"Aesop, I'm not gonna make ya' tell me anythin' about yer past that you don' wanna. That's yers. I 'ave no right ta' pry. but, I don' reckon I can convince you not ta' fight, can I?"
Oddly enough Aesop wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her every single detail down to the uniforms they had to wear. He wanted to cross the t's, dot the i's and proof check for spelling errors. But he realised he would just be wasting time if he told them the whole story, best to just keep it to himself.
Thinking on her last words he replied, "You're right. Sorry Captain but nothing in this world could stop me from caving his god damn face in. And I don't wanna endanger the mission but," he looked forward, he could see the man smiling back at him, nestled in between Amy and Pixie, "I wanna be the one to kill him. I know I can. I know I can get him." He didn't know if he sounded childish or obsessive, probably a mix of both, but he wasn't thinking about that. He was thinking about cutting the life out of that maniac.
=========================================================== "We could always just go for a walk around the city, the weather looks nice at the moment."
If Hannibal was less timid, and if he swore, the words 'Hell no' would have come to mind, instead of the fear that did. "If your not up for that, we could always carry on with firearms practice for a while." He liked that idea, strangely more than he did when he only suspected he was hunted, now he knew for sure he was he felt more comfortable with the idea. "What would you like to do Hannibal? Any suggestions come to the forefront of your mind?"
"Um," he scratched his elbow and stared down at his shoes. "learning to shoot might be okay. Also I um... maybe how to fight with my hands a bit?"
Smiling sleepily, she leaned forward, touching her forehead to his. "Ain't no force in the 'verse that can keep me away." She cooed, pulling her hands from Axel's, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Give me some credit." She chuckled. "I'm an infamous bandit, ya know." Gently pushing the boy away, she cupped his face with her hands.
"I'll make this right, then we can get away from this life, I promise." She smiled. "I'll take you shopping, get you a haircut maybe, make you handsome as fuck, the girls won't be able to resist."
After escorting Tsubaki to her apartment, without further shenanigans, he bid her a good night and headed back out into the night.
Asad was a killer, he had reconciled that fact a long time ago. There was, however, a difference between killing another armed man, and a woman barely out of childhood.
Asad wasn't a political man, he didn't spend time contemplating the nuisances between the various noble houses, the power plays, the subterfuge.
He did the job, and then he got paid.
That didn't mean he didn't have a set of standards he didn't adhere himself too. Unfortunately for him, it appeared his standards were now conflicting with those of his employer.
As the dawn of the new day began to pour through the small windows of the dim, silent bar, the man looked down at the whiskey he had been nursing for the last three hours.
A tired smile curled the corner of his mouth as he recollected the previous night's events. Tsubaki's devotion to Dio was disturbing, to say the least. A man who took advantage of his position in such a way, wasn't a man Asad wanted to work for.
A shame, the commander was a beautiful woman, her loyalty deserved more than that.
He'd need to be very careful with how he moved from here on out. Dio was a sociopath, but he was a dangerous sociopath.
Vasa breathed deep, holding the smoke in deep before letting it out in a slow, curling stream. "State your offer and terms then."
The men around him bristles with unease and cast sideways looks at each other behind their masks. Erik himself offered a low growl in the back of his throat as he grimaced against this whole business. He cast a glance at Vasa as every instinct he had fought to just gun this suited dandy down and leave this place for more pressing matters. It was probably why he wasn't in charge.
Vasa just stayed put, left in smoke and waiting; his eyes half open and looking into a distance that apparently only he could see.
Austin sat at Pixie's desk, reading through her personal files. The amount of intelligence she had gathered was indeed impressive. The company he kept however had disappointed him. She and her ilk had a reputation of helping his children and attacking pretenders, to the point he even thought that they were all his children.
Associating with murderers of youngsters though? That ruined it. She had shown her true colours, either that or she had chosen poorly. A shame because apparently she was of just the right age as well. But while he could forgive someone who had pretenders as friends (they merely needed to be taught better), those who had actively slaughtered his children couldn't be anything other than a pretender themselves; whether she had pulled the trigger or not she gave them the tools to destroy.
What tools they had however, despite their awful use, was extremely impressive. The second he entered their armoury he felt like he had been given a torch to light the world. But Austin was given nothing. He took it. No one gave him anything, he made it himself. The father needed to provide. And provide he would, with these tools once used for evil now used for good. Perhaps it would be an exaggeration to say that every single type of firearm on The Rock was in here, but it wouldn't be that much on an exaggeration. Over the past three days he had his most weapon savvy children catalogue and identify every single type of gun that was there. The list damn near didn't end. Austin didn't bother to read it all himself, he trusted his sons and daughters. No, among other things, he was too busy reading through the personal files of the maidens.
While many others were certainly more noteworthy, names such as Jake "Ruffles" Miller and Warren "Smiles", of interesting background and useful skill sets to the crew, one however caught his eye. One all too familiar. From Yuteni. Information leaked by Alexandria North. Alcoholic. Hispanic and 'Middle Eastern'' descent, whatever that meant. Goes by the name Aesop, doesn't ever say his real name. Austin sighed out and sat back in his chair. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to weep. "Sillah... Sillah..." Not looking what he was doing Austin reached his hand into a drawer looking for a pen when he felt something soft and cotton. He looked down puzzled as he lifted it up to find a pair of black panties between his fingers, immediately dropping them back in and shutting the drawer. Searching more thoroughly he took a pen and wrote onto Aesop's file at the very top, "Real name Sillah Marino." He crossed out the alcoholic section. "You never needed that poison to begin with. I blame myself, truly I do Sillah." He smiled as he looked over the file once more. "I'll save you soon. Don't worry. You deserve better than these people."
Putting the file away he set off looking over other intelligence for important denizens of The Rock. A rather hefty file on Dio Basilio made him chuckle to no end. "Oh you fool. You have no idea what you've given me, when Feroxi is mine you will kneel and bleed. Bleed more than most and be aware as it leaves your carved skin." He spent a long time looking over the files again. He had read as many as he could the past few days, but the Captain had a lot of intel, a surprising amount in fact given her reckless reputation. It worried him how intelligent this pretender appeared to be. Still it was of no matter, she would fall just like her ship and her disgusting crew had. Despite having read some of these before he wanted to take in every single word and tiny little detail that he could.
Meanwhile, Franklin was being carried into the medical bay as Isabel stayed there with her baby, not being allowed to leave at all and having meals delivered to her. She thought back to when she first joined Austin along with Franklin. They joined out of desperation, seeking protection, being driven by fear of those who had been hunting them. They simply needed to not along and do what they were told, until eventually they fell for it. Believing in Austin's insanity and truly believing they were his children. Was this incestuous then this relationship? No, she knew exactly what it was.
'Fucking ridiculous.' How could they have been so dumb and so blind? They were desperate, but where they really that desperate? It wasn't worth throwing their lot in with a mad man with machinations to burn the world down around them and rebuild it as some sort of God, or Father or whatever. None of what he said made sense to her anymore. It used to be so clear. Now that she could think about it and her mind was, she considered at least, free from his grasp, none of his words had any logic or reason to them. His charisma simply drew them in, along with promise of protection. Even when they were killing people for sport. Indeed, they had all done awful things.
The cries of her baby pulled her away from her thoughts however, and despite the baby crying she couldn't help but smile. "Aww ssshhh ssshhh its okay baby its okay." She held the baby close to her chest and patted him softly on the back. He just needed to be burped. She lay him down and looked at him fondly. He had her best features, along with possessing many of Franklin's. Franklin's hazel eyes, her small round ears, Franklin's full lips, her button nose. The baby was of mixed race and black and Hispanic, yet he appeared like a light skinned black baby, She wondered if others would see him this way, and would they ever see her own Hispanic heritage in him, even if she herself was rather light skinned. She wondered if her long raven hair would accompany him as he got older. She'd prefer the baby to grow hair as fast as she did, rather than Franklin's that seemed to take months to simply grow down past his ears.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Franklin was brought in and put onto the bed. Picking up her baby her jaw dropped. "Oh my god what happened!" She exclaimed, not asking.
"He took a bullet in the last charge." Said the sisters as they dropped him uncerimoniously onto the bed. "We'll get the doctors."
"Fuck fuck fuuuuuuck." He wheezed out as the muscle around the hole in his leg seemed to pulse.
Standing by his side with the baby in her arms, she held the baby's face close to her chest, not wanting him to see his father's bloodied leg.
"I wanna be the one to kill him. I know I can. I know I can get him."
Pixie took some time to consider her words carefully. She understood exactly what he was going through, but even still, she was also his Captain, first and foremost. Allowing him to pursue his vendetta could not be allowed to endanger her men. That was simply not up for debate.
Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, Pixie clenched her jaw and spoke, "Aesop, I'm sorry, but you lost any right ta' make such demands when yer problem became mine. I know what yer feelin' right now, trust me, but Austin's killed my people as well. He violated my home. Our home. Yer a part of my family now, Aesop, an' you 'ave ta' fall in line. I ain't gonna lose any more Maidens 'cause you have a vendetta."
"But," She sighed. "Despite my better judgement, I reckon I'll 'ave you along. You may 'ave valuable insight an' I know it'd absolutely destroy you if we left you behind. You've been shat on enough as it is, lately. But, you 'ave ta' promise me somethin', Aesop," She turned her head to looked at Aesop once more. "You will follow my command, unquestionably. I can' 'ave you breakin' ranks on me, Aesop. I can' 'ave you endangerin' yer brothers." She turned her head back towards the path ahead. "I can' promise you Austin's head, but I'll let you finish 'im yerself if possible."
She shook her head, "Though I'll tell ya' now, Aesop. It ain't gonna make a bit'a difference who pulls the trigger. In the end, he'll still be dead. Take that from someone who fancies 'erself an expert in the field."
"I'll make this right, then we can get away from this life, I promise... I'll take you shopping, get you a haircut maybe, make you handsome as fuck, the girls won't be able to resist."
"Lily," Sprout started, "You don' 'ave ta' be that way with me. You can tell me the truth." He paused for a moment, his gaze downcast. "There's no escapin' this life fer us, is there? I know Ma' wanted ta' do what she thought was best fer us, but people know who we are and they always will. Please," He looked her in the eye again. "Come back from this in one piece an' then we can go home. At least with Ma' we won' 'ave ta' face all this alone."
Sprout wrapped his fingers gently around Lilith's wrists and removed her hands from his cheeks. Squeezing her hands tight with one of his own, he brought his other hand up to her face and caressed her lips with his thumb in the way a lover would. Holding the side of her face, his bottom lip quivered, "Lily, please, don' get lost in the darkness. I wan' both'a us ta' live long, happy lives. I-I wanna find a girl an' 'ave kids, an-and I wan' you to do the same. Bu-but, I don' wanna be like Ma', Lily, an' I don' wan' you too either. I don' wan' us ta' 'ave ta' give all of the good in us to 'ar children an' leave nothin' fer ourselves. If we lose 'arselves like that, we'll turn out like Ma'."
Tears were welling up in his eyes now, "I don' want that fer you, Lily. Fer either of us. An' neither does Ma'. So promise me. Promise me yer not doin' this fer revenge!"
"Come back from this in one piece an' then we can go home. At least with Ma' we won' 'ave ta' face all this alone."
Lilith smiled sadly. He was right. There was no getting away from this life, but at least with Pixie and the others they had a modicum of safety, people who cared for them. They couldn't survive on their own, that was abundantly clear. There were far smarter, and far more ruthless people out there, just snapping at the chance to get the bounties on their heads, or just for simple revenge against Pixie in any way they could.
Next time, Cranston might not be around to save them.
"I don' want that fer you, Lily. Fer either of us. An' neither does Ma'. So promise me. Promise me yer not doin' this fer revenge!"
Lilith closed her eyes for a brief moment. They couldn't escape, but one of them could, the other would just need to be the buffer between them and the world.
'Fire fears nothing.'
"I'm scared, Axel." Her expression hardened as she opened her eyes. "I'm not supposed to be scared, I was supposed to want this. To need it." She bit her bottom lip. "I've had dreams, terrible dreams, about what I would do to the man."
She furrowed her brow as her eyes focused on something a hundred miles away. "I can't promise it's not for revenge." She muttered as she reached up to her face, pressing the boy's hand against her cheek. "But I can promise that I won't enjoy it." She shook her head slowly. "No suffering, no torture, just one bullet, right between the eyes." She sighed, as if in anticipation of the burdens release. "Then it'll be over, and we can go home."
"Aesop, I'm sorry, but you lost any right ta' make such demands when yer problem became mine." Aesop winced as he heard her words.
'Here it comes. God I fucked up I shouldn't have been acting so crazy I've a ungrateful little shit.'
"I know what yer feelin' right now, trust me, but Austin's killed my people as well."
'They were my people too... I-I think at least...'
"He violated my home."
'I know I know I'm sorry, he took your home. Not mine... never mine... I know I'm not a mai... STOP IT! Now isn't the time for self pity.
"Oh there's always a time for self pity Sillah. Especially someone who's suffered as much as you."
'SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH! I'M the cause of all my problems. I haven't suffered, I just got what was coming to me. That's the truth and I know it so shut the fuck up!'
"Our home."
'Wait what?'
"Yer a part of my family now, Aesop, an' you 'ave ta' fall in line."
'She said family...' The self pity and self hate he had suddenly been stabbed in the gut. They felt weaker, and he was beginning to put them into perspective just how childish he was being about Austin.
"I ain't gonna lose any more Maidens 'cause you have a vendetta." He nodded solemnly. He felt selfish, putting his wants, not even his needs, his wants ahead of the crew.
"But," She sighed. "Despite my better judgement, I reckon I'll 'ave you along. You may 'ave valuable insight an' I know it'd absolutely destroy you if we left you behind." He felt... giddy as these words. He had his chance, not at redemption it was too late for that, but something. Something more than revenge yet less than redemption, he didn't know how he felt but it was good. Better. "You've been shat on enough as it is, lately."
'You mean I've bitched enough lately.
But, you 'ave ta' promise me somethin', Aesop," He leaned in closer to her, "You will follow my command, unquestionably. I can' 'ave you breakin' ranks on me, Aesop. I can' 'ave you endangerin' yer brothers."
"I don't think I'd live with myself if I got one of us killed again Captain." He said before she turned her head back to face the road.
"I can' promise you Austin's head, but I'll let you finish 'im yerself if possible."
"Though I'll tell ya' now, Aesop. It ain't gonna make a bit'a difference who pulls the trigger. In the end, he'll still be dead. Take that from someone who fancies 'erself an expert in the field."
"I know I just..." he thought for a moment before speaking, he had to phrase this just right, "if there was one person who had utterly ruined your life and you had a chance to get revenge then," he slowed down before continuing, he didn't want to sound insubordinate again, "I promise you I won't endanger anyone else in the crew. But um, this is gonna sound really selfish but, if I can get to him and I'm the only one who's in danger, could I go for him then? I know I'm going against everything you just said I just... fuck I dunno." He leaned back in his seat, frustrated at his own damn mind for being incapable of processing how he felt.
"I'm sorry Pixie. Everything I've done since I got here has just been bitching and self pity, when I wasn't goofing off with Ruffles and Barrot and Florian. Maybe I'm being a ***** again and maybe I have no right to say this, but he's done this twice to me now. All my fr-crewmates on the maiden are dead because of him. Just like when I was a kid. I'm sorry for being a whacko so much. Jesus Christ I'm monologuing sorry." He rubbed the back of his head. He had no idea why she sat there and listened to his shit. Before she had time to respond however he thought he could crack a joke, maybe lighten the mood.
"His real name isn't anywhere near as cool as Austin by the way. It makes him sound like a friggin accountant."
============================================================
"What happened?" Isabel asked.
"Its like they said, got shot on the top floor." He tried to be jovial but he simply couldn't as it hurt too much.
"God damn him sending you in there like that." Disdain in her voice.
"What?" She asked scared. "Why!?" She knew the answer, but not the direct cause.
"I was supposed to not let anyone die in the raid. Three did. I'm dead I'm so fucking dead."
Her heart sank as she listened to her beloved. "If we hadn't have confronted him, he wouldn't have put you through this."
"He knew anyway. The second we had the baby he knew how we'd react." He replied. "He had us pegged from the start, but he's keeping us alive cos we're some kind of new, I dunno new use for him or some bullshit for new children. All I know is I failed his test and he's pissed, but he's gonna keep acting fucking cheery until he kills me!" Franklin pounded down on the bed in anger. It was too soft to get a satisfying punch out of. He needed to hit something hard like a wall but he couldn't stand up to reach it. Instead he resigned to lying back on the bed, resting his forearm over his forehead.
Isabel sat on the chair next to his bed. After a rather awkward silence she thought to lighten the mood with some bleak humour. "At least you got to go outside. We're still going stir crazy in this room." She chuckled, obviously fake. He forced a laugh as well to go along with her, but the pain he felt only made him grunt out in agony. Realising it wasn't working she knew she had to go back to the more serious conversation. "He's gonna try and brainwash us like he did some of the others, if he isn't planning on killing us outright. He'll treat us like the ones who resist."
"How would we go about bullshittin' him then that we resist, but still believe him?" He asked still in absolute pain, the doctors were taking their sweet time.
"I dunno." Her voice didn't have the hope it had in those breif moments. "I really don't know baby." Suddenly, the hope returned however as she spoke up again. "Though in our alone time, we can totally find a better name than fucking Troy." They both laughed and looked at each other, the sadness they felt was obvious on the surface, yet they could see it deep within each other as well.
"I love you." They spoke, almost in unison before the doctors finally came in for Franklin.
===================================================
Alex was drinking her fourth cup of coffee that day. She wasn't exactly stable. The feelers she had sent out into the ashlands hadn't gotten back to her yet and she was getting antsy. Finally she got a knock on her front door, she swung it open to see her deputy Vidal standing there. "We heard something but its not concrete."
She beckoned him in silently as they sat on the table in her kitchen. She was still drinking her coffee and in the process of brewing some more. Vidal continued, "You know he was going after the maidens cos of Lord Basilio?" She nodded her head as she listened to him. "Well we heard that the Iron Maiden crashed outside of Autumn Dome, then set off again after about a day. We don't know if its concrete or not its all rumours, but there were whispers of a gunfight."
She leaned back in her chair, resisting the urge to break the table in half. "So it could'a been him?" She was trying her best to remain calm.
"Maybe. Like I said, these are just rumours and the sources are unreliable. They told us a bunch of other stuff too but this seemed closer to the truth."
"What else did they say?" She asked on the edge of her seat.
"They said that the Iron Maiden got into a fight with a noble ship, that it was shot outta the sky, that it lost all power and crash landed, some of them contradict the others, and if I'm honest I'm just believing that first one because these two things link together, and we're all paranoid." He continued, trying to behave professionally. He didn't know the man they could very well, and hopefully not, be dealing with.
"You can say that again," she gave a cynical laugh, "anything about Austin himself? Or his," she looked as if she needed a bath after saying the next word, "family?"
"Well we haven't heard much other than large groups of kids moving outta domes as fast as they could. But that's just a random stab in the dark. Again, everything we're saying here is just speculation and its like 100-1 odds that we'd be on the money." He then pulled out a small baggy from a larger bag strapped to his side. "Speaking of which here's your carbon from the raffle. You got third place but its something at least."
"Oh, thanks." She said as she finished off her coffee, taking the baggy and lashing it onto the table. "So these kids-"
He interrupted her. "It could just be kids going on a booze cruise-"
She interrupted him in turn. "But you don't know that."
"And you don't know this is his kids."
"DO NOT CALL THEM HIS KIDS!" She stood up and threw her cup across the room. They remained silent for a while as Vidal remained seated, looking up at her.
Eventually he stood up and spoke. "We'll keep on the edge, keep being as paranoid as we are right now, but you can't assume every slight thing is that bastard making a move again. And if he is, why'd he ever come here?"
She turned away from him, recklessly throwing plates aside inside her messy drawers and grabbing a new cup, pouring the coffee in from a stand. She spoke softer this time, her voice weaker. "Because he can probably take us, that's why." She turned around and faced Vidal with vulnerable eyes. "If we lived somewhere else like Feroxi or, fuck a dome were the nobles and their soldiers gave the littlest bit of a shit about the dome itself and the people in it, then maybe he wouldn't. But no," she sipped her scolding coffee, "aside from the personal reasons, Yuteni is weak. We can barely keep crime in check inside the city, the bandit families outside are getting closer to the borders every day, a variable like Austin would tip the balance."
Placing her cup down she continued. "That paranoia keeps us alive Vidal. And if I'm wrong," she paused and genuinely laughed, her fingers rested on her forehead, "and Jesus maybe I am," she chuckled some more, "it'll keep me on my toes to bust normal criminals. If it helps against a mad cultist, that's a bonus."
Vidal took in her words before looking at the clock hung up on the wall. "I uh, I better get going. I've got some rookies to break in." He walked past her before standing in the kitchen doorway for a moment. "You should maybe slow down on the coffee. Try booze instead." He smirked.
She returned the favour and said, "So my aim should be hazy now?"
"Better than shaky." They both chuckled sadly before Vidal took his leave. Alex pour her coffee down the sink before falling into her chair. She needed some rest.
The Gentleman smiled hungrily. Now they were getting somewhere, and his enthusiasm only fed upon the palpable hostility of the others in the room.
"Dio Basilio, Lord of Feroxi, has been developing rather a line in rattling cages of late, for seemingly nothing but its own sake. I confess, I could not tell you what his overall aim is, although I don't believe it truly matters. Knowing him, it will be some trite, self-aggrandising and ultimately pointless garbage about Changing the World For the Better. In any case, his preferred method of achieving his ends would appear to be raising hell up and down the Ashlands, through several third parties. What a clever play it would be for him then, to appear to introduce a powerful third party into this civil war, at the very moment both sides were on the brink of a ceasefire, no less. Whether Basilio really wanted you dead, I cannot say for sure. However, I suspect that if he had, we wouldn't be having this conversation...
Regardless, one good turn deserves another, wouldn't you agree? For now though, Basilio is untouchable to you. He's such a very long way away, and surrounded by an army that far outnumbers and outguns your forces. If you would like to get your own back, you need someone who knows where he is weak, someone who knows what will hurt him, and most importantly, someone who can provide you with the resources to wage a shadow war at the heart of Dio Basilio's organisation with complete deniability.
My price, for these services, is that you hold off on your final assault on Frostfall's unfortunate nobility. Keep attacking them, of course, keep adding fuel to the fire, but delay your final blow for as long as I require it of you. You will have this city for your own before all this ends, I promise you, but I would rather that this flame did not burn out so hastily."
The Gentleman sat back, and looked about the other faces in the room. How they all reacted to this would be interesting.
Amy didn't need a lot of details. Almost as soon as he started talking, she saw the story unfold before her, reflected in his eyes. A young Aesop, eager and impressionable, just the type to gravitate towards a bombastic figure such as Austin. Perhaps Aesop came closer than even he knew to being the first of Austin's sick family, only to instead watch in horror as a man he had idolised destroyed everything he held dear. Amy doubted that there had been a single day since, when the faces of his friends had not haunted Aesop.
While he and Pixie talked, Amy simply reached over, and held Aesop's hand, looking at him with sad, soft eyes. every small motion in her face and body conveying the same, short message.
'You are not alone.'
Calmly, she waited for them to finish.
"No matter what happens Aesop, remember this..." she said. "It will all be over soon. Whoever deals the final blow, that man will be finished. No more madness, and you friends will rest a little easier."
She leaned in closer, making sure that Aesop was staring right at her. Her voice was still soft when she spoke next, but there was steel in there too.
"You never failed anyone, Aesop. Where others fell, you survived. It's not an easy thing to reconcile, I know, but sometimes, in this world, simply surviving is the best we can do."
"Um," Hannibal muttered as he scratched his elbow and stared down at his shoes. "learning to shoot might be okay. Also I um... maybe how to fight with my hands a bit?" Viola thought about this as she sat up on the bed, her head resting against the backboard.
"You want to learn hand to hand combat now do you Hannibal? I'll tell you now; it's not something you can learn overnight, regardless of what you've seen in bar room brawls with them making it look easy. Bound to get a few bumps and bruises before the end. It'll be a lot of work if you are going to be proficient at it. However, I can think I can at least set you up with the basics today; in terms of fighting stance and technique. So what do you say, still interested?" Viola asked as she offered a hand to Hannibal for him to shake.
"You never failed anyone, Aesop. Where others fell, you survived. It's not an easy thing to reconcile, I know, but sometimes, in this world, simply surviving is the best we can do."
"Amen to that," Pixie chimed in. "Ain't everyone gonna make it in this world, Aesop. Please, don' blame yerself fer what 'appened to the Maiden. That was on me. One-hundred percent. If those deaths 'ar gonna weigh on anyone's shoulders, please, let them be on mine."
Though they dealt with it in different ways, she and Aesop suffered in very similar ways, whether he knew it or not. Both of them wanted nothing more than to squeeze the life out of a man who had taken everything from them. Both of them hated and cursed themselves for their continued weakness in the face of the world's challenges. Pixie was strong in many ways that few could match, but when it came to those she loved...
When it came to loving herself...
She knew exactly how Aesop felt.
Pixie turned a dial on the dashboard and smiled, "Hey, why don' we listen ta' some music. Lighten the mood a lil'. It's been too long since we jus'... cruised, ya' know?"
Sprout nodded. He knew there was nothing he could say to talk her out of it. She believed she had to do this and that was it. Silent tears ran across Sprout's cheeks as he continued to stare at Lilith. Then, without even thinking, he leaned forward and gave her a soft, brief kiss on the lips before embracing her. His face buried in her shoulder, he began to sob, "P-please, promise me you'll come b-b-b-back, Lily! I can' do this alone! I can' do this without you!"
Thoroughly cleaned up and garbed in her officer's uniform, Tsubaki shrugged off the soreness that had been plaguing her all morning as she marched down the marble halls of Basilio Tower. After taking the elevator to the top floor, Dio's penthouse, Tsubaki walked straight past the guards before they noticed her presence.
"Hey! You can't go in there now!" The guard reached out and was about to grab her shoulder when he realized who it was before him. "Oh, Commander?"
Tsubaki continued walking, only turning her head slightly to ask, "Is he in?"
"Yes, but you can't go in there now!" The second guard chimed in, his finger twitching on the trigger of his automatic plasma rifle. "You need an appointment."
She continued to ignore their pleas and had already placed a hand on the doorknob when one of them came up from behind her and grabbed her wrist, "What did we just say!?"
"Unhand me," She ordered in a cold, calm voice. She kept her eyes fixated on the door. "I said---"
"We don't give a fuck what you said!" The other guard ordered, leveling his rifle. "We can't just let you waltz in there and---"
"What is the meaning of this?"
Everyone's eyes found their way to Dio as he suddenly appeared in the doorway. Despite their armored forms, Dio easily towered over his own guards, "We are sorry for the commotion, M'lord, but Commander Saburo was trying to---
"You two are dismissed," Looking to Tsubaki, he smiled, "Please, come in, Commander."
"Yes sir!" The guards barked without missing a beat. As they retreated to their posts, Tsubaki followed Dio inside his suite.
Crossing the enormous office, Dio stood by his desk and poured a glass of wine. Gesturing to the wine bottle, he smiled, "Would you care for some?"
Tsubaki shook her head, "No M'lord, thank you." Standing at attention was proving to be more difficult than she thought it would. For some reason she just felt so... antsy.
"So," Dio started before taking a sip of his wine. "I don't take it this is a social call." He approached Tsubaki. "What can I do for you, Commander?"
Tsubaki clenched her jaw. She had tried to come up with an eloquent way of easing into the conversation, but in the end, she knew Dio was too smart for that. He could smell bullshit from a mile away, "Lady Maribel," Tsubaki began, a subtle fear in her voice. "When we bring her to you... do you still intend to kill her?"
Dio smiled, "No, that will no longer be necessary. The dominoes have already begun to fall. There is no longer any need for a martyr."
So, that's all she was to you?
"Okay," She sighed, "What exactly do you need her for, then?"
"That's a fair question," Dio shrugged and took another sip of his wine, "As we speak, Wilkes-Vines operatives are wresting control of Boomhower from the remnants of the Santiago family. Once the subjugating of their entire organization is complete, it will be as simple as sending a small army to the dome to show my devotion to the good people of the Rock. I will take Lady Maribel's hand in marriage, and as promised to her family, I will liberate Boomhower from any and all bandit influence." He chuckled. "What the world will see as an act of heroism will simply be a carefully choreographed dance between myself and Payton. Once my army arrives, he will move his forces out."
Tsubaki furrowed her brow, "So, it was you? You knew about Payton yesterday?" She paused for a moment, before adding, "Does he know about Frostfall?"
"Yes," Dio mused. "Payton is a tool to be used, whether he knows it or not. As is the fair young Lady." Dio took notice of Tsubaki's discomfort and grinned. "Commander, there is no need to worry. Remember, this is for the good of the people. We are going to change the world for the better."
Tsubaki nodded, her eyes glued to her feet, "I know, M'lord. I apologize for my trepidation."
"No," Dio began, inching closer to Tsubaki. "There is no need for that, Commander." His grin grew more sinister. "Or can it be that you are more concerned for your place once the Lady is among us?"
Tsubaki was about to deny it when, suddenly, Dio had an arm wrapped around her. Pressing her against his chest he laughed, "Lady Maribel is of little interest to me, Tsubaki. If I am to be honest, I would much prefer a woman of action at my side. A woman worthy to inherit this world with me. Someone like you, Tsubaki." As he said this he slid another hand down her back and grabbed a large mass of flesh in his monstrous hand, squeezing firmly. Tsubaki squeaked and bit her lip before beginning to tremble.
"It can be yours," He whispered into her ear, "This world can be yours, Tsubaki."
"I-I-uh, M'lord, I," Tsubaki was flustered. More than that, she was mortified. What did her Lord want from her? He wouldn't ask for her flesh again, would he? "I'm s-sorry M'lord, but..."
"Shhh," Dio hushed her, "It's okay, Tsubaki. I understand, you are afraid. Perhaps I am coming on too strong." He took a few steps back and nodded. "I'm sorry, Tsubaki."
Tsubaki just stared at him for a time, quivering before eventually nodding, "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to offend you, M'lord, I---"
"Tsubaki," Dio interrupted, "You don't have to apologize to me. Now," He started towards his desk. "I am sorry, but I was in the middle of some important business before you showed up."
"Of course M'lord. Again, I apologize." She bowed.
"No need for that, Tsubaki. Now," He gestured towards the door. "See yourself out." He said as he sat down at his desk.
Right before she left out the door, he called out, "Good luck in your hunt."
"Thank you M'lord," Tsubaki replied with another bow.
Tsubaki stood alone, in complete silence as she rode the elevator back down to the base of the tower. She was still trembling. She was still terrified. What did Dio want from her? And, if it turned out to be something she didn't want... what would he do if she refused him? Before the elevator arrived at the bottom floor, Tsubaki let out a long, exasperated sigh to calm her nerves.
P-please, promise me you'll come b-b-b-back, Lily! I can' do this alone! I can' do this without you!"
Her eyes remaining dry, Lilith smiled warmly, cupping the back of the boy's head. "Shhhhhhhhh." She blew gently as she stroked Axel's hair. "I won't leave you." Settling into the embrace, she closed her eyes for a few moments, before furrowing her brow.
Gently pushing the boy away, she looked softly upon his face as she brushed his tears away with her thumbs.
"When you were... shot." She muttered hesitantly, her eyes losing their focus slightly. "I thought that was it. I held you in my arms, I... tried to stop the blood." She furrowed her brow, her eyes looking back at the memory. "So much blood." She whispered. "You were dead. That's what I thought." She clenched her jaw. "You don't know how that made me feel." Her eyes refocused, looking into the boy's. "I..." She breathed in sharply as a sob caught in her throat. "I have to keep checking." She cupped the boy's face, as tears began to well in her eyes, a warm smile curling her lips. "To make sure you're real. That I'm not dreaming." She squinted, laughing nervously as a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I can't explain how terrified, how utterly devastated I was." She pulled the boy back into an embrace, kissing him gently on the cheek.
"I won't make you feel that way. I'll come back, I promise."
"I won't make you feel that way. I'll come back, I promise."
"Good," Sprout nodded, frantically. "Good." He repeated, his tears all bu gone now. Resting his head against her chest, he chuckled. "Jus' try not ta' get yer pretty mug busted up, okay?"
Elizabeth usually preferred taking baths when she was feeling introspective, but there were two other women waiting their turn and she couldn't just hog the bathroom all morning. It was too bad, really. She had so much on her mind and the soothing, warm water worked wonders in setting her heart at ease. It helped her think clearly.
The specter of Lady Josephine had been haunting her every day since her death, save for last night. She'd spent the last few days alone in an inn, with nothing but her paranoia and grief to keep her company. Last night was different though. Last night was... fun.
Elizabeth smiled. Raising her head up high, she trembled as the hot water trickled down her back. She looked down at the skin on her arm. It was fair and smooth; a stark contrast to that of Pixie's rough, weathered skin. Even Lilith's, perhaps. She couldn't imagine what these women had gone through: Lilith, Maria, Pixie... her sister, Margaret. They were all made of sterner stuff, for sure. Elizabeth had lived her entire life sheltered from the ugly realities of the world. Sure, she'd seen the suffering of her people first hand. But, despair on another's behalf is but a shadow of true misery.
Elizabeth knew loss, but not to the degree that these women did. She was still so naive.
How do I fix that?
She wanted to help. She wanted to do good. Her naive notion that she could help the world by marrying Lord Basilio was beginning to look more like the farce the Maidens had told her it was. Why couldn't she be the one to change things? Why couldn't she be the one to make the difference? Look at Pixie! She did everything herself. She was the brains behind her operation as well as its brawn. She was a mother, protector and leader of her people. In some strange way, Elizabeth envied her.
Okay, don't get too far ahead of yourself, Liz.
One thing she did know for sure: she liked these people. They were the people she wanted to help. The kind of well-meaning folks she'd gotten to know at home. The same people that lived in fear of the banditos.
Lilith could very well die tonight. It could be that, by tomorrow morning... Sprout's best friend would be dead. If that were the case, she'd have to be there for him. She didn't know what she could possibly do, but he was her nephew. He was all she had left of the sister she hardly remembered.
Alex Maribel... Axel.
Pixie was a clever one; using an anagram to protect Sprout's identity all these years. Dio must have known he was alive all this time. Had he not tried to get his son back? Did he not care?
Elizabeth chuckled. She barely knew the kid and she was already fretting over him. Didn't he already have enough women doing that as it was? Well, perhaps that didn't matter. He was her blood, after all. It was her duty to look after him.
Don't worry sister, I'll take good care of your boy.
With a spring in her step, Elizabeth grinned as she exited the bathroom. Covered up in nothing but a towel, she was thankful Cranston had already left for the market. Crouching down at her shopping bags by the sofa, she picked out an outfit and some makeup before disappearing back into the bathroom.
When she finally reemerged from the bathroom she looked like a totally different person. The disheveled, hungover teenager was no more, and in her place stood a radiant, proper woman. She wore a simple, little white dress that accentuated her modest bust, a pair of white, thick hoop earrings, and an assortment of other matching accessories. Her makeup was carefully put together: thin, black eyeliner curled into thick waves at the edges of her brow and her lips shone a vibrant, beige color. She hadn't felt this pretty in a long time.
Plopping down on the sofa, she smiled at Maria, "Bathroom's all yours!"
Even for a doctor, Maria wasn't a very patient person. She just wanted her patients to hurry up and heal as soon as possible - not so she could just move onto the next one for the money, but because many of the people she had treated needed to be up and about. A day in bed was a day wasted. Nevertheless, this wasn't even about that. She wanted to be clean, she wanted the faint but lingering smell of booze. That was the worst thing about drinking - the after-effects. Maria stirred as the noble slumped on the sofa - another minute or so and she would have dozed off. The teenager next to her surely looked better after that shower, though she was a bit overdressed for just a card game. It wasn't like they were going to Paradiso or anything.
She got up and patted Elizabeth on the shoulder lightly, "Well, Tigerman, somebody's dressed to go 'n' get 'em."
Maria stretched as she walked into the bathroom - she already had enough time to go and grab a towel beforehand. With gusto, she took off her clothes and stepped into the shower. She turned the shower on and jumped back a bit, finding the water a little cold. However, soon enough the water was at exactly the right temperature for Maria: steaming hot. She just let the wall of water cascade over her body, touching every pore. She was blanketed by heat. And with that, Maria began to hum and set to work scrubbing all over, which only made the water seem hotter. Well, the hotter the better as far as Maria was concerned. Lastly, she washed the soap off her hands and washed her hair. As soon as that was done, she switched the tap around to the cold setting.
Cooled off, she shut the shower off, dried and walked out with the same clothes as before on.
Well, it was a lazy day, wasn't it?
***
It was somewhat of a relief when morning came, Jun was tired of waiting for it. He went through the usual routine, only stopping to throw the sheets and the shirt into the laundry basket. Right now, he was doing up the final button on his uniform in front of the mirror. A soldier whose adherence to duty, loyalty and efficiency... There really wasn't any other way Jun could see himself living or even any other way he wanted to live. He came to the conclusion the mercs in his squad couldn't understand that. Those harsh words that were said last night were now only faint whispers in Jun's mind. Regardless of what words they had spoken, they couldn't deny one fact: it was always better just to obey. Obey and there would be no problems, don't think and it won't weight upon your conscience...
Maybe that dream was trying to remind him of that, no matter how painful it was.
Asad downed the warm whiskey, grimacing, he got to his feet. Waving lazily at the tired looking barman, he tossed the guy a hefty tip "Have a good one, buddy." He smiled.
"Thanks a lot pal, you too." The man replied.
Exiting the bar, Asad shoved his hands into his pockets and turned left as he began walking back to the barracks.
"Jus' try not ta' get yer pretty mug busted up, okay?"
Lilith grinned as the boy rested his head against her chest. "I'm not wearing a bra, I know your fucking game, mister." She laughed, as she pushed the boy away. "I'm going to go have a shower, then I'm gonna show you all of my new clothes." Before the boy could get a word in, she placed a finger on his lips. "All of them, and you'll bloody like it." Pushing the boy back into his bed, she picked up his empty bowl and left the room.
Placing Sprout's bowl in the kitchen sink, she head towards the bathroom, passing the other two women in the living room. Just as she was about to enter the bathroom, she turned, walking backwards, she pointed at Elizabeth, smiling "Overdressed harlot" turning her gaze to Maria, "Yesterday's clothes, tramp." waving her arms outward as she entered the bathroom.
Turning on the shower, Lilith pulled Sprout's shirt over her head and pulled down her underwear. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at her reflection. Bloodshot eyes, sickly pale skin, yellowing bruises, black eye, Stitched cheek. She was a mess.
Smiling weakly, she ran a hand through her hair. "At least I got some pretty clothes." She muttered to herself. Raising a hand to her cheek, she touched the stitched cut there. It had pretty much sealed. Opening the mirror cabinet, she pulled out a small pair of scissors.
Delicately, she cut the stitches and removed them. There would be a scar, no doubt about it, a rather unclean one, contrasting the straight scar just a few inches above it.
Throwing the stitches in small waste bin, she rinsed off the scissors and placed them back in the cabinet. She stepped into the shower, closing her eyes and sighing as she was enveloped in warmth. Placing her hands up against the tiled wall, she leaned forward, letting the hot water stream over her back.
Tonight was going to be hell, she'd have to kill, there was no doubt about that. That she could deal with, there was no emotion there, strictly a kill or be killed scenario. Gorgon on the other hand...
She wasn't sure what she would do if she came face to face with the bastard.
"I promised Cranston I wouldn't..." she whispered to herself, running her hands through her sodden hair.
There would be blood, the real question was, how much?
"So what do you say, still interested?" She offered him her hand.
He stood there, looking at it. All human contact made him so very uncomfortable, yet he did want to learn how to fight. And he would be getting touched in a fight anyway. He needed to bite the bullet.
"Very." He said, shaking her hand as firm as he could, yet still rather weak.
"Very." Hannibal said after a moment's hesitation, after which he accepted the handshake, this in turn made Viola smile.
"Good. Well go on then. Have that shower, and meet me in the lobby in say ten to fifteen minutes? I'll go have a word with the manager, see if he knows someplace local that might serve as a place to train your hand to hand fighting skills." Viola said before getting off the bed and getting herself suited up. She then made her way towards the door, and was about to leave before turning to face Hannibal.
"Oh, and by the way. Make sure you lock up on your way out Hannibal." Viola remarked, taking out the keys to the room from her coat pocket and placing them on the dressing table. Showing another smile, she exited the room and headed downstairs.
Amy's hand was warm, comforting, surprising how good she was at making others feel better despite her age. At a guess he thought she was maybe 19, 20? But that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was there for him, a man she barely knew. No doubt using skills of her sad trade, he couldn't deny how much these skills helped.
"No matter what happens Aesop, remember this... It will all be over soon. Whoever deals the final blow, that man will be finished. No more madness, and you friends will rest a little easier."
He smiled sadly. No more maidens would die. And no one else in the ashlands would suffer. He smirked at the imaginery Austin and had to resist a wink, lest Amy think he was crazy.
"You never failed anyone, Aesop. Where others fell, you survived. It's not an easy thing to reconcile, I know, but sometimes, in this world, simply surviving is the best we can do."
The smile he wore now drooped. 'I didn't survive though. I ran. I ran away from my problems and then drank them to keep them away.'
"Maybe people would have been saved if you had stayed in Yuteni to fight me?"
A breeze of shame flowed through Aesop. 'Maybe. Maybe.'
"Amen to that," Pixie chimed in. "Ain't everyone gonna make it in this world, Aesop. Please, don' blame yerself fer what 'appened to the Maiden. That was on me. One-hundred percent. If those deaths 'ar gonna weigh on anyone's shoulders, please, let them be on mine."
"But I..." his voice got quieter as he thought of all the likely dead on the maiden, "don't think it was..." He wasn't sure if she was even listening to him. His rather blind loyalty to her must have been grating after a while, especially considering Pixie's attitudes on freedom. 'Guess I can't help it.' She had saved him from being a scumbag, to what degree is debatable, and what he owed her he felt he could never make up for.
"Hey, why don' we listen ta' some music. Lighten the mood a lil'. It's been too long since we jus'... cruised, ya' know?"
He perked his head up and chuckled. "Yeah," he smiled at Amy, whispering 'thank you', squeezing her hand a little before letting go and leaning back in his seat. He looked over at Parker before smiling and saying, "hey Ames? Did you tell the Captain about our blacktastic engineer friend 'dropping in' on us while we were cooking?" He was stupidly proud of himself for such an obvious pun.
=====================================
After about an hour of flying, Oliver, Austin's highest in command, addressed the women. He was tall and thin with black curly hair. He held himself like a relaxed teacher. He looked over each one of the women, his eyes darting from face to face. He pointed out a few of them and said, "you all can go straight to the bunks. You need your rest."
Most of these women were quite young, yet some were fully grown women. One thing that was clear though, these women were glad to be away from the brothel. "Bathe and clean yourselves first, no one will watch." Perhaps there were others glad to be away from the brothel, these women however hadn't a subtle bone in their bodies, easy pickings for Austin; and for Oliver, this was not his first rodeo.
"Now for the rest of you." He spoke with gentle authority. "Please, talk to me."
====================================
Hannibal listened to Viola. He would much prefer she just teach him what she knew than go to a teacher... or maybe that was what she meant, he didn't understand so well. His focus still drawn to his hunters. He rushed into the shower and scrubbed himself as fast as he could, closing his eyes as tight as he could when he didn't need to see what he was doing. He felt ashamed to see his naked fleshy form, and felt even worse as the water dropped onto his head.
"DIRTY BOY! FILTHY FILTHY BASTARD! FUCKING **** NO ONE WILL ADOPT YOU! NOBODY WANTS YOU! BROKEN BASTARD YOU'RE BROKEN BROKEN BROKEN!"
He hyperventilated as he tried his very best to push away his pain until he had had enough, barely washing his entire body, his calves downwards not being washed. He rushed back outside, hastily drying himself before throwing on his rags, running outside to meet with Viola.
"Did you tell the Captain about our blacktastic engineer friend 'dropping in' on us while we were cooking?"
"As a matter of fact, I don't think I did." Amy replied, furtively smiling at Pixie. "We were... a little busy. What Ruffles was doing in the ventilation shaft in the first place I have no idea, perhaps we should ask him later?"
There was silence among the group for a long time. Georgia was one of the ones who didn't speak. She had no desire to stand out from the crowd at this moment. She'd approach who she wanted, on her terms, and this man was clearly not suitable. She did, however, take another look around at the other women gathered with her. They all looked frightened. Good. It would be suspicious if they weren't. Still, the man addressing them was as deluded as his master if he thought he could turn more than a fraction of these girls in the time he had. They'd comply for certain, but compliance and willingness were not the same thing, and if there was one talent all the girls present shared, it was faking it.
"What do you want us to say?" one girl mumbled after a while.
Oliver looked slightly puzzled, yet smiled. "What you think of the current situation. Are you scared? Do you fear us for what we did? None of you understand what he can do for you yet," he sighed happily, "many of us are not at first". Oliver sat down among them, right in between them, some flinched, others tried not to.
"When I first met father, I was frightened. Scared. Alone." He lifted the back of his silk shirt to reveal a scar trailing down his lower back. "I woke up in a bath filled with ice and my kidney missing. Men in the next room were gambling, playing cards, all the while my kidney sat in a cooler just by their feet. That was my first true experience with fear."
He lowered his shirt and beamed a proud smile. "Then... I heard the sounds of a guitar. I thought it was from another room but it was getting closer and closer. Then gunshots, and screaming. I thought more people were coming to harm me." His face looked confused and scared as if he were re-enacting the scene. "But then the men who had stolen my organ? They screamed too. And that's when he came." Pure adoration decorated Oliver's face. "In the heat of battle what did he do? He put down his guitar and stayed with me. Throughout the entire fight, as the rest of my brothers and sisters, who then were but strangers to me, were enacting what was right, my father sat on the toilet and held my freezing cold hand. He told me, 'Its going to be alright. Its going to be alright.' I passed out eventually, when I woke up he was the first face I saw." He looked over at the woman sitting next to him. "My kidney was put back in, and though I still have damage done to my body, justice was done that day." He offered the woman his hand to hold. "Please." He waited for her to hold his hand. "Tell me your story too.
========================================= "perhaps we should ask him later?"
Aesop chuckled. "He looked like a little drunken angel. I take it the meal went well ladies?"
As Viola arrived in the lobby, she could see that it was mostly deserted, save for the owner who was busy hunched over the counter whilst trying to complete a crossword in the local newspaper. He appeared to have not noticed Viola's presence, so engrossed with his puzzle, that he received quite the shock when Viola rang the bell.
"Gosh darn it Miss Greaves, you could have given this old timer some warning. Now I've gone and dropped my newspaper. Just one sec please." Spoke the innkeeper as he went down behind the counter and picked up the scattered pages of his newspaper. After everything was back in the right place, he adjusted his glasses and looked at Viola.
"Well uh, what can I do for you on such a fine day Miss Greaves?"
"I was wondering if you could help me with a problem. You see, my young friend who I brought in the other day wants me to teach him some hand to hand combat; thing is, I don't know anywhere local that would be a suitable training ground. Perhaps you might have some ideas?" This made the innkeeper stroke the long white hairs that made up his beard as he began to think.
"Hmm, well I don't think there are any dedicated boxing gyms round these parts, since most folks nowadays are using guns. But, there are some empty buildings just down the street that I've seen people use for all sorts of things. I happen to know the guy that runs the place. Just till him that he owes 'Old Laurence' a favor, and he should fix up with one of the rooms for next to no charge."
"Thanks mister. Once my friend comes down from his shower, I'll tell him about it. Oh, and should any messages come for me whilst I'm out, just keep them behind the counter, and I'll pick up upon my return." Viola said as she began heading for the door.
"No problem Miss Greaves. Hope you have a safe day."
Ten minutes later...
Viola was out watching the streets for signs of trouble, when she heard the doors swing wide open, and out came Hannibal looking mostly clean. She noticed that the clothes he had been wearing were rather faded in a few places, there was even a few holes.
"You know Hannibal, we're going to have to outfit you with some new clothes at some-point. Can't go wondering about looking as though you've just come out of a scrapheap, no offence intended by that. Maybe we can sort that out after we're done training. I've spoken to the innkeeper, says there are some buildings down the street that would suit our purpose. I'll explain along the way." She said, and the pair of the set off.
Later still...
They were now in one of the empty rooms of the three storey building. It was basic to say the least, but had some basic furniture. From the layout, Viola guessed that they had planned to be apartments at one point; and for some unknown reason they were abandoned until the innkeeper's friend came along and turned them into rent-able rooms. Viola hanged her coat on the door handle.
"Now then Hannibal, I'm going to teach you a couple of defensive poses that you would assume when starting a fight, and from there, teach you the basic of hand to hand combat, see where that takes us."
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