Vicarious ~ World from Ashes {Complete}

2

I backed up to the door slowly. I didn't know the room I was in, or where I was. All I knew was that I wanted out. I had been shut up inside for far too long and I wasn't going to let anyone shut me up again. The boy allowed me to take him with, hardly struggling at all which made me wonder, but I still didn't let him go.

"All we did was help you," he said to me, his voice strained as I pulled at his arm. I could easily break it in one motion and I was sure he could feel his shoulder being put to its limit.

"Whatever you wanna call it, boy," I growled back as I hit the door and started out into another part of the building.

"We really don't mean you any harm!"

"They all say that."

"Look, we're not even from this city! We're just looking for something!"

"Shut up, or I'll be inclined to make you silent forever."

Valkyrie fell silent finally. I took a look around the place that I'd ended up in. It looked like some old persons retirement home. One where they had nurses and that sort of thing to look after them. It explained the medical room. Shouts from the stairwell filled the open lobby and I glanced up to see a group of men aiming weapons at me and Valkyrie. Grinding my teeth, I pulled him harder along toward the front door of the place. He gave a shout of pain at my rough handling, but I didn't relent.

As soon as the doors were slammed open by my back I rushed out into the street with the group following after me. The boy that I held made a strange sound, something between a short growl and an angry sigh. I felt something strange happen to his body. The arm I was holding, the skin grew tough and sharp to the touch almost as if there were scales there instead of soft flesh. Valkyrie ripped free of my grip, startling me. He whipped around to face me, anger across his face.

The green eye was glowing brightly while the blue one was a dull glow. His hands up to his elbows had turned black. Long claws extended from the ends of his fingers. Along the forearms were sharp black spikes and black and purple colored scales covered his arms. My gaze grew wide as I stared at him.

"Holy Grail..."

Valkyrie arched an eyebrow at me before he returned to glowering at me, "Yeah. What. Thought you were the only one? Look, asshole. We picked you up off the side of the street because we're just nice like that. Threatening to tear my arms off is usually not how you repay someone, you ungrateful fucking bastard!" he snapped at me.

As he unleashed his anger at me in what seemed like an impulsive, un-thought out process, I reached back for Holy Grail myself. My wings came unfurled from my back, the limbs pulling from the shoulder blades to extend the mutation to their full length. Valkyrie seemed in awe at this as he stopped his little tirade and watched with wide eyes. He looked fascinated with the display, just as I became somewhat fascinated with his arms. It was a normal reaction when using the drug.

I snapped back into concentration a moment after, "Look you little shit. I didn't ask for this, so don't go thinking I enjoy it."

He scoffed at me, "Neither did I."

I paused for a moment. His words were filled with resentment toward something. He looked angry and upset about the situation. Valkyrie hadn't lied to me. It was what made me rethink my course of action. That, coupled with the fact he had Holy Grail as well... I unwillingly wanted to know more. They said they were there in that city looking for something. I was pretty sure I knew what it was as I watched Valkyrie eye me up and down. Crossing my arms over my chest, I frowned at him, my wings twitching slightly as they settled over my shoulders.

"You won't find it."

Valkyrie tilted his head at me, "Find what?"

The doors slammed open from the house and out came the blonde with his gun, the other two that were in the medical room a moment before followed. The one with the gun raced down the steps and raised the weapon at me. Valkyrie turned as the gun went off.