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 Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:35 pm
"What-"
The empty-minded urge to consume drowned out Julian's sparse reason before he could even react. Springing on Liam like an animal, he tore a sizeable piece of shadow away and fell back, hissing and bristling. A dark gray haze seemed to float over as his body as he "ate" what he'd ripped away. Smiling with a purity of insanity, he struck again and ripped away more, crouching down and gasping as the pain of starvation ebbed away.
More.
No. I can't.
MORE!
"NO!"
He had been springing at Liam again - he forced himself to change course, crashing into the floor.
"Dammit, Liam, what the ******** were you thinking? I could have, I could have.... hnnn."
He was sated at last, and the customary sleepiness had hit him like a brick.
"Oh."
He sat up, sitting against the wall and holding his head, looking a little disoriented.
Ethan stared wide-eyed at the spectacle, before suddenly remembering Ike had spoken to him.
"Ah! Oh - I... I suppose I am good. I did not want to do what I did to your friend. I did not want to harm her, I swear it." He said solemnly, hoping the child believed him.
"His name is Jean Michel - and what he did to me is the least of his cruelties. I fear for your friend. And her mother."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:41 pm
Liam imploded back into solid form, inspecting his limbs and twirling his fingers. he was fine. Really fine.
"You could have taken more," he said and shrugged, "I'm the best person to beat up on. Unconditionall immortal."
He thought for a moment. Huh. That was a lie.
"Unless you die, of course."
He suddenly remembered something.
"Julian...when Crow gets home, come and get me, alright?"
"Yeah..." Ike sighed, his tails swishing slowly, "I know. I have a bad guy too. He tells me to do bad things. We're gonna find Len n' save Crow, though. We've done it before 'n we'll do it again."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:55 pm
Ethan nodded, looking interested.
"Again? They have been... how do you say it. They have been, ah, harrassed, before?" He asked, looking surprised. Shivering slightly at the thought of Jean Michel, he looked up at Liam and Julian.
"He is a wicked man. Terrible. He will cause harm to you all, if he can. He will not stop until either he or Lethe is dead."
Julian blinked up at Liam vaguely, not really hearing Ethan.
"Of course..."
Julian got up slowly, his knees buckling a bit. Hooking his claws into the wall to keep himself upright, he swayed a bit like a drunk. Shaking his head, trying to clear it, he gave Liam a long look.
"I... right. Crow. Yes."
It took an effort to speak - he was ready to fall asleep on his feet. Looking up at Ethan, he pointed vaguely.
"What 'bout him?"
Looking a little self-conscious, Ethan shifted his legs experimentally. They felt numb, as though they had gone to sleep.
"I do not think I can walk, yet."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:59 pm
"Yeah. By people a lot more evil than Jean Michel, I can promise you that," Ike nodded, "and I plan on making him dead..." His pupils shrank to tiny slits and he wrapped an arm around Ethan's shoulders. Poor guy. It must suck to be blown up and healed and then not be able to walk.
Liam laughed slightly and shook his head.
"He can stay here, if you like," he looked back to Ethan for a moment, "I'm pretty sure Rabid won't mind taking care of him for a while."
He laughed again.
"I hope you realize that every lick of damage done in this room was inflicted directly or indirectly by either you or your sister," he joked, "and feel free to stay here yourself if you need to pass out. I can watch the clock myself."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:06 pm
Julian gave a wry half-smile and was about to make a sarcastic remark when the dizziness hit.
"Uh. Think I gotta sit down a minute."
Staggering towards the couch, he collapsed on it and put a hand to his forehead.
"I swear to God, Liam, if you ever do that again I'll..." he trailed off mid-threat into exhausted sleep, head lolling.
Ethan quirked an eyebrow, looking resigned again.
"I believe I am staying here, then?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:19 pm
Liam gave the sleeping Julian a thumbs-up. It was funny, how normal he looked when he was asleep.
"Ano," Liam nodded to Ethan, replying in Slovak, "I think you'll be safer here than with Crow, even if our room's bugged or something."
He sighed and flopped onto the couch near Julian.
"Just to warn you, the rest of my family will be returning eventually. Two little girls, a woman, and a very, very large man."
"Good. You can stay with us," Ike smiled and sat cross-legged again, "Just don't do anything bad."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:35 pm
Ethan smiled at Ike, profoundly relieved that no one was trying to kill him for a change.
"I'll be a good house guest, I promise. I can get rid of the taps, if Le- ah, Crow, will let me in her home." He said to Liam, enjoying speaking his native language again. He looked around the room, his face suddenly tense.
"There are bugs everywhere. Some are mobile - small, discreet. You would never even realize they're there." He said in a low voice, knowing full well it wouldn't do much good if they were being listened to.
"Jean Michel has been planning this for a long time. He's thought of nearly everything - we must handle this situation with utmost delicacy."
---
Four hours later.
Ethan sat watching the clock turn to six with wide eyes. Julian was still sleeping, his face twitching every now and then as he tossed and turned restlessly. Another bad dream, by the look of it.
Looking at Liam, Ethan nodded towards the door.
"Perhaps you should see if she is here," he said in English. He had gone pale, and looked very nervous.
---
Crow made her way towards the room, jumpy and eyes darting around suspiciously. It would be nice to get home to Len and Julian for at least a few hours of normalcy.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:40 pm
Liam, deeply concerned about Julian's sleep patterns, looked to the clock.
"Yeah...I guess I should," he sighed. This was going to be hard.
"Ethan...Kris...whatever the Hell your name is...keep an eye on things."
Ike nodded in response. He would keep an eye on Ethan too.
Liam took a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway, spotting Crow immediately.
"Crow...Crow, I need to tell you something..." he said only loudly enough to be heard.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:43 pm
"AGH!"
Startled badly by Liam, despite the fact she'd recognized his voice, Crow had gone down into a crouch, arms flung over her head. Looking up slowly, she swore at herself and got up, looking humiliated.
"Sorry. Jumpy." She said, looking furious with herself. Leaning against her door and trying to hide her frightened shivering, she tried to smile.
"What is it? Is everything okay?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:46 pm
Liam simply shook his head, approaching her slowly.
"I have to tell you something...very important," he sighed, "I know you're going to be angry and want to kill us, but we did everything we could."
He paused for a moment, trying to gather his composure and only succeeding in making himself misty-eyed.
"Jean Michel's got Len."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 3:58 pm
"Say what?"
Crow's mind was suddenly numb with uncomprehending confusion. Her already pounding heart sped up even more, and she had to grab at the door for support.
"No. No he doesn't."
He couldn't.
"How could...how could you say something like that?"
It wasn't true. He was playing a sick, disgusting joke on her. Shaking with rage, unthinking and furious, she stared at Liam with something almost like hatred.
"How dare you. How dare you joke about that." She snarled, her raw nerves giving way to foolish rage.
Rounding on the door, forgetting the key, she kicked it open. The door ripped off its hinges and landed witha crash in the dark, silent room. She ran inside, looking around frantically.
"Len? LEN?"
Flicking on of the lights on, she looked around again. The room was silent, and empty.
"No, no no no. Oh gods, no. He can't he can't-" she muttered, feeling the violent need to be sick. Running back outside, pushing past Liam, she took off for the foyer, still calling for Lenore. There was no response, of course.
"Please, no. No."
Staggering back to her room, she ignored Liam and leaned against the door frame.
"Not true."
She was shaking with horror and rage, unable to breathe. She looked up at Liam, wanting to scream at him.
"I never told you his name."
The realization was awful. Julian had promised he would never tell anyone. She trusted him to keep her secrets - and she never would have told Liam that name.
"My girl is dead." She breathed, turning even paler. Her knees buckled out from under her, and she landed hard on the floor. Sitting and looking up at Liam numbly, she gave an empty laugh.
"My daughter is dead."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 4:06 pm
"Crow...CROW!" Liam yelled as she went psychotic, dropping to his knees in front of her when she collapsed. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a violent shake.
"No! She's not dead! Jean Michel and a bunch of his cronies ambushed me and Julian and Ike and Len out by the forest. They shot Julian up...tried to kill the kids...I think she's a hostage," he sat back, "He said he would see you soon. He told me to tell you that. That he'd see you soon. She'll be fine if we can get to him or...something. Anything."
We have an insider with us, he thought to Crow, suddenly wary of bugs, He's on our side. He may be able to help. The room is bugged. They can see us. They can hear us, I'm sure.
Things really sucked right then.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:31 pm
'That filthy son of a b***h."
Trying to twist out of Liam's grip, Crow looked around the room in fright. Bugged?
He doesn't take hostages. He moves bodies.
Trying to keep herself calm and failing miserably, Crow clung to Liam and looked at him sharply.
Get me out of this room. NOW.
The thought that Jean Michel had been spying on her made her sick. Violated, almost.
Is Julian alright? Did he kill anyone?
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:37 pm
Everyone's fine. Everyone. Resting in Rabid's room. C'mon
He stood, dragging Crow up with him and giving a small cry of pain. So many words...
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
He started walking around the corner to Rabid's room, hoping to God that it wasn't bugged too.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:53 pm
Walking slowly into Rabid's room, Crow stared at the kid sitting on bloody blankets with mild interest.
"Hi."
Ethan looked back, unsure what to say.
"Hello."
Julian, still asleep, gave a grunt and rolled over.
Liam, lock the door.
Wandering over to the couch, she sank down onto it and watched Julian sleep.
"Can we stay in here for a couple nights? I could sleep in the bathtub or something."
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