READ THE NOTES BELOW THIS CHAPTER!

~ THEMESONGS ~

Underdog ~ You Me at Six (acoustic version)

Comeback Kid ~ Brett Dennen

.M.I.W.

22. Coming Back

I twisted the tap on the spigot outside of the church, letting the water soak Claire's body. It was hell dragging her up the church steps, and I was only too relieved to just flop against a wall and watch the holy water do its cleansing magic.

My head was still spinning from whipping out a portal like that. I was also waiting until my adrenaline would wear out and I would start puking up blood. It was weird – it should have started by now.

But I still felt like the double-adrenaline was still in me, just at a more manageable level. Like I still had all the power, but with more control. When examining myself of any injury that should have been somewhere on me, I saw that I was completely healed. The only things, I guess, that proved I got hit were my ruined clothes.

My shirt had been pretty much blasted away with the demon's strike. When I knew no one was around, I ripped off the rest of the fabric and zipped up Isabelle's jacket all the way up on me. My pants were also ruined, the button gone and only held up by the zipper. I guessed I had one huge, bloody mess of a hit by the outline my clothes gave me.

And… my runes weren't on my skin anymore.

They were just white, swirling scars, barely noticeable.

What the fuck was that about?

I looked back up to see Claire being soaked by the water, the worst of the infection steaming and healing. All that was left were angry red gashes. Better than black and purple, that was for sure.

My head and body were still aching from the portal traveling, and probably from the whole coming back from the dead thing. I wasn't even going to try to think about the latter for a long time, though.

I pulled the jacket Isabelle had tossed to me closer around my body by folding my arms. It was a little (only a little) big on me, but definitely a keeper. It was a dark gray leather with a gray cotton hoodie. And it was warm. I had no idea where I'd taken us to for this church, but it was definitely cold out, and since my Shadowhunter top had been singed to becoming a sort of crop top, I was grateful for the clothes.

I'd have to get new pants soon too. After Claire was in the hospital, though.

When Claire's wounds looked cleansed, I turned the water off, pulled her soaking wet body close to mine, and stepped through another portal.

.M.I.W.

I was in a fucking amount of pain.

I had Claire admitted into a hospital under some phony excuse that I'd found her that cut up and soaking wet in an alley on my way home from work. Luckily, they bought it, and when I knew she was in safe hands, I fucking portaled again to shoplift some clothes.

So now I was in a pair of skinny jeans, black combat boots (I chucked my old Shadowhunting riding boots as well, deciding they didn't go with my outfit), some Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and my new jacket. My swords were hitched around my waist, but invisible to the human eye. I also had my new Colt tucked in the belt of my seraph's scabbards. I found the gun in my new jacket's pocket when I threw it down to put on the Zeppelin shirt, and the jacket dropped a little heavier than it should have.

Taking a quick mental itinerary of my supplies, I realized I left my rucksack back in New York. In that said rucksack were a change of clothes, my driver's license, money, cell phone, iPod, my book (City of Fallen Angels), and a pack of gum. Then I remembered that a lot of my clothes were also in the drawers of my room in the New York Institute.

I groaned.

One battle at a time.

"Miss Verdantia?"

Right on cue, the doctor walked towards me with a concerned expression on his face. I stood up slowly, my muscles practically screeching in protest. I fought back a grimace as I looked at him.

"We have the stitches in, and your Jane Doe just needs rest. She's still sleeping," he said. "She's very lucky you found her in time, any longer and her arm would have had to be amputated."

My stomach curled in on itself in disgust at myself more than anything. I swear I had to swallow back bile. "But she's all right?"

He nodded. "Yes. I suppose you didn't find any ID on her so we'd be able to contact her parents?"

I shook my head. "No, I think whoever did this was in it for her wallet. She had nothing except the clothes on her back."

His expression turned grave. "Thank you for doing this, I can't believe anyone would just leave her lying in an alley in this condition."

"No problem." I said as politely as I could manage. The doctor took it as his cue to leave, and walked back into some backroom, not even saying goodbye.

I guess he assumed I would just leave sooner or later too.

For a fleeting moment, I considered pulling up a portal to Brooklyn to get all of our stuff, maybe find something that would tell me Claire's address. But all of that traveling I did in the past hour practically killed me. I swear I was still reeling. Maybe in another hour I would try it.

Then, suddenly, something felt off.

I slowly looked up from my hands, seeing that the hospital (a place that hadn't stopped moving since I arrived) was frozen. No one was moving, people seemed to be locked in mid-step. It was like watching a movie put on pause.

What was this?

"Madison."

I turned around.

Belial stood behind me in his human form, his overall darkness a stark contrast against the whiteness of the hospital. He looked a little… nervous.

Good.

"You," I snarled, standing up from my chair again. I moved too fast, and my body tried to lock me in place, but I was having none of that. Mind over matter. I grabbed the Colt from its place on my belt, and cocked it into position.

"We must leave. Immediately. It isn't safe for you to be here right now." He said.

"No," I corrected him, "it isn't safe for you to be here right now."

"Please, pet, spare me your dramatics. We must go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I stated. "You hurt Claire – you almost killed her. Consider any and all contracts between us off. If you don't back the fuck up and go back to wherever the hell you came from, I won't even hesitate in blowing you away."

"My child –"

"Spare me the pet names," I retorted. "Why on earth would I leave with you? You haven't done anything for me. I know you weren't the one who brought me back to life. Obviously you're not a fan of whoever did me that favor, either. So we're done. You want me to leave with you to cover your own ass, and I'm not interested.

"As far as I'm concerned, anyone can come at me. Demons, angels, the works. They'll get the same treatment as you're getting because I'm done. After I know Claire is safe, I'm going back to Brooklyn."

"You can't." Belial said. "That world has been sealed from you."

I bristled at that, but shook my head. It seemed unbelievable, but at the same time, I decided against testing it. "Fine."

"Your existence is no longer insured," Belial warned. "When Lilith learns you're alive, she –"

"Lilith is dead," I said.

Belial frowned. "In the dimension your Brooklyn is in, yes, she is. She still thrives in other worlds. When she learns you are still alive, she will do anything to take her daughter –"

"That thing is not my mother," I spat.

"I would not rush into such surety, pet." He replied. "I realize now that I was attracted to you for reasons too circumstantial to ignore. Even before I gave you your gift, you were more malicious than any human I have ever seen, and your scent was – is – too dark to be human. Your resemblance to Lilith's manifested form is striking –"

"Shut up!" I yelled. I grabbed Metatron with my free hand, and sliced a huge, diagonal from Belial's shoulder all the way down to his waist. Black ichor seeped from his wound, and he snarled at me.

"This is a warning Belial, Demon of Lawlessness," I said. That's right, I fucking Googled this bitch. "If I ever see you again, I will end you. And if what you told me earlier is true, I will hunt you down in every single dimension to make sure of it."

.M.I.W.

It was four o'clock in the morning. The moon allowed its silvery light to pour into the small room I had now inhabited. I leaned against the window.

My whole body ached and felt unsteady underneath me, and my head felt light. I kept thinking I was about to keel over at any second, that my body would fold from under me and I would be down for the count. But Claire was safe. She was all right.

I glanced down at her comatose body currently sprawled on her bed. It was hell putting her there, trust me.

Claire groaned softly when she rolled on her side, putting her weight on her bad shoulder.

I quickly turned to her desk, snatching up one of her pens. I grabbed a spiral bound notebook and opened it to an empty page. Then, I scribbled down a note:

It's me. After you passed out I took you to a doctor. You've got stiches in your left shoulder. The pain meds the doc prescribed are in your top drawer. Take one every four hours.

I'm sorry about what happened to you, really. I should have protected you better, and I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I wish I could stay to tell you everything in person, but I've got to go. I need to lay low for a while. I'm sorry I can't tell you where I'm going, but no one can know. Don't look for me. Please, please don't go into any worlds. Avoid the portals at all costs.

This is going to be the last that you'll ever hear of me. You're out of this. I'll keep you out of it for as long as I live.

Get rid of this note as soon as you read it. Be careful, and have a great life.

Madi

I tore the paper out of the notebook and walked over to her side. I pried open her left hand and tucked the note safely into it. Once I was sure she was set, I opened the window to her room (on the second-story floor, mind you) and vaulted myself out.

My stomach did a nervous flip at my sudden zero-gravity, but I pulled my hand out.

A blue, spiraling portal furled out of thin air, and I dropped in.

.M.I.W.

And, once again, Madi drops off the face of the earth with a note.

So… I'm just going to kind of continue doing these. I like writing about Madi and her adventures and I have great ideas.