Note: References to Chapter 53 of 'United by Fate' appear in this chapter regarding Ravage's Backstory.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rest Stop
Back with the Disciples, Diablo flew on ahead with the two vans and Aurora and Regan on the motorcycle behind him.
Once they were done with the five men they moved away quickly before the police could find them.
So far, they had been driving, or in Diablo's case flying for over an hour.
Aurora watched Diablo as he flew on ahead and Regan kept her arms wrapped around her middle.
"Wow!" Regan said to Aurora "You were on fire back there! That little piggy didn't know what hit him, until the car did!" she cackled.
Aurora gave a small smile.
"Thanks!" she said, "I have to admit, it was rather fun chasing him through the trees."
"Well, we'll get another chance again, I'm sure!" Regan promised "There are more sinners we're chasing! They're everywhere!"
"I can't wait!" Aurora replied.
Yet as the hybrid thought back on the young man, they had chased then him getting hit by the car, her mind was still niggling at her, she was certain that she had seen something like that before, yet she still couldn't put her finger on it.
She looked up at Diablo who was still flying ahead and looking around for a place to rest as well as hide from the humans.
She looked at the fuel monitor screen on the front part of the bike, and luckily it was still full of fuel, but she wondered how they would top up the gas in the vehicles when the time came, and because they were mutant animals, how could they just go into any service station or fuel station.
It was a question she would have to ask when they stopped to rest.
Before long Diablo saw a stretch of woodland as well as a rock formation about half a mile away.
"Looks like a good place to rest." He thought "We're far away from the crime scene and we should be sheltered there."
He lowered himself down and held up his fist to which the vans started to slow down, and Aurora also slowed the bike down.
"Has the boss spotted something?" she asked.
"Possibly." Regan said, "Hopefully somewhere we can rest?"
"Well, there's nothing around here for miles, from what I can see anyway." Aurora said as she looked around, "Apart from woodlands."
The Disciples moved the vans to the side of the road and Aurora followed suit and Diablo landed on the ground before turning to everyone.
Samson and Rex got out of their respected vans.
"Why did you stop us boss?" Samson asked.
"I believe there's somewhere we can hide as well as get some rest," Diablo said before pointing to where he had spotted the rock formation within the trees.
"We'll camp over there; the rock formation should shelter us from the elements, and we'll be out of sight of the humans.
As Diablo spoke, Lilith got out of the back of one of the vans and flew up so she could observe with her sharp vision.
"What do you see?" Rex called up.
"It looks promising!" she called down "Lets head there!"
She lowered herself to the ground and got back in the van she had been in and closed the doors informing the others what she had seen and what Diablo was planning.
"Right, let's go." Samson agreed "Lead the way, Diablo."
The Raven nodded and opened his wings flying up into the air to lead his Disciples to their destination of rest.
Aurora started the bike and Regan held on as she drove off to follow him.
Before long they made it to the rock formation after finding a small road that led in through the trees, and they were overjoyed to see there was a small cave they could all fit in and build a fire.
They parked the vans under the trees and Aurora parked the bike in-between them.
"This should be a good place to rest, well spotted Diablo." Rex said, "I'll get the fire started, you girls want to help?" he asked Aurora and Regan.
"Sure!" Aurora said enthusiastically and she and the vampire bat instantly started looking for firewood and rocks.
Meanwhile the other Disciples looked through their supplies.
"What food have we got left?" Seth asked.
"We got some bread and some canned beans and spaghetti." Lamia reported "Yet we might need to stock up again soon."
"That reminds me," Samson spoke up "We'll need to fuel up one of the vans soon."
"I can sort that," Lamia volunteered "I can use my human disguise to refuel at an all-night service station using the money we took from our victims."
"And we can sneak in round the back to the storerooms to get food and other stuff." Ravage said.
"We can make do with what we have here." Chastity said as she opened a couple of bags "But tomorrow we'll need to stock up."
"Got it!" everyone agreed then began to take out sleeping bags and other items to set up camp.
Meanwhile Rex had managed to get a circle of stones made for a fire pit in the middle of the small cave and the girls managed to gather enough large sticks to make a fire.
"Great work Aurora, Regan." Rex said then he took out some matches.
"It's a good thing I found these on one of the sinners." He chuckled "Before I was doing it the old-fashioned way, remember Regan."
"I do Rexy." Regan chuckled as she watched Rex strike the match and light the fire and soon the fire was lit, and the cave was filled with light and heat.
Before long everyone was gathered around the fire as well as sharing food which consisted of bread and canned beans and spaghetti which they cooked on small pots over the pit along with a selection of drinks.
Ravage held two pots with two of his four arms as well as stirred them with the other two.
"Sure, comes in useful having four arms, eh?" he chuckled.
"Indeed." Chastity laughed "Like we have our wings." She moved her white wings as well as glanced at Lilith and Diablo who were sitting next to each other.
Lilith had that dreamy look in her eyes as she was distributing some bread out to everyone.
Aurora had wondered why she hadn't joined in with the torture and only kept on the lookout.
She intended to ask the Falcon, yet Diablo started talking before she could.
"So, guys." The Raven spoke up getting everyone's attention, "As well as swiping the money and cards from those bastards we punished earlier, I did find a couple of other interesting things."
"Oh yes?" Seth asked turning to the raven as he stirred his baked beans trying to cool them a little bit before he ate them.
"There's a couple of addresses for some houses these dudes meet in Missouri." He said, "I say we head that way, west and target the houses."
"Sounds like a plan!" Samson said, "Then maybe we can rest inside for a change,"
"Agreed." Lamia said, "Not to be rude or anything, but sometimes camping can get a little cold and wet."
"Can't tell you how many times we've been caught in a rainstorm!" Ravage said, "Doesn't do my wings any good!"
"We've only had a couple of rare occasions we've attacked people in their homes and squatted there a couple of nights before having to leave before the police caught us." Chastity agreed "It was nice using their showers."
"Proper toilets too!" Regan piped up and laughed.
Diablo coughed and everyone stopped talking and looked at him.
"According to what I found on those bastards, these houses are just on the border of Missouri, a few miles northwest of St Louis." He informed "We can strike the sinners in there and take what we can find, maybe even spend a couple of nights in there before we have to move on again."
"Who lives in those houses?" Seth asked.
"I give not a damn about the names." Diablo said, "All I know is they are families of Neo Nazi's and they are to meet their punishment for their actions against people they hunt and hurt, such as those like you Seth."
Seth frowned but he nodded in agreement.
Regan looked over at Aurora.
"Attacking sinners in their homes sometimes is more fun." She said, "As well as a chance to sleep in more comfortable lodgings."
"How more fun?" Aurora asked.
"We get to work more with our environment." Regan explained, "We can use what they have in their homes against them, as well as lock them up either in a basement or in a shed, treat them like the animals they are!"
"I see." Aurora said musing as she thought about it.
"So we in agreement?" Diablo asked, "We head West?"
"Aye!" Seth said and the others joined in with "Aye."
"And we take out more sinners." Samson smirked "Just like many before them."
"I can't wait!" Ravage said rubbing his upper two arms whilst his lower ones held his bowl and plate of food "After all I went through with the Straight Truths, I can't wait to make these bastards pay so others can find the courage to leave."
Aurora looked up from eating her tinned spaghetti and she remembered how she hadn't asked the Disciples their stories of how they came to be who there were.
"You were part of a cult Ravage?" she asked.
Ravage looked over at the Hybrid.
"I was yes." he said, "I was born into it, and like any child, I followed my parent's example, but then as I got older, I started to question their morals and ways, I remember a few times standing with my father in the street holding a large card with words I didn't understand with him yelling slur words at people."
Diablo narrowed his eyes.
"The Straight Truths Baptist Church." He said, "They were a Religious Hate Cult based in Chicago, and we happened to come across him posting leaflets through people's doors, so I captured him and brought him to where we were hiding at the time, hoping to interrogate him as well as punish him, only to find out he was a reluctant member who wanted out."
"We never imagined we'd capture one of those, but then again some cults do have members who want to leave but are too scared to, which is a shame." Samson said as he took a swing of beer.
"Why?" Aurora asked.
Ravage sighed.
"Because some Cults promise harsh punishments, just like the gangs in the cities, if you dare leave, you paid a heavy price."
"Like what?" Aurora asked.
Ravage sighed again as memories came back to him.
"I remember suffering a lot of punishments when I first questioned the Cult, when I was young and didn't do as I was told, I was often banished to the cellar for twenty minutes." He spoke.
Aurora gasped whilst the other Disciples looked saddened.
"How could they?" the Hybrid asked.
"it's true kiddo." He said, "They left me down there, especially as it was dark, and there were strange noises down there, it smelt weird, and sometimes there would be the odd rat."
Rat.
Aurora felt a pang in her head as she heard that word and she brought a hand to her head as a spark flashed.
Rat.
"Rat?" she murmured.
Lilith looked at the hybrid as she saw her flinch and touch her temple.
"Aurora?" she asked yet Aurora didn't answer.
"Aurora?" she asked again "Are you alright?"
Regan also looked concerned.
Ravage also stopped talking and looked at the hybrid with concern as did the other Disciples, but Aurora looked up and shook her head as if shaking off stars.
"Sorry." She said, "Just a pang in my head." She chuckled.
"You sure?" Lilith asked concerned then looked at Seth who shared her look.
Aurora nodded then looked back at Ravage.
"Please continue your story." She encouraged to the locust who took a breath.
"Okay." He said then sighed.
"Anyway, being locked in the cellar was only the tip of the iceberg." He said, "Some were beatings and humiliation in front of the congregation."
The Disciples looked down as they remembered all Ravage told them of his time with the Cult.
"I remember one incident all too well..." Ravage said "One I'll never forget until my dying day..."
Flashback
Fourteen-year-old Patrick stood in front of the whole congregation of the Straight Truths Baptist Church, his face was burning, his heart was beating hard, and he was sweating with embarrassment.
The leader of the Church was behind him and after addressing the crowd with his speeches and hymns, if one would call them hymns given how they sang about how those they deemed undesirable were damned, he was called forward to the front of the church, and he knew what that meant, it meant that he was to be called out for a crime against the church.
He wasn't wrong, as no sooner did he walk up to the Podium that the Preacher spoke his name then spoke of the crime he had committed against the church.
"My People," the Preacher spoke, "It is my greatest sadness and disappointment to inform you, that one of our followers has sinned against us, and not just us, but the whole church and all we stand for!"
Patrick took a deep breath as he felt his blood boil and he heard the whole congregation gasp in horror.
He looked over at his parents in the front row looking at him with anger and disappointment.
"Patrick Daniel Spacey here, decided to sin and read a book that was not of our ways, he read a devil's book, one that promoted Witchcraft and other sins! And he took it in! Now he must suffer the punishment for his crime!"
Patrick looked at the Preacher then at the crowd who stared at him, and he wondered what fate would befall him.
His question was answered when his father walked up with a shamed face and handed him a piece of paper.
Patrick took it, and he paled as he realised what it was.
It was a confession he had been forced to write about his sin about reading a ' Harry Potter ' Book he had found in the library and how he had let the devil in because the book contained evils and witchcraft and that he had turned against God.
Patrick wanted to tear up the confession, but he knew if he did, he risked being punished more or worse banished by his family because despite his feelings about how what was happening was wrong, he still loved his parents and wished for their respect and approval.
Swallowed his pride as well as his feelings against this punishment and abuse being thrown upon him, he opened the paper and started to read, yet every word felt like sour thorns in his mouth.
All the while, he was shouted at by the preacher to speak louder and he did so despite that voice within saying he should not and say what he was doing was unfair and wrong, he continued to speak and read his confession and he looked to see the children of the congregation laughing and jeering at him, and to make matters worse, the parents and other adults were encouraging them and it shocked him to the core.
"This is cruel." He thought "They're teaching their kids to be just as nasty and disrespectful to others who have different views, this isn't right..."
He continued to read his confession, yet each time he did, he wanted to vomit, but he made it to the end before the jeering continued and he looked up at the preacher who glared down at him, yet Patrick saw a smirk appear on his face.
He was smirking because he had managed to win one over Patrick, and show his followers he was the winner, and brought down someone who had dared step outside the circle and he knew just how to keep everyone in line.
Patrick had felt for a long time this was the way of life, but after seeing how others had lived, he had taken a different idea on how things worked in the world, and he had seen how more relaxed people were and had no fear, and he wanted to know more about it, yet in this circle he was trapped in, he hadn't a chance, and he only wished for a way out...
End Flashback
After Ravage finished his story, Aurora was glowering.
"How could they?" she asked "How could they do that? And your parents joined in on it?"
"They did." Ravage said.
"They don't sound like parents!" Aurora growled "They sound like fucking Psychos!"
"You're not wrong kid." Ravage said, "They were, they wanted to control me, and since I became of age, I wished every day to run, to leave, but I didn't know how, until Diablo found me, and saved me, and I'll forever be grateful."
Diablo smiled at Ravage.
"And we're grateful to you to, for what you did for us to make the Cult pay for their despicable crimes."
Ravage nodded and grinned back.
"And they paid very well! And they no longer exist!" he said "Thank goodness! Let's hope we can try with others!"
"We can only hope." Chastity said, "And maybe others like you can escape."
"That's my hope Angel." Ravage said, "We free those who don't wish to follow the sinners, so they have better role models, those who can lead them to a life where there is more love and support than hate and prejudice."
The Disciples have stopped to rest, yet Aurora has experienced another spark and Ravage has spoken a story of his past.