Hello my dear Readers, and may I say a very happy new year to you all! And also a huge apology for the long wait on this fic! I've been very busy with work and I also had some writers block.
but I've never given up with this fic! And I hope this was worth the wait!
Also, thank you to my dear friend Tyroth Darkstorm for his help in writing the final part of this chapter!
Chapter Thirty-Two
Guilt and Blame
Back in the tunnels leading back to Chicago, Tyroth walked slowly and dragged his feet, after Hugh told him to flee he had flown away as fast as he could and soon found the entrance back to Mutopia. No sooner did he enter through the coded door that he collapsed onto his knees and the hot tears he had been holding back had fallen like an unblocked waterfall.
He couldn't get the image of the car accident out of his head, nor shake away the fact that he may have just as well caused the crash!
"I should have caught Diablo! But if I had! Hugh would have perished! I know what I had to do! I saved my friend! But I let my enemy fall and cause an accident! And not only that! The Doberman took the injured girl from the car! Got to her before I could!" He dug his claws into his arms and scratched hard drawing blood, but of course due to his fast healing the wounds didn't stay long.
"Damn! Fuck! Fuck!" He shouted His voice echoing through the tunnel and he punched the wall causing a hole to appear.
"Damn you Diablo!" He roared "Damn you! Fucking damn you!"
He punched the wall again but it did little to calm him and he started to walk back to the sanctuary, he wanted to go to his room and cry, either that or go to the temple of the well to meditate.
As he walked, his Shell Cell rang making him jump and he grabbed it seeing Hugh's number appear.
"Hugh?" He asked breathlessly
"Hey Tyroth." Hugh's voice was heard on the other side, it sounded so sad and almost broken and Tyroth only knew what that meant.
"What's the damage?" The dragon asked dreading the answer.
"The car's blown up, as you know." Hugh sighed "The woman within didn't survive."
Tyroth squeezed his eyes shut as more tears fell.
"And the lorry driver, he survived, but suffered some broken bones and concussion, he's also traumatised about what happened, even though what happened wasn't his fault."
Tyroth felt relieved that the lorry driver was alive, but he still felt so upset about the car blowing up as well as the fact he couldn't stop Rex from fleeing with the little girl.
"Hugh." He said "I…I…I cant believe I caused such a nasty accident!"
"it wasn't your fault!" Hugh said sternly "You didn't know that would happen! You did nothing wrong! You saved me!"
"But I couldn't save the other victims! Like that woman! And the little girl!" Tyroth wept "I should have stopped the dog from taking the girl when I had the chance!"
"Tyroth!" Hugh barked "Please! What happened wasn't your fault! And I stand by that! Not because you're my friend, but because I believe in you! Now listen, get back home and rest okay! I'll call you with updates okay? Just trust me alright? I'll handle this!"
Tyroth sniffled yet he nodded.
"Okay…" he managed "I'll do my best."
"Just some rest." Hugh said "Just breathe and calm down, I will handle everything up here and I'll inform you once I got everything sorted. All the years I've worked here, I've always made sure no-one finds out about you and Mutopia, I've done it before and I'll do it again okay? Just go home and rest okay?"
"thank you Hugh." Tyroth said softly wiping his eyes "You're a real friend."
"Anytime big guy." Hugh said then hung up to which Tyroth took another breath and walked back to Mutopia.
He soon arrived back the entrance of the sanctuary and looked around.
He hoped that no-one would notice him walking in, because right now he really didn't want to talk to anyone.
Sniffing the air and looking around he sucked in a breath and began to walk to his room, as he passed Rattletraps workshop as well as Hacker's base, he kept his head down.
Luckily the spider was staring at his many computer and TV screens as well as testing the cameras, ever since Diablo's Betrayal he had been working tirelessly to make sure that the passwords and codes were changed every week as well as arrange the drills in case there was a breech.
Rattletrap was working on more of his many tinkering projects and luckily he was so involved he didn't notice the dragon.
Still keeping his eyes on the ground, Tyroth kept walking and before long he made it to the residential area and slipped into his room.
Unknown to him, Sephie had seen him go into their room and wondered whether to go in and comfort him, but she hung back, wondering what had happened, but seeing just how broken he was, she decided to just leave him be.
Back topside, Sergeant Harris was on duty at the Chicago Police department and was sitting at a desk near the entrance, looking at the reports of Diablo's attacks, she had been studying them so much she almost knew them all word for word.
The victims were still in hospital and being treated, or in the Red Necks case being charged for the crimes they had been committing.
Yawning then sipping her coffee she looked at her phone wondering if Hugh would be in touch again.
Just then, a shadow flew past the window along with the sound of muffled screams.
Narrowing her eyes, the officer stood from her desk and walked over to the doorway where she saw to her shock a man wearing this underpants all battered and bloodied and with a gag around his mouth being dropped on the stairs leading to the door.
"What the hell?!" She cried.
The man then screamed through his gag and struggled.
Harris drew her gun and looked around to see who might have dropped him there until she saw a shadow above the bound man.
"Whose there?" She asked "show yourself!"
"A gift!" She heard a hoarse voice "the lying man who murdered Sophie's Mother!"
Harris's eyes widened and she looked at the man.
"Dale?" She asked the looked up "where are you? Who are you?"
"Not your enemy!" The hoarse voice hissed "But your assistance!"
Harris then heard a flapping then there was silence, leaving the officer feeling shocked and slightly scared.
"Hhhllfff!" She looked down at Dale who was still struggling in his bounds and gag, and Harris then saw the wounds on his body forming the words both Diablo and Chastity had carved on his body.
Bringing herself back to reality Harris took out her mobile to call Hugh as well as shout for help from inside the station.
Back in Mutopia, Tyroth stared at the floor in front of him, but it was an absent stare, when he sneaked into his room, he tried to rest, but it was impossible, as his mind was elsewhere. It continued to linger on his and Hugh's run-in Diablo, on how Hugh had been carried away by the raven, and how Tyroth's intervention caused a serious accident to take place.
Every time he closed his eyes, he could still see it all so clearly, the white car flying through the air after the collision with the lorry and landing on its roof, the bloodied bodies of those within, the Doberman mutant stealing away a young girl from the wreckage, the explosion that completely destroyed the car and anyone within it, the merciless flames.
But more than anything, his thoughts kept returning to that poor child that Rex vanished with.
No doubt that his actions did save her from the explosion, but to what fate?
After such a crash, what kind of injuries must she have sustained?
Could she survive long enough to get medical treatment?
Could Diablo and his so called Disciples even do anything for her?
The more Tyroth thought about it, the clearer the answer became, and also more painful. They still had some of the magical water that Diablo had stolen from the temple, they must have. If the little girl was still alive, they could have given her some to save her life, but also mutating her, just as the Mutopians had done for Sonia years earlier.
But something like that shouldn't have to happen to a child.
Then there was the question whether they would actually do it, and if they could even look after a child, not having a proper home.
Whatever the case, that girl's life was in all ways destroyed, and it was all because Tyroth couldn't stop it from happening, because he caused it. And it was killing him from within.
Eventually, he just couldn't take it any longer. The memories wouldn't stop tormenting him if he just sat there, which urged him to seek out another option.
Leaving his room, the dragon walked to the temple that held the magical water, the most sacred and tranquil place that the Mutopians had. Sitting down in front of the well, Tyroth tried to empty his mind and meditate on the matter.
Meditation had always been a useful activity for the dragon, helping him focus and strengthen his magical powers, but also to find solutions to questions that plagued him. However, there were a few times, when something weighed heavily on his conscience, it was a far more difficult practice, and this time was no different.
Anger, grief, and especially guilt boiled within him, even though his body seemed calm and still as his mind travelled into the depths of himself. But this time, he was not alone.
"You seem troubled, young one." a kind, female voice spoke.
Tyroth's internal avatar opened his eyes, and searched the dark, starry space around him for the source of the voice. A voice that felt very familiar.
"Whose there? Where are you?" he asked, being very concerned with the possibility of another entity in his mind, and yet, he didn't feel threatened.
"There is nothing to be worried about." the voice said again, and this time, a green light began shining in front of Tyroth, and it grew stronger and larger, taking the form of a muscular yet slim and majestic dragon, scales smooth and green like emeralds and the eyes a bright green.
"We met again, Tyroth." the dragon said with a smile. "It has been quite some time."
"Thaenia..." Tyroth almost gasped. "I didn't expect to ever see you again."
"Even though my spirit could not remain in the realm of the living, I have never stopped watching over you all."
"Then… you have seen what has happened…"
"I have, indeed, and I see that it weighs heavily on you, as do your fears."
"But they are not without reason." Tyroth said, lowering his head. "With Diablo on the loose, our home is in great danger, and even if he doesn't actively try to hurt us, his actions risks to expose us to the humans above. If that happens, there's no telling what will become of us."
"I understand, but know this, you are far stronger than you give yourself credit for, and as long as you stay vigilant and keep your people close to you, I know that you will protect them from anything that might try to threaten your home."
"How can you have such faith in me?" Tyroth questioned. "I've already failed more than once. First when I let Diablo escape, and when…" he hesitated to say the next part. "… when I caused the crash, which killed at least one person, and ruined the life of another..."
"That is enough." Thaenia said, her normally gentle voice sharpened.
"You are not to blame for either of those incidents, Tyroth." Thaenia continued in a stern, but still kind voice, similar to that of a mother lecturing her child.
"It was not you that caused this Diablo to follow the dark path of vengeance that he does, nor did you let him escape, and you most certainly did not cause the accident that you let haunt you. You and your ally tried to stop him from endangering your people and hurting others with his actions. Accidents happens, despite our best efforts, but they are not our fault. What matters is that we learn from them, so that we can do better in the future."
Tyroth sat in silence, just staring at the green dragon as she continued.
"You are not a failure, and you are not guilty to what have happened, but you do have a responsibility towards everyone to do better in the future. And I know that you will, for you are a champion of justice and the people of this world, even though you receive neither praise nor thanks from those that you protect.
Stay strong, my champion, and never forget that your loved are there for you."
With those words, Thaenia faded away, and with her, a large portion of the weight that had hung on Tyroth's shoulders. Many of the questions that had plagued him had been answered, the guilt dispelled from his conscience, and his mind felt clearer.
"Thank you." he whispered, a single tear rolling down the cheek of his mental avatar as he too faded, starting to wake up from his meditation.
His eyelids slowly fluttered and opened as Tyroth woke up, his eyes still slightly wet.
"Feeling better, love?" he heard the voice of his mate ask from the entrance to the temple.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw Sephie walking over to him, with a warm and caring smile on her face.
"You know I'll always be here for you, hun." she said as she knelt by his side and pulled him into her warm embrace. "No matter what happens, we'll get through this together."
Tears began rolling down Tyroth's cheeks, and he put his arms around his beloved gecko-girl. So far she didn't know what had happened topside and he needed to let her, the Residents of the Sanctuary as well as the New Yorkers know, but right now he just wanted to collapse and let everything out.
"It's been so much…" he half sobbed. "Everything's just been…"
"Hush, dear. I know, I know." Sephie soothed in a low, soft voice. "You carry so much on your own, so heavy burdens. Everything will be alright. I believe in you, with all my heart."
And so ends another long overdue chapter! again sorry for the wait!
so Diablo has dropped Dale at the station! And Tyroth has sought advice from the Ancient Dragon Guardian of the Well. But he still has to inform his friends of what happened topside.