Needing is One Thing

Chapter 28. No easy love could ever make me feel the same.

"Lewis!" James' voice cut across the rooftop as he dropped down. Mika quickly backed away from Andrew, ran to James. Of course. Andrew glared as he watched them. James kept his eyes on the warlock, asked Mika if she was alright before moving in front of her.

You never really had me. Andrew drew in the dark energy, faced James with murder in his eyes.

This time, James didn't wait, didn't speak. James ran for him, dodging a blast of negative energy by rolling and coming up in a kneeling position. Andrew threw a ward up just before the spray of bullets could take him out at the knees. It had been close.

James pressed forward, jumping back up on his feet and moving into grappling range. Andrew's ward stopped demon and hell-borne magic attacks, but it wouldn't block a physical attack. If James stayed close, he could try and break any circles from being cast, could break contact if Andrew grabbed for him again. Andrew had caught him unaware the first time. That wouldn't happen again.

Andrew pulled up another volley of energy, but James stepped in. He dismissed one gun and snatched Andrew's left wrist, interrupting the spell as he brought the other gun up to the warlock's face. Andrew's eyes widened and he dropped to his knees just as James pulled the trigger. Andrew felt the bullet slice through his hair. James' eyes were grim, determined behind his glasses. He would not hesitate to kill Andrew, even though he could hear Mika yelling in the background. He vaguely heard his human name, almost didn't recognize it in his focus, and didn't want to. Andrew threw his right hand up in a block over his head as James pulled at his wrist again. This time the shot rang out through the air, James' eyes flashing with satisfaction as Andrew cried out, the bullet blasting through Andrew's right hand.

Andrew screamed, feeling the bones break as he was sprayed with his own blood. The pain was white hot, his sight blood red. Icy cold shock ran through him, stole his strength.

"Let's see if you can cast now." James snarled, letting him go and pistol whipping Andrew across the face. Andrew's head flew back with the blow before he curled over on his knees, cradling his hand against his chest. Blood pooled down around him. Andrew shook, gulping for air, trying to push past the pain. "That's a good position for you, Lewis. You may begin begging now. I might even let you live a little longer." James leveled the barrel at Andrew's forehead as the warlock looked up at the demon. Andrew felt the gun pressed up against him and realized it was over.

"Just do it." Andrew looked James straight in the eyes. "She'll finally see the real you." His gaze shifted past James towards Mika. She was running for them, calling for James to stop. Andrew met Mika's eyes, managed a shaky smile at the concern he saw, her concern for him.

James wouldn't look, he knew better. Instead, he lowered his gun. He saw the warlock's eyes shift back to him, a spark of triumph in them that James wouldn't kill him, that Mika was intervening on his behalf.

James put a bullet in Andrew's leg. "No more running, Lewis."

Andrew fell forward screaming as he clutched the wound and felt the bullet lodged in his femur, felt the hot pain sear through him. He had tried to hold out, tried to hold back, but the pain flared everything into bright colors. Andrew felt a surge, felt his body reaching for his hell magic even as his mind tried to fight it. His eyes flared red. He was dimly aware of James taking his attention away as Mika finally reached them, aware of her asking for his life when even he, himself, wouldn't.

"James, please," Mika pleaded. "He saved me once, let him go. Don't do this!"

"Even after all he's done..." James looked at her, the anger in his eyes cooling as he told himself to reason with her. "Mika, he's just going to keep coming. He nearly killed me; nearly killed Sam, and stole his powers. He doesn't deserve your pity. He's damned of his own accord. There is no good in him."