The Time

Chapter six

"I need to go back to my apartment. Pick up a few things." I informed my companion.
Stitch's house was far behind us now and I knew he wouldn't hold any grudges for us ditching him - although he might be a little sad at the loss of a couple of spleens.

"What if Velvet's men are still there?" Destiny questioned, worried.
"They won't be; they'll be too busy looking for you."
"Reassuring." He muttered.
"How did you get involved with Velvet anyway?"
"It's - I - I don't want to - I-"
"You don't want to talk about it." I finished for him.
Destiny nodded.
"Well tough nuts kid, what you know might save my life." I replied bluntly.
He took a breath before saying "I'm immortal."
Oh fuck. What have I gotten myself into? But before I could ask, voices bloomed up ahead.
Shoving Destiny down a deserted alley, we hid behind a huge green dumpster, preparing for attack at any moment. Putting my finger to my lips as a hint for Destiny to shut the fuck up, I picked up Lion and held her close, making sure she didn't growl. And then we listened...

The alley finished in a dead end and the buildings on either side were a dark grimy blue. The floor beneath us was dirt track like all the roads in the city. It felt like the only tarmac left was on the motorways out of town. And of course London; the home of Velvet.

"Which way now?" A commanding voice spoke from the main road we'd just been standing on.
"I'm not sure. I think I saw the kid go down there." It was guy 1.
"You think you saw him go down there? YOU THINK?" The commanding voice growled. "You lost them didn't you? You. Lost. Them. Jesus... What Velvet is going to do to you... It's nothing compared to what I'll do if I don't find him." Pause. "In fact!"
A gurgle. A cry. A heartbeat forever stopped.
The owner of the commanding voice... They'd just killed guy 1. And I recognized that voice. Of course I did! His name was Exodus Thorn and he was Velvet's bounty hunter.
Oh, and on top of that, he was trying to find Destiny.

The crunch of feet getting closer drew me from my thoughts and I felt my heart rumble so loud I was sure it would give our location away. On top of that, Destiny's breathing was growing thicker.

A shadow appeared at the end of the alley and I was powerless. Even without a hole in my side, I knew going against him was potential suicide. He'd killed me several times before.  But to be fair to myself, I'd killed him many times too. We were enemies, nemesises, arch-enemies.

Wrapping an arm round Destiny, I whispered in his ear "Trust me." Before hand him Lion and strutting off to meet my future.
"Ace." Thorn smirked, stopping at the sight of me, unable to see Destiny.
"X." I grinned in response.
"Still ready to die?" He queried rhetorically.
"Still a cocky dick?"
"I take it that's a yes." He ignored my words.
"I take it you're here for the kid."
"Destiny? You know where she is?"
"Escaped. I tried to help. Kid wouldn't let me. Destinys gone."
"I guess I can't use you then." He shrugged before pulling his gun from his thigh and firing all in one swift movement.
The last thing I heard was a muffled sob from Destiny, a tiny whine from Lion and a snappy remark of "Tooduloo old friend." From Thorn as he crunched away.

***

When I respawned, Exodus was gone. My puppy wasn't though and she sat there licking my face until my breath returned to my body and I sat up with a gasp.
"Ace?" Destiny questioned, palming tears from his face with an ungraceful sniff.
"Last time I checked." I retorted, rubbing my head.
"Are you alright?" He questioned, stepping closer until he blocked out the sun which threatened to blind me with its glittering death rays of white and gold.
"No, I'm half left." I corrected with a shit-eating grin before taking Destiny's hand and pulling myself up.
The bullet wound in my side was gone now and so was the one Exodus had put in my neck. That's one of the few benefits of respawning; when you return, you come back at full health. Not many people risk it though. You never know when your next death will be your last.

"Hey Des," I started suddenly. "Why did X call you 'she'?"
His face went bright red and a new look of hurt entered his eyes.
"It doesn't matter." I told him quickly, walking again, realizing I'd struck a nerve. "There's more important things I need to know. Like what do you mean you're 'immortal'?"
"I-I can't die." He stuttered, silently thanking me for letting the subject drop.
"And that's why Velvet's after you?"
He nodded.
"So how come you can't die? You eat too many magic shrooms? Take up cannibalism?" I paused before whispering "Sold you soul?"
"I wish." Destiny shook his head. "In all honesty, I'm just a glitch. There's no reason for it, I just am."
"How do you know?  I mean, you could have just not been killed yet or-"
"No, I've died before, except I haven't died. You know Velvet has a thing which can tell you when people are going to die for the final time?"
I nodded. I knew all too well.
"Well," He continued. "I don't have a date. Velvet thought it was just a mistake with the machine, not a mistake with me. So he tested it. I have died more times than you can count. More times than you can imagine! But the machine always said the same thing."
"Jeez..." I let out a breath. "How did you get away?"
"Stole a car." He replied bluntly.
"And how did they find you?"
An embarrassed pause. "I can't drive."
I laughed. This poor kid of what, 15? 16? Forced to steal a car in a world where the closest thing he would have got to practice was screaming at GTA in a voice greatly resembling a hormonal Morgan Freeman.
Chuckling, I smiled "Let's get back to the apartment."