Chapter 14- the hunter

I woke in Mrs Smith's room covering in bandages. I winced as I set upright; there was a metal tray beside me with blood dripping from it alone with one long fang. I walked to the bathroom feeling the full force of how sour my body was. I closed the door to the bathroom. I rubbed my neck walking to the back and running the hot water. I felt grimy; well I had full right to. I had been running round in the sewer. I slowly stepped into the bath holding tightly onto my wounds. Even they didn't hurt as much in the bath. I closed my eyes relaxing fully in the water.

The bathwater turned red when I touched it. The pink swirl of blood swaying through the water as if it were smoke. I looked down at my wound, they weren't bleeding. The blood in the water was only the dried on stains left on my skin. I frowned peeling away the bandage. There were no puncture wounds or bruising anymore. I frowned looking round my body. I was healed completely.

'What the...?' I sat back straight in the water. 'Shit.' I had totally forgotten this happened. No matter how hurt I used to get as a child I'd be better the next day. That's why the day was always saved thanks to the powerpuff girls. If we didn't heal unnaturally fast you could say goodbye to that little phrase.

'Betty?' Mrs Smith was in opening the door. I quickly wrapped the bandages round myself again as she looking in. her eyes were full of pity. 'Glad you're already in there.' she walked in holding my clothes. She looked so much older when she was frowning at me. Ok, this made me feel so much more guilty. 'I sowed these up for you. I can't believe you were hunted down by those monsters.' she knelt beside the bath.

'It's fine. They're dead now.' I muttered looking down into the red bathwater.

'You were close too. You don't run round in the sewers, the tunnel caved in and you were lucky you weren't killed with those monsters. They would have dragged you down with them if they'd have the chance.' she stud up. 'Now when you've washed and dressed sleep more. I'll have a boy outside your door if you need anything.' and she left. I blinked wondering what just happened. She knew, kinda, what happened and then she ordered me about. I smiled beginning to wash my hair. For living in the middle of a war we all, down here, had it far too easy.

I got dressed; Mrs Smith had done some really good patchwork on my shirt and trousers. I smiled walking round the room stretched. Now I would be expected to stay in the room for a little while just like a normal teenage girl while I get waited on hand and foot.

'no.' I muttered. I looked over to the metal tray looking at the fang. They must have pulled that form me...that must have been what made me scream. I picked it up moving the fan round in my hands. I had killed the thing this came from.

'I'm evil.' I muttered sitting on the bed staring at the tooth. I looked to the door before staring back at the tooth burning a hole through the thicker end my lazar vision. I grabbed one of the scarfs from the ceiling and tore a thing long rag from it. I looped the rag through the hole and tied it round my neck. I'd never forget this feeling. The pain I felt from the rag.

'Just a reminder.' I muttered before sitting back down on the bed completely still.

All was still for a few more minutes. I couldn't think of what to do, I just felt too guilty for everything.

'WAAAAHH.' I stud up. The noise was distant. No it wasn't just a noise. It was a cry of pain ripping through the tunnels. My eyes widened as I realised what I had let happen.

'They realised more EX's into the sewers.' I muttered. I pushed the door hurriedly but it wouldn't budge. 'Hey!' I called banging on the door. It still didn't move. I was locked in. I heard more screams, more rushed and more rustling as others moved to investigate.

'Move fast. Tell Mrs Smith.' Flash ordered.

'What is it?' another boy asked.

'Nothing I've heard before.'

'What if it's Veronica?' I banged on the door again.

'Stay there Betty. We'll give you an all clear when it's over.' Pie Boy ordered. I bit my lip pacing. They were going to die. I barely made it out in a fight with them.

'Stay here. It's dangerous.' I called but they were already moving away. 'Guys, you can't fight them.' there was a series of thuds and bangs before the screaming began. I started banging harder against the door. More screaming ran out through the sewer.

'Guys!' I shouted standing back and running at the door. Using myself as a super powered ram I knocked the door down and started running in the direction of the screams. I didn't want to be too late. But I as I ran the screams had died away. I looked round from one tunnel to the nest looking round but I saw neither Boy nor Beast. I panted looking round faster and faster till I spotted them. There covering a whole tunnel were the remains of the boys. I stared at the walls covered in blood. Bones snapped under my feet as I wandered under the horror scene around me. Guts and entrails were toss around and tone form living bodies. The echoes of their screams could still be heard in the tunnel further away. I bit my lip glaring round at the deep puddles of blood pouring into the sewage. There was nothing to suggest that these guys were once human, there wasn't even an arm or a leg left as a remnant to this carnage.

'EX.' I hissed. As if in reply there was a snarl from behind me. I turned meeting the monster inches away from my face. He hissed back at me letting me smell the blood radiating from his breath.

'Betty!' Mrs Smith was on the other side of the monster panting. The monster snapped his head round at her snarling. I quickly jumped onto the monsters back covering his eyes. He squealed much like the monster from before did and reared back trying to throw me from him.

'Run.' I shouted. She looked at me turning pale. 'You said you want to survive.' I shouted but she didn't move. I hissed grabbing the fan from round my neck and plunged it into his neck. The beast cried out in pain. 'I said run!' I ordered and the old woman fled. I took the fang from his neck stabbing it into his flesh again.

This time when the beast threw its head back I fell from him rolling into the blood. The beast stood over me snarling.

'Bad move.' I growled stabbing the fang into his belly. He wailed in pain as I forced my fist deeper into his guts. The monster fell into the dirt. I panted standing up holding the blood red fang in my fist. There were more beasts down here ready to kill like that one. I closed my eyes trying to listen but they had all obviously heard their brother fall. All would be quiet for a while.

I walked back to the carpeted tunnels and went straight to the bathroom washing myself. Everywhere I went I left bed footsteps as if I was taunting the other, I made me fuss about covering my tracks. I'd slay those monsters if they came close. I wasn't afraid anymore. Not after having those innocents wiped out just for living a little safer than the people on the surface. Yes, they had an easy life for war victims. Too easy compared to the city above, maybe fate had that in store for them. But it wasn't right and I wouldn't have it anymore. No one else was going to die.

I dried myself and looked round the rest of the carpeted tunnels. I found my bag lying with some clothes. I picked it up. My knife and some food rations were still in there. I packed extra hair dye and a blanket. I tied the fan round my neck again and pulled on a coat and scarf. The plan for now was much like the old one. Go out there and hide as a scared civilian but now, not I wouldn't let those beast touch people. Not a single soul will be hunted by them anymore.

I made my way out into the light. It looked about mid day but the light down in the sewage was brighter than the actual day light. I sighed walked along the path keeping my head down and listening. People were out and talking to one another. Something was up. I never remembered so many people all out of hiding before.

'Did you hear all the noises last night?' a man grunter over a fire. 'I heard them not too long ago.'

'Do you think its Veronica setting up torture dungeons?'

'Maybe they've got monsters in the sewers too.' they were all close. I walked to city centre; more people were gathered there then I had ever seen before. It looked like they were all waiting for something.

'Maybe she's planning on wiping up all out at once.'

'I think I might like that better than the waiting to be tortured.' a pair of old men muttered to each other. I groaned to myself feeling slightly ill listening to them. It was like they had completely given up. But they weren't the only ones; everyone had death on their minds. I guess its good they didn't know of the massacre in the sewer- then they really would be freaked out.

'Humans!' Veronica was standing on the council offices. She didn't look as happy as she normally would when addressing the public. She looked like she had toys taken from her, just like a pouty child. I smiled keeping my head down. Anything she didn't like was good. 'I am your keeper; this is the truth for the rest of your lives and the lives of your children. But two other keepers have come to move things along a bit.' I looked up knowing just who was going to appear beside her. The first was the man with black vanes. 'This is Marcus.' the boy with white hair and eyes flew in beside him. 'And this is Bill. They are the EX's Keepers.' the people stopped all their murmuring at once to stare up at the two men. The two of them were scanning the crowd. I knew they were memorizing the faces in case one of us tried escaping. The white boy was looking over my half of the crowd and foolishly I didn't look away as he looked to me. In that instant his white eyes grew large in surprise.

'Shit.' I muttered not daring to move my eyes away. He defiantly remembered me. He remembered even though we were in bitch black and there were large beast in front of us. He opened his mouth slightly as if to interrupt Veronica speech about ridding the city of all its "little problems". I bit my lip staring back at him making my eyes as large and pleading as I could possibly make them. I was going to pay for the but I couldn't be found out just yet. The boy closed his mouth a small smirk resting on his already cocky expression. I looked away from him. That was really going to cost me.

'So citizens of Copperton,' Veronica's voice was toneless, much like she didn't care anymore. 'It's to my great disappointment to tell you will be taking you all to Townsville ASAP.' she groaned. The noise started up again. The crowd started moving it was clear that that wasn't to anyone's liking. There was a scream from the other side of the crowd as an EX emerged blocking their exit. The crowd pushed back into the city centre.

'You will be leaving today that means.' Veronica chimed into the madness. 'Don't worry; I know there still might be some pieces of scum lying round here somewhere. They'll be sorted with accordingly. For now you lot will be divided into two groups, one led by Marcus and the other by Bill. From here you'll all walk to Townsville.' I looked up at Bill knowing full well who would made sure my trip back to Townsville would be as uncomfortable as possible.

Townsville, the beacon of misery that I used to call home. I didn't want to go back there and I wasn't going to go back there without a fight. As I was rounded into groups with the other citizens that was all I could think about. How could I fight back? if I was Buttercup it would have been easy, when the EX appeared she would have started her attack there and then and she'd be free too. Bubbles, well she would just be lead back without a fight at all and from there she'd help the people of Townsville. That might be the more heroic thing to do at this point but one thing was stopping me from going back there...well more than one but the biggest one was Brick. I looked up at the white Boy flying over head. he might be my ticket out of this mess.