Angels Born of Hell and Fire

Chapter Three:
[Megan's P.O.V]

I sighed and rolled my shoulders, trying to work out the knots that had developed in them. I enjoyed my training with ShadowWalker, but the man was a ruthless as Savannah. If it wasn’t for him having to prepare for the mission outside the valley apparently going on, I’d still be under those steel gray eyes appraising every way I was failing. Apparently I wasn’t a very good ninja…

I smiled thinly to myself. And I was supposed to surpass Peter? The king of disappearing acts?

My bravo this morning had been just that; a snarky response to his teasing. I had very little confidence in my so called abilities. Some days I doubted I even had them. Aside from being able to feel the emotions of the people around me I had a “transform” type of talent. Or so Savannah had informed me. Meaning I could change my physical appearance to heighten my combat abilities. In other words, I had fangs and claws that were perfect for tearing people apart. Apparently this was pretty rare amongst the freaks and outcast of the human race. So I was a freak amongst freaks. Lovely.

The soles of my boots hit against tile, tapping out a steady rhythm as I slowly made my way towards my room. I was skipping lunch. Hopefully the others would be too preoccupied with other matters to notice my absence. Or at least Taylor wouldn’t notice. I sighed, thinking about the lecture the small girl would give me.

With time Taylor had taken over watching over the members of the Guard like a mother hen over her chicks. The image was amusing as she was actually younger than all of us. And yet, despite her small stature she would stand up and scold any of us brandishing a duster or something. Facing her wraith was not on my list of things I wanted to do.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts I physically jumped when a sudden voice hissed in my brain,

‘Megan!’

I was surprised enough to stop dead and look around as if expecting someone to appear out of nowhere.

‘Jasper?’

‘Yes! Where are you?’ she mentally whispered.

‘On my way to my room. Why are you whisper thinking?’

‘Because she’ll hear!’

‘Who?’ I asked dumbfounded. I was tempted to point out that no one could hear our thoughts but Jasper kept going.

‘Bring a bottle of green tea to the hall by the library. Oh! And a bag of Cheeto’s!’

‘Wh-‘

’Thanks!’

And then she was gone, slamming the door to her mind firmly shut.
Uh...

Without any other thoughts as to what to do I turned heel and headed for the kitchen. I grabbed the asked for green tea and Cheeto’s –out of the special snack pantry that was only for Jasper’s use- and headed for the library. Halfway there, as I was passing a closed door, a hand suddenly shot out, grabbed my shirt and yanked me inside before I could even register the movement. Instincts began to kick in and I was just about to slam my elbow into someone’s face when a voice stopped me.

"Did you being them?" it hissed.

I turned to stare incredibly at Jasper. She was crammed in between a vacuum and an ironing board, crouching on a mob bucket, her silk skirt bunched up by her knees and tucked in between her legs.

"Yeah..." I said mystified and held out the bounty. She snatched them from my hand like a starved animal and drank half the green tea in one gulp. Next she tore into the Cheetos.

"Uh, I’m so hungry! I didn’t dare go down to the dining hall. And now I’m stuck in here for only God knows how long," she rolled her eyes and continued shoving Cheetos in her mouth.

I stared at her a moment, thinking that maybe my friend Jasper had been abducted by aliens and replaced by some Cheetos obsessed thing that thought it was trapped in a cleaning closet. I said my next words with caution.

"Uh, Jasper, dearest, are you feeling okay?"

She shook her head and took another giant gulp of tea.

"Oh yeah just friggin dandy if you consider being driven out of your mind okay!" her voice rose by the end of the sentence and she seemed to catch herself, looking anxiously towards the shut door before diving back into the bag of chips.

"Um..." Dare I ask? "Why, exactly, are you being driven insane?"

"Because of that- that thing who calls herself Michelle!" she gestured madly with orange fingers, "Oh my God Megan if I have to listen to her babble on about that stupid friggin party one more minute I think I might strangle her! Or blow her up, I haven’t decided."

All of this she said in a furious whisper, with glances towards the door ever few seconds, as if expecting the object of her words to bust in any moment.

Suddenly something dawned on me and I couldn’t resist the laugh that bubbled out of my throat.
"The great and terrible Calamity… soon to be Empress of the world… hiding in a closet… because of a simple human!" All throughout my sentence giggles bubbled though and I was soon full out laughing, holding my sides.

"Shut up!" she whispered and smacked me on my arm, "Shut up! It’s not funny! If you had to sit there and listen to her for four hours straight you would hide too! Four hours Megan, four hours!"

"Oh the horror," I mumbled, still filled with mirth. She sent me a look that could have withered iron. I only beamed at her.

Glancing around the packed closet I perched on a semi sturdy looking box and prayed it wouldn’t collapse.

"So how long are you planning to stay in here?" I ask studying the cobwebs hanging in the corners.

Jasper shrugged.

"I don’t know, until she forgets about me?"

I gave her a pitying look.

"Jasper...I hate to tell you this but...you’re kinda hard to forget about, being you know, the Empress and all."

She sighed, "I know."

“Where’s your guard by the way?” I looked around the cramped encloser as if expecting to find one of the other teens perched on top of a vacuum.

“Mmm I sort of ditched Gabriel by saying I was going to the bathroom…” Jasper mumbled as she fished around in the Cheetos bag.

I thought pitying of the boy, probably completely at a loss as to what he’s supposed to do now that the subject of his “protection” had gone missing. I just hoped he had enough sense not to make a big deal about it…

“That’s not very nice you know…” I told her but she only shrugged.

“I needed a break.”

“Break from?”

“Everything,” she gestured around.

I forgot sometimes, how much pressure Jasper was under. Not just with the up in coming celebration but with the regular tasks of the “Empress”. Then there were the lessons she still had to go through. I stopped paying attention to all the things she had to study or what language she was learning now. In comparison what I did every day wasn’t that big of a deal. For the most part I was either training, or going over personnel files, or going around ‘supervising’ new recruits.

I nodded, “Alright, but seriously, how long are we going to stay in here?”

I wasn’t necessarily claustrophobic, but I did have a problem with dark musty places. Even sitting in here a few minutes I felt unclean, like I needed to go and scrub my skin furiously. I knew if I wasn’t careful the flash backs would start, like they always did when my mind had drifted along dangerous paths. For the most part I was fine; I had gotten over the majority of my fear and could function like a normal person most days. Most days.

Jasper made to speak, and probably say I didn’t have to stay if I was uncomfortable, when our sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps. We both froze, becoming motionless statues in the murky dark. The steps approached at a steady rate, determined, a goal in mind, and then suddenly they stopped. We exchanged glances.

‘Gone?’ Jasper questioned and I shrugged.

I had just shifted to rise to my feet when the door swung open.

I resisted the urge to hiss through my teeth as light stabbed my eyes. Damn I hated that.

"AHH!"

I blinked and squinted at the familiar scream. Taylor stood in the door way, a duster in one hand, the other pressed firmly against her chest. She was breathing deeply with her eyes closed. She suddenly snapped them open.

"What the hell!" she cried. "Don’t you ever scare me like that again! My God…"

I couldn’t help but grin at her, and I heard Jasper laugh. Unfortunately I was closer.

"It’s not funny!" she smacked me with the duster and I nearly fell in my attempt to get away, the old cardboard box sagging. "What the hell are you two doing in here anyways? Sitting around like a bunch of dead bodies."

"Jasper’s hiding, and dragged me in with her," I said plainly.

“Is this why neither of you were down at lunch?” Taylor eyed us suspiciously, in full mother hen mode.

“Yes,” I jumped on the excuse, fully prepared to let Jasper take the blame.

Jasper sent me a look saying she knew full well what I was doing.

Just then I heard footsteps again. In union both Jasper and I grabbed a hold of Taylor and yanked her in the closet, practically slamming it shut.

"What the-" Taylor started but I put a hand over her mouth, reducing her next words to incomprehensible grunts. If she didn’t stop making so much noise we were going to be discovered. I half hissed/ growled at her to shut up to which her eyes went wide in the dim lighting but she stopped.

The footsteps approached, I was listening so intently I could hear the person breathing. I heard them mutter a few low curses.

"Where is she?" The person strained. Jasper and I exchanged a glance in the darkness. It was Michelle.

‘Wow, you think she’s part Doberman?’ I asked Jasper sarcastically. She made a face as if this really was a possibility and it took all I had not to laugh out loud.

Slowly Michelle's footsteps faded and we waited a whole three seconds before all of us burst out laughing. Well, Taylor and I did, Jasper just sighed in relief and sagged back against the ironing board. After a while of us still cackling happily she looked at us and said dryly.

"It’s not that funny."

Taylor and I exchanged a glance.

"Yea," she said, "actually it is.”

“You can’t just leave her to her own devices you know,” I said to Jasper, still chuckling.

“Says who,” Jasper pouted.

“Says me, come on its getting hard to breath in here,” I said and opened to door. To say the least, a closet crammed with cleaning products and three almost fully grown girls was not pleasant. We tumbled out, and I caught Taylor before she could trip and face plant into the floor.

“Fine fine I’m coming,” Jasper said sourly and I shot a smile in her direction.

“Gabriel is probably worried,”

She made a noise through her nose but otherwise said nothing.

Taylor raised a brow at me as she leaned back into the closet to grab a few rags from the shelf.
“You two have fun then, I have to go help in the kitchens.”

I smiled in parting and then dragged Jasper back up towards the library.

“You should be glad it was Gabriel on duty and not Savannah. She would make you run around the mansion 50 times carrying cinder blocks or something,” I said.

“Which is precisely why I waited until Savannah had already left,” Jasper said lowly and I laughed
.
We entered the library cautiously, looking around for any signs of the ever so evil Michelle. But the only body within the space belonged to Gabriel, who sat in a large chair near the door, his face propped in his hand as he stared blankly into space. I was surprised he hadn’t fallen asleep. Upon noticing us he stood, smiling.

“I was waiting for you,” he said happily and I couldn’t help the smile that crept up my face. Gabriel reminded me sort of like a puppy some times. They trusted and loved you without question no matter what.

“I stole her for a bit, sorry,” I said and I could feel Jasper’s eyes on the side of my face.

“That’s fine, did you get what you needed done?” he asked.

I nodded, “Yup, did we make you miss lunch as well?”

Gabriel shrugged, “It’s no big deal.”

“You should have just gone without me,” Jasper grumbled, and I knew she was feeling guilty.

“Mmm no, I couldn’t have done that,” Gabriel shook his head, his too long bangs covering his eyes.

“Why not?” Jasper questioned.

“’Cause it’s my job to watch over you,” he said shifting uncomfortably.

I bit my lip to stop from laughing as I knew Jasper was dying from guilt now.

“You’re a sweetheart Gabriel,” I said just add salt to the wound.

Gabriel’s eyes went wide, his face flushing a deep scarlet at the compliment. He looked so dumbfounded I couldn’t stop the laughter this time. I patted his arm as I walked by.

“You should go down to the kitchens and grab something, I’ll watch over Jasper in the meantime,”

He glanced over to Jasper, as if wondering if this was alright. I shooed him towards the door.

“Go on, and pick something up for that one over there, we didn’t have time to eat either.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll be right back okay?” he said and I nodded, smiling.

After he was gone I looked over at Jasper with an arched brow. She muttered something under her breath and moved towards one of the tables covered in books. I took that as a ‘yea I know I’m a jerk’ and settled into the chair previously occupied by Gabriel. Since I was on “guard duty” I might as well act like one.

I took the time to examine the space. I had spent quite a bit of time within these quiet walls, relishing in the stillness that could only be created by books and the endless knowledge they contained. My eyes scanned over the carpet, finding the patch that was just a slightly different shade than the rest. I had often stared at that patch. It wasn’t very big, measuring maybe three feet across, hardly noticeable to anyone else. But to my eyes it was glaring, obvious and demanding for my attention. That was the place I had died, my life’s blood soaking into the fibrous carpet and staining it forever. They had to have it replaced of course, leading to that perfect three foot square, which was just slightly different than its neighbors.

I looked over to where Jasper seemed lost in thought over something. She didn’t like when I brought up my death. She tried to hide it, even making a joke here and there calling me a zombie, but only I knew how it bothered her. She blamed herself for it, as well as several other things that were in no way her fault. My entire being had been programmed to keep her safe; I didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. If it was anyone’s fault, it would have been Adam’s, who had been the one to actually kill me. Yet Jasper always excused him of this. I had no idea why. God knew I blamed Adam, and I hated him only more after everything had happened. I no longer feared him, my distaste for the man too overwhelming to allow such an emotion. I took everything he did as an act against me in some way. If there was a way Adam could somehow screw up my life even more than it was he would find it.

Even now, I had begun to distrust how calm things have been. Adam was around here somewhere, I knew because of the shadow that hung in my mind. But he hadn’t even come by to either mentally or physically abuse me lately, which was something he had previously taken such pleasure from. I suspected it was because he had turned that venomous gaze upon Jasper, but she had yet to mention anything to me. I knew she probably wouldn’t, even if it was true. She tried to be so strong, to take on everything by herself so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it. I knew this was because of my ever fragile mental state. Even being in a dark closet for a few minutes was enough to unsettle me for Christ Sake. What I would do if my daily life was ever suddenly disrupted I didn’t know. I had found comfort there, in the simple tasks that were expected of me. From that comfort I was able to laugh and feel… human.

I wondered if I was crazy for still thinking of myself as human after all this. I was probably crazy either way.

Holding my hands before me I examined the blue veins that stood out beneath my pale skin. I still looked human at least. But if I so chose, I could change these hands into something far less harmless.

I decided then, that I would use these hands to protect the small amount of peace that I had found. Since I could never, and would never, return to the life I had before coming to this place, I would take a cue from Savannah and protect this place as my home. I would survive, no matter what I would have to do to accomplish that.

[End: Part Two Chapter Three]