Broken Warrior

Painful Gratitude

Eirene

Rurik... Ryker... would not forgive me. I could see that in his expression as he sat with Liza, pointedly ignoring me. Looking for any reason to stay away from me and subconsciously trying to ensure that those he cared about stayed away from me as well. I relaxed as his boss informed those of us in the aircraft that the children were safe.

I had done my job.

I listened to them make plans, silently watching Liza, seeing the exhaustion and shock settling into her as her body allowed her to come to terms with what she had been through. I also waited for Ryker to remind me of his desire for me to disappear and found him oddly restrained in that aspect.

Still, I knew as we landed that I had been pulled from the flames due to simple decency and not affection. When we landed, I climbed from the helicopter, stepping out of the way of everyone and glancing around in the early morning light, looking for an idea of where I could go. Once again, I only had what was on my back, I would not dare try to enter the city, having destroyed anything that I was not carrying with me before this all had started.

"It's not safe for any of us here. Once in New Orleans, you can figure out a safe path." Timothy stepped up beside me, his rifle hanging at his sides.

I found my eyes going to the wicked looking swords he had on his back. "I know my welcome in New Orleans, in Knight Corp."

"We don't all get along all the time. It's a giant company. You can go decades, centuries even, without running into people you don't want to see, if you wanted." The man offered me a grin, something boyish and disarming.

I wondered if he knew how similar he was to Ryker.

"I thought it was a one time offer." I recalled his stubborn, unhappy words to me when I told him that I was leaving. That I would not be signing on to work for Alesky and had been able to see that he was assessing me for the threat he believed I posed.

Tim shrugged and glanced at the plane that was being loaded with children and families.. "Well, you keep sending us conflicting messages. You say you're not interested, but you end up doing the exact thing we asked you to do in the first place."

I didn't respond but I found myself walking up the stairs and into the plane, painfully aware that Liza was following us. I knew she had a lot to be angry at me for, I knew that there was more than I could ask for forgiveness for but I wanted to try. I had wanted to try since I had seen her on the rooftop, or in the prison cell.

A million times between those two events and now.

"You... well. I can't say you're the most brilliant fighter I've ever seen, that would be a lie. But you are impressive. And your abilities to track and find intel... we can't match it. No vampire your age still... does this anymore." He motioned to his armour, his weapons, then myself. "I mean, if you intend to retire, I get it. But..."

I shook my head slowly, letting out a shaking breath. "There is... so much... standing in my way."

Tim pulled me off to the side, into the crew quarters of the plane that was filled with safety vests and serving dishes, radios and spare blankets. His expression got serious, blunt.

He was a precocious young vampire, who seemed to harness an old soul within him somehow. "Your ego is standing in your way. That's it. You don't want to have anything to do with Carbry, I get it. But I run security. He's the face, the business side. We try to keep him out of this. We'll keep you on the opposite side of the world from him and Ryker. Believe me, there's more than enough going on to make that possible. But you can do a lot of good with us. Sometimes you can't find forgiveness with others. But you may be able to find some peace for yourself."

I nodded but I did not have an answer for him.

I had never contemplated such a thing, never even hoped for any sort of companionship or tried to work as part of a team. I did not know if I was even capable of upholding whatever ideals Knight Corp was trying to hold onto, nor did my bitter soul believe that they would be successful. There was just so much evil in this world, no matter how much any of us fought, it kept coming back, stronger and more plentiful than before.

"Just think on it." Tim gave me a firm look before turning and walking into the main part of the plane. I could hear him begin to give orders and directions, drawing a smirk from me when I realized the man was wound tighter than a watch spring.

I followed him out into the main area, where medical teams were working their way around the children, providing what sustenance and care they could as the kids slowly began to wake up from their stupors. I saw many with families or single parents, or slightly older children holding them in relief. Though I suspected very few of them had made it through the ordeal unscathed. I could see the haunted looks in the adults eyes, the shuttered fear in the expressions of the youths as they slowly came to terms with what was happening.

They were safe, but what had the world demanded of them?

The shifter I had met on the rooftop only days before was there, sitting with one of the children who had no one at all. My heart seized as I watched Eliza walk out of another room in the plane, glance around and go immediately to the girl to allow the shifter to get up. As Eliza took over from the other woman, the shifter was approached by a parent, who hugged her.

"Don't look at me, the main reason we succeeded is her." Ana nodded in my direction and I froze as the room went silent. "Eirene found the children, scoped out the enemy, and took on a veritable army so we could sneak in the back."

I shook my head slowly, finding the room far too small, too confined for my liking and flinched when one of the closer parents stood. An older gentleman who smelled like a bear shifter walked up to me and pulled me into a tight hug. "Thank you. I don't... whatever Knight Corp is paying you... thank you so much..."

"I don't work for Knight Corp." I muttered, pulling back my hood and mask when he released me. I saw tears in his eyes and found myself enveloped in another embrace.

"My little girl is alive because of you." His voice broke and he stepped back, only to be replaced by another family member, and then another.

Their pain and relief was palpable.

But I did not know how to respond to it. I had never saved anyone, not to their knowledge. I did not know what to deal with their grief and gratefulness as it washed over me.

When it was done, I glanced up and saw Tim standing off to one side, speaking with someone else, giving me a blunt look. He seemed to tell me "this is why" silently. There was meaning and heart behind his gaze that warmed mine and made me wonder if I could work for someone like Timothy, if not Carbry.

I glanced away from him, finding myself looking at Eliza who had a half awake young girl in her arms, rocking her back and forth and rubbing her back as the child sobbed. When her gaze met mine, she nodded to me and I walked over to sit beside her silently.

We didn't talk, she just spent the flight trying to coax the girl to eat with limited success until I sang her a lullaby from my childhood. My language, the song, the story behind it, had all changed or been forgotten. But the tune still soothed the child enough that she stopped crying and tentatively began to eat, large blue eyes locked on my face as she leaned her head into Eliza's shoulder.