((Okay this is for sure the last chapter of bad stuff for a while. I don't really know how the rest of the events are going to play out quite yet, but I promise I'll update sooner than a month between each chapter, and that's a definite promise! I hope this chapter isn't too weird to read, I can't really write violence well. I'll let you get to it and form your own opinions about it though.))
His thoughts snapped back to the present when she made a little coughing sound. He turned his head with a snap and gave her an angered look, "are you going to tell me what I want to know? Time is ticking, and my patience is running thin," he pulled a handgun from his pocket, "and when the patience runs out," he pointed the gun at her, "bad things start to happen."
"Gamzee I already told you I don't know where he is! After he graduated I never saw him again. He moved away with Terezi because they ended up at the same college but that was five years ago! I hardly ever even see any of my old friends, how would I know where Karkat is now?" Nepeta tried to plea, to explain to him in a way that would make him understand, "Equius and I moved here barely two years ago, how did you find us?"
"I'm the one asking the questions, but if you must know it isn't hard to go to a local library and look at the microfilms. You didn't move very far, and the nice article about the newly wed CEO son moving to a small town pretty much lead me here," he snickered darkly, "the search wasn't very hard, and it didn't take long at all," he caressed her cheek, "you looked lovely in that wedding dress."
Nepeta's eyes widened in horror when he said that because they hadn't had any photos in the newspapers of the wedding. She fell back against the wall in an attempt to escape through the door, which remained slightly ajar. She edged toward it slowly, covering it up as her legs buckling in fear. When she was to a point that she could spring at the door using her leg muscles she turned to look at her imprisoner. He was standing above her with his arms crossed, the gun pointed down to the ground. She used her peripheral vision to gauge how far the door was from her position, keeping up her guard to prevent herself from looking obvious. She waited, watching him until he looked away for a split second and she made her lunge towards the door.
Heavy weight slammed into her body, pinning her on her stomach against the floor and the wall and she felt the door slam shut against her head. She let out a stifled yelp and scrambled to get to the door, but the weight only increased on her back and then strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back.
"Not a smart move girl," Gamzee hissed into her ear as he drug her away from the door, "not a smart move at all. Now my patience is almost all used up, and you still haven't told me what I want to know," she felt his weight leave her and his hand snaked into her hair, pulling her up by it as she whimpered, "I'm not going to kill you yet, because I really think you're lying to me about this," he spun her around as his hand moved from her hair to her throat, he bent down until his mouth was next to her ear again, "I'll give you this last chance," the gun poked her in the back, "tell me what I want to know."
Nepeta let out a chocked sob for herself: being caught in this situation again, for Equius: for more than likely coming home to find her dead, for their family: only yesterday had she found out it was growing. Even if she had known where Karkat was she would never tell him, because he and Terezi had probably started a life together, they were probably married by now. If she had known, had been able to tell him, he would probably hunt them down mercilessly if they ran, he would probably hurt Terezi and any family they might have. She would never put them in harm's way, and she believed that if she had ended up with Karkat, and Gamzee had come after Terezi like this, she believed that Terezi wouldn't tell either. Nepeta closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks as she swallowed down any more tears and cleared her throat.
She blinked and voiced her thoughts, "Gamzee, even if I did know where he was I would never tell you. I bet you anything he's started a family, more than likely with Terezi, and I would never ever put them in danger. You would hurt them like your hurting me now. Even if –" her voice faltered and she had to stop for a moment to breathe, "even if you kill me today I will be dying knowing that I have kept a good friend safe from harm."
She could feel his body stiffen against her back. She felt the gun move away from where it was pressed into her body and she almost let out a sigh, but she knew it was far from over. She felt the hand at her throat tighten for an instant before releasing her. She felt him step away from her, could hear his heavy breathing. Her first instinct was to bolt, to leave the room as quickly as possible, but the sound of a gun being cocked from where he stood ended the idea swiftly. She slowly turned to face him. He stood with his feet slightly apart, the gun was pointed again at the ground, but she knew it could be brought up swiftly if the need arose. He was breathing deeply still, and he was staring at the ground.
"You really don't know do you? You pathetic excuse for a human being. I've been waiting for six years, six years to finally get out of that fucking prison. The prison that you put me in. Do you think it's funny that I didn't get to go to college? That my sports scholarships that I worked for years to earn went to some slacker because you put me in prison? Do you think it's wonderful that my father acts like I don't exist anymore because of you? Back then all I ever wanted to do was protect my best fucking friend from little tramps like you, and instead of being rewarded for that I get punished? I didn't even hurt you that badly you stupid, weak little slut."
"Gamzee you broke half my rib cage and caused internal bleeding! I was in a coma for a week, how on earth do you think that's 'not even hurting me badly'? I could've died just from the wounds you gave me if the police hadn't arrived. Then you'd still be in prison. For murder. Do you think you'd be out now if that happened? No, you would still be in prison rotting away like you should be now."
"They let me out early for good behavior," a sickeningly evil smile spread across his face, "they could hardly even believe poor Gamzee Makara had ever hurt anybody. Let alone a little…helpless…freshman…girl," with each word his head crept up until he was looking her in the eyes. They were terrifying eyes, "a little helpless freshman girl that's going to finally get what she deserves. A little helpless freshman girl whose husband is going to get what he deserves too. A little helpless freshman girl who –what was that?" His eyes snapped away from hers and he grabbed her wrist and drug her to the window, "look and see what that was," he forced her to look out the blinds.
She gasped inaudibly. Equius had stepped out of their car; the sound they'd heard was the door slamming shut. She closed her eyes, praying he would just grab whatever it was he needed and leave again, praying that he wouldn't come in and check on her. Nepeta didn't doubt for a second that Gamzee would shoot him the moment he walked through the door.
"What was it you stupid whore," he roughly grabbed her face and made her look at him, "tell me now!"
She swallowed back her fear, "Equius is back for something," she squeaked.
He felt a grin spread across his face, "perfect, now I can get rid of you and him at the same time. I won't have to wait around for him to come home or something."
"No, Gamzee please don't hurt him. You can do whatever you want to me just please don't hurt Equius, please," she begged him as loudly as she could with him holding her face so tightly. He shook his head and chuckled darkly again and let her face go with a slap.
"I'm so very sorry Nepeta," the way he said her name made her shudder, "but if I left him alive as well I wouldn't be doing my job now would I? I still fully intend to take out the motherfucking trash in this world."
The front door slammed shut and they could hear him cursing it in his own way. His steps went first into the kitchen, and then back into the living room.
"Nepeta? Nepeta I just left my water jug here, it's really quite hot today so I felt that it was necessary to return home to get it. Nepeta? Are you alright here? Nepeta, where are you?"
His concerned voice followed his footsteps until he was in front of the door. Gamzee roughly put his hand over her still stinging mouth and put the gun to her head.
"Nepeta, are you in here?" Equius turned the knob of the door slowly and opened it a crack, when he didn't see her sleeping in bed he opened the door further to see if she was doing something with headphones in, when he still didn't see her he panicked and threw the door open, his eyes widening in horror at the picture before him. Chills went up his spine to see her in almost the exact same position she had been in more than six years ago, except this time the man holding her hostage had something far more deadly than a knife. The other man's dark smirk spread still wider as he took in his rival.
"Hello Zahhak, motherfucking long time no see. Remember all those years ago when you stopped me from taking care of the garbage? Well this time you won't stop me Zahhak, this time I mean business."
"Makara, how did you get out of prison so soon? You were on a ten year sentence. It's only been about six and a half."
"Good behavior has its perks you know," he chuckled, "I had them wrapped around my motherfucking fingers in there."
He gestured airily with his gun toting hand, making Equius flinch and look at Nepeta. She was looking at him desperately, not with a 'help me' look but with a 'get out of here' one. He shook his head and scowled at her imprisoner, "Makara what do you want with her this time? She hasn't been in any contact with anyone you may be looking for. She cannot answer your questions. Now then, before I kill you with my bare hands you will release her and leave our home."
Gamzee threw his head back and roared with laughter, "you? Kill me with your bare hands?" He pointed the gun at Equius, "you seem to forget who has the upper hand here," he put the gun back against Nepeta's temple, "make a single move towards us and I shoot her and then you."
Equius sized up the situation. Nepeta could hardly do anything in the position she was in now. If only she could bite his hand and break his grip on her, she could come over and they could run, but it probably wouldn't take long for Makara to regain his composer. That idea would get one or both of them shot, and she hardly looked able to run now. He couldn't dodge a bullet, and he knew the man would shoot to kill. He hoped their only neighbors were home, if he shot one of them they would hear the sound and hopefully call the police.
"Okay Makara, what do you honestly think is going to happen here if you kill us? The gunshots would be heard, the police called. You would only end up right back in prison, for life this time, maybe even death row. What would that get you? What would that do for you?"
Gamzee pulled Nepeta up higher so that she was on her tip toes, "the satisfaction of knowing that I finally did my job. That I finally took this slut out of the world."
Equius's teeth ground together when he heard him use such a word to describe Nepeta. His fist balled up without his consent and he felt a nerve in his face twitch, "do not speak of her like that, using such terminology. She is nothing of the sort. Use such words against her again and I will not even give you time to pull the trigger before I have broken your neck."
"What kind of words hmmm? You mean like calling her a tramp like she is? A little whore that doesn't deserve to walk the motherfucking earth? Because she is one, and I won't even give you the time to get over here before I pull this motherfucking trigger."
Just as Equius lunged towards Gamzee, Nepeta twisted violently, kicking his leg out from under him and causing him to let her go. She pushed him against the dresser and bolted away towards Equius. He grabbed her and pushed her away as Gamzee brought up the gun and shot.
Equius felt a searing pain rip through his thigh just above his knee and he let out a startled cry. Nepeta screamed his name from where she'd landed when he had pushed her, and he slowly sank to the ground, kneeling and staring at the blood welling from the hole in his leg. Gamzee stood up, breathing raggedly as he aimed to shoot again. Nepeta launched herself at him and knocked him over, hitting him again and again until he dropped the gun. She shoved it away and it slid under the bed as he roughly threw her off of himself. He got a single punch in before he heard voices shouting from outside, he tossed her aside and ran out of the room, finding the back door he paused for a moment to say, "This isn't over yet fuckers. I'll get you both next time, and don't think for a second there won't be a motherfucking next time," before he slammed out of the door and ran out of sight.
Nepeta crawled over to where Equius was lying in a slowly spreading pool of blood. He was starting to lose consciousness, and she grabbed his hand, "no no no no baby please stay awake please don't go to sleep don't do it you might not wake up," he looked up at her with tired, dark blue eyes.
"I almost didn't protect you again Nepeta, do I really deserve you if I can't even keep you safe?" He asked in a whisper, "I don't know how he always knows when I'm not with you; it almost makes me feel as if this is all my fault for leaving you vulnerable."
"Oh no, Equi, Equi this isn't your fault at all!" she looked up to see her neighbor holding a phone to her ear.
"…and an ambulance, somebody was shot here today," the woman shot into the phone before bending down, "yes quickly he's losing blood fast!" She slammed the phone shut and looked over at Nepeta, "oh dear lord what happened here? Were you being robbed or something?"
"No not really, it was somebody we knew from high school, he attacked me and then Equi, honey please stay awake," she stroked his face with the hand that wasn't holding his, "the ambulance is one its way. And then Equi came home and he shot him."
"That's terrifying what are you going to do?" the woman was trying to make a tourniquet out of her scarf to slow the bleeding, in the distance they could hear many sirens coming up the street, "I wouldn't be able to stay here after that! You two should move far away once you get out of the hospital," with the tourniquet in place she turned towards Nepeta's bruises, "he sure did hurt you bad didn't he? Watch him while I go find some ice for your face, it's starting to swell," she stood up and looked out the window when the sound of screeching tires filled their ears, "oh thank god the paramedics are here!"
She ran out of the house, shouting that they were in the back of the building. Moments later two people with a stretcher came racing in. They quickly took Equius up in it and hurried back to the ambulance. Nepeta raced along with them until one of the paramedics stopped her, "I'm sorry ma'am, but there isn't going to be enough room in there with us trying to patch him up and get some blood back into him. Do you know what blood type he is?"
"B positive, can I at least say goodbye?" Nepeta felt like she was going to cry if they said no.
"Thank you, but please make it quick we need to get both of you to the hospital, can you give her a ride ma'am?" the paramedic walked over to her neighbor and they started to talk. Nepeta moved to the stretcher.
"Equius, can you hear me?" she asked. He turned his head towards her voice but didn't open his eyes.
"I can hear you," he whispered almost inaudibly.
"We're going to the hospital to get you all fixed up okay? We're going to be okay now you know," she choked back her tears, "we have to be okay, I have very good news for you later after everything is all said and done alright? Don't let me forget okay?"
"Yes, I will not let you forget," he smiled and it almost broke her heart, "I can't wait to –," he coughed, and a paramedic ran over and grabbed the stretcher, pushing it to the ambulance and putting him up inside. The one talking to their neighbor ran over and jumped in, slamming the doors behind them as they sped off towards the hospital.
Her neighbor put a hand on her shoulder, "come on sweetie we need to get you over there and have you checked out too. He'll be alright, he's a strong man they'll get the bullet out and stitch him up and he'll be just dandy."
Nepeta nodded as she let herself be herded towards a light blue sedan, "I guess you're right. I think I'll need an ultrasound; I have to be sure…but yes let's get going please. Thank you so much for this," she sat down dazed and pulled on the seat belt robotically, her neighbor getting in behind the wheel.
"It's nothing darling; now then I think they said they were taking him to St. Mary's. You sure you're alright leaving the police here?" the woman pulled out of the driveway slowly, avoiding police cars and officers.
"Yes they're just doing their job. Let's please be going now, I don't want to leave him alone for too long."
"Alright let's be on our way."
The woman pulled away from the scene of the crime and Nepeta closed her eyes, blocking out the world for just a little while.
((Ah yes, I am so glad that's over! Next chapter will probably be up in a couple of weeks, I've decided to take a break from my other story to focus more on this one. I hope as the story progresses you continue to enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it, even the sad stuff.))