I couldn’t really figure out a way to talk Ambrose's parents out of firing me, especially knowing that my words meant nothing to them, but in the end, it didn’t matter that much anyway.

About a week after that conversation, I picked up Ambrose from school, like usual, and started to drive home.  He chattered animatedly in the back seat about his school day and how things had been going, and while I nodded along, I was paying attention to driving.  I frowned a bit when I spotted a detour sign on the way home, my senses immediately going alert.  That was odd – different.  I couldn’t see clear signs of roadwork or an accident or anything that would explain why the road was blocked off, but I was hesitant to just ignore the sign, even if the situation was suspicious.  Reluctantly, I turned the car off the main road and followed the signs, Ambrose continuing on obliviously in the back seat.

“So Dennis suggested we try sneaking into the club, but I don’t know, it just seems – aren’t all the club members the kind of people who sit around and talk about how great they are while smoking cigars and stuff?  It doesn’t seem fun.  I just don’t get why he’s so popular and everyone wants to hang out with him.  Is it just because he’s rich?  And if that’s the case, are my friends only hanging out with me because my parents are rich?”

I tuned him out as I turned down the next street, driving along unfamiliar roads until I realized there was a roadblock in front of us.  Immediately, I switched the car into reverse and tried to back out of there, but it was too late.

Several people were approaching the car, armed, and this really didn’t look good.  They’d already blocked off any escape in the car, so the only way out of here was on foot – or if I could move the barricade behind the car.

“Ambrose,” I interrupted, since he hadn’t noticed the problem yet, “get down and stay quiet.”

Just humans so far, and I was pretty sure I could take them, so before the would-be kidnappers were prepared for it, I dove out of the car and directly into two of them, bowling them over and then grabbing one of their guns to shoot at the other two.

One of the ones I knocked over regained his breath enough to try to grab at my ankle, but I kicked his hand out of the way and then stomped on it, hard enough to crack bones – which was rewarded with a scream from the guy – while I kept focused on the other two, who were on the other side of the car.  I’d hit one immediately, but I couldn’t tell from here if he was out or just taking advantage of being on his hands and knees to try to approach the car from down low, where I couldn’t see or stop him.  The other one was attempting to shoot back at me and managed to graze my forearm before I put a bullet directly into his head.

I swung back around and slammed my fist into the other one on the ground, who had started to attempt to get to his feet.  He went out like a light.

With one dead, one unconscious, and one out of commission, I circled around the car to take a look at the other one, but he was just lying there whimpering, barely conscious from what I could see.  I frowned a bit – this almost seemed too easy.  I looked around, trying to spot any more signs of danger, but I couldn’t see anything particularly suspicious and my goal was to get Ambrose out of there, so I went over to the barricade to try to drag it out of the way.

That was when I spotted them, on the other end of the car, coming up from where the street dead-ended.  Demons, a man and a woman.  They were focused on me, ignoring Ambrose in the car for the moment, and I couldn’t help the sinking feeling.

I was good at fighting.  I had to be, growing up naga, but demons – demons were tough opponents for anyone.  There was the part about them being able to survive almost anything, for one thing, which meant that any damage I inflicted might not actually stop them at all, and there were two of them.

The odds of me making it out of this fight alive dropped into the single digits.  However, as long as Ambrose was able to get to safety, I’d count it a win anyway.

With no way to get it out of the way in time, I abandoned the barricade and dashed back to the car, reaching inside to grab another gun.

“Ambrose,” I told him tensely, “as soon as they’re both focused on me, run.  Keep going until you find the police or get home.  Just run.”

He looked at me with wide eyes, then at the two of them slowly marching towards us, and gulped, but nodded.

The moment I drew out of the car, I fired on them, not waiting until they got closer, knowing that my only advantage here would be one of surprise.  I honestly had no clue if they were used to fighting with naga, but I could do my best to throw them off their game and keep them distracted for as long as possible.

Every second they were focused on me was one more second for Ambrose to get to safety.

They clearly didn’t exactly expect me to just start shooting at them, and both took several bullets, but seemed to be about as bothered by them as if I’d merely slapped them.  They were close enough to spring on now, so I did that, throwing the heavy gun I’d picked up from the kidnappers at the male demon’s head – which made him duck instinctively – while I sprang at the female demon and attempted to use my extensive training in martial arts to my advantage.

The problem was, demons also trained a lot in martial arts, so she was able to meet every move on my part with almost as much speed and iron strength behind her moves.  I could tell I would run out of stamina sooner rather than later and that was going to be a problem.  I might have iron muscles and speed on my side, I was going to be stretched thin even without accounting for their magic.

I heard the car door slam and the sound of running footsteps, which meant Ambrose was taking his chance to escape, but the male demon noticed, too, and I saw his eyes narrow.  He realized the female demon could keep me busy alone and he wouldn’t be necessary, leaving him free to follow Ambrose if he wanted.

I didn’t really have a way to stop him.  My training could help me hold my own with the female demon, for a time, at least, but not forever, and I strongly doubted I could actually fight both at once in close quarters.  Desperately, I turned to my only other option.

I let magic take over my body, a moment later turning into my full naga form.  I swiftly wrapped my tail and lower body around the female naga, leaving her to struggle to try to free herself from my crushing grip, while I lashed out with my fangs, sinking them deep into the male demon as he’d made the mistake of turning his back on me to start to follow Ambrose.

I sunk all the poison I could into that bite.  I knew it couldn’t kill him, but hopefully it would at least slow him down, giving Ambrose more time.

The male demon bellowed in rage, and a second later I saw the flash of a red scythe, made purely of demon magic, as he ripped himself free – and then he plunged the scythe through the top my head all the way through until it came out my jaw.

Pain exploded through me and I reeled back, blood dripping over my vision, and I struggled to try to keep my focus.  I had to bite the female demon, too, I couldn’t let her chase after Ambrose, either.  If I could do that, it would be enough.

But just as I was about to turn my attention to her, since I still at least knew where she was regardless of my limited vision, she got fed up with being trapped by me and decided to throw all her force into a punch.  Not just a normal punch, but one with demon magic thrown in – enough to punch through stone if she wanted.  One punch, then another, and another, each one backed with demon magic.

With the first hit, it was my own bones I could hear crack, and by the third hit, I was fairly certain my bones had shattered.  I held on until I couldn’t anymore, and then I released her all at once, pain shooting through the rest of my body.  I could barely keep conscious while I tried to make myself focus on my goal – biting the female demon – when the male demon came over closer, placing his foot on my head so he could hold it still while he jerked his scythe free.

I writhed in pain, trying to hold my form so I could have a chance to bite her with my more potent magic – but I couldn’t.  The pain was overwhelming my senses and I could feel the darkness start to flicker around me.  As I sank back into my human form, I could see their faces, briefly, and hear them say something, but I couldn’t make it out.  Just before I lost consciousness, I could have sworn I saw the female demon startle in surprise and then take several steps back as bullets hit her, endlessly, while the male demon turned and shouted something before being abruptly silenced.

And then, as darkness closed in, I thought I saw Ambrose’s face, tears streaming, as he reached for me.  I couldn’t make out any words, but the sight of him scared me.

I’d failed, hadn’t I?  They’d gotten him anyway, despite my best efforts.

And now it was too late to do anything about it.

~~~~~

I faded in and out several times, but was only vaguely aware of things around me.  Something about people in masks and a lot of white.

So I wasn’t entirely surprised when I finally woke up for real to find myself lying in what appeared to be a hospital bed.  No, on second examination, not a hospital – probably a private doctor, since hospitals were kind of risky for supernaturals, but there were supernatural doctors out there.  At least I was alive, there was that.  Sure, my head was pounding and half wrapped in bandages and it felt like it might explode at any moment, and my hip was trying to give my head a run for its money on which hurt worse.  Both, I decided.  They both hurt worse.

But realizing I was alive meant something.  It meant there was a chance Ambrose was okay, even if it seemed small.  Someone had taken me to a doctor soon after that fight, and it wouldn’t have been the demons, so maybe – just maybe – he was okay.

When a nurse arrived later, she didn’t tell me what I wanted to know, and since my jaw was held shut by the bandages – thanks to the injuries I’d received – I couldn’t exactly ask her immediately.  She instead was telling me about my injuries – shattered bones and reconstructing the hip socket and blind in one eye and whatever – while I just wanted to know about Ambrose.

Frustrated, I made a writing motion several times until she finally realized what I wanted.  When I wrote down my question, however, she just shrugged a bit.

“Mr. Ambrose Wright?  I don’t know where he is, I haven’t seen him.  The Wright family covered the costs of your stay, however,” she added helpfully.  “But we haven’t seen or spoken to any of the family members.  Just the butler, he comes by daily to get updates on your condition.”

Well, that was something.  They wouldn’t be covering it if Ambrose was kidnapped by the syndicate, right?  They’d just leave me to rot, most likely.