Repentance

Chapter 4: Concealment Overseen

"They were just everywhere, Casey, every time I squinted it was like their abundance doubled, or tripled for that matter, whoever they were, they had numbers and weapons on their side, they came in fast and with a single objective in mind-"
"To kill you and the Horde," Casey finishes, watching as Kevin gives her a nod of agreement, using her phone flashlight to track and hold an ice pack to the large black bruise on the left side of his stomach, dark in contrast to the thick large scar on the right side of his stomach. "You mentioned they were wearing police uniforms, equipped with all matter of shit, I think those were the words you used."
"All matter of shit, indeed, I'm quite sure that part of my explanation was Hedwig speaking, I was and still am, exhausted from the ordeal, took a lot out of me, which I believed was impossible when I leave the Beast in charge, I also imagined that his 'near-invulnerability' would be a little more invulnerable," Kevin softly chuckles. "Apparently I was wrong, at least we didn't die, however, I bet I will wish I'd have died in the morning."
"They've really given you a number here," Casey whispers, applying a little more pressure on Kevin's wound, causing him to wince in pain. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts, it's going to for a while by the looks of it, Jesus Christ, what the fuck did they hit you with? I shot you twice point blank with a shotgun and it did minimal damage, but this? This almost went through your skin, if you weren't the Beast, Kevin, I'm quite sure the bullet would have split you in moiety."
"Thank god for the Beast's capabilities then, I like being, you know, whole," Kevin says, making an attempt of a jest, awkwardly laughing it off. "I'll take internal bruising over evisceration."

There's a moment of silence between, however, less extensive in contrast to their recent moments of silence, the silence filled mostly with the groans of Kevin's discomfort and pain, and the shooshing of Casey's soft voice, an almost angelic voice in Kevin's current perspective.
"So, I- I never saw you for a smoker, Casey," Kevin says, breaking the ice.
"I didn't start smoking until I began attending my new school, hanging out with my new group of friends, people that accepted me, and peopled that just happened to be smokers and or social smokers," Casey reveals, smirking a little as she glances at her packet of cigarettes. "The rest is history, as they say."
"I can't blame you, nor would I ever, the first thing I did, besides scream at the very top of my lungs, was considering taking up smoking after I took back the light, as well as other things, many other things."
"Many other things? Do I want to know, Kevin? Or would you rather save the details?"
"I considered putting a bullet through my skull, silencing myself and the Horde for good," Kevin says, causing to go silent, staring at him. "But the truth is I wouldn't just be committing suicide, I'd be taking the Horde with me, murdering them, so many of those precious lives inside of my mind, and I was just willing to murder them for the sake of my own peace. In some peculiar way, my people, my family, the Horde, saved my life, and the more I reminisced about it, I wasn't going to let Dennis down after everything he'd down for me, to gift me the light back. All of that is why I'm here, why I decided to change my perspective on myself, change my path of repentance, commit to the right way of going about it."

"Kevin, I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you, it's unfair and unjust, I just wish I was able to change your life for the better," Casey admits, slowly lifting the ice pack from his stomach before applying pressure with her bare hand. "Does that hurt?"
"No."
"It's beginning to numb down, if it begins hurting again, I'll fetch another ice pack, and it'll probably begin hurting again, eventually."
"So, um, what now?" Kevin urges, painfully slipping on the shirt Casey had fetched from her foster dad's wardrobe. "Do you want me to go?"
"So you can get shot at again? No, Kevin, you're not going anywhere, you can sleep here for the night, the door is locked and my parents normally knock and are very patient people, luckily for us, so they'll give us plenty of awareness."
"Casey, you don't have to do that-"
"Kevin Wendell Crumb, for fuck sake, shoosh and accept, it will take you far in life," Casey giggles, watching as Kevin clutches onto one of her pillows. "I don't know where you'll sleep, though."
"I'm happy on the floor, trust me, I've- I've slept on worst surfaces."
"I don't even want to know," Casey admits, slowly finding herself onto her queen-sized mattress. "Do you mind getting the light."
"The light's already off?" Kevin puzzles, almost finding himself comfortable before hearing her voice.
"No, not the bedroom light," Casey says, shifting her position slightly before flicking on a much smaller and less bright light; a night light. "I'm sorry if this will make sleep difficult for you, I just- I can't sleep without one on, it soothes me."
"It's okay, Casey, I get it, completely," Kevin says, accepting and understanding the idea. Kevin normally appreciates the darkness, the comfort it brings knowing the danger light brings to him and the Horde, however with a night resulting like this, he would prefer if he could see what was coming at him this time, rather than simply hearing what's coming. After staring Kevin for a short moment, Casey swears she can almost make out a small smile formed on Kevin's mouth, illuminating from the brightness of the night light, the sight is cute, her mind has decided, an adorable sight indeed. A couple minutes of silence pass, a short couple minutes for the exhausted Kevin, a not so short couple minutes for the not so exhausted Casey.
"Kevin?"
"Yes?"
"Do you mind- um- well, do you mind sleeping next to me? There's plenty of room left on my bed, I- I think I'll be having a difficult time falling asleep tonight and maybe, I'm thinking, perhaps some comfort will help? It's okay if you don't want to, I was just-" Casey proposes, not needing to say any more than she has, interrupted when she begins detecting Kevin as he slips into her bed at a slow and comfortable pace for, unmistakably making sure to not to move or act like the Beast, knowing that it would scare her. Instead, he slips in beside her, sliding his arm towards the underside of her body before stopping altogether, seemingly asking her permission before Casey rises her body slightly, allowing his arm to slip completely under her. The result is finally embracing her in a warm, happy and comfortable position. "Thank you, Kevin."
"Of course, Casey, of course."
Allowing both of them to fall asleep peacefully.

A booming knock on the door causes Casey to shoot awake, her eyes gazing around her room in swift succession, looking for Kevin but he's nowhere to be seen; a sight both terrible and blessing, right as her foster mother, Isabelle Janice, opens the door to the room.
"What did me and Jeff ask of you, Casey?" Isabelle asks, her tone not showing any signs of irritation, but rather, solicitude. "Please, when we knock, answer the door, but now that I see you're okay and just sleeping in, I'll let it go. Besides, you're probably going to be late for school, no time to get cross with you, Casey."
"I'm sorry, Isabelle, I just had a crazy night," Casey admits, watching as her foster mother lets out a giggle before a final smirk.
"Come on, I've made you and the kids some pancakes, I'll be driving the kids to school but I organised a cab for you."
"I'll be down in a few minutes, just need to, you know, fix my hair and such," Casey replies, watching Isabelle raise an eyebrow cheekily.
"I'll give you some privacy then, but don't take too long or the kids will eat all of the pancakes, as they do," Isabelle says as she begins walking down the stairs. "I don't want you being later to school."
"I won't be, Isabelle, I promise," Casey scoffs, letting out a short shriek before closing the door. "That was lucky, I can only imagine if Kevin was still here."
"Um, I am," Kevin says faintly, the sudden emergence of his voice causing Casey to jump, her feet thudding hard the ground. "Jeez, they'll fucking hear you."
"Woah, Kevin Crumb actually cursed, now it's my turn, how in the blue fuck did you manage to squeeze underneath my bed?" Casey inquiries, watching as his instantly slides from beneath the bed and back into the open space of her room. "I just don't understand how someone of your size could fit in such a small space."
"I just imagined how much explaining the alternative would involve, so I thought I would save us the effort," Kevin chuckles, raising his shirt to see that the blackened bruise is even darker than it was last night. "Well, you were right, it hurts worse than it did last night, but I'm okay, you've given me worse."
"Oh, have I now?" Casey questions further.

"This is just bruising, you, Casey Cooke, left scarring, that's more than what I can for anyone else," Kevin sighs, staring down at the ground. "I shouldn't joke about that topic, you shooting me, I was trying to kill you-"
"No, the Beast was trying to kill me, you, Kevin, you did none of that! Hey! Look at me," Casey says angrily, placing one hand on his arm and the other on his face. "You listen to me, Kevin Wendell Crumb, you're nothing like the Beast, okay? You're a kind, caring, loving and loyal, but you're a broken man too, a man trying to put the pieces back together, and I want to help you, Kevin, as much as I can, before you turn yourself into the police. I want to be by your side until then Now, will you just shut up and accept that? Please?"
"Yes, Casey, I will shut up and accept your place by my side."
"Your promise?"
"I promise, Casey," Kevin smiles, watching as Casey places a small kiss on his cheek, the feeling making him smile once more; Casey seems to have that effect on him, and he appreciates it. "I was thinking after school today, we could go for another walk again? Along the river, maybe, or somewhere else? If it's safe enough, of course, we don't know where those people could be, and I don't feel like being shot at again tonight. It's just, the night is really the only time I get to walk freely around, nobody can see in the dark-"

"I'd like that, I really would," Casey agrees, suddenly hearing her phone vibrating on her bedside table, before grabbing onto it and answering. Kevin watches as Casey greets the UNKNOWN Caller, her facial expression showing curiousity but otherwise, Kevin can tell she's finding the conversation tedious, until her face begins fading of colour, her eyes meeting Kevin's once more. "It's for you."
"What?" He asks, taking the phone from Casey and applying it to her ear. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Kevin Wendell Crumb, it's taking me a long three weeks to track you down, but the combination of last night's overheard gunfire and me witnessing your escape led to the inevitability of me finding you, the time has come for you to be stopped, Kevin. You're sick, you need help, you need to be stopped for good, whether or not that means either of us have to die is completely up to you, I'm not scared of killing you or dying, what I'm scared of is what will happen if you continue your reign on the streets, that is where I come in. I know where you're hiding, and if you do not surrender yourself, and or face me, I will send a police squadron right to the door of your concealer, and I'm sure that's the last thing you want whoever you're hiding with to experience that. What's your choice, Kevin? Do the right thing here, please, I beg you."
"If it's in your best interest, I planned on doing right in the first place, to surrender myself to the authorities, and you will know soon enough that I am telling the truth, sir. I want a name and address, and you will see me tonight at nine PM. There's no reason for this to become violent."
"Industrial district, Route 137, the first place you hid after the murders at the zoo, the first place I caught on your scent. As for the name, you'll call me the Overseer."