They Called Her the Devil

Chapter 23, Xander

We were fighting side by side as we'd always done. I guarded his back and he guarded mine. My knife slashed across the Legion soldiers throat and crimson blood sprayed across my face. It felt good to take the life of someone who'd wronged me.

My father struck a man down and shot him before firing at three more. He was so much better at this than I'd ever be.

Izzie and Leo were fighting two men nearby; both had huge grins across their faces. We'd only been allowed to fight in actual battles for a few months and the adrenaline rush was incredible.

I killed two more men and their blood stained my clothes. I'd have a hard time washing it out later but it was more fun with blood.

Then the jets swooped down over the battlefield dropping long metal cylinders. Chaos erupted everywhere. The Legion men started frantically sprinting away from us. I had a bad feeling and I took off sprinting.

A plane landed in the middle of the battlefield and a group of Legion women in high tech tactical gear got on. They were obviously important from their expensive gear.

Some of the other legion soldiers tried to get on but only a handful made it before it took off. It was then I knew something was really off.

Our small army had already started to retreat towards the hill. My father was at my side as we sprinted to what we thought was safety.

Then the tops of the cylinders opened and the air filled with a pink gas. Time slowed.

The gas edged towards our group and as soon as someone touched the Pink Mist it was as if they ceased to exist. A pile of clothes remained where a woman had stood moments ago.

My father and I took off in painful slow motion but we were too late. The gas reached him and I could see as his leg dissolved then his torso, his arms, and he was gone.

A pile of clothes landed where the greatest man who'd ever lived had stood moments ago. My knees hit the ground and my mouth opened in a gut-wrenching scream.

The man who'd raised me was gone. He'd never come back. Why couldn't I have been eighteen and gone with him?

I woke up with a gasp as water was thrown across my face. A terrifically ugly man was towering over my laughing. My dream forgotten I coughed and blinked the water out of my eyes.

The Legion guard sneered at me. Not an angry sneer but the sneer of a bully who knew he had all of the power.

He was carrying a bowl of brown mush that I assumed was to be my breakfast. God, I missed Leo's cooking.

"Sleep well pretty boy?" he snarled, "or did the screaming keep you up? That girl of yours was tough to crack, let's just say her pretty face ain't very pretty no more. She's a screamer by the way."

Izzie! What had he done to her? I'd kill him with my bare hands. My hands balled into fists and I considered attacking him then and there.

Wait. Izzie didn't scream when she was hurt. She'd always been too proud to scream and would bite her tongue off before she let herself be That Girl.

"Where'd she say the base is then?" I asked, I'd tried not to sound too cocky but failed.

"I can't tell you that," he squirmed, I'd been right.

"You can't tell me where my own base is?" I was poking a bear here.

"Just for that, you don't get breakfast."

The guard dropped the bowl on the floor and stormed out. It had been worth it, I wasn't broken yet and I intended to enjoy every bit of annoyance I could cause my captors.

I licked a few dregs of mush out of the bowl but quickly decided I'd rather go hungry. It tasted like mashed up cardboard mixed with whole-wheat flour and muddy water.

I slouched against the wall. I'd never get to eat Leo's whatever-was-in-the-fridge eggs again. I'd never get to hear Izzie laugh at my corny jokes. I'd never get to see my home again or fight for what I cared about. It was cardboard mush and pain for the rest of my short life.

The door buzzed and started to open. I clenched my fists thinking the guard had returned, or someone to torture information out of me. Instead, the Devil herself entered my prison cell.

I looked away trying not to care. I didn't care. Still, I found it harder than it should have been to hate her. I gave up and looked up at her.

She carried an air of confidence. She had all of the power here and we both knew it. Even if I were to try to kill her she had a belt full of throwing knives around her waist and could take me out before I landed a single blow.

She took a seat on the bed as if she owned the place. Actually she did own the place.

"What are you doing here Devil?" I asked, why couldn't she leave me here to suffer.

"It's my base, I can go where I want." Typical Devil, evasive and cocky at the same time.

"But why did you decide to visit this part of 'your base', I'm sure the rest of it is much nicer."

Why did she have to have such beautiful eyes?

"I was just wondering if you'd want to make both of our lives easier and tell us where the Silver Order base is."

"I'd rather die."

I would gladly die to protect the people I cared about. Hero complexes were fun like that.

"Fine, be that way."

"You knew I wasn't going to tell you, why are you really here?"

The Devil was cocky, not stupid.

"Fine, you saved my life. Why?"

I wasn't honestly sure at this point.

"The plan, your father wouldn't pay for you if you were dead."

"Ok, then why'd you kiss me?"

I didn't know that either.

"You kissed me."

"We kissed each other. I just want to know why you participated."

"I guess I got caught up in the moment."

"Me too. Except I didn't because it didn't happen."

It couldn't have happened.

"It didn't."

She turned away and walked towards the door. I almost didn't want her to leave. I knew the torture would begin at some point.

Then I saw my chance; she was only a few inches from where I was sitting. I reached forward and carefully slipped a knife out of its sheath. I quickly concealed the knife in my shirt.

"It's Kate by the way." She smiled slightly. "You asked me what my real name was that first time we talked, it's Kate Ballard."

"It fits you."

She left closing the door behind her.

I took out Kate's knife and smiled.

I was going down fighting.

Kate really did fit her.

***

Hey guys! What do you think of how Xander's father died? What about Kate and Xander's relationship (or lack of one)? Will Xander escape or simply go down fighting? Please vote and comment, I want to know what you think.

-Jade