Evil Dead

*He checks to see that no one is around, then socks Grimm right in the face.*

<What do you take us for, idiots? We know you started it.>

*He then kicks him while he's down.*

<While we like initiative, your job is to guard the church--which you happen to be nowhere NEAR!>

*He kicks him again.*
===================================
L"What? Where is he? Why would he do that?"

T"I'm going to guess 'in hiding' & 'because he tried to shoot us.'"

*Thiera answers her phone.*

T"...Nero? Where are you? ...Got lost in the crowd? Yes, there was, that creepy priest is still alive & he tried to shoot us. No, we haven't found anyone else. We were planning to go to the station to talk to Officer Jane, but now I'm not so sure."

"I didn't start it you bastard!" Grimm spat, raising his forearms to keep any kicks from catching him in the face. "I was going back to the church- the boy ought to be there by now! And that really isn't my gun!"

Astarte went down onto her knees next to Eve, holding her hand limply and dropped her head down like she had fallen asleep.

Eve:<Tirea called me, so at least she's alive. That also sums up about what happened.>

*She looks down at Astarte*

<Astarte?>
===
*Tirea dials Lilith's number next*

*Lilith digs out her phone.*

L"Looks like she's trying to call me next. Hello?"
=========================
<We know. You stole it. We watched.>

"And was it wrong of me to try and gather tools to defend the church with?" Grimm demanded.

Astarte mumbled something unintelligible and started rubbing one of his eyes with the heel of her palm.

Tirea:<Lilith, is that you? I just called Eve and heard a gunshot! Are you all alright?>

Azuma: "Who's all with them?"

L"That crazy priest is still around, & he tried to shoot us. We're fine, we're actually looking for the rest of you. Oh, & one other thing: Stefan's back from the dead."
=====================================
<As long as you stick to guarding the church, we don't care what you do. When you start picking unnecessary fights in the street, you just make a mess for us.>

{Yeah, he stabbed me. Who all is with you? Azuma's here with me, but that's all.}

"Well maybe if you watched a little closer you would have seen that I didn't throw the first hits, and I didn't expect them to fly off the handle like that," Grimm grumbled. "If you were such keen observers why didn't you step in and keep the mess from getting worse?"

L"Yeah, they told us they attacked you. Nevermind us, that's too long to go into right now. Where are Euryale, Mimiru, & Cameron?"

*Meanwhile, Taiyo's phone buzzes.*
=================================
R"Because that is not what I told them to do."

*The cop looks up to see that Roatha has just kind of appeared in the alleyway. He frowns.*

Cop<You're--Ira, aren't you? How did you get here?>

R"There are certain perks to being me."

*He glares down at Grimm.*

R"And certain disadvantages to being YOU. I had to cut my fun with the sodomites short just to come take care of you, you know that? But you don't care about MY problems, do you? You know what you are: Selfish. I like that. So maybe there's hope for you yet. Maybe I won't make you take their place after all."

Grimm stared at Ira without saying anything, but did pick himself up into a less undignified position.

Taiyo: "Euryale and Mimiru are missing....?"

She looks at her phone.

Tirea:<Not sure, haven't seen them. We hoped they were with you. But... Cameron's phone is out if service...and Eduj's still missing.>

*She looks at Azuma*

<Cameron, Euryale, Eduj, and Mimiru are missing.>
===
*Eve tries to help Astarte up*

*Taiyo has received a message from Euryale. Assuming she opens it, it displays a video of Euryale lying face-up on a gurney. A foot then shoves the gurney into a furnace, a crematorium. The camera pans over to what looks like a couple of faintly moving bloody sacks, which meet the same end. The clip plays a brief flash of Aroma & Sab tied to chairs & gagged as bleach, a power drill, & a battery with jumper cables attached to it are set on a table in the foreground.*

R"I guess nothing lasts forever. My only regret is not being able to save the others. They didn't even get to join in the fun."

*As he speaks, the video changes to a silent clip of Euryale trying to fight off the crawling monster, apparently shot from the roof of a bathroom. It eventually forces her onto her back. She tries to crawl away, but it jams its proboscis into her back &, after a silent scream, she falls limp. There's a jump cut to the monster leaping on Mimiru & slowly bringing her to the ground, at which point it moves on to Cameron.*

R"It's just so hard to find good help these days. Everyone's too eager, they don't take the time to do the job right."

*The video cuts back to the crematorium & Roatha turns the phone's camera to his face.*

R"Oh well, at least I got plenty of pictures to share. See ya soon."

*He smiles before tossing the phone into the furnace. It briefly shows a flash of light from the fire before cutting abruptly to black as the phone is destroyed. At some point, Lilith & Thiera had noticed that Taiyo was watching something & wandered over to look over her shoulder.*

Lilith hoarsely chokes out, "...Nevermind. I think we found out what happened to them."
==============================
R"They're dead, you know. The ones who attacked the church. All but 2. I took care of them."

*The cop jumps & looks around as he hears a throaty growling noise & a loud clicking. Roatha just shrugs.*

R"Well, okay, I guess it was sort of a team effort. The point is, we all do our part here, & YOUR part is to run along home to guard my church."

*Eve looks over Taiyo's shoulders as well, eyes widening. She moves into catch Taiyo encase she falls or something*

Tirea:{No...please tell me they aren't...}

"And if the Shadow Man interferes again, as it did at the Cyprus house?" Grimm stood up finally and glanced around, biting back the desire to say 'my church'. "Am I really only guarding against those children?"

Astarte curled up into a ball right there on the pavement, guessing what the others were probably seeing.

Taiyo drops her phone.

Taiyo: "No...."

===================================

Azuma: "Mimiru's phone is also out of service."

R"The Shadow is not your enemy. If it chased you out of that house, then it means you weren't meant to be there. When God wanted to test Job, who did he send to curse him? When he put the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, who tested Adam & Eve to see if they would follow instructions? Evil does not exist in spite of God, but because of him. Evil introduces hardship to the faithful to test their righteousness, & then punish them if they fail. Why do you think it allowed you to leave, but brought the homosexuals & the wrathful youth to me to torture & destroy? Because you haven't failed the mission given to you by God...yet."
===============================
*Thiera starts to reach out to Taiyo, but looks unsure. She also looks kind of sick. Lilith closes her eyes in a vain attempt to keep the tears at bay.*

L"They--I--we'll just--come get you.... Where are you?"

Grimm stared at Ira for a little longer and then narrowed his eyes, "You... weren't you one of them? You confronted me when I first contacted the students. Are you still the same person with a new purpose, or...?"

Tirea:<We're at the hospital. I'm not sure we can leave yet.>
===
*Eve bends down and picks up Taiyo's phone*

<You'll need this.>

Taiyo: "Why? To see more of that?"

T"Taiyo...we'll need it to get in tough with you, if we get separated."

*Lilith breathes in a long, steadying sigh.*

L"...If not, we could stay overnight. Or get a hotel nearby, if they won't let us do that."

*Nero arrives on the scene.*

N"Why wouldn't we just hide in the bathroom, or something? Not like getting scolded by a nurse is the worst thing we have to worry about. Gaah, what the fuck!?

*The latter is said as he trips over Astarte.*
=============================
R"Don't believe everything you see. Regardless of which shell I inhabit, I am the force which controls this town."

Grimm stooped and picked up the fallen pistol, ejecting the empty clip and looking from Ira to the cop, "If I'm going to defend the church I might be needing more bullets."

Astarte was unmoved by Nero's jackassery.

Tirea:{I think a hotel would be best since they probably won't let you guys stay. You should still come by though...}

*She looks over at Azuma, then quickly at the wall*
===
*Eve, hands Taiyo her phone, then helps Astarte to her feet*

<Calm down Nero.>