Biblical-Sequel to TMIAA (Frerard)

27: With A Screech And A Smile

Gerard flew back and forth anxiously, his eyes never leaving the last place he had seen Frank before he had disappeared inside the mouth of the Leviathan. Frank had only been absent for a minute at most, but Gerard was terrified that something had gone wrong already.

What if Frank had gotten hurt, or his blow had been misplaced and it hadn't affected the creature at all? He could be dying at this very moment, waiting for Gerard to come rescue him while he hovered out here oblivious to his husband's distress.

Gerard was tempted to make his way past the jagged row of teeth which were blocking his view of Frank to see if his mental hypothesis had been correct, but Frank had been very firm about him waiting until he was sure the Leviathan was dead before he attempted to retrieve him, and that hadn't happened yet. The beast was still as alert as ever, its scaled body making its way through the shallow waters as it attempted to escape the winged beings that were continuing to harass it.

Gerard noticed that most of the angels surrounding him had pulled back once Frank had made his way into the Leviathan's mouth, most likely because of a mental message that Gerard hadn't received because of his different species. He didn't recognize anyone near him except Billie Joe who was hovering to his right with a nervous look on his face, and he silently prayed that all of his friends were still alive and well.

"Is Frank okay? Has he said anything?" Gerard asked Billie when another thirty seconds had passed, his anxiety climbing higher with each metaphorical tick of the clock. Gerard knew if he didn't distract himself soon, he would tear after Frank without a second thought, so he hoped that carrying on a conversation with Billie would help ease his worries for the time being.

"He hasn't communicated with us yet, but he's alive," Billie Joe answered, and Gerard couldn't tell if the choked quality to his tone meant that he knew something that Gerard didn't or if it was simply a byproduct of the fear that Gerard could feel emanating from both of them in palpable waves.

Gerard briefly considered questioning Billie Joe further, because he was aware that he had powers that other angels didn't possess, including the ability to see if one of his brethren were destined to die soon, but he honestly didn't want to receive an answer to his queries, especially not if they ended up being negative.

Gerard flew slightly closer to the beast instead, wanting to be able to get to Frank as quickly as possible when the moment came. He was so on edge it was as if his bones were physically vibrating, everything else had faded away besides his concern for Frank, including the dull ache in his hands that still hadn't been tended to, but Gerard didn't want to bother Billie with his minor injury when he would need all of his strength to heal Frank very soon.

Just when Gerard thought his skin was about to split open under the pressure of the nervous energy that was coursing through his veins, the Leviathan threw its head back violently, an earth-shattering cry escaping from its throat seconds afterward, the thunderous sound emitting so loudly that Gerard swore it was audible miles away from their location.

Gerard's breath caught in his throat as the screeching died out, his eyes locking with Billie Joe who nodded in confirmation, even though Gerard already knew that Frank had succeeded. The creature was obviously seriously wounded, its eyes had fallen closed and it seemed to be sinking back down into the churning waves bit by bit instead of advancing like it had been previously.

"Is it dead?" Gerard yelled out loudly, having to project his voice to hear himself over the harsh ringing that was filling his ears.

"I don't know...I think so," Billie Joe answered, his face going blank for a moment before he returned his attention back to Gerard. "You need to go now - Frank is calling for you," Billie announced hurriedly, "I'll be at the shore with the other healers, bring him there."