Chapter 25

Run

"Run!" Leo was in the lead. They thought they had gotten away, but a patrol car had gone past the alleyway they had slipped into, and it had come to a screeching halt. They had taken too long and Leo was forced to down a patrolman, which seemed to have been the equavelant of kickikg a hornest's nest.

The unfortunate teens did not take the previous battle on the streets into account. The police were on high alert because of it and had been out in force.

Feet slapped on asphalt, and Liz thanked her lucky stars that she did not wear heels. Her pumps left much to be desired when it came to grip, though.

That is why when Leo suddenly shot to the right and vaulted over a trash can, Liz slipped and crashed into it instead. The can and Liz went tumbling to the ground in a heap of limbs and unmentionables.

Billy did not think twice and hauled her to her feet in passing. She was carrying his stash after all. Liz swore and ignored her aching knee. "You are buying me a new dress!"

She shouted after Billy that had gone past her and pumped her legs to catch up.

"I don't know where nuns buy their clothes." He quipped back.

She let out another expletive when she saw they were running towards a dead end. Leo proved it was not a dead-end, but rather just an obstacle.

Billy and Liz watched as the Spartan did not even slow down in his headlong rush toward the eleven-foot brick wall that blocked their way.

Instead, he sped up.

They didn't see, but Leo had a wide smile on his face as he jumped, the ground shook with the impact of his foot that launched him upward. His awakened strength carried him up and over the wall. His launch was well-timed, practiced, and he twisted in mid-air. He gripped the wall once on the other side, bringing his forward momentum to a stop.

He clung there for a moment so he could look at what was under him. He spotted a dumpster filled with trash. So kicked away from the wall to clear it and landed with bent knees to absorb the shock. He looked behind and could not spot the other two,

Billy was hesitating and came to stop. "Fuck, how am I supposed to do that?"

Liz kept running and rocketed past him. She ran at the adjacent wall, jumped then kicked against it. The momentum brought her high enough to reach the top, and she grabbed it before hauling herself over.

Billy swore again and looked behind him. A policeman had just turned the corner.

He ran then jumped, trying to copy Liz. It worked, but he hit the wall harder than Liz driving the breath from his lungs. He pushed through and got himself over it. His last glimpse of the other side was of the policeman shouting into his radio.

Liz had fallen into the dumpster, and Leo helped her out just before Billy crashed into it.

They started running again down an alleyway leading to a busy road. It was dark, so fewer pedestrians were on it. They heard sirens.

Leo kept running right across the road, his eyes scanning for a fire escape. He knew it was only a matter of time before the police boxed them in. So going up and hiding was their best bet. He looked behind when he heard screeching tires, fearing the worst. A car missed Liz by inches, and the driver hooted.

Billy vaulted the car, sliding over the bonnet. The driver swore at him.

Leo kept going. He knew they could not climb where the driver could see them. The timing was critical, and their window to get up and out of sight was decreasing by the second.

Blue lights flashed behind them. It was too late, so he dug deep and doubled timed, speeding up.

Billy was breathing hard, Liz still had some juice in the tank, but her pumps being so flimsy, made every awakened power fueled step hurt her feet.

The alleyway they were on lead directly through the block and had no obstacles. Right up until another police car pulled in front of the far exit.

Leo did not hesitate and jumped. Liz watched as he went sailing and he grabbed hold of a fire escape with a grunt. He pulled himself up like a monkey.

Liz despaired, there was no way she would make it. A moment later, she realized she would not have to.

Leo lowered the ladder low enough for her to grab on. She did and climbed. Billy was right behind her. Veins on Leo's arms bulged with the effort, but he managed to pull them up just as a police officer dived for Billy. The unfortunate peacekeeper went sliding, plowing his way through alleyway dirt and debris.

The police shouted, but they kept going climbing as fast as they could.

They quickly neared the top, an old man leaned out of his window and shouted at them. "Are you kids crazy, wait till I tell the landlord. This is for emergencies only."

They reached the top, and Liz who was out of breath held her knees while gasping out. "What, now?"

Billy was too tired to speak, he looked like he was about to throw up.

Leo held had his hand on his head. Inhaling in and out deeply while pacing. He knew stopping could make his muscles cramp.

He walked to the side of the building where they had climbed up and looked at the opposite one. 'I may be able to make it, but these two.'

He took in their sorry states and shook his head before walking to the far side. 'The gap is smaller.'

The building he was looking at was the next one they would have run past if they stayed on the ground. He guessed that the gap was around nine feet.

He pointed at it.

Liz frowned and bit her lip.

Billy blanched and turned even paler. "Are you crazy?"

Leo shrugged and smiled. "You can always stay behind."

"Why are we even running, Klaus could have us out in an instant if he wanted to?"

Liz gave him a look that could kill. "Did you forget that I am carrying your shit? Do you want him to hear it from you or from some policeman after we get arrested for fighting in a street and drug possession."

"Fuck." Billy looked at the gap and then paced in a circle before swearing again.

Leo and Liz followed his gaze.

"We don't have a lot of time." Leo finally said, there was mirth in his voice despite the situation.

Leo then walked away from the edge. His decision was made.

Liz watched him, he came to a stop and gave her a wink before sprinting at the speed of an Olympic athlete.

Despite only knowing the young man for a few minutes, her breath caught when his foot hit the edge, and he went airborne.

He easily cleared the gap, hitting the other side with space to spare. He tucked and did a roll to lessen the impact.

Leo then walked back to the edge of the other building facing them and looked directly into her eyes. "I have you, you can do it."

For a moment she worried if she could trust him, but he had already saved them once with the fire escape. 'Plus he has a great jawline.'

She looked at the gap and then started pacing away.

Billy looked at her, incredulous. "Liz, you can't be serious."

She stopped and then looked back at the gap and then Leo. He gave her a cocky smile and said. "No more thinking, just doing."

She took her pumps off. Liz would need the grip. 'No thinking, just doing. Shit! I am thinking.'

She took a deep breath and started to run. Each step she took resonated with her heart. She could hear her breath in her ears. The gap got closer. It seemed more like a mouth to some abyss, ready to swallow her up, just waiting for her to get close. Her courage nearly broke, and then she glanced up. She saw a confident smile, she jumped.

Her heart stopped, their eyes locked. She was soaring, her breath caught, her stomach was queasy.

'I hope I don't barf on him after this.' Was her random thought as she reached for his outstretched hand.

Billy watched as Leo caught Liz. She would have made it without him, but the fact was that he was there.

He paced back. "Gotta do this. Shit. I should never have brought her along."

He started running. The gap loomed. He swore and dug deep bringing every bit of speed he could to the fore. He stepped, it felt solid. 'I can do this.'

A part of the wall broke where he stepped. A brick gave way, and his jump barely gave him any height.

His heart filled with panic. Arms started to windmill as if they could somehow propel him forward and over the gap. He watched the edge of the building get closer, but he was falling way too fast.

He hit the wall and grunted his fingertips were just gripping the edge and slipping fast.

'Is this how I die?' He thought, and then his fingers slipped.

Leo was there a second later and had Billy by the arm. "You should have waited until I was ready." The Spartan grunted out as he pulled Billy onto the roof.

Leo got up and started moving again, Liz quickly fell in behind.

Billy was gasping for air but forced himself to get up while trying to breathe and calm his heart. It felt like it was about to climb out of his chest and strangle him. "I hate you guys!"

Lilith and Klaus were both naked. She was on top of him again, but this time for different reasons. The ground was too hard and he was serving as a mattress.

Lilith had passed out as soon as they were done. Klaus was worried about her at first, but she was sleeping with a smile on her face. He was worried because this time he had no injury, and could fully participate.

He was afraid that he may have hurt her by not controlling his weight and strength properly, but she had showcased prestigious strength and flexibility. His mind got stuck on the flexibility for a moment, his face sporting a goofy smile.

He was about to close his eyes and enjoy the moment for a while longer when his phone started to ring.

It was not near them since they had been very enthusiastic, so their clothes were scattered all over the place,

Klaus looked at Lilith, quickly deciding to ignore the call. She stirred and opened her eyes while resting her chin on his chest. She glared at him accusingly. "That is your phone."

"Yes, it is." He said with a smile.

"So why are you not answering it?" She said and bit his chest.

"Ow." It didn't really hurt, but he hoped it would prompt her to kiss it better. It did not so, he softly ran his hands down her flanks as punishment and enjoyed seeing the goosebumps form on her skin while she wriggled under his touch.

She squealed and said. "That tickles."

The phone stopped ringing, but a moment later rang again.

"Uggg, you better answer that it could be urgent." She said after it rang for thirty seconds in which they both hoped it would stop and never ring again.

She slid off of him and let out a gasp when she felt how cold the roof was. "Why did you not tell me it is so cold. You must have been uncomfortable."

Klaus got up and smiled at her. His eyes then glided down her body, and he said. "It was worth every second."

She looked away, and he could see her cheeks go a bit red while she tried to hide her smile behind a curtain of silver hair.

Klaus started searching between the discarded clothes and eventually found his pants. He dug in the pockets, soon finding his phone, which had started to ring for the third time.

He checked the time and the caller's identity. 'It is one in the morning, why is Liz phoning me.'

"Hello," Klaus answered.

"Klaus, what the hell took you so long!" Blared Liz's voice.

His mood got instantly ruined. "You have some cheek phoning this time of the night after just taking off. What is wrong?"

Liz got quiet, and he heard voices in the background. It sounded like Billy, but he could not clearly make it out. "Liz?"

He heard her sigh. "We ran into some problems. Listen, I will explain everything to you later, but can you please send someone to pick us up?"

This time he heard two other voices. It sounded like they were arguing. He then heard Liz's voice, but it was muffled like she was holding her hand over the speaker. "Will you two shut up, Leo you are staying and coming with us."

Klaus held the phone away from him and looked at it while thinking. 'Who is Leo?'

"Liz, what is going on. I want to know now."

They argued some more, and then Liz was back. "I will text you the address. I promise I will explain, and umm, the Spartan is coming with us."

The phone started to beep, it was disconnected. 'The spartan, with them?' His jaw clenched.

He received a message a few seconds later. He did not open it immediately. Klaus was too busy trying to calm down and expel the murderous thoughts brought on by his dragon half.

Lilith, who was busy admiring her lover while he stood naked in the moonlight, noticed the change in his body language.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He looked at her, and his eyes went softer immediatly.

Klaus took a deep breath and answered. "I am not sure, but they have a lot of explaining to do."

He took a step towards her and noticed she was still seated. "Why are you not getting dressed?"

"I am a bit sore." She said while looking away.

Klaus walked towards her, suddenly flustered. "I am sorry I should have been more careful and-"

"Klaus." She interrupted. "Stop, you were perfect. We were just a bit over-enthusiastic."

Klaus fell quiet and then simply nodded. 'Gotta be more careful in the future.'

"I will get your clothes." He said aloud.

He went around and collected everything, but stopped after a moment. "Lilith, where do you keep your clothes?"

Lilith looked at him confused then questioned. "Why do you ask?"

Klaus turned around, showing her remnants of what used to be black tights and a purple lacey thong. They were ripped to pieces.

"You are not leaving me naked up here," Lilith said and then smiled when she got an idea. "You will just have to carry me down."

'It would spare me a lot of pain.'

Klaus looked at her and then nodded before saying. "If I kill someone, it is your fault."

She giggled and asked, "why would you do that?"

"If anyone sees you like this, I will rip their head off."

She wanted to laugh at his joke but stopped just in time. 'He is serious.'

By the time Liz and the rest arrived at the hotel, it was around half-past two in the morning.

They had escaped by some miracle and holed up in a seedy diner that was proclaimed open for twenty-four hours by a flashing neon light that was hanging above the entrance by a mere thread. The waitress was unpleasant and the coffee she forced them to buy, even worse.

They were in a sorry state. Liz was barefoot and smelled like a dumpster. Her dress was torn in multiple spots, and her hair was a mess. Leo had helped her get a lot of stuff out of her hair, but she must have fallen on something sticky because the hair on the left side of her head was standing in different directions. Whatever it was, dried out during the wait, becoming rock hard.

Billy smelled just as terrible, if not worse. His clothes were also torn here and there, but the worst was his back. He had evidently fallen on whatever Liz had, and his whole back was covered in the stuff.

Leo was smart, and he survived the worst of it. If not for grabbing Billy, his clothes would have survived. A nail or some sort of sharp object must have pricked through his shirt and into his chest when he grabbed Billy. His shirt had a bloodstain that stuck to him where it dried.

Liz was hoping that Klaus would decide to ask questions when they all got the chance to rest and bathe, multiple times. Her hopes were thoroughly dashed when she saw him standing at the entrance to the lobby in wait, like a father waiting for his daughter to come home on prom night.

His eyes took them in one by one. Klaus' gaze lingered on Leo for a very long time.

Liz stepped forward, and as she came closer, Klaus became greener. He was trying to keep his angry face, but disgust at the awful smell was winning out.

His eyes started to water. Liz wanted to talk, but Klaus held up his hand.

He breathed through his mouth, she heard him whisper. "Why do they smell like shit?"

Pride stepped forward. "Young Master, should I fetch gasoline and burn this foul smelling filth?"

Liz looked at her and nearly smiled in thankfulness to Pride. She thought the demon was trying to break the awkward atmosphere. Instead, the demon woman was looking at her like someone would look at gum stuck to their shoe.

Klaus turned his face away from them. He could no longer stand it and gave up all efforts to appear stoic. "Go shower, both of you."

Liz walked past him feeling relieved. Billy trudged past as well, and the smell intensified for Klaus.

He turned on them. "Run, don't you dare walk, or I will drag you to he showers myself and take the full experience."

'That will teach them.' He thought.

Leo was about to head past him and follow Liz, but Klaus stopped him.

"You, stay."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Liz. For a moment she thought Klaus would run from her, but he just grabbed his nose while looking at her angrily. "Did I not tell you to run."

"Klaus, he saved us. Please give him a chance."

Leo snorted. "Who says I want a chance."

She turned on the Spartan. "Leo, shut up!"

Liz tried her best puppy eyes on Klaus, but it did not work well with her hair standing in all directions like some, macabre art project.

'What happened between these two?' He thought.

He looked at Leo. "Fine, but he stays in the lobby. Now I am going to count to three and if you are not running."

She was gone before he could finish the sentence.