Sorry it took so long. I'm still working on things, but stuff has come up. Suffice it to say, I've gotten busy since August, but here is Chapter 13! I don't have an estimation on when the next one will be out, though. These next three chapters or so are going to be difficult to rewrite. I felt I did the worst on them the first time around, so I have to work on them the most. Thank you for your patience, everybody!
"The Bleeding Phoenix gave a keening cry and fled like a chicken desperate to avoid the axe."
Will Wight, Reaper
Chase
I woke up to large yellow eyes inches from my face.
Yelping, I threw a punch that knocked Oly off my chest. She hit the mattress with a hiss, rolling onto her belly and rubbing the side of her head. "What the hell? I was watching you."
I propped myself up on my elbows, wincing. God, my head was pounding. My wings flopped behind me, too numb to control. I wiggled them around, hissing at the pins-and-needles sensation as blood flow was restored. I hated laying on my back. I had to keep my wings spread out to keep them from losing feeling. It was better to lay on my side or stomach. I looked around the room, sparing Oly a glance. "You had to sit on my chest for that?"
Oly climbed into my lap, crossing her arms. "Master said to stay close."
I raised my eyebrow and focused on her. "How'd that work out?"
Oly's ears laid back as she scowled. "You didn't have to hit me."
I sighed and patted Oly's back. Swallowing down a few coughs, I checked the room. My throat and lungs felt better than they had this morning, at least. My nose wanted to run, but my eyes had calmed down. The burn on my side itched, already healing. Thank god for essence. It liked to knit itself back together. A bookshelf full of comics and action figures stood on the wall by a desk. The computer on said desk was off, the headphones resting haphazardly on the desk. Posters covered the walls, showing various heroes and movies I didn't care about.
Leo's room. Was I still in the house? Why?
I laid my ears back and flopped down on the bed, rolling over onto my stomach with a groan while Oly scrambled out of the way. Sparing a glance at the clock – 5:27 PM – I hugged Leo's pillow and closed my eyes, sighing as my heavy limbs sank into the mattress. I felt like I could sleep for a week. "What happened?"
Oly climbed onto my back. I could barely feel her through the pins-and-needles sensation rolling through my wings. She curled up in my feathers, poking between my shoulder blades. "You used more energy than you had, so you went into a stupor." She prodded me again, laughing. "Scared the hell out of the humans, though. I'm surprised they didn't shoot you while you were down."
Right, that whole display in the Lab. I lowered my ears, wincing.
It was a good display. It proved your power.
All it proved was that I could throw a tantrum. That reunion was a disaster, and I didn't make it better. I wasn't surprised they didn't shoot me, but I was surprised that they hadn't locked me in a capsule or kicked me out. Hell, if someone broke into my home and destroyed the universe, I'd ask them to leave. I swiveled an ear back towards Oly. "I'm guessing Douglas isn't here?"
Oly ran a hand over my plumage like she was looking for something. "He's about a mile away."
I yawned, the tip of my tail thumping the sheets. "That's it?"
"Yep." Oly snickered. "You should have seen it when Master tried to take you with us. I thought Donald would bust a vessel."
I grunted, my lips quirking up. I could imagine the expression on Davenport's face. I'd seen him make it enough around Leo. "Didn't think he cared that much."
Oly snorted and tugged a feather. My eyes watered as it came loose in her talons. "So, what are you going to do?"
I moved my wings to jostle Oly around, growling. "Stop that."
I could hear Oly waving my feather around as she went on. "It was loose. Anyway, Master asked if you were staying or coming with me. Which is it?"
God, what a loaded question. I took a deep breath, wincing as cool air scraped my raw throat. I didn't want to do this right now. Exhaustion pinned me to the bed, but my stomach called me to the kitchen. I wanted water, at least. I also didn't want to face everybody downstairs. After this morning, I bet Mr. Davenport was coming up with some kind of punishment for telling him that I didn't hate Douglas.
Is that what you told him?
I laid my ears back with a growl. You were there when I said it.
You didn't say you liked living with Douglas. You said you could breathe there.
That was correct, unfortunately. I let out a sigh as that weight settled into my chest. I let everybody down, didn't I? Hell, I let myself down. I should've been able to convince Mr. Davenport to work with us. Instead, I lost my temper. What kind of leader did that? A bad one, that's who!
Aren't you supposed to hate them? Who cares?
Stop saying 'who cares.' That little voice got me in trouble when it threw that phrase around. Besides, there was a difference between the people I cared about and those I didn't. I burned a few bridges, but I could fix them with enough effort…I hoped. I moved my wings against my back again. First things first: I needed a plan. "Did Douglas say anything else?"
Oly growled until I settled my wings again. "He said I'm not supposed to pressure you one way or the other." She was quiet for a second before adding, "Yahn is boring by himself, though. Just a thought."
I smiled, flicking my ears. "I thought you didn't like me."
Oly laughed. "It's easier to kill you if you stay close."
I blew a laugh through my nose. Oly had a strange way of showing affection. I opened my eyes and craned my head around to look at Oly. I stopped when I saw something on Leo's nightstand. A framed picture sat by the alarm clock. Propping myself up on my elbow, I picked the frame up with a frown. It was one Leo insisted we take at the beach during our first vacation. Adam stood between Tasha and Mr. Davenport, his arms around their shoulders as they all grinned. Bree, Leo, and I knelt in front of them, a blur of sand kicked up at Leo's knees. He'd set the camera timer too low and had to sprint to make it into the photo. For sliding in at the last second, he looked like he'd been there the whole time.
I mean, we nearly let a solar flare destroy the world's electrical grids, but it was still a fantastic day.
Oly crawled up my back, poking her head over my shoulder. "What's that?"
I turned the frame over in my hands, then flipped it back again. "A picture." I held it up so Oly could look it over. "We were on vacation."
Oly cocked her head, closing one eye. She scratched her beak after a second, opening her eye again. "So?"
"So…I don't know." I shook my head and pulled my legs under me, sitting up. Oly climbed onto my shoulder before I could knock her off. I curled my tail around myself as I crossed my legs, resting the picture in my lap. I didn't see this picture as I ran through the memories I had of Leo's room before I left. It had to be framed afterward. God, why would he do that to himself? Wasn't the point of not looking for me to forget I was here?
Christ, look how happy we were. The world was new and exciting back then, and we were closer than ever. What happened? How did we get from that picture to what happened this morning? I couldn't pin down the exact moment that everything changed. It was just all too much one day. Did everybody feel the same way? Was it easier without me around? Was that why they didn't look for me?
Then again, they were surprised when I pointed that out this morning. Did they think I wouldn't notice that nobody was searching? They knew I wasn't stupid. If that was true, though, why didn't they throw me out with Douglas? Why was Adam thrilled to see me? Why did Leo agree to give up his room for a while? Why was Mr. Davenport ready to fight Douglas to keep me here?
Well, Davenport was always ready to fight Douglas, but that was a different issue.
"Are you obsessed with that thing?" Oly rolled her eyes, bringing me back to reality. She wrapped her tail around my torso, grazing my blistered side. "It's paper. It's not like it's worth anything."
I agree. This home, these people; they aren't worth your time. I suggest –
If you suggest burning the house down one more time, I swear. I pinned my ears, taking a deep breath.
I was going to say you should gouge their eyes out. They upset you, right? Make them suffer.
That was still violent, but it wasn't murder, so my voice was being kind. I took another breath and flipped the picture over, loosening the tabs with my fingernails. When the backing was free, the picture slid out into my lap. I put the frame back on the nightstand and picked up the picture, folding it with a wince. It was terrible for the life of the picture, but I didn't have a choice right then. Kicking my legs out from under me and swinging them around to the side of the bed, I slid the picture into my pocket and stood up. Vertigo clouded my vision for several seconds, and Oly kneaded her claws in my shirt as I waited for it to pass. "Where are we going, Half-Breed?"
I shook my head as the burst of colors faded away. Starting for Leo's desk, I flicked an ear towards Oly. "I need paper." I pulled one drawer open, then another when I only found cables. It took a couple more drawers – God, why didn't Leo organize his shit – but I located a pen and a cheap spiral. Pulling it out from under the stack of graded papers he'd buried it under, I nudged the drawer closed and set the spiral on the desk, flipping it open to a clean page and tore it out, tossing the spiral back into the drawer.
Oly leaned down, bracing herself on my arm with her paws as she studied the spiral. "Why?"
I leaned over the paper, pulling the pen cap off and coughing a few times. "I'm leaving a message." I cleared my throat and stuck the lid on the back of the pen, then hesitated, the pen hovering over the paper. How did I phrase this? My tail brushed the floor as it flicked back and forth with a mind of its own. I didn't want to vanish without saying anything, but would it matter if I left a note? Mr. Davenport tore our story to pieces this morning; I doubted he'd listen to anything I said. I could write my magnum opus, and Davenport would stop reading at "Douglas." I lowered my ears, tapping the pen on the paper as I leaned on the desk.
I could just crawl back into bed and forget all of this. It was tempting to ride this wave wherever it took me. Even if hell awaited me downstairs, I would have food, shelter, and family. They weren't a perfect family, but we could work on that, right. It would be an uphill battle, and I could never tell them what happened while I was gone, but we could get somewhere in the long run.
That being said, I had family a mile away from here, too. Krane and Lovett loomed in the background, and Douglas and I seemed to be the only ones who took it seriously. I could understand some skepticism from Davenport, but why shouldn't anything with Krane be enough to look into? Douglas was right the last time he warned us, and I was willing to bet he was right again. This plot was too elaborate for an amulet. This situation wouldn't go away, and I'd rather be out there fighting than here twiddling my thumbs.
Mr. Davenport was right when he said I was the best weapon Douglas had, and I wasn't lying when I said I wouldn't leave Douglas alone.
Oly thumped my ear. "Are you writing it or not?"
I pinned my ears, hissing. "I'm working on it." Swallowing, I scribbled out a message. I was overthinking this. Nothing I said would be perfect, so I just had to do my best and hope they understood. I closed the pen and threw it on the spiral, flicking an ear at Oly as I rubbed my eye. "How did you get in here?" Whatever route she used would probably be the easiest way to leave.
Oly leaned down from my shoulder, pointing at the door. "I slipped in under there." She straightened up, raising her chin with a smile. "They locked it, but that's never stopped me before."
"Wait, locked?" I perked my ears and focused on the door, frowning when I saw nothing but a pinhole in the knob. Leo's room had a lock on the outside? What kind of house was Davenport running here? My ears lowered as the realization hit me. "They locked me in here." They didn't lock me in a capsule because they locked me in Leo's room. It probably took him two minutes to turn the knob around so he could lock it from the hallway. I ran a hand down my face, rubbing my eyes. Of course, they locked me away. They thought I'd burn the world down around them. As an introduction to my new powers, I picked the worst thing to do this morning, didn't I?
Good.
Bad. If they didn't hate me before, they had to hate me now. It made sense to lock up the big, scary demon before he hurt you. I let my hand drop to my side, my tail lashing behind me. I knew coming back would be challenging, but this seemed excessive. It was like sitting in a jail cell in Seattle again, only more painful. I wiped my nose – stupid sinuses – and sighed, glancing at the note I'd written. After a second of hesitation, I picked up the pen, scribbled down another sentence, and threw the pen back on the desk, tense.
I'd been homeless before; I could do it again. It should be easier with Douglas, Oly, and Yahn with me this time. Krane would have trouble finding us if we didn't have a home. He would be looking for a needle in a haystack. We just had to work out how to keep Lovett's demons away from everybody now that they were onto Oly and Yahn.
We couldn't leave through the door. We'd have to get out of the house and risk Eddy finding us. He was watching already, I was sure. I let out a few coughs as I turned to the window, dragging my feet and crossing the room. I wished I could sleep longer. Most of today didn't seem like enough. Lashing my tail, I pulled the latches open and shoved the window up. The screen past it took more effort. It stuck halfway up, but it was still enough room for us to slip out. I rolled my shoulder, jostling Oly. "Get off."
Oly hopped down to the windowsill, her ears flicking. "It's about time."
I rolled my eyes before loosening my essence, pulling it together again so I was a raven. I hopped a couple of times and beat my wings, landing on the sill beside Oly. I didn't have time to wait anymore. If Eddy didn't tell them about Oly, he would mention me climbing – well, flying – out the window. Oly hopped out of the opening, changing into a sparrow in midair. She flapped in a tight circle as I hesitated, looking back into Leo's room. The familiar décor, the inviting bed, the nostalgia – I was home after four months. A lump rose in my throat. I hadn't expected to come back consciously, but in the back of my mind, I hadn't thought things would go so wrong when I did return. Taking a breath, I ruffled my feathers. The last time I left, I was in a panic. The decision to stay gone came later. This time, I was leaving on purpose, and I wouldn't be back until Krane was gone…if I ever did. I would probably end up like Douglas after this, keeping him company on the family shit list.
Later. I could consider all of this after I found Douglas. Shaking my head, I opened my wings and hopped a few times before taking off into the air. Oly wheeled away from the house, her tail feathers moving to balance her weight. I followed, refusing to look back.
I couldn't look back now.
Leo
"Look, Douglas got to Chase somehow." Mr. Davenport rubbed his eyes, sighing. He sank further into his chair. "We'll have to bring him around to our side again."
Leo fidgeted in his own chair, glancing at the staircase behind Adam and Bree sitting on the couch. Chase wasn't awake to defend himself, but Leo felt like Chase would scream that he was on their side. What Chase did in the Lab that morning was terrifying, but Leo didn't think it was an attack. Leo shook like a leaf for the next hour, but everybody was okay. If Chase wanted to hurt somebody, he would have.
Leo had seen the outrage on Chase's face, heart the desperation in his pleas. Chase was making a point. He did an awful job of it, though. All Chase had convinced Mr. Davenport of was that Chase had turned on him. For someone trained to be a leader, Chase knew how to ruin the diplomatic approach. With Douglas and Mr. Davenport, though, that approach was doomed from the start. As much as Leo was willing to never see Douglas again, Chase fought hard to keep the man around this morning. That had to count for something, right?
Tasha perched on the chair arm beside Mr. Davenport, rubbing his shoulders. "Look, maybe if we do an exorcism – "
Leo tilted his head, pulling a deadpan face at his mother. "Mom, seriously?"
Tasha shot Leo a look. "Demons are real. Why aren't exorcisms?"
Davenport waved the words away. "Exorcisms aren't like in the movies." He gestured at the staircase. "It wouldn't work on Chase, anyways. He's not possessed by a demon. He is one."
"What's wrong with that?" Everybody looked at Adam as he adjusted his position on the couch and continued. "Demons don't seem that bad."
Until Adam spoke, Leo had thought the guy was sleeping. His eyes were still closed, for Christ's sake. Bree was leaning against Adam, letting out the occasional snore. Leo couldn't blame them; they had been up all last night. They had taken naps this morning, but everybody had been up since noon, and the sun was starting to set. They couldn't sleep, Leo guessed. Mr. Davenport hadn't slept at all. He was on his third pot of coffee, shaking his head sometimes to stay awake.
Speaking of Mr. Davenport, the man narrowed his eyes. "You saw what he did this morning. That wasn't bionics."
"It wasn't real," Adam pointed out, opening his eyes. He held Mr. Davenport's look, raising his chin. Adam had been the first to figure out that nothing had been destroyed. Nobody else wanted to move after that.
Leo fidgeted again, scratching an itch on his forearm. He had to admit that Adam had a simple grace when it came to making points, but Adam was making the wrong one. 'Chase isn't dangerous' didn't seem as important as the things Chase brought up. There was something to be said about Chase pointing out how much pressure Davenport put on Leo's super-siblings. It was a wonder none of them brought it up outside of their one strike.
If Leo had a say, though, he thought running away and coming back with Douglas was taking things too far. The demon thing aside – and it would take some time for Leo to get used to that - why didn't Chase just say something? If the teasing and expectations were too much, Chase shouldn't have kept it bottled up until it exploded. Was Chase worried they wouldn't take him seriously if he was honest? Why did Chase feel like it was easier to stay away instead of coming home and working things out? Why was he so sure that they didn't look for him? They hadn't used missing posters or an Amber Alert, but Chase was clever enough to know why, right? He had to know they wanted him to come home.
Tasha squeezed Mr. Davenport's shoulder as Adam stared him down. This was another powder keg waiting for the match. Tasha sighed, looking at Adam. "Listen, everybody's tired. You guys should sleep on this, okay? We can figure this out when you aren't ready to drop."
Adam and Davenport broke eye contact, Adam settling back into the couch. Mr. Davenport reached for his mug of coffee, but Tasha darted forward to scoop it up before him, raising her eyebrow. The man sighed and dropped his hand, sitting back in his chair. Leo had never seen him look so old before.
Leo shot out of his chair at the sight. The room was suddenly too hot. This was the reunion Leo had prayed for. He wanted hugs and joy, not a storm. "I'm going to the bathroom," he mumbled, skirting around the couch and taking the stairs two at a time as he clutched the railing with shaking hands. He needed a second to himself, that was all. It didn't feel like his family was about to self-destruct or anything.
Leo forced himself to take deep breaths as he made his escape. He was overreacting. Of course, things wouldn't be perfect. This would take time, just like everything else. At least Chase was home now, safe and sound. That was the vital part. They could figure things out later.
Leo's steps faltered as he passed the door to his room. The knob looked weird with the lock on the outside. It took two screws to reverse it, and Leo thought it was excessive for Mr. Davenport to lock Chase inside a room. Then again, it was better than Mr. Davenport's idea to lock Chase in a capsule after he got Adam to chase Douglas out of the house. Chase, thankfully, wasn't unconscious. He just…fell into the deepest sleep Leo had ever seen. That was the only way Leo could describe what happened to Chase. He snored and everything. Tasha had suggested putting Chase in a room so that he woke up somewhere comfortable, and Leo was more than willing to give his room up for that cause. He just disagreed with Davenport turning his room into a prison. Demon or not, Chase was still Leo's brother. He didn't deserve to be locked up.
Leo sighed and stopped by his door, turning his head and leaning towards it. He didn't hear anything. If Chase was awake, he was quiet. He rapped the door with one knuckle, resting a hand on the knob. "Chase?"
Still nothing.
Leo sighed, hesitating. Did he want to barge in there? Would he get in trouble? Though by the same token, it was Leo's room. He could walk in anytime he wanted. Flicking the lock open, Leo took a deep breath and turned the knob, opening the door. "Chase – "
Leo was greeted with an empty room. His window was open to the world, a gentle breeze drawing fresh air inside. A few papers were on the floor, blown off the desk. Leo flicked the light on to chase the shadows of twilight away. Chase wasn't here, that was for sure. He wasn't lurking in the shadows like an ordinary demon; he'd left.
Again.
Swallowing, Leo stepped into the room. A massive feather fluttered on Leo's bed, trapped in the wrinkles of his blankets. Why did Chase leave this time? What did they do? Leo's eyes darted around the room, looking for a sign. Where would Chase go? In theory, Douglas was gone, so Chase had nowhere else to turn. Was it that bad for him to stay here? Leo sucked in a sharp breath as a gust of wind caught papers on the floor, blowing them to Leo's feet. Most were just school papers, homework he forgot to do the night before. One, though, had a couple of lines in Chase's handwriting. Leo's stomach lurched as he bent down, picking the paper up. A few lines in neat cursive were scrawled on the top of the page, answering questions and leaving others. His throat tightened as he read the message.
Really, Leo should move. He should get Eddy to bring up the footage of Chase leaving. Hell, he should be yelling at Eddy for not telling them anything. He should bolt downstairs immediately to tell everybody else what happened. Instead, he glanced between the note, the open window, and the now-empty picture frame on his nightstand.
I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving Douglas alone out there with Krane. We'll try to stop Krane from out there. For the love of god, don't let your guard down. I took your picture, by the way. I hope you don't mind.
Chase
Then, at the bottom of the note, Chase added one sentence.
P.S. I'm so, so sorry. I understand if you guys hate me now.
What was Leo supposed to do with that? Chase didn't even bother to discuss whatever his plan was with them. How would they know what he was doing when he wasn't here? Wouldn't it be better for Chase to stay here and make his case? Why would they hate him now? Maybe it was the locked door, but that could be worked around with Eddy. Why didn't Chase talk to them first? That might be because of Davenport's reaction to everything this morning, too. Maybe Chase thought Mr. Davenport wouldn't listen to him because Douglas was involved. He didn't need to jump immediately to running away again, though. Leo crushed the note in one hand, throat burning as his eyes watered.
God, why did this family have the dumbest geniuses in the entire fucking world?
