Chapter 55
Back with the group.
Hanna tore herself from the boy and stride for the window. Pressing her face against the glass. The outside world seemed normal, quiet, but normal. She couldn’t see Persephone’s attackers or the teenager’s distress, but she sensed something was wrong.
Abyss sat on the other side of the room, keeping to the shadows. She looked up from her throne and frowned at the Hanna’s tense stature. “what’s wrong?” she asked.
“I don’t know” Hanna confessed. “Something doesn’t feel right”
Abyss leaned forward, pressing her arms on her knees and grasping her hands together. “Other then the Demon in your room?” she chuckled. Her joke made Hanna smile briefly, but it wasn’t enough. She watched Hanna, then flicked her gaze out the window for a moment, then back to the teenager. “we’re in the middle of the woods, you don’t know whose out there. Doesn’t mean something is wrong”
“that cabin feels wrong”
“don’t worry about that cabin”
Hanna frowned, she turned around to face Abyss concerned.
Abyss narrowed her gaze in a dark stare and insisted “Their fates are now in my hand”
“HANNA!” Persephone’s scream echoed, barely audible in the cabin. It was enough for Hanna to tear herself away to the window. Hanna stumbled back, then sprinted out of the bedroom, tearing out the door and out into the wilderness.
“HANNA-“ Persephone’s voice cried out again before abruptly cutting short.
Hanna never sprinted this fast in her life. The world became a blur around her as she ran for the lake. Her foot hit the water with a tap, never dipping past the sole of her feet. She ran on water, kicking water spraying up behind her. The wind roaring through her hair. Storm clouds suddenly appeared overhead and thunder cracked, following her across the water.
Five suited men stood around the unconscious teenager, armed with rifles. The sixth kneeling down by Persephone’s side, attending to the blonde.
Hanna’s eye narrowed down the enemy. Her speed kicked up and the lightning strike harder overhead, beating the sky hotter than the fury burning within her.
Two men by the water noticed her fast approach. They primed their guns and aimed at Hanna. She rolled her shoulders back and out burst her wings by her side. The men didn’t have time to fire. She was upon them before their fingers could touch the trigger. Leaping over the edge, she flew over the men. Her wings stretched out and slashed through their weapons, carried forward and through their flesh. Their bodies collapsed behind her. Her wings curled back behind her, she pivot her body forward, one leg stretched out and kicked the sixth man away from Persephone. Landing beside the unconscious blonde. The sixth man flew back, knocking into one of his men and landing in the bushes.
Hanna dropped to her knees and gave Persephone a quick shake of her shoulders. “Persephone? Can you hear me? Persephone?”. Hanna looked up to see the rest of the men turning to her gun raised. She glared at the men, slowly standing up slowly. She stretched her wings out wide and threateningly, her wing’s mouths grew forth and howled at the enemy. “This is the part where you run!” she threatened.
“No, this is the part” one man growled, taking a few steps closer, priming his rifle. “Where you die”
She cracked her head to the left and replied darkly “suit yourself”.
He pulled the trigger. Hanna raised one wing in front of her, block the bullets from striking her or Persephone. She strode forward three steps, then sprinted in a flash. Her other wing lashed forward, decapitating his hands and splitting his guns in two. He screamed, throwing his head back to the sky. She weaved around his body and flashed forward to the next suited man.
Gun fire echoed on all sides, trying to shoot her down. Their bullets were steel and had no desired effect on her. For she was too fast for the bullets to land and if they did catch her, the metal weren’t strong enough to kill her.
She side stepped left and right racing to the fifth man. His gun ran dry and so he pulled out a blue bladed knife. He gripped the knife with one hand, raised the blade up and threw his hand forward. Hanna ducked under his attack, sliding between his legs. Her wings sliced through his legs. Hanna threw herself up as the fifth man was thrown off his feet and landed on his back.
Hanna stood up and faced the last man. He charged to her blue bladed knife swinging wildly. She dodged the knife, sidestepping left and right. Hanna caught the hand before the blade could make it’s mark. She moved his hand away from her face. He struggled to resist her strength. The Hybrid snapped his hand backwards. He screamed, loosing the grip of his knife. She took the knife and held it against his throat. “Who gave you this?”
He chuckled. “I ain’t telling you shit”
Hanna heard a click behind her. She turned back and found the last man standing behind Persephone. Gun raised. “LET HIM GO!” the man screamed. “LET HIM GO OR I’LL SHOOT!”
“Get away from her first!”
“LET HIM GO!”
“LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!”
“LET. HIM. GO!” the Sixth man fired into the air, then aimed back for Persephone.
“Okay” Hanna yelled. She pushed the man away from her. She dropped the knife and held out her hands. “Okay, let her go. Please”
The sixth man looked down at his hostage and considered carefully. He looked back up at Hanna and without speaking, she knew his answer. The suited back pulled the trigger.
Hanna sprinted past him, flying past the bullet and over Persephone. Landing on the woman, she dropped herself over the woman. Her wings burst forth and shielding Persephone. Hanna braced herself for the incoming bullets.
However the impact never came. The bullets fire rang out a moment longer before they abruptly stopped, replaced by blood curdling screams. Hanna looked behind her and found Abyss standing in the firing line. The bones of the sixth man laid at her feet. The fifth man raced side one with knife in hand. Abyss caught him by the throat and hoisted him up into the air.
Abyss looked back and smiled. “I got your back darling”
Hanna smiled, a low relieved sigh.
Abyss surrounded the man with shadow and consumed him whole. Leaving only bones and the knife behind.
Hanna turned back to Persephone. Taking the girl into her arms, she listened for a heart beat and again, sighed relieved when she found the steady beat. “she’s alive”
“You doubt?” Abyss spoke surprised. Hanna turned around to face her. Abyss strode forward, her confident smirk of hers made Hanna roll her eyes. “I didn’t, not for a moment” Abyss confessed. The Devil dropped to deep squat facing Hanna, turning to her at eyelevel. “I am just ashamed I didn’t catch up to you faster and missed the show”
Hanna frowned at the Devil’s excitement. She looked around at the enemy, their broken bodies scattered around them and it brought her no enjoyment to see them this way. To see what she did to them. The way she killed them to save Persephone. She rolled her shoulders and her wings sank into her spine.
Abyss caught the action, dipping to the left and watching the wings disappear with a look of intrigue. “fascinating” she whispered under her breath.
Hanna looked over her shoulder, following Abyss’s line of sight before she turned back to the Devil. “we have to go, it’s not safe here”
“my darling you are perfectly safe in my care” Abyss assured. “They will be over and done with tonight. Just wait ten more hours”
“that’s still plenty of time for them to come after us” Hanna stated.
“Hanna…”
“I need to keep my friends safe!” Hanna insisted, leaning forward into Abyss’s personal space. “Help me get them to safety, then you and I will finish them off together”
Abyss smiled, surprised. “Together?” she asked.
“Together” Hanna answered.
“Okay” Abyss answered. “Let’s move our party to somewhere safe” Abyss spoke while standing up. Hanna followed her lead, taking Persephone into her arms as she went. “I presume you have a place in mind?”
“I do, there its safe enough for no one to notice us and you can explain what’s going on in that cabin”
“And why do you think I know what’s going on?” Abyss chuckled.
“You wouldn’t be dragging out their demise if it was just one child being abused” Hanna answered. She walked past Abyss and picked up the blue knife. She twirled it in hand, then gripped the handle with blade pointed down. She turned back to Abyss and suggested, shrugging her head in the direction of their cabin. “Shall we?”
“We shall” Abyss answered. Abyss closed the gap between them. She placed one hand on Hanna’s shoulder and suddenly, they teleported away from the carnage and back to the steps of the cabin. Where the others were waiting. “Get your shit and meet me out front” Abyss spoke, she smiled, then teleported again.
The others rushed Hanna while she continued to stare into the space Abyss once stood, just a moment longer.
“What happened!” Addams yelled.
Hanna turned to her and shock her head. “she was attacked, we’re not safe here. Please just get your stuff, we’re heading out”
“We should call our parents” Kit spoke. “Tell them about those fuckers”
Hanna hissed, turning her gaze to the ground. “about that”
“Oh no, what did you do?” Kit groaned.
“I made a deal with Abyss, we’re going to take care of them together, once we get ourselves safe she will tell us what’s going on” Hanna looked up to her friends. “I don’t know who they are, but they were armed and not just with guns, but with divinium”
“Divinium?” the couple questioned concerned.
“Divinium” Hanna answered. She pointed the knife up, showing her friends. “I want to find out who they are and I want to keep them away from my family”
“Okay” Kit agreed. “Let’s get to work”
The couple raced inside. Hanna was about to follow when black smoke suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Disappearing to reveal a stolen red sports car and Abyss leaning against the drivers seat.
“What do you think darling?” Abyss asked.
“I like it, can you drive it?”
“Drive it” Abyss scoffed, laughing. She stood up from the car and strode over to Hanna. “Darling I can drive, I don’t do slow, so if you get scared you can hold my hand”
Hanna huffed with a tight nit grin. The temptation to egg Abyss on was dancing on her tongue. The urge to say to Abyss ‘you and me lets take on the world and cause chaos’ was a feeling she wasn’t experience sharing with anyone other then the Devil. Well, other then Cira Sandra.
The others barged out of the house carrying bags and the sleeping child before Hanna could be tempted too much further in the dark. She turned to her friends, but was forced to turn back to lake as loud commotion grew. Abyss followed her gaze to the lake with that too knowing smirk of hers.
More suited men were racing towards them, but stopped short of the halfway point of the lake. They changed from charging, to yelling. Saying all matter of curses to anger the girls enough to follow them to their side. Hanna found the commotion strange, so did her friends, but her friends took one look at the intruders and rushed to the car. Unloading their cargo.
Hanna watched the strangers, then groaned, turning to Abyss. “It’s their car, isn’t it”
Abyss laughed. “They can’t use it now, might as well donate it to a valuable cause”
“How come they’re not coming over here, nothings stopping them” Kit wondered.
“Not true, I am” Abyss lifted her hand and beckon to the men. One man’s body suddenly snapped together, as if snagged by a net. He screamed terrified as he was lifted in the air and pulled closer to them. Crossing the invisible thread between their cabin and the Crews. Shadows leaked from the ground, taking the forms of people. The shadows, Abyss’s shadows, pounced on the ensnared man and devoured him whole. The man and his friends screamed. Abyss sighed, satisfied as she felt effects of devouring his soul. The bones dropped freely from the mess of shadows and soon the shadows themselves disappeared. “that’s why”
“Holy shit!” Hanna cursed terrified.
The suited men did not run, they took arms and started to fire.
Hanna ducked, dragging Abyss along with her. Helping the Devil into the car, then dropping Persephone into her lap and shutting the door behind her. Abyss grumbled at the blonde in her arms, but Hanna didn’t hear her. The others threw themselves inside the car as the first strays of bullets hit the cabin.
Addams and Kit briefly turned their attentions outside, throwing their hands out the window and flipping off the men.
“Bastards” Addam cursed.
Hanna meantime threw herself over the bonnet, raced around to the passenger door and climbed inside. She took Persephone off Abyss’s lap and the Devil shot the car into gear. They floored forward, narrowly missing the cabin and straight into the forest.
“So if they can’t cross the line, they can’t hurt us” Kit comment.
“Correct” Abyss answered smugly.
“So we were safe back there”
“No we weren’t” Hanna answered. The others turned to her confused by her statement, she allowed her words to sink in before she explained. “Yes they couldn’t touch us, but nothing was stopping them from calling outsiders to kill for them”
“Ah yeah” Kit comment.
“If they were smart enough to do so, then yes it is a risk” Addams comment.
“Not one I’m willing to wait for” Hanna replied.
“No matter” Abyss shrugged. She relaxed in her seat, one hand on the wheel and the other on the stick. “If safety is what you desire, then safety is what I’ll guarantee” she turned to Hanna. She watched the woman cradle Persephone protectively in her lap and her mouth twitched with annoyance. She wouldn’t dare voice her annoyance and will whole heartedly deny the feeling if asked, for she knew how much Persephone mattered to Hanna. It wasn’t her business to say otherwise. So she drew her eyes set only on Hanna’s face and asked “where to now darling?”
Kit and Addams looked to Abyss surprised by the comment.
Hanna turned to Abyss and answered, ignoring the ‘what the fuck’ stares from her friends, “Paradise Lost”
“I still don’t get why we are here!” Persephone remarked.
She only just woken up by the time they arrived and since then, she refused to let Hanna’s hand go. The group spent the morning hiding their trail and dumping the car, much to Abyss’s dismay. Now the late afternoon was starting to set in. The group walked through the busy doors of Paradise Lost and headed straight for the bench.
Hanna looked down at her and smiled “This is one of the safest place I know. Even my parents recommend this place is a perfect way to hide”
“We could have gone to Cats Cradle”
“We could-“
“Actually no” Abyss piped up, walking on Hanna’s other side with the sleeping child firmly in her grasp. The group turned to her. “You can all spend as much time as you want in dry place of false god worship, but I cannot enter”
“Oh what a shame” Persephone remarked sarcastically.
Hanna sighed, shaking her head. “please don’t start again”
“I’m siding with Han, we all get you two despise each other now get it a fucking rest” Kit groaned.
“Oh please, I only despise interesting advisories” Abyss remarked. She looked to Persephone and gestured to her body up and down. “She is not”
“Fuck you” Persephone snarled.
“Sorry you’re not my type” Abyss remarked chuckling.
Persephone nearly stormed past Hanna to punch her, but Hanna pulled her back. Hanna sighed, irritation taking it’s hold “enough” she whispered. She turned to Persephone and begged “please, don’t”. Persephone refused to look her in the eye. So she turned to Abyss and the Devil looked up at her with a cheeky grin.
“Yes darling?” The devil spoke.
“can we not fight while we’re in hiding please”
“Fine, but only because you asked”
A clatter of footsteps distracted the pair from each other, to see Edith walking up to the group. Smiling curiously at them. “Hello dears” she greeted. “What brings the infamous Scooby gang here today?” she paused and did a double take to Abyss, the child in the devil’s arms and how close the Devil was standing by Hanna’s side. “And who’s your friend?” she asked, looking between the two. “Is this your-“
“Friend” Hanna spoke suddenly, interrupting her god mother. “that’s my friend and her kid”
“Ah” she answered in a non-convincing tone.
Addams and Kit sniggered.
Hanna cleared her throat, embarrassed. “Can we, can we have a room for tonight?”
Edith nodded. “Of course, right this way” she beckoned and she led them past the receptionist desk to the court yard.
Dylan looked up from the desk, rolled her eyes playfully and tossed her wife a key. “Have fun girls” she called out after them.
“Thank you” they replied back.
Dylan chuckled, then continued serving.
Inside their hotel room
Abyss and the child took refuge in one of the bedrooms. Abyss, after being instructed by Kit on how Flus work, decided remaining by the child’s side at all times was the best care she could give him. The others retreated to the lounge room. Sitting in silence and gathered around each other.
“I can’t believe you made a deal with the Devil” Persephone remarked.
Hanna winced at Persephone’s tone.
“I agree” Addams spoke. ”It’s not like you to make a deal for carnage and blood”
“I know” Hanna answered. “But there is something wrong with that cabin, its not just the armed men. I can smell…something decaying in that cabin and they carried divinium blades. I don’t think what’s behind those doors is human”
“Demonic?”
Hanna shock her head. “Worse”
“Angelic!” Kit spoke surprised.
Persephone shuddered, it didn’t go unnoticed. Hanna reached to her side and squeezed Persephone’s hand.
“I think so” Hanna confused, watching Persephone concerned for a moment, then turning back to the others. “It smelt so wrong, it reeked from the cabin and its coming off the men, not as strongly, but it’s there. I’m going to tell my parents and we’re going to make a plan to stop this from spreading”
“what’s spreading?”
“The Cult” Abyss’s voice cut through their conversation. They turned to find her at the doorway, watching them. She crossed the room to them. “The cult traded one god for their new leader and according to the child, their new leader is all about purity and feeding his pleasure. Using his minions to spread destruction and do his dirty work” She walked past Addams and Kit, dragged a chair forward to the group and took a seat straddling the chair. She studied their reaction, moving down the line until she found Hanna’s gaze on her. “I don’t doubt the skills of your family” Abyss answered. “They are impressive bunch”
“They are, but…”
“But?”
“That cult uses divinium and that kind of metal can harm my family, I don’t…I don’t want them to get hurt”
Abyss nodded. “Understandable, you love them, you want them safe”
Hanna nodded.
“Then in that case I will finish my work” Abyss stated, standing up on her feet.
“What no!” Hanna quickly answered, leaping to her feet and striding closer to Abyss. “You can’t go alone, they’ll kill you”
Abyss laughed. “Only if I allow them”
“Oh stop being so cocky. It’s still too dangerous!”
“All the more reason for me to take care of it myself”
“Not alone” Hanna informed. A sudden plan exploded in her mind and she looked at Abyss with a confident grin. “Wait a minute” she darted away from Abyss, taking a stand to face the group. “We can work together. The Sister Warriors will track down any other cult members outside the cabin. We and my family go to the cabin, we distract the cult and my family attacks. We regroup and flank on the other side. Tonight we can stop the madness before it spreads”
“That might be the worst idea I have ever word, when do we leave?” Kit agreed.
“Not the worst plan we done, I’m in” Addams agreed.
“Okay’ Persephone spoke, not too happy with the plan, but willing to go with Hanna wherever the Hybrid goes.
“Sounds good so far, but we have to do more then distract and kill” Abyss agreed.
“what do you mean?”
“It’s not just cult members and Angelic down there” Abyss answered. “Cult tends to snatch groups of people and hold them for a time, it might be a rescue mission”
“All the better we stop it. Tonight”
In one text message Ava and the Crew appeared in their loungeroom in a flash. “You have done WHAT!” Ava shouted surprised.
The humans jumped, Abyss sniggered and Hanna groaned.
“You are so grounded young lady!” Ava stated shocked. The shock angry parent vibe disappeared, replaced by an impressed smile. “I’m very impressed”
“But you’re still grounded” Beatrice informed, moving away from her wife. To pull her daughter against her and held her tight. She pulled away seconds later and asked “Are you okay sweetie?”
“Fine mum”
“Good, your still grounded”
“Ugh”
“Alright” Ava spoke as she turned to the rest of the group. “Before we start anything, is anyone here hurt?”. The humans shock their heads at Ava. Ava looked down the list till she focused on Abyss. She looked to Abyss and asked concerned “Are you okay?”
The Devil smirked at Ava’s concern. “I’m fine”
Ava nodded, she tilted her head in a gesture to the side and walked to the door. Beatrice and Abyss followed suite. Abyss left last, standing in the crack of the doorway, she looked to Hanna and flashed a smirk, before existing the hotel room.
While the rest of the Crew attended to the group, gathering more information on the situation. Hanna stood alone and starring at the doorway with a mixture of concern and confusion.
Camila picked up on her niece’s silences and soon skipped over to Hanna’s side. She grabbed her hand, pulling her niece away to the back of the room while whispering “don’t ears drop it’s rude”
“what?” Hanna squeaked. “I wasn’t”
Camila chuckled as she took her niece to the kitchen. “you’re so easy to tease” she chuckled. She looked back to the door, then back to her niece with a kind smile. “but seriously, are you okay?”
Hanna nodded with a low shrug. “fine” she mumbled. “just a bit scared”
“that’s perfectly understandable, how about we make tea for the group”
Hanna nodded and so started helping her Aunty make tea for the group. Every once and a while, looking behind her shoulder to the door. “what could they be talking about?”
“well pretty much anything” Camila suggested. She stopped and shrugged “and possible everything” she paused, looking up at her niece. “why did the demon seek you out for help?”
“I don’t know, I guess she trusts me” Hanna answered. “which I don’t know why, we haven’t had that long of time together and whenever we were together, we were fighting each other”
“Huh”
“what?”
“Nothing, just strange”
“yeah”
They went back to the task, trying to ignore the tension conversation of the Devil. Soon they were handing out the tea cups and the others returned inside the room. The Devil herself, slowly joining the group with a cautious eye focused on Ava and Beatrice.
Hanna spotted Abyss and walked over to hand the Devil a mug of tea. “hey?” she whispered concerned. “you okay?”
“perfectly fine darling” Abyss chuckled. Hanna gave her a suspicious glare and the Devil groaned. “okay I’m just fine, darling, let’s focus on the task at hand”
Hanna nodded, turning back to the group. Abyss’s attention lasted longer on Hanna, drinking her tea as she studied the Hybrid. Her attention only pulling away when Lilith cleared her throat.
“Well if we’re going to do this, we will in four teams; Base, Tractors and Lead…” Lilith trailed off, focusing on the teenagers. “I know you girls want to help, but there is absolutely no way we’re involving you in a fight against a cult”
“WHAT!” The Group cursed. Abyss didn’t join in on their shock dismay, she stood back and sipped her tea, content with the developing fight between the two crews.
“You can’t be serious, we’re too involved already!” Hanna spoke.
“Exactly, you are all in danger, we need to keep you all safe”
“But we can help”
“You helped enough already” Ava interrupted.
“But-“
“No buts Sweetie!” Ava answered. “You have all risked your life already and luckily survived this time, we won’t see any of you hurt further. Besides..that kid needs protection, you girls are the only ones who I trust to do it”
“Ava is right” Beatrice informed. Ava turned to her wife and smile appreciated. “We will send a squad of Sister Warriors here to protect you and stop any threat entering the building”
“I know you don’t like it kids” Mary spoke up. “But from what we’re been told, this situation is way too dangerous and risk to all of your lives”
The teenagers turned to Hanna disgruntled. Hanna sighed, crossed her arms over herself and held herself close. She turned to her aunties and mothers and nodded. “Okay, but can we least help you out with the plan, Abyss says they might have hostages?”
Beatrice hummed concerned.
Ava nodded. “Okay, tell us all you know about this cult, every detail”
And so they began their discussing, trading information and advice from the older Crew. Hanna noticed the silent behaviour Abyss developed during this discussion. Noticed how contempt the Devil was behaving, quietly sipping on her tea and trading information when it was needed.
The Hybrid believed during this discussion Abyss was still following through her original plan. Not too much of a surprise, but a question of when.
It seemed when came after sunset.
The girls checked on the child and Abyss, finding the child alone and Abyss was nowhere to be seen. Assuming she left for the Cabin for her own vendetta. Hanna radioed in with support team outside the hotel. They confirmed one fear, the Tractors were successful and were on the way up regrouping with Base team. The Hunters, the Crew, haven’t been heard from in an hour.
So, fearfully of the Crews lives and Abyss, Hanna and her friends fled the scene while the Sister Warriors walked onto the landing to join them. With Hanna’s strength and her wings, she snuck them outside, grabbed them tight and flew up into the sky. Ignoring the pleas of the Sister Warriors to return.
The cults cabin looked nightmarish in the dark.
It’s supernatural quietness made the Group shiver. As if everything living refused to step inside the Cult’s land. Fear for their demise. The girls didn’t take the warning to heart, instead they looked at the warning and decided to push forward towards the Cabin in search of the Crew.
Arriving just outside the Cabin. The building was pitch black, a first sight since they started the weekend and the grounds, the door broken off it’s hinges and flapped in the wind. The Land surrounding the Cabin’s doorsteps, were covered in bodies. Skeletons and wounded corpses. Abyss and the Crew had been through here. Where they went next, was another question.
“where to now?” Kit asked.
Hanna hummed. She could feel Abyss’s shadow moving in the darkness, far from them, but seemingly everywhere all at once. She didn’t want to be discovered. The Crew’s scent was leading Hanna to the house, where it mixed with the heavy stench of decay and Angelic. Hanna pointed to the Cabin, then turned to the others beside her. “stick close and follow me, we go in together, we go out together”
The group nodded.
Hanna took off her jacket and rolled back her shoulders. Her angelic wings stretched forward, hunched low and ready to attack. Her angelic wing on her arm curved out and around to her fist, ready to strike. Hanna handed them each a dagger for protection. Persephone took hers in one hand, her gun in the other.
Hanna did a double take on the gun in Persephone’s hand. She looked up at the woman surprised and Persephone, looked back at her with an unimpressed shrug. As if the gun in Persephone’s hand had always been there and not an object never once not associated with her. Hanna gulped concerned for Persephone. However, this was not the time to question why the blonde had a gun, she turned back to the Cabin and began leading the group inside.
Inside the cabin looked like theirs, but abandoned and empty of possessions and personality. The strangest object in the cabin, was a single metal door in the middle of the lounge room floor. Busted open with a tossed overturned couch by it’s side.
“well isn’t that a bit fucked” kit whispered.
“I know, they could least got the door to match the aesthetic” Addams complained, unimpressed.
Kit bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.
Hanna peered down the doorway, into the darkness and sighed. “down here, keep close” she whispered, then began the descent down.
“yeah right behind you dude” kit whispered as the others began to follow single file.
Under the Cabin, down twisted staircase.
The sounds of fighting echoed through the passage. The clash of metal and the anguish cries of Tarask and Human sounds echoed in the dim light. The smell of decay threaten to choke the teenagers.
The bottom of the stairwell led to twisted corridors illuminated by red light. Red, not from the bulbs, but from the blood splattered on the glass. This corridor of carnage opened up to a two-level prison, filled with bodies near death and few fresh victims. Blood and filth decorated this prison of horror. Fresh bodies laid sprawled outside the cages, indicating not that long ago, they were the guards of this prison.
The teenage humans were terrified and Hanna, truth be told shared their fear, but her fear was overcome by rage. Her angelic was restlessly and by stepping into this room, her angelic started thrashing inside her human body, desperate for release.
“Holy shit” Kit cursed.
“you can say that again” Addams comment, terrified.
The sounds of their voices drew the victims from their cages, crawling to bars and peaking through to see the strangers. These prisoners seemed to have nothing in common, young and old. Malnourished, bruised and covered in filth.
“what do we do?” Persephone whispered.
“get them out of here” Hanna whispered back.
“how?”
Hanna walked forward, her wings reared up and the prisoners suddenly scattered away from their cages. A single flap of her wings and gust created shredded through the bars on both levels. The doors fell forward and suddenly the prisoners were free, but they did not move from their cages. Hanna rolled her shoulders, sending her wings shrinking back under her shirt. She walked forward to the nearest prison and crouched down beside the open door.
Inside this particular cage, was an older woman and young boy, barely two years old. Hanna tried to remain calm for them, but her eyes shown vibrant blue. Blood building up in her eyes. “it’s okay” she whispered, her voice breaking. “my friends and I are here to help, we’re not here to harm you, we just want to help”
The prisoners didn’t react.
She offered her hand inside the cell and they shuddered at the movement. “please, come with us”
It took a while, long enough Hanna feared they will never move.
Eventually they did. The older woman crawled out first, holding the child protectively behind her. She took Hanna’s hand, helping her out of the cell. After two steps outside her cage, she looked around, turned to Hanna and collapsed in her arms crying.
“It’s okay” Hanna whispered against the woman. The boy wondered forward and fell against Hanna’s side. The Hybrid snaked one arm around the child and held him close. “it’s okay”
Others witnessed the tender display and slowly gathered the courage to flee their cells. Those that tried to stand, barely could hold themselves up. Hanna watched them move, she hopped this was the only prison and not just one of many. She wanted to take these people into her arms and fly them out before she burned this Cabin to the ground. She knew she couldn’t just yet, these people were terrified. She and her friends had to be gentle with them, if they had any hope to move these prisoners out safely away from the monsters.
Hanna soon let go of the older woman and child. She took their hands and helped them up, leading them to her friends. Addams and Kit took the message, Addams helped the two while Kit began moving down the line helping prisoners where she can. Hanna followed her cousins movement, then turned down to the end of the corridor. Where the sounds of fighting continued.
Persephone moved past the prisoners and took hold of Hanna’s forearms. Causing the Hybrid to jump, snapping her attention back to her. “We need to get out of here”
“I know, but I need you to take them”
“Hanna no” Persephone whined, terrified.
“Persephone” Hanna whispered, she grabbed her ex’s face with both hands and pulled the blonde close. “I need you to promise me, take these people out of here. I need to find my family. I will find you”
“No, I can’t loose you”
“You won’t” Hanna promised. She pulled Persephone forward and kissed her temple. “You need to go, now”
Persephone nodded. “I love you” she whispered.
“I love you too”
Hanna let the blonde go and took off running down the hallway. She stopped in the doorway, she turned back and watched her friends turn to her. They nodded their approval. She nodded back, turned and sprinted into the unknown.
She found her family in the middle of a fight for their lives.
The dome like room reeked of decay and at the centre, it’s source for the smell, was grotesque blob of an Angelic. It’s body filled the back space of the room, towering over the Tarask’s four times over. It was unlike any Angelic she ever seen before; a mixture of bony spiked tentacles, scales, a spiders body, three goat heads covered in eyes around the temple and a mouth each, and body in a state of rot. Half sickly flesh, half glowing purple bones.
The suit wearing humans were half dead, with bones glowing vibrant purple, just like the Angelic. Welding knives of divnium. They die by the blade, a flash glow of vibrant purple and were resurrected to continue the fight.
Her family were scattered around the room, fighting the Angelic and it’s human slaves. Hanna didn’t know where to start.
Suddenly the Angelic’s tentacles snatched Ava and threw her across the room. Ava smashed into the wall back first and the room shock from the impact. She fell forward on her face, landing on the floor.
Hanna turned back to the Angelic and howled. She burst from her human shell and flew straight at the Angelic. The Angelic didn’t see her yet, he aimed his tentacle arms for Beatrice and Camila. Hanna intervened, slicing off the two tentacles, shattered to pieces and sliced through the rest of the tentacles. He howled as his tentacles fell to the ground around him.
Hanna flew back and came together as one ball. Floating above the ground.
The half dead Angelic turned to Hanna, his body already healing the damage. He looked to at her with his free heads and grinned “It’s you, Hybrid”
“Hi”
With newly regenerated tentacles, he sent them flying towards Hanna. She dodged the initial tentacle, then split apart and started tearing them apart individually. Her eye flew to the celling, surrounded by four protectively wings while the rest of her body slashed and bit the offending tentacles.
“I’ve been looking for you” he laughed. “God Killer, did you really think you would get away with this”
With each slash of his limbs, the body part will fall and turned to dust. His most terrifying quality was not his looks, although very close, it was his resistance to the Old Gods curse. He should have been turned to dust after the first attack, but he sat, unphased and regenerating at will.
“Who are you?” Hanna asked.
“Damion, Reya’s successor” he introduced. “You imprisoned my master and now, I will take revenge on you”
“Good luck with that”
Below Beatrice looked up and nearly had a heart attack at the sight of her daughter’s sudden appearance.
“Oh my Gods did she follow us!” Lilith cursed.
“That’s your girl!” Mary remarked. “Just like her mothers”
“We need to get her out of here!” Beatrice informed. She heard a growl on her right, she turned and forced her spear through the undead’s head. His growl cut short, turning to a struggling gasp. She ripped her spear out from his head, twirled her spear around, then used the flat blade end to slide off his head. She kicked the body away and turned to Mary “You know if my daughter is here, so is yours”
Mary groaned. “yeah no shit”
“Why won’t they die?” Camila asked, a frustrated tone. She ripped out the empty clip and reloaded her machine gun. Sending frustrated bullets ripping through the enemy.
“That thing, Damion is keeping them alive” Serita explained. “We kill him, we kill them”
Camila nodded, she looked up and remarked “Well it looks like Hanna is making a dent in that bastard”
“LANUAGE!” The Crew yelled.
Beatrice killed two more undead before she started looking around for her wife. “Ava? Ava? AVA!” she called, searching through the crowds of undead for her wife. In this dense mob, it was hard to spot her. She don’t know when she lost sight of her wife, but her disappearance was starting to scare her. “AVA!”
Flashes of gold light and the hollowed screams of the Dead called out behind the Crew. An undead hand reached for Beatrice and before she could deflect it. Ava’s hand appeared by her side, catching the hand by the arm. The touch caused the Undead to scream, purple glow shifted to gold and quickly his body turned to dust.
Beatrice turned to her wife and found her wife starring back at her. Eyes were gold and not of her lover. As if someone else was looking through her lover’s eyes. “Ava?”
‘I can take it from here’ Other Ava ordered in Ava’s head. Not a kind suggestion or plea, but a command of the highest order.
‘of course’ the old voice replied. ‘but if you need more rest, I am able to look after both of you’
‘thank you for the offer, but this is where I come in’
‘Very well, good luck Ava. I will lend you some of my strength, it won’t last long’
‘I don’t need long to kill him’
White glow surrounded the iris of Ava’s eyes, reassuring Beatrice her lover was back in control. “Ava”
“Are you okay my love?” Other Ava asked.
“Fine, but we need to kill him, get our daughter back and get out of here”
“This won’t take long” Other Ava turned to the Angelic. With sword drawn, she slashed her way through the crowds in flash of light. Speeding towards Damion and Hanna.
“That was weird” Serita comment.
“I know, but let’s help her with everything we got!”
“You got it Bea!” Mary remarked.
Other Ava’s old energy flowed out of her body in waves. She swung her sword down on the Angelic’s tentacle and the energy consumed the target. Disintegrating the severed limb to dust and the rest creeping up the Angelic’s body.
Other Ava felt powerful yes, but on a timer. The power didn’t have the same power as before when Reya had tried to kill her. Less wild and overpowering, more control and concentrated. She had to make work quick smart on the crazed Angelic.
While her daughter handled the tentacles and upper part of his body. She went for the torso and legs. First hacking off the legs one by one, rendering the Angelic unable to move. The Angelic howled with every cut. The energy glued itself to the Angelic and began feeding off his energy, limiting his powers of regeneration.
Other Ava darted up the Angelic’s body. He tried to stop her, smacking his tentacles for his body, missing Ava and hitting himself in the process. Other Ava ran up his chest, stopped short above his heart. Raised her sword with both hands and forced it through his body and split his heart. Driving all her power into the past and inside his body.
Damion howled a final time, then dropped his heads to his chest. His undead minions, now without their master’s power, screamed, clutching at their chest and they too fell to the ground dead. Dissolving into ashes, the purple glow disappearing.
Other Ava, spent of energy, stumbled back and nearly fell off the Angelic. Hanna’s wings raced into action, catching her mother and carrying her to the ground. The rest of her body followed suite. “Sweetpea?” Other Ava whispered.
“I’m here mum”
Other Ava shock her head and pointed to her daughter “you should be in that hotel”
“I know but-“
Other Ava launched herself forward and took as many of her Angelic’s feathered form into her arms. “thank you”
“mum ease up you’re squeezing me to death”
“suffer, you scared me to death”
The others raced over to their side. Beatrice dived both the pair, taking them into her arms, in a bear hug for the ages. The others joined the mass hug.
Hanna pulled away first. “Okay let’s get you all out of here” Hanna spoke, “the others should be cleared of the building by now”
“See I told you she didn’t come alone” Beatrice whispered in Mary and Lilith’s direction.
Lilith sighed and Mary nodded slow. “yeah we know, they’re just like us” Mary groaned a low whisper.
“Has anyone seen-?” Hanna asked, but a crack behind her caused her to turn around. Hanna turned to Damion and watched him confused. Now dead, he should be dissolving to ashes, but he didn’t.
A few more cracks and she realised, to her horror, the sounds came from Damion.
The Crew turned away from each other to face the Angelic.
They watched as his body started to crack, purple light streaming from his form in blinding rays. His heads twitching, moving up.
Hanna screamed “GET DOWN!” then threw her feathered form around her family and her Eye, forming a tight ball shield. Damion’s body exploded. Despite the protection Hanna tried to give her family, the shock wave broke her shield.
Everyone lost conscious. The last they heard as their worlds went white, was the mad sounds of Damion’s laughter.