Again the beginning corralates with Sharlie's story.
Xander twiddled his thumbs and kicked the grass with the toe of his shoe. After much
convincing from Nicole, he had gone back to David and graveled as much as he would
let himself. David had of course forgiven him and allowed him to rejoin them. Xander
did not understand why. If he ever tired to go back to Paul he would surely not get in
that easily, if he would get in at all.
Then, as if his thoughts held some magic power that worked against him, the same
hawk he had seen about a week ago swooped down and grew into Paul.
Xanderrolled his eyes and wondered if his week could quite possibly get any better. "I
see you've recovered from our last encounter," he said. "What a pity."
Paul skipped any form of small talk and jumped straight to the point. He sent a blast of
energy through Xander's body paralyzing and freezing him to the ground. Paul
stepped on Xander's chest leaning all his weight on it. "You've pushed me to my limit,"
he said. "It's funnythough." He drew a sword out of his belt. "I never thought I'd have to
kill you." He raised the sword over his head, meaning to whack Xander's off, but
someone tackled him. This attack threw Paul's attention in another direction and he
lost control of Xander. Xander rolled away and came up to a kneeling position. Who
on earth would try to rescue him?
He watched Paul and the attacker struggle on the ground, but he could
not see the other's face. Maybe Charlie had come to rescue him? Maybe
he felt like he owed him that. But then, they rolled over and the moon
light fell on their faces.
"Dakota?" Xander asked. Now he felt extremely confused.
Dakota did not answer Xander, but finally succeeded in knocking the sword from
Paul's hands. Xander watched as Dakota pushed his way to the top and thrust a fist
into Paul's face. A crack echoed in the night as the bones in his nose shattered. Paul
smashed Dakota in the back of the head with his foot and wrapped his legs around his
neck. But Dakota twisted out and elbowed Paul in the stomach. He drew Paul up and
pushed him against a tree and covered his eyes with one hand. Without his eyes
he could not blast them.
"Get the sword Xander," Dakota commanded.
Xander obeyed. He ran for the weapon but suddenly felt the flash of paralyzing pain.
Dakota turned around to see if Xander had gotten the sword, but he saw something he
almost did not expect. Karma had a knife pointed at Xander's chest. She drew it up to
repeat what Paul had tried earlier, but Dakota dropped Paul and ran to stop her. The
sword sliced into his side as he jumped on her. They landed on the ground, and as if
she had planned it to turn out this way all along she thrust the sword into his chest.
Dakota's mouth gaped in the pain. Xander, though paralyzed, felt his eyes widen and
his own jaw drop. Dakota Steven, the one he had been trying so diligently to kill for
over a year, had just given his life for him.
Karma pushed him off like a piece of garbage and drew out a dagger. She
walked towards Xander, who still could not move. She raised her hand
again, but Dakota did not give up that easily. He sent fire into her hand and she
dropped the knife. The sound of shouts from the apartments reached their ears.
Karma grabbed for the knife but Paul stopped her.
"I have a better plan," he whispered. "We'll deal with them later." Then, Paul melted
into a hawk and Karma a sparrow, and the two flew away. Their bird like voices
echoed in the night, "We're not finished here."
When they had gone Xander could move again. He crawled over to Dakota. The
blood had already begun to pool around the sides of his body and his face had gone
white. Dakota gasped for breath. Xander could not find any words to say, he felt too
confused.
"I know I'm not going to survive this one," Dakota choked out.
Xander found his words. "What possessed you to save me? Why...why? Ikilled your
parents! I tired to kill your wife, and I've been trying to kill you for the past year! Why
would you do that?"
Dakota laughed. The burning inside him told him that his time had come. Eternal rest
drew near, the dark grew darker. He wished his wife and children could be there,
maybe they would make it, maybe not. But he had one last thing to say. "You need
more time, Xander...I'm OK with going but, you need more time."
And with that he coughed and his whole body shook, then, he stopped breathing.
Xander numbly felt for a heart beat, any last signs of life, but he felt none. No warmth,
no movement. Complete stillness.