Our Mother the Mountain

10. Moreau's Crystal

Chapter Text

Reluctantly, Heisenberg moved from his position, sliding off the bed. Ethan was not too distracted to admire the older man's thighs and the dips and curves of his lower stomach as he, too, clambered upright and toward the window. Heisenberg paused behind him, kicking into some article of clothing on the ground. Another faint, faraway scream sounded.

The area by the window was cooler. Even though the walls and glass were insulated, he could now sense the temperature change. Looking out the window did nothing, however; the scant little building sites were faraway, dimly lit, and it was still snowing.

"Can you...tell who?" Karl's question almost seemed hesitant, a rarity, and Ethan turned to stare at him.

When it was clear that Ethan didn't understand, Karl winced while buckling his belt. "It was uh...somethin' she...could do. Did a lot." The sourness in his voice indicated that it was likely something Miranda did while torturing others, or at least delighting in their suffering.

It wasn't Ethan so much as it was the thing in his chest that stretched out, uncoiling-Ethan shook his head as if pulling cobwebs away, and then his eyes closed. He could sense vividly, he realized. It was similar to the way he could feel and speak to others, like Rose, like Eva. But now his reach seemed to be extending. Past the house, through the valley, winding by trees. He could sense Miranda, oddly enough....and her anger.

RIP HIM TO PIECES, THEN I SHALL TAKE WHAT IS MINE.

The screams were much closer, and now accompanied with what could only be the grunts and snarls of the reanimated lycans. Ethan's vision was foggy, but the freshly varnished wooden walls were unmistakable. As was the owner of the painful screams.

"Moreau," he said, opening his eyes abruptly, but just as abruptly, the Black God within him caused his vision to fade again. Ethan saw only darkness when his eyes changed. It spoke.

Shall we preserve him?

"I don't know what that means," Ethan snapped, "But yes...if you mean save him, yes!"

Silly of you, to not know your body's own defenses.

The Black God's meaning was made clear as Ethan felt a stiffening sensation all over his limbs. The same way he'd felt when Miranda pulled his heart out, and his hands more or less stopped working. Then his arms, then his legs. No, this wasn't him. He could flex his own fingers.

Somewhat in shock, he understood that the Black God was helping him control Moreau's body. He was calcifying rapidly. It had happened to Mia too, at the Bakers. It happened to all of the Lords. He would be safe, for a short period of time. Moreau's cries died out as his vocal chords hardened, and Miranda's snarl of a response indicated that at least, it worked.

WHAT IS THIS? WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Karl was calling his name, was shaking his shoulder. Ethan snapped back into his own body completely, then turned to the engineer. Karl looked perturbed. The blond moved past him, opening his dresser. "She's at Moreau's...she's trying to take the last crystal. I knew I should've just grabbed it."

Karl's eyebrow raise at this went unnoticed as Ethan hopped into a pair of jeans, and then pulled a hoodie over his head. As he stepped into warm winter boots, he decided, "You stay here, it's too far to go on foot."

"Stay–!"

"I need you to protect our-" Ethan, flustered, continued after a pause. Our ? "...uh...girls."