'Finally'
The word echoed through Craven's mind.
Things were finally going as they have always meant to go. In a direct line to Justice.
Soon Michael would understand; he would see reason.
The only way was retaliation.
Revenge on the person responsible for making them this way… making him this way. Craven remembered. He still remembered what he was before.
When Blackwood was dead, they could be free.
Free from being hunted. They could never be free of the nightmares, or from the pain.
This was for Michael too. 'Michael, and his secret.' Craven thought with a malicious delight.
"I was just thinking about you." Craven said as he caught sight of a shadow creeping closer.
"Always the do-gooder, hey, Michael?"
Craven stretched his arm back and cast a crooked smile at Michael. Without even looking, he sent his knife flying with deadly accuracy straight at Evelyn Blackwood, director of Golden Horizons.
She had been about to get into her silver B.M.W . Before the knife could sink into the microscopic space between her eyes, Michael caught it.
'No Craven. Not like this.'
"Then how, Michael? How is she going to pay?" Craven stomped his foot for emphasis, not bothering to answer in the silent way Micheal had talked to him.
"Don't you want to see her bleed for once?"
Twisting around Craven lifted his arms in an unnatural pirouette. Very gracefully, he slid a long skinny needle from his, long, straight, hair. Silver, like his hair, the needle was a replica of the ones from their youth.
Michael caught the sound of an involuntary intake breath next to him.
Evelyn was scared, but surpressing it.
Craven slowly brought it down to his eye level and displayed it for Michael and the devil woman. The tip stabbed at the sky.
"See?" He said straightening up.
"I only want to pay for services rendered." It was scary how reasonable he sounded.
"Michael..." Evelyn Blackwood tugged at his arm as if she still had the ability to dictate orders to him. "Stop him."
"Come, come now, my dear Ms. Blackwood. You know what they say... 'if you can't take it'..... how does the rest of it go?" He seemed to think than suddenly became inspired.
"…..don't do science experiments on children." His smug expression he usually carried these days vanished. What replaced it was cold, detached, and deadly serious.
"You must excuse me if I don't know the proper saying. Thanks to you, I'm rather inept at them."
'Leave her to me, Craven.' Michael braced himself as he sent this thought to Craven.
He'd put himself in a very bad position. Michael had put himself between Craven and his desire for…. justice? revenge?
The line between the two blurred so long ago; for both of them.
He could almost see Craven considering his importance weighed against Cravens need for vengeance.
Michael was relieved to see he still ranked first.
'Very well. I will leave her punishment to you. Only because you have always been more creative then me when it comes to true justice. Fit the punishment to the crime and all that.' Speaking again in their silent way, Craven relented. 'I, on the other hand, was always more interested in getting to the punishment.' Craven smiled secretly to himself. Enjoying something Michael had no desire to be enlightened on.
"Mark my word, brother, should I feel you didn't do it justice..." Craven warned as he fled on foot, his cronies close on his heels.
Michael sighed internally. There was no telling what Evelyn Blackwood would do with the information that one threat, spoken out loud, revealed.
Michael could almost see the gears in Dr. Blackwood's brain working out how to use it to her advantage.
Anyone else would be stiff with fear. She still felt she had the upper hand somehow.
Michael tried to stay detached and not let his anger get the best of him. Anger was just as much a weakness as any other emotion. Just as much of a distraction.
Especially if he had to tangle with the likes of Evelyn Blackwood.
He looked at her briefly and realized he couldn't deal with her here, not where she had the advantage. And he couldn't take her with him, that would be giving her too much access to him.
He had to have time to plan.
"Evelyn." He nodded his head to her like he used to when he was under her control. "I would recommend going to ground for a time. I won't be able to interfere again."
Perhaps fear of Craven would buy him time. She did seem sufficiently rattled. Perhaps she won't see him coming. He could only hope.