Sturmtruppen soldiers retook their positions on the keep's walls. A large group came through the square's broken gatehouse, firing as they went. Two demons followed.
Snowy and Kita grinned at each other. Kita grabbed Snowy, jumped up on her, and gave her a long hard kiss. Bullets ricocheted and whizzed by. Kita extend her heat shield. When they parted, Snowy stroked Kita's face. Snowy motioned upward with her head. Kita threw her up into the air.
Snowy landed in the middle of the advancing Sturmtruppen and cut them apart. She spied a young soldier crawling away.
"Where are you going, young one?" she said sweetly.
He looked up at her in horror. "Please, it hurts. I just want to go home."
"Really? What happened to that strong and arrogant Sturmtruppen that stood their firing at me not five minutes ago?"
"Please, just let me go. Take me prisoner, even. Just don't kill me. I don't want to die." The kid broke into tears.
"Oh, poor dear," Snowy cooed, "There's no need to cry."
The kid looked up at her. "You're going to let me live?"
"Do you see a white, glowing angel around here?"
"N-no."
"Guess it's not your lucky day. The Angel of Mercy's must be busy. I guess I'll have to take her place and I'm fresh out of mercy."
The kid went from hope to horror. Snapping out a claw, Snowy scratched a deep grove into the side of his face. She held the claw in front of his face.
"And here I thought it might come out yellow..." Snowy let the blood drip onto his forehead and and run down his face. With a smile, she licked the tip of her claw. "Hmm, you taste good. Sweet, tender, and young." She laughed wickedly as she stood up.
"Please," the boy whispered.
Snowy shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie. Today you are going to die."
"No," he cried.
Snowy performed a kick flip. Catching the boy under chin, she sent him upward. Landing, she lunged forward, snapping her jaws around his neck. She shook him until his body tore away.
Spitting out what she had in her mouth, she went over to the body and tore an arm off. Heavy boots behind her caused her to turn around. Smiling, she took a bite. The Sturmtruppen looked at her like she had committed the ultimate sin.
"What? You do it." Snowy laughed and charged.
***
Landing in front of the daemons, Kita jumped at the first, somersaulted and bounced off a lunging arm. Performing a lay out over the demon she grabbed the long horn pulling the demon over. Kita rolled when she hit the ground, the demon landed behind her with a bang. Flipping backwards, she landed on its neck. The second demon brought a fist up to strike. Kita dove sideways as the second demon's fist crushed the first's neck.
Ducking between the demon's legs, Kita drew Dusk and Dawn and heated them. She thrust them into the demon's jet nozzles. Extending her heat shield, the demon exploded above her. Around her bullets struck. Spreading her wings, Kita glided to wall around the keep.
Two bullets hit her. She fell to the ground. Sturmtruppen guards surrounded her on both sides. Two of them shot her. One bullet ricocheted off her skull, leaving her with a headache. She extended her heat shield incinerating those around her. Kita rubbed where the bullet hit her skull. I won't do that again.
***
Kita and Snowy kicked in the massive double doors of the keep. Squealing in delight over finding a company waiting for them, they rampaged through the Sturmtruppen. Blood covered every surface. Bodies lay scattered on the floor, hanging from various decorative artifacts, and several smashed through some obsolete arrowslits.
"What do you think?" said Snowy pointing to the chandelier made of antlers where Sturmtruppen hung by their chins from antler points.
"I like it. That's an awesome what to display them," said Kita.
"Good thing they have lots of chandeliers in this place."
They cleared the floor, dragging out any Sturmtruppen they found and adding them to their display. They tore down and destroyed the Sturmtruppen propaganda, artifacts, and displays.
Kita and Snowy climbed the large staircase to the floors above. Few men remained. Those they did find met there end through windows, off balconies, or impaled on bedposts.
Reaching their old bedroom, they opened the door like a pair of newlyweds. Their faces fell. The room had been destroyed. The beautiful furnishings lay abused, broken, and defaced. Trash littered the floor. The pieces of shattered vases, mirrors, and decorations lay around the room. In the bed, a woman, still in uniform, slept.
Sneaking to the bed, Kita grabbed the woman by the hair and yanked her out of the bed. Dragging the woman to a clear spot on the floor, Kita slammed her down.
Kita kneeled over her. "Hi there." She smiled evilly letting some of the blood on her face drip onto the woman.
"I can't say we approve of the way you redecorated our room," Snowy said leaning in and baring her fangs.
"It's not my room," the woman protested. "I only crashed in here because no one comes into the General's room."
"So what does that make you to him?"
" 'A spiteful stupid whoring bitch,' his words. I turned him and his stupid drug down. I've only stayed alive by keeping out of his way. I'm not even one of them, he made me an honorary black clown trying to woo me. Take a look, no bolts."
Kita and Snowy looked.
"She's not lying," said Kita.
"I like her. Anyone who's willing to tell the pigheaded bastard brother of ours to go piss has got to be worth not killing right away."
The woman sneered at Snowy. "Thanks. So I take you're his sister and you're the cat?"
"The tail didn't give it away, sweetie?" said Snowy mockingly.
"I couldn't see past your ugly mug."
"You're awful brave to back talk to someone who's been slaughtering wholesale downstairs," said Kita.
"You kill me, you kill me. What's it matter? I'm not going down without some fun."
"What's your name, cutie?" said Snowy.
"Katie. What's it to you?"
Kita looked at Snowy. "I like her. Let's keep her."
"What? I'm no damn pet. You think I'm not will tell you to where to go?" Katie said with a snarl.
"Not a pet, dearie. When she says keep, she means keep you alive. Consider yourself lucky, rarely does death pass anyone by," said Snowy.
"I'm frozen fired honored. Now get off me if you're going to let me live. You're dripping all over me."
Kita and Snowy jumped to their feet yanking Katie up with them.
"Next level's the roof. I bet there are some guards up there. I just thought of a wonderful game we could play," said Snowy.
"Oh yeah?" said Kita.
"I call it chuck-a-chump."
"I like the sound of that." said Katie.
Kita raised an amused eyebrow.
Kita and Snowy burst through the hatch onto the roof. The soldiers turned and fired. They danced through the soldiers severing hands and breaking legs.
"Damn!" said Katie watching from the hatch.
"It's slower when you have to keep them alive," said Kita. "I get to go first."
Grabbing the nearest man, Kita took a few steps backward, sprinting forward, and released him at the edge. The man flew over the gatehouse and crumpled against the statue base in the square.
"Not bad, my turn." Snowy stabbed her claws into a soldier. Unlike Kita, she spun around a few times before releasing him. The man flew passed the base, smashing into the stone street on the far side of the square.
Snowy led two out of three tosses. Kita frowned playfully at Snowy.
"Ok, this time we'll make it interesting," Kita said with a grin. "You have to skip them of the gatehouse."
"You're on," said Snowy.
Kita picked her last man up by the feet and spun around three times before releasing him. Flying head first, the man hit the side of the gatehouse, slide along the side and fell to the ground below. Snowy laughed as Kita pouted.
Snowy took her turn. Flying in a flat spin the man hit the top of the tower, bounced and flew a ways in the square. "I win," Snowy squealed and jumped up and down.
"You're always better than me," Kita pouted playfully.
"Ah, don't be like that kitten," Snowy gave her a kiss and nuzzled her nose.
"I just want you to know, that went from just slightly sadistic, to totally creepy and sickening," said Katie.
"What's wrong with it?" said Kita.
"One, I didn't know you two were together that way. Second, you're both covered in blood. I mean, it's in your hair, or fur, I guess."
"I thought you'd be fun," Kita said with a frown. "Guess I'll just have to kill you."
"Hey, I just want eat later ok?"
Snowy laughed. "She's just teasing, I think."
"Hey, here comes everyone," said Kita. "Hey, we're up here," she yelled. Acknowledging the saw her, the group headed for the keep.
"Come on, let's go surprise them," Kita said grabbing Snowy's hand.
"Oh, they're going to be surprised all right," Katie mumbled.
Racing downstairs, Snowy and Kita stopped and waited inside the destroyed doors. Zidin, Paladin, Tina, Frostbane, Thorne, and Glen picked their way through the shattered door. Kita and Snowy stepped out into the light and bowed.
"Welcome back everyone," Kita said in her best servant voice.
"We redecorated a bit. We didn't like the décor of the last owners," Snowy said with a giggle.
Tina and Frostbane went right in; the rest stood and stared at the pair.
"What?" Snowy asked self-consciously.
"You're both red from head to toe and I'm guessing you didn't find the world's largest jar of jam before you found me," said Katie.
"It comes off," Snowy cleaned her hands with her tongue. "See? I'll be white in no time."
Kita shook her feathers, spraying everyone. "Whoops, that's the best I can do. What's the matter? You think you found us naked covered in chocolate or something."
Katie snickered.
The three men stared at the pair.
"Well?" Snowy said worriedly.
Kita deflated. "Fine," she whispered and flew out of the keep.
"Kitten, wait." Snowy chased after her.
Katie yelled after them, "Hey, wait for me. Don't leave me here with these three frozen seal pups."
***
"Do you guys see this?" said Tina. "This is so cool. It's like those horror movies we watched a few weeks ago. Hey, where did they go?"
Frostbane roared, shaking the entrance hall. Spooked, Tina let out an eep and flipped in the air.
The three men shook themselves out of their stupor.
"Will you look at this mess? It's disgusting," said Thorne.
"If I hadn't seen them I wouldn't have believed it or this," said Glen turning green.
"What are you guys talking about? Come on, you know who did this right? This shouldn't be new to anyone," said Tina.
"I always thought she just boasted and liked being theatrical, like a lot of commanders. I didn't think she would do this," Thorne said sounding queasy.
"What a second," said Tina. "You're upset because Kita and Snowy left a slime trail of blood through this place? This is what Kita loves. Come one Zidin, you know this. She's told us the same day, straight to our faces. This must have been like Winterfest, a birthday, and a drunken night out for her. And she got to do it with Snowy. It's not like she went to an orphanage to do it. Believe me; no one in her deserves mercy.
"You're just a bunch of judgmental old men who just want to use her for your own purposes. She couldn't have been more excited to show you they'd cleaned out the thunderdolts headquarters. I don't think any of you give a damn about her anymore. Not since she stopped being a little girl that you could control. Now that she's a woman with a mind of her own, all you feel is threatened. Because she's going to accomplish more than any of you. And you know what? Don't ask for my help again." Frostbane roared behind her. "You said it big guy, let's go catch up with them."
Tina and Frostbane started to back away, to the confusion of the men.
"MOVE!" Kita bellowed swatting the three men aside with her wings. The three men sprawled on the blood slick floor.
"Come on Tina." Kita grinned sinisterly. "You're going to want be there for this."
"Oh? What did you find?"
"I told her there's a basement to this place. A very new addition," Katie said with a smile.
Tina's face changed to an eerie black light. Kita pulled a pair of candleholders on the wall. A very large door opened onto an elevator platform.
"Sometimes they bring the new demons up this way," said Katie.
The five entered the elevator, as the door close a hand stopped them.
"You're going without us?" Zidin said when the doors retracted.
Kita glared, turning around, she wrapped her wings around her, and put her head down.
"What's she doing?" Katie whispered at Tina.
"Usually she does this when she's too embarrassed to be seen crying."
"Why she crying?"
"It's complicated. If you stick around I'll explain it to you later."
"Deal."
"Oh for heaven sakes, Zidin. Get out," Snowy screamed.
"Hey, we have a right to see," said Zidin.
"No, you don't. I gave each of you something to do, so why aren't you doing it? If you and you," Snowy pointed at Zidin and Glen, "don't want to do it, that's fine. I assume you can find the front gate of the city on your own. General, you don't get a choice. I've had it with all of you. Tina spelled it out for you, do I have to carve it into your foreheads?" She snapped out a claw.
Thorne nodded and left.
"You-you can't speak to us this way. We're both your elders, our knowledge and insight will be helpful." Glen spoke to Snowy using the voice of the Shadow Master.
Snowy snapped out her claws and lunged for him. Tina grabbed her by the arm, Frostbane clamped down on her leg. Zidin pushed Glen behind him and drew Great White.
"You think you can slow me down Zidin?" Snowy snarled. "I don't need to touch you to kill you." Snowy fired a lightning bolt that arced behind Zidin.
Katie ducked her head between Kita's wings. She was almost a foot shorter than Kita so she didn't have to bend far.
"Excuse me, uhm, is there anything I can do to help?" said Katie.
"No, but thanks." Kita sniffed.
"They're ready to tear each other apart over you."
"I know, I've been watching."
"Ah, how? Please don't tell me you have eyes on your butt or something."
"Well, something anyway. My skin has photoreceptors. I can see in all direction at once."
"Guess I won't be cutting your purse."
"Thief?" said Kita.
"Yep, not Guild, just a freelancer."
"Tina used to be a thief."
"I knew there was a reason I liked her. So what are you?"
"Originally, an assassin. Now, a fallen angel and an unwilling army commander."
"I'm not sure about the fallen angel part, but assume that goes with the house party upstairs. I think you should do something, the cat's got the big one by the throat and has punched several holes into him."
"She have him by her jaws or just her hand?" said Kita.
"Hand. I thought you could see this."
"I can, but I'm concentrating my vision on you. Everything else is blurry and red. But, I will do something. Thank you."
"Sure, just as long as you let me tag along for a bit." said Katie.
"Shouldn't be a problem, I've plenty of room. There might be more in a few minutes. I hate men."
Katie laughed.
Kita's head snapped up as she turned around. "Snowy, let him go. If anyone gets to kill him, it's me. I'll finish what I started four years ago."
Snowy obeyed, flipping backward off Zidin. A flash of flame around Kita left her spotless. Strutting up to Zidin, her mouth twisted in a sour expression, Kita plunging a finger into his gut hard enough to double him over, she grabbed by the throat. Pushing him into the main hallway, she tossed him down the slippery floor, crash through the doors, and tumbled down the stone steps.
Gliding down the hallway and out the door, Kita landed next to him. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him above her head. Shaking him several times, she lowered him down to her face.
"What is the matter with you?" She snapped. "You are supposed to by my mentor, guardian, guide, and close friend. Now you sulk around her trying to prove you know better than me. Is it like Tina said, you're upset you don't have the influence you used to? Or that I've grown up and made more friends who's interests and lifestyles you don't approve? Every day this goes on, the more I wonder why I love you. So do you have an answer?"
Kita set him down.
"I am trying to help you. Have you not seen what you are letting yourself become? You've become a bloodthirsty sinister creature who's passion is death and destruction. You used to care about people, your responsibilities, and yourself. I've been trying to find away to push you back that way. Yes, I've missed judged every way I've tried.
"Snowy's now your equal in every way. Tina became the angel I wanted, but she refuses to guide you. I misinterpreted your interest in Sarin. I thought you were cheating on Snowy with her.
"Do you see why I'm worried? Four years ago, you were the Fallen Angel seeking redemption. Now you've become the angel of death. You have abandoned helping others."
"I have not stopped helping others," said Kita. "I've chosen to help different people than last time. I no longer seek redemption, because it's not possible for me. When I died, I had a lot of time to learn about myself. I know who I am. I can no longer change me than change space from black to white."
"How do you know you can't be redeemed? Who said you can't?" Zidin demanded.
"I did, would you like to see? Do you think what I show the wicked is something I made up? You can look in to my soul and see what true evil is."
Kita took Zidin's head in her hands. Her bandana disappeared and he stared into the dark hollows of her eyes. The deaths of worlds, galaxies, universes, multiverses, existence, and gods flashed by. All that was left was her sitting and waiting for the next builder to come. She made her bandana appear. She walked back to the others.
"Wait, where are you going?" said Zidin.
"What does it matter?"
"I understand now. If that's what lurks inside you, than you do an excellent job of keeping it under control."
Kita shrugged and whispered, "I know."
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head at him. "I can't help who I am or what I love to do. I can choose who I get to love. Snowy, Tina, Jane, Omega, Nell, and Frostbane accept me regardless of what I do or who I am. As long as I love them in return. We aren't the evil you demonize us to be. We don't prejudge on light or dark, sexual desires, Angel, animal, or computer, leisure activities, or anything else. I don't know when you stopped trying to understand me, and I don't know why. Now all I ask is you leave. You can stay with the Black Watch, but you're no longer with me."
Passing Glen without a word, Kita threw her arms around Snowy, and buried her head on Snowy's shoulder.
***
"What's going on?" Katie asked Tina.
"I have no idea; I've only seen my sister weep like this once, when she had to kill one of her closest friends in the Guild for betraying our Dad."
Katie's eyes went wide in surprise. "So the black angel is the white angel's sister? And you're the daughters of a Shadow Master?"
"Yep. Dad's the other one she's mad at," Tina pointed to Glen.
"Wow, this is some kind of messed up."
Tina giggled. "Oh, you don't know the half of it."
"What, you have friends on the moon?" Katie teased.
"You might say that. Come on let's go talk to the big guy, he's looking a little, flabbergasted."
Tina and Katie went to Zidin who looked unsure of what to do.
"Hi, Zidin," said Tina. "Looks like things didn't go well."
"I don't know what happened, she explained everything then left." The big shark smile adorning his face twisted in confusion.
Tina frowned. "More than that happened. She told you to get lost didn't she?"
"How do you know?" Zidin said angrily.
"I know my sister, I know she only gets this way when she's had to remove someone she cares about. You can't hide from me, at least when it comes to Kita."
"So what do I do, oh wise one?" Zidin growled.
"Obviously, you don't want my help. Come on Katie; let's go see if we can help Kita."
"Wait, wait. I'm sorry. What do I do?" Zidin said quietly.
"Drop the attitude for starters," Katie injected.
"Who are you?"
"Katie, Tina's new friend, and liked by Kita and Snowy."
"I see."
"She's a quick learner," said Tina. "Anyway, did you say you were sorry?"
"No, I don't think I have anything to be sorry for."
"Then I really can't help you. You've made her miserable, along with Snowy, Jane and Nell. To be honest, your plans and assumptions have been bugging me."
"I've only had the best interest of everyone in mind. Kita's, Snowy's, yours, maybe not the other two, they disgust me and I'm unhappy they've dragged Kita down." Zidin's said laced with self-righteousness.
"And I'm sure Kita told you where to go over that. You might have had better luck letting events take their course. Didn't you say if you want help from powerful people you had to take them as they are?"
Zidin grunted. "How do you know I said that? Plus, I don't want her help."
"Kita told me. It's obvious you don't want to be her friend, mentor, or guide. For all the great things she's said about you, I wouldn't have believed you'd end up like this, bitter, haggard, and stubborn. Are you sure that it's us who have changed, or you? Think about that, oh wise one, because I'm done. I believe you're all out of friends now. So why don't you go and take your men home."
Tina and Katie walked to Kita still in Snowy's arms.
"I tried," said Tina. "I'm sorry. I don't know what he wants and he refuses to say."
Kita lifted her head, she'd stopped crying, but remained in Snowy's arms. "Thanks, you didn't have to. I just wish I knew what was bothering him."
"I just think the idiot can't handle little girl grew up while she was away," Snowy growled with contempt.
"Maybe, I think that's part of it. He may feel like he's not needed anymore and is trying to find ways to be," said Tina.
Snowy huffed. "Well, he's botched that."
"I have plenty of ways, I even told him. I just don't think he likes who I've become and if he refuses to accept me or my friends then, well..." Kita choked up again.
"Tina, can you take over for a minute?" said Snowy.
"Sure, I guess." Tina put her arm around Kita.
Snowy stormed over to Zidin, and punched him in the jaw. Zidin's head bounced off the stone street. Snowy jumped on him and grabbed him by his shirt.
"You stupid goddamn son of a bitch," Snowy yelled at him. "How dare you do this now? She nearly lost Sarin, who's still up in surgery. That wasn't enough drama for one day? You had to include yourself? What the hell is the matter with you?" She shook him violently. "Well?"
Zidin spat some blood at her. "All I wanted was to keep everyone on the path of light and get those two girls out, they're a bad influence. It didn't work; because Kita's own corruption and black charisma taints you into believing what you are is ok. It's hard to tell whose worse, her or her brother."
Snowy punched him. "How dare you compare her to that thing? Kita are nowhere near the same. You've always known she was dark and your right, her influence is in all of us. I'd bet if Katie sticks around for long she'll be influenced to. You weren't immune to it either or did you forget that over the last three years? You're no different from the rest of us, except we're happy and thankful for what she's done for us. It maybe be a black group, but what we do is for the right reasons."
"I agree with Snowy," said Paladin coming up to the group. "I may disapprove of some of the methods used, but I do believe what we do is for the greater good of everyone."
"Some share that exact sentiment. I have no problem with the methods, but I agree with the rest of it. As do the rest of us," said Omega.
Snowy turned around, smiled, and jumped off. Zidin looked up to find everyone, including Thorne and Glen, looking down at him angrily.
"I may be at odds with my daughter on several things," said Glen, "but I will not stand by and let you accuse her of being something she's not. Nor will I let you take away all the good she has done, now and before."
"She has been fair and good to her Legion," said Thorne, "even when teaching us a hard lesson. Without her, we wouldn't be here. She's harsh and cruel to our enemies, but she's the reason we win. If that makes us a black Legion, so be it. As long as we stay within the mission of the Legion, I don't care what color we are."
Zidin laid his head back down. he laid looking up as dawn approached. A black wing blocked out the sky.
"So, you've heard the verdict, even those that agreed with you, disagree with you now. Before you say I did something, I had nothing to do with it. I've been over with Tina. Either I'm even better than you say, or I'm not as bad an influence as you think.
"I wish to resolve this, but it takes both of us. Unfortunately, there's little middle ground. You must be willing to accept us as we are. The call is yours to make. I am willing to wait for however long it takes." Kita went back to the rest.
"Verdict?" Paladin asked Kita.
"I don't know. It's not my call to make. He's judging us, not the other way around. Come let's check out this basement."
nv