GARGOYLES: Re-Awakening

Messes: 1

Matt was struggling for his life. He was shocked at how quickly the man had reacted. When Matt had burst through the door, Everly Levy was being held with an arm around her neck and a hand over her mouth by a man in a black ski mask. Matt had pointed his gun and started to yell Police! Stop! when the masked man had pushed Everly straight at him, knocking him back against the door. The next thing he knew, the man was on him.

Now Matt was fighting desperately to hold onto his gun. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Everly getting up. He just needed to hang on a couple of seconds and then she could help, or so he thought. As Everly got to her feet, a line was formed. Matt was furthest from the door, slightly stooped with the man's hands around both his wrists as they struggled for the gun. Everly was near the door, just in front of the edge of it as it was still open from Matt's entry. The man in black was in the middle. Just as Everly took a step toward her assailant, the man suddenly let go with one hand, pivoted with his outside leg, and swung his body open. His fist crashed directly into Everly's face as she rushed toward him. The impact knocked her back onto the edge of the door, putting a gash in the back of her head and leaving a bloody mark. Then, just as quickly, the man stepped in, brought his hand back around Matt's wrist, dropped under both of Matt's hands and with a movement like the cut of a sword through the air, flipped him onto his side. Matt landed hard on his shoulder and the gun flew under the bed. He knew he was in trouble, but the wind had also been knocked out of him and he couldn't get his body to react anymore.

Slowly, Matt willed his body to move. His only thought was of the gun, and he pushed himself to get crawling. He scrambled quickly over to the edge of the bed, expecting to feel the weight of his attacker land on him at any second. With a lunge, he thrust his arm underneath the bed and pulled the revolver out. He spun quickly and aimed.

There was nothing there. The man had gone. Matt was about to jump to his feet and pursue when his eyes fell on the red streak on the edge of the door. He looked to the floor and saw Everly on the ground in a startlingly large pool of blood. Matt was thrown. In spite of the confidence he tried to display with Elisa, he'd never been so directly involved in this level of violence before. He dropped to his knees and put a finger on Everly's neck.

To his surprise, she grabbed his hand and almost leapt off the floor.

"Get away from me!" She yelled.

"It's ok, I'm a cop," Matt responded. "I'm Elisa's partner!"

Everly looked confused. Then seemed to come to herself. She began sobbing almost immediately. Matt thought he should be after the perpetrator, but Everly had wrapped her arms around him so tightly he would have had to force her off. The man was probably long gone anyway, Matt thought, thinking back to his elevator trip on the way up. After a few more sobs, Matt gently grabbed Everly's arms and slowly unwrapped himself.

"You're hurt," he said. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"No!" Everly yelled.

Matt startled. Everly held her hands up by her face.

"No, please. I have to think about what to do," she said.

She was clearly traumatized and Matt figured it might be best to give her a minute. More than that, he was starting to remember just what a situation he was in. He was with an unknown person that his partner had stashed, without departmental approval, in an apartment which was now the scene of a violent crime. It would be best if they both took a minute. Everly had sat down on the bed. Matt looked over to the bathroom. There was a towel on the back of the door. He grabbed it and approached Everly.

"Don't worry," he said. "I just want to take a look at the back of your head. Is that ok?"

Everly looked at him with wide eyes and said nothing. Eventually, she gave a quick nod. Matt sat down next to her and looked at the back of her head. The hair was matted with blood. It looked horrific. However, Matt had been a little boy. He knew that gashes on the head bleed horrendously but usually aren't serious. He could remember more than one time that he had fallen from a bike or skateboard and created a scene on the pavement that looked like someone had been dismembered there. He dabbed near where the source appeared to be.