What goes bump in the night

Maribelle reached out a shaking hand, and gently pinched one of Neimi's ears between her fingers. She ran the fur and skin slowly beneath her fingers, finally letting out a small giggle before quickly pulling her hand away and clinging back to Samuel.


Muerte shook his head and followed the commander outside the building. There were several members of the french police there, speaking so quickly he couldn't understand what they might be saying. Shepard seemed to have no trouble as he calmly spoke back in rather forced, but understandable, french. Whatever news crews were there had been quarantined WELL back.
 
Samuel chuckled at Maribelle's reaction, but as they walked out of the building he saw Helios and remembered Shepard's command. Based on what he'd been told of Helios' power, a part of him didn't want to take her to him. However, if he could make her forget the horrible experience she'd just gone through, Samuel knew it was what she deserved. He walked up to Helios, a sad smile on his face. "Maribelle, this is Mister Helios. Sir Helios, this is Maribelle. Charming, isn't she?" He looked between the two as he did the introductions, still smiling sadly.
 
Helios gave a smile to the two of them, and looked down at Maribelle, or one could assume he looked as it was impossible to see his eyes right now.


"It's all right little one, I'm here to help you."


Maribelle was clinging on to Samuel still, burying her head in his shoulder at the new man and the sudden noise of everything outside
 
Samuel gave her a reassuring hug. He was empathetic to her; he felt like they were kindred spirits, suddenly thrust into a terrifying world of monsters the likes they had never imagined.


"It's alright now, Maribelle. Helios is right, he's here to help." He looked to the man in question. "How exactly DO you intend to help?" He was partially asking for Maribelle's sake, but also largely for his own curiosity. For some reason he didn't want the poor child to forget him.
 
"It's all right . . ."


Helios reached out a hand and gently took Maribelle's in his own, easing her off of Samuel


"You've been through a lot this evening, I'll help you with what you've seen. Just . . . look into my eyes . . ."


Maribelle shakily looked up at Helios, and let out a short gasp as the thick shades he was wearing were pulled off. His eyes were not that of a normal human's, but instead were solid green orbs that seemed to pull one in. She stopped moving, seemingly frozen as she kept her eyes locked with the 'man' in front of her. After several seconds, Helios closed his eyes and put his shades back on. Maribelle fell into him, unconscious.


"Gods above . . . this girl has been through entirely too much."
 
Samuel's stared at the ground, pondering to himself. "She...most certainly has...what happened to her, what she experienced on this night...it shouldn't have happened to her." He grit his teeth. "It shouldn't happen to anyone." He blinked as something clicked, and his gaze rose to meet Helios' shades. For once, he almost seemed determined. His hands were fists, but not out of fear or tension. "That is where we come in. I see now. We protect the populace from what no one should ever experience." His eyes shifted for a moment to Maribelle; she seemed almost peaceful now. "We are their shield."


"...and their sword!" Adrian said cheerily as he approached the two gentlemen. "We defend the innocent from evil by smiting it where ever it may be!" He extended his hand to Samuel. "Good work in there."


Samuel gave a small "hmph" and shook Adrian's hand firmly. "Much ablidged, though honestly you and Neimi did all of the dirty work," he said with a soft grin. He looked over to Helios and Maribelle. "...If I may inquire, what will happen to her?"
 
"I absorbed all her memories that pertain to the gremlins. She will only remember that her parents died, and I would assume Commander Shepard is already weaving a tale about terrorists to cover up the incident. The PDA has connections with several orphanages throughout the globe, she'll be cared for at the nearest one."


Helios reached up and massaged his temples as he let Maribelle sleep for now, as if he had a headache.


"It's work."


Muerte seemingly came out of nowhere from behind the three, his guns already holstered and ready for another round.
 
Samuel remained silent for a bit. Adrian studied his expression for a few seconds before sighing. He was still grinning (he was never NOT smiling in some way) but it had a sad twinge to it. "It's for the best, Samuel. You know that."


"Of course I do," Samuel replied somewhat dejectedly. "It's just going to take some getting used to, the fact that we are basically spectres fighting ghosts. Neither of us can or should ever be known to the common folk." He turned to Muerte, his eyes hardening slightly. "Do you feel nothing? No relief, no satisfaction?"
 
"She had to listen . . ."


Helios spoke up to break the uncomfortable silence


"Her mother shut her in that locker . . . and then she was able to hear as the gremlins tore through . . . no child should have to endure that."


Muerte kept the same apathetic look as he gazed calmly at Samuel.


"Our assigned job is done. We will have more work soon. That is what I feel."
 
Samuel's face drained of what little color it had at Helios' comment. He glanced at the man in shock, and turned to Muerte. After a few moments his brow furrowed slightly. "I do not classify that a 'feeling,' that is a 'thought'. Do you not feel disgust at what this child had to experience? Do you care about anything?" His eyes flashed red for a brief moment in his frustration at Muerte.


Adrian placed his hand firmly on Samuel's shoulder, who dropped some of the tenseness in his frame. "Forgive my outburst," he muttered, "I'm rather shaken from tonight's happenings. I'm rather eager to get back to headquarters."
 
"Should I?"


Muerte made a gesture with his hand, as if to say 'so?'


"She is a single child in this world. None of us will see anything of her after this point. The gremlins are dead. After this evening, we will be back at Headquarters as if nothing else happened. Well . . . besides a new stitch."


He lifted up his arm and rolled up the sleeve, examining his work from earlier. Some blood was still seeping out, though it was very little, and the stitches were holding well. He used something more akin to steel wire rather than normal thread when putting himself back together
 
Samuel glared at Muerte, confusion in his eyes. "So you mean to say that what we have done, what has happened, doesn't matter in the end, am I correct?" He grit his teeth angrily. "I would wager that you see the child's life as irrelevant to the overall success of the mission, right? That if she had died it would not have mattered?!" His eyes flashed red again, and at the same moment what can only be described as a 'pulse' of black swept through his gray hair, from the roots to the tips.
 
"Of course the city is a matter of some concern, it would be troublesome if Gremlins had taken over all of france and eventually Europe. But you tell me: what importance would that girl's life have had in the long run? If she was among the casualties when we arrived here, would there be any difference now besides the conversation we're having? What makes her so valuable from the other myriad of corpses in that building?"


Muerte didn't even bat an eyelash at Samuel's . . . blinking appearance
 
Adrian cocked his head at Samuel's fluctuation of appearance, but kept his hand firmly on Samuel's shoulder, just in case it was the only thing holding the aggravated young man from attacking Muerte.


Samuel almost growled. "What makes her different from a corpse? What makes her different from YOU?!" His right hand twitched. "I pity you, Muerte, I truly do. You are unable to comprehend pain, loss, anguish...thus, you cannot understand the opposite. Pleasure, success, joy...you fail to see the pleasures life can bring. You don't get to appreciate being alive, or surviving!" His past of barely scraping by on the streets was augmenting the disgust he was feeling with Muerte's mindset. "You asked why she's valuable?! Because she's alive!"
 
"And what purpose is that life?"


Muerte still showed no signs of being intimidated, or even caring for that matter.


"You speak of the pleasure and joy one can experience in life. Tell me what purpose does a life have? Truly, I would wish to hear it."
 
Samuel scoffed slightly. "Even if I could put it into words, you wouldn't comprehend it. I get the impression that explaining the purpose of life to you is equivalent to explaining a rainbow to a blind man."
 
"As it is, you point seems to be lost on someone born from a dead woman. Any other pointless topics you wish to discuss?"


Meurte leaned back slightly, keeping his face that just screamed 'I don't care' in the wake of Samuel's response.
 
Samuel calmed himself, and walked away from Muerte without another word to the man. He was walking with his eyes downcast, a frustrated expression on his face, hands firmly placed in his pockets. He wasn't particularly watching where he was going, honestly; his mind was preoccupied.


Adrian sighed and shook his head as the distraught young man walked away. "He's definitely not a soldier. Not yet, if he is able to value life so highly." He chuckled and his grin widened. "I envy that about him, honestly."
 
"He is naive."


Muerte said nothing more on the matter, sitting down on the edge of the vehicle and checking one of his guns.


"I would not envy that."
 
"Heh. No, I suppose you wouldn't," Adrian said, and strolled off to find Vojta. It wasn't that difficult, honestly; only one man would be seen holding an umbrella at night. "Oi, Havran! Good work as per usual."
 
"I suppose it was, wasn't it?" He said with a slight smile. "It reminds me of the old work that we did back home." He sighed nostalgically. "I would say that I miss those days, but they never really ended, did they?" He chuckled softly. "What I wouldn't give to see the stars though. All the lights with the hustle and bustle of the city always ruined the view. Ah well, the roof of the compound will serve fairly well for that when we return." He reached into his bag and pulled out a pepperbox clip. "Judging by the firefight I heard, I think you will be needing one of these." He said laughingly.
 
Adrian scoffed, and snatched the clip out of Vojta's hand. "Need, nothing! I merely was drawing attention is all. Those little bastards didn't stand a chance against Kindjal," he said with a smirk. He looked up at the sky, then let his gaze fall to Vojta again; now he seemed slightly disappointed. "Ah, Haiku and I were supposed to duel at sundown...its clearly a bit late for that. I guess we'll have to reschedule," he said with a chuckle. "Shall I let ya know when we decide to duel? I'm sure you'll want to watch. It should be quite the show."
 
"Sure." Vojta said with a smile. "I'll be up anyway, and could do for something to watch." He folded his umbrella back up and put it on his back, securing it with a strap. "I suppose that we should get headed back to the group soon, as Shepard has probably already thought up a new mission for us to prepare for."
 
"Good point," Adrian said as they started heading in Shepard's direction. "I wonder what our next adventure will be...?"
 
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