Tala and Max stood by Oliver's side, staring at the gun in the woman's
hands. Oliver only just managed to lift his head up high enough to see the
woman he once called mother and boss. He snarled.
"Garce... why don't you ever leave us alone!?"
"Tut tut tut... I never taught you such foul language."
"No; you preferred to teach us how to foul up other people's lives!" Tala spat back, pushing Max behind him to protect the blonde. The green haired woman shook her head, almost as though she pitied them. "My sons... all I did was teach you how to be strong. You know what it's like in this world; it's survival of the fittest. I gave you a fighting chance."
"Who said... we wanted to fight...?" Oliver gasped through his shoulder, standing up.
"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow..." Mrs DuBois tutted, shaking her head with each utterance.
"Don't call me Shadow."
"I will call you what I like. It was your foul father who wanted to name you Oliver. After his own equally foul father!"
"Don't call Papa foul! He was twice the human you ever were!"
The woman threw her head back and laughed. "Doubt it. I don't think ghosts class as humans."
"Ghosts...?" Tala whispered.
Mrs Dubois's face twisted into an uncaring sneer. "Oui. Unfortunately, your father had been taken ill some time ago. It was too expensive to get a doctor in to treat him."
Oliver started at his mother in horror. He didn't want to believe the woman. "Non... non! You're lying!"
"You can't have just let father die!" Tala said in horror.
"I don't know why you're upset about it, Cypher. He wasn't your natural father."
"He is my father! But I'll be damned if I ever acknowledge you as a mother!"
Oliver was ready to pounce in anger, despite his shoulder. Mrs Dubois fired a warning shot. The wolf and the unicorn stopped dead. Smiling now, she pointed the gun back at the boys.
"Come quietly now boys. You have been very bad, and as your mother, you need to be punished."
"And if we refused?"
"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill one of you and your friend and use the other to track down the microchip for me."
"You aren't going to kill Max! I won't let you!" Tala shouted.
"You want the stupid chip!? Then why didn't you take it off me when you had the chance!?" Oliver shouted at the same time.
******
I could feel all eyes on me now. Well... what an effective way to get people's attention. Not exactly one of my best ideas though... I glared at my mother, who looked back at me questioningly.
"Shadow? What do you mean, take it off you?"
"I had the chip all along, but it seems your security is slacking, Mother. And I prefer Oliver over Shadow any day!"
I produced the chip from my pocket and showed it to her. I couldn't miss the unmistakeable glint in those eyes. She smiled and held out a hand. "Well.... tres bien, Shadow. Now hand it over like a good boy, then I'll let you, Cypher and your friend go."
"Not very safely, I'd guess. I'd rather hang on to it and see what's so important about it."
I never before saw her facial expression change so quickly. She practically snarled at me. "Don't you dare disobey me, Shadow... Hand over the microchip or there will be consequences..."
"Oh really? You never actually physically harm anyone before. You always got someone else to do that. Why change an old habit?"
My mother shrugged, her expression shifting from snarl to a light smile. What did I do...?
"You're right, Shadow. You're right. I've never allowed myself to stain my hands. Old habits die hard, as you say... "
Okay... First she was very angry, now she's too calm... What's she thinking!?
"However... people are willing to change if the right incentive came along..."
A gunshot. A shout. Mine? Non... It sounded like...
"TALA!!!!"
******
Oliver turned and stared, open mouthed. Max held onto Tala, hand over the wound in his gut. Blood quickly stained the white polo neck sweater he wore. Tears poured down Max's face as he desperately tried to stop the blood. Oliver eyes widened. Tala gritted his teeth and sat up very slightly, glaring daggers at the woman.
"That... the best... you could do? Zalupa!"
Tala fell back, gasping from the effort it took. Oliver blinked at his foster brother, not understanding the Russian he just shouted. However, their mother seemed to understand. Her face grew red at the cheeks, regardless of the cold storm rain. She smiled though and looked at Oliver with more meaning.
"Now, Shadow... hand over the chip..." she uttered quietly and dangerously.
Oliver looked from Tala and Max to his mother. Once... twice... Each time he did, more and more of his anger seemed to gather. Oliver clenched his fists hard, ignoring the sting of the chip digging into his palm. He gritted his teeth, forcing the wave of emotion he felt hitting him. Anger, grief, sadness, desperation... even a bit of confusion.
"I'm waiting, Shadow. I don't like being kept waiting..."
The voice... Finally, he released his palms. Oliver pocketed the chip and stared right into his mother's eyes. She faltered slightly then reinstated her confidence.
"Shadow..."
"I AM NOT SHADOW!!!"
Oliver leapt at the woman. The sudden movement caught her off guard. Mother and son wrestled on the rooftop, the gun discarded, rain pouring down around them. Mrs Dubois screeched, trying to push her son off her. A punch landed on his side, but Oliver ignored the pain. He simply brought his hand down and hit the side of the woman's neck. She instantly fell unconscious. Oliver pushed himself off the woman, his expression unemotional.
"Like I said. I'm not Shadow. I'm Oliver."
Slowly, hurting all over now, knowing he lost a lot of blood from his shoulder; Oliver rolled onto his back and simply stared at the dark sky and the rain. He vaguely heard Max call out to him. He felt the ground rumble with many footsteps and French shouting. In his line of vision, Oliver allowed himself to catch the face of a French paramedic before everything completely blacked out.
____________________________________________________________
*lip quivering* I can't believe... I JUST DID THAT TO THEM!!!!! *cries* Poor Tala! My sincerest apologies!!! *sobs*
"Garce... why don't you ever leave us alone!?"
"Tut tut tut... I never taught you such foul language."
"No; you preferred to teach us how to foul up other people's lives!" Tala spat back, pushing Max behind him to protect the blonde. The green haired woman shook her head, almost as though she pitied them. "My sons... all I did was teach you how to be strong. You know what it's like in this world; it's survival of the fittest. I gave you a fighting chance."
"Who said... we wanted to fight...?" Oliver gasped through his shoulder, standing up.
"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow..." Mrs DuBois tutted, shaking her head with each utterance.
"Don't call me Shadow."
"I will call you what I like. It was your foul father who wanted to name you Oliver. After his own equally foul father!"
"Don't call Papa foul! He was twice the human you ever were!"
The woman threw her head back and laughed. "Doubt it. I don't think ghosts class as humans."
"Ghosts...?" Tala whispered.
Mrs Dubois's face twisted into an uncaring sneer. "Oui. Unfortunately, your father had been taken ill some time ago. It was too expensive to get a doctor in to treat him."
Oliver started at his mother in horror. He didn't want to believe the woman. "Non... non! You're lying!"
"You can't have just let father die!" Tala said in horror.
"I don't know why you're upset about it, Cypher. He wasn't your natural father."
"He is my father! But I'll be damned if I ever acknowledge you as a mother!"
Oliver was ready to pounce in anger, despite his shoulder. Mrs Dubois fired a warning shot. The wolf and the unicorn stopped dead. Smiling now, she pointed the gun back at the boys.
"Come quietly now boys. You have been very bad, and as your mother, you need to be punished."
"And if we refused?"
"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill one of you and your friend and use the other to track down the microchip for me."
"You aren't going to kill Max! I won't let you!" Tala shouted.
"You want the stupid chip!? Then why didn't you take it off me when you had the chance!?" Oliver shouted at the same time.
******
I could feel all eyes on me now. Well... what an effective way to get people's attention. Not exactly one of my best ideas though... I glared at my mother, who looked back at me questioningly.
"Shadow? What do you mean, take it off you?"
"I had the chip all along, but it seems your security is slacking, Mother. And I prefer Oliver over Shadow any day!"
I produced the chip from my pocket and showed it to her. I couldn't miss the unmistakeable glint in those eyes. She smiled and held out a hand. "Well.... tres bien, Shadow. Now hand it over like a good boy, then I'll let you, Cypher and your friend go."
"Not very safely, I'd guess. I'd rather hang on to it and see what's so important about it."
I never before saw her facial expression change so quickly. She practically snarled at me. "Don't you dare disobey me, Shadow... Hand over the microchip or there will be consequences..."
"Oh really? You never actually physically harm anyone before. You always got someone else to do that. Why change an old habit?"
My mother shrugged, her expression shifting from snarl to a light smile. What did I do...?
"You're right, Shadow. You're right. I've never allowed myself to stain my hands. Old habits die hard, as you say... "
Okay... First she was very angry, now she's too calm... What's she thinking!?
"However... people are willing to change if the right incentive came along..."
A gunshot. A shout. Mine? Non... It sounded like...
"TALA!!!!"
******
Oliver turned and stared, open mouthed. Max held onto Tala, hand over the wound in his gut. Blood quickly stained the white polo neck sweater he wore. Tears poured down Max's face as he desperately tried to stop the blood. Oliver eyes widened. Tala gritted his teeth and sat up very slightly, glaring daggers at the woman.
"That... the best... you could do? Zalupa!"
Tala fell back, gasping from the effort it took. Oliver blinked at his foster brother, not understanding the Russian he just shouted. However, their mother seemed to understand. Her face grew red at the cheeks, regardless of the cold storm rain. She smiled though and looked at Oliver with more meaning.
"Now, Shadow... hand over the chip..." she uttered quietly and dangerously.
Oliver looked from Tala and Max to his mother. Once... twice... Each time he did, more and more of his anger seemed to gather. Oliver clenched his fists hard, ignoring the sting of the chip digging into his palm. He gritted his teeth, forcing the wave of emotion he felt hitting him. Anger, grief, sadness, desperation... even a bit of confusion.
"I'm waiting, Shadow. I don't like being kept waiting..."
The voice... Finally, he released his palms. Oliver pocketed the chip and stared right into his mother's eyes. She faltered slightly then reinstated her confidence.
"Shadow..."
"I AM NOT SHADOW!!!"
Oliver leapt at the woman. The sudden movement caught her off guard. Mother and son wrestled on the rooftop, the gun discarded, rain pouring down around them. Mrs Dubois screeched, trying to push her son off her. A punch landed on his side, but Oliver ignored the pain. He simply brought his hand down and hit the side of the woman's neck. She instantly fell unconscious. Oliver pushed himself off the woman, his expression unemotional.
"Like I said. I'm not Shadow. I'm Oliver."
Slowly, hurting all over now, knowing he lost a lot of blood from his shoulder; Oliver rolled onto his back and simply stared at the dark sky and the rain. He vaguely heard Max call out to him. He felt the ground rumble with many footsteps and French shouting. In his line of vision, Oliver allowed himself to catch the face of a French paramedic before everything completely blacked out.
____________________________________________________________
*lip quivering* I can't believe... I JUST DID THAT TO THEM!!!!! *cries* Poor Tala! My sincerest apologies!!! *sobs*