Shooting stars above the city - Napalm_arrow (2024)

Chapter 1: We quit

Chapter Text

“Well, that could’ve ended worse I suppose.”
Argalia paced around an abandoned warehouse in District 13. The Night of the backstreets had been in effect, but he could handle any sort of threat that came his way, much less with that of the Ensemble. If anything, they were the threat that stalked if they chose to.
Their raid on the Library had failed and ended with them being temporarily booked, but it seemed something had happened on the inside of that Library for all of them, and the other people they’d booked, to be set free.
It was only luck that had the Ensemble wake up a district away from their makeshift camp and in a random warehouse. A shame the head had apparently ejected the Library and the whole Nest and even backstreets to get rid of the impurity. He would’ve liked to go get their camp and different utensils back, but that was life he supposed.
Still, he was lucky that he was here, and even better he could continue his plan to acquire the light in some capacity. The Library wasn’t gone, it just moved away, and if anything, it was still quite close to reality from the reports that Pluto had told him.
They’d lost last time, but now they didn’t have access to the resources and manpower they did beforehand. Sure, they lost his dear Angelica and the Vermillion Cross, but they could get more puppets for Jae-heon. Angelica couldn’t be replaced, but he’d suffered the pain of losing her before and this pain was lesser than that.
“Sir Argalia, I’m displeased to report we have a... colossal issue.” Argalia’s head turned to a well-dressed skeleton with a top hat. Pluto always was his right-hand man since he was the first that had joined his Ensemble, and they’d bonded over their sheer disdain for his brother-in-law. It helped that Pluto was still by far the most versatile, and arguably powerful, member since joining.
Him showing up and saying there was any sort of issue was a problem since he knew it wasn’t a physical one. They had the manpower and skills to deal with any foe that had come their way, even other colors if they chose to attack them. “What’s the issue?” The question was only met with him being handed a few papers. At first, he wondered if he’d been handed a contract, but the lack of glow told him otherwise as his eyes scanned over them.
While it wasn’t the worst experience I’ve had, I will no longer be working with the ensemble as of now. I’ve decided to try and seek ventures elsewhere no matter how futile it will be. -The Crying Children
While the library certainly had the chance for more interesting ingredients the experience wasn’t worth the hassle. I’ve decided instead to travel the city seeing if I could find something to give me that spark of creativity again. - Greta, The Eighth (and last) Chef
Chasing this joy was fun, but that’s ended unfortunately. / We’ve founded a new path to take and enjoy while it lasts. / Not to mention our old gang is back and we’d love to meet them again. - Doodle-Doo, Heehaw and Woof, The musicians of Bremen
I lost plain and simple. - Tanya
This was indeed an issue.
“Where are they?” Almost half the ensemble leaving wasn’t a good thing in any sort of way. Not to mention those four were some of their heaviest hitters. Replacing them wouldn’t be a simple task in the slightest, and it would be easier to convince them otherwise. Pluto only shook his head at the question.
“They found a van in the warehouse that still had gas in it, so I have little idea where they could have gone. I’d only noticed because the note was in the kitchen where Greta worked, and I’d wondered why it was so quiet." Well, this was going to set things back for quite a while. Finding sentient distortions was already a problem but finding ones at Star of the City or at least Urban Nightmare was even worse. He wondered if there could be any worse news.
“They also kept the suits it seems.”
Oh, those motherfu-
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“You ain't a bad driver Waxy.”
The Crying Children ignored Tanya as he went through the highway. He was lucky that there weren’t too many people out, or that he hadn’t hit that many sweepers that got in the way of his van. The radio was blaring a catchy toon that reminded him of a casino as they drove.
“Does anyone have any sort of destination in mind.” The cries of several animals were heard to his question, and he waited for the other passenger in the back to answer. “They wanna try and find their old gang, as for me District 23 is always a good place to start. Thinkin about goin back to my roots ya know.”
His head turned to his passenger up front who simply shrugged. “District 23 ain’t far from here so that’s a pretty good bet. I wanna do both their goals, and they ain’t sayin we won’t run into their old friends.” She finished the sentence by pulling out a cigarette.
Without a word his right hand came up slowly and grabbed the end of it and set it ablaze. She brought it to her mouth after letting out a small “thanks.” In truth he didn’t care where he went so long as it was somewhere. The Ensemble hadn’t been for him, and when he caught the three trying to leave it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try a different path.
The road ahead seemed to bring him small amounts of joy, but then gave more trauma ahead. Would this choice be like that as well? He didn’t know but he decided to be grateful for living as he supposed, and it wasn’t like he could turn back now.
Another sweeper was soon sucked under the car and at the sudden bump he heard Greta let out an irritated groan. “How long till the end of the Night? Can’t even be happy since Sweepers aren’t very good ingredients. Only good for a shake or co*cktail if you got the right ingredients on hand.” Turning his head to the digital clock the time read 4:24. She had about 10 minutes more to endure.
“Ya ain’t got long girl don’t worry.” His companion answered before he could, and he heard the shark distortion say something in agreement. There was some banter between her and Bremen after he paid no mind to as he continued his drive. His attention went back to the empty road as their journey to District 23 conti-
There was someone on the right side of the road. They were on the shorter end and in a black hoodie that obscured their features, and on their belt they had the sheath to a sword, but they seemed to have lost their blade as it was nowhere in sight. Behind him a pack of five sweepers were chasing him, and while he had the distance, they seemed to be gaining on him.
“Well, ain’t that interestin. We got a bit of a show.” Tanya said after blowing out smoke out the window. The Crying Children’s eyes went back to the road trying to ignore the fleeing person as they went down the street. They’d pass them and it was just another person at the end of the day. People died all the time in the city so another passing shouldn’t matter. What was one more body that no one would remember, or even see, come the dawn of the next day?
It really shouldn’t…
HIs head turned to look at the back of the van and its occupants. While Greta was large, and the musicians took up quite a bit of space themselves, there was enough for one or two more people. His head turned to Tanya who was giving him a weird look.
“Hey Tanya, ever play baseball?”
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Hitchhiking was a bad idea.
Finn knew now that he was running for his life from sweepers. He really didn’t want to be out in the night of the back streets, but he ran out of money to pay for a hotel, and he didn’t want to rob anybody. He wished he could call his sister, but the fight against the guy in the library had destroyed his phone unfortunately. Not to mention with the w
Speaking of, he knew that place was bad news. That place turned out to be an impurity, so no wonder his gut was telling him the place was going to be dangerous, when he saw Yun again he was going to yell at him. Well actually there might be a problem with that plan since he was being chased.
He could feel himself getting more and more tired, and his stomach was screaming at him. He’d had to sell his short sword for a measly amount to pay for some food and a stay at a hotel, that was clearly not worth what he paid. It’d hadn’t been enough, but it had been something to keep him off the streets for the night.
Lot of good that did him now.
Was he cursed or something? Life seemed to be going downhill since the Library because first he woke up in a trashcan in a district he didn’t know without his phones, then he had to run since it was almost the Night of the Backstreets and spend almost all his money, then he had to sell his weapon since no one would give him a job, and now he was running from sweepers. He was pretty sure his night couldn’t get any worse.
The sound of tearing metal and a loud crack came from behind him, and in front of him he saw the head of one of the sweepers go flying. He kept running but turned his head behind him to see the commotion, and his heart soared. A white van with black tinted windows was on the road and driving near the side, and sticking out the windows was an arm with a long rod that reminded him of wax.
The arm swirled the rod up in the air a few times before it hit another one of the sweepers who were now stopping to deal with the new threat. It didn’t look like they’d accomplish much, but one sweeper threw himself at the van only to end under one of the left tires causing the van to start a spin out, although thankfully the arm retracted back before that. The spinout crushed the other sweepers, and as luck would have it the vehicle seemed to slow down significantly as it started getting closer to him.
The driver side window was now facing him, and he’d fully stopped and caught his breath. Finally, something was going his way, and look at that he could greet his saviors. He brushed himself off and turned to the tinted window with a bright smile. After all he had to thank the first people who went out of their way to help him since the Library. As the window rolled down, he opened his mouth to thank them.
The words died before they even got to the tip of his tongue.
“What are you doing out so late?” The wax man(?) with only a mouth in front of him asked. He barely made a note of the wolf person shaking their hand that had burns on the palm as he stared dead at the faceless person. His breathing hitched as he tried to calm himself to speak to...the people in the van. S-Sure they were a little different, but they’d saved him and that’s all that mattered.
“Y-Y-You see I’m t-trying to get back to Y-Yun’s Office.” His heart was beating fast, from fear or the running earlier he couldn’t tell, as the words came out of his mouth. The driver looked at his companion, and while he couldn't see the expression, he hoped it was a good one. “What ya wanna take the runt with us?” The wolf woman(?) asked in an incredulous tone.
“I’m merely finding my own thing to accomplish since I don’t have one.” The neutral tone of the man unnerved him slightly. It was so close to be devoid of feeling, but there were just enough traces there that kept it within that uncanny valley area. The passenger simply stared a few times at him before pointing her thumb to the back. “Get in kid, we'll go to your place after we’ve done our errand.”
He nodded his head and went to the back of the van and put his hand on the door. He could see the shadow of two people, but so far despite they’re terrifying appearances they hadn’t been bad at all. Maybe they were just people who got some really crazy body modifications or plastic surgeries, and while he very much disapproved, he couldn’t fault them for the way they wanted to look. If whatever office they were apart of was anything, he assumed they were from an office they’d had matching suits and been kind after all, they must’ve been really powerful people. With a steadying breath he opened the back door.
And had to stop himself from staggering back.
The two up front had seemed normal compared to the two in the back. The pure white skin of the shark person along with all the various mouths sent chills down his spine, and the triple headed companion wasn’t far off from that department. His heart seemed to go into overdrive at the sight, but he tried to calm himself. They just looked different, and they’d still been nice, so who was he to judge based off of their appearance? With shaky limbs he crawled next to the shark person and slammed the door.
Immediately the car reversed and set itself back on the right side of the road and continued on its journey. The music that was playing had just ended and had gone to a calming violin that was helping to calm his nerves. At the end of the day, he was safe and as the adrenaline in his body wore out, he noticed how incredibly tired he was from the ordeals he’d had. HIs eyes only now starting to droop.
“Hey kid gotta question before you hit the hay.” The shark person next to him spoke and he turned his head to them. “Just curious but, do you have any body mods or some sort of implants?” The question lingered and he wondered if him not having any would anger the group in some way, but decided honesty was the best policy. It would hurt him if he lied, and they found out about it later.
“No, I don't have any, and I don’t really want any either. I’m gonna prove that you only need training and good workshop weapons to make it as a fixer, b-but if you have any or want more go for it.” His answer was met by a wide tooth grin, and a large arm was slung around his shoulder pulling him closer. “I like this kid. You don’t find ingredients like this often anymore, but here we got an organic. Thought I smelt as such.”
What?
“Bit on the skinny side however, I could probably make some good jerky outta him if we had a smoker, or maybe chop him to bits and serve him with fondue after a bit of searing.” The shark person said that was accompanied by a quick burst of animal cries. Finn stared in shock for a moment before he started nervously chuckling. “This is a joke right.” HIs voice had an obvious pleading in it he couldn’t stop. “Kinda. We’ll eat you, well maybe Waxy won’t, if we don’t find better ingredients. They’ll show up eventually, but you're a good back up if they don’t.”
He’d made a horrible decision.
“W-Who’s Waxy?!” He decided to change the topic as it seemed that the air around him was a lot friendlier, but he still felt a sense of fear. The horse head neight’d a few times, and the wolf up front spoke up. “Waxy’s what we call this guy up here since he won’t tell us his real name. To get introductions out of the way I’m Tanya, the three back there are Doodle-Doo, Heehaw and Woof or Bremen if you want ta talk to all of em. The lady holding ya is Greta, and I’d get some sleep. We got a long ride ahead.”
His head went to the side of the now named Greta, mostly involuntary, as he processed what she said. He looked out the window a few times wondering if jumping out and hitting his head was a better way to go, but given the tight grip on him he figured he wouldn’t even get that far. He looked up and prayed that he could at least call his sister before he died. Because right now he was sure that one way or another he was going to die.

Chapter 2: Pleasant First Day

Chapter Text

The sound of a large blast was what woke up Tanya, along with the rest of the runaway ensemble and their hitchhiker. Her head jerked upward ramming into the ceiling and putting a dent into the car, and giving her a dull annoying pain. It didn’t help that the rising sun was shining light into her eyes. She growled a bit before looking back to see everyone else’s reaction.
Greta had also done as she had, but the runt they’d picked up was being squeezed like a young girl’s teddy bear after a nightmare, and Bremen was yelling different things all in confusion. After a moment of getting used to them yelling she turned to talk to the driver of the vehicle.
Only to find him gone.
The gears in Tanya’s head started turning, and she quickly deduced the cause of the explosions, but not the reason for Waxy’s disappearance. “Hey...HEY!!” At her sudden yell for attention the other passengers turned to her. “First Greta let the runt go before he pops like a balloon.” At the acknowledgement of the only non-distortion in the van, Greta's eyes widened and she immediately released him.
He scrambled free for the available room in the car gathering as much air as he could and clutching his ribs. “Sorry.” The chef said to the downed fixer, who in response gave the weakest thumbs up. After a moment of the kid catching his breath Tanya resumed speaking. “Waxy seems to have been busy, and given the lack of us being attacked I’m going to assume he took the fighting away somewhere.”
The members of the car took a moment to digest her words. Within a moment Greta grabbed her meat tenderizer, and Bremen they’re batons before they opened the back doors and stepped out, being mindful of the still downed pipsqueak. She sighed for a moment before she addressed him.
“Do you wanna stay here, or do you wanna come with us?” She’d award him a smidge of respect because Greta did have some freakish strength even by her standards. She saw his breathing stabilize a bit before he contemplated his response. “I-I don’t have a weapon. I’d just get in the way.”
“I’m a little offended you’d think ya be a factor at all in a fight, but I’ll give you credit that ya know it’d be a negative one. Waxy’s already probably dealt with whoever.” The boy did get the chance to say much as Greta stuck her head in. “We’re still on the highway.”
What?
Looking out the driver’s window she was indeed greeted with the highway still in front of them, but also saw the flames of where the destruction probably happened a decent bit away. She looked back at the others before she spoke. “Found Waxy’s destruction. I’ll go check it out and be back soon alright.”
Greta gave her traditional tooth filled smile before she spoke. “Got ya sister. See if there’s any salvageable ingredients if you have the time.” She nodded before she stepped out from the passenger side. She gave her legs a little shack to get the slight stiffness of being in the van so long before she started her sprint towards the destruction.
It was a decent bit away, but for her it would take time at all given she was the second fastest of the former ensemble only being beaten by their leader. While running she mused a bit about that ensemble while she had the slight time to herself.
Not the worst gig she’d had, despite her temporary death, since she did get to meet the famed Red Mist herself. Actually, she’d been able to meet 3 colors in that time which she couldn’t have thought she’d do when she was by herself. It was too bad that she’d have rather been led by the other two she’d faced than the one she did.
Argalia was faster than her, but that was it. His strength only lay in his social skills, and while she respected physical strength far more, she did have to acknowledge his ability to wield the non-physical weapon he had. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t a weakling, but Pluto should’ve been running the show instead of him. Far stronger, far more versatile, and far more durable than anything their leader could do.
Of course, somehow he’d kept that skeleton rolled between his fingers, and she wasn’t going to oppose him a second time. They’d sent Greta to get her after all, and when she’d found their real leader she’d been opposed till the right-hand man gave her a contract. She wins in a fight against him she got to dictate how the group was run, she lost to him then she became a loyal follower till death.
When he’d spawned the fake version of her did Tanya regret the contract. It didn’t last long, but just the fact that the now former color recruited him was astounding. She kept her word, not that she had a choice, and bit her tongue when the puppet-master and cult leader joined despite them being lower on the totem pole that she perceived.
Needing more than yourself...at least that clown could put up a good fight without his backup dancers.
That vampire only annoyed her because she bemoaned that people called her a monster. Why let the words of people weaker than you get to you so much? If it bothered her so much, rip their tongues out because given how she acted she was going to anyway. She could pull her own weight at the very least.
Her running came to a stop when she quickly saw their missing member walking back at a slightly less than walk speed. He was using his rod as a cane, but he looked more disheveled than hurt, and he was dragging a tanned Hana Association member by an already snapped throat. When he looked up to see her, he spoke.
“I took out the border station ahead so we would have uninterrupted passage through. I also brought Greta a snack so she wouldn’t eat our other passenger.” At the end he shook the dead fixer to show her. She let out a slight whistle at his work before she spoke back. “Nice thinkin ahead waxy, but could ya have been any louder. Think ya woke up all of District 23.”
He looked…ashamed, even though she couldn’t really tell, before he looked at her again. “They gave me more trouble than intended since I was a little drowsy from driving all night. I caused more havoc than intended.”
She shrugged her shoulders at the admission. “Hey just makes the road ahead a little more fun than if ya hadn’t. Wanna lift since ya look like yer gonna keel over any second.” The wax man only nodded and she walked over and took the corpse from him, noting of its charred neck from his grip, and nodded her head.
It probably looked to some, if they saw, a little silly to see a wolf woman piggybacking a wax figure, but hey who cared what they thought. This was only a common courtesy since Waxy was someone strong lookin out for them. She could deal with the fact that the parts not covered by the suit burned her a bit.
As she started running back to the can, now with a passenger and a present, she thought about Waxy. He was a weirdo, but a weirdo she respected. Someone strong enough to destroy a whole nest and take whatever he wanted, but he didn’t seem to know what he wanted. He was someone who joined they’re band of misfits because it was something to do.
He didn’t talk about himself all that much, if at all, so she only knew details about him from before his breaking point from that clown. Course it was done in that language of nonsense he always spoke, so she could only know so much. Only that the clown exploited his own delusions to transform him into this.
What kinda things did he see to make him this?
It was only a dull curiosity though. Who he was before he was Waxy didn’t matter anymore unless he was a color or somethin. Even then the man before that was gone and replaced with this laser shooting, baby spawning, flaming commanding, wax angel who didn’t seem to care. In the short time he was in their gang he’d pulled his own weight. To Tanya that’s all that mattered in the end.
“I’m driving us into the district.”
“Understandable.”
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Dead Bodies were a thing that Finn was going to get used to.
Laying on the floor of their vehicle as if it were just some luggage was a dead body. A dead body of a fixer that was a much, MUCH higher grade then he was. Around him was the white coat of the fixer since it was the only article of clothing that fit him as the rest was too big. He clutched the sides of it for comfort as he stared at the people in the car.
He’d made a mistake going with these people. They were nice to him, sure, but they could not be all that good of people. Good people didn’t eat other people or kill fixers because they were a hassle later. They were people who could crush him like a twig by accident, as this morning had proven.
So why was he so calm around them?
It happened after he put on the cloak, at the insistence of Waxy, and after he’d felt calmer around them. It didn’t mean he didn’t feel scared of them, just that it was like the fear had been put in the back of his mind so he could be more rational. Of course, said rational was not proving useful as he was more focused on that instead of some sort of escape.
escape...
Yes, he needed to get away from them before he got killed. Either from Geta’s hunger, them getting into a fight bigger than him, or some other type of shenanigan they would get into. Not now though because he was in District 23 without money or a weapon.
Ah he was in District 23 wasn’t he?
Of all the places that Finn didn’t want to go, District 23 was on the top of that list. The place was where the worst of the worst came out, besides his childhood hero the Red Mist, and was well known for its cannibalistic populace. Sure not everyone was a cannibal, but the most stories he heard from passersby or the rare fixer in a bar was how sh*tty District 23 was.
He had to stay by these people for safety for the time he was here. If he ran away now, he’d probably end up in some random guy’s stomach, and he couldn’t die yet. He needed to see his see his sister at lea-
“Are you hungry?”
“What?” The question came as he looked up at the voice, which was the woman to his left. “I’m asking if you're hungry. You looked pretty skinny, and you're looking at the body pretty intently if you ask me.” His stomach growled at the question of hunger and she gave a hearty laugh at it. “See you are, but don't worry. When I get my hand on some utensils I'll turn this guy into a fine meal for you. We’ll if you're staring in hunger and not in shock.”
The small room he had quickly felt like it was getting smaller as he felt as if all eyes were on him. What did he say to them? That he didn’t want to eat the person below him, that the idea nauseated him, that them doing so was the most f*cked up thing he could think of? He could if he desired death.
The pale woman leaned in close to him. “Hey if I made him into a meal would ya eat with us or not?” There was a right and wrong answer to this question. He should say he wouldn’t and hope they accept it, after all honesty was the best policy, but his brain was screaming at him to say yes because of the look in her eye.
It was a look of judgment about him. The same kind of look that Tanya gave him when she first saw him, and he knew she didn’t really approve for one reason or another. This was a question that would affect his standing with these people, and he needed them to like him enough to protect him for the while he was here. He swallowed and opened his mouth, his hands clutching the cloak tighter.
“Sure. I’ve never had a person before. What do they taste like?” The question had the look in his woman’s eye replaced with that of passion instead of judgment. “It’s really not too far from pork or chicken. It just depends on the diet and fitness of the person you get, and how you cook them. For intense you wouldn’t say a dish that was flambeed tastes the same as one that was grilled.”
Her hand went to his shoulder and pulled him slightly closer, like a teacher to a student. “I’m gonna ask, just a little test don’t worry, what do you think would be the best way to cook this man?” He didn’t know much about cooking other than the cheap foods he ate growing up. Money was tight, and worse when his dad died to some guy in a back alley. Things only got better when his sister got a job and started supporting them, so his head went to a meal they’d had often.
“Meatballs...I’d make spaghetti and meatballs.” His answer had the woman tilt her head and look up a few times thinking about her answer. “Hmmmmm, not a bad option. I was thinking of a using him as meat stuffing in raviolis along with parmesan and a dash of-
“Could you please stop talking about food for a moment. You're making me hungry.” The driver of their vehicle said. “Ah come on Tanya. Talking about what you could make with them is better than thinking about it. You see what sticks and what doesn’t.”
It wasn’t long before the two's arguing went to talking about random topics to pass the time, the discussion with Finn quickly forgotten about. He was okay with that since it meant he didn’t have to talk about ways you could cook people, or his own morbid curiosity of how what she was describing would taste.
His eyes went to the last member of the in their care to see them sitting with one leg over the other leaning and staring at him. “Do you want something?” He asked despite the fact she knew he wouldn’t be able to understand them. He just hoped that one of the other two would stop talking.
Instead of speaking, maybe realizing it to be pointless, they used their cane to point at his pocket. Looking at it real quick he noticed there was something sticking out of the coat’s pocket he hadn’t seen earlier. Reaching in and grabbing it he found it was a rather nice wallet that had once been the man’s. Seeing no other option he opened it an-
That was a lot of money.
His eyes went wide at the staggering amount of ahn he could only have dreamt of making at one point in his life. He looked at the man and wondered what he was doing with that amount, when a part of him wondered if he considered this pocket change. It...it would make sense if he was that high up in the business.
A short victory burst of animal cries came from Breman and he looked up at them. The noise stifles the ongoing conversation. “Oi don’t just yell like that. Ya want me to drive off the road or somethin.” Tanya yelled from the front of the car. Bremen made a few more cries, more quiet this time, and Greta let out a boisterous laugh.
“So, we got some spending money huh. Well it’s a good thing we got you huh Finn because Doodle-Do say’s you're the perfect errand boy.” The shark woman gave him a few pats on the back before they felt the car stop. Everyone currently awake looked to the front of the car to see they’d parked into a gas station.
“Good y'all figured out a use for the runt since we're almost outta gas. Here's a little test since we’ve got his roll figured out.” She said that and for a brief moment Finn saw a light before he reminded himself of the situation. With a sigh he stepped out of the car and looked back in for a moment. “Should I get anything else while I’m inside?”
“Pack of cigarettes other than that, get yourself something for all I care.” He nodded as he looked toward Greta. She pondered a bit before she shook her head and looked toward their final awake member. They let out a few cries before Greta shook her head. “I don’t think he's old enough to be ordering alcohol. Even then do you really want cheap gas station beer? I know a few places that’ll give you a drink worth your money.” They pondered a bit before they waved Finn away.
Finn took a deep breath and walked towards the gas station. He didn’t know why but for some reason the ambiance of the open lot made him loosen some of the tension in his muscles. Maybe it was just the fact he was farther away from the dead body. Or just that it was the most normal scene he’d had in a while.
Either way Finn felt strangely safe as he entered the gas station, the fresh scent of lemon cleaning solution hit his nostrils. He was greeted by the bright bags of different snacks and cans, and a very disinterested middle-aged man who was carrying a large battle axe with an engine on the back on his shoulder.
The man spared him a look before his eyes went to the coat that covered him. He eye’d him up and down a few times before he shrugged his shoulders probably figuring it wasn’t his business. Finn swallowed as he walked through the isles and went to the drink aisle and scanned the contents. A decent sized carton of milk caught his eye as he pulled open the door and grabbed it before going to the counter. “I need a fuel tank of gas, cigarettes, and this milk.” The man looked at him one more time before he spoke back.
“May I have some identification?” His voice sounded as tired as it was going through the motions. Finn cursed slightly hoping he wouldn’t ask as his ID had long since been lost, and the man in the wallet looked nothing like. He took in a breath and pulled it out before grabbing a few bills and dropped them on the counter and mustered up whatever courage he’d had left.
“I’m sure this counts right.”
He wanted to sound cool, but he ended up saying it in a drier tone than he’d wanted. The man looked at the bills and back at him multiple times as the gears in his head started going into overdrive. His hand slowly took the bills, pocketed most of them, and then put one in the register before looking into the register. The man’s eyes suddenly light up like an idea had sprung forth from him.
He looked at Finn with eye’s that had gone from a soulless employee to a man who’d one a lottery. “For a few more of those bills and no spare change I’ll give you this.” The weapon the man had slung over his shoulder was suddenly put on the counter next to the milk. It was there Finn got a good look at it.
The engine on the axe looked to power something under the blade, probably something like a revolving chain, and he could look at details. A few nicks here and there, but in good condition otherwise, and the manufacture looked similar. Not that he went looking at workshops often, but Eri often told him of one of the weapons she really wanted that was outside of their pay rate. With his current funds he was sure he could buy one of those a day for the next year and then some.
It was grossly overpaying, and he was sure it showed on his face, but any sort of weapon would be a godsend right now. The man seemed to almost sweat a little as Finn stared at him before calming down as a few more bills dropped on the counter and Finn took the weapon. A noticeable amount of cigarettes were in the bag and the man looked more alive than he’d ever seen “Have a few on me.” With that Finn exited the shop a lot less rich, but armed and with more cigarettes than he'd intended.
…
…
…
“What the f*ck is that?” Those were the first words out of Tanya’s mouth as she saw the weapon after she caught the bag containing what she wanted. “Are you telling me they sell low-grade workshop weapons at gas stations now?! Bullsh*t when I was a kid we had pocket knives and hammers if you were lucky.” The wolf woman grumbled as she nudged her passenger.
He made a disgruntled noise as his hand went up, lit her cancer stick, and then went back down slumped in his seat. Finn had no idea if he was sleeping, or just annoyed at being regulated to being a lighter. Kinda hard to tell when said man was usually silent and had no upper face.
As he took a drink from his carton Greta nudged him to get his attention. “A fan of healthy eating?” She had that tone again like she was judging him, but not nearly as severe as it had been about the body eating.
How had he already forgotten the body on the floor?
“When I can. Some days me and my sister had to have takeout or something a little greasy, but we tried not to.” Intrigue colored the face of the shark woman after he mentioned his sister, a look Finn wasn’t sure he liked. “Why don’t ya tell me about her. You look pretty happy for a moment there.” Thinking about Finn shrugged as he couldn’t see too much harm in it.
For the next decent while Finn had far too casual of a conversation with the two in back. The body that had frightened him before was forgotten for the most. All he had to do was clutch his white coat and not think about the horrible implications that came with her interest.
His plans for escape could come later.

Chapter 3: Mundane Problems and thoughts

Chapter Text

There was going to be so much paperwork.

A destroyed toll gate, nine dead Hana fixers, a M.I.A member, a couple civilians caught in the aftermath fire, and sightings of the Reverberation Ensemble. This was shaping up to be a wonderful start to the day wasn’t it. Different Zwei and Hana fixers were surveying the damage, and guiding people in and out of the district.

All in all, a disaster for one Director Sera.

“Boss witnesses in the area say that they say a white van followed shortly after the destruction. That’s more than likely the vehicle they traveled in.” one of her subordinates walked up handing her different statements from the people in the area. Most had some convenient answers for what they were doing out so late but given how close the Night of the Backstreets ended she knew what they were doing up so late.

She sighed and took a sip from her coffee she’d taken to go from the cafe on the way, overly sweet but she deserved it, and looked at the destruction one more time. She hadn’t read much on the Ensemble personally, just what she needed to, but she knew them being in her district was already going to make her already overworked life difficult. The populace as a whole already gave their section enough trouble as is.

“Kurt, I want your thoughts on this.” She looked toward her subordinate as she spoke. His flat dull red hair that covered his eyes and hid the upper part of his face. His hand rested on the upper part of his chin for a moment before he spoke. “Permission to speak freely Director?” She nodded not at all caring as things already had an air of being past her pay grade.

“We’re f*cked. We’re already overworked since we’ve begun purging the excessive amount of bloodfiends in the district, and now ten Star of the City level threats have come into our district.” She shook her head in aggravation. The number of bloodfiends had been deemed ‘too numerous’ by the Hana Association and they’re section had been hired to lower the number. Section 4 had been trying their damndest to bring it back to acceptable levels, but there was a reason the Lui wasn’t sent to cull them. Other than the Blood-Red Night most bloodfiends were a big fan of cloak and dagger as opposed to the Lui who destroyed whatever was in front of them. They weren't mindless idiots who couldn't strategize, but the kind of war bloodfiends found in wasn't they're specialty. The Shi Association was currently bust with some internal affairs with Director Yujin's revival, reinstalment, and promotion.

That left the Zwei.

“Any other news?” She just wanted to leave. This was supposed to have been a day off, but here she was because of this emergency. She could already feel that what little control of this district she had was going to be ever waning as the Hana Association sent more fixers outside her control. Milo nodded as she felt her eye twitch a moment.

“Yes, there’s been a few reports of someone going around in a Hana coat in civilian clothing. They’ve been mostly passive, but they have been spotted several times with different members of the Ensemble. Jury’s still out on whether it's a turncoat or not, but I can’t see any other reason.” She raised an eyebrow as she processed the information.

The Ensemble weren’t people who tended to leave survivors intentionally. Most got away by sheer luck or were people not involved and hid during they’re fights. The idea that a Hana Fixer joined them seemed impossible since it felt that they’d end up as food in The Eighth Chief or Blood Red Night’s stomach, and yet here they were. Her head went to one detail that seemed to stick out.

“They’re only wearing Hana's coat?” It seemed strange to her that the member would only be wearing the coat. Hana’s uniforms were some of the bests in the city, usually only next to color’s custom outfits, so only wearing the coat seemed to put a damper on the member’s abilities. Was it for them to get a suit similar to their own, or was it a show of power?

No matter the reason they had something to go off of. “Can you give me physical descriptors of our suspect, or what he’s been wearing specifically other than the coat.” Her mind was already focusing on the new information. If they could get the current weakest link then they could have a lead on the whereabouts of the Ensemble.

“Current information only suggests that he’s young looking but given how prevalent surgeries or augments are that’s unreliable. As for clothing we have mixed reports of him being a gray jacket or hoodie, but he does have black trousers, and worn sneakers.” Milo was already rattling off information available and Seras let out a frown as she finished the last off her coffee.

She wondered how much damage they were causing somewhere else.

____________________________________________________________________________

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Bremans cries seemed like laughter even to him as he heard Tanya grumble her sentence. He hadn’t been asleep much more that his body just went dormant until it needed to be active again, but he’d been listening in on the conversations as they’d happened.

“What?” The only human in the van seemed confused as half the occupants seemed to be in on some joke. “Is there something funny about my sister’s workshop I don’t know about?” Greta just rubbed his head as he flinched momentarily. “Nothing, just a case of coincidence that’s all.”

The Crying Children looked towards the road once again before he turned back to the backseat passengers. They’d been caught in traffic and while Tanya stewed in slight road rage at how long it took since in her words “Dumbasses didn’t know how to drive.”, but while he didn’t feel much boredom was something he could unfortunately feel. “Our previous group was called the Reverberation Ensemble, so your sister being a part of Melody Workshop is...”

He’d trailed off not sure of the right wording to use to describe the feeling. Finn seemed to understand what he was getting at and chuckled a little bit before curiosity overtook him. “What was your previous group like?” The question hung in the air for a bit before he answered. “If you ask me, it wasn’t the best experience, but not one I totally regret. It just didn’t bring the happiness I wanted.”

Finn winced for a bit before he spoke. “I’m sorry if I brought up unpleasant memories. He seemed to have assumed he had offended him, he waved it off as the vehicle started moving forward. “I don’t regret it.”

With that the wax man went back to looking at the road. He noted the ashtray was half full of various cigarettes and they’re ash as another unlit cigarette came up to him. “You're burning through those rapidly.” He noted as he lit another cigarette as the window road down slightly letting the smoke out. “It’s all these idiots on the road, and the fact my pipe is smashed. Gotta goes through so many of these things just to get the same damn-” Tanya was forced to swerve as a driver to the left of them nearly collided as he merged into the lane.

“YOU GODDAMN WASTE OF FLESH!! I’LL RIP YOUR ARMS OFF AND USE EM AS TOOTHPICKS!!” The driver that had done the deed probably couldn’t hear her rage, but the noise on the inside stopped for a moment before it started again. He patted her shoulder in an attempt to imitate sympathy, but she just shrugged it away. Tanya wasn’t one for threats, insistent on biting instead of barks, but she couldn’t really get into a fight on the highway the way she did in fist fights.

“Well, the Ensemble was where I found these guys. There were a few other people who we got along with, but we didn’t leave with them. Probably for the best Elena wouldn’t have hesitated to rip out your veins.” Greta took point to talk about the ensemble for him to Finn. He looked weary when she mentioned the bloodfiends hunger, but nowhere near as terrified as when it had been first brought up.

Especially since Greta now had more cooking utensils that sat next to her meat tenderizer. Mostly cutlery of different kinds, but also a cutting board and a dutch oven. Using Finn as they’re store runner had left them with a few opportunities to get different things from different shops, and unlike the first time Finn didn’t come with any surprise weapons. Of course, a few times one of them needed to step out because a chef saw him as they’re ‘perfect ingredient’ had happened, but other than a few bodies they couldn’t collect and the road having new tire marks nothing too bad had happened. As much as Greta lamented their ‘waste of ingredients’ they were already working with limited resources.

“What was Elena like?” At the question he heard Tanya mumble something under her breath before Greta started talking. “Oh, she was a bloodfiend, and while she knew one or two things about cooking, she was kind of uncultured in other aspects. Never patient enough for cooking and always wanted to eat them raw, but she knew a thing or two about wine let me tell ya.” Her story was interrupted by a cry from Breman for a moment.

“Oh, she and these guys didn’t get along one bit let me tell you. It’s mostly because while they can go with the flow, Elena had this grand design in her head that they messed with. It really came to ahead with-” The Crying Children tuned out the conversation and just started focusing on.

Well, nothing at the moment. Despite Tanya’s growing and waning road rage, Greta and Finn’s conversations of the past, and even Breman’s sudden outburst that were incomprehensible to him he found himself thinking of their individual goals. As the noise around him was slowly tuned out his mind started calculating all of the possibilities.

Breman’s was obviously going to be the hardest to accomplish. The blast of light had been lucky to bring the entire Ensemble together, but they were in a completely different location. There was no saying that Breman’s friends got the same treatment. Of the bits of information that they had got from Tanya and Greta they were looking for three people appropriately named Meow, Oink, and a new guy named Mu-Mu.

If they were lucky, they all woke up in the district and were alive. Of course, that was the best case, but he knew that it wouldn’t be true. More realistically they were either A. somewhere close to where they were when they first went to the library, B. They were in the exact same position as before, or C. they were all scattered and/or dead.

He couldn’t see that last one happening because he figured they had to be decent in combat if they went around with Bremen. Granted, Breman was three different people at the time, but he wasn’t sure how much their effectiveness would change without them. Either way Breman’s goal seemed doable, but not in the district unless they were lucky.

Finn was a temporary addition that simply wanted to go home. A part of him felt he could relate to even if he didn’t remember a home, the smell of tea, an aged smile, the promise of a brighter future, but he was mostly a useful utility. Not to mention his goal was probably the easiest since his office was probably still in the same place unless it was destroyed. Of course, they needed to know where his office was, but he figured they’d find out when they had a temporary base of action. The van was a nice transportation and was decently comfy, but it was small, lacking in privacy, and it wasn’t the most inconspicuous thing.

That just left Tanya and Greta’s goal, and both of those goals didn’t have any clear goal. He didn’t actually know if Tanya had any goal other than this little road trip they were on, but he knew Greta’s could happen at any moment or whenever she felt inspired. Maybe the first restaurant she went to, he assumed she was basically a local legend at this point, would be enough, or maybe when she bashed in some guys' brains the skull chunks would give her an idea.

Then there was his own which was…

…

…

How did one…guarantee happiness?

His was the only goal that seemed to not have any stopping point at all. Everything he'd done that he could remember was leading up to it, but it never worked. There's a time he thinks he was happy working at Dawn Office but those are but scraps of memory now. If he went back to that place would that, do it? What was he missing? Had he not encountered it yet? What would he do when Finn was finally-

The van suddenly lurched forward, and The Crying Children’s head went with it. If he was any normal human with how hard he hit the dashboard he might have a decent bruise or his glasses shattered into his eyes, but as a distortion it felt like someone had poked him. His head lay there for a moment before slowly raising his head and caught sight of Tanya’s bloodshot eyes as he was surprised, she hadn’t destroyed the wheel from rage. He only had a moment to react when Tanya almost ripped off her seatbelt to get out of the car.

The ring that suddenly appeared to restrain Tanya was smaller than he usually made it, he had a space issue after all, but it did restrain Tanya. How well it restrained her was a different story since he could see the cracks forming almost immediately, but luckily Greta’s muscular hands found themselves helping to restrain the raging wolf. “LET ME GO I’LL SHOW HIM HOW TO DRIVE!”

“Tanya, it's not worth it! We’re still on the road!” Greta tried to reason with her fellow distortion, but Tanya ‘s was hyper focused on mangling the driver of the other vehicle Finn was looking incredibly terrified in the situation, a given since one wrong could probably sever his head from his body, and Breman wanted to help out from the looks of things. They couldn’t of course since Greta’s frame basically made getting past her impossible, so they took the moment as a last line of defense.

“Tanya be reasonable you can’t fight a car-WATCH ME!” He stood there staring for a moment before summoning a second ring just in case and waited for the situation to finish itself. It was showing emotions like this that made him almost glad he mostly ran on cold logic than the emotions that plagued other people. He couldn’t really focus on any particular topic due to the wolf-like distortion.

Instead, he decided to look at the offenders of the remainder and saw a young man grimacing with an older woman with a notepad shaking her head. The Bright yellow stickers that said student driver was plastered on the hood, and probably the sides as well. He pondered if telling Tanya this information might cause her to calm down even a tad.

Probably not, she was borderline frothing at the mouth.

When he saw the young man get out of the car, he could see the oncoming tragedy. He probably just wanted to get the legal information to deal with this and cry at home, but he was probably going to die or be seriously injured if Tanya saw him without the restraints in place.

Unfortunately, the rings he’d placed around Tanya were around both her and the seat, so he couldn’t just throw her in the back of the van and throw Finn up there to try and somehow try and convince him to leave.

Actually, that last Idea wasn’t bad. Looking at his own side he could probably have the fixer come out from his side and talk to him. He’d still have to make up why they couldn’t give any contact information, but it was better than blowing their cover and a dead body or two, so he turned to look at the back seat completely.

“Finn.” After a few moments of said fixer not noticing he called out again only to once again be ignored. Probably not intentional as Tanya, Greta, and Breman all making noise he probably sounded like a whisper. Instead of trying to match the volume of everyone else in the care he turned around and searched for his weapon. After a few moments he grabbed it, turned back and slightly tapped Finn on the head to get his attention. Finn turned to him at the instance of contact.

Then his hair immediately caught fire.

Finn took a moment to register that it was suddenly much hotter before he started screaming and granted it did shut everyone else up. Breman was the one who started trying to put out the flame with gentle slapping his scalp, if gentle was smack him to the ground where he started rolling in pain and/or trying to stop drop and roll. Greta did leave Tanya for a moment to pick the young man up and bury his hand in her large hands. Forcing the fire out and Finn’s screaming to be Muffled. It was a good reminder for him how easy he could set people on fire when they weren’t high level fixers or distortions.

Then the knocking at the window started.

There was another collective pause, other than Tanya’s struggling, as everyone had the momentary wonder of what to do. Violence was off the table not because it wouldn’t work, but fighting on an active highway was bound to, at the very least, attract a lot of unwanted attention that would make the journey that much more tedious.

“Any ideas?”

“LET ME-” The ring that appeared over Tanya’s snout worked like a muzzle and silenced her. “Any ideas that aren’t Tanya’s road rage.” His usual manner of speaking betrayed the urgency of the situation. Finn weakly raised his hand and all eyes available turned to him. “Why don’t we just slightly lower the window and have someone speak?” The answer hung in the area for a moment as The Crying Children shrugged.

Reaching over the restrained wolf he rolled the window until he was sure he’d had enough to speak clearly, but not enough to be visible. “I-Is everything alright.” The kid’s voice was a few notes away from outright Crying and had he been capable he might have cringed at the tone. “Yes, we’re just having some…issues. None related to your crash, but some regardless.”

At his tone the boy had a face not too dissimilar to Finn when he first heard it, but not nearly as expressive since he couldn’t see him. It was a side effect of not feeling many, if at all, emotions even in the direst of circ*mstances. He probably had expected some form of anger from him.

"Do you need anything specific or is this a health checkup?" At the question the boy looked back at the back of the vehicle and cringed.

"W-Well I need your contact and insurance information because I might have…smashed your right turn signal." He heard one of Bremen 'mutter' something and a quick shushing from Greta. "Give me a moment." The window rolled up before he could protest. The interior of the van was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Any plans that don't involve murder on the highway?" Bremen exploded into an array of noises as it seemed like each had their own idea of plan. Finn clutched his ears at the burst of sound, and Tanya grit her teeth and struggled just a tad more fiercely. The only one besides him to not react was Greta who seemed used to the noise.

"No. Not bad but would take some time. That one has some merit actually, but I don't think we have any paper in here. Actually wait, go back to that, not you Hee-Haw I meant Doodle-Doo." The Crying Children stood unaware as Gerta and Bremen talked through, they’re plan, a brief glance at Tanya showed she’d either accepted her fate that she couldn’t pummel the boy or was biding her time.

“U-Uh, can you please tell us the plan?” The only human’s question hung for a few moments before Breman seized the Hana coat over him. Finn’s brain took a brief moment to catch up with the fact and he turned almost as pale as Greta. His eyes darted back and forth between everyone, and he almost looked like a scared kitten.

Of course, no one else paid him any mind.

“Doodle-Doo thinks you should just show him the symbol, say there’s some important business and not to worry about it.” The coat in question was extended to him and he took it. “I’m going to need someone to lower the window so I could cover the whole thing so as to not expose ourselves. Finn.” At his name being called he made a noise similar to a dying animal. “...Bremen, could you please?”

With a series of nods The Crying Children quickly put the coat into the corners of the window, having to lean over Tanya who was noticeably glaring at him, and prop it up. When he felt everything was covered, he nodded to his fellow distortion and saw them reach through the driver's seat gap from the back and lowered the window.

He couldn't see the reaction, but he heard the audible whimper from the boy. "As you can see, we're Hana Association. We're undercover to look for a particular syndicate in the area known for carjacking and on road violence. If you could just forget this incident happened and we go along our ways that'll be good." he didn't hear what the boy said as Breman raised the window before he could speak.

He looked at them for a moment before shrugging. The boy was practically running back to the car, so with a quick toss Finn's coat was over him and he set it back in place. Everyone else started taking their seats with the crisis averted. The wax man looked at the driver.

"Tanya."

"Mmh?"

"I'm going to get rid of the rings…have you calmed down?"

"Mmhmm."

"Are you just saying that, so I'll let you go?"

"...m."

The three rings disappeared, and Tanya took a moment to stretch herself and massage her jaw. She took one look at the kid in the back and had an internal debate before looking back at him. "Brace yourself." He shrugged as he saw Tanya quickly co*ck back her fist.

The sound of her fist impacting his face shook the car a few times. If he hadn't been bracing, he was sure that his head would have flown back and hit the window, and he wasn't sure how durable they were. "Those rings burn like a bitch Waxy." Her reasons given, and rage temporarily quenched, she focused back on the road.

The trip was mostly silent other than the occasional swear at traffic.

__________________________________

The day had come and gone almost too fast for Finn.

Other than the brief conversations and traffic incidents things hadn't really gone that crazy. The silence of the car was what he needed to calm himself down when they’d taken the coat off of him to cover the window. That came as a telling experience.

He sat in an abandoned building they’re group had found to serve as a temporary base. An old apartment that they’d knocked the walls down of three rooms to connect them. They’d cleaned the place, with him running around helping here and there, and while a few smashed windows here and there and it didn’t have working water and electricity it was better than nothing. When all was said and done each member had left somewhere in the building with Greta announcing she was making dinner.

They’d left Finn in the main room alone to clean up minor things and to his own devices. Once again, he could’ve run, but he was still in District 23 and the night of the backstreets was soon. He’d sat down on the bed that’d he’d been granted and was grateful he had a moment to himself. It gave him time to reflect on the day and half he’d had and the people he’d been acquainted with.

Namely that something was wrong with them.

While them being more like a syndicate and they’re threats on his life were present, they weren’t something that inspired the strangling fear within him. It was something else about them, something that with the coat on his mind couldn’t pick up on. Or more it made them seem far more rational than normal.

Those feelings had first started when the ring had formed around Tanya, no it would be more accurate that the sight of them alone planted the seed for this fear. The conversations and the coat had them seem more and more human despite the morbidity of them at times. They were strange, if dangerous, people just like him. They could be explained as body mods and them.

The ring couldn’t.

It had appeared with little fanfare or warning and restrained Tanya, and then more had spawned seemingly out of nowhere. Something about the way Tanya fought to be free almost made her seem to have an inhuman amount of strength, and while he’d had plenty of information about her being strong seeing it felt so unnatural. To say nothing of how with just a light tap Waxy had set him ablaze.

It was probably the one time he was grateful for Greta’s size with how easily she put him out, even if she did leave a few cuts from one of her maws.

When the coat came off his brain had gone into overdrive as he just started noticing inconsistencies for lack of a better term in them. The way Greta’s maws seem to breathe independently, the way waxy had just summoned rings, and Bremen’s existence in general. In his head the body mod argument seemed to crumble away.

Thankfully the Hana officer’s his coat was returned, and his mind seemed to calm down, but he couldn’t stop thinking about them. Especially after Tanya’s first hit Waxy with such force, though that one admittedly probably could just have been body mods or enhancing tattoos. He wasn’t sure if Waxy’s freakish endurance could be, but he couldn’t discount it.

For a moment in all the chaos of the rather mundane nature of the incident he didn’t think of the people around him as human. No, they’re being something about them that had them lose that spark some time ago. They were something that Finn had only heard and read about at times, or at least his brain came to the conclusion.

Distortions.

…

…but that couldn’t be the case.

Every story he’d heard, every news casting he’d seen, every paper he’d read, and even experiences he’d heard by older fixers painted distortions as many things. Dangerous, monstrous, insane things that brought destruction with them. That they could be big or small and possess all manner of strange abilities that boggle the mind. That they could appear anywhere and at any time seemingly at random and need to be dealt with.

They were the creatures that were almost more bogymen than even the sweepers because at least every sweeper had some place in the city. Distortions didn’t follow any rhyme or reason for what they did. They were unnatural disasters that had cropped up since the White Nights and Dark Days. Most importantly…

They did not save people.

Sure, he’d been put in danger here and there, but little more than he’d had since been spit out by the library. They hadn’t even initially seemed to use him as an errand boy, it just happened that they could use him as one. The group, moreso Waxy than the rest, had decided to help him back to Yun’s office.

From everything he’d heard distortions wouldn’t have paid him a second mind or made a snack of him on the spot. Sure, Greta had made allusions to cannibalizing him, and she was currently turning the Hana member into a meal, but she was from District 23. Such things were normal to the populace of the district. Even the idea of making friends with a bloodfiend, since District 23 was known to have the highest amount of bloodfiends found a year according to statistics.

A part of him wondered if anyone in the district really cared.

There was something wrong with them, but them being distortions didn’t feel right with what he’d heard about distortions. He sighed as he sat up and moved to the door on the far left, since that was the closest to the stairs. He needed some air, and the roof of the building seemed like a nice place. With the Night of the Backstreets coming so close the lobby wasn’t a safe place at the moment.

It was why they didn’t set up a rest there.

Pulling a flashlight, he’d gotten from one of the many stores he’d been too he traveled to the roof of the building. The door to the roof wasn’t anything special and as he pushed it open. How long had it been since he’d spent a night just gazing at the stars? The air and sight might help him gather his thoughts.

Those thoughts were dashed as he saw Waxy there.

Chapter 4: A talk

Chapter Text

Waxy hadn’t noticed him. He was sitting there in a chair he’d taken from the lower levels and brought here Just staring up at the night sky. Strangely to the side of him was a chair as if he were waiting for someone else. He just sat there so still he could almost be mistaken for a statue.

His first instinct was to leave, to go back downstairs and just wait in the room they’d made. After all he’d come up to think about the people he’d been staying with, and that was hard to do when one was across from you. He was sure he wouldn't even notice him being there.

However, he didn’t. For some reason it seemed like Waxy might be able to either soothe his worries or at least confirm them. Finn didn’t know why he had these thoughts, but maybe it was because Waxy seemed to be on his side compared to everyone else. Sure, Greta was kind, but she’d made no attempt to hide the fact she’d eat him since he was a ‘pure ingredient’. Tanya clearly didn’t like him for a reason that he didn’t know.

He didn’t understand anything Bremen said so he didn’t attempt to know they’re feelings for him.

In any case he took a breath and walked towards the man. He showed no indication he heard Finn walking closer to him and soon he was standing behind the man. Finn noticed he was hunched over, his fingers intertwined and sat under his chin almost looking like he was praying. He took one more breath before he spoke.

“Is this seat taken?” The target of his question turned to him before looking back. “Not anymore so if you would like to sit, go ahead.” Finn took the seat idly wondering who was sitting there beforehand. He let the silence between the two linger for a moment before initiating conversation.

“Why are you up here?”

“I’m just thinking.”

“About anything specific.”

He paused and seemed to figure that Finn had wanted a conversation. He sat himself up straight and fixed his tie. He went to set his arms down on the wooden handles of the chair but stopped himself. Instead, he placed his arms down on his lap. “I’m just pondering how long each of our goals could take.”

“Ah.” He felt a breeze flow across him for a second. A part of him just wanted to throw the question out. To just ask if he, and the rest of the people with him, are actually distortions. After all Waxy seemed to be the least likely to rip his head off for just asking, but then again Waxy seemed to always be in the same mood.

He never seemed to show any emotion at all. Be it bad traffic, the comradery of the others, or even Tanya’s punch he just always seemed to be neutral to it all. Finn had no real idea about what Waxy would do. Sure, he didn’t think he would do anything, but he cou-

“What are you thinking of?” He was dragged from his thoughts when a question was asked to him. For a moment he forgot a question was a two-way street and wasn’t prepared to answer. He took a breath to calm down and gripped a handful of the cloak, bunching it up in his right hand.

“I’m thinking about what I want to do when I get back to Yun’s office. I’m not sure I want to work with him after…” He trails off for a moment trying to think how he feels about Yun. Before the Library he seemed fatherly to him, someone who he could look up to. He had his own office, he was a grade, almost 2, above him, and he seemed to care about his subordinates. The kind of man he’d want to be.

That turned out to be a lie.

When the invitation showed up, he almost seemed to change and shift into a different person. If he remembered correctly, it was a rough patch because the office was receiving less requests then normal, but the warm person he made himself out to be was gone. He told himself it was because he was stressed at the time. That Yun sent him to the library was because he believed in him.

When the man in the suit took his arms, he realized he was sent to test the waters.

“...After I was sent to The Library. I want to spend time with my sister, but I still think I want to be a fixer.” Waxy nodded and then took a pause. He was probably taking note of that first part since that always tripped people up.

“You also went to the Library?” The question almost shook him in place. “Y-You also went.” It was a bit rude to answer a question with a question, but at the nodding head he received Finn felt a strange kinship with the man. After answering Finn’s question he seemed to almost get comfier in his seat.

“Why did you go to the Library?” Finn frowned for a moment before he set himself straight. “My boss sent me there. Why did you?” The silence that followed was different from his normal silence. He seemed to fidget a bit as his right hand came up, and he almost seemed to put himself like a scientist before a breakthrough.

“Truthfully, I…I don’t remember the reason. I remember more clearly what happened after.” The answer left Finn confused and it must’ve shown because the man continued after. “Apologies for the answer, but after this and my second to last time in the Library my mind is…fragmented.” He gestured to himself at the word this, and after a few moments Finn found a picture being formed in his head.

“Can you explain to me in a little more detail? I’m sorry if it’s personal, I just don’t have a clear understanding.” It was a bit invasive, after all he’d only known Waxy for a day, but somehow the answers he craved seemed to be in that story. He’d already had some common ground, so maybe he could go forward on it.

“It doesn't matter if you know my story or not, but I suppose I could tell you. I won’t be able to go into exact detail, just a vague idea of it.” The hand came back down to his lap as he cleared my throat. “My first timeI went to the Library I was…different. I looked nothing like this, I’m not sure what I looked like, but I’m sure it was somewhat plain. Nothing really remarkable, and that’s how most of my life was. I think at least.”

It was a bit hard for Finn to see the man in front of him as someone plain, but he nodded for the story to continue. “I was a 5th Grade fixer of…an Office.” He stopped for a moment, he hadn't given a specific name, but he was sure there was warmth there. Like it brought on a sense of nostalgia for better times. Once it wore off, he continued.

“The day the letter came it wasn’t any sort of special day, the Library had graduated from an Urban Legend into an Urban Plague. I went in with two people close to my heart. They did not survive the encounter.”

A hint of sadness crept into his voice and Finn found himself cringing a bit. He felt like maybe he’d kicked some hornets' nest despite the relaxed nature of the way the story was being told. He sat forward a bit looking to speak. “You aren’t uncomfortable telling me this?” Waxy shook his head at the question. “It doesn't matter.” There was something dismissive about the way he said that which rubbed Finn the wrong way. Like he was stating a fact more than an opinion.

No matter the reason the story continued.

“I sought the Wedge Office, we were sister offices at the time, and asked for their help. I wanted to save them, for my happiness to come back and to be some sort of hero to them. I was blind to the things they said to me. No…I willingly chose to ignore them.” Finn rose his hand, a bit childish but it got his attention.

“What did they say?” Waxy took a breath, more like a teacher explaining a subject again. “They told me the truth, that I was selfish. That my desire was for my own sake then they're their own…they were correct. I just didn’t want to acknowledge them as such.” Finn nodded his head at the answer then frowned. He mulled over the answer given.

“Wait so, you wanted to go save the people closest to you and they called you selfish becausssse offff what exactly?” Maybe it was because Finn was young, but in his mind, he wasn’t connecting the dots on how. “I wanted them back so we could go back to the way things were, not saving them to save them.” Waxy's answer was as monotone as ever, but Finn couldn’t wrap his head around the logic.

“Does that really matter?”

“...Explain.”

“I mean, you wanted to save them, correct?”

“Yes, with all my heart.”

“So then why do the reasons matter?”

“Because they were for selfish reasons.”

“B-But you wanted to do the right thing. Even if it got you hurt.”

“I was doing it for me. Not altruism, they were right.”

“NO, THEY WEREN’T!” Finn didn’t know why he shot up or why he was so angry at the logic of the Wedge Office. “Selfishness is cutting someone up for money when you don’t need it, selfishness is cheating someone from what they’re owed, selfishness is sending someone to die for profit! What YOU were doing, even if it was to feel good, would’ve helped people! It’s natural you’d feel pride in that!” It wasn't his place to be angry at these people.

Waxy’s story was vague on a lot of what was said, but for some reason it felt so familiar to him. The fear of Waxy was gone, replaced with anger directed towards this ‘Wedge Office’, people he’d never met. The more rational part of him wondered why, but the more emotional side saw Yun’s worst side in these people. “Who cares if you were selfish!? You wanted to help people, and that’s selfish then I want more selfish people in this world!!” His quick spiel done he was left angrily breathing through his nose.

“...Thank you.” The words were quick, but Finn swore it had the smallest hints of warmth. “But whether or not I was selfish or not doesn’t matter. I ignored them, and once again we fell to the Library and like a coward I briefly ran. Then I…” He stopped for a moment and almost seemed to strain himself.

“Waxy?”

“Then I…I…”

“Hey, are…are you okay?” He walked forward a bit, his hand trying to pat his shoulder. His hand came up stopping him, as if he were conducting him. After a few moments the same hand went to his forehead. He was sure if Waxy had an up face he’d had a furrowed brow.

“I did… something , It’s the fuzziest around here. I ran back in, and for a moment I turned the tide. For the briefest of moments, I was overwhelming them despite the blood leaving me and the wounds they inflicted upon me. I only needed to push myself further, to try even harder. Even if I boiled every drop of my blood and charred my corpse, at least in death I could be with them...but then I wasn’t in the Library.” The confusion on Finn’s face set in and Waxy went to explain himself.

“I know it doesn’t make any sense. I can’t remember how I got out again, but I did. I don’t think I knew when it happened, and I certainly don’t know. Then I met Oswald…” The man seemed to deflate in his chair. “There are a lot of things I can say about Oswald.”

“Not a fan of his I guess?” Finn’s question got a shake of the head, and it caused him some intrigue. Nothing seemed to bother him, but this Oswald guy seemed to get under his skin. “Oswald ran the 8’ O'clock Circus and had the power to manipulate people's minds.”

Finn tilted his head a bit. “So, he was a really charismatic kind of person.” At the shake of his head Finn felt a brief amount of confusion. “No, I mean he could just influence your mind. He used his ability a decent bit back when we both worked for the Ensemble.” Finn’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. “Is Oswald why you can’t remember much”

“No, Oswald’s ability didn’t show any effect on past memories, of course the people we used it against didn’t live long enough for us to figure out.” He paused thinking about his own sentence. “I suppose he could have, but I don’t think that’s the reason for my fractured memories.” He waved his hand in as if shooing away the details. “No, it's what happens after.”

Finn nodded as the story continued. “Oswald used his ability to shove me into a corner, not literally, and I remember the crushing existence seemed to overwhelm me. He wanted me to join his crew, but then a wrench in his plan.” The intrusive thought of Waxy dressed like a clown wormed into his head before he shook it off.

“Pluto appeared out of seemingly nowhere, if that doesn’t make sense that’s a running theme with Pluto. If you want more info on him, ask Greta. I'd ask Tanya, but Tanya has some… opinions of you.” Finn found himself grimacing at the idea of talking to Tanya. Sure, she hadn’t shared the opinion of Greta in eating him, but she clearly was a fan of him traveling with the group. "I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Pluto offered me anything I could desire, all I needed was to sign a contract. I didn’t want that; I don’t know what I wanted at that moment to be precise. A moment of calm perhaps? He told of a woman that could help me, all I needed was to listen.” It felt like a minute as Finn realized the story was over. His brain began digesting the story, but one question slipped out before he could stop it.

“That’s it?” The tone he’d taken had a tint of disappointment, and he kicked himself for it. He wasn’t sure what in the story disappointed him, but it found its way in. If Waxy took offense he didn’t show it, much like everything else. “That’s the story. The next is just me being in a haze, no it’s not a haze it’s bright. Too bright to see anything, the light is too strong, and it consumes me. When next I’m in control I'd be recruited into the Ensemble.”

To Finn that seemed part of the story, but it was his decision as to what counted as his own. His mind went back to analyzing the story. His mind picked up details that didn’t make sense to him, with the knowledge he didn’t even seem to know the story. It was more detailed in some places, and some were just brushed over.

Him escaping the Library was interesting but it wasn’t the point he needed to think of. His mind went to the Pluto guy he’d mentioned and focused on that part. Something about Pluto just ‘happening’ to appear when Waxy was at his lowest seemed fishy.

“You're the first person here to know that story.” Finn’s thoughts were interrupted as the man sat across from him spoke. “Huh, oh really? Why?” He bent down and picked up the rod that had been at his feet that Finn only just noticed.

“You looked like you were going to ask the others more about my story, and I just felt I should inform you. The reason they don’t know is because they haven’t asked, and they all more than likely have similar stories to mind. While I don’t care, I can see the others not really wanting to say their own.” With that he sat up putting his hand on the side of the chair.

The fire was immediate.

“Ah, I liked that chair. Oh well.” He started walking away towards the door. “Hey Waxy where are you going?” The fire was surprisingly pleasant from his distance, and he wasn’t worried about it spreading since he was confident, he could put it out. “Greta said she’d need me to help with cooking, but she didn’t say when, so I figured I’d ask. Have a nice night, Finn.” With that he disappeared into the darkness of the stairway.

Finn stared at the fight and got a little closer to it. It wasn’t particularly cold tonight, but it reminded him of when he was younger with his sister. Once or twice, they’d set the dumpsters on fire because it was something to do. It was dangerous, but what wasn’t in the city they’d lived in without, or with honestly, parental supervision?

With the cracking of the fire and the wind of the night he went back to thinking of Waxy’s sentence. His mind was going back to something that his sister, and Yun, had said about the wings using people from the backstreets as experiments. In his head this ‘Pluto’ seemed too convenient to have just shown up at the right time.

A man showing up when you're at your lowest with promises to fix everything seemed fishy even for someone new to the fixer world as him. Not to mention that Oswald guy and even if Waxy didn’t think he did anything Finn could help but think he'd had more of a hand then Waxy thought. It was a bit rude to doubt Waxy on his own memory, but Waxy also seemed just as hazy on it as Finn.

His mind had put a picture together of a broken man being misled by a wing and made it into an experiment. He wasn’t sure what Corp it was, but they’d taken him and changed him. If what Waxy said was true then everyone else here had been just like him. People down on their luck just for some shady broker to appear. Of course, this didn’t explain the Ensemble thing unless…

Unless they were something like the Nest Hunter’s he’d heard his sister warn him about. The kind of people that a corporation sent after you personally if you broke one of their Taboos. It was why the rules of the district were seen as just as important as the laws The Head set. If Waxy and everyone were people who’d been Nest Hunters, then everything made sense.

Then the strange abilities made sense.

The Ensemble’s naming made sense.

Why they were on the run from everyone made sense.

He didn’t have these questions before, but Finn’s mind was making connections to different things. Like thread needed to sew a rug his mind strung thoughts together. Sure, them being on the run from a wing could be worse than them being distortions in the eyes of some, but to Finn it brought strange comfort.

Admittedly there were some stand out thoughts like why was Waxy’s thoughts so fragmented compared to the others, but they were squashed as his mind took on its own truth. A truth that brought him comfort. Currently that’s what he needed in the stressful situation to keep going. He sat by the fire with a smile on his face.

The stars looked wonderful tonight.

____________________________________________________________________________

There was something about the down to earth kitchen that filled Greta with a nostalgia of a simpler time. Back when she first started cooking with her father in their little ram shackled shop on the side of the corner. She had many great memories of her mother serving as the waitress and leading people in and helping in the kitchen or standing outside holding the sign. It wasn’t fancy, but it was home.

She’d also almost been kidnapped once or twice, but she couldn’t blame them since she was an appetizing kid from what her mother said.

The rundown kitchen was lit by four battery powered lamps hung on the ceiling. It gave her the light to do her job, and while none of the electrical appliances worked, she’d had a plan, but she needed everything else prepared first. Getting the meat ready was the hardest part since it needed to be skinned and while she’d gotten the tools needed, they didn’t feel the same.

Probably because all her own tools had been handmade, and she’d used them for years. These worked, but her hands didn’t feel comfortable holding them due to her unique properties. It made skinning and getting a good cut harder, along with deboning the legs and getting the succulent thigh meat.

Once she’d had the amount needed, she went about cleaning her hands with disinfectant wipes and put the body on the counter. She wasn’t sure how much she’d have to spend getting every individual cut and then go about preserving them, and truthfully it had been a decent while since she’d needed to do that. Usually, the other chefs would’ve finished them off for their own dish or if they were a little peckish.

Still, she’d worry about the body later and was grateful she’d made the filing and let the dough sit. The ding of her timer meant the dough could be rolled out and make it as thin as possible. Sure, it would take a while to finish the process, but it took her back to those old memories of when she was so small.

Cooking for the ensemble had always been a bit of a chore. The boss had them stationed out in camps in front of the Library for months on end. And sure, restrictions brought out the best in the artist, and Greta considered herself an above average artist, but the nest of L-Corp was so woefully equipped for her.

Getting the ingredients needed to make anything that wasn’t just a meat filled dish that tasted good was hard, and Pluto wasn’t a big fan of ‘unnecessary’ trips. All she could use was the spices they occasionally raided and maybe some non-perishable goods here and there.

That wasn’t including the bodies that Elena would outright eat raw, or Jae-Heon made into puppets. Honestly if Tanya and Bremen hadn’t been such good people to hang out with, she might have snapped from having to cook things the same way over and over again around the campfire.

She really should’ve packed her smoker before Pluto recruited her.

When she was recruited it had been because she’d been promised protections and the chance to make an ingredient filled world. Sure it sounded like a lot of empty promises, but Argalia had a way with words that hooked her and kept reeling. It could also have been her loneliness from the death of the other chefs.

Sure, they died in a way Greta respected them for, but cooking wasn’t the same when you did it without banter or debating recipes.

The contract might have kept her there even when things got worse, but when Tanya and Bremen showed up it got a lot more bearable. Early on had been they’re leaders, Jae-Hong, and Elena and was the Ensembles lowest point. Eileen, Oswald, and Waxy spiced up life more and made things a bit more entertaining.

Also, when she could rope him into it Waxy was a good way to get a fire started.

Speaking of, she'd just finished making the dumpling wrappers when the man she was thinking of walked in. He looked around from side to side before he spotted her. “Ah Greta, you said you require my assistance to help.” He fully stepped in the door now.

“Bit early, I still need to put the filling in the wraps before I need ya.” He nodded and was about to leave when she stopped him. “A bit of conversation wouldn’t hurt, And the process won't be as long as the preparations.” He stopped and turned back around.

“If you want some conversation as well, sure. I’m doing a decent bit of that.” If she’d have eyebrows, she's sure she'd be giving him a more surprised look on his face. “Really? Who have you been talking with?” Waxy had never been on for small talk when they were a part of the Ensemble.

“Well Tanya came up to smoke before she and Bremen went searching for the others, Finn came up and asked about my past, and now I’m here talking with you.” She shook her head with a slight chuckle. Tanya really needed a new pipe since she’d already gone through packs of cigarettes. She went about after putting on a pinch of water on her fingertips and went about putting the filling in the wrappers.

“Talkative today huh? Surprised you talked with the new guy about your past.” He shrugged at her sentence. “I don’t particularly care, but he seems to have gotten more out of it than I did.” She nodded, putting another filled out one in the sheet tray. “I guess I’m not surprised. Nothing seems to get under your skin.”

“Ah, I forgot to ask Finn about his sister. I’ll have to ask later.” She looked up from her filling to give him a weird eye. “We were talking about her in the car, weren’t you listening?” He shook his head in response. “I was consumed in my thoughts unfortunately. I only just started when he mentioned Melody Workshop.”

She tch’d a few times and if she wasn’t busy filling her finger would’ve waved back and forth.

“Can’t be having your head in the clouds all the time, you’ll miss the finer things in life if you are.” He put a hand under his chin and seemed to contemplate her words. That was always something Greta felt Waxy did too much of. Never did anything on his own unless someone else directed him and just spent time thinking. It was why she was pretty happy he started taking some initiative with recruiting Finn.

Also, Finn was a rare find, and unless Waxy no longer wanted him or things were desperate, she wasn’t sure she could stop herself from making him a meal.

“I will take your words into consideration, but what could you tell me of his sister? Unless you think I should ask him personally.” She chuckled a bit. “Eh sure, make filling these go faster.” she set down before looking at her filling pile and how many wrappers she had.

If it weren’t for all their appetites, she would’ve thought she’d gone overboard.

“Well, his sister had practically raised him since his dad died, and his mother and them aren’t on speaking terms.” That was a real shame to Greta, who’d had a wonderful life with her family. She couldn’t imagine losing her father or the relationship between her mother souring. They made life worth living after all.

“You sound sad.” She nodded as she started filling the second tray. “Well, I had a good relationship with my parents. Taught me everything they knew, so I kinda feel bad for the kid. Have to give his sister some praise for that, he’s well-mannered if a little naive.” She heard Waxy mutter something in agreement.

“Anyway, she hired him a tutor to get him ready for the Fixer, and she became a workshop fixer who currently, as of his memory, worked at Melody Workshop.” He snapped a finger as if recalling something. “He did talk a lot about the workshop with pride. They make instrument weapons that either protect the user’s mental state or damage others.” She finished another and was halfway through the tray once again as he spoke. The conversation was making this much faster.

“Not my kinda thing, but I can see why someone would like it. Anyway, she doesn’t really share his ‘no-body mods’ mindset. Don’t tell him I said this, but I think he associates body-mods with his mother.” There was definitely a story there, but it wasn’t Greta’s place to pry it open. “I think I get it. I associate happiness with a fixer's office, he does something similar but in a negative light.”

Now that caught Greta’s attention.

Sure, she now knew she could ask him his past, but the words ‘happy’ and ‘Waxy’ never went together. Actually, that was Waxy and any emotion, but that's neither here nor there. “Really now, a fixer's office?” She questioned not picking up a wrapper and filling so she could pay full attention.

“The office was where I worked when I wasn’t a distortion. It was where I was the happiest with two, but the Library took that from me.” She grimaced a bit as he said that. No emotion at all even as he recalled the happiest times.

Like he always did.

Greta was about to pick up another wrapper when she paused. “Hey wait, those two died in the Library right?” He nodded. “Wouldn’t they be back as well since we came back?”

The silence that filled her little kitchen was so thick she could probably have cut through it. It was strange to her that he hadn’t thought of it considering how much he seemed to be in his own head. Then again everything was happening somewhat fast, so maybe he was doing what he normally did and going with the flow.
“I do not think it would be wise for them to see me.” It took a few moments for her to ask why, other than the obvious, and the whole nest destruction thing came back to her. “Yeah, that might uhhh, I could see why you wouldn’t want to do that.” The silence that filled was a more awkward one than before.

“Can you tell me about your parents?” He asked a little quickly trying to change the course of the conversation. She'd let him of course, but now she was reminiscing a little to much. “Geez you're putting me on the spot here. What can I say other than I love’em?” The potstickers were only halfway there. It was comforting knowing just how much a simple conversation could make cooking go faster. Her brain took a few notes she could think of before she began.

” Well, I grew up in a restaurant called Great White Bites.”

“Great Wide Bites?”

“Great White Bites.”
“They both sound like you.”

“Was…was that a joke.”

“No. It was on observation.”

If she could roll her eyes in a way, he could notice she would. “Of course, it is, but no it was this little corner on the side of the street. As soon as they could, they started teaching me how to cook. It…didn’t go as well as you’d think at first.” Memories of cut fingers, burnt food, and at least two times the house nearly burned down went through her mind.

“How surprising.” If he wasn’t the way he, was she would’ve seen it as condescending, hell maybe it was but she’d never know. “Well, none of us gave up and eventually I made something edible. Then another and another, and soon I was almost always in the kitchen.”

The final wrap gone, along with the filling she grabbed a skillet. “I remember when I wanted to spread my wings and go out to try and attend schooling, they encouraged me and even helped me when I was attending. Could you stick your hands out?” He set down his rod and stuck out both hands like a beggar. “Am I being used for cooking?”

He already got it.

The skillet was put in his hands and a bit of vegetable oil sloshed around. The potstickers were skillet and put a lid over that she held. It was only a minute when she smelled smoke. Lifting the pan, she saw that despite the short time the food she was preparing was already burnt.

“Can you lower your body heat?” She picked up the burnt food from the pan and tossed one in her mouth. Waste not, what not is something her parents taught her after all. It was thoroughly burnt with only small parts actually having things like flavor to offset the ashy taste by the slightest amount.

A 3/10 on her books.

“I can try.” One of his hands came up as well and tossed a piece into his mouth. “I think this is the first time you’ve eaten my cooking…do you need to eat?” He shook his head at the question. “I figured since we were going to be together for an unforeseen amount of time, I’ve decided to try it since you seemed to find enjoyment out of it.” She appreciated the gesture, but she did note that for the first time Waxy was extending the olive branch.

“Well then, let’s make this first night one to remember.” He nodded and soon the ruined ones were disposed of. In a way the cooking experience was heightened by the knowledge that not only was Waxy joining for dinner for the first time, but it would also be Finn’s first time having humans. Along with the occasional breaks for small talk the cooking was a lot more fun than it had been for a while.

She wondered if Tanya was having as much fun as her.

Chapter 5: Night on the Town

Chapter Text

Tanya was having a nice night.

Her foot caved in the skull of the fixer who’d try to bring his sword down on her. The Zwei fixers next to him stepped back for a moment, before they bolstered themselves. Tanya would only give them the faintest credit that they were trying. The two charge forward, the one in front putting themselves in an offensive position while the other shadowed him. The ‘spear and shield’ tactic they employed whenever there was a duo of them.

A shame Tanya had seen it time and time before.

The one in front thrust his sword trying to skewer her, and while she didn’t need to dodge thanks to her suit, she did maneuver to the side to get a better angle at her target. She threw a feint with her right to the one who’d try to stab her, and on que the one in back tried to block bringing her blade in a defensive position. The one on the attack saw too late what she was planning as her left swung out.

Her fist caught the fixer in the lower jaw, and almost as if it were a toy, it was launched off. The struck fixer’s body tensed and her eye’s widened and her pupils shrink. With great effort she pried her left hand from her sword and tried to feel for the jaw she no longer had. At first calmly and then more rapidly.

Before she had the chance to attempt to scream Tanya seized her throat and lifted her up, the fixer’s free hand tried feebly to pry hers off. After a harmless kick to her chest, she brought the fixer down, her neck the first hitting the pavement of the road before her body not even a second after. Her neck was reduced to mulch and her head went flying like the cork of a wine bottle.

The remaining fixer seemed to realize his chances and was basically trembling in place. She sent her arms out leaving herself open “You gonna try?” she asked not hiding the mirth in her voice. He only shook his head, his sword held dully in his grasp so thin she was sure a rat could have stolen it. She walked forward casually and placed her palm atop his head. His breathing quickened, a response she took with a bit more humor.

“I just got a few questions, and if I like the answer, I might let you go. Alright?” His head shook up and down frantically at his chance to escape. “That’s good. Now then, whatcha know about a group called The Musicians of Bremen.” The man’s eyes seemed to look anywhere that wasn’t directly at her.

“T-The Musicians of Bremen were considered terminated after a prolonged case of silence, and when discovered that they’d been sent to the Library. As of now with everyone who’s gone inside has started popping back up no effort has been made to find them. Our previous priority was the extermination of suspected bloodfiends in the area.” Tanya nodded as her eye’s focused on the radio in his front pocket.

A cry from her side and Bremen soon joined her, they’re baton and heels covered in blood. They gave a questioning cry as she stared at them. “No, I’m not gonna pull a Waxy and adopt someone. I’m seeing if there's any information on your friends.” The man in her grasp made a pathetic noise as she turned her gaze back to him.

Coming out to find Bremen’s group had so far been a bust so far, and they hadn’t accomplished much. Other than the fights they’d gotten into, the night so far had been a fruitless endeavor for Bremen. Tanya saw it as a bit of a shame since she wondered the kind of people that Bremen could call friends.

She on the other hand had been having a wonderful time. It was strange how even fights with people she was beyond her skill gave her a different thrill. She’d blame it on constantly only fighting members of the Hana Association and not much else.

The hour she’d been out looking for them because Bremen was convinced, they’d be out ‘making music’ had been one of wandering around calling out names and fighting. So far, they’d only faced butchers who hadn’t known they were, overconfident Syndicate members, A few Hana patrols looking for them, who knows how many sweepers, and the occasional Zwei patrol. The night was fast approaching, and they’d need to get back to they’re temporary shelter for a time. Still, why not end the night off on a high note, or at the very least an entertaining one.

“What’s the highest rank fixer you can call that can get here?” The man’s eyes went to his little radio. It took him a moment to answer as he racked his brain. “Zeal office, 6 blocks down, 2nd grade Zwei associated office.” He rattled off the details hoping to appease her. She tilted her head up thinking about the presented information.

Grade 2 wasn't bad in terms of challenge depending on the office., especially if they focused on it. She would’ve preferred Grade 1, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and honestly tonight had been more fun than normal. Her eye’s locked back onto the man under her.

“Call them in.” Her tone couldn’t hide her bloodlust, and the man flinched at it. His hand came up and pulled the radio to his mouth. He licked his lips and took in a breath before speaking into his device. “This is Zwei Fixer Whitley, Grade 4. Our request to cull the bloodfiends has been unsuccessful. Requesting backup on Herrymen’s Street.” The radio said nothing and there was just silence on the device. Tanya’s grip on the main tightened slightly on his scalp.

“Two more tries, if nothing happens, we see how far your head can go.” The man’s breath quickened, and Tanya was sure he was only one more fright from hyperventilating. “T-This is Zwei Fixer Whitley, Grade 4, my squad of nine is dead. I am requesting back up from the Zeal Office and reminding them the rewards on confirmed bloodfiends kills.” His breathing was already quick, and his eyes were getting so small they were barely visible. Tanya let out a sigh as she brought her fist up and pulled down.

Tears welled up and the man’s lip quivered a bit as he pressed the button one final time, whether they answered or not. “P-Please…I don’t-I don’t want to die. Pleeease just help me out. Please…” The man’s tone was pathetic at this point. She waited a minute and looked at Bremen. “You think I can aim it at-” Her question was interrupted as the radio screamed to life.“This is operator Ezekiel of Zeal Office. We’ll be one the way, what’s the current status of the enemy and your position.” The man's sigh of relief was almost contagious as Tanya gave a dangerous grin.

“I-I’m still on Herrymen’s street. I’m hiding in a dumpster.” The man over the radio sighed at the sentence.“Stay there, me and a squad will arrive to assist you. We should arrive in thirty minutes… can’t believe people pay for this ‘protection’.”The radio cut out after that last jab at the fixer. Tanya threw the fixer to the ground with his task done.

“Alright, get in the dumpster.” Her thumb jutted out as she gestured to the dumpster in the alleyway to her left. A cry from Bremen got her attention as the man scrambled into the nearly full dumpster. She eyed her partner with interest. “Are you serious?” Another cry had her seize the man by the scruff of his jacket and lift him up. Almost comically he slid out of his coat, and he sat there in only his pale-yellow shirt and dark pants.

“Which house are the bloodfiends in?” the man’s arm shot out and pointed to a building a block away. “Good.” She slung the Zwei coat over her shoulder and Bremen followed behind her. She always wondered if bloodfiends were worth all the hype.

“Ruff, Ruff!! Neigh!? co*ck-a-doodle-doo!?”

“No this isn’t for the welp, this is mine.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Ezekiel looked at the small group behind him. One final head count as he walked toward Herrymen’s street to assist they’re benefactors with hunting bloodfiends. Six sets of gray coats with hoods up with silver highlights on the elbows, and dark pants with their own silver highlights. He looked to his side for his second in command. “Zach, I want your thoughts on the situation.” He asked at the smaller figure polishing an executioner's sword.

“I’m betting, say, 65,000 Ahn the fixer’s dead. Drained so dry you couldn’t even make meat puree out of him and the culprits have hightailed it out of there.” The smaller man finished polishing the blade and stared at his own reflection. “Or set up an ambush. Either could benefit themselves in the situation since most people won’t come out this late at night.” Ezekiel nodded and kept his own executioner's sword tight in the grasp of his left hand.

That Zwei fixer was lucky, assuming he was still alive, that tonight’s crusade had been unsuccessful in purging they’re original target, The Whispering Evil. The money spent trying to find the distortion needed to be recuperated. Still the man couldn’t have held his own for the few minutes he spent rallying his fellow fixers. A third of their group had decided to cut their losses and go home for the night.

“If there were nine Zwei killed I’m assuming something like anywhere from four or five bloodfiends, unless they were lower ranking than normal for the ones we’ve seen. In that case I’m expecting less.” He grunted in response to Zach’s guessed estimate. “He sounded like a new fixer, so I’m expecting less. Still keep your wits about you, Bloodfiends can be either as clever as they are physically imposing.” The nod in response had him look at the street sign and saw he was three streets from Herrymen’s.

His eyes scanned the alleys for stray sweepers who hadn’t returned to their nest yet, and higher in the case they were being watched. He’d seen one too many of his fixer’s taken out by a bloodfiend just letting gravity do all the hard work by dropping down on them. His eye caught nothing, and he couldn’t tell if that was for better or worse. His eyes went to the street sign that said there destin-

“What the hell?”

The bodies of the Zwei Fixer’s weren’t what surprised him, it was their state. With a gesture the fixers behind him got into defensive stances and marched forward, eye’s looking every which way that an ambush could come from. He got to the first body, why were they all so far away, and knelt down to examine it.

The man was face up; a look of shock engraved upon his face. His sword was still on his back meaning whatever did this to him got either took him by surprise or was just that much faster. It was clear from the cavity in his chest what caused his death, but what he couldn’t figure out was why he still had blood in him.

Why did any of them have blood in them?

A few feet away was a fixer who, similar to the first body, had her weapon on her back. It was a bit hard to see with her long black hair obscuring her face, but blood had trailed down her eyes, ears, and the edges of her mouth. He couldn’t determine the exact cause of death, but one thing was apparent about all of them.

A bloodfiend didn’t do this.

His free hand went to the radio on his belt, his eye’s scanning once again looking for the cause. “Zwei Fixer Whitely reports your status!” The line was dead, and he didn’t hear his shout from any nearby dumpster. He wondered if the man was dead or had fled the scene back to the association. He needed the man to inform him of the scene since he’d neglected to ask the man details, a rookie mistake in assuming the apparent problem. He turned to his second in command ready to give the order to retreat when the radio crackled to life.

“Tookyou long enough.”The voice wasn’t the fixer he was searching for, given the obviously feminine tone if a bit rougher than most. He was about to demand the name of who was speaking when a burst of sound distracted him. It was a block straight down in a rough looking apartment, but the noise was still so severe due to the quiet of the night it caused him to cover his ears harshly. The streetlights near the origin of the sound burst showering the street in glass, and the ones near him and his group cracked from the noise.

He was about to order his group to retreat, his ears still ringing from the noise of what he assumed to be a trumpet, when his second in command his second pointed to something down the road. “Someone was launched from the fourth floor!” His voice was louder than it needed to be because of his hearing. Ezekiel looked towards the middle of the road, his augmented eyes helping him see through the darkness of the night and saw another figure in the middle of the road. The body of a person, who despite the fall they’d just taken, was attempting to crawl towards them.

Ezekiel swore under his breath. One hand they had no way of knowing if they were prepared to deal with whatever it was and even if payment could even be gained by the venture, but on the other there was potentially the Zwei fixer and the chance of victory. Some empathetic part of him wanted to save whoever was still alive, but experience was saying they needed to get out. His head turned to his second in command and the group as a whole.

“Your call, we take the risk or not. Try and make it fast” Everyone in the group looked at each other, more nods in confirmation than the singular shake no. “Well boss, we got someone to save and a quick purge.” He nodded to Claude, an utterly plain man, and brought his sword in front of him. “Advance.”

With a single command they advanced again. The normal grip of well-placed paranoia gripped his heart as he stared ahead. He could see the man ahead had stopped moving five after having made it at least eight feet. He wasn’t dead, the subtle movements gave that away, but he was probably in so much pain that he couldn’t move. It made him question the kind of augments that he had, but that was a question that could be asked later.

His mind tried to prepare him for what could’ve made that noise. Some syndicate dedicated to music, a distortion, some fixer with strange workshop gear. Whoever they were, they'd been expecting them, and they were either co*cky or competent. Either way they could expect they’re blades.

They only made it ten feet into the darkness of the street when they stopped again, but not for any reason of safety. More shock and confusion as they’re eyes looked over the man who he could hear whimpering from. To say he wasn’t in a good state was like saying the sky was blue, an obvious statement.

What was once a well-maintained blue suit was now ripped and torn in every which way, covered in his own blood. Shards of glass stuck out mostly on the bottom of him, but at some angles on his legs you could see bones poking out. His left arm was missing a decent chunk at his joint and bicep exposing bone. None of that was what drew his attention.

It was the right side engulfed in pitch black and red veins.

This was one of the bloodfiends he had expected to fight. The bloodfiend looked up, revealing a bruised face with ruptured eye, and noticed him and his group and reached out for them. There was no cunning or charming plan behind that eye, none of the usual bloodthirst that made their eye’s glow, no malice towards the people in the city. There was only the fear of death he’d seen in so many people as he climbed the ranks, from people lower and higher than him in rank. For the briefest of moments, he was just another unfortunate soul in a city that ground them up and churned them out.

He only saw it when it was too late, not that he could’ve done anything to stop it. From the top of his vision a shadow fell upon the bloodfiend upon him like a cushion. There was a nasty crush as the figure’s boots landed on the base of his spine and a baton went through the man’s head. Even the figure of the person was odd, and it didn’t even take a moment for Ezekiel to know it was a distortion.

It threw itself back as three trumpets burst from its chest, and his hands came up for a moment to attempt to protect his hearing. It was a futile attempt as even with his hands the noise was still powerful. The blast was like being punched by a fist three times the size of his body. His eyes focused on the crude music symbols that hung in the air.

He knew what distortion was in front of him, he was sure there wasn’t anyone in the city except for only the lowest ranked fixer who didn’t know of the Reverberation Ensemble, or this particular member the Musicians of Bremen. To say he was outmatched was an understatement, 10 star of the city level threats was too much of a match for even colors let alone a bunch of grade twos and threes. Maybe if there was only Bremen they’d have a chance, but the whole ensemble was only a death sentence.

Running wasn’t an option, and he couldn’t hear anything from the blast of sound. He tried to take a step, but his equilibrium was thrown off and he had nothing to stabilize himself and he took a knee involuntarily. His breathing heavy as his body’s augments went about fixing the internal damage. For that moment he was helpless as Bremen tried to bring his foot down on his head.

The flash of steel that connected with the boot of the distortion was not his own, but Zach’s as he defended him. His second in command brought him up, as he somehow fought off the noise in his wars. He would thank him if he could find his voice, and it took him a second to fall back to get space. Luckily his crew had a similar idea to his own.

It took him a moment to realize that he was missing one of the groups before he turned around and found them. Claude’s sword was caught in the grasp of L’heure du Loup's left hand. She nodded almost in approval as his free hand came to try and uppercut her in an attempt to have her release his blade. At most she flinched at the blow, but it didn’t really hurt as she brought her own fist down in an overhead punch.

His body went stiff as a board before going limp and falling to his side, exposing she’d punched off the right side of his head.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad had his hood not been blown off by the wave of sound, but that was wishful thinking on his part. His hearing finally stabilized; he saw her throw the sword to the ground as if she was discarding a cigarette. She eye’d each of them, as if judging them on some form of quality. His eyes went out looking for the other members of the Ensemble that were surely to be around.

“Your eyes wander a lot for a person with a threat in front of them.” The distortion almost sounded offended as his eyes now focused solely on her. “The boss is just looking for the rest of you. Your whole group’s pretty much something we can’t handle together.” Zach stood next to him, almost like he was going to charge the distortion to protect him.

“Really now.” Her grin took on a menacing form as she stuck her foot out, like she was going to pounce on her prey. “Well then let’s ease those thoughts, the others aren’t here. Just me and Bremen, no tricks or lies.” At the call of its name the distortion cried out as if trying to simulate speech.

Bizarrely she answered.

“No, I think I have this, but that was a good strategy. If they blocked a kick then it just shows, they have some measure of competence. You can go about making your instruments.” With a nod of their heads, they’re hands went into the deceased bloodfiend. He averted his eyes to the wolf to not see the horrendous sight.

At the right time as she shot forward, his sword came up to block it just in time. The flat of the blade blocked the punch, but it was forced back, nearly striking his own face and giving him a cut along his nose. His body went back colliding, his feet skidding across the road and his back colliding with one of his fixers. His eyes now focused exclusively on her, having to take her word as he wouldn’t have the luxury to look out now.

“Zeal office! Purge the target and end the crusade!” At the cry of their office, everyone moved to circle L’heure du Loup. It wasn’t needed, but it made they’re impromptu fight feel more official. A part of him wanted to declare that a star would fall, but he was realistic in that he had no idea if they’re office could take on the distortion.

After all, far better had tried and failed.

With the circle complete one rushed, he couldn’t tell who was from the hood, and tried to decapitate her from behind. Quick and to the point, but it didn’t take a genius to know she’d be prepared for it. She turned almost instantly and blocked the strike with her forearm, leaving only a trace of the blade on it. The distortion’s leg shot out catching the fixer in the upper chest.

There was a loud cracking noise that filled the air as the attack. He saw his fixer grit their teeth as they brought their own open fist up, another rushing to strike from the side. The wolf caught the punch and spun the fixer around, throwing her into the other fixer. The two collided and the fixer’s crumbled together like a tower of blocks.

His own legs finally moved, but not to try and strike the distortion but to get in front of the two who’d taken a moment to try and untangle themselves. Zach followed behind, his intent as distraction, his sword ready to try and swing upward. She dodged to the side of his strike and sent her own fist straight forward.

The attack was just barely in his vision, so he saw Zack was just barely quick enough to turn his head to the side, just grazing his cheek and uncovering his hood exposing his blonde hair. Even then the skin of his flesh was torn open, and the gash began bleeding. When he was firmly planted in front of the two, he focused back on the distortion. Zach was barely dodging kicks and punches from the distortion, every now and then a punch had a little more effort catching more and more of him. Very rarely did Zach have a chance to retaliate, and even then, only seemed to land nicks or scraps.

When his members had gotten themselves upright, he went in to assist his second in command from his predicament. His blade struck down vertically, a hit across her side not because he was faster than her, but because she’d been too busy nearly decapitating Zach with a kick. Her eyes now focused on his form giving Zach a breather.

He didn’t get time to ask Zach how he was as the wolf was upon him. Her first kick he could only block with his arm, an arm he’d have augmented to be as strong as a gauntlet. The blow was painful, despite his lack of most nerves in the appendage, and with his sword she nearly pushed the bone out of the socket. He grit his teeth and swung wildly.

He didn’t need to hit her; he just needed her focused-on blocking or dodging him.

They didn’t need repeats from the previous examples to know that if she wasn’t preoccupied with someone else, then they wouldn't hit her. There was no guarantee that they would either way, her suit seemed to block most damage they could do, but it was better than nothing. His attack missed, but he hadn’t extended himself to be unable enough to dodge the kick to the legs she sent his way.

He fared better than Zach on the defensive, not that much better to be fair to him. Block here, dodge to the left there, grit your teeth and take a painful blow and try to mitigate what you could when needed. His crew descended when she struck, but rarely seemed to land a substantial blow. Her neck was too protected, so they settled for trying to try and run her throw or aimed a little higher. Other than a few cuts on her suit and gashes here and there, nothing seemed to stick.

The same could not be said for himself, or even a few of his fixers who she’d given more attention to every now and then. He was sure under all of his clothing was a bruised but not yet broken body, if you didn’t count the broken bones that lasted longer and longer. His interior repair augments only holding up so much against the onslaught of punches, kicks, and feints whenever she threw one out.

Someone had to give eventually.

One of his fixer’s finally overextended a swing, missing and only grazing the tips of her ears, and she practically spun to deliver a punch to they’re face. If he wasn’t so bruised and battered, he might have stuck at her, in hopes that the shock would cause her to miss as it had a few times. Instead, he saw the punch connect and was unable to see who was under the hood before they’re face turned to paste. The viscera flew spraying the last hooded fixer, who took a moment to process they were covered in the gore of their teammate.

A bit of gore was spew out of their mouth.

“Oh, look at that, seems you're running out of steam.” He grit his teeth at her as she sent a smirk at him. She was right, his free arm was dangling on the side as it had been broken by a feint he’d failed to block. His internal repair system had been pushed past its limits, and his body pulsed in pain every few moments. “Hey, no shame, you did better than I’d expected for grade twos. Maybe even grade one if you keep that up, you just have one thing to survive.”

“Let me guess, you want me to bow?!” He felt his fury soar as she nodded. “It’s basic nature for the weak to listen, so you can admit it and bow or die. Listen to a few requests maybe.” She was finding humor in his anger, knowing he couldn’t do anything.

“You'll die before that you goddamn mu-” His final hooded fixer screamed charging to try one last time to take the distortions head. She tried, she honestly tried to take the enemy’s head from her neck like they always did. Try was all she could as her target sent a kick forward almost lazily into her stomach, she fell to her knees gasping to try and get more air. L’heure du Loup put her foot on the back of her head.

And crushed it like a watermelon.

“You wanna end up the same way? Already laid out your survival conditions.” He heard Zach laughing, he wondered if he’d lost it for a moment before his friend looked at him. “Ezekiel, what to end this like we always knew we would.” He chuckled in response as he readied his sword.

His eyes zero’d in on where he wanted to strike.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Ruff, Ruff!! Neigh!? co*ck-a-doodle-doo!?”

“Nah, it was fun. They wanna throw away their lives instead of their pride then let’em”

Tanya and Bremen were only a block away now, each their own prizes. For Bremen the bloodfiend guitar was an acceptable creation even if they wanted, they’re band more. Tanya meanwhile now had the Zwei coat she’d taken from the grunt, who’d run as soon they’d let him, and the emblem of the Zeal Office she’d torn from one of their hoods.

She would’ve kept the whole hood, but the viscera would start to smell fast, something she’d learned from experience.

The trip home had various encounters that she hadn’t thought much of. Hana fixer’s mostly, since Bremen’s abilities were anything but subtle, but a few too curious fixers tried they’re hand at stopping them. Nothing as exciting as the actual night had been, but they’re probably a bit more. Stepping into the lobby she saw a few rats dozing off with crude beds and makeshift defenses.

More meat for Greta.

She turned her head to see Bremen running they’re hands and doing their own equivalent of giggling. It was a bit quieter than they’re normal volume, but still enough to stir them. She shrugged and went up the stairs, ignoring the sounds that followed and the screams as they bickered what instruments each rat would be.

The stairs had a few bodies on them, the different method usually showing who killed who. She was mildly surprised to see a few who had wounds that could have been made by the welp’s weapon, but not impressed. They were mostly rats, chefs, or anyone who didn’t look of any importance.

She opened the door to the room and sat on their table the dinner that was left for them that hadn’t been eaten. The other’s slept in their beds, or in the case of Waxy he slept on the floor since he was a walking fire hazard. Not that he cared since he seemed to be sleeping(?) just fine. She ideally wondered if he was really asleep, staring into space thinking, or waiting.

She could figure it out after a quick bite. As she sat at the table began eating she idly saw the odd one out stirring on his bed. It took her a moment to remember that everyone else here had grown used to the constant noise Bremen made.

He’d learn to deal with it.

With a free hand she balled up the Zwei coat and the symbol and tossed them on her bed. Interior design had never been her strong suit, but the two made her feel more rest area feel more lively. It could also have been that she could indulge in her habit of collecting symbols from people she’d beat. Something she’d done even in the middle.

She missed that trophy wall.

Of course, now since she was out of Argalia’s little group she was free to collect all those little symbols she liked. If she was gonna get a Hana symbol, she’d wait for a particularly fun fixer in a fight than the numerous she’d had to deal with. As she popped another in her mouth, she wondered how many new symbols would be in her new collection.

District 23 was a big place after all.

Chapter 6: Normality?

Chapter Text

Finn had figured that with the craziness that had happened on the first day that had happened with these people it would be like that constantly. From seeing a dead Hana fixer to eating a person, it seemed like it would be a constant roller coaster of troubles before they got him home. If they ever did with what they seemed to fight.

That’s why it was so strange that everything seemed so…mundane.

After the second day was filled with him being sent on errands in the local area. He got to learn that Waxy could spawn…well he didn’t know exactly what they were, only that they were small, creepy, and only communicated from laughter that sounded like it came from everywhere. This thing followed him in the sky where most people didn’t look like a bodyguard to him and get away since it could easily carry him. He'd also seen one of them break someone's neck with a kick...

It felt weird knowing that something that looked like an infant was stronger than he was.

Getting errands, hanging around the buildings, and talks every now and it was nothing like he expected. It was more like he was in a normal group of people. Sure, the room was quickly filling with instruments made of people and bloodfiends, Tanya had a growing pile of clothes with symbols, Greta kept making people into food, and Waxy was always staring into space…

Okay scratch the normal part, but they were people.

It made sense, they probably were settling back into their roles from when they weren’t experimenting on. They had no real need for formality or to hide themselves past what they needed to, or at least they had to act like. He hadn’t really gotten around to asking Greta what Pluto was like since there always seemed to be something to do. It was annoying yet understandable.

The constant shift taking and explorers for Bremen’s friends was something everyone did in shifts, with him not participating since he was needed for daytime activities. The one time he had to get food since Greta would be out that night, he’d been reminded he was in District 23 again.

The cook had decided, Hana coat or not, he was a perfect ingredient.

A lot of people did actually, and if it wasn’t because they thought he was a literal snack he’d be flattered. The Hana coat did a lot, so people didn’t try to catch or make him into an ingredient, and when the chef had tried, he broke his cleaver on it. He was starting to think of joining the Hana as a goal if this was, they’re gear.

Assuming he wasn’t in a lot of trouble.

He left the alley and into where they'd been staying in, the satchel he’d had rustled with ingredients Greta had requested once again. The lobby looked like a massacre, and smelled like one, but he’d grown used to it. There wasn’t any major body or organ, but there was just a large amount of blood staining everything with the occasional burn.

He walked into the kitchen, thinking she was there, and found a mostly empty kitchen. Her tools were stacked neatly in a pile but stained from they’re use from last night. He’d have to clean that later for her use, but it gave him things to do other than laze around.

There was also the hanging body of the chef who’d chased him here.

He sped out after leaving the bag on the counter and grabbing the cooking tools. It was strange how…easy it was to eat a person. Sure, it was motivated with the way Greta looked at him before he had that first bite, along with the fact she’d probably think poorly of him, that in a weird way reminded him of his sister. He could put it off by helping them hunt fend off the rats and chefs looking for ingredients.

Not that it lasted long.

The first bite was the hardest, it always was going to be. The meat in the little shell had once been a person, the guy who originally owned this coat. It smelled appetizing, especially since he’d been hungry from everything before they’d found him. The fumes he’d been running on were about ready to give out.

The first bite was the hardest.

The second was made without thought.

Who would have blamed him, he never had a dedicated chef serve him anything. The fact he was starving had played a role in his consumption. So long as he didn’t think too hard about the contents, he could fill his aching stomach. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason…

It was criminal how good they were, and the laughter that followed as he stuffed as many of what they were in his mouth. He knew she said the name, but he couldn’t find them for the life of him. Every bite seemed to make the guilt of eating someone disappear more and more. He’d slept wonderfully with a full stomach and a strangely comfy bed. Even the loud noises of Bremen only momentarily disturbed his rest.

He walked into the shared room to find everyone there, which was unsurprising since they couldn’t freely walk out in the day. The only one awake was Waxy, but that was hard to say since Finn was sure he could sleep standing up. Compared to the beginning of the week the room had a little more personality.

Bremen’s was the easiest to see. Instruments of flesh and bone were thrown in almost every which way, and there was a nice variety of them. Finn had been made to get formaldehyde and other chemicals to preserve them, and some things to mitigate the smell. Other than that graffiti of all kinds was on their walls in their signature colors. It almost screamed for people to stare at the side.

Greta’s in turn was mostly filled with tools for cooking. A few herbs were hung up, and there were pots, pans, and a portable stove. It was a sort of organized chaos, where everything was out, but convenient to grab when she went cooking. She’d also moved three beds together to keep herself comfy.

Tanya’s side had different things she’d taken from different fixer offices and syndicates. Mostly jackets and coats, but a few oddities. A nice top hat with a cane on it, a pair of gloves with a flashlight symbol, and a mask chapped like a crescent moon. Other than that Tanya’s side was barren of anything else.

Waxy had…

He had a circle he made from ash where he slept.

That…that was it really.

His own side was close to Waxy’s, it wasn’t that much decorated other than a rag, multiple soaps, and a large wooden bowl to clean things. There were a few packages of water bottles for multiple purposes, and on his bed were different wallets that he’d been given since he was now the guy who carried the money.

The little wax child flashed by him and to its creator. Waxy brought his hand up and put it on the child, almost like he was patting on the head. Instead, the child started being absorbed back into him, his hand and arm bulged for a moment before settling back to their normal proportions he’d had. When the child was fully gone, he went back to looking at Finn.

“Were you followed?” He spoke like he hadn’t just done that, and while Finn had seen it before the act still made him uncomfortable. “I don’t think so.” Finn paused for a moment before walking forward and placing the bag next to the sleeping shark women. She rolled over slowly, and nearly grabbed him in her daze. Luckily Finn could dodge a sleepy grab, even if she was still surprisingly fast when barely conscious.

Turning his head back to Waxy he stood stunned for a moment to see him on the other side of where the door opened. His rod was raised high as if expecting something to come through the door. Soon enough the door handle clicked open, and a head poked through and looked across the room for a moment.

A moment was all that was needed for the weapon to be brought down, and Finn saw a small amount of flame as it arced down. The rod impacted the back of the person’s head, and a sickening crack was heard as it went straight down, and the body just slumped over. They’re head down lower than any human should be, and they’re spinal cord nearly breaking flesh.

“You were followed, but by chef’s and not anyone important.” He said as he picked up the body, the smell of burnt clothes and currently burning flesh filling the room and dropped it on Greta.

“We’re going to have a meeting tonight about our plans. They’re not very complicated, but you might not want to sleep through them.” He nodded back at him and went to his side of the room and began getting ready to clean Greta’s utensils. It gave him something to do because while no one cared if he went on walks, he didn’t really have anywhere to go or any desire to walk around district 23 without reason.

The cleaning wasn’t too different from anything normal, except he had to use hydrogen peroxide or similar chemicals, and it helped with the strange growing sense of normality. Sure, if he thought long and hard about it, he could probably see many differences, but that was looking for nitpicks. he’d been more privileged than most but living in the backstreets still meant he had to look on the bright side of bad situations. He turned his head to the other person awake in the room.

“Could you heat this up.” The man wordlessly walked up and stuck one of his hands in, the water almost immediately started steaming and only after a few moments pulled it out. The water was near boil, so Finn had a minute before he could start cleaning. A little longer if he should be honest, but the heat would help get the blood off the tools.

The sound of scrubbing and his own humming filled the room as he went about cleaning the chef’s tools. The meat tenderizer she called a weapon would be first, since he could see that would be the hardest to clean with its little grooves and the fact there were small chunks of meat stuck to it. He grimaced as he pulled off a piece, he wasn’t sure what was supposed to be, and he didn’t want to. He wasn’t exactly sure where to put it, since there was no waste basket, and he really didn’t want to hold it for too long.

He took a look at Greta and balled it as much as he could and tossed it. The mouth on her tail caught it between her teeth, and as if she was awake savagely started chewing. He looked the other way and got back to cleaning the rest of the tools. It was a few minutes, and one halfway clean meat tenderizer when the chewing stopped, and a new sound took its place.

“You aren’t annoyed that our search for Bremen’s friends is taking priority to get you back home?” He stopped his scrubbing for a moment to look up. “I mean…District 20 is a fair bit away, so I can’t complain since you saved me. I’ll just…find a payphone and call my sister if she has the same number.” He hadn’t seen any yet, but he was sure if a park was nearby, he’d find one.

Of course, that meant exploring the district, but he wondered if he could convince any of them to let him travel with them. Sure, he’d be in danger, but when wasn't he in some kind danger nowadays? Not to mention having seen them fight over the week he was sure nothing short of a small army could stop any of them, the augments the wing had given them just put them on the whole nother level. It wouldn’t surprise him if even colors couldn’t take them down.

A stray thought came into his mind when he thought about it. As he was now, he wasn’t sure if he could beat anyone besides a rat. The people he’d been bunking with must’ve been on his level at some point, so maybe they could help him in some way. Nothing that would turn him into a color or even a grade eight, but something that could help him survive. Maybe even use his weapon more effectively, since he wasn’t used to it yet.

It might even be a good thing that Waxy was up to the weapon he was using was somewhat similar to his own. Surely, he’d had some advice that Finn could use when he finally left them to become a better fixer. He didn’t constantly just want to mooch off them, so maybe he could beat away the people they shouldn’t need to bother with. He turned to Waxy expecting him to be looking out the window.

He saw Waxy staring at him, and while still unnerving he was wondering if he still wanted to talk or was thinking deeply again. “Can I ask a favor? If only to make myself more useful.” At the nod Finn continued his request. “Your weapon and my new one are kind of similar, since I’m not very good with it.” He went to say something, but even without the top of his face Finn could see a moment of realization come across his face.

“Ah, you had a sword, right?” He spoke as if he’d just remembered something. Finn didn’t mind that he forgot since he’d bought the new weapon at the start of the week. The sheath he’d had as a reminder was used in a drum set that Bremen had made, they had at least asked even if he couldn’t say no, and all traces of his old weapon were gone. It was a shame, but losing a sword was nothing as opposed to getting on Bremen’s bad side.

Or maybe they would’ve been fine with it, Finn didn’t know.

“Yes, I had one and I knew how to use it. I’ve never used a two-handed axe before, and I was wondering if you could maybe give me some ways to swing it.” He was sure he wouldn’t be able to wield it like Waxy did, but he was looking for something that could potentially help. From the brief moments he’d seen him fight he’d had complete control. Like him and the weapon were one in the same.

They might be given the material.

“Hm, I don’t know. My weapon is equally balanced, while yours is more focused on the end. Maybe if you were stronger than that it wouldn't matter.” He put his hand under his chin as of thinking. “I know you don’t like body mods, but there are other methods. Tanya should know some methods to help.” Finn's breath hiked at the suggestion.

“Are…are you sure there’s no tip you could give me?” There was brief silence other than the sound of his own scrubbing. “Don’t think of your enemy as people. Do not hate them, do not love them, feel nothing towards them. Think of it as a chore, something that needs to be done so you can continue on.”

He grimaced at the advice. There was something so cold about that line of thinking that Finn wasn’t sure that he could ever truly adopt it. “I…I’ll try.” He knew he sounded halfhearted, but that was all he could say. He heard him approach and then get on his knees making near eye level with Finn.

“Finn, I know it seems impossible, but one day you might understand what I mean. I…never mind. I’m not sure how to say it anyway.” Finn stared at where the man’s eyes would be then nodded. Waxy got up and left, he wasn’t sure where to but that didn’t matter. He went back to focusing on the viscera-stained kitchenware.

A part of him wondered what he wanted to say after, but speculation was useless. He was sure he meant well, and he was the reason he was alive, but Waxy always had this air about him. One that unlike the others he couldn't truly pin down. He just has to go with his gut and trust him.

After who knows how long he was finished and went to lay on his bed. A piece of black cloth he’d acquired was used as an eye mask to keep the sun out. He briefly wondered one last time about the advice given and what went unsaid.

It would take a while, but dreamless sleep eventually came to him.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Wake up.”

Finn felt the cruelty of the city in full force as he kissed the floor. That may have been an over exaggeration but waking up and falling on your face wasn’t a good start. He pushed the cloth out of his face and saw everyone sitting and facing a board with a crudely drawn version of the district. Finn idly wondered where she got the white board.

“Alright with Finn awake we can start; I don’t know why he needs to be awake since it’s not like he gets a say.” Tanya’s comment, while harsh, was true. It wasn’t as if he objected that he could really stop. “Because he gets all our supplies, so he should know when we are going. Plus, he’s probably going to do all the packing.” Tanya before she picked up a ruler.

“Alright here we are.” Tanya stood in front of everyone using a ruler to point at the X. “We’ll be here for another week if things go our way, and then we’ll move to the central north. I know a place we can camp out that might be empty, and if it’s not we’ll make it so.” Bremen cried for a moment and Tanya nodded.

“It's a building the Middle used, and last I heard it was destroyed by the Pinky. Since the Middle is probably still recuperating from the Black Silence’s rampage, they’re probably too focused on getting their territory back. More profit in a large area than a small one, especially since the pressure here is a lot less than the whole south.” Finn’s hand went up fast at that last part.

“Are you going to point out a problem with our plan or ask somethin dumb.” He looked down for a moment before he gathered himself. “I just wanted to know why we’re specifically using a middle compound?”

She blew air out of her nose in annoyance, like he’d asked a question that she found obvious. “Because it’s there, and I know where it is. I don’t see why you’d be worried, if it’s full of people there’d be stuff for you to scavenge after we clear it out.” He grimaced at her words. “I’m not a scavenger…” Bremen cried something after he muttered those words, and Greta put a hand under her chin. “I don't know if symbiotic relationship is the term, I’d used to describe him. That implies we won’t eat him.”

“I’d call him a parasite.”

“Butler.”

“Waxy, that's not really an animal relationship.”

“Well, he’s not an animal.”

There was a brief moment that everyone was staring at Waxy. It suddenly became very apparent to Finn that waxy was very different from everyone else. “What does that mean Waxy?” Tanya said become very ‘friendly’ with the non-animal man.

If he noticed, he didn’t care as usual.

“He’s not an animal, he’s a person. Have I said something wrong?” Finn wanted to say he was putting his foot in his mouth, but the corner of the room was a very safe and unnoticeable place at the moment. The air in the room was tense. Greta leaned down to be eye level with him “Final answer.”

“That does not answer my question.” The air strangely became a little tense for a moment before Greta chuckled for a moment. The slight chuckled caused Bremen to have a slight outburst of noise, and whatever they’d said had Greta openly belly laughing. In what he assumed was confusion the man looked at Tanya.

“Just messin with ya Waxy, but damn does anything get under your skin.” Tanya was the first to speak after the tension drifted. “Certain weaponry.” There was a set amount of rolled eyes at the comment.

Finn stood in his corner a little longer as they bantered. His role in this forgotten he slowly crawled back into his bed to get a little more sleep. His weapon was nearby just in case that was required. If he was required, they’d surely get him later.

He’d already been preparing a mental list.

____________________________________________________________________________

One week.

One week since the Ensemble came over, and the paperwork they generated was already starting to grate on her. Sera had half a mind to grab the zweihander next to her desk and go fight the Ensemble herself without help. Sightings, or hearing in Bremen’s case, were in the northeast, but sometimes generally north, and the Offices under they’re banner were already suffering losses.

Whitely informs her of Zeal Office's demise, and soon they’re sister Tempo Office joined them to try and avenge them despite her orders not to. Then went Flashlight, Baton, Reinforce, and Envelope offices through what little information could be gleaned from random encounters with them. Offices that while she no longer had to pay, they helped in different tasks she’d needed done as they took care of the bloodfiend problem.

Even without the Ensemble they were behind the estimated schedule.

The information that they were looking for the other methods of the Musicians of Bremen, the information they were a group and not a single entity caused small confusion, could’ve been useful if she weren’t already spending so many resources on their current predicament. Syndicates were also starting to take notice and were of course on the move from some reports she’d read. Always something or another going wrong in this damned district. The second she got some bearings she’d do something abou-

Her head impacted the table as she read the estimated casualties they suffered after the latest extermination. Twenty-two fixers went in, along with two members of the remaining Zeal office, and only ten came back. One of the bloodfiends had been a ‘leader’ as of sorts trying to start some form of militia. Those two Zeal office members had sacrificed themselves, along with the last Zwei casualty, to bring him down after he went on a rampage and made up half the casualties himself.

She heard the door open and was relieved to see it was Kurt with a cup of coffee. “Here boss, you look like you're two seconds away from a breakdown.” She took the ceramic cup and downed it like a dehydrated man. “By the way do you like coffee, or do you just like cream and sugar that’s warm?” Her gaze went back to her employee after half the cup was gone.

“It’s like this when I’m stressed, I’m just always stressed for the moment.” She handed him one of the papers that caused her distress. He took a moment to read it before he took a seat across from her.

“Oh, Zeal office. Didn’t that go a lot better than you think? I mean the Ensemble did our job for us and have been taking out a few hives. Maybe they’re turning over a new lea- I can’t finish that sentence. I know it’s wrong.” Sera just stared at his attempt at humor and sighed. “The Ensemble has cleared out four decently populated nests and seven syndicates from what I’ve gathered. In contrast, we’ve lost five fixer workshops, eight normal fixer offices, who knows how many Hana and Zwei patrols, and who knows how many civilians unintentionally caught in the crossfire.”

This wasn’t even counting the fact that Hana wouldn’t be pressuring her so much if they weren’t here either. Kurt didn’t need to know this though; he was just the fixer she called when she needed to vent or needed a second opinion. There were some rumors she was grooming him to be the next director, but Kurt couldn’t command more than a small squad. Much less a full section.

“Okay so…what’s your plan.” She nodded as she placed down her paperwork for a moment. “Well, I’ll be seeing the current Director of the third West Section to discuss the situation. I’m hoping to discuss a few things that could improve our situation. More resources, time, maybe a few of their men to assist us. Any of those would help with the extermination, but we probably won’t get that.” The man in front of her scoffed.

“Let me guess it’s because this whole operation is a ‘test of your current skills as fixers to help know how much funding you’ll need.’ or some stupid sh*t like that.” She shook her head in response. “No because the Hana from what I’ve gathered are in full blown panic.” That had Kurt raise an eye. “Why?”

“Director Yujin.” She took a moment to adjust some paperwork that was nearly slipping off the edge. “Sorry, anyway Director Yujin in her cleaning up of internal affairs might have overstepped her boundaries and looked into another association. She’s lucky she found what she did, or the new director might’ve already been in hot water.” She pulled up a slight list of names and handed them to Kurt.

He began scanning the paper fast, likely skimming some details. “Okay so we got some branch managers, a few association directors, rich people in their nests, a few syndicates of varying rank, ok boss I’m not seeing the relevance.” She figured as much as she took back the paper. “These are all people who have either been under the contract of Yesterday's Promise or worked with The Orchestrator.” Kurt took a moment to process what she said before she saw the rare sight of his eye bulging out of his skull “Oh. Oh that’s not good.”

“Of course, it’s not. I’m sure meeting the Director in a few days will be him either trying to assure me things are under control or tightening the grip, so they have some security. A breach this massive is cause for concern.” She wrote down a few names onto a piece of paper.

“And you explained all this to me because.” She looked up. “I need to convince the Director to send over some money so I could hire a couple offices to ‘play nice’ with one another and send them to deal with the Ensemble. Or at least the ones that have split off since all ten is near suicide.” Sera was sure she could hire the color grade fixers and they couldn’t deal with the full Ensemble.

“Seems reasonable. If a bit unorthodox.” It wasn’t that Associations didn’t hire outside help, but it was rare that sister offices were hired to deal with a problem. Mostly it was Offices competing for requests, and sometimes under the cover of the night one would ‘deal with’ the competition in one way or another. Fixers could pretend such a thing didn’t happen, but she seen one or two offices butcher another and blame a syndicate in the area.

“Not just a few fixer offices, some of our own troops and maybe Hana. Throwing the same type of fighter again and again at the Ensemble is pointless. Especially since The Eighth Chief and L’heure du Loup have been on the block for a decent while.” It was one of the downsides of being an association fixer no one talked of. If an opponent knew how to fight you it might be down to numbers rather than skill.

“Do you think that’ll work?” She grimaced as she denied another claim. No, no she didn’t think it would work. She was asking for a lot, especially with two offices in particular, but something needed to be done. Something drastic that would get Section four in Hana's good graces.

Between the bloodfiends and the Ensemble she knew what they wanted gone.

Chapter 7: Set-up

Chapter Text

Tanya took the last frag of her cigarette. She had to admit she’d never tried Benito’s before, but it left a strange chill in her throat and lungs that wasn’t unpleasant. One of those random packs that the clerk had apparently given out of when Finn gave him his ‘identification’. The violet instead of orange coloration was strange, but she wasn’t one to judge small oddities in this city of changing landscapes.

“How’s watching the sun?” She turned her head to Waxy who sat crisscross on the ground, his weapon leaning on his shoulder in the groove of his neck. She didn’t typically stay up this late, but she’d had a boring night since she decided to stay and relax instead of her normal ‘walks’ she liked to take.

“Honestly not all it’s cracked up to be. The movies lied about it.” The butt of her cancer stick was flicked down and she stomped it out real quick. He nodded in response and went back to looking at the circular light slowly rising. “What do you think since you're up here so much?” He put his hand under his chin at her question.

“That no matter how many stars in the sky, there can be only one sun.” Her eyes went at his response. “Bit more profound than normal, eh? You must really like this thing.” She’d expected a blunt yes or no like his normal response was. He continued stroking his chin at her statement, not answering.

After a moment he looked at her. “Why are you here Tanya? You don’t seem to be the type to wait for the sunset as well.” Not the response she was looking for, but an interesting one at least. She shrugged her shoulders before answering. “Well fighting all night every night can get boring even if I like it. Besides, I'm betting the compound will have some fun fights.” He went back to staring at the sun after her answer.

She wasn’t surprised that to him fighting seemed to be all she was about, after all she’d made no attempt to hide her love of the act, but the middle had taught some lessons. She’d seen too many good fighters take a little too much of a drug and die to it or become consumed by it. It gave her the perspective of not doing what she loved too much if she could help it.

Besides it felt like some of those beginning offices had been a fluke. She was running into more mid to low level fixers, or members of the Hana who were arguably worse. Sure, low level went down with only the idea of effort, but they had a more unique flair than the sterile white and black crystal weapons of the Hana.

Some low ranks even knew they’re place and begged for mercy.

In two days, they’d take a little trip to the north center of the Nest, and she wondered what was in that compound. Would it be taken over by the Pinky, reclaimed by the Middle, or would they find something else there. Even then would it be the main branches or subsidiaries, or fixer’s that didn’t ‘technically’ work for them but were under their payroll.

Coming down from her thoughts she’d saw that Waxy had gone back to his staring, seemingly done with they’re conversation. She shrugged and leaned back a little in her chair, using his head to light another of the strange cigarettes and taking a drag. She let it stay in her lungs for a while before letting it out and once again experiencing that strange chill.

If he didn’t feel like talking, she was going to disturb him.

It was near the end of the cigarette, when she was about to leave to potentially catch some shut eye, that she heard the door behind her open. She turned behind her for a moment to see the welp yawning as he looked out. He looked started as his yawn turned to a cough halfway. She saw him freeze in place like a deer in the headlights.

“Oi waxy, that runt’s looking for you.” She was about to leave since she couldn’t care about the little thing. He was useful, sure, but nothing they couldn’t replace if you’d ask her. A dime a dozen grade nines or low-ranking fixer’s they could intimidate to be in his place. She stood up from her seat.

“Tanya, could you stay here for a moment?” She raised an eye at her fellow distortions request. In her mind she wasn’t needed since the two seemed to get along fine just without her. “Look Waxy, I respect you and all that you can do, but I’m not gonna play with the runt.” He looked up at her after the sentence.

“Just for a moment.” She rolled her eyes and looked back again. He composed himself from the initial shock of seeing her and seemed to be psyching himself up. She was sure if she’d cared she could hear the little speech he was giving himself. She instead turned to Waxy again, not bothering to hide her look of confusion.

“Did you give him drugs? What is he doing?” There wasn’t an answer from him, and she went back to staring at him. When he recognized her gaze was on him, he faltered and went back to step one. She briefly wondered if she should just get it over with and go see what he wanted but decided that if he wanted something he could damn well work up the nerve to do so.

After a minute or two, and more looking at Waxy than her, he made his way to her front. “T-Tanya I…I have a request.” She looked down at him, and for a brief moment he met her eyes without fear. A moment after those same eye’s backpedaled, like she was going to knock his head from his shoulders. “What’s that?” He licked his lips, looked at the wax man one last time and answered.

“I…do you know of a way for me to get stronger? Without body mods I mean.” She looked him up and down, taking note of every little detail of him. “Course there are. Good weapons, good suits, special gadgets, combat drugs, enhancing tattoos since those are debatably not a body mod, prosthetics in that same vein.” He scrunched his eyes at her answers.

“What somethin I say not to your liking? Beggars can’t be choosers ya know?” He took a step back as she growled the sentence out. He took a breath to calm himself, but it didn’t quite work fully. “I... I meant in a different way. Like a tip that can help me now.”

That was a harder one to answer. Even back when she was a runt, she’d mainly used fisticuffs and the odd knife here or there wasn’t really a good catch all. She remembered joining one of the syndicates run by the middle “The Headhunters” and realizing how much more truly fun fighting with your bare hands could be. Finn didn’t seem the type to grab someone’s skull, stick your thumbs in their eyes and then tear it asunder.

Well actually there was some practical advice.

“You need field experience. Not against rats, actual syndicates that could kill you. Too many varied ways of fighting or oddities to say there’s a universal constant.” There probably was somewhere in there, but Tanya didn’t know it. The runt looked a bit disheartened by the truth, but if he was going to try and be useful then he needed to take off whatever rose tinted glasses he’d somehow still had.

She started walking away, Waxy making no attempt to stop her, and started wondering if she’d do something before bed. Greta had made a decent amount of kebabs last night and had a few before going to bed. She just got to the door when she got a bit curious and listened in as Waxy started talking to the runt.

“It’s okay Finn. I can take you to some training when Bremen has us go out, and we settle down in the compound.” She paused for a bit and almost went about to her plan, when her brain had a thought. She turned around and walked back, throwing an arm around the welp. She gave the friendliest grin she could. “Why don’t I deal with the welp’s training for you.”

He looked at her and if he’d had eye’s confusion probably would’ve been in them. “Why? You don’t seem all that interested in Finn.” It was a good question he’d sent her. “I mean Waxy on offense, but your kinda like a helicopter parent. I’m sure if the kid so much as comes within a mile of a scratch you’ll take the gang out yourself. Can’t learn anything from that.”

He took a moment to consider her words and nodded. “Can you make sure Finn isn’t injured too badly.” She rolled her eyes at his request. “He won’t get maimed. Even if he does, the compound should have a number a medical supply to fix em up.” The line seemed to have him want to speak up for a moment before he backed down. He gave one final nod before he went back to looking at the sun.

Her request met; she went to leave once again. When she got to the door, she heard decently rushed footsteps come up behind her. “Um Tanya, if I can ask why are you training me? I thought you didn’t like me.” Welp couldn’t just let a good thing happen to him. In truth she only really wanted to ‘train’ him because it seemed like some good entertainment if she was going to run into low level threats.

“Don’t go looking a gift horse in the mouth. Got it?” He nodded at her question, and she went downstairs. She finished off the cigarette and on the next floor threw it and put it out. The cigarette was gone and the quiet of the morning didn’t leave her much to think about, so she was just left with the runt’s question. It was hard not to think since she had a glaring lack of real plans to put her mind to.

It wasn’t hard to see where he was coming from, compared to the rest of the gang she’d been the most hostile to him. Greta was always big and friendly, Waxy was mostly just a neutral, and Bremen was all over the place. To Finn it was probably easy to see that she wasn’t his biggest fan.

Though it was less what Finn was, a weak grade nine, but more the fact that everyone was treating him with kid's gloves. As much as Bremen argued that the relationship between them and him was symbiotic, she didn’t see what he was all about. He bought the food and supplies, but he didn’t cook it and they could just as easily take them. He did menial tasks the others didn’t want to do more out of laziness in her opinion, making him far from unreplaceable.

As she made her way to the room, she saw the sleeping form of her companions and the foil that had the kebabs wrapped in them. She sat at the table and pulled on from it before tearing off a few chunks of meat and potato. It was a mostly silent affair, not that the two would wake up from something so mundane, but the food in her did distract her from annoying thoughts. Instead, she thought of where she could get information from low level syndicates.

Ones that the runt wouldn’t immediately die to at least. She had a pretty good memory of the syndicates that ran in the middle, and all of them were at least in the Urban Legend and up in terms of threat. The Middle didn’t like wasting money on inefficient troops and if you wanted to keep your identity you had to be good enough to keep it.

She finished the kebob and reached for another when her eye spotted the Zwei coat almost falling off the side of her bed. The idea of ‘negotiating’ the location of syndicates came to her mind. She’d run into enough of them during her casual strolls that the process would seem easy enough. Her plan made, she went back to eating, wondering when the next ‘agreeable’ Zwei would take.

Hopefully she didn’t have to break too many shields, for her own sake less their own.

____________________________________________________________________________

Sera wasn’t a fan of any Hana building. They never felt like they were designed for anyone to know where they were going unless you’d walked through them for a living. If it weren’t for the signs on doors and the windows, she was sure it’d be no different from a lab. The sterile design also didn’t work to calm her nerves.

Despite the quiet compared to the noise of the office of the previous weeks Sera didn’t find herself any less stressed. This wasn’t typically where she went when she had to give her reports to the Hana. Normally she was sent to deal with Section four, but with the Ensemble being in the area she’d been elevated from her normal position and now had to work with someone higher. If it weren't for the first and second of every section losing their mind, she was sure she’d be going all the way up.

Even as she followed the receptionist directions, she still felt lost as she passed by another door and idly wondered if that was the correct one. She knew it wasn’t, but stress was making her doubt everything. She would almost give anything to be back at her desk reading paperwork of why something else had gone wrong.

Finally reaching the door she knocked just in case there she hadn’t been expected and the director was busy. “Come in.” The relaxed nature of the voice that followed didn’t calm her nerves in the slightest. She took a deep breath and opened the door and was greeted by the director’s office.

It hadn’t been what she was expecting.

The hexagon-like pillars in the corners were there, but there was a black rug and bookcases on both sides that nearly covered the walls. She’d almost assumed they’d be painted over if it weren’t for the house plants in the middle of both sides exposing the white wall. A small black table with the Hana logo in white stood in the center and had two equally black wooden benches with white cushions flanking it. The desk of the director stood a decent bit away and was free of clutter other than a neat stack of papers, his computer, and two photos that faced him.

The man himself was almost a spitting image of what she’d expected. A neat man that had well combed black hair, and brown eyes. The half rimmed black glasses were neatly on his face, as he looked up at her. He had a more laid-back air about him, and other than the two golden bands on his index and middle finger he stood in normal Hana attire. on the desk a name tag read Director Sebastion.

“Have a seat please.” She did as she was told, but she noted there was something strange about the director. Compared to her normal one he was far more relaxed and almost nonchalant about her presence that she almost wondered if this was a prank. “Director Sera, right? I’m sure you're aware of the current circ*mstances of your arrival, right?”

She nodded at his question and sat up straight. “That’s good then. It’ll make things a lot easier, I just need to inform you that things will stay mostly the same going forward. A new person here and there, but once the dust has settled this whole thing can go over.” That was good. It was just an explanation instead of some fear mongering attempt to keep her in line.

“By the way how does the bloodfiend purge? I hear you're having some trouble with that.” She winced at the casual way he brought up her failure. “Well…it’s not been good. We’ve estimated that we’ve only got a third less than expected, and that was before…” She trailed off leaving, but they’d both known what had caused that.

He nodded at her after she admitted her mistakes. “Perfectly reasonable. A bloodfiend is an Urban Legend threat with just one, it must be hard fighting them in groups. Not to mention the pressure you must've been under to deal with the Ensemble because of the Blood-Red Night as well.” This hadn’t been what she’d expected at all.

She’d expected some serious discussion, some reprimand of her failure and holding of rank and status above her, the threats of demotion if she continued like this. Instead, he seemed agreeable, not expecting her grade four and three’s to be able to handle all this. The lump in her throat almost seemed to vanish as she let out a relieved breath.

“I’d actually like to discuss a proposal.” He looked mildly interested as she licked her dry lips before speaking. “I would like to discuss a sum of money to be allocated to section four so I could hire some fixers to deal with our Ensemble problem. Naturally the Zwei and Hana are included in this ‘task force’, but we need other tactics to deal with the Ensemble. I have a list of offices I’d like to hire on me if you're interested.” After a moment he nodded, and a well folded list was taken from her pocket and handed to him.

The list wasn’t long, only six offices, but each one had him seem to ponder each choice for a minute or two. She felt like she was being judged, on each of her choices for the force. When he got to the final two, he went through fast, and clearly wanted answers. “An interesting line up, but I do have some questions.” She’d expected this, and she nodded.

“I’m assuming you're talking of Blitzkrieg office and Malevolent office.” She wanted to make a joke on how they weren’t even trying to be subtle, but right now she needed to be focused. He might have been more relaxed than someone in his situation should be, but he was still a director. “Let’s talk about Blitzkrieg first. That one’s more of a price range than anything.”
Blitzkrieg office was an office that specialized in guns and completing requests fast as they’re namesake. There were always fixer’s that assumed guns became worthless at a certain point, but Sera had seen no shortage of fixer’s higher than her shot down by the thumb. The existence of the thumb and R-Corp should’ve contradicted them. Either way there was one problem with offices that specialized in guns.

They were incredibly expensive.

“Yes, well I figure their success rate and difference in style to everyone else could be beneficial to the force. Even if they don’t kill any member, they should at least be able to keep them from resting or if the Crying Children starts flying again.” She sighed for a moment before she continued. “I’m also willing to foot their bill personally, not from the Zwei funds my own personal cash.” It would hurt her, but it was helping to get the others if she paid for one of them.

“...Well, be going with your payment, but I have to ask. Why Malevolent office?” He had a more serious look on his face as he put his hands together. She swallowed as while the air still felt mostly casual, there was a certain tension that had suddenly become apparent. “I know they're a…’dirty office’, but they're very effective at…” She stopped as she felt his stare boring holes into her.

There was a certain unofficial taboo when discussing ‘dirty offices’ in that you didn’t talk about them in general. They were almost closer to syndicates that mostly broke the few rules' fixers had. They usually never stayed long or got to the rank that Malevolent office did, but Malevolent office wasn’t always the case. She still remembered when the grade 1 White Lotus Office became the Grade 4 Malevolent office. It had been that way for two and a half years now.

A year and a half longer than most ‘dirty offices’ lasted.

She was effectively nearly damning her career as a member of the Zwei, much less a director of one of the sections, to be telling a Hana director to consider them. Most fixers didn’t think highly of the so-called ‘dirty ones’, and the Hana were probably the ones most opposed to such a practice. Sera was a desperate woman though, and if she needed to get some grade ones that were only legally grade fours under her payroll then she would.

“No no please continue. I want to hear your points.” It was the same tone, but whether he meant to or not there was an added weight to it. “As much as I’m sure you don’t want to hear it, they're good. They’ve lasted this long doing what they do, and so stubborn they refuse to die would benefit us. At worst they might even die from the assault or make it look that way at least.” She felt a bit dirty insinuating they kill them, but any good point was going to be needed if she wanted the funding.

He took a moment to consider her words before leaning back. “I have but one question, what do you think this would look like to other Hana members, director or not, if I approved this?” That it would look like he was betraying Hana’s principles by hiring a ‘dirty office’. She knew that the Hana was careful about what fixer offices associated with them, so to give money to one blatantly disregarded the rules was asking for him to be demoted and investigated in the current wake of everything. She was sure that just by including the idea of the office the rest would fall out of favor. “I see…sorry for wasting your time.”

She got up to leave but was surprised when his hand came up in a pause. “I didn’t say I disapprove, and you seem to get my place in this. Just one more question if you would before I sign the check.” Some part of hope sprouted in her heart as she sat back down. She nodded happily ready to call the offices and try and hash out the different plans that could be put into play. With this force whatever half, they went against would-

“How long have you hired the Ensemble for?”

…

…what?

She must’ve heard that wrong.

Yes, that was simply the stress getting to her for a brief moment.

“C-Could you say that again.” His face didn’t change as he looked at her, his hands under his chin. “Oh, I’m just curious as to why confirmed bloodfiends and bloodfiend dens have been cleaned out by the Ensemble. Both sides have dealt with a considerable amount and have even made your work a little easier.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing from the director.

“Not to mention the odd syndicate or two, something they’ve never really bothered with other than a handful of times. Fun story we sent you a letter with they’re vans coordinates and license plate, something we got from a call from a driving teacher of all things. Some confirmed loyal Seven association members say you haven’t done a thing with that yet.” Her lips were dry as she recalled the mountain of notes and paperwork, some constantly falling.

This was a joke, right? Some bad dream she was imagining.

“You…you don’t think I hired the Ensemble for a problem like this?” She was quieter than she wanted. Her mind was trying to figure out what she could say to have him believe her. “Me, no I think it’s a matter of ‘wrong time, wrong place’, but the higher ups are looking for scapegoats. You just so happen to look good as a target.” His trust didn’t help one bit as she felt a noose tighten around her neck. She barely felt it as an envelope was handed to her and she felt stiff as a statue.

“Don’t go to work tomorrow, someone is filling in while you're being investigated. I say you include yourself in that task force and try to set it up fast. You only have so much time before they find ‘results’ after all. Don’t worry I’ll be leading the Hana troops because I have to lead by example.” She nodded almost robotically, his assurance he’d help her not brighten her mood at all, and almost stumbled out the door to his office.

She was in a daze as she walked out of the building and to the warp train station that she’d taken to get there, a whole two districts over, and it was only halfway through the line for a new ticket she pulled out her phone. Shaky hands punched in the numbers, and after a few rings the call answered.

“Hey boss, what’s up.”

“Kurt…I’m going to need your help with something.”

Chapter 8: Leaving

Chapter Text

“Look I’m sorry, but we can’t fit all these instruments.” Comforting a crying three head…group, or whatever the accurate term, was not something Finn had never thought he’d do in his life. Actually, that could apply to his life in general since the Library, but this was certainly one of those things that can’t be predicted. He patted their shoulder as they cried at the instruments that had to be left.

He did feel a bit like he’d target Bremen, but that was sort of natural. A lot of Greta’s equipment was smaller or could be gained again from living in other spaces, Tanya’s clothes could be ripped for their symbols not that she needed to, his wallets fit in the large Hana coat’s pockets, and waxy had nothing. It was only Natural that Bremen’s large musical equipment of flesh, bone, and whatever material was going to be left behind.

Finn wished he could take them too, if only because he’d spent so much time trying to maintain them. Trying to keep them clean, in mint condition, and tuned when he already didn’t know how to tune a normal instrument was a challenge. Now all the work he’d put into making them look nice was being left behind.

“We can make more instruments. Better ones when we go to the compound.” Bremen still cried and while he couldn’t understand what sentence he’d assumed they said the message was clear. It wouldn’t be the same, replacement just never tended to be the same as the original. It was an unfortunate truth that Finn had when replacing many hoodies.

“Think of what you still have. We have the guitar, a flute, and the big drum from the set.” His sheath had gone into that set, so it was on the priority if they could get it. The other two were what could fit without things getting more cramped than necessary. Wavy was already sharing foot space with the flute.

“Finn, they just need some time to mourn, so why don’t you go make sure everything’s ready.” Greta appeared behind him, her large hand on his shoulder. Some subconscious fear flared, thinking she would take a bite out of his shoulder. She didn’t of course, but the fear that she would was still there.

“Are you sure?” At his question she nodded. “Yeah, Bremen is just letting it out with a big burst. They’ll be back into their normal routine soon.” She pushed him slightly and he took the hint and went to go find the other two members of the group. He heard Greta say something after, but he was already down the hall making the words illegible.

He went to the roof sure that one of the two would be there. He was right, but he wasn’t expecting it to be just Tanya. She took one last drag of a cigarette before throwing it away and putting it out. She held the back of the chair in her other arm, but she was standing so Finn wasn’t sure what she was doing.

He got the answer when she tossed it straight up, waited for a moment and then smashed it with a high kick. Splinters and fragments went everywhere of the destroyed chair, and she turned around. She didn’t look up from her walk till she saw his feet as she was near to the way down. Despite his fear he had to ask.

“Why did you destroy the chair?”

“Bored, and I needed some stimulation before we got in the car.”

“Aren’t we going to fight when we get to the compound?”

“I wish.” She took in a breath before elaborating on his confusion. “We’re going to need to scout it out for say a day first. See what we’re dealing with. Best case, for you anyway, the place is still empty.” He was a bit surprised that it came from Tanya, she seemed to rush ahead and smash any obstacle. He did say that of course since he liked his head to be attached to his body.

“Where’s Waxy?” She put her finger under her as they began walking down the stairs, him following after her. “Probably in the van waiting. Guy can do that forever if we let him, and he’s driving anyway.” He nodded as they went down another floor.

Waxy couldn’t hold anything without it bursting into flame or burning, so he’d been left to his own devices. Finn had been too busy getting everything ready, so he’d kind of just disappeared from his point of view. It was nice to hear that he was driving since Tanya’s outburst played in his mind from last week.

He bit his lip wondering if he should speak to her more, or if that was the limit of her patience for him. She was going to be training him, but that hadn’t started yet and a part of him said if he did anything she might call the whole thing off. In the end he didn’t need to as they arrived on the floor of, they’re room and she went to get her things.

He was going to find Waxy to make sure everything was fine with him. They probably were since Waxy always seemed to roll with the punches, but it was good to make sure that there was nothing to worry about. Some unforeseen consequence that might need to be sorted out then and there. He continued going down till he was at the battle-ridden lobby.

The smell was always different from the upper floors since he never cleaned here. There was hardly a need since maybe he saw the place once a day for a minute or two when passing. Blood, destroyed weapons, and sweeper bodies litter the place and Finn shudders at the thought one would pop back to life. They’re heads were gone, and bodies ruptured, but the sweepers still got that response out of him.

He passed the lobby as fast he could and down a hall to the left lead into another building. This one meant for cars, and while Finn was sure there was a name for it, he didn’t know it off the top of his head. He just went up the second story and to the van. The area was cleaner since the sweepers were allowed here, but those that wandered into the lobby had been slain.

A good thing, every now and then someone wandered in apparently and they needed to be dealt with. Finn never did, but the rest were always there to do so. So many spent times trying to steal, take apart, or set up they didn’t notice till it was too late they should run. It was a problem that Finn was glad he was never expected to do, and he hoped he never would.

Approaching the van, he knocked on the driver door, and after a moment it opened to reveal Waxy. “Hello Finn, how may I help you?” He greeted and Finn nodded back to him. “Any problems?” He shook his head and looked out the driver side window. “None that I know of, the rest just need to get in and we’ll be off.” That didn’t surprise Finn, but it was good that there was confirmation.

“Bremen’s just crying over they’re instruments. When they're done, I’m sure the rest will come, and we can go.” The van was already packed up, so it was just a small hang up that prevented they’re departure. Waxy nodded and went back to staring out the window back to his own thoughts. Finn pondered a bit before he went to the back and got into his seat since there wasn’t really anything else needed for him to do.

He’d already known Tanya had claimed the front.

“Hey Waxy, I have a slight question.” Small talk to pass the time came into his mind, and by this point he wasn’t really tired. Waxy looked back at him from his seat, and with a gesture told him to continue. “What do you think of leaving?” At the question he just shrugged.

“It needed to happen eventually. We’re too wanted to stay here for too long, and we need to cover more ground. At best I’m sure we can stay at the compound for a month or at worst another week. Iit depends on a lot of things about the place Tanya will know.” He nodded at the answer before a realization happened.

“Do you think they’ll have a phone?” It was a silly question, but he didn’t know if the compound would have one or they just all used personal ones. Maybe something like the prescripts, the Index had where it was all just paper and given by a messenger. “I don’t see why not.” Excitement filled Finn’s heart at the answer.

He could call his sister and tell her he was alright. Maybe alive was the better word and not alright, but he could hear her voice again. He wondered how she was doing with everything that had gone on. His sister was a tough woman, but she was still a bit of a softie at heart, and he hoped his death hadn’t hurt her too badly.

“Tanya already informed me not to fire lasers in the building, so you shouldn’t worry too much about property destruction.” That sentence brought him out of his thinking, and he opened his mouth to reply and then stopped. That sentence finally processed and then crashed his brain as it became clear.

What?

He could…

What?

“Why can you fire lasers?” He probably shouldn’t have been surprised since Waxy had shown already to have strange abilities, but that came as a shock. “I just can. I think it’s more plasma than lasers, but Tanya calls it lasers so why not.” That was not an answer, but he just nodded plainly at the statement.

Corporations really let their agents have all the fun toys.

“Can…can anyone else fire lasers?” He shook his head at the question. “No one has any abilities that should be good for wide scale destruction. Well, unless you count running through walls as an ability.” He didn’t, but it was still settling in that he could just fire lasers.

The doors were pulled open, and Greta joined him in sitting. “Hey Waxy, Tanya and Bremen wanted to see you.” The man shrugged and got out, ready to go find the two that wanted him leaving him and Greta. “Hey Finn, what’s that look on your face?” He looked up at her and spoke his thoughts.

“Waxy can fire lasers?”

“Yeah, he can.”

“Whycan he fire lasers?”

“Because he can. Don’t think about it too much.”

That was too late. He was already thinking about it too much. What about gun laws, where were lasers covered in gun laws? Did they circumvent that, or did The Head just not care about lasers and what they could do? That seemed like an oversight about the whole thing.

A slight flick brought him out of his thoughts. “I stop thinking about it. You still were.” He nodded and just sighed afterwards. “Sorry it just seems so weird. It shouldn't be after the baby, but it just is after everything.” She laughed at his confusion and then coughed into one of her hands.

“I had the same reaction when I first saw a laser. It was a while ago, and it was when some fixer’s tried to kill me and my friends. It was a blue one instead of red and let me tell you I spent three days thinking about it.” He nodded at that and wondered when she fought them before deciding it didn’t matter.

“Could Pluto fire Lasers?” She looked a bit puzzled at him knowing the name Pluto, and then Finn realized he needed to ask about him from her. “He probably could if he wanted to. How did you know that name?” He adjusted himself in his seat before answering.

“Waxy told me. Said if I had questions about Pluto to ask you, and can I know who he was.” She nodded at his question before crossing her arms. “Pluto was the right-hand man of the Ensemble, and I’m pretty sure the strongest. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m sure he could do whatever he wanted.”

Was he a big shot in the corporation they were in, if he went about recruiting that made sense to him. Second in command thought seemed strange, he was sure the leader would have been the strongest. Maybe he was like a bodyguard to the leader, so he needed to be better than him. He couldn’t judge a corporation like a fixer's office after all.

“Don’t let me get started on those contracts. I swear signing that thing was aggravating since it kept me there. Tanya hated it, and I probably would have if Bremen and Tanya hadn’t come. Those things did come in handy though.” Finn nodded as he had a clear picture of the man.

Slimy businessmen seemed like something a corporation could apply, and he was sure he’d had stacks of those things with a million clauses. It was something his sister always talked about when she mentioned her job. Legal paperwork and things always took a while, and if he was looking down on their luck people, they probably barely read half of it.

He was going to ask another question when the front and back door opened. Bremen got in with them, surprisingly they were excited about something, and Tanya took the driver seat. “I thought Waxy was driving.” Greta’s voice went through before his own could. “Bremen has him doing something, we’re waiting for him a block down. The car started and began leaving the building, and past a dilapidated entrance.

Also over a few rats that had gotten curious.

“What did you convince them to do?” Bremen answered the question he asked, and Greta chuckled again slightly. “What?” After a moment she looked and answered him. “Bremen made sure that his instruments went out with a bang.”

He wasn’t sure what that meant, but something told Finn he wasn’t going to like it. He looked out of the back window and saw that whatever was going to happen wouldn’t be seen from his side. He would get out, but the night was in effect, and he didn’t want someone sneaking up on him.

He got comfy as well as he could and waited when the car parked. He looked at a few of the boxes and wondered if one of them had a snack he could have. He’d known Greta had made it before they’d left, but it had gotten lost in everything. “Which box has dinner?” After a sniff she picked up one next to her leg and grabbed it.

“Here we are. Ever had a meat pie?” He shook his head in response and excitement built within him. “Well, that’s what we got…where are the knives.” At the question he started rummaging through boxes to find them. After a minute or two he found the paper plates and the knives that were conveniently next to him. “Good, Bremen if you could.”

After a moment Bremen cut the presented pie into pieces, the nice baked crust and brown meat in the middle. He saw some mushrooms as well, but Finn hadn’t had those before, so curiosity filled him. When his own piece was given, he was surprised it was still slightly warm given when it was made. He thanked whatever and went to stab dinner and begin.

Then the explosion happened.

It caused him to jump not only dropping the pie to the floor, but also stab himself with the fork. Not a slight stab either, but not fully in his leg. He saw Greta cringe as he started yelling and Tanya began laughing. Her hand over one of her eyes as she looked at him and something outside the window.

“Don’t worry. You didn’t stab anywhere vital, but that’s going to hurt like a bitch for a while. So, let’s get that out and bandage.” That was good to know, but he’d still stabbed his leg and that wasn’t exactly a fun experience. He was breathing in and out slowly as he gently tried to pull the fork out of his leg and managed with grit teeth.

Tanya was still chucking and muttering something under her breath. “Why did something explode?!” Tanya looked back to answer when there felt like a slight impact outside. As if someone had dropped an anvil or something in the alley next to them. Tanya looked back and put her hand over her mouth to stop another laugh before she let out a breath. “f*ckin great landing.” He didn’t know what she meant as she was the only one not looking for something to use as a bandage.

As he was wrapping a second layer around his leg the passenger side opened and Waxy came into the van. Once he got settled Finn saw him dust off his shoulders and knees. After a moment he looked over to Tanya.

“There was still gas in the building for some reason.” Tanya shook her head more in amusem*nt than anything else. “Probably a tank or two in the basem*nt, more loud than destructive.” It took Finn a moment with his newly bandaged leg to realize what had happened.

“YOU BLEW UP THE BUILDING!” He hadn’t meant to shout, but the excitement of the situation had gotten to him. “I meant to set it on fire only, but that changed.” That wasn’t much better in his opinion.

“...WHY?!” Waxy looked back at him. “Bremen didn’t want to leave till I did. They wanted their instruments to have a nice send off, then to fade away eaten by sweepers” He just stood there dumbfounded as he looked back at Bremen. They seemed amused by the situation that was at hand as the vehicle started speeding away from the destruction.

“Hey Waxy what was the impact we heard outside the van?” Greta asked instead of him as he just was out of ways to react to things today. “Oh, that was me. I had to jump from the top of the building.” He answered as nonchalant everything he did, and Finn briefly wondered if he’d heard that correctly. Tanya just looked over at him.

“So, how’d the pavement taste?”

“I didn’t eat any.”

“Damn it Waxy. I know you know what expressions are.”

Finn looked at the food he’d dropped and sighed as he just let the situation happen around him. He couldn’t do anything about it, but it bothered him that it was happening. Strangely a part of him realized he was more annoyed they did tell him as the adrenaline in his system went away from his self-inflicted stabbing.

His plate was taken from him, and he saw Greta putting another cut of the pie on it. “We’ll deal with it later. I’ve eaten off worse, but don’t drop this one.” He was handed the plate and he took it with shaky hands. He looked at his fork and wondered if he’d have to eat his own blood, but Greta put one in the pie for him.

He handed her his old fork and watched her use it to eat her own piece of pie and took hold of the new one. With a slight moment to cut it apart the piece on the fork went into his mouth. Earthy mushrooms and tender meat mixed with a still soft crust as the building that he’d spent a week in went farther and farther away.

Hopefully the next place wouldn’t end up the same.

Chapter 9: Scouting

Chapter Text

Tanya would have to admit it was refreshing to know a good fight could be coming up. As she stood atop a building, one of Waxy’s cherubs behind her, she looked down at the compound that was down the street from her. A nice walled and fenced area with a good seven one story buildings, a parking area, and a large building that was almost similar to all the ones around it in the area.

The main difference was the coloration. The streets of flavor’s buildings weren’t more colorful than anywhere else in the city, but a lot of them had different colors elsewhere. Windows, signs, curtains all showing they’re restaurants or eye-catching buildings. It was almost strange to see a building without some form of fanfare, unless it was an abandoned one.

Of course, even if it didn’t have the lack of decorations, it had its differences, the material of the building was an ebony black, with a few places with orange. It had its own aura to it that made it a unique part of the street. That uniqueness offset the oppressive vibe, and it almost became another part of the streets looking to grab people’s attention.

If she remembered correctly this little part of the city had something to do with an extended need of R-Corp for a little over half a year, but that was it. A small little base that was going to be reverted back to the normal streets, but the Middle had paid a lot of money to keep it as such. It wasn’t a part of her duties to keep track of the place, but she’d heard about it every now and again in meetings.

She looked through her binoculars trying to find any specific symbol or showing what affiliation the people on the inside were. She hadn’t made much progress other than seeing some people in the building, the windows seemed to have been made against that, but she’d seen people in white suits every now and then. They also looked to have a symbol on the outfit’s back, but she’d only caught glimpses of it and none long enough to identify them.

The blades on their sides reminded her too much of those Kurokuma jobbers.

She let out a sigh and put down binoculars and sat down against the wall for a moment. She struck a match and pulled out a different cigarette. An overly flashy pink pack instead of the normal whites was also having a neon pink end butt that gave off the smell of incense from the smoke. If it hadn’t tasted like a normal cigarette, she’d have thrown the thing away.

She pulled out one of the coms in her pocket and pushed the button on the side. “How’s this going for everyone else? All I’ve seen is white suits, and no symbol that could Identify them or what. Anyone else have any luck?” There was a bit of radio silence before she got an answer.

“We got dinner.” Greta’s voice came from the com from a moment, and she made a face. “What happened?” There was a slight chuckle from the shark women before she answered.

“Some small group tried to carjack us. They weren’t expecting me.”

She blew air from her nose and looked at the wax child floating next to her. “Had to admit they had guts, it’s the middle of the day.” Upon hearing the child’s distorted laughter, she remembered that the things couldn’t talk. She shrugged before pulling the device back up. “Anyone else have anything to say?” It took her a moment before she got another answer.

“Waxy’s com is uhh…kinda melted.” At the whelp’s voice she made a face, and she imagined the thing melting in his hand. “How?” There was a bit of a scuffle before she got an answer. “I think all the little bits inside the thing got destroyed because of the heat.” She let out a sigh as she flicked away some ash.

“Anything useful.” There was a bit of whispering over the device before she got her answer. Oh uh no. I couldn’t get too close because one of them saw me and threatened me. He also didn’t follow into the alleyway where Waxy was going to deal with him.” She lightly punched the wall next to her, ignoring the cracks, before he went on.

“I-If it matters,he used a sort of claw weapon thing…I’m not too familiar with it. He also had a blue suit on.” That piqued her interest a bit. Differing colors and weapons pointed to multiple groups, but there was something wrong with that. It wasn’t like the middle to send in two different syndicates. Even if they needed a power showing, it would be a little more obvious they were licking their wounds.

That was ignoring how some, that while on the same side, just got along like oil and water. It was a coin flip if they’d be able not to have ‘sweepers eat the other side’. The Middle wasn’t like the Index, who honestly would cut off whole sections because of a piece of paper, but it wasn’t too uncommon. It was a sort of consequence of the ideals of the Middle, but it did make the place interesting.

She let out a puff of smoke trying not to inhale its scent and went into thinking of the Syndicates under the Middle’s payroll. The first people in the white suits would be a good choice, but she didn’t know of any group that used that specific sword. Her brain went to the White Scars, The Ivory Claws, Pale Masks, Opal Jaws, and The Bone Collectors.

Good strong syndicates she wouldn’t mind having a scrap against, except for maybe the Pale Masks who might still be Urban Legends, but she was sure that they didn’t use swords. She knew from firsthand the White Scars used serrated spears.

That wasn’t including the guy in the blue suit with the claws. She only knew of one syndicate that was used in blue and that was the Indigo Legion. One of the few syndicates that specializes in defensive warfare with rifles, maces, and discipline. Not to the extent of the Thumb, but a good syndicate for holding a place.

Of course, the Middle would want to look strong right now, so aggression would probably be needed right now. The Indigo Legion was probably somewhere on the west side right now, and of course weren’t known for using claw weapons. A dead end on obvious ones before she got into more obscure syndicates, she didn’t know the name of.

She sat up and looked through her binoculars again and frowned as she still only saw a few people traveling on the inside of the base. Still not one person showing their back, a thought came to her head as she pulled the device out again. “Hey welp, where did you see the guy in the blue suit?” A moment passed before the speaker came to life.

“Uh, While I was going through the side,he just kinda…appeared? That’s the only real way I could think to describe it.” She made a face as she looked near the front gate trying to find someone in a blue suit. After a minute of searching, and even checking the sides of the building, she still saw no sign of anyone in that description.

A part of her wondered if it was an unaffiliated syndicate that Finn ran into, but then why would they get him away from the building. Unless they thought he was competition, they did have him go without the Hana coat just so he would put them on edge, but it could have had the opposite effect on someone else. Then again Finn didn’t have any flashy symbols on him that could show affiliation.

She scratched her head for a moment to calm down. She was overthinking things, and that led to her getting sloppy. She took a breath and calmed down her train of thought. She heard the cherub laugh at something, and she turned her head to see what caused it.

Just in time to see the blue suit’s weapon drive itself into the shoulder of the child.

From the metal not lodged in the distortion, and probably in, let out an electric current and she saw on half of the cherub seize up, but the side that didn’t have the claw stabbed into it brought down its wing. In a moment the soft looking wax turned to look like glass, each feather almost looking like it would burst. It stuck the man down from his shoulder to his stomach and threw him away a few feet.

Not trusting the little one to be able to handle the man, given that while his suit had a large tear the skin was on slightly scratched, she rushed forward. The man looked startled by how quickly she closed the gap, and her leg caught his side. His body went flying, nearly thrown off the building but catching the side and staying on.

She went to go find out who he was a part of, when she saw with some interest him feebly trying to get up. She saw blood being coughed out, and his hand tried to find something on his side. She didn't let him as her foot came crashing down on the offending limb and hearing it crunch under the weight. She’d give him credit as he glared up at her before she crushed his head.

He didn’t cry like a bitch.

“You good.” She looked at the wax child and it nodded, its distorted laughter the same as always. “Yeah, you're good.” She flipped the body onto its back and found the symbol that she was looking for. It took her one moment before she gave a grin and brought up her com. “Everyone get together, I know who we’ll be fighting.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Five Dragons” She slammed the body onto the car’s floor. The only human recoiled when some of the man’s blood splashed onto his leg up to his knee. Everyone else in the car looked at her with obvious curiosity about the name. A circle with five dragon heads inside, surrounding a smaller one, was proudly displayed on the back, only the blue colored in. The rest of the heads were black, save for the white filling in the rest of the circle.

“Right sorry, you all didn’t work for the Middle. The Five Dragons are a syndicate that are employed by the Middle and offer different services depending on what ‘head’ you're ordering from. Come in five colors being red, blue, green, yellow and purple. We’ll no doubt see red as well as the blue we have confirmed.” She let the statement hang in the air before Greta looked at her.

“Then who are the white suits, and can we get an idea of what they do?” Tanya nodded before she cleared her throat. “The white suits are simply the grunts. Haven’t joined one of the dragons yet and are called the colorless. I don’t know how they’re promoted and don’t care.” She picked up the man’s gauntlet hands and showed them off.

“The blue are stealth, assassination, and infiltration. Known for electric claws they fight with, but also just being paranoid f*cks. Probably saw me scouting the place, but probably didn’t get a good look till it was too late.” she let the hand fall to the ground where it cluttered.

“Well probably see reds as well, and they’re the assault ones. Hit hard, and have a penchant for using fire in they’re attacks. Also apparently incredibly arrogant as well, but I’ve never spoken to one so who knows.” She held up two fingers, and debated if she needed a third.

“Don’t know if they’ll have anymore. Maybe yellow who are known for hit and run tactics, or small skirmishes, but they might not be. If they are expect fast f*ckers, but if they’re not then oh well.” She saw the runt look a little interested, and she nodded at him.

“Why wouldn’t they just send everyone.” She grunted at the question before sitting up. “Other than the fact that green and purple aren’t as combat oriented, it would make them look desperate to anyone looking into it. Sending the whole of the Five Dragons for one compound has to be important. Like having a singularity or something, and to my knowledge there isn’t.”

He nodded and went about staring into space. “I’m assuming you have an idea of how we sort this out.” Waxy’s dull voice cut through the air as it normally did. She nodded at his question before looking at the whelp.

“Yeah, and it requires all of us. Probably woulnd’t need to do this if Pluto was here, but f*ck that’s just something we have to deal with.” If the skeletal distortion was her he’d be able to snap his fingers and bam! A barrier where nothing, sound or people, would be able to escape through.

It made a lot of the fights they’d had a lot easier when the people against you couldn’t run away or get reinforcements. It put them on edge, and they’d fight to keep themselves alive. It did make fighting even the cam Hana fixers fun when they realized the situation was fubar.

Now she actually had to think about things like survivors and noise. She looked at Greta dn Waxy before she spoke. “First off I’m going to need someone to monitor the perimeter. Make sure none of those blue or colorless hacks try to run. Which of you thinks they can do that better?”

Her and Waxy looked at one another. “Hm, well I gotta pretty good sense of smell so I could find em. Also pretty good aim at throwing this, and I can probably catch em if they make a break for it. Waxy has those little guy’s though that ain’t bad in a fight, are a good distraction, and cover more ground.” She put her fist under her chin and looked at Waxy. “I’m assuming you don’t care what you do.”

“Correct.”

“Great then uh…hm.” There was a point where she was weighing all the pros and cons of both of them. After a minute or two of her mental debate she looked at Waxy. “You’ll make sure we have no stragglers leaving.” He nodded and the eye’s were back on Tanya. “Good now then you.” Her finger pointed to the only human in the car.

“Huh, h-how can I be useful? I don’t think I’m in the same caliber as even the colorless and-” She grunted loudly and cut him off. He got the hint and shut up like she needed him to. “Course you won’t be fighting an urban nightmare. I need you to drive Bremen to random spots of the city.”

Protests came from both the whelp and Bremen that were illegible. Bremen’s volume dominated the offender’s but the three voices were arguing different points. Demands, reasonings, and places they wanted to go came up, and in a moment were silenced. After all, it was hard to talk when a wax ring was around your mouth.

She’d known from experience.

“Sorry, but I didn’t think Bremen would let you explain the reason. Also Finn wanted to say something.” At Waxy’s sentence, the boy nodded. “I-I’ve never really driven something before, and why couldn’t Bremen drive.” She gave a dull look at Bremen with their heads nodding in every which way.

“Because Bremen has three heads that all want to do something different. I can already see them driving like a drunk nest kid who’s daddy will get them another. Besides, it'll be at night with no other drivers, and so long as you don’t stay in one place the sweepers won’t get ya.” The runt looked around, trying to find some other point before Greta spoke up.

“Hey Bremen I get you want to help out, but you kind of give away our position. If we want to stay in this place we don’t want Hana kicking in our door three seconds into letting our hair down, and you're most effective when you're loud. Why don’t you take it as a trip to have some fun and maybe find your friends.” Greta’s big hand went to the multi-headed distortion’s shoulder and they looked up.

Tanya could see they wanted to argue, but couldn’t find any point they could. After a nod Waxy’s rings came off and they looked around. A slightly disappointed sight came from woof, but a relieved clucking came from Doodle-doo. “Now that that’s settled, that just leaves me and Greta attacking the place.” Greta had a smile nearly as Feral as her own as they locked eyes.

“You want to divide and conquer. You look like you want some alone time if you find someone strong.” Tanya nodded at Greta’s words and cracked her knuckle. She wanted to go today, but admittedly they planned for today to plan and rest before they assaulted the place.

“Can I bring the three other bodies back in now. I put them out so that you could show us this?” At Greta’s words Tanya nodded. She got up and left out the door, her for once sitting it instead of someone else and got out. They’d parked in an alley that was a dead end so there was little chance of being seen.

When she brought in the bodies Tanya had some interest in the leather jackets and chains they had. They looked a bit on the shabby side, and only seemed armed with an idea of what brass knuckles are and switchblades that didn’t look like they fall apart too soon. Her eye’s went to the skull in front of a car’s steering wheel.

A low ranking syndicate probably, and that was good for her. If there were more than the three she brought in it meant when she ‘questioned’ the Zwei she could see what they were dealing with. Hopefully not just some upstart group and something she could throw the whelp at.

“I’m thinking about spit roasting one of them. Any takers?” She shrugged, not caring of the taste, but Finn nodded up and down happily. A part of Tanya was surprised how fast the runt had transitioned to being okay with eating people, but he did look like he got meals once every other day. The struggles of the lower class, as she’d grown up having to punch people in the mouth for food.

As Greta rubbed his hair and talked about different methods of cooking she grit her teeth a little and looked away. Unfortunately there wasn’t much to look at so she saw the side of Waxy’s head as he stared blankly out the window at nothing. Completely unbothered by the conversation that Bremen was starting to get in on.

She crawled up to the front and found her stash of cigarettes. She rummaged a bit before she found a more normal pack, one she’d had before and brought it up to him. Like clock-work he brought up his hand and lit it.

“Don’t you care what we eat?”

“Do you?”

“Not really, I just like the conversation that follows.”

“Yeah I figured.” She blew out some smoke from the normal cigarette out the window and looked back at him. “Hey can I ask because this has been bothering me. Why did you pick up the runt?” She saw Waxy look at her when she asked.

It was silent, well he was, for a time before he answered. “I..I don’t really know. There’s just something there that reminded me of…something.” She raised an eyebrow before looking back at the only human in the van.

Scrawny, weak, and naive were the first words that came to her head. She couldn’t see whatever Waxy saw in him, but maybe it was a mother hen thing. That might have been a stretch, but having been around those creepy children he made, maybe he wanted something that resembled a human.

“Can we have this conversation later.” He spoke in the same way, but she was a bit surprised he wanted to talk later. She nodded and put her feet on the dashboard and took a drag. “Any reason you don’t want to talk now?” He shrugged before looking forward.

“This feels like a conversation that’s better over a table than in a cramped car.” She nodded at the logic and looked forward. There was a time and place, and she could admit this wasn’t an ideal place since the runt might hear something he might not like. With that she couldn’t think of anything and decided to enjoy the ambiance of the car.

It would be a bit before they had to spend the night in it again anyway.

Chapter 10: Assault part 1

Chapter Text

“This is BULLsh*t!” The fist that pounded the small plastic table they bought nearly caved it in. The perpetrator of the action didn’t seem to notice or care, but Makoto frowned slightly as he looked forward. “We’re stuck here waiting for orders to move when we SHOULD be somewhere like R-Corp. The damn place is about to fall, and what are we doing!? Sitting here doing f*ck all while the other three have all the fun.” Blue eyes looked at him and the Ruri like they had an answer.

“That's the order from up top. What are we supposed to do Taka?” The woman in the white suit sighed as she put her elbows on the table and pouted. Her long blond hair slightly got in her mouth as she blew it out. The man’s face who was already angry was beginning to match his suit.

“f*cking agree with me that’s what!” One of his fists came down and put a hole through the table they bought. At that a burst of anger came to Makoto and he stood up and glared at Taka before he opened his mouth. “This is my f*cking table.” If the Red Dragon member had been anyone else, he would’ve found a fist in his throat. Instead, the man glowered and took a breath.

“Sorry. It’s just.” He put his hair back, not that it helped the greasy rat-nest he called hair and looked forward. “I’ve only just been made a Red Dragon, and this is my first job. Guard Duty of all things while all the others are fighting in a turf war on the other side of the district.” Seeing his friend calm down he took a seat.

“Don’t go doing that too much or in public. I can already see some Red Dragon using you as a punching bag.” He nodded at Ruri’s words before leaning back. “I get it, bottom of the food chain and all. Taka and I are friends even though he's got a bigger head than normal.” He was given a middle finger in jest in return for the comment.

“Just don’t talk back in front of any other Red Dragon. I’d have to put you in place just so I'm not ‘weak’.” Taka leaned back in his chair after the comment and stared blankly at the ceiling. Ruri and he exchanged glances before looking back at the odd one out. “So, what are your first impressions of the dragons?” At the question that got his attention and brought the casual air they had a minute ago back.

“Well first off, half my promotion details are classified. Unless you become a dragon as well, I can’t say anything. Other than that, I proved my strength and dedication to the dragons, and was given an axe, suit, and several things I can’t tell you. I like them.” Makoto let out a whistle as he leaned on his right arm.

“Damn, can’t even tell your friends of three years.” He snorted as they met each other's eyes. “I’d be f*cked that’s what.” A snap from the only woman at the table brought their attention to her. “Can I have elaboration on the R-Corp falling. I know they’ve been having energy troubles like everyone else, but I doubt they’d fall if W-Corp is doing fine without L-Corp.” At the mention Taka gave her a funny look.

“First off there have been less warp trains, especially with the Library stealing a lot of the passengers that one time, but not enough to be noticeable unless you pay attention. R-Corp’s been on the decline since they disbanded the 4th pack and they’ve got a new Star of the City making their life hell having to de-THEY DISBANDED THE 4TH PACK!?” Taka sent a glare at Ruri as she slunk back in her chair.

“Yeah, they made an announcement to their top buyer’s and of course people who live there. Apparently despite being the most popular pack they were underperforming, so they got axed from the company.” Ruri laughed the whole time in disbelief, and he almost joined her in the action. “Holy sh*t that was a dumb idea. If the most popular pack is underperforming enough to get cut, they’re f*cked.” He nodded at the assessment and even Taka had himself a co*cky smirk appear on his face. “Yeah, well the 4th Pack wasn’t the most efficient, just popular, but they’ve got a Star of the City distortion tearing them a new asshole.”

The information caused whatever good mood to fade and a sense of dread to slowly creep up to the table. Makoto sighed before he spoke. "Another Star of the City. One district away The Crying Children rampages in a nest, second worse since the Pianist and now we get…what’s their name?” Looking up at Taka for an answer the man snapped his fingers a few times before pointing. “The Herald of War.”

“Yeah them, I feel like this is getting worse. If it’s not the number of the phenomenon happening, then one appears that’s just stupidly strong.” He sighed as the other two leaned on the table, or at least Taka tried but nearly face planted into the table. Ruri suddenly perked up and looked at both of them. “Let’s not focus on that and focus on good things right now. Like your promotion to Red Dragons or the fact your new workshop earrings came in. What do they do anyway?” At the question Makoto absentmindedly touched the gray studs in his ears.

“Nothing much just let me hear things a little better…the hell was that.” The other two looked at him puzzled as he took the blade he put to the side of his chair and stood up. They grabbed their own weapons, the ono that slung over Taka’s shoulder flickering with flame for a moment before settling down.

He walked up to the entrance of their rest room and put his ear up to the door. The door itself was different from the almost normal breakroom as it was a menacing metal black door with an orange stripe in the middle. On the side of the door is an orangish pad that would raise and lower the door. Listening for a few moments he made a face as he looked at the other two occupants in the room.

“Sounds like fighting. I’d almost say a loud fist fight, but there’s too many other sounds and heavy slams to think this is some Red Dragon disagreement.” He looked to Taka for confirmation only to see him scratch the side of his head thinking. “I mean maybe, brawls can get a bit out of hand at times.” He wanted to take the presented information and go back to his chair.

But there were too many wet crunches or halted screams for him to believe that. He pushed the button on guard, not sure what he expected on the other side. When the door opened, he was the first of the group out the door, Ruri and Taka taking a moment to follow into the hallway and looked to his left.

The wolf’s fist was the last thing he’d ever saw.

____________________________________________________________________________

Tanya had no idea where she was.

Getting into the compound was never going to be the hard part. The outside’s guards were quick to dispatch, and a nice throw from Greta’s hammer had stopped someone from sounding an alarm. When she’d first picked which of the building’s she’sd enter she chosen to the third largest thinking it was a barracks. It was upon opening the door and stepping inside she found out two things.

She was correct in that it was a barracks, but that the interior was a lot bigger than she thought.

That wasn’t to say the outside was small, but the building seemed three times as large on the inside. The small group of colorless, Red Dragons, and Blue Dragons that had been inside he'd been dealt with it took her a moment to search the place. Nothing really useful that she could, or she’d personally use.

When she’d opened the door on the end of the hall, she’d found why the Middle had spent so much money on the place when she was greeted with an impossibly large hallway. Even if she’d been delusional enough to think that the last room was natural this was irrefutable proof the place was under the effect of a singularity. She wasn’t sure of the type of singularity, but it did remind her of the elusive ‘corridor’ that the Ring had.

Of course, given that the walls and doors still had R-Corps aesthetic she was sure the Middle hadn’t suddenly gained control of the corridor. Something like that would be bound to shift the dynamics of the Five Finger’s and not just basically undo the damage of the Black Silence but also put them firmly on the top of the food chain.

This was just a taste of that.

It also meant she was lost since this place was incredibly confusing since she’d never navigated the thing. She was wandering around having fights that were so and so not sure what room had what, or even where Greta was. Each door had a letter and number next to it that in theory told her where she was going, but one door went from B-16 to E-54 so no she needed a map.

A shame she’d torn one of them, but there were two potential ones in front of her.

“So, who wants to live?” At her question the red dragon brought his axe down to try and split her in two. She easily moved out of the side and brought her foot down on the back of it. The weapon cracked under the pressure but didn’t fully break. From behind the Red Dragon a sword came out trying to impale her.

She grabbed the blade before it could skewer her, feeling it cut into her side as she was forced off the axe from the sudden inertia and was forced to see a woman with angry tears streaming down her face. Her free hand came and punched the flat side of the sword, sending pieces shattering with one going into the side of the woman's left cheek.

Colorless equipment was clearly not given the same treatment.

The woman looked at her shattered weapon, uncaring of the metal in her face gushing blood. Before Tanya could wring her neck, she brought her arm up to block the axe strike, flames catching the tips of the hair on her wrist, but with her damage and the force he put behind it shattered it. Her side was showered in flaming fragments, and few went into her own forehead, and one clipped her ear.

The man didn’t stop even with his weapon’s blade destruction and tried bludgeoning her, she grabbed just below where the axe would’ve been and yanked it out of his hands. Her leg shot out and kicked his own legs out from under him and she impaled him with the now blunt instrument in his chest. He gritted his teeth and tried, and failed, to pull it out to continue.

She turned her head to the colorless that held out her broken blade like a shank as she backed herself into the room. She walked forward entering a normal looking kitchen/dining room as looked her in the eyes. “I’m going to give you two choices. Drop it and tell me how to navigate this place or die. Not a quick death either, I can get creative.” Angry tears flowed down as she looked behind her.

She followed her gaze, not worried about her trying to attack, and saw the Red Dragon continuing to struggle against it. He was getting weaker about it, and she looked back at the cowering women. “Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll pull that out. You might be able to save him.” The woman was listening, weighing her options before she spoke. “W-What do you want to know?”

“How the hell do I manage this place? Also, who the biggest guy here is.” The weapon she was wielding fell to the floor, The colorless simply nodded and swallowed before she spoke. “The fourth door of every one of the five floors is an ‘elevator’, one at the front and end. While in the room hold the button and you’ll be able to change floors. The boss and everyone will be on D.” Tanya nodded and left and went back to the impaled man whose life was fading.

“Your lucky day.” She pulled the makeshift stake, but not out fully to keep as much blood and organs in. “Go on get.” The man, even now, wanted to fight but the girl just grabbed him, pulled him to his legs, and ran for an opposing elevator. She was a woman of her word, but she was sure Greta or Waxy would probably be their end.

After all, they couldn’t really leave survivors.

She shoved her hands in her pocket as she went towards the other elevator that she’d originally come from. Stepping over the seven bodies she looked at the metal doors and wondered why they made them so thick you could barely hear anything. Then again there was more than likely supposed to be some alarm and she wasn’t exactly slamming people into the ground that hard. She didn’t feel like walking around with dents everywhere.

Course tht could change if the floor she was about to go was exciting.

Stepping in front of the ‘elevator’ she walked in and followed the instructions. It didn’t feel like any elevator since there wasn’t anything that indicated that she was moving around. She didn’t want to say teleporting either, it was just an overall strange way of moving around. Either way she fixed her tie and took the metal out of herself as the door opened.

The two sets of claws that greeted her were a mild surprise, but one she easily recovered from by putting her arms up. They dug into her arms, and she felt the electricity course through her causing her muscles to tense. If she wasn’t equally deadly with her legs she might have been in danger as she sent a kick though caught one of the attackers in the right of his chest and sent him flying. The other jumped back more than likely fearing retribution.

She stepped out of the ‘elevator’ and saw that a decent amount of people were coming out of the room that she’d been directed to. They hadn’t seemed to expect her, but they were clearly ready for a fight. The Blue Dragon she kicked was helped up by a colorless and still looked decently ready to fight. She let the feral grin split her face as she dashed forward and planted her fist on the Blue Dragon in front of her.

Not expecting the burst, her punch found its way to the throat and launched their head across the hallway. A few charged forwards, some not able to due to how many there were, to meet her challenge and she felt her heart pump.

This feeling was what she lived for.

A colorless tried to bring his sword down diagonally, she parried with her forearm and grabbed them and brought them above her head, holding them by the neck. She quickly slammed them into another colorless and into a wall. She let go as she saw them crumpled and ducked under the swing of a flaming axe.

While low to the ground she sent out a jab at the Dragon’s gut she could tell he felt by the way his teeth grit, but he was able to doge the way of the uppercut he would’ve received. A Blue Dragon jumped at the chance, like a cat trying to pounce upon its prey.

The colorless that was regaining consciousness found herself the victim of being used as a human shield, not that she needed one, as found the claws digging into them. The blue dragon’s weapon was already discharging electricity and before they could pull out Tana grabbed both heads and slammed them together with enough force to cause them to burst like a watermelon showering her with gore.

Her gaze went back to the halfway point as she saw a Red Dragon. Instead of charging her, put his axe to the ground, the blade still facing her, and ignite it. She was mildly curious what he was doing when a line of fire was sent her way. She barely dodged to the side, feeling it singe her slightly, and rushed forward. Instead of bringing his weapon up he tried to meet her fist with his own. They collided and it was quickly apparent why that was a bad idea as his fist shattered and a bot of the bone was sticking out from the back of his shoulder.

What hadn’t been reduced to dust anyway.

He didn’t get time to regret that for more than a moment as her teeth toured out his throat and onto the next. The Blue Dragon that had been so eager before actually tried to run, she grabbed his leg and pulled back. He fell and her fist caved in the back of his cowardly skull. A colorless took advantage of the moment to strike her across the forehead, giving her a decent cut instead of scalping her. His effort was repaid with a right cross to the chest and a left to the temple.

She could see moral breaking despite her rampage being so short. Her visage, destruction, and reputation started to become apparent to the dragons as the wolf brought forth their destruction for fun. Another red suit tried the same trick the other had before, and in response she pried the head off a corpse and launched it.

Even if it hadn’t struck dead center, the sight of her causal desecration of the dead affected him as he stopped to gawk. Dazed from the head that struck him, she punched and with her momentum and force her fist was more like a spear and she impaled him. She pulled her arm from his torso with ease and used to backhand a blue suit. The were turned around and put on their knees as Tanay grabbed their arms and pulled back her foot planted on their spine.

The dismemberment came easy, and she used one of the arms to bat away a colorless blade from a poor woman who was realizing what she did. Her head came and met with the women’s own. Her red-haired opponent's nose caved in, and dropping an arm followed with an uppercut that sent her on her back headless.

She looked forward ready to rush the next set as they’d found fear gripping their hearts as there was a sound of chiming bells. The noise caused Tanya some confusion as she looked and found a man walking through the crowd. He wore a black shawl over his tuxedo, said shawl sporting an inverted color logo of the dragons and a straw hat with six bells on it. The other thing to note was the small blade and the longer both on his left side.

For some reason the blade design was familiar.

“Hm. Two hundred dragons. seventy here for training and you’ve already made short work of a fair amount for barely even a minute. The rumors of your immense strength are staggeringly correct.” He spoke in a serene manner, brown eyes that shined under his hat.

“And you are?” Things were just getting good and already she was having some conversation she didn’t want to have. Still two hundred dragons in this compound meant that not including the ones she fought on the way here meant the thirty or so on the topside, and they were halfway done.

Greta was probably adding to that count.

“I’m curious as to why the Ensemble was single out this little base instead of a direct attack on something bigger. I’ll fight but indulge my curiosity.” Some were leaving and she looked annoyed, but he pulled a small device that reminded her of an electric car key and pushed it.

The elevator’s made a strange clicking noise and the dragons that had attempted to leave were stopped as the doors wouldn’t. “Boss what the hell are yo-” A colorless yelled but was silenced by the man’s glare. “You're a part of the Five Dragon’s act like it. This goes beyond us and into the Middle’s Grudge.” He looked back at her.

“I see. I die or everyone dies simple as. Oh, also no more Ensemble just me and a few friends decided this would be a nice place to crash.” At her answer the man seemed to grow angry before letting out a dark chuckle. “Oh really. Just as brash and uncaring as the reports said, I’ll deal with you there. If not, then I’m sure you’ll have a better time fighting a dragon than Whelp’s.” At his answer a red dragon woman stepped up.

“The hell did you call me! I don’t care that you're a dragon you're still-” was a bit hard to talk with a slit throat as she found out. The smaller blade was drawn just quick enough for even her to be impressed. “This was supposed to be training for the new dragons to truly hatch, but it seems that respect won’t come.”

She followed after, the dragons parting for her and following. Her ears listened for someone to try and pull a sneak attack, but from fear or curiosity it never came to her. Instead, she walked into a training room that reminded her of a gym. Train targets and weapons littered everywhere along with shooting galleries. Those were off to the side and instead a large open area was to be their arena.

“Assuming I care enough. What the hell’s your name? I might want to remember it if you impress me enough.” The man still had the smaller sword in his grip as he looked at her. “It matters not. I am simply a fang of the dragon.” She growled before cracking her knuckles and neck. “Don’t give me that bullsh*t. I asked for a name not a damn title unless you think you're on equal footing.”

Their makeshift audience was looking back and forth at them. A few greenhorns were confused while some had knowing looks. Still, no one tried to stop them, maybe thinking this was some honorable duel or whatever they believed in. “If it would appease you my name is Komachi. May we begin.” She nodded before rushing forward, as he blocked her strike with the flat side of the blade. Not a single crack or even small dent showed up on it.

She had expectations now.

Chapter 11: Assault part 2

Chapter Text

Greta brought down her weapon onto another one the colorless, that was what Tanya called them right, and watched as his head turned into a fine pulp. A part of her was disheartened because it had been a while since she’d gotten brains to make something, but without a decontamination broiler they couldn’t safely eat that. Well, she could, but now with Finn she had to be a bit more careful with what she cooked. Besides, it wasn't like she didn’t have an abundance of these guys.

She felt someone jump on her back and felt something stab into her back, and she could feel an electric surge through her skin. Of course, her thick skin kept her from feeling if for more than a second and she reached over her shoulder and grabbed the offending attacker. Her teeth dug into them as she brought them to her front and slammed them in the ground. A few tables and chairs that remained from the fight rumbled.

The decent size group that had littered the mess hall had gone from some thirty maybe had been reduced to five. Two white suits that had been stained red with the blood of their comrades and two who were naturally like that. The Red Dragons were still clearly looking for a fight, but she could see the other three wanted to flee. She let out a grim chuckle at the display and stepped forward.

She’d felt bad for Tanya when she chose the mess hall. Her nose could already smell the gathering of different scents, but more importantly the people. She could only hope that Tanya had found a decent fight of her own given how stir crazy she’d started to get during the wait. She’d have done this faster than her, not that she was a slouch in a fight.

The red suited men came to her, and she clashed with the first, her monstrous strength nearly overwhelming the man as the second came and sunk his axe into her side. It of course would join the other myriads of wounds she’d gotten in the fight and she ignored it and kept going forward. The offending attack nearly didn’t dodge her free arm then went to catch him and he slithered away.

She pulled back her weapon intent on swinging it horizontally to catch the other red dragon, but he ducked and punched her in the abdomen. A good punch, but Greta was proud of her endurance and launched herself forward into the man and gave him a bear hug. He flailed in her grasp and was unable to real get the room or force needed for his punches and kicks to do little more than tickle her.

In a moment she squeezed, and she felt the bones break and the man slowly stop moving. It might have been fast, but that didn’t mean the others let her through unscathed. She felt the axe embed itself into her back, and one sword tried to run her through, but it didn’t save the man. She let the pile fall to the ground and looked at the last red shirt.

Morale was a funny thing and as she took one step closer to the axe wielding man. She briefly looked down to see the blade that had just been left in her and pulled it out, treating it as a toothpick before swinging her hammer. His axe blocked it but she saw how the metal was touching his face.

She didn’t stop at just one and swung again and again as he tried to find some out from her attack. While he was distracted trying to find an opening her free arm suddenly raised it and brought it down and into his shoulder. With a quick tug she snapped the blade and threw it away from him.

He hissed trying to stop yelling, but her leg came up and launched him forward and caved in his lungs. She looked to the remainder of the mess hall and saw two running to the exit while one was bowing. Unarmed and more than likely the one who stabbed her, and she walked past him as she took aim with her hammer and let it fly. It impacted the one furthest from the door, and if she’d had her rope, she could’ve easily brought him to her, but she’d settle on the way it caved in the back of his head.

The other made it to the door and got out, but she’d seen a glimpse of Waxy charging him before it closed. She looked to the last man who was bowing, muttering something of giving mercy and apologizing. She walked towards him and bent down.

She wasn’t Tanya, who more than likely would since she saw no reason with sparing those who bent the knee as long as they didn’t piss her off. Of course, she wasn’t Tanya, and even if she was, they needed a total massacre of the Five Dragons.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t ask some questions.

“Alright then on ya feet.” The man stood up in a heartbeat and tried looking anywhere that wasn’t her. “Which of these buildings is the medical area?” He looked relieved as if she’d said she would spare his life.

“The medical room is on B-5 or can be accessed by the entrance. Right now, only a few wounded and Captain Ira should be there from retaking this place from the Faceless Knights." She gave him a nod at the information before placing her hand on his shoulder and giving him a friendly smile. “Thanks, that'll make the job a lot easier.”

He didn’t get to react before she bit his head off.

She chewed a few times and noted the taste before she swallowed. Curiosity filled her as she picked up the arm of a similar colorless and bit down on it, and while still very distinct had a strangely similar taste. It was something she’d noted before the contrast was the differing yet strangely similar smells that filled the air.

She wondered if they simply had similar body mods, but that could come when she was dicing them up. She’d loved to see what ingredients they’d have on hand, but who knows what could go wrong if she didn’t begin her work now. A but waiting to see what they had would make the reveal would make it better,

She looked down at her damaged suit and saw it repair itself as usual. She could say a lot about these suits, but honestly the fact that with the blood of others or herself it repaired itself was pretty convenient. The constant attacks from the Hana, along with their limited supply, proved the value when she nearly had her own torn up. A part of her did wonder where Argalia had learned about it so he could have Tanya secure it, but that was a question she was never able to ask.

Leaving the mess hall and being brought outside she saw Waxy bringing his rod to crack against the temple of some colorless women with blond hair, a red dragon with a bandaged chest. Stepping over the body of the fleeing man from early she spoke for a moment.

“How’s things on your end?” He looked at her after making sure the woman was dead and spoke. “A few have come out and I’ve ended them swiftly. I’m more curious why the buildings haven’t had their occupants pour out.” It was a strange thought since she was sure that had happened, but as she looked around not too many bodies had joined the ones they’d made when first breaking in.

“Huh…maybe they have noise cancelation?” He shrugged at her suggestion before pointing to the building she saw Tanya enter. “Our companion also hasn’t left from there and I haven’t heard a single thing. What do you suggest?” She looked to the building in question before looking back.

“I doubt Tanya would need help in a fight, but I’m checking the medical area. Good to know what supplies we got for Finn and maybe us if things get dicey.” It was strange Tanya took so long, but maybe she was looting the place in ways they couldn’t. It may have been one of the Middle member things she just didn’t understand.

Walking to the area she knew was the Medical she opened the door and after one step was immediately hit with confusion. The Mess Hall had been a large open room that had made sense, but this was shockingly large. She felt more like she stepped off an elevator and onto the floor of a hospital.

Well, more a single large room in the hospital given all the beds. Said beds were occupied previously with arming themselves despite the different states of injury that went from what looked like minor cuts to a few missing limbs that were placing no prosthetics. No one there looked like they wanted to fight.

And then there was this bitch.

Greta didn’t typically use these types of thoughts for first impressions, but just from the way she walked despite the massive number of bandages on her arm she oozed arrogance. The type of person who’s default look had eye’s that didn’t scream but stated like it was a fact she was better than you. She wore her red tuxedo, that was cut and missing the left sleeve, more like a slung over coat with her black undershirt.

Slung over her shoulder in her undamaged hand was the axe that every red dragon carried, but this one was engraved with symbols that Greta didn’t understand. The air and gear she had displayed seemed to scream that this was the captain she’d heard the colorless. Arrogant red eyes looked at her as she blew some black hair out of her that slightly obscured her vision.

She let out a whistle looking at Gerta that got everyone’s attention. “Looks like we didn’t have to go far for a fight. Was hoping for that traitor Tanya, but the big fish will do.” Took Greta a moment for her brain to catch up with that sentence. When she did, she looked back at the woman who almost looked like she was annoyed she was wasting time.

“Are you kidding me?” She wasn’t usually one for banter with the enemy, that Hod women was a more exception to the rule, but she’d allowed one question before she took her head off. As if she’d ask a stupid question. “That take all your brain power to ask?”
Seeing she wasn't getting anywhere with this she took a step forward and launched herself at the women. In the first time someone had a genuine retaliation and her bandaged fist not only sent back a punch, but even caught itself alight. It caught her in the solar plexus and Greta had to admit she felt the impact on this one, but her thick skin didn’t catch alight.

She used a wide swing to try and catch the women, but she dodged to the side and instead Greta struck two red dragons as collateral. She heard one’s hip break, while the other was sent flying from the strike. “Oi, you peons aren’t going to leave a dent, well maybe more on this one, but you won’t do anything effective. Alert the rest of the base since that asshole Hibiki didn’t raise the alarms for some reason!” At her order everyone that could leave did, those that were confined to their bed forced to watch.

“Good, can’t have us losing me when I’m making sushi. Or maybe it’s more grilled considering what I’m going to do.” Greta wasn’t one to obsess over her ranking, but the large amount of disrespect being sent her way was becoming an irritation. She let out more of a sigh as brought her arms up to block a strike from the women. It dug into her flesh but was pulled back before she could capitalize on it.

She sent fierce strikes to the way of the captain, and what wasn’t dodged was blocked in an ungraceful but effective manner. Small punches and cuts were given back to her, but nothing that would last or give her any real trouble. Every small flame punch burned off more and more of the bandage and revealed a scared arm that caught something in her eye.

One particularly impactful axe to her shoulder stopped her from examining it too closely, and instead she grabbed the offending arm when she had. Her hand’s teeth dug into the flesh and a spicy taste yet savory taste filled it. The woman for a brief moment lost her confident smirk and wince. Her grip firmly in place she reared her head back to bite the woman's head off while she sucked in a breath for what she assumed was her alt breath.

The heat and taste of the fire that filled her mouth said otherwise.

She released her target, who went to hissing from the damage on her arm as she started coughing and feeling the burns in her throat. It stung to breathe, and Greta couldn’t remember a time she’d felt this bad save for her death, but that was a whole different level. In hindsight the people with dragon in their name would have something as stupidly flashy as actual fire breath.

While she was recovering, she was shoulder checked that made her take a single step back, and a haymaker sent to her already abdomen didn’t help her breathing problems. She pressed the advantage more with a few more punches before trying to swing her axe horizontally at full force.

For the first time in a while Greta dodged backwards and the axe hit a curtain and caught it alight. The man in his bed panicked as the fire began to spread rapidly. If the woman cared about her subordinate she didn’t express it and tried another strike that the recovering Greta blocked with her meat tenderizer. It still stung to breath, but she wasn’t one to be taken out by one simple trick.

Greta decided to be on the defensive as the arrogant woman tried hacking away at her with growing agitation. Every blocked or dodged strike added little by little to it, and she could see the blood from the woman's arm still gushing away from her bite. Collateral damage was sometimes inflicted, and fires were haphazardly starting to begin as she cared less and less for anything that wasn’t a solid strike against her.

Eventually the fire suppression came on, and the moment of surprise was what Greta capitalized on. The woman's arm was brought up to cover her eye’s, and she swung down the tenderizer on her shoulder, and to follow it up sent her flying with a kick that caught her in the center of her chest. Due to the movement of their fight, she was sent into a wall and left a decent dent as she was forced down sitting and coughing.

The fact she was still alive was impressive, but she was annoyed at the effort the women had caused her. She rushed forward, the woman trying once again to breath fire before her hand seized her by the mouth and wrapped around her head. The fire still rushed out from it, and the concentrated blast broke through her skin and left actual burns that would take time to heal for her.

Too little too late to save her this time Greta brought her eye level, and she was sure if she wasn’t covering her mouth the woman would spit in her eye. Even now she showed defiance to her, and she slammed her into the wall. She pulled back again and again fighting more like a Tanya than herself as after the first few slams she grew in intensity.

Dents were soon followed by a small amount of blood that stuck to the wall she was being rammed into. The rushing water was cleaning it away, but Greta didn’t let up as the woman was still kicking at her with surprising force. The stain grew larger and larger, but her eyes never stopped the fight, and her kicks grew weaker and weaker.

Finally with one slam that she brought back the farthest she finally heard a crack as the black hair woman's head was now stained and running red. Greta let her go and she stood embedded in the wall from the onslaught. She took a step back, but just in case struck her chest with her meat tenderizer in case the woman had one final trick up her sleeve.

She didn’t, and the blow simply crushed what had been there. Greta took a few deep breaths from the ordeal and stepped away. It was no wonder why Tanya was so excited to be attacking this place because of people like this. The colorless might have gone down as easy as anyone else, the red and blues took some effort, but people like this needed to be treated seriously. She got that excitement she'd had now and looked to the door that everyone had escaped out.

More than likely a back exit there was nothing Waxy couldn’t handle there. No captains or the like just injured people who wanted to survive, she let some of the rushing water into her mouth and down her throat. It was a foreign feeling as it went over the burns there, but she took it and looked at the now wet and frightened people stuck in their beds. One man had resolved himself and threw his body out the bed and began crawling away.

Her composure regained she went about putting them down. It was more like doing a chore like the dishes compared to the fighting she’d been doing, and she welcomed the respite. A simple hit to the head did the trick as the sprinklers started to lose their force and eventually stop entirely leaving her alone and drenched.

With the deed done she went back to the corpse of the woman and decided to look at the arm that had interested her so much. The woman was still motionless as she bent down and ripped it from the socket. Ignoring the blood, she noticed water leaving it at strange angles instead of running down like normal.

It even felt different from normal flesh upon closer inspection she saw why. Almost faintly under her trained eye she saw scales that were a little under the skin, with some speaking out in a barely noticeable manner. It was an interesting body mod that was true, and a part of her wondered how it would taste in a stew.

What vegetables would go well with the taste? A part of her said potatoes but those went with just about everything. She could see some leeks and corn as well in the pot as she stirred and served it in the mess hall. She shook her head at the idea realizing she still had a few more buildings she needed to clear out.

She threw the arm into her maw and went to the backdoors and walked out. Instead of the outside she’d expected she was greeted with a large hallway. She looked back and forth from her to the hospital room and let out a deep sigh as she looked at the wall. The tag B-5 was there, and Greta realized that this place was more complicated than a set of buildings.

As she heard a few sets of rushing feet and looked down the hall at a small group with blue suits she sighed. She hefted her weapon and took a few steps forward at the claw wielding syndicate members as she continued the massacre. She idly wondered if Tanya was going through the same amount of trouble as her.

She figured she probably wasn’t.

Chapter 12: Assault part 3

Chapter Text

It had been far too long since Tanya had a decent fight.

A series of jabs she sent testing the so far impregnable defense once again proved ineffective against her opponent. Each blocked strike caused the chime of bells, but it only added to the music that Tanya heard in her own head. A personal song that came whenever a good fight came, and she put effort into it.

A side kick was sent his way, and he spun to the right of her, and his small blade went horizontal against her chest giving her a small cut. In response a hook was sent his way that he barely moved his head out of the way of, a loud ring from the bells on the left side rang out. He backed off a bit and circled a bit with his distance.

She followed walking more casually than he did. It made sense to her because to him this must’ve been a fight for his life while she was having fun. He’d barely been on the offense against her, mostly retaliating against strikes that let him strike, but other than that she’d almost controlled this dance they’d had.

She blew out a breath she’d held and launched herself forward. She sent out a feint to the left, but instead of blocking he sent out a vertical slice that stopped her real attack and blocked it with her forearm. The blade cut into her sleeve and a little into her flash, but he jumped back with her fist only grazing his nose. The chime of the bells ringing as he landed.

She pursued him and when she got close enough sent a hook kick to try and strike him. She was met with the sheathe of the smaller sword as he’d sheath it during his jump. When she redrew her foot, he quickly drew the blade and sent a few pricks her way into left bicep, more than likely to try and disable it.

It stung, but not enough to stop her from using it. As if to prove how little he’d done she threw a left cross punch at him that almost took his hat off exposing what he’d hid under there but letting the bells chime violently. Her knee came up quickly after and he put his arms up to guard the strike that sent him back a bit.

He didn’t take strikes as often as she did, but he took them as well as her. Of course, she couldn’t see his expressions so maybe that couldn’t be said. After a moment he composed himself and sent a slash that was aimed to lop off her neck that she bent her head back and watched the metal go over her head.

He faced her too quickly for her to send an overpunch to the back of his head, but she still tried that kind of attack anyway. She might’ve fought like an outrider more if the use of weapons didn’t negate the range she would get. The sheathe he’d kept in his other hand was thrust upward into her punch and the impact actually shook his hand from using the hollow casing for his blade.

Her free hand came up for an uppercut that just missed him but tiled that hat of his almost straight upwards. He spun away from her and fixed his hat, but she caught sight of remarkably pale flesh under it. The bells chimed louder than normal, and she tried to sweep her opponents legs.

He jumped up avoiding her attack and spun back to face her, the way he moved she could see it was still awkward for him and she capitalized by sending a front kick before he touched the ground. It impacted his chest and sent him flying and landing on his back. She heard him taking in and letting out several large breaths, and after a moment she leapt forward to pulverize his skull with a punch.

She was given a surprise when a burst of steam shot out at her from where his mouth seemed to be and she brought her hands up, her eye’s stinging slightly from the heat. The audience she’d been ignoring expressed certain degrees of surprise as well as they soon vanished from her sight. The chime of bells seemed to be everywhere now as she looked around in the steam.

An interesting trick of she was being honest. Most would more than likely panic at the sudden loss of sight, but she took a breath and started listening. Trying to find the man’s footsteps with the constant chiming bells was a bit of a hassle if she was being honest.

Instead, she was continuously pelted with the bells and their constant chiming and there was no movement she could pick up. She might not go on like Greta about her sense of smell, but she did have a good sense of hearing from her own distortion. Opened her eyes and was still greeted with steam she couldn’t see through, but she wasn't making much progress in her other attempt.

The chiming was starting to grate her nerves.

It was through instinct alone she dodged the first strike aiming to take her head. The follow up simply came down diagonally and she felt it cut into her skin. Her fist shot out in the vague direction of the swing, but she hit nothing. Instead, her strike was rewarded with a long cut running down her arm.

She only faintly heard the retreating footsteps amid the chiming which only seemed to be growing in intensity. Wished she’d been at the back of a wall to prevent strikes from the back, but that would more than likely have her dealing with the crowd, and honestly despite the annoyance of the steam it was more fun than that. She heard the faint sound of footsteps and threw a haymaker behind her.

A feint, but one that gave her another strike on the upper back below her neck. She rounded back with a leg sweep turning a near perfect hundred eighty degrees, and her leg struck another sending her foe tumbling to the ground. She punched down however instead of her fist impacting her target instead she hit the ground and created a small creator. The impact parted the steam a little giving her a nice circle where the hiking was lessened.

Out of the steam she noticed how much easier she could hear the subtle footsteps. Footsteps that would sometimes step on some of the cracked and chipped ground and sometimes kick something over because of her strike. Her hand did throb slightly from hitting it but given the results she could live with it.

Still, she stood still pretending to still be unaware of her assailant. A part of her wondered if this would be it. As she heard the man charge her one final time from the side she struck, grabbing hold of the man’s arm that sought to end her she looked him one final time in the eyes. “Good fight.” With that she struck him hard in the face.

He went flying, his blade still in her grasp, but she hadn’t felt any bones break or his head split. The sound her impact had made reminded her of someone slamming into a gym mat at full force. The chiming had stopped at once as she realized she’d also punched one of the bells and the hat had gone flying straight up.

She walked forward out of the steam, that was beginning to dissipate, and saw the man was getting up albeit with difficulty. She could see his face and other than the large bruise she saw she’d punched one of the bells into his face halfway into his eye making it useless. The real surprise was his skin.

It was a pale white that might have honestly been a completely new shade of white. It was almost blinding to look at, but a few places had scales on it. Mostly around his neckline and a few here and there actually on his face. He was panting and a few of the dragons had audible gasps and she could hear someone vomit. The only other discerning feature was a bald head that reminded her of a lizard.

His hand reached for the blade he’d still hung on the side of his. “I will admit I made the mistake of underestimating you. I will not make that mistake a second time. Retribution is at hand.” She let him finish the little spiel as he drew the blade she waited so long to see. It looked like a normal blade at first but after fully parting from the sheathe it unfolded itself, many moving parts before her eye’s, to double in length.

After taking a stance he rushed forward bringing the blade down, she jumped to the side and saw the impact leave a wide gash into the floor. Not to let off the offensive for once he came charging again with a horizontal slash.

She ducked under his strike, liking this far more aggressive fight he was going for, and decided to see how far he’d be willing to take this. Bobbing and weaving through his strikes and landing her own was a bit of a challenge since he’d always seemed to have this sweet spot in his sword range he’d like to keep.

Adrenaline surging, the back and forth in a fight, the knowledge she’d finally found a fight worth a damn that wasn’t those stale Hana fixers caused her heart to soar in a happiness she’d been longing for. It wasn’t the Red Mist, it could never be, but this was a good contender for second place. She ducked under a strike and attempted to lunge forward and give an uppercut, but it simply grazed his chin.

He took deep breaths as launched strike after strike against her. One particular breath after he’d dodged a left cross had him breathe out a blast of pressurized steam that she barely had the time, the steam passing overhead and singing her ears. If the noise behind her was any indication it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

If he cared about the collateral, he didn’t show it, but the moment his breath stopped closed the gap and delivered the jabs and a straight knee. He was pushed forward from that last strike, and she grabbed his neck and lifted him up as if he were a trophy. He saw at the last moment what she was attempting and instead of kicking anywhere like most people, sent his own knee under her chin.

The force of the impact caused her to drop him, her teeth biting the upside of her mouth, and instead of attempting any swordplay or closing the gap took advantage and tackled her off her feet. With him on top he started raining down blows that she put her arms up to block, but she was sure would still leave marks. Steam trailing from the corners of his mouth as he continued breathing heavier and heavier.

Even as she blocked Tanay wasn’t a fan of the idea of taking a face full of pressurized steam and when he went from one punch on his left, she let her arm drop taking the punch, but trading a nice uppercut that disoriented him. Taking the moment to switch their position.

Her blows might have come slower, but they hadn’t more weight and impact to them. While his blocking wasn’t accompanied by the sound of breaking bones from singular punches, she could see on his pale face that each one brought great pain. His defense couldn’t last forever, and she could feel while on top of him the struggle he had breathing making it so-

Someone picked up the sword behind her.

She rolled to the side, dodging a strike aimed at her head, and glared at the one who interrupted the duel. A man in a blue suit had taken the man’s longer sword and looked terrified his strike had missed. She would have rushed him had Komachi not stood up and beckoned the man to him.

He flinched, but obliged and when he was in reach, he grabbed the man’s tie and brought them face to face. “What...do you think…you're doing?!” He was gasping for air, but there was still a weight to the words. The man stuttered and stammered some excuse, but it was clear that nothing he could say would stop what was about to happen.

The steam that poured from his mouth was almost hateful and the target couldn’t get away. By the time he stopped the man’s face was gone, replaced with a bloodied skull and charred eyes. The corpse fell and he retrieved his sword and pointed at her once more, before scanning the crowd.

No one stepped forward or said anything.

He nodded and she did as they charged. He stopped first and let loose a swipe that had intended to take her legs, but she just as he had before jumped up and levied a flying knee into his chest. He stumbled back a bit before he blew out a breath and advanced once more, one hand on the sword the other on its container.

Swipes, kicks, thrusts, punches, each attack was countered or blocked with another as he used the sheath of the sword to block strikes and occasionally send some out. Those had more of a tendency to strike her as she wasn’t typically expecting the importune blunt weapon instead of the conventionally strong one.

A left cross was dodged as he raised the sheathe to catch her upside the chin, a sword swipe was dodge to the side as a left cross was sent towards his face and impacted and she swore she’d heard a fracture, a axe kick was blocked and a thrust almost ran her through but gave a cut across her eye. The world seemed to melt away as it was just them in a world of violence. She couldn’t contain the grin as it went on and pushed the offensive more and more onto the dragon.

A shame she’d had relatively minor injuries compared to his own.

One roundhouse kick was the deciding factor as the opponent had been slowing down. He inadvertently took a few steps back and she lunged forward, her left arm pulled back, and sent out one final punch. It caved in his sternum and his eyes went wide as he tried to keep himself standing with his blade.

It was a good effort but eventually he’d landed face first. He still struggled to keep himself, but it was clear that it was a losing battle. She knelt down, wincing as a decent cut was across her knee before she spoke. “If it makes you feel better, best fight I’ve had in a long time. I’ll be taking this.” The shawl he wore was ripped off leaving him in an undershirt that exposed his strange condition extended to his lower body as well.

She didn’t dwell on it as she looked at the clothing she’d taken as a trophy and frowned. She looked toward the tiny sword that was in the middle of their battlefield and walked to it. She picked it up and noticed some engraving on the blade with symbols she didn’t understand. Either way both would do as a trophy for the first person in a while to put up an effort to try and beat her.

She looked around at all the other dragons that were watching. Some realized at that moment their leader wasn’t getting up and there were a variety of reactions. Some went for their weapons, some ran for their lives despite the futility of it, and even fewer than either of that number got on hands and knees and begged for their lives. She sighed as she took a step towards the approaching few that were brave enough to face her head on.

After the fight that Komachi had given her, it seemed more like a chore than anything.

Chapter 13: Joy-Ride

Chapter Text

Finn wasn’t sure this was the best time to be learning about driving, but it was now or never. He held a death grip on the wheel as he made a sharp right onto the road and felt half the vehicle go onto the side of the road. He bounced up slightly as he eventually went back fully on the road and kept going. His heart kept beating as he noted that he was still going at fifty-five miles per hour.

The speed limit was only half that.

He turned his head to look into the interior mirror and saw Bremen cheering at the speed they were going at, and clapping to a song only they could hear. He was glad that they were at least having fun as looking back he could see a few fixers chasing after them and keeping pace. He gulped as he stood up straight and ignored the way the group of sweepers splashed against the windshield and obscured his vision with their red liquid.

His hand fumbled for the windshield wipers, and after nearly forcing it the wrong way he pushed it and turned it causing it to spray the window with fluids and wipe. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he the van bumped multiple times in his blind driving, and he could only hope it wasn’t something important.

Or more people, he really didn’t like how many people he’d run over.

When his vision was fixed enough, he looked through and saw that the straight away died and he had to choose between left or right, lest he plow right into Fredrick’s Games and Bar at near full speed. The wheel he had was thrown to the side in a panic.

It wasn’t a clean turn as that became abundantly clear when the right-side mirror was slammed off showing he’d turned too early. He didn’t care of course because it wasn’t a crash, but the parking meter that he ran into was destroyed and for a moment he wondered where they got this van. Those thoughts were thrown away as something impacted the top of the car.

He yelped and swerved a little left and right trying to shake them off, and he heard a feminine voice swear for a moment before someone knocked on the driver side window. He didn’t think much as he continued nearly looking at the road as. The knocking of course grew louder and louder, and he spared a glance when he noticed that there weren’t any cars or turns, he’d have to make anytime soon.

The fixer wore a white jacket with pink highlights, and that’s all he could see. She had long light blue hair and green eyes, and she might have been pretty if she wasn’t staring at where he was with enough fury to have a psychiatrist quit on the spot. He rolled down the window and shot his hand out.

Maybe it had been the Hana coat, maybe the fact she wasn’t what she was expecting, or maybe it was just hard to focus on him and keep hold of the van but somehow his finger went flawlessly into her eyeball. Her free hand came to it as he withdrew his own arm, and he turned early to the right. The car and the wall skid a bit, but more importantly she was hit by the corner and was knocked off the van.

Along with the other mirror.

Putting the fact he was pretty sure he killed a decently high-ranking fixer aside, Bremen let out a howl of what was sounding more and more like laughter. He joined in with a sort of laughter someone one the verge of a breakdown would have. Actually, scratch that he was having a breakdown because this was a lot to handle.

“HEY BREMEN, I KNOW YOU'RE HAVING FUN, BUT CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE FIXERS!” He didn’t mean to shout, he really didn’t. Unfortunately, every neuron in his brain was in a full-blown panic, and that was just the way he communicated when that happened. This was supposed to be a simple job of him taking them places and waiting a few blocks as they made a bunch of noise.

He didn’t know why they’d decided that they’d get into a car chase. Just suddenly they were being chased and before he could stop to let Bremen out, they’d yelled, and he’d slammed his foot on the gas. He was pretty sure normal vans didn’t accelerate this quickly but this one did and suddenly the Fixer’s chasing didn’t seem so keen on letting him slow down.

Not that he would since Bremen seemed like they were having a fun time, and if there was one person Finn had no idea where he stood with Bremen, so he was pretty sure it was a good idea to let them ride the fun they seemed to have.

At least before he’d realized he’d have to sit at this pace for who knows how long a minute or two later.

He was quickly losing hope that the Fixers would just give up since he was pretty sure that if they’d followed him to who knows where then they were willing to follow him anywhere. They were a fourth tank from empty, and Finn really didn’t want to be anywhere near Bremen when they started fighting. Worse yet he didn’t want to be with Bremen fighting, in the Night of the Backstreets, while they had no gas.

At his impolite request Bremen was still laughing, but they went to the back and threw open the doors. The sudden rushing wind did nothing to calm his nerves, if anything they made them worse, and he felt a new type of chill engulf him. Not waiting for him to slow down, the three-head member of the group jumped out and slid on the pavement leaving just him in the car as he rounded another corner.

It took him a block or two to realize he was alone, and he stomped on the break, he was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to do that, but he was desperate. He heard and felt the wheel groan at their sudden halt and if it weren’t for his seatbelt, he was sure he’d go out the window. Soon enough however he stood there alone in the car.

His hands were trembling and also stuck to the wheel in a death grip. It was like if he’d let go for more than a moment, he would cease living. Even as he heard the loud sounds of Bremen fighting, he stood there locked into place.

He knew he had to get further, that they would more than likely try and find the fan, but he still stood still with only the sound of his quick inhales and exhales. Could anyone really blame him after that ordeal if he just took a minute for himself. To just lay perfectly still and pretend that the world wasn’t closing in.

With herculean effort he’d pulled his hand from the wheel and around the Hana coat and cocooned himself as he brought his feet up. Pessimistic thoughts that had started flowing in slowly started fading away as the high of it all started fading. He still had a death grip in one wheel, but the rest of him was mostly obscured from the world.

Breath in.

Breath out.

Breath in…

Breath out…

He stayed like this for a minute or two before he felt safe enough to sit normally and put his foot on the gas slightly, putting them a little forward. His breathing was crawling back to normal as he went at his slower pace and the feeling of control came back to him. He looked at the sign at the four-way street and a realization came upon him.

He didn’t know where he was.

In the excitement of the chase, he’d suddenly realized that he didn’t actually know where he was going. He’d been keeping track with a little map every street they went to, but that map was now woefully neglected. Looking at it really quick he let out a hollow laugh before he went completely back to normal.

He was lost in District 23 the home of cannibals, and he decided not to dwell on that act. If he did, he’d probably start freaking out which he should and be unable to focus on anything. Right now, he needed to calm down and let Bremen fight the fixer’s and then devise a plan to get back to the place they would call home.

When he was five blocks down, and one left turn later, he could still hear Bremen, but it wasn’t a piercing trumpet. It could almost be mistaken for a band showing a block down instead of the multiple it was. He supposed that was how loud Bremen was before he parked the van and went to the back to close it. The doors closed, he collapsed to the floor with whatever strength he possessed finally leaving his body to feel like jelly. All the energy from the chase had left him completely.

In some regards the cool metal floor calmed him down so long as he didn’t think there used to be a body here and he let the feeling of the ground take over him. He was partially thankful he was too jittery to pass out since he didn’t want to annoy his incomprehensible companion. Still, given how theatric they were he was sure the fighting would take a while so he could calm down.

Oh god he might’ve killed another fixer! He’d been in a few fights with rats and ended a few, but those had been when he was completing requests and staying out a bit later than normal. T-Those had been different cases though, and unlike previous fights these people had been here to stop him and his compatriot.

He’d known that they were all on the run, but he didn’t think that he’d have to deal with fixers himself. He figured he could just continue on doing their chores and being their errand boy, never involving himself in a fight because he would never really be a target. It didn’t seem predatory since he’d had no intention of backstabbing them and just going along with what they’d wanted. He had no reason to h-he was just someone in over his head after all!

Bremen hadn’t told him to poke that fixer’s eye or to swerve the vehicle in a way that would get rid of them, He’d done that on his own! Why had he done that?! It just seemed like such a good idea at the time, and he wasn’t thinking straight. Oh god he just wanted to go home.

Deep breaths and the cold floor calmed him, and he sat up. He didn’t have time to dwell on it as he looked around and got back to the front of the van. He needed to find a way to get them back to the others. Looking at the street name he sighed before he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Welcome Owl’s Coffee

Open today for 24 hours

That…that couldn’t be right…could it?
Twentyfour hour places weren’t exactly unheard of, at least places that weren’t things like gas stations, but they were rare. He’d only heard about them since while they could get a market that would be there, they’d have to fend for themselves when the Night of the Backstreets rolled around.

Was this supposed to be a trap? He wasn’t sure what a coffee shop would do with flesh but given that he was in District 23 he wouldn’t be surprised if it was. A part of him debated in his head if it was really smart to go in to ask directions. No it wasn’t but with a sigh he left the car, making sure the keys were in his pocket, and went inside.

He’d already known the Hana coat would protect him.

The coffee shop’s door opened with a nice little chime, and the interior was something that took a moment. If he remembered correctly his sister had described the place as rustic, and the lack of booths and nicely placed wooden chairs and tables suited him. The only out of place part was the stool by the ordering counter that you looked like you could eat there.

Stepping onto the hard wood floors he let the smell of different coffee’s take him over for a moment before he looked at the man serving. He was a plain looking man with teal eyes, and he wore a long open black coat with two buckles inside a nice striped suit. If not for the scar on his forehead, he would otherwise be rather ordinary as he looked at him. “Hello sir, the Welcome Owl’s greet you tonight. What are you in the mood for?” A calm baritone voice asked him as he went to the counter.

“I actually need directions to a place. If you don’t mind, do I need to buy something as well?” A few places were like that back home. The kind of places you needed to buy a souvenir or a shirt before you could so much as use the bathroom. The man shook his head “No that’s more than fine. We’ve only had a few people tonight, but not the ones I expected.” At the answer he looked at him strangely before he answered.

“Well, it was this place that the middle used to operate. A large black building that has some history with The Rabbits, and it’s uh…also on Yemen’s Street but I can’t tell you the exact address.” He’d had to fish into his pocket to get the first street address, but he figured this was enough for the man.

“Would you like the directions there written or just told to you?” At the question he’d had a small smile before he spoke. “Can I get that written down please.” He made a gesture to sit down while he got out a pen and a napkin and Finn followed his instructions.

Honestly the air in the building was better than him than the one in the van. It wasn’t exactly cold there, but there was a warmth in this coffee shop that he wasn’t getting as he sat in a nice wooden chair. A part of him wondered if he should’ve bought a coffee since while he wasn’t a fan of the black tar Yun made it felt rude to not order something.

Right as he was about to speak the shop door opened and someone stumbled in. Turning to see who it was he choked on his own spit as he saw it was the fixer from before, and his little stunt was impossible not to see. She looked at him with the side of hers that wasn’t bloody and glared.

Her left side could more accurately be called a large bleeding bruise than anything natural, and her arm was clearly bent at unnatural angles. A bone shot out just an inch from her elbow. Her forehead was bleeding profusely on one side staining her hair and obscured her eye not that he could tell if that was still there. Her clothes dyed an ugly shade of red and were ripped in several places.

And she still mustered the strength to charge him.

In the van he’d been protected by several sheets of strangely resistant metal, but here he had to deal with a very angry fixer that even with one arm could easily kill him. Said one arm quickly grabbed him by the throat and lifted him, and it was here he could see she was a good head and half taller than him. His feet dangled helplessly as she tightened her hand around his throat.

She must’ve lost enough blood to not crush his throat in an instant, or maybe she was built more for speed, as she slowly started tightening her grip. His fist flailed uselessly against her, and she showed no attempt that it did anything more than annoy her. She didn’t at all seem to be questioning his lack of strength.

A part of his brain screamed to hit harder, to do something so that he wouldn’t die in this little shop as the owner was gone. His vision growing dimmer, the worry and panic seemed to increase as he struggled futility against the fixer, blood from her palm trailing down and touching him in a foreign way.

Before his vision went fully dark, he found himself dropping to the ground and air mercifully put back into his lungs. He coughed and gasped as his body restored the air and looked up to see a long knife had been shoved into her throat, a nice silver handle and guard was all he could see. Behind her the owner of the shop, who Finn could see had a prosthetic leg, was behind her somehow having been lost in the confusion.

“I do apologize I wasn’t ready for a fight in my shop. They aren’t uncommon, but I wasn’t expecting one to try something against you.” The man eyed him with suspicion but didn’t say anything as he bent down and helped him up. Finn took his hand and had an uneasy smile as the man wiped the blade clean with a napkin.

Thankfully the second one he produced had the directions he’d been looking for and he wouldn’t need to leave again. A part of his brain that had ideally thought about ordering coffee forced him to speak. “Can I actually order a coffee? I’ve never had much so you can make whatever you want.” The man nodded as he went back to behind the counter and began preparing something like he’d hadn’t just murdered someone a moment ago.

After a minute a nice dark cup that was a little lighter than the stuff, he saw Yun make was presented to him. His hand went to his pocket and pulled out a few bills and placed them on the counter. “I overpaid but after…that think of it as payment.” He said gesturing to the woman's corpse and tried hard not to think about it as he brought the cup to his mouth.

He didn’t know much about coffee or how to describe it, but it was good. Better than the stuff that Yun made the few times he’d tried to drink it to ‘grow up’ and there was a slight sweetness to it. There was also a taste of something else, and he’d have to ask about that when he was done with the cup. For now, it was just nice to…he didn’t think relax was the best word, but it was the closest he’d get to.

Perhaps he should come again if they allowed him to drive the car.

Chapter 14: Dragon Slayers

Chapter Text

His weapon was brought down on the fleeing dragon’s head and scanning the area once more figured that one had been the last of them. Bodies in a range of red, white, and blue were scattered with different wounds on them. Walking through the carnage The Crying Children took a seat in the middle of the compound.

If any of his cherubs found anyone he’d rush there, but right now it seemed that he could see anyone leave any of the buildings from here. He’d taken care of a few fleeing dragons and was growing curious on what was going on the inside of the buildings considering Greta and Tanya had only been in three of them.

That actually mattered, but his task was to make sure no one left and while he was curious, he had a job to do. It was concerning that Tanya and Greta hadn’t returned, but he doubted that anyone in there would be enough to kill the distortions. If there was then they more than likely would have tried that on him by now.

Seeing no other threat to eliminate he began to think of what they would do next. Assuming that they didn’t find Bremen’s friends in this part of the district they would probably continue their way west, and he’d have to ask where from there. Even then while here they’d begin Finn’s training and hope it went well.

Finn…

To say that The Crying Children cared for the young fixer was…strange. Back then it had been a whim to accomplish something like everyone else, but now for some reason it was at the front of his mind. It had been there for a while actually; he’d just had something to distract himself beforehand.

It could have been Tanya overseeing his training, it could have been Greta’s comment on those people being alive, it could be Finn reminded him of himself but now he was thinking about why he was helping Finn. His answer was still the same as it had been when he’d first pick him up. It just felt right to do at the time.

Picking up the fixer had also made their lives easier, but for him that was a secondary benefit since he didn’t have the requirements of others. Tanya complained at times, but he could see that she was getting used to him. He might have even said Bremen was enjoying their company if he could ever understand them.

A door opened to his left and he sat up, a man in blue stumbled out and fell to the ground and began crawling away. His arm was clearly dislocated, but before he could go and finish it himself a familiar wolf came from the doorway and crushed his skull with her foot. After the dead was done she looked up at him with an almost feral grin.

“How’s things going topside?” Despite how casual she sounded she looked like she’d been put through the wringer. While he knew to expect that most of the blood covering her wasn’t her own, he was surprised to see a decent number of wounds on her. Her face was almost obscured from all the blood that leaked down from one on her forehead.

“Harder than you thought?” At his question she nodded. “I got in a good fight, but the rest were kinda more like popcorn. Not really filling you know?” Her finger trailed one of her wounds before she wiped away the blood from her vision. “Hey, could you cauterize this wound? The forehead’s a bleeder, but not anything too worrying.”

Stepping forward his thumb went across the cut she showed him. She made no noise through the process, but her eye did wince every now and then even if it was quick. Soon he was done, and the only thing left of said wound was the smell of burnt hair and flesh. “Thanks now I gotta finish off the stragglers, should be around fifty if I’m.”

He gave her a puzzling look before he asked a question. “How do you know how many there are? Also, how could that be possible if you've only been in three buildings.” At that she tilted her head before snapping. “You didn’t know. Weird space manipulation, A lot bigger on the inside than the out. Also, I got one of the big wigs to tell me an exact number.” He nodded at the information presented to him.

“Alright I’ll be waiting for-” A door slammed open behind him and a bloody form ran out. He didn’t get to see what their clothing’s original color was as from the door a giant meat tenderizer came flying out and into the man’s back and impacted with a sickening crunch. The soon to be fully corpse went flying a few feet and fell face first as Greta walked out.

“Eh, think that was the last of this room. Oh, hey guys how are things going here?” Greta walked out a few small scraps and cuts healing, but it was clear she also had been experiencing some push back from the dragons.

“Nothing much I’ve just picked off any stragglers and Tanya just showed up.” Sticked his thumb behind him to the women. The shark distortion nodded before whistling. “Have fun there Tanya.” He heard a slight chuckle behind him before a cough. “Yes, but off chance have ya been keeping count of how many ya put in the grave?” Greta shook her head at the question before he heard sighing.

“Well, we got two hundred here and I’ve taken care of at least seventy in one room and a few individuals here and there. Why don’t we go count and get this place ready. Waxy if ya could do the same top side that’d be great.” He nodded and the two made their way to one of the buildings as he gripped the closest corpse and began dragging it to the center to make a pile.

He could’ve made the task faster, but on the off chance that there was a straggler that was a bit sneakier than the others he’d let them patrol. It was a task that kept him busy after all, and he’d have a decent bit before anyone came around this way. The only real clear way in was the gate with a toll in front.

A few bodies wouldn’t be able to fully be cleaned up due to the state they were in. Smashed heads, torn open bodies, and large blood stains didn’t exactly move nicely. It would take a squad of sweepers to fully clean the place if the compound didn’t have chemicals to clean it or something similar.

That didn’t mean he could be lazy about the work however, and he’d scooped up what he could and brought it to the pile. The smell of burnt flesh was something he was always neutral on, and while some organs almost seemed to explode from the heat it didn’t bother him since he was certain he could get it clean up with a shower or two.

Still the task would be a bit much for one person, and counting the bodies was a trivial affair even if a few were missing pieces. They could always be put back together assuming the remains weren’t gone, and it would be a quick adjustment to his counting. The only sound to accompany him as he did the task was the sound of his cherub's wings.

Near the end of the gathering, reassembly, and count he became aware of the sound of tires. Turning around he was greeted with what could have once been called a van pulling in and stopping in front of the toll. It honestly took one moment before Finn stuck his head out the side window and waved at him before he realized that it had been their own vehicle. He took a good look at it as he approached to raise the gates.

Dents, blood, and scrapes littered the thing all around, and that was just his first impression. The rear-view mirrors were gone, and a few holes seemed to have punctured the side of it. The front license plate was hanging on by a single bolt and scrapped against the ground. Any chance of being conspicuous might have gone out the window if cars in this bad of shape weren’t uncommon in the backstreets.

That being said he had a feeling Tanya was going to hate the state of it.

Pushing the button, the toll raised, and the van was let back in, and after closing it he went out to talk to its two occupants. Finn came out first looking sheepish at the state he’d arrived in, but his sight went to the bloody handprint onto the fixer’s neck. “Are you ok? What happened?” At his question he heard Bremen get out of the car and walk to them.

Doodle-Doo’s head flopped uselessly around and the way their neck was bent at an unnatural angle. “Bremen, I suggest you find the other two in there. I’ll need one of them as a translator to understand you.” The noise that came was quieter than normal, but that was because one of their heads cried out weakly.

Watching Bremen leave and go into the door that the others had gone to him turned back to Finn. With a motion of his hands Finn began speaking. “Well, you see Bremen kind of wanted a joyride…o-or whatever the term is. Point is I had a hard time driving while I was going around sixty and being chased by fixers.” He nodded at the information.

It had been their own fault to take into account that Bremen would pull something like this. It was in their nature to seek thrills, and a good chase seemed to be on the menu. More than likely anyone else would only engage in such a thing, if necessary, but Finn would because he was able to be pressured by any of them.

“What about that?” He pointed to the bloody hand mark on his neck, with said liquid trailing down his neck. “Hm? O-Oh that…I got it from a fixer while I was asking directions back here.” He looked down while he said that, but quickly looked back up at him wondering what he was going to say.

In truth he didn’t know what to say.

He supposed that despite everything it was good that they were back, but what way would he say that in a way to bring comfort for Finn? Should he praise him for getting home despite the destroyed state of the car? He couldn’t reasonably blame him for it given he’d never driven before.

Greta would more than likely be better at the task than him, but she was busy unless Bremen brought her out, he would have to be the one to say something. He…wanted(?) to say something, but no proper words came to mind about the situation that seemed correct. Instead, he nodded as he always did before he spoke about something he found odd.

“How did you deal with the fixer?” A fixer that could challenge Bremen would turn Finn into a smear on the side of the ground, so how was he still standing? At the question Finn let out a sight for something before he spoke. “The guy who gave me directions protected me because I was in his shop. A bit surprising, but welcome.

A lucky break…

“Ah alright. We’ll have to talk with Bremen about this, but I don’t think much fault can be put upon your shoulders.” That seemed to be the right thing to say as Finn let out a breath, he’d been holding in. “Thanks, but what do we do about the van?”

Taking one more look at it the van’s metal groaned before one it the back doors fell off. He heard Finn squeak in surprise before he composed himself. “We have a week or two to figure it out.” At his words Finn calmed down slightly. In all likelihood while it more than likely would still drive the exterior might make them not do so.

Finn didn’t need to be told that of course.

____________________________________________________________________________

Seras walked down the street for once in a long time not in her Zwi uniform. It wouldn’t match up now that she technically wasn’t apparent of the Zwei for the foreseeable future. She still needed of course to recruit the offices she needed even if her claims looked a lot more dubious now.

Thank God for Kurt’s help or she might not be able to convince all of them, and instead he went in her place. A message or letter never was the same as an in-person visit, especially from an organization member. Her only information of what was going on was from him as well since she couldn’t exactly go into the building or get to the same areas anymore.

She took some pride in that apparently the new director wasn’t doing as good a job, at least from what the Zwei fixers around the office were saying. Her head was too full of ideas like ‘selfless sacrifice’ rather than producing results. While she's praised Whitely for surviving an unwinnable fight, she’d publicly shamed him for ‘cowardly retreat’ and forced him to use a baton rather than the sword they were named after.

The baton was for recruits or certain divisions of the Zwei, and Whitely wasn’t either of those. It was probably done to try and alienate him but given that the office was becoming full of people barely scraping by it just seemed to unite them all against her. It was true there was some tactics to that, but that was for instructors and new recruits now veterans and their leader.

The leader who was now nearly at rock bottom.

The Zwei coat had been replaced by a similar one she’d had, but instead of the trademark blue and dark blue around the shoulders had gone to a brown and black. The weapon on her back was a Fauchard that would be useful to someone two or three ranks below her station. Instead, it was all she had to work with. The yellow had been replaced with a gray that had a stain or two on it.

Considering the palace in front of her it might have been better wearing this than her normal uniform.

She’d only seen pictures of the White Lotus Office before, but the decrepit building before her looked nothing like the streak and clean building she’d seen in the pictures. Once daily clean windows were now broken or covered by thick layers of dust. Chipped read paint was over the building, and in some places open holes. A once proud lotus was now a simple toothy smile with two x’s inside a circle.

She walked in there with her shoulders hunched and saw fixers of different ranks and temperament simply due to the way they carried themselves. Any fixer higher than five might hold some respect other than the thuggish actions some took at tables and chairs. Knife games, drugs, and casual gossip all in one place at the same time.

An interior that looked more like a put together bar if it weren’t for the receptionist desks. Cracks and stains littered the place, and an unpleasant smell assaulted her nose. The place was only a few steps away from being condemned in her eyes. It should’ve been a crime to let things get this bad.

Approaching the desk, a receptionist greeted her with a smile too wide, and a broken pair of glasses. “Good day! How can Malevolent office make your problems disappear.” Even if she wasn't able to see it the woman's smile almost bled into her words.

“I’d like to see the leader to hire him for a job.” The woman hummed slightly as a few keys to her computer clicked for a moment. “For what purpose now? Our lovely boss is a busy man.” Sera grit her teeth before she spoke.

“The director of Zwei Section Four would like to hire him for a job.” Like a bomb had been dropped the noise stopped, and the eyes went on her. The receptionist lost her smile, or more it dropped for a moment, before it came back in full force. “Say that again now.”

“The Director of the Zwei Section Four would like to hire Malevolent office for a job.” She heard a few chuckles come from all around her, and the woman's smile almost grew three times as big before she clicked on a button. “Sir, you're going to love what’s about to walk into your office.”

Turning to her the woman's smile seemed almost like a predator. “Operator Luke will see you now. First door to the right from the staircase beside me on the third floor.” She nodded and walked up the stairs after being given the information.

The walk wasn’t long, but her mind wandered about what the leader of the place would look like. She wasn’t sure of the leader of the office, but her gut told her to be careful since he was a grade above her unofficially. By the time she was in front of the door she did have to take a moment before gathering her nerves.

Knocking on the door she waited a moment before she heard a “Come in.” In a jolly tone. Entering the place, she noted the man behind the crumbling desk and stained papers had on what could’ve been seen as the mixture of monk’s clothes and punk aesthetic.

A leather jacket under a black Gi that clearly hadn’t been taken care of. Cables connected from his head like dreadlocks, and his right eye was a mechanical prosthetic that glowed purple in it’s center. Around one fist a brass knuckle with spike, and the other playfully tapping away on his desk.

Strangely he wasn’t the only one in the room. To the side of the desk was a man she’d never seen before an old friend she hadn’t seen in forever. She felt her nerves calm at the sight of him and her shoulders went back to their default state. Her old friend spoke, and she felt never left him again. “Hello Old Sport,how have you been? Say you look like you’ve got something on your chest.”

…She did. What was the harm in talking between friends?

Chapter 15: Respite

Chapter Text

“Yup this it’s f*cked.” Tanya took one look at the remnants of the van. It didn’t matter that it still worked. No one in their right mind would continue to drive the vehicle. She'd have to throttle Bremen when they recovered like they normally did after a hard fight. She let out a sigh as she went back inside, they’re temporary headquarters.

It had only been a day, but the upgrade from the abandoned building and the car interior was already apparent. The abundance of space, proper facilities, and the just things to pass the time were putting them all in a good mood. The runt had found a TV and some free time had gone by just watching whatever was on now that they could. Course they still had to keep their mostly night schedules, but the fact that now she didn’t feel that her only hobbies were smoking and staring at a wall.

Entering the mess hall, the place had was still mostly trashed, but a few tables and chairs had survived. Anything unsalvageable was smashed by her and Greta and put into the corner of the room. A shame they couldn’t have Waxy burn it, but the inferno might draw too much attention to them. Finn was sitting at one of the tables shoveling pancakes that Greta had prepared as a celebration on their first night before they all went to bed.

Said shark woman was sitting across from him, already done with her own plate, and laughing at his gusto. “Starting to think I made just enough instead of a little extra.” She wiped a fake tear from her eye as Tanya sat at the table. It took the only human a decent amount of notice of her presence, and he cowered only slightly at her.

“We’ll be going out for training tomorrow. Be ready.” With that she dug into her own plate she’d set aside to look at the damages on their vehicle. Typical pancakes with some bananas baked into them, and a side of milk. A bit childish, but while Greta’s cooking was good even, she could only have so many meat-based dishes.

“Already got a mark?” Greta’s question brought her eyes to her as she took the first bite of her meal. “Yeah, one of those rooms had a map of all the different threats in the area. Decently big, and I can see why I was slightly wrong on something.” She swallowed before she elaborated on her point.

“A good chunk of the north, east and west, has actually been marked for an ‘investment deal’. She saw the confusion on the other two’s faces before she elaborated. “Basically, any unclaimed or non-finger syndicate is going to do one of three things. Join, die, or become ‘investments. Luckily that’s a little less than four months from now and we’ll probably be in the middle or south of the district.” Their questions were answered, and they went right back to eating.

Well, the runt still looked a little curious about the term ‘Investment’, but he didn’t say anything. Good for her she didn’t want to remember all the things she did in the Middle. Not out of guilt or shock she’d killed, but all the number crunching, complicated terms, and portfolios she had to manage as an executive member. It came with good pay, but she’d missed all the fun the people lower on the totem had of crushing heads.

It’d been a mistake at the time when she wanted…

“How long do you think Bremen will be in the infirmary?” Finn suddenly asked, looking at Greta who scratched under her chin. “I’d say a day or two. A shame that they'd used most of K-Corp’s bullets beforehand. Only have enough for you, fix up Tanya, and few emergencies down the road.”

Tanya had thought she'd sustained enough damage to need it, but the other two and basically forced her to. Bremen haven't gotten any because of the stunt they’d pulled, but other than some complaining from two of them they could live with it. Wasn’t the first time they’d let someone ‘bust their chops’ as they say, and probably wouldn’t be the last honestly. Granted this time apparently Greta had moved a tv in so they could watch some shows as they recover.

Or probably more than likely fight over what to watch before they smashed the thing.

“Waxy’s also already gone to bed. Shame he can’t try this stuff, but I think he’s a little more tired from having to summon more than his usual amount of cherubs.” She nodded as she scooped the remains of her meal before going for seconds. That could have been his excuse, but he might have just wanted some time alone to get used to the place. It was always hard to tell what he was thinking, but he was probably curious if there was anywhere flameproof that wasn't a floor he could sleep on.

“So…who are we fighting.?” The whelp spoke up now looking at her with a face stained with different berries from his own pancakes. She grunted a bit looking through her memory before she snapped her fingers. “You remember those guys who were trying to steal our car. They were the Motorheads. We’ll be dealing with their partner syndicate the Junkyard Dogs.” A nice little bundle of information she got from those notes.

They ran a simple operation. The Motorheads stole the cars, and the junkyard dogs either ransomed them back or broke them down for parts. Nothing fancy, but she’d seen a scheme or two like that. Both only Urban Myth level, so with a little bit of watching they could probably fight some of them.

Well, more specifically she’d make sure Finn didn’t die as they had a trial by fire.

“Just know that we’ll be fighting on their home turf, but you’ll have the superior gear. Go find a suit that fits and a weapon you enjoy.” While she didn’t like that he was getting an upgrade he didn’t work for she’d live with it. Waste not, want not as she’d grown up with after all. And a lot of this gear would otherwise go to waste. Her mind went a little back to where she’d had the brawl with Komachi, and she snapped her fingers to draw his attention to her.

When he looked at her, she gave him a stern expression. “There’s going to be a sword stabbed into the ground some floors down. Don’t touch it.” He went a little pale as he nodded frantically and excused himself. At that Greta gave her a strange look before she spoke. “Why’d you do that? Something important with that blade you gotta threaten Finn.”

Realizing that she might have gotten too hostile for her friends' liking she nodded. “First interesting fight in a while, and where I plan to move a bed.” She’d already had her trophy, but a little bit more respect could be given to the guy. Nothing had been nearly as interesting, so she felt it was only natural. “Huh, I wouldn't expect that from you but that’s good. Just try and give the kid more credit he survived having to deal with Bremen.”

She nodded as she ate her food once more. Impressive or not he was still expendable in her eyes. If he truly couldn’t keep himself safe from an Urban Myth even with all the gear, he’d had she’d have to convince the rest he wasn’t worth it. Course she’d let herself be surprised if she didn’t need to save him once.

If he made the show interesting, she’d turn this into her own entertainment.

____________________________________________________________________________

Finn looked at himself in the mirror. The blue suit that now adorned him was one of the few that had survived that he found to be in a comfortable size. Around the neckline and on the shoulders was a decent amount of blood, but he’d realized that he’d grown used to the scent permitting around him.

He didn’t like how he looked in the mirror. Too professional for his taste, but it was something he needed to do for training. Still the person in the reflection seemed alien to him, just something that didn’t seem right to wear.

He sighed as he walked out of the bathroom he’d changed in and went to the barracks. A part because that’s where everyone had set up, but also to see if Waxy was potentially up. He knew he went to find a place to rest, but talking with Waxy was a sort of a strangely calming affair.

Walking past the large, stained hallway his mind went to cleaning the place as a pastime. It was strange how cleaning had become a strange comfort to him, but maybe it was because it let his mind wander if he felt like it. Either way the hall was a mess that he’d probably spend time cleaning if he wasn’t in the breakroom watching tv to pass the time.

The barracks themselves hadn’t been truly decorated yet because it seemed like a few different people were choosing to sleep in different places. He’d known that Greta had talked about setting up in the mess hall/kitchen, but he and Waxy were fine with the barracks. Where Tanya and Bremen were taking up residence was unknown to him.
At one side next to a wall Waxy slept on the bed for once. Below him was a bunch of red suits that the Red Dragons had worn that kept the bed from bursting into flame. It was hard to tell if he was actually sleeping because of his lack of eye’s. Seeing no harm, he walked up to the bed he was about to speak to when he stopped.

Something about Waxy was…different. Not visually so, no that was the same as always, but for some reason his heart began beating faster. His eyes trailed over the exposed ‘flesh’, and he noticed the strange number of grooves in it. Why hadn’t he noticed them before now?

The words he was going to say to make sure he was asleep were caught in his throat before he shook off the feeling. It was Waxy. Why was he so scared at that moment? He cleared his throat a little harder than he wanted and spoke. “Waxy, are you awake?”

For a moment there was no response and he thought he was actually sleeping. For some reason his heart that had still been beating a bit faster started going to normal. It increased when Waxy rose straight up in a flash and turned to him. “Yes, what do you want to talk about?”

There was something different about his voice. It sounded more dead than he’d ever heard before, but he shook it off while ignoring the strange nagging in his brain. He went to open his mouth before he realized he didn’t have any sort of topic on the mind.

“Well, I wanted to see if you were up or not. I don’t think I have any specific topic so…do you just want to talk?” The blank stare that was sent his way gave him chills for some reason before Waxy spoke. “It would be no trouble to me. Would you like to take the lead?” At the question he paused before nodding.

“Tomorrow me and Tanya are heading out.” A blank face greeted him at the knowledge. “Ah so soon. I must admit I had assumed it would take her a day or two before you were traveling but is that why you were so tense.” He sucked in air at how he pointed out his fear.

He shook his head yes in a little white lie. “I thought so. Don’t worry I’m sure you’ll do fine as you are. With the suit and Tanya there you have no chance of dying.” For some reason that didn’t instill him with much more if any confidence.

“Do you…think I’ll do well.” He asked without thinking. Waxy put his hand under his chin as he thought for a moment. “In truth I have no clue. You were a grade nine beforehand and are young, but that doesn’t indicate skill. People not much older than you are near the cusp of grade one so who knows.” He paused before he continued again, the entire time not changing his tone.

“But what happens and what will be is only up to you. You can thrive in it tomorrow or struggle, and I will not think any less of you because getting you home is my goal.” It may have been monotone, but it made the last bit of his nerves go away. Right no matter the strangeness of the encounter, this was Waxy. And that had meant he was a…friend.

The conversation would pivot to a drama he’d watched an hour or so ago, but the topic didn’t matter. Right now, he talked in a casual air that he didn’t realize he’d missed. Somehow it had felt much more accommodating than some of the people in Yun’s office.

For a time, he wished tomorrow wouldn’t come.

Chapter 16: Recycling

Chapter Text

Junkyards in the city almost looked like castles of filth. Large amounts of disposed items, vehicles, weapons, and the rare body a sweeper didn’t eat. It was a strange thing to have in a city where sweepers made sure that the streets were cleaned of bodies and most debris. Some said they were relics of a time before the unstoppable wave had been created. One of those many legends and tall tales told.

Finn looked out in his suit as he followed Tanya who covered her nose. “Eh, I shouldn’t have taken that shower. I can smell the place instead of the people.” She took out a cigarette and placed the white end in front of him. It took her a moment to retrieve it and stow it away unlit.

“Can’t even use these things to get rid of the smell.” She complained a little more before she stood in front of a large chain link fence. She grabbed one before pulling back, forcing a large hole into it before she tossed the thing aside. “Come on.” She stepped through the hole she made, and he followed silently.

Looking around a few times he looked at the trash that was piling high and gulped. Toys and dolls looked back at him, and he swore he heard things moving in the mounds. Animals weren’t uncommon in these areas, but the paths taken made him a little claustrophobic. The blade that was in his hands still sheathed was held ready to strike.

“Stop.” Tanya went rigid as she spoke and put a hand up. He followed the command and stopped as she turned to face him. “You’ll be going ahead now. I want to see how well you do alone because these aren’t even on my radar. Things look dicey I’ll come get you but put on a good show before that.” With that she vanished.

It took Finn a moment to realize that no, she didn’t disappear; she'd simply run faster than he could see. The closest he’d seen a fixer do that was the ones that had chased him, but the only one to get close had been heavily weakened by being driven into a wall from their vehicle. The gust of air that passed him proved that.

He was basically on his own, and while a small part wanted to turn back, but that part was buried as he pushed forward. His blade was drawn just in case it was needed for him to end someone fast. He walked forward until he found a small wooden building in the clearing of the junkyard.

He’d come from the back and saw a door with a busted light. A man stood there smoking a cigar. He wore a stained red muscle shirt, and overalls along with a chest piece made of scrap metal. On his side a metal pipe that had been sharpened into a spear.

Looking around a little more he didn’t see anyone patrolling the side, so he looked around hoping for a path that didn’t lead him into the man. It took a minute for him to realize there was no straight clearing and he had to scale the trash as quietly as possible. As he grabbed a set and had a leg up, he had a nostalgic smile on his face.

It had been a while since he’d climbed onto these piles. When he was younger, he would scale these with his sister for fun. Learned a decent bit, and sometimes they got hurt but nothing that would keep them down. The trick was to look for areas to grab that didn’t have a lot of loose debris and to give something a quick tug to see if it would stay in place.

Of course, he had to do so without making any noise which was a new challenge. It was decently easy to kick over something small, or to pull something and have a couple things tumble down. Sometimes this results in a few quiet jingles, but he knew if he pushed his luck too much then he’d cause something like a tv to crash.

Even rusty climbing the trash mound was a test more of his patience than skill. Knowing when to and not pull himself up and on what level. Making sure he was firmly planted was also a good strategy that he remembered even now.

Of course, once he reached the top of his mound, he noticed it wasn’t exactly even. Some places dipped and some were higher, but he didn’t need to scale them. He just needed to go the correct way to the side of the building, and navigating wasn’t the hardest to do when you were already at the top. Just needed a few experimental steps to make sure you didn’t fall in and get stuck.

Walking along the top he felt lucky that there was a natural incline in the trash that he could walk down instead of having to scale down. That was always harder than scaling up, but if he was a story away from the ground he could fall down safely. He’d done so as a kid, so he was sure he could do it again now.

When he finally went to the side of the building, he saw there was a tinted window. A part of him wanted to look but didn’t in fear of being spotted. He’d probably enter there in a moment anyway. The only thing he could hear was the sound of a revving car and a chorus of muffled laughs. He snuck low to the building and peaked over the side.

The man was still there, smoking without a care in the world as he looked to the sky. A part of Finn wondered what he was thinking about before he shook his head. He couldn’t think of him as a person, but as an enemy. He took a deep breath before gripping his sword and getting ready to lunge at the man.

He stepped forward putting himself in his view as he turned his head. Given he seemed to be daydreaming that wasn’t the case. A part of him wanted to yell to psych himself, but he didn’t and pointed the blade at the man and put himself in a runner’s sprint as he could before charging.

Like it had sensed his intent his suit had a blue ring go down it, and suddenly it was like he’d jumped out of a moving car. His body accelerated at speeds he couldn’t handle. It was almost as if he’d teleported as he was a building away from the man until he and the man were crashing forward.

Luckily the man was as thrown off as he was, worse his sword had pierced just below the sugar and was coming from the other side. He felt and heard the air come out of the guy as he impacted, and they went flying a few feet before Finn landed on him. He stood dazed for a moment before he rolled over and saw the man still on the ground from the attack.

He scrambled looking to yank the blade from the man and found he could surprisingly easily. The sword came out as if he’d pulled it from warm butter and not a human being. He went to get into a stance like he used to have, before he realized the man hadn’t gotten up. Inspecting the body, he realized the man’s heart had been pierced from the man’s heart.

He let a breath out he hadn’t known he’d held as he looked down at the suit. He hadn’t known how he’d done that, but this was something he’d have to find out on his own time. He looked at the door and took a breath to psych himself up and open the door as quietly as possible.

He crouched and walked in, the noise of a car’s engine roaring along with some laughter. He was in an open kitchen with one guy looking out and drinking a cheap beer behind an island in the middle of the kitchen.

The place didn't smell like the normal junkyard. A few days in the trash and the week had made his nose dead to the smell of the junkyard, but the smell of oil, blood, and beer filled his nose. The alcohol's scent was so overpowering it stung slightly to breathe through his nose, but not the worst thing. He walked as quietly as he could till, he was behind the man, but before he could put his blade into the man’s throat his eyes went to the front and he froze.

A man was holding the rear of the car off the ground as a bloodied wheel spun violently. There wasn’t a driver, but it was something that could be done with a brick. Under the wheel was a tied-up person, their mouth taped, and their body bound by ropes. A few other bodies had been put in the side with their heads gone or caved in halfway with obvious tire marks on some.

It shocked Finn because most murder and death he’d seen wasn’t this drawn out or sad*stic. Quick and/or painless deaths was something he’d seen even at a young age, but this. Given the people on the sidelines laughing at the display put him in a stupor. He was only brought out of it when the man in front of him finished his beer and threw it over to a trash can on the left.

The bottle shattered, and the man turned around more than likely to get another drink, before noticing him. They stared at one another, both in different forms of shock before the man went to yell and grab his weapons he reacted. The blade had already been drawn and with a swipe the man’s throat wasn’t slit but severed and fell to the floor. Of course, it was only then Finn noticed the laughter had died down.

In hindsight the bottle being thrown would’ve attracted one or two sets of eyes, and when they noticed him standing there a chain started. The casual murder of their friend had spurred them from their own amusem*nt to the seriousness of the act. A few were drawing weapons and one or two looked at him with serious fear as they saw him. One look stood out to him, and that was the man holding the car.

Upon a serious look at him Finn realized he’d been holding it with one hand, it had been hard to see with him only being able to see the man’s right side. As he unceremoniously dropped the vehicle on the man’s head, that splattered and with the revolving wheel spraying blood upwards and all the man’s leg, and turned to him he saw the man’s arm was prosthetic.

The hand was replaced by a small excavator, and the forearm was a and biceps were a bright yellow metal, with only gray and black where the joints were so the arm could rotate. He wore a pair of dull orange overalls, with one of the straps just gone. A patch existed here and there to cover a few spots on them, and under he wore a short sleeve black shirt. He was bald with green eyes, and stood towering over Finn, his other arm being incredibly muscular, showing he didn’t rely on his prosthetic, not that Finn hadn't seen that for himself.

What made Finn take note of him was his eye’s. While the other guys had eye’s ranging from fear to serious, this guy had a look he’d seen Tanya have whenever a strong opponent was mentioned. The excitement was clear on an otherwise serious face as he stepped forward, the first to take an action against him.

“What do we have here? Another fixer sent to get someone’s car back?” A deep voice talked to him, not exactly a baritone voice but a step or two down from it. “Who do you think you are having done that to Gordon?” That was probably the name of the man he just killed.

He’d always thought when he’d go up against a syndicate that he’d be more dramatic. A speech or two about how their evil was at an end. Looking back that was before The Library, and it was incredibly naive. Instead, he stood there stone faced as the man cracked his neck.

“Nothing to say huh? I can tell you're a greenhorn so stop trying the stoic badass bullsh*t. You some nest kid who thinks he can play fixer or something?” At the insinuation Finn saw a few of the shaky ones resolve themselves and become more confident. He still said nothing as he gripped his weapon and kept himself ready.

At his lack of answer the man grew agitated. “You deaf? I’m talking to you so answer me. Who the f*ck do you think you are coming on to our turf and killing my boys huh?” He took an aggressive step forward, and for the first time despite the gruesome scene he just saw Finn realized something.

He wasn’t scared of the man.

He’d seen bigger, stronger, and more dangerous people around him constantly. Despite the vibe of them Finn had seen the people around him leave nothing but destruction in their wake as they went about their life. In comparison while bigger than Finn these guys felt so much more…down to earth.

Maybe it was the knowledge that he wouldn’t die from them but stood there staring at who he assumed to be the leader. He didn’t really have any speech or something prepared; he just noticed how strangely calm he felt as the man looked to be getting angrier and angrier at his inaction and lack of response. Finally with a snap of his finger’s he pointed at him.

“Boy’s kick his ass. We’ll show this nest kid what it means to mess with the Junkyard Dogs!"

Chapter 17: Struggle

Chapter Text

As much as Finn wasn’t scared, he didn’t know some basic battle tactics. Namely you shouldn’t fight against a horde if you were alone, unless you were a station or two higher than them. With this information Finn did the only smart thing he could’ve done at that moment.

He turned back to the door and ran.

That blue glow didn’t happen again, which was a shame, but he was close enough to the door that it wasn’t an issue. He slammed it in an instant and ran to the side of the building instead of rushing down the path in front of him. Going the opposite direction, he was instead greeted with a clearing for different traffic, a couple buildings, and heavy machinery. He turned his momentary focus from them to the different paths made in the trash and decided to go down them instead, since those spots would leave him more open.

He had to make it so that he could fight them one or at least two on one instead of all of them ganging up on him. That had happened only once when he was under Yun’s office, and if it weren’t for Eri he wouldn’t have been here today. It was his first taste of combat that hadn’t gone his way until The Library.

A yell behind him as he realized that one of the syndicate members had managed to discern where he’d been, and he started running again. In truth he didn’t really know the way to be going in, but anywhere but here seemed like a good place. As he turned a corner, he kept running glad that the pathways did narrow slightly.

It felt weird that he’d hoped for a dead end, but that was his most likely shot at dealing with them. Anything else, and potentially one of them could come from behind. A single way path was all he wanted.

He looked up slightly, and his mind realized they could also come from above. He’d done the same strategy to get to them, so it wasn’t out of the question they’d also known how to climb given they’d made this their hideout. Of course, that assumed that they spent the time to climb up like he had and find hi-

His thoughts were interrupted as he tripped over something. He fell face first, and rolled on his side, and saw the gang catching up to him. Strangely despite the handful he could see, a few stopped for something and called out to one rushing forward. The only thing in the gang member’s eyes was Finn as he zeroed in.

It was a shame that the rusted car fell onto and crushed him.

Debris and dust kicked out as the path lay somewhat obscured. It occurred to Finn that he was lucky that they’d laid traps for people getting in rather than him running out. He scrambled to his feet and began running forward again, and down a path to the right.

A maze of trash around him as he ran looking for a dead end. He wondered if this was what a rat in a maze felt like, only he was sure that if he got to the end of his own, he had a chance of death. His breathing was heavy as he continued the one activity he knew would work and continued running.

____________________________________________________________________________

Tanya looked from the highest point she could as the runt ran around the makeshift maze. In honesty she was surprised he’d been able to kill even one as…’efficiently’ as he had. She knew that he’d had better gear, but she honestly expected him to have a moral crisis over taking a life. She let out a hum as she twirled an unlit cigarette in her hand.

So far, he’d killed two, one being accidental from the looks, and it didn’t look like a large gang. She’d say two more, and she’d see about getting him out of trouble before things got out of hand. Maybe not killing the gang, but it would take a second or two for that to happen.

Looking around she saw a few taking different paths trying to cut off the whelp. It was a bit hard since it seemed like he was faster than they were, which was at first puzzling before she remembered the suit. It was probably making him faster, but it didn’t do that strange glow it had like it did for his first kill.

She couldn’t remember any of them glowing in her fight with them, but then again most of the time she was reacting to them attacking from outside her vision. Was that how they’d closed the gap so quickly? Either way the glows lasted for a moment, so it didn’t matter to her.

Still, it was aggravating to see him just run. Every now and then a turn would reveal a member of the gang, and he would choose to run a different direction. There were no swipes or quick jabs, just him noticing or bumping into someone and going the opposite direction. Running around with no sense of direction. She’d almost say senseless if it wasn’t clear he was looking out for traps as he avoided a few but taking up seconds the gang almost caught up to him. He was running blind, but he kept his wits.

She frowned as she saw him round a corner one final time and make his way to a dead end. She let out a sigh as he stared for a moment before turning around. She got up from her seat ready to get closer to save him, she did promise Waxy after all, when he did something she didn’t expect.

He turned around, she couldn’t see the look on his face, but he did look to be steadying himself. Two hands on his swords as he faced forward. He looked at the oncoming enemies ahead and pointed the blade forward. She looked at him one more time before deciding she’d rather see what the whelp could do before she interfered.

Her eyes stayed on him and the odd man out in the gang.

____________________________________________________________________________

Finn looked towards the people who were closing in on him. He swallowed to wet a throat that was going dry and looked forward, his hands on his weapon tight. This was the scenario he’d wanted, but something in his mind still said that something was wrong. He buried this thought as he looked to the first man in front of him that was walking forward with a nail bat. The only thing making him stand out was his stained blue muscle shirt.

“What’s the matter, going to cry?” The man’s tone suggested that he was co*cky, but Finn saw that he was looking for openings. “Shut up.” It wasn’t confident sounding, even to Finn, and the man had a slight smirk on his face before he went serious.

He put the bat on the side of the wall, let out an ugly scraping noise before swinging it like he was trying to hit a home run. With a downward slash Finn brought his own weapon down and they met for but a brief moment. Of course, calling what they did at the meeting was overselling it.

His sword cut through it easily, and keeping the momentum jabbed forward into the man. It was fast enough that it caught him in the base of the neck and went out the other side of him. A faint gurgle as he ripped it to the left. It was a clean cut, and where he’d swiped the wall now had a fresh stain of blood in a line. The man’s head and remaining neck part fell to the right, and Finn stopped himself from looking at it as the corpse tumbled.

The next man came, a scrap shield and gladius, and put his own shield up to block the attack. Finn’s eyes looked for a moment before trying to send a swipe across his legs. The man backed up a bit and only his shield was caught in the attack as he blocked on instinct. Finn probably shouldn’t have been awed when it went through the item and left a large gash on the man’s arm. The man wasn’t and despite the pain went to cleave at Finn, who took the blow to his chest.

It took them both a moment to realize that his suit had stopped the strike where it was. Making more of a light tap than anything that would leave a mark. It took Finn in that moment for any fear he might have harbinger for it to evaporate, and the pommel of the sword was forced into the man’s check right as Finn heard something click.

The gladius lit up in a shower of sparks as the man continued powering through the first strike. The handle of the blade had been made from a taser, and the somewhat maintained blade still conducted the current. Finn did feel his muscles tighten, but it didn’t stop as he brought the pommel back again, this time striking the top of the temple, and forcing the man away.

He grit his teeth, and back up a step before thrusting his sword and impaling the man. A strange confidence began building, as the rest of the gang began filtering in. At least one seemed to be rethinking their choice.

It felt strange to Finn that he was inspiring fear in…anybody. It didn’t fill him with any good feelings, but he remembered the people that they’d laughed at, and no negative ones came either. He wouldn’t be here if they weren’t a syndicate, so he felt his shoulders relax as one started approaching with a mace with jagged ends.

Finn stayed with this back against the wall and his sword in at the ready. Just stay as he is, and let them come to him, block and strike a simple but effective strategy that was working. His body was protected, but his head was as weak as their own so don’t get too aggressive and lose focus on them. He stood his ground and kept a stern face as he looked towards the remaining foes.

One came forward wielding a spear that looked like it had been formally something good but had seen better days. A few testing stabs were sent his way, and Finn had to admit that blocking them was all he could do. Admittedly he could move forward more from his corner, but he wondered if he’d be able to get back to this spot if he left them.

The strikes went from testing to confident, and some went past his guard. Never anything dangerous to his chest, but a few hit him in unprotected areas. A gash or two along his face, and one ripped out a large chunk of his cheek giving him a false half grin, and tears welled up in his eyes. A risky idea came to mind as he took a free hand from wielding the sword to grab the spear as he blocked one strike.

The man still pulled, but Finn didn’t let go as he was brought forward slightly, his feet entrenched in the soil, and used his own blade to split the man’s weapon into two pieces. The weapon ruined the syndicate member looked to his remaining allies who had weapons more similar to the first two.

He breathed heavily through a ruined mouth and tears welling up in his eyes. His eyes went to and forth from the men in front of him. He remained planted as he was, waiting for them to make the first move so he could retaliate back at them. No one wanted to be the one to move first into combat with him.

A stalemate brought on by a difference in gear level. As the blood from the gashes and his cheek began leaking down his chest and joining his already stained clothes. He debated whether he should lunge forward even for a moment before he threw it away. Stay with his back in a firm place, and his body anchored here. Any change could let them surround hi-

It was only a subtle sound when he heard something shift above him. Looking up slightly he noticed the leader of the gang above him before the man jumped down. He scrambled out of the way of the man as he landed on his feet and Finn sent a stab his way.

The blade pierced the man’s side, but he didn’t react in any meaningful way. “Think your hot sh*t?!” The prosthetic fist that was sent his way impacted his temple. He stumbled back, his grip on the weapon gone as blood began pouring from another place from his head. The leader took a large step forward unimpeded with the sword in him.

“Think you can come into MY Turf, kill MY boys, take Half our number without retaliation?!” at each louder word Another strike was sent to him. Not one went towards his chest so he could have a moment to recover. The man’s fist, flesh or not, felt like hammers upon him as he was eventually knocked from his feet.

He wasn’t allowed to fall on his back, as the man’s normal arm grabbed him by the collar of his suit and brought him eye level to him. His head rolled around limply as he looked at the man in a daze, pulsations of pain happening non-stop. “Beating you to death isn’t NEARLY enough to get you back. I’ve got plans for you, and I know a nice little shop that’ll enjoy tenderizing you until you're nothing.”

Strangely despite the threat Finn looked at the man, and he was sure he’d have a neutral face. His heart was pounding, his head churning with pain, and his breathing heavy yet it was in this moment that he realized something. That even now with his life hanging on the end, that he didn’t have any fear of the man.

He should have despite the man’s fast being filled with blistering rage, but he just couldn’t seem to. The man realized after a moment that his threat didn’t faze him in any way, and his other arm grabbed his hand. He could feel his unprotected finger being ground into powder from the force, and he couldn’t stop the pained expression. “You don’t like that huh!? Well then let’s see your arm-”

He didn’t finish the sentence as a loud impact sound was heard to the side of them. The remaining members of the gang were now just lumps of meat on the ground. In a moment that they weren’t looking what had once been people, now could barely even be called that. Walking forward casually, the aftermath barely even staining her was Tanya.

The man’s anger faded as he locked eyes with Tanya. It was like there was some recognition she was much stronger than him, and Finn saw the man pale. The grip that had once been tight on his clothes now shook and gripped harder. Anger was replaced with terror in the moment that he looked at her.

For a brief moment they locked eyes, and the man looked away instantly. Finn went from stationary to nearly airborne as he landed at Tanya’s feet. She looked at him with something akin to a sliver of amusem*nt before she tilted her head up. “You did well enough, let's go.”

He brought himself forward to his feet before he spoke. “I…I need my sword back.” He pointed at the man who was trying to make himself smaller to Finn. She looked at the leader of the former gang before she spoke. “We have a lot of those back at base. Either you get it, or we go home.” with that said she began walking out of the way out of the dump.

Finn shrugged before looking back at the man. His eyes were still on Tanya even now as she walked away. It wouldn’t be hard, just one quick rip as he stood paralyzed in fear, and he could even end the man. If anything, he would be quite easy as the man was now…but it wouldn’t be earned…

…

His footsteps joined Tanya’s a moment later, stumbling only now and then as the adrenaline in his system wore off.

Chapter 18: Guns, Drinks, and Celebration

Chapter Text

Kurt took a sip from the flask as he walked down the street. The taste of gin was what he needed after another day dealing with things in the office. The places were growing less and less filled with familiar faces as new people were pulled in to fix the shortening numbers. Despite that the new director was still using him just as Sera had, likely because of the reputation that he’d garnered.

It was clear that Alexandra wasn’t fit to be the director of section four. From mismanaging who was sent where, her alienation of the other employees, and her naive view of how the Zwei should be. It was true they were meant to shield the people, but she wanted an extreme view of that.

He wasn’t sure how she’d gotten to grade three with such an extreme view on justice, but it was increasing the workload. He had no idea why she thought it a good idea to start sending out members of the Zwei to places that sold human meat to have them ‘investigated’, especially since such a thing was only going to lead to more issues. It was probably because one had been found to be harboring bloodfiends as a primary customer and housing them.

Suddenly now instead of using the Seven’s information on where they were she was making guesses. He’d tried informing her that such an action wasn’t wise, but he was shrugged off. After all, “These dens of crime must be searched. Be it bloodfiends or survivors we can rescue from their clutches.”

Because yes, they’d needed more work.

He’d been made to search four different restaurants today, and not one survivor or bloodfiend had been in any of them. Just questionable meat that was probably once a person, but he couldn’t do anything about it due to the district's laws. The consumption of human flesh wasn’t a crime here, so all this amounted to wasted effort.

He took another swig from the flask before he looked at the building in front of him. A large two-story building was in front of him. A coat of fresh black paint was on it, and the windows had white curtains with the building's logo on it. A bullet with two lightning bolts behind it.

He put the flask in between a pocket in his coat and walked in. His shift was up once he got back to the department, but he figured he could get this out of the way. Besides, he was already in the area for some stupid inspections, so he might as well do something for his boss.

Entering the building the smell of cleaning solution and a hint of gunpowder fill his nostrils. There was a reception room that reminded him of the dentist. He looked over and saw there was a single person in a business suit and a rain poncho. In the receptionist a man in a white button up worked on a computer.

He walked up to the counter, and the receptionist looked up. “Do you have an appointment, or would you like to schedule one?” There wasn’t an attempt to hide any false friendliness in the receptionist tone. Just a blunt statement that wanted an answer then and now.

Good. He preferred it that way.

“No appointment. I wanted to put in a request directly from the director of section four.” The recipient didn’t have a surprise look on his face, but there was a hint of intrigue. “May I ask the reason for the visit, and why wasn't there a message sent instead?” Kurt nodded at the question before answering.

“The director has decided to make it personal due to the nature of the request. If she wasn’t making an in-person request right now somewhere else she would have shown up herself.” That last part was more than likely a slight fib on his part. She probably was resting from having to deal with the Malevolent office yesterday. The receptionist looked down for a moment before he looked back at him. “Please take a seat. I’ll inform you of the process shortly.”

At the statement Kurt walked over to a seat one down from the other man and sat. In only a few moments it took a moment for him to realize that the scent of gunpowder was coming from the man and wasn’t just a scent of the building. That was good he supposed, he couldn’t think of any solution the office would have the raw stuff on hand anyway. Of course, he was mostly ignorant to guns and their process, so they could’ve needed the stuff.

Either way he decided to make himself comfortable, and leaned back in the seat and let out a breath of air he hadn’t known he’d been holding. The seat was comfier than he would’ve thought, but it could just be his overworked body taking in any comfort that he could. His bed was becoming more and more of a place he sought refuge in as his days ended.

If he wasn’t sure that it was rude, he would’ve pulled the flask out again, but getting tipsy in a place like this wasn't a good image to send. His eyes went to a little table to his side and the large number of newspapers and magazines that were there. Seeing no other way to pass the time, he grabbed a newspaper, not really interested in the interview with the Green Mirage, and looked at the front page.

R-Corp still facing challenges from the Herald of War! Is falling inevitable?!

He frowned and went to find more local news. He was already hearing far too much about the distortion from the new director who wanted to send aid to the district. They still had their own problem, and already she was looking to try and spread out more. They were half the city length away and-he forced his mind from the topic before he got angry.

Instead, he read more of the different restaurants that were looking for works of advertising specials. Nothing caught his eye, but he did note that more late-night places were becoming more frequent. He saw that as a good thing as there were a decent number of fixers, association or not, that exclusively worked during those times. He’d wished something like that happened a decade ago since that was his work schedule at the time, but he could live with it happening now.

Thinking about those times brought on a nostalgia that he didn’t know he could feel. Somehow those nights where he was starving as a grade seven or nights in the Stone-Forged Office as they fended off a syndicate that had practically declared war on them. Those days of wondering if a Javelin would be sent through the window and impale another intern, and they’d be fighting again.

It could be that it was nostalgic because it led into the office becoming Zwei Affiliated. How he joined with the final hint of his innocence having him join because he felt indebted, and he still wanted to protect the city. How it led to the improvement of his life and his meeting of Sera.

If Sera was replaced, he was going to leave the Zwei. He didn’t care that his contract he signed had three more years since he’d always got it extended. He could be demoted all the way down to grade nine for all he cared about. This job had become a new type of hell under Alexandra’s leadership, and he wasn’t going to stick around while she learned the ropes.

“Could the Zwei fixer please come to the front desk?” He looked up from the paper. He looked to his side hoping the man he seemed to be going ahead of wasn’t annoyed at him when he realized that he was gone. The man’s scent had just lingered there, and a part of Kurt’s mind wondered how long he’d been there reading the paper and reminiscing. Either way he got up and put the newspaper on the desk.

“The boss actually wants to speak to you. Apparently, your boss is ‘trustworthy’ enough that he wants to discuss it personally. Go down the hall and take the stairs up.” Kurt nodded and followed her instructions.

The building's interior was a mixture of blue walls with black floors, with the symbol highlighted in whites and gold. A strange interior choice if you asked him, but he wasn’t going to judge the people he was asking for help. As he walked up the stairs, he was greeted at the top by a handful of people dressed in office wear and working on computers.

He looked around for a moment before he saw near the back the nameplate and saw the name he was looking for. He avoided a man as he walked to the door, and knocked when he was in front of it. “Come in.” A gruff voice spoke to him as he entered.

The room was very plain. A single seat across from a nice deep brown desk that had a stack of papers, and a computer that looked heavily outdated. The one other thing besides the bookcase with a variety of red and blue books was the black carpet.

The man in front of him was old and bald but had a well-groomed beard. A nice gray uniform with golden pins on the front, and the Office’s symbol over his heart. The only other detail other than the man’s demeanor was he wore a silver promise ring over his left hand.

It was more in the face of the man that drew Kurt. He might not have been involved with the Smoke War, but he’d seen enough veterans to be able to see them. There were no doubt augments had kept this aging man where he was. A question on how he afforded that was answered when he saw a medal that hung off the side of the desk next to a picture frame.

But being a veteran there was something he knew he could do.

“I’ll be blunt since you don’t look for the type for flowery language. How much to hire you and your whole Office on a joint assault on The Ensemble with other fixer offices and two associations?” At his remark the guy stood their stone face before an aged chuckle came from his lips. “Not going to try butter up an old man?” Kurt shook his head at the question.

“A pile of sh*t is a pile of sh*t even in a nice box.” The man nodded before leaning back, getting comfy. “You should know the price of hiring our office for a normal job? Much less what’s basically a suicide run.” The man opened a cupboard next to him and pulled out a bottle of brandy and two glasses before pouring two respectable amounts.

“I’m willing to pay the price upfront.” His boss had said she was going to pay, but he knew there was no shortage of his fellow Zwei that wanted to chip in. He waited for the man to pick up his own drink before following along. With a toast he downed the brown alcohol and noticed an aged smoky taste. “It’s not like I’ll live to regret it either way.”

One way or another his problems would be solved.

____________________________________________________________________________

Finn coughed as he nearly choked on the drink. Greta chuckled at the first-time drinker’s reaction as she sat around the recreational area. She turned to see Tanya downing her creation as she had her feet on the coffee table as they all sat around.

“I guess it’s a bit much for a new drinker.” Greta said as she drank from her own almost comically small margarita glass and savored the taste of her family's special ‘The Lemon Shark’. A look to her side went to Waxy as he had a metal pan popping popcorn.

“Kid did well enough. Besides, a party for all of our victories was good.” Greta noticed Tanya’s words before she shrugged. She saw Finn recover and look at his drink hesitantly before he took another small drink.

“Pace yourself if you're new to drinking…who has the remote?” Her eyes went searching the table. It might not have been much of a party and more of a glorified hang out, but none of them had seen what was on for a decent while. A cheer from Bremen had her eye’s trail to them and saw they had it.

“Alright, just don’t put on anything stupid. Waxy how’s the popcorn?” He gave her a thumbs up as he put down the now fully popped tin onto his own small table. Said table was using one of the Red Dragons upper tuxedos so that he could place them there, along with a small pile he’d already made.

“Alright, Bremen put something on. One of these channels is probably playing a movie.” The decently sized screen was turned on. A new station was put on for a moment before the channel was flipped. She took a drink before her hand claimed one of the popcorn tins.

She wasn’t a big fan of cheap food, but everyone just wanted a celebratory night where they just did something simple. Her eyes went over to the restored version of Finn from when he came back.

She wouldn't have called what he did a victory, but Tanya had seemed satisfied with what he’d accomplished. It was good that they’d had some of K-Corp’s bullets to fix him up, and before Waxy had seen him. Something told her he wouldn’t have been very happy with the development.

A celebration was due for all of them, and when searching around their kitchen she was honestly surprised to find blood oranges. She never got the name, but they were a key ingredient for her family's drink along with lemons. It was partially a mix of nostalgia and the want to just have a good time.

Soon enough Greta noticed that the channel flipping was going back and forth and took a side eye to see that was clearly arguing amongst themselves again. “Give me the remote, I have a good idea of the channels.” It was true she hadn’t watched anything for a time, but she was certain that the channel she had in mind.

The remote was underhand tossed to her and she caught it with the palm of her hand. Unfortunately, the remote slid almost perfectly down the gaping maw she had there, and it then Greta came to a strange feeling in her arm. She would describe it as the bastard child of choking and hitting your funny bone.

“God damn it.” Her fingers went deep inside and tried to get the remote out of her. She was mildly aware of the slight chuckling from most of the people in the room. It didn’t help that her teeth were absentmindedly chewing on her flesh.

After that moment she fished out the remote and ignore the feeling of saliva as she put in the channel numbers. The tv flicker before a scene of a man walking down the backstreets appeared. He wore a normal suit with a purple shirt, the only other detail in view was the gold chain around his neck and the ring on his middle finger when it came into view.

“Oh god damn it.” Tanya said as she began downing her drink and going for another. “What’s wrong with the movie?” Waxy asked as he shoved quickly burning popcorn in his mouth. The wolf said nothing as she went to the bucket Greta made and began pouring another.

The man walked into a house. “Hey everyone, the business deal has been ma…” He trailed off the crooked grin that had been in frame and fell to a quivering one. The camera rotates around him revealing a blood-soaked hallway with only limbs and organs for how badly the bodies were pulverized.

Standing in the middle was a pitch-black figure. Every now and then it’s body would glitch and distort in view with some decent effects. It elongated in a moment before looking like a normal person outline again as it pointed at the man. The man shook his head trying to close the door and run.

He didn’t make it far as the food exploded in a shower of wooden chips, the man’s leg was severed as something heavy and sharp impacted. He screamed and tried crawling away as the being’s arm went back to normal. It walked after him, some steps not making any noise and some making and amplified noise in rhythm with the music.

Its leg suddenly shot out and stomped the man’s spine, and from the sound breaking it. The man spit out blood as his hand went to something in his pocket. A stack of Ahn and a key was placed to the side, even if it was slightly stained with blood. “Please I’ll pay any price- '' He never finished the sentence.

It was rather hard when a fist crushed both your skull and the concrete under it. The figure continued to distort and shift once more before looking at the camera. For a moment it had no reaction before it disappeared from sight. Without provocation the camera lens was shattered, almost if it was a person, and the pooling blood spent out a name.

Silent Nights

Based on true events

“Ah, I see your problem.” Greta let out a sigh but didn’t change the movie. “What? What’s wrong with it so far?” Her head turned back to Finn as he finished his own drink.” Before she could answer Tanya spoke up.

“This movie makes The Middle look bad. Can’t believe they didn’t retaliate against this sh*t.” Greta’s eyes raised before she settled in her seat. She might not have had her own, but she could hear Woof complaining about it even if Hee-Haw was curious about how it would go.

She was about to finish her own drink when a commercial came on. There was a synonymous groan throughout them all as Bremen tossed a crumpled paper towel on the screen. She began focusing more on her own drink to pass the time before the movie came back.

A band came on screen and an energetic beat began to play. Intercut between their playing was the signs of people, some looking to be fixers, jumping past sawblades and fighting. The logo of a classic TV dyed red in the corner in the advertisem*nt. The only thing notable about the band was the macabre looking instruments and the mask the head guitarist wa-

Bremen suddenly screamed and shot up. Finn dropped the new glass he was getting and Waxy, being next to them, was pushed to the side as popcorn showered them. Tanya meanwhile had pushed her own glass nearly down her throat and was choking slightly.

“BREMEN WHAT!?” Her own voice drowned them out as a necessity than wanted. They didn’t calm down, and she listened instead to what had got them to freak out so badly. After a moment her eyes widened as she looked on the screen, vaguely aware of Waxy standing up and brushing himself off.

“What’s got them to freak out, Greta?” She looked at him just as Tanya recovered and was about to lunge at the noisy distortion. “That’s Meow apparently.” At her words Tanya stopped if only for a minute and almost looked at the screen.

The guitarist had just bludgeoned someone with the end of her instrument and went back to playing. It looked to be one of the contestants earlier, but it didn’t matter as they took in every detail. A note came on the bottom of the screen as the band played out.

Apply for Red Tv at 801 Kramer Street, District 23, 70941

Chapter 19: Back to the junkyard

Chapter Text

“Ruff, Ruf! co*ck-a-doo-

“I’m looking it up, knock it off!”

Tanya let out a sigh as her fingers kept typing up different things. An hour ago trying to type the name of the show had gotten them results for tvs in a red hue, and after more specification they’d found what they were looking for. A game show with a steadily growing fan base mostly due to the excessive blood on the sometimes risque nature.

Or as she liked to put it ‘Nest Kid Snuff’.

She rolled her eyes as she read more and more articles and explanations of the show, its hosts, the contestants, etc. In her head she already knew the answer for the whole thing was because some rich asshats in the nest got bored of the typical rats shanking one another and wanted a flashier murder.

Her eyes went over the host name, and her supposed love of art, and instead to the requirements for joining the roster. Kramer street was southwest of their current set up, a couple hours away actually, and she was surprised to know that they did walk-ins. Anyone could join, apparently, they were just put among a list.

In her opinion that should have been enough, but Bremen had her looking through the episodes to try and see Finn’s chances at getting in. She didn’t see why they weren’t just looking for information on their friend Meow and just picked her up. She would probably join them on their quest to find the other two assuming she didn’t already know where the other two are.

Her eyes lazily scanned over the seven seasons and their view counts. Some episodes looked to have multiple different contestants and some the same amount. A quick skim through a few and it seemed to have been determined by how competent the group was and if they needed to bring out another.

Her left hand rested under her chin as she looked at each episode and looked mildly at their receptions. It was a mind-numbing task as she looked at ratings that would always start to drop near the end of the season, and then shoot up at the beginning of a new one. People growing bored of the old and predictable sets for the season.

Which is why the current season surprised her. Mostly glowing reviews despite the fact that they looked to be cycling through old sets. A part of her wondered if nostalgia was taking effect, but that seemed like a stretch considering the show was only a little a few months before it hit the five year mark.

She clicked on an episode featuring a grade two fixer office called Radiant Office. A bunch of holier than thou looking fixers why wouldn’t mind punching the lights out of. Either way her finger was on the episode's fast forward button as she watched them go through the trials. She watched it sped up as they went through rooms with traps, puzzles, and of course fights. Right as she got to the end, she noticed they stood in front of the two doors.

The first door’s frame looked to be made of genuine gold, and she’d seen enough in her time to see that, with a mahogany wood door inside it. The center of the door had the show’s logo carved inside, but also angelic cherubs and powerful flaming sword designs. Highlighted above the thing was the word Reward with different gemstones in their words respective centers.

The second was a bloodstained door with the floor in front of it having a trail of bloody hand prints. It looked mangled and beyond repair, and even had a hole to the top right side. The words Extra Challenge were above it.

Which is why to her annoyance she saw the episode end and the beginning of the next episode began. She didn’t pay attention to their names but just noticed that they were completely different people. She went back to the episode and wondered if maybe she just hit the next episode key.

Three tries later, and no she hadn’t.

“The f*ck?” She let her confusion and mild anger be verbal as she looked at it. Why would an episode that ended so abruptly have such high ratings? She looked through a few comments, and it soon became clear why. A few comments on those reviews, from the studio itself, pointed out this was the censored version and to get the full cut they could do a few things. The easiest is just to buy it online.

That was her first clue something was wrong. It was true that these things at times needed to be censored depending on the district, but district 23? You could show borderline anything on the TV due to how depraved, if oddly wholesome at times, the normal populace was. If anything, Tanya wondered what could be shown on the screen that needed censorship here of all places. A problem for later she supposed.

“Yeah Finn could get in. Question: Do you think he should go in as a member of the Five Dragons, or a Hana Member?” Bremen tilted their head and where was given three different versions of the word “Why?” She stood up straight in her chair before she spoke.

“Well if he signs up in the Hana coat, they might find out he’s not a real member if they look in the database, but if not, I don’t think a solo Hana fixer isn’t a bad chance for an episode. With the Five Dragons, sure they allow syndicates, but think of the potential ramifications. If the Middle sees they might think it’s fine since they get publicity, but if they don't, his sister might find herself with a bad visit if they can find out who he is.” That last part came out and put Bremen in a state of pondering.

“Hey guys how’s it going?” Greta walked in at the moment to see the rare state of the normally loud and quick Bremen in deep thought. “What’s got them like this?” She asked as she sat in a chair across from them. When she was nice and settled in is when Tanya explained it to her.

“Trying to figure out if Finn should wear the Hana Coat or the Five Dragons suit.” Greta looked at both with a strange look before she spoke. “Why are we sending just Finn and not just grabbing Meow?” Tanya let out a triumphant breath before Bremen began explaining.

Admittedly the plan was a lot better than they thought. They were going to grab Meow, but they needed to find where the show was made first. They themselves couldn’t go due to their infamy, but Finn could as well because he was generally fine. All they needed was to repair the car, which should be easy there was a junkyard right there and-

…

…

“f*ck!” Tanya slammed her head on the desk and groaned into it. She was sure that Greta and Bremen were looking at her. “Why am I so stupid I was right there.” She muttered into her own hands. Greta put her hand on her shoulder in comfort.

“Are you having a late hangover or something? What’s wrong Tanya?” She let out a sigh as she looked up. “I was at a junkyard, taking Finn to fight a gang that was working with people who steal cars, and I didn’t think to try and find a new van to fit us all. I was just distracted seeing Finn do things.” Her face went back to her hands as she let out groans of irritation.

“Tanya, it's fine. It’s been said you can just go get something since I’m sure they're still there. Heck Finn saw a working car, he told me when I was taking care of him and Waxy.” Tanya let out an even more agitated groan before she settled down. She stood up from her seat and began walking towards the door.

“I’ll be back. I’m taking Waxy since he seems so energetic from the alcohol.” Drunk Waxy was really a sight to behold. He was largely the same, but it was like he just had the energy of a child, and also started radiating heat like he was a furnace. He didn’t even seem aware of the fact, just carrying on like normal, and later training his strikes against the dummies in the area. If you counted training as effortlessly destroying.

She was sure he’d be better since it was the morning and not last night.

____________________________________________________________________________

The crack that his weapon made when it impacted the skull of a Zwei fixer was different than when he’d hit a member of the Hana Association. He chalked it up to the fact that the Hana he fought were grade 1, and typically used their weapons as protective layers, as opposed to these Zwei.

“Of f*cking course these guys are here. I swear they're like flies.” Tanya said as she walked towards him. He shrugged as he began walking through the hole in the chain link fence and into the junkyard. Tanya grumbled before he extended his hand to her, and upon seeing it used it to light a monochrome cigarette. Throwing the no trespassing tape they’d put up to the side as they went along.

“What kind is that?” He typically wouldn’t ask, but Tanya seemed to somewhat enjoy talking about these sorts of things, so he figured it best to take her mind off of the Zwei in the area. “Oh it’s a brand from T-Corp. Chessmen’s gambit, and it’s got a strong taste to it.” She took a long drag off of it before blowing it to her side.

“I remember this brand actually advertising it helped boost creativity. Weird sh*t, but I’ve peddled drugs that did weirder things when I was a part of the middle.” He nodded as they followed the trail. A part of him wondered if the advertising was true or not, but ultimately found himself once again not caring.

As they approached a building a few Zwei were in front of it looking at the thing and investigating. One looked up, and with a shout a few rushed out ready to deal with them. He heard Tanya sigh at the act as she looked at him. He nodded, getting the hint and took a step forward.

Within a moment he practically crossed the distance between him and the first Zwei, and his weapon wasn’t up high enough as he swung his own like a bat. A bit flashy, but the effects of the alcohol from the other day still went through him. Then again it was more early morning than it was late night but it was practically the same thing.

He did find it strange that the drink had such a different effect on him than it did everyone else. Not that it was easy to see those effects since the other three didn’t seem intoxicated for very long. Finn’s reaction had been the closest to what he might call entertaining.

He was what Tanya had called an ‘affectionate drunk’, and he could see why he’d gotten the label. It was hard to imagine Finn laying over any one of them thanking them or calling them friends. Every now and then a complaint about something from Yun’s Office, but it was mostly singing praises to them.

It was strange compared to the more silent and reserved Finn, but it was nice he supposed. Finn had always been so stressed, so seeing him unwind for once was a generally warming thing to see. Speaking of warming he really hadn’t thought he could subconsciously start producing fire.

That was slightly ominous; he'd have to be more careful if he ever did drink again. While he’d known he could typically touch things and cause them to burst into flame if they were flammable he was pretty sure when he was like that he could start melting metal if he held onto it for long. Which was actually really interesting.

A part of him considered maybe doing that if things ever got bad enough for them in a fight, but decided against it. Fighting drunk was typically not a good idea even if his mind had felt the same. He supposed he did things he typically didn’t when he’d been dru-

“WAXY THEY’RE DEAD! KNOCK IT THE f*ck OFF!” he rubbed the back of his head vaguely aware of the subtle pain he felt. Looking around him he’d realized he’d been surrounded by the corpses of the Zwei that had opposed them, his weapon raised high in both hands as he’d been bringing it down over a corpse.

“Sorry I hadn’t realized.” He looked at Tanya who took a deep breath and let out a sigh. He followed behind her as he entered and was greeted with one final Zwei with a baton. He took one look at them and let out a sigh as he started taking off his coat.

“I don’t want that.” At Tanya’s words the Zwei looked confused but settled down for them. “Why are we not killing him? He could tell where we are.” He wasn't particularly bloodthirsty, but leaving a survivor at this moment could expose them.

“Nah I can see in his eyes he knows his better.” She spoke dismissively as she studied a car that was surrounded by tape. The Crying Children look the man up and down. Strangely he didn’t look scared, just more tired and annoyed.

“D-Do you want something?” The white-haired man asked. The distortion looked down at the man's weapon and let out a hum. “Tanya, do you think Finn would do well with a Baton?” the man let out a resigned sigh at his question and held it out for him before Tanya spoke.

“I just realized we could send him in A Zwei Uniform, so that’s another option we have.” She spoke idly as she inspected the insides of the car. He nodded at the observation and held the weapon he was given.

“Well it’s a nice car, but it can’t comfortably fit Bremen and Greta. We could probably shove Finn in the trunk, just give him a pillow and blanket like I used to. The biggest problem is not tinted windows.” He let out a hum at her words before giving his own reply. “Can we get a second car for them later so that we can still move fast enough?”

Tanya let out a hum as she thought about his request. “We already basically only move at night, but we have 2 cars to take care of. Also, it’s easier for us to split up, but it’s also easier for us to confuse anyone following us.” The Crying Children looked at the still living Zwei member once again.

The man zipped his mouth.

“Eh we need a car to Get Finn on Red TV anyway, so we'll plan it out later. Worst comes to worse. We slaughter a small section’s worth of people.” With a shrug Tanya got in the car and went to start it. He went to join her, but she got out a moment later with an annoyed sigh.

“This has no gas. I’m going to siphon some, you stay here and…I don’t know, look pretty.” As she walked off the distortion looked to the only other person he could talk to at the moment. “Your remarkable calm for meeting two members of the Ensemble.” The man let out a tired chuckle at his observation.

“Would you believe me if I said this was the second time?”

Chapter 20: Blind Agreement

Chapter Text

“Lo-*@ Fin&, you^$e g#t a tr*).” The slight taps at his arm caused him to stir up. Couldn’t he just spend the day laying here? His liver hurt, his head was killing him, and despite the breakfast and water he’d had his body still felt like it was weighed down by a sack of rocks.

Why did he drink so much, and why had no one told him he’d feel so bad after. They might have actually his memories were a little foggy in some places, but he did have a clearer memory in some parts of it. Specifically, the movie had some bad effect that made it unclear if the third character actually died from a fall. Either way it didn’t matter now as he looked around a few times before his eye’s found their target.

Greta smiled at him as he blankly stared at her. “...huh?” She’d said something, but honestly, he hadn’t heard clearly what she’d wanted. He was too focused on everything else like how he liked the way the cool counter felt on his head. “You’re going somewhere.” She said to him as he also noticed Bremen was in the room.

“...Why?” One-word answers seemed to be his specialty at the moment. His higher brain, and body, function crippled from the alcohol. Greta simply patted him on the head in sympathy as she looked at him. “We need you to infiltrate a game show, and we'll break you out after to get Bremen’s friend back.” He tasted his mouth for a moment before he looked idly at Bremen then back to Greta.

“How…” He took a moment to go from sitting to standing, and after grabbing onto Greta for support stood up. This was taking more effort than he liked, and he was starting to wonder if a shower would do him good. Showers helped combat hangovers, right? He looked at the women talking to him once again for an explanation and used all of his focus.

“Well, we plan on having you go in to sign up and-why would they pick me?” Normally he didn’t interrupt, but right now he just really didn’t want to do anything today. Holy sh*t why was getting drunk so much worse than the beatdown he suffered the other day? Greta opened her mouth a few times before she spoke.

“We might have put the cart before the horse.” Bremen cried something again, and suddenly Finn found the strength to put his hands to his ears. Bremen had always been loud, but right now it was as if their voice was amplified to three times their normal volume. In any regards he was effectively squatting as he let out several hisses of pain.

His own hands were soon joined by Greta’s as she was placed hers over his, leaving him in a new kind of silence. It was nice that her hands felt as if they could wrap around her head, but the sound of breathing from the maws did give some slight discomfort. He might have likened it to a waterbed from the one time he laid on one in a store as a kid.

Before he got chased out by the owner that was.

Greta was also saying something. Not that he could hear it, but her body vibrated, for lack of better word, as she did, and the teeth of the mouths grazed his skin. It didn’t hurt as much as Finn had always thought they would. Or maybe the beating from yesterday just numbed him to the comparatively small niblings.

One of her hands was taken from his side, and he heard slightly that they were disagreeing with something. Finn just wanted to go back to bed, and honestly the breathing was strange. It kind of made him sleepy as his eyes began to droop. He always wondered if it was possible to sleep standing up.

That would be a question he would have to find out later as he was thrown over Greta’s shoulder and he let out a slight “Bleh.” He was content to just hang there limp as he was carried off. Greta’s shoulder was surprisingly comfy all things considered; he could probably sleep here with little effort. He wouldn’t get that chance of course as he was put down on a break room chair and the imposing women sat next to him.

“How much of the conversation did you hear?” He looked at her dully. “None.” She looked at him strangely before shrugging. “Well, you probably don’t care because you look like you want to just go to bed, but I figure you’ll need to know this going forward even if it’s silly. You can take a nap after if you want.” He nodded as he leaned back in the chair.

“Well, the plan, that we made in like a few minutes, was to get you on a show to get to Bremen’s friend. A simple follow the vans they take you in and bust in say ten minutes later plan. Then you brought up the simple point that you're not guaranteed to win.” She paused for a moment to make sure he was paying attention and he nodded.

“Well Bremen decided that we use my reputation to basically get us in, and for us to participate in the show and just bust their friend out.” He nodded again before he paused. “You're famous? Like famous as in actually famous and not just wanted?” She took in a few breaths trying to find the words before shrugging.

“Kind of. Maybe more infamous, eh you ever hear about the eight chefs.” No, he had not heard about them honestly. It kind of sounded like a cooking show his sister and him would skip on the show because they didn’t have the money to even attempt half of what was on the screen. “Uh, not really but I think I know enough.”

He probably didn’t, but any excuse to get to bed earlier would be nice. He had a dull awareness he was being incredibly rude so far, especially since she had made him food earlier, but it was just one of those days. He’d probably kick himself later tomorrow and apologize if Tanya didn’t actually knock his head off.

Actually, he wouldn’t have to deal with his migraine then.

“Good enough. Well see, the problem is.” She let out a grumble and he swore she might have blushed for a moment. “I’m just…not really a big fan of throwing my fame around District 23. It just…feels weird.” His normally blank widened in shock for a bit as he tried contemplating her logic before he spoke. “Don’t we kill people and make them into really good food.”

She sputtered for a moment before she began. “That’s completely different. They want to kill me, I’m hungry and need to kill them, and that’s just the way District 23 works. It’s a mutual agreement we all sign when we're born here.” Her hands gesture as if she was telling a story, and Finn followed along as if he was a child again.

“The issue is I’ve got fame, and now instead of this agreement everyone just kind of. Gives up, wants to join, or they think I’ll make them into a magnum opus. It just doesn’t taste the same without the effort used to get it. Does that make sense?” He pondered it for a bit, he supposed he could since he’d felt kind of similar in sparing the boss for the syndicate.

“Kind of, but wouldn’t it make getting ingredients easier or is there something I’m not getting?” At his question she nodded slightly before she spoke. “Well yes, but I want the dishes I make to have a story and such if I can help it. As a chef I want you to be able to taste the struggle the meal had to survive, and my effort to catch and cook it. I want a constant flavor that I find only struggles in some way can make, giving up should only come when all hope is lost, not just off the bat.” There was a fervor as she spoke and then she continued.

“I don’t want to make meals people just show down their hole and go about, I want to make meals people take the time and savor. There’s a world of flavors to explore, and it’s so hard for people to just stick to one for a moment. So, if I can get someone, just for a minute, in this constant time crunch of a city to sit and enjoy my food then as a chef I could be happy.” The picture was clearer now for him, and he smiled for the first time today and nodded.

“I know this isn’t an exact comparison, using it to get on a show, but it just feels somehow like I’m cheating the system somehow. Maybe I’m just being pedantic about what is and is a good thing to use my reputation on, but I’m a chef. I’m supposed to be a little pedantic about what goes in the food and not.” He pushed his lip for a moment before he spoke. “Can we make an exception to the rule to get Bremen’s friend? I don’t think you need to completely change your way of doing things.”

She opened her mouth to argue before she closed it again. She repeated this process a few times as if she were stuck on a tape constantly being rewound again and again. Finally, she growled and turned into a chuckle. “You're hungover, you're not supposed to make points I can’t argue with.”

He probably would’ve said nothing, but the drowsiness was really starting to get to him. Her speech had helped him stay awake for a moment longer, but it was just that moment. A part of him realized he was silently agreeing to just go on a show and probably make a fool of himself, but really, he’d already been going with the flow. He hadn’t really asked what the show was going on, but it probably wasn’t going to be too bad.

“Hey if you're with me then it’ll be fine. Let’s go get Bremen’s friend it seems fun.” At that she looked at him critically for a moment. He didn’t know what he’d said to make her look at him like that, but he wasn’t a fan of it. Finally, after who knows how long she spoke again.

“You don’t remember who they are, do you.”

“Yes, I do…”

“Are you saying that because you just want to go to bed?”

“...Yes, sorry.”

“Just to clarify, if you say yes again can we hold you to that?”

“Yes.”

He realized a bit too late this was probably not a good idea. She was actually giving him a way to say no to this, but it probably couldn’t be anywhere near as bad as the other day with Bremen or the plumbing. That could be a problem for future Finn though if it was, and he wasn’t future Finn at the moment.

What was one more mistake in the pile?

“Alright come one then. You're going to want as much sleep as possible when we go out. Hopefully you’ve shaken off and remember no going back once we start.” He nodded and picked himself up and began to walk to the rest area he was sleeping at.

Greta followed along making sure he could get back to it safely, but he was sort of starting to maybe sober up. He still wanted to go to bed, but right now he was better than it was earlier. A little more of what Greta had said to him started catching up to him.

Hindsight was also rapidly approaching, and he walked a little faster to see if he could outpace it. He’d already decided that sober him could freak out like he usually did, and he wouldn’t have a migraine as well as regrets. That could come later today when they went to sign up for the show, he was going to be a part of.

He wondered what kind of show it be.

Chapter 21: Sign Us Up

Chapter Text

Jeb looked at the sheet handed to him from under the glass shield. Scanning over the contents of the fixer from Nettle office. “Thank you, sir everything looks, acceptable. Have a nice day.” The man walked away and through the doors past the reception area where there were six more people. He grit his teeth and look at the clock next to him.

He should have clocked out and been done an hour ago, but because of the season finale coming upon suddenly everyone and their mother wanted a chance to join the show. The season finale reward was always this ridiculous thing that anyone and everyone had wanted to be the one to earn his spot.

Normally the job was boring, day in and day out taking in people who had some passing interest in joining. The season finales were the worst because lines of people would form, and more often than not weapons would be drawn. Any idea that lowering the amount of people who COULD be the one to get called was taken into account.

He’d only taken the job because he wanted to get his mother off his back, and the pay was decent enough, but this was pushing his limits. All it would take was one more man thinking he could shove his weapon through the reinforced trapped glass and be mulched in response for him to quit.

Taking notes and cleaning up, that was the job. He had to clean every piece of viscera and gore that would break out here, and when he was allowed to leave of course it was during the Night of the Backstreets, so he had no shortage of things to avoid. The clock had become an aggravation to him.

Every tick of the clock, and another name and title would be written down. Office, Syndicate, random person off the street who had too much confidence or nothing to lose. It didn’t matter who it was because they all pissed him off in some way.

Flicking lighters, tapping feet, idle conversations and threats all blurred together in his mind as he wrote another name. Another empty and false goodbye came from his mouth as he heard the door open again and nearly shattered the pen in frustration. The night was coming, and he was not accepting one more damn potential client.

He stood up, not bothering to look up. The last grip on his mind told him to sit back down, that he NEEDED this job, or his mother would be right. He just couldn't however as he opened his mouth to tell the motherf*cker to get the hell out. Who cared if his boss fired him as he looked up and-

His anger died down.

Walking in with confidence and her head up high the most famous person of District 23 walked in. The reception area had gone quiet as everyone looked to her with different reactions, and he pinched his own cheek to make sure this wasn’t some dream he had falling asleep at the desk.

It wasn’t and as one of the fixers leapt at her to try and end her, she caught him in the palms of her hand and crushed his head with a punch from the other. That stirred the rest to begin to fight, and he watched enraptured by the carnage. For once taking the job did, he basks in the glory of it.

He’d wanted to run a little corner place growing up that sold sandwiches. Nothing fancy like HamHamPangPang, but just a nice place that people could sit down and have a bite to eat without worrying if the chef would eat them. He didn’t have the aversion to human flesh that his parents did, being from District 15 and had to move here, but he wanted a place that had its own vibe. Seeing one of the eight chefs reinvigorated him of that goal his parents had tried to crush under their boots and make him subservient.

Seeing her he didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care that he’d have to clean up the large mess she was making, he didn’t care how much his dream was unobtainable in this crumbling economy, he didn’t care that his parents would disown him for taking the risk. They’d been hell to live with anyway so he would rather take his chances because if he’d survived two years doing this than he could-

“Hello sir.” He was snapped away from his thoughts and the view of the carnage as he was suddenly looking at a person in a Hana coat. A youthful face sent a nervous smile that looked back at him. “Uh me and her would like to sign up to take part in the show…sorry for that.” He pointed behind him as The Eighth Chef had a man in a headlock before squeezing down and severing it with pure strength alone before turning her back on a woman with a rapier who drove it into her shoulder.

“You're with her.” He said in disbelief and looked up and down at the conflict and the man twice. He frowned at the question before he spoke. “Is it that unbelievable?” He looked down flatly at him. “Yes.”

In response the man in the Hana coat looked backward. “Greta! He doesn’t believe that I’m with you.” The woman in question was pulverizing the women from before with her meat tenderizer before throwing it to the side and focusing a group of three with spears and shields. The shark women took a moment to look at him.

“Don’t talk sh*t about my apprentice. I won’t join this show if this keeps up.” With that she turned her focus back to the group and began marching forward. One of them let out a yelp that he couldn’t tell if it was from fear or excitement, and he looked back at the lucky bastard with wide eyes.

“I’m sooo sorry sir j-just give me a moment.” The paper shredder that he had under his desk and every application that he’d had that day, and the previous week that he needed to turn in, were quickly destroyed. It gave him no shortage of satisfaction and as he looked up brought out two applications for the man.

“I just need names, age verification, a few other details that need- you should duck.” At his warning the man in front of him did, as a large throwing knife impacted his screen, and the weapon was sent flying back at its thrower. The repulsion field having done its job the man looked back up at him. “You have a pen?”

“No shortage of them.” He said with a smile and handed him a blue fountain pen. He nodded and began filling out his own form first right there, the place behind him being destroyed as the brawl went on so it was probably smart, before he got to a question. “It says that exceptions can be made to age. What’s that mean since I’m twenty?”

Jeb sucked in the air between his teeth, he couldn’t let this opportunity slip him up just now. “When’s your birthday? If the worst comes to worst, I can lie and put my own.” He’d already shredded the documents and planned on quitting when the finale of the show was out, but he couldn’t let them not be the winners. “Oh, it’s October fifteenth.”

He put his head down and sighed. “It’s April twelfth, just hand it to me an- 8 MONTHS PASS WHEN I WAS IN THE LIBRARY!? I MISSED MY TWENTY FIRST BIRTHDAY!?” The now barely man put his hands on the side of his head and looked down mortified. From the back she heard the Chef shout as someone was launched through the window.

“I’LL MAKE YOU A CAKE LATER!” He turned back to her from his sparked realization. “Thank you!” He turned back to him. “Is being twenty-one old enough?” He nodded at the question and went back to filling out the forms.

It took a moment for his brain to register that the person in front of him was someone who survived The Library, and suddenly Hana coat made sense. He didn’t know one person could rank up so much so fast or that they would throw it all away to pursue their dreams. It was inspiring in a way, after all if this borderline teenager could become a grade one fixer and become the apprentice of one of the Eight Chiefs then…

Then what made his dream impossible?
“Here you go.” The form was handed to him, and he took one look at the name before he put it to the side. “Alright Finn, now do you want to write for Greta or are we going to wait for her?” His question was answered as another body was thrown onto the counter. The weak scrambling of a black-haired man eventually found the counter to prop himself up. “H-Help m-” The sentence wouldn’t be finished as the blue fountain pen was jammed into his eye socket and ended the man then and there.

“O-Oh sorry you didn’t need this right?” He shook his head. “Not at all Finn do you want it?” He was given a shake no and he shrugged his shoulders. Finally, the women of the hour walked up and looked down at the dead body. “Hey, you saved me the trouble. You're getting better at this, Finn.”
Finn put his hand behind his head. “Eh, you did all the work. Me dealing with someone wasn’t the goal this time, and we’ll need to leave so I saved you the effort.” Greta nodded and the blue pen was given to her as she took the application that Finn had.

She was right there filling it out. Now was the chance to do something anything before the moment slipped through his fingers like sand. It was hard though as Jeb’s throat felt drier than it ever had been in that moment. His tongue licked his lips, but it felt like it had done nothing for him.

Finally, he found his nerve and he spoke. “C-CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTO AUTOGRAPH?!” He hadn’t meant to shout it, but it had come out like that. The shark woman looked up from his, a finished application in her hand before she sighed. “Got something for me to sign?” No sooner did the question leave her mouth did the sleeve of his white button up shirt become torn with strength he didn’t know he had.

Presenting it to her she took a moment to look at him. Before she went, she signed it and presented the holy fabric to him. To Jeb from Greta, May all your meals burst with flavor. His heart sang to him in that moment, and he wondered briefly how she knew his name before he remembered that he had a name tag on.

“Thank you, ma’am. Please come back in two weeks so that you know whether you won or not around two to seven P.M.” She was basically guaranteed to win the spot along with her apprentice and she nodded. She took one look at Finn before she spoke. “Alright cool, now we should leave before the Zwei come. Take any weapon you want Finn; this might get crazy.”

He nodded and they began running out, Finn scooping up some weapons as he left, leaving him there in a destroyed building. He didn’t care anymore because despite the fact it would be mostly impossible for him to clean this all the future looked bright. Brighter than it had been because as he looked down at the sloth in his hands, his heart swelled with pride. Nothing could possibly dampen his mood as he went to get the cleaning supplies so that he could take care of the mess she’d left for him.

After all he still had the pen she’d used to sign it as well, and that thought left a wide grin on his face.

____________________________________________________________________________

“How’d it go?” The crying children said as he drove the car back to the base. Greta’s hands covered her face in embarrassment as Finn stood on the side of her. “I think it went well. Greta didn’t say much, and I figured out I’ve been in The Library for about nearly a year and missed my birthday.” He nodded as the wax distortion looked in the rear-view mirror.

“Greta?”

“...”

“Great, it couldn’t have been that bad.”

“I gave someone an autograph.”

“That’s not so bad.”

“One of the people I killed bit me and said I will be part of them forever.”

“...” He chose not to comment on that, and he heard Finn make a disgusted noise. He supposed the person would’ve been right in that she was with him for the rest of his life. He looked at the pile of weapons Finn got before he shrugged and went back to the drive.

“Waxy, if we ever meet someone who’s a fan of yours, you’ll understand completely why this is embarrassing for me.” He nodded absentmindedly but had serious doubts. There wouldn’t be a soul alive that had anything positive about him burning down V-Corp’s nest, so a part of him wondered why she brought it up.

Or why he felt such a strange…shiver that went up his spine.

Chapter 22: Intro To Show Bizz

Chapter Text

There was a pit in Finn’s stomach.

It had been forming for a few days as the time that he and Greta would go to see if they were chosen, and they probably were if the man’s reaction to seeing her was anything, grew closer and closer. Strangely it wasn’t because of stress or nervousness that he was going to be broadcast to the world, but something he felt was physically wrong with him.

It had begun one morning on a night where Tanya had once again taken him to find a low-level syndicate, she’d gotten info about from ‘someone who knew their place.’. The fight hadn’t been anything as bad as the Junkyard Dogs, but he’d still lost a few fingers and one stray swipe had taken out his left eye. Once again only taking out enough to seemingly impress Tanya before he was taken home again.

He’d woken up with a slight pain in his stomach, but he’d thought little of it at the time. He figured that he was just having some stomach pains and could live with it. It persisted through the day, and when Finn went to sleep, he figured in the morning it would be gone.

…only it didn’t go away in the morning.

It had actually grown, but Finn chose not to bring it up that day either. It was still manageable, but it was concerning to him that it wasn’t going away. There was no shortage of times Tanya and him would go out, or they’d use the training grounds in the base where he just had to impress her, which required him to get treated after. The problem wasn’t going away though and this was worrying.

He didn’t say anything to the others because…something in him just seems to compel him not to. It wasn’t affecting him in any negative way, and if anything, he was able to do that thing with his suit better and better. He still couldn't explain it, but it was like there was this 'thing' he could grab onto whenever he needed that jump like the first time.

None of that mattered as he sat with Greta as Tanya drove them onto the street to the building. There wasn't any of their normal banter they had normally, just silent contemplation as they sat in the car. His thoughts on the days passing were the only thing that kept him occupied.

In a separate vehicle he knew Waxy and Bremen were tailing them. The plan might have been simple, but apparently since Meow was famous, they expected to deal with no shortage of security. A part of Finn knew that him being the bait was probably the most he could do but there was this…longing to prove himself to them.

What was the point in all these training sessions and better weaponry if he wasn't going to use them? He knew practically he'd probably end up a smear on the ground, but he was getting more and more used to taking a beating. The prospect of losing anything from a single tooth to an arm no longer frightened him. Of course, that could be because he had three ampules on his side as a just in case.

A part of him wanted to ask them something to get rid of the dead. To ask Greta if there were any recipes, to ask Tanya where they were going to fight next, or maybe to talk about something trivial he now missed from his past. Talking about family with Greta was always fun as she had no shortage of mischief she got into on her own.

…ah he’d just realized.

He was thinking about his sister now, and the realization that he’d forgotten to call her. He was sure he’d seen a phone at some point while he was around their hide away, so why hadn’t he called her? It would’ve taken a couple of minutes to let her know that he was fine, and that he was coming home safe with some new friends.

H-He’d just been busy was all. He was getting better at being a fixer, one that Yun would have to admit had results with his training. She’d understand that he was in a once in a lifetime situation, right? Of course, she thought his sister was always the more reasonable of the two even if she thought he’d needed a prosthetic body like she didn’t believe in-

…

Where had that thought come from?

He shook his head away from that intrusive thought that had popped up. It was the strange tenseness of the situation that had made the thought stand out. Any other and he would forget it in a moment. He needed to think reasonably right now. He was going to be on tv right now.

A sudden realization hit him that his face was going to be plastered on a wide screen for who knows how many to see. A wave of anxiety and excitement welled up within him at that moment. Of course, maybe that was why the two were so quiet they were just as nervous as he was, and Greta had told him she didn’t like using her fame. It must have been something the whole group felt and not just Greta, even if his memories were hazy about the exact conversation.

What if his sister saw him on the show? He was sure that his sister wouldn't be into such things, but what if one of her coworkers told her about it. She’d know he’d be there, be alive and thriving in his situation despite everything. What would she-

“That’s f*cking suspicious.” His thoughts were interrupted as he looked up at Tanya. “Yeah, even I can see that.” Greta chimed in and Finn looked around the windows of the car to see what they were talking about. All down the road were a variety of vehicles each with the logo of Red Tv on the side of them, leaving only a section of the road that could fit a few cars in front of the building.

“It’s too unsubtle to be a trap, but if we're dealing with the rich, they probably don’t care. Everything's gotta be flashy with them?” Tanya was drumming her fingertips on the wheel as she spoke. She was clearly debating something in her head as she stood parked in the road looking at it. “What’s the chance you think of this being some ambush?”

“Do we really care?” Greta answered nonchalantly as ever. “If it is we can fight your way out, and if it isn’t then eh…: She trailed off seemingly almost hoping it was an ambush. Finn chimed in. “I think I’ll be fine. We can do this.” Tanya looked in the mirror at him and went to say something before shrugging her shoulders.

“They have tinted windows on their cars, so hey if worse comes to worse there's a few car places we can ‘purchase’ the services of. This is the backstreets, no one cares if your doors are discolored.” With that she swerved into a place that was perfect for their car and parked. She unbuckled her seat belt and relaxed putting a cigarette to the empty passenger seat before retracting it.

“Waxy isn’t the-Get out of the car and deal with your own thing.” Tanya interrupted her as Greta chuckled as she did so. He followed, going out her side to not walk around the vehicle, and noticed then that there was a red carpet laid out for them on the sidewalk. Greta frowned but walked down wordless as he followed behind her.

The building remarkably didn’t have any sign that they’d torn the place to shreds. Well, more Greta, but he was still surprised by how speedy the repairs were. He supposed if the show was really that much of a moneymaker that made sense, but it still reminded him of all the long construction back at home. He chose not to comment on it and instead walk into the building with the shark women.

And was greeted with a reception place filled to the brim with people. “Oh ho ho look at that! The employee wasn’t lying, the famous Eight Chief herself is gracing us with her splendor.” The women who spoke immediately captured Finn's eyes. The crowd of people in maroon and black suits drowned out as his eyes were on her.

Long brown hair was out in an elegant bun with some spilling out the sides of her face, her skin was a shade lighter than his own but had a shine to it. Her face was unmarred except for the two red dots that looked like thumbprints under her eyes with shining white teeth. That was to say nothing of the black dress she wore that forced his eyes to look down and reveal it had a slit revealing one leg.

Finn had never had the time to see a celebrity, but for once he felt like he was a part of a different world. He was used to dirt and grim, nice suits had to be made for combat, and everyone was always looking forward to the next paycheck. Even his sister, the saint she was, had moments where the city broke her, but this woman walked with confidence towards them he’d never seen.

“And who’s the little cutie here? Oh, look at that face, the camera will love you.” Almost immediately she put her hands on his face, and he’d noticed the smooth and softness for them compared to a lot of things. It reminded him strangely of his sister before she had those augments on her hands that had those padding on them.

There was something about her voice as well. It was hypnotic and whatever misgiving he might have had seemed to melt. It was like all the tension he’d previously gotten had melted away as she seemed to look him over, and he felt his eye’s focus more on he-

“Finn, and get your hands off him.” Greta’s harsh voice and removal of the women’s hands broke him out of whatever stupor he’d been put into. Her hands withdrew and for a moment he noticed on the palms of her hands red dots similar to the ones under her eye’s. “Ah sorry, it’s just a little unbelievable to actually see you have an apprentice. A lot of people would be jealous.” The women’s tone was playful as opposed to Greta’s.

The taller women looked down, Finn only now noticing the unnamed women a few inches taller than him, before she spoke. “It’s my choice who I take as an apprentice. Trying to say something.” The woman put her hands up in surrender and closed her eyes. “Nothing of the sort, just making small talk. You're a walking legend, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

She snapped her fingers suddenly and a row of people in the back moved aside to a door he hadn’t seen before. The words ‘Employee Only’ spelt on it, and it was pushed aside revealing a sterile hallway other than the red carpet. “Come along, we just have to have a few things sorted before we finalize everything.” The women turned around expecting them to follow, she put a little more sway into her walk than ne-

“Why all the people? Doesn’t give off the friendliest welcome.” Greta stood firm, and the women turned around after a sudden start. “Ah, my apologies. Truthfully, I wanted to be here alone, but you know the network. Can’t have the host of the show go alone lest she have a knife pulled on her by the unwashed masses. Really are forgetting I was born here.” Finn looked her up and down with that knowledge told to him.

A part of him wanted to say she was lying, there was no way someone like her came from the backstreets. He didn’t because he was reminded that he became a fixer to get his sister into the nest and a thought occurred to him. If he’d accomplished that goal would his sister and him really look like her?

The looks, the attitude, and the confidence was something he aspired to have. So that he could rid the stressed bags under his sister's eyes and reward her for every sacrifice that she’d taken so that he could be happy. The woman was every bit of glitz and glamor that he’d heard the nest could provide…

So why did he feel like something was wrong?

Greta shrugged before with a gesture she said to go one. The host obliged and Finn noted again the strange dot on the nap of her neck as they walked along. The hallway was long, longer than he felt it should be as they passed by many doors. The woman was humming the entire time, and Finn struggled to keep his focus on any detail that was her stunning voice.

After a minute or two she opened a door on her left and walked in, then followed behind her as there was a table and a few chairs for them. The woman sat down, crossing one leg over the other as she waited for them. They followed Finns eyes on the mouth of Greta's left hand to avoid staring at the women.

God why did the dress expose so mu-

“So why did you apply to Red Tv?” The woman began with a chipper question. “One of my friends is on the show. Well, more like a friend of a friend.” The woman looked intrigued at that before she continued. “Really? Just curious who if you’ll indulge me?” The woman leaned forward, her hands under her chin as she looked excited.

“One of those band members. Meow if you know her name.” The woman let out an elegant laugh at that as she waved a hand. “Oh, our rising star. She’s on a fast road to success from being just some girl caught up in the Library, if only she’d let that mask of her.” The woman shook her head at that.

“Yeah well, we kind of need her instead of her being that star. Her old gang wants the band back together again.” Greta leaned forward; her eye’s narrowing while the women didn’t at all seem phased by the proposal.” Oh? Are you joining the show to kidnap here away from here because you're not the first who’s wanted dear little Meow in their mitts. It’s how we lost our last guitarist actually.” The woman put her hands up in a grabby motion as she continued, her tone not changing despite the reveal.

Finn felt his eyes widen at the knowledge as he choked on his own spit. She looked at him and it was only then he noticed the black eye’s she had. “Oh? Are we getting a little flustered there? Surely you have to know Meow’s got quite a fanbase on her, no shortage of people want to just take her in all manner of ways.” He squirmed more and she almost seemed to delight in his writhing. Greta's fist impacted the table, shaking it and leaving a large dent under her hand.

“Hey knock that off. I thought we were here to talk about us joining, not making Finn uncomfortable!” Greta spoke harshly and almost seemed to be ready to spring to her feet at that proclamation. The woman settled back, seeming pleased with herself. “Oh, I’m just talking about wanting to eat her, use her organs as their own, replace limbs and wear them. You weren’t thinking I was implying something…risqué now, were you?”

Greta looked to be on the verge of blowing a fuse. “For someone so honored to be here you really seem to enjoy pissing me off.” Her teeth were gnashing, all of them and more that were under her clothes that Finn could only hear. A smug look donned on the woman as the lower of her left eyelid raised and she grinned. “Course I am, how could I do this then?”

Finn felt something jab into the side of his neck and he let out an involuntary noise. He may have looked to the liquid that was quickly pushed into his system, but he heard Greta get struck by several more than he was. His first shot out, punching away a woman that had been hidden somehow from his perception as he ripped the syringe out. He read the name that was written in bold lettering.

K-Corp Enhanced Sleep Inducer

Within a moment of seeing the name he felt darkness force themselves to his eyes. Greta roared and flung the table away to get at the woman who was brandishing a syringe of her own he hadn’t seen her with before. She seemed more waving it around than ready to use it as a weapon, and from her right hand came a red branch to block off Greta. Looking more like a set of nerves with pointed ends almost.

He fell to the ground, his body useless to stop anything as he was picked up. Even as he left the enclosed room, he could see Greta slowing down as the woman rolled to the left of her seat and laughed about something. His struggling, the minimum that he could, didn’t stop the red-spectacled people carrying his body. The last thought he had before the drug put him to sleep wondering if he could’ve done something differently.

…

No he couldn’t have.

Chapter 23: Final preperations before the show

Chapter Text

Tanya wasn’t surprised she had to leave her new car to deal with people. The whole thing had obvious signs that it was a trap and when they’d started trying to wreck the vehicle she stepped out. Around her a sea of people with black suits and red lens glasses. Not a sign of any association symbol on any of their clothes.

Her fist caved in the chest of a man, and she grabbed the leg of the falling body and swung it around using the corpse as a makeshift weapon. The circle that was trying to form was knocked away, and she threw the corpse into the side of one of their vehicles. She brought her foot up and stomped down on the head of a face down woman. Behind her a large booming trumpet solo played and to her side a body impacted a car and caved in its roof.

Turning around Waxy and Bremen were walking down the street, having parked not too far away, and while Bremen was fighting anyone and anything that got within reach Waxy had a different approach. He walked calmly on the sidewalk instead of the road and swung his weapon in his typical lazy looking manner whenever someone tried to assault him. Of course, a swing from him was something anyone under grade three, or even depending on the fixer, could barely dodge and these people weren’t that. No shortage of would-be foes were batted away with typically fatal injuries as he walked to her. Bremen stayed content to fight instead of actually approaching.

She threw herself to the ground when he raised his hand and she saw the familiar light in his palm. Above her a ray of red light impacted a few unfortunate saps and practically vaporized them, the beam going past and striking a car at the end of the road. Predictably the car exploded sending fire and shrapnel everywhere.

She pushed herself up, wiping off some of the cement that clung to her. Her fist shot out to the side punching away a man who probably thought she was a little disoriented. She felt his nose break, and her leg shot out and swept him to the ground. She walked over him, deliberately putting pressure on each step, as she felt the bones breaking under before she made it to the neck of the makeshift rug.

The display going on shook the morale of their assailants and the crowd that had been forming to charge them. Waxy made it next to her and looked at her. “These don’t look like any association members. Are they part of the Middle?” She shook her head at the question as she grabbed on of the strewn about corpses.

“Nah, by the look on this symbol looks to be a part of the show. Not sure why their attacking us, but I don’t really care either way. Let’s just take care of them and leave before this place is crawling with fixers.” She tossed away the body and the wax distortion nodded.

“Do we care for property damage?” She snorted humorously. “No. Go ahead and destroy the place while I see what’s keeping Greta. I’m surprised she hasn’t burst out yet with Finn.” At the end of her sentence Waxy dashed forward to the crowd. His weapon scraped alongside the road, leaving a trail of flames.

Watching him fight was almost a paradox, so long as he wasn’t drunk as she learned the other day, as lazy and bored as his strikes always looked, you couldn’t deny the power behind them. She supposed that was just the way he was. Making it look effortless as he crushed anything in his path.

It was almost completely different from Breman who fought like it was all a big game. They kicked into a woman's abdomen, but the way they threw their hands back made it look more like a dance. Those lazily thrown hands grabbed the side of a guy’s head, and they twirled on the balls of their feet and faced him. T other hand finding the side of his head as they pulled up and effortlessly ripped it off, showering them in gore.

She’d leave them to deal with the small fry as she walked into the building. One man rushed out to stop her, but a quick run up and a flying knee stopped his resistance. The inside of the building had a few people, but they didn’t rush towards her. Instead, each took out a syringe that was filled with a yellowish liquid and injected it into their other arm. A shiver went through their body and a fogged breath.

It been a while since she’d seen combat stims, but it didn’t matter all the same. A left cross was sent at one member, and he dodged with her fist scraping just the tip of his nose. A mad grin on his face as he pulled back and there, she caught a glimpse of the kabar knife in his hands as he tried to drive it into her.

She caught the attack by the man’s wrist and held it within her grasp. Good speed, faster than the people outside, but even with this drug a full-frontal attack would be futile against her. The man tried pulling from her, but he was unable to pull away. In a moment she pulled, and the arm was torn from its socket, not that the man reacted and tried to punch her with the arm he still had.

It impacted her cheek, and she looked at the offending limb before she tore out the man’s throat. She looked at the others who had stayed in place, almost vibrating in place despite the attack and waited for her. Unfazed by the rather messy murder of their teammate the drug in their system probably lowered or potentially outright muted fear.

She let out a sigh of annoyance. The body of their comrade was picked up and thrown at their formation. They went a variety of ways with some dodging, some trying to catch it, and some trying to slice it in half. The point of the matter was they were distracted as she put a foot behind her and crouched down.

And blitz past them, destroying their formation and showing just how outclassed they were.

Entering the hallway on the back she took note of the hallway. Long gashes and impacts that showed Greta’s fight along with piercings in the wall. Further down a door was torn off its hinges and Tanya walked down the relatively quiet hall.

That was an issue. She could hear the sound of Waxy and Bremen fighting behind her, but not Greta. She admittedly wasn’t the loudest, but Tanya should’ve heard the heavy impacts of her blows, and the laugh she sometimes let out when things were going particularly her way. She went to the destroyed room first and looked in.

The room was trashed, but it was clear this was where the fight started. The table had been thrown to the wall, the seats were on their side except for one that had been smashed to pieces, and the walls had no shortage of holes big and small. She frowned as she turned her head to the door at the end of the hall and began walking.

Going through she was greeted with an empty garage and skid marks on the ground. One man that looked like the rest of the guards had his back to her. It was impossible for him not to hear the commotion outside, so he must’ve been waiting for her.

Her thoughts proved to be true as he turned around, his hands outstretched as if he were a mastermind. Probably not when he was dressed the same as every other faceless grunt she’d smashed. “Welcome Ensemble member. You're probably wondering-” His co*cky tone was what had earned him the left hook that knocked him to the ground. Just enough not to kill him since she needed answers.

She pressed her foot to the man’s neck. “I don’t care for grandiose speeches from nobodies. Where’s Greta?” She let her foot up, the man looked up with a bloody mouth and a few missing teeth. The red glasses had been knocked from his face as he looked at her with excitement in his eyes.

“She’ll be on the show tonight.” Her other leg smashed down next to his head, leaving spider cracks in the concrete. “Where’s. That.” Despite her threat he still chuckled at her, but before she could punish him for the act, he did something she didn’t expect.

He bit off his own tongue and spit at her.

“God f*cking damnit.” She got off him as he found something in himself to laugh at. It was clear why this one was left behind; he was insane enough to gloat to them and loyal enough not to spill where they were. Frustration filled her for a moment before a revelation hit her.

They’d been played.

Sure, Great and Finn were still alive, but they’d been kidnapped. They’d willingly walked into a trap that the enemy had set for them. It was clear they had no intention of killing them, just slowing them down while they made off with the two of them. She realized this all while the choking laughter of the man seemed to echo around her.

She realized in the past she would’ve called her out for this, and she hated it. Running into a situation this bad with no planning was bound to have gotten her squad killed, and while no casualties had been had the enemy had accomplished their goal. She let the air out from her clenched teeth and smashed the man’s laughing head.

She went out the back to tell the others. The almost forgotten taste of defeat, that had once been sweetened by fighting the Red Mist, was poured onto her tongue. The sounds of battle that had once promised a good time now seemed to compound her mistake.

All they would be able to do now was watch them on the big screen.

____________________________________________________________________________

The knocking on her door alerted her from looking in the mirror. “Meow come on. Big show tonight, and it’s going to be something to remember.” She was silent as she looked in the mirror in her trailer.

For once her unmasked face greeted her, a normal unmarred face that was utterly unremarkable. The only stand out feature being her music note pupil in her purple eyes that was a result from that wonderful day. That day she’d sworn that she would make music just as good as the pianist, and while she’d love to show off her gift she needed a face that was worthy of such a thing.

She’d been a musician even before, but she could never find the beauty in her own work. The strums of a harp were always too hard, the cords on the keys always out of tune, and her voice was always a pitch too loud or too quiet. In some regards that performance had only galvanized her resolve to play music instead of shattering it. Something to aspire to so that everyone in this city could dance to the tune.

She’d heard it with her own death in the Library, that tune that only she could play. It had made her strangely content with her death at the hands of the plain looking man, so it came as a surprise when she was waking up again. In the middle of some party that was clearly not meant for the common people from the backstreets.

Of course, she was detained, she had after all crashed a party between the elites in District 23. Being disoriented hadn’t even let her kill one of those guards as she was almost torn to shreds, but one voice had stopped her from dying. A woman who walked to her bleeding form with no shortage of interest in her eyes.

That had been her boss Amanda, host of Red Tv who’d not only taken her story but homed in on the fact she was a musician. She’d practically been handed a fast spot to fame as she was put into the show, all to make music that she never could when she was still some decently infamous gang in the Backstreets.

She had gone through the hallmarks of being a rockstar with murder, drugs, and rock and roll. It had all been a fun trip as she basked in the camera light. She might not be on every corner, but no shortage of pages online talked about the new star. The rags to riches story of Meow, the girl inspired by tragedy.

It was glamorous.

It was enlightening.

It f*ckING SUCKED!

She slammed her fist on the table as her hair covered one of her eyes. None of her bandmates were anything like the old one in the old gang. They didn’t want to play music while upside down to see the effects, make instruments out of people, or just hang out talking about how they slept kind of funny. They just wanted to increase their fame, do more drugs, or mindlessly kill.

It wasn’t that she had a problem with this, but the music was secondary to them. Perhaps that was why the pianist hadn’t gifted them like it had her. They all lacked that spark to create a musical beat that was memorable. Hee-Haw, Doodle-Doo, Woof, Oink, and even Mu-Mu had it when they wanted to make music.

In one week, Meow had felt on top of the world.

In one month, Meow felt lower than she ever had.

Perhaps she was more like the old gang than she thought. It was more of them to grow bored with something and then chasing the next thing, but in this case, she could relate to them. With Oink and Mu-mu that wasn’t the case because she liked their interactions, but she could hardly even remember the names of the others other than their ‘leader’ Axel.

She forced herself to calm down as she took the makeup again and reapplied it. The top of her face may have been uncovered, but the lower half was still exposed to the world. Maybe she’d call Oink and Mumu again since that had become her highlight. If it weren’t for the contract, she’d signed she would’ve left and never looked back.

She sat up from the chair and looked at the uniform that hung on her wall. It honestly wasn’t too different from her normal attire. The red leotard hugged her a little lighter than she wanted, and the red thigh highs were connected by a layer of fishnet. There was something similar for her arms, and the whole thing looked pleasing and felt nice to wear. Somehow it was more yet it somehow felt like she was wearing less.

She took it down and began preparing for the show. Perhaps this one would let her hear those familiar keys she longed to hear once more. Anything would be better than another month of this.

____________________________________________________________________________

Greta woke up feeling groggy. It had been a while since she’d slept so well that her eye’s protested their opening. She squinted at the red light that was above her and went to put arm over her eyes till they adjusted but found resistance and the sound of rustling chains.

It took her brain a few moments to catch up with itself and remember where she was. Her eyes widened and she went to stand up, but found her legs chained up as well. Her mind now fully awakened, she went to force the chains on her. They were normal chains from the sound of them so with a little effort-

“Good morning.” A voice across from her had her look towards it only to see the women sitting on a chair. The chair itself was backwards as she lay her head against the back of it with an amused grin. Anger filled her as a layer of chains fell away in an instant and she heard the rest barely holding on as she went to escape. The women raised her hands, but instead of her strange weapons coming out they were merely there as a showing of surrender.

“Now look, Greta, you could very easily break out and kill me, I only got you here with no shortage of planning and losses after all. Buuuut, I don’t think you’ll want to do that because of.” Her hands pointed up before she spun them in a circle and pointed to the left. A light shined down in a moment and there sat Finn sleeping peacefully. He was tied with ropes that looked weak, but her attention was on the fact that the chair itself was suspended in the air.

He hovered above a pit of grinding gears.

“Why if you broke out and did that, well then my colleagues might just let go of your little apprentice now.” Greta’s head went back to her, and she saw that she now sported a twisted smile. She swore in the woman’s eye’s there was the hope that she would go through with it. To break free and kill her, and dooming Finn to a painful death.

“Alright. What do you want?” She leaned back in her chair. The woman clapped her hands together before she spoke. “Oh, good you’ll listen to me. What I want is very simple and if all goes well, you’ll walk out of here with Meow, my head, and a nice reward of ten million Ahn.” Greta raised an eye, but before she could speak the woman began.

“All I want from you is to make tonight's show the best possible. That means when I’m on stage near you that you don’t try to take my head off. I’m going to have to ask questions and play the host, so if you could wait to kill me then that would be grand.” The woman stood up suddenly and began walking into the darkness on her left. “Alright fine, but what do you get out of all of this? Seems like a lot of effort to get me and Finn to be a part of your game show.” It was an answer that Greta found obvious, yet a part of her wanted confirmation.

The woman stopped at her question, and Greta heard her giggle softly. “What do I get out of this?” At the repeat of her question, whatever composure she’d had vanished in an instant. Greta had to admit the entire time she’d thought she’d figured her out. Hard not to when everything about her just dripped of arrogance and wealth. The kind of person who would offer ten million ahn for a few murder rooms.

As the woman lost herself to the throes of her laughter that opinion was tested. Every now and then the woman would attempt to regain whatever grace she had and answer the question, but those attempts ended not so long after. It was almost impressive that the woman hadn’t fallen onto the floor from how hard she was laughing.

The laughter turned into harsh coughing as that final broke her out of that state. “What I-what I gain from you two is the ability to host the best finale ever.” She coughed one last time in the middle of her declaration. “I want to make a finale that’s etched into the golden years of cinema for generations to come. What I want is for this show to be etched into people’s very souls in all manners of forms. DRAMA! BLOOD! ENTERTAINMENT! THE THINGS THAT EVERY GOOD SHOW HAS NOWADAYS!”

The woman’s arms stood stretched out as she gave her spiel. “You two are the key to make this finale not just something to pass, but my magnum opus! The pride of District 23 and the next generation of chefs trying to save a dear friend. A premise like that comes once a century, and I needed to capitalize on that. Who cares if I die!” The woman put one foot on the chair as she continued, her arm outstretched like she was reaching to the stars.

“Because this doing well will make me immortal in the eyes of The City…does that answer your question?” Greta didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. In hindsight rich or poor there was always bound to be someone with a few screws loose. The woman in front merrily hid them well enough that she didn’t see them immediately.

Eventually realizing the point in her silence, the woman coughed into her hand. “Well, the show will start soon. I’ll have the boys move Finn onto a safer place for you to get him. When the light shows up, walk through the door, and we’ll begin.” With one final bow the woman disappeared into the darkness. Greta took a moment before she broke the chains and put her face into her palm.

“You’ve gotten yourself into something crazy this time, Greta.” She rubbed her face a few times before putting her hands on her lap. She looked around a few times looking for her meat tenderizer, but that was more than likely taken away for the obvious. From here she could see most of Finn’s weapons looked to have been taken away as well. A part of her wondered if they’d get them back, but she figured that would have to be answered later.

She might as well resolve herself to be on the show since she couldn’t avoid it.

Chapter 24: Lights! Camera! Blood!

Chapter Text

If there was ever a time The Crying Children could say they were in a bad mood it was now. Sitting in front of a computer screen with Tanya and Bremen he stood watching the countdown on the website for the new episode. There was a silence in the air that had remained unbroken for some time since they’d resigned themselves to watch this.

As the time counted down, he thought about Finn’s odds on the situation. Greta was strong enough, so she’d probably be fine, but the level that she and Finn were at was great. It would be like comparing an ocean to a puddle on the side of the road. Even if Greta had been kidnapped the circ*mstances for that to happen had to be completely against her for such a thing to occur.

He turned his head to Tanya who seemed to be arguing with herself mentally. “Tanya, I have to ask you something.” Whatever trance she was in went away as she looked at him slightly annoyed if a little intrigued. “What’s up?” At her question he straightened his tie and spoke.” You’ve been training Finn for some time now, so how do you think that he’ll do?”

She put her hand under her chin and thought for a moment before shrugging.” Couldn’t tell ya. The show has had a multitude of people on it of varying grades. Depends on the people he’s fighting assuming there isn’t some other gimmick to this.” He digested his answer for a moment before nodding his head.

It was a vague answer, actually he didn’t answer his question at all, but he couldn’t fault Tanya for that. Some people just took to things easier than others, and Finn’s gear would more than likely let him get by in engagements a grade or two further than he should. Tanya suddenly snapped her fingers as if remembering something and turned back to him. “He can do this weird trick where he can zoom forward while coated with blue energy. Kinda looks more like lightning actually now that he’s getting better at it.”

…

“What.” He turned back to her in confusion. Bremen did as well, with each head beginning to speak. “Oh, right this never came up. Don’t worry just a feature of the suit from what I can tell, he’s just getting better at using it. Probably give him an edge since I doubt, they're expecting that.” With that she went back to looking at the video.

“Why was I not-”

“You never asked.”

“I thought that I would be in-”

“Typically, whenever you want something, you ask about it.”

He stopped because he noted that what she said was true. So long as Finn never came back too injured, and the supply of ampules they had never seemed to have Finn in a condition long enough for him to worry. It was his own fault that he had just assumed if anything noteworthy would happen that she would tell him.

“Could you tell me about these things from now on.” She grunted in response but did not her head. Bremen let out a chuckle about something that had Tanya look at them. “That’s not funny. We’re not adopting the little runt, he’s a temporary addition.” Bremen kept poking and prodding Tanya in ways he couldn’t understand.

He went back to looking at his own screen as he was unable to join in on the conversation. It was true that Finn would leave, and now with one of Bremen’s old gang found he supposed that goalpost was becoming closer. It was strange that he’d forgotten that detail since Finn being around had become so natural to him.

It was true they’d planned to drop him off, but they would still need to wander the districts to try and find Bremen’s gang originally. That act would’ve taken who knows how long due to the size of the city itself, and the threats they would face. With one of Bremen’s gang now actually found there was no telling if she knew where the others were or not.

He took a breath in when he thought of that. If she did then there would be no need for them to explore the backstreets as they did. There was a strange feeling in his gut that he wasn’t sure was really there. He couldn’t pinpoint was that feeling would be in this case, so he tried to focus on it. Just the act of feeling something that wasn’t pure physical was surprising to-

A loud catchy bell jingle played that led into an energetic keyboard. All of a sudden, a compilation of different moments from the show began flashing through. People he’d never seen killing and being killed in various ways. A few stood out that were certainly different, but most followed that pattern of carnage. After a few seconds it transitioned to a stage where a woman came walking while a red light was cast on her. From the lighting it was hard it would almost be reasonable to mistake her for a bloodfiend, but that was more than likely what she was aiming for given the nature of the show. With a serene smile she raised an arm and snapped, and the light changed to a more traditional one along with the rest of the stage being illuminated.

“Hello everybody and welcome to Red Tv! As always, I’m your host Amanda and today I…well I have to take a seat because it’s that time once again.” A chorus of voices appeared from offscreen asking what time it was. He heard Tanya snort in annoyance at the act in front of them, but Bremen was taking in every moment.

The stage she walked on was more a checkerboard of red and black, the wall behind her was still showered in darkness making it look like she’d walk in from a void. The stage was furnished with a loveseat, that the now named Amanda now sat in, and a couch. The other walls to the left and right side were black and covered hand prints; he wasn't if they were blood or paint, but the one on the left hand a door with the symbol of the show but did lack the handprints the rest of the wall did making it stand out.

“I have to take a seat because not only is it our finale.” She paused and the crowd took a moment to let out various disappointed sentiments before she looked up with a wild grin. “But I’m overwhelmed by the guests we have tonight. Because not ONCE in all of televised history has a guest like this appeared.” The crowd suddenly started making different guess from who it was. No small number of ranges from various colors (some of which were impossible like the Black Silence) to groups that the Crying Children had never heard of like Di Wiart Office to The Udjat.

“This has been a guest that speaks to me like no other guest has. After all, no matter what I always was a little girl from the backstreets, and this guest should be something that speaks to us all. We’ve all dreamed of seeing, being, and maybe even being eaten by this guest. A woman that’s larger than life and currently one of those stars that we all wish to reach up to.” For dramatic effect the lights above the stage turned on but were still covered in darkness. The host reached out standing on her chair as if she’d wanted to fly up and be among them.

The crowd itself was being hyped up by this. Some had no doubt figured out who, while others were just getting excited from the energy of the people next to them. “Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Chefs and victims, I am proud to announce that appearing on Red Tv to take place on our games! The one and only, Greta the Eight Chef!” One foot on the end of her seat she pointed to the door that exploded open and Greta herself walked though. At first glance she eagerly waved to the crowd with not shortage as she calmly to the couch.

“What the f*ck why is she going along with this?” Tanya didn’t sound angry, just more in disbelief at what she was watching. “I have to agree with you Tanya. I might not be as acquainted with her as you are, but if you look closely, you can tell she’s annoyed.” He spoke as he pointed to the screen. “It’s in the way she walks being more hostile, her slightly furrowed eyes, and the fact her grin is too wide and tight.” Even the way she breathed had a thing line of annoyance as her breathing was a little heavier.

“You notice all that? That fast? Not bad Waxy.” He nodded at Tanya's comment as he looked at the host who was sitting in her own chair like a normal person. Bremen said something suddenly and Tanya’s lips puffed out as she held in a laugh. “Stop that, Bremen. This is serious.” A neigh was told back to her and she let out a sigh, but did agree with whatever was said.

He decided to stay out of the loop and keep paying attention.

“Greta it’s great to see you. I have to say, all, I'm a big fan of your work just to get the obvious out of the way.” Greta nodded at the compliment but didn’t say anything. “But I do have to ask, out of anyone else, why this little show? A woman like you must have no shortage of requests.” Greta put her hand under her chin faking things about it before she looked up.

“Well, you see-I LOVE YOU!” Greta looked into the crowd at a women’s declaration. The act alone sent cheers for a moment before Greta leaned back in her seat. “Well, you see most people actually just try to kill me, and a lot less are there to say handing me mail” At her small talk the crowd let out an array of boos not aimed at her, but the statement.

“But as for this little appearance I actually came here to grab a friend of a friend.” The host put her hands over her mouth and shook as the audience oooo'd in response. “Really a rescue of a friend! Or are we saying more of a kidnapping of…well who’s the lucky guy?” The host had both her hands on her knees as she leaned in to ask. “Simple. Meow’s friends want to get the band back together, and this seemed the easiest way to do that.” At the mention of Meow’s name, the crowd let out several gasps before rumors began to spread among them.

“Oh, ho ho! You're after our leading star now are you. Well, you’re not the first who’s come for her, but something tells me you’ll be the last. But a few more questions before I explain the show. Do you need those?” Greta paused before shrugging. “Sure, I'll listen to the rules, but what are these questions?”

Like an angler that caught the prey the women grinned. “Well before that I must apologize because to ask ALL the questions, we have to introduce our other guest. Coming in as a surprise to us all that no one could believe. If we didn’t see him ourselves, I’d say that it was a delusion, but here he comes, the Apprentice to the Chef, FINN!” She held her hand out to the door in a come-hither motion.

The crowd response was just as animated, but more in shock and disbelief than joy. Finn peeked out the door and saw the crap. He saw him mouth the words “Holy sh*t.” Before he went back behind the door. He was pushed out, along with showing off an employee's incredibly tattooed arms before he looked out on the stage.

The Crying Children took several notices about him. His clothes were still the ones he left in, but they’d been cleaned as well. He looks unarmed. He looked pale, but that was more than likely stage fright as he awkwardly walked to the couch that Greta was sitting on and squeezed himself there. He looked to be sweating slightly as he twiddled his thumbs looking down instead of meeting anyone.

“Uh…hi…” He looked out to the crowd for a moment before looking down. The crowd seemed to have mixed reactions to Finn’s presence in general existence. A few looked angry, some looked intrigued, and some looked at Finn waiting for something. There was more, a lot more, but he didn’t feel a need to look into them as the host began speaking.

“So, Greta, I have to ask where you met the boy. I can’t imagine you took someone who tried to put a knife in your neck.” Greta nodded, trying a little to make room for the boy, before she spoke. “I kinda just picked him up off the side of the road. We needed an errand boy at the time, and it kind of just grew from there.” she said lying.

Actually, they probably didn’t need to know that it was because he wanted to help him.

“I see and Finn I have to ask, why would a young man like yourself be all the way over here. From what you’ve written you're from District 20, so why come here? Official syndicate business?” Finn clammed up for a moment before he spoke.

“U-Uh no I’m not really a part of any syndicate. I’m just wearing this because we took it from people we made into ingredients, but I’m here because I woke up here after the Library.” At the mention of the once infamous structure the interest in Finn suddenly shot up. The host looked a little shocked before she reimagined her composure.

“Do you mind if I ask about that?” Finn’s eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly forgetting where he was as he looked at her. “Yes. I had my arms severed and died. That’s all I’m talking about.” The sudden change in demeanor sent waves through the crowd, but Amanda pressed on. “Right well two more questions before I explain the rules of the show.”

She looked back to Greta. Eye’s full of amusem*nt for some reason. “You’ve been with the Ensemble for some time now. How’s the experience working with a color, and if possible what plans do you have?” Greta let out a sigh before leaning back. “Could have been worse. Not really with them anymore, I just like the suit so who knows their plans.” A few whispers in the crowd as their separation from the Ensemble was declared.

“Fascinating, and now and now to you Finn. I have to ask a series question…what’s your opinion on eating people?” There was a strange quiet that took over the crowd as they looked at the young man. The consumption of humans was practically expected and almost revered in the district, so of course Finn’s opinion on the matter was on their own mind. He looked a little confused why they asked before he answered.

“I never had it before joining Greta, but…I like it. It’s better than the convenience store dinner’s I had a lot of.” At his answer the crowd cheered. Finn looked startled by the sudden noise as the crowd were welcoming him to the district. Amanda gave her own small clap at the statement before she clapped her hands, and the crowd went silent.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed our District specialty, but let’s not delay our audience anymore. This will be our best episode yet as we let you into our own garden or madness!” She threw her hand back and the once all-consuming darkness behind her was illuminated in a shower of red light.

A wall of red with three black doors was shown. A Tv above each door had a different symbol with static flares that would happen again. “Through these doors numerous types of challenges await you. Traps, fights, obstacles, and more! Your weapons will be given to you if you can survive the first room to show your crafty enough.” Greta and Finn stood up, with their host joining them.

“The rules are simple. Fight and survive till the end of it all. Backtracking is not possible in the slightest, and as for the symbols above the door well…that’s a surprise you’ll have to find out.” The very simple rules laid out the host walking backwards to the door on the left wall.

“And always remember the prize of this show is ten million ahn, and anything else you can carry in your arms! Go out and paint the stage red!”

Chapter 25: Showtime for District 23 pt 1

Chapter Text

Greta grabbed the man’s head and with an almost causal pull ripped it from his neck. One of the man’s masked companions took a single step back, and in that moment, she lunged for them as well. Her fist practically obliterating the man’s torso, her tail wacked away another that was trying to get her from the back. The men and women circled her, each looking to be the one to take down the Eight Chief.

And forgetting he existed.

He didn’t blame them of course. Greta was a celebrity, and he could see why someone would want the fame of being the one to kill her. In response he was just some guy that Greta had taken in as an apprentice, so there was little glory in taking him down. All he had to do was stay back easily and watch her do her own thing.

It wasn't even him being a coward, it was something he and Greta had discussed before they’d been called out. Well discussion, it was more like she was telling him to stay hidden and out of the way, at least for the first room. He doubted it was because she thought of him useless, but that she wanted to get through this as fast as possible. It was why she’d taken the lead through the first door they’d taken.

Watching her fight was something he felt like he was watching a blender tear through fruit. The gang that they were fighting, different from men in suits that brought them here, stood no chance against her. He had known that the street looking gang had their name said when they first opened the door into the room.

The music that was blaring from an unknown source seemed to change the mood of the fight as well. A few of them were tapping their feet to the beat, as if they were in a club rather than in a deadly fight. One man in only a mask and cargo pants tried to use a chain to bind Greta’s arm, his head bobbing to the music. It went around her arm, but with one pull her was pulled from his feet and into her maw. His life ending with a loud fleshy crunch as Finn went back to observing details in the room.

The room itself was a nice recreation of a street on the backstreets. He walked over the body of a man in a neon hoodie and a tiger mask and opened the lid of a dumpster. It was filled with trash bags, and from the smell alone he was sure it was genuine. He closed the lid and went looking around.

A woman with a crocodile mask was on Greta’s back, stabbing a knife into the nape of her neck repeatedly. Greta didn’t seem to react to the stabbing as she grabbed the leg of the woman and swung her as a club. The woman slammed into a man with a rhino mask and there was an ugly slamming noise as the two impacted together. The remaining handful of masked punks seemed to finally notice their chances with dealing with Greta.

One man, in an unzipped hoodie and a rabbit mask finally took notice of him. He broke away from the main group and ran to him instead. He was a bigger man than him, maybe even a full foot bigger, and he wielded a fireman’s axe. Sometime ago the sight of the man running would’ve given him pause, or maybe had him frantically trying to reach for a weapon.

Instead, as calm as he could he rushed forward and scooped up a weapon from the ground. A metal bat that had neon spray paint spelling something he couldn’t observe at the moment was his new weapon. Clashing with the man was stupid, as he was sure that the blow the man would have would be stronger than anything he could do.

So, he didn’t.

The man swung where his neck would have been, more than likely decapitating him, had he not gone under the man. Like a runner trying to reach the home plate he slid across the ground, the blue hue surrounding him certainly helped accomplish this, and before the man could realize what happened he struck. While still crouched down he swung the bat as hard as he could. The sound of bones breaking, the man’s scream, and the ringing of the bat made a symphony of pain.

He raised the bat over his head and began bringing it down over and over again. Not letting up one the advantage he had been granted. The man’s head slowly grew to resemble a pile of gore than something that had once been attached to a human. Only then did he stop and look back at Greta. The music that had been in the background of their fight fading out into ambience.

The other members had been taken care of, and Greta just stood there with an approving look. “Not bad. I can see Tanya’s lessons are playing off.” He smiled a little at the praise and walked to her side. “So how do we know where to go af-”
His question was interrupted as at the end of the alleyway a single red door was illuminated. The door had a small screen tv above it like the rest and showed a symbol of a teacup. He looked to Greta who shrugged and began walking toward it. He followed along, sticking close just in case, as they approached the door.

She opened it, uncaring of the potential threats, and Finn saw that the inside was a mostly normal looking restroom. It wasn’t completely normal as while there were a few things that belonged, a coffee machine, others had clearly been changed to fit the vibe of the show. Like the vending machine that was filled with needles of different color and illumination.

On the counter were their weapons, and Greta claimed her weapon with an excited laugh. “There you are.” She gripped it like an old friend, and Finn felt a hint of curiosity overtake him as he grabbed his sword. The new baton from Waxy was put on the empty strap that he had around his leg. Making sure the three ampules he’d had were stored into a pocket on his chest he turned to Greta.

“Hey Greta, where'd you get the weapon?” At his question she turned to him with a curious look. “Huh? Oh, I made it with the other chefs…I told you about them, right?” He nodded at her question before speaking. “It may have come up during a conversation or two.”

“Well yeah, we made it back when we were just starting. It’s been with me for quite a while, so yeah, I have an attachment to it.” He nodded before realizing that he still had the bat.

He hummed for a bit wondering if he should keep the weapon. The baton was strictly better, but there wasn’t any harm just in case he got disarmed again. He looked at the design of the weapon again and saw that the spray pain had the word POW in a large comic style. He pondered for a bit before shrugging and walking with it in hand.

He didn’t much look at the other services of the room and instead went to the two red doors at the symbols. The first one had a clashing sword symbol, much like the one they’d taken beforehand, but the second was what intrigued him. It showed a stick figure man jumping from one platform to another, he hummed for a bit before looking at Greta.

“Do you care what door we go through?” She shook her head at his question. “Pick your poison. I’m sure we can deal with it.” At her answer he looked to the second door and opened the door before he walked in.

The room had been in pitch darkness, but the second Greta walked in the lights illuminated the room. A false rocky mountain was in front of them, but with large gaps that were made for jumping between. On the other side the door stood illuminated, but also a group of people stood near it with bows. A lever sat near where the final platform before the red door.

“Well, this is going to be a pain.” Greta sighed as she looked forward. He turned to her curiously at her statement. “Who’s that?” She gestured to herself for a moment before she answered. “I’m not that acrobatic, so this is going to be an issue.” Finn smiled slightly as he turned aro-

And Greta’s hands grabbed his side and pulled him up in the air. He stood there confused until he heard the sound of arrows hitting the ground, and some piercing her flesh. He was put down a second after and looked to see Greta with a few in her shoulder. “They’ve got a decent aim, a few out those would’ve taken you out.”
He sucked in air as he saw the damage. “Thanks, and…I think I can do this challenge.” She looked at the rocky platforms and a part of him was reminded of the parkour he enjoyed before he went to the library. Granted the gaps were bigger from the usually clustered buildings he enjoyed jumping to, but a nice sense of nostalgia and confidence welled within him. “...Alright if you think you can do this, go ahead.” Greta’s encouragement was all he needed before he ran and took the first jump.

His feet impacted the ground and skid forward, pebbles kicked forward and soil leaving tracks, and he looked to the next platform. His eye’s glance slightly the men and women wield bows, wearing brown and black tunics, to see them drawing and aiming their arrows again. He made his next jump a little more frantic as he saw one let the arrow fly, and it just grazed the top of his head.

Focus and calm, that’s what he needed to do as he navigated this course. His next jump was made barely a second after he was on the next platform. The rush of his wind as he finally looked down and saw just HOW far he’d fall if he failed. He feet touched the platform, and he noticed then that the coloring of the rocks was more pinkish than brow-

It was pure instinct that, and the lightning from his suit that allowed him to, that had him jump from the platform. Metal sharpened poles shot up behind him, as he realized he’d jump on instinct to a random location. His eyes darted to find where he’d land, and his hand shot out to grab a ledge. His heart thundered as he looked down and saw death if his grip faltered for but a moment.

He pulled himself up, and his eye’s noted the waiting enemies that noticed him. He could see the eager smiles as the arrows were let fly and he let himself go down. His left hand still gripped the side, but he bit his lip to keep from screaming when he felt at least two arrows pierce it. The bat he’d been holding finally was let go in shock and he saw it plummet down.

He stood there wincing, but the cry was more out of shock than out of pain. The training that Tanya put him through gave him no shortage of pain tolerance as no shortage of times he’d got hurt. It’s why he powered through and with his other hand drew the sword from the scabbard and stabbed it into the side, and with great pain pulled his arm down.

The arrows came with his arm, luckily not tearing it in two and staring stationary. He looked at his pierced hand, it was still able to grab things, but he’d have to get to the top and inject himself if he wanted full use of it. The problem was the archers above wouldn’t let him, and the fact that he only had three.

Unlike training there was a bigger chance of death, so he had to ask if he really want to waste them here. He could still use the hand when the arrows were out, but would the delay hamper him enough. Blood gushed from the wounds, but they might not have been nearly as bad if it was cleaned up. Of course, if he died her than none of that would mat-

From the opposition's side he heard panic among them suddenly and a loud thudding noise. Whatever had gotten their attention he didn’t care as he scrambled to the top of the ledge and saw that something had caused them to take shelter behind different rocks. The corpse of one lay there on the ground with a large beige half the size of his head occupied the man’s frontal lobe.

He didn’t both say anything, flashing a quick thumbs up as his heart soured with adrenaline and hope. He took a moment to see the next platform was safe as he jumped on the mountainous terrains again and again. Constant speed would be his only defense other than Greta’s aim at the opposition.

The blue energy surrounded him as he jumped again and again. Just think of it like those times when he was younger. He wasn’t on some game show, just hoping building to building with his sister whooping and cheering as he made each jump. He wasn’t being shot at occasionally, it was just the neighbor kids who were jealous or also bored throwing cans at them, or a grumpy adult that wanted them off his building.

Fear and nostalgia were a strange mixture, but it put a strange amount of relief in his chest as he kept going. His senses were still making him look every which way, but his jump was more confident from the last. Like a baby bird letting his wings carry it for the first time in its life as he continued.

Three platforms away from the lever one of the archers did something he didn’t expect. They leapt from their cover and jumped on the platform. Their bow on their back, and in what he now saw in the women’s hand karambit knife. Her face was covered by a black bandana, but her blond hair and excited eyes stood out to him. Instead of waiting for him she was taking the fight to melee.

His eyes widened as he drew his sword. The plat forms weren’t really designed for melee combat, but the way she approached with confidence probably spoke that she'd done this before. He waited as she jumped from the platform right before his, and he saw her other arm go to her pocket and quickly flick a throwing knife in his direction. He dodged with the limited space he had, then he realized his momentary blunder.

She’d followed the knife and reached the platform. His damaged hand came up to block the quick attack she launched, and it went through his hand as well. Her hand went to the back of his head, trying to force himself forward onto the blade as she pushed herself forward as well. He struggled as he looked up to her cybernetic eyes that glowed with sad*stic glee.

His free hand, that had been forgotten, punched out onto her hip and she let out a grunt of pain. He pushed her forward, and threw her from the platform, her hands sliding off his head as she fell to her doom. He didn’t wait to hear the impact as he rushed to the other side, jumping on the platforms, and rushed to the lever.

Pulling it he jumped back to the limited space he had as arrows filtered where he’d been. Behind him he saw the ground rise up making a bridge for Greta that she started thundering across. The archers, and the few that were rushing with their own knives, realized the threats that was coming to them and most switched priority as the huge woman came lumbering down like death itself.

That didn’t stop a few from trying to get him, but as he picked himself up and once again drew his blade he’d sheathed as to not drop it earlier. It might not have been his dominant hand, but he still swung it at the first man well enough to give him a nasty cut across his chest. He backed up against the bridge as Greta grew closer, and he could take a moment to breathe.

He was going to stick to the battle rooms.

Chapter 26: Showtime for District 23 pt 2

Chapter Text

They were on tv.

Seras looked at the screen in front of her as she sat down in her loveseat. On her screen the target of her aggravations was proudly bashing in the brain of some cloak wearing person with her meat tenderizer while her other hand crushed the skull of another. Almost out of frame in the background the apprentice skewered someone who wasn’t paying attention to him. As the body fell, he grabbed one of the long needles like daggers they kept in pairs and threw it at another that was skulking around the giant of a distortion, going straight through their neck as their hands shot up to staunch the flow.

A good strategy. No one cared for the small boy compared to the monster that so effortlessly tore apart their ranks. Even if it wasn’t because she was so much stronger, there were those seeking glory to be the one to fell her. Inefficient, glory hungry, undeserving of the chance they were given and just throwing their lives away.

The ones with sense would try and slay the apprentice, but they thought him easy prey. She couldn’t blame them just from the look of his face. Young, scared, and wounded as he continued through the rooms. There were stab wounds on the left of his side, his forehead was pouring blood drenching his face, punctured hand, and the back of his arm had a long-jagged cut. He more than likely looked like easy prey to anyone who looked at him.

Of course, like a snake in the grass he took advantage of this. His attacks were fast and aimed to kill when they were sent out, or they focused on inflicting pain and brutality if he couldn’t kill quickly. A part of her wondered about his ranks before he joined the Chef, he looked like a green horn and given his age she wouldn’t be surprised, but his efficiency spoke more of grade seven or six.

It could of course be the gear he had that carried him that far, but there was no shortage of fixers in higher positions because of their gear or augments. Maybe even she, despite all she had seen, was falling for his deception in order to stay in the background of his master. She gritted her teeth and took note of that.

She’d be sure to kill him before he took out her men.

“Just isn’t fair isn’t it, Old Sport?” Her friend was on the other side looking at the screen as well. His shadowed form may have obscured a lot of his features, but she could see the growing grin disapproving frown on his face. “You did all this work to keep things safe, and here the people are celebrating a monster.”

Of course, it wasn’t fair, but that wasn’t the way things were in The City. It was something she’d always known so crying about it wasn’t worth the time. The systems and the people didn’t care who they stopped on to fuel their own entertainment and ego. The Zwei were there to protect them, but most people saw them as sticks in the mud who were there to ruin fun.

“Maybe they don’t deserve your time and service?” Of course, they didn’t, but she didn’t do this for them. She did this because she wanted to serve and protect. The City was rotting, but that didn’t mean the few lights in there should be snuffed out because someone didn’t step up to the challenge. She wanted to protect those little lights that would help keep this place running or potentially make this a place worth living in.

Her phone rang in her pocket, and she blinked for a moment before she reached into it. She looked at the screen to see who it was before seeing Kurt's name show up. After a tap she put the phone to her ear before she spoke. “Hi Kurt, has something come up.” At her question she heard some shuffling for a bit before he answered.

“I’m wondering where you are. You're usually thirty minutes early, and an hour if things are important. The office leaders will be here, so I’m just wondering if something’s holding you up right now.” She smiled slightly; Kurt was a good colleague in the office.

“Is there a TV or computer close to you?” He had to know about this. She could hear him mutter something under his breath before he spoke. “Yeah, there’s a computer in the office we have, but why is that important? Did you send a message we need to see?” There was a clear confusion in his voice as the question left his mouth.

“I need you to go to Red Tv for a moment.” She heard him inhale, more than likely to ask why, but he just exhaled, and she heard him walk over. A minute or two later she heard the aggravated groan he made, more than likely from seeing the sight. “You’ve got to be f*cking kidding me!”

She couldn’t stop the grin that came from his reaction. “I reacted the same way. I’d just love to do something about this.” She heard the tired sigh from the other end. “Yeah, I know, but you know how it is. Can’t do anything if they're in the Nest without who knows how much paperwork, and not enough time.” Her smile disappeared as reality set in.

“R-Right sorry. I momentarily forgot our circ*mstances. I-I’ll be there soon, I just need to grab a few things.” She ended the call just as Kurt was going to say something. Her breathing was normal, but quickly grew quickie and shallow as she let out a yell. The phone in her hand was thrown at the wall, and she’d heard a slight crack despite the fact it had been reinforced for fixer use.

“Looks like the rules are getting in your way once again.” Her friend's words rang in her ears as she got off her coach and went for her coat. He was a good fixer so it made sense that he told her that, and she knew that she should listen and let it go, but she just couldn’t. The rules the City had stated meant that those criminals had to be hunted down and brought to justice, now also obstructed them from carrying it out.

And for what? Because some rich nest people wanted to put on a show and watch people get slaughtered? How many times did a case just disappear or suddenly no longer needed investigating because those with money just brushed the whole thing under the rug?

“Too many times, but if they don’t follow the rules why should we?” She nodded before she stopped as she was just outside the door. She’d lived her life going off the rules and enforcing them, but to stop made her think. She could get so much done if she didn’t have all that red tape and bureaucracy stopping her.

But if she stopped following the rules, then what made her different from the syndicates that roamed the street? There was a reason that things were the way they were, and while it was hard to see it now, she knew there was. Those rules had been placed they're for everyone’s safety so she couldn’t just stop following them.

Yet as she walked to the meeting to discuss it all she couldn’t deny that words of her friend echoed in her head.

____________________________________________________________________________

Greta’s tenderizer caved in the final member of the opposition. “Alright Finn how are ya.” Turning around she squinted at the mangled sight of him. She could smell that while a majority of the blood wasn’t his he was still bleeding heavily. He gave a shaky thumbs up and bloody smile to show her he was alright. He coughed slightly and he bent at a strange angle before straightening himself.

“Okay you should inject yourself.” He took a moment to process her words before he looked at her and tried waving it off. “What? It’s fi-it’s fine I can still keep going.” One of his eye’s wasn’t fully opening as he said that, and she shot him with a look. He sighed as his hand went to his pocket and he injected himself.

In a moment the damages were fixed, and he let out a shaky breath he had been holding in. “Feel better? I am getting to be conservative in this state, but don’t let yourself get that bad.” He nodded sheepishly as he wiped away the blood onto his sleeve. With the blood wiped away he looked a lot more pale than usual, but that was more than likely a side effect of the blood loss. Taking a few steps, he had his hand on his stomach as he walked.

“Hungry or do you have to vomit?” He shook his head at her question as he followed behind her. “It’s just a slight ache. It’ll go away.” It didn’t sound like a slight ache, but she they weren’t in a place where they could take a break and find out what was wrong. The k-ampule should be enough for him to run off until they got back.

The red doors at the alleyway didn’t have the normal symbol they’d been. One the symbol of the room that had required Finn’s athletics and on the other a skull. Without much hesitation she grabbed the handle with the skull and was about to walk in. A normal hallway that looked like it belonged in a school greeted her.

“Huh…I expected a strong gang or something.” She mused as Finn walked beside her. She looked to the side as he opened a locker and looked in. “Find anything interesting?” He shook his head as he closed the lid. He looked down the entire row and contemplated if he should open any more. He grabbed the one just to his left and open it to-

A buzzsaw shot out, and he barely threw himself to the side. She wasn’t as lucky and brought her arm up to block the whirling saw. The saw cut deep briefly, getting past the suit and into her flesh, before she grabbed the long thin part behind it and wretched it upwards. The saw continued for a couple seconds after, but she looked at the metal in her arm and then back at Finn who looked sheepish.

“Trapped hallway. Stay about eight feet behind just in case.” The buzzsaw was yanked out and thrown vertically to the other side of the hall. No trap triggered so it was either set off by something else. Finn spoke up for a moment. “Sorry.” She shrugged as she took a step forward.

“You didn’t know, and no skin off my back.” She walked forward.

Something else triggered behind her and turning around from the door they’d come down a wall of thick metal covered in thick spikes pushed down from the ceilings. They spun like the inside of a grinding machine as they inched forward intent on consuming anything left behind.

“Change of plans, we run now.” As much as Greta was confident, she could rip the thing from its hinges that required her to get a good grip, and at the speeds those things were revolving at her hands would’ve been turned to mulch before they got a proper grip on the thing. Her meat tenderizer could potentially clog it, but she wasn’t willing to test how much the show spent on its traps because that had no doubt happened before.

Running down the mundane hall Finn stayed close behind her, staying low to the ground just in case. She’d admit she wasn’t the fastest of the Ensemble, but she still stayed slow enough in case Finn got caught in the trap that she’d activated as they blazed ahead. The wall of death encroaching.

Unfortunately, they’d have to practically run into every other hidden trap that lay there for them. The wall kept them from taking it nice and slow, more than likely because watchers didn’t want to waste an hour seeing contestants disarm traps. Her foot suddenly was pushed down, and she almost tripped on the seemingly innocuous tile.

The ceiling above suddenly shot down and she met it as it tried to crush them. Finn’s height came in handy as he ran to the end of the machine with no hassle before he waited for her. No doubt because she could stop any trap that came their way and he’d have to hope he could dodge.

She let out a guttural groan as the crusher seemed to double its force and she pushed back. Her feet went down into the flooring as her muscles strained, and for the first time in a long time screamed in protest. She glared at the stained metal as it pushed down intent on making her another victim it could claim. Mentally she was adding another onto the checklist to kill the host who put them there.

The trap finally stopped and raised, and she once again barreled down, her feet effortlessly getting free from the floor. Finn joined her taking the lead only slightly as he’d had a head start since she dealt with the crusher. The bluish energy and an arc of lightning begins to envelop him as if he’d meant to maintain the distance, but it seemed to be unintentional this time.

She saw a trip wire be stepped on by him, and a hail of knives was launched out from the locker on his right. A jumped forward arcing through the air like a ball dodging most of them, but one of the knives struck home. The back of his foot, his achilles tendon, was cut and while he tried to stand up his body, his body crumpled to the floor, and she saw him skid across face first.

She scooped him up on the way and continued running. He lay thrown over her right shoulder groaning mildly in pain as she served the damage while keeping her eyes in front of them. He’d have to use another ampule far too soon for either of their liking, but he wasn’t standing on that leg otherwise. She heard a slight beep for a moment before a wooden hurdle came from under the ground.

The hurdle stood at her chest height and was metal studs, but using her shoulder she barreled through it and saw that she’d have to do so several more times. Each hurdle she rammed through the duller pain in her left side became. Despite how they looked they were sturdier than they had any right to be, more than likely being made by a quality workshop.

One of those hurdles had small spikes instead and when her shoulder collided with the hurdle the spikes stayed inside. She felt something seeping inside her, but she continued as she saw that the red door was in sight. She took one step about to go unabated at her full speed, when from the wall in front of her slits opened up.

A wall of darts once again shot out as if there was a tidal wave of them. She put her arms up in front of her and blocked her head as she was reduced to a march. Every now and then one would strike Finn’s legs, and he’d let out a slight yelp. She just kept marching on as she got closer and closer eventually, they stopped coming.

She let out a groan as she brushed off the darts still in her as she finally got to the door. She was about to open it before she paused and hugged the wall. Opening the door several buzzsaws shot out for a moment before a single knife with a robotic hand stabbed forward and then twisted before retracting with the rest.

She barreled into the door not checking what she was inside. Luckily it was one of those rest-rooms, so she let out a breath and sat down on the red couch and put Finn on her left side. He laid there for a moment seemingly contemplating the whole room before he spoke. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah. You?” He gave a thumbs up as for a moment they just sat there. Letting the feeling was over them and just sleeping. Both her shoulders felt numb and there was a dull pain in the one that she used to go through the hurdles. She rubbed the still raw flesh from the initial buzzsaw and wondered how long that would take to heal.

In a moment the room went dark, and before she could think this was a trap a single being was in the middle of the room. Sitting there in a shower of red light was their ‘gracious’ host with a smirk. A hologram clearly, but it didn’t stop the urge Greta had to put her foot up her ass for the trap room.

“CONGR~ATU~LATIONS! You’ve made it to the end of the potential road. After ten grueling rooms you’ve made it to the object you desire. Beyond that door is our lovely band, and your precious kitty kat.” Like a car salesman she presented the door ahead with enthusiasm. The symbol of the show was there, but on the screen two guitars were crossing together like a pair of swords.

“Of course, the question still needs to be asked, can you escape with your prize? The exit of this place is still beyond some rooms and the groups get even harder. Will you fall and have your blood water the lilies in our garden of madness, or will you fly out of here and be the stars of the season. Win, lose, something in between! All that matters is that you make it interesting.” With a final pirouette the hologram flushed away

There was a moment of silence before Finn lifted his head from his rest. “I think I hate her.” She chuckled a bit before she spoke. “Join the club, Finn. We have snacks.” He hummed for a bit before he took out another ampule.

She just hoped that they didn’t have to bring Meow back in pieces.

Chapter 27: Showtime for District 23 pt 3

Chapter Text

That feeling from the car was back, stronger this time as well. His breathing was heavier, and the pit in his stomach felt like a solid ball of iron weighing him down. A part of him wondered if it was the adrenaline that had kept him going at the time, but it didn’t matter. Beyond the door in front of them would be Meow, and she’d need to be convinced.

Maybe that ball in his stomach was nervousness, after all he had a right to be nervous. The three ampules in his pocket had dwindled to a single one. A brief reminder that as many knocks he could take, all it took was one strike in the right place could take him out. His hand went to the last one in his pocket.

“Ya ready? The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can leave this place.” Greta’s words brought him from his thoughts as he looked at her. “Y-Yeah I just needed a moment.” She took a moment before she rubbed his head. “Hey, calm down, you’ve done a good job so far. I’m sure Tanya’s got good things to say when you get back.”

Despite her words Finn still felt a shred of doubt. The weight in his stomach felt almost more literal now, but he would try and power through it. He’d been doing it the whole time; it had just become more noticeable now. He gave a thumbs up as confident as he could, and Greta nodded in response.

“There we are. Come on, as long as I’m here you’ll live.” Her piece said she finally got up from the couch and went for the door. He followed along, despite his legs protest due to the couch’s surprising comfort. She grabbed the handle with confidence and pushed it open. The contents lie bare as they sa-

His brain stopped working at the sight in front of him.

The rooms before had been different, yet this one took the cake. He’d never been in a club before, but he was pretty sure this was what he imagined it was like. The flashing lights, the overwhelming music, the large pit of different people dancing to the music. It was as if for a brief moment they’d walked into a different world.

The bar to the side had a pig masked bartender as he cleaned a glass, and he was the only one dressed out of place. The rest of the audience that danced the people on stage wore all black save for the different masks that imitated the people on stage. The women wore black bunny suits that drew his eye, and the guys wore similarly colored only wrestler's shorts and knee pads.

The four people on stage were their obvious inspiration. There Meow stood on a guitar and in the red lighting it almost looked like she wore nothing, but every now and then her clothes would reflect some light showing she only wore a red version of the clothes the women in the crowd did... He didn’t know the other members, but the other women of the band wore the same thing albeit with a rabbit mask on her face as she slammed on the drums.

The male members wore those red wrestler shorts and knee pads, but the man on the keyboard wore a crocodile mask and had a large scar that went from his waist to his shoulder blade, were a large blade was slung over. The other guitarist was covered in tribal tattoos, so many it was actually hard to see his skin. A bear mask covered his face as he played along with the music of the band.

“...Right.” Greta mumbled something under her breath as she took a step forward. He followed along with the music still beating as they walked forward into the room. The crowd just kept jumping and dancing to the music, almost like they were unaware of their presence. They just moved out of the way as they continued forward to the stage.

As he walked through, he saw several people’s hidden weapons. Some were hand sized and in almost impossible to see with their erratic movements and some just left their weapons on the floor uncaring of the people who could trip or steal them. The crowd was lost in its own world as they danced to the music, and no shortage tried to bring him into the song.

A part of him couldn’t blame him. The music was infectious and made him feel like he could do anything. That ball in his gut seemed to disappear as he got closer, his heart began to beat in the excitement that he couldn’t find the reason for. The music just seems to have all those little worries go away as they stood in the front now.

In a moment the music stopped, and a spotlight shined down on them. The moment the music stopped the nerves came back, but now he could feel everyone’s eyes on him as even the band looked down. “Right then, the eight chefs graced us with her presence that day.” The tattooed man stepped forward, pointed down at them. “At that little squirt she calls an apprentice.” At being singled out he swallowed slightly.

“I just gotta say you’ve been a great inspiration to us all, that’s why we got a song we’d like to play. A bit of the Red Kings specialty we call Feeding Frenzy.” The moment he did the band launched into a song that pushed them back due to the sound from the amps. He and Greta skid across the floor, along with a few people in the front, and the music wormed its way into his ear.

The people around them suddenly jumped at them, and Finn stood back-to-back to Greta, but heard her block no shortage of weapons. He covered his head with his arms, and the suit blocked most of the damage that was sent his way. Despite the pain, for some reason he couldn’t stop the smile that was forming across his face.

His arm went and sent a wide slash with his sword, but people who didn’t even care to step away from him. It was almost mesmerizing the amount of blood and viscera that spewed forth from the attack. He advanced a step swinging again with reckless abandon, but cutting another few people who hadn’t even bothered with weapons to try and tear him apart.

A woman with a warhammer swung at his head, and he almost had to fight himself to dodge the attack as he barely dodged. The moment of the hammer just grazing his hair as he stabbed forward and impacted the women’s center. He twisted the blade and kicked her away as she fell into the crowd, another masked face among the spectators.

He almost felt like the crowd as he noticed some were attacking indiscriminately in the crowd. One man stabbing another with a stiletto knife in the neck multiple times, a woman smashed a bottle into a man and then used the broken glass to shank a woman to her side, a cat masked man bludgeoned another with a baseball bat. It was total pandemonium that he was a part of.

And then the only thing that stopped him from continuing in this sea of blood was when he felt Greta’s unmistakable hands on his waist.

“Let them fight, we’ve got a job to do.” He almost swung back with the haze in his vision, but he was lifted up and sprinted. Greta’s back exposed as he was slung over her shoulder would she really care if he buried the blade into it. He’d seen her take worse, and what was one little stab among frie-

His thought was interrupted as he was thrown onto the stage and rolled along it. He brought himself up as the tattooed guitarist saw him and he stopped playing for a moment. Like a red haze had been lifted Finn looked at the man, who gave him a teethy grin. The guitar was slung over, and he rocketed towards Finn.

The music letting up he had enough sense to roll to the side just in time to dodge a haymaker. He turned to the side to see the drummer and keyboardist engaging with Greta. He didn’t get much opportunity to watch as he dodged to the side again from a knee strike sent his way. The guitarist seemed very much to focus on him, and not on Greta.

“You know I got to ask.” the man said between his volley of punches that Finn was narrowly avoiding. “How did a little sh*t stain like you get to be HER apprentice.” He dodged a haymaker from the man and got some distance as the blue energy swirled around him. He aimed with his sword and leapt forward trying to skewer the man.

He blocked right forearm, his other arm behind it, and Finn felt like he’d run into an iron wall. The man’s skin augmented no doubt as the rip of the blade barely went in, and the man grinned as he was so close. He seemed almost larger than life at that moment.

“You TALK when I’m talking to you.” In a moment the man’s other arm snaked out from behind and grabbed the blade. He wretched it from his hands and tossed it into the crowd who was now enthralled with the show on stage. The man’s fist shot out and caught Finn in his cheek as he felt his teeth rattled and his molars loosen as he tumbled back. Meow was briefly on his site as she continued to play her music alone.

An idea formed in his head, but probably not a good one.

He unclipped the baton he had from his side and turned around. “Oh, look at that. You’ve got another toy.” The guitarist stepped forward and he stepped back, the guitar getting closer to him. “What scared you?” He said, raising his arms out as he approached. “Why do you care that I'm her apprentice?” Finally answering the man’s question the smile dropped slightly as he rubbed his fist before shooting it out.

He blocked it slightly before he stumbled back slightly. “Because YOU don’t deserve it.” A rush of jabs and crosses was sent to him, and he couldn’t block it all. His upper body was wracked with pain for a moment before he powered through it. “Who do you think you are to be next to The Eight Chef.” The man took one big stomp forward, and Finn only barely pulled his foot back from it being stomped on.

The cracks in the stage showing the results from that.

The punch he really back was a different story as he could only block with the baton, and even then, it went into his chest so fast it felt like he might as well have punched it. He skidded back from the impact and fell over. He crawled backwards from the man, the guitar incredibly close right now.

He rolled backwards, another stomp nearly taking him out. “I’m just some guy.” The answer didn’t appease the guy as he snarled forth. “You're not just some guy. You're an outsider! You're not from the district, and I can tell just how you fight you're not into it.” A left uppercut was sent to him, and he barely pulled back enough as it shot past his temple.

“No aggression, barely an attack, and you keep on the back front. Had to hear our music just to try fighting people head on. You don’t deserve the position you're in.” The high kick nearly surprised him as he leaned back continuing to go backwards, the music almost directly behind him.

“Killing you will be a mercy for Greta. No need for an apprentice this dull, but I’ve got a plan. I’ll show her just how qualified I am for a job like this. I’ll force everyone to remember the name Axl.” He jumped to the side as the man lunged for him, his fist co*cked back as he went straight forward. The now named Axl, to his credit, didn’t try to send that punch forward but his momentum was still something that he couldn’t stop.

The music finally stopped as the two crashed together, tumbling into a ball of limbs and red clothing. He winced slightly as Finn took the moment to let up and feel how raw his arms and upper body felt. He was sure they were incredibly bruised, and feeling his face he found his lip and nose was bleeding. Turning up he saw Meow violently push her fellow guitarist off her.

“You ruined the beat.” There was a surprising amount of venom there as she grabbed her guitar and brought herself up. Axl went to say something, probably to try and diffuse the situation, but she swung the guitar at his head in a moment. He didn’t block, and the man’s lower jaw was knocked from his head and into the crowd.

She didn’t stop there as she began bludgeoning the man that told Finn there was no shortage of frustration there. Each strike was accompanied by the sound of random strings, her aggravated grunts, and of course the impact of the guitar. The musical instrument that was wielded like a battle ax never broke throughout her assault.

By the time she was done and exhausted the man was a puddle of broken bones and gore. The only sound being from her exhausted breaths as the crowd stood in stunned silence from the crowd. The exhausted panting moved to a satisfied laughter as she stuck her hands out and twirled for a moment, lost in her own world. He opened his mouth for a moment, contemplating what he was about to do, before he got her attention.

“Uh…hi.” Her attention turned to him, more than likely realizing that he was even there. “Bremen wants to get the band back together again.” Her back straightened out as she stood at her full height at what he said. “What did you say?” Her question had a smile that began appearing on her face.

“Uh, your friend Bremen wants to get everyone back…that’s why we're here…” He gestured to Greta who was shoveling the keyboardist into her mouth. He didn’t see the drummer, but he figured the pile of gore under her feet was all that was left of them. He turned back to the last member of the Red Kings and swallowed. She shook for a moment before she let out a chuckle as she approached casually.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME! LET’S GO!” She bounced up for a moment in excitement. The crowd began booing for a moment, no shortage of the remaining members began climbing onto the stage. Meow looked at the fans, and having made it close to him, leaned in for a moment. “Ever been interested in music?”

“I’ve been taking care of Bremen’s instruments.” He said bracing for a fight he could think clearly with as the crowd approached. Granted with Meow lifting the guitar and Greta advancing to them, he wondered how much he’d actually get to contribute. “But…I guess I’ve been curious about harmonicas.”

Chapter 28: Showtime for District 23 pt 4

Chapter Text

For the first time in a long time Meow felt free.

She stood in the back playing a song on her guitar and watching the effects it had on the boy. There was a certain majesty in watching someone so cautious be affected by the effects of her instrument. It was different to the already bloodthirst crowds that had used their groups playing as more of a bell to start the killing. The first time was entertaining but they became dull because while they liked the beat of their tunes, they weren’t entranced with the music.

She grew to play with her eye’s closed and let herself be consumed by her own fervor of her craft, only stopping when she felt someone approaching. Only then did she allow herself to replace that urge to play a perfect melody to the urge she wished to convey to others and lose herself in that violence.

She supposed that had caused her the current situation that she was in. Having now to slaughter the colleagues and fans she’d made because if Amanda survived this night the consequences of slaughtering Axel would catch up to her. Not the controversy and backlash she'd receive from her ‘adoring’ fans, but the contract that she'd signed when she started this gig.

She had to admit that it had been a rather…strange contract. There were things that she couldn’t do, like killing her fellow star especially, but the punishments were to be dealt with after the show. At the time she hadn’t thought much of it, after all she hadn’t planned on breaking any of the rules at the time. It was a simple contract that gave her a set of benefits as long as she followed them to the T.

She played a particular riff before playing harder and she saw a spark of electricity go up Finn’s back. The clash he was with against one of the Street’s Warbug’s broke away, and instead of backing up to get space from the old soldier he instead leapt at him. The baton wasn’t meant for this kind of close range, but that was the joy of seeing someone consumed with bloodlust. They always found ways to improvise.

Like tearing out a man’s throat with their teeth.

She went back to her normal tempo as she hummed to herself at the display. The less frenzied Finn touched his mouth at the taste of blood and looked a little perturbed but shook it off. He didn’t go back to skulking in the background and instead went for the women who’d stared slightly in disbelief at the level of violence. Or maybe it was because Finn’s teeth had punctured through the augmented skin they’d been granted by G-Corp long ago.

She went back to her internal thoughts as she looked at the dwindling numbers. She’d seen what happened of course when one of the gang leaders had killed another off screen for some dramatic dispute. When the show ended he was called to Amanda’s office and she hadn’t heard from him until then, not that they did anything but pass each other in the halls.

It was during the next show that the contests had been forced into a one way room where there was a pretty morbid puzzle. A game of operation where the key was hidden inside the still living, and very much bolted down, leader of the gang. Of course the room would fill with gas that killed them after a set amount of time so they had to be quick about the cuts. Meow had to admit that she was slightly curious of what singularity had been keeping him alive when in a moment of desperation one of them had crushed the heart of the very much torn and dismembered gang leader and found the key in the middle of it.

Gnarly at the time, but a good example of why she shouldn't break contract.

That wasn’t even the ones that had done their contract breaking in between shows and would become an event when the show started. Executions that showed fame hungry newbies or hot heads that the consequences for breaking the rules wasn’t a stern talking to, but to be immortalized in ways they’d never forget. An end she’d get the worst of because of her deed and popularity.

Of course there was one loophole that would get her out of any punishment. As she played the finale to this song she grinned as the tempo increased and she saw a creative madness take over Finn. One single Warbug was left as he used some psionic might to keep Greta back. It looked to be taking everything out of him, but he could maintain the invisible barrier and send off some dark projectile that formed from nothing every now and then as he jumped back when he was momentarily overwhelmed. The man's antenna moved rapidly as he kept his focus on the shark women.

Finn dashed forward and grabbed the arm of a fallen enemy and pulled. The arm was one of the more straight variations meant for piercing. With a pull the ‘blade’ was pulled from the socket with a squelching sound and he dashed, sparks marking his trail, forward at the two who were in another collective struggle for survival, for the man anyway. Finn slid under Greta’s legs and the man’s shocked expression he tried to adjust for the sudden intrusion.

He would never get to as the weaponized arm of his comrade skewered his neck. In a moment of savagery Finn kept going and wrapped his other hand around the man’s head as he choked out his final breaths. His foot came up and placed itself on the man’s chest before kicking forward while he pulled back. A wonderful ripping noise was the only thing that was heard on the makeshift and war torn battlefield around them and her slowing tempo.

If Amanda met a similar end, or any at all, her contract was void.

“Come on Meow!” Greta called her forward as she let the ecstasy of the song and visuals rush over her. She practically skipped her way over to join them. Finn dropped the head in a particularly shocked way as he wiped the blood off his sides as if he were dusting himself off. “Good show killer.” She complimented as she walked forward.

He had a nervous chuckle at the compliment as he followed alongside them. “Hey, Meow I gotta ask a question.” Her attention turned to the large women beside her. “Sure, what’s up.” She said as she put her hands behind her head.

“While I appreciate that we didn’t have to fight you, could you maybe not play that guitar. Finn’s not exactly the most equipped to be fighting head on.” She raised her eyebrow at that, not that Greta could see with the mask, before she answered. “I mean I think he’s been doing fine so far. I’ve been watching him tear a few people to shreds, and it’s a nice contrast to his normal self.” Greta nodded for a moment before she spoke back.

“Yeah well I just don’t want him taking a hit he can’t take. He’s unaugmented, so that suit and training will only do so much.” The sentence didn’t process for her at first. However as she had time to digest it she came to a conclusion. She looked at Finn one more time, specifically at the damage that Axel had caused him.

There was no way that he wasn’t augmented. Axel could hold his strength back, he typically did for the shows because instant kills were no fun, but never to an extent someone unaugmented could have survived. After all, why would he, everyone they’d faced had augments of some kind, so what would the point in tickling them be. He had a pretty good eye for how much punishment someone could take anyway.

As they entered the red door the restroom, she was going to ask what Greta was talking about when she heard the door behind them, and the one in front click. “Huh?” Finn let out as he looked at the screen above the door. There wasn’t a normal symbol, but one that Meow had known about and was wondering when it was coming. They typically had to do more of these, but for the finale Amanda had pulled no shortage of strings to lower it to the minimum amount possible.

COMMERCIAL BREAK IN PROGRESS

PLEASE STAY IN THE ROOM UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

<3

“WELL WITH A STUNNING PERFORMANCE GRETA, FINN, AND OUT FORMER WONDERFUL GUITARIST MEOW ADVANCE TO THE NEAR FINAL STAGE!” The red hologram of her boss showed up in the middle. The hologram was sitting in a recliner, her arms held out wide as if she was in celebration. She gently placed them in her lap as she calmed down and looked solemn for a second. As if she were at the death of a loved one. “But unfortunately we must stop for our commercials, but don’t toon out yet. Well be right back.”

After a moment she let out a sigh and turned back to them. “Hi sorry, you're going to have to wait before you crush my skull to a pulp.” She said that with a sweet smile as if she was talking about the weather. “Are you kidding me!?” Finn and Greta spoke at the same time, granted their tones were different. The hologram just shrugged her shoulders. “Hey it’s showbiz, just relax for the time being. Your right there anyway.”
The hologram disappeared as Meow was in front of the vending machine, or at least the look a like with all the needles and pills. She looked to the top to see a decent amount of points from the previous rooms stored up. “Have you guys not been using this thing?”

“No.” Finn said as he draped himself over the coach as Greta stood by the door with her arms taping her finger on her forearm. She looked at the machine before she started punching in codes. A few seconds later a large pill bottle fell down and a few needles. She looked at the different colors of needles, hide most of them under her armwear as a gift for Bremen, other than one yellowish needle of Haine. She looked to Finn who was giving her a look before she shook the pill bottle to get him to look there.

“Here catch.” The HP pills case was thrown to Finn who caught it and looked down at it. “If we get out of there you should take some of those before bed. Should help you heal.” Greta waved her hand at her. “Nah it’s fine. We got something better when we get back home.” She looked at Greta and went to open her mouth before she closed it.

She could ask all the question she wanted when they weren’t in danger.

____________________________________________________________________________

Amanda walked into her room one with a smile on her face. She went to the back wall before she stopped and sat down in a kneeling potion. “Father. Mother. Today I create a masterpiece that won’t be topped for years to come.” Her parents looked down at her from the portrait that she had commissioned all those years ago with their permission.

“I was able to get the last of the eight Chefs on the show, and not only that, she brought her apprentice. They were here to save their friend who was my guitarist who’s now joined them to escape from the show. The only thing standing between their story book escape is me.” The painting said nothing as she recapped the story.

“Isn’t this it? That picture book moment when I can create something that will be remembered by so many people in the city. The moment that I can feel I can say I’ve done something to be proud of?” There was a sense of excitement in her voice as she looked at the painting.

She’d already looked at what people were saying already. There were no shortage of people tuning in just to see everyone, and no shortage of opinions on the things that had happened. No shortage of people’s favorite factions had died, and still a large number of people were arguing about Meow defecting to the chef’s side.

Some we just made the Red Kings was over, some were saying it was love at first sight, some were just throwing oil on the fire. That was just Meow as well, and the cameras did indeed enjoy Finn. The audience did always have a taste for young talent, and it was good that the camera captured his wide range of emotions that-

…

“What do you mean that this is soulless?!” Angry crept it’s way into her voice as she looked up. The painting hadn’t moved, but she’d heard what they had said about it. “Oh I see…can't even go and wish our daughter a proper goodbye for her final act…” Her teeth gnashed at the sides as she looked at the painting again.

…

“Oh we’re doing this whole song and dance again.” She threw her hands in the air exasperated at them. “Oh you never did approve of Red Tv despite how much effort I put into making and maintaining it.” Her fist clenched and unclenched a few times to try and calm down. She knew that it was a futile effort because they were going to-

“OH DON’T GIVE ME THAT BACK IN MY DAY sh*t!” She stood up sharply as she pointed at her mother again. “IT’S NOT MY FAULT YOU DIDN’T WANT TO LIVE IN A NEST! YOU THINK IT’S EASY JUST MAKING ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE IN THIS PLACE?!” She was blowing angry air out of her nose now, if anyone saw her the beautiful appearance she’d cultivated would go away.

…

“NO IT WASN'T' EASY! SEASON 1 ALMOST DIDN’T MAKE THE MONEY, AND WE GOT ALMOST GOT CANnED IN SEASON 5!” She’d told them this when she aired out her worries, and now here they were stomping on those. It never was useful to them unless they could use it in something. The painting stared back at her as if to judge her voice crack in that moment.

“That’s not even counting all the deals and contracts I had to make to get people on the show and keep them in line. Do you know how expensive it was to punish people in creative ways, especially when using something like J-Corp’s singularity to keep them alive?!” They should have, they’d hosted art galleries before, so they should have known something’s worth when they saw it.

…

“NO IT WASN’T ABOUT THE f*ckING MONEY THAT WAS JUST A BONUS! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SHOW! I’M GIVING MY LIFE FOR THIS DAMN SHOW TO BE MEMORABLE! WHO THE f*ck DOES THAT FOR MONEY!” Always dismissing her efforts, never supporting her dreams, parroting the same ideals again and again were starting to blow up as they had been for years.

…

“Oh don’t try to calm me down now. Calling me your ‘Masterpiece’ was cute when I was a girl, but I’m a damn woman now.” She sneered at the picture of her father. “I wonder if you even had me because you thought I’d be your magnum opus and not because you wanted a kid.” The painting was silent at the accusation, not that it ever talked to begin with. She took in breaths from her nose before a humorless chuckle came from her lips.

“What did I nail it on the head with that question? You never loving me , but what I represented huh?” At the accusation she took a step forward, but then went back. “No you know what, I’m going to get ready for the show and put on the best performance of my life. I don’t need you when the world will agree with me.” She turned around to the mirror and make up products, and she knew in her closet that-

…

“WHAT THE f*ck DID YOU SAY!” She whirled around like a bat out of hell. “WHO MADE YOU TWO INTO A PAINTING AGAIN BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO ME IMMORTALIZED?! ME! WITH THE MONEY I MADE FROM THIS SHOW!” She wouldn’t take their boasting lying down, not now.

“YOU THINK I DON’T REMEMBER HOW YOU LOOKED! OLD, FRAIL, WASHED UP, UGLY, AND ELDERLY! NOTHING LIKE THE YOUNG BODIES YOU HAVE NOW LOOKING AT ME RIGHT NOW! IF IT WASN’T FOR ME THAN YOU’D PROBABLY STILL BE IN SOME RETIREMENT HOME, IF EVEN SINCE YOU WERE JUST LAYING ABOUT COLLECTING DUST AND-”

…

…

…

…

She rushed forward and grabbed the edges of the painting. She pulled back, ripping the picture from the frame and exposing the truth. Behind the frame lies a mass of twisting and writhing flesh that she’d been talking to. As if she had ripped their clothes off her parents protested, but to anyone else they wouldn’t have noticed a difference. She looked up again as she rummaged through something in a drawer next to them.

“No you are not my magnum opus as I am yours. You were NEVER the best thing I had created, and clearly you never saw me as the masterpiece you told the younger me, I owe you nothing. Frankly the fact I still talked to you shows how much of a fool I was because I believed you’d be proud of me. In reality you could never see past your own art.” She pulled out a perfumed sized purple bottle. She unscrewed the cap, and the insidious nature of the revealed itself.

…

..-”No I don’t want to hear it.”

There was a sense of glee as she took one step forward. She threw the contents on the mass and the first audible noise was made. It sounded like a mixture of muffled screaming and something deflating as the liquid revealed its deadly purpose. It was an assassination attempt that only failed because she tested on someone first, but she’d always kept it close at hand in case this day came. The acid melted her parents as they started pooling at her feet and staining the wall.

They were trying to speak, but she couldn’t here anything. The augment she had to hear them could only go do so much when they were not only faint, but also a meat slush on the ground. A part of her wondered if they were really dead, but then she realized she truly didn’t care. With a quick breath in from her nose she turned back to her make up mirror.

She had a show to put on.

Live or die she was going to make this the best thing The City had ever f*cking seen.

Chapter 29: Stack the Deck

Chapter Text

Greta stood sitting on the couch tossing her meat tenderizer up and down again and again. “How long do commercials last?” Meow looked up at her as she was fiddling with the tuning of her guitar. “Uh I’d say anywhere from five to ten minutes. We get longer commercials since we go so long live, but if she delayed them all for the end maybe 15.” She went back to Her guitar as she poked Finn in the side. He jumped up with a yelp at the sudden stimulation as looked at the guitarist.

“Why’d you do that?” Meow blew air from her nose that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. “Curious about your reaction.” She turned her guitar once more before strumming it. It made a sound that caused both her and Finn to cringe while Meow just shrugged. She went back to tune it again when Finn tapped her on the neck.

“Can I see that?” He said pointing to the instrument in her hands. Meow pondered it for about a moment before she did so, more than likely a little curious. Finn went about tuning it normally, making small adjustments here and there. Greta just stood there mildly interested as Finn began tuning it.

After a moment he brushed his hands across the strings, it sounded normal if a bit deeper and a spike of elation went through her before it went away. Meow laughed with a slight clap as she took the instrument back. “I didn’t know you knew about tuning guitars. Have you ever thought about becoming a musician?” Finn chuckled slightly as Meow played a few more cords and fiddled to make it higher.

“Oh no my sister just works at a workshop that specializes in instrument-based weapons. I picked up something here and there, so I know that one of the uh…tuning parts is actually about what emotion to influence. I don’t think I tuned it as well as I could have.” Meow waved him off as she fiddled with it again.

“I don’t care about it sounding good or bad, but I want it to sound unique. It sounds good, it's just a bonus, but can I ask where your sister works? Maybe we got the guitar from there.” Finn almost seemed elated to answer the question. “She works at Melody workshop.” Meow thought for a moment before she shook her head.

“Nope. This is a Blood Whistle Industry product. Check this.” She pulled what looks like a wire out of the back of the guitar, but instead of a jack was a long and thin needle. “You use this and jab it into a reserve of blood of some kind, and you can amplify the effects of the guitar.” Not sure by how much since I’ve never had to use it, but I’m also told it can drain a person.” Given the set up the stage had, along with the other members, it made sense to Greta why Meow had never personally found out the effects.

“There are a few blood bags at our stop, so if you're curious I’m sure we could find a place. We’ll probably be on the move soon, so making a pit stop to try it out won’t be too hard. Bremen will probably be happy to see you as well.” She chimed in as she set her tenderizer down to join in. Meow snapped her fingers as she looked at her. “Nice. It’ll be a nice change of pace to play in an alleyway again instead of that stage.”

Meow looked bitter for a moment before she shook her head. Greta was about to ask what the matter was before the jingle began and the flashing lights on the door disappeared. Strangely the red hologram that was Amanda didn’t show up and in big blocky words the words proceed above the door. Meow let out a hum at the sight.

“That’s…not how this usually goes.” At Meow’s words Greta raised an eye but didn’t feel the need to ask. “Well, whatever it is we can’t stay here forever.” As always, she was the first to walk through the door. The smell of the room hit here as it was a single small room with one door bathed in a red light. A mangled door stood in front of them with handprints leading up to it. To its sides stood two decapitated angels that leaked pools of blood into fountains below as they held the leaking heads in their hands, bloody smiles on their faces. Above the door the words The Finale stood there neat and tidy in contrast to the general state of the door.

“Where the f*ck is the exit?” Meow’s words suddenly rang out from the darkest. “There’s supposed to be a choice to leave as well, so where is it, Amanda!? “Their host didn’t show up again at Meow’s words who grumbled at their apparent railroading. “Oh, we had a choice to leave?” Finn asked as he looked to the dark room looking for something.

“We should have, but I guess Amanda doesn’t want that. “Meow mumbled something about cheating, but She paid no mind to it. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ll need it. I’m all for going through this door to get at her.” After everything She wasn’t leaving until she’d rung that woman's neck.

A part of her did acknowledge that if the option had been there for her to leave, she could have made this whole thing anticlimactic. More than likely ruining the finale that Amanda had wanted, and in some regards probably be more entertaining to her. That being while Greta wouldn't consider herself vindictive, she had decided that she was going to kill Amanda the second she was kidnapped.

“I have to agree with Greta…” She turned her head to see Finn. She was a little surprised he’d agreed, but then again had also been put in this game show, and unlike her who could mostly walk off a lot of what was thrown at her Finn was different. The debacle with the trap room showed that if it hadn't been for the suit he would’ve died, even then he still was taken out of commission. The only saving grace he had was the in his pocket one more K-ampule was there to fix him, but depending on what came next, he might not get to use it.

The trip had been more like a fight for him than it had her. While Finn wasn’t typically angry it did seem like even, he could feel that urge to murder without Meow’s guitar. There was a strange feeling of pride in seeing Finn actually want to kill instead of doing so because he was following them. She shook it of as she went forward “Alright then let’s go and kill our ‘gracious’ host.” The door was less opened and more kicked open as she went to charge forward and-

This was not what she expected.

A white field of flowers greeted her in a football field sized room. There was a serene air that came from the strange breeze that somehow found its way here. The only thing that stood out from the room was the tree in the center and the door at the other end of the room. Amanda stood there in front of the tree looking different than she’d appeared to be.

She sat in front of the tree in a white sundress and a sun hat. She sat there almost like an innocent maiden, a warm friendly smile on her face and her hands behind her back. If Greta hadn’t known who Amanda was, she might have been fooled just by how friendly she looked. The smell of flowers coming up and calming her.

But there were cracks in this facade.

Everything had a layer of oil and blood in this room that she could smell. Above in the darkness of the stage the lights didn’t show harpoons and meat hooks, some accompanied by bodies, that looked ready to strike. The tree was normal at first glance, but looking up in the branches you’d see they weren’t but hands that stretched out in different directions. Grasping at the air as if you free themselves.

Going down from that the bark had eyes in some places that looked in different directions. Amanda still sat there with an innocent smile on her faces, but that innocence was false. The dress was a size or two too small, so it highlighted her body, but to Greta she looked at the red dots on her arms and legs. She’d remember the red branch like tendrils that show out of her from that day, and she wasn’t going to get caught again.

She took a step forward and her foot impacted something hard, and she looked down. A giant metal line lay just under the floors that reminded her of a rail. Her instincts were the only thing that told her to move, and she threw herself back.

A giant buzzsaw came from across the rail trying to bisect her. Flowers and petals were kicked up as Amanda revealed the remote that was behind her back. She heard two different yelps from her side as the harpoons descended on the other two’s location. They dodged out of the way just in time as she rushed to the strangely silent women.

Amanda made a come-hither motion, and a harpoon was sent down to impale her. She grabbed the instrument and ripped it from the machinery. Turning it around she threw it back to Amanda who dodged and had it impaled the tree. Red ichor leaked from it as it shivered in pain from the attack.

Amanda took one look at the harpoon and shrugged and took a step forward. The red dot on her hand extended a tendril that wrapped in on itself. It took on the form of a double helix sword that went down to the ground, and in a moment of showmanship she twirled it around. Duts and petals kicked up as she ended it and pointed to her, as if challenging her to a dual.

Greta would happily oblige as she rushed forward. Murder in her intentions, and something else in Amanda’s.

Chapter 30: The maiden showered in red

Chapter Text

Finn dodged the harpoon that nearly impaled him. He didn’t get to dwell much as the buzzsaw was headed toward him and he almost stumbled as he threw himself backward. The serene flower field had turned into a gauntlet of traps that had him dodging from side to side. Meow was in a similar situation, but she seemed to find excitement in the danger as she dodged the deadly instruments.

A part of him wanted to know how she could find this fun, as she slid past another harpoon and rolled away from a barricade of spikes that was uprooted from the ground. She practically twirled away from another buzzsaw and somehow found time to brush her hand against her guitar. A spike of happiness went through him before he cartwheeled away from a meat hook.

His he didn’t land on solid ground, instead a pit opened up under him and he saw the spikes that dwelled underneath. His arms shot forward and spun as he tried to correct himself and not fall forward. He noticed just in time the blade coming for him and he did the only thing his instincts told him to.

He jumped in the hole.

His arms and elbows caught the side and his head kept going as well till it impacted the dirt. His chin was shot up and he felt his teeth bite into his lip. It was preferable to the weapon that had gone over his head, impaling him and he lay there. After a moment he caught his breath taking in a greedy breath of air as he looked over the battlefield.

Meow was dancing amid the traps like it was a game still. She hadn’t seemed to notice his presence was gone, but he figured she was too caught up in the moment. His head peaked out a little more to see Greta. He’d been unable to get a good look at her since the traps began happening.

She stood there throwing wide arcs at Amanda, who clashed with her own strange weapon. Like the mixture of a nervous system and tree roots were forced into the idea of a sword. Either way she pulled away from the clash and ducked under another swing and dashed under Greta’s arm. She retracted her weapons into her arm before she turned around and shot it out without framing it and impaling multiple points of Greta’s back. Blood dripped onto the white flowers as she jumped back and turned the tendrils back into the sword.

Greta swung backwards, her backhand nearly taking Amanda’s head, as she faced her opponent. She took one large stomp forward, the ground quaking and shattering in front of it, and brought her weapon overhead. Despite the speed and power that was behind the strike, Amanda pirouette away and then bowed for a moment. The white dress went to her waist for a moment flashing something beneath before going back. The sword was shot out from her arm and impacted Greta’s shoulder. He saw Greta’s eye wince as she brought back her other arm and went for a straight punch, It hit something but not its target that was Amanda’s face. From her shoulder a mass of tendrils shot out and form a barrier a few feet from Amanda’s head and absorbed the blow.

The sound of the impact was like a gun had been shot, and even blocked Amanda was thrown from her spot. She soured through the air, and for a moment Finn wondered if that was it. As if All Greta had needed was a blow of any kind given her indomitable strength and the fight would have ended.

That hope was dashed as Amanda's back and neck shot out and impacted the ground she hung in the air like an angel before a meat hook came down. It didn’t try to impact her or find its way around her neck, it just dangled by her side before she grabbed it. As she was raised into the air

She swung back and forth as if she were an acrobat before launching herself forward. As she rocketed forward towards Greta she moved as if going for a dive kick before those red tendrils shot out from the bottom of her foot. Greta dashed to the left as Amanda was pulled to the center of where her attack had hit, the tendrils being reabsorbed into the women.

Greta went to strike again, but a harpoon shot down from the ceiling. Like before she caught it, but unlike then Amanda rushed forward the sword she had before piercing through Greta’s center. Greta went back a step from the impact as the harpoon slipped from her fingers and retracted back and Amanda jumped away. Greta touched the wound for a moment before looking back at Amanda and snarling as she lumbered forward. Amanda stood there with a smile on her face, her red dress partially stained red from the attack.

It was like watching a mouse avoid a cat. She dipped under Greta’s powerful strikes, ducked under any wide arc sent her way, and dived away whenever Greta tried to put her back against the flesh tree. All the while little Greta amassed more and more wounds from Amanda that were beginning to grow in number.

Finn hung there watching. The more rational part told him to stay there, that Greta was a stronger woman than he ever was and that she’d get her eventually. That Amanda’s luck would run out and she’d take a heavy blow that would destroy her, and they could all go home. And yet something inside him knew that it wouldn’t go that way.

Greta was strong, maybe stronger than he’d ever be, but if she couldn’t hit someone then all the strength in the world wouldn’t matter. The fact that Amanda had managed to block the attack rage true as well and as he saw her jump away and grab hold of a meat hook to move the fight to her favor he knew that something had to change.

He looked at Meow who was starting to tire from the constant dodging and knew that she was pretty much stuck there. Something inside him focused hard on Amanda’s head and a dumb idea wormed its way into his head. He licked his dry lips, the taste of dried blood greeting him, as he moved out of his hiding spot.

He’d only get one shot.

He took a moment as he focused on Amada and the obstacles in front of him. After that he began his mad dash forward, the lightning following him as he charged. He vaguely heard Meow yell something as he ducked to avoid a harpoon that jumped to avoid the pit that had opened under him. He hit the ground and felt the heel of his right foot didn't touch solid ground, but that didn’t slow him down.

He kept rushing forward, sliding under a meat hook that had went for him as he approached his target. The handle of the baton firmly grasped in his hands as he weaved throughout the sawblades. One or two would nick the edges of his clothes yet that was nothing as he drew closer to the battle near the tree. He looked up to see if Amanda had noticed his rapid approach from where she was.

Greta and Amanda had stood with their complete attention on each other. Amanda slid between Greta’s legs as she rushed forward to grapple her. She turned on a dime and the sharpened tendril penetrated the back of Greta’s thigh. Greta stumbled for a moment before she took a sharp turn and sent a haymaker straight into the ground. Amanda had already taken a backflip that proved too hasty, but the tendrils on her back prevented her from impacting the ground and set her standing straight up.

With her back facing him.

The opportunity was perfect as he drew back his weapon. Both hands on the grip as he placed it to one side, the weapon was generating a stream of electricity into it that the head of the thing was starting to glow a dull pink. His foot hit the ground one more time as he hurled himself forward with a jump and swung at Amanda’s head.

For a moment all was right with the world. Almost like he could see the time in slow motion as his weapon went to impact the back of Amanda’s head. A dark satisfaction came from the mental image that he didn’t know he could have, but he didn’t bother suppressing it. If the strike didn’t kill her, it would at least distract her enough for Greta to hit her straight on and finish the job herself.

The next he was somehow very aware of his body. He could feel the wind on his face as he went flying past his target, he could feel the sweat on his skin and feel his breath quicken rapidly. His body hit the ground and began rolling, dirt and flowers clinging to his skin. He could feel the flowers on his head and the dirt that had gotten under his suit.

He could feel the bumps forming on his skin as he finally stopped rolling near the bottom of the hill. A saw blade was going back and forth in a line a few feet from him, but he was safe from it. He was facing upwards seeing the lights and even darkness of the stage up above. He could feel how his body felt stiff as he went to touch something that was irritating him, yet his arm and fingers stood in place.

The only thing that could seem to move was his arm. Someone was saying something, but he couldn’t hear them over the white noise in his head and the screaming saw. Something said not to look down, that whatever had happened that had caused his attack to fail would be fine so long as he didn’t look down. Despite this he couldn’t stop himself as he had to know the growing numbness of his right arm

To see that his right arm was gone from the socket.

____________________________________________________________________________

Greta stood stunned as she looked at Amanda who was nearly bowing as the red tendril had extended from her neck. At the end of the Tendril stood Finn’s arm ripped clean from the socket. The veiny appendages curled around the arm as they retracted back into Amanda’s neck as she reached behind her and grabbed the offending limb and looked at it.

She had a puzzled look on her face before Greta saw the infernal gears of her mind turning and a wide smile took the place. She looked over and looked for her prize and for a moment Greta realized that Amanda wasn’t looking at her she charged forward to try and capitalize on the distraction. Unfortunately, the blow didn’t connect as she ducked last second and ran past, but it was a glancing blow.

Even if it wasn’t the intended target the sound of tearing flesh filled the room as a large chunk of Amanda’s shoulder was torn out. Looking at her meat tenderizer she wouldn’t be surprised if there was enough meat shaved off to reveal her clavicle and scapula. She knew that looking at it from the back and the way it moved it was dislocated.

That didn’t stop their host as she rushed toward Finn and Greta chased after her. She swore under her breath as she ran after the women who had targeted the still body of the boy. Whatever Amanda wanted with Finn wouldn’t be good but given the host's obsession with crafting a show she didn’t want to know what was going on in her mind.

A part of her wanted to throw her weapon but given Amanda’s agility it might as well miss given how active she was in dodging. Still, it didn’t help that Amanda not only had a head start but was also faster than her. Even if she wasn’t Amanda’s harpoons and hooks came hurtling down towards Greta, and while she could catch one or two, the wall of weapons would only lead to her getting impaled.

Still, she looked at Finn and knew that he wasn’t dead from the subtle movement from his body. It was clear that he was in shock from the event as while he’d arrived looking worse for wear at time at home, he was typically in one piece. Right now, he was missing a vital part of himself, and shock was the only reason he wasn’t injecting himself with his final ampule.

However, they’re mad dash for the body was interrupted as a guitar’s song blared from, they’re left side and Greta couldn’t help the feeling of vertigo that washed over her. She had to stop for a moment as she grabbed the side of her head. Amanda wasn’t so lucky as she fell face first and seemed to struggle to get back up, her hand reaching out for something to stabilize herself and finding nothing. Even those tendrils would come out to try and help her find balance, but being a part of her they came out wrong and misshapen.

The quick tune didn’t last long as Greta turned and saw Meow had stopped playing and had stabbed the instrument into the ground and was using it to balance herself. She’d gotten the worst of it seemingly and was dry heaving in her spot. Greta took a shaky breath as she stabilized herself and realized that Amanda stood in place, tangled by her very lifelines.

This was her chance.

Like a star baseball player, she reared back her weapon and let it fly. Amanda stood tangled for but a moment but when she saw her doom approaching it was too late. The weapon hit her in the abdomen, she’d been aiming higher, but the traces of nausea caused some slight problems, and kept going into the other side in the clearing. Amanda’s upper half went, her guts acting like a macabre set of party streamers, flying while the lower stood up for a moment but fell over soon after.

Almost in an instant the blades and shooting hooks stopped as Amanda’s corpse was flying through the air. Her hand had a death grip on the remote and it seemed she’d turned it off by accident. Probably an effect of trying to push a button while under Meow’s effects. Her hands fell to her knees for a moment as the last traces of Meow's mental attack faded away. For a moment she just let it all wash over her.

The stupid show was over with the host dead.

Greta couldn’t help the grin of satisfaction that found its way onto her face before she remembered to rush for Finn. Meow was going to, albeit at her own slower pace. Amanda’s body flopped on the ground like a ball a few times and landed just next to Finn. It stood motionless for a moment as Greta walked to Finn’s side.

“Damn it, Finn.” As much as she didn’t like it, Finn's attack had caused a distraction that she’d needed. His eyes went from looking at himself to her as she reached into the coat’s inner pocket. The green needle stood there ready to be used and she went to push it into his neck, holding it carefully so it didn’t fall into her mouth.

The needle never found its way there as it was taken.

Amanda’s tendril wrapped around the medical serum as it went straight into her own cheek. The bottom was pushed until it was halfway down as Greta roared at the theft. Amanda only let out her own laugh as her shoulder, which she’d guessed correctly on the injuries healed itself. Strangely the lower half of her torso didn’t fully heal.

Maybe it was because of Amanda not using the full thing, her lower half came back but without skin. Her organs held in place by the vast amount of almost indistinguishable tendrils that wrapped around her. Her feet touched the ground, and she shivered as the exposed flesh touched the dirt and flowers.

Greta charged the woman who just seemed to stand there with a victorious look on her face. Her hands wrapped around the women’s comparably small neck. Her hands shot up in an almost mock surrender, although the smile hadn’t left her face, and she saw the needle in one hand and the remote in her other.

Her finger pressing one of the buttons.

In a moment she heard Meow let out a cut off yelp as her core was pierced by a single harpoon. Greta looked stunned before she heard Amanda struggling to say something with her hands choking the life out of her. She was about to break that neck of hers when Amanda slipped out a single word from her position.

“C-Choice.”

Against her Better judgment Greta relented from her attack. “What?” Amanda took in greed gulps of air before she spoke again. “Make your choice.” A silent belly chuckle came from her before she made little grumblings of pain. She continued not a moment after as if she hadn’t done that.

“That wound will kill Meow if you don’t use the rest of the ampule, but what of Finn? He’s unaugmented, so surely, he’ll probably bleed out before you could get any help.” How she knew that Greta wasn’t sure, but given the number of cameras on their journey it wouldn’t surprise if Amanda had been listening in. “You little-”

“THE ULTIMATE CHOICE! YOUR APPRENTICE OR THE OBJECT OF YOUR ADVENTURE!? THESE ARE THE DECISIONS THE AUDIENCE-” Amanda’s sudden burst of mania was cut short. Greta’s hands went from her neck to the sides of her head as they lifted her up until she was dangling. Had she been anyone else they’d have gone down her gullet and met their end, but as much as Greta normally liked to gorge herself this wasn’t the case this time.

This was a lot more personal.

Her thumbs found their way into the host's eyes, her hand’s mouths digging deep into her cheeks, and she wanted a moment to let her feel it. After that she pulled in opposite directions with all her might. Amanda’s body was already barely held together by her own tendrils, and even if it hadn’t something told Greta she wouldn’t have survived this anyway. Amanda came apart at the seams, her white dress now torn and stained a crimson red from multiple people’s blood.

Yet even in death she still kept that energetic smile.

Greta took the needle and looked at the near bodies of her friends. She swore because from the looks of Meow that harpoon hadn’t just impaled her. Given the nature of the weapons it had taken a large chunk out of her back. Meow’s spine was revealed for the world to see and from the looks of things more than a few of her organs were lacerated or smashed from the impact. Even if she hadn’t been run clear through it was clear that survival wasn’t something that could happen naturally.

She looked between the two.

Finn had been there at the beginning mostly as a passenger, sure, but he’d come into his own. He’d made they’re trip a lot more bearable as he’d done the little things that gave them time or were unable to do. In a strange way he brought a sense of normality to the group that wouldn't have been there since talking with Waxy was strange due to his nature. Not to mention how could she face him given this was the one thing he’d wanted to do.

On the other hand, Meow had been Bremen’s objective. The entire reason they were here was to get Meow, and now she was on the verge of death. She hadn’t known Meow much, but she’d seem to have an energy that could match Bremen and got along well with Finn. A welcome addition to they’re group, but first she needed to survive.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the two and she felt her teeth nashed in anger. An anger that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Anger at Amanda for forcing this choice, anger at the city for allowing this to happen, anger at herself for not being strong enough. Even if she'd known the cruelties of The City it had been a long time since it had affected her in such a way.

Even so she had to make a choice.

She took one last look at Finn, and the wound that was leaking blood onto the ground. In her mind even with Amanda’s word there was a chance he would survive. She Probably wouldn't find help, but there was always a chance she might. A chance in hell she minded, but it was better than nothing.

The ampule found its way into Meow who breathed in sharply. The second she could she scrambled up and looked at Greta for a moment, but no words were said. They rushed to the body of Finn, and her hands applied as much pressure as they could on the wound without crushing him. Meow was tearing off the left side of her arm wear and trying to make it into some kind of tourniquet for however helpful that would be.

“How do you treat shock?!” At Meow’s question Greta Cursed under her breath. There was a time she had known when she’d lived with her parents, and she needed to keep ingredients alive. Those years had passed and as she kept going place and place, she typically just killed and cooked almost immediately. The medical knowledge now only scraps in her mind.

“I don't know, but I know we shouldn't just shove those HP bullets in his mouth. We can't stay here.” Finn was thrown over her shoulder as they looked around for the exit. Meow saw it first and with a yell alerted Greta to it.

They rushed towards the door at the end, and Greta barely noticed the ornate design of the thing before her shoulder impacted it and the door flew open. A single room in white light and a briefcase stood as they rushed forward. The prize money that they’d been promised no doubt, what would have been icing on the cake of Amanda’s death now seemed to taunt them as they ran by it.

As they went up the stairs colorful confetti washed down upon them as they went up the stairs. A set of claps like they were in front of an audience and Amanda’s prerecorded voice that she ignored as the door became closer and closer. Finally, they rushed through it and into the open day.

The familiar sights of the backstreets in the day greeted them. Not the nest that she had been expecting, but it was in an empty lot. She looked around the room, her heart thundering in its chest as she looked around. Buildings towering above them, but not one place caught her eye. It wasn’t a guarantee, but as Finn’s eye’s close she knew what pay before her.

A chance to save Finn even if he’d hate how they’d have to do so.

“Meow…go back and get the money.” The masked women stood gaping at her sentence. “WHAT WHY ARE WE-JUST DO WHAT I SAY!” At her yell, Meow didn’t look frightened, but she simply nodded. She let go of Finn and ran backward as Greta stared at the building barely even a block from her. Against her wishes she heard the last thing she’d ever wanted to hear, the last words she’d remember Amanda by.

“Thank you all for your support. Without you this show would have never been the masterpiece it would have today, but most importantly let’s all give a big hand for Greta and Finn. Our brightest stars that we’ve ever had on our show. Thank you both for making Red Tv’s finale the best it ever could have. Goodbye District 23 and always remember that just because we’re not here doesn’t mean you can’t paint your own town your own favorite shade of red.”

Chapter 31: The Patient

Chapter Text

“Just close the shop no one’s coming in.” Sophie sighed as she looked over at Harvey. The scarred older fixer was sitting in a chair with his arms folded. “You're just mad I made you come in when you wanted to watch your show.” He shook his head denying her accusation as he began talking.

“Sophie no one has come in today or in the past week. We get all our orders online, so if someone wanted to come in, they would have filled out an order.” She grimaced at the truth of his words as she stopped relaxing. Her feet no longer on the front desk she straightened her back as she looked over at the computer next to her.

No work for at least another week. Even then only orders were for an eye upgrade and a prosthetic set of legs. Good paying upgrades that sure, would keep them afloat, but not enough for her to tinker like she liked to. She let out as she looked at the clock again and frowned.

She’d stayed open longer today, but the clock was nearing eleven. She let out a sigh once again before she spoke. “Do you think people would come in if we offered a fifteen percent discount?” Harvey put his hand under his chin for a moment before he spoke. “Probably not, I keep telling you this is a location problem. No one lives around here” She nodded at that again before she looked out the window.

She hadn’t understood why this part of the backstreets was so uninhabited compared to the rest. Not even rats used these buildings for squatting, and they wouldn't even need to. She’d gotten this building some years ago because of how much of a steal it had been at the time, so much so she’d gotten a call from someone offering to pay three times what she had.

Sure, it was an ally building that was a decent bit out of the way to get to, but she had expected some kind of people. There weren’t any neighbors or people who walked in as they passed bye and saw her workshop. She swore if she didn’t have a decent amount of reputation, she would have had to close down her workshop or find another way to get money.

She leaned back in her chair and let out a yelp when she fell over. She groaned in annoyance while she heard her bodyguard chuckle at her. “Just go hang up the closed sign.” Her hand reached out to look for a stable surface to bring herself up. She grabbed the edge of her desk and began bringing herself up.

The door slammed open in a moment, and she could hear Harvey gasp. “YOU! DO YOU RUN THIS PLACE?!” At the sounds of a frantic person that was unknown Sophie practically shot up. She brushed off any dirt she might have had before she looked at her customer. Whatever she had planned to say died on her lips.

Why was there a bunny girl with a mutilated boy in her office?

The woman whirled around looking her in the face behind a mask. “DO YOU RUN THIS PLACE?!” Sophie found herself nodding numbly as her brain refused to process the scene in front of her. “Good! How fast can you perform an impromptu arm replacement!?” She looked at the passed-out body, that was currently bleeding on her nice tile floor, before she finally got her bearings.

“I’m not a back-alley doctor unless you can pay me.” She said that and only then noticed the briefcase that was in her left hand. In a moment she undid the locks on the box and grabbed something. Her own hand went behind her back as the blade slowly started extending from her wrist. If this floozy thought, she was that easy to intimidate then she had another thing-

…

That was a large wad of cash.

“Harvey, go put our guests in the back and stabilize them! Why don’t I talk with our lovely customer!” She grasped her hands together as she grabbed the woman's arm and brought her to the desk. Harvey basically scooped up the man and rushed to the back, all while she pulled out a number of papers before handing them to her guest. The knowledge that her boytoy was safe seemed to have had that panic she had evaporate.

“Just some typical agreement forms, policy and all really, but the one that’ll be most important is the one on the back. Just tell me of any augments or body modifications he might have so that I can take the appropriate measure in getting him his new arm.” The woman was looking through the papers slowly. She let her as she went through the first paper at wheat felt like a sentence a minute. She was a paying customer after all, so if she wanted to feel smarter than that was fine with her.

After a moment Sophie realized that no she wasn’t faking it she seemed to be looking for hidden clauses and other such trappings. She gained a modest amount of interest before squashing it, whatever the women’s life beforehand that was nothing to her. All she really needed was the details of the patient in the backroom and she could get started. When the time came the woman let out a sigh before she spoke.

“Well, um…we have an issue.” She breathed in through her nose for a moment before she gestured to continue. “I…don’t really know much about Finn, but I’m pretty sure he’s augmented. I was told he wasn’t, but I think that my friend was just…ignorant about it.” She pondered the words of the women in front of her before she spoke.

“So, you want me to operate on someone without any idea of what augments could be in his body, not to mention the fact he’s in critical condition.” She sheepishly looked away. She took in a deep breath before she sighed. “You know if I do that, I’m going to charge an extra right?” The woman shrugged.

“...Can you at least tell me what kind of arm I should get him.” Once again, the women shrugged. “We’re kind of in the market to get him something temporary, but we need to make sure he lives. We really just need an arm, so whatever you see fit.” She was about to yell when she stopped herself.

She could give him ANY arm.

With the way she was sure she could afford anything the dark part of her said to give him the most expensive one she had. It would be a bit dishonest, but the thought that he would throw away the arm annoyed her. The prosthetics or full body replacements that one could get would always be better than the flesh that used to surround her body. He just needed to be enlightened to that fact.

She nodded again as the women signed the contract. “Well, if the penalty and the rush job fee aside this should take me some time. Don’t worry about your friend, he’s in good hands. That being said, it might take us the whole night, so either get comfy in the waiting lobby or come back in the morning.” With that she turned to go back to her workshop.

It was time for her favorite part of the job.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Oh…I’ve gone a bit too far.” She stared at the fourth pair of medical scissors that were in her hand. Another broken pair as she looked at the opened-up body in front of her. The IV and blood bag to the side of her operating table pumping the life sustaining liquids in as she looked inside him. She discarded the broken tool into a trash can with the rest and a few different scalpels and syringes.

Normally she didn’t need to go this far for an arm transplant, but her sensors had shown that the boy had a few extra nerves around that area. She’d simply intended to work with them, but as she began cutting, she noticed how hard it was for her bladed instruments to get through his skin. That hadn’t warranted cutting him open, but she did want to know the source of these nerves before she started attaching things to them.

By the time she realized this had turned more into a live autopsy because of her curiosity and frustration at the destroyed equipment. It was partly why she’d always have Harvey in the room to keep her on task. Today he’d decided to stay in with they’re guest for some reason, so in turn she had no one that could stop her curiosity.

Still inside, Finn was fascinating and a little concerning to behold. Other than the set of scales just under the layer of skin, he also had a few extra organs. Extra organs that didn’t seem to be fully matured, as if they were growing in him. After all she couldn’t see the point of shoving organs that were barely usable and also shoved in so haphazardly.

Seriously the organ above his stomach, the most mature looking one, was already beginning to push down on his stomach. That had to be uncomfortable already and detrimental to his health in the long run. The fact that it was also the root of the extra set of nerves that she’d found interesting.

The other two organs weren’t nearly as mature, but they looked like two fleshy pouches. They were currently growing alongside his lungs, with the right lung’s pouch being connected into the lungs. She looked at them both again and looked at the scalpel right next to her.

She should really be attaching the arm and just be done with it. After all, if the guy wanted to get shoddy organ enhancements that should have been fine with her, but she didn’t. She was getting paid and if this proved to be too troublesome then she could simply just charge an additional fee. After all she did need to be aware of all this beforehand as if she attached the arm without proper connections or out of sync with the body that could lead to more complications down the line. Complications that might be pinned to her despite her circ*mstances.

She grabbed the scalpel and already began planning. She needed to move the organ above the stomach higher. She wasn’t sure how big it would be fully grown but moving it up so that it wouldn’t be pressing down would be helpful regardless. The flesh pouches could stay for now, but that was only because in their current state she had no idea if she could safely remove them.

Still the arm that she was going to get him was already to the side. A brass arm that held a nice extendable dagger from the wrist, and a grappling hook in the forearm. The metal had been enhanced to be stronger than how the metal normally was. The attachment would be relatively easy, she just had to modify it to connect with the extra nerve endings that were in the arm from his augments.

Had she known all this beforehand this might have taken an hour or two to put the socket joint in and then connect the nerves. Of course, maybe a tight bit of surgery to make sure he survived and an anesthetic to make sure that his body didn’t go into shock, but he already had been, and she had already pumped a decent amount into him.

Still all this work was something to do compared to the endless waiting that had happened beforehand. Even if the order had come in random and she’d been faced with numerous annoyances at least something had happened tonight. It was this knowledge that kept her going as she went through with her surgery.

That and the paycheck.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Alright I’m out and…Harvey?” The reception area was currently empty of their guests. Harvey had a dopey look on his face as he sat back. “Harvey, where's our guest? I need to tell her how it all went.” At her raised volume he sat up and waved to her.

“Oh, hey Sophie. Yeah, she’s outside right now calling her friends to come pick them up, but she’ll step back in a moment.” She nodded as she plopped back down onto her seat and lay back as well, uncaring of the blood currently on her apron.

“He should wake up in a day or two, and then they just need to give him these notes. Proper maintenance of the arm and a bunch of does and don’ts.” She explained to Harvey as she spun for a moment in her chair. “Gave him a good arm too, one that might have him reconsider getting the old one back.” She heard Harvey hum in approval as she looked up.

“By the way, what's up with you? You're a lot more chipper than you were when the women showed up.” Harvey stared at her for a moment before he let out a sigh. “Right, you aren’t into that sort of thing, so you don’t know.”

…

“Harvey, have you been going to nightclubs?” At her question he began choking on air before he let out a cough. “NO, YOU IDIOT SHE’S FAMOUS!” It took her a moment to process that before she spoke again. “What like…as a dancer on a-ON TV! MY SHOW!” She let out an understanding hum as she began thinking about her.

She probably shouldn’t ask the nature of that channel.

“...Okay.” She was going to stir the conversation elsewhere. “Anyway, do you mind if I complain about this job? I typically do it while you're in the room and it helps me relax and focus.” He waved his hand in a ‘go ahead’ motion and she nodded.

“Ok so him not being augmented was a f*cking lie.”

Chapter 32: A light needed

Chapter Text

The ride to pick up the others was so tense that even he could feel it. There were no words exchanged between them as they took a sharp left. There was no radio that played, no offers to light cigarettes, or any of the noise that usually happened inside the vehicle. For the first time there was nothing but silence between them all as they drove.

He looked to the side to see Tanya eye’s locked on the road looking into the center mirror every now and then. He hadn’t known how used to the noise that he’d become so something felt like it was missing. It wasn’t an emotion that he felt he knew that, more so that it was like a daily part of his life had just not been there. Even if it had been for a little while it was still incredibly noticeable to even him.

Not too long ago it wasn’t like that in the slightest. They were all watching the show with varying amounts of noise. Snacks and slight drinks had been brought out as they watched Greta and Finn go from room to room. Seemingly an invincible duo as Greta’s very presence caused Finn to be borderline invisible. Tanya had taken to a strange amount of pride watching Finn take out a sizable amount of people and began marking down a tally in a of Finn’s kills and they’re groups. A small notebook that had been gained from one of their spoils from this place that had previously not interested any of them.

It was an infectious joy when Finn and Greta had secured meow even if he’d been worried about Finn’s brutalization. The effects she had on the team was immediate., and while he could say he didn’t advise Meow’s method since it seemed to target Finn he couldn’t argue with the results. Bremen’s joy was even beginning to infect him, and for a brief moment he wondered if that small pit inside him joy was.

And then everything crashed down when Finn lost his arm.

The feeling of the room seemed to go away when that happened, and the silence was all that remained afterwards. Even the hosts' death, something they’d both been cheering to happen, didn’t raise their spirits as they just stared blankly at the screen. He could only sit and stare with them as they just looked on. Even as the credits began playing and a somber version of the show’s theme began playing, not one of them moved.

And then he punched the television.

Looking down at his fist he saw it clenching unconsciously every now and then. He didn't know why he did that. It hadn’t made any sense to do so since it wasn’t the television’s fault for Finn’s dismemberment, no she had died laughing, so it was completely illogical. And yet in that moment for some reason that had made the most sense to do, as if the other two would join him in destroying it as well.

Yet they didn’t.

If anything, they seemed shocked that he did, but no words were said as soon the sparks from the scraps that were the tv sparked once before smoking. For a while there was just that as Tanya left and Bremen seemed to deflate. It was the only real way to describe what they were like as they sat back in a chair quieter than he’d ever heard them. Like the song that they always played had been finally brought to an end.

He hadn’t known how long he sat with Bremen till Tanya got the call, but Bremen rushed to be the first one in the car. The knowledge that Finn was ‘fine’ sparking a new flame as they made their way there. For a moment he thought the two would go back to their normal self as they began driving from the safe house.

He was solely mistaken.

Looking at Tanya again he felt like he should say something, but there was a problem in that he didn’t know what to say. What was there to say after all? Finn was alive, if injured, and with the ampules at home that arm would be back. After an hour or so they could go back to how they were, but with the addition of Meow. If anything, they’re goal was even closer than they started just like they wanted.

So why did he still feel so bad?

…

Why can I never say the things I want to say?

At a stop sign Tanya looked at the map she’d pulled out to navigate. Not having Greta here also made him realize just how much of their travels had been laid out by the shark women and now they had to go off of their own map understanding. Everything had felt right, but as they trailed more and more there was this strange emptiness that had begun growing more and more apparent.

Sure, the night was always empty, save for the sweepers that came out later, but something about the city in this part was emptier. It felt cleaner, less urban, less…live in if that made sense. The usual banners for restaurants or graffiti on walls, along with the general erosion that several buildings got, seemed to fade away and only an idea that it was lived in presented itself to anyone that was traveling here.

He wasn’t sure why all this came to mind, perhaps a side effect from living in the district so long, but things just didn’t seem right. He wouldn’t say this was a trap only because there would be no reason to set one. No one other than Meow knew they were coming, so there would be no point to it all. Even if there was a syndicate’s scam ahead it felt like there was too much effort to stand out.

“We have three miles left.” Tanya words broke the silence thankfully and he looked at her. “Ah, that’s…” The words left him for a moment as his thoughts seemed to leave him for a moment. Before he could recover, she stopped the car for a moment and took in a deep breath from her nose. “Waxy could you do me a favor?” He looked at her strangely at how sudden it was before he nodded.

“Get out of the car.”

…

“I’m sorry?” He had no clue what Tanya was asking as she seemed to look at the mirror again. “I know it sounds strange but could you just…get out. We’ll pick you up after we get them. I just need you to trust me.” He didn’t even ponder it after the words as he opened the car door. The air from The City hit him as he fully left the car.

“See ya soon just stay safe.” He barely heard Tanya say that as she drove away slowly. He watched as they got farther away, and he looked back at him as he put a hand in his pocket and went to a wall. He leaned back and took in a deep breath of his own and looked up at the night sky.

The noise of the wind was more preferable to the silence. It was a shame that the sun wouldn’t be up for a while, but he could wait until it did. The sight of the early sun always filled him with a feeling of…well any feeling really. It was nice but it never seemed to last considering the rising sun could only last for so long. He looked at the end of his weapon for a moment before he lit it a flame to light the dark.

He’d never really looked at it differently, but now with just the moonlight and him he looked deep into the flame. He’d never needed to since he was always busy but now with nothing else to do and the fact he didn’t want to worry he decided to. Maybe it could be just as comforting as the sun could be to him. He looked into it for a moment, staring as deep as he could.

…And found it wasn’t.

Why wasn’t it as comforting as the sun? What was missing from his own flame that made it not as incandescent as the sun? No matter if he dulled or empowered it the flame didn’t give him that feeling. Finally, he looked up at the night sky as he found his efforts futile.

Instead of the moon he saw a shadow cast by it, and the body hurtling to him.

He dodged to the side as the body impacted the wall next to him and he saw clearly a dull yellow suit. A large spear with two protrusions near the base the metal and wood met was where his center was. The person looked towards him, and he noticed felt something in him say to move to the left.

He sidestepped just in time for another yellow suited person to flash by, quite literally as a large burst of light trailed behind her, and nearly hit him. He caught sight of her back for a moment before she turned on the balls of her feet and turned back to him. A ball of light in her hands that she crushed, and he found himself blinded.

The Five Dragons had made they’re return. Good he needed a distraction.

____________________________________________________________________________

As their car drove around the battle that was happening a block away the Women in the yellow suit looked at him. Her eyes narrowed at him as she crossed her arms before she spoke. "Why am I not joining them for this?” He smiled at her as he put his feet up on the small table before he spoke.

“That might have been a prime opportunity to try and strike down a member of the Ensemble, but Karui you need to think more clearly. The Crying Children is a Star of the City and we’re not here to kill but…distract them.” He saw her fist clenched tightly at his words before he clarified. “Now. We’re not going to kill them right now.”

Her own fist came down on the small table between them, the limousine seemed to shake at the strike, and he looked at the crack that had formed. “That wasn’t cheap, you know.” She growled at his words before opening her mouth. “The Ensemble has made a mockery of us; we need to make one of their members pay in blood and Tanya has-Tanya is too strong for a simple subsidiary as us.” He cut her off as he felt his patience begin to fade. Already it seemed he was going to have to deal with the pig headedness of the Yellow Dragons.

“I swear any color other than green and my own can’t see outside the picture. Look at us and tell me if we stand a chance with Komachi, Hibiki, and Ira dead.” He saw the color in her eyes begin to glow as the frustration was building. Why couldn’t she handle him stating obvious facts? “So what? We just don’t take the shot at all. Just let them walk all over us and ignore our grudge?”

“Stop putting words in my mouth, you're making me regret bringing you along.” The honor hungry combat obsessed fool in front of him wasn’t calming down at all. “Face it the dragons have failed in this part of our takeover, so the best we can do is make them feel pressure. We might not know where they’re going, but I get the feeling that we can make them feel like they need to return home fast.”

There was finally some intrigue in her eyes as she looked. “Well, we can tell the main force of The Middle and suffer the consequences along with making our syndicate look bad, or Karui we can help out on a little plan.” His words were left in the air for a moment as she pondered them. Finally, she snorted in annoyance. “Alright Danzo, tell me your plan. Why am I needed alive right now and not fighting like my prime members are.” There was a more reasonable side shining through. He felt his smile come back to his face as the woman across leaned back.

“I’m glad you asked. You're fast Karui so you might be able to pull this off. It’s clear they left a member expecting the whole force to try and take him down. When they pick him up thinking the dragons are gone, they’ll return home you just need to destroy the car and leave.” She nodded but a glare was still being sent my way.

“And fifteen primes needed to die instead of us just doing this because? You also still haven’t told me the plan.” Of course, he didn’t because it would go against her Honor bound ideas. Still, he needed to answer before she thought otherwise. “Because they can repel any attack while together and feel strong, and if you destroy the car while they’re out they’ll simply just leave, and we’ll lose track of them.” She was following along with his points, but he could tell the idea still appealed to her.

“There’s another vehicle they own, and I’ve set up a tracker. With that tracker I plan to always know where they go and then have someone else deal with our little-NO!” There’s the protest he expected. “This is a Middle Problem, A DRAGON problem we won’t have anyone else sorting this out?” He began to grind his teeth as a purple outline began to trace over his own fingers. He took a moment to calm down before he spoke.

“So what? We tell the main branch of our families and have them try and send us more men? We’ve been run ragged ourselves with this little operation and you want to tell them we failed capturing our objectives. That we lost not only 2 captains, but a Fang as well because we didn’t coordinate this well? Even if they had decided to they wouldn't get here in enough time!” For the first time her glow died down as he began to lay it out.

“Komachi went along of his own volition instead of a Drake because he wanted to test our mettle, and of the territory the dragons conquered we have not nearly enough to show ourselves worthy of going back, much less becoming Drakes ourselves. This was our chance to get higher and now what?” Buildings of Interest conquered by the Pinky and Thumb were still not theirs, and what they could get came with heavy losses. Calling any of this successful would be a lie a blind man could see through.

If they had failed and lost one or two of them, they would have stayed as captains, now with Komachi dead and dwindling numbers they’d be lucky to even still be dragons. If the main middle branch learned then they might keep themselves in because they ‘tried to uphold the grudge’ but the dragons would fall in favor, and any slight falling was unacceptable in his eyes. “What we need is to be smart about this. We will have at least Tanya’s head if all goes well, but we have to not rush to our deaths.” Finally at the end of it all he saw Karui seeing his point of view.

“Fine…who is this other party than.” She sounded like she swallowed a lemon, but he could live with her pride being damaged. If all went well then, they might become more than simple Drakes. “Well, our green scaled friends are currently greasing some palms to arrange this, but the Zwei are currently gathering forces for something big.” She leaned in forward and he did to, his hands resting under his chin as he felt a cruel smile form.
“We’re simply going to offer our ‘services’.

Chapter 33: Medical Pickup

Chapter Text

As Tanya took one final turn, she looked at the only source of color on the street. She looked at the map one more time to make sure before she began to pull up to the building. When she was in front, she threw the vehicle in park and looked over to Bremen. “Alright, so Meow should be inside there with Finn in them.”

They nodded back to them slowly, and Tanya had to imagine this wasn't the reunion they had wanted. “We’re…probably going to have to make some space for Finn to lay down if he’s not up yet.” There was a sour taste in her mouth as she said that. She didn’t dwell on it too long, forcing herself to continue.

“Do you think it’d be better to set him up in the passenger seat and have Waxy back there with you or try and not.” They seemed to think about that one for a moment before Doodle-doo let out a quiet yet questioning caw. A simple question as to why they left Waxy behind on a random street.

“We were being followed. Looked like the dragons again and I didn’t feel like fighting.” The rooster went to ask something, but they’re right hand just put a finger in front of the beak. Doodle-doo looked down at Heehaw, who just shook their head. Woof was just quiet, seemingly stewing in his own thoughts.

He let out a quick bark Almost absentmindedly he just said to put Finn in the front.in front. They could deal with Waxy burning them every now and then. The other two debated it between themselves for a moment before just shaking their heads and agreeing. “Alright, well let’s go in and see meow and them. Try and look a little alive.”

Exiting the car, she was hit with the cold breeze, and she took a deep breath. She walked up to the door, Bremen trailing behind her, and was about to open it when a whistle caught her attention. Turning her head, she saw Greta walk out of an empty building with a slight wave.

“Why are you doing out here?” Greta shrugged at the question before she spoke. “I figured if I walked in, they wouldn’t take it well.” Tanya let out a hum, nodding her head. “So, you’ve been just hanging out in that building for us.”

“Well Meow has been coming out to get away from her fan on the inside, but yeah other than that yes.” There was a slight chuckle that quickly died. She wasn’t meeting Tanya’s eye’s as she spoke. Tanya took a moment before she spoke. “Well do you want to go in now since we’re all here? They’ve probably already done their job.” Greta put her hand under her chin to rhino for a moment.

Afterwards she shook her head in approval before she spoke. “Meow is in there so sure. Don't want to keep Bremen any longer from meeting their friend.” Bremen gave a small cheer at the news and Tanya figured that was the end of that. Enough stalling as it was so that she could see her apprentice get this day over with.

Barging into the building she was greeted with a rather plain waiting room with two people in it. One was the woman she’d seen not too long ago in the big scream wearing a plastic smile, and an older looking man. Other than the large number of scars on his muscular arms and a prosthetic left leg she ignored any other detail of him. Well, she did find it a little humorous as he started making a choking noise at their appearance.

Upon seeing Meow Bremen made the noise they always did as they rushed the woman to wrap her in a hug. She was startled by the noise and jumped slightly, but she quickly adapted to the situation as she looked at the distortion hugging her. There were a few moments where Bremen was saying something different, so much so that Tanya was for once unable to decipher their words. For once she was almost sure she was just listening to pure noise from Bremen that wasn’t an intentional attack.

“THE HELL’S ALL THAT NOISE! I’M SOWING SOM-” A person with a full body prosthetic burst into the room from a door in the back of the room. Tanya guessed it was a woman from the tone of the voice, but that wasn’t important. The woman was at least Meow’s height and what wasn’t covered by garb that looked more like a butcher than someone who worked with mechanics. What could be seen of their body was brass metal color hands and a small flat screen with a simple face.

“H-Hey boss…this is the greatest day of my life.” The man’s voice was almost hard to hear as Bremen hadn’t stopped yelling, but it was clear by the large X on the screen she didn’t share the sentiment. Whatever the case in any other scenario she would have been content to let the scene play out, but she figured the woman was probably the one operating on Finn. After a moment she pressed her fingers on the nap decently hard.

The yelped in slight surprise at her ‘attack’ and turned around, letting Meow go. “You can catch up on the ride back, let’s get Finn first.” They let out a low breath in response before they nodded. With that settled she turned to the only other people who were here before them. “We’re just here to pick up the guy in the back. Is he ready?” It took a few moments for her words to set in, but when she did the mechanic straightened her back. “A few more stitches are needed to sow him back up properly, and then I have some general maintenance tips and concerns I have.” She rolled her eyes at the statement before replied.

“Then go finish him up and bring him back out. We’re in a bit of a hurry so just give us a pamphlet or something and we’ll be on our way.” She went to turn to go back to the car when a cold metallic arm grabbed her. She almost sent a punch back on reflex but managed to control herself long enough to see the question mark on the screen.

“Even if you're ‘busy’ I have to ask if you're the one who said that the boy back there was ‘unaugmented’. If so then you need to know he very much is.” Her eyes raised slightly at the statement before she asked a question. “I’m going to assume you meant that he was augmented before you operated on him.” The nod she was sent her way confirmed her statement, and she was left confused.

“That can’t be true. I would have smelt if he had gotten any augments since we’d known him, and he’s smelt the same as ever.” Greta’s words got out before hers and the women let go of her. “I’m going to ignore that method and ask how long you’ve known the boy then if you're so confident then.” Turning to face the women she spoke before Greta could.

“We’ve known the runt for about a month or two now, I can tell you he was unaugmented beforehand, and we’ve been together since that day. He had no time to get an any body-mods, he was pretty against them in fact.” The screen in front of her was set to normal dots and eyes at her answer.

She looked Tanya in the eye before she spoke. “Well, I have to ask if he’s been exposed to something that would cause mutations then. Most people don’t just start growing an extra set of organs on a layer of scales under their skin.” She looked at Greta for any clarification but saw an equal amount of confusion in her eyes.

Tanya was almost wondering if this was some strange scam they were running, but Meow stepped up. “If he had scales under his skin that would explain how he survived the punches from Axel. I don’t see him being unaugmented and surviving.” A second voice confirming the strange news was enough. Meow had no real reason to lie and Tanya had seen the punches that Finn had taken on video.

After a week of training and seeing Finn get beat down and survive it had made sense to her at the time seeing it again. A part of her hand thought the strikes were a bit suspicious, but at the time it had all just flown well together. After all he was alive so that was all that had mattered at the time. Who cared if he took some punches, it would only serve to toughen him up.

“Wait a minute, what does he have again?” In a moment of clarity Greta asked again, but it was clear the shark woman was on a track separate from her own. “If you want more clarification, he has three new organs and a set of scales under his skin. The three organs are one that was just above his stomach that is the source of a new nervous system, and two pouches attached to his lungs. Both lung organs are too immature for me to get any idea what they could do as of right now.”

She heard Greta take in a hissing breath. “Did those scales have any particular color to them?” At the question the machine woman shook her head. “They were fresh, if a little pale, but nothing that stood out.” At the answer Greta had a frustrated look on her face, as if that answer somehow disproved something.

“Ok look why do you even want to ask about these augments?” She broke the conversation and brought the attention back to her. “Mostly because I had wanted to tell you that his new arm should be compatible with them before you toss it away. It should help with the electricity generated by his nervous system.” There was a more chipper tone in the way she spoke, but Tanya focused on one detail.

Finn was generating electricity.

“Why don’t you just…go get Finn. We’ll listen to how to maintain it ok.” It might have been useless information, but it would get this lady away from them. She nodded and went back into the door in the back room. The man seemed to realize something and went to the back room following after her.

With just them in the room it was just them left. “Okay I have an…idea I think of what’s going on, but I’m still not sure how it happened.” She nodded along but with a cry from Bremen they were still on square one. “Why don’t we talk about it on the car ride? It’ll be a long drive, and maybe if we talk about it we can piece this together.” There were small mutterings of agreement from everyone in the room before Meow stepped up.

“I didn’t want to interrupt since this seemed important, but I’d like to introduce myself. You seemed to be friends with Greta.” Meow held her hand out for her, and while normally against this sort of thing she decided to make an exception. Accepting the hand, she gave as firm a handshake as she could without breaking Meow’s hand. “Names Tanya, Bremen has been worried about ya.”

“Ah then this is a little redundant, but I’m Meow. Let’s try and make some noise together.” She took her hand back, and for what she was it wasn’t a bad grip. She then went over to Bremen in the room. Tanya had expected a hug like the one the distortion had given her at first sight, but that same hand was extended to them as well.

“You're a bit huggy, but you seem genuine. So, who are you?”

Chapter 34: One Last Pick Up

Chapter Text

There were a lot of things that Meow had never really expected to happen today, now going into yesterday. It was just a lot to take in now that she rode in the back of a van surrounded by distortions. That itself was a detail she had never expected to happen, much less her freedom from the show’s contract.

Looking around the silent vehicle she saw the still sleeping Finn’s head bob back and forth every now and then. He sat in the front held in place mostly by a seatbelt, the knowledge he was augmented now planted firmly in her head. To her that was a detail that shouldn’t have mattered as much, but it seemed to cause the rest of them some speculation. Her eye’s turned to the one that stood out.

Hee-Haw, Doodle-doo, and Woof sat in their place being silent. For as long as she’d known the former trio they had never once been quiet, or one of them was off making noise. Here and now as a distortion they sat quietly more than likely also thinking about the news they’d heard. A shocking sight that she could add to those things she could never expect to see.

There was a lot she wanted to say to them, but it would be no use. When the other two had explained just exactly what had happened to her old bandmates, along with the fact they just called them Bremen, a sad truth had been found. As they were, she was unable to communicate with them without Greta or the newly introduced Tanya to explain. As if she were no closer to them then if she’d never been introduced at all.

And yet she couldn’t be more excited.

Sad yes but think of all the new sounds they could make together! The energetic strum of a guitar with the cries of a donkey, the furious beating of drums to the roars of a dog, and the elegant blowing of a flute with a scream from a rooster. New noises that could be added to their songs, if it weren’t for the current mood she’d be pretty excited to talk with the group to see what everyone else was like.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t sad about Finn’s condition, the little man had gone out of his way to save her after all, it was just that from what she was told he’d be completely fine. Near death encounters were a common thing in the backstreets, and when they got to their home he’d be fixed in an instant. Nothing was lost in the slightest, so there was no reason for the state that everyone was in. Especially not the three in front of her, who even before distorting always rolled with the punches that they were dealt before dishing some back themselves.

Of course she kept her opinion to herself, she could read the room after all. Now wasn’t the time for hyped up conversations, but a short temporary morning that Finn’s injuries had brought. Any question that she could want to ask would have to wait for the next day, and after a good night's sleep. She cursed the lavish lifestyle she lived a day ago as she leaned into the back of the van, she found sleep hard to come by in any way. The District 9 King bed she used to sleep on had unfortunately conditioned her well.

A sudden bump caused everyone in the back to bounce up slightly. Hitting the seat harshly her hands went to her tailbone, one of the needles she had slipping out from her arm wear. A needle with a dull purplish liquid rolled on the ground. As she hissed in pain as she saw Greta’s head turn to the front of the car. “What’s the big…oh hell.” At the sudden stop of her yell Meow turned forward.

The front of the windshield she saw the city on fire.

“Looks like Waxy might have gotten in more trouble than I thought.” She looked towards Tanya who looked plainly at the situation. “I’m sorry, who's Waxy?” At her question Tanya looked over to her. Leaning back into the back to face them.

“Final member we need to pick up. I left him here to deal with the people who were pursuing us.” Another bump came after, and she went back to looking at the road. Looking out of the back window she saw a few crumbling buildings and bodies with burnt flesh. Even inside the vehicle the scent of the destruction began to leak in. She cringed involuntarily, but everyone else seemed quite used to it.

They drove for a minute or two before Tanya parked the car. “I’m going out to go find him. He’s probably not going to find him on the same road, so sit tight.” There were a few nods in acknowledgement as everyone began settling in. She leaned forward instead and cleared her throat. Tanya was halfway out of the door when she heard it.

“If you wouldn’t mind, could I join you?” Her friends cried something at her question that caused her to return a stare. “Sorry, they’re just curious why you don’t want to stay and catch up.” She nodded at Greta’s translation and turned back to her friends before she answered. “Oh no biggie. Just want to see the whole crew beforehand. Get a good feel for everybody.” She saw Hee-haw bickering with Woof about the decision while Doodle-doo seemed not to care.

“Hey, I’d like NOT to stay in a burning wasteland for more than needed!” At Tanya’s growl her friends made her decision. With one final hug, one she returned this time, they sent her off with a wave of her hand. Popping open the door the smell hit her even harder for a moment, but that didn’t stop her as she closed the door behind her.

It was different looking at the destroyed buildings and the fires in them then looking inside the car. She’d have figured there would be more people fleeing or screaming in the chaos, but other than the occasional rat or two it seemed truly like a ghost town. Still, it was a small mercy because it let her hear everything much more clearly.

The echo of the fire that mixed with the occasional rumbling of buildings as she crumbled was a unique sound. The occasional scream or yell adding to the melody that played before her, the wind a gentle carrier of the smoke in that amplified some flames and dulled others. Equally tragic and yet it carried a strange beauty to her as she walked over a few bricks in the road. Tanya joined her after a moment.

“It’s hard to tell with all the smoke, but the scent of wax is in the direction.” Her thumb stuck out to the side as she pointed to a building a little more destroyed than the others. “Well lead the way.” With a grunt the distortion began walking with her hands in her pockets as she walked towards where they’re final member was. She bounced alongside her humming a tune that began being formed by the notes around her.

For a while it was just the two of them, and other than the chaos around them her humming broke the silence. It wasn’t a continuous note she hummed, that would just be noise, but she did have to change the tune every now and then. Too deep for some, but others required a lighter touch to help spread the chaos of the event around her. It wasn’t as good as she’d want it, but she could workshop it-

“You're in an awfully good mood, aren’t you?” Tanya said harshly suddenly as she side eyed her. She went to answer but stopped for a moment to look at her face. There was an equal amount of annoyance, but something deeper as well. She’d prefer to get along with the woman she was going to travel with. “Oh I don’t mean to offend you. I was just taking in the song around me.”

“You can do that with everything going on?” She nodded at the incredulous question that was sent her way. “I blame it on the fact that I never really got to do it working for Red TV. No good sounds or pops there, just endless production or practice for songs we already performed. Guess I’m just jazzed to get out of a job I hated, ye know?” The statement seemed to strike a chord with the wolf woman and her shoulders lowered a little.

“...Guess I can see where you're coming from…didn’t mean to snap at ya.” Meow waved off the woman’s apology. “Nah, you're fine. Just a bit…” She trailed off, almost as if she was embarrassed about something. It was cute in a gap sort of way she didn’t really expect. If only she scratched her cheek to sell the image.

“Again, I get it. I was pretty worried about Mu-u and Oink whenever we got into scraps that got us banged up. Finns just probably got it worse, so you're justified.” There was a strange furrowing in her brow at the sentence. As if there was something wrong with what she said, yet she was unable to refute it.

She stepped over a body and looked back at the still thinking distortion. “Were you also a part of some job you didn’t like?” The question brought her back to reality. “Yeah, the previous gig and I guess the one beforehand wasn’t the worst. Course that’s discounting…” She stopped as she made a strange face. Looking at what caught her attention Meow saw a beige puddle with an orangish glow in the center.

Tanya hummed for a moment before she bent down to inspect it. Meow couldn't really see the appeal, but she stayed quiet. With a quick touch she withdrew her hand rapidly while shaking it. “What in the world did you expect?” She couldn't help the question as Tanya got up.

“It smelled like Waxy. The burn proves that.” With that statement said she practically sprinted down the alley in an actual blink. Meow chased after, while Tanya kicked threw a crumbling wall. She went through that hole she'd made.

After catching up she came face to face with a man, or at least the form of one sitting in a pile of rubble. He was taking in deep and calming breaths with his left hand over his heart as he sat on the body of someone that was encased in a thick line of wax. The lines that were carved out of the man’s shape glowed faintly, but the most eye-catching part, other than his lack of upper face, was his slightly dripping form. When he turned to them, he revealed his right hand had melted off.

“Ah Tanya, it’s…it’s good to see you.” There was a dull joy in his voice that she could only partly make out. “Waxy…the f*ck happened to you. Were these guys actually that dangerous?” Meow took note of the genuine surprise that was in Tanya’s words. The idea that he could be hurt seemed to have never crossed her mind.

“No, these wounds are…mostly my own fault. This group had ‘frustrated’ me for lack of a better term. They have the ability to generate large bursts of light they used for charges and to blind me. I had to resort to some slightly destructive methods.” There was a hint of shame hidden away in there, and slight bitterness. Still, she couldn’t help but finally chime in on the conversation. “Some ‘slightly destructive’ methods?”

His focus shifted to her, or at least she thought it did, as he finally noted her presence in the room. “You must be Meow.” He spoke for a moment as if he were calculating a truth, no hint of emotion in his voice. She nodded after a moment as a strange discomfort at the sentence set in. “Yes…and you are?”

“It doesn’t matter…how’s Finn?” The interest in his voice rose sharply, although she wouldn’t have been able to tell before her career, at the mention of the boy's name. Whatever strange loop her companion had been thrown for finally subsided as she stood up. “He’s fine, but there’s something strange going on with him.” He turned back to Tanya, his face shaking off residual wax that had only slightly hardened.

“What’s going on?” His voice hardened at the question, and while there was still interest there was a growing numbness. “Finn’s got body mods for some reason. Kinda similar to the ones of the dragons, and we don’t know why.” He just looked numbly, but if she looked closely enough, she saw the outline of an eye raised at the statement.

“That’s…strange to say the least. Either way, let’s get home so we can continue on.” With that he lurched up from his position and after a few moments began a steady pace. “Need help?” He waved her off after a moment. “I would simply burn, though not on purpose.” at his explanation she nodded.

He seemed nice…if strange…

Meow was going to have a wonderful time with this new group.

Chapter 35: Dragon's Mark

Chapter Text

Bringing Waxy into the car had not been the mood improver that she’d hoped it would have been. Maybe Greta had assumed that seeing his unchanging face would have at least brought some strange comfort. That even now he would be the one who was unchanged and would go on as they always would.

That hadn’t been the case when he had walked into the car. It had been a staggering sight to see Waxy slightly melting and noticeably shorter from the experience, a good foot at that. His clothes seemed to only have stayed up because he’d used some of his melting wax to hold them in place as he sat near the exit of the vehicle, yet this did not stop the space they had from being cramped. As to not get burned more than the handful of times that she did, Meow had to sit on her lap.

He hadn’t really said much, only spending the time with his hand over his chest breathing in or absorbing the wax that occasionally fell off him back into himself. He was looking more and more stable as they got closer home thankfully, but it was still concerning that he could end up in such a state. All though given who he was, Greta was sure that he would be back to his usual state soon.

As the road became more familiar, she let out a breath as they passed the buildings. It was strange how just one day away could be so exhausting. But soon they’d be able to get an ampule in Finn and she could go back to the kitchen and make something good. It has to be grand as a celebration, and while Finn wouldn’t be able to eat it.

“Hey Meow.” Breaking the silence of the vehicle, the masked woman looked up at her. “Yeah, what’s up.” She gestured to where Finn slept, or more specifically his bronze arm. “Did you listen to the instructions on how to take that off?” Meow looked at the arm for a moment before she answered.

“Yeah, I can take it off, it’s just the uh…bracing cap or whatever she called it is attached to him. So, we’ll probably need to cut that chunk of flesh off first, but if we can fix that it’s not a problem.” She nodded for a moment at the sentence before it registered. A bit of waxy glowed for a moment catching the peripheral vision of her eye, but he stopped after a moment. “Yeah, we can do that.”
Just one more road bump before they put this behind them.

Turning once more they were on the road that led to, they’re temporary base. “Alright.” Tanya spoke suddenly. “Who wants to be the one that helps me carry him to one of the beds?” She saw Waxy’s hand begin to raise before he set it back down. She put her hand up just as Meow and Bremen did as well.

“Sort it out between yourself as to who’s helping me. “Her eyes raised at that; Greta was sure that Tanya could do it on her own. Why she would need help was beyond her when she’d seen the strength Tanya possessed. Finn should feel at worse like a drop of water on her back, if even.

Bremen let out a light cry, pleading with Greta. She looked up for a moment before she nodded. “Hey Meow, why don’t you go with Bremen. They want to show you something when they get Finn.” The rockstar nodded in response before she made a face. “Won’t Tanya or you be needed so that we understand each other?” Bremen answered the question, and she translated it.

“It’s something that doesn’t need words.” Meow’s eyes lit up even under her mask and she looked at the multi-headed distortion. She didn’t say anything, but it was more than likely some shared history she’d learn later. Either way it was some positive energy she desperately needed at the moment.

As they pulled into the driveway Greta began stretching a little. Honestly given the experience she might take a nap first before anything, she’d been up for quite a while and only know as she was doing it start to hit her. She’d tried to get some shut eye earlier, but the thought that Finn could die while she slept didn’t sit right with her.

Parking it, Tanya was the first to exit the car and begin stretching. Waxy opened the back a moment later and the walls of the gate came into view as he left the van. After Meow happened off her lap, and following after Bremen, she was the last out of the car. She took only a step or two before she made a face.

“Tanya does something that smells off to you as well.” There was a different scent in the base, and she couldn’t tell if it was from the adventure they’d had or if Waxy’s residue was interfering with her nose. The wolf woman looked around for a moment before taking a whiff herself. It was a moment later she took a more aggressive stance and snarled. “We got trouble.”

Almost as if they’d been waiting for a que a flash of spiraling light shot out from a rooftop and straight into the air. For a moment at the height of its peak it revealed itself to be a woman with long black hair in a yellow suit, with a scar that went across her eyes. In her hands a long spear that was held back before it was thrown with enough force to create a small shockwave and a large blinding light. She saw several others brace for impact, Bremen shielding Meow who’d be unable to take the hit, as Tanya had her forearm in front of her face rushed to where the building the women was.

The weapon hadn’t been aimed at any of them.

With a loud metallic ripping noise, she turned, and her eyes widened. The spear had stuck itself deep in the engine of the car, and the front had folded in on itself. Bremen made a cry as they rushed to the passenger side and ripped the hinges off. Finn was pulled out and thankfully mostly unharmed other than a few glass shards that had gone into his cheeks from the windshield and a few cuts on his forehead.

Tanya let out a cry as she turned her head and was nearly blinded as a large ball was crushed by the woman. Her hands went to her eyes as she cried out as a yellowish white took over her vision. She heard several impacts that sounded similar to stone or concrete being hit, but nothing similar to flesh on flesh. As her vision started coming back, she had to ignore the spots that stayed from the visual assault.

The woman had disappeared, only Tanya stood looking with almost blinded eyes. Her nose sniffed looking for the woman’s scent more than likely trying to see where she’d gone. Greta too stood on alert as he meat tenderizer stood poised ready to swing at a moment’s notice. After a tense moment Tanya finally let out a final growl before she spoke. “She ran.”

She looked back at Tanya as she made her way over. “What? She just came to trash our car and leave.” Meow passed by her side as she and Bremen carried Finn’s body. Tanya didn’t go to help as she’d said as she approached her. “That’s the part I don’t like.”

“Because it goes against what you know.” Waxy finally chimed in. Tanya nodded as she took out a cigarette with a blue end and had it lit a moment later. She took in a deep drag for a moment as she settled down. “This is more than likely a declaration of war of some kind. Loses them the tactical advantage but knowing them they care more about how it looks in their mind.”

Greta looked at the vehicle that had served them for so long. Her eyes trailed over to the more normal car that they’d acquired not too long ago and frowned. “We can’t all fit in that, but at least we have something.” Tanya nodded, but it was clear she was thinking about it. After another few breaths of the death stick, she spoke.

“Why didn’t they destroy this one?” Waxy was the first to reply to Tanya’s question as he circled around it. “Maybe she realized she wouldn’t be able to be with all of us. Four dangerous targets to keep blinded seems a lot harder than one.” The wolf's distorted face wasn’t convinced as she went to say something but was interrupted as Bremen’s heads shot out of the medical building let out a scream.

Informing them all the medical supplies were gone.

____________________________________________________________________________

Beloved Show Host dies on camera, a curtain Call for the Red Tv?

Seras read the paper as she leaned back in her chair. The meeting room was only inhabited by her, and Kurt in the room. The other members of their little get together weren’t here yet, so that means that she'd have some time to prepare for them. Another pointless meeting of negotiations of payment, tactics, and who was more important that others. Things that should have been hashed out if they’re concerns greed of the case wasn’t getting to all of them.

She had begun reading the paper to try and calm down, but she found the most infuriating article on the front page. It wasn't the fact Amanda was dead, possibly the only good thing the criminals had done, but the response to it. Waves of people had written in expressing they’re sympathy to the departed show host as if she were some saint. She had brought smiles and raised morale even if I didn’t approve of it brought death and employee's syndicates that had harmed too many innocent people.

How many days had gone with the blood of Zwei and the office employees that went thankless, and now here they were praising some mass murderer. And for what? Because she did so in a way, they found more entertaining than bashing someone’s brain in with a rock or a hammer?

“Hey boss, you probably should put that down. You're getting frustrated. She shot a glare to Kurt before she remembered who she was speaking to. “R-Right, sorry.” Kurt made a face before sitting beside her and looking at her.

“Are you alright boss?" No, she wasn't alright “Oh I’m just a little frustrated with everything, it’ll pass.” Kurt didn’t look too convinced as he let out a sigh. “Look you can go take a nap or two, ok? You’ve done enough and I don’t want you to push yourself.” You have no idea how much I need that.

“Look Kurt, I’m fine! I just need…” There was a lot she needed. She needed the ensemble dead, she needed the blood fiends culled, she needed this population to get it through their thick skulls to get in line!! She shoved the paper down roughly as she forced herself up straight. Kurt raised an eye before she answered her

“...If you're ok boss.” She didn’t like the town as he looked away. It was clear he was concerned that she was being pushed this far looking down on her as well. Kurt was her right-hand man, but now he must be coming around to the new director. He always wanted to change the subject when she was brought up, it must be-

A knock came at the door, and it drew her attention. “I’ll get it.” Kurt spoke before her as he got up and walked around the table. It must have been Sebastion as he was always around this early to supervise them. That was fine, the others showed up not too much later anyway. As Kurt opened the door a figure forced their way through, taking advantage of the man’s surprise.

“Hello Miss Seras, I’m here to offer my services.” A small man in a green suit, a black dress coat, and a chipper smile greeted her. Pale hair that poked out from a dark green fedora covered his eye as he greeted her with a wide grin, his hands clasped together with fingerless gray gloves. She tose for a moment in alert as Kurt had his weapon ready to strike against the man.

“And what does a member of the Five Dragon’s want with my boss?” Kurt spoke as the man simply grinned at the side. “Now now, I feel like we’re a little too hostile here. I simply want to say that you have our support.” She cracked her knuckles as she resisted the urge to bisect the man here and now. “There’s nothing you’d have that I want cri-OH ho ho, but there’s something you’d greatly want.” Interrupting her nearly got rid of the last measure of her patience as the man reached into his sleeve and threw something on the table.

In a moment the small square device beeped, and a holographic map of district 23 opened up. It was a rendition that even included the destruction of the Crying Children that happened the other day, as the area was rubble and burn marks. What drew her attention was the beeping red dot on the map near the center top of the map. “What is this?” At her question the man showed a toothier grin.

“Well, you see my dear director, sorry former director, that is a location of the people YOU want dead.” Her head whirled from the location and to the man as Kurt stood by him. “If you're curious we lost some men to put a tracking device on the group and we’d love to help out with this…dilemma you’re in.” Too good to be true, especially from someone in one of the major syndicates.

“What’s your angle?” The man shrugged as he took a seat, like he belonged there. “Oh nothing. We want to kill Tanya, you want to kill Tanya, we ALL want to kill Tanya. All I ask is you just accept our help, and we can be all hunky dory and get along. We don’t even need payment, just proof she's dead.” He leaned back, and for a moment she saw a greenish draconic eye look back at her.

Say no, you’ve made it this far in your career without using syndicates help finally some good news.

Chapter 36: The Boy's New Tune

Chapter Text

Finn's body felt heavy and stiff. His eyes equally wanted to force themselves awake and stay shut as he groaned. His mind felt foggy as he forced his body up and brought his hands up to his eyes to get the crust out of then.

As he rubbed, he immediately noticed the difference between his two arms. The left was slightly warm but had a more metallic feeling. It was similar to the different weapons that he'd cleaned and polished time and time again. For a moment he was confused as he opened his eyes to see the cause of the issue.

When he saw the arm, he audibly choked on his own breath.

A brass-colored arm greeted him as he stared at it. He blinked several times wondering if it was just a trick of the light or his eye’s playing with him. Hoping that the fog in his mind was just making him hallucinate the change to his arm. Instead of reverting back all he could see was the shine of his reflection as he stared in.

Whatever grogginess suddenly shook off as his mind finally remembered what had happened. Phantom pain greeted him as he grabbed the base of his arm as he looked around. The familiar walls of the infirmary greeted him, and he looked to the end of the room. The familiar wall mounted medical box stood and he threw of the blanket and got out of the bed.

A stiff body protested, and he made it a few steps before he tripped. Falling face first he then noticed that his clothes were different. Gone with anything he’d worn before and now he was clad in a black T-shirt with a skull on it and ripped jeans. The clothes were too large on him, and he saw he’d tripped on his own pant leg. Why this was his attire was a topic for later as he crawled his way to the medical box.

When he was in front of it, he pushed his body up and steadied himself. It took a moment as a heavy feeling of dizziness hit him, but he pushed through. He grabbed the handle with the robotic arm and tore it open. The door, not ready for his strength, was flung from the hinges and into the wall of the building.

All that sat there was an open bottle of hp pills with splatters of blood.

“What…” A heavy feeling of dread consumed him. Why were there only hp pills? Where were the rows of K-Corp ampules that he’d known filled this box!? If this was the same place and not some strange recreation, then he knew that there was more in there! This had to be a-

“Oh, you're awake.” A voice called out behind him as the door closed behind them. Turning around he instantly recognized Meow. It was only because of the mask because she too had changed attire from the provocative bunny suit she wore beforehand. Now she had a big black hoodie that’s front pocket had clearly been ripped off and stained blue jeans. The hoodie fit just right, but the pants were too big for her. In her left hand a blender filled with a reddish liquid with specs of something next to it.

“Hey buddy, why don’t you sit down. You look confused.” She spoke in a careful town as she sat on one of the beds to her side. The cup was placed on one of the medial tables as she patted the side of the bed. He stared for a moment before he walked up to her. He didn’t sit in the bed as he just held out the false appendage before he spoke.

“Where’s my arm?”

“Ah ha ha…yeah they said you wouldn’t be too happy with the change.” Meow grimaced and looked to the side for a moment before turning back. “So, uh…you remember how you tried to attack Amanda. You probably did that without thinking, didn't ya?” It took him a moment for it all to finally click back in his head.

“Oh good you remember. See funny thing, not too long after that I got kind of nearly killed, and Amanda had used the ampule just enough so we couldn’t share.” Finn stared numbly at the darker skinned woman as she told the story. “Of course, given how you didn’t bleed out we found a solution to that whole bleeding out problem.”

He could put two and two together.

“O-Ok then why is it still here? We’re back at the base so…SO WHY…is it still here!?” He stopped himself from screaming at the woman at the last moment. He couldn’t help the volume that escaped as she started at him. “Well up simple story. While the gang went to pick you up, the Five Dragons came and stole all the medical supplies.”

What.

“Yeah, they did that. They also took all the clothing around and bodies from the kitchen, but we’re not really sure why.” He felt a sudden chill go up his spine as the words pierced his skull. No medical supplies that he’d grown so used to. But a fact was making itself clear to Finn.

He didn’t want to think about it, but like a pest it began clawing its way in. He grabbed himself and began trying to hold himself. There was a sudden cold that overtook him as he began breathing faster. His eyes darted around as the room seemed to.

“Are you having a panic attack?”

…

…

“Yes? Isn’t that apparent?” She gave him a slight laugh at his reaction before she waved him off. “Ha, sorry it’s a little trick I was taught. Just a little shock to your head to get you to stop.” He opened his mouth to protest but found he really couldn’t. He just let out a sigh as he looked at the arm disdainfully.

“So, I’m augmented…” How was he supposed to accomplish his dream now? He’d worked so hard to try and get better without any of them, and now one was the reason that he was alive. He flexed his fingers and focused on the feeling and was annoyed that it was familiar enough to not feel bad yet just different enough he could tell.

He was closer to that woman.

“Hey now none of that!” Meow flicked his forehead and made her attention focus back on her. “Look I haven’t been around you as much as the other guys but let me tell ya something.” In a moment she stood up and grabbed his arm. In a moment she forced it under her hoodie onto her chest and whatever thoughts that had been going through his brain suddenly found a window to jump out of.

“Do you feel my heartbeat?” He focused on the sensation that she asked and after a moment nodded. “Good, do you know what this means?” He squinted one of his eyes as he looked up at her and thought about her question before he shook his head. “It means I’m alive, Finn and you have one as well.” She elaborated.

“So long as our heartbeats that means that we can accomplish that dream. If your heart stops then your song ends early, and I can tell you’ve got a chorus just waiting to burst out from a single note. Don’t let a single misplaced note sour the whole performance.” She withdrew his arm and let the silence fill the room.

“T-Thank you?” He hadn’t really expected any of that. He’d been given advice beforehand, granted with much less skin contact, but something about this one felt more…heartfelt? That didn’t feel right yet he lacked the words needed to describe what she was talking about. She smirked for a moment as she began stretching.

“Looks like I still got it. Thought my speech skills were getting rusty, but it looks like I can still inspire someone.” He found it within himself to roll his eyes as he looked at her. “Where’s everyone else…also were my normal clothes taken as well?” He asked stretching out the T-shirt he was in.

“Huh, oh they’re eating. As for the clothes being washed because I spilled food on them while I was feeding you while asleep.” He blushed for a moment at the revelation before he nodded. “Oh, thank you for taking care of me…wait how’d you feed me?” She gestured to the cup that she’d set down earlier.

“We had to get some errands done as I went in without my mask to buy some stuff. We just blended any food you needed with some of the HP pills and other stuff and then I poured it down your throat while making sure you didn’t choke. Best we had so that you didn’t wake up a husk.” He nodded at her response before another question came to his mind.

“Ok…whose clothes are these and how am I in them.” In response she shrugged at his question. “Just some guy we killed, and I changed you. Waxy said he would if he could, and the rest we’re just busy with other things.” At her answer he choked for a second before he regained his composure.” I-I see…I feel like I can’t thank you enough.”

“It’s the least I can do since ya got me out of that job. You know I used to like leotards a lot, but when you’ve worn one a size two small for everyone to gaze out you kinda just want something else for a little while.” She said back, adding her own tangent at the end. “Besides, now that you're up we can do some testing with that arm of yours.”

His mood soured fast at the mention, but he shook it off since she seemed excited about it at the least. “Yeah, what about it?” He barely kept his usual tone as she immediately grabbed the end of the metal rods that held up a medical curtain and snapped it over her knee. He stood stupefied as she grabbed another end of the already broken rod and broke it over again to make two improvised drumsticks.

In a moment she began using his arm like an improvised drum.

“Hmmm, it makes an interesting noise if I hit here.” Light taps were played just under his elbow, and it made his arm shoot up rigid. This really hadn’t been what he expected from a ‘test’. “Uh, how long is this going to go on?” She set them down as she looked at it over one last time.

“Not long, just wanted to know if any interesting sounds came from it when you were awake. Either way, come on, the rest will want to know you're awake before we go about our next plans.” With that she went walking towards the exit as he followed.

Near the door she stopped for a moment and turned around with the snap of her fingers. “Oh, right uh…Finn how do you feel?” He noted the sudden change in tone. “Uh, other than some things I want back fine why?” She seemed to think about what she was going to say next. After a moment she made up her mind.

“I’m just making sure that you’re alright. You were asleep for a few days, so just makin sure it all works right.” He felt around himself for a moment before he answered. “Uh, no I’m fine. I guess the HP pills made it so that I’m healthy. I guess I’m a little hungry” She nodded in response as she turned back on her feet and led him again, but not before he heard her mutter something under her breath.

“I don’t think that trick will work twice.”

Chapter 37: Reunion

Chapter Text

The Crying Children lay across the metal table shirtless. His arms cushioned his face, more so out of habit than for any comfort, as he stared blankly in front of him. “Look at the bright side, I can tell you're returning to your normal size.” Greta chuckled as she cracked her knuckles. He let out a hum of acknowledgment as he continued staring.

The sound of sizzling meat.

“Isn’t it a bi early for chicken?” He heard Greta let out an annoyed grunt as she poked at the meat on his back with a grilling fork. “Well with the fridge and freezer all messed up I have to use this before it goes bad.” He nodded as he looked back to the side.

The few days since they went to go get Finn hadn’t exactly been a blur, but he had been busy doing several things. It wasn’t just the food and medicine that the Five Dragons took, but they also smashed or sabotaged a lot of the appliances that they used. The only really intact thing was the showers and beds that they could still use. That had made the car stand out all the more.

It was what had caused Tanya to try and start changing the engine in the vehicle into their normal Van. Try because their old van apparently had been modified in that department in ways that the new engine wasn’t suited to, and vice versa. Tanya had effectively begun using whatever car knowledge she had to try and put together an engine from the new and old.

Normally he wouldn’t have cared about such a thing, he was a follower along for the ride, but the events from a few days ago had proven that they couldn’t stay here. The Dragons, something he hadn’t considered would strike back, were clearly watching and looking for an opening. It was likely they would try and pull some tactic that they would have to deal with.

Of course that also put him at a crossroads with Tanya’s reasoning. The dragons had clearly rigged the car with something, why else would they leave it. What exactly they had no knowledge of because for as much as Tanya looked she couldn’t find anything that stood out too much.

“It’s been a while since I worked with chicken.” Greta said, suddenly drawing his attention. A part of him realized that she was making small talk like they did every now and then in similar situations. “When was the last time you cooked with it?” Greta let out a few hums as she pondered his question.

“Uh too long to remember, but a year or three at the least I guess. Once you realize that people are cheaper because they start coming to you then ya kinda stop working with anything else.” He felt a few pieces leave his back and were soon replaced. “Course it helps that I liked the taste of people better, but that’s just an excuse at this rate.” She said as a pot of water was placed on his upper back, he could feel it close to his neck.

“What are we having today then?” Something was poured into the water as he looked to her apron clothed stomach. “Grilled chicken that’s been marinated to bring out a savory taste and cut into squares with white rice and greens. Not too bad if I say so.” He clicked his tongue in response as he continued laying still.

…

“Do you think Finn would like some if he were up?” There was a silence only broken by the cooking food. In a moment a sigh was let out by the shark women. “Probably. It’s fun feeding him new things because his eye’s light up. You’d think it gets boring after a while, but it's like he’s got a new reaction each time.” She said she stirred the pot.

“That being said feels like it’s hit you the hardest.” He looked up at her the best he could without ruining her concentration. “Really now?” She replaced the chicken on him again before she continued. “Hey I’ve been around you enough to know how you get when your sad, or something similar. You look like an abandoned puppy for crying out loud.”

He hadn’t thought he’d acted all that differently. There was never much he was needed for or wanted to do. Other than the occasional supply trips he took Meow on, before Tanya ripped out the engine, he just sort of sat by Finn waiting for him to wake up. Other than Greta getting him to use as equipment for lunch and dinner, he was content to do as he pleased, not that there was much he wanted other than to see Finn back.

Meow and Bremen were the only ones really ‘goofing’ off. They’d immediately begun another round of creating flesh instruments and playing them to pass the time. Every now and then Meow still used her work guitar, but she seemed much more familiar with the ones made by former people. How could they be so careless when Finn was-

“Something smells good. Look at that Finn you’ve got a good wake up dinner.” At the mention of Finn’s name by Meow he raised himself up and looked to the side. The pot went flying and he heard Greta cry as she tried to catch the thing. Looking out from the open kitchen to the mess hall he saw Meow there with Finn, and his heart soared he got up and began approaching them.

“WAXY!” Greta roared as she held the half full pot with no care about the heat it bubbled. “I LOST HALF OF DINNER!” He simply pointed at the now currently staring humans in the building, as if it answered his actions.

Mostly because they did.

“...Oh Finn, it's good to…give me a moment.” She said putting the pot on a different countertop to the one he had been laying on. She blew on her hands for a moment before going back to the two. “It’s good to see you up…how you taking the uh..” She trailed off as she noticed the look in Finn’s eyes.

“...As well as I can.” He replied, looking down slightly. He walked up for a moment before he stood in front of the boy. He looked for the words for a bit that might cheer him up the boy, since he was aware of his own shortcomings when it came to emotions. It just didn’t feel right to see Finn look like that as Meow looked to be thinking on her own. A phrase came to him in a moment as he bent down to look Finn in the eyes.

“I’m proud of you.”

There was a strange silence that followed his statement. He looked around the room for a moment before he asked a question. “Did I say something strange?” At the question Meow let out a laugh as if he’d told a joke. “I mean kinda, you just kinda walked up and said that out of nowhere.”

“Would a greeting have been better?” Meow was finding an increasing amount of humor in his question. “Waxy, we really need to work on your social skills, but I can agree with that.” Greta said, walking up now from the kitchen. Finn looked up for a moment, having processed what he had said.

“I’m sorry but…what’s there to be proud of. All I really did was lose and arm.” Stop being so self deprecating He tilted his head to the side before he spoke. “Even so, you were able to survive a game of death and keep up with Greta. Not to mention that most of those opponents were stronger in some way to you, and that you killed no small number. The Finn from before couldn’t do that, so it’s proof that you have gotten stronger.” Finn looked around after his words, as if trying to form some rebuttal.

“I really didn’t do much. It was mostly Greta.” Greta’s large hand clasped down on Finn’s shoulder at the moment. “Ah come on it’s a rare thing to see Waxy complimenting anything, so take some pride in it. I started out hitting gangsters in the back with cheap tricks, and ya got me a blow on that bitch so good on ya.” A blush was beginning to form onto his face from the words Greta spoke.

“Ah look at that is that a smile creepin up. It’s fine to think you did a good job.” Meow said, worming her way under and lifting a side of Finn’s cheek with a finger. He shook it away, but a small laugh did blow out of his nose.

The atmosphere in the room was…familiar. Not just in the group being back, but something that reminded him of…something. He scratched the side of his head trying to remember where he’d…felt(?) like this before. He could almost see a warm outline of-

“Anyway can you explain this thing?” Meow said as she poked the inside of the hole in his chest. He let out a high pitched noise as his shoulders tensed. He took a deep breath to calm down as he looked at the more notably shocked faces of the people around him.

“Don’t do that.” He said as Meow had a devious smile on her face. He’d physically felt weird when she had touched him there and he supposed it was because that part had always been covered or guarded. In truth an instinctive part of him knew that he could use this part to also fire a beam, but there would be no need to-

He dodged a poking flurry that Meow had sent his way in the moment. “Let me hear that noise again!” He sidestepped the masked woman as she continued. “No, I would rather not experience that again.” That didn’t stop her as she tried again and again. “Ah come ooonn~. You’ve basically been a statue the entire time I’ve known ya, so let me hear that again.” He brought his hand up to block her finger and she recoiled at the burn he inflicted.

He guessed the hole in his chest was a cool spot unlike the rest of him.

“I didn’t know you could make that kind of noise.” Greta said she looked at him in a new light. Finn said nothing but any trace of melancholy was now gone. Seeing Finn as he should he relaxed his guard and straightened his back. “Now if that’s done I suppose we should HIIIII!” He couldn’t help himself as Meow managed to touch the center again.

The door opened behind Finn as Tanya and Bremen walked in. They stopped when they saw the display in front of them and for a moment the whole gang stood as they were. Bremen cried out in joy at seeing Finn again, and Finn looked behind him as he was engulfed in a huff. Tanya only wiped off a bit of oil that was coated to her cheek’s fur before she spoke.

“Looks like ya pulled through…” She trailed off for a moment seeing that Finn couldn't hear here as she began rummaging in her pocket. “Hey let him go for a moment.” Bremen didn’t do anything of the sort and instead just bought her into the hug as well. “HEY NOW, WE’RE NOT DOING THIS!” In response Greta just enveloped them in her own arms.

“Oh yes we are! Come on you two, you get in on this as well.” Meow had no qualms of joining and left his side and instead joined in on Greta’s left side. He stood there as he watched the whole thing as expectant eyes looked at him. Mostly expectant at least, Tanya looked to be on the verge of a meltdown. She didn’t try to break out of thought.

“We know how I am, so I will have to decline.” Greta shook her head in response and gestured her head to her free side. “Nope we’re having a group hug so get over here. I got thick skin. I can handle your skin for a little bit.” Tanya blew air from her nose angrily at the moment.

“We need to be discussing our next plan, not doing this!” He ignored Tanya’s words for a moment as he looked down at his arms. It would be no difficulty to just stand here and not cause any harm to Greta, but at the same time they mostly seemed to want him there. He stood there debating with himself for a moment about the decision.

…

“Waxy I can see you thinking…don’t you dare!”

…

Do it. When is this gonna happen again?

“I TRUSTED YOU DAMN IT!!!”

Chapter 38: Follow the map

Chapter Text

“Alright now that that’s out of everyone’s system.” Tanya said as she cracked her neck. The group, minus Waxy and Greta who’d gone back to cooking, sat around a table. Finn looked away bashfully, while Bremen and Meow both looked like they couldn’t care any less. “I’ve come to talk about progress on the car, and what we should do next.”

Bremen let out a softer cry that was questioning how it was coming along. “Well, I got it running. The engine makes a rattling noise, the wipers don’t work, and one of the headlights doesn’t work…but it runs.” She explained as Meow leaned on her arm.

“Did you ever find what made you all paranoid?” She let out a grunt at Meow’s question before rubbing her face. She hadn’t found any sort of tracker or trap that would kill them, and that was even now grinding her gears. She’d survived forty years in The City, and this was something that went against what she'd learned. Namely that if you wanted someone dead, soon or later, you made sure that you knew where they were.

Bremen let out their normal sting of noises to get her attention, mostly to get her to continue on. “Yeah so, the car runs, that's all that’s important. Where we’re going next is up to where it would be the most convenient.” She said looking at Meow. It took her a moment to get the hint before she snapped her fingers.

“Right! The other two members of the band, Mu-Mu and Oink are also split up. Luckily, we do know each other's number, so I know where they are.” Finn coughed for a moment to get her attention. “Is it possible they could make their way to us?” The masked woman shook her head in reason.

“Nah, Unfortunately Oink’s stuck in R-Corp because the place is on like…MASSIVE lockdown because of some distortion. Mu-Mu’s a little easier to get to, he’s just stuck in J-Corp because of a bad gamble. Nothing too serious, but he’s got people keeping him there.” She explained as she idly tapped her index and middle finger on the table rapidly.

“Right.” Tanya said, scrawling out an invisible plan on the table. “So, we leave W-Corp, take a cut through V-Corp, spend some time in U-Corp before jumping over to K-Corp. Now then Finn, how close is that office you want to go to before we decide next on where to go.” He blinked at her for a moment, almost like he was surprised she was bringing it up.

“It’s on the east side of the district, around the middle of it I’d say.” She nodded as she turned back to Meow. “Have you asked where your friend…Mu-mu is?” She said, trying to not let her confusion about his name seep in. “No, I don’t, but one call or two and I can figure it out.” She explained as she stretched her arms out and leaned her head on the table.

There wasn’t a major rush for her to find out, it wasn’t like a trip between 3 districts was an hour-long affair, so Tanya didn’t make her do it immediately. In truth even getting out of the district might be a colossal pain. It seemed with their recent actions that they might be getting more heat than normal. That was to say less of whatever things that’d have to deal with in the other districts.

“Good news Waxy should be able to help us navigate through V-Corp.” Bremen chuckled at the mention of Waxy’s old stomping grounds as Meow and Finn looked intrigued. “Really? That guy’s from V-Corp of all places?” Meow said, trying to pry more information out of her.

“Talk to him about it. The only thing I can tell ya is that he’d got a high kill count there.” Meow took the hint and blew out a raspberry in annoyance. Finn Just went fiddling with his arm as he waited for their food to arrive. “So, when do we leave?” He asked without looking up.

“Probably tomorrow or the day after. I’m still going to be working on the car just in case. Nothing big mind you, I just got the thing to function, but just to see if I can tune it up a little.” At her answer he simply nodded and continued messing around with his arm. She only clicked her tongue as she began waiting for her food.

Meow, Finn, and Bremen began talking amongst themselves as she just waited quietly. Meow wanted him to expand the limited music capabilities he had with her and Bremen with their handcrafted instruments. Finn for his part seemed mostly willing, if a bit put off from the morbid instruments. After all there was a difference between actually using the instruments and taking care of them.

She didn’t join in not because of her lack of interest, though that did contribute, but she was trying to remember what groups in the Middle were in those districts. She knew she could recognize them if she saw them but remembering them off the top of her head was a different affair. This wasn’t even including if any had been moved around, wiped out, or recently joined.

There was also the retaliation of the dragons to consider. She didn’t doubt that the syndicate wouldn’t just let them leave peacefully out of the district. What they had planned was more than likely going to be only a threat of Finn and Meow than to any of them. She blew out some air as the smell of spiced chicken made its way into the dining room.

“Alright, dinner’s done so who's hungry?” Greta came out carrying a pot of rice with a stack of plates, the top having chicken resting above it. Waxy followed behind her, smelling almost overwhelmingly of chicken. The pot was set in the middle of them as she put the plate to the side of it. “Finn, why don’t you go first, you're probably hungry after your day-long nap.”

He said nothing as he just stared at the food with a hunger, he hadn’t possessed a second ago. “Hey Waxy, do you know any good routes in V-Corp?” at her question of the silent member of their group he froze. He turned to her quietly as if questioning if he had heard her correctly. There was a strange air about him now that she could only faintly recognize.

“We’ll…be heading to V-Corp?” she shot him a strange glance before she answered him. “Uh, yeah just heading through the place for a bit. Figured you’d know a road or two to make it quicker.” he seemed to be thinking heavily on something before he gave an answer.

“There’s nothing I can think of off the top of my head.” if it were possible he sounded almost unsure of himself. She only noted this because there was a hint of any emotion in his voice. A plate was handed to her before she could question Waxy.

“You better eat. Finn’s eating this stuff faster than I expected, so I guess we won’t have to worry about leftovers.” She turned to see Finn wolfing down his first plate with a hunger that might have been similar to Greta. She ignored the sight and just began eating her own food. It had been a while since Greta had made chicken, and she preferred it to humans honestly.

“How…close would we be getting to the nest?” Her eyes widened as Waxy stared at his own plate; the others too absorbed in their own banter to notice. “Probably not anywhere near it. I’m not dealing with nest security if I can help it.” She wasn’t normally one to stray from a challenge, but nest security was always more trouble than it was worth.

Once was more than enough.

“Oh, hey by the way I have a question.” Greta suddenly jumped in on their conversation, making the focus on her. “There’s a place I want to visit that’s along the way out of the district, so It won’t take too long.” Tanya thought about it for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders. “If it won’t take too long, I don’t see why not.” Greta shot her a thumbs up at her answer.

“Cool I’ll tell ya when we’re close to it.” With that she went back to whatever she was beforehand as she saw Finn getting another plate. She turned to Waxy to see if he was going to continue the conversation, but he seemed to let it go. She simply shrugged before she went to eat her own food.

She needed to think about Whatever bullsh*t the Five Dragons would likely pull.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Looks like they’ve finally left for good.” Danzo said as he looked at the tracker. He’d been monitoring it for a few days just making sure that they wouldn’t turn around. It would take them another day to leave the district entirely. He turned to the fledgling to his side clad in a purple suit.

“Do send word to Karui to assemble her forces. Send one to Seras as well just in case.” The man nodded as he left to do his task. He put his feet up and rested in his chair as he let out a pleased sigh. He looked at the pictures of all the targets in the up-and-coming assault that was coming. Not just Tanay, but the people in the response force as well.

Obviously taking out Tanya was the main objective, but if they could then they might as well take out everyone there. Seras had stopped enough of their operations that she was a target, Wilhelm of Blitzkrieg office had stopped enough of their operations in the Smoke War, Sebastion of the Hana had a long past of crushing several middle subsidiaries. Every one of those office leaders, Distortions, and certain members in this assault in some way needed vengeance against the middle.

A large number of heads and names crossed out of the book would not just consider everyone they’d lost acceptable, but a massive success. All they needed to do was roll in when after the fighting was underway and take care of the stragglers. Sure, they’d probably have to act like they were on the same side for a while, but if they killed them immediately or after the fighting was over didn’t matter.

That being said, there was an interesting specimen.

As much as he despised having to, his fledgling had told him some interesting things about Greta's ‘apprentice’. Namely that had been generating lightning that was used by the Blue Dragons. By all accounts that shouldn’t have been possible since all of the dragons needed certain augments to use those abilities, but apparently, he’d done so without them. That or they’d found the people who could give those augments to administer them.

How had they found this? Not even he’d known what had gone into his body when he became a purple dragon. The process required you to go under, and all he knew was that he'd had to pass the trials to get where he was now. No matter how much he looked into it, no one else had been able to uncover what had gone into them. He was quite annoyed that some kid barely old enough to drink had found a secret that he couldn't. But all those negative feelings went away when he imagined the rewards that were sure to follow along with the successful mission.

He supposed he should capture him alive, if for some time at the very least. Just until he extracted how he had gotten those augments that the higher ups had kept so guarded. After all, those had to be kept secret for a reason, and it was always nice to have a little ‘insurance’ if he wanted to leave the dragons himself. After that, he didn’t care what happened to boy. Kill him, turn him into the officials as a ‘deserter’ dragon, send him to one of those rich nest kids that want him. So long as he got what he wanted then for all he cared the boy could join them or walk away free, if he cooperated well enough.

But that was for the future, right now he needed to accomplish all those plans.

He turned to look at the sword that had been recovered from the building. Komachi’s sword was a thing of beauty in the blade and the forging itself. Picking it up he could feel a sense of pride as he unsheathed it and looked at the craftsmen ship before twirling it for a moment. Flicking a switch near the guard of the handle he watched as each part moved as the blade grew in length.

He walked out of the room with the blade slung over his shoulder. In his head all he could see was the looks on the elder's face when he arrived back to tell of the operation. The praise that would be placed upon him, and the accolades that would flow along naturally. It wouldn’t surprise him if he was promoted higher up along the ladder.

Everything was going according to plan.

Chapter 39: Taste of Home

Chapter Text

The Crying Children sat calmly as the van made a terrible scraping noise for the fourth time that day. Tanya, who’d been taking a slight nap, stirred awake at the noise with a slight glare. “Good morning, Tayna.” If looks could kill, then Tanya’s glare would be a particularly violent death.

“Just let me sleep a little longer.” Tanya began to nod off once again, but the engine had other plans. An even louder scraping noise came at that moment and Tanya yelled loudly in response. “Good scream.” Tanya whirled around to look at Meow who’d given the compliment. Looking in the rear-view mirror he saw that Bremen was giving his own thumbs up.

“I will flay you two.” Her threat might have been more aggressive than playful, but the two just chuckled at it. “Ah come on Tayna. You could probably pull off some screamo, and I can’t reach those heights.” Tanya’s fist clenched for a time before she just let it go, too tired to make good on her threat.

They’d been taking very little stops since they’d begun their drive out of the town. Tanya had been pulling all night shifts because she was sure that something would happen while everyone else had slept. Nothing had happened so far, but he could see the benefit of Tanya’s protection if he didn’t raise any objections.

“Hey Waxy, we're getting closer to that building that I wanted to go to. Get ready to pull over.” he nodded as he began slowing down, ready to do as told. “How many blocks are we going before I pull over?” At his question she got up and put herself through the gap in the seats. Not even a second later she pointed to a road five blocks away.

“Take a left there and then go a block or two. You’ll stop at a corner shop.” He nodded as he turned on the turn signal as he got ready. “Is there any distinct thing I’m looking out for or will you just point it out.” At his question she tilted her head to the side. “I’ll point it out.”

As he turned the vehicle, he noted the street it was on. It was mostly a bunch of apartments that looked a bit better than some of the places that he’d seen. There was a lack of the telltale signs of the restaurants he’d normally seen. If anything, he wondered if they had gone to a different district for a moment.

“That corner right there.” Greta pointed to a corner three blocks down. He complied as he drove down the empty road with a few people on the sidewalks. Parking in front of a more withered building The Crying Children looked to the Greta for a moment. “Are we just going to walk out and expose ourselves?” She waved off his question with a chuckle.

“It’ll be quick in and out. Besides, by the time that the Zwei or anyone get here we’ll be long gone if someone says something. It usually takes em about fifteen minutes to get here, nine on a good day.” She spoke like she’d known off the top of her head. He couldn’t remember another time that she’d been so specific. “Anyone else want to join me, or is everyone else going to wait here?” He turned to face Greta as she asked the question.

“I’ll join if no one else will.” He could see that Bremen and Meow were debating going, while Finn was eating a sandwich. This had been his fourth today and he was beginning to wonder about his increase in appetite. He had wondered if such a thing was tied to whatever his body’s internal were going through that they still had no knowledge of why was happening. This hadn’t explained why previously no such thing had occurred but-

“Nah, we're good. You two have some fun.” Meow’s words were said with a mischievous as Bremen gave a thumbs up. He shrugged as he unbuckled himself and opened the car door. “Alright Greta, I’m curious what you wanted to stop here for.” As he exited the car a few random pedestrians saw him, and then Greta as she left a second after.

They each calmly turned around and pretended they hadn’t seen them.

“Good to see the neighborhood is continuing its policy.” He turned to see Greta looking around with a look of nostalgia. “Come on, it’s this way.” she said with a gesture before she began walking. He did so wordlessly as they entered into a back alley as Greta twirled her meat tenderizer.

After passing a few back doors they stopped in front of one with a door with withering and chipped green paint. “Let’s see now.” With that Greta picked up a trash can that was next to the door. Whatever she was looking for wasn’t there, so she put it down and picked up another. She repeated this a few times before she found whatever it was that she was looking for, and just as he was about to ask.

An innocuous rock that she smacked against her hand a few times. “f*ck!” She suddenly yelled with a voice crack as she reached into the mouth of her hand after tossing away the rock. A drool covered key came out a second later. “Okay we’re good, it’s not bent or anything.” With that she went to the door and used the key.

“We could have just busted down the door.” Greta rolled her eyes at his observation before bending down and entering the building. “Yeah, but I didn’t really want to.” With her own answer he entered as she held the door open for him. An old derelict kitchen greeted him as he looked around the building.

“Did you want to make something?” She shook her head as she took off her chef’s hat and put it over her heart for a moment. He stood there puzzled for a moment as she navigated the kitchen and began walking to a single door to the right of them. He continued following along with the shark woman as she continued moving to her objective.

Going through the door with her he was greeted by a long wooden hallway that led to a more open area to his right and had a staircase in front of him. He followed behind as they walked up until they got to a landing. There he saw old, faded pictures of a couple and their small daughter standing in front of the building, each photo of the girl growing bigger and bigger each time. Looking into one of the less faded pictures he saw the building in front had words on the window in a shark’s jaw.

Great Wide Bites.

He looked to Greta as he reached the upper floor and saw the five doors that marked a different room. “This is where you grew up.” She turned to him with a wide smile on her face. “Sure did. Figured since it was on the way I might as well pay this place a visit.” She continued on to the left most room and opened the door.

“This place? Are you parents not around anymore?” Greta stepped into a room and laid on a bed that was only half her height. The room had a faded purple carpet and torn posters on a long faded pink wall. An old desk with notebooks withered by time stood at the foot of the bed. “Nah they're already.” she was interrupted as the bed collapsed under her weight and she fell to the ground

The incident caused her to start laughing as she placed one of her hands over her eyes. After a moment the laughter ended, and she looked up at him. “Ah, I knew that was ended, happen and did it anyway.” She said unashamed of the state she was in.

“Were there a lot of good memories here?” He asked as she sat up from the bed. “I mean of course there were. Some sh*tty days as well, but that’s par for the course.” She said as she looked at the desk and opened one of the drawers.

“Huh, surprised some rat didn’t break in and pawn this off.” She said as her thumb and index finger came together so she could reach in and grab something. Opening her hand, on her palm was a bunch of metal cut out into stylized words with a gnawed ribbon that was barely hanging together. It read out Cookie Cutter as the shark woman shoved it into her pocket.

“Cookie cutter was the old nickname my parents used to call me.” She answered before he could ask about it. “Mostly because when I was a kid, I used to take bites out of everything and run away. As I grew up, I was still small, but I just got a bigger appetite, so the name stuck.” She was talking about fond memories as she looked out the old dusty window.

“Why did you leave then? Did something happen between you and your parents.?” Greta talked about this place too fond for him to think. “Huh, oh nah nothing like that. Just wanted to strike out on my own ya know.” She said as she twirled her weapon again.

“Oh, you should have seen this place when I left. All teary eyed and saying that I should have stayed longer, or that they had more recipes they wanted to teach me.” She chuckled once more before she let out a content sigh. “It was nice to visit this place again.” One final question came to his mind just as she was about to pass.

“What happened to your parents?”

“I ate them.”

“…”

“Took you off guard didn’t it.”

It did, not that he conveyed that to her well. With how much she had talked about them he had thought some tragedy had taken place here. It just wasn’t right didn’t make any sense in his mind for her to have done that, and she’d said it so unashamed of herself either. “Why did you do that? Seemed like you liked them.” She twirled her hand for a moment as if to recall the information.

“Oh, an accident happened, and dad got hurt in a gang fight. Not one he was a part of just some accidental casualty of someone else’s fight. Mom got him to a hospital, but they didn’t have the money he’d need for a lifesaving treatment.” She recalled the story like it was yesterday.

“Well mom calls me and tells me to get home as soon as possible. I was half the district away, but ya know when your mom calls you, and yelling at you despite the fact she’s never seen that, you tend to get your ass over there. Then when I do, she begins telling me about this old family tradition as she leads me to the kitchen. One where the kid eats the parents when their old or near death so that they could help their kid one last time…” She spoke with a strange fondness in her tone.

“Dad didn’t want to spend the last days of his life in a hospital bed, and mom didn’t want to live without him. I mean I couldn't really do anything but do what they wanted.” She stopped for a moment before she shrugged. “I don’t really feel bad about it, even if it was caused by tragedy. They wanted to be made into food, and while it wasn’t the best thing I ever ate, even at the time, it’s always had a special place in my heart.” She said, poking the mentioned place with her thumb.

“Well…I guess that makes enough sense.” It was certainly a matter of district norms clashing. He’d never really considered it before, but he supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised. “Well, I hadn’t expected that, but it was nice that you decided to come here anyway.” Greta simply gave him a wide smile in return.

“Hey thanks for not judging too hard. It's nice to say that and then not immediately hear ‘EW! WHAT THE f*ck IS WRONG WITH YOU!?’” She explained suddenly mimicking someone else as she had her hands up in ‘shock’. “Anyway, come on, we’ve kept the others waiting long enough.” She said as she began walking away.

He looked at another picture for a moment, one of a young girl smiling with a messy dish in her hands. He hummed as he just stared at it for a moment, wondering what Greta was like before she distorted. If she’d gotten through that what had caused her to distort if this was viewed in such a positive light. He let the question fade as he realized that it didn’t really matter in the end.

As he left the room through the open door and down the stairs, he found the other doors open as well. Going through, Greta stood in front of the exit waiting for him. “I’m surprised that you waited for me.” Greta shook her head at his words before she explained.

“I’m half sure that if you touch the door it’ll burst into flames. I do want this place to still be standing when I leave.” He nodded at her explanation as he stepped forward. She held the door open for him as he began exiting the building. “Well, what do you think we should-”

He was interrupted by several sounds of thunder and attacks hitting his body.

Chapter 40: Throw the Book at em

Chapter Text

Greta charged out of the building when the bullets stopped and looked to the where the source had come from. She found a set of thirteen people, one in the middle with a large knife pointing forward was an older man long past his prime while the rest held machine guns and were lined up in firing position with a set in front crouching down and a set behind standing straight up. She didn’t know much about guns, never her style, but she was sure most of them didn’t have a magazine sticking out of the side.

Other than the man in the middle they each wore a long black trench coat that was open, and underneath were simple gray uniforms with a firm black padding on their upper chest. A black armband with a golden embroidery was on everyone’s left arm of a bullet with two lightning bolts behind it. On each of their side was a trench mace that she could infer were their melee option just in case.

She charged forward to try and deal with the gunmen before a Zwei grunt intercepted her. They’d poured in front the sides after the initial barrage of bullets and the man in front of her was launched back as she bashed him with her shoulder. Several other Zwei slashed at her with their signature swords, but she barely felt any of their strikes. She swung in wide arcs to try and catch any of the Zwei in her range. Most dodged to the side, but one poor woman tried to block her strike and was rewarded with a broken weapon and shoulder blade.

“WATCH YOUR SHOTS MEN!” The older man yelled suddenly as the black clad fixers scattered around. She couldn’t focus more on where they went as she dealt with more Zwei around her. She brought her arm up to block a shower of bullets from someone to her side that were aimed for her head, the sound of his gun firing reminding her of clanging pans as the bolt went back and forth. A taller man went to skewer her with his own weapon before he was intercepted by a familiar baton.

“You said we would have some time before the Zwei showed up.” A fiery strike gave some room for them as Waxy appeared by her side. “Yeah, I know. I should have been right as well.” She saw the man that had peppered her with ammo, and she hurled her meat tenderizer at him. He didn’t have time to dodge as he focused on reloading and his head splattered, showering the alley with blood, brain matter, and bone chunks.

“Key word being should, seems like these guys were waiting for us.” Her meaty fist shot forward and took off the head of another Zwei who’d tried to slash at her. “Then let’s deal with these people fast and be on our way.” At Waxy’s words she nodded before the familiar sound of Bremen’s trumpets erupted behind them.

She turned slightly, a Zwei Grunt’s head in her hand as she dragged the man back and saw a Hana fixer and someone in a white and yellow outfit get launched by Bremen’s music. “Hana and some other offices are also here.” She called as she brought her leg up and kicked forward harshly. The Zwei woman’s chest and abdomen were crushed by the force as she was launched back.

“Seems Tanya was right then. We should try and regroup and formulate a plan of defense.” Waxy said as he brought his hand up. The loud sound that came from it was too quick to be a warning and the majority of the people in front of him were hit by the beams. “Are ya kidding Waxy. I’m not Tanya, but I think we can take these small fries.” She said just whiffing a punch that would have killed another Zwei.

“We can take anything, but Meow and Finn can’t.” At the mention of the only humans in their group she swore under her breath. Right, it was easy to think of them and only them because usually they’d kept Finn out of fights. With the way things were they might get dragged into fights they had no business in.

“Fine, go back and get with the rest. I’m not leaving my weapon back there.” He nodded as he blocked a strike with the back of his hand. He didn’t even glance at the offender as he parried and then grabbed the Zwei grunt by the neck and then snapped it. “Alright. I trust you’ll meet up with us soon.” With that he dropped the fixer and began rushing behind her.

She looked at the onslaught of fixers in front of her. A wave of people was still in front of her, and she debated how long it would take her. A part of her wanted to charge through them, but she might actually take enough damage from the amount of people she might feel it. She cracked her knuckles ready to start swinging before she blocked her head from another swarm of bullets.

A few slashes were sent to her abdomen before her other arm came down for an overhead punch on one of them. It wasn’t as focused as she would have wanted it as the two dodged. Her hand broke the concrete and the alley exploded from the force she put in, kicking up dust and debris as she’d made a hole for herself.

One of the dumpsters spilled over and fell in next to her. Some trash spilled out as she let out a disgusted groan as she went to push it away. Her strength made it as easy as pushing over a plastic bin and not a large metal crate. She was just about to get out of the hole when an idea struck her, and she grabbed the bottom of the dumpster.

Some bitter grim leaked into her mouth making her cringe, but she lifted it above her head. She stepped out of the hole and out of the fog some looked wide eyed as she emerged. She slammed it down, splattering a few in front of her, and placed it firmly in front of her. She braced herself for a moment before she charged, she’d had a battering ram.

The dumpster scraped against the ground harshly and anyone caught in front of her that didn’t get out of the, or couldn’t, were launched or crushed by her assault. A few bullets rattled against the front of the dumpster, but none got to her. She had just passed the corpse of the man whose skull she’d smashed before she stopped and skid across the alley pavement.

She had just grabbed her prize when the back of her right hand was pierced through with a large knife. She turned in annoyance to see the older fixer looking at her as he slid under her backhand. As she picked up her weapon, she noticed something about the wound on her hand that had been inflicted.

It stung.

“You looked surprised.” An older voice said to her as his free hand reached into a pocket over his breast. “Looking into you, you're remarkably similar to the old G-Corp’s Mantis Division. Constantly healing as you tear apart your enemies.” He spoke with a hint of familiarity, and it took Greta a moment for her to recognize what he was talking about. A flask was pulled out from the pocket as he popped off the cap.

“Luckily for me this old thing has something that should stop that.” With that sentence he drained the flask suddenly of its contents. At the sentence Greta looked again at the wound and noticed her familiar slow healing wasn’t kicking in. Just as he tossed his flask away, his body shivering as he exhaled, the now free hand came to a holster with a handgun.

“Tonight, A star of the city shall fall.”

Her meat tenderizer came down hard as she swung it, and he dodged with speed that was much faster than before. The building’s wall he’d been next to shattered from her strike as she turned to the side and focused on him. He took a slight lunge that Greta went to intercept by trying to knee him in the gut.

His attack proved to be a feint as he dodged her attack and left a gash on her stomach. The suit took most of the blow, but that familiar sting of a cut was still there. He didn't stop as he sent a flurry of small cuts to her that she blocked with her arm as she levied a wide swing at the man. Like her other attack this one missed as he jumped back out of her range.

Greta heard someone climb over the dumpster that was behind her and she whirled around. One of the fixers had his gun trained on her, but before he could pull the trigger, she grabbed him by the foot. Her teeth sunk into his achilles as she whirled him around like a weapon and just barely hit the operator of the office. A sickening crack filled the air as the woman’s body collided with the pavement and a splash of gore shot up covering her arm.

She pulled the corpse back and threw it after before running just behind it. The fixer dodged the corpse just fine but had to brace himself as Greta rammed her shoulder into him. He didn’t go flying, but she could feel the augments in his aged body before he skid harshly across the pavement of the alley.

The man grit his teeth as he held his arm for a moment. Before Greta could run him down the Zwei fixers had gotten between her and him as she charged forward. Three fixers tried together to block her blow, and each one proved futile as she put more effort than usually into the strike. they were launched in different directions from her weapon as the older man stood defenseless for a moment.

Her free hand quickly grabbed him by the head to try and crush it. Before she could do so his free hand that had been hovering quickly drew the holstered gun and fired it at her neck. The bullets were made of the same material as his knife, but the hot lead and pain caused her to let go. This didn’t leave him unscathed as her mouth tore off a large amount of meat from his face, leaving him missing one of his cheeks and exposing his jaw.

He kept firing as she stood still for a moment due to the initial surprise. She barely had enough time to put her arm up as a defense when he closed the gap and tried to impale her neck with his weapon. She shook off the attack as she regained her posture and looked at the older man as he took a defensive stance.

The dumpster behind her made a rumbling noise and for a moment she had thought another gunner was trying to climb it again. The idea was tossed as she heard the familiar sound of the Hana’s morphing weapon as she turned. The black crystals had surrounded the dumpster and lifted it up as a spectacled Hana fixer was revealed. Behind him more Hana, Zwei, and the black clad fixers as well as shirtless tattooed fixers with what looked like marble gauntlets on.

“Stone-Forged fixers take up a frontline offensive position, Zwei reinforce them defensive. Hana provided all around help, and Blitzkrieg Office keep your shots trained on The Eight Chef.” He called out as he pointed at her before adjusting his glasses. The now named Blitzkrieg fixers, that remained at least, stood upon elevated pillars created by different Hana members supporting them.

Greta swore under her breath at the arrival of reinforcements as the shirtless fixers. A flurry of blows were sent her way that she mostly could endure, but she still felt pangs of pain whenever one collided with one of the wounds of the older fixer. She retaliated with a wide strike as several Zwei fixers went to block her strike.

Black crystals covered their blades and arms as they collided, and other than the sound of one of their arms dislocating they were fine. Greta made a pensive face just as she looked at her surroundings. She parried a blow from the older fixer as he tried to strike her, and he zipped past to the now fully emerged group. A strike she sent to the fixer getting intercepted by a handful of trained shots that hit her arm and elbow.

It had been a while since Greta had been put in such a position, but that didn’t mean she was going to sit still and die. She brought back her meat tenderizer and looked at the destroyed wall to her side. She swung, not at the fixer’s who’d attempted to block her attack, but at the partially destroyed wall with all her force.

The old building shook and began to collapse down and several fixers braced for the building's impact. Black crystals shot out and began catching the larger debris that came down, but the dust and smoke still kicked up. Greta for her part simply looked at the fixers that had taken their focus off her and smiled.

She flashed forward, wildly swinging her weapon through the fixers, and sent a tidal wave of gore and viscera in the air. An array of different tastes filled her mouth as she kept going forward in her assault. The wounds that the older man’s blade had even started healing, albeit the slowest that she’d ever felt such a thing happen. Her mad dash only stopped as the spectacled Hana fixer sent forth a spear of the black crystals that blocked the strike from taking out a stone-forged fixer.

Her plan halted; she smiled as she turned to another building on her side. Not to break but she slammed through the wall and began running through the building. The alleyway wasn’t the best place to keep fighting as it was. She needed to regroup with the others to keep fighting at full strength. As she emerged onto the she surprised some Hana and fixers with bronze shields and gladius.

As she crushed a handful before looking to the side where Bremen was in their own fight, Greta couldn’t help but look at the array of colors in her view. she barreled through the fixers in her way who put up a futile attempt to stop her as she grew closer to her own group. Bremen seemed to see her getting closer for a moment as they blew away several more fixers with their music. They motioned for her to hurry as several people began circling the distortion as she got closer.

It had been the largest fight that Greta had been in for a long while. An almost endless looking wave of people had come to try and kill them, and the groups had their own specialty and reinforced one another. Had she been alone Greta might have felt like she was in trouble.

Yet as she crushed a Hana fixer with a powerful straight punch, Bremen flashed her a thumbs up. They yelled something and she looked to the side to see Tanya and Waxy fighting a different set of fighters as the Van was nowhere to be seen. “Are Meow and Finn alright?” Bremen nodded as they parried a blow with their staff before uppercutting the offending party.

“Well then there’s no reason for any of us to not get destructive.”

Chapter 41: Throw the book at em 2

Chapter Text

If there was one development about this battle Tanya could say, it was that her instinct had proven right. As a high kick broke through the defenses of a Hana fixer and took their head off, she glanced to the side. Waxy was around several charred corpses as he calmly parried and retaliated against several attacks that came his way.

She pulled back as a spear from a woman in a brown suit with a dull red undershirt tried to skewer her. The only thing distinguishing her from some random office was a black sash with an emblem of a detective and the pair of sunglasses she wore. She ducked under another strike and closed the distance before sending a straight punch to the woman’s gut. The bones broke and she went flying just as Tanya turned on the balls of her feet and sent a high kick to a Hana fixer.

Despite being tired not even a few minutes ago, there was nothing like a fight that woke her up. She swept the foot out of a Zwei that had tried to strike her as she grabbed the man’s right leg and swung him over her shoulder and onto the pavement. The paste that could only generously be called a person shot out and covered a few of them.

She took a step back before she shot herself forward, leaving behind a crater where she was as she dealt with the fixers in a moment. She could tell from a glance not everyone here was on the same skill level, but in a way that just made it more exciting. A feral grin appeared on her face as she dodged the tendrils shot at her by a member of the Hana.

Behind her Bremen yelled loudly and even over here some people were covering their ears. She took advantage as she brought her leg up and brought it down on one of the spearmen and destroyed his skull. She went to deal with the other two before a laser disintegrated one’s head and left a hole in another’s side. Waxy walked up to her casually as he blocked several attacks with the backside of his hand.

“Tanya, where's the van?” He asked as he finally retaliated with a swipe of his baton. The Zwei fixer didn’t stand a chance as the charred remains of his corpse went flying. She adjusted herself as she swayed side to side from a barrage of attacks sent by a fixer. “Bremen cleared out a path for them and they drove off. Not sure where they're going but it can’t be too far.” It had happened when the fight had first started.

It had happened when this assault had first begun. A Hana fixer had sent a strike through the windshield of the car that pierced where her head might have been if she wasn’t resting. She’d almost kicked the door off its hinges as she got out and Bremen followed. It was then the tide of fixers of multiple offices and associations began pouring out like a wave of water.

Whoever had been driving the car had made a U-turn and tried to leave, but ran into an inevitable wave of fixers. Not literally, Tanya would bet money any grade three or higher could stop their car much less a sea of them, but for a moment some had tried to stop the car. It was quite possibly the loudest they’d ever heard Bremen play their tune and clear a path.

As for her, as she blocked a nailed bat from a more thuggish looking woman, she was wide awake now. There was an equal amount of excitement and adrenaline pumping in her veins. This was a rather unique opportunity that reminded her of the better time in her time in The Middle.

“Really now. Which direction?” He said as he blocked a strike from a big man with a chain-axe. The chains of the weapon tried to cut through the wax weapon blocking it, but Tanya could see them beginning to melt from the attempt. She dashed forward and uppercut the man who was focused on her ally. The head of the man flew off in a moment like the cap off a tube of toothpaste as he fell over.

“That way.” She said pointing as a small group rushed over to them. A few hana fixers were covering other fixers in their weapon, enhancing them so they more than likely wouldn’t die from just one of her blows. It was a clever tactic, but a futile one as Tanya crouched before launching herself forward. Her palm slammed into another of the spear wielding fixers who got in her way before she lost moment just in front of the Hana fixers who were trying to recall their weapons.

Too little too late as her heel planted itself into an abdomen and impaled it before going through the man. She spun leaving not only half of a man, but hitting the woman to his side who went flying from the assault. Not stopping her momentum The back of her arm swept the final fixer off their feet and into the ground. Her fist caved in his face a second later as she stood up in a moment to face the next threat.

The tell-tale sound of Waxy’s laser graced her ears and she saw him stick his hound out before jerking it to the left. Some tried to block or dodge, but a large amount of the roads and cars caught fire. The fixers between them only starred in growing horror at the causal level of destruction that was unleashed.

“Tanya, could you give me a moment?” With a moment of respite Waxy walked forward. The small group didn’t stop him as they just gawked. He stared at them dully as they back up and began to retreat to the devastated forces. WIth them gone he looked to her.“I just need you to defend me for a moment. It’ll be quick.” Tanya raised an eye at that.

“Defend you…from f*cking what? What could possibly threaten you.” He didn’t explain as he grew a wing from his back. It detached and she saw it begin to form into one of the cherubs that they’d used. It was then Tanya realized what he was doing and rolled her eyes.

Tanya’s personal style of melee wasn’t what she would call defensive, never had been and never would, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t improvise. As she looked to the side a streetlight caught her eye. She grinned as she walked up to the street fixture and grabbed the pole of it before yanking harshly. The metal didn’t even have time to bend or buckle as she tore it off and watched the sparks of the wiring fly.

As the small forces of mixed fixers began to recover, she swung the improvised weapon she’d made. The light received a new shade of red pain as the people were crushed or mashed from the strike, limbs going flying in the air. She shifted her weight for a moment as she brought the weapon back over her shoulder.

She stood firm like a sentinel as a small formation of fixers began to approach. Again, she took a big swing at the group, and they attempted to block. Fixers with white gauntlets and Hana’s crystals attempted to hold back her attack. It slowed, but that was all it did as it collided with half the group. The other half continued their forward charge in their attempt to end her.

A Hana fixer launched a lance at her and she let go of the pole as she blocked the strike. A figure in a cloak of raven feathers and a bird mask seized the opportunity and tried to take her head off with a bowie knife. Evaded the strike but it cut her in the forehead causing her to bleed, but she sent forth her own sidekick to deal with him. The black crystal that had been sent to impale her change to incase her attacker and she launched him, feeling several ribs break from her strike.

The encased person was caught by a Zwei member, who gave a thumbs up to another. That was all Tanya saw of the fixer as she began parrying a barrage of strikes a set of fixers with gauntlets attempted to launch at her. Both sets strong and fast in an attempt to overwhelm her through prowess. She stopped that delusion by grabbing the wrist of one of those strikes and breaking it with a harsh squeeze.

Not done, she pulled back and tore the arm off the man to keep up the pressure. At the yell and wet tearing noise that was made the woman looked to the side, and Tanya repaid the momentary distraction with a blow to her side from her free arm. A fine red mist was all that existed from her strike as she made short work of the man not even a second after.

The laughter of cherubs caught her attention just as Waxy arrived at her side. “Thank you for that.” He said with a side swipe of his weapon batting away The Hana fixer from before. “Why the damned cherubs?” She asked for a moment as she wiped away some of the blood from her face.

She briefly wondered how much was really hers.

“They’ve been sent to try and find Meow and Finn. Just in case anyone followed after them.” He explained as he sent a thrust to the barrier created by the Hana fixer as more opponents began to arrive. She let out an approved hum as the wall of crystal was penetrated with the weapon before it began to take on an orangish glow.

A second later the shield exploded sending the crystals exploding in all directions. Heated shrapnel was shot out and impaled or went through several fixers. The worst of which was the Hana member who’d made the barrier. Not only had his arms been burned off, but the resulting shrapnel had-

Her ears picked up the noise as she turned in an instant and grabbed something. A large pole-arm weapon that wasn’t like the spears from before had been thrown at her, which after a moment she identified as a fauchard. She stared at what was the clear offender as she made no attempt to hide herself.

“You.” a woman's voice spat out with a layered disgust. Disheveled blond hair covered most of her face, but she could make out a blue eye glaring at her and a mole. While she’d thrown her weapon she was handed another by a Zwei fixer with white hair, before said man retreated. It was rather strange to her given that she hadn’t looked like any of the other types of fixers in the group. “Do you have ANY idea the amount of trouble you’ve caused in District 23.”

…

“I care why?” The woman had to have been of some importance. A crowd of Zwei had been around her that seemed different from the rest. More energized and bolstered as the woman drew closer, a red-haired man shadowed her. “Your arrival had caused NOTHING but the stagnation and desolation of Zwei Section Four.” The woman continued talking as if Tanya had personally gone out of her way to destroy her.

“Your crimes are numerous spanning from-” Having enough of the accusations being thrown at her Tanya lurched forward. She’d give the woman credit, despite her rough appearance she did indeed brace for impact against Tanya as he fist impacted the flat side of the blade. The sword let out a dull metal as it wobbled but it didn’t break. It had stopped enough of her attack that the woman only skid across the pavement than dying horribly like so many others had.

Like she’d knocked over a set of dominos the Zwei attacked her, save for the red haired man who went to join the woman. Overhead slashed, thrusts, upwards and all kinds of attacks that she evaded, a few nicked and cut at her due to the sheer nature of the assault. Fervor that more belonged to the Liu rather than anything she’d seen of the Zwei in her years. This peaked her interest, admittedly only slightly more than anything else the woman was.

Not the small fry thought.

One gap was all she needed as a kick took the head off of one of the fixers, and she continued the momentum. Close the gap and lay into the fixers that thought they’d had a chance against her. One or two tried even in their end to punch or attack her with a punch or a thrust of their weapon. It didn’t stop her, but the burst of confidence was equally annoying and intriguing to her.

Tanya went to punch another one of the Zwei, but her punch was stopped by a set of Zwei handers. Her eye tilted up to see the woman and the man block her strike, saving the man. She broke off just as the red-head pushed the other to safety. The woman simply pointed her sword at her.

No words this time as the woman charged forth. She blocked with her forearms a thrust aimed to her chest, and she pushed the blade to the side to uppercut her foe but she was pulled out of the way. Her attack missed the man and sent a diagonal slash at her that she sidestepped before she blocked another attack from the woman.

She could recognize that they were using a modified version of Spear and Shield technique. As she sent a kick that was just barely avoided by the man, she in turn blocked an upwards swing from the woman. There was an ebb and flow to their strikes to try and force her onto the defensive. Any strike she could send were blocked by a combination of the two, or an evade would be assisted with.

She backed off for a moment to observe as a weapon clattered across her feet and the fauchard she’d tossed away mindlessly came to her mind. She sent a grin to the two as she spread her arms out as she looked at the two. There was a moment of hesitation from the guy, but the brown clad woman rushed forward. The man swore as he went to catch up, but the gap was too big for him.

Just enough for what Tanay had thought.

She kicked up the weapon on the ground and launched it. The woman lept to the side and avoided the weapon, but the man was different. He’d been focused on alternating on defense and offense with the woman and trying to get back in position. By the time he could have avoided the weapon it was too late.

It impaled his chest and the lower parts of his neck and launched him across the battlefield. For a movement the woman continued her attack and Tanya blocked the slash. The woman went to the side of a person who wasn’t there and practically tripped over herself as Tanya took advantage of the blunder.

Her leg shot out and swept the woman’s legs out from under her and she hit the ground. She’d barely been on the ground for a moment before Tanya raised her leg again before bringing it down on the woman’s back. The resulting crack and tearing echoed out along with her scream of pain stopping any other noise Tanya could have heard.

She was still alive, but as Tanya looked out, she saw more able-bodied people already beginning to rush her. There was a noticeable demoralization of a few people she didn’t understand, but she shrugged it off. It was a fleeting moment of interest for her and that was really it.

She did idly wonder for a moment who in the long list of people she’d pissed off the woman was.