Sage:
Trembling in my arms, the strong Arty from earlier was a shadow of herself in seconds. The weight of the world wore on her face and she didn't think that we could see. We saw every effect it had on her, all of us wanting her to be happier. Most of the time now a numb look would haunt her face, the smile she had earlier showed us a glimpse of her old self. The date was supposed to relax her, the water splashing as she moved behind me. Getting my hair wet, she began to massage the shampoo in. Why did this feel so magical? It didn't hide her decaying mental health, her trembling hands showing how she really felt. Struggling to keep calm, she would tell me in due time. The temptation to ask soon became too much, the words coming out weaker than I expected them to.
"Are you happy?" I asked brokenly, her quiet smile nearly confirming my worst fear. "We are all so worried about you." Rinsing out my shampoo, the oppressive silence poisoned the air. Unable to answer the question, her ears pinned back as fresh tears stained her cheeks. She wasn't okay, my suspicions were soon confirmed. The confirmation only led to my heart shattering for my wife.
"I am only depressed, that is all. I love all of you guys and would die for you all. I am happy every now and then. Give it time." She answered meekly, bowing her head in shame. "None of that matters because I can't even save you anyway. I am too weak as an angel. I am a fai-" Water splashed onto the floor as I turned to face her, my breath hitching at her beautiful sadness. Cupping her face, she needed to know that we were all here for her.
"You are looking at it all wrong." I comforted her lovingly, kissing her forehead. "Together we can do it. You don't need to be stronger with me by your side." Spiraling into a panic attack, fear rounded my eyes at her sudden panic attack. Clutching her close to my chest, her emotions soaked my shoulders. When was she going to realize that she wasn't alone? Not having processed her emotions until now, her nasty habit of forgetting to talk about it was now biting her in the ass. Her breathing returned to normal, her hands resting on my chest. Happy that it was over, she needed the clarity every now and then.
"Thank you for being my rock." She wept with a sad smile, cupping my cheek. "I don't know what I would do without you. Date time, right? Mouse made a special dress for such an occasion. Stay in here while I get dressed." Climbing out of the tub, a quick drying with a fluffy towel had her bouncing out of the room. Waiting patiently for her to come back in, I used my feet to pull the drain. Stepping out of the tub, the fluffy towel dropped to the floor as she came in wearing a tight black leather dress. The deep v-neck neck emphasized her clearly bigger breasts, her slight bump standing out. Her hips seemed a little wider but not out of shape, my cock stiffening at her rubbing her palms along the material. A tender blush rose to her cheeks, shame dimmed her eyes. What was wrong with her? She looked too beautiful for words, my heart skipping a couple of beats.
"My hips are a bit wider than they were but I promise to stay in shape for you." She stammered nervously, the truth being that she was the size she should have always been. "I am so s-" Covering her mouth, no apologies were needed. Wolfston said she looked the best she had ever had, her appointments now clear without problems. Sliding my hands down to my hips, there was only muscle with the proper layer of fat meeting my palms. If anything, her body became more solid but still slender with each passing day of her working out with me. Kissing me on the lips sweetly, her loving gaze looked into my kind eyes. How did she know how to disarm me in minutes? Curse her for being my weakness.
"I actually think you are in the best shape of your life. I love you no matter what." I promised with a crooked grin, sliding my hands sensually to her cheeks. "We can work out throughout the whole thing if you want but I don't want you to ever think that you look hideous. You are the most gorgeous person in the world to me." Kissing the nape of her neck, my fangs traced her tender flesh. A dry thirst came over me, the new intensity scaring me. A sudden shift in power alarmed me, Mouse calling us all into her room. Throwing on my uniform, something seemed rotten. The screens in her room were going all haywire, the scene settling on the image of a muscular demon with long flowing scarlet locks and ashy gray twisted horns holding a bleeding Mink. His inky eyes twinkled with malice, his bloody lips curling into a twisted grin. Who the heck was this? More importantly, how did she manage to do what we couldn't?
"Little Fox, I killed your enemy for you." He gloated proudly, ripping her to shreds. "I want you by my side. I am calling on all full demons to fight under my control, including you Sage. Will you join me on the dark side? You better not take off that cross or I will devour every inch of your soul." All the color drained from her face, her whole body trembling. Standing in her place, everyone tried to speak to her. The words refused to enter her ears, her quaking fingers curling around her necklace. Shaking her head, this level of fear had us in a peculiar state.
"I have to go." She shouted desperately, running towards our bedroom. Coming out in ten seconds, she was in her new uniform. Her shaking hands tossed her cloak over her shoulders, her clammy hand grabbing mine. Summoning the door to the church, she yanked me through. Running into a panicked Ash, the whole city was hiding in his church. Our fighting friends stepped through with their weapons, Arty standing on a chair. Clearing her throat, all eyes fell on her. Stepping up to her leadership role, the natural ease did a lot to relax the frightened people.
"You need to stay in here no matter what. The city will probably burn but if you are all in here then you are safe. I can't protect you if you step outside those doors." She commanded in a shaky voice, everyone gasping at her real face. "That bastard is going to take over the city if he hasn't. My companions and I will go out to get the stragglers but please stay here or at one of the churchgoer's homes. They have protection. I will split my time between my bunker and here. I vow to fix this problem and put a proper system in place. I am begging you to freaking listen. Ash, I need you to bless their weapons before we head out. Have a nice evening and I will organize everyone when I get back." Everyone but Mouse and Tatty came, the rest of our group was ready for the fight. Gathering at the door, utter chaos played out on the other side of the door. Pulling our masks down, we all raised our weapons in the defense position. Turning to face everyone, Arty flashed us all a nervous smile.
"If you find an officer in decent enough condition, I need you to have them with you to get anybody left behind." She choked out oddly, shaking in her place. "You have golden crosses now but let's not test too hard. We will fight tomorrow but for now we have to get everyone to safety. Kill the demons upon first sight and save the people. Stay in pairs. Wolfston already has enough work. Got it? Let's go kick some serious ass." Opening the door, orange flames devoured the rest of the city as demon's raided the streets after the last of the citizens and officers. Splitting up into groups of two, the low level demons were decaying to ash in seconds as we pressed ahead. Arty chose to head into the burning slums, his words sinking in. Shooting down the demons coming at her, she sliced down others with ease. The prison's alarm rang out in the distance, a steady stream of curse words flooded from her lips. All chaos was about to break out, those bastards were sure to come and ask for positions with this new threat. A dozen officers pointed guns at us, Arty removing her mask. Praying that she would be okay, the determination in her eyes said enough.
"You can shoot me but I want to save the people like you. Help me in the slums." She snapped hotly, cooking ten demons with lightning. "If I really was the villain then why are you all alive? Get with the program and help me with the stragglers. You can hate me after that all you w-" Getting on their knees, they pressed their guns against their chest. The biggest one spoke up first, tears welling up in her eyes. No way were they going to swear her loyalty like this, my eyes watching the situation intensely.
"I will do anything for my police chief." He vowed gruffly, not removing the protective helmet of his black armor. "Are you boys with me? She was the greatest and only police chief in my eyes so let's serve her with the honor she presented herself with. We all know that the warden was a crooked asshole. Say yes if you are with me." A tender blush rose to her cheeks, her hand hovering in his face. Being the angel she was, anxiety dimmed her features at the weighted words.
"If that is what you all want me to be, I will always take my position back and build this city back up with the finest officers." She chirped cheerfully with her false bright smile, his armored fingers curling around hers. Yanking him to his feet, the armor clanked as they rose to their feet. Saluting her, a bold yes chief burst from their lips. Running towards the slums, panicked gaunt people ran up to her with trembling smiles at the sight of her mask. A dozen demons leapt off the burning buildings, Arty leaping off of my back. Lightning crackled with the flames, one swing cutting them down. A little girl ran away from her mother, her tiny hands reaching for her doll. A slithering snake demon lunged at her, Arty changing her landing. Holding the snake's mouth open, she turned back towards the officers while making sure no one else was in the area. The rest of our gang ran up to us with another two hundred people, her next order sending chills up my spine. Please don't be stupid.
"Take them back with that crowd. Sage and I will be back." She ordered sharply, kicking the doll into the mousy haired girl's arm. "Go back to your mother for me, sweetie. I said go." Hesitancy burned in everyone's eyes while the flames blew her hair around. Clearing her throat, the jaw was starting to close on her. Pushing through the pain, she wanted them to get to safety.
"Did I not make myself clear! Go before I punish you for not listening to your police chief." She barked even more venomously, groaning in pain. The officers combined the citizens, the group of them running back towards the church. Leaping out of the snake, she raised her scythe in the air. Inky blood poured from her eyes, ears and nose. The limit of her powers were being met, her next words scaring me.
"Break my limits!" She wheezed, coughing up blood. Her air floated up, her own lightning burning her skin. Charging at the snake, one swing sent lightning coursing through the serpent's body. Thrashing wildly, it began to bloat until blood and guts rained from the sky. Undoing the spell, her own blood dripped from her skin. Picking up a sack, I had no choice but to help her gather what was salvageable. Wishing that she would stop to rest, my request would only fall on deaf ears. Using her invisibility powers, we were able to get back without any attacks. Pushing the doors open, a couple of the people we saved presented us with warm bowls of soups and smiles of relief. Wiping the blood off of her face, she flashed them a bright smile before collapsing in my arms. Ash helped me take her to the makeshift hospital room where many people lay in pain, Wolfston rushing up to treat her burns. Shaking her head, she didn't have good news for me. Seeing the good doctor like that, a pensive apprehension burned in both of our eyes.
"I can't fix those. She inflicted the damage herself. You need to get her out of here so someone else can get a bed." She sighed tiredly, the officers with medical training helping her out in the background in their armor with their helmets removed. Understanding, Havi came up with a nun. The nun took her into her arms, silent tears staining their cheeks.
"We will get her cleaned up so help out where you can, 'kay?" The middle-aged nun promised warmly, Wolfston tossing me a clipboard. "It looks like you are needed." Taking her away, I toiled away for hours to get everyone comfortable. Rattler ran up to me, with a robe and towels dangling off his arms. What did he want? My wife was hurt and no one but a nun was helping her, frustration brewing in my eyes. Insisting that I take the bath, an exhaustion hung on my eyelids.
"Us boys are going to take a bath. Do you want to join? I feel like if you don't you get a bath, it won't happen for days." He joked lightly, noting my burnt out expression. "Dude, are you okay?" Cocking my brow at his question, it was a valid one. Glancing over at him with a nervous grin, it seemed to be my only option. Ashamed of all my scars, I didn't want them to see what they did to me in prison. Walking in with him, everyone else was already relaxing in the water. Taking off my clothes, their eyes wouldn't leave my scars. Getting into the water, the cleansing power evaporated any dirt and blood.
"I got stabbed all the time in prison and had to work out to keep kicking people's asses to survive." I uttered bluntly, sinking under the water. Coming back up, my hair clung to my face, a worried Blizzard had his ears pinned back. Poking the surface of the water, so many questions rested on the tip of his tongue.
"Is she still super depressed? We don't want her to be." He stammered awkwardly, feeling out of place as well. "She is my pack master and all I ever hear are her dark thoughts. Tatty's happy thoughts even me out but she went radio silent for a few minutes. Then she came back bleeding from her eyes, ears and nose. I didn't know if it was hers or someone else's. She scares me with how reckless she can be. Does she not realize that she has us!" His fear and fury wasn't wrong, his ears pinning back once more. Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned back.
"I know she is reckless but she saved a little girl today without question. Who came up with a plan in seconds without hesitating? The reason she was appointed police chief was her ability to analyze situations in seconds and her reckless courage." I retorted bitterly, rubbing my forehead. "That being said, she used to work alone for the longest time. Give her a break. I will talk to her if it makes you feel better. You know as well as I do that she is a little head strong at the worst times. I should know since I grew up with her." Rolling their eyes, they all knew I was right. A knock on the other side shattered the poisoned silence.
"Can we take a bath now?" Sunny asked politely, the other girls sounding like they were clinging to her arm. "We are just as dirty as you." Standing up, I dried myself off. Throwing on one of the robes, I scooped up my clothes. Stepping out, an iciness could be felt off of me. My wife had been too reckless and she knew it. Walking into the spare bedroom, she was drawing up a couple of blueprints. The twins lay slumbering on either side of her, guilt dimming her eyes. Seeing her laying like a broken doll, my heart sank into my stomach.
"If you came to yell at me for my reckless behavior I am not apologizing. I couldn't let a little girl get eaten." She commented before I could chastise her, the pencil spinning in between her fingers. "Tell the boys and girls in our group that I will be a bit safer when I can manage." How could I be mad at her? Scratching at the faded burn marks, they were mere reminders of the previous battle. Sitting on the edge of the bed, her tired smile met my loving gaze. This wasn't the way I wanted to ever feel, her depressed body language not helping my heart.
"Okay. I don't want you to go beyond your limit again. Can we at least try to do that?" I inquired impatiently, letting her pull me onto her lap. "I thought you were going to die, again. I happen to prefer you alive even if you feel like a broken doll." Playing with my hair, her real smile melted my heart.
"So much for a date." She joked lightly, my breath hitching at how flawless she looked right now. "I am so sick of getting scars. Mouse uploaded my new security system at home so we should be good there. Did I do the right thing by becoming the unofficial police chief again? Will people ha-" Sitting up, I planted a passionate kiss upon her lips. Resting my hands on her bump, another child would soon be in our arms. Love burned in her eyes like never before, her laughter twinkling in the air. Was it possible that she was falling in love with more everyday? Stunned by her relaxed expression, this was indeed a rare moment. A tender blush rose to my cheeks, a feverish red painting her cheeks. Did I just fall in love with her more? Was that possible? Pushing me away, lightning crackled on her skin as a small squeal of pain escaped her lips. Silent tears stained her cheeks, her claws extending on their own. Scratching at the bedding, anxiety stole the peace from her eyes. Counting to herself, her stress was getting out of hand. Cupping her hand, the electrical jolts burned a tiny bit. Her claws receded, her emotions were manifesting as excess electricity. Shouting erupted down the hall, Arty leaping out of bed. Skidding to a halt, the different gangs weren't getting along. Running up to them, she shocked them into submission. Picking up the two leaders by the scruff of their worn suit's collars, she pinned them to the wall.
"I will throw you out into the literal Hell outside with the prisoners now running alongside all of that. Behave and pick up something to be useful. If I catch you fighting one more time, you will wish that I killed you instead of shocking you." She commanded with authority, both of their heads nodding. "Another thing, your illegal activity comes to an end now. We are in a situation together and we don't need any crooked folks among my citizens. Am I understood!" Damn, she looked sexy. Trembling underneath her hands, she dropped them to the floor. Zapping them one more time to make her point, one could tell that she wasn't in the mood. Orange rays lit up the stained glass of the church's window, she ran back to the room to check on the twins. Sliding on her boots, she marched outside. Coming face to face with a demon, she crushed its throat in one second. Pressing her palm to the cracked pavement, the church's dome surged out about three hundred feet. Demons decayed to ash, a sharp whistle escaping her lips. The refugees gathered in front of her, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Looking too tired for this, it took a minute for her to gather her wits.
"Raise your hand if you were a construction worker!" She demanded impatiently watching a third of them raise their hands. "Oh goody! You are on shelter duty. I want thirty of them. I will magically bring plumbing and running water to each home. They need to be big and able to hold at least two hundred people. Quarters will be cramped. Ladies, please help in the kitchen and gardening. We need more flower beds if we are going to feed everyone. Leave that one to me. Oh and if any of you unsavory characters harm one hair on those kids or anyone for that matter you get a one way ticket to that fresh Hell. Look at all those demons and criminals running around. I put most of them in there for violent acts. They have sick tendencies. Chop, chop, let's get this show on the road. Officers, keep a good eye on everyone. The last third of you, fill in where you are needed." Getting to work, it only took a day to erect a miniature version of a town. My team hung back with me as she magically provided them plumbing and running water. The women were already working with the children in the brand new garden area, my wife pulling her cloak over her shoulders. Everyone stopped what they were doing, inky blood pouring from her nose. Wiping it away with the back of her hand, her body swayed. Blizzard caught her in his arms, a steady stream of curse words flooding from her lips. Something was fucking with her powers and we needed to get to the bottom of it all. Taking up the only bed in the now empty hospital room, Wolfston hovered her hands over her body.
"She is using her powers too fast without enough recovery time." She hissed under her breath, loathing the condition of her pack master. "Seriously. Leave her with me. I will induce her slumber for the next seventy-two hours. That should bring her to full strength but she has to stop. These burns look like they feel like Hell. Poor thing." Hooking her up to an IV, she injected a sleeping drug into the drip. Touched by Wolfston's affection for her, she waved her hand in my direction.
"I need you to get Ash to take you back to get me some sleeping pills for her to take regularly. They will be safe for the baby which is thriving by the way." She said simply, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I love my master too much for her to die on me." Tears welled up in my eyes, Ash walking up to me. Offering to open the door, we went to go get some supplies and fertilizer. Please Lord, grant her good health.