Memories

Blood Sacrifice

Disclaimer: What do you think?

If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.

The door half-opened.

"Haleena?"

"Tora? Do come in. Would you like a-"

"I'm sorry. This isn't a social call, as much as I love our chats. I have need of your…technology."

The door opened fully and Haleena's eyes widened as she took in Tora, cradling a body bag in her arms.

"Oh. Kruun is not…"

"It doesn't matter. I just need the circle."

"You always care too much."

"They are just children."

Haleena sighed.

"You had better come in."

The bloodied, weary group entered. Tora automatically moved towards the basement door. Haleena shook her head.

"I shall go ahead. Prepare the circle. I hope you know what you are doing."

Tora smiled sadly.

"You think I haven't considered this already?"

She waited and then the door opened. Tora limped down, followed by the others, some carrying a body between them. Tora gestured with her head.

"Place them in the circle. Ensure they are contained within it."

She herself gently knelt and placed down the bag she carried, unzipping it to reveal Mettle's face. He looked almost as if he were sleeping. It had taken a great deal of power to heal his body. Now she meant to call his soul home.

When all four bodies –Darkhawk was dead, Juston found alive but mourning the loss of his Sentinel- were placed in position, Tora knelt in the centre of the circle. Haleena stepped forward.

"You understand what you plan to do?"

Tora nodded.

"I do."

"You give freely and without fear of consequence."

"I do."

"As do I."

Tora whipped around. Laura was standing there, a defiant look in her eyes.

"Laura, you cannot-"

"I can! If you plan to use your life force to bring back Mettle and the others, it's only fair that we get a say in the matter as well!"

There was silence and then Hazmat spoke quietly.

"That's what she's planning to do?"

Tora slowly rose and turned to face Laura.

"I…I can't let you, Laura."

"Why? Because I'm just a kid? I thought you-"

"NO! This is not because of your age! This is because I can't bear the thought of potentially losing another child! I would do anything to stop you from suffering. There are times when I just wish I could lock you in a room that could cater for your every need and want and never let you get hurt! Laura, I can't let you do this because there is a substantial chance you could get hurt and I would rather take this all myself and chance death than see you hurt."

Laura stared at her and then stepped back slowly.

"I…I never knew…"

And Tora closed her eyes once more.

"Haleena. I need the markings."

"I have the knife."

Tora spread her arms. A Breakworld knife glinted in the shadows. And then it flashed down. Slowly, blood began to seep across Tora's back and arms, the Breakworlder markings that allowed her to channel her life force. Complex and beautiful. And then Haleena handed her the knife, hilt first.

"You know what to do."

She hurried backwards, out of the circle. Tora held the knife up.

"That which I give, I give freely."

The knife flashed and both hands were coated with blood from the cuts on her palms. And then Tora drew her arms around in a circle, tracing blood across the lines, which responded by glowing blue. A wall of light slid up, surrounding her. And then things got confusing.

To Tora, it was a millennium. She felt her life slipping away and the Malach Hamavet stood over her and whispered More. I need more as payment. But Tora rebelled from the idea that she might only be able to save three of them instead of all and Dragon roared in anger at that too and so Tora gave life –old life but still life force- to feed the Malach Hamavet who suddenly smiled and leant forward, her hands suddenly clasped around four bright lights –one gentle grey, one darkest black, one calm blue and one an angry, pulsing red.

The souls of the dead.

Red slid into the Brian Braddock, grey into avian girl, black into Darkhawk and the calming blue into Mettle. And as Tora stared up at the angle of death, the fiery hand reached towards her mouth and a carmine mist, shot with silver slid from Tora's mouth and nose and the Malach Hamavet smiled.

You are mine.

To the students watching, Tora collapsed without a sound.

Phoenix sighed.

"She never could leave things well enough alone."

"Oh, Phoenix dear, be a little nicer."

"I am being nice. If I wanted to be nasty I could say a lot worse things about her."

The light fell and there was silence.

And then Mettle groaned and Hazmat ran to him, lifting him up whilst Laura dived towards Tora, trying to lever her up, holding her cheek as close to Tora's mouth as possible.

"She's not breathing! She's not breathing!"

Haleena knelt gracefully.

"Please! Help me! She's not breathing!"

"I cannot do anything. I am sorry. But when one uses this –the life force transfer- there is always hope."

"Hope of what?"

"That the one who protects those who die may show mercy."

"Please. She can't…"

"I am sorry, child. The Black Wanderer has taken her."

And Laura rounded on the auger.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW!? WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT HER!?"

And Haleena lowered her eyes.

"She saved my life. On the Breakworld. There was no need for her to do so –no obligation. But she took a blow meant for me and suffered greatly for it –she bleed on foreign ground to protect a weak oracle whose kind had tried to kill her own."

Then Laura looked back at the head cradled in her lap.

"Can you regulate the life you give?"

Haleena sighed.

"Yes. But she would kill me if she thought I endangered you."

Laura looked down again, at hair arranged in a nimbus.

"I…I think… Maybe… Maybe this way is for the best… She wanted…"

And then raised voices from upstairs.

"I don't #£%$&* care, Kruun! Unless you want me to take your other arm, you will let me see my #£%$&* wife!"

And then the door was forced open and Laura's world –already crumbling- almost completely fell apart.

Because she had never known Logan could make a sound like that…

The keening wail echoed in the room at the end of the universe. Phoenix closed her eyes.

"Oh, and she'd have hated that."

"Darling, are you seriously telling me you weren't keeping an eye on Earth all the time?"

"I missed stuff."

The angel faced Tora.

"You are my Chosen. Do you swear to obey me and guard the souls of the dead with your eternal being?"

"I swear."

"This is the mark of my Chosen. Do not disappoint me, child."

And Tora felt pure white armour settle over her body, the emblazoned winged sword sigil of the Malach Hamavet embroidered on her chest.

The angel nodded and suddenly it was Etana gazing down at her.

"I am so proud of you, Tora."

"Did I… Did I do the right thing?"

She felt so…naked without the comfort of slipping into Dragon like a safety blanket.

"Come. I will return you to your soul."

And Tora walked towards the gate, where she could see an indigo figure waiting, a hand raised in greeting and she smiled because she was going to be healed, so healed, so perfect and bright and everything would be better.

And then she felt something –like a rope attached to the small of her back- jerk her away. She raised a hand out, begging for help.

"KUUURRRTTT!"

And then she was wrenched from the light.

Death rolled her eyes.

"She didn't even get to sign the guest book."

"Death?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Why do you even have a guest book?"

The masked woman sighed.

"Phoenix, if we can unravel that one, we are one step closer to understanding the intrinsic patterns of the universe."