Chapter 7 – London
"Is that him?" Sid asked pointing to a tall muscular man with a scruffy looking beard. He stood on his tippy toes looking across the street at the man who he thought looked like Free.
"Yes, don't you see his 'no future' tattoo?" Sully remarked craning his neck over the brick wall so they wouldn't be spotted.
"I do now." Sid dropped down just as Free turned in the direction of the brick wall.
"I think he saw us." Sully tried not to sound scared but it didn't work.
Angel sighed pulling her hood tighter around her face. It hadn't stopped raining since they arrived in London. They were soaked to the bone from walking around the city following leads they had gotten from helpful citizens. They had finally spotted him coming out of a rundown pub with a big smile on his face. It was strange to see him wearing only a white t-shirt and black pants. The rain didn't seem to be bothering Free at all.
"Oh, he saw you," Free said. He sat on the brick wall over the three kids. "Why have you been following me?"
Angel looked up at him holding a hand over her eyes preventing the rain from causing her to blink. "We're here to ask you a few things."
"Did Lord Death send you?" Free asked looking bored.
"Yes. I'm here to offer whatever you would like in exchange for your help." Angel ignored Sid, who was cowering behind her and clinging to the back of her jacket.
"I don't want anything." Free jumped down towering over Angel in a very intimidating way. "Please ask Death to stop sending people to find me, it's rather annoying."
"I understand." Angel turned away ready to leave then stopped mid step. "But you should know that a witch named Cassandra is on the move. From what I heard she holds quite the grudge against you." She continued walking with Sid and Sully close behind her.
"Wait," Free called.
Angel stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"What would Lord Death like me to do?" He asked stepping closer to her.
"Funny thing about my granddad is that he doesn't know yet." She smiled sweetly, "I'm sure whatever he decides would be far better than what Cassandra would like."
"I'll come with you but only to avoid Cassandra." Free shuddered, his mind clearly thinking of what would happen to him if Cassandra got a hold of him.
"Very well, Lord Death will speak with you when we arrive in Death City." Angel motioned for Free to follow her out of the alley.
Free fell instep beside her with a strange almost fearful look in his eyes. "How did you find out Cassandra was looking for me?"
"Angela had been searching for you and came across the information." Angel glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sid and Sully were there.
"I remember that little witch, she was very violent." Free commented his eyes sweeping over the street.
"One time Angela punched me for no reason," Sid squeaked.
"She threw me into a river for calling her a little girl," Free smiled at Sid.
"Is it true that Cassandra set up a reward system for people who can give her information on your whereabouts?" Sully blurted his eyes widened suddenly like he didn't mean to speak to Free at all.
"Yes," Angel answered without hesitation. "So, keep your eyes open for anything suspicious. There's no telling who's dumb enough to try attacking us now."
"Right," Sid and Sully said snapping a mock salute at Angel.
Her response was an eye roll.
Angel's stomach was doing backflips as they moved through London. It had been too easy to find Free and recruit his services.
Free stuck his nose high in the air, "Something smells here."
Angel froze her eyes settling on a figure cast completely in shadows leaning against the building directly across the street. Sid and Sully noticed the figure, their muscles tensing ready to transform.
The figure cocked his head stepping into the fading light. His hair was a mass of dreadlocks colored crimson and he wore all black. He shifted his hand revealing a shiny black katana. His black eyes lit up with excitement.
A streak of sticky black soul wavelength crossed the street aimed directly at Angel. Her eyes widened as she tumbled out of the way covering her head as the building behind her exploded. Her ears were ringing but she forced herself back to her feet reaching for Sid and Sully as they transformed. The silver pistols brought comfort to her as she targeted their attacker and squeezed the triggers.
Free scratched his chin trying to decide what he wanted to do. A light bulb must have gone off in his head because he clapped his hands muttering, "Wolf wolves, wolf wolves!" A moment later the attacker's feet were encased in ice halting his movements.
The man simply smiled throwing his head back laughing, a dark and twisted sound. He stabbed the katana into the ice shattering it with one stroke. He ran at Angel with speed that she wasn't prepared for and lost sight of him. He raised the katana ready to bring it down on her unsuspecting left side.
"No!" Sid screamed. He returned to his human form taking the hit for Angel. Sid crumpled on the ground blood pouring from a large gash across his back.
The man laughed staggering backwards like he was drunk on the pain he was causing. Sully reverted to normal flipping Sid onto his stomach so he could examine the wound.
"Sully, how much time do you need?" Angel asked her eyes never wavering from the man.
"I don't know." Sully sounded calm even though his emotions were running rampant because of Sid's gushing wound.
"Alright," Angel sighed. "Free, back me up."
Free grunted in agreement.
Sully's hands worked furiously to strip off Sid's rain soaked clothes. He used Sid's jacket to cover the wound so he could apply proper pressure to it. Sid moaned from the pain his face growing paler by the second.
Angel ran forward locking the man in hand to hand combat. She was too close to him for his sword to be useful. She landed punches and kicks with a fierceness that surprised her. The man continued laughing taking each hit with a joyful glint in his eyes.
"Ice pillar!" Free yelled just as a large pillar of ice shot out of that ground missing its target and nearly taking Angel out.
Angel flipped over the ice pillar, spun in the air, and landed firmly behind the man. "Watch it!" she hissed.
"Sorry, I'm still a little out of practice. "Free planted himself between Sully and the man.
"Still? Haven't you been out of jail for like thirty years?" she snapped.
Angel allowed her powers as a Grim Reaper to be unleashed. Shadows swirled around her making her movements black blurs of unmatched speed. She aimed a high kick at the middle of the man's spine. Her foot connected with a sickening crack but he didn't budge. He just stood there laughing.
"I think it was twenty-seven years ago. Besides it takes a while to get it just right," Free replied. He closed his eyes concentrating on his next attack.
"Duck!" Free screamed at Angel.
A blast of green energy shot out of Free's left eye aimed straight for the enemy. Angel grabbed the man's shoulders, holding him there while she launched herself into the air and over the giant green mass. The blast hit the man in the dead center of his chest exploding on impact. The explosions shockwave knocked Angel off balance making her stumble backwards until she ran into Free's chest. Free reached out to help steady her.
When the smoke cleared, the man stood with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. The green blast had forced him to move back one step.
His features contorted into a nasty grin, "That was fun!"
"Free, watch Sid. Sully, I need your help." Angel stepped away from Free.
Free and Sully exchanged looks then nodded. Sully sprang to his feet flashing blue as he took on his weapon form. Free dropped down next to Sid immediately applying pressure to the now slowly bleeding wound. Angel caught Sully as she ran toward the man once more.
"We can't resonate without Side," Sully said. "What's the plan?"
"'Member the move Granddad taught us? It's the only thing we got that works with only two of us." Angel dodged the first swing of her opponent's katana.
"De—Death's Light?" Sully gulped.
"That's the one, on three." Angel dodged a few more attacks maneuvering closer to the man.
"But if we mess it up you know what could happen."
"One."
"Angel, think about this please!"
"Two."
"This is a bad idea," Sully said the moment Angel whispered, "Three."
Angel jammed her weapon into the man's gut pulling the trigger. She slammed her palm into his forehead and sent the shadows swirling around her into the man. Sully concentrated on amplifying her wavelength giving her all of his energy to do so. A blinding white light surrounded them and the man howled in pain, or it might have been excitement given his smiling face. A moment later Sully had nothing left to give and the light faded.
Angel stumbled backwards breathing hard. Sully reverted back dropping to his knees.
"My turn," the man chuckled. One moment he was standing a few feet away the next he clutched Angel's throat lifting her feet off of the ground.
She caught sight of Sully face down on the ground blood leaking from his neck. She hadn't seen him attack Sully and was suddenly afraid of what would happen next.
The man frowned looking down at his feet, ice was spreading up his body encasing him completely. He dropped Angel, yelled something she didn't understand, and retreated.
Angel looked back at Free. "What was that?"
"My magic." He smiled, "I just needed to warm up a little. Get it?"
She wasn't amused by his joke. "We need to get out of here."