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 Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:13 pm
Rabid followed, hands still trembling.
Well, at least she hadnt been forced to kill anything.
Liam sighed and trailed after the others.
At least I'm not the only one.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:24 pm
Benjamin slammed the door behind them, shutting off his phone and taking a seat behind his desk. Searching the drawers, he pulled out a shot glass and a tall, unmarked bottle. As he poured for himself, he looked up at Crow with vague interest.
"Last time I saw you, you were an eye short and bleeding your life out in a back alley. How's life treated you since?" He said conversationally, downing the liquid and pouring himself another.
Crow, taking a seat in front of the desk, put her feet up at the table's edge and gave him a neutral look.
"Better. Got myself a place in Durem. Working the laboratory scene these days," she replied, her voice a monotone. As Julian made to sit beside her, she cocked her weapon once more and aimed it at his face.
"If you even think of it, I'll blow your face off," she said coldly. Julian started slightly and backed off. Her face betrayed nothing of her thoughts, her expression fixed into neutrality. Benjamin laughed slightly, pouring himself a third drink.
"Sterling personality as always." He said, laughing again. "Labs, eh? Didn't think you did the amphetamine scene anymore."
Crow leaned forward slightly, aiming the gun at Benjamin lazily.
"Cut the small talk bullshit. This isn't a personal visit, Ben, this is business. I need information."
A fourth drink halfway to his lips, Benjamin set the glass down slowly.
"So I figured. You always did use me only for what you wanted. What d'you need?" He said, sounding bored and resigned. Crow smiled coolly, finger resting lightly on the gun's trigger.
"I'm looking for Jean. Where is he?"
Benjamin choked on his drink. He looked at her in stunned amazement, then at Rabid, Ethan, Julian and Liam.
"You people must have death wishes!"
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:29 pm
Liam didn't dare actually move backward, but he shifted his weight behind him. Crow was seriously beginning to share the living Hell out of him.
We.are.so.dead.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:42 pm
Still looking at Crow's gang, Benjamin shook his head despairingly.
"Cut their tongues out already, I see."
Crow gave a short laugh.
"I only did that once. These ones learn fast." She said, only a faint trembling of her hand on the gun decrying any emotion. Benjamin didn't notice it. Shaking his head and throwing his half-full glass at the wall, he grimaced as it shattered.
"Dammit, Lethe. Why couldn't you just stay down? Just this once? You've always got to get the last ******** word in. Why do you keep doing this to me?" He said angrily, slamming his hands down on the desk. Crow watched him impassively.
"Because. Just tell me what I need to know, and I'll leave you in peace. All I'm asking for," she said, her voice growing soft as she leaned forward again, "-is an address. A zip code. A direction. Anything at all. He's got someo- something that I value very much. And I'll be damned if I let him keep it."
Looking as though he would very much like to hang himself with his tie, Benjamin sat back in his chair and groaned.
"What'll you give me for it?"
Crow's eyes narrowed dangerously as she aimed the gun again.
"I won't shoot you in the head like I was planning. I'll be nicer this time." She replied. Behind her, Ethan twitched slightly and moved back a little. Benjamin looked up at him pityingly, a terrible look of understanding on his face.
"Fair enough."
He scribbled down an address and pushed it over to her, looking sour.
"We almost had something once. Why'd you turn on me, Lethe?" He asked. Crow cocked an eyebrow as she picked up the paper, smirking slightly.
"Why d'you ask?"
"Because you people are going to die, and I won't get a chance to ask again. So...why?"
Crow laughed and got up, the gun aimed steadily at his abdomen.
"Because I got tired of you." She said. Snapping her fingers, she pointed at the door. "All of you, get out. Now."
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:47 pm
I demand an update when we get the Hell out of here, Liam thought to Julian as he escaped the room obediently. He couldn't help but think of poor Ethan and how insane this must be to him.
Rabid sighed and shuffled out of the room. She had been expecting something like this, being called minions or the like.
That didn't make it any less irritating.
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 7:41 am
Your guess is as good as mine with this guy - she never told me about him.
As the door slammed shut behind them, Julian leaned against the wall and shook his head, feeling ill. The casual threat of violence against him had been unnerving.
I'm afraid she's really about to fly off the handle - she's falling back into old habits way too easy.
Alone in the room with Benjamin, Crow's cold exterior broke. She sagged in the chair, clutching the paper close and starting to cry. Benjamin looked on in mild surprise.
"Never seen you cry before."
Crow looked up at him, tears spilling down her face. He held her eyes for a second, then looked away. Getting up, he started to pick up the broken glass and mopping up the spilled liquor. Crow got up as well, moving behind him and pressing the gun against the back of his head. Her voice was deeply sad and caught with tears.
"Are you going to tell him I was here?"
Benjamin straightened slowly and turned so that the gun was pointed directly between his eyes. He gave a thin smile, reaching down and stroking Crow's cheek.
"Lethe. My Lethe. I grieved for you for months, afterwards."
Crow's face twitched as she tried to resist pulling the trigger.
"The why did you let him do it? You just sat back and let him do it!" She hissed, still crying. Benjamin's smile flickered slightly.
"You broke my heart." He replied simply, putting his other hand over hers and pushing the gun level with his chest. "And you know the minute you leave this room, I'm going to call him. And I'll tell him."
Crow gave a choked sob, pushing the gun into his chest. She thought she could hear his heartbeat. Benjamin stroked her face again, looking thoughtful.
"I don't have to do this." She said. Benjamin shook his head again.
"You had every intention of killing me the minute you walked in. You can't trust me, Lethe. You always tie up loose ends."
He leaned close, closing his eyes and holding her in his arms.
"You always were a heartless b***h."
Crow looked up, brushing her lips against his. He flinched slightly at her touch.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"No. You're not." He whispered back.
The gunshot was explosive as the bullet smashed through Benjamin's heart. He seemed to fall in slow motion, smoke rising from his chest, and he had a look of grim satisfaction on his face.
Ethan started and stared wildly at the door at the sound of the gunshot, and the heavy falling of a body. Julian shared his look, moving to open the door. Before he could, it opened on its own, and Crow staggered out. Her face was blank, tears running down in rivers. Dropping the gun, she wandered out into the now-empty room, gasping for breath. The paper was still clutched in her hand. Julian peered into the room, looking stunned.
"Crow..."
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:07 pm
Rabid buried her face in her hands at the sound of the gunshot. So she'd done it. Beautiful.
She began to feel mildly nauseous.
"Oh, Gods," Liam furrowed his brow in concern. Poor girl. Poor, poor girl. He didn't dare approach, though.
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:25 pm
Looking up at her friends, at her brother, Crow started laughing wildly.
"Now do you see? You see why I didn't tell you?"
Julian reached out for her, but she twisted away, still laughing. She pointed at the dead body in the office, and at the bloody footprints she'd made.
"Do you see?" She asked, laughing as tears sloughed off her face. Julian grabbed her and held her as she kept laughing, muttering nonsensically in a low voice. The laughs turned to sobs as she clutched at him, screaming.
"He loved me. I killed him. Everything I touch is ruined - no one's safe around me," she shrieked. "No one's safe!"
Ethan stood back, far away from Rabid. Glancing at Liam cautiously, he clasped his hands together and prayed silently, hoping he didn't offend anyone. It was just too much to handle at once.
"F'lehren akh she'leh, abiswa," Julian murmured, still holding Crow close. She gave another screaming sob in response, tearing away from him. Ripping off the mask pushed up on her hair, she tore it apart in a rage and threw the pieces away.
"I don't want to be her anymore! I'm not Lethe!" She screamed coarsely. Picking up the gun, she ripped it in half effortlessly. Ethan breathed a curse of stunned surprise, and Julian couldn't do much else but stare. He hadn't realized Crow was that strong. She almost radiated rage. Julian could have sworn he could see the air around her wavering-
Oh s**t.
"Crow, please, calm down, your Marque-"
The symbols had begun to lighten, almost seeming to burn away. Crow gasped, staring at her hands in horror and hyperventilating. The symbols were disappearing.
"Oh, no..."
Julian acted on impulse.
"Crow, I'm really sorry about this." He said, and cuffed her hard on the side of the head. She buckled and collapsed, unconscious. Catching her before she hit the ground, he winced at the heat coming off her skin. Breathing a sigh of relief as it dissapated, he looked at the moderately faded Marque with deep concern.
"Too close. Way, way too close."
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:31 pm
"Oh s**t," Liam broke off and ducked behind Rabid. He knew what was going on.
He also knew that Rabid didn't.
"I have a feeling that that was a very...very bad thing..."
I just wanna go home...
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:43 pm
Sick with fear, Julian watched as the Marque slowly began to darken again.
"That...that was just too close. She can't handle much more of this. It'll break at this rate."
What'll happen to me, then? He couldn't help but wonder. If it broke....well. He'd cross that bridge when he got to it. Kicking away the broken gun, he cradled Crow in his arms and walked out.
"Ethan, grab that paper. It's time to go."
Ethan, confused beyond measure and looking ready to pass out, grabbed the paper and smoothed it out. His tense face brightened a little as he read it.
"I know this place. It is where I was stationed - I can bring us there." He said, looking up at Liam and Rabid. "I know this place very well."
---
Back in the room, Julian had laid Crow out to rest on the couch. The Marque was still too light for his liking, but there was nothing he could do about it. Sitting on the floor, he reread Benjamin's directions for what seemed like the eightieth time.
He hoped Crow would be well enough to go there, when the time came.
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 6:26 pm
Jeremy
"Little angel, go away, come again some other day. The devil has my ear today, I'd never hear a word you say-"
Lenore's voice was hoarse and cracked with exhaustion, but she kept singing. It was the only way to drown out the sounds of drills, and the noise made by the other prisoners.
"Promised I would find a little solace and some peace of mind - whatever, just as long as I don't feel so- oh. It's you."
The door had creaked open, and Jeremy had slipped inside carrying another tray. Curling her lip, Lenore turned her face away and closed her eyes.
"What d'you want now?"
"I brought you dinner."
He set the tray on the floor, watching her.
"What were you singing?"
"None of your damn business." She snapped, adding, "Iffen you're trying to make nice to get me to trust you, don't bother. I don't trust humans."
"You family is human."
Lenore turned her head to glare at the boy through slitted eyes.
"They ain't human. They're evil. And sick. And when they come for me, Julian is going to kill you."
Jeremy didn't even blink.
"Better death than staying here."
Lenore cocked an eyebrow, interested despite herself.
"Is it really that bad?"
An echo of a sardonic smile crossed Jeremy's face for a moment.
"Yes. This place is hell. We're both going to die here, sooner or later. I pray for both our sakes that it is sooner." He turned away and went for the door.
"It's a song my Mum sang to me when I was a baby."
"What?"
Lenore looked up at him as she knelt in front of her food, peeling seeds out of their shells with a razor feather.
"What you heard me singing. She always sang me to sleep at night when I was really little. Did your mum do that?"
Jeremy shrugged.
"I don't remember now."
"That's too bad. If you sing, you can't hear the people screaming."
"That's why I listen to you." He said, not looking at her as he closed the door.
Taking a long sip of water, Lenore listened to the locks being put back into place.
"Don't fret precious I'm here, step away from the window, and go back to sleep...."
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 6:16 pm
Otrokyna
"Crow, please wake up."
Julian shook his sister gently, starting to look a little panicked. Crow's face remained impassive, almost dead-looking.
"Crow. Crow. Please, I didn't hit you that hard..."
Kneeling beside the couch, looking almost sick with dread, he held onto Crow's hand and shook her again.
"Abiswa, abiswa, please, wake up."
Ethan watched the siblings silently, looking a bit sad. He thought of his own family, and wondered if they even knew he was missing. Perhaps to them, he had not gone at all. For all he knew, time ran differently in Gaia then it did at home - maybe no time had passed. Or, maybe he had been gone for years.
Tearing his gaze away from Julian and Crow, he sat at the table with his head bowed, thinking.
---
"Ma, please. I'll be fine. The city isn't as evil as you'd think."
Holding the cellphone at a distance from his ear, Kristof could still hear his mother crying inconsolably. Rolling his eyes impatiently, he took a breath.
Stop being so God-blessed clingy, woman!
"Mama, please. I'm old enough to know how to care for myself. No, I'm serious. Yes, I'll be careful. Ma-MA. You're breaking up. Gotta go. BYE."
Hanging up and stowing the phone away, Kristof stepped off the bus and into the drizzling rain. Berlin, and the university, were still a few days ride - he'd stopped over in Dessau to visit friends. And, apparently, be stalked by phone by his family.
"Nechavat mi jedine," he muttered darkly to the cellphone as it began ringing again. Having a family of nine was a major pain in the neck, truly. Turning off the phone, Kristof hailed a cab. Climbing in, soaked with the thick drizzle, he shook his head despondently.
They really thought he couldn't take care of himself.
---
"Kristof? You awake?"
Grunting and pushing himself up off the carpet, Kristof winced at the pounding of a dull headache settled between his eyes.
"What happened last night?"
His friend laughed at him, dragging him up off the floor and onto the couch.
"You and a bottle of Schnapps, that's what happened. You don't hold your liquor well, Kris."
Making a grotesque face at a roil of nausea in his gut, Kristof gave a moan.
"What time is it?"
"10:30."
Kristof's eyes flew open, and he jumped off the couch unsteadily.
"Dammit! I have to go!" He said, weaving through the cluttered room and trying to find his things. Running a hand through his tousled hair and cursing, he tugged habitually at the rosary around his neck as he waved goodbye.
"I'll call you once I get to Berlin."
---
Reading a battered newspaper, Kristof sat on the train and cranked up the music on his CD player. Musing over the stories of the war and suicide bombings, he turned to look out the window. It was still drizzling outside, giving the world a dull grey sheen. Days like these reminded him of funerals, the way everyone looked exhausted and tired, and the way the world itself seemed to be holding its breath. There was plenty to grieve for, anyway - the paper was filled with stories of death and misery. Impending epidemics, war, so much death...
It was times like these he wished he could disappear. Find a new place where such things never happened. Some place different. He wondered if there even was a place where the taint of war and hatred had not yet fully infiltrated.
---
School was a blur of studying and late nights out in the bars. The days seemed to bleed together - Kristof could hardly tell them apart anymore. Life revolved around working, studying, and subsisting on a more and more liquid diet.
It was beginning to become monotonous.
He was working alone at second shift at the diner, the dead time in the early twilight hours, when the tall man and his two friends came in. They sat around in a booth, deep in discussion and looking around worriedly. Kristof didn't like the look of them - the tall one kept staring at him in a deeply unsettling way.
"Can I help you?" He asked a little warily, letting his tiredness give his voice an irritable edge. The tall man continued to stare at him, tapping a finger to his lip.
"That accent...I wonder. You are from....where, is it? Russia? Poland?"
Kristog bristled slightly. He was in no mood for conversaton.
"Slovakia. D'you want anything to eat?"
The tall man still stared at him, as though trying to decide on something. Turning to one of his friends, he muttered something in a language Kristof couldn't identify. The second man pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, handing it over to the tall one. Looking over it briefly, the tall one nodded.
"Slovakia will have to do. They're neighboring countries, anyway - they won't be able to tell the difference. Czech, Slovak - they're all the same, anyway."
He snapped his fingers at the bulkier of the two men.
"Take him."
Kristof backed off, looking angry. What were these idiots trying to pull?
"What the hell is wrong with you people?" He asked, tearing his arm away as the man grabbed at his sleeve. "Get out!"
The tall one and the one with the paper got up out of the booth, drawing guns.
"You're coming with us, Earther."
Kristof couldn't help but c**k an eyebrow at the bizarre term, trying to duck back into the kitchen.
"What are you, aliens? Take what you want from the register. Just leave me alone!"
The tall one caught him by his hair and threw Kristof to the floor, laughing coldly.
"We've got no use for Earther money. Earther flesh, on the other hand... you creatures are so interesting. So weak, so powerless.... and yet. So virile. We'll find a use for you yet, boy."
Kristof swore at the man in Slovak furiously as other men picked him up roughly. The tall one struck him across the face with his gun, and then Kristof knew no more.
---
"Wake up, Earther."
Am I hung over again?
Kristof cracked an eye open, his head pounding awfully.
"Hocikam...?"
He winced as something struck him in the stomach.
"Silence. You'll speak when spoken to, boy."
Looking around, completely disoriented, Kristof drew back as he saw the tall man.
"Aky cinit ty bieda od mi?"
The tall one sneered, grabbing Kristof by the throat.
"Earthers are prized as slaves. Good work ethic - you people believe you have rights or something. It's really quite amusing."
Kristof twisted free, looking around in terror.
"Who are you?" He asked, switching to English. The tall one sneered again.
"My name is Jean Michel. You can call me 'sir'. Or 'master' - whichever is easier on that tiny brain of yours."
---
"...Julian?"
Snapped out of his reverie, Ethan looked back over at the couch. Crow was awake, her eyes dull and glazed.
"What happened?"
Julian sighed in relief, smiling slightly.
"Your Marque..."
Crow gave a low, sad murmur and turned away, covering her face with her hands.
"Oh, what did I do.... what did I do..."
Getting up, Ethan left the room briefly to get a breath out in the hall.
Just a bad dream, all of this. Why can't I just wake up?
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:31 am
Guilt
Taking a drag on her cigarette, not caring that the once-familiar smoke burned her throat and made her feel sick, Crow sat out on the balcony in misery. The air was rather warm, and the snow had been melting quickly. She sat in the slush, not caring that she was getting soaked and cold. Blowing out the smoke like a sigh, she rubbed her eyes tiredly and coughed.
"What a sucky week."
Holding her head in one hand, rolling the cigarette between her fingers in the other, she sniffled slightly. She'd needed some time alone. Julian and the others would probably tear her apart when they realized she was gone, but she cared little at the moment.
Still...
She almost wished she could have someone to talk to, outside of them. Someone who would be angry with her, yell at her, tell her she was unfit for anything. She was sick of being comforted.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:39 am
Maggie came up the stairs looking extremely unpleased
"I need to have a word with you" she said in a way much similar to Jabir's "What in hell has happened to Lenore!?!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:47 am
Crap. Maggie. Crow cringed and quickly extinguished her cigarette, looking extremely guilty.
"I...uh...um."
She didn't know why Maggie intimidated her. Jabir used to scare the living daylights out of her, sure, but Maggie.... swallowing hard and standing up, Crow bowed her head down and stared at her feet. Time to bite the bullet.
"Lenore was taken by a man who wants me dead. He's using her to sorta torture me - he knows how important she is to me, and..." Crow trailed off, unable to look Maggie in the eye. "He knows I'd do anything to get her back. Including letting him kill me. So, he took her."
Wringing her hands, Crow bowed her head lower.
"I'm sorry. I've done nothing but bring trouble the moment I came here. I'm bad luck."
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