Hello, I'm writing in Atlanta. I'm debating on when I should put this up. For I see only six reviews. Sorry to be so bitchy about it, but damn this thing is long. With this chapter it's over 60,000 words long. That's over 100 type written pages, and I used a smaller font than times new roman.
Wow, now that I've written that . . . . I did that? cool.
Speaking of cool, my mom told me my Christmas present the other day. She's taking me to Japan with her when she goes over. I'll be there for the new year and everything!!!! I'm so happy!!!! And I can pay my tuition now that my financial aid has come in. Oh happy day! I can register . . . and pay more money.
And this is just a wondering: I was re-reading stuff on ff.net and . . . wondertross where are you? I keep on reading the end of ch.3 and my imagination runs wild. And, does anyone know what happened to Esprit Librez, I found chapter 5 of her story a while back, and then there was that other story she put out. I hope she's well.
Remember 10. :þ :::isn't he cute, my little face dude . . . sorry too much sugar.
Oh. One more thing. All of you, go and review Calypso's story. It's great, even though it's driving me nuts with all the endings. So go hence and leave your mark or the Review - a - Saurus will be knocking at your door.
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XIX. Maligueña
"Damn it! Does she have to yell so fucking loud?!!"
Drew Newell held his hands over his ears, both of which were ringing. She knew his senses were enhanced, even more than the others. It's bad enough that this place smelled. And it hurt like hell when some one managed to land a good punch.
"It doesn't help that this places ECHOES!!!!!! Owwww!"
Great now he had done it to himself.
"Drew. Quit whining and lets go. She's not far."
He whimpered and resumed his flight. It could have been one of those stupid dog whistles. Those were really bad. Nails on a chalkboard were one of the worst. But her "call" had let them know where she was, but since they had been reunited, Seiji had improved.
They always worked better together than they did apart.
"Drew, stop."
"What for?"
"Put me down."
He set him on his feet. He was confused.
"Stay here. I'm going to go on."
"All right, but why?"
"For some reason, He doesn't know we're down here-"
"Is He coming? I find it hard to believe that he didn't hear that."
"I think he might not have been down here, it's difficult to read him. If Iceani is here, she brought McCartey with her. He might not be able to 'feel' us, but He'll know that Jake is with Sara. He doesn't care for the 'Negations', is what he calls them."
"Mel's the same way."
"I know."
"What do you want me to do, stand here and clock him if he pops up?"
"I don't know. All I know is that you need to stay here."
"You-you see, this is why I'm glad that I'm not you. When you get like this, it makes me feel all creepy." He squirmed to emphasize the last part.
"We didn't choose to be who we are."
"I did."
"Not really."
"You're doing it again."
"Just shut up and keep an eye out."
"Wouldn't that hurt?"
"Not as much as I'll hurt you if you don't cut that out!"
"There, my revenge is complete. Now go and leave me here to get pillaged. Oh, and tell your girl. She owes me for the ear thing."
Seiji ran off down the tunnel without answering him. He was antsy. He hated waiting and he was no where near is patient as Seiji. But then, he didn't really have to be. He didn't have Seiji's mental abilities to deal with. Oh, he had some. They were no more than a sympathetic echo of his 'brother's'. But it was enough. Drew shut his eyes and cleared his mind.
"Where art thou?" He whispered.
There was Seiji. He was one turn away from Iceani. It was always easiest to find them. They put off a lot of energy. Seiji was right, McCartey was with her, and he was pissed. Most of his anger seemed to be directed at her. They were both worried about someone. Did they find Detective Pezzini? He couldn't find her. Well, he knew the other two better. He had problems with strangers.
There was something . . . something else. Was that what Seiji had been talking about? What had happened to that guy?
He opened his eyes. Why the hell the Seiji tell him to stay here? He was coming from the opposite direction. He had to-
A voice in his head told him to stay put. Seiji again.
"All right. But, if there's trouble, I'm coming."
The voice professed understanding and then faded from his mind.
"This is the weirdest winter of my life . . . next to that one with the Jell-O."
* * * *
Ooooooooooooo!! The stupid Partner was here!! How did he find out where to come? He hadn't been gone from the subway for that long.
Sigh.
It was for the better. That meant that he didn't have to go out and find him once he had finished with the Lady Detective. He had to hurry back if he wanted to make sure her picture turned out right, and he had to get the things that the white-haired man wanted. After he was done with the Partner and that old woman at the church, the white-haired man was going to send him to another city. He was going to Los Angeles, he had never been there before. The only problem was that it would be warmer, and he liked the cold so much.
The cold was cleaner.
Crisper.
Not wet and stuffy like hot was.
Everything should be cold.
It would be so much better then. Maybe he could ask the white-haired man to send him someplace cold.
Ahhhh. here he was.
What was this? The Partner had found the Lady Detective. He wasn't alone. Who was . . .?
She lifted her head. Her!
"You!"
* * * *
"When this is over, Melissa, you-we're . . . you're going to tell me every goddamn thing you have conveniently forgotten to mention to me." Jake whispered harshly .
"I know."
He held Sara's head in his lap, and one hand added pressure to the wound on her abdomen. How long had it been?
"I think that the Witchblade's done something."
He nodded his head. She was still alive. He had prayed to any god that would listen to help her. Maybe one of them had answered.
"Please, hold on."
He had argued with Iceani on moving Sara. She wanted to wait for Seiji, he wanted to get her to a hospital. Her main point had been that moving her might injure her further. Then he had said something that he had regretted. Some stupid crack that ran along the lines of a major insult to what she had done to save him five years ago. It was the first time Jake had seen any form of hurt on her face. He valued, a great deal, what she did.
He wanted to know why.
He wanted this to end.
"What's the point?"
"To what?"
"This."
"I've already told you."
"You answered why. But what's the why to why?"
"If you want to know that you should have majored in philosophy."
"No clue, huh?"
"Not really. Drew thinks that this is some big cosmic gag reel, but then he'll eat peanut butter and Dorito sandwiches."
"They're not that bad."
". . . you frighten me."
"I don't think levity is going to work this time."
"Me neither."
They lapsed into silence again. He couldn't take this. It hurt too much. He shouldn't have told Sara he loved her; that was a good as making sure something bad would happen. She had seemed happy enough, but kind of sad at the same time. He warned her he had bad timing. It had just come out. He checked her pulse again.
"I'm sorry."
"So am I."
The space between his shoulder blades burned.
"Melissa." He muttered.
"I know."
She looked over his shoulder and her eyes narrowed.
"You!"
"What?!"
"I shouldn't have let you go." She muttered.
"You know him?!"
Jake drew his gun from his holster and flipped off the safety. Mollard wasn't going to get any closer.
"You shouldn't be here Atlanta girl. I just want to help the Lady Detective, and to teach the Partner a lesson."
"You won't come anywhere near her!" He took aim.
"Jake-"
"Jake . . . my uncle's name was Jake. But he wasn't special, he had to go."
"Don't come any closer. I will fire."
"It doesn't matter . . .Jake. Paul tried to shoot me. It didn't work. Don't worry, I told her I'd make it quick for you.
Iceani stood, "Mollard right?"
"Who?"
"It's your name."
"Names are for people who aren't important."
"Whatever. Do you remember me?"
"You hurt me."
She smiled.
"I'm going to do it again."
"I'm stronger now. You won't stop me from helping people. The Lady Detective will go to be with the others, and the Partner won't leave this place."
She raised her palm towards him. Jake's eyes widened.
"Melissa, be careful. You could cave the whole place in."
Mollard backed up. She stepped around Jake to follow him. He turned and ran.
"Seiji will be here shortly."
She took off after him.
He turned his attention back to Sara. Her breathing was more regular now. Thank you. He brought her hand with the Witchblade up to his lips and kissed the large red stone.
Anything to keep it happy.
* * * *
Bruno Dante downed another shot of tequila and requested another hit. Might as well get shit faced now, it looked like his day might not turn out as good as he had initially thought.
"Fucking bitch." Me mumbled.
"I don't get it Bruno. What could a few kids and McCartey do to screw it up?" Orlinsky had joined him.
"One of those kids took out his man with one hit. And that other one . . . really tore him and his place up. McCartey just stood there and watched, too."
"What are you going to do about him?"
"Nothing. The kid's going to be useful one day, but he has to get past this hard-on he has for Pezzini."
"I think there's something between those two. They act like Miller and Fracker did ten years ago; you know - trying to act normal. But the look gives it away."
"I've watched them. It's one sided."
"Still. It might be a way to get him away from her, and without a partner-"
"Wait until the nights over. If she's dead it won't matter. Hey, pal, another one!"
His glass was re-filled.
"Jerry, this can't get fucked up. I want her dead! A corpse! Worm food! And all those other euphemisms!"
"I know, bro. It'll happen. It's only a matter of time."
"Waiting blows."
* * * *
Seiji found Detective McCartey alone with Sara. He was cradling her in his arms. It reminded him of a father and a child he had found in one of the 'wars' he had fought in. They hadn't been able to save many. At least they had been together.
The sound of his footsteps alerted the blonde. In a very quick moment, Seiji had a gun pointed at him. Jake let out a relieved breath and dropped his arm.
Then he noticed the blood, and the Witchblade giving off a soft pulsing glow.
"Seiji-"
"Where'd she go?"
"After Mollard. He came back."
"Drew's waiting further on behind me."
"But they went the other way."
"He's where he needs to be."
He looked down the passage then back to Jake and Sara. He raised an eyebrow, her ex-partner was standing watch over them. He vaguely wondered if Sara was aware of him.
"Seiji."
He got down on his knees and looked her over.
"Do you have any idea of how long she was down before you got here."
He shook his head 'no'.
"He didn't do as much damage as he probably wanted to do."
"We think we interrupted him."
"It may be in part to the Blade."
"But she wasn't wearing it until Iceani out it back on her."
"Just because it wasn't in contact with her doesn't mean she can't use it. With us, any 'power' that we have is ours. But there are objects that make it more accessible, less taxing to use. A way to channel it. That's what our armor is, but we are progressing beyond it. In some cases it is a hindrance. It may be possible for a wielder as well. One day, it may become nothing more than a piece of jewelry to her. It also helps that it likes her. It's been healing her."
"How can you tell all that?"
"I learned it shortly after I met you. It doesn't take much now. You were a challenge at the time."
"So I hear."
"Oh." He knew. "It wasn't her decision to no tell you."
Jake nodded his head to show Seiji that he understood. "Can you help her?"
"To a point. I'm still screwed up from whatever he had me on."
"Anything?"
"I can't do anything if you don't let her go."
"Oh."
Jake carefully put her down and watched. Seiji placed his hand on her stomach. There was an odd sinking feeling in the room followed by a quick flash of bright light. Seiji picked up a faint thought from his friend. He had expected something a bit grander. He almost wanted to laugh.
He took his hand away, and her eyes fluttered open.
"you . . ." she spoke in a horse voice.
"Go to sleep." Her eyes shut.
"What happ-"
"I put her to sleep. I've repaired the internal. The outside is going to have to take care of itself."
"Thank you."
"I have you know that I have been saving pretty much all my energy in case I had to do that. Pretty pathetic, huh?"
"No. It's not."
"Compared to my normal state, it is. I have never been this week . . . I can't remember if I ever have."
Jake had gathered Sara up in his arms again. Seiji became very aware of how tired he was.
"You don't look too good."
"I need the longest shower in the history of humankind, I haven't eaten in nearly a month and a half, my armor has been sustaining me, and I think I'm going through withdrawal. I think I feel like I look."
Jake handed Sara over to him.
"What are you-"
"Take her. Get yourselves out of here and to a hospital."
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
He checked his gun.
"That might not do much to stop him."
"I don't intend to, Melissa is taking care of that. I . . . I'm worried she'll kill him." He paused. "Strange, earlier I asked her to kill some one, and she told me that I didn't want to take that path."
"It's not exactly fun."
"Now the one person I want to see dead even more than Kenneth Irons, I want to keep alive."
"Well, why do you?"
"I want to see him tried."
"He might get off with insanity, you know that."
"But, he'll never be out in the world again. If he's locked up, studied, or dissected. He'll be out of the way."
"And what of Irons."
"Him . . . I want him humiliated. Dethroned, so to speak."
Seiji nodded his head. "Be careful. Watch your back."
"I'll do my best."
"Be safe."
Seiji stood up and watched Jake go in the direction that Mollard had gone. He looked over at Danny.
"Lead the way."
"My pleasure."
He followed the specter to the staircase that led to the subway platform.
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I hope you noticed that Sara's getting off kind of easy. I tried to write something more . . . dramatic, but it just wouldn't come. Or maybe I'm judging myself to harshly.
