Fallen Angel (The Crow)

Chapter 5: Firebird

After some time, they set out again, searching for the remaining two. Eventually they found who they were looking for outside a convenience store. Ashlyn and Eric watched, sticking to the shadows.

"So, what's the plan?" Ashlyn asked. "Or are we just going along with it as usual?"

"We'll need to get them away from here." Eric says, "After that, I can take care of it."

"I think I can help with that." Ashlyn says, moving closer before leaning against the wall, her face still hidden. She continued to observe, and gave a loud wolf whistle once she saw that T-Bird was alone, walking to his car.

"Who's there?" He asked, looking around.

"Over here, Hon." Ashlyn says flirtatiously, moving slightly so he could see her.

"That for me?" He asked.

"For the car. You drive fast?"

"As fast as needed."

"Why don't you give a girl a ride? Show me how fast it can go." Ashlyn teases, stepping closer.

"Ain't it a bit early for Halloween, Doll?" T-Bird asked once he saw Ashlyn's dark makeup.

"Never too early for this Angel." She replies.

While she was play flirting and distracting, Eric snuck inside the car, and was currently hiding in the backseat. Ashlyn and T-Bird then got in front, but then he started to get suspicious of the ravenette. His suspicion grew as a crow landed on the car. That was when Eric suddenly appeared, pointing a gun at T-Bird as he pulled out his own gun.

"What the fuck are you two supposed to be?" He asked, looking at Eric, then Ashlyn, and back to Eric.

"We're your passengers." Eric replied, taking T-Bird's gun out of his hand and handing it to Ashlyn, who pulled out a knife and held it to his throat.

"Now drive." She ordered.

T-Bird complied, starting the car and driving off as Ashlyn and Eric kept their weapons trained on him. The crow had also taken off and was flying behind them.

"What do you two want?" T-Bird asked, "Money? Drugs? I got it. We could use you two. You did Tin Tin. This is business right?"

Ashlyn didn't respond, and Eric just cocked his gun.

"Faster." He ordered.

The car began to pick up speed, drawing the attention of one or two police cars, which began to follow them, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

"Oh, look." T-Bird says, "Makin' us popular. When they flash us like that, they ain't friends."

Again, Ashlyn and Eric remained silent. Eric occasionally would look behind him to make sure they were still being followed.

"Look, if you two got something personal, we can work it out." T-Bird says "Right?"

'Oh, we really can't.' Ashlyn thought, smirking a little at this.

They soon lost the police cars, and Eric ordered T-Bird to stop when they reached a local pier. After that, he didn't waste time before getting to work.

"Wait right here and keep an eye on him." He tells Ashlyn.

"Will do." She replies.

Ashlyn watched as Eric found some bungee cords and duct tape and began binding T-Bird to the car. She also helped with it if needed, and soon, he was secure.

"Come on out." Eric says to her, and she exits the car, putting her knife away, as he questions T-Bird about himself and Shelly.

"Remember?" T-Bird replies, "Yeah, I remember everything. But I don't know what- what? Huh? What? What are you talkin' about? No, no, no, no, no. You mean that place downtown? Yeah, I remember her. We needed to put some fear into that little lady. She wasn't going along with out tenant relocation program. And her idiot boyfriend shows up and turns a simple sweep-and-clear into a total cluster fuck! Who gives a fuck! It's ancient history! Why? What do you want? What is it? What? Speak to me. Speak!"

During all this, Eric had found some explosives in the trunk and set the timers on some while pulling out a grenade, two lighters, and two bottles of flammable fluid. T-Bird then stopped and fully saw Eric's painted face, eyes growing wide with fear as he recognizes him. He then looks over at Ashlyn and grows even more panicked, mistaking her for Shelly.

"I know you two. I know you. I knew I knew you." He says, "I knew I knew you. But you two ain't you. You can't be you. We put you through the window. And you, you can't be you either. There ain't no coming back. This is the really real world. There ain't no coming back. We killed you both dead. There ain't no coming back."

"Aww, how cute." Ashlyn says as Eric uses one last roll of duct tape to strap T-Bird's head to the headrest of the driver's seat. "He thinks I'm her. Well sorry to disappoint, but you got the wrong girl. I'll still take that as a compliment, though."

Eric remained silent as he tossed the tape aside, pinned T-Bird's foot to the gas pedal, and pulled the pin on the grenade before tossing it in the car and setting the gears to 'drive.' He and Ashlyn then watched as the car sped off, the two giving a mock wave before the car exploded. Eric then tossed Ashlyn the extra lighter and the fluid and the two used it to leave a fiery crow on the ground, and a fiery broken halo next to it before walking away. Once they were a few blocks away, Ashlyn then noticed the faint light of sunrise start to appear.

"Oh, shit." She says, "We've been out all night?"

"It seems so." Eric replies.

"I should head back to my place. Get some sleep before doing this again tomorrow night, or I guess tonight. Should I expect that you'll still be out and about a day longer?"

"Most likely."

"Alright, I'll meet you at your place at nightfall." Ashlyn says before quickly making her way back home.