Chapter 10: Casualty in Numbers
Angel Grove, California: The Black Frog & Red Ape Dojo...
Meanwhile back in Angel Grove, Rocky and Adam called the others to meet up at their dojo and await on any word from Kat, Jason and Tanya in regards of getting Tommy and Kimberly from Arizona. None of them heard from Tommy and Kim in the last few months and they kept their promise to their friends to work hunting jobs out of the city to takeout potential "demonic hotspots" along the westside and midwest. A few moments later they were greeted by a couple of cars that pulled up into the back parking lot of the dojo revealing Kat, Jason and Tanya along with Tommy and Kimberly and the Truehearts. After they headed inside and catch up with their friends on what happened a couple hours back, they were relieved that their friends were back. Tommy and Kimberly along with the others decided to rest up at the dojo for a few hours until they they woke up to the sound of someone knocking on door of Rocky and Adam's upstairs loft as Ruby walked into the room.
"Huh...excuse me can I help you with something miss?" Rocky asked as he opened the door.
"Yeah I'm with your friends Tanya and the other people who were there in Arizona," Ruby sternly replied as she walked in, "Turn on the news."
"Ruby what's going on?" Tanya asked.
"Why is she here?" Tommy and Kim asked, "Tanya...what's happening?"
"Just turn on the damn news!" Ruby snapped as Adam turned on the TV as they all watched the news and listened.
"State patrol here are still in shock of the fire that occurred along the Interstate 84 at this local gas station and rest stop four miles near the Arizona state line," the news reporter stated on TV, "The fire that occurred just a few hours this morning claimed the lives of everyone here at the gas station including a bus tour group from Las Vega that consisted of thirty people, six police officers, EMTS crews, and a community volunteer group residing at the Trueheart Reservation Camp who was under the supervision of Kyle Tyler that night. Officials state that the fire was triggered by a damaged gas line that ruptured the main propane tank used for refilling. With the fire here at Interstate 84 rest stop and the fire that occurred an hour later at Trueheart Reservation Camp also being investigated, Channel Nine news will keep you updated on this story."
"We could have been at either one of those fires Tommy," David and Sam sighed, "Our entire residence is dead...and we managed to escape."
"Oh my god...everyone at the rest stop is dead?" Kim replied shock, "How...is that possible?"
"Trueheart Reservation Camp? The interstate pitstop?" Tommy replied as everyone was in disbelief of what they heard, "Two fires in one night?"
"Well I hope you're all happy now," Ruby sneered, "My guess is that my smart bet is on Lillith...probably one of her lackies must of escaped and sent word out on where you guys were housed in anad headed to your brother's Reservation Camp and wiped out everyone there you two met before cleaning up the mess left at the rest stop. Congratulations...you all must have outdone yourselves this time and this is a taste of things that have yet to come!"
"Hey you're not laying the blame on us for what happened...we didn't see that coming!" Tommy and Kim snapped.
"Of course you didn't! Not one of you didn't see it but you should have been more careful! Lillith killed everybody, including your brother and his dad's reservation buddies and those civilians at the rest stop! Here...this will upgrade the mojo bags you all first received and it will keep Lillith off your backs." Ruby opened her bag and tossed each of them mojo bags as they caught them.
"Thanks it's really appreciated," Kat and Jason said.
"Don't thank me," Ruby snapped, "Lillith slaughtered everybody at both those locations! You thought you guys had the easy solution but you know what? Your plan ended up being the one with the body count! None of you have no clue how to fight a battle...you strike hard first and fast! Unless you all get your act together, the casualty numbers will keep piling up higher and higher and it will be on your hands the blood of all those innocent people whose lives are at stake!" Ruby turned towards Tommy and Kimberly afterwards as she headed out the door, "Next time...we should have gone with my plan! She's on to you two...so if I were you I suggest you watch your backs because the road ahead will just get rougher!"
"David, Sam...if's it any consolation I just wanted to say how truly sorry we are," Tommy said, "I didn't...I didn't want it to come to this. I..."
"It could have been us...in those fires," David sighed, "Kyle...I bet the poor guy didn't see it coming and our friends back on reservation didn't know what hit them. The poor guy sometimes can predict the unexpected and my bet was he wanted dad and I far away as possible just in case if something happened. The first lesson about this job is sometimes not everybody can be saved...there will always be casualties in any battle."
"Is it possible to save as many lives as possible without running into casualties?" Tommy asked, "What will happen to you guys now?"
"Keep moving and let the wind take us wherever it leads us," Sam replied as they left, "The times will get dark along the road but I say this to all of you, especially to our young falcon and crane. Choice or destiny, fate or reason, we all fight and become hunters for a greater good and we fight to ensure a future that we live to see for everyone. Your greatest strength lies within you all and everything you believed in your life, the reasons you live are what drives you here at this point. Keep that in mind...and never lose sight." After Sam and David left, Tommy and the others spent a little while wondering the aftermath of what they heard on the news making some of them question the cost of fighting and hunting.
"It's our fault that those people are dead because of us!" Kim yelled in frustration, "I thought our jobs were to save as many lives as possible and defeat evil. But it doesn't' make our jobs easy with what they have in store for us. How many people have to die at the expense of our lives? What Lillith did in Arizona is just a sample of things yet to come and we have to prepare ourselves for the worse whether we like it or not!"
"It's nothing we can't control Kim death is part of life and casualties happen," Tanya sternly said, "Sometimes people have to die in order for a greater good to happen. It sucks and everyone here fights for a normal life but our lives are never going to be normal. The reality is...the reality is whether you like it or not, your fate and Tommy's fate has been predestined and sealed and I hate to be the one to make you guys realize it."
"Destiny doesn't have to be set in stone," Jason added, "We make our own destinies Tanya...and we can change them."
"Yours can but not ours," Tommy sighed looking at Kimberly, "Those people died at our expense because they helped us and they achieved what they needed to do...prepare us for what is to come. Tanya's right...what we know about our parents and what we learned it was destiny for all of it to happen. We've just got to accept our fate Kim but we're going to help change the fate of our friends so we don't have to face anymore casualties on the homefront."
3 months later: Angel Grove Park...
Three months passed and everyone continued to keep hunting demons and spirits as the gang were worried about the casualties they were facing on a couple of their hunting jobs. Kimberly was now heading into the final stages of her pregnancy which worried Tommy very much as it was taking both a physical and mental toll on her body. However, Kimberly still wanted to keep hunting despite everyone's objections due to her health and wellbeing but she still stated that she was a born hunter. One afternoon Tommy and the gang decided to have a picnic in the park and throw Kimberly a baby shower.
"So we're all here today to trade in a day of hunting demons and evil spirits just to live life normally as regular Joes today," Jason replied smiling, "First I want to congratulate my wife Katherine who is currently studying to pursue her career to become a Pediatric/Neonatal Surgeon and Immulogist, to my two best friends in the world who we found out are expecting a baby girl in a few weeks, and to the rest of us that although all of this is going on right now, at least we know we can still get on with our lives and pursue everything we dreamed we wanted to achieve and do."
"Oh Jase you and your grand toasts," Kim teased, "C'mon it's hard enough that you and Tommy work a pregnant woman like me who just wanted to have a nice baby shower in the comfort of my own home but instead you two drag me out in the middle of the afternoon to the park. Should I be concern as to why you decided to have our baby shower in the park instead of our place?"
"Is is a crime to show our friends how much I love you in front of them and more than ever share the news that we're going to expect a beautiful baby girl in a few weeks?" Tommy asked, "You're lucky to get a Mr. Romantic catch like me for all these years."
"We all heard that one before," Rocky and Adam replied, "A match made in heaven we'll say."
"Hey knock it off," Kat replied as Kim began to open her baby shower presents, "It's time for our guest of honor to open her presents and you can say at least each of us have invested interest in our potential niece, including Jason and I."
"That's because we named you guys as the godparents," Tommy and Kimberly smiled, "Hey...anyone seen Tanya?"
"Yeah she stopped by my place this morning told me to give this to you guys," Zack said as he handed them Tanya's present, "She told me that she was heading to New Jersey for some personal business."
"It's about her parents," Jason added, "She hasn't talked to them in a few years and she got word from her friends the Winchesters that her folks have taken up permanent residence at Princeton. Her and her folks really don't see eye to eye much ever since they got her into the business of hunting demons and ghosts especially her father. Tanya said that her brother Nico's death was the reason she became ended up accepting her life as a hunter...and life with her family hasn't been the same since he died. However, she's learning she can't resent her parents for bringing her up the way they did but being the good person she is at the end of the day they're still her family and she'll love them no matter what."
"Well at least she still has a family around," Kimberly sighed, "But the responsibilities that our parents put on us and for them to lay all this crap on us or even worst of all hide it from us. I haven't been in contact with my family since my mom left for France with Adrian and Kenny moved away. I wonder about them everyday and worry about them if they ever knew about my dad's life or that of our family's history. I mean, my memories were altered by some higher power to keep me from knowing the truth and there are bits and pieces of my life that I don't know are fact or fiction."
"Same here I wonder if our parents are okay?" Tommy asked, "My parents have been gone for months and I wait everyday to see if they'll call because something in the pit of my stomach tells me that something is wrong. I should be having visions by now but it's not happening and usually about once a week they'll call me. I haven't heard from them before we headed to Arizona."
"We should try to contact them to see if they're okay," Kim replied opening her presents, "At least I'm glad that Tanya has decided to make peace with her folks. Hey...this is pretty odd, a unique and weird looking whistle. What is it?" She opened up her present which contained a whistle type thing with holes in the front. "Wait she left a note." Aisha took the note as she read it as Kimberly examined her present from Tanya.
"What does it say?" Billy asked, "I think it's some sort of type of little flute."
"To Tommy and Kimberly," Aisha read, "Congratulations on expecting a new baby girl...your little phoenix. I'm not good with presents or words but this is something that would be cherished in the eyes of a child. The road ahead will be tough, but always remember the love the two of you have in order to defeat the evil and give your child the future she deserves. I don't know much about this but I hope one day you guys find the melody to make it work. With love, Tanya."
"It's an ocarina," Tommy smiled, "She gave us an ocarina for a baby shower present. Something tells me that this one maybe special one day but you play it by using those little holes it's pretty simple. I saw this before when I first met Sam and David and one of the girls at the reservation had an ocarina. Usually this dates back 12000 years ago and some of the people at the reservation believed that the ocarina is an instrument of both mystery and power from the heart of those innocent and pure of heart."
"I think this is something worth giving one day to our daughter," Kim smiled taking the ocarina as she began to play it, "Hey this is not bad I really don't know much ocarinas but this seems pretty easy to play."
"Who knew Tanya was an expert of occult presents for kids?" Jason teased.
"Oh stop it Jason I think it was thoughtful of her to give them that," Kat said, "It's useful and the baby would love it when she grows up."
"Guys I know it's too much to ask being the one who is looking like a balloon right now," Kim smiled at her friends, "But I'm craving for some of that potato salad Billy made and I would like to open more of my presents if it's not too much? This baby is coming out in five weeks so I'm not getting any younger and I only got five more weeks until we become parents."
For the rest of the afternoon, Tommy and Kimberly were in the park enjoying their baby shower and spending time with their friends. The topic of their parents and families was still on their mind as the two of them were beginning to wonder if their families were okay with the threat of Lillith occurring. During that time, Tommy was seeing visions of both his parents and Kimberly's family in his mind throughout the entire day. He also kept seeing an envelope in his vision with a letter inside of it and a weird symbol that looked like some sort of occult drawing being imprinted onto someone's arm. He tried his best to shield his thoughts with his mental blockers to prevent Kimberly from being affected by his visions or his powers.
"This is all part of the game Tommy...I know you can't keep me away for long we're going to have so much fun," he heard the sound of an errie voice in his head which resemble a little girl, "How much fun are we going to have? I can be a joy around to play with. I can't see or find you physically but mentally I'm always going to be...around. Just tell me when you'll say uncle!"
"You...you little bitch I know it's you Lillith!" Tommy's thoughts were focused on trying to prevent Lillith from harming him mentally, "I dare you to show yourself! I'm not going to let you hurt my family you hear me! I'll send you back to hell if that's the last thing I do!"
"Oh yeah with what power? You think you can beat me? How much are you going to bet on that?" Lillith was trying to penetrate Tommy's mind but she was having a difficult time but Tommy was a few feet away when he saw that Kimberly was feeling weary and weak again as their friends looked on worry. "I can't wait to see you again Tommy Boy we'll soon meet face to face soon. Like they always say...with that much power in your hands there is always something that keeps you on a tight leash. I wonder how little Kimberly is doing? Has she heard from mommy dearest? I'm sure guessing the pair of you are wondering how mommy and daddy are? They weren't that much fun to play with...if you know what I mean."
"TOMMY!" he suddenly was brought back to reality when he heard his friends yelling as Kimberly was grasping for air. She was suddenly lying on the floor clutching her stomach as she was in intense pain and she was mumbling about a burning sensation inside of her. "TOMMY GET OVER HERE!"
"What's happening?" Tommy looked as he held Kimberly who was suddenly sweating and looking pale, "Kimberly, c'mon beautiful stay with me! Look at me! What the hell is happening?"
"Tommy...I can't block her," Kimberly said breathing heavily, "I'm feeling pain...oh god it hurts! What's happening to me? Lillith she's around somewhere she's hurting me!"
"Lillith was trying to get into my head...she's a powerful demon guys with advanced psychic abilities and she knows she can't harm me because I'm immune to her power. We got to get Kimberly back to my place because if she can't get to me, then she'll get to Kimberly and I'm not going to let her kill her or our baby. Clock is ticking and sooner or later Lillith will fall through with her plan and kill us all."
"Tommy...what happen to my mom? What happen to your parents? Please...time is running out she's going to kill our baby and stop the Twilight from happening...please don't let that happen...no matter what the cost is. Promise me Handsome...our baby lives to see the future please." They quickly collected everything they had and headed back to Tommy and Kimberly's place. Tommy picked up a weak and tired Kimberly as she fell unconscious again but he knew that Kimberly was in more danger than ever and her life was slowly fading with the threat of Lillith. He couldn't lose her and deep down he wanted to know the fate of his parents and that of Kimberly's family because if any harm befall their families than the last thing they would have to deal with was another body count.
Tommy and Kimberly's place...
"How is she doing?" Tommy asked as he entered his bedroom where Kat and Billy were tending to Kimberly, "She's...looking more sick and pale right now after that episode in the park. I can't lose her now...she means everything to me."
"We know Tommy...the good thing is she's still fighting but it's severely taking a toll on her physical wellbeing," Kat sighed, "The thing that scares me is the idea of premature labor. I'm concerned about her health with her being five weeks due and learning from experience on the job right now her chances for survival of this ordeal is in question."
"What the hell do you mean? One of us is going to end up dead in this entire outcome or they both end up dead I made a promise to Kimberly that our baby is going to live through this and I'm not going to sit by and be the one who wiill end up holding their lives in my hands. I can't do that! The last thing I want is to grant the love of my life a death wish because some bitch from hell is using her just to get to me! No one is not dying on my watch...especially Kimberly or our baby!"
"The best thing I suggest right now is just stay with her and we'll keep watch for any of Lillith's forces," Billy said as he headed downstairs in the living room with the others who were trying to research everything they could about Lillith and psychics. Tommy on the bed next to Kimberly as she slept looking weak and sicker than ever and he knew that the pregnancy was taking a major toll on Kimberly especially with demonic activity occurring. What scared him now was his mental encounter with Lillith and the harm it was causing Kimberly. He knew that his bond with Kimberly was strong, but their connection to one another was hurting her especially with the extent of her psychic abiliites and that of their unborn baby. There was a lot on Tommy's mind and the possibility of watching Kim on her deathbed or dying during childbirth scared him.
"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here beautiful and I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Tommy sighed as he held her hand, "I promise you that Lillith was not going to harm you or our baby that is something I vow to do and I will protect you with my life. Please Kimberly I know it's hard and you're fighting with everything you got but please you got to pull through this. Lillith is making herself known to us now and she wants to make sure we don't live to spoil her plans...but we're going to change our fate and our future if that is what it will take to stop her. No matter what the cost or what I have to do I will see to it Lillith doesn't succeed. What I want more than anything is to see you live a happy normal life where it's you and me raising our baby and no one is dying on my watch, especially you. I'll see to it that we end up getting that bitch's head on a plate and bring down every single one of those bastards who will try to take a claim on our child's life. I love you so much and if anything...anything ever happens to you...I don't know what I'm suppose to do without you. I can't face a future without you in it Kimberly so keep fighting please I'm begging you." A few moments later he saw Jason enter the room as he told his best friend to keep it quiet as Kim continued to sleep.
"How's it going bro?" Jason replied putting a hand on his shoulder, "Listen if I know my little sis well enough she'll fight for you Tommy hands down. She loves you and she worries about you and the possibility of facing life without you. I know it scares you and her but you have to stay strong Tommy, for her, and especially for yourself."
"I can't...I can't life without her and she's everything," Tommy sighed as he continued to hold Kim's hand, "I've been trying to make sense of why all of this is happening to us. I never imagined that whatever they did to me years ago that somehow...Kimberly would be effected by it too. I mean I was a born psychic and they didn't realize it until Arazel came and then gave me my demonic abilities. They knew I would be powerful enough to take on hell alone in one foul swoop but for them to use Kimberly to keep me under control without killing or hurting her it's just twisted. I love her, but how can I love her without killing the one that means everything in this world. Things got complicated and If I could...if I could I would trade my life for hers in a heartbeat. I don't want this, not for her, not for our baby, and not for you guys to end up being born into this life with death and hell watching your back! Kim's life is more valuable than mine...god how do I tell her about what I saw? I couldn't tell you guys, that letter your holding in your hand, it's from Kim's brother isn't it?"
"How do you know?" Jason handed Tommy a letter and it was from Kimberly's brother Jeff that contained drawings in it, "We found it and we didn't know what to make of it but it doesn't look like good news. Tommy...that letter was written about three months ago while Kim's brother went to visit Caroline and Adrian in France. A few hours we called to see if we got any news on either Kim's mother or your parents. Tommy...Kimberly's family is dead, and so are your parents. This was in the local paper in France of party boat sinking and almost 200 of the guest died that night, two of them being Kimberly's mother and stepfather. The picture of this airplane on fire and crashing on the landing strip that happened a month after the party boat accident it was a flight from Venice to Syndey I'm really sorry Tommy but..."
"It was my parents...mom and dad did talk about going to Syndey after they finish touring Venice...who could I known all of this?" Tommy looked at the drawings and the minute he touched one of them he ended seeing a image of a young woman drawing them and Jeff mailing them before witnessing someone being murdered, "These were drew over twenty years ago...a year before my birth parents died. Rose drew them, my birth mother, long before any of this could happen she knew. I've been learning a lot about psychics while Kim and I were in Arizona and the different abilities and types they were. Rose had the power of being precognitive, but usually they would have to keep track of what they saw by drawing it. Think of it like watching everything you see you draw it or what will happen, but she was really powerful and many think these visions were not accurate, hers usually came true. All these pictures were things she saw and they occurred. Jeff found out and found the letter at Caroline's house and he learned of his mother's death as a result of that. The last drawing...this is a symbol from a traditional Celtic occult which was called a Midgar, it's a binding symbol demons would try to use to either possess someone or use it as a means to curse someone to death. Jeff mailed these drawings to warn us before Lillith killed him, she's out to get us and she wants to wipe out both our families and we're the only ones left. She's all I got left and I'm not going to lose her!"
Kimberly began to wake up as she stirred in bed getting Tommy and Jason's attention as Tommy held her in his arms tight and he began to slightly tear seeing her stare at him. "Tommy what's happening? That look is telling me that something is wrong? C'mon Handsome please talk to me I'm alright I'm not going anywhere." For some strange reason, Kimberly began to feel a weird sensation in her seeing all the pictures that were on the bed and then she realized the worst possibility that could happen even without them telling her. "They're gone aren't they? My mom, Adrian, my brother Jeff, your parents? How many more people we care about have to die on our account? It was Lillith wasn't it? Tommy...did she...did she kill our family?"
"I'm so sorry I just wish I could have stop it...and if I could...if I could change it all I would trade my own life for yours and theirs! First the people at the reservation, then the people at the gas station, then our families! If this is what is suppose to happen...if this is our future we have to live for...if this is..."
"We're going to change it...no matter what the cost is," Kimberly weakly replied, "The future is not written in stone...it always changes and it may take several events to realize it. We'll change it I promise you we'll..."
A few moments later Kimberly began to feel harsh abdomonal pains in her stomach as she suddenly felt her heartbeat raising and her pulse rising. Tommy and Jason looked horrified as they witness that it was suddenly getting dark outside and it began to rain. She was having difficulty breathing as Jason called Kat and Billy back upstairs and Kimberly yelled in pain as she felt a burning sensation on her left arm as a symbol starting appearing and glowing on her arm.
"Oh God it hurts! Tommy please make it stop!" Kimberly continued yelling complaining about the burning physical pain inside of her and she began to feel her lifeforce slowly draining away, "No...it's too early...it's my water it broke!"
"Hang on Kimberly just hang on we'll get you help don't worry we're heading to the hospital," Tommy quickly grabbed Kimberly as they all rushed downstairs and outside to get Kimberly to the hospital. He then realized the mark on her left arm which was the one that matched the drawing. He was horrified that the Midgar mark began to glow and Kimberly continued to scream in pain which emotionally was killing Tommy inside. "Oh God that's the Midgar mark! Guys we got to move fast please!"
"We're with you Tommy c'mon we got to get Kimberly help," Jason and Kat suddenly saw the mark as they looked at Kimberly who was physically in terrible shape, "Tommy...what is that on her arm?"
"She's not going to win...I guarantee that!" Tommy looked as they all loaded in their cars, "Lillith...that's Midgar's mark. Kimberly's in labor and not only that if we don't move fast, either the delivery will kill her or Lillith's curse. I lost so much already...hang on Kimberly I'm not going to lose you or our baby even if I have to give up my life to stop that!"