Whoops, sorry about the delay here. But seriously, I had to be in a very "special" mindset to write this specific chapter...

C h a p t e r E i g h t

It had been two months. People had come and gone, and by people that meant Alex and maybe a few others from the gang. The curtains were always drawn, keeping out the light, keeping out the outside world where everyone just went on with their lives.

Time didn’t stop for anyone, if only in their own minds. It is often cruel.

The television screen flickered with imagery, filling the dark room with synthetic light, cheerful laughter playing on her ears.

Kailex had utterly withdrawn from the world, she shut out everything, shut out everyone. Alex had come by a few times, hearing what happened and knowing that the last thing Kailex needed was to be alone with her thoughts. He had seen looks in her eyes before, whenever someone was giving them grief, or even picking on him for being the runt. Hell, he had even seen her beat the living hell out a bunch of thugs about to rob him. When she had looked back at him, those storm grey eyes were as hard as flint. But now, whenever he came by - trying to coax her out of the shell she had closed herself up in - her eyes were cold, void, and dark as hell. There was something terrible boiling up inside that woman, and he honestly felt afraid, even if only for her sake.

“Oh come on, I look terrible!” she had whined, but a smile tilted her lips.

“No you don’t, trust me.” and her voice had been soft, full of warmth.

“Kai, I’m just out of bed,” she straightened her hair.

“And we just spent our first night here, I’m documenting moments.” Kailex had been mock serious.

“To embarrass me?” the tone was playful.

“No…you just always look beautiful to me, so how could I embarrass you?”

Kailex stared listlessly at the recording, watching as Ashley smiled and giggled, wearing only her gown. However, she looked stunning, and Kailex wouldn’t let her believe otherwise, as the camera went down for a moment whilst Kailex had hugged her.

Shin was settled in a corner of the room, watching Kailex with a lidded gaze; she had tried numerous times to snap the woman out of it, to no avail. Nothing would move her.

That was how Kailex had spent most days after Ashley’s death, simply watching recordings of her and wasting away on the couch, ignoring any calls she happened to get. Not there were many, she didn’t have anyone to lean on for this kind of thing, and Shin knew that Kailex didn’t want anyone. In fact, Shin knew exactly what Kailex had wanted…

Three Days Ago-

“What do you think you’re doing?” Shin asked, calmly despite what she was seeing. One would think she’d be a little more worried and angry having found Kailex holding a gun.

She didn’t look up at the demon, didn’t even seem to acknowledge her as she held the gun in both her hands, staring down at it. Kailex murmured something under her breath, rocking ever so slightly on the couch.

Shin sighed to herself, shaking her head and turning around. Lifting her hands up, she walked around the edges of the room, a thin film of shadow covering the walls, floor and ceiling. “It won’t make a difference, it won’t change anything,” she turned around to face the young woman, standing in front of her now.

Kailex ignored her again; strangely this didn’t anger the demon, it only made her more placid. Moving closer, Shin knelt down, not yet reaching out to touch Kailex. She wasn’t sure how the woman would react, Kailex was in a very dangerous place at the moment, with herself as the only way out. “You have to listen to me, doing this won’t change anything; it’ll only make things worse.”

When she was ignored again, Shin got more to the point. “You won’t see her.”

Kailex stopped rocking. Shin held her breath - true, she had no love of mortals per se, but she had grown attached to Kailex over the last few months. She had started to accept how she felt about the young mortal, after denying it for most of her existence.

Kailex lifted her head slowly, the dark marks under her eyes showing how little sleep she got without the help of alcohol. Her gaze was cold, and broken; her mouth curled in a snarl. Getting up, she moved away from Shin, keeping her back to the demon.

“Don’t get me wrong, I had fun…really I did; but I don’t care what you say to make me stay here,” looking over her shoulder, she regarded the demon hatefully. “You’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Shin flinched, feeling a sting in her chest; it was alien to her. Gritting her teeth angrily, the demon clenched her hands, claws digging into her palms and drawing blood. “Fine…go ahead, little girl,” she growled out, narrowing her eyes.

Kailex looked away, closing her eyes even as tears slipped free, spilling down her cheeks. I’ll see you soon, Ash…lifting the gun to the side of her head, there was only a second before she pulled the trigger.

Shin watched in silence as the young woman jerked, falling sharply to the ground as the force of the impact in her skull threw her down. Blood had painted the ‘barrier wall’ she created before, it had also silenced the gunshot to everyone outside.

She moved over to Kailex’s prone body, laying face down on her floor, looking for all the world as though she were dead. But Shin knelt down, picking up the gun and melting it in her hands. A second later she heard a tell tale ‘clink’ of a bullet hitting the floor. “I told you it wouldn’t change a thing,” her tone was only slightly kinder.

Kailex could only whimper, her body shaking in an unbearable mix of rage, sadness and the feeling of being totally and utterly helpless. Was she supposed to suffer for god knows how long? Why was she being punished when everything had already been taken from her?

Shin sighed lowly, getting to her feet and bringing the barrier down. The blood had gone, disappearing when Kailex had healed.

Present Time-

“Shin…”

The demon looked up, tilting her head at Kailex’s voice; the other was looking directly at her. “What is it?” at this, Kailex bit her lip, chewing it slowly but not actually doing much damage. “How much drink do I have left?”

Shin sighed, drinking herself into a stupor once more; good thing she isn’t just any Human, this would’ve killed her long before that gun. “Oh, I’m sure you still have plenty after ordering so much.” Kailex simply nodded, looking back and watching more recordings.

Shin frowned deeply, she could almost hate it; being bound to the other female. This state of being a part of Kailex’s mind, her soul, was starting to have effects. Shin was beginning to feel empathetic to Kailex’s raging emotions. Her sadness at the loss of Ashley, her fury at the Doctor for killing her, her guilt for not being able to protect her girl. It would start to eat away at her. No, she couldn’t have that. But how am I supposed to help her…?

Kailex had fallen into a drunken sleep, it was the only way she could go to sleep anyway, but now she woke sharply at the sound of a voice. You were supposed to be her protector, but you failed didn’t you? Kailex narrowed her eyes, curling up on herself. “Leave me alone…” her numb voice could barely be heard. You were supposed to SAVE her damnit! To be her “Guardian Angel” weren’t you? Weren’t you?! the voice grew angrier.

Kailex gripped her head, trying to shut out the voice, but her efforts were in vain.

Shin finally appeared in front of her, grabbing the young woman by the front of her worn shirt and hoisting her up onto her feet. “You were supposed to keep her from harm! To SAVE her!” she shook Kailex, lips pulled into a snarl. “Yet when she’s dead, what do you do? Sit around and sulk all day like the little coward you really are!”

At this, Kailex’s eyes flashed darkly - for a moment there was a flare of life. She reached up, and grabbed Shin by her wrists, her grip was immeasurable as she forced the demon to let go, and shoved her away. “What basis do you have…to judge me on?” Kailex spoke quietly, but there was no mistaking the seriousness of her tone. She bowed her head, hair falling over her face. “What right do you have…to judge me?” she grit her teeth sharply.

Shin narrowed her eyes, she had at least provoked a reaction from Kailex, but now she needed to push it further. “I know you inside and out, you little coward. Every inner working of your mind,” she lifted her hand, tapping the side of her head. “It’s where I live after all, but you’re something else, I have to say. Huddling away from the world and just letting Ashley’s killer run around freely; to do as he pleases.”

Kailex tensed, though she didn’t lift her head and simply clenched her hands tightly enough to cut her own palms with her nails. “So I’ll ask you now; what are you going to do about it?”

At this, Kailex lifted her head, staring at the demon with a hint of confusion in her eyes. Shin elaborated, “are you going to wither away to dust - or are you going to avenge Ashley?”

Something changed; the look in Kailex’s eyes suddenly hardened, and a clarity returned. Shin kept her smile to herself - her words had gotten through. All this time she had been worried that Kailex might not snap out of her stupor; true it had only been two months after Ashley’s death - but that was far too long to allow her killer run free in Shin’s mind. Kailex should have killed him the moment he pulled the trigger.

However, she was also aware that the Doctor would have set himself up by now, preparing for the inevitable attack from a heartbroken demon.

She stepped up the young woman, and placed her hands firmly on her shoulders. “We cannot let him go free for this…”

Kailex could only nod, a dark look of determination burning in her eyes.

The first matter to be addressed was to clean up around the house, considering Kailex didn’t bother taking care of herself much less her surroundings. She wouldn’t be able to work in a mess. But it was good for her mentally as well, if one could see both her mind and home at the same time, they would look almost the same. Cleaning up the house was more for the young woman’s mentality.

After that, she took a shower and tidied herself up until she looked like her normal self again, save the marks under her eyes and slightly thinner look. Kailex found that laying around for the last two months had done wonders to her body, she was weaker and hardly as fit; she would have to correct that. Shin noted that she was lucky her body hadn’t atrophied completely.

Once back to herself enough, she went about sketching up designs in her office for an outfit. Shin had told her that she would add her own touch to it, like using a template to create something better. She couldn’t well go flying around in the nude or in normal clothes.

It was designed to comfortably hug her body, keeping any ‘valuables’ out of the way.

Sending the designs away to a tailor she and the gang had used before with their cosplays, Kailex waited for the next three days. Shin did some light sparring with her, to get the young woman’s body used to moving again, until the clothing came back in the mail.

Shin was quick to take it away, placing them in a small circle of glyphs she had sketched out onto the floor earlier in the day. Muttering words in demonic tongue, she made several gestures with her hands until the circle glowed and burst into flames briefly. It disappeared when the flames died a split second later.

Picking up the clothes, she handed them to Kailex. “They’re now made from leather and demon hide, much better protection,” she tilted her head with a dark grin.

Looking down at the armored tunic in her hands - the boots and leggings folded over her arm - Kailex’s grip tightened, thinking of Ashley’s peaceful, blood speckled face. She lifted her head, “what next?” at this, Shin giggled delightedly. “Let him know you’re back, my dear,” she leaned close, a sinister grin on her lips; her voice dropped to a whisper. “Show him you’re out for a blood bath…”