|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 16, 2012 20:11:19 GMT -8
“I think we may have found them, boss…” The old man looked up from the unmarked briefcase on his desk to look at the low-level recruit standing in his doorway. The man nodded slowly and closed the briefcase, full of money. “They’re at a mansion uptown… Veritas is the name.”
“Very good,” he said calmly. He stood and straightened his dark blue suit. He put on a hat and walked past the young man. “Gather as many men as you can into the truck, we’ll go get him, the assassin harboring him, and anyone else who is helping him.” He thought that the assassin, Adrasteia, was the one who had so humiliated him in that abandoned quay.
After a long ride in one of those awful cargo vans, the Mafia Boss found himself in front of a fancy mansion surrounded by lush fields. The men filed out of the back of the van and walked up the stairs to the door. Holding various models of guns, they all poised outside. Calmly walking inside like he owned the place, the boss interrupted the peaceful scene inside.
Sabrina, confused for a moment, didn’t recognize the man at first. After he waved his hand, however, and about a dozen men rushed in, Sabrina suddenly recognized him. “Take them.” Unlike he expected, the men stayed still, not moving an inch. “I said GO!” he growled, whipping around to glare at his followers.
Still, the men didn’t move. All but one stayed still. One man, who looked slightly older and different than everyone else, stepped forward. He pulled off his mafia style suit, revealing army camouflage underneath. “Alright, boys, now do what I’m paying you to do. Take him outside.” Two of the men walked forward, grabbed the old man by the arms, and pulled him outside, to the truck.
The man, who seemed to have taken control of the mob group, looked them over. “So, why would a Mafioso like him be interested in…” He addressed them one by one as his eyes passed them in order. “…A Chinese man, a rich little kid, that little boy’s butler, and a young girl?” He smirked. “There must be something behind this.”
The man, who had been second in command under the old boss, stepped forward and whispered into his ear. “Ah, I see!” said the man in charge. “A mobster and an assassin.” He stepped forward toward Adrasteia and Smile. “My name is Victor Clarke, and I think that I want you two with me instead of against me.” He reached into his pocket, seeming like he was getting a gun, but instead he pulled out a large chunk of money.
|
|
|
Post by Rad on Jan 16, 2012 21:04:15 GMT -8
“Woah! Money!”
“Sabrina’s an assassin?!”
“I’m afraid you have me mistaken for the wrong man.”
These three simultaneous exclamations, voiced by Smile, Memini and Adrasteia respectively, produced only a garbled mess of sounds almost as confusing as the predicament of that morning.
The dawn had arrived normally enough; with birdsong greeting the pink glow of the rising sun. Adrasteia had limped out of bed early enough to prepare that day’s breakfast despite knowing his sluggish young master would never make it downstairs on Saturday mornings.
In the kitchen he had met Smile, making a mess out of scrambled eggs as always yet mulishly unwilling to accept assistance of any kind. Of course, over who would be permitted to make breakfast a scuffle had ensued and ended; this time with an explosion of flour all over the floorboards.
Seeing the mess, Adrasteia was naturally inclined to clean up the chaos whilst a gloating Smile rolled out the tray with the scrambled egg which was, no doubt, sprinkled with a generous smattering of eggshells (Smile being the careless chef that he was.)
After that well, Memini had made an uncharacteristic appearance in his sleeping gown mumbling in a half-asleep drawl about there being dancing shadows outside his window. Then, to Smile’s dismay, before Sabrina even had time to give his cuisine a taste, his former collegues had burst in.
What happened after that? Well, that has already been described.
As for the three’s reactions?
Smile was evidently enticed by the prospect of some much-needed pocket money. In fact, if Adrasteia hadn’t been in the way he would have quite happily snatched up the bundle with a smirk and a hearty cry of “So, what am I to do for ya?”
Memini’s inquiry, of course, could either be attributed to his naïve personality, unmistakable drowsiness or just his general inability to piece two and two together. Indeed, he had most probably pieced two and two together and made five.
What of Adrasteia? Well, he had never told anyone about that former dastardly vocation of his. If it was his choice, he’ll never let anyone find out. His priority for the present was the role of Memini’s guardian and butler and if he had any say at all he sure wanted things to stay the way they were.
|
|
|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 17, 2012 18:42:10 GMT -8
Victor snickered, amused by the three completely different responses that were evoked by his offer. He addressed Smile first, saying, "My goodness, you do look eager, don't you." His voice seemed almost taunting. "Despite that little... eh... handicap," he said as he pointed to Smile's eye patch. "I think I might be able to find something you can do."
He then moved along to Memini. "No, young lad," he said, seeming the most genuine he had been since he'd arrived. "I don't think that one could even kill a spider that was scaring her. She probably calls in her father every time." He cast a downgrading look in Sabrina's direction, which made her seethe.
After addressing Smile and Memini, there was no one left to speak to but Adrasteia. "You know, the Mafia does not often make mistakes..." he stated. "I should know, I'm their boss, now." He smirked. "So I doubt that we have the wrong man." He paused for a moment and looked Adrasteia over. "In fact, you seem familiar..."
He paused again, thinking. "Ah! I know. Something Myers. I saw something about you in the police chief's office." Knowing he was right, a smug grin appeared on his face. "But what was your first name, now? It started with an A... Something like Aidan?"
"You definitely have the wrong man, then," said Sabrina. "That isn't Aidan Myers. His name is Adrasteia Moirae!"
This time, a furious glare was fixed on Sabrina, which nearly made her skin crawl. This man looked insane! "Oh no, my dear," he said venomously. "I never forget a face." He turned his attention back to Adrasteia. "And, well, I could always go back to my good friend, the chief. Have him take a look see at that file. Which, if it isn't you, you would have no problem with having this Aidan Myers' investigation open again."
Like in a game of chess, Victor was about to put his opponent into check. "However, if this man is you, then you might want to keep this a little more quiet... Seeing as how I know where you are, and... well... let's just say that if they caught you, they wouldn't waste valuable money on a life sentence." Grinning, he turned slightly, toward the door.
"However, if you were to join me, well... I might just overlook this... minor detail." He stretched his arm out, still holding the giant stack of money. With a smile, Victor thought to himself, Checkmate
|
|
|
Post by Rad on Jan 18, 2012 19:17:41 GMT -8
Listening to Victor’s confident drawl Adrasteia could almost hear that vile yet solid ‘checkmate’ in the man’s words. He simply could not permit this menace to walk out and expose his true identity to the world; not when he had so much to lose.
So it was that Aidan reluctantly reached out his hand when the sum of cash was offered again, taking the bills with a defeated expression on his face as his gaze shifted to the floorboards.
Whether the former assassin was about to say anything of significance of unimportant; in fact, it was almost as if the two idiots in the vicinity were intent on arriving at this own conclusions.
With a laugh, the wad of notes was snatched counted by a triumphant Smile as with a gloating voice he proclaimed, “Oh my! What a hypocrite! Who would have known!”
Well, this imbecile he could ignore but the second fool was more of a problem. Tugging cautiously at his shirt sleeve was Memini, eyes practically brimming with tears as he whimpered, “Wh…what ha…have you done with Adrasteia? Give ‘im back.”
He was helpless; incapable of explaining himself (for everything was true) and too upset to laugh at Memini’s rather comical reaction. Why did he feel so victimized all of a sudden? If only this was a nightmare from which he could awaken.
Fearfully, gradually, he turned to look in Sabrina’s direction. That sensible one; what did she think of him now?
"Listen..." He began, catching himself before he could continue and finishing with a heavy resigned sigh. What was there even to explain? Nothing really. What Victor had disclosed was all fact.
|
|
|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 18, 2012 20:15:58 GMT -8
Victor watched as the money was taken from him, feeling quite accomplished with himself. “You two can come to the truck when you’re ready. I’ll take you down to the training grounds, where I’m sure we can find some suitable accommodations for the both of you.” With a motion of the head, his men left the room. He followed and shut the door behind him.
“Adrasteia,” Sabrina started. Her eyes threatened to burst out into tears, but she held it back as best she could. “It can’t possibly be true… Can it?” When he didn’t begin to explain himself, she realized that she was wrong. “It’s… true?”
When he neglected to explain himself, Sabrina realized that it was true. Her emerald eyes pierced into Adrasteia’s, and she opened her mouth to speak. After a second or two, however, she couldn’t think of anything to say. So instead, she looked to Memini. After a sigh, she said, “Memini, Adrasteia has made his choice – he would rather be Aidan now.”
With that, she turned and left, down the corridor toward her room. She felt extremely betrayed by the both of them. Smile, of course, she knew was a killer. That much was obvious. But he’d left the mob! He’d wanted to leave ever since he joined! So why was he going back into such a thing? And Adrasteia… well that was just so shocking, she could barely even believe it!
She quietly opened the door to her room where she found, not an empty bedroom, but three men waiting for her with handcuffs. Her eyes widened and she turned back to the hallway. “Adra-” she screamed before they tied a gag around her head. Then, to her horror, bound her hands and dragged her to the window.
She let out some muffled complaints, but the men just laughed and lowered her out of the window. She was then carried to that awful cargo van, which was still bloodstained like it was the last time. They dropped her in a corner and walked off. Through the open door, she saw Victor sitting in a fancy car, smirking at her. As the door closed, she thought she saw him laugh at her predicament.
Though she was terrified out of her mind, she had no idea that it was about to get worse. Little did she know that before long, she would be beaten up and used to test Adrasteia’s ability to kill.
Soon, the doors opened again to reveal Memini, also handcuffed, but not gagged. Behind him, Sabrina thought she saw Victor waving Adrasteia and Smile toward his car, smiling cheerfully. He looked so happy and friendly… so far from the truth.
|
|
|
Post by Rad on Jan 18, 2012 21:23:53 GMT -8
Choice? What choice? It was evident that this…stranger standing in front of him had kidnapped…no, MAN-NAPPED Adrasteia and was right now impersonating him! When had abduction ever been the victim’s choice?
Well, perhaps Sabrina had simply been captured so many times by now that the whole hostage thing was beginning to mess with her head. That he could…pardon and maybe even comprehend. Poor Sabrina probably wanted to give herself the impression that she had been provided a choice in the matter.
He decided not to bother her as she retreated to her room. But wait! Wasn’t there an opportunity for him to finally play the hero this time? Oh brilliant! Struck by this idea, Memini released his hold on the fake Adrasteia and swiftly rushed through a door into…
Eh? Were the corridors always this dark? Surely…
Click! This sensation was…oddly familiar…like that time he had been wrongly arrested. Handcuffs, forceful shoving…what the hell? What law had he transgressed this time?
Meanwhile, with the youngsters gone, Adrasteia hurriedly chased after Victor, pulling Smile along as he confronted the imposing Mafia Boss in front of a shiny black car. “Look, I have no idea who you are but –“
“Thanks for the green! Now what do ya want us to do for –“
“Shut up, Smile! Um…sir, despite my past I assure you I am no longer the…sharp-edged blade I once was. Certainly I would think that hiring me could only form some severe disadvantage on your part. Would it not be in your best interests to reconsider your job proposal? After all –“
“Reconsider?! Why on earth would he do that? I couldn’t care less about you but definitely I know that –“ For this ill-timed interruption, Smile was awarded a brutal fist to the face.
Ohohoho, even if it were true that Aidan had lost his killer instinct it was still obvious that he had yet to forget how to pack a good punch!
|
|
|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 19, 2012 19:40:48 GMT -8
Victor laughed and calmly stepped between the two sparring men, as he often did when two troops began fighting with each other. “Don’t worry, my friends,” he said looking at Smile. “I do not plan on reconsidering this offer. So there’s no need to fight about that.” He glanced away for a moment, seeing the cargo van in front of them pull off toward the army training facility.
Knowing what was inside, and seeing Smile and Adrasteia were clueless about it, he couldn’t help but smirk to himself. “And Aiden, don’t worry about that. We’ll see just how much of that killer instinct you’ve kept once we get back to the training facility.” He opened the backseat and he got into the front seat, telling the driver to go.
Ironically, they were following the white cargo van all the way there. Inside that van, Sabrina and Memini were being taunted by the mobsters. “Hope you enjoyed your last moments of being out of those handcuffs,” one said. Another joined in, saying, “Yeah, you’ll be in them for the rest of your lives. But don’t worry, it won’t be that long.”
They all started laughing, and Sabrina looked to Memini with an expression of pure dread. They won’t kill us, will they? We’re just kids! Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud, for she was still gagged. These taunting remarks continued until they reached their destinations, when they yanked them up and forced them out onto the grounds.
From the little time that she was allowed to see, Sabrina saw different fields with various different exercises, such as an obstacle course, barbed wire crawling, and other things. There were also some barracks, and what she assumed to be some sort of dining hall. But she only had a few seconds before being shoved toward a plain, nearly windowless brick building.
However, she saw that black car pull up onto the road. Adrasteia and Smile were on that car – they could save them! “Hmm mmmn!” she yelled through the gag. But the men behind her shoved her through the doors before the men got out of the car.
With a defeated sigh, she saw that they had been brought to a sort of jail room, probably used for deserters, or troops who had been fighting too much. Even though they had committed no crime, they would have to wait there all the same until they were undoubtedly murdered by that cruel man, Victor.
“Yeah, get in there, mongrels,” the mobster growled, opening one of the smaller cells. He pushed Sabrina in after Memini, knowing she would never go in willingly. After she fell in, face first, the man slammed the door, locked it, and walked off.
Meanwhile, Victor was waving Smile and Adrasteia along. “You can stay in the building that authorities share, so you won’t have to stay in the barracks. You can just go there, ask the secretary to bring you to an open room. Thanks.”
He stopped Adrasteia, though. “Aiden, you come with me, please,” he said. “I want you to see our training grounds.” He walked off towards one of the fields, whispering something to a young man on the way. He ran away, smirking mysteriously as he left.
|
|
|
Post by Rad on Jan 19, 2012 20:36:32 GMT -8
“This is all your fault.” Memini muttered resentfully as, from a gloomy corner of the cell, he glowered at his friend with a look of defiance. In the child’s mind all that pent up frustration and humiliation from their abduction and trip in that terrifying van had produced a sour bitterness towards the only person he knew he had a chance of making more miserable than himself; Sabrina.
Indeed, this predicament was forcing him back into that selfish state of mind he had been known to entertain. A real pity, especially since he had made such progress with recalling his past and returning to the gentleman he had been during his early years. With his hands handcuffed behind his back Memini shuffled about with great difficulty; not quite capable of rising to his feet despite numerous attempts.
Finally, with a furious puff of breath the boy settled for a position with his back turned to Sabrina. This was all that dumb girl’s fault! How? He had no idea. He was merely convinced that he was, as always, innocent of any wrongdoing! (Yet, if truth were told he was really guilty of quite a number of things.)
-
“Aiden, you come with me, please. I want you to see our training grounds.”
Was it really okay? Leaving those two kids alone on the Veritas estate? After all, he had permitted the maids to indulge in a small weekend break for the purpose of training Smile to perform household tasks and…even without the threat of the Mafia who knew what the unpredictable Memini would do…especially when one factored in what had just happened.
Furthermore, he really didn’t appreciate how he was being treated! He didn’t care how powerful, wealthy or influential this Victor was! He just wanted him out of his hair!
Withdrawing his revolver from the pocket (thankful that there had been no weapons inspection at the gates) Adrasteia unclicked the safety and stated (rather coldly) “That’s enough. Do you really suppose you can command a former assassin so effortlessly? I didn’t manage to avoid capture for so long by following the scent of money.”
|
|
|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 19, 2012 21:07:27 GMT -8
Sabrina looked up at Memini, and, being unable to defend herself, she just laid on her side, looking extremely hurt. How could he say such a thing? How was that possibly her fault? She wasn’t any happier about being handcuffed and lying in a cell waiting for death! Sighing, she looked down and began counting the bricks that she could see. It was ten times better than looking at Memini, who was obviously giving her a cold shoulder.
Victor heard the gun behind him and turned calmly toward Adrasteia. “I know,” he said simply. “You aren’t a money-obsessed fool like that Smile fellow. I offered the money to get him on board, not you.” He turned and gave him a calculating look. “You’d be lying if you told me that you really enjoy being that brat’s servant.”
He shrugged and continued walking, drawing out a vial of Rouge. “But, even that is better than prison… and the other option, as well, considering the uncommonness of life-sentences anymore.” He downed the vial of the cherry potion and continued off. “Now, come, I want to see if you really have lost your killer instinct.”
They walked to the windowless building that Memini and Sabrina had been taken to not long ago. In front of the door, the young man returned from his errand, carrying two injections with him. Victor took these and promptly handed them to Adrasteia. “These are two shots of poison. They kill instantly, with almost no pain.”
He opened the door and led him inside. Though it was dim, he was able to spot the two young people with almost no effort. Sabrina looked up, hearing the doors open. She realized it was Victor when he said, “If you don’t kill them now…” She could almost hear the difference in his words, distorted by that horrible smirk. “…Well, then we’ll just torture them until their little hearts give out.”
Then Sabrina realized what was going on. Adrasteia was the only one next to him. Adrasteia was going to kill them! Her eyes widened, she started trying to scramble away from the door, letting out frantic hums to either get Memini’s attention or to plead with Adrasteia.
Victor watched, extremely interested. Of course that wasn’t poison in those injections! It was a drug that would simply make them appear dead. This was just to see how far this newcomer would go. After he gave the boy back to him, alive, he would send Adrasteia home, for he only wanted the man on his side, and not against him. He would only rely on his assassin’s skill if it was unavoidably necessary.
|
|
|
Post by Rad on Jan 22, 2012 21:42:14 GMT -8
The simple act of Victor removing that mere vial of Rouge from his pockets was as lethal as if he had flourished an end-of-the-world detonation button in front of Adrasteia’s face. Within moments the butler was unarmed, the revolver falling from shaking hands and clattering uselessly upon the concrete floor.
At the same time, with a series of ominous synchronized clicks, a number of rifles focused on the individual; effectively reinforcing the notion that he was now well and completely at the mercy of Victor. Snarling from a mixture of self-loathing and rage, Adrasteia could only oblige as the pointed tip of a bayonet prodded him in the direction Victor had gone.
Finally, as he was led towards the cage trapping Memini and Sabrina, his eyes widened in disbelief then hardened; conveying emotions of barely contained fury as those calm and composed words reached his ears:
“If you don’t kill them now…Well, then we’ll just torture them until their little hearts give out.”
Glancing at the two injections clenched in his hand, Adrasteia’s mind worked furiously for a means of escaping this mess…However, he had to admit…his former experience as an assassin dictated that to stay alive, one must abandon sentimentalities and as things stood, it was either all three fall victim or have himself remain alive…so that he could exact his terrible revenge later.
-
Meanwhile, Smile had, in his sneaky way, discovered an old phone-box seemingly unsupervised by Victor’s staff and with a smirk he happily advanced upon this, dialing in a familiar number after placing in a few coins.
“Hello?” A raspy voice he hadn’t heard for months.
“Oi, Donny. Can you answer a few questions for me?”
A pause, probably Donny drawing a breath on his cigarette or chugging a few gulps of alcohol before: “Sure thing. Same as always, right? I tell ya what I got in exchange for some clandestine information I can sell to ‘em coppers, eh?”
“Haha, sure Donny. Something like that.”
-
Memini watched; his eyes sparkling with defiance as Aidan advanced upon them both with what he could only presume were lethal shots designed to kill. This horrible man (Aidan was it?) had obviously done something to Adrasteia, attempted to take his place, and now, it appeared, had every intention of killing poor Memini too!
Well, Memini was having none of that! He was just too proud to accept such a fate. As the cage door swung open, his lips formed a grimed line, determination sparkling in his eyes. He was fully prepared to reverse the situation in his favor. Oh yes, the tables WOULD soon turn. He just knew it!
-
“What?!”
“Well, there was never any hard evidence but I can be pretty sure that-“
“So the brat’s the heir of a once notorious underground empire! Who would’ve thought!”
“Don’t get so ahead of yourself, informant #29. As I have specified, most of what I have disclosed is speculation only! The organization headed by Xx disappeared without a trace years ago…an occurrence which strangely coincides with the massacre of-“
There wasn’t even a moment’s warning before the phone was snatched from Smile’s grasp and returned to its place with a loud CLANG! It shocked the former mobster so much that he jumped back against the wall, his arms arranged in a defensive posture.
“Damn! My exclamation of surprise was rather pronounced, wasn’t it?” Smile smirked sheepishly as he turned to face the soldier frowning at him.
-
“Peh!” Memini uttered, spitting out the needle he had been holding in his mouth as his assailant crumbled onto the floor, “did you bastards really believe you could be rid of me with something like this?” Here, he gestured to the other injection with a nod of his head. Like the other one, it had fallen to the ground when he had head-butted Aidan in the stomach; an action which had surprised the man enough to make him drop those weapons. Fortunately enough, it had also provided Memini with enough time to grab one of them in his mouth and, almost literally, bite back (having thrust the tip of the pointy object deep into his attackers flesh with a jerk of his head).
“Well now, say something. Are you so surprised that the boy you wanted killed has killed instead? Really now, you shouldn’t underestimate me so!” An arrogant smirk, a tone of triumph and a sparkle of bloodlust (as he kicked the ‘lifeless’ form of Aidan)…the lad was beginning to look like his deceased brother.
|
|
|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 23, 2012 14:43:21 GMT -8
Sabrina watched the scene unfold in front of her with an expression of horror on her face. At the same time, however, Victor watched Memini, looking extremely impressed. One of his lackeys pointed a bayonet into the cage, preparing to shoot all of them. Victor quickly grabbed the barrel and pointed it back down at the floor. “Wait, let’s just see how this turns out,” he said calmly. “This boy might actually prove to be of use.”
Sabrina slowly crawled over to the limp form of Adrasteia, worried about what she might find. When she was close enough, she rested her head on his arm. Cold as ice, just like when her mother died. With enough shaking of her head and fighting, she got the gag out of her mouth. “Memini!” she shrieked. “There was no Adrasteia! They were the same person! And now you’ve killed him!”
Her eyes were filling with tears, but one couldn’t really tell in the dark room. Why was she so upset over Adrasteia’s death? With her parents preoccupied over their new baby, Adrasteia had begun to feel more and more like a big brother who was helping her through life. Now all she had left was Memini and Smile, who, to be honest, she would end up having to help them.
While she was preoccupied with this, another of Victor’s recruits had run in and was whispering something in his ear. Victor looked extremely interested, but then let out a sigh. “Go, I’ll come in a moment,” he said, waving all of his men out.
He grabbed a bayonet that was resting on the floor and threw open the door of the cell. Then, he ran in, keeping Memini back with the sword end of the gun. With his Rouge-given strength, he grabbed Adrasteia and Sabrina, dragging them both out of the cage. He then dropped them in a corner of the dark room.
“Give him this,” he commanded Sabrina without telling her the reason. He didn't think she would question him, even though he didn't tell her that the shot would revive him. Before unlocking the cuffs, he dropped the syringe in her lap. He then fixed one of the cuffs to a ring in the wall, so she couldn’t escape. Once she was secure, he ran out, after the rest of his regiment.
Sabrina frowned, looking down at the shot. Though Adrasteia was already dead (for she didn’t know that the ‘poison’ was simply a drug), she didn’t want to ruin him any further by giving him the mystery chemical in that vial. So she just sighed and placed the life-giving syringe on the floor next to her.
"What was that, back there?" Sabrina asked sharply, looking over at Memini. "It's like you weren't even yourself!" She waited for his response with an acidic expression, though it was mostly wasted in the darkness of the dungeon.
Meanwhile, Victor ran off to where Smile was, coming to see what the “situation” was that he’d heard about. He found his men surrounding Smile. “What seems to be the problem, Smile?" he asked calmly.
"We found him talking on that call-box," one of the goons said, poking Smile with the sword of the bayonet. "Talking to some informant from that mob group you took over."
"Oh?" Victor asked, looking shocked. "Smile, what did you so desperately want to know? What would be important enough for you to risk all that money and safety that I just offered you? Is that not enough for your?"
|
|
|
Post by Rad on Jan 23, 2012 20:30:54 GMT -8
“Same person? Don’t be ridiculous!” Memini practically spat, rather upset by what he deemed to be his friend’s illogical actions. “That man just tried to kill us! Adrasteia would never have even considered such an option! Think for a moment will ya?”
However, fortunately for Sabrina, before the lad could berate her more for such ‘foolishness’ Victor had entered their cage with something else to be mindful of and instantly Memini’s attention was drawn to this new threat. Backing up against a far wall of the cage he hissed at Victor, giving the impression of some sort of serpent as he straightened his back in a futile attempt to increase his height.
Sadly, unarmed and childlike in appearance as he was, there was simply nothing Memini could do to prevent Sabrina and that other man from being dragged outside that barred shelter…Well, hey, at least there were some metal rods separating him from those uniformed savages!
Nonetheless, a metal enclosure simply wasn’t enough to fend off Sabrina’s words and as one would expect, the young man could hear each syllable quite clearly.
“Oi! It wasn’t my fault!” Memini retorted, equally incised by the way Sabrina was constantly blaming him (or so he thought), “It was either my life or his! I would have done the same if it was you I was up against!” A shameful choice of words; fueled partially by wrath and partially by the need to hurt someone in order to create the illusion that he was still in control of the situation, “It’s survival of the fittest! If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from this is that I need to look out for me!”
-
“First, you tell me where my gall is!” Smile rejoined, audaciously ignoring the question that had been posed, “Also also! My dagger! You must have it now that you’ve inherited this organization…You WILL tell where you have hidden my two precious…treasures.” He had been on the verge of saying ‘things’ but Sabrina wasn’t a thing, was she?
|
|
|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 23, 2012 21:00:10 GMT -8
For a moment, Sabrina didn’t even comprehend what Memini had said until a moment or two after he’d said it. “You selfish, egotistic, naïve boy!” she said furiously. “How could you be so self-centered? And even worse than just thinking that to yourself, you think it’s really a good idea to tell me that?” At that point, she was crying freely.
How could he be so cruel? She was already chained up, still expecting to die after losing Adrasteia to Memini’s own selfish actions. She didn’t need to hear that from her best friend. After that, she said nothing to Memini, too afraid that she would burst out sobbing if she tried.
Victor was clueless to both of Smile’s requests. A dagger and a girl? He looked to one of his men, who had come from the Mafia family he’d recently acquired. “He means this.” He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it, handle end, to Victor. “That, and the girl you have chained up in the cage.” Victor nodded, slightly impressed that the two children had both managed to find purposes for him.
“That can be arranged,” he said. “If I give you that girl back, will you agree to start following my orders loyally?” He held out the dagger as if it was a sort of symbolic, unwritten contract. Once he’d taken it, Victor nodded for him to follow and lead him down to the dungeon building, which was on the other end of the compound.
Before he opened the door, though, he looked to the man behind him. He’d heard a bit of the relationship between Smile and Sabrina. “You know Sabrina better than I do, but she doesn’t seem to me like the kind of person to be held down anywhere. I can’t guarantee that she will stay with you if you set her free,” he said seriously.
“If you let her have a choice and she runs, it’s not my fault. ‘Course, I have nothing against it if you wish to keep her here against her will. Not saying she’ll be happy with it, though. But that’s entirely up to you.” Something about these two men made Victor crave his specialty mind-games. First with Adrasteia ‘killing’ those two kids, and now forcing Smile to choose between force and free-will.
With that, Victor opened the thick wooden door and guided Smile inside. He held out the key, this time forcing the grin off his face. “If you keep her here, she has no choice to refuse you…” he reminded him.
|
|
|
Post by Rad on Jan 24, 2012 19:41:11 GMT -8
“Oh, a game of coercion is it? I think the correct term you’re looking for here is rape.” Smile chuckled gleefully, very much entertained by his own joke until the doors swung. As this gave a clear view of the handcuffed Sabrina that smile of amusement was effectively cleaned from the man’s face. Soon, his features morphed instead into one of disbelief, swiftly changing into mortification as he realized the misunderstanding he had probably carried across.
Rushing to Sabrina’s side he hastened to explain himself, saying things like, “Please, I didn’t mean that! It was a joke! This wasn’t my intention…I have no idea why you are being confined like this… Victor! What is the meaning of this?”
It was also at this moment that the mischievous Memini, still irked by Sabrina’s preceding treatment of him, smirked cruelly and loudly jeered, “Hear that, Sabrina? Ya gonna get raped!”
|
|
|
Post by Wolfy on Jan 24, 2012 20:40:46 GMT -8
Sabrina jumped a bit in surprise when the doors swung open. Seeing Smile with Victor, she assumed that Smile had somehow managed to convince Victor to release them. Then she heard what Smile was saying and laughing about. A panic shot through her, and she looked positively terrified. “No, you wouldn’t!” she said, backing away as far as she could.
Memini’s comment did nothing to calm her nerves. After all that had happened in that short time, with this new situation to deal with, she began bawling into her hands. This couldn’t possibly be happening to her! This had to be a horrible nightmare that she would awake from any second.
“I’m sorry,” said Victor, not really sounding sorry for the poor girl. “It’s not up to me – what is done with you rests in Smile’s hands.” He glanced down to see the unused injection resting on the floor. “Stupid girl,” he snapped at her as he bent down to retrieve the shot. “I told you to give this to him!” He rolled his eyes and went to the limp form of Adrasteia.
Meanwhile, Sabrina glanced up at Smile. “Leave me alone,” she whispered, almost producing no sound whatsoever. Even though he might not have been able to hear, the meaning of the phrase would be pretty obvious.
Victor unsympathetically stuck Adrastiea in the arm with the shot and gave him what was in the vial. He was sure the antidote would bring him about soon. “Get up, buddy,” he said, nudging him with his boot. “You aren’t dead.”
Because she was so upset by this horrible ordeal, Sabrina didn’t even realize that Adrasteia was still alive. She simply saw Victor with Adrasteia’s ‘dead’ body. “Stop,” she said, recovering a bit of her composure. She reached over and grabbed his cold (but slightly warmer now) hand and pulling him an inch or two closer. “Get out of here, both of you!”
“Oh, protecting your friend?” Victor said in a tone of mock admiration. “Your valiance is truly inspiring, my dear.” He laughed and glanced at Smile.
|
|