The Magnificent 7 (Maya and Anti(M))

[Maya]

It got old..this lifestyle. They could never change it. They could never escape it. What you see is what you get. The body count keeps going up and up. Their chance for surviving one more day keeps plummeting. Sometimes, she just wanted a small piece of normalcy. Is that too much to ask? Ah hell, even Corbin would have to say that it was.

Couldn't she just have one hour, one minute, hell..one fleeting second of time that's not about death or dying. Or, even worse, having her love life (or lack thereof) spread around the compound. Why couldn't this discussion stay between the two of them? She wouldn't have blown her top if people could keep their opinions out of her relationship. So, yes, it was one joke too many. Those who listened in had enjoyed the exchange way too much.

Which meant that door got a wee bit broken. It wasn't the only thing that was broken. The bat creature she'd run into that fateful day sliced her arm open where it had grabbed her like rag doll in the air. Being the stubborn sort, Corbin had completely disregarded her own wound to tend to his needs and go on fighting. Time passed, the shit hit the fan and she still never took the time to tend to it. Part of her extreme mood swings could easily be the fever she'd try to hide. Or the pain she'd never admit to. Corbin didn't take kindly to weakness. Especially her own. The teasing had been the icing on the cake.

[Anti-Hero]

One thing caught his ear as Charlie kept her talking stringing along. "You gotta wonder, whats gonna happen to people who are seemingly immortal..what God or Demon is on your side Atris?" He stopped, slightly jarred by a question he'd never really thought to ask himself. Why was he special? Why was Corbin special? Why did it seem like everytime a reaper showed his or her face, the conversation always lead him to wonder about what the future held. Fact of the matter was, Atris wanted to leave more and more each day, but how? Corbin was here, he had a job to the others who couldn't protect themselves. He sighed quietly.

"Charlie, all you guys say the same thing, but look around us, I'm not going anywhere as much as I wish I could...."
"Wish? Atris, all you have to do is ask, how long have we known each other?"
"You have known me a lot longer than I have known you."
"You so sure? Have you ever wondered what psuedo-immortality means? You transcend time. Its been alot longer than you've been alive that we've known each other and...I'm somewhat in debt to you, so if you ask...I'll whisk you away and maybe if you owe me I'll bring Corbin along."
"I wish I could..." He stopped short interrupted by Charlie's sudden disappearance, not entirely unlike her. Oh well, dreams where just that..dreams.

He muddied around in the remains of torn up soldiers scrounging what little was left, pulling pictures or I.D's and of course bullets and guns, everything was sacred when supplies were limited. He brushed his hands over their eyes hoping in someway, though, he knew better, they'd rest easy.

[Maya]

Now was not the time to have anyone try to whisk her away. Corbin still wasn't happy with him. Nor anyone else in the world right now. While she rarely made a fuss, Corbin still had needs, wants, desires and a whole lot of pent up frustration with life and her place within it. Safe to say, letting her stew alone behind that broken door to dwell in all of that angst, hate and misery was pretty much the best way to purge all that ailed her. She'd even fix the door. (Cause, lets be honest, it was not the first or last time an inanimate object deserved a good breaking.)

A much calmer woman emerged from that room. One who felt more than a wee bit guilty for leaving both Atris and Jill high and dry. She watched in silence as he started gathering up the effects from the dead who had owned them. Was a heartbreaking job for anyone. But, he'd so often taken the task upon himself. Maybe that was because he fully understood that life was not infinite. In a heartbeat, any one of them could be gone.

It was that realization that drew Corbin to his side where she'd lay her hand to his left shoulder without saying a single word. They'd seen death way too often. At times, he seemed way to hardened by the sight for his own good. Perhaps a good old temper tantrum would help him decompress. If and until that happened, she'd offer to help gather up the weapons, patches and personal effects. In many ways it was just another day where people live or die. No different from the days before and, likely, no different from those that follow. They seemed trapped on a merry-go-round with no way off.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stormed off. ..hairpin trigger I guess." They can't save the dead; but, they could care for the living. They could also do better at caring for each other. "Forgive me?" It was out of character for her to go ballistic over a little bit of teasing.

[Anti-Hero]

"Always." He stopped rummaging for a minute trying to decipher what Charlie meant, the words were obvious enough, on the other hand death was poetic and his followers were no different. There was always something alternative. He looked over at Corbin with a kind smile as we wiped some remnant blood from his hands. How long could they keep this up? It was obviously wearing on them. They spent so much time being there for everyone else that they hardly had time for themselves or anyone else who might be important. "I suppose its lucky we don't have families. We have a hard enough time just being around each other sometimes." He brushed the bottom of his chin, wiping an itch away from his bearded neck.

They stood outside while the twilight was beginning to set in and it all seemed quiet, for a few minutes atleast it was a time of peace. But peace never lasted. Not here, not with Heaven and Hell raging in the fires of war and humans caught in the middle.

'I hope you're ready.'
A quiet voice echoed in his head, most likely in Corbin's too. It was Charlie, even though she'd disappeared those words seemed to stamp harsh against his brain. The following few seconds would see a beginning to all of Atris' wishes. A roar came from within metro and before either of them had time to move there was an eruption and out of the subways mouth spewed a black cloud with a force that knocked them both to the ground. He reached out and grabbed Corbin's hand not giving her the time to react he pulled her in to protect her, not sure how much good it would do but he hit the ground hard and rolled her beneath him the smoke bellowing from the cave immediately burning off the back of his shirt and searing against his back. He flinched, his arms buckling beneath him in pain and it was about that time he hard.
'I told you to be ready.'
Charlie stood over them look down at them while the smoke parted around the trio, she held out a hand. 'Let's go start yall's fairytale.'

[Maya]

Sometimes it seemed like they were stuck in groundhog day. No matter what they did, each day was the same. Get up, if you're lucky toss a morsel or two of food in your mouth and then..BAM! Here comes some crazy, ass creature trying to rip the brains out of your head or heart from your chest, shake you around in the air like a rag doll or just flat out kill you in one uncomfortable manner or another. Believe it or not, it gets real old real fast. Bitching about it won't change a thing. It seems like they were forever meant to be stuck in an eternal rut. Eternal ruts have a way of stifling any chance of romance.

"I'm thinking it wouldn't be a good idea for either of us to have a family anyway. We wouldn't even know what to do with them." Hell, they didn't even know what to do with each other during those few stolen moments of quiet they were afforded. What would they say to a real family member..should they even have any? "Uh..killed any demons lately?" Yeah, that would be awkward as hell.

They may be considered very much a couple by everyone else; but, they've never had a long enough span of quiet time to even know what to do with each other. Should they sit face to face and chit chat? What would they talk about? Should they play a game? Hold hands? By the end of each day, they're usually too tired to stand on their own two feet much less figure out this flirting thing many have recommended Corbin try.

A nice, older lady named Stella kindly offered Corbin some advice on luring Atris in. "Smile at him. Men love it when you smile..Noooooooo..not like that, you look constipated. Are you constipated? If you are, a good trip to the bathroom might help before you see him."

"Ugh..I..uhm...no." Corbin stammered as her cheeks flushed red.

"Well good. Glad to know you're regular. For us older people, it's not easy to have a bowel movement these days." Tossing out the term as it was a normal discussion for all the hear. "You know.." quickly moving on to her next point. "Men and women have lips for a reason. One of you needs to show the other what that is. Start by whispering in his ear..maybe chew on it a bit. Softly of course. Don't bite it off. ...then you kiss down his neck..work your way back up to his chin..let your hand wander down to his.."

"OK, OK, OK!!! ....thank you for the advice!!!" No one had ever seen Corbin move so fast to get anywhere but where she was. It wasn't long before she'd found Atris and tried to shake off the red faced look of a person oh so very, very embarrassed. They gotta quit listening to the advice of warped minded people.

At least, for this moment in time as evening fell, the two were together and allowed a few quiet moments all to themselves. "Quite a day today.."

Which did not last long at all. She heard the voice say 'I hope you're ready.' and instantly looked around to see who it was. "Atris, did you hear that? Oh god, now what?" One night..just one fucking night. That's all she'd ever asked for. So what if she had no clue what to do with him. They could play cards for all she cared; but, one night out of many could not be too much to ask. Instead of the quiet time together, she was now hearing voices in her own head, something had to be wrong.

Before there was even so much as second to think, the world seemed to tilt. Black fumes engulfed her and Corbin was soon tossed about like a rag doll straight into Atris. She could do nothing but try and hold on. "What's happening?" Trying to yell over the squall. Once the dust settled and the blackness faded, she felt sore from the pummeling; but, it was nothing worse than their usual encounters with crazy things.

Now, she didn't know who this Charlie person was. So, of course, Corbin wasn't all to sure going with her was a safe thing to do. Every time you think things can't get worse, fate usually proves that it can. Atris seemed to be on board and she wouldn't let him go on his own. "A fairytale?" whispering under her breath. As someone who read a lot of those as a kid, she knew they were rarely happy stories and was about to decline the offer; but, realized the pair had nothing to loose. Why not see what this Charlie person had up her sleeve?

[Anti-Hero]

As the world began deteriorating around them, Charlie's extended hand wrenched itself around the collar of Atris' shirt. First the ground broke up beneath him and Corbin and he began to feel as though he was falling, though he wasn't about to let go of Corbin and it seemed Charlie wasn't about to let go of.....Her hand was gone. Charlie was gone, without a word she'd simply didn't vanished again. He had a momentary lapse of panic and rolled himself under Corbin to hopefully break her fall, if they even ever..ya know...landed.

His legs felt like jelly, but even so he attempted to get his barrings, he looked around but all he could see was smog and a darkness looming surrounded by a nothingness, how do you even begin to describe that?
"Charlie!" He growled calling for the spectre.
There was moment when a voice echoed but it was nigh inaudible, he only could make out bits and pieces of the voice. "You.......Lim..Cpet?"
"Charlie!"

A strange feeling washed over him, as if he'd stopping floating or falling or whatever you would describe it as and had reentered into the basic laws of physics. His stomach felt the downhill on a roller coaster and abruptly came to a stop. He grunted and before passing out felt an incredibly hard pressure around his head.

"Do...you....accept?"

[Maya]

She had no idea what was going in. They were both falling. There's was likely a bit...well, likely much more than a bit. More accurately, it was a whole hell of a lot of cursing coming from Corbin's mouth as the world started to flush them down into the bowels of hell or the toilet. Who really even knew where they'd end up. One thing was for sure. It wasn't a pleasant ride.

"This is not funny!" Trying to hold on to Atris as the world spiraled out of control. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was not being in control. "I don't think I like Charlie very much......" So far, what little bit she knew about the voice throwing them into chaos, it didn't seem to be very friendly. Maybe it was jealous? Maybe it wanted Atris all to her..his..it's self?? Well, you know what? He/she can't have him!

She remembered them falling and the next thing she hears was Charlie asking Atris if he accepted even though he seemed to be out cold. "Accepts what? Atris...what are you agreeing to? I don't like this. Not one bit. Don't do this.." Not even knowing for sure what this was. It sure didn't seem wise to agree in her opinion.

[Anti-Hero]

Charlie's hands were placed on both their shoulders, Atris inhaling deeply and his eyes jumping open. "Oh, Corbin, I'm not just asking him...Either you both agree...or well, one of you dies...maybe..tick tock Corbin.." Her voice was like a fade in and out, an echo. What Corbin may or may not have known was that Atris wasn't really being given a choice. His life had been forfeit to Charlie several years back, Atris had been barely a child. Corbin on the other hand? She had a choice. The thing was that if Charlie took the time to explain every little detail, Atris would die and the birth of nephilim would be stalled another few years until more candidates were found.

She thought to herself about the last pair who'd undergone the trials of the nephilim birth, how many people died? It wiped out so many because one had to say no and even with all the hints Charlie kept pushing, it didn't seem to make difference, maybe Corbin was smart enough to not need them..when your words were bound by old curses and spells...."Jeeze, just agree this time."

Charlie planted her feet on the ground and held Corbin on hers, not gently, as well as Atris hanging on Charlie's other shoulder.

[Maya]

Either you both agree...or well, one of you dies...maybe.

Maybe? What the hell kind of offer was that? Corbin remembered the days when life was simple. She was just a little girl splashing in a mud puddle and knocking all the boys down on their asses for looking at her funny. Now this..this...Charlie person gives her a mandate to choose life or death and do so quickly. This was nothing but a game. Corbin so despised games. Especially games thought up by sordid, twisted entities who deserved to have their heads chopped off or entrails ripped out. If the voice had a real head or body. She sure had a good grip on Corbin and Atris though.

In the span of just a few seconds, her brain was trying to sort this out in a way that made some kind of sense. Why was Charlie insistent on getting her way? What did this woman have to gain or lose? There were so many dangling strings to try and untangle then tie back into place with those neat, little bows she enjoyed so much. Most of all, she didn't like the odds. They clearly were not meant to be in the pair's favor.

One thing she knew, Atris was not just a normal human being. He'd always been able to do things no one else could live through. Sure, Corbin pulled off a few upsets against creatures bigger and badder than her at times; but, never to the extent he could. If Charlie was trying to force them together, the woman had something to lose or to gain from their pairing.

While she loved Atris, there were just way too many things in her gut saying it'd be wrong to give a yes to this proposition. "No. My answer is no." She was now banking on the fact that Charlie would not kill Atris for she seems to be very enamored by him. Who wouldn't be? In exchange, the entity could kill her instead. "I'm human and, as such, I am frail. What use am I to him or to you? Unless you seek a vessel for something more insidious. I will not be that vessel for whatever it is you seek to grasp." Shifting her gaze to Atris. He'd recognize from the hard set of her jaw that Corbin's mind was made. Her only remaining hope was that he would live a long, healthy life after her passing. "So, do your worst, Hag. Kill me."

[Anti-Hero]

"Ya know, for being as important as you are you lack some serious sense." Charlie stopped and it was a sudden, unexplainable thing but Atris was gone. Charlie let go of Corbin and she seemingly began to float and face Charlie. "I'm not some kind of monster, I'm death, that's it. I could care less if humans live or die, but I do.." She waved her hands in circular motions gesturing to the world around her.."Balance? Sort of....Look the point is...oh my God I'm going to get in trouble for this." She sighed and floated back as though she were resting her center of force near her butt.

"Jesus fucking Christ, you're insufferable...Atris can't do what Atris is meant to do without the person who's meant to do the same thing. Do you think you being around him of all people and surviving this long was some kind of random course of events that just played out? No! You are as special as him. I could rip out your heart right now and keep you alive, because there are powers at play here. You're both being used, all be it for some greater good that is even beyond my understanding, but, that's aside from the point. You need to stop acting like such a bitch and say yes. There's more to this than just your stupid human world."

Charlie glared at Corbin while flipping her hand to show two 'Sands of time' glass bottles. She rested them in the air before her. "These are yours and Atris' this is how your time is measure, now watch." She sat there still as a stone while watching Corbin and the two bottles began to spin. "See?....Different."