AWAKEN ; benny weir [2]

twenty-six

"Tiny vamp lady said that?"

Ethan rolled his eyes once again for what felt like the millionth time. "Yes, Benny, tiny vamp lady said that."
"So, I didn't kill somebody detrimental to our future war?" Benny continued.
"No, you didn't."
"...Sweet."

"Why are we so chill about this?" 
Ellie threw her hands into the air, slapping them down to her sides as she too rolled her eyes. "The guys that kicked the shit out of me and Sarah are pissed because Benny killed one of their own, and because Anastasia isn't with them!"

Sarah shook her head, finally leaving her embrace on Ethan and thinking at the floor. "I don't understand why they would leave Anastasia all of a sudden."
"Yeah, Anastasia would have to be desperate to call for Ethan," Benny added.

As the others continued to brainstorm within the walls of the living room, Ethan was still in the walls of his own mind. Anastasia had always been reluctant for their help, but now she's warning them? Benny was right; she would have to be desperate to reach out to them for help... until something clicked.
"We need to go to the council building."

Benny, Ellie, and Sarah stopped their questioning once they heard Ethan's plan. They clearly let the idea sink into their heads, until they argued.
"...Do you not remember that we almost died there?" Benny questioned.

"I'm serious," Ethan stated. "This was the first vision I had in the actual chapel itself. Anastasia was in there talking to me, so maybe she's there."
Taking in the deep inhale of realization, Sarah agreed. "It's worth a shot."

"Guys, no."
Ellie tried to argue, but Ethan and Sarah kept pushing.
"Ellie, c'mon, we're just going to look."
"No, I'm serious—!"
"—We'll just be inside for a quick second."

"—NO! WE CAN'T, OKAY?!"
The witch finally lashed out to her friends, her eyes filling with solemn tears that she wished she could pull back. "That building is a death trap for me and Benny, okay? The explosion, the kidnapping, the possessing; Stern may not have cared about you two, but he cared about us and he cared about that building! I don't wanna be back there!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" 
Benny stood in front of Ellie's sudden meltdown to block Ethan and Sarah from her tirade, taking her by the shoulders. 
"Don't make me go back..." she whispered, collapsing into Benny's grip and staining his shirt with tears. "I don't want you to go back..."

Benny held her head into his chest, giving a look to Ethan and Sarah as they seemed as surprised as he was. The mage gulped, biting his cheek to stifle back his own tears.
"We're not going," he finalized. "You two can go. If you need help, I'll send voice memos of spells, alright?"

Ethan and Sarah shared a sympathetic look to one another, knowing they had to go in alone.
"We'll update you guys."

——————

The heels of Sarah's wedges clicked as she and Ethan stepped up the chapel's entrance. 
The explosion had done an incredible amount of damage to the abandoned building, with wooden panels dangling from the doorframes and charred planks searing the whole building. Whitechapel officials ended up saying something about an electrical fire, but only the normal citizens could believe that.

"Do you really think that Anastasia could be here?" Sarah asked once again.
"...I can only hope, right?" Ethan nervously smiled.

The building's massive cobble doors swung open at the two's touch, revealing the decimated mess that once was the council meeting area. Lines of church seats were caked with dust and debris as Ethan and Sarah were starting to think they needed masks to enter the place. 
"A-Anastasia?"

Sarah immediately took a hold of Ethan's arm, scaring him to death as she began to scold him. "What the hell are you doing?!" 
"Wh- I'm just seeing if she's here!" Ethan defended.
"Yeah, and you're telling any other vampires that you're here, too!" Sarah harped.

"WHO GOES THERE...?"

A voice boomed from the back half of the chapel, echoing from wall to wall as the two snapped their postures up straight. Someone else was here, and it didn't sound like Anastasia.
"Come here and you'll find out!" Sarah warned, shooting her fangs out of her gums.

"WHAT IF... I DON'T WANT TO FIND OUT?"

The voice echoed once again, sounding a bit confused as it matched Ethan and Sarah's faces. Giving one another a look, their puzzlement was soon interrupted by another voice.

"Dumbass, that's not how you threaten people!"
"I thought it was scary!"
"UGH!"

Ethan squinted across the chapel to see movement from behind the worn baptism pool, seeing the top of two blonde heads arguing with one another.
"Let me do it! Mortal beings, if you don't—!"
The first blonde head to pop up was one that Ethan and Sarah were automatically grateful to see. Her hair whipped around her shoulder, as she licked the red lipstick of her teeth and tugged the leather jacket against her chest when she too became dumbfounded. It was Erica.

"What?" the other blonde head asked. "Who is it?"
The remaining voice finally bounced up above Erica's shoulder, suddenly sprouting a foot taller and sporting the brightest clothes that Ethan and Sarah were all too familiar with. It was Rory. 

"OH MY GOD!"
The super speed of the vampires quickly took Ethan off-guard as Rory instantly greeted him with an overly strong hug. "I missed you, buddy!"
"Finally, we can talk to you guys again," Erica sighed, leaning into Sarah's face. "I am so done with bozo of the year over here."

"Where the HELL have you two been?!" Sarah asked, her jaw dropped with joy.

"I may have an explanation."
As if she appeared at the blink of an eye, Anastasia appeared in front of the four with her amber eyes beaming as a smirk snuck beside her mouth. 

——————

"So, you two were the only ones who sided with Anastasia?"

After getting the feeling of having Erica and Rory back, everyone was up to par with questioning the absent vampires. Everyone was back where they were supposed to be in Ethan's living room: Ethan, Sarah, Benny, Ellie, Erica, Rory... and a plus one.

"Somehow, these two dingbats were the only ones who would believe me," Anastasia explained, sitting on the couch somehow uncomfortably. "I said to my members that magic was the driving force of Stern's explosion, whereas they thought he merely wanted to steal my place as leader."

"Steal your place?" Ethan questioned. "As in...?"
"They believe that he is a Heretic," Anastasia stated.

Her answer was not understandable to most in the room at the time, but when Ethan's eyes landed on Benny and Ellie, they knew exactly what Anastasia was talking about.
"A Heretic?" Sarah questioned. "What the hell is a Heretic? All this stupid magic stuff always goes over my head."
"I second that, sista'!" Rory agreed, holding his hand out for a fist-bump but never receiving it.

"A Heretic is a mage hybrid," Benny stated, unable to keep her voice steady. "It's a vampire-mage hybrid."
"He is not a Heretic," Ellie stopped, shutting down the rumour as quick as it lived.

"How would you know? Hmm?"
Anastasia instantly jumped on Ellie, switching her tone to accusatory as she rose off the couch. "Why are you so quick to disagree? Is he an old buddy of yours?"

"Watch yourself, bite-size," Ellie seethed. "He's a black magic user; you can only use black magic if you're a full-blooded sorcerer."
"And how would you know that?" Anastasia challenged once again.
"Because, he thinks that we're family!"

A hush entered the living room for the dozenth time that evening. Every single person in that room hadn't known of Stern's torment inside of Ellie's brain, but now they finally knew... including Benny.
"...What?" Benny blurted. "He thinks that you two are related?"

"He thinks we share blood," Ellie admitted, feeling the agonizing hours of torture flow through her as if it never left. 
"El, he just wants you as another pawn in his game," Benny insisted. "He played with you enough."

"It doesn't matter; he's gone now," Sarah finalized.

"He's gone?"
Anastasia's confused question left the group questioning.
"Huh? Yes, he's gone. He's been gone," Ethan responding, almost patronizing her.

"...Are you sure?"