Even Heroes Fall

19. Ghoul

Violet lay down on the ground next to the sewer cover looking like the victim of a hit-and-run. Her black outfit was ripped in multiple places and covered in a layer of grime. Dirt streaked through her hair and across her face. Apart from a few cuts which didn't look too deep she did not seem visibly hurt and I was worried her lack of movement meant she was concussed. 

The moment I heard the trigger for the explosives in the warehouse I knew Castlemain had been tracking me all that time. How else would he know where to find me? And Justice/Violet was too much of a goody two shoes to be in on it with him. I could have escaped the majority of the blast, gotten away with a couple of hits, nothing major. But then Violet would have died and there was no way I was letting that happen.

I looked down at her closed eyes. She was displaying vulnerability I had never seen before, both in Violet and Justice. Justice was stubborn and strong-willed, always doing the right thing even if that was burning the contract stopping her from doing her job. And Violet, well she was fiercely loyal to her friends. Celia, Marshall, she would do anything to protect them. But now she seemed broken, like a spark inside her had gone, and I couldn't help feeling like I was somehow responsible.

I was still struggling to understand why Castlemain killed Theodore. He must have found out that Theodore was my contact at the city hall, but I had spoken to Marshall just as many times so why not kill him too? It didn't make any sense. Unless Castlemain's intentions had been to frame me all along. But making me the Met's most wanted would only get me out of his way for a short time. 

The sewer exit had taken us out about a mile from the industrial estate. I could see the smoke billowing up in the sky from the explosion. The police would be crawling all over the scene pretty soon. Would they find evidence we had been there?

'Violet,' I leaned over her, so close I could have kissed her if I wanted to. 'Are you OK?'

'Yes,' she mumbled. She looked up at me, eyes the colour of melting chocolate.

'OK, good. Let's go.' I ignored her protests and lifted her up in my arms. It was an effort for the first time, because my body had taken one hell of a beating and I still hadn't recovered from the hangover. I know I needed to sleep, and soon, or else I would be utterly useless next time Castlemain sent someone after me. And next time, I wanted to be ready to unleash Hell. 

I carried her down the road towards the industrial estate. I needed to get my bike because there was no way either of us were going to be able to get the tube in the state we were in.

'Where are we going?'

'We need a ride.' I stopped at the edge of the estate and tucked us both out of view so I could listen. I put her down since we were no longer moving. 

Castlemain's men were already searching underneath the warehouse, I could hear them grunting and shouting to each other. But the police were not far off, the wail curled in the distance. I closed my eyes for a second thinking. I was very low on energy but probably had just enough to get me over to the bike. If I got there fast enough no one would notice until it was too late.

'Wait here,' I said to Violet.

She looked at me fearfully. 'You can't take them on alone,' she whispered. Even without super hearing we could hear the men shouting in the distance.

I resisted a smile at her words. I could definitely take them on alone... when I was not half dead. 

'I'm just going to run in there, grab my transport, and be right back out again. Easy,' I lied. Not easy. Not right now. But she didn't need to know that. She seemed dubious about my intentions but if we were going to get away before the police found us then I needed to act now.

I braced myself for the movement and then ran forward as fast as I could, using the last of my strength. I made it across the compound and collapsed behind the crates. My whole head was throbbing and my vision blurring. I breathed hard. There was a wound on my side which was bleeding openly from where I'd been cut during the explosion. I didn't think Violet had noticed before which was probably a good thing.

I forced myself onto the bike, started it up, and sped out of the estate. I screeched to a halt in front of a surprised looking Violet and tossed her the helmet.

'Get on.'

'Where's your car?' 

'There's no car.'

'You said "transport",' she quoted.

'It's the bike or nothing. Get on.' I was getting impatient. Another half an hour and I would be useless. 

She shoved the helmet on her head and reluctantly climbed up behind me. Soon we were speeding away before anyone could see. When we pulled up around the back of her house she frowned.

'Here?'

'My place is compromised.' I had not forgotten that morning's incident. I shoved the bike into the bushes as far as it would go and leaned against the wall for support. I was beyond the point of pretending to be OK as blood dripped from my wound onto the pavement. I categorically could not remember ever feeling this bad before in my life.

'Shit, Max!' She finally noticed. 'You're bleeding! We should take you to a hospital!'

'No.' Hospitals were a bad idea. Even if the Met decided I was not responsible for Theodore's death, hospitals meant tests, tests meant results no one could explain, meant experts being brought in, meant laboratories. I had been there before and vowed never again. 'I just need to sleep,' I said through gritted teeth.

'We can't go into my house looking like this,' she suddenly said sounding panicked. 'What if someone sees us?'

I listened for a second but the house was silent. 'No one is in.' Without waiting for her permission I staggered back around to the front of the house, luckily she followed and unlocked the door.

I started to walk up the stairs towards her room.

'Where are you going?'

'Your room, obviously I can't sleep in Celia's room, can I?' Even the stairs felt like an effort. I could sense her panicked reaction from behind me but I did not have the strength to care at that moment. She was going to have to put her concerns aside for now.

We went into her room, it was the first time I'd been in here, and I was vaguely aware of photographs of her and Celia on the shelves reminding me that my ex was likely to come home at any given moment. Without another moment's hesitation I staggered over to her bed and collapsed, the darkness taking me.