Author's Notes: And in this chapter enters the oh-so-adorable Gabriel Bowman…ah, the pleasures of life…
Flesh Wounds
Part Two
"Vicky?" Jake called out, holding the door open for Athena.
Vicky Po, the M.E., popped her head out of the morgue. "Oh, hey, Jake. Who's your friend?"
"Athena, this is Vicky. Vicky, Athena. Captain's brought her in to help with the case."
"Lord knows we know it," the dark-haired woman replied after shaking hands. "I have never seen anything like this."
One golden eyebrow arched. "Is it really that bad?"
"Just wait. They're this way."
"My," was all the girl said when she saw the corpses. "Not quite as bad as I thought."
Jake merely shook his head at Vicky, mouthing, "She's like that."
"Yes, Jake, I am like that," Athena replied.
"See?"
"Um, would you like some gloves?" Vicky asked, slightly confused.
"No, don't need them," the girl replied absently. "They interfere."
"Interfere with what?"
"Athena, among other things, is a psychic," Jake explained. "She can work through touch, sight…all the senses."
"Thank you, Jake." Athena picked up one of the half-eaten pieces, tilting her head, her eyes closed. "That's…odd."
"What is?"
"There are no…fingerprints, you could say. Whatever did this is definitely not human."
"Tell me about it," Vicky muttered.
"No, Dr. Po, I'm not talking a human that's acting inhumane. What I'm saying is, whatever did this is not human."
"What, like a demon or something?"
"Is it so hard to believe?"
"After some of the stuff I've seen, no."
"Let me check the others." Her frown grew more pronounced. "There's…there's nothing. No residue of the victims, or their attackers. How…bizarre. Were they homeless or what?"
"We don't know. We have people going through missing persons as we speak."
"Good." The girl pressed her index finger to her lips in thought. "Well, there's nothing I can get from them. Thanks, Dr. Po."
"Call me Vicky."
"Okay, Vicky. Thanks."
"No problem. I just hope you can help."
"So do I."
"So, where are you going now?" Jake asked as they left the morgue.
"I'm going to go visit some friends. You're going to go back to work." She squeezed his shoulder. "It was good to see you, Jake."
"You, too, Athena. You, too."
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Knuckles rapped on the apartment door, their owner laughing quietly at the sign.
"It's open!" Gabriel Bowman called, idly turning a vase in his hands as he walked for the door.
The door swung inward; he glanced up, his breath catching in his throat. The vase in his hands leapt toward freedom, but was hurriedly captured once more by a near panicked antiques dealer. An abashed grin spread over his handsome face as he carefully put the vessel on a shelf.
"Is that what I think it is?" Athena asked.
Gabriel pushed back his tousled dark hair. "Yeah. Found only three inches from Marilyn Monroe's hand."
The girl ran her fingers over the engravings. "Do you know every person who's owned this vase has died?"
"Uh…n-no, I didn't know that," he replied, crossing to his desk and casually straightening the piles of books.
"It's said to be cursed," she continued, turning to face him.
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Because I'm lying," she replied innocently. "How have you been, Gabriel?"
"Not bad, really. I'm friends with a cop."
"Oh, my. That's like saying Irons would ever get married."
"He's dead, did you hear?"
A not particularly nice look crossed Athena's face. "Oh, yes, I heard he's supposed to be."
A dark brow rose. "Do I really want to know?"
"Probably not. I saw your…commercial. We really need to work on your marketing skills. Then again, perhaps not, since it did represent your rather well."
"I'll…take that as a compliment."
"You should." She flashed him a warm smile.
"Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen you smile."
She half-shrugged. "Must have not been looking hard enough."
"I, um…I don't think so." His gaze caught hers, and an unspeakable chasm opened between them, time pausing as they drowned in each other's gaze…
"Um, am I interrupting?"
The spell was shattered as Gabriel faced his new visitor. "Hey, Sara. No, I don't know a thing. This one's way beyond my sources."
"Well, it was worth a try." She glanced at the other guest. "Athena?"
The girl smirked. "Hullo, Wielder."
In an instant, Sara had her gun out and pointing at the tall blonde. "How the hell do you know who I am?"
"You look like them, do you know?"
"Like who?"
"Joan, Cathain, Elizabeth, Saren…" the girl trailed off. "All of the Wielders have been identical to each other."
"Who are you?"
"Me? My name is Athena. My title is Princess."
The gun wavered. "You're a myth."
"So, my dear, are you, remember?"
"Are you wearing a replica?"
"Yes, and no."
"Okay, can we be a little less cryptic?"
Gabriel snorted. "Sara, legend has it there are two Witchblades, halves of the same whole. Your bloodline wears one, while their forger wears the other."
"Then how did she get it?"
"Child," Athena said quietly, "I'm their forger. I created the Witchblades."
"Who you calling child?" Sara demanded, mainly to mask her shock at the girl's statement.
"Don't let my appearance deceive you, darling. I am much, much older than I look." Sara's weapon jerked out of her hand, landing in Athena's palm. "That's much better, don't you think?"
Almost defenseless, the detective let her hands drop. "Your Witchblade can't harm me, then."
The blonde laughed mirthlessly; Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose in disbelief. "Darling, who said I needed the Witchblade?" Her voice lost what little expression it had. "I could flay your flesh from your bones with a single thought. I could decimate your mind without even snapping my fingers." She stepped closer, until their faces were inches apart. "I could rip your heart out with my bare hands, and you would still live. I could do things without even blinking, probably without even realizing it. You think I'm threatening you, I'm not. Believe me, I do not threaten."
Pezzini could not hide the horror on her face, and once again Athena laughed with no humour. "Am I scaring you, Wielder?"
"Yes," she replied involuntarily.
"Good." The Princess moved back, and both Gabriel and Sara breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Suddenly, his computer beeped, and Gabriel, thankful for the distraction, flopped into his chair. "Uh, Athena, you'd better see this."
EAN: Again, I tell thee, review so my muses will be satisfied. Picky little things…
