CH15-And The Strong Will Rise

Ok I must say sorry again lol my teachers hate me and give me homework so I can never type the new chapters. This and the next chapter are written I just have to type it, typing this one only took me like 3 weeks…..so ya I'll try to be faster. ENJOY!

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Shalimar just stood there, she had heard her "master" call her to his side, beckoning to her, saying it was time to go. But she stayed where she was.

Her barren eyes wandered to her "master" then to her "prey", people who had once been called her teammates, her friends, her….family. And she felt…nothing..and she had nothing. And suddenly her thoughts dwelled on the undeniable fact……what she had done….couldn't be forgiven. She had lost it all, just as they had and now she was alone.

And suddenly Shalimar felt a pain, a pain that could be best described as a pain of the heart.

She didn't know what brought on this pain. If it was the deadened, empty look in everyone's eyes as she searched their faces for an unknown…something. Or if it was the soft pitter patter sound Brennan's tears made as they splashed onto her counterparts bloodied corps. But she had felt something, she had felt her heart….silently breaking.

Then she heard a single soft droplet hit the ground by her foot. And when she looked down she spotted what looked like a small tear drop. On instinct she brought her hand up to her cheek and her fingertips brought back a single small tear drop that had lingered on her cheek.

But where had the tear come from? Surely it wasn't hers..the serum, no matter if she wished it to or not, regressed those emotions that made her weak. Guilt and pain…she couldn't feel them.

But now they came at her like a rip tide that was pulling her out to sea, and she had no way of fighting back. She had to wade the sea of emotions, then once she had steeled herself the emotions simply went away. And just when she thought they had gone and she had let her defenses down they came back at her crushing her under the rocks. Her features that had once been slackened and unphased were now full of disgust and anger.

"You used me," She said low and harsh.

No one knew who she was talking to, she had kept her back turned, but it was known soon enough as Shalimar ran and pile drove Devon. Slamming him into the ground and mercilessly pounding him while she could. Blow after blow, each hitting their mark.

"You dirty-son-of-a-bitch! You did this!"

Shalimar pooled al her energy into what she thought would be a finishing blow, but Devon phased her fist right through him and by the time she recovered she was already on her ass and Devon was behind her.

"Now my dear is that anyway to treat your loving master?"

Shalimar turned herself around quickly and got to her feet.

"Party's over, you don't have any power over me anymore!" she growled,

Devon circled Shalimar sizing her up and Shalimar fallowed in suit.

"Your good kitty…your very good…I was sure the effects of the serum would last for at least another day."

Shalimar grinned slightly. "Ya well surprise."

Devon raised an eyebrow, "Et tu Brute."

Shalimar flinched when she heard the quote, "I was never your friend."

Devon raised the other eyebrow, "hmm no matter..the damage has been done..they wont take you back now."

Devon took one step towards her, then another, and then another, until he was close enough for their noses to touch.

"Not after what you did, even if I made you do it. It was your hands that dealt the blow, your hands are the ones drenched in her blood. You can't stay here even if you wanted to, but I get the feeling you know that and you don't want to stay…."

Till now Shalimar was full of anger and only looked at him with distain, but then she started to realize…he was right…

She couldn't stay, this wasn't her home anymore. The atrocities she had committed couldn't go unpunished…..she had to go.

"Your wrong." A soft, familiar voice said in her head.

"Emma…get out of my head, I have to go…"

"NO! I wont let you do this, you can't do this to us…to Brennan."

"You will all be better off without me."

"This is your home, and we will be damned if we are going to let you walk away."

"Emma….."

"Forget him Shalimar, you belong here."

Shalimar sighed heavily as Devon waited expectantly.

"Devon.?."

"Yes kitten? What can I do for you?"

Shalimar made a quick play for her dagger that was holstered between her belt and the small of her back.

"You can die."

With a quick flick or her wrist, a quick jump, and Shalimar had Devon on the ground. He was pinned under her, all her weight on his chest, her heels digging into the palms of his hands, and the dagger at his throat.

"You can't stay here…." His voice was normal and calm.

"You don't know that," She gritted the words through her teeth, trying to get them out without ripping his throat out.

"Foolish kitten! You can't harm me!"

To prove his point the quickly phased out from under her and then reconstituted himself a few steps behind her.

"You are a strong one."

Shalimar jumped slightly at the sound of his voice behind her, but quickly pulled herself together and turned to face him.

"All of your tricks can't save you from me. This kitty is going to tear you limb from limb."

Devon circled her and Shalimar followed in suit.

"My, my, the mold was broken when he made you my pretty little kitty."

"Funny….that's exactly what I'm going to do to your face…break it."

Devon smiled, "there's only the simple matter of being able to touch me." He took one quick step forward then another. "Which you can't." He took one quick step right through her then back again..

"But I'm sure a bright little kitten like you can figure that part out."

Shalimar quickly tried the dagger approach again but this time he caught her hand and a cold tingly sensation spread through her hand. Moving from her wrist up her hand into the dagger which shatter under the pressure.

Shalimar looked into Devon's cold blue eyes, she was in trouble now, no weapons, no moves up her sleeves and he had a full array of powers at his disposal. He was in essence a one man army.

"Your lucky I like you…otherwise bits and pieces of you would be spread out all over your pretty little "sanctuary."

Her hand was released from his grip as gently as he could possibly manage, then he began to lean in and Shal knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted…a kiss..something that would, in a way, seal her fate with him..

His lips touched her gently as first then he pulled her to him, almost devouring her. But as quickly as he had pulled her to him he pulled back.

"Fuck! You dirty bitch!" Devon pulled back and spit out blood on the floor, using his hand wipe some blood form his lip .

Shalimar had managed to take a good bite out of Devon's lip when he had kissed her and now he was having trouble staunching the blood.

"I'm beginning to think your more trouble then your worth kitty."

Shalimar merely spit out some of Devon's blood as a response.

"You may be good my lovely, but your powers as advanced as they might be. Are no match for mine."

"Guess again!"

Devon turned around in just enough time to get a table top clear in the face, swung by none other then Brennan.

"You got you issues pal, that obvious. Deal with them away from me and my family. Leave me outta it, I don't owe you a damn thing. I made my peace…you need to do the same."

Devon staggered to his feet, he was new to pain and how to deal with it. But damn did it hurt! The throbbing in his head and his lip only increased, and the long gash on the side of his head where the table leg caught him wouldn't stop bleeding.

"If rough is the way you want to play it then so be it…you don't know what kinda of trouble you just got yourself into."

No one moved, no one spoke. Their main concern was being ready to dodge whatever Devon threw at them.

Devon swayed a bit and flicked flecks of blood of his face, then he approached Shalimar.

"Remember this face kitten…this is the face of agony and torment! All of you would do well to remember!"

It seemed he had finally lost control when the smile disappeared from his face and he smeared his blood all along the side of Shalimar's face, from temple to chin.

Then he leaned to her ear, "When the kitty needs to hunt again I'll be waiting."

Shalimar wanted more then anything to shudder, but she wouldn't allow herself to do it. This man, this …boy didn't deserve that kind of satisfaction. But Brennan didn't seem to have those kind of worries as he ran up and tried to shove Devon away, but was stopped dead in his tracks.

"Brennan…oh Brennan…I'll be back to finish this. I always finish what I start. And everything you hold dear, your family! Your friends! Your lover! Your god damn dog! I'll kill them all! Your going to pay even if I have to wait another 10 years. And next time we meet…you will pray for death long before it's come to claim you!"

He started to back away, half of his body phased and half of it still corporeal.

"Death is a powerful foe, his might and his will claims the helpless and the weak. But the strong and the vengeful will prevail and be saved. And from the ashes of the weak, the strong will rise."

"You will get yours Brennan…. I am..the face of your death."

And then he was gone, just like that. His disappearance leaving a lingering chill in the air. All that was left was death and the slow decay of time that magnified everyone's pain hurt.

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