A/N: Wow, it has been a little while hasn't it. Sorry guys! Work is getting a bit crazy but there's no way I'm giving up on this story. :) Thanks again to Jedi Misty, LoveintheBattlefield, and everyone else who is reviewing and reading.
I was hoping to introduce Jupiter and Mars this chapter but got so wrapped up in this piece of the story that the others will just have to wait until the next chapter. but it's coming, I promise! ^-^ Hope you like this chapter.
Please le me know if you'd like to see more of certain characters and I'l try to oblige as long as it still makes the story flow. :) Here goes! *crosses fingers and waits for reviews* :)
Chapter 6 - The Flames of Destiny Ignite;
Satisfied that the cats had gotten away, Zachary turned defiant green eyes on the first droid to climb through into the hallway. He had never confronted one of these only half-human looking guardians, usually, he knew better. While they all bore the government's symbol on their shoulders, each one was distinctly different, and, it could be debated, rivaled each other in ugliness. He scrunched up his nose at the misshapen figure blighting his vision. This one had some sort of tentacles or whips attached to its fingers. It also had a wiry and unusually tall frame, all giving the droid an almost tree-like appearance despite the human-esque face.
All of this he noticed in the mere seconds it took for the droid to breech the doorway and lock its eyes upon him, and then there was no more time for observation. As Zachary flipped the lighter switch and set the flame to the scrap of cloth hanging from the bottle, the droid lashed out with one of its wiry tendrils, trying to wrap itself around Zack's ankle. With a shout of surprise he leapt up onto a tipped piece of furniture and threw the flaming Molotov cocktail with all his might. His heart was pounding, and the sound of the hissing flame seemed as thunder in his ears as it sailed through the air.
Quick as lightning another tendril snapped out and knocked the bottle harmlessly aside where it slammed into the wall and exploded, casting bits of fire and broken glass everywhere. Zach cursed under his breath in Gaelic, reserved only for those few chosen moments when an English obscenity just wasn't strong enough. The droid began advancing as Zach fumbled in his knapsack for the second bottle, knowing the droid wouldn't give him enough time to light it properly. And in these close quarters running would only give the droid a clean attack at his back, so he stood his ground, putting his fervent hopes in one more shot. As he pushed another torn cloth into the neck of the bottle and grabbed for the lighter he felt something strike him hard across the shoulder, sending him flying backwards and sending the lighter flying from his grasp into a pile of rubble. A sudden tug was all the warning he had as he was suddenly hoisted up by his waist, wrapped in bands of scaly tentacles as the droid pulled him into the air and just feet from its face.
The tendrils began to squeeze, constricting his lungs and making his chest feel as if it could implode. Small spiky protrusions from the tentacles dug at his skin as they slithered around him. For the first time Zachary came to the conclusion that he actually could die here, in this dusty long abandoned corridor. But surprisingly fear seemed to ebb away, turning into acceptance. As black speckles threatened the edges of his oxygen-deprived vision he found himself thinking of good times, sneaking into the pub with friends and joining in raucous toasts. He could see it now, the raised glass and the sudden hush as everyone waited for the toast.
"May your glass be ever full."
The dismal sights of ruins were replaced in his eyes. Colin stood upon a table, swaying with the effect of more than a few drinks, belting out this toast in his most boisterous voice as the room erupted in laughter. But the laughter and the pub seemed to slip away. He was suddenly a young boy, tugging at his father's shirt as his father tinkered with the inner workings of an old worn piano. Zach felt himself smiling. And that too flashed away, one image replaced by another.
"May the roof over your head be always strong."
He was in the woods, healthy and thick woodland with rich green trees full of life and sun. Laughter echoed through the trees as he and four other boys clutching wooden swords darting in and around the tree trunks each trying to out-do the other. It seemed so familiar and almost strangely nostalgic. The raucous laughter of the pub, and the innocent laughter of boys at play seemed to come together.
"And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."
Zachary laughed with them, sucking in small wheezing lungfuls of air and laughing despite the droid's vice-like grip. Before the devil knows you're dead indeed, he thought, chuckling at the old adage. "Not tonight boy-o." he gasped out through gritted teeth. A strange surge of confidence and energy had suddenly come over him that was so familiar. A feeling of warmth built to a crescendo in his hands as a sputtering flame suddenly burst to life in the center of his palm. In his other hand, somehow he had managed to hold on to the bottle, which ignited as the flame leapt in an arc from the palm of his other hand. He wasted no time but slammed the bottle as hard as he could into the droid's body and held it fast with his hand, despite the wriggling protest of the droid who was still trying stupidly to cling to its prey while trying to avoid the flame. As the cloth wick approached its fuel he threw his other arm protectively over his face as the world seemed to erupt in blinding light and unbearable sound.
He landed hard somewhere, and when his eyes focused and his ears stopped ringing he could hardly believe his eyes. Pieces of tentacles were scattered around the charred hallway, and the droid was no more. Zach could only look at his unscathed hands in disbelief, remembering the strange surge that had passed through him. It was gone now, leaving exhaustion and the tolls of the day to catch up with him, and making what had happened seem so unreal that it was almost easy to chalk it up to delirious imagination of an oxygen starved mind, if it were not for the evidence in front of him. What was it that had happened? Where did that strange power come from?
He stared aimlessly at his hands and then at his surroundings for a few more seconds before common sense kicked in and told him he should get out of there before another droid came. Whatever that strange power was, it had left him now and he didn't know if he had it in him to deal with another one. Shakily he pushed himself to his feet and went to find his friends by the entrance, his mind still reeling.
"Jaysus Zach you look like hell!" Colin's worried voice greeted him. "When we heard the explosions, we thought…you know. Are the droids still after you?" Colin's voice dropped off as he noticed the pensive and serious look in his friend's eyes, a rare thing.
"The droid is gone." Was all he would say, refusing to respond to his friend's incredulous questions as they left the ruined under-city and came out once again to open air. But even after the three friends parted he could not rest and soon found himself walking the streets aimlessly in the quiet of late night.
Amy tried her best to get sleep, knowing tomorrow would be another busy day but her mind wouldn't quit spinning around like a cyclone. The near mugging she had endured earlier today had left her restless and jittery, still imagining she could feel the brute's knife against her neck. Amy wondered if this was really what the world was coming to, or at least what people were coming to. It was a disturbing thought. Finally giving up on any guise of sleep she rose, throwing a blue cotton robe over her nightgown and went to the window. The night was clear, with each star like a small crisp diamond glittering in the sky but her wandering eyes drew downward to the street. There she saw a man standing next to a street light, looking up at the very same evening sky.
From her window she could see he looked a little bedraggled. There were dirt smudges on his shirt and jacket and his hair was falling out of its ponytail to blow in the wind. He carried a ragged backpack that made him seem a traveler. But there was something about the way his eyes seemed to search the sky that made her heart beat a little faster. Curiosity pulled at her to go downstairs and open the door. She should be frightened. He might be one of the homeless, or maybe even another thief like earlier. By all rights and common sense, Amy reasoned, she should just go back to bed. At that moment though, from her view high up on the second story the man seemed lost, small and fragile, yet there was a sense of mystery.
Besides, she rationalized, this was a clinic after all and if someone was lost or needed help, wasn't it her job to try to offer assistance? Her soft skippered feet hurried quietly down the stairs. Almost without thinking she opened the front door and stepped out into the night. "Good evening", she said quietly, waiting for a response. She could see him better now. His long wavy hair was tied back but stole free in places to hang about his face, giving him a mysterious and roguish look. He suddenly broke from his thoughts to look at her and she could see green eyes the color of forest looking back.
Zach was startled by the sudden, and yet quiet feminine voice that pulled him from his thoughts. Someone had come out of the building across from him, and in a robe which meant she had probably been sleeping. "Oh, I'm sorry miss. I was just passing through. I hope I didn't wake you.", he said abashed at having disturbed anyone by his random wanderings. She was about his age with short cropped hair that fell softly around her face. She was dressed all in shades of blue from her robe to slippers. The most striking thing he noticed were her eyes, clear as a deep pool of water.
"Oh no, not at all. I…I couldn't sleep. Are you lost? I can offer you some water and give you directions.", she offered, feeling suddenly unsure of herself and jittery. As her eyes finished adjusting to the dark she suddenly noticed that some of the stains she had attributed to dirt on his shirt were maroon in color and looked like blood especially around his waist. "Wait, that's blood on your shirt. You're hurt!" In an instant she had taken steps toward him. "Please let me have a look.", she said placing a hand on his arm and tugging gently toward the clinic door.
Zach tried to backpedal, not sure he was comfortable with this turn of events at all. "Oh no, really it's fine, I mean I'm fine. No need to trouble yourself. I have somewhere to go and…" He trailed off. Her hand was small, delicate, yet warm and she looked up at him with such earnest eyes he found himself being drawn in. His denials lost all their strength and somehow, without his even agreeing, he found himself walking through the door.
"Please sit here. I'll be right back.", she said as she went to turn on the lamps and grab a clean wet rag. Her pulse quickened. She had just let a complete stranger in to the house her and her mother shared at two in the morning but what unnerved her the most was she wasn't frightened in the least.
"I'm Zach. What's your name?", he asked when she returned. He was still feeling odd about being there but decided to break the ice. Now that the lights were lit he could see more clearly. She had kind eyes and a face that held a delicate beauty. Her movements were graceful and sure and he found it was hard to take his eyes away.
She noticed a slight lilting Irish accent to his voice that was pleasing to the ear. "Oh, it's Amy, Amy Stark.", she said, keeping her voice down as not to wake her mother. "OK", she said "Please take off your shirt."
His eyes suddenly lit up with a mischievous teasing look. A smile broke across his face. "Ah I wish all the beautiful ladies would say that.", he joked.
A deep crimson blossomed across Amy's cheeks as her eyes opened wide. "Oh, no no I didn't mean it that…" She stopped at the sound of his laughter, realizing he was only teasing, and found herself laughing too, at the joke and also at the so-obvious blush across her cheeks.
Zach was surprised at her immediate reaction and how modest she was. The rosy blush brought her face t life and he couldn't help but laugh at her stunned expression. They both shared a good laugh and suddenly all of the awkwardness was gone, the ice broken.
As she began washing out the scrapes and lacerations, grateful to see none were deep enough to need stitches though some were close, they began to talk. "Goodness Zach, did you have a fight with an alley cat or something?", she remarked, instantly curious.
"Something like that.", he said with a small chuckle. "I'm a scavenger. Me and the boys go into the under city to bring up items to sell. It can be a little rough sometimes. But you see some interesting things." She asked him what it was like down there, her blue eyes full of curiosity and he told her. He told her about the strange remnants of technology, the rubble and collapsing floors, and even about finding the music store with the grand piano.
Amy listened raptly, trying to picture it in her mind. As she finished and let Zach put his short back on, she decided to ask him the question that had been burning in her mind all night, but she hadn't wanted to pry. "So, what brought you out to wander in the middle of the night?"
And there she had hit the nail right on the head, seen through to his innermost thoughts. He longed to share his jumbled, confused thoughts, thoughts about the strange visions he had seen that day at the piano, and about the fire tonight. But how could she possibly understand? How could anyone understand? He had a feeling he was going to have to put this puzzle together on his own. "I don't know, I was just thinking.", he said, pausing, unsure how to explain. "Have you ever had the feeling that there must be something more beyond this day to day existence, something important that you should be doing, but you don't know what it is?"
Amy paused, for a second her eyes seemed to unfocus and go far into her thoughts. Sometimes she did feel the same, as if something intangible were missing and that things should be different than they are. She was ashamed of these feelings sometimes as if it was just the restless feelings of youth. "Yes, sometimes.", she admitted, "But I think I have found what my calling is, here helping people, learning how to be a doctor. I'm sure you'll find out what yours is too Zach. Maybe you just have to listen and keep your eyes open. I'm sure it will call to you." She added with a reassuring smile as she packed away the last of the medical supplies.
He stood up and shouldered his backpack, but not before pulling something out and leaving it hidden beneath a towel under the table. "Well it was nice to meet you Amy, and thank you. Hey, if I find anything I think you could use down there I'll bring it to you if you would like.", he said as he reached out his hand to shake hers.
"Sure Zach, that would be wonderful.", she said, and realized she would not just be glad of the supplies alone. In fact she fervently hoped he did come back, with or without supplies. "Be careful out there Zach.", she added grasping his hand in hers. His hand enveloped hers, warm and strong before releasing. As he left and she closed the door the young doctor-in-training found herself smiling. Noticing the lumpy towel on the table she picked it up. Beneath it was a small hand-sized case with a hastily scribbled note on torn paper. It read – "To the beautiful blue-eyed nurse – thank you for everything." Inside, as she wiped away the dust she found a portable blood pressure monitor, completely intact. Her eyes widened and she quickly added it to the monitoring supplies shelf, anxious to show it to her mother tomorrow. But the note, that she kept close to her chest as she climbed the stairs to her room to fall into peaceful sleep finally just as the pre-dawn sky began to lighten.
Zach stepped out into the air, unable to keep a smile from his face as well as he made his way home. Amy's advice kept playing over in his mind. "Maybe you just have to listen and keep your eyes open. I am sure it will call to you." He stopped on the road and cast one more look into the fading night sky. "Well, I'm listening." He said.