything I have said. I-it's not worth your life. You're too precious."
"I'm sorry, Edward. But I cannot forget."
Brown eyes stared at green, begging quietly.
"Y-you must…you'll die…"
"But how many will die if I don't intervene? How many lives will be sacrificed for mine?"
Edward looked down, abashed.
The snow haired man put a wrinkled hand, gentle and soft, onto his shoulder.
"Sometimes, one must be sacrificed for the good of many."
"I… know…"
"If I die, I die. But at least I die knowing I did what was right."
"…"
Patting the boys shoulder, he turned back to the clock and tenderly picked it up. Grabbing his screw, he continued his work.
Twist.
Turn.
Pop.
A small chime.
The KooKoo bursts out and coo's in freedom.
The phones shrill ring blares out.
Oliver quickly grabs the phone, juggling it with the screw driver and clock.
"Hello?"
'Hey, Grandpa.'
----
TBC
This chappy feels so…. DX I dunno, SHORT! Bwah! But all the sweet comments I got just kept the inspiration flowing! ^^ So here's chapter 10, for your enjoyment! Hope you liked it! Getting a little more in sight! And our last two stitch punks make their first appearance! Short, sweet, and too the point! Heh!
Anyways, comments and critiques desired and valued! ^^ And a big ol' thanks to all my loyal readers! Ya'll rock!