Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Eduarrrdo." The 'R' rolled of her tongue as he felt her crawl on top of him. His silted eyes could just make out her black hair in contrast to her almost unnaturally pale skin.

"You're mine."

With that came a simple realization. His eyes flew open to reveal not his Kylie but a stranger, one that his soul wished never to see again.

"Eduardo, wake up! WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!

He opened his eyes again - 'when had he shut them' - The woman was lying above him; or was she standing before him? He was in a void. There was no up or down or left or right. There was no direction, no focus. Surrounded by darkness, the feeling of desolation crept over them. There seemed to be an uncontrollable silence that dominated, broken only by the woman's occasional whispers that were transferred to his mind without the movement of her lips but cushioned in a cacophony of sound.

The darkness was like a liquid. It consumed them, swallowing and drowning them. It felt cold to his skin and although he knew of its pointlessness he felt fear. He was friendless in this static world and the sense of being abandoned almost crushed his heart as he could fell it's pace increase in his mind and he began to try and force himself to move. But it was to no avail. He felt like a victim of suffocation, trapped in the knowledge that if he could merely move he would be fine, but knowing that no matter how hard he willed for it, the lack of oxygen caused his body, or in this case perhaps it was his mind, to lack the energy required to move. He was on the wrong side of the checkmate of this game.

The loneliness and isolation seemed to know him and fill his entire being, but at the same time it felt home.

"Relax, I'll make everything all right."

As he looked into her eyes he saw his reflected image. Something wasn't right but what? There. His eyes. They were pitch black except for the red irises they held prisoner. He tried again lifting his head but it wouldn't move.

He couldn't move, couldn't speak, and couldn't look away. Panic began to slowly creep into his mind and helped to grow and cultivate the fear that had been building up inside of him.

"Just close you're eyes Eduardo and I'll."

"No! Eddie. Listen to me. Wake up. WAKE UP NOW!"

Forgetting his paralysis, he tried to turn and face the second voice's source but his neck refused to obey. All he could do was stare at the woman as she snarled at someone beyond his plane of vision.

"Last chance Eddie. Better wake up now man."

"What are you doing here?"

" Back off Beelze-bitch. Okay Ed, you asked for it man."

"AAAAAHHHH!"

*************************************** Darkness had settled on the room since he had turned off the lights a few hours before. A darkness that could barely be penetrated by normal human eye. It was that same darkness that held the horrors, that only children and a few select others, had eyes focused to see and ears tuned to hear its creatures that waited for the chance to seize their prey.

Eduardo sprung up off the floor. He was in his apartment. The alarm clock flashed 3:17am.

He had just experienced a rude awakening that seriously gave new meaning to the phrase 'thrown outta bed'.

The fore-mentioned bed was currently lying on its side, sheets, blankets, pillows and all against the opposite wall. It looked like it had been hurled across the room. Scratch that, it had been hurled across the room. He'd be lucky if Carlos didn't hear that. Waiting a few minutes, he found there to be no complaint yells from his elder sibling, nor was he's door being banged on. Thus being, he assumed that the hulking mass of his elder brother and landlord, still slept, near comatose, next to his wife Beth.

Eduardo let his head drop and ran a hand through his hair. He looked up and stared at the wall for a second. Walking up to the bed, Eduardo bent over and picked up his blanket and pillow. As he lay on the makeshift bed on the floor he stared at the ceiling and spoke to the otherwise empty apartment "I don't know what scares me more, the fact that she's on her way or that she's not here yet."

A car alarm went off a few blocks away, it's siren call belying the security of their neighborhood. A fairly safe place where the majority of the New York police force had chosen to set up their homes. His brother included. Tomorrow he'd continue his life as normal, but he wondered how long it could go on for. He knew that something was coming. Of that there was no question; it had merely become a matter of when it would arrive and more to the point, when the shit would hit the fan. They were running out of time. He could feel it.

As Eduardo just became aware the burning pain in his left shoulder and he debated whether or not to go back to sleep, his mind began to dull by the lullaby of the Siren's wail of the activated car alarm.

**************************************************************************** ***************

Author's notes: Although I prefer to write in the fiction genre I still like to write as realistically as possible. To do this I use information based on research of the mythology I am using as well as information from well-known movies and books that have become widely accepted as truth. For example, every reference to a monster, angel or demon, comes from my own personal research and interests in them and they are taken out of stories, legends and mythologies. I will rarely make up a creature and if I do in is for the sake of the story because I was unable to find a creature with the requirements that I needed. This made up creature will however have been based on one or more similar creatures that I have researched.

I have decided therefore to have a 'Creature Feature' for anyone who is interested in any and all references to creatures I have used. It will contain a short summery of what it is, which mythology it originates from and the book I took the information from and if possible the story for which they are most famous.

Chapter Text

A day as dark as a moonless night. Filled by icy winds and indifferent clouds casting unfeeling tears down to soak the life out of an already ailing human race. A frigid grip squeezing any warmth and hope and feeling from the bodies of those brave enough to challenge it. A day in which lightning streaks colored pitch cloud like an electric surge of raging emotions.

That would've been the morning's mood if the weather had made any considerate attempt to mimic the feelings resting limp his chest.

'But no...' Eduardo thought. The sun continued to shine, sizzling and scorching the mere mortals depending on its life-giving rays. The comforting light breeze continued to blow through the open space that was the sidewalk. In its indifference, it continued to mix in with the noxious fumes and smells of just another of the famous New York City streets.

And he continued to place his feet, one in front of the other.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kylie's head lifted as she heard the firehouse door creak open. She watched as Eduardo shuffled through the green door frame. She stood up from behind Janine's desk and walked to meet him at the stairs. He didn't acknowledge her and just kept walking.

Eduardo put his foot on the first step his wandering mind jerked back to reality as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He knew without having to look that it was Kylie. The increasingly burning pain he felt in his left shoulder commanded his immediate attention and he quickly turned around to face her, in doing so, ripping his recent injury out of her reach. It felt like one of the muscles in his shoulder had torn the night before when he landed on it. It should heal in an hour or so, but until then was a constant irritation.

"Eduardo, you were supposed to be here half an hour ago." Kylie was already irritated. With having to wake up so early for her shift, Slimer deciding that her favorite cereal was his new favorite too, life in general and being force to wait thirty minutes before her verbal punching bag arrived.

"'Morning Chica. Sorry, my alarm clock's out of order." 'Permanently' he added silently.

Kylie was about to comment on his tardiness when her hand brushed the mail and she stopped her already boiling temper to give him the letter before she made herself forget out of spite after the argument.

"This came for you."

She handed him a plain white envelope, with his name and the firehouse's address on the back in messy blue pen ink. He flipped it over and opened the envelope and pulled out a small white card. Blank, except for a short message in an angular handwriting on the back in the same blue ink as the envelope.

Kylie stretched to read over his shoulder but due to his height had to settle for peering around his arm to see what message the note conveyed. Looking over his shoulder, so to speak – Eddie was over a head taller than her- Kylie quickly read the words:

'Friends never say goodbye.

Friday 21, 5pm. Long Island bus depot.

Watch your back.'

"Watch you back?"

"Personal joke."

"Really. Who's it from?"

"No one you know. Listen, you know where Egon is, I got to ask him about getting Friday afternoon off."

"He's doing some research in-"

"Thanks."

Eduardo turned and walked towards the stairs without, to Kylie's extreme ire, giving her a second thought. In truth Eduardo was merely trying to escape and talk to Egon as quickly as he could. A blind man could see the mood Kylie was in and his only hope was to escape before he managed to inadvertently setting her off. Even worse he had the feeling that she her curiosity was being provoked by the letter. He should have known better, he wasn't thinking and made his answer to brief. He should have drawn out the lie and bored her into disinterest.

Kylie watched as Eduardo continued to stare down at the card in thought as he walked and her ire faded as she it was replaced by minimal concern for her teammate recent attitude adjustment. He was always quiet these days and it didn't suit him. If she didn't know better she'd say he was thinking.

Her eyes glanced down to see the envelope that he'd thrown on the table and wondered about it. Why would anyone send a message that brief, especially family. And what was the joke about.

The ire quickly returned however when she realized her sparring partner was retreating with out her daily stress relief exercise of screaming at each other as those around them were willing to tolerate. She spoke but hinged her words with a patronizing sarcasm that she hoped would be enough to set him off and hopefully she could get some answers about what was going on with him.

"You ok?"

Her ears barley picked up the near inaudible sigh escaping past the white bars that were his teeth and with curiosity over the note in mind she began the interrogation.

Eduardo was annoyed. His day just kept getting better and better. Next Carlos would call and say his grandfather was dropping by for a visit.

He turned and caught a glimpse of Kylie's expression. He was never going to get away from this conversation without a fight. Deciding whether to just jump right into the argument or slowly wade his way into the mess his mouth beat him to the punch.

"Fine." Guard rails up.

"You sure? You've been weird lately." Target locked. Arming missiles.

"You're weird always. We never ask why." BOMBS AWAY!

"What's that supposed to mean!" Target acquired.

With the sudden heightened pitch in Kylie's tone Eduardo had to accept the fact that for all her intellect, Kylie was incredibly easy to manipulate when the need arose.

"Hey, take it how you want to Chica."

And thus, once again the battle between these two often combatants occurred again in their already long-standing war.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Janine froze as her key was within hopping distance of an ant from the firehouse door's keyhole. She shook her head as Kylie and Eduardo's voices added to the normal tainting of noise pollution filtered through the silence to her ears. They were at it again.

By their volume she guessed they'd been fighting for a while, probably with no one attempting to silence their childish spat. That could only mean that Egon was still asleep or in his lab. She checked her watch. She shook her head ruefully. In his lab.

Straightening her shoulders Janine turned her key and walked quickly to her desk unnoticed by it's neighboring combatants until she spoke up in her usual slightly nasal tone.

"Isn't it a little early for one of your fights children."

Embarrassed both combatants back down and silently came to the understanding that the fight was over, for now at least.

Kylie turned and went over to see if she could help Janine with anything. She turned her head slightly to glimpse Eduardo reach the stairs and brooded over their argument. Something had been missing. It hadn't had that touch of irate humor that normally accompanied his speech.

She glanced again to see why he hadn't started up the stairs to see he was already at the top of the staircase; she just hadn't heard his footsteps.

Kylie frowned at the now empty stairs. She realized that she'd completely forgotten about the message and her questions concerning it. She hadn't just said it for the sake of it being said. Eduardo was definitely acting strange lately. He was jumpy on jobs, always late, always distracted. He wasn't catching his usual naps on his shifts. Not that that was unusual in the last two weeks. Not since-

Well he'd been jumpy enough lately. She only hopped his visitor wouldn't make his condition any worse then it already was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eduardo approached the lab door, hesitated and softly rapped his knuckles against the wooden surface. Honesty would soon be gone. The lies would have to begin. And knowing how bad things could get, they'd probably never end.

Obeying the slight muffled command he entered the room to meet the sight of one Doctor Egon Spengler crouched over a microscope twisting dials to bring the chosen object into focus.

Egon looked up to see his Hispanic student shuffling his feet at the door.

"Yes Eduardo?"

Eduardo took a breath and looking up began to voice his request.

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Have you ever really looked at leather seats? I mean really leaning-down-nose-touching kind of looked? And not those so smooth your go sliding across the surface kind of leather, I mean that rough soft leather that fools paid unnecessary fortunes for to impress people they don't even know.

A long, black, red-tipped, barley rounded nail softly dragged along the pitch leather interior. It was nothing when compared to the comfort allowed when those of the Darkness held power over the weak, fearful, close-minded mortals.

She could remember a time when she was cushioned by the fresh, smooth, soft hides of newborn Nubian girls as she was carted around to her whim. While the limousine was a great improvement in the speed and quality of travel the seat covers still left her reminiscent and wistful for her glorious past.

Sparse trees and truck stops dodged past them at equal speeds as the other cars near by fought for dominance in speed and aggression as multitude of other vehicles. Out side the tinted windows she could see the scenery race by. Regardless of the comfort of her vehicle she was still forced to share a traveled route with the worthless, weak, mortal vermin. Her upper lip raised with a snarl and she quickly turned away from the window.

No matter, this time tomorrow she and her convoy would have arrived in New York and once she'd seen to her assigned task there she'd rectify the solution through the dozens of hospitals and orphanages the city was sure to posses.

She reopened the text before her. It had taken the an entire council of mages hours to rebuild what they could after the guardian's interruption. The stupid bitch had ripped away most of the information she had gained though the subconscious link. The boy's mental walls had been surprisingly strong but she had been close to breaking through. Close to unleashing the mayhem that Time and Space had seen fit to lock away.

The only remnants that could be retrieved were few and close too useless with out some great blessing of fortune or a great mistake from the other sides. She looked at the page. A girl he lusted after, similar to her own appearance if not her height, named Kylie, soft brown eyes and brown hair, a small, golden hoop earring and a name. Edward.

She glanced at the slim watch on her wrist. She bought it for the presence of the exquisite, tiny blue diamonds decorating its face but she'd had long ago forgotten their existence. Things were moving together and soon she would be glorified. Gloried for being the one to cause the end to the war. A champion among the bloodthirsty.

Almost there

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Faith had decided. The Powers had obviously created the bus in order to occupy the weird and annoying masses while punishing those who still had a less than mundane purpose in their existence.

'I'm going to slaughter that Hispanic menace.'

She sighed, looking out the window. It wasn't as of she didn't enjoy watching the twin terrors try to alleviate their own boredom by aiming little peanut missiles into the old man's ear two rows up. And it was so much fun making sure that every few minutes her perverted neighbor across the aisle's bag hit him upside the head on its umpteenth fall from the overhead luggage space.

Don't get her wrong, she enjoyed these small amusements. It was just that she'd give her left nut, if she'd had a left nut, to engage in a more preferred form of travel without alerting unwanted presences.

The glare of the midday sun hit her with full force and she dug around in the small brown backpack beside her for her sunglasses. The non-comfortable comfort of the scratchy chairs was ignored as she gathered her energy to give a psychic head bashing to the bastard across the aisle that kept checking out her cleavage.

Later, in retrospect, when Faith thought back to her almost fatal carelessness, she'd realize that she owed her thanks and her still-in-one-piece-hide to the a fore-mentioned sex-crazed neighbor...not that he'd ever get it.

If however, she hadn't been expanding her energy at that precise moment in order to knock the approximately twenty kilogram bag on his head- accidentally of course- she would never have sensed the fast approach of an illusionary shield. Without that warning she would not have had time to retract her own energy field into that of an ordinary human's.

Annoyance and boredom were quickly forgotten as she watched through a slightly oily glass as a stretch black limousine sped past in an attempt to overtake the greyhound bus. Its tinted windows kept her from viewing its occupants.

She ducked further in her seat as she noticed that watcher imp posing as a hood ornament and although she could sense the accompanying harpies soaring along overhead, she couldn't examine them without adjusting her eyes to their specific plane. An act that had to be avoided to maintain her current anonymity.

She couldn't make out the passenger of the limo and the license plate would probably be useless in finding out. The circling harpies however told her which side she was dealing with. The other would have used salaries or angels.

The limo pulled further ahead and as she continued to watch it chase down the horizon. A few moments after the magical field was out of her perception range she'd already put into motion the security precautions in case the limo had a tailing guard.

There was no way in all the hells the bus was going to beat the limo to New York. She came to the conclusion that it was time to organize another faster, if slightly more noticeable, mode of transportation.

The rest stop was coming up.