Streets-Creatures of the Night-Even the Fearless have fears
ROGUE
The chill of the dark morning gave a slight sluggish feel to Rogue's still drowsy muscles, but now wasn't the time to think of that, she had to focus, she had to fight. The low growls coming from the 3 demons around her seemed not to faze the Slayer, she was busy summing up the situation. Out numbered, over powered....
...Nothing like a nice morning stroll to stretch the muscles.
But Rogue knew what these demons where like, their stony grey skin was rock solid, and just as hard, her stake would turn into splinters if she tried to attack them with it.
Rogue:"Sorry fella's, no snacking on human bones today."
They grunted at each other, mocking her...what could she do to them? They knew even her fighting skills wouldn't do so well against these rock monsters, and the fact they knew this made them even more dangerous. Pulling out her trusty dagger, the silvery blade glistening from one of the nearby street lights, she readied for their attack.
Who was she kidding? This blade wouldn't even leave a scratch, but Angel gave it to her, so it's the only other weapon she carries with her other then the stake.
The demons where all only slightly taller then her, save for one, the small ones with eyes that glowed white in their stony faces. Yet the taller one, by at least 3 heads, had piercing red glowing orbs that glared down at the Slayer, completely unafraid.
Stone Elemental:"Doreze says you must die."
Folding her arms over her chest in a displeased manner, Rogue shook her head.
Rogue:"...Honestly, no hello? Just Die? Where have the manners gone..."
But they weren't in the mood for - or didn't understand - the Slayers remark, a hand instantly reaching out to grab her, but the large stone grasp was easily dodged.
Someone sent these things to kill her? Most likely someone who's trying to gain Angelus's position while he's away. Her fists lunched out and slammed the stony gut of one of the smaller ones. But the pain that shot threw her hand visibly caused her to flinch, the larger stony demon grabbed her with his hands, her struggles unnoticed his in grasp.
She needed Willow, Mark, Logan, anyone who was able to fight them from a distance with spells or remain unharmed. Why did Mark have to die, why again? She wanted him back, she needed him!
With a painful yell, her body is slammed against the cold stonewall of a nearby building, the demons hands still pressing her hard against the wall.
Rogue:"Hey...couldn't you perhaps delay this meeting till tomorrow?"
Her words strained as she spoke, the pressure of the demon growing stronger against her. Gasping for air, it was almost a relief when he pulled her away from the wall and threw her off into the other wall nearby. With an agonising thud, her body fell painfully to the ground, taking all her strength simply to push herself to her knees.
Rogue:"...I need to get them home.."
These demons seemed weak when she last encountered them, but she had Logan and Willow by her side, she was alone and out numbered and easily over powered by herself. Why did everyone she cares for have to die? Why did being a slayer mean she had to spend her life around constant death?
Diving out of the way as one of the demons lunged at her, Rogue had to quickly avoid another one who reached out and tried to grab her again. There was too many, she should get back to the apartment and call Logan to help her!
Their loud snarls and growls made them sound like a pack of wild animals instead of living stone, in an attempt to flee, she tried to run back the way she came, only two of them had blocked her off while she was fighting the larger demon.
Backing away from them as they moved towards her, she held her dagger out...a last and final stand, she had to escape other wise there will be no one left to protect the students.
The Slayer could smell something...someone...close by, if they came upon the scene then they'd be in danger, her momentary laps in concentration resulted in one of the creatures grabbing at her hand. The larger demon slammed her against the wall once again, pinning her down, her hand grazed as it was yanked from the clutches of the small demon.
...She was losing
After all these years, all those monster, all those demons she's ever faced and - in the end - beaten....finally this seemed it. She didn't assume she'd die so uselessly, a Slayer, pinned against a wall.....by a rock demon....this didn't seem...fair.
What about the sun? Just once....even if only for a moment....she wanted to finally see the sun gain.
She didn't want to die alone....she was ready for death, she was, but not alone...not in the cold...not without a reason.
The next few things seemed to happen in a blur of motion, a shimmery flicker of light on a blade, the feeling of icy steel in her chest, the hot burning sensation that crippled her body..
...And a single...silent...gasp.
Slowly, as her hands desperately tried to free herself by grasping onto the stony hand that held her against the wall, but with their job seeming to be done...the spell was broken, their forms melting away into rubble and dust.
With nothing pinning Rogue to the wall, her knees grew weak, her body sinking to the ground. The tip of the blade that made it threw her body and peirced threw the back of her shoulder dragging along the stonewall, making a scratching sound that was the cry of her demise.
I'm the Slayer, you're innocents, it's my job to protect you.
Don't worry...we'll find a way to get you home.
Rogue:"...Logan..."
Dammit Logan! I'm not leaving him out there to die!
He's a vampire Jennifer!
But I still love him!
Rogue:"...I'm afraid.."
I'm a monster....oh my god I'm a monster! Angel I'm a monster!
I don't want to be a Slayer any more...I want to be a teenager...I want to go shopping, I want to go dancing, I want to go to bars, I want the only thing that worries me to be the colour of my tan!!
Rogue:"...I don't want to be alone....not in the dark.."
Promise me you'll hold me when I die...promise me you'll remember me..please Angel...promise me..
She was cold...wet...she was wet, why was she wet? Her eyes cast down at her chest, she was bleeding....her fingers tenderly touching the handle of the blade, it's golden shimmer almost glittery from the light. It hurt to touch it, she shouldn't touch it...
Was something moving? Was something out there...nearby....watching her? Moving towards her, beside her? Where was it? Who was it....Was it Angel...?
Why didn't anything make sense...
CATHERINE
ooc: If you don't want Cat to find her then just ignore the post just the post didn't have a TBC so I wasn't sure
She was still muttering curses under her breath as she slammed the front door on the apartment open, smashing it against the wall her eyes dark. Stepping from the light to the dark made her pupils widen, further shadowing her eyes, which would have given them an almost sultry look if she had not been so angry.
Cat was sorely tempted to kick out at the trash can which was sitting innocently on the curb but a faint pain which still lingered in her right toes warned her against that particular idea.
She set off at a fast, purposeful walk, her cat boots making little noise out here in the open on the hard tarmac of the sidewalk. She had a theory if you where walking out late, in big cities by yourself that if you walk briskly, and look as if you know where you are going, you'll be safe. She knew how people picked their victims, women mainly, who, through weakness or lack of judgement or insecurity, seem to be inviting their attentions. She thought that if you don't look like a victim then you didn't become one. She'd been the victim before now, she could remember glancing nervously over her shoulder, seeing the shadows of four large men detach themselves from the gloom of the alleyway. She'd been too afraid to run, thinking that perhaps ... somehow if she ignored them they would miss her.
They couldn't have been more than twenty and she could smell whisky upon their breaths, hear their jeering in their voices as they surrounded her.
'Whats a little thing like you doing out here, in a rough neighborhood like this?' One said leering drunkenly at her.
Please ... just leave me alone.' She stammered and almost like they could smell her fear, like a pack of wolves closing in on a wounded doe, she knew wolves ate their prey alive, unlike lions which suffocated them first. She wondered which ones these men were, would they kill her before they had their fun or would they torment her then dump her lifeless body somewhere.
'Does your mother know your out?' The ring leader said, he was tall and gangling with long dark hair. (in the night she couldn't tell if it were brown or black)
She suddenly found a scream in her somewhere, opening her mouth, shrieking for someone to help her, feeling blind panic setting in. The next second the panic receded and she stopped screaming as she felt the cool steel of a flick knife pressed against her neck, near where her life force bubbled close to the skin. A cold flush ran though her and she heard the voice of the man, rough hands had grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her hard want a wall, she couldn't help gasping in pain. The blade nicked her throat and a single drop of red blood, black in the moonlight rolled down the smooth metal blade, dropping to the floor.
'Don't make me hurt you.' The voice growled in her ear 'You wouldn't want me to have to scar your lovely skin now would you?' She could feel him draw a finger down her throat, moving closer to her, crushing her against the wall behind her, driving the breath from her body.
'Please don't hu .. hurt me, let me go please ... please.' She stammered again, terrified and scared. She wasn't sure if he listened to her words but he put the knife back in his back pocket. Cupping her sweet face in his hands, looking down at her face, turned to silver in the pale moonlight that filtered down from above, he bent his head to kiss her roughly, his lips bruising hers, his unshaven stubble scratching her delicate skin. Her eyes wide open and staring at him, trying to push him away from her. She'd never been kissed or let any man touch her before, this first bad encountered with a man was probably one of the reasons she didn't get on romantically with men.
He dropped his hands onto her shoulders and then lower to caress her body, she shuddered with revulsion at his touch. Something inside her snapped, using all her slight strength she wrenched her lips away from his striking out at him with one fist, luckily catching him near the region of his temple. He stumbled backwards slightly holding a hand upto his head giving a grunt of pain.
She didn't give him chance to recover, dodging the hands of his friends, she ran, hurtling up the alleyway, not looking back but she could hear them following her.
It was after that incident that Bekki and the others persuaded her alone to self defense lessons, taught by a huge, hulking, black man. Nina never seemed to do much, she'd just stand around and watch him train the others. Even Cat could see she was more interested in his body than his lessons. The two had ended up dating for a while before Nina lost interest, that was her problem, she got tired of men very quickly.
Cat shook herself back in the present, she was just glad she had managed to loose the four of them. She glanced around her, wondering what had disturbed her from the solitude of her thoughts. Then her keen hearing picked up the sounds of snarling and growling, it was only faint but somewhere nearby.
'Rogue!!' The words started from her lips, it had to be her, she might be in trouble, how could Logan declare he loved her and then just leave her to fight demons, vampires and hell knows what else there was living in this place.
With those thoughts she threw a last glance behind her and sprinted up the street, wishing that she wasn't wearing cat boots which were quite heavy on her feet. She dashed the remaining length of the street, not really aware how quickly she was running. She turned a sharp corner and felt her blood run cold in her veins.
She saw Rogue pinned against a wall by some creature that seemed to be composed of rock, saw it's arm draw back, the flicker of a golden knife in it's hand. She realized she had stopped running and as if in slow motion she saw the creature thrust the blade forwards then they seemed to fade, crumble into dust and Rogue was slumping forwards onto her knees.
'ROGUE NO!!' The cry burst from her lips, it wasn't true, she was going to wake up in a second and find that this was one of her bad dreams, that she was really at home, in her tiny room surrounded by comfort and security. But she didn't she just stood there watching the girl on blended knees, waiting to wake up.
Suddenly she put a foot forwards filled with a sudden despair that Rogue would die, that here was another person who would die infront of her, who she couldn't save. She took another step and suddenly she was flying towards the girl, slowing she took a few hesitant steps.
She heard Rogue's words, tears rising unbidden to her eyes, swimming in their dark depths, this was not happening, it couldn't be, she wouldn't let it.
She dropped to her knees and stretched out a hand, placing it on Rogue's shoulder, the other cupping the girls cheek, lifting her face, looking into her eyes.
'Your not alone Rogue ... I'm here,' She said despairingly, she didn't know what to do, how was she to save Rogue? Could she? She didn't want her to die, she couldn't? Cat wouldn't let her.
JENNIFER
(ooc-That's wonderful!! I loved your post, sorry, I forgot to put a 'TBC' I was getting rushed by my brother)
For a moment...just the slightest moment, Rogue was sure she heard Angel moving towards her. But then...that can't be, because he wasn't around any more....he wouldn't come back for her, not now...not like how he is....not after what she did to him.
'Your not alone Rogue ... I'm here'
It was hard, but she focused enough to pay attention to the sound of the voice, Cat's hand guiding the Slayer's chin, her eyes trying desperately to keep in contact with Rogue's. The Slayer wanted to offer her an encouraging smile, but she couldn't, she couldn't smile even when she tried.
Rogue:"It's not really that bad...
The tremble in her voice made it sound as if she was on the verge of tears, but her eyes seemed glaze, ready to cry, yet unable to force them out.
Rogue:"There'll be another Slayer, I never wanted to be the slayer....I used to have friends, lots of them. I liked Drama, sports and arts...I never got to finish school...everyone died...they always die.."
She whispered weakly as her fingers loosely wrapped around the golden handle of the blade, her eyes tightly closing for a moment as more pain shot threw her.
Rogue:"Remember...."
It was cold, yet burning hot as well, she wanted to pull it out of her, but she didn't have the strength, she wasn't sure....should she leave it...get rid of it....Angel's dagger....the cause of her death...it didn't seem right..
Rogue:"...when we were in the apartment....talking....about being...different? I'm different....I don't think I'm...entirely human.."
I'm a monster....oh my god I'm a monster! Angel I'm a monster!
I don't care Rogue! Please, come back, stop hiding from us, from me, I'm a vampire Rogue, and you still love me, I still love you...no matter what!
I'm a monster! Slayers kill monsters! I'm a Slayer...what I'm going to do...?
Rogue:"..I'm a monster.."
Pulling the blade from where it had been forced, her eyes swelling with tears as it slid out of her chest with a muffled gasp she tried to choke back. Letting the blade gently fall from her fingers, she watched as it fell to the ground, the sound of metal hitting stone heard as she placed her hands over the wound.
Rogue:"...a real monster Cat, with fangs...fangs and fur and a tail, I get a tail Cat, I go blue and get a tail!"
Her tears began rolling down her cheeks as she spoke, it was her secret...her shameful secret that no one other then Angel knew, everything was spinning, she didn't want to die, not yet, not before she got them home. She didn't want them to stay in this world, she hated this place, the demons where everywhere, and there where so many! You take out one, and hundreds more come, there was no ending, even if the sun came back, the demons would still be here.
The Slayer allowed her body to slowly fall sideways, safely leaning against Catherine as her strength was quickly fading.
Rogue:"I wouldn't let Logan come with me....everyone dies, I wasn't ready for Logan to be taken away, they killed my mother...my sister...my friends....everyone, I didn't want to be alone..."
There was a pause before she whispered again, the memories of herself looking like a demon haunting her mind.
Rogue:"..Blue....I get a tail....and everyone's afraid of me...they don't know who I am...don't tell them...don't tell them I'm a monster..."
CATHERINE
'It's not really that bad...' she looked down at Rogue, saw the splash of drops of blood black in the moonlight onto the pavement. Cat paled slightly, an unbidden image of her mother as they removed her from the wreckage of the cars, she had been bleeding then, not only from her face but her side and leg, deep gashes, and blood which ran outside her veins instead of in them.
Her words that she never wanted to be a slayer rang around inside Cat's head, bringing tears to her eyes, she tired to bite them back, she didn't cry, she didn't ... but she couldn't stop one tear sparkling in the soft moonlight from slipping down her cheek.
'...a real monster Cat, with fangs...fangs and fur and a tail, I get a tail Cat, I go blue and get a tail!' Cat looked across at Rogue a flicker of anger in her face.
'No your not, your no more a monster than me or Sean.' What was she saying, of course they were, NO ... NO Rogue had told her she wasn't a monster.
'When I first came here, it wasn't as pleasant as this, I was hurt so I spent most of my time in the med bay. You know the first thing I saw? A huge, hairy, scary looking blue giant cat.' Riley's words sped into her head.
'You're not a monster! I know monsters, I see monsters every day of my life, yes, you're a mutant, but you're still human! Because like it or not, that's what a mutant is, a human who has grown into something greater, something different! But unlike me, you're still totally human!' Hadn't Rogue spoken those very words herself, but Rogue was human, the girl bleeding infront of her couldn't be anything else. A sudden thought sprang into her head.
'Your no monster Rogue you're a mutant, your the same as me and you told me I was human. Riley said that our doctor is a blue cat.' She tired to sound confident, she could think of no other possibility.
She felt Rogue collapse against her, she couldn't die ... please save her. She whispered inside her head, she belived in God, belived that he was toying with her, seeing how long it would take untill she decided she couldn't take it anymore, he had stolen her parents and destroyed her life peace by peace, she wasn't sure who she was appealing to, he wouldn't be listening to her.
Suddenly calm, she knew she had to get Rogue to help, she would bleed to death if Cat just sat here in the middle of the street chatting.
'Wheres the nearest medical center.' She said putting her arms tenderly and gingerly around Rogue supporting her'I'll drive or carry you there.' She wasn't sure if she would be able to, but she couldn't leave Rogue in this state.
She thought about the others, unaware of what was going on, what would Logan say if he could see Rogue now, Cat pushed those thoughts aside she could think about them later, Rogue was more important for the minute. She could feel Rogue's blood seeping against her body, staining her white top red.
CHRIS
form the cover of the nearby buildings Chris could see the slayer, she appeared to be injured, he had not seen the fight but he assumed that whoever had done this had left her for dead. He turned round and took the keys out of his bikes ignition, he was going to approach her and attempt to help or at least find out who did this to her, but as he turned around he could see that there was another girl there, it was one of the slayers 'guests' from earlier.
he could not hear the conversation from where he was standing, the muffled voices were being farther obscured by the rustle of some rubbish blowing in the breeze. slowly he walked over to them, allowing his boots to make a noise so that it was not a surprise when he spoke, as he got closer he could see the severity of the wound although it would have barely slowed him down himself, the slayer did not have a few months of genetic engineering on her side.
As he reached them he squatted down at the slayers side, "wheres the nearest hospital, you look pretty beat up, I know you told me to go but I am not leaving you in this state" he looked towards the other girl "did she say who did this" he wished he had not left the apartment but hung around and persisted, if he had this wouldn't have happened if the slayer died now the elders would never forgive him for ruining their plans, already he had deviated from them by talking to her
JENNIFER
'No your not, your no more a monster than me or Sean.'
Her words where faint, but insistent, Rogue wanted to try and deny her statement, she was a monster...she's seen herself....it was a monster..
'Your no monster Rogue you're a mutant, your the same as me and you told me I was human. Riley said that our doctor is a blue cat.'
Riley said that our doctor is a blue cat....Blue Cat?...Riley...Rogue knew a Riley, only he...he betrayed her, well...it wasn't really him anymore..why did the Initiative take her friend away..
Your no monster Rogue you're a mutant...A Mutant? How could she possibly know...she wouldn't think that if she could see Rogue in her other form! She's scream and attack just like Willow had done -after- Rogue fought of the demon that was attacking Willow!
Your the same as me and you told me I was human....The same as her? Cat was accepting whom...or more accurately...what she was..? Maybe she wasn't angry with herself any more...why was she being so brave?
'Where’s the nearest medical center.'
Lost Angels didn't really have any medical centers...except..who was that? Someone else was coming, she could hear them...she could smell them...it was Chris..
Chris:"Where's the nearest hospital, you look pretty beat up, I know you told me to go but I am not leaving you in this state"
Why did they all want to take her to a hospital? She just wanted to go home...she wanted to help get them home, get them to their world of light.
Rogue:"...I miss the warmth...please...Angel's dagger...don't let me lose his gift..it's all I have.."
She whispered as her eyes closed, but then she remembered their questions, she couldn't open her eyes again...it was just too hard...she was too tired..
Rogue:"..The....Renaissance Hospital....but.."
Rogue wasn't allowed to go there, they told her, wherever she went Demons followed, they didn't want her to bring any trouble to a place of healing.
Rogue:"...I'm forbidden.."
The Slayer's head lowered slightly, brushing gently against Cat's chin as she began to drift off
Rogue:"I was the Slayer at 15.......they said I was born to die.."
Chris:"Did she say who did this"
The words of the man drifted past Rogue unnoticed, she was so tired she just wanted to go home and rest, will Cat let her go home and rest? Just for a bit...she hardly ever gets to rest....maybe Cat won't mind if she just kept her eyes closed...if she just tried to rest now....she was so tired..
Letting out a sigh of what little air of breath she had in her lungs as she quietly fell unconscious, the Slayer remained silent, almost motionless. Yet the slow, shallow, rise and fall of her chest made it barely noticeable she was still alive.
JENNIFER
'It's alright.' Cat muttered as she spoke of Angels' dagger, Rogue needed of worried, it was lying next to her on the pavement, it's blade stained with her blood
'Your not going to die.' Cat said firmly, holding the girl a little closer, Cat couldn't accept that. She felt the girl sigh against her and the resistance went out of the slayers body. For one heart stopping moment she thought the girl was dead but she could feel the warmth of her breath against her neck.
'Rock creatures.' She said glancing up at Chris, the over behind him to his motorbike. Could she trust him ....? She didn't know but it didn't look like she had any choice. She looked down at the unconscious slayer in her grasp then back at Chris.
'Take her to the Renaissance Hospital, get her fixed up, if they complain say I'll be happy to drop by with Angelus and Drusilla.' She didn't really understand, but people seemed afraid of them two especially and at the moment she didn't care about rules of who they could and couldn't treat. Rogue was dying and they would treat her, Cat would stand there and make them if she had to. Her face grew suddenly angry and mistrustful.
'If you hurt her ...' She left the threat hanging, letting him make up his own mind on what she was do to him.
She struggled to her feet, supporting the limp body of the slayer against her. Glad when Chris relived her of the weight of her friend. She looked down at her self, she was covered in blood, she realized she'd been kneeling in a puddle of Rogue's blood. She saw the front part of one cat boot was stained with blood, her shoes were ruined, she thought slightly irritated, how was she supposed to afford another pair. If she didn't think about the body ... no woman in Chris' arms she could pretend it hadn't happened. She looked like her mother, she realized, drenched in blood, but it wasn't her own it belonged to Rogue.
'I'm going to run back and get the others, we will meet you their.' She said her voice still calm, she could break down later she told herself, for now she had to focus on helping Rogue.
CHRIS
"hang on" he called to the girl, she was just about to leave "take this, i guess you know how to use one" he said drwaring his pistol and pushing it into her hand, "aim for the heart, its the only way to kill some of these guys, if tht fails, the head would be the next best spot". he bent down to Rogue and effortlessly picked her up, trying not to cause any more damage or pain.
as he walked swiftly with her over towards his bike, he fumbled with his keys, there was no time for messing around, he muttered something in latin and the bike started. "try and keep awake" he said as he propped her on the bike in front of him, it was not the best place for carrying passengers but if he had her on the back she could fall off. he could feel the tip of the dagger poking his chest slightly, although he knew from experience it was not a good idea to remove it. he took one look over his shoulder to check the other girl was ok before speeding off in the direction of this hospital, the computer on his bike directing him
CATHERINE
Catherine looked down as she felt the cold metal in her hand, what?! ... was he asking her to kill, become a cold hearted killer ... but then wasn't she already. A sudden flash back took her far from the dark street, back to the amusement park.
She remembered it had been the hottest day of the year and the amusement park had been packed, she could see herself tugging on her fathers arm, he was leaning over, whispering something in his wife's ear. She pointed at the rollercoaster, excitement showing in her face.
'Dad can we go in on that ride, come on.' And with that she had yanked the pair of them off to join the queue, it was her fault ... she had led them to the ride, she had killed them.
She blinked gazing at the gun, could she do it again? ... even to save her own life. Noone had ever handed her a loaded gun, she'd messed around with Jon's but only after he'd removed the bullets. Cat wasn't exactly the best person to be given a gun, she had trouble containing her temper and giving her a gun just tempted fate.
Cat bent down and picked up the knife, wondering why Rogue was so keen on her taking care of it. She wiped the blood off onto her green combats, now stained a darker shade. There was no point bothering about her clothes anymore, they were ruined, that ticked her off, they were her best ones and she knew blood didn't come out.
She watched until the motorbike swung around the corner of the street, standing in a puddle of blood, looking like she was the one who had been stabbed, she was covered in enough blood to have been. She could feel herself beginning to shake, her hands were trembling so much that the knife slipped from her grasp to clatter to the floor, splattering her in more blood.
Her trembling legs gave way and she slumped to her knees, rasing her hands to her face, realising a second later that they were covered in blood which was now smeared over her face, in her hair, trickling down her fingers, down her arms. She could taste it on her lips, she raised an arm trying to whipe it off. But it was mixing with her tears, making her look as if she was crying bloody tears. She couldn't take this anymore, she just wanted a life like everyone else, she wanted to be average, have parents, be average in school, have boring friends she could hang out with. She didn't want to be a mutant, what was the frigging point when her powers couldn't even save someone she cared about.
A strangled half scream half sob forced it's self from her throat, her shoulders racked with sobs, but after a few moments the shudders were quieted. She looked up with eyes that were suddenly clear, she couldn't change the past, but she could change the future, she had to get back to the apartment, she had to tell Logan what had happened. She closed one hand around the knife, refreshing the blood upon her hand, then picking up the gun which had also slipped from her hand she stood. She slipped the knife into her back pocket and set off at a run back the way she had come, her feet pounding slight over the ground, her hand clenched tightly around the gun.
TBC - wounded.
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