Chapter 16 Searching and Seeing, Existing but Never Being


AUBURN POV

Black glassy eyes searched and saw.

Mahogany threw its head back, wailing in agony. The sound reverberated throughout the expanse of the hollow building. The sound eluded that of a mournful pang in the heart. It resonated and stuck certain emotional chords. It's been a while since one of them had gotten hurt. The wail of anguish due to physically inflicted pain hurt to hear. Not due to the voice but due to whom it came from. Many creatures emit such sounds but it is always unnerving to hear that from one of your own. From fellow kin to fellow brothers. Nothing is worse than your own mother's mournful cry. That is the worst sound in the world. Hear it so many times. All around. In any place and any time. Centuries ago though it was. Such an unforgetful sound. Worse than agony, physically and emotionally, for it is memory…

How many times has one been defenseless to do anything?

But not anymore, not right now, never again…

Her claws clicked on the metallic floor. Crouching, muscles rippling she pounced, teeth bared in a feral snarl, onto the one who dared hurt her kin. The smell of blood was strong and addicting. So sweet. So tangy. So tasty.

Black glassy eyes glued on the beat up creature that dared to hurt one of them.

Oh it bleeds indeed.

Then everything was still.

Confusion.

For a second she was suspended in the air, and then she was flung and flying up up and away. Straight toward their suspended glass vessel of crimson blood.

Collision was imminent.

With a shriek Auburn impacted with the glass and it shattered.

A wave of liquid crashed down upon them all…

LUKE POV

This time he really did throw up.

His throat burned and he gasped out what was left in his stomach.

His hands shook uncontrollably.

On his knees he felt the ruby liquid creep upon every part of his body and drip down to the floor. The iron foul stench made tears spring from his eyes. The droplets rolled down his face clearing little paths and into the lake of blood he kneeled in, when impacting on the surface of the crimson pool it cause ripples to spread. Like a raindrop when it rains.

Once again he bowed his head and retched out what was left in his already empty stomach. Spittle and saliva leaked out of the corner of his mouth along with a bitter after taste of bile.

Through the haziness of his mind he heard the mad shrieking of the Scavengers. Their mad crooning and sad warbling ringing in his ears. Their death defying screams of pure rage began to die down.

"Offf ouurrr blooddd…"

"Prrecciiouuusss blooddd!"

"Itt'sss ssspillled, hee'sss ssspillled itttt!" they wailed forlornly.

"Blllooddd!"one yapped out.

"Ohhh, ouurrrr bllooddd!" another purred letting it's muzzle dip down to the crimson pool at their clawed feet.

Turning his head slowly toward them he spotted Mahogany, Chestnut, and Black Cherry eagerly licking up the blood and rolling around in it. Practically bathing in the scarlet reservoir. A crazed look in their big giddy inky eyes.

Directing his gaze somewhere else he descried an image he would never disremember. An image he just couldn't tear his eyes away from. Auburn lay on its side in the far corner of the room, unmoving. As still as death, for that's what it was. Glass shards jutted sharply out of its body. Jaw agape. Glassy black eyes stared unseeingly up into the darkness of the room. Untended for, uncared for, its own blood mingled in with that of the deceased children. Becoming one and the same. For a moment he felt sorrow for the creature. It was… Well, he didn't know how to describe it or what he felt. Certain numbness sidled into his mind. Maybe I'm going into shock again he wondered faintly.How many times have I said that in the past day?...

Looking back he saw the other Scavengers guffawing and lapping up the blood fervently, either unaware of or just unfeeling of their companion's state, and for some reason that bothered him greatly. Maybe they were too far gone after all… An addiction… that's what it is. Diminished recognition of significant problems. He looked at them, then back to Auburn's corpse, and then settled his gaze back to the trio fo gibbering creatures. Another weird feeling erupted in his chest.

I feel sorry for them he thought.

So that's what it was…

That emotion…

Pity.

Pity for the Scavengers and what they became.

He dipped his head back down as his whole body was captured in another moment frenzied trembling. Shivers racked up his spine and his eyes burned. With the back of his hand he wiped the blood out of his eyes and face but in the end just succeeded in smearing it even more. It got in his mouth and got everywhere.

The taste was just foul, overwhelming with a metallic irony tang.

His throat constricted painfully and his nose started to run.

Body heaving he doubled over, feeling as if he was retching his lungs out.

No more food would come. The dry heaving just brought more internal pain. His chest ached. his heart raced and his lungs surged. He sniffled and lifting his head up he spotted Sidious's deactivated lightsaber out of the corner of his eye about a foot away. He blinked rapidly a couple times to clear his vision. I must have dropped it during the… the… He shook his head to get rid of the thought and swallowed heavily, taking in a big shaky breath in through his mouth and letting it out through his nose. Swiping his tongue across his lips he forced his aching limbs to move.

The hissing and whining of the Scavengers resonated in the room. They snorted and squealed excitedly, practically rolling and bathing in the blood. A manic look in all their eyes.

On all fours he scrambled farther away from the trio, squelching through the liquid red and gripped the lightsaber, shoving it hastily in his cloak pocket.

Managing to stand on twitching limbs he limped toward the exit from where he and Zoë had arrived. Then nearby he saw it. Underneath where the big glass container of blood had previously been suspended in the air was that pile of junk he spotted from earlier. His gaze was drawn to the specific cylindrical containers filled with fuel and oil. Labels expressed cautions of WARNING FLAMMABLE on them and EXPLOSIVE CAUTION. That was when he got the idea.

A fitting death requires a fitting end he sniffled.

Pushing his blood soaked hair out of his eyes he gazed at the three gibbering tittering deranged Scavengers, then to Auburn, shards of glass sill protruding from its leathery reddish golden brown skin, with big glassy eyes still staring unseeingly at nothing, then back to the cylindrical flammable containers.

Maybe it would be for the best.

No more children would get hurt anymore and their lives would be over. Even if they are vile creature no one should have to live like that. Indifferent and so addicted to some substance that they can't even notice the more important things that are right in front of their faces! I can tell especially by their reactions to each other that they really dearly care very much for one another, but if you care for someone so dearly that concept gets distorted when you are forced to sate your own selfish needs over those of others. That's what happened here. To them. Due to this stupid fascination, this addiction, to blood. They in the end lost sight of what's really important. They don't even know, nor care at the moment, that one of their own is dead. Now that's just sad. That's why I feel pity for them.

That's why this is for the best he concluded.

Decision made he stretched out his hands to the cylindrical receptacles and using the force he pulled the stack of metal cans over. It fell with a thud and broke. Amber, clear, and dirty brown, nearly black, fluids poured out and ran into the blood merging, fusing, and mixing until the two were indistinguishable. The smell of fuel infected the air. The Scavengers raised their heads and stared as all their precious crimson blood slowly crept into a dirty muddy black.

Tainted…

It's tainted…

"Taaiiinnttteddd!" "Taaiiinnttteddd!" "Taaiiinnttteddd!" they suddenly howled in outrage.

"Wwhattt did yoouuu doo?!" Chestnut cried out.

"Ouurrr bllooddd! Ouurrrr prreciiiouusss blllooddd!" They wailed.

"Wwwhattt didd yoouuu doo?! Wwhatt did yoouuu dooo! Wwwhattt didd yoouuu dooo?!" Mahogany screamed like banshee.

"Yesss! Yessss! Wwhattt didd yoouuu do! Wwwhhattt'sss happpenneddd?!" Chestnut wailed.

"Wwwhhat didd yoouuu possssibbllyyy doo! Ohh no, no! No! NO! NOOO! NOOOO!" Mahogany screeched. "Ittt'sss taaiiintteddd! Tttaaiiintteddd!"

"Yoouuu'vve beefouuullled ittt! Yoouuu'vve polllluteddd ittt! Yoouuu'vve deessstrroyyyed ittt! Wwwhhattt did yoouuu do?!" Black Cherry hissed in a deadly serpentine voice.

"Myyy bloodd!"

"Myyy pprrreciiouuussss blllood!"

"Ittt'sss sssoiiillled!"

"Ittt'sss pollllutteddd!"

"Ittt'ssss deefiiiledd!"

"Ittt'ssss marrrrred!"

"Annddd ittt'ssss alll yyouuurrr faauuult!" they bellowed.

"Weee cannn't possssibblllyyy ddrrrinnkkk tthhisss! Ttthisss bblllacckkkened ssstttaaiiin! Ouurrr bllood! Ouuurrrr prrreciiiouusss blllooddd!" they yowled in misery, hopping about looking totally batshit insane while doing it.

"Wwwhattt didd yoouuu doo?! Wwhattt did yoouuu doo?! Wwwhattt did yoouuu dooo?!" they shrieked like a bunch of wild berserkers.

All of the sudden they stopped.

Three black inky murderous glowers bore straight into his skull. Their claws clicked and clacked against the hidden metallic flooring now coated with the black tainted crimson fluid. They prowled toward him, growling menacing and snarling with a baleful look in their eyes. Swallowing thickly he straightened to his full height and met their hot iron glares full head on unintimidated as he possibly could be in the situation and backed up gradually to the exit, making sure to step completely out of the large pool of black bloody fuel.

Their hateful glares burrowed into him. Straitening himself, ignoring the pain it caused in his lower back and stabbing pain in his leg, he gathered all his strength and all his courage. Using the force he took hold of one of the many torches that had sparsely been spread out across the walls to light the expansive room. Taking hold of one with the force he gripped it hard. Then flung it into the tainted life fluid.

After that…

The world caught fire.

It ignited immediately and spread.

Sparking up blue and then a fiery hellish red.

Blood burned, releasing a horrific stench and fuel caught fire.

Burning hence.

Breathing heavily out of his mouth while covering his nose he turned and fled. Around the pipes and dashing into the exit as fast as his wounded leg could carry him.

Tall shadows of the Scavengers projected against the walls by the blazing inferno twisted and turned.

They wailed mournfully and shrieked in demise.

He flew down the tunnel and never once did he dare to look back. For fear of what he would see he did not know. Stumbling up the steep flight of steps whilst clutching his cut up and gnawed on leg he barreled out of the double trap door and into the freezing night.

Unearthly howls of pain split the air.

They screamed in agony.

Cried in torment.

Shrieked in misery.

Screeched in sufferance.

Lamented to this purgatory.

And wailed as they burned.

As he left the fire grew wilder and the screams grew louder, engraving itself in his memory...

But he kept on running and never once did he look back. Not even when an explosion violently ripped the sky apart and cast up the colors one would associate with a sunrise. Silenced were the unearthly grieving sounds of the Scavengers. So loud and violent from behind him the blast was that he was almost wholly blown off his feet. He limped and scrambled away as fast as possible.

Don't look back. Don't you dare look back! Try to forget, was the mantra that that went on over and over again in his mind… but deep down he knew he never would.

Just don't look back.

He scrambled away into the darkness from whence he and Zoë had come…

Breathing heavily he rested his hands on his knees. He was still gulping in fresh air even though he was quite a ways from that… that… place.

Swallowing thickly and ignoring the sprouting pain in his side and the consistent throbbing of his previous injuries he continued forward. His thoughts all focused on one person now and no one other:

Zoë.

I have to find Zoë. I have to make sure she's okay.

He could feel her faint presence through the force. And that reassured him greatly. It isn't far now he thought. She was mingled in with others making it hard to pinpoint a specific location. It took all his quickly waning concentration to find which direction she was in.

Hurrying up a flight of stone steps he stumbled but regained his balance against a cold stone wall. Gritting his teeth he pushed himself off and lurched onward. Occasionally he was forced to duck his blood painted body behind various objects and or buildings due to stragglers wandering about. As he traveled up from the underworld of Coruscant he could see the moon, a bright satellite floating aimlessly in the sky with not a care in the world, much more clearly now. He limped up another flight of steps and hobbled down an alleyway where he heard commotion beyond. Erupting from the darkness he peaked around the corner and immediately pinpointed Zoë and all the children. Safe and sound.

Relief filled his whole being and his body sagged against the wall.

Zoë's okay he thought, panting harshly. She's okay.

He spotted her and the rest of the children with some officers and a couple med speeders nearby. Zoë appeared to be in a heated conversation with one of the Coruscant police force officers. She sounded worried. He couldn't make out what she was saying right away and only caught snippets of the conversation.

He then realized something; she's speaking about me… She's worried for me. And deep down he felt his heart slightly warm at the thought despite the current situation. He couldn't help but let a small brief, but meaningful smile slip onto his countenance. It had felt so long since he had felt this content but in reality he really was happy just that same morning. I had absolutely no idea that I would save a bunch of children's lives. His eyes softened at that and he returned his attention from his contemplation back to Zoë.

"Luke… have to help… Scavengers… blood harvest…," she begged as the paramedics took her and Dyla away.

"Sorry… explosion… not safe…go with the rest of them…," the officer told in a stern voice.

"… But… Luke… needs help…" she pleaded.

The officer turned away motioned to an ithorian, most likely one of the paramedics due to the attire it wore.

Zoe was picked up by the ithorian and carried to the med speeder that held her sister, Dyla, and all the other children who had already been seated. She struggled and kicked and yelled unintelligibly at the police force to do something but in the end was taken away as well.

But before the door of the med speeder closed though he saw her glance up. Her clear blue eyes met his own blue orbs for a brief second in time. Then she was gone. With a rumble the speeder took off and sailed into the Coruscant traffic lane. The officers dispersed and began to call reinforcements to investigate the incident regarding the supposedly blood hungry beings called the Scavengers.

He watched for a minute, still staring off in the direction of the med speeder longingly, and then turned tail and limped slowly in the opposite direction, to find another route, someplace away from the security force and the officers. He descended back into darkness.

ZOE POV

Back on the med speeder she sat and stared out the window at the flashing lights passing by. Dyla gripped her hand and squeezed it tight. She turned to her sister and smiled back at her, trying to look heartening at their escape of such dreadful fate, and let her head lull against her sister's shoulder. Her blue eye lids drooped and she released a sleepy yawn.

For a second she wondered, was that really Luke or was it just my imagination?... Maybe it's a ghost. Maybe he's dead. Maybe he wasn't there at all. But either way I hope he got away…

What she saw: A figure drenched in red, glancing longingly at her with blue eyes so identical to Luke's, but not daring to approach. The look in those blue eyes had been brimming with so much untold emotions. It made her wonder.

With last thoughts focused solely on Luke she sighed and closed her eyes surrendering herself to her current exhaustion.

Oh Luke…

ELSEWHERE POV

And in the distance. Far beyond what our time traveler could ever see. One pair of glassy black eyes stared out at the bright twinkling lights of the beautiful fluorescent cityscape. And carrying in its jaws, a silver lightsaber, when ignited, would spring out a green emerald blade. The black glassy gaze searched. Looked on desperately into the starry horizon, for the kin it could never find…

As it's in fault for the creature it has come to be…


(Hydra Note: if you are wondering the bounty hunters died in the explosion so we don't ever get to see them again, thankfully.)