Scrap Iron Angels

Chapter 13: Cameo

Victoria felt someone place a cold cloth on her forehead and opened her eyes to see Lucy above her. She sat up feeling a sharp pain in her side as she did. The woman assured her she wasn't seriously hurt, but that she needed to take things easy. The girl nodded and looked around the room. Some of the others were in there wrapped with bandages and gauze. Elice had a few patches on her face and Aven's hands were bandaged. Vincent walked into the room and she looked at his expression it was strange, almost unnaturally blank as he looked the crew over with Zambi, Emi, and Jun beside him. Izzy was sitting in a corner with a frown on her face while Wilkinson looked nervous.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You don't remember what happened?" the girl shook her head.

"No, what...where's Kieren?" the others looked pale.

"Well he..." Via felt her stomach knot up.

"Is he okay? What happened?" the girl felt tears burn behind her eyes.

"He's better than most of us. Via....he went crazy when that man got you – by the time we pulled him off of him the man was hardly recognizable. He was burned to the bone and gutted I don't know what he did but Kieren went insane and we couldn't get him calmed down. Kieren attacked us as well," said Emi her voice almost sounding hysterical.

"Why? He wasn't..." she remembered those cold blank eyes and the icy voice he used.

"What's wrong?" questioned Izzy.

"He seemed cold when he was standing there, the man wouldn't let go of me and he must have..." Vincent nodded.

"He did it hoping to protect you, but he couldn't calm down afterwards. Kieren won't even talk to us. He hasn't been out of his room except a few times in a week now. He knocked you unconscious and you've been healing, but Lucy had to make you sleep to treat the burns you had on your arms. He stopped the second he saw you Victoria...when he saw what he'd done to you he just froze," he stated.

"Then what happened?" H.B sighed.

"The kid collapsed out cold like he wasn't in control of himself until he stopped. I'd bet anything that Kieren can't mentally handle the output and it's making him blank out."

"Maybe, but think about how he reacted when he came to and saw all of us bandaged up. He ran from the room before anyone could catch him. He's been in his room since then. He doesn't even come out to eat anymore so we aren't sure if he's eating what we're leaving in front of his door or if he's getting it and throwing it out the window," Lucy stated.

"I say we go in there and drag the little fire fiend out of there!" everyone looked to Izzy. A piece of her hair was singed, and her arms had bandages and scrapes on them.

"That might not be such a good idea. He's shaken up by this and doing that might just push him too far," Wilkinson stated.

"What you mean...he....you think he'd attack us again?" the man shrugged a bit.

"It's something we have to take into consideration. Kieren is on edge right now and we have no way of telling what he'll do if we go in there and force him out," he said.

Victoria nodded and started to get out of the bed. She straightened the simple cotton shirt she had on and looked at the others as she walked past them and started heading towards Kieren's room. If anyone could talk to him right now she hoped it would be her. Kieren hadn't meant what happened to happen, but now that it had she had to think of something to do for him. Doing what he was and living how he had been for the last week couldn't help him, someone being there for him and showing him that it was okay was what he needed. She sighed as she stood in front of his door and knocked.