Diligo Est Amicitia

Chapter 14: For Reid, For My Friend

This bike's sexy; Lilith found herself thinking three minutes later. She looked out at the world…or what she could see of it. Jamie was driving so fast she was surprised they hadn't reached L.A. yet. It reminded Lilith a little of Catwoman. All we need is that great leather outfit, a little body gloss and a cat mask, she thought wryly. The bike came to a sudden stop and it took all of Lilith's balance not to topple over onto one side. She glowered slightly at Jamie who just scrunched her nose childishly back at her, then pointed to a small light flickering in the forest. Only, upon closer inspection, there were two.

Reid and Tyler sat a few trees apart, each with a small bonfire at their feet. They were facing away from each other but they both kept glancing over their shoulders. To make sure whether the other was still there or just to make sure they weren't alone? Lilith wondered. She still didn't know what all this was about. She turned around to ask Jamie but the brunette was pointing upwards and before she knew it, Jamie had jumped up and onto a strong branch, which was able to hold her weight. Cursing under her breath, Lilith used her own power to elevate herself up so it seemed like she was flying upwards and into the tree.

She landed with an awkward grace onto the branch closest to the one Jamie was standing on. The tree groaned slightly under their combined weight. Quickly, she held her hand up at arm's length and willed her power into the poor plant so that it was able to grow a few more branches in the space of minutes and make a stable 'stage' for her and Jamie to stand on.

"Nice job." Jamie commented staring at the wood beneath her feet, then returned her attention to the two boys.

"What are we even doing here?" Lilith hissed at her friend.

"Just making sure those two don't become dinner. They're like chickens, just waiting to be caught and chopped up. Chicken a la King. Or Chicken a la bloodthirsty-bedtime-story-creatures-that-were-designed-to-scare-children."

"Aka The Rebellion?" Lilith asked.

Jamie nodded.

"Well, how are we supposed to save them if we're supposed to be 'laying low'?" Lilith made quotation marks in the air as she said it. "I don't think they'd be 'hey, girls; thanks for saving our asses. We're not gonna ask you what you just did but we'll just shut up about it.' What's all this about anyway?"

Jamie knew Lilith had a thing for Reid. Preferring to spare her friend, she chose to answer Lilith's first question. "Lilith; if you could just think about it for a sec, we aren't exactly the average eighteen-year olds. Or seventeen-year olds. Whatever. We have powers. Powers are there to be Used."

Lilith hated the way Jamie was talking to her. "Yes, oh-great-talky teacher but there are people who might see us." She made gestures with her hands.

But Jamie didn't take offence. Instead, a smug smile was already painted upon her face. "I don't think so." Was all she said. Then, she turned back to watch the boys.

Unsatisfied, Lilith probed. "Why? Whaddya mean?"

"Remember when Caleb found you here the first time?" Jamie asked.

Lilith nodded.

"And you told me later on that he didn't seem the least bit freaked out when centaurs were on the prowl a few meters off?"

"Yeah. I backed them off. The really weird thing was that he tried to call my name. He was staring me in the face when he did it. Except he didn't see me."

"You weren't right in front of him, were you?" Jamie hesitated.

Lilith shook her head. "No. I was a little more than a mile in front of him. But I'm sure he should have seen me."

The smile was back on Jamie's face. "What?" Lilith asked, irritatedly.

"I think I know why." Jamie stated proudly. "They can't see us, Lils."

"What?"

"At least not when we're on Archos mode. Don't you understand? Without Using their powers, they don't have the Sight to See."

"You mean those freaky black eyes we saw them with?" Lilith asked. The jigsaw puzzles were finally fitting.

"Exactly. They weren't born with the Sight, Lils. Not like we were. And even then, we were Chosen."

"What makes you think they won't start Using their powers as soon as they get jittery?" Lilith challenged. "I mean, sure maybe they aren't able to See but the Rebellion is just as corporeal as we are, only invisible to them. And then, they'll really See."

Jamie hesitated. "I know what you mean." She said slowly. "But it's all the chance we've got. They saved us, Lils. However unnecessary it was, they still did it and in doing so, they Exposed themselves. This time, they're really in danger and---"

"It's our duty to save them. And we'll try not to Expose ourselves." Lilith understood. Jamie smiled at her and she grinned back. She turned towards the boys, and tensed up. "Jamie." She whispered.

"Yeah, I see them." Jamie muttered back. Shadows were creeping in; and fast. They were coming towards the boys like a swarm of ants attracted to sugar. "Time for some fun." She looked at Lilith sharply. "Get Tyler. I'll take care of the blonde." She saw Lilith hesitate.

She knew her friend had some feelings for the blonde punk but in a battle like this, Lilith could do something stupid if Jamie let her. Which involved lots of blood and maybe that 'sacrificing oneself for the sake of your loved ones' bullshit. And there was no way in Hell Jamie was going to let that happen. Then, Lilith nodded.

Lilith felt her 'sister' beside her going into Archos mode. Her skin glowed with an orange light and it seemed like she was fading away. The process was complete within seconds and when she turned to Jamie, she could see right through her to the rough texture of the tree bark behind the brunette. Jamie nodded at her and with a soft 'whoosh', had sort of flamed out. She saw her re-appearing in front of Reid in the same form, jelly-like and translucent. Reid, however, could not see her because he didn't react at all when Jamie had flamed in right in front of him.

She turned her attention to Tyler. The Rebellion was approaching. She had to work fast. She concentrated, taking a deep breath. If anyone had been watching, they would have seen a blonde girl, perching rather precariously on a tree branch which was too far off from the ground for anybody's comfort. Then maybe, they would have let out a gasp of surprise as they saw her skin glowing green before she just about melted right into the wood she was standing on. Trees were connected, Lilith knew.

The roots that were so deep into the earth were routes to get to Tyler. She traveled faster than a speeding bullet, then floated up above the earth and in front of Tyler. He was asleep. She grinned satisfactorily, and then turned her back on him.

They attacked fast, was Jamie's first thought. When she had re-materialized in front of Reid, she had thought that the blonde was asleep. Then, she realized that he was in a trance, staring at the yellow-orangey flames and caught up in his own world of thoughts. Works either way for me, Jamie thought as she threw her first fireball at the lead centaur. Goal! The fireball hit it right in the stomach and the centaur lurched in pain as Jamie's fire ate through its body. But that didn't stop the others; in fact they seemed enraged by the painful death their fellow comrade had suffered. They seemed more intent on getting revenge than being scared, Jamie realized, her own flame of panic bright in her heart.

No matter, she was the Guardian of Hell, for God's sakes! Sure, maybe she'd never end up in Heaven but she knew with one sweep of her hand, she could send everything in her path down under to work as slaves in the Underworld. Only, it took so much strength out of her, so much energy that there was the risk of dying.

Dying and fading away to some other world, like the Archos before her.

They couldn't go to Heaven like any other human being, that was for sure. Just like the Sons of Ipswich, they were condemned to Hell or any other place with just as much torture for being what they were in the mortal world.

Which is why I say, live life to the best you can! She thought as she flamed another werewolf. They were getting so close and there were too many of them. Of course with Lilith, it's always destruction in some junkyard every other night. And for William, that's rather unacceptable.

A werewolf reached her just before she could light up another fireball and for a few seconds, it was hands-on. They struggled until she was able to straddle the creature's midsection and cupping both hands below its chin, she twisted and let go when she heard the satisfying crack as the vertebrae ratcheted and shattered. There were five more to go but Jamie knew she couldn't fight all of them at once without one getting to Reid.

She knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated all of her energy to form one great crackle of electricity that flowed through her right hand, the one she preferred to use. Not everything in your path, she reminded herself. Just those five. Just those five. They seemed to be running in slow-mo now. Running so slowly… Just those five… The Slap of Death, William called it.

Jamie grinned as she recalled when just five minutes ago, she had thought Lilith was incapable of fighting the Rebellion without doing something stupid. And right now, hypocrite as she was, she was ready to sacrifice her life. And for what, her mind screamed at her. Her mind, the only part of her that was against all this. Truth was, she had always been a 'heart' person. For my friend. For Reid.

She was ready. She took another breath. This is it. Her hand flew from her side and made one full half-round as if slapping the air viciously. The electricity crackled through the air, then hit the party of five, already lunging themselves at Jamie and their food. They were thrown back about five whole meters but before they could hit the ground, they shattered into ash, which spilled to the earth, still and harmless. Jamie grinned. She had done it! Suddenly, the fatigue rushed into her and unable to stand any longer, she fell to the ground.

For Reid. For my friend.

As the darkness started to claim her, she could only hope Lilith wasn't as stupid as her.

Crickes