The End. [AoS: Saph/Megan/Complete]

"Please! P-please help m-me!"

It took a moment for Andrea to snap out of it, and work up the courage to look at the desperate woman. She had to be in a lot of pain, judging from the injury... Andrea didn't know what to say.

"I-... I don't know--" Before she could admit the severity of situation, or her incompetence when it came to handling injuries, sounds from outside captured her attention. Sudden screaming, running and shouting... it broke the silence that had hung over them a moment before, and Andrea found herself staring at where the entrance of the building had once been. It was now mostly obstructed by rubble, the same rubble she now recalled seeing a group of people disappear under. Light filtered in from around the edges, gaps wide enough for people to squeeze through. From the holes in the ceiling, and ruined doorway, she assumed that it was still daylight outside. She wasn't aware of how long she had been out, or what exactly had happened in that period of time.

The sound of running suddenly stopped, shadows danced through the filtered light on dusty air, and a moment later, the screaming stopped as well. Violent sounds rolled from outside... scraping, gasping, and a soft whack whack whack. Fear suddenly gripped the Greek. It oozed from her skin and infected the injured woman... her gasps and groans grew louder as she too was overtaken by fright.

"Please! Get m-me out of here!"

The sounds paused outside, and Andrea's eyes flew to the woman. She shushed at her, trying to calm her down as quietly as possible... but her efforts only dragged out more ragged cries. A whistle from outside captured her attention once more, and the young mutant slowly stood. From the gaps she could see shadows moving, footsteps were drawing nearer...

Suddenly, someone entered. A hand shot through, gripping the edge above as a leg popped in, and then the other. Fear overtook her, her lips quivered, her knees shook. She started backing away from the woman without realizing.

"W-where are you going!? D-don't leave me here, I-I'll die!"

Andrea's back bumped into a wall, she sank against it. As one man entered, another started climbing in behind him. They were far enough away that they could not see her through the darkness... but they could hear the woman's cries for help. "P-please! Help me!"

Crawling back further, she felt the wall give way behind her. A cubby opened up where the dry wall had crumbled. She was enveloped in shadows, nothing more than a dark blob amongst the rubble, as the two men approached. The woman saw them coming, and reached out toward them. Her weak pleas for help were ignored, as one dark figure raised his arm with a long slender object clasped in a fist... With her hands clasped tightly around her mouth, Andrea watched with wide, horrified eyes, as the woman was messily dispatched. The metallic clang of metal on tile bounced off the walls as one man dropped his weapon. Both commented on how it was a mercy killing, as they proceeded to yank her body from the hole and strip all of her jewelry from her person.


...Andrea didn't leave her spot for hours. Even after the men has left... even after the sunlight had gradually faded away. Muscles were well past cramping, but she didn't budge. The girl had just watched someone die... a slow, painful death.

"So... which are you?"

Sloth shifted around her shoulders, rousing the other snakes as well. They caught the preachers attention, and he too backed up a step. What had once been kind blue eyes narrowed, and he nodded his head without so much as waiting for a word from her.

"I see..."

"...what?" The boy tugged her hand, and when she glanced down at him, she saw fear in his eyes. She was instantly on edge, and when she pulled her eyes back to the preacher, she knew why... He had turned his back to her, and the others had stopped singing. The sheer number of eyes resting on her was unsettling. "We have in our midst, my fellows..." Orange eyes snapped to the back of the preachers head, and her frown widened.

"...A demon."

The word struck Andrea like a brick. "Sent here to no doubt test our faith!" A hushed silence fell over those gathered, and more than a few crossed themselves. It... it sadly wasn't new to Andrea. She had been accused of such things before... but, in this type of setting, it seemed far less silly and far more dangerous.

"...W-what? I am no demon... I--" A hand was raised to silence her. "We have been left behind, not as sinners... no... as tools." The muscles in the back of the preachers neck were tense, and when he turned back around, there was a gleam in his eye that she didn't much like. "Don't you see...? We are here to sway the wicked, to drag them kicking and screaming if need be, back into the light. Into God's eternal embrace!"

The chuckle that fell from him crackled. It was broken, much like the man. Andrea was now beginning to realize that. This wasn't a group of normal people. They were desperate... They were grasping at straws and lapping up every word that fell from the preachers tongue.

"This woman bears the snake! The serpent, the devil incarnate..." He quieted momentarily, muttering to himself, before turning back to the gathered people. "Sing! Let us show her the light of our faith... let us show her gods love."

This... was not good. She needed to leave, and take the boy with her. Another step back, and the man swung around. "Oh, no... you won't escape. I will show you salvation, until you are singing hymns and bear your wicked soul to the lord!"

She had but a moment to hop back out of his reach, and with the boys hand still in hers she ended up dragging him along. The Greek stooped to sweep the kid off his feet, before she turned and ran. The preacher followed after, but stopped just short of leaving his flock behind. "You cannot run from this, wicked one! You cannot run from this!"

Her heart beat in her ears, followed by the sounds of the mans haunting laughter as it bellowed after her. She didn't stop until the singing faded away, and silence lapsed over them. Then, with the boy standing silently by her side, she dropped to her knees and let herself catch her breath.

"...Are you weally a demon?" The uncertainty in his voice did nothing to make her feel better... but she attempted a smile for him anyway. She didn't know why exactly she had stolen him... but... considering the way that interaction had gone, he was better off far away from those people. "...No, I am not... I am Andrea. May I know your name as well?"

He seemed to weigh her words for a moment, before he answered. "...Chawlie." She forced her smile wider, and opened her arms to him. God knows she wanted a hug herself, she could only imagine what the boy was going through. "Well, Charlie... it is very nice to meet you..."

She knew where it was she needed to take him. If the boy had no parents he needed someone to look after him. The mansion was perfect for him. Her mind wandered to the other kids that resided there, some his age, and she couldn't help but be struck by a sudden overwhelming sense of worry. Was everyone okay? ...What if Saph was hurt? Or drew... or verdy...?

"...You look sad, Andwea..."

She blinked, not realizing that he had stepped into hug her. "...I am sad, Charlie... a lot of people are right now... but... everything will get better, I promise." The Greek wrapped her arms around the kid, resting her chin on his small shoulder, but couldn't manage to keep her smile on. Worry settled on her features, and dread settled in her gut. Something was wrong... and not just in the obvious sense.

...Something was terribly wrong...

It had been two weeks. Two weeks with Charlie at her side.... He had become her rock. The thing that grounded her to the world, and kept her going. The child filled an empty part of her... the part that had once occupied her friends, and Saphirus.

...She still had not given up hope, though.

Presently, she had more important things to think about than that. Like... food. Food was needed, as was water, and some other crucial supplies. She had taken to leaving Charlie locked in the apartment while she went out to look for things. Most of the time, she didn't have to go that far, anyway. The building she was in had a few mostly intact floors, and there was a shop across the street that at one point had been a bakery.

The majority of the problems she encountered centered around other people. Small and large groups, or simple stragglers running around. She had nearly need caught three times, and had taken to darting around in shadows in a rather paranoid fashion. At the current moment in time, she was hunkered down behind an abandoned car. She had already pulled as much out of it as she could manage.. from seat belts to use as needed, or from the meager first air supplies she had found buried in a trunk full of trash. Across the wide street from her, was a small group of people.

All of them were male. Varying in age as she could see, from a young teen to early fifties... maybe. She wondered if it was a family unit, one that had possibly managed to stay together. One father figure, and three younger sons? Whatever the case, they were busy carefully pulling out the last few glasses of a busted in store window. The four of them looked... haggard, she could say. Worn down, tired. She wondered if they had been through anything similar to what she had, or maybe even worse...

She felt guilt wash over her, at all of the things she had stashed in her backpack. At least a loaf and a half of bread, as well as a damn near perfectly packages salami. She knew that she and Charlie needed the food as badly as others might... but couldn't stop herself from wanting to share her findings with other needy people. Who was she to withhold help from others?

It would be inhuman...and in such a desperate world, she needed to cling to her humanity the most. Without it, she'd be nothing more than an animal.

Gulping, the Greek started to rise from her hiding spot. She was still nervous about approaching people after the last incident... but, she needed to have faith in her fellow humans. She had barely gotten out from around the car, when the crunching of gravel underfoot alerted one of the boys to her presence.

"Dad!"

So, she had been right about that, at least. "It's a mutant!"

She flinched, one hand resting on the hood of the car, and froze on the spot. The eldest male turned, one hand diving deep into the pocket of his dirty coat. A small handgun was withdrawn, and pointed her way.

"Don't you come a step closer..."

She didn't. She didn't move an inch. Fright bloomed in her chest, digging in icy claws, and Sloth whipped his head around faster than he ever had before. The other snakes followed suit, forked tongues flicking out to taste the danger on the air. The man evaluated her for a tense second. "What's in that backpack...?" He sounded desperate... his kids looked equally desperate.

"Dad, just shoot it. They are what caused this whole mess!"

"Be quiet, Billy!"

"Maybe she can help us...?" One of the older kids hauled the younger one behind his father. What she assumed was an angry lecture followed close behind.

"Just... Just toss over the backpack and I won't hurt you. I promise."

Andrea stared, fear running tingle up her spine.. but she slowly started to shake her head. She had been willing to share some of it. A little bit of it... but she could not hand over the whole thing and let Charlie starve.

"...I- I can give you my half... if you would like, just.. please, put down the weap--"

"The whole thing! All of it! Toss it over, or.. or I'll.." His thumb flicked up and pulled the hammer back with a swift, sharp click. Andrea jumped at the sound, but still shook her head.

"I cannot..."

"Dad! Just Shoot her! If you won't I will!" The one who looked to be the oldest son stepped forward, the same one who had demanded she be shot in the first place. His father shot him a look that she was sure would have normally put the boy in his place... but, desperate times called for desperate measures... right?

"Get. Back." Before her very eyes, a small fight for dominance broke out. The son lurched for the gun, the father tried to jerk it away. Andrea saw her chance to flee and took it. She darted back behind the cart, sprinting along the ruined sidewalk until it was sidewalk no more, then hooked a harsh left and scrambled up over a pile of collapsed wall. It didn't take father and son to agree that what was important was robbing her, and abandon the fight. She could heard them steadily catching up, and faulted halfway down the other side of the pile.

An ankle twisted, she stumbled, and rolled the rest of the way down.

At the bottom, it took her longer than she wanted to get back to her feet. With a new set of scrapes and bruises, she hauled herself away as quickly as she could. In a way, her fall had bought her some time. It took the two men more time to climb the rubble him and then get back down in once piece. And by the time they did, she was long gone...

Twenty minutes later, she arrived back home. The door was still locked, and when she tried to open it, she found that it was also still blockaded from the inside. Good boy, Charlie.. she mused to herself, rapping on the door four times, no less and no more. A moment later, she was greeted by the sounds of a bookcase being pushed across hardwood floor, and then the lock clicked.

"Andwea!" Charlies smiling, gap toothed face greeted her when the door opened. He all but hurled himself out into the hall, wrapping small arms around her waist. She ruffled his hair affectionately, stole a swift hug, and then ushered him back into the apartment.

"I was so wowwied!" The Greek grinned, allowing him to lead her in by the hand, before she turned and helped him set up the barricade again. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to be out so long."

"Did something happen?" She glanced at the boy. The innocent wide eyes locked on her, and smiled warmly. "No, nothing happened... but, I do have a surprise for you!"

The fear in his face was instantly replaced by wonder, and then joy. She evaded his attempts to latch onto her backpack, and coaxed him into the kitchen. Over the weeks she had managed to find and drag a small table back with her, as well as to makeshift chairs. She found that it did wonders for both her and Charlie in the sense that it made things seem more normal. They had a pretty nice set up now, blankets galore for huddling under at night, and a fridge (non-working of course) to put their scraps of food in. It was... home.

Plopping her backpack down on the table, she glanced over at the boy and grinned. "You must close your eyes, and turn around. I will tell you when you can look... okay?" The boy's eyes widened, but he nodded and spun around on a sock clad heel. Quickly, before the curiosity became to much for him to handle, she set everything up. A few moments later... everything was ready.

"Alright... go ahead and turn around!"

Charlie turned, and what greeted him wiped his face clean of expression. Their small junkie table was covered in a clean white table cloth. On top was two small dinner places of mismatching colors, and two small plastic cups. The brick of Salami sat in the middle of the table, as well as the mound of bread, and his plate had been piled with a hand full of wrapped taffy candy. She tried to stifle a giggle when the boys eyes widened like saucers, but couldn't hold one back when he squealed and rushed the table.

"Do you like it?" She question, scooping him up to set him in his seat. "OhmyGOSH Andwea! It's AMAZING! Where did you find aww of this stuff?" She grinned, and shook her head gently. "It is a secret.. are you ready for dinner?" He nodded, understanding, then nodded again. "Did you wash you hands?" His nose wrinkled for a moment, before he realized she was poking fun at him. The apartment hadn't had running water for a full week. What water they did have she had gotten from bottles, jugs, and pipes in the basement of the building.

He poked his tongue at her, still smiling, and clasped his hands before him on the table. She sat herself, and copied him. Though she had stopped praying before the disaster, she had taken it up again with him around. He prayed every night, sometimes in the morning, and always before dinner.

"Thank you fow the food we are about to eat, and fow Andwea... and pwotect all of the people left behind." She cracked an eye open to peek at him as he spoke, noting the look of concentration that adorned his face. Sadness was there also... it was almost always present.

"Please tell my momma and daddy that I love them, and that I miss them... but not to wowwy, because Andwea is taking weally good cawe of me...." While he continued on, rambling about other things, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts go to her own concerns.

Please... God, let my friends be okay..

Or... at least at peace. "Andwea?" She glanced up, saving any further thoughts for later once he was asleep. "...Can... can I eat it now?" She giggled. The little trouble maker already had a piece of taffy unwrapped and hovering before his mouth.

"You know the rule, Charlie! No candy until after dinner!" The disappointment that flashed across his face was soon replaced with a determined look. She lifted her pocket knife, sliced him a few pieces of salami to go with his bread and sat back to fix her own as he set about devouring each and every last bite.

She loved the little tyke... that much was certain. The flavor of her own food was lost to her, so enraptured was she in the boys show. He seemed utterly determined to finish his meal as fast as possible.

It was adorable...

"STOP!"

She gasped. Her lungs were starting to hurt... she didn't know how much longer she could keep on running. "STOP! PLEASE!"

The woman up ahead of her had gotten quite a good distance on her, and it seemed like every time she turned a corner the lady was farther away. Really, she wanted to ask the woman for help. She didn't want to have to chase the woman down like some kind of...of... animal... but she really had no choice. That woman had food. She had food, and god only knew if she had water too.

She couldn't afford to stop... She just couldn't. Charlie was waiting for her. He needed her. She needed him...

She had to bring food home for him, no matter what!

A renewed determination to out run the woman and force her to stop and listen over took her, and the Greek sped up her pace. Even though her thighs were burning, her feet were sore and bloody from haphazardly tromping through sharp broken concrete, and her lungs felt like they were on fire... she kept going. The woman needed to listen! She needed to stop, and help her! It was selfish of one person to hoard that much food to themselves, and damnit, if she didn't choose to share, Andrea was going to take away the option.

Anger bubbled to the surface under desperation. She could hear Charlie in her head, asking her why she wasn't eating with him anymore. Her lips flattened against her teeth, sweat dripped down her cheeks, soggy hair clung to her forehead. She could not lose this... This chance was life and death for herslef and a child. She could not lose this! The anger doubled. This woman wasn't even giving her a chance... it was clear that she was intent on keeping her greedy paws on the entire back, come hell or high water.

Well... Andrea would be bringing her hell soon enough. Squinting against the pain, she pushed herself with what was left of her energy. The heavier woman didn't have the same trump card, and as swiftly as she could, the Gorgon caught up with her. The twenty four year old slammed into the woman from behind. With a startled cry and a grunt, the both of them toppled over. The fall was cushioned for the Greek, since she landed on top of the struggling form of the lady, who in turn took the full force of two people slamming into pavement all on her own.

"Just... stop and...listen to.. ME!" Just because the woman was older however, did not maker her physically weaker. The bag full of goodies landed and flopped off to the side, while a pudgy fist was kindly planted into the side of the Gorgon's head. It hurt, but didn't stop her from climbing atop the woman in an attempt to hold her down. Another flail of fists, and Andrea felt one connect rather solidly with the bridge of her nose. Her eyes squeezed shut instinctively, and her glasses were swatted from her face. She struggled to end the rain of loosely thrown shots at her head, before something inside her snapped and she started tossing her own punches and slaps back. The two of them exchanged rather pitifully placed blows, before Andrea managed to capture one of the woman's wrists. It was then, while she felt like she had the upper hand, that she opened her eyes again and glares furiously down at the human woman.

...The last thing she saw before the lady conked out was a set of fiery orange eyes locked on hers, masked within a black curtain of hair, with a large angry white snake hissing directly in her face. It was something she was sure to never forget... but that was also not important at the moment.

The woman would be out for at least a few minutes...maybe even longer. Andrea couldn't pass up the chance to drag home all of the food in her bag to Charlie.

She panted, pushing the woman's arms away from her, and let herself flop off to the side. She was exhausted... the sprinting and then the wrestling match... it had taken all of the wind out of her. Without a word, she reached to re-claim her glasses, and then crawled on all fours toward her reward. The pain from the various injuries she had received all washed away when she got to the bag and pried it open. It was full of food. FULL! Enough to at least last them another month with proper rationing. She even found a few water bottles tucked away at the very bottom.

Happy tears pricked her eyes, and she sniffled, quietly securing the bag closed again. It... it was a blessing. A godsend... But, a glance over her shoulder brought the woman back into view. It was a gift alright, but it wasn't without its consequences... Andrea pushed herself to her feel, knees wobbling momentarily, and slung the bag over her shoulder. She now owned to backpacks... one significantly larger than the other, and filled to the brim with life sustaining food. The price to pay for this gift was the suffering of another.

The woman...

She would surely have a hard time finding food again, harder than Andrea had. But the need was too great. Charlie came first in her mind. Far above the rank of one old woman. She would suffer with the guilt of her actions later, after both her, and Charlies bellies were full.

The Greek started the long path home, for once not able to care that she was leaving a woman alone and unable to defend herself for an undetermined amount of time.

....Charlie came first.

A few months had passed... Luck had smiled upon them, as they had been stumbled upon by a rather large group of people. They had been mistrustful at first, because of her mutation, but after she had shared her story with them they had welcomed her into their merry band of survivors. Andrea had been worried, no... terrified at first. She expected any of them to turn on her at any moment, or demand something from her that she could not give. But... slowly, she saw them for what they really were. They were good people. They stuck up for one another, watched each others backs, and never asked something from someone that was more than they could handle. There were even other kids with the group. Family's either whole, or torn apart... but Charlie had kids his own age to play with for the first time in nearly a near.

Andrea settled in with them. She offered up what she could, and used no more than she absolutely needed. She was rewarded with kindness and friendship. Every night she went to bed next to Charlie with a full stomach, and was blessed with dreamless sleep.

But... not everything had been so perfect. There were people in the group, a small number of them, who didn't like the way things were run. They felt that only those who contributed should share the rations. That point of view left the sick, elderly, and young to starve. One individual, source of the discourse, had even voiced her thoughts on the groups handful of mutants. She was of the mind that they were monsters, freaks of nature who had caused the devastation in the first place. She wanted to cast off any with mutations, and any who associated themselves with such abominations.

Andrea had kept her head down and mostly ignored the woman's depraved ravings. There weren't enough people on her side to start worrying about an uprising anyway. But, when Charlie admitted to her one night that some of the other boys had been pulled aside by the woman and a few of her goons and that those same boys had refused to play with him after because of his “Mutant caretaker”, Andrea's fraying nerves finally snapped. She had never wished so much harm upon one person before in all her life. An anger filled her as she hugged Charlie to her, like a blossom of pure rage blooming inside her chest. The desire to hunt that woman down and end her hateful existence in the most painful, savage way possible sprang to life like an invisible parasite, and was attached to her for weeks.

Every time she spotted the woman, her blood boiled. She saw red like a mama bear on a rampage, and often had to remove herself from the area before she lost control of herself. No one messed with Charlie like that. No one messed with her Son.

A month after the incident and things had finally calmed down a little. The leader of the group, Joseph- an ex-solider who had years of experience leading large groups of people through dangerous situations, had threatened to exile the trouble makers from the party. That day, when everyone had gathered together in their small square under a highway bridge, Andrea had watched the whole proceeding. Edna, as she was called, had been beet red in the face with anger. The Greek hadn't been able to keep a sick, satisfied little smile from her lips while watching the woman being verbally put in her place.

...The peace didn't last, however. Not a week later, and a small uprising from Edna's warriors sprang to life. Three people were injured in the scuffle, until Joseph had been forced to fire a warning shot into the air. Edna and her lackeys were exiled right then and there, cast out of the group like the trash they were. A warning was issued as they departed that if they ever came back, he wouldn't be aiming for the sky when he unloaded the clip of his gun.

A tense calm settled over them in the following weeks. The group moved twice, once to make sure the cast offs wouldn't be able to find them again, and another time to relocate somewhere not quite so close to neighboring settlement. It was bad enough having to deal with the odd scavenger's who would wander in and beg for food, often resorting to violence when they were turned down. Andrea wasn't even aware that the usual pang of sympathy from her bleeding heart was absent in such cases. She had tuned the rest of the world out, and focused her attention and energy on the one person who needed her still. The one person who still got her to giggle and laugh, or shed a few tears when he fell asleep in her lap.

Charlie. He was her world now. Everything she did revolved around him. She didn't sleep, eat, or breathe unless it somehow benefited that child. Even now, as she was elbow deep in grime and dirty water, she was thinking of him. Of how the dishes and supplies she was busy cleaning would ensure that he had a full meal, and warm place to sleep. She found comfort in that. He needed her just as much as she needed him, and as long as he lived and breathed she would have a purpose. A reason to continue on, and hope for a better future.

Such a manner of living, though, had consequences of it's own. She had ceased to care about herself. She could skip a few meals here and there, giving the boy an extra big dinner as a present on random days. She worked her fingers to the bone, cleaning, repairing clothing, scouring with the rest of the search party for supplies. She had gained bulk, muscles that hadn't been touched in all her life were suddenly on their way to being toned. She was able to out run many of the others. She could lift just as much as most of the men, and she could swing an axe to chop wood like the best of them. She'd even taken to hunting, lurking in the dead of night for stray animals who ventured too close to the camp. Many of the group's members were a little put off by her. She had heard whispers behind her back about 'losing her mind' or 'fallen off the deep end'. She'd responded with a sharp tongue and such an anger in her words that the men and women had backed off at once. Gradually, as time crawled by she distanced herself from the others. She wasn't here to chat and gossip. She wasn't present to boast about who slept with who, or how so-n-so had gotten the rot between his toes for not taking his boots off at night. She had one purpose, one goal... and none of the others mattered in her eyes. They were more tools to be used, people to guard the walls and supply the food.

Soon, the whispered has turned into fearful glances. Some of the other mothers had even restricted their children from playing with her's. That set in motion an argument that had spiraled into a fist fight. Joseph had been forced to step in and pry Andrea off of one of the other women before permanent damage was done. It ended with her losing her rations for three days, but she had walked away with a satisfied fire in her belly, and the woman's blood decorating her fists.

She'd do anything for Charlie.

Her mutations had never been more of a gift, than right now. No one could withstand her gaze. Every single man and woman who laid locked eyes with her fell prey to her power. She abused it greedily, as she stalked toward the small group of raiders who had chosen to attack her home in the middle of the night. A few fell to gunfire as she moved ever closer, being unable to flee from danger. She ignored the bodies that fell, her gaze locked on those that were still standing.

It wasn’t until she was within arms reach of one man that she felt something snap within her, and with a snarl, she launched herself at the unconscious man. Both of them dropped to the ground while she wrapped her hands around his throat and squeezed as hard as she could. She knew, deep down, that she didn’t need to try and cut off his air with sheer strength alone. Just her touch would be enough... the venom sinking into his skin, turning everything once soft and squishy as hard and useless as rock. Within minutes she had ruined the main arteries in his neck, as well as destroyed his only means of sucking in air.

She didn’t bother sticking around to watch him expire, either... there were many more pests to take care of before her work was done. Leaving the man to die, she stood and hurried onward. Her eyes were sure to leave people comatose, she knew that much, but the length of time for each person varied greatly. She needed to act with haste, lest any managed to slip away from her before her revenge was completed.

Three more fell like the first, left to flail and claw at their throats before they ultimately died. She left another bunch to the gun fight, deciding to curve away and follow two that had decided to abandon the mission. One turned to look back at the wrong time as he fled, ending up with a face full of stone venom, courtesy of Vana. That man fell with a shriek, and Andrea was upon him in an instant. As the sound of gun fire died down behind her, she sat atop the struggling man, and wrapped her hands once again around the throat.

Each death brought her nothing. No happiness, no peace. She grew angrier and angrier, until she could feel her blood pumping throughout her body. Her eyes locked on the back of the last opponent, hurrying to escape a losing battle, and she snarled again.

No one was going to escape from this.

She was up on her feet in an instant, sprinting effortlessly after. The trail of bodies she left behind a distant memory as all of her hate, anger, and pain boiled to the surface. By the time she caught up, it no longer felt like she was in control of herself... and she didn’t care. Her target cried out in surprise as the Greek tackled her from behind, bare hands clenching as she locked onto a coat and forcefully flipped the woman around.

The face staring up at her, horror clearly written on her features, was one she knew well. Edna, the vile shrew of a woman who had been cast off from the group only three months prior, locked eyes with her and instantly went still as a statue.

The very sight of the woman sent Andrea right over the edge. Any grasp of control she had over herself vanished instantly. The cry that left her lips was feral and animalistic at best, and with fists clenched so tight that her nails dug into her palms, she proceeded to rear her arm back and plant it straight into the woman’s cheek. She didn’t stir, caught within Andrea’s spell, but before the Greek lifted her fist again... she paused. She could pummel Edna to death... she knew she had it in her, but that wasn’t enough in her mind. It was too quick... too merciful. No. She was going to have to make this vile creatures punishment much more painful.

Without waiting for Edna to wake up, she proceeded to drag the woman by her ankles into a more open area...

An hour later, she woke up. Groggily at first, and then panicked. Her hands and feet here bound. She was alone in the dark... and her face hurt like hell.

“Good... you are awake...”

A thick, lazy accent greeted her. An accent she recognized after a few hazy minutes of glancing around. She tried to scream, but quickly discovered that there was a wadded up rag stuffed in her mouth. The sounds of feet padding quietly toward her reached her ears, gaining her full attention. The vision that greeted her blurry sight was Andrea, who’s legs and front were stained with long since dried blood... and, there was something in her arms... What was it..?

“... Do you know what you have done..?” The Greek questioned quietly, finally stepped close enough that Edna could make out the form of a child in her hands. She recognized the boy as well... the one the mutant girl had doted on hand and foot as if he had been her own.

“You and your kind... you took away what was most important to me...” Carefully, she set Charlie’s body down next to the woman, an arms length away, before standing again and stepping around him.

“He was innocent... never did anything wrong, not a single thing...” The Greek stopped at the woman’s feet, her arms hanging casually at her side. Glasses had been slipped back onto the bridge of her nose, in order to make sure that Edna was awake for everything she had planned.

“"...I am going to leave you alive..." She muttered, stepping over the woman until she could comfortably straddle her stomach. “I am going to take away every piece of you that isn't vital... I will take away your eyes, your ears, your tongue...." She stared down at the woman, rocking slightly as she attempted to buck Andrea off of her. In the past it would have been an easy task for anyone bigger than her, but now, with all of the muscle she had packed on, she wouldn't be able to manage it in her current physical state.

"... and then, when I am done with you... when you are nothing more than a helpless, worthless stain on the world... I am going to leave you here, cast to the curb like the piece of S#!& you are. You are going to live everyday with the knowledge of what you have done... until wild animals come to eat you alive, or you slowly starve to death..."

Squatting, she plopped down harshly and leaned forward so she could look the terrified woman in the eyes. “You deserve so much more... so great are your sins... but I will make sure you feel everything. Every. Single. Thing. that I put you through... and if you pass out, I will wait for you to wake up again.”
Dry, cracked lips peeled back in a feral grin, exposing yellowed tusks... and she reached out to grasp the woman by the chin. The instant pain that seared through her from just a mere touch curled the Greek’s grin further, until it stretched nearly ear to ear.

“... are we ready to begin...?”

Pressing up and in, she forced the woman to open her mouth, fished out the cloth gag, then immediately shoved her fingers inside. Edna gagged, attempting to thrash her head from side to side, but Andrea held steady to her chin. The moment her fingers came in contact with the woman’s tongue, it started to shift. Seconds ticked by into minutes, and when she was done Enda was unable to shut her mouth anymore. From her guns to the roof of her mouth, everything had been changed into her own special brand of stone. Forever locked in a wide, agonized scream.

With a gleam in her eyes, the Greek took a greedy moment to admire her own work, before she moved on.

“...and now, those eyes...”



Hours later, her task was complete. She had reduced Edna, a once mouthy, opinionated hate spewing sack of human trash, into a sightless, voiceless, earless husk of a creature. She wasn’t able to scream, only gurgle pathetically. She wasn’t able to cry, seeing as her eyes had been turned to stone in their sockets, and she could no longer hear anything of the world around her. She had only one thing left to do... and that was to rid the vile being of her arms and legs.

Lifting the axe from her side, she hefted it above her head high, before swinging with all of her strength.

WHACK...


WHACK...


WHACK...


WHACK...


The wounds left behind earned gurgles like some mutated animal slowly dying. Dropping her weapon, she knelt to press her bare hands against the gushing wounds, effectively sealing them shut. Cauterization, without flame.

She’d reduced the object of her hate, her anger, to nothing. A pitiful excuse for a human, who wouldn’t survive for very long without someone to take care of her. Of course, there would be no such person. She would leave Edna to her fate, alone and vulnerable... Unable to defend nor care for herself.

She imagined animals sniffing what was left of her body out, tearing in mercilessly. She imagined Edna being trapped inside her own head, unable to utter a single word, see a single thing, or even hear the sounds of her own death.

... The Greek smiled bitterly.

Gathering up her weapon, she secured it through her belt, and knelt to pick up her son’s body. She needed to find a place to bury him properly... somewhere away from scavengers and prying eyes.

And then... then she didn’t know what she would do. The camp held nothing for her now. With an uncertain path ahead of her, and no plans for survival, she started away from the camp. Determined to put as much distance between herself and that place as she could before sunrise...

... and as she walked, she heard howling of wild dogs in the distance. Her smile only grew wider.

Dim eyes were able to make out shadowy images, but his extra sense, and guide were much more effective. "Maybe Clive was involved... We'd better not linger here too long, we don't want to lose his scent." He shook his head as she wandered off to take a look around... She was always too curious for her own good; he would have to train that out of here...

Sure, there were probably people to punish here, but they wouldn't make it to the next week with that @#^hole planting grenade traps outside of their front door every day. "Megan, we can't stay much longe-""... You're going to need to see this.."

"Hilarious. I'm laughing on the inside... What is i-" He stepped forward, pausing as he made out the shape of what she was hinting at, without even seeing it with his own eyes... "A victim? Clive? No... Too messy... I... I don't smell a lot of blood." He walked closer, ignoring her shock over the brutality of the murder... He'd seen Aura's work enough... This was bad, but it was impossible to match her sickness.

"... She didn't bleed out... She starved to death... There is something preventing blood loss... odd." A hesitant touch caused his heart to skip a beat. "... Stone..." He stayed there for a moment, his mind buzzing with chaotic thoughts... no... It was impossible... Someone was using her. Someone was forcing her to help them torture people...

"We need to find who did this, Megan... NOW. Did your spiders see anything? Did they?" He stood and turned toward her, advancing aggressively... For a moment, he was a different man... A man stricken by panic and worry for another. He was almost... human.