Evil's Return Chapter 6: Road Rage

[Truce]

Troy simply didn't have the resolve his sister had.

He didn't want Laurella to die, but there were other people to protect! He knew what kind of people the Council would send, and he couldn't believe that they would simply leave the town alone. Even if it was slim, the Council's hounds might take any oppourtunity to seize her.

Kidnapping. Murder. Even the destruction of an entire town.

From here on out, they wouldn't care about secrecy. With the entire world at stake, more people would die, and the first would be the ones that he knew - that he cared about.

"I..."

He should kill her. Kill the Mother of Hell. That would solve all of the problems, wouldn't it? Even if it was temporary, it would still be a long time before another appeared.

People would be safe.

No. That was wrong. There was still that Fallen left out there. If they took care of that, then it should be all right.

"I'll help you, if you can help me find that Fallen. That's the cause of this mess, right?"

Besides, he couldn't walk away even if he wanted to; there was no guarantee that he could protect the people rather than endanger even more those left behind.

The necromancy mentioned bothered him as well. He would have to talk with Duncan about that later.

[secretskull]

OOC: I'm still in this, I just haven't had much time to post lately.

Duane had been sitting off to the side, propping up his wounded leaned against the wall deep in thought.

If they killed her, it wouldn't be bad thing, would it? After all, it had been done in the past; the protectors were those who eventually killed the mother. It was practically a tradition.

The alternative was to quit the S.E.C.A; he would become a target himself, a traitor to his comrades. He might be remembered as one of those who helped open the gates of hell.

Duane looked at the people assembled around him. What allegiances did he have to these people? He barely knew most of them, he knew a few from the S.E.C.A, and he had taught a few of them, there was no real camaraderie between them.
Duane turned to Laurella, who was also sitting at the table. This wasn't her fault, she hadn't chosen to be this, it looked as if she would die either way; killed by the Fallen or by the S.E.C.A.

She didn't have much of a chance. Maybe with the Protectors she did. Maybe she didn't, and he could end it all now, and save everyone a lot of trouble.

Duane drew his guns, and felt some of the others tense up.
He suddenly remembered something, from a long time ago, before the S.E.C.A. He had looked up the meaning of his name. "Gallchobhar," it had said. "Meaning: Foreign Help, or Help from a stranger." He put the guns down and spun them toward Laurella, "I'll stay", he said; smiling slightly.

I have a legacy to live up to.

[Astral Harmony]

Laurella nodded, looking thoughtful. "That makes sense, even though I think they're cowards for coming to that decision. In order to make the vision untrue, they need to eliminate either myself or the Fallen Angel. They don't know where to find the Fallen, and don't know if they can defeat it. But they do know where I am and they know I'm a lot more vulnerable. I just don't understand why they're not willing to take the risk. The Fallen would have an easier time finding the next generation Mother of Hell than they ever would, and all they would be doing is postponing, yet guarenteeing the submission of Earth to the Dark Ones in the end."

She drew her rapier and assumed her stance. "But that's our badass government for you. All they see is the problem right in front of their eyes, and aren't even considering the future consequences of their actions. To them, I'm no longer a human being in need. I'm just a more easily achieved means to an end."
She put away her rapier. "God, I hope they don't go after anyone who knows me with the threat of torture. I just don't know what I'd do if they attacked Stacey just because she might know where we fled to."

[IHateMakingNames]

John had survived his shadows unharmed, in inexplicable ways (OOC: Otherwise I would never post).

He was going to stick with the Mother, since he realized he had no other options. S.E.C.A. was fearing Necromancy, something John could do if he ever healed. They would simply kill him when they could.

However, this wasn't the real reason he would stay. There was a Fallen alive somewhere in the world. An Angel. John was obligated to go kill it. And it was after the Mother, so his best chance to find it was to stay with her.

"I have to stay. I can't possibly pass up a chance to kill an Angel."

[PyrosNine]

Task had heard enough. He sneaked his way out of the meeting and away from this house. It was just too much for him to...HE HAD TO HIDE!

Task dove for shadow as footsteps came running towards him. However effective his stealth abilities were, they didn't help when the man who was running towards him had a tracking device on him.

"Task. The elders. They want to talk to you."

"Oh god. Oh god I know! They want me to kill her, don't they? I can't! I won't! I couldn't..."

"Task! Shut up! We don't have time for this. You need to talk with them."

"But!"

"They don't want you to kill her."

"But...what?"

"Task, just talk to the elders. They'll explain. Hurry!"

Task and the driver rushed to the Van, where Task got in the back seat. The TV showed the face of the elders, crinkled with worry and fatigue.

"Task. It has been long since we have last spoken. Admittedly, I have been doing much of the talking, but please bear with me in your ear for a few moments longer. As you have no doubt learned, the other forces that watch the Mother have forsaken her and now drive for her death. It is no different for us...but despite our own feelings, we cannot do so. Task, do you know the name that you now carry?"

"Eldale? What of it?"

"That name is not mine, nor any of the other old men you see before you. Rather, it was the name of the man who died when you first came into our lives. We honor his name, because he was someone who did not truly belong in this world. No, he belonged somewhere greater. He refused to sacrifice anyone to the overwhelming darkness, willing even to sacrificing himself so that others may live. He died doing what he loved, protecting the innocent, even dragging the fiercest beast into his own home so that it might not harm anyone else. And now, Task, you carry his burden. Our first thought was to kill you....but we knew it would not honor his memory to do so, and the same now for the Mother.

Task, we ask a lot of you now. We, the elder group, are too old. Too old to make a difference in this world anymore. Even we are replaced by younger old men in the respective groups we led, left to wither away in peace and silence. But our hearts burn still with our conviction, yet we cannot raise our hands for anything. So Task, we ask so much: Please protect the Mother! You who carry the burden of Eldale...honor our request. Honor his memory!"

Task's mouth was agape again. Too much! Too much! Who did they think he was, Vash? Alucard?

But yet, at the same time, Task could feel some strength stirring within him. A kind of courage rose up, and perhaps even some pride. Perhaps, perhaps he could do this task. She needed help, and while he needed possibly more help in his life, the least he could do was help her.

"I'll....I'll do it."

A tiny glimmer of relief shown upon the elder's faces. The elder said only one thing. "Jarvis."

The driver opened up a compartment and handed Task two things: His sword, and a matching dagger. Each were wrapped with more runes about the hilt.

"If you ever lose yourself in battle, hold tight to these weapons, Task. They shall restore you."

Task didn't understand, but took them anyway.

"Go now! Quickly!" The elder beckoned. The transmission cut off.

Task headed out the door, stripping off the rich-kid clothes to reveal his normal thief clothes. He strapped the sword to his back and stuck the dagger to his belt. He was ready to race back into the house, when the driver called out his name.

"Task!"

Task slowly turned around. "What?"

"Dont...don't die on me, kid, okay?"

"Okay." Was all Task could say.

As he ran through the door, he murmured. "Pops..."

****

Bursting back into the room, Task confronted Laurella. "Listen, I don't know you, you don't know me, I only know the two Ninjas over there, but dammit, If I have a say in anything, I won't let anybody kill you!"

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Alicia sat in contemplative silence, still eating her meal and savouring the nice delicious flavours. While the others voiced their opinions, she apparently didn't seem to care.

But that didn't mean she wasn't thinking about it. Her Society pager beeped, and she stood up, said "Excuse me, I need to use your phone," and left the room.

There was the murmur of voices outside, a one-sided conversation as she talked quietly into the phone, before the click of the receiver being hung up.

Alicia re-entered the room.
"I have only been here for a little while. I barely know any of you. However, what I have witnessed earlier and what the Society has said to me, I will stay and help out to the best of my abilities."

[Toastburner B]

“Well,” Martin muttered to himself, “That would explain all the zeros.”

Martin chewed the inside of his lip. “I’m afraid I ain’t as heroic as you lot,” he said, “but it seems I do have a bit of good news. Apparently, opinions at the higher levels are not unanimous…your Miss Scott is paying a rather hefty amount to stick it out with you guys…enough that its extremely unlikely that it’s all out of her pocket.

“On the other hand,” Martin said, “I can’t say I blame the Council for the decision. You say they’re foolish for not thinking about what happens after she dies? I’d say it’s the fool that worries about what’s behind the corner when there’s already a knife at your throat. Its one thing to thumb your nose at Armageddon when its still a story…it’s a whole different thing to thumb your nose at it when a dude on a pale horse is riding by. With this new turn of events, you may be the lucky one, missy. If the worst case scenario happens, all that happens to you is that you die…it’s the rest of us that have to witness the end of the world.”

Abruptly, Martin laughed grimly. “Well, now that I’m on everyone’s good side…like it or not, you guys got me, bought and paid for.”

[mauve]

Trish nodded to Laurella, confirming Task's statement.

"He's a good guy," she said. "You can trust him." She jabbed a thumb towards herself and Troy. "We hang out at Task's house all the time. We were there when the shadows things attacked the place."

[Demetrius]

As Harm listened to the briefing thoughts of his slain wife and daughter, the years he had spent dedicating himself to the Blood to save lives, the oath he had sworn before his greatest friend and God, all flashed through his mind.

Kneeling Harm grounded his blade before Laurella, "My oath I gave and my oath I shall keep. My Blood before yours. My life before yours. Sworn before God and at the price of my soul, I will not forsake you." Harm rose to his feet and looked at Duncan, "We waste time with speach, we need to act post haste."

[musicmage4114]

"GO AWAY!!!!!"

A ring of flame exploded outward from Zack's body, decimating everything in the makeshift clinic within about 20 feet.

He awoke from his fever dream with a start, disoriented and confused.

"Where am I? Guys? Anyone?"