Renegade Reborn

Part 6

Ren circled the cage, waiting. Ethan did the same, and then suddenly leaped at Ren, one hand guarding his head while the other plowed into Ren's side. Ren didn't bother dodging; he knew what would come next. Ethan's fist had no effect on Ren, unable to even brush his skin, but Ethan himself doubled over, choking. Almost leisurely, Ren raised one fist and brought it down between the young man's shoulderblades.

There was a muffled crack and Ethan crumpled to his knees, his forehead down on the mat. "No more," he gasped weakly. The spectators were absolutely silent as Ren calmly walked to the side and climbed down out of the cage. Ethan remained curled up on the floor as Ren switched his shorts to black jeans with a gesture and slipped on his boots and then dissolved his leather jacket to wisps of shadow with a glance.

The crowd was very quick to split for him as Ren walked over to Mr. Alexander. "Finished with that part," Ren remarked. "What's next in the testing gamut? Or is that it?"

"I believe that's all," Mr. Alexander responded drily.

Ren nodded curtly and handed the small man a card that hadn't existed a moment before- heavy cream parchment, engraved with sharp black script. "Contact me when I'm needed," he said, and, to the watchers' amazement, disappeared in a whirl of shadows.

Ren solidified in the Gibborim's hospital wing. Originally, its wards had been strong enough that no one could teleport into the Gibborim compound. After Ren's latest power boost, though, he found he could penetrate the barrier just fine. White-clad people bustling around gave him only a quick glance before they hurried on. If an immortal's injuries were serious enough that they needed the hospital wing, then round-the-clock care was a must. After most of the demons had been sent back to Hell at Armageddon several months ago, the Gibborim didn't have much to fight. But not all the demons had joined Satan's army, and not all of those forbearers had been weak. Out of the twenty-six patients, though, Ren was only here for one.

Ren strode purposefully down the sloping corridor. Shouldering his way through doors and stalking down corridors, he followed the path stuck in his mind because he'd been down it so many times. He zigzagged down the stairway, avoiding orderlies, and turned down a hallway, following it to the door at the end. He already knew what the sign said as he passed it and pushed through the door- "Intensive Care Unit." Nurses glanced up as he passed and then continued with their work. He had visited enough times recently that they knew why he was here. Ren walked down the long hallway and finally stopped at one of the rooms on the right. Room 26. He leaned his forehead against the window large enough to be half a wall next to the door and stared at the figure on the hospital bed in the room.

Ally's dark hair was still in its practical braid, tucked over her right shoulder. Her skin, once bronzed like his, was pale and wan, and her face was drawn. Monitors recorded everything- heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity. Even under the sheets and gown, Ren could see the shapes of bandages wrapped around the young woman's body. His shoulders hunched when he saw that some things still hadn't changed. Oh, COBRA had saved her, sure. She was still alive because of that group. But she had retreated into a coma to heal and recuperate, and the immortal body's self-inflicted coma could last for any length of time. Barring violence, Ally was, after all, immortal. Time didn't have much meaning to her consciousness.

Ally was alive, and that much Ren was thankful for. Her chest still rose and fell with shallow breaths, her heart still beat. Ren was overcome with sadness as he stood there watching his daughter. I failed her, he thought, his head hanging in shame. I couldn't protect her. With one last long look at his child, Ren turned away and vanished.