Chapter twenty-three:b



Miranda's eyes fluttered; the grip on her throat and wrist tightened.

Losing herself in those fathomless depths of inky darkness, she fought to remain conscious. 

Andréa's face remained devoid of expression, the obsidian eyes observing the half-breed's struggle for breath like those of a curious child ripping the wings from a bug.

"Death is inevitable, and yet you resist."

Miranda clawed with her left hand at the wrist beneath her chin. That unbreakable grip tightened slowly, choking off any sound while the bones of her right hand ground together and were slowly crushed. Her pained expression evoked no wince of sympathy, solicited no signs of remorse.

Not Andréa. Miranda chanted in her mind. She fought the tide threatening to drown her from the hypnotic poison of Dominion's gaze. She clung to the agony of reality to ground herself, to prevent sinking under: the reality of grit and debris beneath her legs. The reality of pain as the bones of her right hand shattered.

Dominion sat up, her face close enough the warmth of her breath caressed Miranda's lips, evoking memories of that face's rightful owner. The half-breed shuddered, awashed with the kindling of arousal as death drew closer. The stark expression changed before Miranda's swimming vision, becoming a twisted mockery of tenderness.

"If I kiss you now," Dominion whispered with promise, "will that make this easier?"

Trembling Miranda could only watch as those dead eyes lowered to her thin lips; the face drew nearer clouding her already murky vision.

"Tell me, half-breed, is the sorrow of parting, truly sweet." The soft spoken words dripped with effortless seduction. Miranda's vision swam with images of Andréa face contorted in passion. She pressed her lips against Miranda's, lightly brushing them across the half-breed's. "Or is it unbearable torture," their lips brushed again, "to look at me and know she's never coming back."

Miranda rose to her knees, bringing Dominion with her, and then slowly rose to her feet. She struck out with a flat palm to Dominion's chest, a blow that sent the entity flailing backwards and saw Miranda stagger in the opposite direction at the sudden release of oxygen to her lungs.


“I'm sorry, lover,” Dominion husked, a smirk playing about her lips as she pouted, “did I hurt you?”


And Miranda suppressed that hurt, with a sneer of her own stretching her neck, as though bored and shaking out her right hand as though it had merely cramped from writing.

“Not at all dear,” she intoned sweetly, “You'll have to do better than that.”

“Will feeding you, your heart..." Dominion swept across the tunnel. The distance between them shrank. "... be good enough.” Her fist landed solidly in Miranda's gut. The punch dropped the half-breed to one knee. Dominion snatched Miranda's head back by a fist of hair at the back of her head, forcing the half-breed to meet her gaze.

“Not entirely impressive." Miranda taunted, her voice strained. She stared into the smirking grin with defiance. "You should have taken notes.”

“For what?” Dominion jeered.

With surprising swiftness, the half-breed drew back her head and then slammed it forward smashing their foreheads together with enough force to make her own ears ring.

Dominion's head rocked back; she released Miranda's hair to stagger backwards, surprised anger warring with the surprise of pain in her features.

“Intimidation.” Miranda stood, head pounding, blood trickling from her forehead, the break in the skin just below her hairline. Still she rolled her eyes, her own lips quirking into a smirk, despite she was seeing double. “My Andréa has much better lines, and she is far more original.”

“Then it's a pity," Dominion straightened seeming to have shaken off the pain from the headbutt, "that you'll never get to hear them again.”

Miranda's lips thinned. Her ears were still ringing and she'd swapped being held captive in Dominion's grip for what she was certain had to be concussion.

“No witty comeback, half-breed." Dominion taunted, "Not entirely impressive.”

They stood sizing each other up.

“And you still get zero points for originality.” Miranda hissed, struggling once again to stay conscious.

The menacing energy swirling about Dominion was overpowering, and the seductive sway she'd held even minutely over Miranda had now soured. Andréa's soul had vacated the premises. It was a painful admittance of truth. But with that truth, for Miranda there was no longer a lure.

Yet there remained hope. There was always hope.

She eyed the dagger protruding from Dominion's chest. Dominion had made no attempts to move it. She hardly seemed to notice it was there. And the half-breed wondered if there might be some merit to her own desperate attempt to move it earlier. If she could just stall...

Dominion stalked toward the half-breed grinning at Miranda's unsteady stance. The half-breed staggered back, using her left hand leaned against a wall for support.

Dominion continued moving forward, raking her nails against the wall as Miranda backed away, keeping the entity in her blurred sights. She seemed in no hurry, content to take her time, slowly herding the sheep, lips pulled up in a smile in an otherwise inexpressive face.

Miranda was under no false assumption who'd have the upper hand if they truly engaged. She was still recovering from the two stab wounds in the right shoulder and from Jacqueline's sword. Her right hand was useless and even newly awakened Dominion's strength was superior.

She'd need the element of surprise. Blood trickled into her right eyes. Her legs buckled, but she locked her knees and pressed on. Opportunity, if it had a mind to knock, she hoped it would do so soon.

“Your Andréa's dead, half-breed." Dominion smiled. "Move past the denial and the anger and give up already.”

The half-breed tripped over something unseen in the path behind her. She quickly righted herself, shaking the cobwebs from her head.

“You should know by now," Miranda smiled, "never to underestimate Andréa Sachs.”

“Oh wait," the entity chuckled, "I know this song.” Dominion laughed. “Your girlfriend's coming back, and I'm gonna be in trouble.”

“She will not be pleased.”

“This.” Dominion tapped on the dagger, "Is my guarantee."

Miranda's confident smile slipped; the dagger began to shimmer.

"No," she whispered.

The weapon began to sink into the entities flesh.

“No!” Terror ripped through her. She stood frozen with shock.

“She is never. Coming. Back.”

The half-breed's mouth gaped with horror as the dagger disappeared from view.

“Now that," Dominion tapped her chest above her left breast, "was worth a little heartburn.”

“What?" Miranda's body shook with fury. "Have you done?” She felt reason deserting her.

“Your Andréa's not the only one with a few rabbits in the hat.”

“No!” Miranda rushed forward with blind fury only to be lifted from her feet as though the intent was to body-slam her to the ground. Instead, Dominion raised the half-breed over her head like a barbell and tossed her across the cavern into a column.

Miranda's back bowed around the column, her spine snapping in half. Her roar of pain echoing down the tunnel, an ungodly cry of agony. The column cracked. The half-breed fell face first to the ground unable to move as the crack traveled upward and down to the columns base.

The ceiling shuddered above her and then collapsed burying Miranda beneath a ton of debris.

Dominion grinned.

“Go into the light.”

Andy stared in horror as the Celestial dropped to her knees and let out a scream of agony.

"What's happening?" Andy lunged forward and supported the Celestial before she fell over.

"I think I'm dying."

"What?" Andy cried "No! No! You have to Go!"

"I won't leave you here." The Celestial hissed, struggling to stand but her legs failed her. "He's looking for you! Sooner or later...."

"Goddamn it," Andy jerked the Celestial's head up "if you don't go it will no longer matter to me."

"Don't... I can't. Leave you..." the Celestial bit out... "You don't understand. I lo..."

"Miranda," Andy cut her off. "I'm sending you home," she whispered and then fused their lips together, breathing essence and strength into the body of the fallen. "The dagger," Andy murmured as Miranda faded away.

"I can't do this again." Anguish burning at her closed eyes with the sting of tears. "Don't you die on me. Don't you die me again."

She turned away, headed slowly down the track, until she stumbled, her chest burning with a strange ache, foreign and unwanted.

Dominion frowned, lifting a finger to her cheek and finding moisture there, she gathered it on the tip of her digit and sucked it into her mouth.

Tears?

Miranda made a weak attempt to push at the tons of rock and rubble atop of her broken body.

But her arms would not move.

Her legs, she could no longer feel. Her eyes growing dim, she struggled against the pull of death.

Her breath caught as something slammed through concrete and metal. A hand wrapped around her wrist and she groaned weakly as it yanked her broken body up unceremoniously through the rubble, tossing debris in every direction.

White light invaded her vision hiding the blurry features from her eyes.

"We are not done yet." The voice sounded eerily like her own.

“Who are you?” Miranda croaked dangling limply above the ground.

“I'm you, you imbecile.” The grip on her released. Miranda fell to her knees but before she could pitch over the new presence knelt beside her, held her in strong arms. “Andréa misses you.”

It was like a marriage of flesh and fire, water and bone as the half-breed surrendered to the merge.

A surge of energy and power crashed over her as the wholeness which had eluded her returned ten-fold. Miranda swayed, caught herself bracing her hands against the floor, until the flash of blinding light playing behind her eyelids faded.

She stood under her own power. Large chunks of stone and debris scattered as she thrust and kicked them from her path.

Her eyes burned bright red as she stared at the unmoving form Dominion just twenty yards away.

"Andréa," Miranda breathed.

Dominion tensed. Not bothering to look back, she resumed walking.

“Counting me down and out so soon?” Miranda called after the entity, her voice cool and emotionless. “I'm feeling a little insulted.”

Andy sagged against the counter.

"Please don't hurt her." she whispered.

"You're looking quite lovely my dear."

After a moment paralyzing fear, Andy turned slowly, fighting down the bile crawling up her throat.

"Lochases." Andy blinked staring at him with disbelief. "How did you find me?"

"Once I knew about the dagger. I simply sniffed out your soul." Smiling he walked through the open front door. "I only needed to wait for a window of opportunity." He kicked the door closed behind him.

Andy pressed her back against the kitchen counter. The edge digging into her through her clothes. Lochases lunged.

Andy ducked, shoved her shoulders into his gut, spun around, snatched open the door and ran.

"You can't escaped from me, Andy!" He chased after her into the hall. "Don't you know, I'll always find you."

"This is my world, Loki." Andy spun around and glared at him with all the purity of her hatred. "So good luck with that!"

"Without dominion, you're no more than a weak human." He sneered. "You're useless..."

"Not really." Andy raised her head, stared at the ceiling above his head. He followed, her gaze, mouth falling open with shock as the building began to crumble around him. Andy ducked out the front building exit and onto the deserted streets as the building collapsed.

She tore down the facsimile of the street her real apartment was on, startled as street corners, front stoops and store fronts came alive with people who carried on walking, talking and laughing all the while watching her with guarded expressions.

It might not have been such an odd thing, but the clothes were anachronisms to the era. Toga's, long robes, sheiks, ancient garments and men with shepherd hooks; there were women baring antique water jugs on their heads or tucked under their arms...

It was like a scene from every old testament film Andy could recall watching in her youth.

Andy cringed inwardly, running harder, blurring the features of the strangers who were suddenly not exactly strangers, a small ache of guilt gathering in her chest.

She knew. She knew exactly who they were, every face, every name, every single soul she'd devoured.

An old man with a kindly face grabbed her by the arm.

And before Andy could wrench free, he brought a finger to her lips, thrust her to the ground and she was suddenly covered by bodies. Andy's scream were muted. She struggled to escape the weight until the she felt the explosion rock the ground and heard the weighted sound of heavy debris pummeling the street around her.

And then it was over... the bodies covering her gone.

Strong confident hands lifted her to her feet. Andy stared at the faces regarding her with mild expressions of concern, warmth, forgiveness.

"I'm sorry," her eyes teared. "I'm so sorry."

The old man nodded, pressed his hand to her lips again and whispered...

"All warfare is based on deception¹." Andy frowned staring into the old one's kind and wise eyes. "Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him²."

Andy nodded, recognizing the quotes as the old man backed away from her slowly.

He gestured with a nod over her shoulder and then he and the other souls which had protected Andy from the damage of the debris returned to their posts, watching. Waiting.

Andy turned slowly, dread and anticipation warring for dominance.

Lochases, an ugly sneer on his broken face, limped down the center of the street. His body straightened slowly as he drew closer, his bones re-knitting, flesh healing

"You can't kill me!" His voice reached out to her, taunting. "I own the marker for your life force." He laughed. "Sweet Andy."

Andy froze.

"I can't die by your hands. Come back with me now and I'll be merciful." He smiled sweetly. "I have the twins, Andy."

No.

Her heart slammed against her breast bone.

"I have your boyfriend." His smirked. "Still alive for now."

"You're lying." She hissed. "You can't remain on earth for long. And if he's in hell then he can't possibly be alive."

"Not my hell... no." He grinned teasingly. "You can save him. You can save the twins. Who knows what they're enduring even as we speak?"

"I don't believe you."

"Your friends are dead, Andy. The Lily of the Valley. Darling Douglass. Dead. Because of you. We can end it now. Make it stop. No one else has to die. No else has to scream."

Lily. Doug. Andy whimpered; her eyes teared. I'm so sorry.

"It was brutal but quick." His eyes hardened. "It won't be for him, quick that is. For your chef. He'll suffer. And he'll suffer and then he'll die. You love him." He studied her speculatively. "You can save him. And the twins." He grinned and licked his lips. "They taste... so... sweet."

"Stop it!" Andy's bellow echoed down the street. "You spineless, godforsaken bastard, I'll. make. you. Pay!"

Lightening struck in a vicious stream of Andy's rage. Lochases screamed in pain, his body arching under the assault.

He dropped to the ground. The lightening faded and Lochases breathed, heavily laboriously and then chuckled. His laughter burning her. He staggered to his feet, swayed until his equilibrium return and the charred flesh sloughed away until he was whole and uninjured.

Hatred burned through every inch of Andy's being, untainted.

"They cried like babies. Caroline and Cassidy, screaming for their mother. She didn't come for them." He tilted his head, his lips pursed into a smile of delight. "Do you think they'll hate you for that?" He stalked toward her. "So much guilt. So much pain." He stood before her, now.

Stroked a finger down her cheek. Andy drew in sharp breath, her body responding with goose pimples rising on her flesh, heat crawling through her veins as her insides withered, revolted and aroused by his touch.

"I can make it all go away, Sweet Andy. Their lives for your soul." He leaned in and Andy groaned as his nails dug into the flesh of her neck drawing blood. His erection pressing into her belly. "I can make it so good for you, you know I can." Sticky wetness dribbled down the side of her neck, his nails dug in more deeply and Andy groaned, arching into him.

"I don't trust you." She blinked drowsily, "Where are they?" His hands slid up her hips, cupping the weight of her left breast and squeezing.

Lochases chuckled. "And though I walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil³..." He squeezed again and Andy whimpered arching again into the touch, his claws piercing into the shirt and bras, infiltrating flesh. Her eyes rolled back in her head. "I can take it all away." He sing-songed. "The shame. The guilt. The pain. Conscience divorced of soul. You will feel nothing."

Her eyes snapped open pale, brown staring into ocean green eyes of the angelic face of the great deceiver.

"Then what..." Her voice low and husky. She gripped the wrist of the hand mauling her breast. "Would be the point of this?"

Her grip tightened and he stared at her hand on his wrist watching as the flesh beneath her grip began to smolder.

"If I feel nothing. No pain. No pleasure. You would not enjoy tormenting me a fraction as much as you do now." His arm trembled. His face twisted into a grimace as the burn traveled up his charring arm. "And you are not," Andy sneered, "in the habit of denying yourself your petty enjoyment."

"You forget your place, slag." He hissed and snatched his wrist from her grip. He held the injured flesh to his chest wriggling it until it healed. "Your soul, Sweet, sweet Andy." He glowered at her. "And I'll let them go."

"I don't think so!" Andy spat at him and shoved him away. "You won't let them go no matter what I promise you."

She glanced around, her eyes settling on a wrought iron rod from the bars on an apartment window. It snapped free and hurled through the air like a missile and pierced his chest.

Lochases staggered backwards several steps, gulping air and grimacing with pain as he snatched the rod from his chest.

"Don't you see?" he eyed her with triumph. "No matter what little tricks you have up your sleeve here... you. cannot. kill me."

"No?" Andy sneered bitterly. "Maybe not." Her face lit up with a knowing smile. "But I can hurt you!" She looked up at sky, her eyes shimmering until they became pale as lightening. "And I can slow you down." 

The world broke open above and below.

"My soul." She whispered. "My world."

And all manner of beast spewed from ripped fabric of the sky and crawled from the belly of her earth ...

"Andy!" Lochases bellowed.

She back away watching as the beasts crept towards him.

"Andy!" He bellowed again, encircled on all sides and from above. "I'm going to find you, insolent slag. And I'm going to split you wide open!" He opened his mouth again but all that came from it were screams.

Andy's lips curled with satisfaction and then she fled.

"You've got to hurry, Miranda." She whispered. "I need you. I need you to be okay."

 

She waited quietly as Dominion turned.

Miranda stared into the stricken expression, her heart flaring with hope before she suppressed the surge.

“You're as bad as she is, Miranda.” Dominion whispered coldly. “Neither of you knows how to stay dead.”

“You don't look so well.” Miranda frowned, concern warring with caution as she took a step toward the entity.

“I neither need nor solicit your concern.”

“Maybe … not," Miranda continued her approach, "but why the tears?”

“Tears,” Dominion spat the word as though she were spewing poison from her mouth. “She weeps for you. Weak, bitter tears, remorseful and forgiving.”

“And if I forgive you,” Miranda whispered. “Would you think me weak?”

“I'd think you soon dead.” Miranda grabbed Dominion by her waist; Dominion grabbed the half-breed by the throat. “You cannot win, half-breed.”

“And neither," Miranda spoke solemnly and with conviction in spite of the crushing pain at her throat, "can I lose.”

“And why not?” Dominion sneered. But her grip had slackened in her puzzlement of Miranda's retort.

“Because,” Miranda leaned in and breathed against her ear, “You don't want me to lose.”

She thrust her hand into Dominion's chest, both screaming as her hands wrapped around the flaming hilt of the Dagger of Woa.

“Stop.” Dominion choked, her expression a rictus of agony.

“Never.” Miranda growled. “I want my Andréa back!”

She snatched the dagger through flesh and bone.

The blast of power knocked both half-breed and Dominion in opposite directions.

Miranda landed screaming and writhing as the dagger scorched the skin of her palm and began to burrow its way through flesh of her hand and wrist and arm, like a worm.

Dizziness assaulted her, her mind screaming Andréa's name as the woman's face swam before her.

She shuddered, her convulsing body, arching, back bowing and then finally plopping boneless to the ground. Dust settling all around. Her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling until the pain in her right hand transformed to a muted throb of dull arching tingles that traveled through her body.

The pain was bearable, like the dull throb of a nagging head ache. She'd deal with the repercussions later.

Miranda jerked up, running across the tunnel and leapt through the hole in the concrete wall created by Andréa's body.

She dropped beside the unmoving body reached for it to turn her over and then grimaced at the loud buzz of whispers gaining volume in her head; her right hand trembled as the noise grew in volume until she could barely stand it. She dug the heels of her palms into the sides of her temple.

“Stop!” she yelled.

Miranda clutched her hands to her ears, panting as the noise receded and dulled. Her vision cleared.

“Andréa.”

She turned the unmoving body over and almost jerked away, stifling a scream at the scorched hole in Andréa's chest where her heart should have been.

“No. Oh no. What did I do?” She yanked the body up and held it to her tightly, rocking her like a child. “What I did I do?" the half-breed choked out. "Please. Please what did I do?”

Miranda closed her eyes and then opened them again; her mouth falling open in a soundless scream. Pain shot from her right hand and palm up through her abdomen and chest; her heart stopped with a suddenness that robbed her of voice... stole her breath and paralyzed her.

Andréa's lips parted.

A long solemn sigh filled the abandoned tunnels of the subway. Andréa's body arched in Miranda's embrace with that long breath and then relaxed in Miranda's arm. 

The breath expelled from Miranda's lungs past her lips in a painful explosion and a cry of agony. She swayed and caught herself before she could drop Andréa's body. The half-breed stared in shock at the wound in her lover's chest.

The hole began re-knitting itself as though lightening quick fingers were at steady work refastening the flesh back together.

Soft brown eyes fluttered opened.

Miranda stiffened, inhaling sharply through her nose.

If this wasn't … if Andréa wasn't... she would not survive such pain again.

"And..." Miranda swallowed and then attempted to speak again this time with success. "Andréa?"

A dazzling but exhausted smile was the immediate reply.

"Beautiful, Smurfette," Doe brown eyes soft and warm rested upon her. Miranda's heart soared. "I've missed you." And then Andréa's eyes closed again.

Miranda frowned as the woman's breathing evened out; Andréa's body relaxed.

With a disbelieving glare she realized that Andréa had fallen into a deep sleep cycle again.

"Oh for the love of..." Irritated and wary, Miranda snarled at her beloved, "I truly wish you would stop doing that."

She let out deep breath and pulled the woman close until Andréa's head rested upon her thighs. She studied the lax features, heart tight and still worried about so many things. She traced a gentle touch of fingers over the soft lips. Miranda's eyes burned, moisture blurred her vision.

"I've missed you too."

1. "All warfare is based on deception."

2. "Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him."     

    Sun Tzu on the Art of War

3. "And though I walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil..."    

    From the 23 Psalm

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