The sound of the ambulance's engine growled as it came to a stand still. The remaining headlight illuminating the shadows ahead as tiny insects made their way past. The scent of blood with a very short yelp that was hard to discern. Layla and Zane looked back and forth between one another contemplating what had just happened.
"We didn't just run over those two girls did we..?" asked Zane dimly.
Layla allowed silence to answer Zane. She didn't know the answer to his question. Serenity, Elio and Nick pushed their heads forward as they noticed something.
"Wait, look over there!" pointed Serenity.
The group placed their eyes on two girls looking around 18 picking themselves off the asphalt. Cuts and bruises assaulting their bodies.
"Crap! We need to help them!" adjured Zane as he opened the door.
"Wait! They were running from something! It might still be dangerous to go out there!" warned Layla.
Zane stopped as he stretched his head looking around to see if he saw anything. His eyes met upon only darkness and the two girls that laid before them.
"There's nothing there! Lets go!"
"Zane bro hold up! You know these things are smart... They could just be hiding being cautious since they don't know who we are." added Nick.
Serenity took a deep breath not wanting Zane to make a bad decision, "Yeah Zane, lets all just be cautious for once. We don't know what's out there."
The group began hearing chuckling coming from behind them as if someone was enjoying the situation. They turned their heads to see Elio staring out onto the two girls. His eyes filled with amusement alongside an entertaining smile.
"This is interesting! Zane lets go get them!"
They felt creeped out about Elio. Why did he look as if he was enjoying himself?
"I hope your craziness isn't contagious..." shivered Serenity.
"What do you mean lets go? We can't be sure it's safe! Besides, humans are hunting us too now remember?" argued Layla.
Elio ignored her as he climbed out the back of the ambulance. He prompted Zane to follow as he too let himself out.
"Ugh- You two are so- Whatever just hurry it up!"
Zane and Elio walked towards the two girls who had fear and uncertainty drawn across their faces. The night air was cold pressing against their bodies. Insects and other animals singing their night time lullabies. Their footsteps coming closer to the two girls who were trying to scoot themselves away. They looked to their right to see that the ambulance had actually ran over two chimera dogs and a seemingly Rank 2 Apocrypha. He cringed at the sight.
"Hey, are you two okay??" asked Zane in worry.
The girls didn't answer as if they were afraid to.
"Don't worry, we don't bite!" comforted Elio with a smile across his face.
"Come on, we want to help you two out! We don't want the Apocrypha to catch on to us! Come with us back into the ambulance!"
The two girls exchanged their look of uncertainty between themselves.
"I'm sorry but we can't come with you..." said one of them dimly. She had dark brown hair sitting over her left shoulder tied with a scrunchie. Her eyes were ginger-ale brown and she had a very attractive face. She wore a blue floral dress and black fitted jeans. Her clothes were however torn in certain places making it evident she had been through quite a lot.
"Why? Do you have a group?"
The girl looked over to her friend as if asking what to do. They had a conversation with their eyes before they continued;
"I just don't think it's healthy for us to travel together..."
"Hmm? I wonder why..." inquired Elio in a teasing voice.
Zane was confused as to what was going on. Was it because they didn't trust them? If that were the case then he had to reassure them.
"You two can trust me! I'm Zane and this here is my friend Elio!"
"Friend..?" Elio muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a bright look came over the other girl's face as if she had come to some sort of realization. Her eyes were as blue as a bouquet of hydrangea. Her golden blonde hair released calmly alongside her back like a flowing stream. She wore a plain black blouse and black fitted shorts.
"Zane is your name you say?" she inquired.
"Yeah... that's my name..." he answered. His voice a little softer as he began to remember that humans were hunting them too. He just had to hope these girls weren't about to pull a fast one on him.
The blonde hair girl picked herself up with her companion. She turned to her friend as she began to speak.
"I think we should take a chance... at least you. You may be safer with them." explained the blonde hair girl.
"No, you saved me! I'm not going anywhere without you!"
"I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to go with them..."
"Then we don't... We can keep traveling together!"
The blonde gave a short sigh, "Okay... we'll both go with them then... Even though this is risk-"
They then heard a short shout coming back from the ambulance. They all turned to see Layla telling them to hurry up; "Hurry up and get back in! It's not sage to stay in one spot for too long idiots!"
The two girls turned to Zane and Elio.
"Okay, we'll come with you..." replied the blonde. Zane noticed she was trying to keep the right side of her out of sight as if she was trying to hide something. He however decided not to press the topic.
"Fabulous choice!" replied Elio with enthusiasm.
The four of them then made their way back towards the ambulance. Zane got himself back into the front seat and the others got into the back. Layla wasted no time as she bolted the ambulance down the road leaving the dead Apocrypha behind.
"So who are you two?" she asked inquisitively.
"Well I'm Ashley and this here is um- my friend Anastasia..." replied the brown hair girl.
Layla looked through the rearview mirror at the two. Suspicion obviously evident in her eyes. "Anastasia?"
"Yeah that's my name..."
Serenity tried to take a good look at Anastasia but she shuffled herself as if she was feeling uncomfortable by the constant eyes that watched over her.
"Anastasia is a Greek name... I think it means 'resurrection' or something along that line... It's a really pretty name though!" added Serenity.
"Thank you... so I've been told."
Nick broke his silence as he felt he had observed enough. He looked over to Zane and spoke;
"Zane, what's your intuition telling you right now?"
Zane pondered, "Honestly, it's pretty calm for the most part. Just like a small itch but it doesn't alert me of any impending danger.
A sly smile came over the lips of Elio as he looked at Zane, "Your intuition is quite good isn't it..? How cute..."
For some reason, Zane felt his intuition suddenly spike as Elio spoke to him. He quickly turned back towards Elio in fright, but as soon as he did the feeling dissipated.
"Zane? Something wrong?" asked Layla with a raised eyebrow.
Zane took a short moment to think before he answered. He couldn't understand why his intuition fluctuated so much around Elio. To make it worse, Elio was smiling as if he knew he had done something. "Uh- No... It's nothing..."
"So Anastasia and Ashley, what happened to you two?" inquired Nick.
"We were just attacked by a pack of Chimera and Apocrypha. Somehow you guys saved us like a miracle at the last moment. I'm truly grateful!" thanked Ashley.
Serenity went in closer as she began inspecting their wounds. Elio just continued to smile with a very creepy vibe as he watched them.
"You got a few cuts and bruises their Ashley..." noticed Serenity.
"Yeah! Don't worry though! We'll take care of them if you have a few bandages to spare!"
Almost out of nowhere, Elio tossed them a roll of bandages which he had taken from one of the cabinets.
"There you go! Use them wisely!"
"What about you Anastasia? You're holding onto your right arm as if you have a really bad cut. Let me take a look!" prompted Serenity in a friendly tone.
"No no! It's fine. I just feel comfortable this way! I promise!"
"Oh... okay..."
Layla's instincts were telling her something was up. She concluded it probably wasn't anything bad since Zane had said he didn't feel like there was any sudden danger. She however decided it was best to pressure the two girls into giving them an answer.
"Anastasia, would you mind showing us your right side?"
Anastasia froze like a block of ice. Nervousness and worry groped her soul. Before she could say anything, she heard Ashley speak.
"Hey, what created this giant hole in the roof?"
Everyone went silent as the thought of Almarie hit them, but Layla wasn't about to buy it. "We'll answer that question once Anastasia shows us her right arm"
"What's the big deal about my right arm anyway? It's not important."
"I'll be the judge of that. Show us your right arm."
Anastasia's breathing became heavy as she felt backed in a corner. Ashley with fear in her eyes not knowing what to do. Elio sitting calmly with his arms folded. A sinister smile across his face.
"J-Just stop the ambulance. I'll get off..." stuttered Anastasia.
"Anastasia no!"
Zane finally broke his silence as he felt he observed enough, "No, I don't think you two are bad people so I'm not gonna allow you to be left behind, but since you're with us you have to tell us what you're hiding."
"I-I can't... please just let me off. I promise I'll leave without a word!" Anastasia begged.
Elio began swirling his surgical knife around his fingers in a deadly manner. His eyes met her with a cold stare but his smile as if he was the happiest person alive. "If you try to leave I'll kill you."
The girls froze in horror out of options. Anastasia knew that Elio meant what he said for some weird reason, and she had no intention of getting killed.
"Anastasia, just show us your right arm and they will stop this. Please... If you got infected by the Apocravirus we won't scold you for it. We're the ones that invited you in the first place." comforted Serenity.
Anastasia took an extremely shaky breath not knowing how to feel. She had no choice but to take the risk and show them what she was hiding.
"Okay, but please when I show you this don't hurt me... I'm not a danger to anyone here! I want to help you all and I mean it from the embodiment of my core!"
"Go ahead" smiled Elio as he relaxed himself still twirling the surgical knife around his fingers.
Everyone watched in suspense as Anastasia slowly revealed what she was hiding. To everyone's horrendous surprise they saw a small cut on her arm. The issue wasn't with the cut itself but the color blood that bled from it. Purple blood was surfacing to her skin. She was an Apocrypha.
Serenity and Nick jumped back in utter shock getting themselves on guard.
"What the hell???" blurted Nick.
Layla even slammed her foot into the brakes sending the ambulance to a frightening halt.
"You're an Apocrypha??"
"Please! I promise you she isn't harmful! She saved my life! She's friendly!!" pleaded Ashley.
"Friendly my ass?? You all brought an Apocrypha on board??"
Zane stepped forward as he felt the need to defend them, "Wait Layla! Let's hear them out!"
"Hell no bro! They killed our families and infected Noah! They killed Almarie too remember?? Why in the blue hell would we trust an Apocrypha??" cursed Nick.
"Please, just let me leave... I promise I won't harm anyone!" pleaded Anastasia.
Layla clenched her fists as she stepped into the back with them; "Bullshit! You think I'm that gullible! Where did you get a human form from then? You had to have tasted human blood to take on that form!"
"I wasn't the one who killed her! I found her body and tasted her blood so I could hide as a human! I swear it on my life! Just please let me go! I won't hurt anyone..."
"Bullshit!" screamed Nick as he charged her with a pair of scissors.
Forced to defend herself, her body turned into that of a singing demon. Her eyes as black as tar as she wore a thin white night gown. Messy black hair flowing down her back. Nick fell flat onto the floor caught into a powerful hypnosis from looking into her eyes. Anastasia reverted back into a human form and dropped herself onto her knees begging.
"Please! Believe me I'm not trying to hurt anyone..."
"Shit! A fricking Rank 4 to make things all the better. Release Nick from his hypnosis or we will kill you right now!" cursed Layla.
"Just leave her alone!" screamed Ashley standing in her defense. "She saved me from other Apocrypha and Chimera. Even killing her own kind just to protect me and other humans she has encountered! She's not like the others! She won't fight back unless you force her to! I've been with her for four days now so I'd know!"
"Layla I think they're telling the truth... Give them a chance..." pleaded Zane.
Layla looked at him furiously, "Zane stop letting your emotions get in your way! Are you forgetting how her kind slaughtered your entire family?? They killed my dad TOO!! There's no way in hell I'm gonna sit around waiting for some Apocrypha to slit my throat!"
Elio kept smiling as he looked on, "Give me the order to kill her and I'll gladly do it."
"Elio, don't touch them!" screamed Zane as he ran in front of Anastasia. His arms outstretched as he signified that they wouldn't get past him unless they moved him first. Ashley standing by his side doing the same.
"Elio kill the Apocrypha!" ordered Layla.
Elio got himself up as he looked at Zane. He tilted his head slightly as he looked into Zane's eyes like a maniac.
"I'll kill you too if you get in my way Zane. You're naïve and allow your emotions to dictate your every move. I honestly dislike you. "
"I don't care! My intuition tells me I can trust them and that's what I'm going with!"
Anastasia and Ashley stared up at Zane in disbelief. They found it completely alien he was willing to go this far even though he knew nothing about them.
"Fine then, I'll gladly kill you too!"
"Wait! Elio don't hurt Zane!" screamed Layla.
Elio ignored her as he lunged at Zane. He suddenly felt two arms wrap around him holding him back. To his surprise it was Serenity.
"Please stop! They killed my dad too but I'm not mad at her! I'm mad at the Apocrypha that did it! This is stereotypical; not just because most Apocrypha harm humans means all of them have to be just as bad! Just like humans, there are good and bad. I don't find it strange that they have one who's different! This is exactly what I hate about people... stereotyping everything like it has to belong under the same category! So stop this!"
Layla bit her lip in frustration knowing what Serenity said was true.
"Damn it... fine. Elio leave them alone."
Anastasia looked up with a grateful face, "Thank you so much!"
"Don't thank me. This doesn't mean I like you. Give us a reason why we should keep you around and I'll consider letting you live for now."
A moment of silence passed through as Anastasia looked up. Elio looking down at her grinning deviously.
"I'll tell you all you need to know about the Apocrypha."