Monsters & Demons

Rated M

Genre: Drama & Adventure

Summary:

When Tori arrived at Hollywood Arts, she knew things wouldn't be the same. Little did she know that she and her friends would find themselves wound into more than teenage drama. Jade thought all she had to worry about was her status being threatened. Does Trina finally have a true friend? A trio of newcomers shows up, bringing along more than the gang bargained for. Homework and plays don't sound so bad anymore.

A/N:


Chapter 15: One Way Out


Day and night fell once more over the Yerbian jungle, shrouding the land in a stillness that should've invoked calmness and peace. Instead, off in the distance sounds of bombs and gunfire echoed throughout the sky, mocking the purpose of the darkness. Still, this was just what the four were looking for as they traversed the depths of the cave.

After much rest, Liam and Jade felt much better (well, better than before) and were able to move around a bit more. Even with the former's injury, he hadn't felt too much pain as the treatment given to him had worked wonders in keeping the wound from becoming infected.

A quick wash late in the afternoon and it seemed the party was ready to go.

They ventured deep into the cavern, being led by Katalaya who seemed to know the twists and turns like the back of her own hand. What was speculated to be hours passed by with the group stopping only briefly to eat or afford a brief rest? It was annoying and tiring, but it was necessary if they were to meet their contact in enough time.

By the time nightfall finally started, Garou made torches for them to see their way through the damp corridors.

"We shouldn't be too far from our destination..." she announced only to hold up a steady hand once they arrived at a fork in the road.

"What is it?" Garou whispered.

Saying nothing, she turned to the Nubian male signaling him to remain with the teens. She then ventured off to the left end, leaving them to await her return. Impatiently, Jade huffed due to the aching of her feet. Taking the initiative, Liam leaned against the wall near the right path, giving her a place to sit. She thanked him with a simple kiss on the cheek, her gesture not going unnoticed by the older man.

"It seems you both are quite fond of one another," he chuckled at the pair's embarrassed looks. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry but, I find it rather intriguing how you two came to be a couple. Given the circumstances, I would've never guessed that two souls would have formed such a powerful bond in such a short amount of time."

Jade grinned knowingly at her friend/crush before directing her attention to Garou.

"I wouldn't say that it happened quickly..."

"Oh?"

"It's been years in the making if you don't count our early years. We've been best friends and, after a few rocky moments in time, we are both accepting our feelings. Loving Jade isn't for the weak."

Jade bit her lip, facing the visions of their past year or so. The moments, both good and bad, came flooding back in succession, reminding her that, what this was, was earned. Despite all of the obstacles, Liam still found room to love her. She wasn't shocked that he used the L-word so soon as he had years of experience to determine such emotions.

And so did she...

"With everything that's happened, I don't think I could imagine my life without Liam in it."

"Same here..." he gave her a tiny squeeze. "Even if your temper could use some work."

Jade's grin suddenly dropped, casting a glare toward the boy.

Garou chuckled to himself as he witnessed the pair now debating the earlier comment. However, he wasn't finished with his turn in the discussion, approaching them.

"It would seem that you both have shared triumphs and defeats together. You're both true warriors in every sense of the word." He then dug into his pants pocket pulling out two brightly colored gems. In his hands sat two necklaces, each carrying a different colored crystal. He handed one to each of them and then returned to his spot.

"What are these?" Jade cocked her head to the side.

"Those jewels are sacred; capable of cleansing chakras specific to their color." Jade looked at the green jewel while Liam studied the blue one with interest. "Those represent the heart and throat chakras. The green chakra pertains to the heart and love. When weakened, one's ability to trust and fully love becomes more and more difficult. Meanwhile, the throat chakra is centered around one's power to communicate and access their true voice."

"And you gave these to us because?" Jade glanced skeptically at the man.

"Because you both, while strong in your own rights, still have certain parts of yourself that are either weak or missing. Wearing those may help you with your growth both individually and collectively."

"Thanks but..."

Jade didn't get a chance to finish her comeback though thanks in part to an explosion that shook the cave around them. Each began to wonder just what could have caused it only to be met with the panicked face of Katalaya who was hustling toward them. She was covered in sweat, scratches, and dirt, giving them a good idea as to who caused the rumblings. Now the only question was 'why'?

"Kat...!" Garou seized her, trying to get the woman to steady her breathing. "What happened?!"

"The Chancellor! He has the entire beach surrounded on the southern end." she coughed. "I don't know how he found out about the plan, but, we can't go that way. I had to blow up the opening so that they couldn't follow me back. I heard one of the soldiers go on about finding the waterfall entrance before getting away."

"Are you sure?" the man hissed, not pleased with the development.

The fear behind her amber eyes burned brightly under the flames of the torches the two carried, confirming her statement.

"So, we're trapped..." Liam growled, clearly upset at what was happening. "Do we fight or just surrender?"

"Neither..." the woman shook her head.

"You have another idea? We're surrounded on all sides..."

"Not 'all'."

The teens looked at each other in confusion while Katalaya regained her composure.

"If we take this right tunnel, then we'll wind up getting out of here but... it leads back to the prison."

"The prison? You want us to go back to that rat hole?!" Jade cried out in a voice that depicted desperation rather than anger.

"There's no choice. Besides, if we leave now, we can catch them off guard. All we need to do is secure one of the vehicles and then we're home free. We get you two to the airport and take you home. I don't think they know about your status so we need to move now before that happens."

Given everything that'd happened over the last several days, Jade wasn't sure about things, but, the unfortunate truth was a powerful motivator. If they stayed they would be caught without a doubt. But, the alternative was also risky...

"Jade?"

What to do?

"Jade?!"

What if we get caught?

"JADE!"

She snapped out of it, gazing into the eyes of her best friend. In them, there wasn't a speck of trepidation to be found. There was only a determination to escape at all costs. Those three words, at all costs, revealed a side in him that she'd only seen once before. That dark and sinister part of Liam silently reminded her of the promise they made back in that dirty cell.

It was a promise he was not willing to break.

"Let's get out of here..."

She nodded as he took her hand, feeling his strength flowing through her. They soon took off through the only other exit, to the Yerba prison and ironically their freedom.


Deep in the prison, the group rushed down the dimly lit hall, ignoring the cries of the other men still behind bars.

"How much time do we have before they notice we're gone?" Jade asked as they cut down another hallway. Her answer came in the form of an alarm blaring throughout the building. "Nevermind..." she groaned.

"Way to jinx things," Liam teased, receiving an annoyed shove. "Now where are we going?"

"The exit should be around the next corner," Garou replied. As the kids ventured further, various voices could be heard behind them.

"Hurry up men! They couldn't have gotten too far!"

"Shit." he gritted his teeth. He didn't expect the guards to catch up so quickly. He wasn't going to let himself, or anyone else, be captured. The alarms continued while the group found themselves at a fork in the road. "What the hell?" he whispered in disbelief. He didn't know that there was another path before reaching the designated spot. Racking his brain, he tried to figure out which direction was the right one. "Damn it..."

"What's wrong?" Katalaya asked.

It was clear to everyone that the man was growing more and more frustrated by the second, evident when he punched the wall. Of all people, Liam placed an encouraging hand on the boy's shoulder. "Look, we all knew the risks of trying this out. Don't beat yourself up..."

Guilt-ridden, Garou took a profound puff and focused fiercely.

"I suggest we split up." a voice called out, surprising everyone. Turning around they found it to be none other than Jade.

"Come on." Liam tried to reason. "This isn't Scooby-Doo, Jade. Splitting up is the last thing we need to do!"

Crossing her arms, the goth stepped to Liam, her determination refusing to be shaken.

"Listen, we have guards on our asses and we're running out of options here. So, unless you want to take a chance with the wonderful boys hunting us like dogs, we need to find a vehicle to take us out of this rat's nest." She pointed to the left hall. "Someone, mainly the adults can head down this hall and try and steal a truck or something so that we can get out of here while the rest of us go the other way and find a way out of this place."

Before Liam could counter her, Garou stepped in.

"Good idea. I'll get the car while Katalaya gets you out of here. I'll meet you all on the other side of the building once I've secured our getaway vehicle."

"Fine... But, don't you get yourself killed, Garou." she flashed him a look that could rival the devil himself.

"You have my word," he smiled brightly before taking off on his mission.

Rushing off, they did their best to put as much distance between them and the guards. Various winding turns brought with them headaches and impatience, of which there were plenty. Liam had the others stop while he peeked around the corner with caution. Somehow, he knew how to properly act in this scenario, almost as if he had been trained. With Katalaya and Jade in the middle, Liam kept a close eye for any guards.

"I really think this is a bad idea..." Liam muttered.

Catching him off guard, Jade crept up to him, whispering in his ear. "It's a good thing that I didn't ask for your thoughts."

"Alright, if we get past this room, we can make it to the infirmary..."

Jade looked at him, dumbfounded at his sudden knowledge of his surroundings. "I thought you said you didn't remember which way you went? How do you know that this leads to the infirmary?"

Liam responded with a worn grin.

"I don't. I just know how to read and decipher. Plus, there are medical supplies all over the place." pointing behind him, Jade followed his finger to see a sign that read Enfermaria (Portuguese for Infirmary) with an arrow facing the aforementioned route.

Try as she may, the girl with the raven-colored hair couldn't help but smile at his comeback, a sign that the tension the day before wasn't as thick as first thought to be. Liam returned his attention back to the corner, eyes on a single nurse who appeared to be sleeping from a suspected long day of treating prisoners and guards alike. It was impressive that she hadn't budged even with the blaring noise echoing throughout. Motioning to the three, he tiptoed past the unconscious woman, the others following suit.

However, instead of moving forward, Liam would feel two pairs of hands grab him, forcing him to sit.

"What are you two doing?" he complained, his voice hushed so he wouldn't alert anybody. He watched as Jade made sure to lock and barricade the door behind them. "What are we doing in here anyway?"

When Liam didn't respond, Jade and Kataleya watched closely as he moved to patch himself up. As they rushed to his aid, the older woman began to pull off the dirty shirt finding severe injuries all over his body. Deep lacerations adorned his back and sides. The dried blood happened to seal the wounds up but with the horrible conditions of the prison, it was evident that he was going to need more effective medical attention in the near future.

Jade remembered all too well, where these wounds came from; the Maggot's Nest.

The pang in her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as recollections of what led to him and Travis being sent there. Though she and Tori weren't directly involved, Jade couldn't shake off the weight of remorse that rested on her shoulders. Liam would quickly dispel such thoughts if he wasn't being tended to by Kataleya.

"Hold still," the woman's stern tone broke Jade from her tumultuous thoughts. "I can't finish if you keep squirming!"

With a debilitated wince, Liam turned to face the concerned soldier.

"It's hard to stay still when every wrap burns like fire..." he seethed. "Those guards did a number on me before Jade and I tried to escape. I'll be fine once we get out of this place..."

"You idiot." Jade angrily chastised. "How many times have we told you that you don't have to be some big macho man. That ship has sailed a long time ago."

"Sorry, I just didn't want you to worry..."

Jade rolled her eyes at her best friend, amused at how clueless he could be sometimes. It also seemed to be perfect timing as the woman began wiping and swathing his wounds the best way she could.

"Worry or not, that's no reason to keep secrets from one another," she knelt down, her face inching near his ear. "That's not a good way to start our future, is it?"

A strip of crimson flushed across Liam's cheeks as he watched Jade pull back with what arose to be a phantom of a devious smirk.

Vintage Jade...

"Alright. That's enough..." they both turned to a slightly annoyed Kataleya. "There will be plenty of time for you lovebirds to perch. We have to get going unless you want to spend the little time you have at the execution block. We're almost to the armory and freedom. If Garou isn't already outside, we can at least escape through the dense jungle."

"Can you make it, Liam?"

"Sure, let's go through this door and we should be close to the south exit of the prison." Liam pulled himself up, Jade aiding him.

"Did you read that on a sign too?"

"Kataleya has the schematics to this place..." Liam blinked innocently. "We were just talking about it!"

"Let's get going before we're greeted by the welcoming committee!"

Happy to oblige, the trio made their way through the back door towards the armory and their liberation.

Even though he was practically injured, Liam led the way, thankful that there were no other paths that would potentially result in them getting lost. Knowing that they were so close to being safely away from this place was more than enough motivation for him to ignore the pain and continue.

Though it was a long hallway, he remained focused, even when a few of the Chancellor's elite men appeared to block their escape. Gritting his teeth, he used his momentum to slide past the first two, tripping them up by grabbing their ankles. The third man tried to grab him, but a well-timed foot to the groin shut down that plan.

Following up with a knee to the jaw, he finished the pathetic excuse of a man with a solid right hook that forced his body to twist before landing on the dirty floor with a sickening thud, surprising both of the women behind him.

"I didn't know he was capable of that..." Katalaya blinked.

"That makes two of us..." Jade cocked her head to the side.

"Let's go!" he called out to the others as he passed through the doors.

Against her earlier protest, the two both followed behind, highly impressed with her crush while Katalaya maintained a tiny measure of fear at the sheer power that he possessed. It was clear that there was a lot of potential within the young man, but just how much would be the big question. Once everyone passed through the doors, they found Liam standing straight up, with fists clenched.

Pondering just what could cause him to just stand there like a stiff board, their eyes fell on a single man, one last guard under the Chancellor's command.

"You..."

Unlike the ones they'd previously faced, he wasn't wearing a standard uniform, he wore a bulletproof vest and custom military pants tucked into army-issued boots. He wore an eye patch over his right eye with a scraggly stubble of a beard that did little to hide the manic grin he proudly wore.

"This isn't good," Katalaya stared at the diabolical man blocking their path.

"What do you mean?" Jade questioned. "Who is this creep?"

"Igor Rojevich... The Butcher of Yerba."

"Ah, I see you remember me?" Igor took a bow. "I'm touched. Then again, I couldn't imagine being forgotten, especially knowing where those glorious cuts came from."

Jade bit the inside of her jaw at the revelation.

She was staring at the monster who harmed Liam; putting him through multiple days of torture just for his own personal delight.

"True, you did do this to me before throwing me in the hole," he admitted, though his face never changed though. "But I remember you for another reason entirely."

Igor raised his eyebrows in uncertainty, that is until his eyes settled on the young woman behind him, Jade. His lecherous gaze unnerved her as if undressing her with his good eye. Licking his lips like a wild animal, he grinned at the teen standing before him. It was then that she began to put the pieces together. Maybe the torture wasn't about getting information, but rather, curving the defiance of her closest friend.

He was hurt because of her.

"So, now you're going to defend her honor? An admirable yet, unwise decision..." his laugh was as chilling as a room filled with spiders and scorpions. "Now, I get to finish what I started. I'm going to carve you up nice and neat then, I'll handle the ladies here."

"Good luck..." Liam coldly responded. "...I'm going to beat you within an inch of your life."

"That changes things then," Liam eyed him questionably. "after I kill you, I'll take your ladies and show them what a real man feels like."

Hatred.

Anger.

Wrath.

Rage.

Fury.

All these things and more fueled his fire as Liam blindly rushed at him.

No more talking; no words were needed now as he attacked the one-eyed man with smoldering hate. This would prove to be an advantage for Igor as he expertly dodged the ariel assault. Spinning in between the kicks, the demonic soldier launched a flying kick to Liam's sternum knocking him back several feet.

Amidst the searing pain, this did little to stop Liam.

As he gathered himself, Liam failed to catch the spinning roundhouse kick to his jaw that sent him careening into several crates filled with firearms. Spitting out some blood, the boy's body shivered as if he was being stabbed with knives all over. Igor frowned at the visual of his victim crawling from the wreckage.

"What a letdown... I thought you came to fight me? I guess you came all this way just to die, eh?" his sacrilegious chuckle was more than satisfactory in making both ladies' skin crawl.

That's what he enjoyed, the pain and fear of others. It was like a drug to him which is why he agreed to work behind the walls of the prison. He savored the horror in the prisoner's eyes when they were informed that they were going to him for 'rehabilitation'. Their screams of pain, whether mental, sexual, or psychological, it was all the same to him.

In the midst of his reminiscing, he failed to notice the straight left connect with his jaw. While it didn't knock him down, it was sufficient in staggering him. Katalaya swiftly took up a traditional boxer's stance while remaining near Liam, who finally began to gather his second wind. Igor wiped his chin, licking the dirt from the woman's shoes and grinning the entire time.

"I remember you as well," he sneered. "You were one of the officers brought in our foreign division. I must admit, I'm impressed." he spits out a drop of blood. "I didn't think you'd have the guts to attempt a cheap shot."

"Whatever it takes to put down an animal like you." she bounced on her toes. "I won't let you hurt my neve..."

Neve?

Jade wondered about the term coined by Kataleya while Liam joined the woman after fully regaining his senses.

"Are you sure you can still fight?"

"I'm not letting you have all the fun..."

Igor decided not to take any chances and charged at them this time, pulling out a sickle-shaped blade from his vest.

"Time to die!" he cried in insane delight.

Jade could only watch helplessly as the duo began to work as a tandem.

Katalaya jumped in front of the damaged boy, throwing straight punches at the crazed man.

Each blow was unreadable to the crazed man.

Unable to cope with the blinding speed, Igor the Butcher had put all of his focus on defense and dodging. Observing how he was unable to even counter, she suddenly ducked, allowing Liam to flip over her and land a flush kick directly in Igor's face. The resulting blow forced Igor to fly backward, dropping one of his sickles in the process.

Katalaya huffed as sweat poured down her face like bullets as he leaned against Liam for support.

"That took a lot out of me," she admitted, her breath haggard and short. "I hope that took him out."

Liam exhaustedly chortled, finally allowing himself to relax his tired muscles.

"I don't know. We're talking about a sadistic masochist here."

"Come on, you kicked him square in the face. I could swear that I saw his skull start to cave in. You don't give yourself enough- Oof!"

A swift kick to the stomach was enough to send Katalaya sliding along the dirt ground.

The blow knocked what little energy she had left as the excruciating pain mixed with exhaustion guided her into semi-consciousness. Liam watched in astonishment and horror. He instinctively threw a punch that was easily countered into an uppercut to his stomach that drove all the air out of him. Feeling like he was being thrown, it was, in fact, Igor's punch lifting him in the air following up with several more strikes. Each blow seemingly overkills as he was out of it after the initial attack. Igor didn't care, his face disfigured from the force of the kick earlier.

"Don't get cocky, you brat!" he slammed the teen onto the ground. "You got off a few good shots, but it ends now!"

His eyes, filled with insanity, eyed his target. The sight of the boy's blood brought a sickening glee inside of him as he fired a soccer kick to his ribs, surely cracking one. Rolling along the floor, Liam's older wounds began to open again, staining the formerly white bandages, Jade was forced to watch all of this unfold helplessly. The only one capable of fighting this creep would be Jade but, without her scissors, she was defenseless.

Trembling azure witnessed this one-sided torture unfold before her, his cries of pain and suffering driving them mad. It wasn't until he began coughing up blood that Jade shrieked.

This stopped Igor...

Her cry of terror caught his ears like a fox sensing its prey.

"That sound," his head twisted eerily slow in her direction. "that glorious sound..." His pupils dilate before he trudged his way at them. "I want to hear it again, and again!" He was twisted and unhinged as his smile now looked as if it would slice his face in two. "I need to hear it again.." he maniacally appealed.

"Stay back!" Jade, warned futilely.

It all fell on deaf ears as the madman pressed forward as if in a trance. The chaos behind those deadened black eyes petrified her as she found herself trapped between the cold wall and the creature clutching at her. Tears began to form as Jade couldn't even muster up the voice to scream again. There was nobody to save her, not like last time. Liam was a crumpled heap and Katalaya was knocked out. What else could she do?

She raised her hand only to have it caught by Igor who was practically salivating at this point.

"I love it when prey fights back..."

"Get away from her..." a rather feeble voice broke Igor's concentration on the cowering girl before him.

The smell of fear filled his nostrils, calling to him even.

But, Igor knew that he could never savor his reward unless all the loose ends were cut.

Hissing in annoyance, he turned around to find Liam, a bloody mess, clutching his newly injured ribs. Sighing in frustration, the first sign of sanity since hearing the panic earlier, the Butcher trekked to the unsteady boy, partly enjoying the sanguine liquid dripping from multiple places on his body.

"You won't have her..." he coughed. "...I- I won't let you.." It was apparent that his words of heroism were merely just that, words.

Almost instantly, he fell to one knee, groaning in pain. With his vision blurred, he could barely make out the combat boots.

"While I would love nothing more than to finish you off right now," the one-eyed man frowned in legitimate pity. "I have a little girl to make squeal like a pig. So do me a favor, kid. Be a good little boy, and wait your turn-!"

Something was wrong.

Igor saw sanguine flying but there was something else added to it.

Pain.

Excruciating pain.

Gloriously Excruciating pain.

The sight and feeling all matched up as he clutched his belly. A massive amount of plasma poured out like a leaking faucet. Katalaya and Jade managed to notice just after the action was committed.

Liam struck a deep blow on the crazed torture fanatic.

"Y-you don't have it in you, boy..." he began coughing up the copper-flavored liquid.

Brushing his locs out of his face, Liam took the inner part of the weapon pressing it firmly against his neck and drawing a little blood just from the light contact. As Katalaya struggled to get to her feet, Jade remained dumbfounded at the reality of her friend and love interest could actually outright murder, someone, even if the person deserves it.

"Let's see if I do!" he roared preparing to slice him open.

"LIAM, STOP!"

He froze in place, hand still firmly clutching the weapon meant to deal the killing blow.

Turning around, the battered boy watched as Jade looked at him with tears pouring freely down her face.

Humanity began to resurface as he shook violently against what he knew and what he felt. He could end this animal where he was but, was it worth it? His eyes flickered with smoldering rage at the giggling man, laughter bursting from the twisted humor he found in this scenario.

She stood to her feet, pacing to him.

Despite the stinging tears flowing down her cheeks, she still pressed forward until she now faced him "Please don't do it." she begged him, her voice breaking in the process. "I know he's hurt you and others but," they both looked at Igor. "You've done enough. You fought him and you won. Let's just get out of here and go home..."

Conflict.

That was the perfect word to describe him right now. He had the beast trapped, ready for slaughter but here was Jade of all people trying to convince him to leave him to die on his own? He couldn't be denied his vengeance. His mind went into a tailspin.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill.

KILL HIM!

KILL HIM NOW!

His inner voice seemed that much clearer to him as he began to realize these thoughts weren't his own. Still, he wouldn't allow himself to be robbed of destroying the one who hurt him.

"You're not a murderer, neve." This time it was Katalaya who spoke up, gently taking the hand that held the weapon. "These hands are not meant to spill this monster's blood. They are for a far greater purpose... one that is necessary right now."

His body tensed for a moment only to loosen his grip until the bloody sickle fell to the earth.

They were right.

With bitter tears in his eyes, Jade, and Katalaya gently ushered him away from the insane man, exiting the final obstacle that stood between them and their freedom.

The moon shined brightly in the night sky as the trio left the building and made their way to the jungle. A slightly disorientated Katalaya, stunned Jade, and weary Liam all watched as a pair of headlights grew larger in their view.

As promised, Garou stopped the truck next to them.

"Hurry! There's no time to waste!" he urged.

Katalaya hopped into the passenger seat while Jade helped lie Liam in the back of the truck. Once everyone was loaded up, he took off once more into the jungle making sure to avoid any roads that would draw too much attention to them. In the distance, the four could faintly hear someone yelling over a P.A. system about the jailbreak which brought a smile to all of their faces.

Neither cared how they managed to accomplish this. All that mattered to Jade and Liam was that they were on their way to freedom; on their way home.

"We're finally going home." Liam cheered though that was short-lived when his head began to throb.

"Easy there, tiger." Jade teasingly caressed his head.

Turning around slightly, Liam could see the Goth flash her signature smirk before closing his eyes, exhaustion finally settling in.

"Attention passengers, our next stop, Yerba airport. We'll reach there in about half an hour tops."