Wow! A first in a long time! Another chapter uploaded within 24 hours!
Chapter Sixty-One
We Must Move On
As the church of the Straight Truths Baptist Church burned, the Humans as well as the police and fire department appeared to see the damage.
Exiting one police car, Hugh stepped out to see the devastation.
"My God…" he breathed as he looked upon the church then saw the fire fighters run in to battle the flames as well as see if anyone was inside.
"Tyroth." He muttered under his breath "Was this your doing?"
He turned to see many humans running forward to see the damage to the church, many were cheering that the cult's place of worship, or rather gathering of Hate Speech was being burnt down.
As he gave the orders to the police to corner off the area as well as keep the public back, he saw many of the public were cheering because of the Cults Church was burning down.
"Burn in Hells Fire Straight Truths!"
"Hope you all burn to death in it!"
"You angered God! You burn!"
Hugh shook his head then looked back at the Firefighters trying to put out the flames and the parts of the building starting to collapse as it got weaker.
Harris soon joined him.
"Well, as much as I hope there's no-one in there, I can't not say, the Cult had it coming."
Hugh shrugged.
"I hope no-ones hurt either." He said, "But the public are in agreement with you Harris, that the Cult deserve to have their church burnt to the ground."
"You don't suppose it was that Raven Costumed Vigilante." Harris asked.
"More than likely." Hugh said, "Still no leads?"
"Nope!" Harris replied, "Each time something comes up, it just fizzles out into nothing, we've been to fancy dress places, fabric shops, everywhere in Chicago and the surrounding area, but nothing."
Hugh sighed again.
"It seems this vigilante is good at covering their tracks."
"Too good!" Harris agreed as she looked back at the burning church.
Back in Mutopia, the Chicago Knights, Jake and Mona gathered in the Dojo for a conference.
Tyroth had asked Hacker to call for Old George so he could fill him in on what happened.
The Spider agreed without hesitation as well as asked to know what was happening, but Tyroth told him once all was calm, he would fill everyone in later.
Mona still had Diablo's blood on her clothes, and even though Sephie said she should get herself cleaned up, Mona just shook her head.
Right now, she couldn't think straight, and all she could see was the look Diablo gave her when she had stabbed him, the same look he had given her when he realised, she had mutated him.
Jake put his arm around his sister and the siblings just held each other in silence.
Sephie patted their shoulders and nodded at them realising they needed to look after each other after all that had happened.
"Is everyone okay?" Tyroth asked "Anyone need to see James?"
The Knights shook their heads, even Kate and Percy.
"That eel shocked you pretty good though!" said Sharky, "You sure she didn't burn you or anything?"
"Yeah!" Sarah agreed "I can only imagine how being shocked like that felt, and I hate electric shocks, like the ones you get on wool!"
"No luckily." Kate replied, "All I felt was a nasty shock going through my system then I saw stars, and not just because she'd clanged my head with Percy's."
"I'm gonna have a headache for weeks!" Percy groaned as he rubbed the top of his head.
"You're telling me!" Amber agreed also rubbing her head "That Doberman hit me good!"
"The Locust used his extra arms to his advantage!" Heather said, "It was hard to avoid an extra set of limbs."
"I thought fighting with an opponent with a tail was difficult enough!" Sharky said "I can't imagine fighting one with extra arms."
"The Doberman was one tough cookie, being an army veteran." Sarah sighed.
"The Panther was a dangerous one too." Jack said, "He sure knew how to fight."
"Settle down everyone!" Tyroth said holding up his hands and everyone quietened down, then turned to the Freeman siblings.
"How you two feeling?" he asked, it was a stupid question, but he had to ask.
Mona sighed.
"I don't know." She said, "I stabbed my own brother, He's gone…I can no longer see Callum, I see it for real."
A few tears fell and Jake held her tighter.
"I should just accept it." Jake sighed as he removed his glasses and wiped his eyes "Callum's dead…he's gone for good, and there is only Diablo."
The Knights looked solemn.
"I don't know what to say…" Devina sighed.
"We're really sorry, you two." Sharky said.
The Siblings said nothing.
"I know it's hard for you both." Tyroth said "It's a shock to all of us, and I want you to know that we will keep our promise that Diablo will not be hurt when he's caught."
"I guess we should start saying, if he's caught!" Jack corrected "Every time we've tried, the Raven and his Disciples escape!"
Tyroth sighed but before he could speak, George appeared at the door of the Dojo.
"Gramps!" Sephie announced.
George walked over, almost stumbling in his enthusiasm to get to the group.
"Young ones!" he said, "Thank goodness for your safe return!"
Tyroth bowed his head.
George then saw Mona and Jake quietly holding each other and crying, and his eyes widened as he saw Mona's blood-soaked hand.
"What happened?" he asked in a worried voice.
"You better take a seat Gramps!" said Heather.
Tyroth nodded and turned to the old turtle to explain what happened.
The old turtle listened and put his hand to his mouth as he heard every detail, from when Jake first entered the church, Diablo's attack, then the final showdown between the Freeman Siblings, and The Disciples verses the Knights.
When the Dragon got to the part where Mona had stabbed Diablo, George dropped his walking stick.
"It's all true!" Sephie said "Me, Tyroth and Devina saw the whole thing!"
"Did she kill him?" George asked looking at Mona who continued to hug Jake.
"I don't know." Devina said "We saw where the knife hit him, anyone wouldn't be able to survive a wound like that, but Diablo being like the Mutopians, he might just have…. but the Dove and Vampire Bat grabbed him and carried him off before we could stop him!"
"I see…" George sighed then looked at Mona and Jake, his heart sinking at the bereaved siblings.
"Oh dear…I…I don't know what to say."
Tyroth was about to speak again when his phone went off making everyone jump and he grabbed it before seeing the screen and hitting loudspeaker.
"Tyroth?" Hugh's voice was heard.
"Hey Hugh." Tyroth sighed "Let me guess, you've arrived at the Cult's Church, what's the report?"
"This was a big number done on the Church! What the hell happened in there?" Hugh asked.
Tyroth grimaced "Oh Gods" he then began to tell Hugh in full detail what happened within the church, feeling slightly annoyed he had to repeat what he just said to George.
"The Disciples locked everyone in the church so they could begin their crusade, I had to blow the door down which caused the fire, the members escaped thankfully before the battle against the Disciples started."
The Dragon heard a sigh on the other end of the phone.
"I should be berating you for Arson Tyroth." Hugh said, "But members of the public rejoice the destruction of the Church."
"Really?" Heather asked.
"Wow!" said Sharky.
"That's a bonus!" Percy muttered.
"Shush!" Sephie hissed.
"So anyway." Tyroth asked "What's the full damage?"
Hugh sighed again.
"The church is pretty much devastated, we found a couple of people within the church who didn't make it out, they're in critical condition due to smoke inhalation, and one is dead."
"Dead?!" everyone practically shrieked until Tyroth shushed them.
Mona and Jake looked up shocked.
"Who was killed?" Tyroth asked with dread.
"The Stand in Preacher." Hugh answered, "The coroners believe it was due to blood loss rather than toxic smoke."
"Regan." Tyroth frowned.
"The Bat?" Hugh asked, "And the youngest of the Disciples."
George looked sickened and the other Knights were horrified.
"I wonder if Regan even realised, she killed him?" Sarah whispered.
"Part of me hopes she didn't realise." Jack agreed.
"Both of you shush!" Tyroth scolded then turned to the phone "Sorry Hugh, carry on."
"It's okay, but yeah, the fires been put out and the casualties have been taken to hospital, we're going to find the members and interview them on what happened and what they saw, and I will report back once I've found out, and more than likely the media will be on the case."
"It'll be on TV and in the papers by tomorrow yeah!" Tyroth agreed "Thank you Hugh, we'll await your phone call."
"Stay safe, okay?" said Hugh then hung up the phone.
"So, what now Boss?" Jack asked.
Tyroth rubbed his forehead.
"I need to think." He said "Really hard about this! In the meantime, everyone, go get yourselves cleaned, fed and rested, no more training or patrol until tomorrow."
The Knights agreed and all filed out of the Dojo, though Sephie remained behind. As they left, each of the Knights gave their sympathies to Jake and Mona.
Sephie sat on the other side of Mona to give her comfort and Tyroth turned to George.
"So far we don't know if Diablo's dead or alive." He said, "After that wound Mona gave him, we're not sure."
George stroked his beard deep in thought.
"I will meditate on this." Tyroth continued "And Jake and Mona are in desperate need of our support, I will also call Donatello back in New York and offer to have the Ninjet fly over to pick them up and bring them here."
"Wise actions Tyroth." George said patting the Dragon's paw then looked at Mona and Jake again sadly.
Sephie was stroking Mona's hair and shoulder in an act of comfort whilst Jake just held his big sister close.
"I wish mum and dad were here…" Mona sobbed softly.
Jake lowered his head as his own tears fell.
"So do I." he wept.
Meanwhile, the Disciples had fled to their hideout in the city.
Ravage had helped Chasity carry Diablo the rest of the way home then once they were on their territory, they wasted no time in getting Diablo comfortable on a sleeping bag and propping his head up, so Chasity could look at his wounds.
The Disciples were worried for the Raven, especially when they saw the wound in his chest, and they wanted to know what happened.
Regan gave them the full story as Chasity worked on him, using the medical skills she had studied hard so she could be the medic she had dreamed of being as a human.
They were indeed shocked that Mona had stabbed Diablo, and that Jake had tried to shoot him.
"They tried to kill you?" Samson asked.
"Your own brother and sister?" Lamia questioned.
Diablo winced as Chasity looked at his wounds and pushed some of his feathers aside so she could see better.
"In their eyes…" he hissed painfully "I had betrayed them, even though I've told them my reasons why I choose to live my life! And not under their stupid hero/vigilante rules!"
He then gasped as Chasity poured some strong alcohol onto his chest wound so kill any infections.
"Sorry!" Chasity apologised "It's healing at least!" she added "Thankfully! So, the Wells water wasn't needed."
"That's a relief." Diablo sighed laying back on the sleeping bag "I can't risk wasting the water when it's not needed."
"You're lucky." Chasity said factually "That knife almost hit your heart, just missed the main arteries."
"If I were human, I would have been fucked!" Diablo said, placing his hand on his chest.
"I wish we had been there to help." Rex said.
"I know." Diablo said, "But you needed to get out of that burning building, and away from Tyroth."
"We were confronted by the Knights." Lamia said "But we got away."
"That we did!" Ravage said, "And we'll be ready to fight them again!"
"We shall train you more." Rex said fervently "With all I learnt in the army, I shall help you."
"Thanks man!" Ravage said gratefully.
"Training will have to wait!" Diablo said from the floor.
"What?" everyone asked then stepped over to the Raven.
"No matter what we do here, Tyroth and his Knights will keep trying to hound us." Diablo said, "And I don't wish to put you in danger of them."
"Boss?" Samson asked.
"As long as we keep hunting the sinners here in Chicago, Tyroth will not be far behind us, and it won't be long before he sniffs us out again, then he will take us down and taken prisoner." Diablo declared as he stared at the ceiling.
"So, what are we to do?" Lamia asked.
"We leave the city." Diablo answered.
"Leave?" everyone asked.
"Chicago is a big city, but the Knights know every nook and cranny and it won't be long before they find us, our safest option is that we leave, free from the Knights interference, and hunt all the sinners of America, there are many sinners around the fifty-two states, and they will all suffer for what they have done."
"You mean we can just go anywhere we please?" Ravage asked excitedly "This I like!"
"I did have dreams of seeing the rest of the USA outside of Chicago!" Lamia admitted.
The other Disciples looked at each other and started to agree, and Regan grinned.
"We can go on many adventures together!" she said excitedly.
"We can indeed Ankle-Biter!" Rex smiled stroking the Vampire Bat's blonde hair.
"Then it is settled." Diablo declared "We leave tomorrow at sundown!"
Chasity looked at Diablo's wound.
"You'll need to rest until then." She said, "The wound is healing nicely, but rest is needed."
"Thank you, Chasity." Diablo said gratefully to the Dove then rested back on the sleeping bag closing his eyes, the last thought in his head before he let sleep take over.
"Tomorrow, we leave Chicago."
So, the humans have discovered the Straight Truths Cult's Church is burning down, much to their delight, and Hugh as arrived on scene to see the damage.
The Knights have returned to Mutopia and informed Old George of what's happened and Jake and Mona are reeling from the battle. I do feel so sorry for them! :'(
Also, Diablo has indeed survived his wounds, and he has decided that he and Disciples must leave Chicago as Tyroth and the Knights will keep hunting them.
I know I did say this would be the final chapter, but I have one more to add then it's a wrap!
Stay safe everyone! xxxx