This story contains; foul language, violence, blood/gore.
Ships: None(for now, subject to change- no Zack x Ray)
Disclaimer: I do not own Angels of Death or Ib.
Rachel's eyes blearily opened as she felt an elbow connect with her side roughly, rousing her from her dreamless sleep. She rubbed at her eyes as she turned her head to regard the one who elbowed her, and Zack's mismatched eyes gazed down at her from the shadows of his fur-lined hood. The smells of the bus hit her nose, and she remembered where she was as she felt the vehicle slow and turn. Behind Zack, she could see a gas station through the window, the early morning sun shining brightly over the the new town they found themselves in.
"Time to get up, Ray." He murmured, keeping his voice low. "We're here."
Rachel nodded, sitting up and adjusting her letterman jacket. Ever since Zack arrived that fateful night to her room at the rehabilitation center, they've been on the run, avoiding the authorities at every turn. They were never able to stay in a single place for more than a week, and Rachel never caught any of the names of the towns they passed through. They were thankfully doing well, and while they were managing to get by just fine with stealing money from unsuspecting passerby's and living off of snacks for the road, Rachel was being to grow weary and uncertain. She regarded Zack silently as the bus came to a stop, watching as he stood and retrieved their backpack they acquired when staying in some park(and that they definitely did not steal from some poor camper).
Zack noticed his gaze on her, and he grunted, nudging her. "C'mon, get up. Let's go." He said gruffly, slinging the backpack onto his shoulder, and she quietly obeyed, moving up and out of the seat so he could follow her off of the bus.
As her feet made contact with the asphalt, Ray took a deep breath in of the fresh morning air, and she exhaled as she took in the sights of this new town. It looked quaint and small, and she almost thought it would have been a nice neighborhood to live in. Yet, as Zack brushed past her and headed towards the gas station, mumbling about wanting a cola, she shook that thought out of her head. Her gaze settled on Zack's broad back as she followed after him, already reaching into her pocket to gather their money so she could re-count it. No, she wasn't going to get sentimental now.
She was going to die soon, after all.
Or, well... she thought so, anyway.
Rachel was a bit saddened to admit it, but her uncertainty did come in part to the fact that it had been months since the killer made the promise, his vow to end her life, and yet, he had made no move to make good on his word. The sole reason for why she remained useful to him in that cursed building, and why she willingly went with him when he rescued her from that hospital, and yet...
The bell dinged as the duo entered the store, and Zack made a beeline for the coolers in the back, mouth watering at the frozen treats. Ray followed him, and she quietly swatted his hand when he went to slide it open.
"No. Only get what we need." She declared, and her expression remained deadpan as the killer pouted at her.
"Awe, Ray, c'mon! Not even an ice cream sandwich?" He whined, trying his best to discreetly inch his hand back over to the handle. She slapped it again.
"No, Zack. We need to save our money." She remained firm, frowning at him, but she softened a bit when he pouted at her. "...Another time, okay? You can at the next gas station we go to."
Zack grinned at her. "You promise?" He asked.
'Promise...' Rachel ignored the small voice whispering in her mind, replying with a firm, "I promise."
She watched as Zack, now pleased, sauntered off to get the drinks- a cola for him and a water bottle for her, and she sighed softly as turned her attention to counting their remaining money.
She really wondered if Zack was ever going to fulfill his promise to her. Anytime she even tried to touch on the subject with him, he would either brush her off or give her a brash, "I said I was gonna, didn't I? Get off my back, kid- I will when the time is right."
But that was thing- when would it be the right time? How long was Rachel supposed to wait for Zack to finally spill her blood? She knew they couldn't escape from the police forever while just on their own. They couldn't rely off of stolen money and shady hideouts for the rest of their lives. Even now, Rachel could tell that their reserve of money was running low, and that it was starting to become really dangerous for them to even pickpocket people for loose change.
Some times, she would catch herself thinking about how they were going to survive for the next few days, and it would catch her off guard that she was thinking of the future- a future that wasn't for her. It would lead to her wondering just when Zack will finally just... finish the job, as morbid it sounds. She didn't want to live, and thinking of the future she wasn't meant to have made her feel a type of guilt she wasn't used to.
She hoped Zack would keep his promise.
Rachel's eyes raised from the money as Zack approached her, arms full of the usual items they would get, but she did spot a few treats poorly hidden among them.
"Got everything." Zack said, nodding his head to the cashier. "You got the money?"
She took a moment to calculate in her head, guessing the prices of the treats off the top of her head, and she estimated that while they had enough, they would be cutting it close to their limit. One look at Zack's face though, and she relented, choosing not to say anything.
"Yes. Let's go." She turned on her heels and approached the counter, Zack close behind her, and she took the money out as he set the items down for the cashier to scan. Rachel noticed the clock on the wall and took the chance to check the time. 7:56 AM.
The cashier, a tired looking lady, eyed the duo as she scanned the items. "So... long trip?" She questioned, and Rachel could tell her tone already. Wary. Suspicious.
Zack stepped away to look at some of the displays, and Rachel took the time to answer the lady. "Yes." She already knew where this was going.
The cashier leaned forward a bit, and she whispered to Rachel. "Honey, you okay? Do you need me to call the police?"
Rachel shook her head, and as she rehearsed, she smiled reassuringly at the woman. "No, thank you. I'm okay, ma'am. I'm just traveling with my brother."
The lie came to her so easily by now, and the lady thankfully fell for it. She watched as she relaxed, and she continued to scan the items. "Oh, I see. That's good, then."
The total came up, and Rachel paid it as the lady bagged the items. Zack returned to her side, and the duo left the gas station, walking down toward the sidewalk and leaving the bus stop behind.
The small town really did have a beauty to it, an untouchable peace blanketing it and giving it a sleepy sort of vibe. Cars were only just starting to take to the roads, people going to their jobs and starting their days, and Rachel let her eyes flick between car to car.
If they could get their hands on a car, they could probably save so much money on bus tickets, but then they would have gas to worry about...
Zack turned a corner, disappearing into the space between two houses, and Rachel followed as he entered the next street over. He looked both ways before he took Ray's hand and crossed the road. She gripped his hand, and the two moved into the heart of the town, where the traffic became busier and the houses became stores.
"Alright, time to find some place to stay for a while." Zack said, letting go of her hand as he adjusted his backpack.
"Mm." Rachel hummed, trailing close behind Zack, and they began their search.
They took their time, exploring the ins and outs of the town for possible escape routes and hidey holes, yet finding an abandoned house or building for shelter was proving to be harder than either of them expected. Rachel could only watch as the sun raised higher into the sky, the chilly autumn wind pushing her hair into her face. Brushing it away, she noticed that Zack's agitation was only rising with the sun. She waited until the two of them were in a park, that thankfully was empty, and it was silent as they both walked the path that twisted through the grounds.
"Calm down, Zack." She murmured lightly, touching his arm. He glanced down at her, and he let out a huff.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..." He reassured her quietly. "Just this damn place is huge."
"We'll find someplace." Rachel replied, and she smiled lightly at him.
He seemed to calm down, and Rachel moved her hand away. "What about you, Ray? You seemed kinda down today."
That gave her pause, and she hesitated for a moment, before she leveled her gaze to meet Zack's.
"Zack... why won't you kill me?" She asked, and Zack choked, coughing as he turned away.
"Tits on Christ- give me some warnin' before you ask that in public, Ray!" He whisper-shouted, composing himself quickly and glancing around for anyone who may be listening. The park remained empty.
"Sorry." She replied, lowering her voice to make him feel better. "But... I want to know, Zack. Why won't you kill me?"
"Ray, we talked about this." Zack muttered, shooting her a glare. "I will when the time is right."
"But when will it be the right time?" Ray asked, stopping in her tracks as Zack did the same. He stared at her, incredulous as she held his gaze. "Zack... I want to die. Why won't you kill me?"
Zack opened his mouth to speak, but he faltered, blue eyes drilling holes into his own, and he averted his gaze.
Rachel waited a few tense moments, before she spoke, her voice soft. "Zack... why?"
She watched as he fidgeted, and she could tell he was thinking his words over carefully, his gaze flickering to look at everything but her. Ray didn't mind- she could wait for the answer she's been wanting to hear for months.
"Well, I..."
Zack began, but the loud squeal of a siren cut him off, and their heads snapped in the direction it came from. They could see pulling into the park's parking lot, and without any second thoughts, the duo took off for the far side of the park.
"Great! Just what we need!" Zack growled they came up to a chain-link fence, and without hesitation, Zack picked Rachel up and tossed her towards the top of the fence. She grabbed a hold of it, and she hastily climbed over as Zack followed her up. They jumped to the sidewalk, and they took off across the road and ducked between buildings.
Ray didn't respond as they rounded the corner, moving behind a large building, and her eyes flicked over, spotting an emergency exit door propped open by a broom. She skidded to a stop, grabbing Zack's sleeve, and she pointed. "Quick- in here!" She said, moving inside quickly. Zack followed her in, and she grabbed the broom, yanking it inside and letting the door close with a relieving thunk.
"Good fuckin' thing that door was open." Zack muttered, panting as he leaned against the wall.
"Yeah... now we just need to figure out where we are." Ray replied, panting herself as she moved forward. She could hear faint music playing over the speakers, and the air smelled like artificial cleaner. They appeared to be in a back room of sorts, and she moved forward to the door on the far end as Zack followed her. With a tentative push, she opened it just enough to gaze out, and she raised eyebrows at the sight before her- paintings lined all white walls, and the sound of classical music was softly playing from the speakers above. There wasn't a huge crowd of people, thankfully, but even so- all of their attention was on the art.
"No way..." She whispered, causing Zack to grunt next to her.
"What?" He asked, and she closed the door to look at him.
"We're in an art museum." She answered, and he immediately made a face. "What?"
"So we're around a buncha stingy art critics? Fuckin' lame." He scoffed, crossing his arm. "If any of them look at me funny..."
Rachel shook her head, and she grabbed his sleeve. "We probably don't have to stay long, just... long enough until the police stop looking. Plus, no one will pay any attention to us, Zack. We'll just lay low and look at the art for a while. We should be safe."
Zack considered her words carefully, before he sighed. "This is why you're the smart one." He muttered, uncrossing his arms and ruffling her hair a bit. "Alright, let's go pretend to gawk at some pictures."
Rachel smiled at him gratefully as she opened the door, and the two slipped into the art gallery without anyone sparing them so much as a glance.
Yes I'm marking my return with a brand new fic! I've had this idea for a long time, and now I'm committing to it. I hope you enjoy this, dear readers; whether you're readers of my other fic AMoM, or if you're completely new to my writing!