The Sokovian Shadow

Chapter 4

TW:
- The Reaper
- Implied/mentioned dehumanisation
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With a jolt, I was brought back to the present. The Grim Reaper was watching me with those empty eye sockets and muttering something under his breath. I realized my wings had forced themselves free to defend me. I concentrated, and they were a tattoo once again.

Phoenix? Are you there?

I'm here fledgling. I'm sorry. On the upside, he still doesn't know about your blood magic or soul fire. I managed to keep them under control. Celes responded reassuringly.

I gave a mental sigh of relief as I stood up. I was a strong fighter and extremely agile, but as far as the Grim Reaper and other Wraiths knew, none of the supposed powers of a Hybrid Wraith had manifested. I had made sure of that.

I didn't want to use my blood magic; it made me feel like a monster. And I sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone use my soul fire after how I got it. I shuddered at the thought, and Celes swept away the image of Oris Pyro's face sadly smiling as he died in my arms.

I struggled to my feet from my semi-curled-up position on the floor. I clasped my hands behind my back and winced as my shoulder blades protested at the movement. Celes felt my pain and made a note to start working on a way to make them easier to control, then took the slight ache onto herself so that I could concentrate on the Reaper.

'At ease,' he hissed, and I relaxed, my hands dropping to my sides as I shifted my weight onto my left leg. After a moment's hesitation, I let my wings out too. 'That wasn't the memory I was aiming for, but it works.

'You've seen what happens to Wraiths that fail, have you not?' I tried to convince myself that the chills running down my spine were from the Reaper being behind me, but I couldn't. As he circled back in front of me, my fears were confirmed.

'Yes sir. I know.'

'Then know that the only reason you're not one of them is that you had no control over those missiles.'

'I understand, sir.'

'Good. Then return to the Physical World. And do not fail again,' He threatened.

I bowed my head, then turned and walked towards the door furling my wings into my back as I went. As I closed the door behind me, I pulled my hood over my head and ran to the nearest full-length window. I pulled the window open and stepped onto the windowsill. I enjoyed the view of the Inter World for a moment, flicked down my third eyelid, then jumped off the ledge.

I could Celes in my mind practically backflipping with exhilaration as I went into free-fall. I wasn't worried. This was my favourite thing to do. I loved the thrill of falling through the air. I could do this at such speeds it felt as if my worries were being ripped away.

I noticed that I was getting rather close to the ground and levelled out. I narrowed my eyes and at the last possible second, I unfurled my wings, pulled out of the dive, and flew towards one of the portals between the Inter World and the Physical World. It would take me straight to Sokovia. Even if the other Wraiths knew about it, I was the only one who could reach it.

I spiraled up, then hovered in place as I looked down at the Inter World laid out beneath me like a map. I beat my wings slowly, hovering as I admired the view and how far I could see. It blew my mind that humans went their entire lives without seeing this. I spiraled into a slow ascent, the usual jerking feeling hitting me as I passed between the Inter World and the Physical World.

I glided slowly over Sokovia. It was day, so there was no need for hunting. Last night after Blake's death, I'd seen a gang of murders that I was going to take out tonight.

If Black Widow's ledger is red, mine is black. I commented

Don't say that. Your leger is clean because you kill evil people. Celes commented in my mind, trying to make me feel better.

I'm not saying it as a bad thing, little one. I was merely stating a fact. Also, Black Widow was forced to take the lives she took, does that clean her leger? I debated.

Celes was silent for a moment. I suppose not. As long as you don't let it weigh you down.

I've been trained too thoroughly to allow room for hesitation or regret. I pointed out, a hint of bitterness slipping into my mindvoice.

Alita. I smiled. Celes still insisted on calling me by my first name. Her excuse was that I was still the same to her. I rolled my eyes, feigning exasperation, but Celes saw right through it. I shook my head, smiling slightly; I loved her.

I shifted into my falcon form and gave Celes control. I admired the stunts Celes could pull. She practically danced through the air, spinning and flipping over an imaginary dance floor.

I merged my consciousness with hers and we dove, stopping short and spiralling back up, only to twist and fly upside down in the opposite direction. We flipped over and made a sharp right, flapping our wings hard to make the turn. We arched our back, hovering for a moment, then tucked in our wings and dived. We pulled up at the last minute and landed in our nest, where we settled down and slept, waiting for night.