Wow, this one gave me so many problems I don't know where to begin. First off, I got really, really sick 3 weeks ago and the damned crap didn't go away until last Wednesday so I needed some help writing this chapters while I was loopy from cough medicine. So I called in my good buddy Lucas, who's trying to major in English and he was nice enough to write half of this for me. This was the poor guy's first ever venture into fanfiction (and I introduced him to slash of all things, LOL) so I'd like to give him a big thanks. Secondly, thanks to all of you for waiting until I was a hundred percent satisfied with this chapter to post it… and a big thank you to Animegirl1129 for the beta
Enjoy…
Chapter 42
For a moment, Pogue wasn't aware of what had happened. An intense cold had worked its way deep into his body and made his limbs feel three times heavier as he tried to move. His head was throbbing with an intense ring. He managed to crack an eye open and felt a slight tremor of fear bubble in his throat when he saw the hard floor of the stone room pressed against the side of his face.
He gently rose into a sitting position, mindful of his throbbing head and scanned the length of the room. Most of the candles were extinguished; their grey smoke tiffs still lingered in the dark room. He saw a dark shape out of the corner of his eye but before he could turn his head, a hand clasped tightly around his throat and pushed him back down to the floor.
"You son of a bitch!" Caleb's voice screeched right into his ear.
Pogue chocked on a gasp as the strong fingers started squeezing the air right out of his lungs. Caleb's eyes were pure black and small trickles of blood had gathered near the corner of the older boy's lip and nostrils, signaling that some damage had been done to Caleb's body from William's recent attack; whatever it was. Pogue struggled against the hold, trying to work his knee upward into his attacker's gut but Caleb prevented it by pinning it to the floor with his own leg.
"I've had enough of you." Caleb punctuated his growl by tightening his grip. "You and Caleb have outlived your use."
"Fuck you."
Pogue's breathless growl caused a cruel grin to appear on Caleb's face.
"How do you want the love of your life to die Pogue? Quick or slow like you're going to?"
The fingers around his throat tightened to an even more unbearable level and Pogue felt sure that was blood he tasted in the back of his mouth.
"Should I make Caleb over-use or should I just cut his throat?"
"Lair! You still need him, you're not whole yet." Pogue managed to scream out.
He had to do something, if Caleb's hands got any tighter...
"Wrong witch boy, I don't need him or you for that matter. I have Tyler."
All sound completely faded from Pogue's ears as Chase's statement reached him.
(Fuck, Tyler!)
He could see the youngest covenant member lying on the floor a good distance away out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't let anything happen to him, it was his job as the oldest to take care of him. Caleb made him swear to keep Tyler safe.
Rage, thick and hot, boiled in the back of Pogue's mind. Chase needed to die, one way or another. It was the only way he would be able to save Caleb and protect Tyler. The bastard needed to die.
Focusing all of his remaining strength and willpower, Pogue slowly extended an arm outwards and called forth a heavy portion of his mental powers. Chase saw this out of the rim of his eye but wasn't quick enough to block it and was thrown backwards by Pogue's powers. Both teens lay on the hard stone ground for a series of moments, breathing heavily. Pogue was the first to crawl to his feet.
"You're not going to hurt Caleb anymore you mother fucking freak and I'm not going to let you lay a hand on Tyler."
Caleb's reply was a rage filled growl and a heavy blast of power that Pogue barely had the strength to block. A painful gash formed on his right forearm afterwards but the empath forced the pain waves to the depths of his mind. He gathered more of his power and threw it in Caleb's direction, hitting the older boy directly in the chest and winding him even more. Pogue leapt at the opportunity, he needed to keep Caleb's body pinned. He dashed towards him quickly afterwards.
Caleb swung his arm just as Pogue came near, knocking the long-haired teen back and sent him crashing to the floor a moment later with a powerful burst of power. The blow stunned him and before Pogue could roll to his feet, he was pinned heavily to the floor by Caleb's foot. The dark haired boy raised his fist and summoned an intense force of power to gather around it. The empath saw this and tried to roll out from under his foot but couldn't.
(Shit, this is it!)
He couldn't bring himself to look so he cowardly turned his head. He couldn't look at Caleb's face; his friend's face held nothing but malice and anger as he raised his hand to deliver the final blow.
(I'm sorry Caleb. I'm sorry...)
The hand entered the corner of his vision but the painful blow never came. Instead, Pogue felt a familiar presence brush against his hazy mind.
Are you alright?
Pogue felt himself choke once again
(William?)
You sound surprised. The elder remarked and then his voice dawned a dark tone. Hello Chase.
Upon hearing the elder's voice, Caleb's shouldered coiled tight.
"William." He snarled.
Notice anything different?
Chase's arm rose halfway into the air and turned his palm upwards, an act that seamed to upset the older boy.
"You son of a–"
The growl was cut short by William's laughter.
Doesn't feel to nice being my puppet now do it?
"Fuck you!"
Pogue... William's tone darkened to an even deeper level... Get to your feet and find a way to get him out of my son.
(What do you want me to do?)
Make him suffer, tear him in half! I don't care; just get him out of my son! William roared.
Pogue gingerly rolled to his feet, his body protesting the entire time. His eyes locked with Caleb's dark brown ones. Hundreds of emotions could be seen in their amber depths but the one that stood out the most was anger, an emotion that was non-existent in their glow until 3 months ago.
"Go on Pogue." Caleb barked, still frozen to the spot but eyeing the empath the entire time. "Hurt me."
Pogue felt a lump form in the back of his throat and tried to swallow it down. Caleb saw this and laughed.
"Oh, that's right. You'd never hurt your precious Caleb. You'd rather die."
"Shut up."
"Oh? He's always a sensitive subject with you isn't he?"
Pogue's fingers tightened into fists. "Fuck you."
"You wish." Caleb replied with a smug grin. "Oh wait, you already did."
Pogue, William's voice warned. Don't listen; just feel around his head for Caleb.
The empath mentally shook himself and raised his hand, positioning it a few inches away from Caleb's face. The older boy merely watched with a bored look.
"Wow, scary. You'll fuck Caleb given the opportunity but you don't have the balls to touch him now eh?"
"Keep talking asshole." Pogue growled as he focused, gently sending his powers into Caleb's mind in search of his friend's presence.
He's trying to get under your skin boy, ignore him!
"I wonder if he ever fucked Sarah? She's pretty enough and since she's a girl, she's his taste. Think she'd have what it takes to make him scream like you did...oh wait, for that she'd have to rape him too, wouldn't she?"
Pogue don't!
William's warning wasn't quick enough, with an enraged scream; Pogue swung his fist hard into Caleb's jaw. A sickening thud echoed inside the room as Caleb recoiled from the hit. William's presence kept the older boy rooted to the spot but judging from how hazy Caleb's eyes looked, it would be a few minutes before Chase fully recovered.
Pogue relished the silence and searched once again in the dark abyss for Caleb's presence. Chase's presence was cold and never ending but the empath refused to give up, there had to be a part of Caleb left in there somewhere. A pained groan eased from Caleb's mouth as Pogue used his powers to tear deeper into his friend's subconscious, enjoying the pain he caused briefly.
"You're not going to find him. There's nothing left."
"Shut up." Pogue growled, not even opening his eyes.
Pogue twisted his powers deeper into Caleb's mind, causing even more pained noises to fill the room.
(Caleb? Where the hell are you...?)
He probed deeper and deeper, feeling over every memory and thought he came across in hopes that it belonged to Caleb. Chase tried to block him at every turn but for once he wasn't strong enough to. Pogue felt Chase wiggle under his control but he didn't pay it any mind until he heard William's roar.
Pogue look out!
Pogue opened his eyes just in time to see something long and silver grasped in Chase's hand and he wasn't fast enough to keep the item from ghosting past his cheek. A stinging sensation fallowed a moment later and Pogue knew something had cut him, he could feel the blood dripping down his neck. He blocked another blow by locking with Caleb's and his eyes caught sight of the double edged knife clutched in the older boy's grip; he didn't even realize the blade was in Chase's reach.
"Like I said, there's nothing left of Caleb in here. It's. Just. Me."
The last three words burned right into Pogue's body and added more fuel to his never ending anger.
"You son of a bitch, why won't you just fucking die?!"
Chase's answer was a deep growl and a kick that sent Pogue stumbling back a few paces. The knife was swung once again and Pogue let out a wail as its blade sunk into his right thigh. Chase laughed and twisted the blade painfully before pulling it out.
(Fuck.)
With a throaty moan, Pogue forced himself to ignore the pain as the knife once again came near his face. His fingers reached out and grasped the handle when it was less then a few inches away from his face.
"That's it, keep fighting." Caleb chuckled darkly. "That's what he wants."
Before Pogue could ask who "He" was, Caleb pulled the knife back and charged Pogue's unprotected side. The empath moved and twisted out of Caleb's way, his fingers digging into Caleb's arm in an attempt to wrestle the knife away from his grasp. Caleb recoiled and directed the knife towards Pogue's chest but the blond's hands once again grabbed the handle.
The blade's tip was mere inches away from his chest and Chase was forcing more strength and energy making it move lower every few seconds. Pogue's arms were trembling from the strain and felt like they'd give out at any moment and what was worse, he didn't have the strength to call upon any of his powers. The blade was only a few inches shy of his skin now and from the enraged look on Caleb's face, Chase was more then willing to push it deeper. A yelp burned in Pogue's throat as the pain from his throbbing arms shot through his body. He couldn't hold on for much longer, he couldn't...he needed to do something.
With a deep breath, Pogue called forth the last of his strength and pushed as hard as he could on Caleb's hands. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Caleb raise his knee and Pogue was quick to me out of the way. His hands twisted around Caleb's arms as he moved and shortly after he evaded the kick, Pogue felt Caleb's arms twist with him and a sickening wail tore form Caleb's mouth.
Time seamed to come to a crashing halt as Pogue felt something warm and wet spill over his finger tips. Caleb stood completely still in his arms and a few heartbeats later, his weight started leaning fully against Pogue's side. Pogue pulled a shaking hand away from Caleb's stomach and emitted a sound that could have either been a sob or a gasp.
(Oh god no, no, no, no...)
His hands were covered with blood... Caleb's blood.
"Oh god. Caleb!"
The knife hit the floor with a loud clank and Caleb's weight fully sank against Pogue's shoulder. Pogue hastily turned the older boy around and saw a large red stain forming on Caleb's shirt near his lower left side. The empath swore and gently pulled Caleb down to the hard stone floor, the blood stain was growing bigger every passing second. He pulled Caleb's shirt up and away from the wound. A small red gash was visible among the spreading blood trails. It was no longer then his index finger but the never ending spurts of blood told Pogue the wound was deep.
Tears started forming in the depths of Pogue's blue eyes. "Oh god– I'm sorry Caleb. I'm so sorry."
Caleb's mouth opened in an attempt to say something but no sound came out. His eyes fluttered closed and then opened shortly afterwards. They were their normal dark shade of amber but all of the anger and malice had completely disappeared from their shine; those eyes only belonged to one person.
"Caleb?"
The brown gems turned in his direction when Caleb heard his voice.
"P...ogue?"
His voice was raspy and came out no heavier then a whisper.
"Yeah, yeah it's me Caleb." Pogue choked out, a tear falling from his eyes. "It's going to be okay."
Caleb didn't say anything to that. The older boy just closed his eyes and let his dead weight sag against Pogue's chest.
"Caleb?"
Pogue swore he felt his heart come to a complete stop. More tears gathered in his eyes as he mustered up the urge to shake Caleb's still form.
"Caleb?"
No answer, no breath...
Caleb was gone...
--
1) I wanted the fight to be very physical and nerve racking so I decided not to have the boys use their powers that much, hope no one minds. I tried to make it believable
2) The "exorcism" attempt was inspired by Clive Barker's "Jericho" and if you've played the game you'll know what scene I'm talking about. I just wish that I could've put the whole "Your pimp has taught you well" line in there. I fell on my ass and laughed when I first heard that line.
3) No Tyler was not raped in the past chapters. Pogue and Caleb are my main whipping boys in this series. Read the scene again if you don't believe me.
4) No it's not over yet, not by a long ass shot