Yay, another update! This chapter really transformed over the course of planning. I really hope you all like what lies ahead. I know I do. ;) OH. Also there's a point of view switch. I said first person isn't my thing and I'd probably change back. And I did. Well, enjoy!
The morning light filters in through the narrow opening to the sky and bathes them in golden sun. It warms Liz's chilly skin and it brings her above the surface. Her eyes slowly open and she yawns loudly. She lifts up and stretches her limbs out. She rubs at her eyes and her fuzzy vision gradually clears to reveal the truth of reality.
She turns and it is automatic – she screams. She jerks back and tumbles over herself.
Slash jumps at the sound. He leaps to his feet, fists raised and tense in preparation for the worst. "What is it?" He looks wildly around. "Did they come back?"
Liz's chest heaves. She lays a hand over it as if it will really help and focuses on breathing deeply in and out. Yeah, that's right. She remembers now. Last night…I...she looks at her hands. The webbing between each finger stands out sharply. I was betrayed. She looks up at Slash. And he, he's the one who helped her. "O-Oh," She half laughs. "S-Sorry. I…I just…" She rubs the back of her neck. "Forgot."
Slash whips his head around. He looks at her in utter disbelief. How stupid is this girl? "What?" He says flatly. "You woke me up, screaming, for nothing." He growls deep in his throat. He lowers his fists nonetheless.
She ducks her head. "I-I'm sorry." She tugs at her arm. "I thought, maybe, you know…it was a dream." She shrugs meekly. A heavy sigh escapes her. She drops her eyes to the ground and her brows furrow. "I wanted it to be…"
Slash frowns. He shakes his head. "Well it's not. And you're not ok."
Liz blinks. "What?" While true it seems like a rather odd thing to say. What does he even really mean by that anyway? Her mental health? Or…?
"So listen," He doesn't let her continue her train of thought. "Stay here." He points to her and gives her a sharp look. "Because you insisted on my staying here last night I didn't get to finish my business and so I have to go do it now."
Liz's eyes widen. "But-"
"No." He says with a little more harshness than necessary. "While I'm gone, you're going to stay here and get the rest of that glass out of your skin. Got it?"
Liz cowers out of instinct. That look in his eyes is a clear warning, one easily interpreted as a physical threat. Of course he won't really do anything though. She knows it. If he was going to he would have done it by now, during the night when she was so vulnerable.
Slash watches her carefully for another moment. When she says nothing he lets out a breath. "Don't follow me." He holds out a hand to her as an afterthought. "Got it girl?"
Liz snaps out of her fearful daze and a small smile curves her lips. She takes his hand and lets him help her to her feet. "Well…alright." She draws her hand back to tug at her sleeve. "But," Her pupils dilate and she bites her lip. "You'll come back soon." Her hands tremble slightly. "Right?" She holds her breath.
Slash's brows furrow. He frowns and contemplates Liz long and hard. It continues to amaze him how she so desperately clings to him and his presence. Is this one of those mental syndromes or complexes or whatever? Is it simply for the protection? Or does she really see something good in him? There's nothing good in him. He's a horrible person.
A panic rises within Liz. "Slash?" Her voice wavers.
Slash nods. "Yeah, yeah." He waves her concerns away. "Don't worry about it. It'll just be a little while. I'll come back." He kind of has to, regardless of her. His supplies are here. He can't just abandon them because he wants to ditch her…which he actually finds himself not wanting to do.
Liz lets out a breath. Her expression softens and she relaxes. "O-Ok…" She steps back. She moves toward the crate by the wall. She sinks down until she is on the ground. Wedged here she feels a bit safer. "I'll just…you know." She smiles meekly, a tiny blush rising in her cheeks.
Slash coughs. "Yeah, I know." He turns. "So, I'll just go." He keeps an eye on her to make sure she doesn't freak out the moment he starts to go. Surprisingly she remains calm. In fact, she doesn't even pass another glance at him. She is consumed by herself now. He snorts and hurries off. He must make up for lost time.
Liz's eyes flit up. He is gone from the alley now. Still, she can't just undress like that, all out in the open. Even if there is nothing to see anymore. She looks to the crate by her side and her brows knit together. She frowns thoughtfully. Yeah. Could work. She jumps up and pries at the crate. She pulls it a few inches from the wall, enough to get in behind it and push with far more strength.
With her legs she pushes it far enough to create a nice little space for herself behind it. She smiles triumphantly. She places her hands on her hips and nods firmly. "Perfect." She sinks to the ground, hidden by the crate. She takes her clothes off in a few easy movements and tentatively looks herself over. Ugh. Tiny bits of glass are visible everywhere. "Well, might as well get started."
It takes a while, but she manages to get out every shard. She slips her clothes back on with the same ease as she removed them, only now the smile on her face is much more satisfied. Just as quickly as it comes though it's gone again. She looks out to the end of the alley and realizes that Slash has not come back. Her shoulders slump and a frown curls her lips. Where is he? In all honesty it hasn't been that long though. At least probably not. Her eyes instinctively go to her wrist. No watch to tell her either.
She sighs. A tiny growl reverberates in her stomach. "Ah, man." She grips her stomach lightly. She looks again to the end of the alley. She wonders how much longer he will be. Suddenly the quick passing time is dragging, almost to a complete standstill. Still, it's better to just stay here, where she is safe. She grimaces. But is she really safe here? She looks around herself. Seriously, it's a dead end road for crying out loud. If someone finds her here there will be nowhere to run.
The very thought makes her shudder. You know what! No. She marches around the crate and toward the end of the alley. Surely it can't be that bad out there. Besides, it's daylight right now. Those robots can't run around in the light of day. She freezes a few feet from the end of the alley. She slowly lifts her hands and peers down with just as much slowness. That's right. How could she so easily forget? Lines crease her face. She's just as much of an eye catcher as robots would be.
She lifts her gaze to the neckerchief at her neck. Maybe… She undoes the clothing and pulls it over her head, tying it around her chin. Hopefully it will stay. She scans her body. Well, it's better than nothing. If only she had a cloak though. She sighs. Oh well. She tucks her hands in the insides of her jacket. Her legs are the only real problem now. But there's nothing to be done…expect to stay here.
Her stomach growls again. She narrows her eyes. No. She has to go. Where? She shakes her head. It doesn't matter. Even though it does. Yet she goes anyway. She takes one step after the other out into the streets, into the full light of day.
She shies away from it. She automatically holds her hand up over her eyes. Shit! She jerks her hand back into her jacket. She needs to learn not to do things like that. She surveys her immediate surroundings. People stream steadily by on either side of the street. There are quite a few restaurants too actually. She smiles, but only for a fleeting moment. She side glances. No, she can't go in there. For one, she doesn't have money. For another thing…just look at me. She drops her eyes to the ground and slips her hands deeper into her jacket to hug herself.
"Well…it's the pizza place." Her father had taken her there countless times. "So…" Her apartment isn't too far from here! Her face lights. Maybe she can go there and scrounge up some food. She looks over her shoulder, back to the alley where Slash had told her pointedly to wait. His fiery sea green eyes flash before her. She shudders at the intensity. The sound of her stomach makes the urgency fade and her thoughts return to her hunger.
"No, it's nothing to worry about." She half laughs. "I'll be thirty minutes at most. I'll be back long before Slash gets here." She nods to herself as she heads out along the crosswalk. "Yeah…" Yet no matter how many times she says it and thinks it there remains a gnawing uncertainty. He could be back any minute. There's no way to really know how long she has. Still she goes. She walks hunched over and drawn into herself toward the place she once called home. At least the old haggard place will be good for something after it lost the love once leaking from every pore.
Liz makes it halfway, at least she thinks so. She gets many suspicious looks and she sees the whispers on their lips, but no one calls her out on what they can see of her strange appearance.
Then everything blurs. She jerks her head around, her heart skipping a beat. She swears she saw something move. She draws her arms tighter around herself and picks up the pace.
Another flitting movement. She spins around. Her eyes dart all over the area. She takes fast steps backward, her breath growing increasingly erratic. What could it be? What the hell could it be?
Two figures dart across her line of vision. She squeals and jumps backward, falling over herself in her haste. She hits the ground hard and grunts, her eyes snapping shut with the backlash. When she opens them she sees the two who were stalking her and a scream wells in her throat. What the hell!? Can nothing be normal?
Towering over her are the strangest things she has ever seen. Even stranger than Slash. It is two oversized animals – one pig-like and the other rhinoceros-like. They are laden with weapons and dangerous equipment, the one's yellow eyes gleaming with malice and the others hidden by glasses.
The pig lets out a sinister laugh, a snort working its way into the middle of it. "Lookie here Rocksteady." He snorts in glee. "We got ourselves another mutant." He cocks the gun resting heavily on his shoulder and points it down at her.
"Looks like it Bebop." He grins and tilts his head, his horn sticking out especially prominently as he does so. "An it sure is an ugly one." He cackles. He jerks his weapon around and points it dangerously at Liz. "Might as well put it out of its misery."
Liz screams and throws up her arms. "No! Wait! Please!" Her body shakes terribly. "D-Don't…please." Small whimpers eke past her lips. "I just w-want to go…h-home." An especially long whine follows her words.
The pig snaps to attention. "Wait." He throws his arm out in front of Rocksteady. His brows knit together and a deep frown takes the place of the once smug expression. He looks hard at the creature quivering on the ground. "Is…" He shakes his head. "Liz?"
Liz's head snaps up and she lets her arms fall down. "W-What?" Her body continues to shake ever so slightly. That voice…it… "Micheal?" She blinks up at them, looking back and forth between them. "…Rick?" Her mouth slowly falls open. The cousins?
They both lower their weapons. Their eyes widen. "No way…" They say in unison. Then Bebop says, "I can't believe it. Is that really you Liz?"
Liz stares blankly for a long moment. "What…happened to you two?" She shakes her head. "This…this is crazy." Despite the fact she is likely not in any danger anymore, her breathing grows increasingly erratic. "What the hell!?" She practically screams. She digs her fingers into the concrete.
Rocksteady moves his hands in a downward motion. "Whoa, easy Lizzie. I mean, you've obviously seen some screwed up stuff already. So why the heck are you freaking out over us?" He quickly looks himself over. He half laughs. "I mean, this is nothing."
Liz's brows furrow. "I-I thought you all were dead! Or…or ran off! I mean, you just disappeared. All those months ago…" Her voice trails off. Her eyes grow wide. No. It can't be.
Bebop smirks. "You get it?" He raises a brow. He snort laughs, but there is no mirth to it this time. "Yeah, your psychotic dad did this to us." He scowls fleetingly, his expression quickly jumping back to something akin to content. "But eh," He shrugs. "Turns out it all worked to our advantage, huh Rocky?"
Rocksteady grins. "Yep." He swings his machinegun around. "Now we're ten times scarier and better at getting all these cool weapons." He laughs. "I mean, just look at this thing. We never even got to use one of these off in military school."
Liz blinks. "Wait…what?" For a moment all fear disappears. "Military schools…don't have guns." She makes a disgruntled face. Do they?
They laugh together. Bebop says, "No." He smirks. "But we did."
Rocksteady grins. "We ran the place, Lizzie. We could get just about anything we wanted in there, no matter how illegal. That included some nifty guns." He snickers. He holds his hand out to Bebop. "Aye, Bebop?"
Bebop high-fives Rocksteady. "You know it."
Liz waves her hands in a frenzy. "Wait…wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." Each time she says it she shakes her head fiercely. "Why do you keep calling each other those weird names. Bebop…and Rocksteady?" She makes a face. "How did you even come up with them?"
Rocksteady chuckles. "Oh, Lizzie." He shakes his head. "They're based on music." A shadow passes over his face. "You see, after we…changed, we decided we shouldn't – couldn't – go by our old names anymore. So we made our own names – Bebop and Rocksteady." His smile returns. "And we based them on our favorite types of music."
Bebop nods. "Both sound cooler than 'Micheal' and 'Rick'." He scoffs. "Wouldn't you say Liz?" He looks quizzically at her.
Liz shrugs. "Yeah…sure. I guess." She slowly picks herself up off the ground. She dusts off her capris before straightening herself. "Definitely more obscure." She laughs with a nervous edge. She tugs at her sleeve.
Bebop notices the bright pink on the ground. "Oh, hey, you dropped your hat thing." He points.
Liz starts. "My…hat?" Her eyes widen. She slams her hands over her head. Her cheeks turn a bright red.
"Duuuude." Rocksteady leans forward. "You…you're hair." Ok, not the smartest thing to say. Still, it's strange. He has always seen Liz with long brown hair. And seeing her head so bare…it's a shock. To say the least.
"Rocky!" Bebop gives him a hard look. "Liz, it's nothing." He bends down and picks the neckerchief up for her. He extends his hand, offering it to her. "I mean, really, we're a pig and rhino." He snort laughs. "We're as ugly as they come. Butt ugly."
Liz smiles weakly. She finds it in her to remove her hands from her head, albeit tentatively. "At least you guys could scare monsters off." She half laughs as she takes the neckerchief and ties it around her head again. "Me…" She drops her gaze and a deep frown mars her lips.
Rocksteady shrugs. "You don't need to be so afraid."
Liz perks. An idea strikes her. "Heeey," Her eyes brighten. "Would you guys help me?" A smile spreads clear across her face. "I mean, you've got guns and you obviously know what you're doing." She clasps her hands. "And, well, we are cousins."
The two exchange glances. Their lips turn down in frowns. "Look, Liz," Bebop rubs the back of his neck. "I'm gonna be perfectly honest. We're not into looking out for anyone but ourselves. If you can't wield a gun, then you don't belong with us." He swings his weapon around.
Liz scowls. "I'm glad family means so much to you." She crosses her arms.
Rocksteady snorts. "Oh, please," He rolls his eyes. "Don't play that card." He points at her. "Especially not after your crazy father did this to us. Yeah, some family."
Liz stamps her foot indignantly. "Don't talk about my dad that way! He's not crazy!" At least he wasn't until a few months ago. "You guys were just big moochers who ate half of all the food and stole my bed when I wasn't back and in there before you rolled in from wherever the hell you all ran off to during the day."
Bebop narrows his eyes and clenches his fists. "Don't play with us Liz." He makes as if to aim at Liz. "Because yeah, family doesn't mean much of anything except I won't blast you to death."
"You assholes." She curls her fingers over her arms, dying to grab onto something that will help her defend herself.
Rocksteady steps in. "How can you even deny it anyway?" He raises a brow. "Just look at yourself." He waves a hand at her. "He did this to you – didn't he? To his own daughter."
Bebop gradually lowers his weapon. He nods. "What kind of freak tests something like this on his daughter, his flesh and blood? Huh?"
Liz can't keep it up. Her expression falls and she hangs her head. Her eyes shine with hurt. "Family is family." She murmurs beneath her breath. "I'd still protect him if he asked…"
"And that's the difference." Bebop jabs her in the chest with his finger. "We only pay back debts. Family means little to nothing."
Rocksteady shrugs. "Sorry about your luck, Lizzie."
Liz finds it in her to look up and scowl at them. "Fine." She grinds out. "You guys are insufferable anyway." She stomps past them, not paying attention to where she's going. A few steps forward she pauses. She glances back. "So who are you mooching off now?"
Bebop snorts. A grin flashes across his face as he turns to face her. "Might as well just say it. Ask where we live." He wiggles his brows.
Liz's eyes burn. Her lips pull into a tight grimace.
Rocksteady rolls his eyes as he faces her as well. "An old abandoned apartment. Just a couple of blocks from here." He manages a small smile. "In case you need it."
Liz returns his sentiments.
Bebop scowls. "But you better not follow us or come looking fifteen minutes from now." He gives her a sharp look. "Got it?"
Liz scoffs. "Don't plan on it. Ya jerks." She turns hard on her heel. And this time she doesn't stop. She storms off, down the street and in the complete opposite direction of her apartment. Her growling stomach is long forgotten.
…
Slash lumbers away from the building overrun with Kraang. He meant to trash the place or at least take out a few of the nuisances, but in the end it was too risky. He merely hid out and watched the Kraang in a subdued sort of panic. It's nothing compared to the night before, but they are definitely panicky. It's amusing in its own right, but ultimately he doesn't gain much from the excursion. So he is a rather foul mood as it is as he comes to the alley where he left Liz.
As he rounds the corner he stops dead. His eyes bulge and mouth falls open slightly. No way. He sprints forward. He looks fervently around the area, but is not a large space. There is nowhere for her to hide but behind the crate which he notices is pushed out a little, but she is not there. "Son of a…" He growls and slams his fist into the wall. This is why he doesn't babysit.
Then just leave her. If she wanted to run off on her own, then she deserves to be stuck out there. He grimaces. No, it's not that simple. Why not? Just do it. No. He turns hard on his heel and stomps out of the alley. He's going to find her and drag her sorry butt back here. Why? It doesn't matter. It only matters that he's doing it and he isn't going to change his mind. Idiot… But after that moment the voice tampers off, dying in the face of his conviction.
People run screaming all around him, but he ignores them. He stays his course and within a few minutes all the sounds fade. The streets clear for him and make it ten times easier to find the stray idiot girl. She wouldn't run from him. He frowns. However a bunch of screaming people might send her into panic mode and make her start running without knowing what she's running from. He drops his head into his hand. Yeah, that sounds like her.
Liz jerks from one direction to the other. Her breathing elevates and her heart pounds relentlessly. Why are all these people screaming? Where is the source – the monster? Could it be her idiot cousins? She'd certainly run screaming from freaks like them, even without their disgruntling appearances. But no. That can't be it. She just has this feeling. It's something else. The robots maybe? Her throat constricts. She can scarcely breathe. Please don't let it be. She sprints forward in the mess, foolishly against the flow of people. She is so panicked she doesn't even register the fact.
Slash looks up and down the streets and alleys. Then, suddenly, he sees her. He frowns. She's wearing that stupid neckerchief over her head and it makes her look even dumber than usual. "Hey!" He yells. He hurries over in her direction.
Liz snaps her head up and jerks around. She tenses and prepares for the worst. Then she sees him and she breathes out in heavy relief. Oh. "Slash…" A smile stretches across her face as she stands in waiting. The overwhelming relief makes her legs numb – useless.
Slash's eyes burn and his hands curl into fists. "You." He says through clenched teeth. "You idiot!" He stands especially tall in his fury as he comes to rest before her.
Liz cringes. "S-Sorry…" She smiles apologetically. "I…I was just, hungry. Y'know." Her stomach grumbles.
"That's no excuse!" He roars. "You don't just run off like that. Especially not after nearly freaking out over me going last night. I mean, you…you just-" He cuts himself off with a long, aggravated sound.
Liz ducks her head. She frowns and drops her gaze. "Sorry…" She whispers. She tugs at her sleeve. Then for no apparent reason the light returns to her eyes and she jerks her head up. "Wait," A smile stretches her lips. "Were you worried?"
Slash starts. The fury falls from his face and a grimace spreads over it instead. "What?" He scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Don't be stupid, stupid. I just can't afford for the Kraang to get their slimy paws on you. Who knows what purpose you might serve for them. You sure as heck sent them into a panic."
Liz blinks. She starts to ask what exactly he means by that, but stops short. Instead she smirks. "Yeah, suuuure." She crosses her arms.
Slash's cheeks turn a shade darker. "Shut up!" He snatches her arm and pulls her along after him as he storms back toward the alley. "We're going home."
Liz squeaks. "Home?" She parrots. A frown curls her lips. Home…? She still can't get used to it being any other place than her old apartment. A soft sigh escapes her lips and she hangs her head. Memories rush back to her – of her father's smiling face, of their trips to the ocean, of times far better than these.
Slash glances back at her. His brows knit together and he slows down so she isn't being dragged like a doll. "What?" He says gruffly. When she doesn't respond he adds, "Stop that." He tugs her so she stumbles forward and is even with him. "Stop with that face."
Liz blinks up at him. "Face?" She realizes that she had slipped beyond the veil and her expression must have followed. "Oh, yeah." She forces a neutral expression. "I was just…remembering." She grimaces despite her efforts.
Slash frowns. "Come on," He releases her, feeling wrong for holding her against her will. "Don't be like that. Memories…they don't have to hurt you."
Liz tilts her head.
"I…" He smiles with an edge. "I have memories that hurt. But…I, turn them into something better. I make them my reason to keep going. It's what I strive to attain once more, however long it may take."
Liz stares for a long moment. A soft smile finally forms and her eyes light ever so slightly. "Thank you." She clasps her hands at her chest. "And…I hope you get back what you need too." She ducks her head and lifts it back up, creating an awkwardly endearing motion.
Slash smiles surprisingly gently. "Maybe one day." Maybe…
Liz frowns. She contemplates it for a full whole second, then she acts. She hops over toward him and loops her arms through his, pressing herself up against his arm in a sort of hug. "And thanks." She squeezes. "For not just leaving me out here."
Slash starts and nearly jerks away, but her words pacify him. He sighs and the smile comes back to his face. "Yeah, sure, whatever." He shakes his head. "Let's just go home."
Liz nods, her face rubbing against his arm. "Okie dokie." Because it is home now. It's all she's got, whether she likes it or not. Thankfully she thinks she'll like it just fine. It's not so bad. He's not so scary. Just a big teddy bear with spikes.
So, what did you think? Did you like the addition of Bebop and Rocksteady? I thought the idea was stellar and was super excited to write it. Not as much Slash-Liz because of it, but trust me, next one will be great. ;) Please review!