Adrian had narrowly missed running into the whole group when he escaped down the
hall... now he had to prepare for his second option. It was too bad his plan didn't work -
it would have made everything so much easier!
He started to slow down, clutching at his injury. He rather liked his current body
and knew it would heal up soon, but that didn't mean he liked to get thrown around like a
ragdoll...
Adrian froze in one of the rooms as he heard a slight click and labored breathing.
"I... I've been waiting for you, asshole."
The blonde man smiled to himself and looked over at Eric. "I'm flattered. I thought
Alice would have been your first priority."
The sweating scientist was pointing a pistol at Adrian, his whole body shaking. He'd
abandoned his white doctor's coat and his shirt was in total disarray. "My list goes like
this... Shoot you, see Alice, get this damn core removed."
Adrian held up his hands and turned towards him. "I think you should go see Alice.
She's in rather nice shape, if not a little beat up."
Eric didn't budge. "No. I'm going to end your life and get sweet, sweet revenge. How
did it feel to stand in front of Alice like this?"
"I didn't draw it out. It was rather mechanical," Adrian said, still smiling. "You've
always been reliable Eric. I rather like you a lot and I do promise to take care of you
after this is done."
Eric narrowed his eyes. "Whatever, you bastard. Any last words?"
"I'm sure we'll get to know each other much better soon," Adrian joked.
For the first time in his life, Eric Ackhart killed a person. Under any other
circumstance, his shot would have missed, but he had been preparing for the day and
practicing. He let out a huge breath as Adrian fell backwards, his brains effectively blown
out. Disgusting.
Eric started to turn towards the commotion to go see Alice when something caught his
eye. He froze as Adrian's body began to dissolve into a strange, translucent energy. "You
have got to be shitting me..."
He knew Adrian was far from human - far from an angel, even - but he never thought
that he was something this... this...! Eric didn't have much time to muse over it all as
the energy enveloped him. He was much too tired from Lilith's core assimilating into his
body to fight back against the unknown presence.
Everything just... stopped.
After some time, the young man began to move again, rather calmly. He ran a hand
through his auburn hair and looked around his surroundings. He walked a few steps before
smiling. He liked this body much better than the last - not to mention it gave him access
to Eric's immense knowledge.
However, he rather preferred the name 'Adrian' to anything else. He left his lab coat
behind and started to head out of the ruins.
It was time for Plan B.
*****
When Mina awoke, she thought she was dead. She slowly moved in the bed, her body
feeling sore and hurt. However, the reason she thought she was dead was because she rolled
over and saw something amazing.
Eveon was lying right next to her, fast asleep and absolutely...
Naked.
Mina flushed bright red, thinking she must have died and gone to heaven if she was
really lying naked next to her girlfriend. Of course, if she had made it to heaven, she was
definitely going to rub it into her parents' faces.
A blanket was modestly covering them both and Mina giddily scooted closer to Eveon.
The blonde was still asleep, breathing softly... Mina was too enchanted by her lips to
think of what lied beneath the blanket.
With a simple, sweet kiss, Eveon awoke timidly, carefully kissing her back. She
opened her eyes, much to Mina's relief, and smiled. "What's up?"
Mina just hugged her fiercely, all the emotion surging back into her. "I thought you
weren't going to be you anymore...!"
Eveon hugged her back, much more calm. "I thought so too... I can't feel the Creator
inside of me, so everyone else must have found a way to get rid of her."
Mina nodded before blushing. She was hugging Eveon... and they were both naked. The
blonde started to notice that as well, especially how their bare skin moved against each
other. They'd hugged before when they'd only been wearing swimsuits (or when they were
brave, just their undergarments) but this was completely different.
"...I guess we ended up nude somehow," Mina said, pointing out the obvious.
"Yeah... I guess," Eveon added before thinking to herself. "Does that mean everyone
saw us without clothes on?"
Mina frowned. "I hope not... I would be jealous then." She combed her fingers through
some of Eveon's blonde hair and the girl smiled gently at her. There was an odd tension in
the room, but the girls remained close, their skin still touching.
Both were unsure of what to do - whether to move or to just stay - but Eveon decided
that she wanted to make the first move this time. Her hand made its way to Mina's breast,
barely cupping it in her palm. "Is that... uh... alright?"
Mina face was a lot redder now. "Mm-hmm," she murmured, unable to actually make
coherent speech.
Eveon leaned up to her and Mina moved her head down a bit so they could kiss. Their
hands flitted nervously across each other, not really sure which barriers they could cross
or which they should leave alone. By this time, Eveon had Mina under her and was assaulting
her neck. The blonde didn't want to be the only one made fun of for hickies...
Perhaps they would have gone farther if it wasn't for the door opening. Eveon
practically jumped off of Mina, hurriedly pulling the blankets over herself, while the
ebony haired girl turned over, trying to pretend she was sleeping.
Unfortunately, they still looked like a young pair of lovers up to naughty things.
Most unfortunately, it was Abby who walked into the room.
She stopped as soon as she walked in, surveying the scene of Eveon sitting up and
covering herself with a blanket and Mina oddly hiding almost beneath the covers. Both were
adamantly avoiding Abby's gaze, their faces as bright as Sakura's burning eyes.
Abby just smiled. "Well, it looks like you two are awake. Mina, I guess you can share
some of Eveon's clothes that are in the drawer." It was then that both girl's realized that
they were in Eveon's room, of all places. "After you get dressed, I made some food
downstairs if you want to eat."
Both girls visibly relaxed as Abby headed towards the door. However, their prayers
weren't answered. "Unless, of course, you've already eaten each other, then don't bother
getting food downstairs."
Mina covered her blushing face with her hands as Eveon tried to get out of the bed to
strangle her mother. With a groan, the blonde stopped, her body aching. "If I wasn't so
sore...!" Eveon said, frustrated.
"Oh? You're sore? Then I guess you really must have-"
"Mommy!"
*****
She could hear them all through the vent, discussing what they would do next. Some
proposed chasing Adrian, others wanted to deal with the aftermath of the Creator and a few
thought it would be better to wait and see.
But she already knew what would happen - Adrian was going to come get her. Lilith
pulled at the cloth restraint that kept her to the bed, frustrated at how such a weak thing
could keep her captive. If she still had her core, it wouldn't be an issue. She directed
her gaze to the window, focusing on her reflection.
Her hair had gone back to its natural color and so had her eyes... Lilith was still
waiting for Adrian, because he loved her and promised to take care of her. That was the
reason he took the core out - he wanted it to look like he betrayed her so he could keep
her safe in case his plan went awry.
Yes... that was it. And he was going to come rescue her, take her away to somewhere
special. Lilith watched a bird fly by the window. She felt so mellow and patient, probably
because she knew he was going to come soon... once everything was ready, he would fulfill
all those promises he whispered in her ears as they made love.
No one else could understand it, but Lilith did completely.
She didn't turn away from the window as the door to the room opened and someone
stepped inside timidly. "I... I brought you some food."
Lilith didn't even acknowledge Alice as the girl set down the tray on the nightstand.
It was quiet for a few minutes before Alice asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Adrian is going to come get me," Lilith said simply, defiantly. It was hard to keep
up such a brash attitude when she still in pain.
Alice frowned. "He's not going to."
Lilith finally looked over at her. "Yes he is. I love him and he loves me... so he's
going to come."
"He's... he's not a good person!" Alice exclaimed, starting to get frustrated. "He
screwed you, made you fight for him and now that he's tossed you out like garbage, you're
still lying to yourself."
Lilith clenched her fists. "Leave me alone...! What would you understand about love,
anyway?"
"There was someone I loved," Alice said quietly. "She was my dearest, best friend.
When I was scared, she always... always... we were supposed to have dinner together that
night... until you came along."
Lilith looked positively distraught. "Shut up, Alice! You're such a fool! You never
understood anything - it was all an act! An act!"
"Then why did it feel real?" Alice asked her. "Why did you do it?"
"Because Adrian told me to," Lilith said, pulling on the restraint. "I love him and
if I wanted to make sure our world became a reality, he said I had to!" She paused. "And I
don't regret hurting you at all!"
Alice looked down at the ground, visibly upset. Lilith went back to looking out the
window. "Please..." the young girl started. "Why are you so cold? Why did you change? Did
Adrian do it?"
Lilith turned back to her, clenching her fists again. "You don't understand, do you?
I was never who you thought I was! This is me, I'm Lilith and I've always been Lilith and
I'll always be. You were just too blind to see the truth!"
"Do you even care about me?" Alice asked, knowing what the horrid answer was already.
"No."
It was so sharp and to the point, but Alice knew it was true. Everything...
everything had been a lie. "...Mariah! Please-"
An unimaginable fury seemed to ignite within Lilith. "I hate that name! Don't call me
that!" She started furiously pulling at the restraint. "Don't you dare call me that!"
Alice started to cry as she gazed upon the 21 year old woman in front of her. Mariah
was such... such a beautiful liar. Alice should have wondered why the Shadow Organization
let a civilian travel with her or why Eric seemed to be familiar with the young woman...
she never asked about Mariah's family as much as she should have.
Because the Mariah she traveled with was really the conniving, insecure woman in
front of her who obeyed Adrian without a second thought. Adrian changed her name - he
called her Lilith because Mariah so hated her real name...
The Mariah Alice knew never existed - it was Lilith acting, pretending, playing her
like a fool. Because when the gunshots rang out against the door, Mariah waited silently
with the knife in her hand until Adrian signaled her.
And it was the platinum blonde girl that stabbed Miki so heartlessly in the stomach,
who coldly brushed off Alice's hand and dropped behind her spell book and rosary that had
only been a part of her ruse.
Alice so desperately wanted to believe that the core made Mariah into Lilith or that
Lilith actually killed her... or that Mariah could exist separately in her mind as a
wonderful memory...
But the truth hurt so much more than the fantasy Alice played out in her head, where
the Mariah she knew died behind those locked double doors... but Mariah had died long
before Alice ever met her or perhaps she never was real, like Lilith claimed.
Mariah was such a beautiful, beautiful liar.
"Adrian is going to come get me," Mariah proclaimed again, a little more quietly,
staring out the window. "I love him so much."
Mariah was the greatest liar when it came to fooling herself.
Alice left the room, tears running down her face. She wanted to break down, but not
here... not in front of such a cold, broken woman. She just wanted to know why... Why
Mariah had shattered her heart so willingly and why she was such a horrid person.
She closed the door behind her, unsure of what to do. Had she finally gotten the
revenge she sought? Had she received all the answers she wanted? Adrian... he was still
alive and Eric was missing... did Adrian steal him away too? Adrian stole everything from
her...
Alice didn't realize she was sobbing out in the hallway until someone embraced her
gently. She barely registered that it was Dark holding her, because the angel was always so
silent. Alice leaned into her gratefully, horrifically aware that Dark's generosity was
nothing like the love she'd gotten from her sister or the care Mariah gave to her.
But, perhaps, it was better than nothing.
*****
Adrian casually walked through the abandoned auto shop, fixing the tie on his suit.
He quickly went back to his headquarters and changed into some fitting clothes - he liked
to dress nicely. Choosing Eric as his next body was rather convenient because he worked in
the Shadow Organization as well, so Adrian didn't have to worry about not having access to
its facilities.
However, due to all the recent mishaps, he left the company in the hands of the
pharmaceutical branch, effectively hiding and toning down all of the questionable things
the corporation dealt with.
"I'm guessing you didn't come here for a car?"
Adrian smiled. "No... not quite. I had a hitch in my plan."
The young woman who had been working on an engine turned back at him, frowning. "You
must have... you haven't changed your body for around 2000 years."
He shrugged, running a hand through his messy hair. "True. That man was rather
handsome, but I find that Eric has more of a good boy charm."
She continued looking at him before wiping her hand on a rag and going back to the
car. "So, getting that girl to be God failed?"
"Indefinitely," Adrian muttered, looking around. "They sealed up the Creator's power
back in the Gate and I doubt they will ever go back there unless they know for sure Eveon
can control it... how in the world do you live here?"
"I don't actually live in here," she said, her voice slightly strained as she worked
with the parts. "I live a floor above. It's rather nice, I think."
She shut the hood of the car, satisfied. Adrian laughed quietly to himself. "You and
your toys..."
She wiped her hands with the rag again, looking over at him. "Are we back to our
original plan, then?"
"Unfortunately," he said with a sigh. "And this plan hasn't been working too well..."
The young woman had a faint smile on her lips. "But this century, no one really likes
to believe in magic. I think that's going to give us an edge."
Adrian quirked an eyebrow. "Have you found the scion of light?"
"I have a few clues as to where she is..." She trailed off, eyeing him with
suspicion. "Our deal is the same, isn't it?"
He laughed suddenly. "We've been working together for thousands of years and yet you
ask me that every time...! Of course our deal is the same. Once the scion of light is out
of the way, you have no more obligations towards me because I will be busy searching for
that special someone."
"Right," she said, leaning against the car. "I just have to ask because you love to
throw people away."
He smiled at her. "But your different - like a subcontractor. Everyone else happened
to fall in line... if you were a pawn like everyone else, then I would have had you fight
with me at the Gate, right?"
"I heard what happened to the fiends... and Lilith," she said simply, taking interest
in her grimy fingers.
"You have good ears," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "The fiends were
stupid. They tried to double cross me and well... just don't do that."
She looked back over at him. "I doubt we'll have problems... but I'm worried about
that group you ran into. The Living Inferno, the Demon Lord and myriad of other magically
inclined beings?"
Adrian waved his hand nonchalantly. "I'll keep them occupied if they try to
interrupt. As long as we are low key, there won't be too much of a problem. I'm enlisting
some help from other services."
"More subcontracts?" She asked, a smile teasing at her lips.
"Exactly. Life is much easier when I can convince others to fight for me," Adrian
said as he started to walk off.
The young woman's smile grew. "You're such a silly creature... but I'm not fighting
for you."
"I'm aware of that," he said over his shoulder. "And that's the way I like it."
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