Creatures

Talon stepped out into the hall with everyone following. Karen stood in front of the man and Talon’s heart beat picked up, she had no idea how much danger she was in right at the moment.

Karen felt Talon’s fear the moment he came into the room, but she did not give a rat’s dierre any longer. What was wrong with her? PMS? She turned to the man in front of her, no longer afraid of him, not with all her anger going towards Talon.

“I passed along your message, now may I please get through. I have things to do.”

“Not until I see him for myself.”

“What do you want and how did you find me.” Talon stepped out into view of the two at the door, trying to figure out a way to get her out of the danger she was in.

King turned to Talon.

“I guess the rumors were true after all. I had heard that you were still alive and working for the government.” He gave Talon his predatory grin. “It took me two years, but I am here to make sure that you fulfill the oath you gave me.”

“What oath?” Karen asked, looking at Talon. She could not read his emotions at the moment. Just as she had a few moments ago, he had now shut down all of his emotions.

“The one where he promised to serve me until his death. Which means that he either comes with me or he dies right here.”

Talon shrugged without commenting. King was right. He had made a blood oath to serve him and only him until the day he died and he had tried to break the oath, punishable, ironically, by death.

Karen stepped up to Talon “And this thing,” She did not even look at the ugly toad man in front of them. “Would he happen to be...”

“The great mob boss I told you about. Known as ‘King’.” Talon finished. “It seems that he has some unfinished business with me.”

“That I do.” King grinned. “There is only one way you leave my family. In a body bag. It seems that you forgot that.”

“No. I did not forget. I merely declined that option for a more favorable one. I like breathing, thank you.” Talon drew his weapon. Although King did not look like it, he was deadly and everyone in this room was in danger.

Everyone watched Talon drew his weapon in astonishment. Did he not remember that their weapons did not work on humans.

“Besides.” It was Talon’s turn to smile. A cold, twisted smile and Karen watched Talon’s eyes turn just as empty as King’s.

“You forgot that there is always the option of your death.” He stepped towards the man. “I suggest that you turn around and crawl back into the hole you appeared from and pretend that you never saw me or that will be the option that I take.”

King had no idea what Talon had been doing the past two years. If he did, he would have taken the option that Talon had just given him, Talon was sure of that.

King laughed. “You will be dead if you take even a millimeter of a step forward.” He pulled back the gun and aimed it at Talon’s head. “You know that I do not miss.”

Talon grinned. Before King could register the movement, Talon had stepped in, taken the gun from his hands and sliced his neck wide open.

“Too slow,” Talon commented dryly as he wiped his blade off on the body and walked away, his heart sinking further into his chest. Seemed the killer was still alive inside of him, waiting for his chance to come out.

Karen stared at the body. She could feel only cold rage coming from Talon now and she was not sure what to do.

Talon stopped in front of her and held out his weapon as the others slowly came forward to peer at it as well.

Karen numbly took it into her hands, not sure why he was giving it to her, though immediately realizing that it was not his normal weapon. It was a very good imitation, but she could feel the difference after so many months working beside him.

Karen looked up at him as he bent his head and placed a soft kiss on her slightly opened mouth.

“I am armed for any foe, love.” He whispered, his eyes still empty. “It’s a habit. This was made for me a long time ago from a person I held very dear to me. My other weapon took on its shape from this one.”

He took it back from her unresisting hands and continued towards the stairs.

“I shall take care of the body in a few moments. Thank you for last night.” He spoke over his shoulder as he went. “I will always remember it.”

Karen watched him leave, feeling a great sadness emanating from him. She turned to see blood pouring out onto the rug and she covered her mouth, feeling sick.

She had just seen a side of Talon that she was sure he never intended for any of them to see... the cold, calculating killer that he had had to become to survive. She felt the tears come up at the thought of the things that he had seen and done. Though, for her, the worst part had been when his emotions had flooded back in this last moment.

She had felt the anger and immense sadness, but no remorse for what he had done.

“Are you all right? Please get up honey. We will take care of the body.” Lily stood next to her, trying to get her up from where she had knelt next to the body.

“You will get blood on yourself if you stay there.”

She stood with Lily’s help and looked up to where Talon stood at the top of the stairs looking at her. He could only stare at her as there was no way he could help her through this. She had seen what he had become to survive and it was tearing her up inside. King had no idea that he had succeeded in killing Talon in his death. There was no way they would be able to accept this from him. The family he had finally found had just been ripped from him.

Karen met his eyes across the room. This must be what the emotional bond was like, she thought before trying to block out his sadness and rage.

She shook off Lily’s arm and headed out the door. She needed to get out of here and clear her head. She was not sure what to do with what she had just witnessed, but she knew that she needed time alone to sort it all out.

Talon watched her leave, his pain becoming even greater as the only woman he would ever be with walked away from him.

He had felt her fear at the moment that he had taken his prey and then the pain. It tore him up that he could do nothing to stop the emotions she was feeling. Even worse, he was the one that had caused said pain.

He had known the instant that he took King’s life that he would never be accepted and at that moment he had done a very selfish thing by taking that kiss from her, but he would need the memory of her lips against his, even for a brief moment, as he watched his world crumble around him.

He continued to watch the scene below him knowing that the body would have to be dealt with first so he headed back down the stairs. He stood a few yards from the body and watched as a fireball expanded in his hand letting his thoughts go as he watched it glow. With a sigh, he let it loose on the corpse.

Eric and Michael watched him from the kitchen door.

“Well... we always knew that he had a dark past and could be a calculated killer,” Eric commented as they watched him. “I guess I had held out hope that he still had a heart in him.”

Michael shook his head at the comment. “No. He has a heart. If he did not, he would not be in so much pain now.”

“Do you think he is in pain?” Eric asked. “He looks like the same old Talon to me.”

“Trust me he is in pain. Look at his hands shaking.” Michael pointed out. “Imagine how he feels. We have finally seen the side of him he has tried so hard to shed.”

“What are you talking about?”

Michael turned to Eric. “Do you not yet understand? He could have shown us this side of him any time. He could have continued to fight as he did a moment ago when he came here, instead he chose to hide it from us. Why do you suppose he did that?”

Eric shrugged.

Michael let out a sigh. “More importantly though, I want to know why he is choosing to walk away from us, rather than try and help us understand this part of him.”

Eric looked at Michael. “Do you fear him?”

Michael took a moment before he answered, making sure he believed what he was about to say.

“No. I do not fear him. We are family and family helps each other. Talon does not yet understand that no matter what he does, we will be by his side. I guess I had thought that he had finally accepted the fact that he has a family.”

It was Erice turn to sigh. Talon was now cleaning up the blood from where the man had bled out. “There are some walls and wounds that not even family can heal Michael. This just might be one of them. Until he can accept this part of him and realize that he will always have it, he will not be able to accept our help.”

Michael agreed reluctantly. “You are right. Let’s go help him at least.”

They stepped out into the hall and started to help Talon in silence, not knowing what to say to him, but offering themselves if he wanted to talk.

Talon fought with himself as they helped them. He could not comprehend that they were not running from him. Did they really trust him enough to think that they were not in danger? How foolish could they be?

Talon turned to them. “Thank you for help. I am sorry that that was done in front of you.”

There was no sorry for what he had done, only that he had been watched as he did it.

Eric put his hand on Talon’s shoulder. “You must do what you must. We are here when you need us.”

Talon nodded and left without another word. The two men watched him go, wondering if he would come back to them, wondering if anyone could bring him back to them.

Karen found herself at the piano. It had always been her rock, her comfort, her joy. It broke her tension and it made her smile, but today she could not focus. She could only see Talon and his eyes as he prepared to take another person’s life.

What was she to do? How could she help him?

It was vain to think that. She could not help him because she did not know what it was like to take a life, but she did know what it was like to have a life taken from her.

“Talon. Do you know where Karen is?” Eric entered the combat chamber.

Talon finished off the being before him before answering.

“No. Shorty raise the difficulty level.”

“It is as high as it can go.”

“She left and we have not seen her since. We are a bit worried.”

Talon killed the next being and turned to Eric.

“I know where she is. She is fine, let her be.”

“She was distraught and upset. We are worried, aren’t you?”

“No. She will be fine.” Talon turned back to his workout. He wanted to be alone, could Eric not see that?

“Talon. She should not be alone right now. If you will not tell us where she is at, will you at least go to her.”

Talon let out a bark. “I am the last person she will want to see right now.”

“Then tell us where she is so we can go to her.” Eric stood right before him and looked him straight in the eyes.

“You should not be alone right now either. Is this making you feel any better? How does this help you after that?”

Talon finished off yet another being and stopped the program. “What do you mean? I do not have anything else. Why would this not help me?”

Eric finally let his control snap. This man was the most difficulty dense man he had ever known.

“You think this is all you have? What about us? Do we not count or is this your way of validating what you did in your past?”

Talon stared at Eric, not speaking, but Eric refused to be intimidated. Someone needed to make Talon look at the truth.

Talon sighed. When had he started to care about how his behavior affected others.

He did not want to admit it but, Eric was right. He did not feel any better, but he wanted it to. He wanted to make up for the lives that he had taken though, that was why he did this.

Eric was also right about Karen. She should not be alone right now and he needed to explain things to her, but he did not know what or how to explain them to her. She knew his past and he knew she understood that his past was not pretty, but how could he face her and see the pain on her face again, or heaven forbid, have her turn from him in disgust.

“Follow me.” Talon put his weapons away. It was time he tried it their way, it was obvious that his way was no longer working for him.

“Tell the others to follow as well. I know they are there. Just make sure you are quiet.”

Eric nodded. They left the room and the others appeared. Talon headed to the other building and towards the president’s office.

Sure enough, he could hear the piano before he got too far down the hallway. Talon put a finger to his lips and stopped before the door.

They could hear the haunting melody coming from the piano. It was broken and choppy and they could feel the pain and sadness coming from it, along with the accompanying sobs from the woman that was making the sound.

They listened as she continued to play, calming herself as she went. The music slowly grew more stable and more poignant as time went by.

“She is not bad,” Michael whispered. The others nodded their agreement.

Talon closed his eyes and listened to her music. It calmed his own emotions and seemed to sooth his ragged soul around the edges. He realized that she was crying for him, not about him and he knew that his heart had finally and fully fallen for her.

The others watched as Karen’s music seemed to heal a bit of Talon right before their eyes. The attitude that he had assumed after the incident started fading away and the Talon they had gotten to know and love over the past couple of weeks started to return.

They watched his body relax and the hard lines soften around him. They slowly started to drift away, leaving him alone in his thoughts and Karen’s music.

Once they entered the main hall, Michael broke the silence. “I think we need to move that piano here for both of their sakes.”

“Agreed.” Carrie nodded. “Now I know why he seems more approachable lately. Imagine what effect she will have on him in a few more months.”

“But what about her?” Emerald asked the question they were all thinking. Karen had not changed as much as Talon had since her arrival and it worried them all.

“Maybe we just do not know her as well as we know Talon.” Lily finally spoke.

The others nodded, no more needed to be said. It was apparent that they had deep feelings for each other already. They just needed time now.

Talon continued to listen, eventually realizing that if he truly wanted to overcome his past he was going to have to take the next step and face Karen.

He turned the knob and entered the room. Karen sat at the piano and he quietly moved over to the sofa that was in the room and lounged, watching her body move as she played. He had never seen her play and it captivated him now. It looked as if she was dancing with the piano rather then playing it.

He wanted to hold her in his arms and dance with her, healing her as she healed him. It was obvious now that she was just as broken as he had been.

She finished her piece but did not move. He stayed where he was, waiting quietly for her next move. He did not know how she would react to him now.

Karen looked at the piano keys. How could she convey her feelings for this man? How could she help him heal the pain that she felt through him and for him? She wanted to.. no, she decided, she needed to do something about the way they were feeling. Like this, they would only kill each other and quickly. She stood abruptly, pushing the bench back and quickly crossed over to where he had stood before the sofa and wrapped her arms around his waist, letting the tears flow.

Talon just stood there, unsure of what to do. This was not the reaction he had been expecting when she had suddenly stood up and come towards him. He let her cry, unsure of what to do with his hands so he left them at his side.

Karen’s tears stopped after a few moments and she looked up at him, looking him in the face for the first time since the incident. Talon could only stare, suddenly understanding that she was crying not because he had killed another person, but because he had had to do it once again.

He knew at that moment that she did not condemn him, but was feeling the same pain he was feeling. He had been so sure of her rejection that the relief that he felt washed over him and he took her in his arms, letting his own tears fall.

Karen held him close until he had finished. Understanding why he needed to let them out. He had never had anyone who loved him no matter what he did and he was overwhelmed with how many he now had.

Once he had finished, he pulled her down onto the couch next to him and held her close. Not wanting to let go of her just yet. He placed his eyes on her head and felt their powers connect.

“Karen...” Karen started at the sound of him using her name. She had wondered if he even knew her name most days. Her heartbeat sped up and her body’s temperature rose slightly. He had spoken her name like a caress.

“May we stay like this for a bit? Is that all right? I do not want to be alone anymore.” Talon asked softly.

Karen could only nod, tears threatening to fall again.

“You are not alone anymore Talon.” She whispered back.

He tightened his hold for a fraction of a second at the sound of his name on her lips. That one word was sweeter than any music she could ever play for him.

“You have a family that loves you and accepts you and your past,” she added, knowing that he needed to hear those words more than anything else.

Talon felt the last of his fear fade. He was grateful for his family, more then he could ever express, but now he wanted her love as well. Would he ever be able to earn it?

He sat in his office, well aware of what was going on in the next room. It was a very important moment for the couple. If they could not get around Talon’s past, they would never be able to handle hers.

He let out a sigh and turned to look at the glass rose that sat high on a shelf behind his desk. In it contained the power core of his partner from so many years ago. He looked at it and smiled.

“I do hope they are the ones that we have been looking for dear. However, they have a long way to go before they are ready.” He turned back to his work. “I wonder if I should tell him how King got in?...nah.”