Hellsfire

Chapter Fifteen

Shep immediately steps away, slowly at first but then backs away faster until he hits the wall and it starts to truly dawn on him.

"I'm-" Levi chokes out. "I'm sorry."

All the anger he'd felt immediately disappears as he watches Shep. He wants to go over and tell Shep it's alright, they're safe, no one's going to get hurt, but he can't do that for Shep now. This time it's his fault.

In a way, this is worse. He'd hoped Shep would be angry and just fight him like angels do but he's not angry, he's hurt and scared and confused.

Shep doesn't do anything but stare at Levi, and Levi doesn't know what to do about it.

"Why?"

"I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want this to happen." His hands grip the carpet around him, and his magic leaks out into the threads, lighting them up in a blaze.

"Just- leave me alone."

Shep turns to leave but a door slams shut and Chad comes strolling in, because Levi definitely needed someone else to come and make the situation worse.

"Sup, my dudes," says Chad. "Who's ready for a little bit of murder?"

Both Levi and Shep shoot a glare at Chad.

"Bad timing?"

"Yes!" Levi shouts, and fire shoots towards Chad until Levi sees the fear in Shep's eyes again. The flames die down and Levi pushes himself backward into the wall.

This is his fault, and there's nothing he can do about it. Shep is lost and scared and all Levi wants to do is to run over and help him and comfort him but at the same time that would make things worse. Because Shep feels that way because of him. It's his fault that Shep is scared and lost.

If Shep just outright started shouting or trying to murder him, Levi could just run or project his anger onto Shep and the angels and move on. But now Shep is confused and there's nothing Levi can do about it. Instead of anger he's just feeling this horrible sick feeling that makes him want to die. Shep isn't trying to kill him, Shep is the one that's trying to run and Levi didn't want it to be this way.

Chad doesn't care. He steps toward Levi. "Y'know, I spent a lot of time wondering why Bantam hated you so much. She spent a whole lot of time getting angry about you. And scheming and shit. Who knows? I'm just glad that I'm the one that gets to finish the job."

Levi's gaze is fixed on Chad but he sees Shep flinch in the corner of his eyes.

"Unless, ya know, Shep wants to do it, 'cause I'm all for that, brah."

"What?" Shep holds his arms close to his body and shakes his head vigorously. "N-no."

"No?" Chad laughs. "That's a demon, Shep. You know the rules."

"But-"

Chad throws a knife to Shep. Shep barely catches it, hands shaking.

"You know, if you can do it we can forget everything. We can leave it all behind us, you'll be famous, everyone will love you. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"That's..." Shep looks at the knife and then at Levi. Over and over again. "I can't."

"Alright." Chad shrugs. "Your loss." Chad grabs the knife from Shep and pushes him backward, then advances on Levi again.

Chad stabs at Levi, but Levi scrambles up just in time to avoid getting hit. Levi presses himself to the wall, trying to get away from the knife but Chad wraps a hand around his neck.