Kylie "Kai" Dillinger was transported instantly after the door closed behind her. Travelling to one place took time, but travelling back? That was easy. The amulet she wore made it that way.

She had Marv to thank for that. She didn't quite know who he was, or what he was. But she knew he was good. She knew he was lonely. She knew he saved her life.

She'd been on her own for over a year when Marv had found her. She hadn't talked to people. She'd picked up angel blades after… after that night. She didn't like thinking of that night though. That night didn't have a place in her focus right now.

When it had, she'd almost died. She'd been on a rampage to kill anything not human. She'd gotten good with those blades, and gotten good fast. That bothered her. She wanted to tear through these things, but she also wanted to die.

So she fought with anger. She almost got her wish.

There were seven demons. She didn't see the seventh. All she remembered were lights out.

She woke up with brain damage. That was what Marv had told her. He'd brought her back, but the hit to her head caused her brain damage. She didn't remember much of her past now. She remembered bits and pieces of her family. She remembered flashes of things. She remembered a young boy on a playground with bronzer skin and inquisitive eyes. He had shaggy black hair.

She remembered that night, too. That was not fun. She wished she didn't.

She remembered what she learned after Marv saved her. That, she remembered quite clearly. She remembered learning sign language. She remembered not knowing many words. She still didn't know many words (and had difficulty retaining the newer ones. Images were better).

Her brain worked oddly now. She understood that. She observed it clearly in her… her…. Her words with Bobby and Kevin. (Marv taught you the right word, Kylie. Marv taught you that. What was the word? If you ask him he will have you read that big book of words again.)

Seeing the way she differed hurt her heart. She felt normal with Marv, because he was not normal either. But being with normal people… That was… odd. Not usual. Discomfort? No, that was close… difficult?

Finding the right word was difficult. The word was uncomfortable, though. She smiled a little as she looked around. She remembered the word. It was one of the longer ones, those were always difficult.

Marv had told her that they were housed in a… a cave. A cave filled with books. It was a part of a tunnel that had collapsed in a… big hill. Rocky hill.

Mountain.

They were in a tunnel, turned into a cave, in a mountain. It had been abandoned for years.

Marv had moved millions of books here, and sealed it off from the world. It would take effort to get here without Marv's permission.

He'd brought her back with the amulet. The same one she wore now. Magic. As she thought the word, she made the sign with one hand. Fist at her chest. Open it, pushing the hand out slightly. Marv had described the movement verbally as "poof."

Poof. Magic. Like how she disappeared from in front of Bobby's door to the interior of the cave. Poof.

Kylie put a hand on her side. It hurt still, a lot. Marv would know how to fix it better. She looked for the drum. They didn't talk much, Marv was afraid of the angels hearing. But they used the drum to signal when one of them was back.

Kylie pounded the drum. Four short pounds. Three long ones. Two long ones. One short. HOME.

Marv appeared not long after that. He stopped when he saw her injured, his hands moving frantically. What happened?

Kylie needed her hand on her side. She couldn't sign as easily. "Angels." She said quietly. "Found the… prophet."

Marv approached her, and guided her to the couch. The help was nice. Once she was seated Marv examined her injuries more closely.

What happened? He signed.

Angels. She repeated. They found me.

Were they looking for you or for the prophet?

I don't know. I didn't get a chance to ask questions. They're both dead.

Did they cause this?

One of them landed a slash. She pantomimed the movement with her own blade across the region, the weapon just inches above her body.

Who did these stitches?

A man. Not the prophet. Bobby. She thought for a moment. Older man, around your age. Angry. Unfriendly. Cautious.

Where was this?

Where you thought.She smiled a little with that. Marv was very rarely wrong. He had guessed that the prophet would be somewhere in South Dakota. It had taken some time, but once Kylie had learned of someone seeking her out it became easier. Marv had drawn her a picture of the prophet beforehand.

She knew it could not have been coincidence that she had met him before.

Why did you go?

To warn them.Truth, almost. The warning had been intentional, but there had been another reason.

She'd seen him before, in the before-before. Before all of this. She was certain of it. A memory of a bronze boy with shaggy black hair. He had a book. Kylie couldn't remember the title.

With it being one of the few memories of before she had left, she held on to it dearly.

What if more angels follow?

They have the tattoos. Everybody does.

The angels still found you.

Bad luck. Kylie had, indeed, made a name for herself among the angels. She tortured one, after all. None of them liked her alive.

Marv signed nothing for a while, examining her stitches and putting a few other things on the area. Clear liquid that burned when it touched the injury. A padded cloth, specifically for injuries. Stretchy fabric that wrapped around her waist to keep the other cloth in place.

Rubbing alcohol.

Gauze.

She wasn't certain as to the word for the last object.

She remembered they were medical supplies. Medicine. Middle finger on the right hand pressed into the palm of her left. Pivot side to side. Medicine.

She hadn't done this around Bobby or Kevin. It had been difficult not to. She wasn't certain they would understand, and she didn't want to give anything away.

How does that feel? Marv asked, pulling away a little.

Pain, but good pain. She replied. Healing pain.

Good. Marv nodded. You should rest. That injury will need time to heal.

How are our supplies?

We're fine. Marv assured her. Rest. Recover. Read the dictionary. THAT WAS THE WORD. The book of words. Dictionary. Kylie always had a difficult time remembering it.

Marv walked over to one of the many bookshelves. He pulled off three books: one in written, one in sign language, and one that was meant to be written in. It already had a pencil attached to it.

I knew the routine. Learn the words. Write the words. Write them in sentences. Learn the sign. Become comfortable with the sign. Write the words in Morse code.

It was repetitive work, but it helped. I would not be as… speaking. Long word for knowing many words. Art… you… late… Articulate. I would not be as articulate without Marv's help.

Thank you. She signed. He smiled, placing the books on a nearby table. Then he went back to whatever he was doing before.

Kylie looked at the paper and the book, thinking for a minute. Names. Kevin. Bobby. She could sound those out. She could write those.

K. E. (Was there an H? His name did make the "eh" sound. There might be an H) H. V. I. N.

B. O. B. B (was there a third B? No. No word has three B's). E. Y.

Wait… She had seen those names in books that Marv made her read. She had spelled them wrong.

K. E. V. I. N. There wasn't an H. It just made the "eh" sound anyways.

B. O. B. B. Y. Bobby with a Y was for men. Bobbi with an I was for women.

She signed their names a few times, getting a feel for them under their fingers. Bobby was easy. Kevin was less easy, but she was used to it.

None of this is easy. She thought. None of it was easy because even though she had left, she still wanted to go back and see Kevin again.