"Alright then," Eddie replied with a trace of approval in his tone. Maybe there was some steel in her after all. "Up to you. Still, I'll carry the body." He didn't slow the crawler down as the people they passed gave them odd looks, and whispers about the body reached their ears. Soon, they were passing through the gate, though the guards had doubtlessly radioed ahead about the body. This was going to take some quick explaining.
===============================================
Ruffles blinked. He wasn't sure what to say. This wasn't the Aesop he'd last seen. It was more than a little unnerving.
Eventually he said, "hey, we'll be able to get ya back to the ship in no time. You can get cleaned up, get some rest. You'll be back to your old self in no time, right buddy?" There was a faint trace of hopefulness to the tone. Vain hope, but still present. This was fucked...
===============================================
Everything was going well as they meandered through the city. Bryan led the way, and for once, Tsubaki wasn't biting his head off. She was even being pleasant. Turning a corner, they headed past Frostfall's abbey. The recently retold story surfaced in Bryan's mind and he grinned in spite of himself.
"Please, no. Don't tell me this is that abbey. My luck can't be this poor, can it?"
Bryan blinked, glancing back at Tsubaki, and an uncharacteristic twinge of shame shot through him. "Yeah, I uh... sorry..." was all he could say.
Of course Bryan was the first to offer to go with the Commander, and of course Asad made another comment about the goddamn weather. Jun really wasn't in a talkative mood - every sentence was a word too long, every minute, a second too long. He wanted to start the mission already. He was already in the mission mindset. All in all, he ended up going through a little procedure. Dumping the dossier on a table, the sniper got his gun out and began to assemble it, starting from the skeleton of the butt assembly, barrel, and other parts, using a screwdriver and so on when needed. Honestly, Asad was the one with experience of gunsmithing and the like, but didn't he have some food to prepare?
***
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon." Maria muttered to herself.
She just wanted to go faster, things seemed to go way too slowly. If there was a magic button that would speed both her and Lilith up a little, then Maria would press it in an instant. One, two, three, four - each step was a step closer to the brothel. Nevertheless, Maria couldn't shake off the resemblance to other similar events, some of which had ended... poorly. She bit her lip, and tried to push those thoughts away with the mild twinge of pain. However, the sight of the brothel's entrance was more than enough to usher hope into her mind. They would make it!
Why was she even thinking such things anyway? 'You're a doctor - a professional - not some frightened little girl.' Maria told herself. Maybe it was just that the kid was so endearing; maybe it was because if she failed, the blondie beside her would be crushed. Regardless, the two managed to find a moderately clean table for Axel. With a final heave, they lifted him onto the table. It wasn't ideal, but it was a start. Hell, nothing in this situation could be called ideal.
Maria looked Lilith in the eye, "Sorry, but I gotta go grab some stuff - stuff he needs right now. Just... Just... keep the bleeding under control, alright?"
She ran. The small twinge of pain was replaced by a small twinge of guilt. If only she hadn't left that bag in the hotel room! And taking off like this - what sort of doctor was she!? But that was necessary, that was the real kicker. Maria jumped onto the moped and slammed the pedal down. At least this damn thing was working now, thanks to that kid. That one little act might be the kid's salvation, come to think of it. Might just save enough time - enough of his time - to be treated. With a roar of the engine, she zoomed off to the hotel, still muttering that little mantra to herself...
Elizabeth nodded, but remained silent otherwise. She locked eyes with a few bystanders as they drove through the city. Many of them looked upon her in confusion. Seeing the blood, some even looked frightened. Eventually they made it into the heart of the city and stopped at the first parameter gate of Tigereye Tower. An armed guard walked to Eddie's side, weapon at the ready. He signaled for the several other guards nearby to be ready, "What is the meaning of this?!"
Before Eddie could answer, Elizabeth leaned over the side of the crawler, "My name is Elizabeth Maribel of the Maribel family. I request an audience with the Lord and Lady of this house, immediately!"
The guards gasped along with a few civilians nearby, "Lady Maribel? But what of..."
Gritting her teeth, she hesitated for a moment before removing the shawl, "Sh-she didn't make it." Elizabeth choked up as she spoke.
The guards closed in around the crawler, shocked and confused. Their Lady was dead before their eyes. Pointing their weapons willy-nilly, their commanding office ordered them to stand down, "Calm the fuck down, all of you!" Looking back to Elizabeth and the corpse in her arms, he sighed. "Those wretched bandits will pay for this injustice, I promise you that. They're clear, I want an escort for the lady. Now!" The man barked.
Tears streaming down her face, Elizabeth retreated back inside the crawler, "Th-thank you."
"You're clear to move," One guard said to Eddie, signaling for him to drive through the gate.
Tsubaki's confusion was written all over her face as she took in Bryan's embarrassment. Though it had been true they rarely spent time alone, she never figured he'd drop his obnoxious demeanor for anyone.
Odd...
Choosing not to address his uncharacteristic apology, Tsubaki looked ahead and continued past the abbey, taking the lead, "We need to focus on our objective, follow me." The pair continued out into the street and walked down the sidewalk. Without stopping or pointing, Tsubaki nodded towards a building eight blocks away. "We shouldn't go much further. We're already close enough to the DMZ to warrant suspicion. In any case, that right there is the warehouse in question. And," She looked to the building across it. "That's where you and Asad will attack from."
Looking back at the abbey, Tsubaki mused, "Think anyone will recognize you if we climb the tower? I want to get a better look of the surrounding area. Maybe we can tag some of their patrols ahead of time."
[sub]"... Think it best if we keep our distance for now, but still follow them."[/sub]
The two he'd been tailing moved into the alley by the brothel now. Was the boy's condition bad enough to warrant bringing him directly to their safe house? In any case, they'd have to ditch it as soon as possible. Cranston remained hidden in a parallel alley from the hunter and the boy she kept. He wasn't sure what exactly it was she wanted, but he knew he couldn't let anyone jeopardize Sprout's life. He was done playing games.
His footfalls more silent than that of a house cat, neither the gunslinger nor the boy heard Cranston until he spoke, "Turn around. Hands where I can see them." He sighed. "I know you're not with Gorgon's crew. I don't want to have to kill you." He stood an even 3 meters behind them, his silenced 9mm pistol pointed squarely at the back of Viola's head.
They burst into the brothel, which was thankfully empty as this time of day. Quickly moving into the bar area, also thankfully empty, Lilith moved to the nearest table, as they both gently lowered the boy from off Lilith's back and onto the table.
Holding herself in her arms, she slowly paced back and forth as the doctor looked over the boy for a moment before turning and looking Lilith in the eye.
"Sorry, but I gotta go grab some stuff - stuff he needs right now. Just... Just... keep the bleeding under control, alright?"
Lilith nodded, her head, her eyes wide with worry. "Please hurry." She whispered, her voice cracking. As the doctor rushed out of the room, Lilith heard a separate set of feet approaching, as the barmaid from the night before hurried into the room.
"Oh god..." She muttered, clasping her hands to her mouth as her eyes rested on the bloodied duo. "W-what happened?! You look terrible!"
Lilith forced a weak smile, tears welling in her eyes. "You should see the other guy." The colour drained from the bar maid's face as she took in more of the scene. "Is... is the boy?"
Lilith shook her head slightly. "The doctor is just going to go fetch her things." The barmaid gasped slightly as her eyes rested on the puddle of blood that was slowly forming at Lilith's feet. "Dear, you're bleeding!" Lilith glanced down, swaying slightly. "So I am." She whispered, almost dreamily. Reaching to her right shoulder, she dug her fingers in the shoulder seam of her shirt, pulling firmly a few times she loosened the stitching.
"No miss don't, I can ge-" The bar maid was cut short as Lilith tore the sleeve from the rest of her shirt. Grunting slightly, she clumsily tied the material tightly around her wound, stopping the bleeding easily enough, at least for now.
The bar maid watched on as Lilith turned her attention to the boy. "Can you get me some towels and hot water..." She heard the girl mutter. Nodding vigorously, she spoke no words as she hurried out of the bar, glad to be away from so much blood.
Resting her palm on Axel's forehead, Lilith furrowed her brow as she found him cold to the touch. Grabbing his left arm, she gently turned him onto his side, pulling away her ruined scarf as she checked on the bleeding. It had slowed considerably, but was still leaking a worrying amount. Quickly pressing the scarf back against the wound, she gently rested him back onto the table.
She clasped the boy's fingers with both her hands, squeezing them gently. "Meredith is gonna be so pissed at me." She part laughed, part sobbed.
After a few silent moments, the bar maid returned with a stack of towels and a basin of steaming water, placing them quickly onto a chair next to the table. "Thank you." Lilith smiled appreciatively.
"I'll err... I'll just go an' keep an eye out front, for your doctor friend." She muttered as she left the room.
Lilith let go of the boy's hand and grabbed a clean white towel. Lifting the boy back onto his side, she pulled her scarf away from Sprout's wound and quickly applied the towel, lowering him back onto his back.
Feeling dizzy, Lilith pulled up an empty chair and sat as close to the boy as she could. After a few moments of staring at Sprout, she looked down at the blood soaked scarf in her lap.
"Meredith is gonna be so pissed at me." She muttered, as she let it fall to the ground in a sodden heap.
"Turn around. Hands where I can see them." A voice from behind demanded.
"I know you're not with Gorgon's crew. I don't want to have to kill you."
"You might as well put your hands up as well Hannibal." Viola remarked as she raised her hands to head level and slowly began to turn around. What she saw was a fairly old man, late fifties if she was to guess, completely bold up top, but had a full beard and mustache combination and was dressed rather simply. She could see that the man was holding silenced handgun. Throughout all of this, Viola remained calm and confident.
"I don't wanna get cleaned up." Aesop said coldly as he stared out into space. "I want this on me forever to remind me what I am. What a fuck up I am. And what I need to fucking do to make up for the shit that I've done." Finally he turned his eyes and bore straight into Jake's, honesty and humility in his tone, matched with shame. "I ratted Jake. They asked how many of you there were in the city, and I told them cos I needed... I wanted to know if Silo was alive." Aesop suddenly began shouting. "BUT WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT WHEN I ENDED UP KILLING HIM ANYWAY!!!"
He fell back against the wall, leaning and looking down at his bloody body. "I fucked up Jake. I'm just like Randy. So take your gun, and shoot me in the face cos mother fuckers like me and Randy NEED to die. I don't belong on the maiden, and I don't belong with any of you." Bringing his face back up he stared at Jake with mad eyes.
"I belong in the fucking ground with pieces of shit like Randy! But first I'm gonna castrate that piece of shit!" Aesop pushed off the wall he was leaning on and began walking down the hall.
=====================================================
Austin had made it just outside the head engineers room, opening the door and stepping inside. This was the man's workshop. "They said his name is Ruffles." Said one of his guards as they ushered him. It was a mess, yet all geniuses work in messy places.
"My my, isn't this just glorious!" Austin proclaimed. He went to rub his hands together but stopped due to one hand being destroyed. He swiftly turned it into a victory arm pump to save grace. "Oh this is the sign of a true engineer." Proudly Austin ran forwards to see a large broadsword on a bench. "My my, this is an impressive piece of work." He stroked the sword, feeling the sharp edge. "Finely crafted indeed. Did the other maidens say his age."
"Yes father. 29. Jake Miller."
Austin grinned and hefted the sword up with one hand around the handle, resting the flat end of the blade across his shoulder. "EXCELLENT! Oh I was worried he would be a pretender, but this is PERFECT! I wish he was here, I wish I could meet my son at this moment and tell him how proud I am." Sauntering around the room he stood next to the door. He couldn't open it with the sword in his hand, and the other broken. As much as he didn't want to he would need to put it down. Later though. "Ahem." He said, prompting one of his guards to open the door for him.
Stepping inside he looked at the bedroom. A modest abode. He threw the sword onto the bed and sat down at a desk which sat in the room. He sifted through various drawers when something caught his eye. Picking up some papers he laid them on the desk. "These are..." He strokes his chin and looked through the blueprints. "These are brilliant." He spoke quietly, unlike the sword which was of awesome design, this was true artistic brilliance. Not that making a sword was less impressive, but these plans... "These are so unique. I've never seen such designs." Turning to one of his soldiers he said, "get one of our own engineers to look at these. I don't know much about ships, but these look revolutionary."
"Of course...Father?" Asked the soldier who was now looking under the bed.
"Yes?"
"What is this green bag?" He asked holding it up.
Austin's face turned from that of pride, to pure disappointment. "Give me that bag boy." The soldier immediately gave him the bag and Austin stormed over to the nearest window, launching it outside. Before he even had time to scold Ruffles he heard a scream from the workshop. Running to see the disturbance he saw his other guard on the floor going into some kind of spasm. Austin immediately got on his knees and grabbed the young man's head. "My boy!" he exclaimed as the boy slowly regained control of himself, however a large wet patch appeared over his pants. The boy looked embarrassed as he looked down.
"I-I-It was the cooler! It shocked m-me!" He pointed at the cooler, blaming it like a little boy.
"Hush boy." Austin helped him to his feet with his good hand. "Go find a change of pants my son, don't be embarrassed. It happens to the best of us."
"Y-Yes father." Said the young man as he ran out of the room.
"This Ruffles appears to be a delinquent. I will have to tutor him closely. A shame, he has a brilliant mind. And what kind of a name is Ruffles?" Turning to another guard he said, "Find our engineers and search this room whole room, not just look at the blueprints."
"Yes father."
"Oh and bring the sword to the Mess Hall, intimidate those maidens." Said Austin as the man nodded, grabbing the sword and leaving. Austin followed soon after, leaving down the hall by himself, he needed some alone time.
Eventually he found an empty room, rather large. Entering he thought, that just for now, he would need some solitude. It was a nice room, a chaise lounge, an almost bar looking feature. Even a record player. "Nice." Said Austin as he set over to the record player. The labels had all worn out so he couldn't see who the singer was, but he just turned it on to see, and we rewarded by a voice he loved to hear.
"Ah, Mr Sinatra. Oh wait!" Austin stopped the record and left the room, asking a passing child, "My girl, do your father a favour. Go into the RV in the hangar and get my records for me."
"Anything father." Said the girl as she ran off. Austin smiled and sat in the comfortable chairs. Eventually she came back with a large box. "Thank you my girl." The girl blushed and left. With one hand Austin awkwardly took a record out of a casing and place it on the player, removing the one that was in its place, as he sat back and enjoyed the music.
=========================================
Still in his trance, Hannibal at the very least was able to follow orders and directions. The words took a little longer to sink in after they were said, but he still heard. Taking cover along with Viola as he saw a trio carrying a body... were they who they were after?
Then he heard the voice of a man who, though sounding like yet another oddly "nice" bandit, a gun on your head immediately brings the fear of death. His hands shot up into the air as Hannibal turned the face the man, his face terrified, still uncomfortable about what had happened earlier. His body even ignored all the fighting, it was just in a shutdown from the small touching.
"I don't know what's going on sir. I just don't want to be killed." His voice sounded like that of a child as he regressed even further.
It was not a triumphal return, but there wasn't any despair either.
Maria had her game face on - it seemed that she was able to gather her thoughts during the drive and her equipment. The bar maid's eyes grew wide as Maria approached, the girl in a short skirt was in a state that was a mix of panic and excitement.
She turned and yelled "Your doctor friend is here, miss!"
And with one more revolution, the bar maid faced Maria, "Now, is there anything I can do?"
"Try and get us some help." Maria calmly answered, "Proper help. That chiquillo over there may need some serious surgery; I can't do that alone. Besides, I don't have the equipment for that."
"I'll try, miss." Was the bar maid's answer.
Maria didn't see where she went, as the doctor made a beeline straight for the injured and unconscious Axel. She sighed and spoke to Lilith, "Don't worry, okay? At the moment, I have all I need to keep him stable. And hopefully more if there's any other doctors or medics nearby. He's. Going. To. Be. Fine."
Part of that bit of assurance was more for her than for the blondie. Maria barely moved him, just enough to see the wound. Air bubbles. Those little things were the first thing she noticed. 'Shit. Lung's punctured. Thank God I didn't bandage the wound yet. Wouldn't want to drown the poor kid.' Was her assessment. From her bag, she produced a stethoscope and listened in to the kid's breathing. One lung was fine. The other one wasn't so great. 'Fuck, it's collapsed as well.' She had to move fast, the kid could just die at any moment. Lack of blood, or lack of oxygen - either way the ultimate cause of death would be a heart attack. However, Maria and Axel didn't have time for grim thoughts like that. In fact, nobody did.
She grabbed some handwash from her bag, washed her hands in the hot water the bar maid had brought, put some rubber gloves on - they were always such fiddly things, plus a mask. It was a shame Maria didn't have a gown, but if there was any infection afterwards, it could be easily dealt with. And no, she refused to think of the possibility of Axel dying from one. First came the easy bit: two Asherman seals on the entry and exit wounds. Those magical bandages only let air out; though that was just to prevent any future pneumothoraces. Now she had to deal with the current one. Out of the doctor's bag came a scalpel, some disinfectant, Kelly forceps, some thread, a small tube together with a needle. This was the hard part of the procedure.
Cut too deep and all hell would break loose and it if was too shallow, well, she couldn't get the tube where it needed to be.
Maria sliced open his shirt to start up, then spread some of the disinfectant on a large bit of Axel's chest - from the armpit, down to the abdomen and across to his nipple. Subsequently, she gently pressed her hand against his upper chest, tracing a triangle then feeling for the ribs. Satisfied, she grabbed the scalpel and made an incision - one about one and a half inches long. Then came the icky bit. Maria slid her index finger into the wound - there was a reassuring hiss. Next, she clamped the chest tube and slid that in as well. The doctor took a deep breath as she cleaned and closed the newly-made wound, taking care to make sure that the chest tube was secured properly. The worst part of the whole operation was over.
Maria attached the tube to a small chest drainage canister device hidden deep in the doctor's bag and breathed out, releasing the tension from her body.
Of course, it wasn't over yet. There was still the IV drip to do...
Lilith sat in silence, her eyes locked to the boy's face for a sign of, well, anything. Things were supposed to get better for them, Meredith sent them away to protect them, instead they were in more danger now than they ever were.
Leaning forward, she placed an elbow on the edge of the table, propping up her head. Her eyes still misty, she reached for the boy with her other hand, running it through Axel's hair.
"I can't believe you took a bullet for me." She whispered, her smile quivering as tears rolled down her cheeks once more. "You stupid wanker." She sobbed. The distressed woman continued to stroke the boy's hair, weeping silently for what felt like an eternity.
"Your doctor friend is here, miss!"
Lilith sniffled as she got to her feet, wiping her face with her one remaining sleeve as the doctor rushed into the room.
"Don't worry, okay? At the moment, I have all I need to keep him stable. And hopefully more if there's any other doctors or medics nearby. He's. Going. To. Be. Fine."
Words failed her as she nodded slightly, stepping back from the scene as the doctor went to work. From a distance, she crossed her arms across her chest, biting her bottom lip. Her eyes never left the boy, even when the doctor began cutting into him. Lilith was sure her heart had stopped for the entirety of the surgery, only beginning to pump again when the doctor seemed to visibly relax, Lilith's eyes widened as she took a nervous step towards the table.
"Are you... Is he going to be okay?" She asked, like she could barely stand to do so.
"Didn't ya listen to me the first time? He'll be fiiine." Maria joked, letting out an all together too nervous laugh as she finished up the IV drip. It was a rather improvised one though. The IV bag had been taped to the top of what only could be described as a tower of various chairs. She made sure the structure was steady as she kept an eye on the small chest drainage canister device.
She turned her head slightly, and asked a rather stupid question. "You alright?"
"Didn't ya listen to me the first time? He'll be fiiine."
Lilith wasn't sure if what she was feeling had a name, somewhere between absolute joy, wanting to throw up, and crying for several hours.
"You alright?"
Quickly stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around the doctor in a tight embrace "Thank you." She whispered, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She repeated, sobbing as the epic tear marathon continued.
"You might as well put your hands up as well Hannibal."
Cranston nodded and glanced at the boy, "Listen to her, kid." The boy looked frantic. Terrified.
"I don't know what's going on sir. I just don't want to be killed."
"Don't worry, kid. We can all walk away from this in one piece. Just stay calm." He assured the boy with a firm, yet warm tone.
"I take it then that your with the Maidens?"
Cranston did little more than nod, the rest of his body as stiff as a board, "Yes, in fact if you were looking for intelligence on the Iron Maiden I would be the best person you could hope to interrogate. Now, answer my questions, heed my advice and you walk away from this."
Seeing the kid was still distressed, he chose to ignore him and moved on, "I've been tracking you since the hostage exchange yesterday. Viola the 'Gunslinger', eh? You do your father's reputation proud. I noticed then as well as now that you've had your sites on those meaning to harm my fellow Maidens. Why? Do you intend to appeal to their kind sensibilities?"
Cranston grunted, amused, "Don't be so naive. They're good kids and they'd willingly trust you under different circumstances, but don't confuse your role in all this. You're working for Dio. Our enemy and your goal is to, what? Take down Pixie for him? No, no daughter of Greaves would take a job like that from a man as sick and vile as Lord Basilio. Is it Maribel? It is, isn't it?" He furrowed his brow and frowned. "Though I don't imagine you'll believe me... the Lady of Boomhower is far safer with us than with her betrothed." He sneered at the though of Dio's ugly mug before adding. "Trust me."
After parking the crawler in a reckless manner, Pixie and Amy worked in unison to moved Florian into the safe house. Kicking open the door to the nearest bedroom, Pixie laid him down on the bed, crouching beside him as Amy assured the saline drip was still connected. Pixie removed his breathing mask, tossing it the ground nearby and brushed her fingers through his hair, "It's gonna be alright, Padre. Yer gonna be fine." Pixie kissed him on the forehead before getting to her feet. "Bring Carlos up ta' speed when he gets here. I don' reckon Florian'll need much more than what we already gave 'im, but jus' in case I want 'im thoroughly looked over."
Without waiting for an answer, Pixie disappeared through the door and dashed into hers and Amy's bedroom down the hall. Pixie plopped down next to the table in the back of the room and started fiddling with the radio equipment. Eventually she found the frequency she wanted, "Chromey, Chromey, do you read? This Red Queen requesting an immediate response. This is an emergency. I repeat, this is Red Queen requesting an immediate response. Over." Tapping her finger on the table along with the tempo of her heel on the floor, Pixie waited anxiously for a response. After a few minutes it was clear Cranston wasn't available.
Fuck.
Holding the mic under her chin for a moment, she sighed as she considered her options. She was flying blind and couldn't call in the appropriate protocol without knowledge that the rendezvous was safe. While waiting for a response from Cranston she could do little more than send out a general SOS to all Maiden frequencies. They had to know something had happened. They had to stay safe until she could give them further orders.
Inhaling sharply, she closed her eye and pinched her brow with her fingers as she spoke into the mic, "This is Red Queen calling all Maidens, Red Queen calling all Maidens. This is a code: Black emergency, I repeat we're at a code: Black emergency. Keep safe, keep low and keep hidden until further instructions. Over." Throwing the mic against the table, Pixie screamed. "FUCK!"
Her elbow resting on the table, she held a hand to her forehead before running her fingers through her hair in frustration. Cranston needed to get back to her as soon as possible. She couldn't sit on this. Not for another second. She couldn't lose any more people.
Sprout had done it again. He always was a little rascal. After having successfully scaled the plastic gate, he was well on his way to the kitchen before she found him. That strange, yet cheerful woman that always scooped him up before he reached his destination. What was his goal, anyway? He supposed it didn't matter anyway, as he'd never actually reached it.
The woman held him close and looked down at him. Though he couldn't make out her features, he could tell she was smiling at him. Her's was a generous, comforting embrace. As she rocked him to sleep his vision began to fade. Then suddenly, he was violently shaken to consciousness by an inhuman shriek. Standing now, several feet taller, he found himself in an old, rundown hovel. The woman who had held him was gone, replaced now by a woman roughly his own age. She was an inch or two shorter than he was and had messy red hair.
She also wore an eye-patch.
"Ma'!" Sprout cried out as he staggered forward with his arms held out. For some reason, as if through some form of sorcery she seemed to... slip through his fingers. She stood before him again, and it wasn't until now that he noticed the look on her face. She was crying. She was crying so much and her face... her face was bright red and covered in fresh scrapes and scratches. Her cloths were torn in several places and covered in splotches of blood. And she was trembling.
Suddenly, the room felt as if it had begun to grow, or rather... he was shrinking. After taking in his evolving surroundings he looked to the wounded teenager again. Where he'd wanted to embrace her before he was no terrified. What scared though? Shouldn't he have wanted to comfort his mother?
No, not this time.
The young redhead screamed out, sending a chill down Sprout's spine, "NO! NO, I NEVER ASKED FER THIS! I NEVER WANTED THIS!" She shrieked as she stepped forward, bringer her fist down onto his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and stumbled backwards, trying to hold back the tears. Had she just hit him? "NO, CHERRY! WHY!? WHY DID YOU LEAVE US BEHIND!? I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T!" Her deranged screams continued as she brought more blows down on the boy.
"I NEVER WANTED 'IM! HE'S NOT MINE! HE'S GONNA TO KILL ME, CHERRY! HE'S GONNA KILL US!" Crying now, Sprout curled into a ball to protect himself from the blows. Eventually they stopped and the screams were replaced by muffled sobs. It took awhile, but eventually he conjured enough courage to look upon his attacker. The young woman was huddled in the corner, digging her nails into her open wounds as she sobbed onto her knees.
He wanted to go to her. He wanted to comfort her... but he couldn't. No, not anymore. Not after what she'd done. And then, he felt a gentle sensation on his wrist. Looking up, he noticed a familiar face staring back at him. It was Susan, the prostitute he'd known from his youth... before the Iron Maiden. She looked concerned and pulled him in, holding him close. She whispered something unintelligible into his ear. Whatever it was, it set him at ease.
After letting him cry on her shoulder she held him out, "L-Lilith?" Sprout asked in confusion as he locked eyes with the blonde beauty.
"It's okay now, Axel. It's all going to be okay." Looking back at the girl in the corner, tears welled up in his eyes once more. "She doesn't want us anymore, Axel. She's a monster Axel. She's a monster."
"She's a monster, Axel."
The girl's sobs subsided and after a time, she turned her gaze towards Sprout. Her one eye pierced right through Sprout's soul, "Ma'..." Not able to look her in the eye any longer, he shut his. When he opened them once more he was greeted with nothing but a vast darkness.
With nothing ahead of him or behind him, he started walking. To where, he didn't know. He'd just keep walking until he found her again. Until he'd found the one person who still cared about him.
"I belong in the fucking ground with pieces of shit like Randy! But first I'm gonna castrate that piece of shit!"
Ruffles caught him by the shoulder as me made to walk away. "Aesop, that's bullshit. Randy betrayed up. You were being interrogated. You and Silo had to focus on staying alive. And the amount of people we sent here? That ain't shit, man."
Scooting around so he was standing in front of him now, Ruffles said, "they musta been working you over for a while before we got here. Look, man. If it were me, I'd have broken. Honestly, if it were me, by now they'd know everything from our contacts to the ship's floor plan. You only slipped the numbers we had here? I call that a fucking good job. Now, Randy ain't going nowhere. We'll take care of him, and that'll be the end of it."
=================================================
"Think anyone will recognize you if we climb the tower? I want to get a better look of the surrounding area. Maybe we can tag some of their patrols ahead of time."
Bryan shrugged. "I doubt it. I were clean shaven last I were here. And people here tend to keep their eyes on the ground, if ya get me. Let's go."
After Meredith had left the room, Amy spent a few moments just sitting, staring at Florian. From the living room she could hear the captain trying desperately to contact her remaining comrades. Had they truly been the only ones to survive? No, Austin would have had to have spared some of the crew if he ever hoped to captain the Maiden for himself. They could be liberated in time. There were also those Meredith had sent to Boomhower. When they returned, however many were left, their position would be somewhat stronger.
What did it matter to Amy anyway?
Pushing those thoughts to one side, Amy set about making her own calls. She was probably worrying too much, there was no reason to suspect she had been compromised as well, but all the same; after seeing the Maiden's blind-sided in such a brutal fashion, Amy needed to check in with her sisters, and make sure that they were alright. She suspected that The Gentleman would want to do the same when he got back.
*****
It was several minutes later when Amy walked into the living room, to find Meredith still sitting at the radio.
"I have some good news." she said, taking care not to sound too happy all the same. Good news or not, now was no time for celebrations. "One of my sisters, Lucy, went home from the party last night with a man who would appear to be a high ranking member of Lord Basilio's scientific research division. 'Dr. Richards' was the name she gave. It would appear he wishes to take her back to Feroxi with him, and I have given her my consent. It may be a fragile step, but it is a step closer to getting someone on the inside of Lord Basilio's most secretive agency."
It was at that point The Gentleman entered the room. He too took note of Meredith's seating. Without speaking, he glanced over at Amy, who gave a small shake of the head.
"My people are on their way to intercept the shuttles at the dead drop now." he announced. "I'll need to tell them where you want your share of the take delivered." He stopped short of saying 'enough to replace the Maidens you've lost 10,000 times over.'. He doubted Meredith would appreciate the sentiment right now.
Her head bowed, Pixie had been slumped over the desk, cradling her forehead in both hands. Why didn't he answer?! Where was he!? She needed him, now! How had it come to this? How could she be so blind? The blood of her men, her Maidens... they were on her hands. It was because of her negligence that...
"I have some good news."
Pixie didn't stir.
"One of my sisters, Lucy, went home from the party last night with a man who would appear to be a high ranking member of Lord Basilio's scientific research division. 'Dr. Richards' was the name she gave. It would appear he wishes to take her back to Feroxi with him, and I have given her my consent. It may be a fragile step, but it is a step closer to getting someone on the inside of Lord Basilio's most secretive agency."
"Good." Pixie stated plainly, letting one arm rest across her legs while the other continued to support her forehead. Amy could see her face now. Her eye was closed. She looked exhausted.
"My people are on their way to intercept the shuttles at the dead drop now. I'll need to tell them where you want your share of the take delivered."
"Have 'em take the haul to a man'n Geno Dome named Bishop. I'm sure ya' know who I mean. He'll know where ta' take it." Considering the money at stake, Pixie was surprisingly... flat. No concern nor excitement could be detected in her tone. Moments later Carlos appeared. Making note of the atmosphere of the room, he spoke humbly.
"The priest's condition is stable. He should be waking up any minute now. I---"
"Thank you, Carlos, that's enough." Pixie interrupted, still hunched over the radio. Carlos gave a swift nod and left back down the hall. "Yer dismissed as well, Gents." She muttered, coldly.
It had all happened so fast. The body was taken from the crawler by two armed guards who whisked Josephine away before Elizabeth could protest. Shortly after, they were escorted through the tower's lobby, a marvelously sight for sure, but not one Elizabeth was in any state to appreciate. Without forewarning as to where they were being taken, they soon found themselves in a small, albeit well adorned, medical office. Before the guard left their side he muttered, "The two of you look like hell. We've been instructed to treat your wounds and check for further damage. You may have an audience with the Tigereyes afterwards."
Elizabeth wanted to push past him and find her own way to Josephine's family, but conceded, "Thank you, sir." She said with a faint whimper. Doffing his kevlar helmet, he turned on his heel and marched out of the office. Once he was gone, her and Eddie were alone in the room. "Thank you for coming with me." She said as she looked off into space, shivering. It wasn't until now that Eddie'd been able to get a good look at her. She was a bloody, trembling mess.
"They'd willingly trust me? Wasn't the impression I got last time, but I'm willing to let that be all water under the bridge, given the tenseness of the situation they were in. And thank you for the compliment sir, it has been quite some time since I last heard such kind words." Viola remarked, her voice almost welling up at the end as she struggled to hold back a tear, moving her hand to wipe it away.
"Whilst I don't necessarily trust you a hundred percent; based on what I've seen of Basilio's overbearing attitude, and given how he put much greater emphasis on the demise of Pixie than the rescue of his betrothed, you might just have a point sir." She then added, her voice sounding more relaxed than it had been.
Cranston nodded, "Well then, I am glad we're on the same page. Elizabeth's safety is one of Pixie's top priorities. I can't give details, but trust me when I say that she has a personal stake in the matter. She would never let harm come to the girl."
You've got to give a little, but... you're getting soft in your old age. Damn. Why do they have to make them so pretty these days?
A small grin found its way on Cranston's lips, "Dio's started a war, Viola, and the kid in that brothel may very well be our first casualty. If you want to get swept up in it, well, that's your call. But," His grin faded. "You're going to have to tell me right now: who's side are you on? I can't tread these waters in ignorance, you see. I've been charged with protecting those two children in there. They're my responsibility and there's no way in hell I'll let anyone compromise my mission further. Understood?"
"I understand sir, Pixie must have a lot of faith in your abilities, especially someone of an age like yours." Viola said as she kept eye contact with the older gentleman.
"As for this war you speak of; if Dio is the one who ignited the powder keg, it's looks to be a big one, huge even. The way that I reckon things are going to happen, is that I am bound to get swept up in it sooner or latter; it's just a matter of when and where. But regarding which side I am on, if you can guarantee me Lady Maribel's safety, then... I might just have a chance with you."
"However, this leaves me in a bit of a predicament; what to do about this job that I am currently working on? Dio has hired myself and a dozen other Bounty Hunters to take out your boss; though I will admit some of them looked more interested by the payout. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage."
Cranston considered her words carefully. She was certainly sharper than he'd given her credit for. She saw the big picture. After a brief period of silence, Cranston lowered his weapon, "Okay. I do have some ideas for how you can help, but they will have to wait. Right now I am needed inside that brothel."
He started down the alley, walking past her and the boy before stopping to add, "Later tonight. You're hotel. I'll stop by when I can and we'll talk it over. Is that agreeable?"
"That sounds reasonable." Viola said simply as the older gentleman continued walking for a few more steps before she spoke again.
"By the way, could you give Sprout and Lilith my regards; but tell them it's from a friend. I'm sure someone of such age and wisdom would know what to say, plus I'm probably the last person they want to see right at this moment."
Cranston nodded and turned his head, looking at the boy beside Viola, "There's no need for that fear, kid. It'll only get you killed out here. Stick close to her, will you?" And with that, the old man disappeared around the alley.
"Thank you." Was all Viola could say before the old man disappeared down the alleyway. She realised that she still had her hands up even after the gentleman had lowered his weapon, and lowered them to her sides, then looked at Hannibal.
"We may as well head back to the hotel then, and wait." Said Viola as she took off back towards the hotel.
"I doubt it. I were clean shaven last I were here. And people here tend to keep their eyes on the ground, if ya get me. Let's go."
Tsubaki allowed herself a grin, "I suppose so. I never did quite understand religious types." With that, the two entered through a side door of the abbey. Though it was mostly quite, they could hear faint footfalls echoing down the hallow halls. The pair quickly located the door to the bell tower and made their way up the winding stairs in silence. Upon reaching the top, Tsubaki scanned around the clock tower to ensure no one else was there.
Satisfied, she led Bryan past the bell and the two crouched against the side, facing the warehouse. Handing him the binoculars from inside her jacket, he she whispered, "What do you see?"
Cranston entered the brothel to see Sprout had already been cut open. A Hispanic woman they'd stolen the moped from yesterday was working to save his life while Lilith stood there, watching helplessly. He frowned.
He'd failed them. This was never supposed to happen.
Thankfully it had appeared the operation was a success.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Lilith repeated over and over as she hugged the doctor. She'd been so preoccupied with Sprout she had failed to notice Cranston's presence in the room, "Thank you." He said as he placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. Turning to Lilith, he smiled and embraced her. "He's going to be okay now, Lilith." He patted her back. "He's safe in her hands. Now, let her finish her work, okay? Give them some space. Follow me upstairs in the meantime. We are going to have to move locations tonight anyway."
Bryan took the binoculars and cast around. There were coordinated guard positions everywhere. Ground patrols all around the area, all around the warehouses. And snipers up high. "I see that I'm gonna have my work cut out for me. There's a feck ton o' guards. No blind spots that I can see from here. Asad and I will be balls deep in it the moment we step out. Not that I mind, right, but I just hope yer a good spotter and that Jun can stop trying fer the Ashlands mister sulky-pants record long enough to keep us from getting killed."
"Yeah, don't worry about it," Eddie replied. "I ain't the biggest fan of the Nobility, sure, but you seem like a good kid."
In an effort to lighten the mood, he chuckled softly and said, "y'know, I'm surprised they didn't take my weapons. Me being the big bad bounty hunter that I am."
Aesop seethed his teeth with anger, not at Jake but at the entire situation. "Its not like that Jake! Wanna know what they did to me? They punched and kicked me a little. You wanna see what happened to Silo? Go find his body and see what they did to him, and he didn't say a word. Shit, I was fine by the time I spoke. My cheek hurt and my chest was sore. Silo literally looked dead and HE DIDN'T FUCKING SPEAK! I did. What does that say about me huh! That I'm willing to give up everything for the sake of finding out shit that doesn't even matter? It was only after I told them that I realised there was no point in seeing if he was alive because we were probably both gonna die anyway. HE DID! I PULLED THE TRIGGER!"
Aesop held the gun up to his own temple. "I'm an idiot Jake! I always have been. From the second I was brought upon the maiden. Maybe 8 years of binge drinking killed all my god damn brain cells, or maybe I was born stupid. All I know is, I can't be trusted. Who knows what the hell else I could have said, hell maybe I'd have said something thinking it was a good idea and that it'd help. I'm a failure, a total fucking failure!" He sighed out and put the gun down. "Fuck sake even right now I'm being stupid and wasting time bitching about myself, while in literally the head of Bandito turf. Their king is back there without a chest for crying out loud, we need to move, now."
"... Not that I mind, right, but I just hope yer a good spotter and that Jun can stop trying fer the Ashlands mister sulky-pants record long enough to keep us from getting killed."
Tsubaki's blank expression did not waiver, "He may not be as 'charming' as you, but he gets the job done. Place more faith in your comrades, O'Laffery." Taking the binoculars from him, she scanned the area. "I don't like this, but we have to work with what we've got. Vasa was wise to chose this location."
Peeling her eyes away from the binoculars, she looked at Bryan, "You sure you're up for this? This tower is the best spot I can put Jun, but it has a few blind spots. Try to stay within our firing lanes."
"I ain't the biggest fan of the Nobility, sure, but you seem like a good kid."
Elizabeth offered him a weak smile, "Thank you."
"Y'know, I'm surprised they didn't take my weapons. Me being the big bad bounty hunter that I am."
Elizabeth continued to stare off at nothing in particular as she replied, "Did you get a good look at the soldiers here? They were distraught. To see their lady like that... the woman they'd sworn to protect. Eddie," She looked at him now. "You may not approve of how the system works, but you have to understand... we're not all bad people. These men believed in their lady. They'd die for her! Of course protocol is going to slip through the cracks... it's like they've all lost their own mother."
Lilith continued to weep as Cranston embraced her, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She sobbed, her words distorted as she buried her face into his chest.
"He's safe in her hands. Now, let her finish her work, okay? Give them some space. Follow me upstairs in the meantime. We are going to have to move locations tonight anyway."
Pushing herself away from him slightly, she glanced longingly over to the boy. "But... I..."
Cranston held her at arms length, "Lilith, we can't do anymore for him right now, okay? The best thing we can do is tell his mother what happened. Will you help me do that?"
Tearing her eyes from Sprout, she looked up at Cranston, smiling weakly, Lilith nodded her head, wiping away her tears with her sleeve once more. "She's gonna kill me." She chuckled.
Cranston laughed, "You kidding? Who do you think was really responsible for you two?!" Taking her by the shoulder, he led her up the the room. Soon after entering the room, Cranston unzipped the duffel bag he'd been carrying and went to work setting up his radio equipment.
As the old man saw to the radio, Lilith walked into the bathroom. Leaning over the basin, her hands on its brim, she began to fill it with warm water. Glancing up at the mirror, she took in her appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, dried blood crumbling on her skin, her hair was gunked up with the stuff too.
Grabbing a towel, she soaked it in the basin, proceeding best she could to wash her hands and face. That would have to do for now. Walking back into the bedroom, she winced as she peeled off her shirt. She didn't think her shoulder would ever heal at this rate. The old man's back still turned, she quickly unbuckled her bag and pulled on an olive green vest.
Reaching down to her pockets, she grimaced when she realised that she had left her smokes and lighter back on the table at the cafe.
"Bollocks."
After connecting two cords together, Cranston plopped back down in his chair and dug a hand into his jacket pocket, "Looking for these?" He mused as he produced her smokes and lighter. Placing them on the edge of the bed, he turned his attention back to the radio. He was almost done.
A small smirk crawled onto Lilith's face. "Damn it Chromey, you're the best." Sitting on the edge of the bed, she grabbed her smokes, placing one between her lips. "So..." She started, raising the lighter and taking a long drag as the cigarette ignited. "Just how much shit are we in now?" She asked, blowing out a satisfied plume of smoke.
Cranston furrowed his brow and shrugged, "Dunno, I suppose we'll find out here in a second."
There. It was all ready to go. After flipping the switch to the 'ON' position, he held his headset to one ear and turned the dial, searching for the right frequency. After a few moments of static he found what he was looking for.
Jesus...
Unplugging the headset from the jack, he turned to Lilith with a shocked expression. The audio was now coming in through the built in speaker, "---zzzztttt-----calling all Maidens. This is a code: Black emergency, I repeat we're at a code: Black emergency. Keep safe, keep low and keep hidden until further instructions. Over.This is Red Queen calling all Maidens, Red Queen calling all Maidens. This is a co---zzztttt----" Cranston turned off the audio and sat in silence for a moment.
"Fuck." He stated, bluntly.
"Code Black?" Lilith whispered, the cigarette held limply between her lips. "But that means..."
"Yeah...." Cranston muttered before spinning around in the chair, plugging the headset back into the jack and barking into the mic. "RED QUEEN, RED QUEEN, THIS IS CHROMEY! DO YOU READ ME?! I REPEAT: THIS IS CHROMEY, ARE YOU THERE!? OVER!"
Lilith's eyes grew wide as the realisation of what had happened dawned on her.
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