Chapter Three: Bleeding (Nicoli)

Chapter Three: Bleeding

Nicoli

I felt the air rush around me; crisp, cold; unforgiving, buffering me, strong fingers that held me in its vice grip, suspending me in the sky, and for a moment I could forget everything, I could believe that I was flying, that I was sleeping, that none of my problems were actually that bad, or even existed, nothing remained in the dark. But then the dream ended and gravity took over, its strong fist knocking me downward, pulling me by my invisible chain; like a magnet I was attracted to the earth. It was a fitting marriage, the ground and I, we were both hard and cold, one and the same. 

My stomach jumped to my throat, the feeling of gravity taking hold of my senses, the feeling of free fall permeating my cells. Faster and faster I plummeted, eyes squeezed shut, refusing to see what lay before me. I didn't need them to tell me what was coming, I already knew from my time on the roof. I had known what would happen the moment I jumped. I knew that the fall should kill me. I knew that the fall wouldn't kill me and I also knew I only had about two more seconds before my body would make that bone shattering kiss that for anyone else would end in death.

I felt my hair whip across my face. I felt the sting of wind against my pale cheeks, the burn of the acidic air in my lungs, its caress on my exposed neck and hands, the comforting weight of my blade by my side. It was the longest two seconds of my life, a sickening anticipation that was slowly overtaken by an uncharacteristic bout of peace. I could almost smile, was this the calm before the storm? The feeling of relief and acceptance that overcame those about to die? When they knew there was nothing they could do to stop their fate. That it was inevitable. 

If so I envied those people to no end.

Time was up. The seconds couldn't last forever. My body hit the ground. I felt the impact like a thousand trucks rammed into me. I felt the bone cracking force. The power to crush bodies into flat sheets of muscle and goo. I felt the air rush from my lips, the sharp needle pain that caught my breath. I wanted to scream. My vision turned red with agony, I could feel my organs moving to places they shouldn't be, stinging fissures where bone screamed to be reduced to dust but didn't. The psychosomatic snaps resonated through me, my mind expecting to be broken, not used to the fact that it could not break. Not by any such orthodox means. Not anymore.

Dazed, I waited for the pain to subside, my eyes squeezed shut, my breathing barely there, shallow, turned weak from the pain radiating through my chest. It hurt too much to try and do anything more. But it was a sweet pain. A deserved pain. A pain that would slowly let me atone for my sins. If they would allow me. Oh Angelica, mia sorella. Padre, mi dispiace non ho potuto proteggerla. Angelica, mi dispiace. I cried out for forgiveness. I begged for repentance. I wished for my family to understand. I couldn't do anything to save her. I watched her lose her sanity, so slowly, so painstakingly slowly; it was awful to watch, but don't they see, I was afflicted after her, I got the virus too, now all I had was the pain, I'd do whatever I could to be close to them again.

If I could give myself the illusion of death, to drop myself at their doorstep, maybe they'd be able to call to me. Maybe they could give me some sort of sign. Maybe then they would forgive me.

Slowly my senses came back in full swing, the pain fading away to nothing but a dull ache, the rest of the synapses in my brain finally reconnecting, my other feelings having been dulled by the overwhelming pain. The fiery agony was replaced by the almost expected ache of toxic air in my lungs. Frigid air cooled my fevered flesh, the soft whisper of wind a welcome comfort, the awkward jab at my side from the uneven ground filling me with annoyance. Of course it was nothing bothersome enough to make me actually move. I really had no desire to leave this spot. Maybe I could starve to death. Die of dehydration. Something had to work. Even with the Adamantium running through my veins it only dulled the effects of the virus, not get rid of it. It was a cross I had to bear, a burden I could not be rid of, a curse. One that was deserving.

Footsteps. That was the first foreign sound I heard, frantic footsteps, then an anxious voice. "Hey kid, wake up, you okay?" Low and masculine; a baritone, I shivered ever so slightly, it had been so long since I had a human companion, and I felt my bottom half twitch to life against my will. Just go away I willed...though whether that was directed to the growing problem in my pants or the boy I wasn't sure, I'd like to think it was the latter.

Someone, probably the man whose voice it belonged to, flipped me over, and I heard him gasp inwardly to himself, probably not even aware of the sound coming out of his mouth. I almost smirked, it probably wasn't every day that you'd find a boy dropping from a four story building and come away from it completely unharmed, but unfortunately that was my life, a fact I had to live with for better or for worse.

Fingers pressed against my neck, my steady pulse rocking underneath them and I fought the urge to frown. This guy didn't know when to leave well enough alone. He couldn't possibly be one of Victoria's men, I didn't recognize the voice, and I had taken it upon myself to memorize every single one of them, all the way down to the smallest inflection. So why the heck would he be trying to help me? Maybe he's not, I realized, my morbid brain doing what it does so well, Maybe he's checking if you're alive just to kill you himself. You know you'd do the same. 

My eyes opened and for a moment everything was too bright, an ironic fact considering the overcast sky, and I blinked back a sudden well of tears. The boy was still focused on the pulse in my neck and hadn't noticed that I was conscious yet. For an instant I stared at him, taking in what I could of his appearance, which, granted. wasn't much, just that he wore the all black tight form fitting jumpsuit of Julius's ilk, his mouth and nose obscured by his mask, the rest of his face taken up by his goggles and form fitting hood that connected to the suit and surrounded his neck, ears, and hair. The only things about his face I could identify for sure were the few wisps of straight brown locks that showed through the lip of the hood, and his lively sea green colored eyes, which were currently trained on my neck and laced with concern. I scoffed. Someone was a good actor. The man's gaze shifted when he heard the sound; I tensed and blinked up at him, he was looking at me.

"Hey dude," he said. "Sup?" 

For a moment I didn't move, just kind of laid there in stunned silence, like a kid who was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar; why I was so surprised at getting caught I would never know but that was the case. Our gazes locked and neither of us moved, neither of us breathed, waiting to see what the other would do. I felt a sad smirk tug at the corner of my lip as the tension built, a small barely noticeable twitch at the corner of my mouth that only those who knew me, really knew me, would be able to notice. It was sad how easy it was to decide. To instantly fall into the mindset that had kept me alive for the past four years. The head of an assassin. It's what I did best.

My eyes steeled and quick as lightning I jumped up, knocking the mans legs out from underneath where he crouched, an already vulnerable position, and straddled his hips, my blade drawn and pressed against his throat.

"Non ti muovere. I wouldn't move if I were you," I growled, menacingly in my slightly accented English, my wavy black hair flying across my face. I had never fully been able to get rid of  the Italian inflection that spoke of my heritage even after all these years and it would still come out on occasion, more often than not. I glared hard at the man underneath me. "This is an Adamantium blade, it'll cut through your little suit like paper." 

To my surprise the man grinned and started laughing.

I blinked, that had caught me off guard, and I loosened my grip slightly, my brow scrunching in confusion. I had expected a struggle or tears or even maybe some begging, not this seemingly jovial reaction. Did the guy have a death wish? If he did I guess I couldn't really judge him considering what I had just done. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," He grinned still laughing, "Just, dude, I have a gun." I heard it click by my head and I quickly glanced in the direction of the sound, it was some sort of fancy pistol. I huffed and withdrew my blade; even if the bullet wouldn't break skin, I really wasn't in the mood for the head ache it was cause. How the heck had I missed the gun anyway? I was supposed to be better than that.

"So, you gonna get off me now?"

"No," I said with a glare but got off anyway.

The man gave a boyish smirk. "That looks like a yes to me."

"Shut up." My gaze intensified.

"Kid, is that all you know how to do? Glare?" He asked his voice just dripping with barely hidden amusement.

"I'm not a kid," I growled, temper flaring. I hated being compared to a child, I've always been small for my age and my face never helped me look any older. My mother thought I'd grow out of it, but I've yet to see that happen. "I'm seventeen."

His eyebrows shot up. "You're kidding, you look like your twelve, maybe fifteen if you're imaginative." He propped himself up on his arms and looked at me.

"Why would I be joking, the world's ended, what-," I let out a exasperated breath, "Wait, why am I even explaining this to you?"

He grinned. "Dude, because I'm a f*****g boss."

"Is that the only word you know? 'Dude'?"

"Nope." He grinned. Did anything phase this guy?

I stood up. "Okay then boss," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm and venom, dusting myself off, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. "Goodbye. Go and run back to Julius and I'll get on with my life." I started walking away.

I heard the guy scramble after me. "Hey du-, man, wait up! You forgot your mask!"

"Don't need it," I grumbled in reply, not turning around or slowing down. This male really needed to learn when to quit.

He caught up with me and thrust the mask in my face. "Kid, of course you need it, everyone does, I don't want to have to drag away your corpse."

I rested a hand on my temple and turned to face him, glare already in place, barely containing my surprise at realizing just how much taller the man was than me. Now that he wasn't sitting it was obvious and he made my already short height of five-eight seem even shorter than normal. I scowled, everything about this male was pushing my buttons the wrong way. Or maybe it was the right way and I really just wanted to ignore it and say it was in fact the wrong way. "You saw me jump from a four story building and the thing you worry about is whether or not my lungs are going to pop? Mind your own business, do I look like I'm about to die?"

"Well man, you're hard to please."

"I just don't like talking to people."

"Well take the mask."

"Keep it, I don't need it."

"Take it."

"Go away."

"Take it."

"No."

"You're really anti-social aren't you?" I could feel the smirk in his words.

"You're really annoying."

"Immature."

"Rude."

"Obnoxious."

I shot him another one of my patented glares, my face was going to get stuck like that if I kept talking to him. "Give me the mask and shut up."

The man handed me the mask and I felt the smug metaphorical scent of victory rolling off of him. "The name's Evon by the way. You?"

"Nicoli," I said stuffing the mask in my pocket, feeling a slightly demented satisfaction at the irritated look he gave me. I don't know why I decided to tell him my real name. It just slipped out before I could think better of it. He had a very disarming personality, you couldn't help but grudgingly like him. "I said 'give it to me' not that I was gonna wear it." I smirked at the boy next to me.

"Fine ki-, Nicoli, don't expect me to move your corpse off the street."

I thought of my sister and turned away, my mood darkening dramatically. I hadn't even realized it had improved. My emotions were currently out of my control and I didn't like that feeling. I didn't like that Evon had that effect on me. "You won't have to worry about that. I'm not going to die. Non posso."

Evon shot me a questioning glance and I ignored it, deciding instead to pretend he wasn't there, didn't exist. My speed increased, and I vaulted over crumbling walls and holes with ease. It wasn't so bad being small, it gave me certain advantages over the terrain like the fact that I was lithe, fast and stealthy, all of which at one time or another had proved valuable assets in my survival. I glanced behind me; Evon was still following, and keeping up surprisingly well; despite his size he was actually pretty silent on his feet. I guess you'd have to be if you were still around now. 

It was something you had to have or learn quickly. 

Death came quickly to those who couldn't adapt.

"So, where are you going huh? Back to Victoria?" Evon asked after an indeterminably amount of time.

"No. You'd be dead if I was still with her." It was true. What guy in their right mind wouldn't kill an enemy faction member, especially if said person was being an annoying stalker. It was funny that we didn't ask how the both of us knew what faction we belonged to. Or in my case, used to be with.

He seemed to consider that for a moment. "So...where're you going?"

"I don't know. Anywhere. It doesn't matter." I paused, looking at the wall of debris in front of me. It looked haphazard and unstable, not worth the risk of climbing over, I didn't need to get trapped underground for the rest of my life. That definitely wouldn't be fun. I turned and went down an alley way; after a moment Evon followed.

"So you flew the coop huh? Goin' Solo?" Evon pressed. It wasn't unheard of, Soloists, it was just rare, being without a group made you an easier target for Animate and Golems, it just wasn't worth the risk for the average person. Luckily I wasn't normal.

"What's it matter?" I ducked under a low hanging rail and climbed over an over turned trash can. The alley smelled strongly of rot and decay; I didn't look to find the source, I had a pretty good idea what I'd find.

"Dude, you're gonna get yourself killed, you know how unsafe that is?" Dude. There was that word again. I began to notice that he used it when he felt he had to emphasize a point, though why he chose that one I had no idea, in my opinion it just made his point less valid.

"It's not your problem."

"Yes it is."

"Why?" I righted a fallen ladder and climbed up it, vaulting over the wall and landing on the other side with a light thud.

Evon grinned, his voice lilting playfully.. "I can't have a kid like you out all by yourself now can I."

I shot him an irritated glare. "I'm not a kid." I snapped back.

"Okay, okay, Nicoli, fiesty much huh."

I ignored him.

"Ah come on Nicoli, don't be like that." I still didn't respond. "Okay, dude, I'm sorry, I won't call ya a kid anymore, 'kay?"

I sighed in exasperation. "I'm not a two year old, I don't need you bribing me into talking."

"Fine but man, if you're going solo why not joi-."

I cut him off. "No." 

Evon pouted. "You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Yes I do and the answer is no, I'm not joining your little gang."

"But-"

"No. I'm not going where you are."

Evon grinned and coughed. "You...do-don't know that."

"Yes I do, Victoria and Julius circle each other, they never go into an area the other isn't in."

"T-true." Evon coughed again.

I sighed. "Evon, if you're getting tired just go away, I don't need you slow-oh diavolo."

I turned. My eyes widened. The brunette swayed and I dashed over to his side to steady him. "Evon?! Cosa c'è di sbagliato. W-what's wrong?!"  His tan skin had grown a few shades lighter, and his face was covered in sweat. He coughed again and I noticed a faint trail of blood spilling out the corner of his mouth, his eyes slightly bloodshot.

"M-mask." He wheezed out, pointing a clammy finger to the contraption on his face.

Mask? What the hell was he talking about? What was wrong with his mask?

Evon's eyes lolled to the back of his head and he started coughing more profusely, his body going limp and he crumpled to the ground. "Evon! Evon! Oh dio! Evon, dovete restare svegli, cosa c'è di sbagliato con la maschera?" I shook my head, he couldn't understand Italian, I had to stay calm, think English. "Evon," I tried again, "Wh-what about the mask?"

"B-ba-ttery." He gasped out, before convulsing violently.

Battery? I looked at his face, there was a blinking red light on the side of the mask. My eyes widened. I remembered something about Julius's masks being solar powered, but they couldn't charge and be used at the same time, so if he had been using the power for his goggles and his mask...did that mean it had gone out? Was he out of power. That had to be it. Evon gave another jerk, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Blood  spewed from his mouth this time, staining the inside of the filter red. My heart pounded, blood roaring in my ears and with shaky fingers I took off his mask, he'd choke to death if I left it on.

Throwing it to the side I propped his head up as he coughed again, more blood spilling out, drizzling on my fingers, staining my jacket, soaking his chin. Images of the death of my parents flashed across my mind. I couldn't save them then. I had been useless. They died in my arms. The same was going to happen to Evon. I couldn't save anyone. I couldn't save anyone. I could- Stop. I had to remain calm. I could save him, I just had to think. I had the answer. 

I reached in my pocket and felt a familiar plastic touch my fingers. I inhaled sharply, of course, my mask. That's what I'd give him. Quickly I took mine out and clumsily strapped it to his face. It was bulkier but it would do, there was no time to be picky right now, he needed clean air. Flipping it on. I bit my lip and waited, hoping against hope that I hadn't taken too long, that he was still alive.

For a moment the boy remained still, then I heard him take a haggard breath and I let out a sigh of relief. At least he was breathing...but he still looked pale. Evon needed a doctor, there was nothing more I could do for him. The damage done to his lungs and internal organs was too severe to ignore. I bit my lip and felt the coppery taste of blood fill my tongue. I could take him back to Victoria's camp, get reprimanded, probably put on some sort of ridiculous duty if she was in a good mood, or she could kill me and Evon. Well...try. 

I shook my head, okay so that wasn't an option, besides her infirmary wasn't very sophisticated and I doubted she'd have the medicines or technology needed to save him, not that she'd even likely want to spare it. That left Julius and Evon's camp. Hopefully they weren't the shoot first ask questions later kind like Victoria.

"Evon," I whispered urgently, the boys breathing had evened out at least even if it was still slightly raspy, most likely his lungs had holes and fluid stuck in them now. "Evon," I tried. The boy opened his eyes slowly, not quite focusing on me, but seeming to know my presence was there. "You need a doctor, how do I get to your camp?"

The sickly teen beamed at me, his complexion paling considerably with the small action and I felt bad for asking him to do anything. "So...I...got...you-," He coughed and wheezed slightly before continuing, "...to...come...to camp...with me...huh?"

I fought the need to roll my eyes. Was that really what the most important thing to him? That I wouldn't be solo anymore? What was to stop me from just leaving once I knew he was okay? He needed to get his priorities straight. "You got me, now how do I get there?" I was really starting to get annoyed, I didn't like repeating myself, but what could I do? Evon was barely coherent as it was.

Evon's eyes had closed and for a moment I thought he'd gone to sleep but then he opened his mouth and said, "B-battery...needs...to ch-charge...com-link...map..." He stopped and licked his lips, blood smearing on his tongue and he wheezed dangerously. That was enough talking for him.

"Okay, good, now shut up." I think I got the gist of his message. I needed to wait for his battery to recharge, which meant I needed sunlight, and then I could use the other features on his suit, call for help, and figure out where his camp was. That wasn't so bad, I had a plan, Evon was stable at the moment, and there were no immediate threats to our survival, everything was okay. I glanced up at the sky, and wiped the blood from my lip; I needed to move us to another spot, the sky was already gray and the way the shadows moved in this alley space between crumbling buildings just wasn't good enough.

I glanced at the boy beside me; could I lift him? He was tall, but he wasn't especially bulky, it would probably be awkward and I might need to take breaks but it should be do-able. Checking to make sure Evon was still asleep, I propped the boy up and positioned him on my back, using my knees for support before hoisting him up. Immediately I stumbled, his weight distributed unevenly over my small from, his limbs hanging lankly and limply by my side. Steadying myself against a dirty brick wall, I took a moment to get used to the new weight on my shoulders, and placed his dirty mask in my hand, reaching painfully to the ground and picking it up, not an easy thing to do with a person hanging off of you like a monkey.

Huffing, I blew my bangs out of my eyes and mask in hand, I began to trek away. Back in the direction I had come. Away from Victoria's camp, and to an all knew territory. One that I didn't know what to expect from, and one that I hoped I wouldn't get attached to.

With my mind so pre-occupied, I didn't wonder about the cut on my lip.

Didn't worry about how it could have happened.

My body was supposed to be invulnerable.

I just jumped off a four story building.

It wasn't supposed to be.

Author's Note

AND SCENE!! I have like 4 more chapter to post sooo yeah expect more

Reviews

[Anthony Q Armstrong]

Oh wow, I never expected Evon, would get along with Nicoli, it's cool and alll, but really suprisng :) I hope for more twists and turns in the following chapters :D Another great one by the Awesome Archangel

[Tsukin Archangel]

Lol, I'm assuming "along" is meaning like...ahem along~ lol but yeah, what can I say, I like my men? lol. That sounds awkward but yeah I like having two men...get...along lol. And yes....there are many more suprises...well I guess...kinda...Lol IM SO UNCERTAIN but yeah I can think of one you might not expect. BUT YAY!!! GLAD YOU LIKE IT!