Shit on a stick.

Fuck my life.

Someone grabs my shoulder and I know it’s not Fintan this time.

Get away!

In reflex I swing the hammer around until it connects with something. I hear a screech that hurts my ears. Not as badly as that Siren from Limbo, but fuck.

When I dare look behind me, I see Ringleson is standing there cradling his nose… which is bleeding profusely. There’s so much blood. And why is it blue?

“Fucking bitch!”

Whoops, not the best time to care about that. Not that I care about this bastard at all. I might not want to fuck with public property with a hammer, -on camera-, but I have no qualms about fucking with someone trying to kill me with a hammer.

Next time I’ll smash his skull with it.

If I can even manage to swing it again. My arm is super sore already.

Don’t get distracted. Run.

Right. I take Fintan’s advice and leave Ringleson to mutter his petty curses.

I jump up and clumsily climb over the counter, falling heavily onto the other side. Oof. Crawling until I’m standing, I move forward again.

The lobby is longer than I remember, and I can barely jog much less run. From behind, I can hear the Ice Doctor recovering his composure and coming for me. He is angry. No. No this isn’t anger. This is fury.

Fury tastes… different.

“I’m going to kill you. Undesirable trash.”

I feel a prick on the back of my head, like a mosquito but… not. And suddenly images of me lying bleeding on the floor with blank eyes and my mother’s screams fill my head and I stop dead in my tracks. I can’t see the lobby anymore; I can only see my mom. I can only hear those horrible, horrible screams.

Oh god. Not again. I don’t ever want to hear this again.

Stop. Stop it! I don’t want to see this.

Kara, snap out of it. The door is right there.

But I can’t see the door anymore. My mom is wailing on top of my cold body. My lifeless body. I’m going to die. I’m going to die here. I can feel the images crashing around in my head, pushing on my skull. I clutch my head, absentmindedly smearing the blood from my bleeding fists all over my face. Oh my god I’m going to die!

You’re not going to die if you listen to me.

But I can see it!

You’re seeing what he wants you to see. Now snap the hell out of it and open the damn door.

Fintan swearing is so out of character it shocks me enough for the images leave my mind. He always speaks so, I don’t know…properly.

But they don’t leave quietly. And they leave a mark. A little seed resting in my belly grows just a little bit more.

I might have snapped out of it, but that false scene slowed me down and now Ringleson is right behind me. Panic urges me forward, falling against the door as I grab the handle and pull.

The doors are frozen shut, just like that first one, only now I have no energy left. I pull at the handles desperately and they make a lot of noise, but the ice barrier holds. I just feel so drained.

“Open, damn it!”

Pull harder-

“I’m pulling as hard as I can. They won’t move. Oh my god, they won’t move.”

I slam my body against the doors and pull at them, but nothing works. My bloodied hand can barely manage to grip the door much less pull, my other hand is still on a splint, and I have no strength left in either arm anyway.

I died just a few days ago. I’m not fully healed yet. This is too much.

This is all just too much.

Why? Why do I have to live like this?

“It’s over, Kara.”

I bang on the heavy doors with my fists. “Hello? Is anybody out there? Hello!”

“Just stop, you’re embarrassing yourself. Try to die with some dignity.” Ringleson grabs my arm, so I elbow him in his broken nose.

All’s fair in war and… well, war.

He screeches, and the proximity to the noise makes my ears ache. But my attack doesn’t stop him from grabbing me again. I wrench myself away and keep banging on the doors, praying for a miracle.

“Let go of me, you freak! You fucking monster! Help! Somebody help!”

Seriously, if there is a God, now would be an awesome time to prove it to me. Or, you know, if there’s literally any people around at all, now would be an awesome time to have an emergency requiring medical care.

“There is no one to help you this time. I already sent that Hunter out on a wild goose chase.” He chuckles evilly and gives up on my flesh, instead grabbing my hair, and pulls me away from the door.

No, not my freaking hair! Are you kidding me?

I fall on my ass and I can feel another stitch or two break as he pulls me to the center of the lobby by my noggin.

Honestly, it’s impressive any of them are managing to hold on at all. Just what did they stitch me with anyway? Magical thread?

Anyway, I continue my pointless screaming until I taste blood in my mouth. It’s a familiar taste. I’m not shocked or scared of it like I was the first time I died.

I guess this is it. I’m really gonna die this time. There’s no Stupid Boy or Clifford around to give me reincarnation energy or whatever the hell that was. This is the end.

Fight him, Kara!

But I can’t, I know I can’t.

When he finally drops me, I barely have the strength to lift my head, much less move my body.

“Fight him with what? I can’t even move.”

I’m sorry Fintan. Hopefully you don’t have too much trouble finding another helper for... whatever it is you’re doing here.

It’s over. For me.

The creepy Ice Doctor is now waving his hands wildly in front of him, and weird, glowing, blue, rune looking things are flashing by in the air in front of him. Judging by the energy I can Sense, he seems to be building up some sort of, what? A spell? Is that… magic?

Ice magic, huh. There are worse ways to go.

Tsk. Such a pessimist. Why is it that even down here I have to do everything myself?

I mean, I worked pretty hard too, buddy. It’s not like I want to die. But I’m a little out of my depth here, and, uh, but what exactly are talking about-

My vision goes white again. For a moment I think that Ringleson must have casted his spell, and I’m already dead, heading to Limbo, but then the bright flash fades leaving behind a… well, I might not go to church very often but I’m pretty sure that is a fucking angel.

It’s a pure white human shaped being, draped in pure white cloth that is billowing in the nonexistent wind. It has a head full of curly swirly pure white hair and eight massive wings made of pure white feathers. The wings are in two set of four, with four coming out from just below the shoulder blades and another four coming out from the centre of the back.

What the fuck. A real angel. Like in the ancient murals.

The thing turns to me and I can’t see its face well or make out any features but, um, wait a second… Why does that angel have my eyes?

…uh…

FINTAN???

The white angel that is probably Fintan sighs. Okay, yeah, that’s Fintan. I recognize that ‘why was I stuck with you’ sigh.

Hey, if I’m remembering right, you were the one who barged into my Spirit Core Ceremony Limbo Gig. I never asked for you either.

“Do you want me to help you or not? I can’t stay out here for long.”

I blink. “Yes please, Mr. Spirit Fintan Angel Being, sir.”

“Tsk.”

His expression said ‘I’m annoyed’ but his eyes looked amused. That’s good, right? Granny said angels can smite you for blasphemy.

He’s looking over at Ringleson now so I’m probably fine. I’ll be fine, right? Fintan said it was a long time before he was hanging out in the mortal lands. Does he still remember how to fight?

“So noisy!”

Whoops. I shouldn’t distract him right now. Okay, I’ll stop thinking. He told me to meditate. I’ll do nothing but breathe.

God why does breathing hurt now.

“YOU! How can one of you be here? Who authorized this? This is worse that we imagined. This is a Cataclysm!”

Oh? The Ice Doctor got over his shock real quick. And now his hands are moving even faster. Faster than is normally possible. All I can see are the afterimages of his arms. He kinda looks like a creepy blue spider now. Yuck.

“Uh, you can block whatever that is, right? Cause I can’t move.”

“I can. But not for long. You need to crawl back to the exit.”

“It’s useless, the doors won’t budge.”

“Help is coming. Stop whining and do what I say.”

“Just because you’re renting space in my head doesn’t mean you get to decide what I-”

“Kara?”

“…Yeah?”

“Do you want to live?”

“Yeah? I mean, dying’s kind of a drag.”

“Then… do what I say.”

I gulp. He used that tone again. The same one that made be believe that Fintan is a such a lovely name.

“…okay. This time.” I still have my pride.

I muster some strength into my left side and force myself to twist onto my stomach. My knees push up awkwardly until I’m on my elbows, then I slide myself forwards, one knee-elbow combo at a time. It’s slow, and painful, but I’m moving.

Honestly if there wasn’t ice covering everything it wouldn’t be this easy. I mean yeah it stings like hell and I feel that if I go any slower I’ll freeze into the floor, but at the same time it’s slippery. I wouldn’t be able to slide forwards like this on the marble. My elbows would get scraped up for nothing.

Fuck you, Ice Doctor. Your scheme has worked in my favour this time.

A loud crash sounds behind me, but I don’t dare to look. Turning my head in this position would lose me even more stitches. There’s nothing I can do anyways. Yeesh, another crash. Is there really help coming? Who could it be? Doesn’t everyone in Ashvale want me dead?

“You’re an abomination! There’s no way you’re a White!”

Who are you calling an abom- oh. Not me. He’s calling Fintan names now too. That’s… probably not a good idea. You can get a smite for blasphemy, you know.

Uh, Fintan is most likely not a real angel. Well, not like the ones Granny believes in. That doesn’t mean he can’t smite you though. I mean I think he can. I can’t really see what’s going on. I can barely see the door. My vision is getting real blurry.

Ssch ssch Ssch ssch.

“Fool! Why would you choose such a weak vessel? Look at you, you’re already fading!”

A loud barrage of evil laughter fills my ears, making them burn.

What does he mean by ‘vessel?’ And what does he mean by ‘fading?’

Neither of those sound good for me.

This is my limit.

“What? But I haven’t reached the door yet? And no one’s come-”

Keep going. Just bit more.

I grit my jaw against the pain and turn around. Just like Ringleson was saying, the pure white angelic being is now almost completely translucent. Like he’s made of clear glass.

And just like glass, when the Ice Doctor sends a blue beam of…something laser like… at him, he shatters. And the thousands of pieces fade. I feel a sharp pain in my skull. Followed by dull throbs that feel almost like heartbeats, but in my head. They join my already very loud heartbeat, almost deafening me.

Ssch ssch Ssch ssch.

Don’t stop. Keep going. I need to rest for a while.

“Your Spirit is gone now, bitch.”

Shit.

I turn a bit more to see Ringleson. He looks in bad shape. He’s bleeding all over and his clothes are torn and there is a crazed look in his eyes. That’s not good for me.

I also see the results of their battle. It’s… less than I imagined. There are deep scuff marks all over the floor and some areas have black ashes with blue sparks jumping out of them, but other than that the building doesn’t look more worse for wear.

“I’m going to enjoy this.”

He’s waving his hands around like a madman. More glowing blue runes appear. Fintan might have bought me some time, but that’s not enough. I’m not strong enough. I can’t tank that. That magic shattered an angel.

“There’s no way I can survive without you.”

Sorry Fintan. You went all out but I just dragged you down. I’m too weak.

This is the end of my story.

I never find out what Fintan’s rebuke would have been to that. I mean he probably had one, but I don’t hear it.

The next moments happen very quickly. First there is a huge resounding -thud- from the doors I couldn’t open, and then those same doors fly across the room and into the Subway counter. There are a lot of normal looking sparks from the busted cash registers, and then a giant waltzes in. He tosses his Tim Horton’s coffee to the side and he looks really really pissed.

I guess I would be too if I had to throw away my coffee.

“What the hell are you doing h-” Ringleson never finishes his question because Detective Idiot lifts him up by the neck, with one hand mind you, and with the other he takes an ice pick out of his pocket.

Seriously, an ice pick? He’s even got an ice pick in there?

“What the hell are y-” Ringleson never finishes that question either because the giant then stabs him with said ice pick.

And then Ringleson melts. Like, he just…melts. Clothes and all. One fatty, blue glob at a time. Then there’s a puddle of ice doctor on the floor and an idiot detective standing over me looking very unamused.

“I guess you weren’t kidding.”

“About what?”

My throat hurts so bad I can barely hear myself. I sound like a raspy old hag. With this giant’s arrival I don’t even have the energy to keep my head up anymore and it crashes down. That’s gonna bruise.

“Being difficult.” He says, leaning over and picking me up princess style.

“Ew, no, put me down.”

“Nope.”

“I can walk.”

He laughs. “No you can’t.”

He’s right. I barely have the energy to keep breathing right now. “Seriously, put me down.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“I said put me down.”

“Nah.”

“What are you even doing here?” I try to struggle out of his grasp, but he must have experience holding young children because somehow, I stay in his arms.

“Stop acting like a cat.”

“Stop avoiding my questions like a jerk.”

“Fine. I’ve been here since you’ve been here. I just had to step out for a moment.”

“So, you’re like my stalker?”

He glares at me. “No. Like I said, I am here to protect you. For now.”

Uh huh. Called it.

I squint at him. “And what does for now mean?”

“It means this attack was premature. The Council has not yet ruled on your existence.”

“This supposed Council thinks it has the right to decide if I can exist? Even though you freaks are the ones who fucked up?”

“You’re a special case.”

“Because I’m Undesirable?”

He looks sad then. And he won’t look at me.

“That Council is going to ask you to kill me, aren’t they? Because something went wrong or something?”

He looks annoyed and shakes his head dismissively. “Let’s just leave it at ‘for now.’”

“Shifters have existed for so long, there’s no way something like this hasn’t happened before. But I bet they didn’t get murderous Ice Doctors after them. Why am I so lucky?”

Owens stops in the hall and picks up my IV cord, dragging it along with us. “Ringleson was impulsive. He acted outside of orders. We still don’t have all the information. David and his friend are still being interrogated.”

“Interrogated? Awesome…” I conjure an image of a mangy Zeke in a cage and David hanging in a basement by his wrists. And not in a kinky way. More in a Dexter way.

“Not necessarily. Whatever they say might just determine your fate.”

“What kind of fucked up society are you guys running? The murderers get to determine the fate of the victim? No wonder groups like The Advent Exodus or The True Sapiens Sanctuary exists.”

“Saying things like that won’t be in your favour.”

“You monsters aren’t allowed to blame me when your judiciary system is a fucking circus. Run by clowns. You can’t see it because you grew up in freak society. I on the other hand, grew up civilized so I can see all the evil and hypocrisy.”

I’m not actually that bigoted, although I’ll admit the more I learn of Mutant Society the less I can see them as an intelligent species. But anyways, I’m just trying to get him talking, but it doesn’t work. He doesn’t have anything to say to my probing, probably because I’m right, and is silent the rest of the way.

He quickly brings me back to my room and then dumps me unceremoniously on the bed.

“Ow!” So much for princess style.

“Everyone will be waking up soon. Lie down, lass. Close your eyes.”

He lifts Rachel partially off the floor and sticks the IV under her, laying the cord down near me. He doesn’t even exert any effort doing that, like Rachel is as light as paper.

“Drape your arm off the bed like this.” He grabs my bloody arm and moves it, so it hangs over the bed.

“You’re saying I should pretend to also be asleep.”

“Yes.”

“And let poor Rachel believe she yanked my IV out when she fell.”

“Less questions.”

“It seems you all prefer less questions.”

I turn my face away so he can’t see my expression. It’s not pretty. I can feel that little seed of rage grow even more. It’s like an opposite of the Grinch story. It might not be a good thing, having this inside of me, and allowing it to grow, but I’m not the one providing the fertilizer. That’s on them. So whatever happens, that is also all on them.

He pushes me down flat and pulls my blanket over me, moving my arm a bit to make it what, more believable? Is Rachel really going to buy this?

“It’s safer that way. You’ll understand soon enough.”

“You’re either wrong or you’re lying to me.”

“Miss Kara-”

“If someone who actually gave a fuck about me hadn’t warned me about that evil monster and helped me escape then I would be dead. I would have died while you went to get a fucking coffee.”

“There was a disturbance, and as for the coffee it actually-”

I have no more patience for this fucker. I turn back around and lay into him.

“Disturbance? The only disturbing thing here is how you freaks are so willing to murder an innocent teenager, and then vilify her. I don’t know what you evil fucks are planning to do to me and my mom, but I won’t let things go your way, understand? You haven’t even scratched the surface of how difficult I can be. I have the right to defend myself, and I will do so. And I’ll protect my mom from you, too. The rest of you can fucking rot. Now get the fuck out of my room. Don’t you still have a crime scene to cover up for your corrupt cop friends?”

He’s standing there gaping at me. Guess he wasn’t expecting that.

“I survived, and I’ll keep on surviving. Whatever your inept Council buddies decide won’t be taken into consideration in my plans for a continued existence. That’s not something you get to decide.”

I turn my face away from him after that and half expect him to say something, but he remains silent, and when I twist back around to look at him again, he’s nowhere to be seen. I’m almost disappointed.

Almost. I did tell him to fuck off for a reason.

Also, the blood splatter down the hall is gone too, along with any evidence I can see from here of my… misadventure. Guess he has a lot of experience in covering up tracks. Dunno what he’s gonna do about the lobby though…

But everyone is slowly regaining consciousness, so I turn back and close my eyes.

I hear Rachel groan back to life from the floor.

“Ugh, ow. What the hell happened to my hand?”

Oops. Sorry, I forgot about that.

“Oh my God, Kara! Oh no, I’m so sorry!” She trips over to me and shakes me ‘awake.’

“Hm, what is it, Rachel?”

“Kara, I’m so sorry, your hand, oh god and your stitches, I- I don’t know what happened!”

Trust me, you’re the lucky one. “Oh, um, me neither.”

“I’ll get Doctor Riley right away! Oh, good lord, what’s happened out here?”

Lady, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.