A/N: I don't even know how long it's been since I updated AND I'M SO SORRY! I got my first job in the tech industry and it changed my life overnight and suddenly I've been working around the clock like wow. ...Also started playing Lost in Harmony (which is a great game btw) and that fandom glommed onto me. Sorry folks. But a big thank you to the lovely 116788 who showed some beautiful preliminary art for angel!Elsa, so thank you. Another shout out to standasawitness for your undying support of this story.

WARNING: This chapter contains content revolving around suicidal ideation that may be triggering for some.

The Wings

Chapter 25

"Oh no," he began patting down his pants, searching frantically for the card key but only came back with paper receipts and the phone he had just used. Now, the dilemma. Was it worse to wake Elsa or the Hamadas?

Jack tipped his head back, remembering the smooth milky skin of Elsa's neck, how easily his lips had glided down her and—and he bit his lip, severing the thoughts. He had to make a plan of attack to get back inside. Truly, it felt wrong to wake her just for this, so he walked next door and began knocking tenderly on the Hamadas.

At first Jack didn't hear anything. Then, muffled voices and a loud bang followed by an "Ow!" Five heavy footfalls later and the door swung open to reveal Hiro with messy hair and a faded shirt with a blue police box on the front. He was squinting but still managed to look disgusted at the sight of Jack.

"What?" Hiro said.

"Uhm, hi." Jack said. "I locked myself out and there's no one at the front desk."

Hiro stared at Jack for a moment as though perplexed by his stupidity. Tadashi grumbled something about a credit card and threw one at Hiro. Picking it up off the floor, Hiro gestured for Jack to follow him.

"C'mon. I'll unlock it."

"Thanks," Jack said as he followed Hiro next door. The kid pulled off the plastic case on the electronic lock box and inserted a pen into what Jack would have assumed was the pinhole for a screw. While he held the pen in its place, Hiro pushed the rather battered looking credit card between the jam and the door, sliding it up until the bolt clicked and Hiro was able to push the door open.

"Wow, Jack said with astonishment. "Thanks." The adolescent waved half-heartedly before disappearing back into his room without so much as a condolence. Jack did the same, closing the door behind him so he could take a moment to watch beauty in the moonlight.

Curled into the pillows, he could see her soft curves under the thin sheets. Her breathing was soft and restful, her hair absolutely everywhere. Jack brushed a few strands from her cheeks, steeping himself in the easy love he had for her.

Taking off his shirt, Jack climbed into bed next to her. Scooting up close to her, he buried his face in her hair. Inhaling the beautiful scent of plumeria. Jack didn't notice that, as he did so, her eyes had flitted open.

If she had had left at 2:28 AM and she had been here for approximately twenty minutes. She had waited until Jack's breathing was soft against her back and she could slip out of his arms without him knowing any different. Never before had she felt so warm and she wanted to test the permanence of it, so she had jammed the door with the deadbolt and left him there.

Sitting on the dock with a bottom wet from the sodden planks, Elsa dangled her feet above the churning emerald river. Here, the only company she had were the gulls on dock posts and the bar hoppers chainsmoking on the shore.

She stared at the deep greenwater, picturing the temperature of its surface dipping as the water hardened to clear ice, but nothing happened. And she smiled. Sliding further down the edge of the dock, Elsa broke the surface with the toes of her left foot, feeling how cold it was against her skin. She hissed at the sensation, never having felt cold this strongly before, but it felt so nice she wanted to weep.

"Jack," she breathed his name, remembering when he had tasted it on her lips.

And then she heard it. The shrill, piercing scream of pain that she knew. It rattled in her brain, an echo so loud she had to cover her ears. She knew it had been placed there by someone else. One of the tears she had been holding fell down the supple curve of her cheek, for she knew that despite Jack the glimmering pieces of her eternity were still embedded like brittle diamonds in her soul.

Elsa scrambled to her feet, Jack and his safety at the front of her mind as she ran barefoot through the streets of Portland.

The first thing that made Jack startle was the sound of the door banging shut. Sitting up, he saw that the door was fully closed, but that he was alone. Elsa was gone, the bed beside him cold and empty. Her clothes were missing as well.

"Elsa?" He said, still half stupid with sleep. Then he heard the screaming, the cries for help. Leaping out of bed, Jack burst through the door only to find that the one next to his, the Hamada's, had been knocked off its hinges. He could hear snarls and whimpers, someone saying please, please, please.

Jack hit the light. Hiro was pinned to the floor by a giant black wolf. It's massive paws pinned the boy's chest to the floor and it's teeth held Hiro's shoulder in its mouth like a prize. Hiro's fists were pounding the wolf's chest but he was much too small. Tadashi had fistfuls of the dog's fur in his hands but he couldn't get it off of his brother. Instead, the wolf rounded on Tadashi and latched down on his left arm, causing him to scream in pain.

Grabbing the nearest thing to him—which happened to be a TV remove—Jack hurled it at the wolf. The plastic bopped it harmlessly on the head, but it released Hiro's shoulder and reared its head to Jack, eyes are yellow as greed baring into him. In the back of his mind, Jack could hear someone sneer the word, you.

His heart skipped. Quicikly, Jack looked around for something else to lob at the wolf, something a little more potent. Before he could move, the beast charged. It's head hit Jack in the stomach, knocking the wind from him but not before he grabbed two fists of the animal's fur. Suddenly, the animal was screaming in pain, pulling away from Jack with white froth covering it's lower lip. Stunned, Jack stared. He could hear Tadashi saying something to Hiro in the background about blood loss but it all went over his head.

The wolf dove at Jack again. Jack raised his arms to protect himself as the massive weight of the animal bore down on him but the strangest thing happened. The moment they touched, the wolf began yowling and shying away again. Astounded, Jack stared with wide eyes as the creature snarled, its wiry tailed tucked between its hind legs. Jack looked to his hands covered with a light dust of the powder Elsa was known to leave behind. He looked back to the wolf, and down at his hands again. Something about her was making this happen. He wasn't sure what, but Jack knew he had to use it to get them out of danger.

Standing, Jack dove at the wolf, who lept out of the way. It cast a glance at Tadashi and Hiro, but Jack stood between them, blocking the wolf. Its eyes narrowed, holding Jack for a long moment before turning and fleeing.

Jack turned to look at Hiro and Tadashi. The floor was covered in blood as fresh and and dizzyingly red as peonies, spread around by the animal's paw prints. Tadashi had his hands over his brother's wounds and Hiro had his eyes clenched shut as he shivered.

"Hiro!?" Everyone turned to see Elsa standing in the doorway, her eyes wide as she stared at Hiro on the floor. "What happened?"

"Just call an ambulance!" Tadashi barked, his hands still cauterizing Hiro's wound.

"No!" Elsa cried as she ran to their side. "Haven't you forgotten we're fugitives?"

Tadashi glared at Elsa. "I won't let him bleed to death just because you are afraid to face the consequences of your—"

Elsa pushed Tadashi roughly aside. He noticed that her skin was as cold as ice. Digging her hands underneath Hiro's shirt, she placed her hands over the bite marks. Hiro whimpered, his good hand shooting up to grab Elsa's wrist as his teeth chattered. Then, she removed her hand. Hiro's breathing began to stabilize and he blinked.

"I can't believe you did that again." He whispered.

"Again!?" Tadashi cried.

"Here," Elsa gestured to the older Hamada, who was still staring at her like a pariah. "Let me see yours."

Skeptically, Tadashi exteneded his arm to Elsa. She traced her fingers softly over the punctures in his flesh. Cold penetrated Tadashi's skin, but he could see as the wounds began to mend and come back together. Hiro was watching too, chewing his lip nervously.

Before Tadashi or Hiro could say thank you, Jack had put his arms around Elsa's shoulders and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"You were gone." He moaned. "You were gone and I didn't know where you were."

"Jack," She placed her hand in his hair. It smelled like blood. Truly, she didn't know how to explain herself. It hurt that she couldn't say she was freed by the same mortality that he was. "It's okay."

"You guys can talk about this later." Tadashi said as he got to his feet. "We really have to get moving, I'm sure the other guests heard that and the police will be here soon." Jack agreed and departed to gather his and Elsa's possessions from next door. No one really noticed how quiet and pensive Hiro was, who opted to sitting in the antiquated arm chair with his hand over his healed wound.

It wasn't until Tadashi was beginning to load everything into the car that he thought to check on his brother. "Hiro?" Tadashi said as he walked back into their almost empty motel room, but he wasn't there. Normally he would have assumed that Hiro was with Jack, but after tonight that was a risk he couldn't take. He ducked next door only to find Jack pulling his socks out from under the bed.

"Have either of you seen Hiro?"

"He's gone?" Elsa said from the doorway.

Tadashi nodded. "I can't find him anywhere."

Jack shoved his sock-less feet into his shoes and grabbed his keys. "We just have to go then. We have to find him before something else does."

The deep azure of the sky was just beginning to fade to the lovely twilight blue that freckled the sky just before sunrise. Hiro's arms were wrapped around himself to try and keep the bite of the damp cold out. The wound on his arm no longer hurt but when he thought of Tadashi, Hiro wished it did. This mess was his fault. If it hadn't been for him, Elsa never would have met. Jack never would have begun researching her and Hiro never would have found his research in the university library. If he hadn't done that, he never would have tried to help Jack which in turn wouldn't have lead him to Elsa who would save him from the Keeper. He would have died and Tadashi would have been fine.

Heck, if he hadn't been born, Elsa would still be in Heaven or where ever it was she was from.

Hiro squeezed his eyes shut, the only part of him that actually burned. He sucked in the cool air, feeling it inside his chest like a hard fist. When he opened his eyes again, he looked to his left. Standing on the overpass, he had a good view of the freeway far below. Even at this hour, the traffic was deep.

Letting go of his hoodie, Hiro placed both hands on the cement railing of the overpass. Inhaling deeply, he smelled wet earth, green water, and gasoline. He gripped the railing tighter, his nails digging painfully into the stone. Like hot fire on his back, Hiro had the sensation that something was watching him. Hiro didn't want to turn around in case he was right.

Hiro lifted himself up on the railing, standing to his full height. As soon as he did so, he felt the bottom of his belly flip. Without the protection of the railing, the wind at this height was forceful, swaying his body. Wobbling, Hiro spread his legs wider to keep himself from falling. He wasn't really sure why he did this, it was counter productive. He swallowed hard, clenching his fists and closing his eyes.

"HIRO!"

Jack's Toyota screamed to a halt on the overpass, all three of them climbing out before it was even fully stopped.

"Hiro, what are you doing!?" Tadashi cried. Biting his lip, Hiro said nothing. The rationalization he had given himself moments before seemed weak in comparison to his brother's injured tone.

"Don't get closer. You don't want to spook him." Jack said and he heard Tadashi grunting. Even though Elsa was quiet, Hiro could feel her gaze on him, soft and familiar. There was something in her silence that was somehow empathetic.

"Hiro, get down!" Tadashi barked. "I don't know what you're thinking, but—"

"It's the only way," Hiro whispered.

"What?" Tadashi said as he shoved Jack away. "What did you say?"

Hiro swallowed hard. "It's the only way you will be safe, Tadashi. I was supposed to die, right? That thing wants me dead and you... none of you will be safe until I... I..."

"Hiro—" It was Tadashi.

"That's not true—" Jack was chiming in too.

"We'll find a way to fix this, if you just—"

Hiro felt Tadashi's fingertips brush his ankle as he tried to grab him, but the teen danced away from his brother, startledat the sudden touch. His foot hit the ledge awkwardly and seeing this, Jack reached for him. Hiro extended his arm too, trying to grab Jack's hand but missed. His foot couldn't find purchase on the railing and Hiro fell.

A/N: This is partially an exercise for me. I want to get better at writing action scenes. u.u; I promise not to disappear for so long this time, especially since it's a cliffhanger.