The usual disclaimers. The story is mine. The characters are not. Batteries not included.
***
The characters belong to Top cow and TNT as do all their toys, accessories and appliances, including the Witchblade.
*warnings, apologies and excuses*
***
NUDITY! Actual male nudity. Not graphic nudity, though. *whew!*
The muse who instigated that part of the story is one sick puppy.
If even the mere mention of nudity scandalizes you, I apologize and
suggest you run far, far away from this chapter.
Amazingly, no swearing. Hopefully that makes up for the other crime. I doubt it, though.
*********************** denotes change of scenery in this chapter.
*words typed within asterisks signify thoughts*
***signals a specific POV
Tenebrous
Part 2
chapter 6
*********************************************************
Gabriel emerged from his bedroom after a gasp of dismay, some mournful muttering and extensive rustling noises. He had a backpack in his hand and looked despondent, to say the least.
"Um, do you suppose it would be easy to find my toothbrush in there?" He pointed to the demolished bathroom.
"Don't worry kid, I've got a spare" Sara assured him while picking up the Tome. The pages of the book fused as the bracelet came into contact with it. "Uh..."
Gabriel noticed and commented. "It's better in that state for now, anyway. You only need to touch it again with twitchy there, to unseal the pages and I still have the Key." He held open his backpack for her.
Sara placed the Tome in Gabriel's bag and they headed for her Buell.
Tired as he was, it took every ounce of energy to clasp her waist for the ride to her apartment. Helmet-less, he buried his head in Sara's neck to absorb the violent vibrations of the motorbike.
***
Sara rode home with nearly the same level of fear as when she'd left it. Gabe was gripping her very unsteadily. A few times his hold had weakened to the point where she was afraid he would simply lose his grip altogether and fall from the bike. She wished she'd strapped him to herself. Hell, he'd already been leashed tonight, what could it hurt?
So, with much relief she pulled the Buell up to her space by her apartment.
***
Gabe gave an exhausted sigh as he slid off the bike and followed her up to her flat, regretting his decision to forgo sleep the night before in favor of research. Upon entering her flat he headed straight for the couch and collapsed. The tremors had stopped, as far as he could tell, but they had sapped his energy even more than the lack of sleep. Dimly, he was aware of Sara demanding he strip for a bath and something about defiling her bed. He turned his face into her sofa and hoped she'd relent. But Sara was Sara.
With sleepy eyes and a sadly weak gait, he was dragged to the (unbroken) bath that smelled amazingly inviting and allowed himself to be unclothed down to his boxers before coming to his senses and assuring Sara he would take them off before climbing in.
Sara wanted to stay and make sure he didn't pass out and drown in the tub *it would be an ironic death, considering all he had been through* but Gabriel didn't like the idea of his bath being supervised. "No nookie Ð no supervision, 'm not a kid," he muttered, pointing a bar of soap at her.
With a final warning not to get his bandages wet, Sara left him to his privacy. She wondered where Nottingham was. The fire escape was empty.
She sat down to ponder Ian's intentions and examined Gabriel's outrageous necklace. It was a gaudy plastic locket with 'She Ra Princess of Power' emblazoned over the cartoon image of a scantily clad female. For someone who doesn't like being referred to as a kid his accessories sure screamed the opposite, thought Sara, as she fiddled with the latch.
She knew she probably shouldn't be snooping through his stuff, but she was curious to see if he'd stuck something funky inside. "Probably a He-Man secret decoder ring," she snickered.
The latch was pretty tricky for a child's toy but Sara finally managed it. *Well it's similar to a secret decoder ring,* she thought as she gazed at the Key, which looked completely out of place in it's encasing.
She snapped the locket shut and wondered if Gabriel was really that clever to hide something important inside such an innocuous object, or just plain weird. The 'princess of power' aspect did fit in with his quirky humor.
Thinking of Gabriel, she decided to check on him. He had been in the bath for a while now and had been quiet too long. Sara peeked into the room. His mouth had disappeared in the bubbles; his nose was following suit. With a mad panic she lunged at the tub and yanked him out of the water.
"What the-" Startled out of his nap he flailed wildly, sending suds and water everywhere.
"Sh, shh, Gabe. Settle down, it's me, it's me," Sara insisted as she tried to restrain slippery limbs.
Gabe gathered his wits. "Hey, hey!" he yelped, pointedly glancing where one hand was gripping him. "Oh sure, I can't even get a kiss but you can get all gropey with me when I'm asleep."
"Gabriel, this is no place for a nap," Sara berated him.
*****************************
Ian had returned to Talismanic to monitor Gabriel but the flat was empty except for Randy, the corpse cleaner and his assistant. Randy was wheeling an industrial laundry cart out the door while his assistant; Roy was mopping up blood where 'Tank man' had lain.
"Y'know, Nottingham," Roy grumbled, "you're usually not this messy. You losing your touch or something?"
The assassin was incensed that the fool would question his competence. Rather than explain himself he decided to say something cryptic to shut him up. "A man who assuages his fears with trivial distractions creates his own demise," he stated with a sinister smile.
Roy stared at him blankly.
"Have you seen Gabriel Bowman?" Ian asked Roy. It would be too soon for the Sufult to notice any flaws in the replica and send someone to capture the young man. However, he had spent nearly the entire night in the realm of the unpredictable.
Again, Roy stared at him blankly. "Gabriel?"
"The young man who lives here," Ian clarified; thinking his earlier statement shouldn't have distracted the man that badly.
"Ah, we waited for him to leave with hot chick," Roy replied casually.
"She is Lady Sara, not hot chick," Ian hotly corrected the insolent man.
The assassin swiftly secured one gloved hand threateningly around a startled Roy's neck. "I want surveillance of the Talismaniac flat until my return," Nottingham growled darkly. "I will be alerted if anyone enters the premises. Do you understand, Roy?" he asked, leaning in close to the frightened man's face.
Roy sincerely regretted the 'hot chick' reference. Ian Nottingham was an imposing man as a rule, but Roy had never witnessed him displeased. He had heard stories and knew he was not a man to cross, but he'd never come into direct contact with his ire. "Um, uh...yes, yes sir," he sputtered, trembling in fear and pain.
"Good." Nottingham responded, watching the man's face as he idly tested the strength of Roy's tracheal cartilage. Ian noticed the man was starting to hyperventilate, so he released him. The man couldn't take care of duties unconscious, he thought disappointedly.
As soon as the assassin released him, Roy grasped at his aching throat. *Gods, the man almost killed him for...for what? Insulting a girl?*
***
The first place the Sufult would look for the young man would be his flat. Even though the potential bait was most likely safe in the Wielder's care, Irons had ordered Nottingham to guard Gabriel. The assassin would have to rely on the feedback from surveillance to find out if the ruse had failed or succeeded.
Leaving the demolished flat containing the trembling Roy, Ian Nottingham was swiftly on his way to the home of his lovely Lady Sara.
tbc
*********************************************************
Where are the corpses? Why they are in the laundry hamper that Randy wheeled away, of course.
I apologize for whatever muse caused that bathroom scene. It honestly wasn't supposed to go that way. You gentle readers who have braved this chapter might be consoled by the fact that it has caused me misery also, as there is now a possible wrench in the storyline that I have to deal with. Be afraid be very afraid. I am.
Again, I'd like to thank the wonderful people who have sent their appreciation and warm reviews. They seem to be feeding the muses, if not attracting new and unpredictable ones. ;-)
Repeat reviews are WONDERFUL. It tells me that I'm still doing okay and that readers are still interested. Even a 'keep going' is great to me. This is the first time I've written a story since childhood so I am very nervous about what people make of it.
On a side note, I believe I have managed to reign in the story to a moderate level of normalcy in the next chapter. It's just not finished yet.
***
The characters belong to Top cow and TNT as do all their toys, accessories and appliances, including the Witchblade.
*warnings, apologies and excuses*
***
NUDITY! Actual male nudity. Not graphic nudity, though. *whew!*
The muse who instigated that part of the story is one sick puppy.
If even the mere mention of nudity scandalizes you, I apologize and
suggest you run far, far away from this chapter.
Amazingly, no swearing. Hopefully that makes up for the other crime. I doubt it, though.
*********************** denotes change of scenery in this chapter.
*words typed within asterisks signify thoughts*
***signals a specific POV
Tenebrous
Part 2
chapter 6
*********************************************************
Gabriel emerged from his bedroom after a gasp of dismay, some mournful muttering and extensive rustling noises. He had a backpack in his hand and looked despondent, to say the least.
"Um, do you suppose it would be easy to find my toothbrush in there?" He pointed to the demolished bathroom.
"Don't worry kid, I've got a spare" Sara assured him while picking up the Tome. The pages of the book fused as the bracelet came into contact with it. "Uh..."
Gabriel noticed and commented. "It's better in that state for now, anyway. You only need to touch it again with twitchy there, to unseal the pages and I still have the Key." He held open his backpack for her.
Sara placed the Tome in Gabriel's bag and they headed for her Buell.
Tired as he was, it took every ounce of energy to clasp her waist for the ride to her apartment. Helmet-less, he buried his head in Sara's neck to absorb the violent vibrations of the motorbike.
***
Sara rode home with nearly the same level of fear as when she'd left it. Gabe was gripping her very unsteadily. A few times his hold had weakened to the point where she was afraid he would simply lose his grip altogether and fall from the bike. She wished she'd strapped him to herself. Hell, he'd already been leashed tonight, what could it hurt?
So, with much relief she pulled the Buell up to her space by her apartment.
***
Gabe gave an exhausted sigh as he slid off the bike and followed her up to her flat, regretting his decision to forgo sleep the night before in favor of research. Upon entering her flat he headed straight for the couch and collapsed. The tremors had stopped, as far as he could tell, but they had sapped his energy even more than the lack of sleep. Dimly, he was aware of Sara demanding he strip for a bath and something about defiling her bed. He turned his face into her sofa and hoped she'd relent. But Sara was Sara.
With sleepy eyes and a sadly weak gait, he was dragged to the (unbroken) bath that smelled amazingly inviting and allowed himself to be unclothed down to his boxers before coming to his senses and assuring Sara he would take them off before climbing in.
Sara wanted to stay and make sure he didn't pass out and drown in the tub *it would be an ironic death, considering all he had been through* but Gabriel didn't like the idea of his bath being supervised. "No nookie Ð no supervision, 'm not a kid," he muttered, pointing a bar of soap at her.
With a final warning not to get his bandages wet, Sara left him to his privacy. She wondered where Nottingham was. The fire escape was empty.
She sat down to ponder Ian's intentions and examined Gabriel's outrageous necklace. It was a gaudy plastic locket with 'She Ra Princess of Power' emblazoned over the cartoon image of a scantily clad female. For someone who doesn't like being referred to as a kid his accessories sure screamed the opposite, thought Sara, as she fiddled with the latch.
She knew she probably shouldn't be snooping through his stuff, but she was curious to see if he'd stuck something funky inside. "Probably a He-Man secret decoder ring," she snickered.
The latch was pretty tricky for a child's toy but Sara finally managed it. *Well it's similar to a secret decoder ring,* she thought as she gazed at the Key, which looked completely out of place in it's encasing.
She snapped the locket shut and wondered if Gabriel was really that clever to hide something important inside such an innocuous object, or just plain weird. The 'princess of power' aspect did fit in with his quirky humor.
Thinking of Gabriel, she decided to check on him. He had been in the bath for a while now and had been quiet too long. Sara peeked into the room. His mouth had disappeared in the bubbles; his nose was following suit. With a mad panic she lunged at the tub and yanked him out of the water.
"What the-" Startled out of his nap he flailed wildly, sending suds and water everywhere.
"Sh, shh, Gabe. Settle down, it's me, it's me," Sara insisted as she tried to restrain slippery limbs.
Gabe gathered his wits. "Hey, hey!" he yelped, pointedly glancing where one hand was gripping him. "Oh sure, I can't even get a kiss but you can get all gropey with me when I'm asleep."
"Gabriel, this is no place for a nap," Sara berated him.
*****************************
Ian had returned to Talismanic to monitor Gabriel but the flat was empty except for Randy, the corpse cleaner and his assistant. Randy was wheeling an industrial laundry cart out the door while his assistant; Roy was mopping up blood where 'Tank man' had lain.
"Y'know, Nottingham," Roy grumbled, "you're usually not this messy. You losing your touch or something?"
The assassin was incensed that the fool would question his competence. Rather than explain himself he decided to say something cryptic to shut him up. "A man who assuages his fears with trivial distractions creates his own demise," he stated with a sinister smile.
Roy stared at him blankly.
"Have you seen Gabriel Bowman?" Ian asked Roy. It would be too soon for the Sufult to notice any flaws in the replica and send someone to capture the young man. However, he had spent nearly the entire night in the realm of the unpredictable.
Again, Roy stared at him blankly. "Gabriel?"
"The young man who lives here," Ian clarified; thinking his earlier statement shouldn't have distracted the man that badly.
"Ah, we waited for him to leave with hot chick," Roy replied casually.
"She is Lady Sara, not hot chick," Ian hotly corrected the insolent man.
The assassin swiftly secured one gloved hand threateningly around a startled Roy's neck. "I want surveillance of the Talismaniac flat until my return," Nottingham growled darkly. "I will be alerted if anyone enters the premises. Do you understand, Roy?" he asked, leaning in close to the frightened man's face.
Roy sincerely regretted the 'hot chick' reference. Ian Nottingham was an imposing man as a rule, but Roy had never witnessed him displeased. He had heard stories and knew he was not a man to cross, but he'd never come into direct contact with his ire. "Um, uh...yes, yes sir," he sputtered, trembling in fear and pain.
"Good." Nottingham responded, watching the man's face as he idly tested the strength of Roy's tracheal cartilage. Ian noticed the man was starting to hyperventilate, so he released him. The man couldn't take care of duties unconscious, he thought disappointedly.
As soon as the assassin released him, Roy grasped at his aching throat. *Gods, the man almost killed him for...for what? Insulting a girl?*
***
The first place the Sufult would look for the young man would be his flat. Even though the potential bait was most likely safe in the Wielder's care, Irons had ordered Nottingham to guard Gabriel. The assassin would have to rely on the feedback from surveillance to find out if the ruse had failed or succeeded.
Leaving the demolished flat containing the trembling Roy, Ian Nottingham was swiftly on his way to the home of his lovely Lady Sara.
tbc
*********************************************************
Where are the corpses? Why they are in the laundry hamper that Randy wheeled away, of course.
I apologize for whatever muse caused that bathroom scene. It honestly wasn't supposed to go that way. You gentle readers who have braved this chapter might be consoled by the fact that it has caused me misery also, as there is now a possible wrench in the storyline that I have to deal with. Be afraid be very afraid. I am.
Again, I'd like to thank the wonderful people who have sent their appreciation and warm reviews. They seem to be feeding the muses, if not attracting new and unpredictable ones. ;-)
Repeat reviews are WONDERFUL. It tells me that I'm still doing okay and that readers are still interested. Even a 'keep going' is great to me. This is the first time I've written a story since childhood so I am very nervous about what people make of it.
On a side note, I believe I have managed to reign in the story to a moderate level of normalcy in the next chapter. It's just not finished yet.