Die Today. Live Tomorrow
Chp 5
No Pain, No Gain
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There is a memory sequence, Use your imagination.
"" = Xanatos
**= voices on the radio
:: Derek
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Two days off if she works double shifts. It sound like a good deal at the time but, the thought of the paper work was made her head hurt so forgot about it.
With her hair in a lose ponytail and in her old Jet's tank top, Elisa turned from her project to the monstrous growls of Bronx, awaking on her roof top apartment. She smirked as he lazily trooted into her open window and settled next to her with a soft thump.
Elisa, relaxed on the floor, her legs crossed under her coffee table-made-work desk. Papers scattered a top it's surface, a bag of M&M chocolate chip cookies on one side and a mug of hot honey/whiskey tea on the other.
A thousand years, she thought, in stone. Your last memories, of death, lost love and kin left to dream hunt your dreams into dark nightmares.
She understood it all. But here, now in New York city all this superstition and swords play was what she had been dealing with for 6 weeks and 4 days, it's been a surreal month.
Betrayed by the very humans they had sworn to protect......... "protect." she whispered to herself. He used that word a lot. Protecting his clan, his castle. It was their way of life, it ran in their veins. She was cop, of course she understood.
That was one of the reasons she helped them escape. Protect the innocent. Through all the unjust they have suffered they were still innocent to her. They were born again here and it is her duty to shield them from going through that again in this lifetime. At least that's what she felt when she thought of the Quarrymen, and Xanatos.
The others were easy, they welcomed her with curiosity, It was Goliath that made her feel like she had to prove herself. Elisa lost herself somewhere between evading the subject of Derek's death and fighting the will to just go on with her life.
Flashback
" Out of the limo Xanatos. Put your hands on your head."
"Detective. What a pleasant surprise. Fox and I missed you at the wedding."
" Shut up."
** Partner? Ya need back up?**
" No, Matt. I can take out the trash all by myself."
** The chopper is still headed east, towards the Hudson.**
"" the river? I told him north. To many buildings in the way for open fire.""
" Sorry David, but your little decoy can't fool NYPD."
" No, the decoy wasn't for you.......Derek was."
" Derek? What's he got to do with this? What have you done?"
" Dracon put a price over my head, The chopper is for his men."
" Derek is in that chopper?" " Get in the car."
** We have shots fired. Repeat, all units stand down, we have blind fire coming.**
" Matt, Come in. Don't shot, Derek is up there."
** It's not us. Someone is on the roof tops.**
" Where are you?"
** Crossing the bridge. He's over the water.**
"I see him."
"" Detective, stop up here. I can get the signal on your radio""
"Derek? Can you hear me?"
:Sis? Tell your guys to hold fire?:
"Get out of there, Derek, it's not us. Get out of ............NO!"
**All units get down to the river bank, we have a man down**
** C'mon Bluestone, you saw da blow no one 's walking away from that.**
** Shut up Stevens.** ** .....Elisa?**
" no........Derek."
She sat still as the memories of the helicopter flames lite the sky in front of her eyes and hit the water, flashed in slow motion.
She didn't even breathe, until she felt Bronx playfully gnawing at her fingers.
She turned and looked down at him. Bronx slowly dropped her hand from his mouth, giving her a " I didn't do it" look. He got up. Her eyes followed him to her frig, He pawed the at the door until it fall open. Elisa walked over to him. " What do you want, huh?"
He sniffed at a folded paper box with red writing. " Sesame Chicken. You've got good taste."
He followed her to the counter. She grabbed a plate from the cabinet above, poured golden gazed chicken a top placed it in the microwave.
From the window, Cagney meowed loudly and ran over to his bowl.
" When did I become a "waiter"?"
She joked filling his bowl with food. She turned to replace the small box of cat food back over the frig, when a hiss and a splash got her attention.
Bronx 's face was soaked. Cagney stood tail puffed, claws drawn. " Hey you two. Cool it." She went to the sink and turned on the cold faucet. " Bronx come here."
He peered over the counter into the sliver sink at the flowing water. He stood against the counter, his weight on his back legs and lapped at the water.
Elisa turned and cleaned up the mess. " Round 1, Cagney."
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Ultimately it meant nothing. It maybe was just coincidence, you know, right place the right time. It wouldn't be the 1st time. She was convinced she got that call that night, maybe more like luck, she thought pulling off into traffic. Contingency had it's good points.
In some surreal fate, she hoped it was something cosmic or preordained or maybe even set up by Xanatos himself....
.NO, wait, scratch that last one. She wanted him to have nothing to due with this peace of mind she had gotten from the clan. Her clan
She had grown incredibly attached them. Her secret vice. They had been spending a lot of time together. Gliding high over the city at nights as she showed him everything in the city and how she protects it during the day. She started using their patrol as away to clam her nerves after work. She could relax in his grip and answer whatever questions he had, most of the time they weren't really questions, just honest statements of how backwards our laws or way of life were. He was very intelligent about his surroundings considering this all new to him. By the end of the night it would be silence between them. She fully emerged herself in this new life.
All the clan were true to their personality and hearts, until about a month ago she wandered how happy they were here.
She invited the clan to a city block party in the Bronx, some celebration/ excuse for everyone to party all night. Elisa was head of off duty volunteers there to insure everything went smooth. With so many people and distractions no one would notice really notice them..
After showing Lex, Broadway, and Brooklyn around she brought some food over to Goliath and Hudson, who decided to watch everything from a brownstone roof top. From a stoop in the middle of party she kept an eye on everyone. Every now and then Hudson would laugh about something causing Goliath to smile. After some time, Hudson looked down, gave a nod which she returned warmly, and flew off with Bronx. She made her way through the crowd, into the building and onto the roof.
She asked him what he and Hudson were laughing about. He told her they were reminiscing.
He thanked her for allowing the others a good time. She looked out over the party to see Lexington and DJ Star talking at her booth about the equipment. He was a sponge for everything around him. Broadway was talking to one of the volunteers. Brooklyn had settled nicely into the Hell's Angel crew.
Elisa lend over the side just enough to cheek on everyone. A breeze hit her, she crossed her arms to avoid a shiver. From behind she heard Goliath come closer, felt his arms come around her and pull her gently back. His wings swung around her, enveloping them both. For a minute Elisa didn't move, caught the daze of the gesture and the warmth he gave.
In a baritone whisper he talked about Castle Wyvern, but they way he would always remember it. He came up to the last night, the night they were cast in stone sleep forever. She hurt for him, felt ashamed for them being treated like, She reached back and laced her small in his and squeezed lightly. She felt relieved that he to, knew how it felt to wrongly lose someone so important.
Goliath didn't want the pity and egg shell walkways that most lay in front of you. As much blame as you have for yourself you just need another chance to make it up, and make it ok again. Just one moment to feel that their death wasn't in vain, and you punish yourself even more every time a victory just isn't enough to make your chest a little lighter. It's a big kick in the face to be forever vulnerable after one split second.
She seethed herself into guilt until they came into her life. Everything didn't seem such a lost cause anymore.
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Kam walked up to Elisa's desk and dropped a stack of paper, a foot tall in the little ben marked IN. " I don't get enough for this!." He sighed, picked up the papers in her out ben.
"Welcome to the club." Matt remarked as Kam walked away. Elisa sat in her desk in front of him, one eyebrow up in deep concentration, reading the report before her. Matt started laughing, she looked up. He held up the paper he had. " Another one of those a monster ate my bar-b-q."
Elisa fake laughter escaped his ears, she reached over . " Let me see."
He handed it to her. As soon as he started on another report she crumbled it up and dropped it in the trash can below. The phone rang on her desk.
She answered. "Maza."
" Elisa! Maireana! Maza!"
Elisa eye's got big. "Mom?" Matt looked up with the biggest smile on his face.
::No. It's Beth.:: Her sister spoke in her own voice now.:: but, aren't you glad it's not Mom.::
Elisa visibly relaxes, Matt gives a confused look she mouths the word "Beth." and gets back to the phone. ::What is it and how much is it going to cost?:: She says unamused.
Matt slows in his work, watches her talk to her sister. ::NO! Nothing like that.::
"Surprise me."
::Now, you know what happens whenever we go home to visit.:: Beth reminded drably.
" Mom complains about your hair. Dad mumbles things when he thinks she isn't listening. They fight, They make out." Elisa sat back in her chair, wondering what she was getting at.
:: Yeah. Imagine that for a week.::
Elisa gasped "NO!"
Beth exhaled dramatically "Yes!"
"You can stay with me." Elsia answered the unasked question. Matt perked up and was now standing next to her.
"Beth is coming back? When?" He half whispered. She looked up in surprise and playfully turned her back to him for privacy. " Transportation?" She asked.
She heard paper rustling.::I'm Amtraking. The day after tomorrow. Around 3.::
Matt jumped around in front her face. "How long is she staying?" He asked way to happy.
" Matt says, Hello." She said pushing him back.
::Matt? Oh, tell him I got the birthday gift.:: Beth said very sweet and innocent. Elisa knows that voice, that's Beth's " My new boyfriend" voice.
Matt came back. " She's speaking to me?"
"No!"She said playfully and pushed him away. " Have a safe trip. Love you." She said quickly and hung up, and now fashioned Matt with a squint and sucked her teeth trying to be intimidating.
"You've been hitting on my sister behind my back."
Matt quickly got up. "What was that Chavez?" He said innocently and walked away. Elisa throw her pencil at him.
*********Thank for reading, review plz. Keep on.**********