Monsieur Death

Liam

“This all your fault.” Evangeline mumbled for the tenth time. We were sitting opposite cells. The officer had arrested us as soon as he caught up. Neither of us struggled. Nobody could understand us or talk to us. They said they were getting a translator, but it had already been two hours and she was getting impatient.

“I know.” I said.

“I’m going to be stuck in prison for the rest of my life! My mom and dad wouldn’t come and get me if someone paid them! Actually, if they made money off it, they probably would.”

“Hey, I’m gonna get you out of here.” I told her. I wasn’t sure if that was going to make her more angry at me or if it would help her calm down.

“No, you are not. You are not a god anymore. You’re not even a normal functioning human! You’re useless here, Monsieur Death, admit it!”

Then she buried her face in her hands. “And so am I.” She mumbled. “But at least I always knew that.”

We were saved from more awkward conversation by the arrival of the police chief.

He said in broken English: “your translator.”

I sat up straight. “Something’s wrong.” I told Evangeline. I could smell it. Thick, slimy, and disgusting, I could smell it. The smell of sickness.

A shadowy figure entered.

“Hello again, boy.” Doctor Plague said.

“Why did you come here?” I shouted, standing up.

“Hush! I’m trying to help you!”

“Help me?! Yeah right!”

“Fine. I’m not trying to help you, only proving my innocence.”

“Sit down and give us one good reason why your innocent!”

“Well, in the general picture, no, but when it comes to my babies-“

“Your babies?!” Evangeline spat.

“The Shalkra’s.” I told her disgustedly.

She stood up. “Forget it, okay? I don’t want some creeper’s help who calls monsters their babies!”

“Evangeline, I totally agree with you. But he may be our only chance to get out of here.”

“That’s true.”

“Shut up.” We said at the same time.

“This is up to you.” I said, turning to Evangeline.

She sighed and nodded. “Whatever. But that doesn’t make me any less mad at you.”

“I know.”

“And stop saying that!”

********

We were out of prison within the hour. The guard handed Plague paperwork, but Plague just waved his hand at it and the man’s eyes glazed over and he turned away.

“You can’t just... do that to people!” I Evangeline snapped.

“Would you rather me fill them in? You be sitting here hours.”

“Maybe I would!”

“Alright then, let’s do that.”

“Stop it, you two.”

“Oh, are you ordering me around now, Liam?”

“Sorry.” I muttered. We turned the corner and stopped short. Plague turned to me.

“Tell me everything.” I swallowed and nodded. Plague was still a god. His human form limited him a lot, but he still had enough power to level a city. When I was finished, Plague turned to Evangeline.

“Is that true?”

“What, you think he lied to you?!”

“Possibly.” Plague answered, unflinching. She rolled her eyes.

“Then you’re stupid. Liam wouldn’t lie about something important like that.”

“Who’s the one who’s know him for three thousand years?”

“Okay. Can we please talk about important things?”

“Oh! Since when do you care about important things?!”

“Hush!” Plague said suddenly.

“You don’t get to tell me to-“

“Evangeline.” I said. I pointed to where Plague was looking. A Shalkra towered over the nearest convenience store.

“Jason!” Plague cried suddenly, running towards the monster.

“No! Wait- what are you doing?!”

The monster turned and stared at Plague for a minute. Then it roared at him. It raised up it’s arm to strike, but Plague pulled out something and it fell over, either asleep or dead. It dissolved into smoke and the smoke then dissipated into the earth.

Plague turned and came back to us, tucking whatever it was back into his cloak.

“What was that all about?” I asked him.

“The Shalkra’s are...” He stopped and glared at me. “You’ve killed two of them and I didn’t even know. You never thought to tell me?!”

“Well, we did, but we were afraid that you would have the reaction your having now.”

He rolled his eyes. “Still a coward, Death.”

I didn’t comment. “What were you saying about the Shalkra’s earlier?” I asked, changing in the subject. He ignored me.

“Deacon, L’orde, and Tether are all now either dead or wounded. How

could you?!”

“We were fighting for our lives, Plague.”

“I don’t care! You never think about anybody but yourselves! It doesn’t matter. We need to find another Shalkra.”

“What?! Why?! I’m not in the habit of hunting for monsters that would love to kill me!”

“You don’t have to hunt.” I said, pointing across the street. Another Shalkra sat guarding a small coffee shop.

“They’re tracking your position. I never trained my Shalkra’s to do that. It can only mean one thing.”

“What?”

“My Shalkra’s are being controlled by someone other than me.”

“Who?” Evangeline asked before I could.

“I don’t know or I would tell you!” He snapped.

“Someone more powerful than you.” I said.

“So?!”

“Well, you’re the eighth most powerful god out there. Seventh is The Elementress, sixth is Punishment, fifth is Vengeance fourth: Vita, third: me, and second is Mother Time.”

“I’m not the eighth!”

“Don’t flatter yourself, we rated last year. We need to eliminate suspects. Elemetress doesn’t really even care about the fate of the world. She’s technically still a possibility, but let’s move on. Punishment is our most likely suspect. He’s been looking out for revenge ever since we all got up and nominated Judgment. Vengeance isn’t a suspect. He’s not stupid enough to do something like that. And we never did anything to him to avenge. Vita is the life goddess, she would never want to kill anyone, no matter how much she hates me. And I can vouch for Mother Time. She wouldn’t ever try to hurt us.”

Plague snorted.

“You’re only saying that because she stood up for you at the Congregation.” He hissed.

“That’s not true. Me and Mother Time are close friends. And if she wanted me dead, why would she give me the chance to come back?”

Before we could argue further, Evangeline stood up.

“Who’s the first?” She asked.

“What?”

“Who’s the first? Who’s the most powerful god?”

“Oh. Judgment. He’s king of the gods though. There’s no logical reason for him to do something like that. Punishment, ont he other hand, hates me especially because I was the tie breaker for our vote.”

“A lot of people hate you especially.” Evangeline said.

“Including you?” I asked.

“Maybe.” She turned around and folded her arms.

Plague rolled his eyes. I chose to ignore him.

“I really am sorry.”

“Why do you care?!” She shouted. “Why do I care?! I’m going to die soon anyway, aren’t I?!” She wiped violently at her eyes.

“No offense,” Plague said. “But we have a deadline.”

I turned to glare at him.

“He’s right.” Evangeline said. “We can’t save me, but at least we can save the rest of the world.”

“Clever girl.” Plague said.

“Don’t talk to me!” She snapped.

“We need to find a way to communicate to Punishment.” I said.

“That easy.” Plague and answered. “I can make a connection with any of the gods. Getting Punishment to listen is an entirely different matter.”

“True. He won’t give it a chance if I’m there. But even though you and Punishment aren’t best friends, he won’t be suspicious and hang up.”

Plague narrowed his eyes. “Hang up?”

I blushed. Plague had never seen a phone in his life. He wouldn’t get it. “It means ending the conversation. Like… cutting you off?”

Plague just rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, Punishment will be able to sense you, cursed to a mortal form or not. The girl will come with me, and relay the events to you thereafter.”

“No.” I said automatically. Whether Plague’s intentions were true or not, I didn’t trust him with Evangeline.

“Do we have another choice?”

“I’ll go with him. You don’t get to make my life choices. And I can protect myself.” Evangeline said coldly.

I wasn’t going to stop her. She followed Plague out of sight.