Chapter 344: Someone Has To
Laz just left and didn’t say any more. After they had walked out the door, War couldn’t help but smile while Death just asked,
"Are you sure that was wise?"
"No. I’m not. But..." Laz said, glancing back at the door while walking down the bloody hallway.
"I do think it’s important that they understand their best choice of survival would be to come with us. They also need to understand that right now, they only have stories and news reports to make them afraid. But that kind of fear makes them want to lash out at it. The one who pulled the trigger just happened to be aiming at me this time. Who is to say that it won’t be at some poor kid the next time... or even an innocent. Once you have let the fear take hold, you’re willing to do anything. At least now, they will think twice about it," Laz said with a sad and mocking smile on his face. He didn’t want to act like the bad guy, but since he was already considered the bad guy, why should it matter if he played the role they wanted him to play?
"Do you think they will come with us?" Death then asked, lost in thought.
Laz didn’t answer. He didn’t know. But somehow he felt that the ones who did would be the only ones worth saving anyway.
At this moment inside the room, everyone was still in shock. The first one to come out of it though was Lyssa. Obviously she was planning on following Laz. She was just shocked by his overbearing behavior. It was hard for her to see him this way since all of their interactions seemed to indicate he was a normally kind and gentle person. Even when she had woken up in bed next to him without clothes on, he hadn’t done anything lewd, instead he was embarrassed and ran out the first chance he got. Sure, she had gotten a shock when he had killed the fox demon and she had seen him covered in blood after having massacred the beasts trying to break down the door, but that just painted him in the light of a hero.
It was only now after seeing him take a man’s life like it was nothing that Lyssa understood one very plain fact: she didn’t understand Laz at all. He had way more sides to him than she could even begin to understand. And while it was a little scary, Lyssa also found herself excited.
"Come on guys," Lyssa said, turning around and making her way to the door. Although her bandmates ended up sharing a look, they then followed along. While it took an additional moment for Manager May to make up her mind, she just sighed and followed them as well. She knew in her heart that this man really was their best chance at survival.
As for Mike, Jason, Stevo and Warren, they could only shake their heads and follow along too. While they didn’t think this was a good idea, they also felt like their buddy wouldn’t do anything to harm them. Basically, they trusted him, far more than anyone else in the room.
A few others, seeing this all happen, decided to follow along too, but were stopped by the ones who had confronted Laz earlier.
"Are you really going to trust that monster?" They were asked, almost at the level of a shout.
Those who were going to follow stopped at this question and looked at the floor, unable to answer. They were impressed by the man covered in blood just now, a clear indication of his strength. As opposed to waiting here for death to come claim them, they felt it was better to follow thinking that others would too. In the end though, the group only consisted of eight people, compared to the other forty something who made no move to follow.
Two of the ones in this group were friends and fans of Mike, Jason and Stevo’s shows and they felt that following them really was the best option. So even after stopping with the group for a moment, they still raised their heads and marched forward, leaving the other six idling behind.
"Fine. Go and die. See if I care. But don’t you dare come back here and beg to be let back in. Anyone who follows that madman is no longer welcome here," the security guard said, the last remaining member of his unit. At this moment, he was feeling rather powerful considering that before Laz came along, everyone was listening to him and following his orders. Now, seeing people leave made him feel like his little kingdom was crumbling. And besides which, he had really wanted more people to use as meat shields in the event they got attacked again. The more bodies in the room, the more likely he would survive.
’Whatever. Those two don’t even have weapons. Minus the three taken by those ungrateful assholes and that bitch, we still have more than enough to defend ourselves. Although the ammo is pretty low...’ the guard thought while ordering others to move obstacles back into place.
Later on, when things had settled down, the only thing that was found in that room when the army searched for survivors was a bunch of mashed and broken bones along with tons of dried blood everywhere. More then one member of the rescue team ended up throwing up at the sights, the smells and the horrible fact that there wasn’t a scrap of flesh in sight.
As Laz waited briefly by the door, Lyssa, her bandmates and manager along with Warren, Mike, Stevo and Jason showed up, quickly followed by two others.
"You all came?" Laz said with a rare smile.
"If i’m going to trust someone to get my ass out of this alive, it’s going to be your evil ass. But honestly dude, you wasted that guy like it was nothing... I mean... have you killed others before?" Mike said, taking deep breathes to settle down his racing heart.
Everyone else besides Death and War were listening closely to his answer.
"Do you really want to know the truth?" Laz said as his smile changed to a half smile.
"Uh..." Mike just realized that this probably wasn’t the best question to ask.
"Yes. I have. Not many... all things considered, but yes," Laz answered back honestly.
"Not many?" This time Lyssa asked the question. She had seen more of Laz’s ability than the others, but only what was directed towards the demon beasts. It have never occurred to her that Laz had also killed people.
"Not many can mean many things to different people," Manager May said, voicing her own thought.
"You’re right. It can. And it leaves a mark on you. A stench that is hard to erase. I can tell that you have also killed a lot. No, don’t ask me how I know, I just do. Even if it was with a gun and from a distance, it still leaves its trace. It’s not the scent of blood like people would say in a cheesy fantasy novel or something, it’s more like a trace of anger and unjustness from their soul," Laz explained, making Manager May step back like she had seen a ghost. Her past record, even if she told people she used to be in the armed forces, was a secret from everyone. There was no way he could have known.
’Unless he really does see something... but that’s impossible... isn’t it?’ Manager May asked herself, but understood that it really might be. What these people can do defies all logic in the first place so who could say what was really out of their abilities.
"Woah bro... That’s some deep stuff, isn’t it?" Jason asked, wondering if he friends head was alright to be talking so casually about killing people. He was honestly having trouble keeping up.
"Anyway, enough about that. I can’t bring you out of here just yet since there are so many beasts running around, but being surrounded by so many people will only attract them faster, hence why I asked you all to leave with me," Laz said, not hiding his thoughts.
"So then what..."
"I’m going to take you all to the private pool house and lock you in there until things out here are cleared. That will be the best way to survive," Laz said, trying to sound reassuring.
"So from one brick structure to the next eh? Doesn’t sound like you’re seriously intent on saving us," Mila pouted.
"She’s got a point you know? Isn’t it better to let them figure it out themselves?" War suggested with an evil grin. Although Laz might be trying to help these people who he considers friends, to Death, War and their sisters, these people are nothing more than future enemies. All of them Except maybe Lyssa. Perhaps the evaluation is flawed, but they have never seen anyone other then themselves and now Laz as someone they care about. So for them, what did it matter if they lived or died?
"Isn’t that just killing us then?" Manager May asked while Lyssa’s bandmates looked rather scared. As opposed to them, Lyssa didn’t speak up or say anything. While she has been feeling like she doesn’t understand or know Laz in the least, she does feel like he is an honorable person and wouldn’t turn his back on those he considers friends. And while her bandmates might not really qualify for that title, the other guys with him definitely do.
"Don’t worry. Dean wouldn’t do that," Jason said as Stevo agreed with him.
"His name is actually Laz and no. He wouldn’t," Mike corrected and then agreed. He had known Laz the longest after all and even if somethings about him had become completely foreign, his nature has not.
"You’re right. But you can’t be with me where I am going to go," Laz said, giving the girls and their manager a smile.
"And where is that?" Lyssa asked before anyone else could.
"To kill all the beasts attacking this place!"
"You can’t!"
"Master NO!"
Death and War’s responses came quickly.
"Why not?" Laz asked, a warm smile on his face.
"Why you? If they survive long enough until tomorrow, isn’t the army suppose to arrive? Or the national guard or whatever?" Death asked, wondering why he was being so stupid as to put his life on the line for these people.
Laz knew why she was asking. And he also knew that she could not accept his reason, not after everything they had gone through in their lives. Maybe the girl’s bodies had been healed, but that wasn’t going to change their twisted personalities any time soon.
Instead of trying to explain it to Death, Laz just walked up to her and put his palms against her cheek before drawing her head in close to his own until their foreheads touched.
"Do you trust me?" Laz asked, his voice silky sweet.
"Yes," Death replied with a murmur, not every having expected this kind of treatment from anyone.
"Then will you follow me?"
"Yes." Death knew that no matter what, she would follow this man into the gates of hell and simply laugh as she burned in flames. Her feelings towards him were ones of obsession mixed with fanaticism. All of the sisters felt that way about him. Perhaps others would never understand, but he had saved them from one living hell already. And that kind of gratitude wasn’t something that could be put into words.
As he finished speaking, he released Death’s cheeks and backed away a step, just as Famine and Pestilence arrived, wondering what was going on and what they missed.
"Good. Everyone is here. Let’s get to the pool," Laz said as the others grasped at seeing the two other stunning beauties show up. It was crazy to think that Death and War, already perfect in beauty and proportions existed. But to think that there were two more as well was almost too much for the guys, Manager May and Lyssa’s bandmates to take.
Before they got moving though, Mike stopped Laz and asked,
"Seriously though bro, why are you going to do this? Why save us? I never believed what they said on the news about people like you... the infected. But I mean... I don’t know.. I mean you’re you but not you at the same time. Bud, you’re a wanted criminal just by being what you are. Why are you going to run off and act like some kind of hero? Can’t you just stay with us? Then escape before anyone catches you. No one here will turn you in, except maybe those two. But they can be silenced if need be..." The last part was said in a whisper, just so that Laz could hear and the two tag-a-longs did not.
"You’re right. I’m no hero. And if I get caught, there is a laundry list of things they will want to kill me for, far more than you know. But when it comes to it, I can’t betray who I am. You guys... well, you’ve been my bros for over a year now when I didn’t have anything or anyone. And I’m not about to throw that away just to save my own ass. I made a promise a long time ago that I would never let someone I care about die in front of me every again. And I know that before the night is over, everyone in this club will be dead and they will come for us. So to keep you safe, this is the only way," Laz finished up, the rain hiding the tears he was shedding when thinking about his ’big sis.’
"Short answer though, as to why I have to go fight these things? It’s cause someone has to. And I just happen to be here."
