Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Winged Warrior ❯ Free ( Chapter 4 )

The guards were up and panicking when two needles hit points on their necks, they both passed out falling forward. The wrists of the woman appeared to have just flicked the needles over. “Fun eh? Come on before more of them come.” She waved them towards the wall. “Now come on. I rather not waste anymore needles and didn’t intend on killing anyone today” The woman turned and started back out the hole.

“Why should we trust you?” Alex said escaping River’s arms and standing in front of him protectively. Who was this new person? She walks in and expects them to trust her after blowing a wall up and knocked out two guards with the minimum of movement.

The strange new woman looked at Alex blinking then her eyes slide to the hole in the wall before returning to the blonde teen. “Cause I just blew up the wall to get you out?” She said dully pointing back at her handy work with her jaw to one side, one eyebrow raised with a rather innocent expression.

“Wouldn’t that give us less reason to trust you?” Sam chipped in now standing behind River and visibly shaking. River just stared at the woman as if he was trying to figure out who she was or if he could find something on her. Alex stepped back and looked up at him questionably.

“You know her?” She whispered softly, no reply.

“Hey, teenagers, there about fifteen guards on their way here and unless you want a blood bath, I suggest you get your ass moving” She said walking towards them, relaxed and unintimidating. “Hm, what a shock, I figured you’d be more torn up Musha.” Then she laughed. Alex slide forward and attempted to flip the woman and pin her for commented as such on the injured River, she figured the relax appearance and lack of awareness would give her the edge. Before Alex knew it, she was on her knees, both arms locked behind her with an army knife gently pressed against the skin of her neck so it wouldn’t cut. “Nice try, but I’m always on guard.” With that, the woman released her and straightened her hat.

“Oh yeah, that screamed please trust me.” Sam commented sarcastically.

“Okay, I’m also the one with the knife here?” The woman looked to Sam as though she’d never seen someone so stupid. Then the large metal doors opened revealing two more large guards. They spotted the woman and their eyes behind the tinted glasses widen and they both fumbled for their radios. “Damn it.” The first guard fell dead with a throwing knife in the back of his head. “Hey you!” she pointed at the other guy, a gunshot run out in the cell. The other man fell to the ground with a bullet in his stomach. The woman lifted her smoking handgun, “Eh, lovely.”

The three teenagers only stared with wide dark eyes and jaws ajar. Sam’s face drained of color and she turned from the other two and promptly threw up over the ruble. “Oh my god, all the blood.” She mumbled horrified before throwing up again. River didn’t move from his spot but Alex took her steps towards the hole in the wall trying to grab and drag River his arm. He wouldn’t budge though, staring at the woman.

“Who are you?” He said grabbed a hold of the gun wielding woman, his wide amber eyes filled with fear and curiosity. He knew her but he couldn’t figure out who she was, his mind wouldn’t grasp it.

“Uh, let’s go first.” She said as she heard the heavy and long footsteps of Blaze approaching them. She rushed River out first and Alex followed him without another question. “Sam.” The woman addressed the last of the group still trying to gain her composure. “Sam, come on” Sam wouldn’t budge from her spot slightly rocking. “Ah, I don’t have this kinda patience” She ran over and picked Sam up in a fireman’s carry.

The morning light seemed like heaven compared to the dark cell when the three ran from the cell. River was limping but wouldn’t let it slow him down. “So who are you?” River called over to the woman running with Sam on her back.

“I’m RJ Hatake, believe it or not, you’re suppose to know who I am” She grabbed a badge from her pocket and show it to him as they approached a black van that looked much like an ambulance without a medical seal or any form of writing. RJ ran around front and dumped Sam in the front seat. RJ ran back around and opened both doors, there were no seats, the entire back was just a mattress with a couple of places to secure down laying passengers and against the wall sitting passengers. “Sorry for the lack of seats, but this is normally the medical van, cause like I said…. I thought Musha’d be more torn”

“OVER THERE!” A yell came from back up the hill.

“No time get in.” RJ said running around front. River jumped in without hesitation and watched Alex who just shook her head. RJ looked back at her then in the rear view at guards lead by Blaze coming down the hill. “The mattress is brand new, just put it in this morning, I promise.” She said trying to get Alex to get in the van.

“How do I trust you?” Alex said looking at RJ still not getting in.

“Hey, it’s really me or them” RJ said pointing back towards the approaching guards.

“Her badge had my family crest on it Alex.” River said, “She’s with our clan.”

“Man, I totally forgot about that.” RJ looked at her badge. Alex just shook her head. “Look, I wouldn’t feel bad about leaving you, but your mom would absolutely kill me. Now get your ass in this goddamn van before I get out and throw you in.” The woman growled, but it wasn’t a normal growl at the end. It resembled that of a dog protecting someone or trying to get its owner to let go of in tug of war.

“My m-mother?” Alex said in a bit of a stutter. River grabbed a hold of Alex’s hand when he saw a group of guards only a bit off. “Wha?”

“I love you too much to let you mess this up.” River hopped out, picked Alex up then hopped back in. “DRIVE!” River yelled to RJ.

“Duuuuh- okay.” RJ said rather sarcastically. Her foot slammed on the gas and the medical van tore away from the jail cell. The guards began to shoot at the van as they approached; RJ only smirked as they quickly disappeared in the rear view. “Well Kids, that was rather entertaining don’t you think?”

“I just wanna go home.” Sam said with large darkened eyes, clinging to the seat as if it was the main source of life in the van. RJ blinked slightly looking over, and just nodded with a smirk and a laugh.

“48 hours then kid,” RJ said as her eyes returned to the ground in front of them. “We haven’t even reached road yet so probably longer.” RJ laughed, Sam’s face only twisted into a horrified expression.

“48 hours?” River yelled from the back after Alex had pushed away from him and sat against the wall of the van. “How!” He demanded, RJ only looked in the rearview at him for a few seconds. “How did they get us that far in such a short time!”

“A plane, genius.” Her reply was simply dull and flat as to insult his intelligence even more. “Don’t sweat it. Just get some sleep or something; we won’t be stopping for a few hours or so.”

“A few hours?” River said rather annoyed.

“Once we’re clear of them.” The second reply was more pleasing to him. He just nodded and stretched his body out on the mattress. He was hurting again but he wasn’t going to let it show, his eyes looked over at Alex. He was still sort of mad at her. He only rolled onto his side with his back to her. She moved up near him. Sitting beside him quietly, just staring towards the back of the van.

“Does your back hurt?” She asked quietly, so not to disturb RJ and Sam as well. She looked at him only briefly. He just nodded slightly, though he’d just woken up not but a few hours ago, he was tired. His body had been beaten and burned in some places and he’d been in a physical fight and an argument, he just felt worn out. “Um, RJ.” Alex looked forward “Do you have a first aid kit or” RJ had pointed above the two of them before Alex finished. River watched her curiously; Alex withdrew from the compartment above a pillow and a kit. She returned to him and lifted his head, setting it down on the pillow. She opened the kit and began to go through it. River watched with the utmost interest.

“What are you doing?” He asked with child like inquiring as he tried to look around her arm to see what exactly the girl’s purpose in the little box was. His jaw slanted to one side as he continued to try to figure out what Alex had in mind. She turned towards him and moved the button shirt. Peroxide in one hand and a cotton ball in the other, she began to treat the injuries with little reluctance from him. He twitched a bit as the sting kicked in. He gritted through it barely. The cuts were extensive and after the third or fourth, Sam was watching with interest, recording again, silently. RJ probably would have been watching if she didn’t have to drive. “Ow.” He finally grimaced as the last bit of peroxide hit the side of a burn.

“Sorry.” She whispered reaching for the aloe. The entire process was silent. River watched Alex’s face as she applied the aloe, silent and focused. She avoided eye contact with him but he knew, she had to know he was watching her, and not her hands or arms or anywhere else. Probably why her focus wouldn’t shift elsewhere, it just remained on his injured chest.

Finally his hand caught hers, without looking, he watched her eyes grow slightly larger and her shoulders rise nervously. “You don’t have to do this” He said, he hadn’t let go of her hand yet. “I can handle it.” Alex removed her hand from his own directly afterwards.

“Well I want to…” she replied shortly before returning to his chest, drawing gaze and medical tape from the small box. “I just thought I’d be useful for once.” Her voice rang with false self guilt. River’s brow line tightened as he looked at her confused. Sam only smiled in front though, this situation was pure gold. “There.” Alex patted his shoulder once she’d finished bandaging him. She began to button his shirt when again he took a hold of her hand.

“Just let me take the thing off, it’s hot in here.” River said removing the shirt and tossing it to the side. “Hey RJ, do you have AC in this thing?”

“Yes Prince pain in the ass, we do, would you like it on? I know your favorite temperature too.” The woman at the wheel flipped a switch and on it went. River smiled victoriously for some reason for just that. Then he again turned his attention to Alex, then away again, then to her again. She still wouldn’t look at him.

“Oh and Alex.”

“Yeah?” She actually turned her head towards him. He slipped his hand under her chin and gently leaned her head forward kissing her.

“That is how you throw someone off guard.” He said with a triumphant smirk as the blood seemed to rush to Alex’s face in mere moments. She withdrew her head from his hand carefully. She brought her body back slightly, then brought her knees up to her chest and sat against the side of the van. She again didn’t look at him. River just looked once more at her then looked towards the windshield, pine trees lined the horizon. The morning skyline still had pink attached to it.

“All I ever wanted to do this weekend was eat my cereal.” Sam grumbled, putting away her camera and looking to RJ. “So how did you get into this whole super natural thing? You seem normal.” Sam pondered to her. River, too, wondered about the woman at the wheel in the baseball cap. His glance went to her in pure curiosity. A smile went across the woman’s rose colored lips. A free hand reached up and took a hold of the rim of her cap.

“You really want to know?” She almost seemed to be laughing in her words without actually letting out a cackle.

“Uh, yeah, I just asked didn’t I?” Sam crossed her arms.

RJ slipped off the hat rather carelessly. A top the woman’s head were two silver dog ears. The car just went silent. Sam’s face drained again of color. “Well Hell.” River said almost instantly. “Normality is overrated in this car apparently.”

“You bet Bird Brain.” The dog woman laughed, “Oh and by the way, I’m 735 years old kid.” Sam’s eyes got a little larger. “I know, I look pretty damn good for over seven hundred huh?”

Then finally Sam smiled and looked back at River. “Well, River, seeing as I’ve gone completely insane….” Sam stopped midsentence then thought a bit then looked at RJ again. “Wait, you’re the Mutt, you have those two friends, the wolf and I can’t remember the other one.”

“Honestly, neither can I.” RJ smiled letting go of the wheel for a mere moment.

“Oh she’s just mad at her.” Another woman’s voice came. Then Alex screamed and jumped on River.

“Whoa wait what just happened?” River asked. RJ, Sam, and the new woman whom had magically appeared grimaced holding their ears.

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” yelled a very frightened Sam. She removed her hands from her ears. RJ grabbed a hold of the wheel before hitting tree. “ANSWER ME WHAT WAS THAT!”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” RJ grabbed a hold of Sam’s shirt and lifted her in the seat pinning her back against it. “I’m trying to think damn it to hell.” Sam’s eyes were big and watery as the clawed hand just let go. “Alex, do NOT scream in my presence again.”

“Sorry mutt, guess I scared her.” The woman made her way to the front from the back. She was a fairly normal sized girl, the same size as Sam. Her eyes and ears were different from anyone else that they’d ever seen, aside from the Mutt. She had green slit iris with no pupil and her ears came to a point. Her skin was tan and her brown hair came into a ponytail in the back, a wolf fur like head bang around her head but she was in a t-shirt and jeans. Sam just looked back and looked the woman over slightly. She was another one. She had a wolf tail. “I see that you have the idiots.”

“Hey!” The three of them yelled in unison.

“Shut it! My head is still ringing...” RJ said watching the road. “Just because I believe it’s important for you to know Ms. Oceana. You have supersonic vocal something I don’t remember what it’s called really.” Suddenly the van jerked to the side, sending River, Alex and the woman to the same side of the car.

“RJ, watch it would ya!”

“Shima.” A glare was shot back briefly. Then the road smoothed, “hey pavement.”

“Oh thank god pavement.” Sam’s meek comment simply made RJ laugh. “Why are you so cruel? Do you enjoy seeing me suffer? I’m just a teenage human girl you sick twisted…. Thing!”

“Calm down.” RJ choked on her laughs. “You’re all worked up about nothing; I laugh at a lot of things, not just you and your pain.” She snickered and looked off a bit making the car swerve slightly. Even the slightest movement made everyone grab for some sort of solid object to hold them steady now.

“Oh god RJ” Shima said making her way back to the front. “You promised Gwen and Rex that you’d bring them back in one piece!”

“I didn’t say it would be an alive piece.” The driver replied.

“What?” River’s voice went up two pitches.

“Oh don’t get your feathers in a knot bird brain. It’s not like I’m going to pop a wheelie in this thing…. Can I pop a wheelie in this? Ohhh I should try”

“NO!” the passengers spoke in unison. Shima sat down in the middle of the drivers and the passenger’s seat.

“Mutty-Mutt, you’re going to get yourself in trouble.” The wolf shook her head. “Gwen will skin you alive if you even harm on little hair on any of them.” The word weren’t hinted in a joke or even sarcasm. In fact, the serious tone made it almost frightening to think of this Gwen woman.

“Oi, she really will if she can catch me!” RJ joked with a laugh. “I wouldn’t do that to Gwen though.” The interest of the other three in the car seemed to peak here. “You know them Oceana women though, scary as all of hells acres when they’re mad.” RJ looked back at Alex. “Opps…. Oh well, I stand by it still.”

“Gwen, Gwen is my mother then.” Alex said with big eyes. Her voice begged for more information about this Gwen. “Isn’t that correct?” Alex didn’t seem to care at all that she was still sitting on River or that RJ just insulted her.

“Ha, god did have a get out of hell free card for me today.” RJ nodded, “Yes, Miss. Gwendolyn Oceana is your mother, Alex.” The driver nonchalantly shifted with a bit of an apathetic expression on her face. She knew a series of questions were coming. She knew them all naturally, but she still kept up her face.

“What does she look like?” Alex piped gripping to River’s arm anxiously. She wanted to know everything she could before they’d have to face them. She wanted to know the raw details. Even if she didn’t know the story of her life yet, she still wanted to at least know about her parents and siblings if she had any. It had been the prime opportunity now with Shima’s introduction of the subject.

“5’8, blonde hair, green eyes, typically athletically built, right now she’s pregnant.” RJ trailed with no interest in the subject. Alex let out a sharp squeak stream of words that were both inaudible and painful for everyone but River in the car. “Alex seriously!”

“Wait, why isn’t it hurting me?” River asked confused as he looked at Alex on his lap still. “Does it have something to do with me kissing her or something?” He wondered curiously. He got laughed at by RJ.

“No moron, powers don’t work like that.” RJ looked back briefly. “You were born with the immunity. Lucky bastard.” She mumbled at the end.

“Born with immunity to a supersonic power? That’s weird.”

“Says the boy with bird wings” Sam replied looking at the two of them. “Why am I the normal one?”

“I don’t actually know that whole story of how you all meet so you’ll have to end up remember that eventually.” RJ nodded backwards, “there is a lot that you’ll all just have to remember.”

“Hey, Sam, why don’t you climb back here and I’ll sit up there with Mutt?” Shima offered. Sam nodded and she and the wolf like girl exchanged places.

The car seemed to quiet itself after that, no one said a word. The two in front assumed the teenagers must have fallen asleep they never spoke to them in the first few quiet hours after that short but important talk.

“Do you think we’re far enough away?” the woman, Shima, broke the silence finally looking over to her friend. The dog woman gave a short nod and peered momentarily back at the children. River was the only one to return the glance. He analyzed the face now; her presence was so large and rather mysterious that what she looked like completely slip his mind. The woman had a curved jaw line that came into a point and almost like it had been sanded down she had a dull pointed chin. The face of the dog woman had a natural beauty as he could tell there was no make-up gracing her face. Her face would have given a soft vibe if she would only smile but instead she looked rather rough. His eyes stopped for a second before she turned, he noticed her irises, they were like his, almost yellow amber, but in a ring around them was a dark red giving them depth beyond comparison of anyone else he’d ever seen. He noticed something though, she looked tired, really tired. Had she been sent to look for them long ago only to find multiple dead ends? He wondered about her. She seemed mysterious and yet like an open book. He supposed most people were like that though.

River looked to Alex who had yet to remove her body from his lap. He wondered if she had forgotten she was even there. “hey” He whispered leaning forward and kissing her cheek. Her entire face turned red and she abruptly turned away but didn’t move. “Aw come on I know you like me already” he murmured. He put a hand on her back and almost instantly she was tense. Then the van stopped and turned almost as if at a corner, and then it stopped again. River looked towards the front.

“We’re at a QT, ya gotta go, do it now cause god only knows when I’ll stop again.” RJ said looked back at them and straightening her cap again. She got out of the large van and stood out by a gas pump.

“QT?” River blinked and then jumped out after grabbing his shirt. He put it on as he walked around the car. It was a gas station with a red sign that in big white letters said ‘QuikTrip’. He had no idea where they were anymore. Alex and Sam jumped out behind him. RJ stood against the van pumping gas into it.

“Are ya going or what?” She said impatiently her hat tilted down. Her legs were pushing her back against the van and her arms were crossed, her face was half shadowed almost as if she wanted to just go to sleep standing there. “If you want something to eat here” Within a moment she’d put a one hundred dollar bill in River’s hand, “No it isn’t counterfeit, I earned it.” Then she returned to her perch against the van.

“Holy crap.” River said looking at it. Sam and Alex both looked over his shoulder at it. “Seriously?” The tired amber eyes looked at him and pointed towards the building.

“You have ten minutes.” She said with a bit of an aggravated tone. The three just nodded and went in quietly, they stuck together closely in this new environment. The man at the counter scowled at them from behind a newspaper but other than that paid no attention to them. The ten minutes were painfully slow before RJ entered and ushered them out paying with a credit card. She didn’t ask for her hundred back either.

The entire day seemed painfully slow, the stops were rare and the driver seemed more cranky with each one. The day could not last forever though, and night marked the last stop of the day.

“Mutt.” Shima looked over to her friend who seemed to be drooping. “You need to stop for the sake of your health and ours.”

“Nonsense!” she replied in a slur. “We’re making good time.”

“Well we won’t be if we’re flipped over in a ditch.” Shima returned with a dull expression.

“You wanna drive then wise ass?” RJ glared as she put her head against the wheel at a stop light. She let out a sigh. “Look for a motel.” She grumbled accepting defeat this time. “and we’ll stop.”

“Good.” Shima said then she pressed her forehead against the passenger window’s glass.

“Everyone still alive back there?” RJ asked as she looked back while the light was still red. Sam and River still sat awake both seemed to be thinking. Alex, on the other hand, had fallen asleep against River’s arm. “I guess you are” RJ said when Shima slapped her arm to tell her the light was green. The van pulled forward and again rolled. Finally a red neon sign appear in the sky line.

“There” Shima said pointing at it.

“Nah, it’s a mirage or something” RJ said sarcastically.

“You need sleep.”

“Naaaaaaah” RJ said as she pulled in and jumped out. She walked into the office and looked at the man behind the counter.

The other three still awake sat and watched, they couldn’t hear the two but they were exchanging words very rapidly. There was a cash exchange then a key. “Oh good, she didn’t flip at the guy” Shima said with a sigh.

RJ walked back to the van and opened up the back. Sam crawled out first and stretched upward, “Land” She mumbled groggily then went to wait for the other two. River didn’t even both waking Alex up. He slid his arm down and around her then picked her up supporting her against his chest so her position wouldn’t change much. He climbed out of the car and nodded to RJ before turning the corner and getting caught in a flash of Sam’s camera.

“I’m sorry I had to.” Sam said looking up at him as he tried to regain himself. “Aw, ya look so cute carrying her like that…. Sorta makes me want to gag.” Sam blinked then suddenly RJ had her in a headlock.

“Stole my line kid.” She joked then let go of her. “You coming wolf?”

“nah, I’m just going to go home.” Shima said as she got out. “See you mutt.”

“See ya.” RJ said then suddenly, Shima was gone.

“How did she do that?”

“Teleport?”

“Couldn’ t she just do that with all of us?” River asked looking at RJ.

“Nope” RJ replied, “If we didn’t have the van maybe.”

“You’re kidding me right?” River asked as he and Sam followed RJ away from the vehicle. RJ just shrugged as if she didn’t know, but River was certain that she did.

“Look either way, it’s safer to take the van, yes even with me driving.” RJ returned before River could even ask. “I can teleport too, trust me.”

“Then why doesn’t she take us and you take the van?” Sam asked

“What part of safer escape your little head?” RJ asked as she opened the door to the hotel room.

It was a shabby place with wood paneling on the wall and an overall wanna-be cabin feel. The beds were square and probably hard, covered in some strange blanket with a strange pattern that didn’t really match the room. It smelled decent for the most part and the light was already on. There was a small bathroom at the back with the bare necessaries. There was a chair of the same strange pattern against the wall by the door.

“You guys divide the beds as you wish I’m taking the chair. If ya get all love dovey if you decide to divide like that, I’ll be able to hear you” RJ said before walking forward and before their very eyes turning into a husky, then jumped up onto the chair and almost instantly fell asleep

“I’m taking this bed because if I got any further I’m going to faint.” Sam squeaked before plopping down on the first bed and lying back staring at the ceiling with dark eyes.

“Um, all right” River just blinked feeling out of place. He blew on Alex’s ear trying to get her awake.

“Wha?” She almost punched him straight in the jaw.

“Hey” He growled as he set Alex on her feet. “We’re in a hotel room right now, though I’d tell you do you didn’t freak out in the morning and beat me up worse.” He then walked over to the other bed and plopped down. “Heh, not nearly as bad as I thought.” He patted the bed beside him, “come on, unless you want to bunk with Sam, who sort looks like she may have a panic attack if you do.” River said kicking off his shoes then reaching into his pocket hoping his contact case was still in it. He felt it there and smiled, well maybe his luck had changed a bit, he set the case down on the side table and opened one side up. He reached for his eye to get the contact only to have Alex pull his hand down and pin it to the bed. “Uhh..” He spoke rather confused at her behavior.

“I’m convinced I’m dreaming now.” She smirked, “might as well make it worthwhile.” River’s jaw slacked to one side in confusion. She had him pinned, arms against the bed, sitting on his abdomen with her knees at his sides.

“I’m confused.” He said rather innocently tilting his head to one side. Before more could be said Alex turned the light off. “Pleas e don’t molest me” He joked looking at her, even though his eyes had yet to adjust to the dark the light from the window caught in her blond hair and blue eyes.

“I didn’t plan to.” She whispered releasing one of his arms. She looked over to Sam. There was no red light from a camera and it appeared that her back was to them. “Perfect” She said lowly then looked back at River with a smile. She moved some hair from his face then holding on to his cheeks kissed him deeply.

River raised on arm in the air in victory. “I like your dreams” He whispered into her lips once she had pulled away. “They’re absolutely amazing.”

“Shit this is real isn’t it?” Alex laughed

“Sure is”

“Crap… oh well” She kissed him again. “Didn’t know you could kiss like that Musha.”

“I didn’t know you wanted it.” He laughed and took his free arm rolling her off of him. “But hey, whenever you want it” he laughed then flirtatiously kissed her cheek going down to her neck before coming back and kissing her back deeply.

“MUSHA! OCEANA! I can hear you two sucking face over here! KNOCK IT OFF!” came the voice of RJ in the dark

“Sorry, drill sergeant.” River replied after pushing away from Alex really quickly, shaking his head then looking back with a smile. He mouthed ‘I’ll get you later’. She seemed to just laugh and smile, the two separated on the bed and got situated Alex faced the wall and River faced her back. After the covers had been pulled over them, River pulled Alex to himself, gently kissing her cheek. “I got a secret” He whispered once he saw that she was again falling asleep. He rubbed his cheek against her collar bone afterwards.

“Hm?” She said dozily. The moment he knew she was about to go to sleep he finally whispered.

“I love you.”