Legend Killer 10

Warnings: Angst, swearing and violence, attempted suicide

The Saint of Killers was frowning at Randy and with a shake of his head said, 'Sorry son, but the answer is no. You're cut off.'

Face pale with rage and shock, Randy could only protest, "You can't do that to me!"

'I just did.'

"Fuck you old man!" Randy snarled.

The Saint glared but instead of responding, he disappeared. That enraged Randy even more. He picked up a chair and hurled it at the wall where the Saint had stood mere seconds before. Pieces of the chair went everywhere. Seth didn't need to be told what the answer was. Glancing nervously at Roman who was still out cold, he tried to calm Randy down. "Okay, it's not a big deal. It's fine. We just move on to plan b."

Randy shook his head but instead of answering, he braced his hands against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut and breathing through gritted teeth. He curled his hands into fists and began to beat on the wall, biting down hard on a scream of rage. He had been cut off. He couldn't believe the Saint had done that to him. And now the hot rage that had burned in his veins for so long was icy with shock and terror.

He was vulnerable and it wouldn't take very long before his enemies figured it out.

Seth watched him warily. As enraged as Randy was, Seth wasn't certain Orton wouldn't attack him. But he kept his hand away from his gun despite the instinct to draw it to protect himself and Roman. He didn't need Orton to think Seth didn't trust him, (which he didn't, truth be told but Orton didn't need to know it right then.) "It's fine,"he said again. "Roman can handle this until Dean is back on his feet and then we'll finish this. Just, calm down."

But Seth's words only reminded Randy others were doing his job, denying him his vengeance. Without those things the reasons for him existing were wiped out. He had one option left. He pulled one of his Smith and Wesson's out of its holster and contemplated it. It was only way to ensure the demons could never get to him again. He raised the gun to his temple; a bullet trembled in its dark nest.

Then Seth was there, grabbing his wrist in both hands and getting right up in his face. "Orton, what the fuck are you doing? What the hell is going on with you? Talk to me!" he half demanded half pleaded, trying to stay calm. Seth's face was white and his eyes were huge but his voice was steady. He had learned from being friends with Dean that it was vital to not freak out around a highly volatile personality. Roman was a rock, but Randy was like Dean, unpredictable and unstable. Whatever the Saint had said to Randy had pushed him over the edge.

"He cut me off. I can't kill them anymore," Randy said as if in a dream. "But I can make sure I die on my terms, not theirs." He tried to pull his wrist away from Seth, who refused to let go despite Randy's much greater strength.

Oddly, this was something Seth could understand. But that didn't mean he agreed. Using his weight as leverage, he pressed Randy's back against the wall, desperately trying to think of an argument to convince Randy this was not the best solution. Not yet at least. "Listen to me Orton, we need you. Roman and Dean need you. You are the only one in the world with the experience to teach us what we need to know. If you die, we will too. Then so will the rest of the world."

"Fuck the rest of the world! Never again! I won't go through what happened with Benoit again, do you hear me?" Randy replied, almost frantic at the thought, struggling against Seth's weight pinning him to the wall. Cody's lungs expanding as he inhaled the cool morning air. The blood eagle flexed its wings once then was still. Ted knowing he was next begged Randy to kill him. But the bullet burned in his guts and the terrible weight on his back held him pinned to the ground, the smell of grass and dew in his nostrils…"I'll die before that happens."

Seth jerked on his wrist, still trying to gain control of the gun but he couldn't match Randy's strength. "This is not the solution," he argued. "Sure, they're strong but if we all work together, you, me, Dean and Roman, maybe even John, we can beat them. You're still strong, and you can still see them. John can't. I can't. But if you kill yourself now how long do you think the rest of us have? A day? A week? How long before Hunter takes us out? We need you," he said again, praying Randy would listen to him.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Randy fought against the panic. He took a deep breath, then a second one. He opened his eyes and stared directly into Seth's, inches away. His gaze slid over to Roman, who was still unconscious. He hadn't been able to protect Ted and Cody, or Jack.

Or even Edge…

"I'm so tired of this shit," he confessed, his strength fading as did the rage and fear, leaving a numbness behind. Dimly, Randy was thankful Roman hadn't witnessed his breakdown.

Squelching down on a surge of hope and relief Seth nodded. "I know, but you're not alone, not anymore. Just…believe in us."

Slowly, Randy released the grip on his gun and Seth took it and stuffed it in his belt. He stepped back a step to give Randy some space. He was still scared but as always he did a remarkable job of hiding it. He made one last calculated move to ensure Orton stayed with them for a little while longer. "I understand what you're going through." Seeing Randy's skeptical look, Seth smiled. It felt stiff on his face as he remembered the dark and the singing. "Dean, Roman and I may have survived Carcosa, but I don't think I could face going through it again," he confessed with total honesty. "Tell you what. I promise you I will kill you myself before I let them get you, if you make me the same promise."

Eyes wide, Randy looked at him for long seconds before nodding jerkily.

Feeling a bit guilty about manipulating Orton like that, Seth reached a hand out to Randy and they shook, sealing their agreement. Now it was time to get productive again. "Alright here's what we're going to do. You get rid of the bodies. Then head back to the cabin and check on Dean. Roman and I will track down any Nexus still here in town and finish them. Then we'll join you and Dean and figure out our next step."

Randy swallowed. He knew Seth was trying to distract him. He looked over at Roman again, then away. "Right," he said.

Both of them were startled by a knocking on the door and they instinctively reached for their weapons. Seth glanced at Randy who still looked like he could come unglued at any moment. The person knocked again, this time more insistently. It was obvious whomever it was wasn't going away. Growling under his breath, Seth unlocked and opened the door only to come face to face with Mayor Shawn Michaels, who had been raising his hand to knock again.

Thinking so quickly it bordered on instinct, Seth slipped out the door and closed it firmly behind him before Michaels could see the blood and bodies inside. "The bank is still closed," he said, staring almost challengingly into Michaels' eyes. Dammit he did not have time for this!

Michaels smiled an eerie, thin-lipped smile. "I don't believe we've met, Deputy Marshal. I'm Mayor Shawn Michaels," the man introduced himself and offered his hand to shake. His accent placed him from the deep South.

Trying rein in his impatience, Seth took his hand and nodded. "US Deputy Marshal Seth Rollins," he replied, relying on his title to subtly remind the mayor that marshals held final authority over the local officials, even mayors. "What can I do for you, Mayor?" he asked, thoughts still speeding a hundred miles per hour trying to figure out ways to keep this situation from going to hell, and to improvise if it did. All the time he kept his ears peeled for the sound of a gunshot from inside.

"I came to check on the status of the bank. We need to open it soon." Michaels squinted at Seth as if he were trying to see inside of his mind.

Seth wasn't intimidated in the slightest, not after dealing with both Mark and Hunter, and a suicidal Randy Orton. "We are investigating the fire," he said. "There is a rumor it was started by an outlaw. The same one Judge Hunter sent us to bring in."

"Oh? My aide informed me the banker told him it was an accident," Michaels answered with a slight raising of an eyebrow.

Seth tried to figure out exactly what it was about Michaels that was making him uncomfortable. There was something off about this guy. "Like I said, it may be it's just a rumor, but we need to be thorough in our investigation. This outlaw is very dangerous." And said outlaw was right on the other side of the door trying not to have a nervous breakdown. He hoped Roman's presence would prevent Randy from another attempt to end his life. "We will need a little more time to determine if this is a crime scene." Seth told him, trying to control his unease. This man reminded him of Hunter in a way he couldn't exactly put a finger on. A very unpleasant thought occurred to him and he really hoped Randy was keeping an eye on the situation.

"We need to get the bank opened as soon as possible. Lots of gold to put in there. Lots of people who want their pay. What do we need to do to get that done?" Michaels asked, sounding like the consummate politician.

"Give us a little more time and it's all yours. You'll need to find some volunteers to help with the repairs in there. And is there anyone who can take over in the bank? It appears McGillicutty has left town."

"That's very surprising. I would have thought better of Mr. McGillicutty. I do hope he is able to return to us as quickly as possible." Michaels replied, not looking either surprised or hopeful.

Seth gritted his teeth in aggravation. The man just wouldn't go away. "The sooner you let me finish up in there, the sooner you can get started on getting your bank reopened," he said as pointedly as he could without being rude. But if the man wouldn't take the hint…

Michaels smiled his strange smile again and nodded in agreement. It made Seth twitch. "Of course, of course. Well I guess I should go start organizing then," Michaels said. "It was good to meet you, Deputy Rollins." He touched the brim of his hat at Seth and walked away.

Exhaling, Seth watched him until he was sure the man was truly gone and then he reentered the bank, making sure to lock the door again.

"What the hell was that?" Randy asked immediately. He was still a bit rattled from earlier and Seth's abrupt behavior didn't help settle his nerves.

"The mayor," Seth replied. "Was he a demon?" He knew Roman would have told him right away, but he didn't trust Orton's mental state yet.

Surprised, Randy hesitated but shook his head, no. "I'm not sure what that was, but it wasn't a demon." The Saint was still gone so Randy couldn't ask him, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Right," Seth said. He hated not knowing all the variables, but he could plan for those too. He refocused on the task at hand. The mayor could wait until they finished dealing with Nexus. "Let's get rid of these bodies."

Randy's horse was tied up around on the back of the bank next to Dean's. Seth had been using Dean's sorrel until he could get to the livery to retrieve his and John's horses. He missed his paint. Dean's horse could be as contrary as its rider and while Seth was an excellent horseman, he got a bit tired of constantly arguing with it about what direction he wanted the animal to go. Taking some burlap sacks from Seth's saddlebag, they put them over the heads of the two corpses, masking their identities from casual observers. They threw the bodies on Randy's and Dean's horses and Randy, still wearing John Cena's badge, led the horses and their cargo away to discreetly dump off somewhere they wouldn't be found. Seth knew people would see the badge and not ask questions. It was amazing the level of trust people had for law enforcement and Randy himself was an expert at getting rid of bodies. Vultures didn't eat demon corpses so they wouldn't give the bodies' location away to passersby.

Meanwhile, Seth waited for Roman to wake up. Most of the blood had soaked into the black, burnt area of the floor. When it dried, it would be next to impossible to see and the floor needed to be replaced anyway. Seth was rather proud of how well the first part of his plan had gone. While he waited for Roman, he thought about Randy's behavior. Of all the reactions to being cut off, Seth hadn't seen this one coming. But now he felt he should have. What they had gone through with Abigail and if faced with the possibility of having to go relive it, Seth could see turning his gun on himself as an option. He made a mental note to watch out for Roman and Dean. His attention was drawn back to the present when Roman stirred and tried to sit up.

"I hate this," Roman muttered. He succeeded in getting his back against the wall the second try. He braced his elbows against his knees and tried not to throw up.

"Would you rather trade places with Dean?" Seth asked dryly, earning himself a nasty look from Roman. Seth grinned sunnily. "Four more to go, then you can take a break." He tried to sound encouraging. He handed Roman a canteen of water, who took it gratefully.

"Where's Orton?" Roman asked as he looked around the bank, still working on getting his bearings.

"He's getting rid of the bodies, and then going to check on Dean. While he's gone you and I are going to track down the rest of Nexus here in town. "

"Oh, joy," Roman said. That wasn't part of the original plan but he had worked with Seth long enough to know Seth's plans were always fluid. He was good at rolling with whatever Seth decided was the way to go.

Seth wasn't sure how much to tell Roman about Randy, but he needed to know Randy had been cut off. Roman took the news as he usually did: stoically. "Yeah, I figured that was going to happen."

Seth waited for him to elaborate, but Roman didn't say anything else. Instead, he gathered his strength and held out a hand to Seth, who pulled him to his feet. Roman wobbled a bit, but regained his equilibrium with a few deep breaths. "Let's get this over with."

Roman and Seth stopped at the livery next. Seth grabbed his and John's mounts, ponying John's bay mare behind his paint as they rode towards the jail. The sounds of mining grinders filled the air and would mask any screams or gunshots coming from the nearby jail nicely. The streets were still muddy from the rain the day before, but the sky was clear and air was cool. The true heat of summer hadn't begun to settle in yet. "Are you ready?" Seth asked reining to a stop, mud splashing the horse's belly. He slid off the horse and tied it to the hitching post opposite the jail. Roman nodded, still looking a bit pale but otherwise okay. "This is where it was going to get exciting," Seth said. He had tried to account for all the variables, but even he couldn't plan for everything.

As they approached, Roman was frowning. "They're not in there," he told Seth.

Scowling Seth hesitated but he said, "We should check anyway. There might be someone in there who knows where they are."

Roman nodded and drew his revolver as he entered the jail. It was eerily quiet in there. Motes of dust danced in the sunlight coming through the barred windows. They searched the building. In the back room where Dean had been tortured, the rope still dangled from the rafters. Dried blood stained the floor but the bodies had been removed.

The jailhouse was empty.

Scowling, Roman asked Seth, "So where the fuck are they?"

"We knew this was a possibility," Seth reassured him. The Nexus was too smart to be caught like sitting ducks at the jail. "They'll be trying to leave town. The train hasn't come in yet so any Nexus trying to leave that way will be near the station." Though he didn't say it out loud, it was more of a hope than a certainty. But Seth's words had their intended effect and Roman looked at him with complete trust.

"Okay, let's start there," Roman agreed, holstering his gun and exiting the jail.

God, he loved Roman. Nothing rattled the guy. "We'll do a quick sweep of the town just to be sure there aren't any Nexus hiding out, and end at the train station."

"Do you think any have gone after John?" Roman asked.

Seth shrugged. "The rain last night wiped out our tracks so they wouldn't be able to follow us very easily. Maybe one is out there, if any. But Dean can take care of them if they do." He grinned. "I'm pretty sure Dean will thank us for giving him the opportunity to kill a Nexus member."

"And if there is more than one?" Roman asked as they mounted up.

"That's partly why I sent Orton up there. He may not be able to kill demons anymore, but he can still sense them and he's handy in a fight," Seth said, turning his horse up the street next to the gulch. "How far off can you sense them?" he asked Roman.

"About a block," Roman said as he gathered up his reins and adjusted his hat.

"Alright, let's get started."

They trotted their mounts through the streets, side by side. The streets were fairly busy with foot and horse traffic, but not enough to impede them. As they neared the edge of town and the train station, Roman stiffened and he looked around as he pulled his black to a stop. Seth stopped his horse a few steps later. He waited patiently for Roman to identify what had caught his attention.

"Keep going," Roman said remembering what Randy had taught him, nudging his horse back into a walk with his heels. Demons couldn't identify any to the Saint's acolytes unless they revealed themselves first. He pulled his hat down to hide his eyes as he continuously scanned the area. "There," he said to Seth. "Only one though."

Out of the corner of his eye Seth could see Otunga hiding in a shadow at the station. The train would be pulling in soon according to the schedule posted outside the building. He nodded at Roman and gestured for him to follow. He explained the plan to Roman as they walked out of sight.

David Otunga had felt his brothers die in rapid succession. He was supposed to watch out for both Harris and McGillicutty, but he had left McGillicutty secure in the bank to check on Harris, and then both were killed. With no other Nexus in town, Otunga figured it would be both wise and prudent to get the hell out of Dodge. He had never trusted horses, so he figured the train was his best option. Now he just needed the damned thing to get there before Orton or his buddy came along and killed him.

'Do not draw attention. The human world is defended,' Wade had told them when he and the others first entered the human world. 'The humans control a weapon that kills us. ' If they wanted to live in it, they would have to be cunning. Brute force would not work, not anymore. That was the most frightening part of the whole Saint of Killers situation. The Saint's guns killed demons, they weren't just sent back to hell. What could the Angel of Death possibly have been thinking? Unfortunately no one could ask him since he hadn't been seen since giving his sword away to the damned soul of that vengeful soldier.

As he waited in the crowded train station, he recognized a familiar figure riding by on the road outside. It was that bastard Deputy Marshal. That could only mean Orton or the other one was nearby. He needed to get out of there right away. He looked around for an escape route. In the distance the train was approaching the station. There was a chance if he caught it at the last moment as it left the station, he could get away. He slipped around the back of the building to wait out of sight.

The train stopped in a huge cloud of steam. He watched as some passengers disembarked from the train, bags were loaded and unloaded and new passengers boarded. Finally the last call came and Otunga breathed a sigh of relief. He started forward, only to be jerked to a halt by a strong hand on the back of his neck. "Going somewhere?" a cool amused voice asked. He looked around and saw the Deputy Marshal standing nearby, smirking cockily at him.

Whistling loudly, the train started pulling out of the station, steam shooting from behind the wheels.

Otunga panicked and struggled desperately to get away from the grip on the back of his neck, but the human was too strong. He was propelled off the train station deck and into the mud and horse shit below. He scrambled to get to his feet and run to catch the train. Something landed hard on his back, driving his face deep into the mud. Furious and terrified, Otunga flailed, trying to get out from under whatever was holding him down in the mud. He struggled with all his might but whoever was on his back was stronger still. He felt his arms dragged behind his back and his wrists cuffed securely with iron. He swore furiously despite the mud in his mouth.

"Now, now," Rollins admonished, crouching in front of the pinned demon, well aware of the spectators on the station's veranda. "There is no need for that kind of language. Roman, please let our good deputy up so we can talk like civilized folk."

Otunga felt himself hauled to his feet, that strong grip on the back of his neck still tight.

"Nothing to see here, folks!" Seth called to the onlookers. "We just need to ask this gentleman some questions. You can go on about your business." Seeing Seth's badge, the people did as they were told, as they always did. It appeared that some of them had run-ins with Wade Barrett and his deputies and they did not object to seeing one of them getting a bit roughed up by a higher authority. "Give 'em hell, Marshal!" one of them with shoulder-length curly blond hair even called to Seth.

Grinning, Seth turned back to Roman and Otunga who was still struggling.

"Where are the rest of Nexus?" Seth asked, standing in front of Otunga like a taunt.

"Fuck off and die you human piece of shit!" Otunga snarled defiantly.

Seth tsk'd in mocking sadness. "Such language." He looked behind Otunga at Roman and said, "Let's take this 'gentleman' somewhere we can discuss his situation in private."

Otunga struggled but Roman had a good hold on him and marched him across the station. Taking some rope and binding his feet and legs together as well, they slung the demon across the saddle of John's horse, who pinned its ears back in displeasure and danced uneasily while they secured it. Seth gagged it and they rode back to the jail. It was still empty. They dragged Otunga to the same room Nexus had tortured Dean in. Seth loved the symmetry. He was just about to secure the same rope around Otunga's neck when the demon with an incredible burst of strength broke the cuffs, lunging towards Seth with a scream of hate. Seth dropped to the floor on his back, rolling away as fast as he could. His reflexes and agility were astonishing for a human.

Roman dove at Otunga, spearing it across its midsection with his shoulder and driving it into the wall. There was a loud crack as Otunga's head and spine hit the wall hard but the demon was unphased. Snarling, it fought Roman until suddenly Roman's eyes flashed green as he grabbed the demon by its throat and hurled it down into the floor, breaking more bones and boards alike. For a brief second, there was only the sound of harsh breathing. Then Roman hauled the broken demon to its feet.

"As I was saying," Seth said already back on his feet. His eyes were wide and shining with the surge of adrenaline. Otunga glared at him with such hatred Seth couldn't help it. He deliberately smiled his infuriating grin again. "Aww... Is the poor little demon mad?" He knew he was asking for trouble but he had complete trust in Roman.

Roman had his arms wrapped around the demon's shoulders in a full nelson hold. Only now it wasn't just Roman. With incredible force, he slammed the demon on its back to the ground and drove a boot into its chest, pinning it there like a fly. "You're playing a dangerous game, boy," the Saint of Killers said as he turned his pale gaze to Seth, his voice gravel and cobwebs. "Any closer and he would have had you."

"Never," Seth grinned, feeling cocky. "My plans do not fail." Here was the Saint of Killers himself, talking directly to him. As intimidating as he was, Seth was feeling very confident with the Saint there.

As much as Roman personally wanted to grab Seth and shake him for being too cocky, he could feel the Saint's amusement and liking of Rollins' sheer amount of guts. He looked down at Otunga, seeing the demon clearly inside its human shell. The creature glared up at him, absolute hatred on its 'face'.

"I'm only going to ask one more time: where are the rest of Nexus?" Seth asked, keeping just out of reach.

Otunga didn't say anything until Roman started more weight on its chest. They could clearly hear the ribs popping. "Barrett, Gabriel and Slater are up in the mountains, tracking Cena," Otunga gasped.

Seth frowned. Shit. He snorted in disdain despite the thread of fear racing up his spine. "They'll never find him," he said.

Despite the pain he had to be in, Otunga laughed, his mouth black with blood. "Of course they will! He has our blood. It will draw Nexus like flies to honey." He coughed wetly. Now Otunga was struggling in earnest and Roman was having a hard time keeping it pinned.

"Done?" the Saint asked Seth, who nodded.

Otunga screamed as Roman put his boot completely though its torso, blood and organs squishing wetly on the floor. The demon pulled itself free of its ruined shell, eyes fixed on Seth.

Seth couldn't see what was happening with the demon, but he could see Roman drawing a Colt Walker and aiming it right at him. Claws outstretched, the demon leaped at Seth who instinctively hit the floor just as Roman fired. Unable to be seen by human eyes, the thing's lifeless corpse flopped limply to the floor next to Seth before the echo of the gun rolled into silence. Seth shuddered as he looked up at Roman whose eyes rolled back into his head.

Face pale but still operating on adrenaline, Seth caught Roman and hauled him up over his shoulders, staggering and swearing as he made his way out to the front of the empty jail where the horses were hitched. He maneuvered his friend over the saddle of his paint. "Hang in there Roman," he mumbled at Roman's body as he used the length of rope to tie John's and Roman's horses together, then mounted his own horse, sitting behind Roman.

For the first time in his life Seth prayed to the Saint of Killers that he hadn't made a mistake and he could get there before John, Dean and Randy were overwhelmed. He felt a brief stab of guilt for asking Randy to trust him and then forcing him immediately into this situation. But Randy was a grown man and could handle himself. It was Dean he was most worried about.

With a nudge of his heels, he led Roman's horse and Cena's horse away from the jail and away from town. He needed to make tracks. Hopefully Roman would wake up soon. He needed Roman more than ever.

TBC

A big, huge thank you to kiss316 for asking questions, pointing out flaws, and being awesome in general.