Chapter 20
Salvation wiped the blood from his face and sighed. He had been killing everything that a person could think of in waves. He wasn't sure even what day it was. Looking down at the pile of dead demons and other creatures at his feet the Ghuardian took a deep breath. He needed to figure out what he could do to stop all this. His Enforcers were no help giving him bullshit stories about thing vanishing. His phone had been blowing up with death and people going missing. One of the odd text he got told him Brock was back. All he could think was zombie. He decided to go see for himself. He ghosted himself to where Kara was. Standing in the hallway of The Pit he knocked on the door loudly. A few shifters stuck their heads out in the hall to see what was going on. Once they saw Sal they quickly went back to minding their own business. "Kara it's Salvation!" He yelled through the door. In case she decided to just blast whoever though the door.
Still recovering from the dream she'd had, she rubbed her hands on her arms, hoping to chase away the goosebumps that wouldn't leave her alone. Her head turned at the knock, but her feet didn't get moving until she heard the voice filter through the door. She got up and pulled on a sweater as she crossed the rooms and opened the door, stepping back and motioning for him to come inside. "Hey," she said, closing the door behind him and turning to lean against it. "If you're here to put me in a cell again, it's not going to be pretty," she grinned, hoping that wasn't the reason for his visit.
He shook his head no realizing he still had blood on him. He ghosted himself clean. "No I'm not here to put you back in the cell. I'm here to ask you if Brock was really back?" Salvation asked looking at his sister. Though they didn't really know each other well. They shared a father and that was about all. He knew his sister had been through the ringer and the hits where still coming. He'd been eye deep in blood and gore for weeks himself and he felt like he'd been shoveling shit against the tide.
She shivered and nodded. "Yes he is. He's a little out of sorts, but he's back." She smiled and went to the cupboard to pull down a couple of mugs. "Coffee? I just made it." She smiled over her shoulder, trying to convince herself that things were getting better, but the way she was being called to collect the dead, with no place to send them, that didn't seem likely. "Or something else?"
"Coffee would be great. I haven't slept in I don't know how long. I can use a good jolt of caffeine." Salvation said thinking about what she said. "Well that's good he'd back. I'm sure it'll take a few days to shake the cobwebs loose." Salvation didn't say a word about how he had the bears body on the mountain in his home. "I noticed things here are a little off. No one will tell me what really happened. I mean I haven't had a lot of time to grill anyone. I've been eye deep in demons and other nasty things."
"Way the fuck off," she agreed pouring the coffee and pushing the sugar and cream closer to him after she set it down. All I know is Loki released Fenrir. Dad is over reacting and has locked up Asgard. No one in. No one out. Jared got sucked into a hole to somewhere by one of the Four Horsemen. Still working on how to find him," she took a deep breath and leaned her elbows on the counter. "Oh and Brock is kicking the snot out of AP and his brothers like it's his job, so yeah, I'm with you about things not being right." She rubbed her temples and looked up at him. "I don't even know where to start in dealing with it all."
Sal fixed his coffee and took a sip of it listening to her. He let it all sink in. "Well all we need now is a partridge in a pear tree. Christ in a mini skirt." Things were way off base. "Well everything being hell on earth makes sense now if Fenrir is running free. The panther got sucked into a hole?" His head was starting to hurt. "How in the hell did one of the four horsemen get free?" The moment he asked the question he shook his head. "Never mind that isn't the point. Why would he want Jared?"
"Not really clear on all of that. Doubt it's the Panther's skill at making awesome omelettes, though." She sighed and sipped her coffee. "Something about War, though. I know I've seen him before, but no matter how hard I try to remember, I can't figure out from where." Kara shook her head. "I'm willing to collaborate. We need to start shutting this shit down, and now the bear isn't afraid to use his magic, he have another heavy hitter on the team." She hoped. She still wasn't sure where brock's head was at, let alone his allegiances.
Salvation took a drink of his coffee and made a note of Brock's unBrock like behavior. "That's a plus or we can hope it is. Maybe its time to circle the wagons. I don't have much to go on myself. Other than dead bodies every where." Holding the mug in his hands he looked into the coffee. "If the world ends before I have time to get the things I want to do done. I'm going to be pissed." He said out loud not meaning to really. He looked up at his sister a moment. She probably thought he was bat shit.
Kara grinned. "I'm right there with you. I got shit I wanna do and now that Asgard is locked up, I've got no where else to go." She sighed. "I should warn you, Damion and the Morgans are talking about calling a tribunal meeting to ask the Elders to bury the hatchet and work together. I'm not sure if that's good or bad." She shook her head. "Other than all of that, how are you doing? I know we haven't been close, but I'm here to help."
His brow arched at the tribunal comment. "Well that wouldn't be such a bad idea. If they can all play nice that would make things a lot easier. I may have to just get one together before they get a chance to try and make some song an dance out of it." He leaned himself against the counter in the kitchen area where they stood. Putting the coffee mug down on the counter he crossed his arm over his chest. "I'm not really sure how I am. I have a lot of things happening at once. And for a few moments I think I got to feel what it was like to be happy. It was short lived, but still I think it happened. Not that it matters being happy isn't in my job description. Hell it's probably better that I haven't been back to test my theory anymore than I already did." He paused and wondered if she could really help him. "Actually you could help me." He said knowing she had a full plate as it was.
Her lips quirked up as he talked about maybe being happy even if it was short lived. "Just a bit of sisterly advice. Make the time. The world will crumble if it's meant to. We live a long time. Take the happiness when and where you can find it. It's worth it." She stood and leaned her hip against the counter. "What do you need? I feel like I'm running in circles. A direction to go in would be a nice change of pace."
"Thank you for the advice. I might take it." He wondered what she'd think of him if he was honest. Oh well if she judged him he'd just add her to the list of others who did. "While you here can you keep an eye on Asher for me. Not that he needs to be babysat or anything, but if you see something that might put him in harms way can you make sure he makes it through it." Sal said trying to keep his face blank when he spoke, but the tone of his voice gave him away.
Like
She smiled and nodded. "Of course I can. I like the Doc," she sipped her coffee and grinned. "Nice choice, he's hot," she teased.
Salvation shook his head smiling. "Yes he is very nice looking, but there more to him than just a pretty face. Though god knows why he seems to like me. The only one around here that isn't scared of me, or doesn't try my patience." He said wondering why Asher had that effect on him.
"Why doesn't matter, if he does. Brock loving me, makes no damn sense either, but I wouldn't change it for the world. You should give it a shot and see where it goes." She smiled. "You deserve to have something that keeps you grounded and belongs to you and you alone."
He chuckled at that thought. "Something of my own. It's a lovely idea, but Asher is so busy I'm not sure he'd want to be cage." He said as his chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. The thought of Asher in a cage sitting on a perch popped into Salvation's head. Like one of those Tweety Bird cartoons. Swinging in the cage singing one of those songs that Tweety sings. "He'd killed me or try to." Salvation again still laughing so hard he was starting to tear up.
She laughed and shook her head. Seeing her brother smile was rare, to laugh was unheard of. "If he feels the same way about you, he might not feel caged, as you put it. I know with Brock, I feel like I'm finally free, if that makes any damned sense. He knows me and he loves me anyway." She shrugged. "The Doc, might like it. You should let him decide. You might be surprised."
"You're probably right, but I don't know when I would have the time to have a heart to heart with him. Everything that happening he's just as busy as we are. I'm glad you finally found someone that makes you happy." Salvation said still feeling bad about what he had done to her and Dane, but it couldn't be avoided.
"Make the time. Take him food. I mean, he has to eat, right? Ana and Phelon can cover for him for a few minutes and if they get bogged down, they can call me. I can slap on a field dressing or stitch up a gash if they need a hand." She laid her hand on his arm and shook her head when she saw the regret cross his face. "I know that what happened with the lion wasn't your fault, okay? And if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have found the bear, so as much as it sucked, it worked out." Not so much for Dane, but that was life, she guessed. Kara still hoped that the one that was meant for him would find him soon. "Don't lose your shot, not if you feel there is something there."
He put his hand over hers and smiled a bit. "I know it wasn't my fault, but the pain of it isn't any less. I guess no one can ever say that I don't do what needs to be done." What she said made sense taking him food and hoping he get a few minutes to talk to Asher couldn't hurt. "Thank you for your advice. I just wonder why I deserve that moment of happiness. After all the things I've done to make others suffer and bring pain." He had never really let anyone in an every time he did soon after he regretted it. Something always came for him an the one he cared for.
She shook her head. "If it's based on what is deserved then I'm screwed and I'm not going to lie, when Brock died, it was worse than death," she sighed and rolled her eyes as her eyes misted up a bit. "But I wouldn't have changed that I had him and that I have him back is a gift. Not one I deserve but I'm not giving him back." She sipped her coffee. "I think you're looking at it wrong. Sure some have suffered because you did your job, but how many others didn't because of what you did? There's a balance. Like with Dane. How many lives would the demon inside him have taken if you hadn't stopped him? More than just him and me, I'm willing to bet."
He nodded agreeing with her. "You're right about that. The part about the demon killing more innocent people. I guess I'm just afraid, but a moment of something is better than a lifetime of nothing. He let her hand go as she went to sip her coffee. "If anything else happen that is mind blowing please let me know. I think I'm going to take your advice and bring him something to eat. Even if he is busy at least it shows I'm making an effort right. That's something?!" He said hopeful.
"It's everything and I wish you luck," she grinned and stretched up to kiss his cheek. She nodded about keeping him in the loop. "Same here, or if you have a lead on War, because that is an ass that I need to kick."
He smiled. "I will see what I can dig up on him. I'll be in touch." He said. "Thank you for the coffee and the family bonding." He said laughing before heading for the door. Salvation knew having a real relationship with anyone was like finding a unicorn, but with the things he'd seen lately. Why couldn't unicorns be real too.
Kara laughed, "Anytime. My door's always open and I'm putting that bonding thing on my list of things to work on." Grinning she watched him go, hoping that thinks worked out for him. She liked seeing him smile and it was hard to miss the way his eyes lit up when he talked about the Doc.
He thanked her again before leaving her room. He decided to go pick up some food and see if he could find Asher. Even if he could only spare enough time to drop off the food to him. It would be some thing.