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Everything you see here is the product 10+ year story set in a Modern & Sci-Fi, High Fantasy setting between @Twilight Genesis and I.
Leona seemed to giggle and she shook her head, "Yep, born and raised in Cali my whole life, least you can sleep through the smaller ones. So that's a plus!"She would laugh and looked away from the person sized hole in the wall... Yep... He would be out for a while, that was for sure. She chuckled and rolled her eyes as he tried to get out of her request, but she figured he's come around eventually.
"Well I hope I get to see you after your shift then~ Maybe a different bar?"She laughed and headed inside already getting well acquainted with the neon lights and the shitty yet loud music. Women slithering on poles, drinks served and the words from slurred men, and a few eager women with predatory glints in their eyes. Then again they were all the same to Leona, a bunch of lonely fucks looking to kick back with a pretty girl for a pretty penny. Of course she had work to do and she went at it, buying drinks, using some of said drinks to get information to slip from the lips of those too intoxicated to comprehend what they had just said, they would be plastered by morning, and she knew damn well they were a shot away from being kicked out, she had to take what she could get.
She would leave drinks around, drinking what she could handle and doing her best to not fall under intoxication herself, and a few trips to the bathroom too. That stuff always ran straight through the system. Damn.
She couldn't help but think of the boy in the red letterman outside the club, her eyes were focused on a dancer who smiled back at her as she worked the pole, her body looked like it was practically floating on air as she spun slowly, putting on an especially good show.
Leona knew better, she saw the dread in the eyes of the woman before her and threw a few ones her way, it was something. She knew how these places worked, at least the more sinister ones. The less money a gal made, the more she would likely suffer horrible fate, she couldn't do much for them now, but she would try her best. And as her thoughts continued to drift she thought about that night, a drink in hand. She would definitely need a few more before the night was over.
All those years ago. . .
I wouldn't blame him if he hated me, I still hate my self.
κ±α΄α΄ α΄Ι΄ Κα΄α΄Κκ± α΄Ι’α΄. . .
It was the perfect date, she knew Ace had been saving up money for weeks from odd jobs here and there to take her on this date, her secret? She was saving money too. Stealing cash from her parents week by week just so they could have more fun. She was wearing that same matching bracelet, Iris was such a sweetheart, getting them for her, Ace, Senna, and herself... It was a memento she would cherish for eternity.
Their night was spent with laughter and joy, but Kaia knew it wouldn't last long. Ace would never know it, but she was going to leave it all behind. She was going to save her family... and then?
She would find him, she would find them and live their happily ever after. Forever, her, him, Iris, and Senna. They were going to live their lives and make it out of this hell hole together, fuck the big man, fuck the people that forced these kids into playing the shitty cards they were forcibly dealt in this life. Fuck them all.
She was going to enjoy this day, the endless rollercoasters and bumper cars, the corn dogs, funnel cakes, and cookie buckets with ungodly mixes of soda all in one cup... It was perfect. Kaia could have not asked for a better day, she even bought him a new cellphone and had given it to him at the beginning of their date. So that he could at the least take pictures. Said pictures were blurry and grainy in the present day, but they were perfect for them. Then a new metal baseball bat, she knew he rarely played the sport, but it was something he loved to have on him, and the old carved wooden one wasn't the best anymore... so she had gotten him a new one and this...? This was the life...
And then he asked her that question... "Will you be mine?" Oh how her heart sunk, oh how she wanted to tell him everything, but she couldn't. For his sake, she knew damn well this boy had not a single bit of self preservation in his body, he would go in there bat swinging and Kaia knew she couldn't risk him getting hurt or worse, not for what she had planned anyway.
It was far too dangerous...
"Ace... I... I love you. I love you so damn much, but I... I can't say yes... Not now. I have something big I have to do tonight, and I'll have to run... but I'll come back to you and I'll say yes. I promise."
It was the best response she could give. She absolutely loved him, he was her confidante, her companion, her best friend, and the one person she would always want to come back to... but... not now... not until her siblings were saved. Not until the people that called themselves her parents were turned to smoke and ashes. This had to end, she was almost an adult, and soon she would be shipped off to gods know where, so this was it. She knew her parents would be wasted by the time she was home. The drugs were in place, and she had been plotting this for so long.
She was walking after him when they got off, crying and telling him to come back. Even as his gift hit her chest and she caught it, she cried out to him. "Ace please! You have to understand! I'll come back to you! Please! I'm sorry... I just... I have to do this, if I lose my chance I'll... Ace? ACE!" She wailed out through tears as she gripped the box in her hands and watched him leave.
She cried for hours until it was finally time.
Ovens were set, she had made the improvised bombs and set them in place... the lock finally broken on the cellar door. And then? The match was lit and dropped, Kaia ushered her family into the woods. Backpacks full of any and all goods they could find. Before long the entire neighborhood had been set ablaze, explosions left and right, it was crazy what some over heated electrical parts and a running gas oven could cause... Not to mention the other nefarious things Kaia had planted house to house that would set things off in a blaze of glory. She was the one that had been groomed the longest, the one who was most trusted, and she waited... she waited and waited all for the right moment. The girl had led the charge as she ordered her younger brothers and sisters to run and not stop running, she knew that it was possible for some of those vile people to still survive even after everything, so she had them run, and they ran even when muscles ripped and bones popped.
They ran despite the rambles and thorns of spiky plants and vines flayed their flesh and exposed wounds to the chilling night air, but they couldn't stop. Getting caught was certain death. And Kaia had risked far too much to let it go to shit now. It was morning by the time the small group had found their way to the next small town. Many of them parted after that, Kaia buying them bus tickets on the roads to no where, stealing bikes, and the like to get her and the kids farther and farther. Days would pass as the news of the wildfire spread. Of course a lot of it was covered up, all pointed to some arsonist that had already been in jail for a prior offense, even if it didn't make sense they still pinned it on him and he was sent off gods know where.
After many had parted ways some found their place in the system or an orphanage, some continued to roam the streets, and Kaia... Kaia just found a place, bought a tent, some blankets, stole some clothes, and just found a place in the woods to just rest. She wasn't scared of what lurked in the dark at this point. Nothing scared her anymore.
She eventually went back, trying to find the small camp that Iris and Ace had stayed in. They were homeless... but happy, but she could no longer find them... Even the van that she and Ace had shared their first night of love and passion in... it was gone. Likely moved or scrapped.
Her anguish hadn't quelled since. Oh she missed him, she missed him so much, and she counted day by day for when she would find him again. With him and his sisters gone she had nothing left for her in this wretched place, and so she left, she did a few odd jobs, some hitch hiking, and a bunch of long winded treks, and eventually she bought a bus ticket and she was off. Off to explore what the world had left for her, off to take down any more who inflicted fate as cruel as what she had suffered through. Never again... Never. Again.
Leona smiled as she stepped out, her work was well past done, but she stayed... she was a night owl anyway, so she'd be just fine... a few more drinks definitely wouldn't hurt. Leona did all she had to do, got leads, tapped cellphones, tapped outlets, light fixtures... ok the bathroom light fixtures... Hell, she even snuck into the VIP section for a few taps and came out successful, it was easy to blend in...
"Hm~? Oh hey Ace~! Decided to stick around for that free drink after all~? I'm flattered." She giggled and let out a please purring type sound. Leona was a bit cautious given her line of work, but she knew how to get out of sticky situations too. She ordered a couple of drinks to start with, a nice frozen Margarita, a slushy if you will, flavored with blue stuff and limes. Huh. Fancy. Well... Not that fancy. Just shit in a blender. But good stuff none the less.
She giggled innocently at his questions, he was interrogating her now? She found that adorable. "Huh? Well... I mean girl supporting girls you know? I like throwing ones as much as the next person... but it's more or less the atmosphere in a weird way. I'm used to more high end things you could say, but sometimes you just gotta craving for a shitty club with shitty music and cheap shots of bourbon and what not. It's like... growing up and going to like... a really really mediocre chinese buffet, It's not the best, not the worst, and the food is edible... it's kinda nostalgic you know?" She asked and sipped her slushy.
It was something her, Ace, Iris, and Senna used to do... it was once every few months... Senna would get a bonus from work and she would take them to this half decent buffet that honestly should have been closed down due to the food regulation laws they were breaking, but the food... it was... bad.
Like. Really. Really bad. Everything was overcooked, the rice was over cooked, chicken over cooked, shrimp over cooked, salads? Over cooked. How the fuck does one over cook a salad? But it was still a treat they all enjoyed, some ok noodles, bread rolls that Kaia remembered shoving in her purse when no one was looking, all the soda and tea they could drink. So much fucking soft serve, and not to mention Ace's stink face when Iris tried to force him to eat some vegetables. Now that was pure comedy.
Her final statement was honest. Sure this was a job for her, but part of her truly felt that there was just something that drew her in even if it sucked. She'd never know what either, and that's what made her perfect for the job even if she looked a little out of place here and there.
"I dunno how to really put it, but sometimes it just... feels good. And strangely enough? I feel that way at the same shitty clubs too."
I bleed, heaven knows
Or maybe I'll die 'cause I overdosed on you
On you
The clinking of their glasses had signaled the beginning of another passing acquaintanceship. Ace didn't think much of her at first, finding Leona as another pretty face that looked similar to her. However, he wasn't going to deny himself a drink after a long night. He worked too long for bosses he cared too little about to be concerned over his own health and wellbeing. If he had another excuse to drink or get high, he was going to make the most of it. He took a drink of his glass, listening carefully to the responses for each of his questions.
"Huh? Well... I mean girl supporting girls you know? I like throwing ones as much as the next person... but it's more or less the atmosphere in a weird way. I'm used to more high end things you could say, but sometimes you just gotta craving for a shitty club with shitty music and cheap shots of bourbon and what not. It's like... growing up and going to like... a really really mediocre chinese buffet, It's not the best, not the worst, and the food is edible... it's kinda nostalgic you know?"
'So she came here because the shittyness made her nostalgic?' Ace's lips contorted upward as he found the thought quaint. To see someone as pretty and influential as her seek the same proclivities had brought the gang member's tension to ease. He felt the same way about the places he grew to frequent often, finding fondness in the mundanity of what he's grown up to expect. His hometown was never known for its good food or above average recreational facilities.
Everything he was raised up with was subpar at best and pleasantly terrible at worst. The best places to eat back home were known to serve the best trash. Their steaks were drier than the Sahara if they weren't raw in the first place, their fries were more salt than potato, and their burgers would have more than one pickle only if you were lucky. The bars around his old home were just as bad as the fast food. The syrups of their different drinks were never consistent, making it a gamble whenever one ordered to see if their drink tasted the same; The ice on the other hand had made their drinks taste like cold pond water; And the people who visited the bars were void of all life. On their best days, those same people looked like threes. His hometown was by all means, ordinary.
"I dunno how to really put it, but sometimes it just... feels good. And strangely enough? I feel that way at the same shitty clubs too." For a moment, he offered his drinking partner a glimpse at his genuine smile before masking it with another sip of his drink. She appeared to speak the truth, voicing her answers as comfortably as she breathed. It made Ace realize that it was likely the two of them came from similar circumstances and held a shared past: Raised in a mediocre town before moving out to become something greater than what was expected with someone of their origins.
Being with someone that understood that side had made him...
...Nostalgic.
However, that understanding did little to take away from his curiosities over Leona being casual about a strip club that held public notoriety. "I get it. Shitty food and drinks could bring you back... But why there? Why that club specifically? If you're so used to the atmosphere of high class living, why subject yourself to a place where people like you are known to disappear. It just doesn't make sense to me." Ace didn't hide his thoughts from her, displaying his true suspicions.
"Something's not adding up here. You're way too kind for someone who'd actively choose to be in a place like that... Too smart to be that stupid too... And you're not scared of me, even after watching me send that dumbass through the wall." The other members of his cohort had turned their attention to their table, antsy at Ace's reaction to her words.
"I'm not going to judge you if you were there for the women. Its not like its the first time I've seen a pretty girl come there for a good time. But feigning ignorance about everything else isn't going to cut it for me." Ace leaned over the table, whispering to Leona to avoid riling up his own people any more than he did already. "Either you're a narc or you're lying to me. I can't imagine someone like you finding a place like that as nostalgic. Not the good kind of nostalgic, that is." His voice had grown blisteringly cold in an instant, before returning back to normal. "But... I could guess you had your reasons either way and its not like I care what happens to the owner of that club."
Ace took another long drink, emptying his glass. "Fucker was an asshole anyways. Greedy son of a bitch that bit more a little more than what he can chew. Took one of my girls while she was out scouting the locals." He gripped his bottle's neck tightly as he poured more into his cup. "I'm not leaving until I get her back." The trauma of his past had still haunted him, holding on to his soul without ever letting go. Ever since the day he left Kaia behind, he had regretted it ever since. He still remembered his reaction to seeing her house of fire on the news for the first time. He wondered whether things would have ended differently if he simply chose to stay and keep her there. Would she have been still alive? His eyes had faded as he revisited his past. 'I'd rather her hate me than be dead.'
Guilt possessed his mind, uncaring of their time spent apart.
.... He wasn't going to leave another behind. Ever.
"Do yourself a favor, Leona. Once you finish your drink. Leave." Her drinking partner pointed his hand towards the door. "Leave and never come back, you'd live longer that way." Ace's tone had become serious. He didn't believe his job was finished until he saw the corpse of the man who took his family away. "There's nothing but regret waiting for you here... And I don't want you getting hurt in the fallout." As he lifted his eyes, he noticed that Leona's eyes had the same shade of color as the girl who left him too soon. Her eyes saw him the same way too, looking at him with empathy, taunting him within his memory.
Ace might not have been enough then to save the only woman he wished to call his own; But he was more than enough now to make the people that reminded him of those that took her away suffer for it. Those that kidnapped people against their will to subject them to their disturbed fantasies were less than human; They were scum. They were demons that wore human flesh. Living nightmares that needed to be excised from this plane of reality. It didn't matter what good they did on the surface, once Ace had seen them treat another person like they were an object, he grew angry with righteous fury. Abuse was a sin that can only be forgiven through a fate worse than death. Ace was a monster to the monsters; He was a demon to all else that weren't his family.
He turned back to Leona, tilting his head to gesture her attention to the girls nearby. "You see all these people here?" The more she looked at them, the more she realized that they all bore scars of their physical abuse. "They're all reasons why I asked you to leave earlier. I don't want you to end up like one of them. Not with your face that looks as good as yours." Ace gritted his teeth, finding similarities in Leona's face with his past love. Talking with her had felt as though he was speaking with Kaia himself. The mere thought of them sharing a moment like this had made his heart ache in his chest.
"You reminded me of an old friend. Someone dear to me that I lost to those people that run that shitty strip club you call nostalgic. Be smart and don't end up like her. I don't think I could forgive myself if you end up being used against me... I won't hold myself back from doing what I have to either."
Ace revealed the grip of a pistol on his jacket, showing her just how committed he was to bringing that nightclub to ruin. "So are you gonna leave? Or are you gonna be a problem that I'd have to deal with too. Come on, Leona. Don't be so hard on this." He drew his weapon out, pulling the slide to clear the ejection port for stray rounds. The others at the bar appeared unphased by the sudden pull of his gun. It was a common sight for their leader to use it as a way to sober his drinking partners up to the nature of his violent convictions.
"Hey~ You have your tastes, I have mine. Try it sometime~"
"Cheers~β‘"
Leona wasted no time drinking down her margarita, the cool flavors had both refreshed her and warmed her up if such a thing made sense.
Like him she didn't really care about it being 'too early' to drink. A cocktail was a cocktail and happy hour brunch time mimosas were a thing for a reason. A good reason.
Leona went on about the joys of mediocre entertainment and recreation, shitty movies with weird uncanny special effects, a half melted milk shake from a diner that likely breaks every food safety law in the country, or maybe a music festival with indie bands that really should leave music to people that didn't sound like a racoon screeching into a metal trash bin.
Leona was proving to already be a bit too eccentric compared to the girls he would normally talk to and meet with. And she definitely had loads more to show for it.
When he questioned her further she just chuckled, "Doll, let's get one thing straight. A girl could be in a high end shopping mall, a grocery store, home, or even a damn Church, and still disappear into thin air just because a man feels entitled to her existence. I understand some places are more dangerous than others, but over the years it's all been the same to me, besides. Most men in sleazy strip clubs go for pretty girls, but most men also go for girls that are especially vulnerable or just not on guard."Leona shrugged and sighed as she leaned back and finished off her drink, ordering another right away.
"Hmph... If a little violence is supposed to send me running home with my tail between my legs that's where you're wrong. You can never afford to be afraid of places like this anymore. I've all around the good and bad of Roselake, it's my home. I'll be damned if some fucker with a hard on for underage girls and dirty money stops me."Leona scoffed and shook her head, she was a brave one, or stupid depending on how one looked at it, but she also had the skills to back it up.
She let him go on with his tragic speech of sorts, raising an eyebrow and just letting out another scoff once again. Sure enough she finished her drink and placed her hands in her lap. "I mean I would be lying if I said wasn't expecting this, I'm no narc though. Just someone with scores to settle. Just like you."She sighed and shook her head. The jig was up, and she knew she was leaving this place in once of two ways, it was likely that the people in this place were with him too, and of course were probably packing just as much heat.
But Leona wasn't just a pretty face.
Ace heard the familiar clicks of metal popping into place. Her hands that were under the table...
Leona was also packing heat, and she had her gun aimed under the table and towards his crotch. Safe to say she rolled high on her sleight of hand checks. "One thing you should know, babe. When I go down, I have a habit of taking things with me." She laughed and leaned back. Her guard was always up, even if he looked just like him. "If anything I'd rather help you. You hate sleazy dirt bags, I hate sleazy dirt bags, you have a gun, I have a better gun."
"We can not hold back together."She smirked, her free hand holding the gun, her finger just barely on the trigger as her other hand slowly rose up to show it was empty then took a nice long drink of her cocktail before letting out an overly exaggerated yet satisfied sigh in refreshment of her drink. "So what'll it be, Alex?"
She didn't even realize the name that left quietly from her lips. It felt so natural to call him by such.
Leona flashed another grin, something about it just looked so familiar as she gave him a wink, all she wanted was to help, whether he liked it or not she was on his side, and perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to reveal her intentions early. Perhaps he... No... There was no way it was him. It couldn't be.
But a part of her for just a moment, wanted to believe it was her Ace all over again. It had been so long, gods.... She missed him so much, even if this boy was nothing more than an uncanny lookalike. At least it gave her a bit of comfort, of course such recklessness could also be her downfall, but she was ready to shoot if things got too heated. It was all a part of her training.
"One thing you should know, babe. When I go down, I have a habit of taking things with me."
"If anything I'd rather help you. You hate sleazy dirt bags, I hate sleazy dirt bags, you have a gun, I have a better gun."
Hearing the familiar sounds of her gun's slide had immediately brought upon a different side of Ace. It was a trick he had often used against others, though to have it used against himself was a first. "Help me? This your way of saying you're on my side, Leona? Pointing a fucking gun at my cock after offering to buy me drinks?" His hands were on the table, moving slowly as he put his weapon down. Despite his desire to maintain himself as the one in control of the situation, he didn't want to come out of it lacking his favorite limb. "And here, I thought you were having a good time. Didn't think you would be the type to move so quickly in a place where you're this outgunned."
Ace smirked, pulling down his mask to reveal his lips without the need of a drink for an excuse. "Well, I'll give it to you. You have some fucking guts for a pretty face. Narcs don't typically come to me with a death wish. Nor do they usually make it this close to me without eating lead or steel first." He clapped his hands, watching as their power dynamic shifted from him being in control to neutral ground. "I'd ask you what you're really seeking to gain out of this but I doubt you're in a talking mood if you're that keen in blowing the fun parts of me off." He chuckled, already used to staring danger in the face. His life was second priority when it came to taking care of his family. The gang and his loved ones were all he had left to value. He never put thought into his own future.
"We can not hold back together." He could hear the quiet squeeze of the trigger, showing her lack of hesitation to fire a round at him. Oddly enough, it was comforting to see her take him so seriously. If she was willing to throw down her life here, it meant that she would be trustworthy when rounds started flying. Anything to help him and his crew out, he would bring into his employ, even if it was a stranger's help. However, before she was able to muster up a response, he heard something that caught him off guard. The gang leader's personality had cracked for a moment when hearing his real name. "So what'll it be, Alex?"
"Alex? Who the fuck are you?"
"How the fuck do you know that name?" Ι΄α΄α΄‘ α΄Κα΄ΚΙͺΙ΄Ι’: α΄ Ιͺκ±α΄α΄α΄α΄α΄Κ | 1Ι΄α΄Ι΄ΚΚ (κ°α΄. κ±Κα΄α΄ Κ α΄α΄α΄Ι΄ & α΄α΄Ι΄Κα΄ κ±ΚΙͺΙͺ) β»β || β·βΊ
If I disappear from this world, would you think about me? And I know that it's selfish, but it's so funny That you never get the hints that I'll leave when I'm gone What's the cost, am I helpless? And you've always said I was the one for you When my time comes, know I did it all for you
The rapport that Leona built up with Ace had suddenly disappeared. His trust had shifted towards suspicion. The only ones who knew him by that name were his nuclear family... And Kaia. Ever since he found out about her truth, he vowed never to return to that helpless boy in love again. He was too weak then to convince her to take him with her. Perhaps if he were the Ace he was now, instead of making plans to shoot up strip clubs, he would be thinking of marriage. However, there was little point in thinking of a future that wasn't his. He wasn't that same Alex anymore and the girl in front of him wasn't Kaia. Just a pretty girl with the same colored hair. They weren't on some casual date in some middle-range fast food parlor either. They were brandishing guns, threatening each other over drinks. Who he had become was multitudes different from the younger self he left behind in South Carolina.
The nickname she gave him during that time had been adopted into his main name as his reminder of what he should've been. Instead of running away after being rejected, he should have stayed. The gang that followed him to hell and back had only learned of the nickname he called himself, choosing to reinforce his decision by calling him after his chosen name. Other than his tattoo and jacket, it was the use of this name that kept Kaia in orbit of his mind; Her influence still lingering despite all of the time that passed since he left her on that pier.
Though now, with old, painful memories resurfacing after years spent dormant, his eyes had revealed the vulnerability hidden behind the mask. To Kaia, Ace was still that very same Alex she rejected. Other than the scars and tattoos that decorated his imperfect body, the changes in his height and hair, and the difference in fashion, he was still the same internally. His transformation had rendered his shyness and anxiety away, leaving nothing but his purest self in its wake. Her gifted jacket had chained him to her memory, showing how much he hadn't moved on. With his mind still set on her, he turned back to his barrage of questions.
"Who told you what my name was?"
Ace leaned towards her, uncaring about the barrel pointed at his cock. If someone knew him too much, information about that source took precedence over his own safety. "I know the friends of my family well and none of them are the type to end up in a place like that club." He inspected her closer, searching for any identifying marks that could clue him in as to who she truly was. Her skin looked amazing, though where her clothes didn't mask, he couldn't find any tattoos or scars that could reveal who she was. Either she was talented with makeup and perfect with her skin care routine or she was purer than he thought. However, her words had revealed the latter not to be true. She must have been hiding her identity.
"None of them live around here either. Not even the cops in Rose Lake know I fucking exist... But you?" He grabbed her by her collar, causing his other gang members to stare with curiosity. To see Ace acting up this much over a pretty woman was not something that happened often, if it ever did. "Here you are, talking to someone like me... Like... Like you know me and hell... Getting it right too. The agents the government sends usually have a stick up their ass, treating us like we're below them. Yet you're acting like you've known this life all along. You're too used to it here to be one of them."
Ace sighed, letting her go to relax in the cushions in front of her. Despite how it looked, she wasn't their enemy. She didn't pull out the cuffs immediately nor did she start firing the moment she had a chance to shoot him. Their goals must have been aligned somehow. Otherwise, the person she was portraying herself as didn't make sense. "Ugh... God, you give me a fucking headache trying to figure you out. Alright, look. If you wanna help out, we're planning on making a move tonight." He stood himself up, pulling out a drawn picture of the building made using pictures of the insides. "Don't think I trust you just because I let you know. But... I won't deny your help help. Anything that could prevent someone from getting hurt and give us an upper edge on those fucks, I'll do it."
He pointed out certain entrances, grabbing a marker to show where he recalled the guards patrolling. "If we hit here, we'll take out most of the security fast. Only ones we'll have to worry about on this floor are the ones in the break room and in the VIP suite. The ones in the back don't care much for their job so I won't be surprised if they run." He lifted the blueprints to show another map of the floor above. "Asshole has his own penthouse suite for his favorite "playmates." I intend on sending some of my best to handle taking him and his bodyguard out. While they're up there raising hell, I'm gonna head down to the basement level."
Pulling the next map away, he revealed the final layer of the club. This one held shipping crates that were used as cages. Images of torn clothes and blood stains splattered the floor, revealing the inhumane aspect of human trafficking Ace had gotten too familiar with. "I think they're keeping the girls down here." His hand balled into a fist, seeing the pictures. "The others are going to guard the outsides to make sure no one escapes that prison. No one is coming in or out without going through us first." His fist shook in anger. Whenever a scene reminded him of what Kaia might have gone through, he became furious. Even if he wasn't a good person, he wanted to be better than them. He wanted to be the one to deliver their end. "I don't care who you are, Leona. Or... Whatever your true name is. I'll be up front."
Leona herself laughed and tilted her head."Like I said, a gal has to be ready to fight out here. I suppose I should say sorry for jumping the gun, but you can't just pull a gun out in front of a lady, and not expect her to get a little spooked."
She seemed fairly relaxed, but she was honestly anything but.
But even she looked surprised as his name left her mouth. "Quite honestly... I didn't... but... now that I know...ah. Well, I'll-"
She was cut not once, but several times during her attempts at explaining things to him, so she sat there with lips pursed together, the gun tight in her hand.
She hadn't meant to say his name, it just came out like it was the most natural thing to her. She didn't have any explanation, but it just felt right even if it wasn't.
She listened to his words and closed her eyes briefly then they opened once more. She holstered her firearm and ran her hands through her hair pulling back bangs.
Something about her face looked off, she didn't have any scars though, and her make up was perfect. She looked like your average white American... and then it was made clear.
Her eye that was visible since they had met was still a crystal clear blue, like ocean waves. And then looking at the other eye it was finally visible.
One blue. One green. Just like Kaia... his beloved Kaia. It was a mirror of her, they were even placed the same as he last remembered. Oh imagine that... Was she his Kaia? But Kaia was dead, right...?
Right now she needed to focus on the task at hand, and Ace was practically handing her all the information she needed. This was perfect. This was exactly who and what she had been looking for, before she encountered the strange man. "Perfect, I got a score to settle with that sleazy fuck myself, I'm with you. I'm familiar with the line of work, any of his 'playthings' will either be too scared, desensitized, or manic to act accordingly. I recommend you bring in anyone with medical training, or a few first aid kits. All else fails I can handle going down there with you, I've... been around the rings before, I know the ins and outs, at least for the Americans. I've learned over the years of different methods that other sex rings from other countries will pull, other routines, and stuff like that. Not all of them work the same obviously, but each place has their own telltale signs."Leona explained and took a long gulp of her drink.
"If I can help bring down those pricks and save whatever girls that were ripped from their friends and families? I can live and die happily. You can rely on me Ace, and I'll prove that to you as we work together this day, and who knows... maybe the next."Leona sounded as serious as one could, and she leaned forward, grabbing his hand and locking their fingers together. An intimate gesture. She squeezed his hand three times gently and let out a heavy sigh.
Her heart was pounding a mile a minute in her chest. She had seen him before, the way he responded and confirmed his name, he was just as hot headed and stubborn as ever, that damn baseball bat too. She was sure of it. This was her Alex. Her Ace. Her first and last love. Leona knew she didn't have the right to face him right now, at least not yet. She would reveal herself once they completed this mission.
She had to know that it was him, she just had to.
And if the gods above or below were giving her a second chance, a second chance to be with the one she loved again, a second chance with the one who gave her a reason to keep living, to keep fighting for those that could not.
Then she would hold onto it in a heartbeat and never let go.
The mission always came first, but damn if she didn't want to shed the mask and pull him into her arms, to kiss him once more, to love him like she did seven years ago.
They would make a great team, they always had. Getting up to no good as kids, stealing food and water for their own families, beating bullies to protect the weak. All of the shenanigans they got up to as kids, never one without the other. That's what life like was for them, for Iris, for Senna, for the lot of them.
Every loaf of bread stolen, every jacket 'borrowed' from a bully that picked on them, every piece of fruit grabbed from the yard of some unsuspecting household, it was all done with the lot of them together. Every shitty buffet Senna took them to, every friendship bracelet woven and made from whittled wooden pieces, every ice cream date built up from spare change scrounged up from dumpsters and car parks.
It all mattered to her. Every single moment of love they had together mattered, and she never moved on from those times. Despite the fact that she had a roof on her head, true safety, clothes that weren't holding on by shoddy stitching, a fridge full of food that was still in date that she could eat whenever she wanted without asking, healthcare that ensured she would be ok, even money to spend on what ever she wanted, and yet she would trade it all to be with Ace again.
Those days of struggle and hardship... Those were her simpler times. Leona in that moment fought to hold back her tears. It took everything in her to do so, and with a smile on her face and a heavy sigh, she spoke again.
"If we're at an understanding... let's try this again... without pulling guns on the table, 'Kay?" She giggled and playfully stuck out her tongue.
Can't settle in, dust all around now
Suffocating me, can't escape this ground, yeah
Feels like the dust is part of me, yeah
Burning in the sun, will I disappear? Am I free?
Heterochromia. A blue eye matched with a green one specifically. Combined with her blonde hair, Ace had realized just who he sat in front of. Everything had begun to make sense again. The mystery of who his overly-familiar blonde truly was had been unraveled. The woman who sat in front of him wasn't Leona; It was Kaia. His eyes quickly explored her body, examining all the changes that occurred since. He doubted he was the only one who changed between the two of them. New tattoos embedded themselves in his body, masking the scars that made up nearly a decade of being in this line of work. His sense of fashion had changed too, though despite how much his tastes may have differed from his past self, he couldn't seem to let go of his favorite jacket or the accessories that made themselves home on his wrist and fingers.
Still, there was something off that he couldn't get away from his mind. 'Why was she here? How did she end up states away from home? How did she survive? What was she doing that ended up with them meeting each other again in a place like this one?' Where one question ended, several others had popped up in its place. Regardless, as much as he wanted to barrage her with questions, he had a job he needed to accomplish. While interrogating her had become a priority, it didn't take away from the fact that one of his own people was on the line. There was still an important task at hand, one that required his focus and her cooperation. Shifting his eyes away, he rolled up the blueprints before sitting back down to give her a chance to speak.
"Perfect, I got a score to settle with that sleazy fuck myself, I'm with you. I'm familiar with the line of work, any of his 'playthings' will either be too scared, desensitized, or manic to act accordingly. I recommend you bring in anyone with medical training, or a few first aid kits. All else fails I can handle going down there with you, I've... been around the rings before, I know the ins and outs, at least for the Americans. I've learned over the years of different methods that other sex rings from other countries will pull, other routines, and stuff like that. Not all of them work the same obviously, but each place has their own telltale signs."
'She's been to places like these before.'
'The way she's explaining this is too systematic to be new.'
As Leona spoke, Ace was thinking of what would have brought her back to the setting she spoke so ill of in times passed. It was a place like the one that separated them apart and if she was able to cross state borders by herself, she should have had an apt opportunity to free herself from her past ties to these dens of lust-ridden sin. Yet here she was, assisting him with formulating a plan right in the midst of it all. Her experience dealing with sex rings from around the globe had raised a morbid curiosity. Her courage was admirable but it made less sense the more he thought about it.
Then again, he himself was a hypocrite. Unlike the child who couldn't afford a normal life, with the money he earned from working in his gang, he could have retired a long time ago. He could have invested his time into something productive like getting a college degree and being normal just like the rest of the world, but here he was, still here slinging guns, trafficking people, and making plans to shoot up clubs.
Ace sighed. 'Maybe we are more alike than I thought.' He thought to himself, turning his attention back to Leona. 'Motivated by spite for those that took something precious away from us. I guess it makes sense why we're stuck here.' He shared a drink with her, lifting his glass as she took a swig of her own. "How I usually handle things is... If someone gets hurt, we call the ambulance for them once all the fighting's over. Unlike the police, they don't ask questions. They just do their job." He looked towards the others in the bar. Regardless of their experience in a firefight, none of them had any medical experience. They were all street rats like him, good people forced into a life of poverty where their only means of providing for themselves was through crime. "I'm sure you could tell, none of us are really good at much other than making people "feel" great through drugs and sex... And putting bad people in the ground."
"That's the only place those fucks belong anyways."
Ace placed his gun on the table, loading rounds into one of his spare magazines. "It's good to see we're on the same page." With every one he loaded, he made a mental note of how many was left in case he needed to save one more. There were times where some people were beyond saving. For those, he believed that a bullet to the skull was the ultimate mercy. "The world could use more people like you. Unfortunately, money and influence is more than enough to shift most people's attention away." Finally finishing with his magazine, he pulled out his second spare to start the process all over again. "Good thing we're not most people, right?"
"If I can help bring down those pricks and save whatever girls that were ripped from their friends and families? I can live and die happily. You can rely on me Ace, and I'll prove that to you as we work together this day, and who knows... maybe the next." Ace raised an eyebrow, feeling her hand drift over the one that held the magazine. Feeling the same three squeezes his mind had interpreted as 'I love you.' and 'It'll be fine.' many years before, his body unconsciously relaxed. With whatever he was doing, he wasn't going to be alone. This wasn't a war he fought for himself but for the people who mattered to him. Through them, his violence had purpose. Through them, his fight had meaning.
"You? Wanting to work with me again? I doubt it." The man had dropped his tone. "Something I've learned while working with these gals is that we are never guaranteed tomorrow. Like everyone else here, we know that our time in this world is finite." He closed his eyes, recalling the quote from the only book he ever chose to read for himself; A book that was given by a gift using whatever money Kaia and his sisters were able to scrounge up. "I don't have any expectations for anyone else other than myself..."
"But if you wanna prove me wrong again."
"Do it. I won't stop you."
"If we're at an understanding... let's try this again... without pulling guns on the table, 'Kay?" The gang leader chuckled, finding her beaming attitude endearing. To see someone offer him a smile as bright as hers before doing such a volatile job was an odd but welcome sight. Usually, whenever people knew that someone was likely to die later that night, it brought upon a serious mood that was hard to navigate; The surrounding atmosphere typically became so thick, it made it hard to breathe. However, Kaia was always the type to put his mind at ease. She was great at it, turning any impossible situation that felt daunting into a challenge that could be navigated. It was thanks to her that he was able to pass high school without dropping out. It appeared again that it would be thanks to her that he could do this job without getting hurt again.
"How about we leave it at not pointing guns at each other? Specifically my cock? I still gotta make sure everything's in working order before we head out. It would be fucked if we were getting shot at and one of these pieces of shit jams." Ace didn't joke. From the seriousness he seasoned his words with and the tension in his eyes when he stared at a specific pistol on a table, it hinted that he spoke from experience. As he continued to handle his typical maintenance, inspecting each weapon for potential serious defects, he turned back towards her. "... If you're serious about working together afterwards... I wouldn't mind actually taking you out for some drinks. Without extra guns and goons next time, of course."
The blush that appeared on her face had made the boss smile under his mask. Even if he was more serious than most people, there was something about Leona that brought back the typical snark and confidence of his past. "And yes, if you think this is me asking you out on a date. It is. What? Can't I be honest about wanting to have a good time when I'm not on the clock? I'm not all fucking doom and gloom, you know?" Finishing up his preparations, he poured himself a refill to calm his nerves. "If you're still a fan of the mediocre like you say you are, we could always go for some fries after. I know a diner a few streets down from here that serves the best three star fries you've ever had. If you close your eyes, you might think you're at a fuckin Chuck-E-Cheese." He pulled off his mask, taking another sip of his drink before hearing one of his girls walk towards him.
"The cars are all loaded and the others are ready to go, Ace."
"Damn. Right when I just poured myself another drink too."
Ace quickly grabbed a few phonebooks to duct tape them under his clothes, grabbing his rifle, his pistol, and his bat before standing up from his seat. "Looks like we gotta cut the drinks off early, Ka-... Leona." He helped her out of her seat as the others dressed in similar colors had made their way outside. "Then again, we can't have too much before we pull this off. Just enough to calm the nerves is fine but... I can't have your aim being off when I need you most. Come on. Let's get to work."
Outside sat three cars, each filled with his own taking up the seats. "The others already started driving. Only a matter of time now before we get the call. Anything else we need to know?" Ace shook his head. "Nothing other than saying good luck and stay safe. Lets all get back and celebrate with drinks after, yeah?" His friend nodded her head before ducking into her car. "Kaia, you and I are going to take my bike. Just make sure you hold on tight. I don't want you falling off and getting hurt before the bullets start flying." He hilted his rifle on his back, walking over to his bike nearby to mount it. After placing his motorcycle helmet on, he tossed her a matching copy. "Let's get going. We don't have time to waste."
A quiet ride through familiar streets had always made his mind wander.
With her hands at his chest, he remembered his childhood dream to one day drive her on a motorcycle.
Sitting on a bridge that overlooked the nightclub as the sky had set from dusk to night, the two were given a moment of peace alone. With no one to judge them and no one to hear, Ace finally opened up. "Hey, Leona. You're Kaia, aren't you?" He looked out from the bridge, uncaring of the cold that numbed his shoulders. With her warmth on his back, he found himself at ease. "You were never scared of me. Nor did you think I was one of them from the get-go." He leaned forward, yawning into his hand as they shared the sunset together. The sound of the waves mixed with the ambient noises from the city streets had brought his thoughts back home. "You knew my name and you knew how to talk to me... And your eyes... I'm having a hard time thinking it isn't you. Contacts are one thing... But seeing your reaction to me. That's a whole other thing entirely."
"After years of thinking you were dead. You're here. In the flesh and blood..."
"... I missed you."
When the sunburn hurts
The sky is already dark
Waiting for tomorrow
The darkness doesn't cool down the air
Dust all around
It's all I see, ah
Yeah, I'm burning with the sun
With the sun
"Nah, they deserve worse than that. They belong in a cold dark place, where they're unsure if it's day or night... slowly starving as the rats devour their humanity."
Leona sighed and opened a little piece of candy to crunch on before their mission, some sweetness always eased her nerves before a mission.
"Hmm... Ambulance is always fine, but if it's a gunshot wound then they have to call the police... you know that right?" Leona tilted her head and looked around at the other gang members around them, he hit the nail on the head about money and influence being able to hinder the efforts of people like the two of them. "Ha... You got that right, but that's what good spies are for, you get solid information that can kick them off their throne of deceit, and spread that shit like wild fire? You have them beat down in no time... But assassins do the job just as well."
Leona chortled and shook her head. "You got a good head on your shoulders... You also seem like the type of person to deny that, so save it. I know. But hey, if we survive another day and we get through this..."
"I don't think I'd mind giving you my number."
Leona smiled and nodded her head a few times, "Got it~ No guns. I'll keep it in my purse then~ Promise."She laughed softly and began to unload her firearm, taking it apart and putting it back together again after some time. By the look of it, she was either a natural or she was trained. It was already more than evident that Leona was much more than some normal vigilante off the street. "Oh? A date...? I think I'd like that... Yeah. I'd like that very much." She chuckled, a small blush spread across her face.
She almost burst into a tearful laughter at the mention of the best three-star fries. That sounded like a great time to her. "Is that so? I'm down for it~ Maybe tomorrow I'll take you to the shitty beach bar with the best PiΓ±a Coladas~ They used the canned pineapples in the juice! But it's the brand name, not the dollar store shit~ Good stuff while we witness the most horrid dance routines by old white men in speedos and their screeching grand kids. I won't be responsible for any war flashbacks though."
Leona smirked and gave him a wink.
Her smirk faded as she looked towards the approaching woman. They were ready to move out, good.
Leona nodded as Ace briefed the small group and she stood up to her feet."Alright then, let's get this shit done. Saving girls, burning bodies. Can't say it's different than my normal daily shit. Let's go, and don't worry about me, it's gonna take more than a few margaritas to get me even slightly off balance."She scoffed, made sure her gun was locked, loaded, and ready to go.
And then she joined him on his motorcycle. Holding onto him for dear life. Not because of the ride or how fast they were going, but because it was him. He said her name. He. Said. Her. Name. Her real name. Kaia Sinclair.
She squeezed her eyes shut and a tear ran down her cheeks, then more.
Kaia hugged him just a little bit tighter, her voice cracking as she spoke to him, it was him. Truly him. "Gods... it's been almost a decade... I've been dreaming of this day for years you know..."
Kaia took a labored breath. The tears that had been unshed for years now catching the sunlight on pale ivory cheeks. "All I ever wanted was to be with you again... that's why I fought so hard... I couldn't find you even when I went back... but I prayed... oh gods I prayed. I prayed to anything that would listen. That maybe... Just maybe... we would be together again."
Kaia spoke softly and she sighed heavily, tears becoming rivers running into her soul.
The pain, the longing, the anguish, the emptiness... "When I first saw you something in my heart just kept dragging me to you, no matter what I was thinking my heart told me it was you... that no matter what... it was you... and then you said my name... and I knew... Hell... you even smell the same. Weird right?"
Kaia was laughing, but it was humorless and tired. Sleepless nights were constant for the woman, wondering, longing, hoping that she would be with her first and last love again, and she was here now. She was home. He was her home.
"Getting to be with you again... my light... and with what you do now... I've been watching for a long time. Ace..."
"I'm proud of you."
More than anything Kaia was filled with relief, they couldn't go back to who they once were... but maybe.... maybe they could build a new future together, one that allowed them to be together again even if they were from two different worlds. Unbeknownst to Ace she was law enforcement, but she was no narc. She was going for something bigger, this was just a part of it.
But hey, in the life where cards are dealt to you.
"I guess I couldn't have made it more obvious huh?"
"You were always bad at hiding things from me."
Having his crush old hug him like this on his bike had taken Ace back to more peaceful times. Away from the buzzing nightlife and street violence, distant from the far too familiar sounds of blasting bass and gunfire, the two were just an ordinary couple like all others who lived under the stars. Trading his bicycle for a motorcycle and their scenery from a lake to an ocean view, despite the differences between who they were then and now, he couldn't help but find comfort in familiar feelings; Always ending up like this, getting caught up in trouble together every single time. For a moment, he gave a silent prayer, thanking the gods above for answering the prayers he uttered long ago over reuniting with her. Finally having her by his side, he was able to chip at the colossal weight that left him anchored to his biggest vices; This was his chance at making up for his regrets.
"Gods... it's been almost a decade... I've been dreaming of this day for years you know..." Her hands found their home on his chest, drawing him closer towards her embrace. Drops had spilled onto his jacket though no rain could be seen above. Kaia was crying. "All I ever wanted was to be with you again... that's why I fought so hard... I couldn't find you even when I went back... but I prayed... oh gods I prayed. I prayed to anything that would listen. That maybe... Just maybe... we would be together again." Ace remained quiet, listening to her feelings flood out after years of being left locked inside her heart. Finding her other half must have opened the floodgates of her emotions, releasing torrents in pain in his direction. He wasn't the only one left suffering in his partner's absence.
"Well... I'm here now, Kaia. That's all that matters." Ace took a hand off his handlebar, squeezing his old partner's hand to reassure her the same way she did in the bar. "No need to pray anymore, alright? The gods are not going to bring me any closer to you than I am right now." He leaned back against her. "The reason why you couldn't find us anymore is because the cops were looking for an excuse. Some poor kid to blame for all the shit that went down." He gritted his teeth, thinking back to the moment in time that came after realizing just what had happened to Kaia's home. "We have to leave all we knew because I trusted the wrong people."
"Who else was better to blame than a spited lover? Fucking dicks. I've reached out to them to try and find you only for them to use my story as a reason for all the shit that went down. I had the face of a criminal. A glare void of sympathy. It wouldn't be hard for others to believe them more than they did me." He scoffed, thinking back to the only time he chose to trust the police. The police of their hometown were corrupt, bribed by the same people that took advantage of those who couldn't defend themselves. It created a suspicion of all law enforcement in his mind.
"But I still tried. I tried so fucking hard."
"Just for us to go back to old times again."
"I can't seem to let go of that, even now." The gang leader let go of her hands, eyeing the club that reminded him of Kaia's home. Whenever he saw the same types of people being trafficked and used by the same kinds of assholes he once thought he could trust, it made him angry. These were the same pricks that tried to take his family away from him; To force them into an adoption home only for them to be pulled apart by families that didn't wish for all three. The same assholes who believed he was a good for nothing street rat who was born in shit and was destined to die in shit. These types of places that attracted them would always spring up like cancerous tumors, taking too long to be excised by those with the legal power to do so every single time. Even if he felt no true obligation, he still persisted in his vigilante pursuits, uncaring about the opinions of others in doing so. "But... It's not just the hate that I held on to either."
"I couldn't fall in love. I didn't know how to without you." Ace revealed a hint of how much she meant to him. She was his first and only love. Every fuck he felt afterwards was empty, always leading him to compare them to what he lost. No one understood him like she did. No one could make him feel as good as she did either. "I felt empty for the longest time. Sure, I'd feel something if someone pissed me off. Maybe I'd smile a little whenever one of these rich assholes eat shit and die... But that's it. All I really felt was anger." He placed a hand on his heart. "Sometimes, it made me wonder whether I was alive... Or if I left all that made me feel alive in South Carolina." He lifted himself off his bike, turning to his side so he could sit on it while looking at her. "And now? I'm feeling a whole lot of fucking things. Not just anger."
He leaned his head on her chest, staring at the ocean beside them. The waves were peaceful, crashing into the beach at a constant rhythm, uncaring for the violence that would soon break the silence. "I feel confused. I feel sad. I feel... Off." Ace lost count of the feelings that made their presence known in his mind. "... But I feel... Good too." He turned back to her, pulling his mask down to reveal his lips. He didn't feel scared about showing her his face unlike how he did with the many strangers he was forced to deal with on a daily basis. "When I look at you, I feel content. I feel... Happy. Why?" Tears had dripped from his eyes while the two stared at each other curiously. So much life had occurred while they were apart. The lovers that stared at each other were different now. "Why do I feel so good when you look at me like that?"
They were a long way from home.
Free at last to feel for each other fully.
Ι΄α΄α΄‘ α΄Κα΄ΚΙͺΙ΄Ι’: κ±α΄Ι΄α΄α΄α΄α΄ΚΚ | α΄α΄α΄Ιͺ β»β || β·βΊ Not anyone, you're the one
More than fun, you're the sanctuary
'Cause what you want is what I want Sincerity
"When I first saw you, something in my heart just kept dragging me to you, no matter what I was thinking my heart told me it was you... that no matter what... it was you... and then you said my name... and I knew... Hell... you even smell the same. Weird right?" Kaia gave a warm laugh, finally finding her home on the other side of the country by stumbling across a shitty club. While searching for their own purpose in this new life, they had found each other again at different parts of their life. They weren't just different, they were better now. The frightened boy was now a hero of the streets and a bane on those powerful and affluent enough to take advantage of others without consequence. The runaway girl was bringing justice for those who couldn't defend themselves. Slowly, he was piecing together the reason as to why he felt so safe around her regardless of how much she could have changed. It wasn't until what she said next that he realized the truth. "Getting to be with you again... my light... and with what you do now... I've been watching for a long time. Ace..."
"I'm proud of you."
Ace was still very much in love. Souls that dream alone lie awake I'll give you something so real
The reason why he couldn't fall in love with another was not because of past traumas or regrets. It was because his mind was still set on making Kaia his. The reason why he felt so safe in her presence was not because of some alcohol in his system or her generally attractive features. It was because her words, her voice, and her personality had all freed him from his stressful tensions. He was so used to her being his source of comfort that he felt relaxed around her even now. It was this feeling of her acceptance of him followed by her smile that brought him back to better times; Though unlike the Kaia of his imaginations, this was reality. Kaia was here in the flesh, speaking her genuine truth with all honesty. Nothing about her hinted at a lie. She was proud of him.
Instead of mere droplets fogging up his vision, soon a stream of tears had poured from his cheeks. His cries had felt good, freeing even. The regrets that welled behind the walls of his mind had escaped through his tear ducts, replacing the mental hole that it left behind with the memory of her voice. Regardless of who she became, he was going to accept her as his own. It didn't matter whether she was involved with law enforcement or if she was a narc, she cared about him enough to stick it out. They were going to fight this war together, but this time, he wasn't going to run away.
"You know? I still fucking love you, you asshole." Ace didn't let his emotions sit. He opened his heart, making the most of this peace together before the storm. If there wasn't a guarantee that he was going to come out of this alive, he sure as hell wasn't going to die with regrets. "Just because we were apart for years doesn't mean I stopped feeling for you." He lifted his head towards her, turning himself around so they were face to face on his motorbike. With nothing but the rising stars above to distract him, his eyes were focused on her blushed cheeks and her welcoming smile. "Shit, you even got me crying for you. Look at what you've done to me, you bitch." He gave her a gentle punch on the shoulder before pulling her arm towards him. Without his gang around to judge him, he was free to act with her as he wished, quickly closing the distance as he dragged her into a hug.
"Had me crying for you all this time hoping I'd one day get to see you again."
"And here you are... Making me fall in love with you all over again."
Pull me, oh, so close 'Cause you never know Just how long our lives will be
"God, I must look so fucking sad, don't I? A fucking... Embarrassment." He cried into her arms, holding her tighter with every passing second. He was strong for too long, lacking a single moment to be vulnerable around so many people that looked up to him for strength. Ace was never able to afford a moment to himself. Whenever one human trafficking ring was destroyed as the result of his actions, three more would spring up in its place, all stronger and deadlier than the last. It was a losing war, yet a valiant one worth fighting. Though by investing himself into winning what few battles he could, saving whatever souls that were lucky enough to encounter him, he sacrificed himself in the process. He was a broken man in need of healing, and there was no one better than her. "So f-fucking uncool, right?"
The tears kept on coming, unceasing in its tide. The strong facade he wore as a mask was falling apart at the seams. In its place, highlighted by the moon and stars was the Ace she was searching for. The same troubled boy who left her behind at the carnival. For a moment, he unveiled to her a window to his heart. Underneath all he grew up to become over the course of the many years apart, she could see just how far his heart was reaching out to her. She was one of the rare trusted few that had her name inscribed onto his soul so he would never forget just how much she meant to him.
"Sorry for looking like such a loser..." Ace wiped his tears in an attempt to regain his composure. "I know you didn't come to see me like that. Not right before we need to pull this shit off." He chuckled, regaining his confidence through her. His emotions were all over the place, though with their time nearing, he focused on the one that was strongest: The feeling of love. "Hey, Kaia. If you still... Feel a little bit the same as you did all those years ago, can you do me a favor?" He turned his head away for a moment, in an attempt to hide his own blush. "Take off your helmet and close your eyes. I want to do something, but I don't think I have the courage to do it if you're staring at me." He waited, before seeing her nod her head and do as he asked.
"You don't know just how much I fucking missed you."
Their lips connected in search of their old love in new places. Their first step to reunion. If you've been waiting for fallin' in love Babe, you don't have to wait on me
'Cause I've been aiming for heaven above But an angel ain't what I need
"Even if we can't go back to the past, we can build our future here... together."
The words he spoke were gut wrenching, a knife to her very soul, twisting and turning all through the tubes of her heart. He had suffered so much because of her, Iris and Sena suffered so much because of her actions, but if she hadn't hadn't finally fought back then the efforts she made would be for nothing... The time in the past would have stayed calm and serene for just a little longer, but at the end of the day she had that horrid place to go back to. If seven years was the price to pay to be with her first and last love, then seven years she would pay. "Oh Ace... I'm so sorry for all that you had to go through... and the others too... I wish you could have come with me... but it would have been worse for you. So many years hiding, moving every few days... I mean I know you had to go through that too... just... Ace... Alex... my beloved Alex..."
Kaia's heart ached for her long lost love. Every sniffle of his nose, the fluttering of his eyelids when they looked into each others eyes once more as he tried to blink away the tears, the subtle cracks in his voice as he tried to gather himself. Kaia knew they had a job to do, but right now they could at least have this moment of peace. "And I... I... Ace..."
Kaia was beginning to crack too. She let out a hiccup and her lower lip began to quiver.
When he pulled her into a hug she yanked off her helmet and she dropped it. Hugging onto him tightly like a lifeline. As if letting him go would cause him to fade into obscurity once more. If he were to ever fade from her life again... she wouldn't know how to function. She had just gotten him back and she'd be damned if she ever lost him again. Part of her still lived in disbelief that it was truly her first love standing before her. It was such a surreal experience, but she finally began to accept it. That it was here. He was here, and he would never leave her side again.
"A-Aceee..... Waa... I... I missed you so much."
She would start to sound like a broken record if he didn't stop her now. Her eyes would open widely before shutting tight as tears rolled down her face, dripping off of her chees, running down her jawline and falling onto her shirt and staining the fabric. She showed no signs of stopping, her tears flowing freely as she felt her mouth go dry, the calm collected woman from before was now a bumbling stammering mess that had no idea what to do. Despite working so hard and stopping at nothing until she found him again, there was always the lingering doubt that had her second guessing herself at every wrong turn, wondering if she would truly find him again.
Yet here she was, living in the moment she had been dreaming of for years, every single day she cried and mourned, stricken with grief for what could have been. Not a day went by where she didn't curse at the stars above, wailing in complete anguish as her inner turmoil nearly got the best of her. But despite all of that, despite the pain, the blood, the sweat, and the tears. She found him again, and she'd never let him go even if her arms were to break and her body were to shatter.
Kaia was one stubborn bitch, and that was the one thing that never changed about her up to now. Ace knew that better than anyone. From the day they met, from the day she helped him beat up those bullies and stole their jacket for Ace, to the present day where she had constantly bugged him as Leona, following him, flirting. Because somewhere in her gut she knew it was him... And she was going to cling onto that hope with an iron grip, even in her tears.
"Y-You're not uncool at all... and...and it's not embarrassing... not at all. I missed you too Ace. I... I..."
Kaia was trying so hard to keep her feelings and emotions in check, but it was so damn hard. She gasped for air and let out a silent scream. Tears running down her face as she felt like she could buckle at any moment and fall on her ass. As she gripped the sleeves of his jacket with shaking hands she let out a wail, an honest to goodness wail that was soon partially silenced by her shoving her face into his chest. Muffled and sobbing into his body as she shook like a leaf.
All she could do was sound out his name in pathetic yelps, the name leaving her lips like a prayer, that if she stopped then he would cease to exist.
Now more than ever she needed him, and she realized that she never stopped needing him. "I never moved on either... every single day I spent it longing for you, looking for you.... praying for you... to come back to me. To rebuild what had been broken, to be with the man I loved more than life itself. I was so angry at the world, angry at myself, and I just... I channeled all of that pain and suffering... and I turned it into determination, so that I may one day find you again... No one could make me smile like you... gods... so many people I've met claiming they could take the pain away... it's bullshit... You were the only one that could wash away the tears on my face."
Kaia was sobbing, the waterworks fully turned on as her tears dripped to the darkened asphalt below, soon drying as soon as they landed.
He didn't have to tell her twice about how he felt, she felt it too.
Ace might have begun to fall in love with her all over again, and for that Kaia was eternally grateful... but for Kaia it was much different...
For she...
"I NEVER STOPPED LOVING YOU ACE!!"
Kaia had cried out her feelings then and there, pouring her heart out on the pavement for him wot bare witness too. She had NEVER moved on from him. Kaia was never a religious woman, nor was she really superstitious until working with those she was assigned with now... but either way the concept of Soul Mates was something she often thought about. Was that her dynamic with the boy she lost in time? She didn't really know, and she would likely never receive the answer to that question either. "Never... I never stopped... You were always on my mind each and everyday and not a single damn hour went by where I wasn't thinking of you, my first, and my last love. And now... you're here again... in my arms... no matter what happens next I always want to be by your you no matter what it takes... so please. Let me in... let me be by your side where I belong." She choked out and continued to sob messily into his jacket. That damned jacket...
She had so many questions regarding the what ifs, the thoughts of their second meeting being fate.
But she wouldn't need answers anymore, because here they were together again, and this time they were much stronger. They were able to fight better, faster, stronger. And they had each other. "You're right Ace... I don't know... but if you feel the same as I do right now... then I can say with full confidence that I think I can imagine how you feel."
Kaia spoke through broken sobs as she closed her eyes and felt soft lips on her own. A stark contrast to the rough and calloused hands of a man who was hard at work. She had leaned into his kiss, throwing her arms around him in a more loose fashion as her tears began to fall... but this time these tears weren't filled with anguish and pent up misery that had been long since trapped in her heart. These tears were of relief... were of happiness and contentment. She hadn't felt strong feelings like this since she burned down those houses nearly a decade ago. Her heart burned bright with a raging fire that was to never be quelled. She was still pulled along the ride of revenge for those that suffered a worse fate than herself... but now that she was here again... in a safe familiar home... she felt at ease.
For the first time in years she was happy with life once more... and just like that...
The world she saw in black and white for the past seven years or so...
Had bloomed with colors once more. Colors she had long since forgotten the existence of.
Her self hate and grief had caused her to forgot the happiness in yellows and greens.
Her anguish and suffering had caused her to forget the sadness and serenity of blues, purples, and teals alike.
Her longing and her guilt had caused her to forget the beauty and the love she felt of pinks, reds, and oranges.
It was all coming back to her now.
And it came back to her like a freight train. It was when she realized that they were indeed far from home...
Home wasn't the shitty old house and tent in South Carolina. Home wasn't the numerous gang hideouts he had to duck into at night. Home wasn't the secure sterile compound of the SSU. They were no longer far from home anymore. Not when they were in each other's arms like this. Home wasn't a pin on the map with was street address with a white picket fence and a quirky race car mailbox.
Home was here. Home was now.
In the arms of the one she never stopped loving. Kaia was finally home once more. And oh was it so so good to be back after such a long time away.
Her tears never stopped flowing as they shared a long slow kiss. Her eyes fluttering open and shut just to make sure that she was really locking lips with the man she called hers. Her sunshine and her moonlight. Her day and night. Her air, her life, her water. She couldn't breathe without him. No no... Not again... Never again.
Though they had business to get to, she knew that in this moment she would remember it no matter what lied ahead of them next. One job, ten jobs, a hundred jobs, a thousand... As long as he would let her stay at his side then she would never leave, never again. And if she had to leave she knew damn well he would be by her side whether she liked it or not.
Their love was one that had stayed rock solid despite the years of painful waiting, but all of it was worth it when she got to be with him like this once more.
Falling for his embrace, reveling in the safety and security of his arms as she felt hypnotized with his touch. Kaia could spend all day like this, and maybe soon enough they would. It didn't matter anymore what worlds they were from. No one would get in her way again, not without a glock to the cock.
"Ace..."
Kaia whispered softly through breathy pants and soft kisses. "Let's do it right this time ok?"
She had asked and let out a soft chuckle, flashing that smile at him. The same smile that made him so weak in the knees to begin with.
She wanted to be with him once more no matter what it would take, and she would never stop until he asked her that question once more.
"No matter what kind of bullshit happens to us next Ace..."
Said you the what? You the best girl
Baby, you impress girl Hoping you don't leave me Please don't leave my heart a mess, girl
With the woman he loved most back in his grasp crying tears of grief and happiness, the stars above had granted Ace's world color. Gone was the suspicion and hostility he wore towards her. Gone was the emotional turmoil that circulated his heart and mind regularly. Gone was the craving for death. In their place, he found love. He found hope. He found peace. The storms that raged on before had calmed upon her touch, her lips were the warm salve he's been searching for since their last departure. Her tears had bathed his face in her emotions, a soft rain that pooled in the void of his heart. Her sniffles and cries were quiet, yet they drew old emotions from the deepest fathoms of his mind, reeling old memories back towards the surface. Her mess had revealed to Ace just how little she changed internally. She was still his crybaby. She was still his home.
"Ace..." Kaia whispered through the melting of their lips, his single kiss turning into many to make up for their time spent apart. Her beloved gang member didn't care about the history that lied in the gap between them anymore. Even if she was a government agent or an assassin, it wouldn't change his opinion of her. She was still Kaia. "Let's do it right this time ok?" He nodded his head, pressing his forehead against her own. With the stars twinkling above, the pools of tears that broke between them had sparkled in the sun's absence, blessing their reunion by lighting up their darkness. "Of course, Kaia. I never planned on leaving you." He pulled a hand back, balling it into a fist for hers to meet his halfway. "Not after all we've been through to find each other again."
"Until the end and whatever comes after. I'm yours."
"Promise."
Ace gently tapped her fist, aware of the situation they were in. Their lives were at risk and there was no guarantee that they would come out unscathed. However, with their future on the horizon, he'd be damned if he'd let someone else take his future away again without a fight. He was better than the boy that ran away from her before. His heart was much tougher, capable of braving even the fiercest of resistance. This job he was on was merely routine. The boss who was his quarry was little more than a rich idiot with too much money. "No matter what kind of bullshit happens to us next Ace... I'm yours until death do us part." He raised an eyebrow, giving her a curious glance with a typical smirk. "You know that sounds like marriage right? Are you proposing to me?~" He teased.
Though, instead of refusing the idea, he simply enjoyed just how committed she was to him. Kaia wasn't the type to throw out idle words. While she was able to flirt as easily as she breathed, she avoided making promises she couldn't keep. Looking back at it now, it was most likely why she rejected him originally. Her world was too chaotic for something as stable as a relationship to thrive in. Without a promise of the future, it was likely that she didn't know whether she'd be able to escape her fate. Understanding that now was a product of Ace's maturity. At this point, he was beyond the needless concerns over past rejections. In his line of work, he saw many lives come to pass, some even in his arms. The finality of death was much more impactful than any rejection.
"Maybe when I retire, I'll take your hand in marriage. Gosh, past me and you would freak if I pulled some bullshit like that." Ace laughed at seeing how much he changed. As he calmed down, he traced his thumb on the outline of her hands, locking four of his digits with hers while embracing their quiet moment together before the battle. After losing her once, he wasn't going to take any more time with her for granted. "Good thing, I'm not the same Ace of the past." He lifted his eyes towards her, taking in her smile through all her tears. Without having to read too deeply, he could tell by the way she looked at him alone just how much this meant to her. Their minds were one and the same, seeing each other as home. "Unlike him, I won't take you for granted. Not anymore."
Shedding the chains of their past mistakes...
...Their love had blossomed.
I just wanna see you up
I just wanna see you shine
I just wanna be your everything, wanna be your guy
Girl, I know your eyes they glisten, they're so pretty like the sky
And together we're not missin'
I don't wanna see you cry
"Especially if you tell me that you never stopped loving me." Ace blushed, caught off guard by the strength of her emotions. While he might have expected some lingering chemistry to lie between them, he never thought that her feelings were still so explosive. "Shit, I don't even know what to say... You know I'm still not used to saying all this sappy romantic shit." As he tried to shift the attention of his eyes from her own to her smile, he couldn't help himself but find every part of her attractive. Not only was she physically compelling, but with her emotions in full control, he found her emotionally magnetic as well. The combination of the two had made her confession a deadly combination to the man who always sought to hear those words come from her mouth. "I think... The right words to show you how I feel right now is... I love you too, Kaia."
"To think, you'd still be into me after all these years." He chuckled to himself, embarrassed at his lack of composure towards her heartfelt words. To the man who was so used to being treated as a monster, to be treated as anything kinder by someone he was so spiritually attuned with was something he could never resist. The walls he forged around his heart to defend himself against the manipulations of others, she surpassed and broke down with ease. At his purest self, excavated by the flood of her feelings, he grew sensitive to every sense she stimulated. From the sounds of her voice confessing her truth to the feeling of her lips pressed against his, the taste of her saliva that bridged the gap between them, the smell of her fragrance blowing steadily across his face, and the view of her smile alone, all of them had compelled him to be honest and open with his heart. Who knew if he'd ever get the chance to again.
"And all it took for you to confess was to point your glock at my dick... Thats so fucking you. Gods... You're so you..." He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Ace's attention was locked to hers. Not the skies above nor all that wandered it below was able to break his focus. The world became a blur the more he gazed upon her; All the lights that passed around them from the stars in the sky to the passing cars that surrounded them, it felt as though they were all shining on her. "I don't think I could fall in love with anyone else. Not after meeting someone as special as you." He whispered back to her. "That's what made the rejection hurt so much back then... But now I understand. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have grown to appreciate just how much I lost when I left you."
"Nothing else could ever replace the feeling of being with you."
"You're priceless, Kaia."
Said you the moon, you the stars Baby, let's go fly to Mars
I want you soon, going far Baby, I like where we are
'Cause you the one, one for me Baby, we can be a team
I'll show you love, in my dreams Baby, you just what I need
Buzz. Right as he felt comfortable with sharing his feelings, he felt a vibration in his pocket. A new notification from Neon. [Hey Ace. The drive by went through without a hitch. We need you here now.] As soon as their moment started, it ended. Time spent with the woman he loved most always felt like it ended in an instant. "Shit. We got to get a move on, the others are waiting for us..."Ace sent a quick text back. "Alright, how about this." He placed his helmet back on his head, revving the engine as he prepped the directions to the nightclub on his phone. "If we make it out of this alive, I'll take you out to the shitty Denny's on Fourth. The fries there are so fucking mediocre, it'll remind you of home." Once Kaia put her helmet on, he patted his chest to show her where to put her hands. "Hold on tight, I don't want you falling off before I have a chance to take you out on a real date."
Seeing his family on the line, Ace drove quickly through the city streets.
He had a job he needed to fulfill and he wasn't going to let them down.
Immediately, once he made it onto the scene, Ace heard the familiar pangs of gunfire raining through the doorways from the outside. Their attack has begun. "Stay by my side, Kaia." He opened his bag, revealing the same weapons he was loading back inside the bar. With little time to prepare, he unlocked the safety before running inside the nightclub to join in the fighting. "Took you two long enough. What were you doing? Having a quickie with the narc?" Neon joked, hiding behind the bar as other girls' blind-fired in the direction of the guards. "Now's not the time, Neon. Tell me. What happened."
"Well... Once the drive-by took out the front guards, the ones on the inside began herding the merchandise into the back." Another round of gunfire rained in their direction, shattering nearby wine bottles and splintering the wooden construct of the furniture nearby. "Can't afford to have them running, so we decided to take advantage of the window. Sorry about that, Ace." Ace shook his head. "No, you've made the right choice. I'm proud of you. I'd rather you take the initiative to save lives then wait for me until its too late." He patted her on the shoulder. "Where's the basement?" Peeking above the counter once she heard the storm of lead end, she noticed the stairs leading down towards the lower levels hidden behind some knocked down tables. "Over there but a couple of pricks are guarding it. I think they have vests. Otherwise, I can't imagine why they'd be so brave."
"Gotcha. Let me take care of it." Drawing his special bat, Ace quickly dashed towards a nearby fallen table. "Bet they're not expecting this." With a single swing, he sent the table flying in the direction of their stubborn enemies, crushing one while Ace charged the other. Even if he lacked knowledge of his special bat's magical properties, he didn't need to know what it was to use it properly. It was both a weapon and a tool. Running as quickly as he could, he caught the other foe off-guard. "Hey dipshit. Answer right and I won't snap your head like I did your friend over here." With a quick nod, he tossed his weapon to the side. "Good, maybe not all of you are idiots after all." Neon and her other girls approached, readying themselves to clear the next room. From the looks of it, the worst wounds they received were grazes from the near misses of flying rounds and shrapnel from splinters.
"Your boss. The girls. Where are they?"
"T-they keep the girls downstairs..." The guard stuttered in fear. He was only here for the pay, not for the other perks granted to those his boss fancied. "As for my boss... Last I heard, he's upstairs with a girl he called a snake. Something about b-breaking her." Gripping his bat, he swung the edge of it towards the man's face before freezing it just inches away from his skull. "Leave, before I change my fucking mind." Picking himself up, he ran towards the outside. "Why let him go? Shouldn't we leave no witnesses?" Neon scratched her head, confused at Ace's sudden show of mercy. "He's not one of them, Neon. I'd rather we focus our energy on dealing with the scum than the people unfortunate enough to get involved with them. Come on, let's not waste anymore time."
Ace walked over to Kaia, brushing the chips of wood off his shoulders. "It's me and you in the basement, Kaia. The other girls are going to handle the boss." He reached towards her hand. "I'll need you by my side. And hey- Maybe you could show me a few of the tricks you learned over the years. I wanna see what you've been up to as well. Can't have me be the only one showing off here." Neon noted the sudden shift in his demeanor. "Oh~ So you have been fucking her." His face turned red, her words causing him to turn around and punch her shoulder. "Oh shut the fuck up, Neon. You're no better either." He returned her energy, causing her to let out a giggle. "I mean~ You didn't choose bad. There are definitely a lot worse girls out there~" She gazed up and down Kaia, growing more aware of their subtle chemistry. "Good luck down there, and please, don't try to get yourselves killed. I like you two too much."
Together, they descended into Hell.
The scent of musk and sinful ardor had overwhelmed the senses. It was a sign to Ace that they were getting close to where the trafficked were being held. As he continued downward hearing the sounds of bass coming from below, he turned to look towards Kaia, surprised at her lack of a response. She was as experienced with this world as he was, her brain's steel resilient against the horrors within. Once they finally reached the bottom of the stairwell, they approached a door. Pausing for a moment, he reached towards her hand and gave it a familiar rhythmic squeeze, one she usually gave him whenever he was about to do or deal with something that made him anxious.
"Until the end and whatever comes after, Kaia." Ace The King of Spades
#2C82C9
"I'll fight by your side against anyone who gets in our way."
The personal hell that awaited them was just beyond the staircase that lied before them. Kaia noticeably tensed her shoulders as she gripped his hand and squeezed a few times. Her eyes had squeezed shut and she braced herself for what was to come. She knew damn well what she would see... she lived it. She lived it for sixteen painful years. Ever since she could remember she woke up in that place. A musty old mattress with stained sheets. She remembered the feeling of her clothes covered in caked on mud and mold.
The scent of the foul dank dungeon was what hit her first. It was a smell that brought her all the way back. The sound of the leaky pipes and the old rotted staircase that creaked with every heavy step. She grit her teeth and opened her eyes once more, staring down the void as she silently descended the portal to hell. Kaia finally let go of Ace's hand and placed her own against the holster at her belt. She took a slow deep breath despite her brain screaming at her to not even try it, but she had to calm down. She had to breathe... Just... Breathe...
All of the air around them felt frozen in time down in this personal hell, it was silent as could be, but when she hit that last step... It all came back to her.
The stillness, the strong scent of mold, musk, and damp carpet... the rotted wood and rusted pipes. It was all so familiar that she didn't even flinch when the acrid stench hit her dead in the face. That's when the two could hear it. The leaking pipes. The sounds of strained cries and wheezing. The lights would flicker, only lightbulbs on the ceiling being the few sources of light to illuminate the dungeon before them. She pulled her mask over her face and pressed forward, taking slow deliberate steps keeping as silent as possible. The whispers were next, the begging, the strained sobs... there was a point where Kaia wasn't sure whether the sounds were all in her head or not.
She hadn't dealt with a case like this so directly in a long time, but she made a promise to Ace. A promise to herself... and a silent promise to those who went through this living hell.
"Let's do this."
She spoke softly and began to walk across the hall and off to the door. Kaia placed an ear to the door, closing her eyes and listening.
"Get your guns ready, we get out as many of them as we can."
Kaia commanded them and looked to Ace. Then she twisted the doorknob, and through hells gates they traversed. The grimy brown walls had certainly seen better days. The foul scent had gotten worse as they went deeper through the winding tunnels of the basement. Cells were the first thing they were met with. A common room that sat in the middle had four corridors leading gods know where including the one they were passing through right now. The strained cries had increased in volume, looking around at the musty cells Kaia's shoulders stiffened as she peered through the thick iron bars along all of them... women of many ages laid there. They were laid out on mattresses, mostly stripped of their clothes. Blood, vomit, shit, piss, rot, and more had blended together to make the most unholy of smells, but Kaia didn't even flinch. She knew the set up well enough as it mirrored the conditions she grew up in... at least the basement she was kept in had a functioning bathroom and not a metal bucket.
She met the eyes of a woman who stared back at her. The glassy glazed over stare for once made the agent shiver. Most of the women here were marked up, messy, and bruised. Some were stained with remnants of semen, and some were even showing signs of pregnancy. Kaia closed her eyes for a moment and took another deep breath. If any of Ace's group weren't used to the conditions around them... well... Kaia only hoped they were saving their appetite for later and hadn't had a late lunch.
Many of the women didn't even bother to beg for help, these girls were husks. Once bright souls with limitless potential, kidnapped, beaten, raped, and used as an object for human greed and lust. Kaia bit back a curse and continued to press forward. She knew how things were... these were just the cheap ones. And though the rows of cells filled with women on each side seemed endless, she knew damn well these weren't the only ones holding hostages.
She tapped a few buttons on her phone and soon shined a light on the path before them. Her weapon was drawn and she was ready to dive headfirst into the lowest level of hell. Of course when she found the sick fucks that ran this place, she would send them there quite literally.
Of course she needed to keep a level head. No matter how personal this was... she couldn't afford to let her feelings get in the way of their success.
"These locks are shabby enough, have a small team start trying to bring out these girls... by the state of things I don't expect there to be traps... but there are definitely guards down the way. There has to be. There always is..."
She scoffed and leaned against the wall, peeking in with a rounded mirror to see the other corridors. No one yet... it was strange, but not uncommon. With the outer guards already dealt with there were only a handful left guarding the girls that would be moved and trafficked. Kaia signed with her free hand, signaling the other members of the gang to stay silent then move. The deeper they went, the riskier it got.
These places mostly operated the same in her experience, whether it was domestic or professional.
And she wasn't about to make the same mistakes again.
Far below the light of the sun, Ace was surrounded by a scene too familiar.
They weren't fighting against humans anymore. Only demons would even fathom creating a place like this.
Hell was not a place of fire or cinder, nor did it torture through the thorns of ice and perpetual snow. It was not some faraway realm created by the gods to punish evil eternally nor was it a nightmarish world invented to scare children into faith and order. No, even the pure and innocent could end up in a place like this. Hell was not fair. It existed far closer than most realized and many among the living sought indulgence within its walls. Walking through the club's basement, the dark halls were surrounded by cages on both sides. Each cage held broken souls, each bearing marks of their stay. Those who were recent additions had shivered in fear upon hearing their footsteps pass their door. Those who were unfortunate enough to be held there for over a year did not move. Their eyes were glazed over as though they accepted this fate.
Many among those enslaved within the walls of this decrepit neon dungeon were much like Ace himself, taken from poverty where few would care about their absence. Initially, many of these people would have sought financial freedom through dirty work or finding wealth through a partner. However, few of them knew of the fate that befell most. They became a product of tragedy, the victim of the depraved wealthy. Succumbing to their wanton advances day in and day out, they were used until they were no more, trash to be disposed of. The mere thought of it made Ace sick and angry. These people were experiencing the same as his beloved did. Unlike her however, unfortunately their spark of rebellion died out too soon, giving way to feelings of Stockholm syndrome and acceptance as though their fate was dictated by the divine. Their training and rehabilitation into servants and slaves had broken them. If god allowed this sin to exist, then it was no god he was willing to take faith in and listen to. If it would change their fate, he would even threaten god at gunpoint to save these lost souls.
He decided his future on his own terms, even if it could lead to his demise.
Ace didn't care if he fit within anyone else's mold. In fact, he was proud to be a misfit.
I declare war On anybody standing in the way of what I dream for
How could you ignore The ones that are voiceless, screams from the poor
Following Kaia through the dark hallway and stopping at the inhumane cells, he noticed that there didn't seem to be much resistance at first. Most of the guards who were down here appeared to have either ran or fought against their assault on the surface. However, that didn't mean they were safe just yet. If the merchandise was being stored down here, then it must have meant that some of the boss' most trusted would still be assigned to protect his income. It would only be a matter of time before someone or something would find them. "These locks are shabby enough, have a small team start trying to bring out these girls... by the state of things I don't expect there to be traps... but there are definitely guards down the way. There has to be. There always is..."
"Why would we need a small team for the locks, Kaia?" Slinging his rifle behind his back, Ace pulled out his phone to shoot a quick text to Neon above. "If they cared this much about keeping their girls locked in, they would have used stronger doors... or better guards." Placing his phone in his pocket, he drew his bat and jammed the shaft at the door's hinges. "Then again, I doubt they would have expected something like this to happen." With two strong swings, he knocked the door off its hinges, uncaring of the sound that echoed through the walls. He was sure that whichever guards were still down here had heard of the gunfire and commotion above. "Neon and a few others would be down here in a bit. Might as well make the job easier for them by breaking down the doors. Watch my back, okay? I'm not going to let them be imprisoned for any longer."
Walking into the cell, Ace offered a hand to the fallen. Even as they winced and kept away from him, he didn't appear to mind. Unlike the many strangers he spoke to above, his tone was much more gentle to victims of abuse. Pulling down his mask, he bent his knees to reach them at their eye level. "You don't have to trust me, but we're here to rescue you." He pointed towards the stairs they came from. "There are others up there that want to free you too. Run to them, they'll keep you safe." Giving them his kindest smile, he watched as those who still had strength in their legs run towards the entrance. For those that lacked the stamina, he spoke up. "Some other girls are going to come down here soon. Girls just like you. They'll help you get out of here, I promise."
Standing himself back up, Ace returned back to Kaia's side to repeat the same process over and over again for every cell they came by. With time, their efforts were finding meaning. Rescuing survivors was always a good feeling. It was often where he would find bodies among those who were still breathing, him arriving too late for them to be rescued. Despite the fear, a few of the rescued muttered quiet thank yous to their two heroes as they made it back to the world above. Free from the shackles of Hell, he muttered a short prayer in hopes that they wouldn't take their second chance for granted. While the start of their rescue went well, it wasn't until they liberated their eighth cell where they were finally met with resistance. Coming from deeper within the basement, the two heard the sound of a pair of footsteps reaching towards them. One of them sounded much larger than the other. Turning his attention towards the sound, the two were greeted with a glowing pair of eyes. With the light now turned to them, their eyes were met with the sight of a larger man holding his friend hostage.
"How quaint. To discover you were a snake this entire time, Ace."
His arms tightened around his hostage's neck. Pressed against her head was the barrel of a revolver.
"I suppose it isn't surprising. You always treated the cattle a little too well."
"Ace... Forget about me... Run... Please..." His captured friend spoke through his choke hold. As the flashlight ran over her skin, he found numerous snakebites. "Your friend here was delicious, Ace. I had such a fun time breaking her over and over again. To hear her call your name hoping you'd come to rescue her. Ha, to think I was wrong about you. I thought you would leave her behind like you do everyone else." The man jabbed at Ace's insecurity, knowing well about his history. "And I wonder... How your friend over there would taste too.How long do you think she would take to break, hmm?" His serpent-like eyes glared at Kaia coldly. He didn't see her as a human. Instead, he saw her as a predator would his prey. Fueled by anger, Ace drew his rifle up quickly. However, the hostage-taker's proximity to his friend gave his trigger finger pause. He knew he wasn't the most accurate. To take a shot was to gamble the life of the one who willingly risked herself for him.
Discovering Ace's hesitance to attack, the man was amused. "Oh?So the rumors about you being a cold blooded killer were false too? I wonder what else you're hiding." While his pistol's barrel was pressed against his hostage's head, his other hand ran down her torn clothes, fondling her through the remnants of her fabric. "Show me all your colors, Ace. I'm curious as to what you are behind the mask. Show me just how fragile you truly are." His forked tongue flickered. "There's nothing I would like more than to tear you apart. The idea of it is just so... Delectable."
For a moment, Kaia caught Ace's mind racing as it debated the best course of action. It was the same look he gave before brawling to protect his family, the same look as the one he gave right before he confessed to her too. However, unlike the past, he has matured since. When it came to the lives of others, there was only one right answer. Whatever choice would lead to him rescuing another, he would make. He'd rather live to regret saving someone than to live to regret doing nothing again. "Let her go, Adrian." He lifted his rifle, reaffirming his stance. With his determination returning back to him, he spoke with confidence. "We're not going to leave without her." With Kaia back by his side, he finally had the strength and emotional control to make a difference. The regrets he held for years were coming to an end. For his dream, to live in peace with Kaia in a place free from the influence of sexual exploitation, he was willing to declare war...
...and he wasn't going to let some perverted, reptile-philic fuck-wit make him look bad in front of his girl.
Time to dig up your grave Make you lower your voice
I told you not to play with the misfit toys
This was no horror story written for the entertainment of the public, this was no hastily written creepypasta thrown onto the public forums in hopes of garnering fame and fans.
The horrors here today were all too real. The monsters could be of any kind in a place like this, but most know that it was the humans that started all of this first. At least on this world...
Kaia knew the environment all too well. She knew the monsters that lurked beyond the walls. She knew that while many monsters existed these ones were in a league of their own.
Monsters weren't blood sucking vampires that were stalking the night, monsters weren't spirits and poltergeists that flew through walls....
Monsters were real...
And the worst monsters were often human.
"Well I didn't want to draw anymore attention than we probably already have... but let's do it your way then."She chuckled and shook her head, she was busting locks at his side, many of the girls that weren't reduced to husks were more relieved to see a female more than anything. It was best most of the time. It gave them some comfort... even when some of the worst women did this sort of thing too... but that was neither here nor there, Kaia was wrapping many women in security blankets, the shiver down her spine and the sixth sense she had developed over the years. She knew a supernatural when she sensed one.
She slowly stood at attention, not wanting to make any sudden movements that could trigger this new foe or anyone around them for that matter. "Now now, Let's try and talk this out... only a few of us can leave this place alive... if you'd like to be one of them I suggest putting that revolver down."Kaia spoke as she held up her hands, open and free of anything. Her gun on the ground as she slowly walked forward. "Surely we can come to an agreement? Give us the girl... and you won't bathe in hellfire today. That's quite a bargain if you ask me."
Kaia spoke as she seemed to be making light of the situation.
"I'm going to start counting. Please let the girl go..."
Kaia took another step forward and she smiled at him, and there she spoke.
"One."
She didn't want to hurt him if she didn't have to, while Ace and his gang may see violence as second nature, she'd talked her way out of many things before.
"Two."
The snakes around him didn't stop writhing, and while she wasn't an expert of reptiles, she knew the look of a hunter eyeing prey. There wasn't anymore time to bargain with a cold-blooded hunter.
"Three."
Kaia didn't waste any time, the second she hit the count she disappeared instantly, and when she reappeared her hand was on the revolver and she forced it to point at the ceiling. "ACE GET HER!!"She yelled out as she was grabbling the snake man, stomping her foot on his shin, and trying to wrestle him and the snakes at the same time. She was open to bite and constrict, but even then she fought him, throwing a quick jab just below the ribcage, her wrist death gripping the one that held the gun so tightly. The others had to act fast, Kaia was ballsy, but she could still get shot here. It wasn't the first time Ace had seen her run in head first at such a stunning speed... it also wasn't the first time he had seen her lay the innocent act on so thick only for her to aim for the jugular right after.
Back then those school kids that were picking on him... hell... that's how they first met. Simpler times when their biggest worries were what to eat tomorrow... well truth be told the past wasn't much better. But still, that day wrote history for them, Ace getting whacked on by some other kids, and a sweet innocent Kaia coming in, trying to diffuse the situation before bringing one down with a swift kick to the balls and then a brutal jab to the neck meat. Even a teen Kaia hit hard, and she would continue to hit hard.
She had gone home with a bleeding nose and some bruises that day, and she would bring that old maroon letterman jacket to the boy with a baseball bat that day. The smile on her face as blood ran down both nostrils. Her innocent laughter as she cleaned his face with her sleeve... the day they shared when he took her to the small camp in the forest to eat shitty soup with his older sister. Then spending that day making friendship bracelets until she had to sneak home.
All of those moments, all of what Ace had done for her led her to this point in life. Led her to a life where no matter what happens to never give up and always keep fighting, and so she would fight. She would fight until her limbs were broken and her eyes were glazed over and blind. "I warned ya, snake fucker! Now FALL ON YOUR KNEES!"Kaia shouted out as she reared back and slammed her head into his, trying to push him away from the girl he was holding hostage, as well as keeping the gun trained on the ceiling. She had fought worse fucks than this scaly weirdo, and in time she would do it again.
Even if this Kaia was older, stronger, wiser, and faster... she was still the same Kaia he met on that warm Spring afternoon way back when. The same Kaia that had a fervent heat burning in her eyes when she was determined. She hadn't changed one bit be it for better or worse. Of course she was able to properly kick ass at her age now, and all that training under the SSU had really paid off in full. Ace didn't know it, but this thing wasn't the first or last supernatural she had faced off against.
Within a hail of smoke and the falling of the powder that erupted from a revolver round hitting the ceiling, without even needing a chance to think, his body instinctively reacted to the loud boom to carry out his plans. It was a sound he grew all too familiar with, turning from a source of fear into a call to action. Charging forward and grabbing his friend, Ace had launched her back behind him to force some distance in between her and her hostage taker. Meanwhile, his other hand had reached towards his bat, preparing to strike the reptilian menace.
Though as his body acted on its own, his mind was racing to catch up with his thoughts as it erupted with surprise. Was this the same Kaia he left? What truly happened during the time they were apart? While his enchanted steel bat had given him a strength on par with the supernatural, to find her speed being used so effectively and dangerously had brought his mind to wander. She was as quick as lightning, vanishing in one place and appearing in another. If it wasn't for the gun that summoned his attention, he doubted he would have noticed where she was by the time she called out his name. Still, now was not the time to dwell on idle thoughts. Now was not the moment to shift in his focus. Kaia needed him now and their enemy would not be so willing as to let them go unscathed.
As she approached Adrian, Kaia made him attentive to her words. With each step she moved forward, he pressed the barrel harder against the hostage's head, halfway pulling the trigger by the time she reached the count of two. Though, even he could not expect the sudden momentum that came with her image moving faster than his eyes could react. Once he pulled the trigger on three, his gun was pointed skyward with his hostage being thrown away from him. The time for negotiation was over, their battle had begun. Using her hand on his wrist for leverage, Kaia pulled him into a headbutt, disorienting him for the moment. However, unfortunately for her, the snakes on his body did not react to the pain of their master. In front of them was a target, a meal to be devoured. "I warned ya, snake fucker! Now FALL ON YOUR KNEES!"
"So the prey hassss a little bite." His forked tongue slithered out of his mouth, taunting her despite her success. With her body so close, several of his snakeheads had shot from his body, biting her at her arm, neck, and shoulders. With each, they breached her skin, sending a paralytic poison inside to slow her movements and dull her thinking. He was the perfect match for a den as depraved as this one. Unlike his etymological cousins, this walking conglomerate of snakes was perfect at holding his prey still, freeing their bodies for the sick desires of others. "How do I feel insssside you?" Adrian smirked, focusing his attention on the woman in front of him. "Wasss it to your expectationsss? You're looking awfully w-" Before the serpent was able to mutter another word, a pang of steel had smashed him off of her.
"Eat steel, you hissing serpent fuck!"
Fueled by the strength of his long-awaited love, his bat had swung with an arc of light following behind it.
Adrian was sent flying towards an open cell, causing the inner light bulb to flash on and off as he collided with the dusted brick wall. As the girls nearby him had run away to escape the fighting, Adrian stumbled before lifting himself off the ground at his two opponents. "So the brute choosssses the narc. Ha... Haha... What a hilariousss sight." His body began to transform in front of them, slowly increasing his size as his bottom half and his head turned into that of a snake itself. He was a hydra-human hybrid, a rare combination likely formed within the same cells he guarded. Interestingly, his voice, upon his vocal chords transforming alongside his head as well, had become easier for the snake to use. "I suppose, I could show you what I've been hiding. It's not like any of you are going to leave this place alive."
"Wow. So a fucking magic trick is all you're capable of?" Ignorance is bliss. "Huh?" While the monster might have put fear into many of the newer agents Adriana had in payroll, Ace didn't appear phased. His bravery had caught the hydra by surprise. "A cheap costume? Halloween was a couple weeks ago you dipshit." His bat was glowing with the heat that came with its speed hitting air resistance. "You're not fooling anyone with that bargain bin bullshit." Responding to Ace's insults, the hydra had shot his smaller snake heads in his direction. "Let's see if you're still talking like with poison running through your veins." Giving Kaia the look that he has it all under control, he lipped words only for her to see. [While I have his attention Kaia, rock his shit. Save some hits for me though, I have a lot of steam to blow off.] Seeing her give a non-verbal, knowing response, he advanced with purpose.
"You will pay for your ignorance, Ace!" As the snakes reached out to bite and coil around him, they were struck with the same intensity that his main body did. Ace did not offer Adrian mercy just because he worked with him. After all he saw in the prison cells and all he did with attacking his Kaia, he was angry. Adrian was no better than her parents, but unlike them, Ace had an opportunity to punish him because he was still breathing. He was a monster that forsaken humanity in exchange for wanton physical intimacies that borderlined obsession. "I'm not playing around, Adrian... I'm going to beat your fucking skull in whether you beg for forgiveness or not. And after that? I'll keep beating your corpse until there's nothing left of you to remember." Ace's eyes grew dark as he approached the snake in his own darkness. His own realm was not safe from Ace's anger. "No one is going to save you here. Not the police. Not your friends. And not whatever fucking god was stupid enough to bring you into this reality."
The ground shook with every swing, cracking the skulls and heads of whichever snake dared approach him. While he got like this, Kaia knew he was too stubborn to fail. It was this tenacity against even the supernatural themselves which lent him resilience against the odds. Far more human than most humans, he followed the call of his soul and lived his life as though he had no tomorrow. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes again and let another soul suffer in silence. If he had any say in it, he was going to be the weapon behind the imprisoned, their light in the darkness. As the other team had made it to them, Ace gave them an order.
"Lock the door behind us. I don't want any of you to open it until we're done with him."
Kaia sneered as she slammed her head into his once more, even with the snakes sinking their fangs into her jumpsuit they found that they could not penetrate.
One by one she began to rip the snakes off her body as their fangs tried to nick and slice at her suit, but the nano fiber was simply too durable to be pierced by such weak jaws. She jumped back when Ace had bashed in the man's skull and promptly ripped his gun away from him.
Everything felt as though it was happening in just seconds, as if the walls around them were mere heartbeats away from crumbling around them. Despite her resilience, her fury, and her determination in getting this job done... There was a looming dread that crept into her heart.
It was like that with every job she faced that involved the links to her past that she wanted to forget.
As she watched the man attempt to recover from the brutal blow of Ace's baseball bat she heard the echoes in the hallways. It felt like she was hearing the ghosts of those that perished here. Surprisingly enough she hadn't been seeing red until now. The click of the lock behind them was the only signal she needed to continue the torment.
Pretty pale hands wrapped around his neck.
"Pray someone beyond the grave will take pity on you."
Kaia sunk her nails into his throat as she began to squeeze, her breathing picked up as she put all of her strength into strangling this man. This wasn't her job, she was supposed to detain him if anything, regardless of what Ace would have to say about it... But she was filled with absolute rage. Her anger was unrelenting so much so her eyes began to water and she cried. Warm tears fell on Adrian's face as she attempted to squeeze the life from him. It should have been euphoric seeing him suffer like this... but those cold snake eyes only filled her with anger. There was no point in giving him some do-gooder hero speech on how he hurt so many people, and now he was at his end, how they had won and he had lost. What would the point be?
He may have fought back, but in the end he was just as heartless and soulless as the rest of those like him.
Death would mean nothing to him in the grand scheme of things.
So her grip became crushing as she grit her teeth. She had eventually just started screaming in his face, getting on her knees to pin his arms down and straddle his chest. She fucking hated him. That much was obvious. Spit flew from her mouth as she crushed the life out of him, and then a sickening crack.
Kaia had shot her hands to his face. One at the back of his head and the other clenching his jaw as she let out another anguished howl and she twisted his head to the side roughly. Trying to snap his neck. There was no time to make it slow and painful. He would just taunt the two anyway. Whether or not her neck snapping worked remained to be seen... but she put all of her energy into snapping his neck.
The voice rang in her ears again. The whispers in her ears as she looked up towards the corridor with flickering lights. She stood up and looked back at Ace. "Deal with what remains... There's something else here. I... I can feel it."
She spoke and began to run.
She ran through the dimly lit corridors. Lights were flickering on and off and she could hear the buzz of the florescent lights lingering in her head. Kaia was blinking tears away as she followed the whispers. She knew just where to go... How? There was a strange feeling in her gut that told her so. Instinct or magic... it was hard to say... but she kept running.
When she found the heavy metal door at the end she had promptly shot off the lock and busted in. Despite the supernatural they had just fought, this place was just a normal traffickers den if she had ever seen one. And unfortunately in her line of work she had seen many. Much more than she wanted to.
When she broke into the musty old room she held up her flash light. Pointing it in every direction... the smell had hit her first. The stench of rot and bile mixed with ashes and burnt hair... The had seen the big metal machine first. That explained why things were so deep underground... after all... Not everyone survived the tortures of trafficking. Many died either from illness of bad living conditions, infections, and even suicide... What could you do to hide so many bodies without arousing suspicion?
You melt them, crush them, or burn them... sure those weren't the only methods, but when you had money and time then you could do pretty much anything.
Next she had seen the cages, the bodies that were wrapped in tarps to keep the floor from getting too messy.
She had seen it some many times on normal murder investigations, but this? She wanted to puke. Her eyes welled again and she steeled herself, turning to investigate what she could.
One by one she pulled away the tarps, discovering bodies in various forms of decay. Her blood ran cold when she saw a familiar face among them...
Agent Carissa Lancaster.
A rookie who had just joined the SSU. Kaia had the pleasure of training this one herself. Her eyes were always so bright and cheerful. Not the most desirable trait in the SSU compared to more of their battle hardened brothers and sisters, but one that helped morale in certain circumstances. She was a young half elf that was recruited... who wanted to make a difference. And there she was, pale and in the first stages of decomposition.
She remembered when Carissa had gone missing months ago. The rookie had bit off more than she could chew and was MIA, SSU search parties were put out but their trackers had picked up nothing as it was likely destroyed.
Kaia was going to have to make a report on this... And so she made the call.
"Barracuda requesting back up. I'm at..."
She listed off the address and took a breath. "You alright agent?"
A voice sounded from the other end of her radio and Kaia took a shaky breath. "The independent mission I was telling you about... I found one of ours."
There was silence on the other line for a while before the woman spoke once more. "Are they..."
She trailed off when Kaia answered back. "Deceased."
"Are there anymore hostiles?"
"Unknown. Send a medical team, mask them up and work quietly... these gangs... they're... well... I'll just tell Ace."
"Acknowledged. Sending a small medical team and rerouting Zero to your area. Stay sharp. Madison out."
The line cut shortly after that conversation. Kaia began to snap some photos and when she continued to investigate... she even found children. No more than ten at least. She wanted to scream and cry once more, but there would be a time in place... in the corner she heard a half sob... a young survivor in a cage. Kaia looked to her and approached. The child looked mutated, surrounded by bloody body parts that had been bitten out of. Her ears were the first thing she saw... and antlers...? Rabbit ears sprung from the child's head along with two growing antlers.
A supernatural...
Kaia took a knee and spoke softly. "Hey there... are you ok? I'm here to get you out." She spoke softly and the little girl looked up at her... her ears twitching in all directions and Kaia gasped softly... the child had no eyes.
"S-Save... me...?"
She cracked out, her voice hoarse and squeaky from disuse.
"Mhm... I'm gonna get you out of here ok?"
Kaia spoke through her own half sobs as she started to pick the lock, not wanting to risk hurting the kid if she shot at it.
There was silence between the two as Kaia brought the girl out and held her up, stepping back out into the corridor and walking towards Ace once more. Surely he had his fun with tormenting that damned snake monster.
The light against the child showed that she was covered in marks and scratches, brands, and wounds that had begun to fester. "Ace. We need to leave asap... I called for help. I hope you understand."
She spoke softly and looked to be on the verge of tears once more. This... All of this was utterly overwhelming. She needed a break... and a strong drink.
The small girl began to hug onto Kaia, matted blood stained hair that was once white brushed against her face mask and a tear began to fall from Kaia's eyes. She didn't know what to expect... but it certainly wasn't any of this.
Then the girl in her arms began to cry too... tears leaking from hollow sockets...
This was a victory to some... but to Kaia... it was a tragedy, yet just another day for her.... no matter how many sex rings they took down, how many criminals purged from the world or locked away... the job was never over... and it never got easier. She just knew how to cope better. She had a strange resilience to cases like these with her past back in the day being the reason why, but even then it couldn't prepare her for things like this.
ββββββββββββββββββββ ββ β ββββββββββββββββββββ Fear. The most intense biological reaction among all living organisms.
It was an emotion that transcended culture, understood by every species that wielded a brain. ββββββββββββββββββββ ββ β ββββββββββββββββββββ Ι΄α΄α΄‘ α΄Κα΄ΚΙͺΙ΄Ι’: Ιͺ α΄Κα΄κ±α΄ α΄ Ιͺα΄Κα΄Ι΄α΄α΄ | α΄α΄α΄α΄ ΚΙͺΚΚ β» β || β· βΊ
I popped off, it's been a little borin'
All my enemies are hiding out, it gets annoyin'
Guess I gotta sniff 'em out, I'm searchin' 'til the mornin'
Finally found the prey, okay so now's the day for mournin'
I used to want to kill myself, but now I only kill the snakes Bitch, don't say you know me, 'cause you've always been a fake
I've been posted in my dungeon, got the tools to make you vanish
I been itchin' for destruction, I might take over the planet, uh ββββββββββββββββββββ ββ β ββββββββββββββββββββ "Pray someone beyond the grave will take pity on you."
Kaia's grip refused to give even an inch, aware of the serpent warden's sins. With an anger refined by the vengeful fire of pure hatred towards all who would sought to subject another conscious living being of her accursed fate, she stripped her foe of his right to breathe. His claws pawed at her face first in an attempt to break free from her grip to no avail. Despite whatever the scratches he could inflict to her jumpsuit or her helmet, her body was much stronger than he ever could expect. She was angry.
"You... Will... Pay.... For this..." He wastefully hissed at her, using up whatever valuable stores remained of his breath even faster as he tried to break free of her hold. With his digits bearing into her wrists, he tried to pry her body free. However, despite the enhanced effects of his adrenaline coursing through his veins, his body was starting to give in. His own muscles struggled to wield its strength against her, her own soul strangling the breath of life from his own.
With his consciousness now escaping, the serpent captor could barely hear the sounds of her voice screaming curses at his existence. He couldn't resist her sudden mounting, falling prey to her whims as he was tossed to the floor. Only until she relented in her grip, where his eyes started to see the flames of hell opening up to claim him, did she give him the mercy of a single breath before finally crushing his neck, swiftly ending the existence of the monster that inflicted so much harm.
"You alright Kai-" Before Ace had a chance to ask her if she was alright after watching her sudden wrathful display, Kaia interrupted him. "Deal with what remains... There's something else here. I... I can feel it." He nodded his head. Now was not the time for questions. If there were others in need of help, he needed to assign orders and be a leader. Turning to his own, he quickly explained to those who made it down the basement with him what to do with the remaining prisoners before running in the direction his partner had charged in. "Damn it, out of all the times to split up. Now's not it."
Kaia was always much faster than him. He never had a doubt that she would have been the lead of his school's female track team if she wasn't so distracted with hanging out with him and his sisters after school. However, the speed at which she moved now astonished him. She was able to move faster than what he deemed was possible, like the superheroes of the dorky manga he would hide from the others to read in private. However, despite her speed, she wasn't quiet. Her feet carried sound that echoed down the dark hallway. Following the sounds, he eventually heard her feet stop before being met with a sight he grew far too accustomed to: Bodies. By the time he reached her, he found Kaia standing in front of a pile of corpses stacked nearly to the ceiling. Beside the bodies stood an open furnace, reeking of burnt flesh and ash.
"The independent mission I was telling you about... I found one of ours."
Unlike him, she failed to make it on time. "Unknown. Send a medical team, mask them up and work quietly... these gangs... they're... well... I'll just tell Ace."
"Kaia. We did what we could. At least, we were in time to save a lot of people. Don't forget that, yeah?" Ace put a hand on her shoulder as they both gazed upon oblivion. Not every rescue was going to be successful, that was the reality that came alongside working against these sex rings. For every club he managed to take down, there would be three that sprouted of its place, each costing the blood of the innocent and righteous to slay. They were a stubborn mold on society that were quick to fill in the power vacuum of those who weren't enough to handle the pressure of competition or the sting operations of law enforcement. Yet, while it was an endless job, he saved countless lives. They were bound to save more by advancing into the dens where few others would wish the same. Trauma were the emotional scars that came from this hidden war. Finding her lack of a breakdown upon seeing one of her own lay dead in front of her, he realized just how far she had come since. Though, before they were able to recollect themselves and collect evidence for a case, they heard a voice squeak from a cage.
"Hey there... are you ok? I'm here to get you out." Kaia was the first to approach. Ace on the other hand was still wary of enemies afoot. Even as the sounds of conflict had ended above, he never believed there was such a thing as being too careful in this line of work. "S-Save... me...?" The child-like voice spoke again, her voice strained from a lack of water and food. As he turned his attention towards the sound, he saw a girl who was hurt. Where her eyes should have been, he found voids staring back. For a moment, he blinked to ensure that what he was seeing was reality. It was the first time he saw ears and antlers on someone else, let alone someone able to survive the extent of her injuries. Though, instead of responding with the typical ignorance towards supernaturals he usually did, Ace followed Kaia and approached her with sympathy in his voice. "We'll get you out of here. Promise."
"Mhm... I'm gonna get you out of here ok?" As Kaia attempted to pick the lock, Ace aimed his bat at the cage. "Stand aside, Kaia. You too, little one." Grabbing his bat with both hands, he carefully jammed it against the hinges of the cage's doors, knocking the bolts loose before prying the door off. "There. Take my hand, okay?" Reaching into the cage, he gingerly wrapped his hands around the girl's own before tossing a jacket over her antlers. "That should keep you from getting cold. It's chilly outside." He spoke to her like he did his little sister. Far too often he was subject to scenes where he had to play the hero for someone who couldn't defend themselves, but to see a girl like this so close to death, it made his heart cry in his chest for her. Tears dripped from his eyes as Kaia spoke her thoughts. "Ace. We need to leave asap... I called for help. I hope you understand."
"Of course. We overstayed our welcome here. I doubt there's anything left to do other than bury the dead." Ace gestured over to Kaia to follow him, slowing down his pace for the girl's footsteps to keep up. However, after seeing her tremble and nearly lose her fitting, Ace took her by the legs and carried her like a princess. "There, there. You fought your battle. Let me take care of the rest, okay?" His words were no louder than a whisper. His arms were careful not to inflict any more pain. "My name's Ace. What's yours?" Upon hearing her name, he gently patted her shoulder. "That's a beautiful name. I'll do my best to remember that if you try to remember mine."
With the darkness of the dungeon and the stench of corpses behind them, the air began to lighten up as their surroundings had returned to that of normal. Spare the shells and the bodies on the floor as the result of the recent gunfight, Ace felt himself relax being in familiar territory once again. His own crew saluted him by bracing their fists to their chest before returning back to the task of tending to the wounded and securing the perimeter. As his crew gave the sign to his gang that local law enforcement was coming in to investigate, the gang members began to make their escape, careful not to leave any evidence behind that would tie themselves to the crime scene.
"We've all been through enough tonight." ββββββββββββββββββββ ββ β ββββββββββββββββββββ Chapter 2.1Reunion
"Zero, right? Heard from Kaia that you're a big deal around here."
With the long night now behind them, Ace followed the orders of the agents who arrived on scene, eventually being taken into custody for questioning so he could be there to examine the wellbeing of the little girl. Now standing in front of a window in the medical bay that allowed vision into the emergency room, he saw what the local staff recognized as a fairy working on her to heal her back to normal. An amber aura surrounded her hands as the wounds closed, leaving Ace amazed at the miraculous scenes in play around him. This was far from the ordinary life he grew used to. Unlike the human dominated world of the city beyond the walls of the SSU, here it seemed that humans were the minority. "Thanks for the help last night. I appreciate it."
The gang leader was humble in person to those he couldn't fight without. While his opinion of the organization that Kaia was a part of was still for the most part negative, he couldn't deny that their state of the art facilities, their capable staff, and their futuristic equipment could fight the sex rings on a level that his gang could only dream of achieving. If he were to find any success against the growing number of criminals that sought to enterprise off of the trafficking of supernaturals and humans alike, he and his gang would have to work with them. "I wanted to ask a few questions. Tried to ask your boss the same but she was too busy to really ask anything more than a few questions about what went on last night." Ace placed his hand on the mirror, praying quietly for the little girl's wellbeing before turning his attention to the assassin herself.
"Just what are you guys?" His eyes stared at her mask, curious as to the shape of her ears. She lacked the warm breath of a living being. Even while out in the cold the night prior, unlike Kaia and himself, her words lacked the mist that would suggest warm blood. "Clearly, this isn't a dream. I'd have woken up by now." He turned to the girl before returning his attention back to Zero. "So that just means one thing. You guys... And this thing. They're all real, but it makes me wonder why you and the others would go so far out of your way to deal with a sex ring like that. Given the funding here, I could imagine you all do work for the government. IRS type shit but with aliens and ghosts and other shit right?" He leaned back against the wall, continuing with his questioning.
"Hell, even your shadow isn't acting normal. Your boss too. She has fangs. No fucking way you're just assigned to dealing with street crime." He thought of his interview with Adriana. While she spoke, his eyes followed her elongated canines and her glowing eyes. "And Kaia too. Or I mean... Barracuda; What the fuck happened to her? Last time I checked, she was human. But now?" He remembered how she disappeared from one place and reappeared in another. "I don't know anymore. I don't know if I'm fucking around with forces I don't understand by being here but... I owe you guys." He reached for his cig, preparing to light it to calm his nerves. With her mask on, he couldn't tell where she was looking or if she blinked. If not for Kaia bringing Zero up as a she, he would have even doubted her gender. "So what now? Adriana told me to stay around for some reason but she never told me why. Know why?"
Ace could say all that he wanted, but when he looked into the hollow pits that once held beautiful eyes that had yet to fully embrace the world... she could not help but to scream and cry to herself. This should not have happened. This shouldn't be something that could happen. Why a child?
Why someone who barely had a voice for themselves?
Kaia pulled the hood over the young child, her own eyes becoming frozen and icy when she looked back at Ace once more.
"I just don't understand it..."
Kaia didn't know what more she could say or do. Ace was right, today was honestly better than most days. There were people to save, the ringleader caught and killed... so many woman, girls, men, and boys... they had their lives back. They had freedom again, they got to see that light at the end of the tunnel after all.
Kaia knew that it wasn't so simple... these people were mere husks, they got a chance sure, but how many would end up dead anyway from the looming fears and the crippling trauma? She was in their shoes once.
She remembered that fateful day all over again. She watched the people that tormented her and countless others burn until there was nothing left that could turn to ash and soot... and yet she felt just as empty. That victory saved countless kids, the people she called her siblings... and yet the victory felt so hollow.
Sure they were alive, but in her eyes they were still far too late. None of this should have happened. Not to them, these girls, Carissa, the child she held in her hands... no one.
"How many more have to be found in these hell pits before enough is enough...?"
Kaia took a deep breath and steeled herself for what was to come. She stayed close to Ace and the young girl. The rabbit ears on the child's head began to twitch and flicker as she looked up into Ace's general direction.
"My name... Is... Isha..."
She mumbled out as Kaia sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye. The time to cry again would come later she was sure, but right now she needed to get this poor girl to a doctor.
"Isha, huh? I think that's a cute name kiddo. Let's get you something to eat, M'kay?"She smiled and gently ruffled the grey fringe on the little bunny girl. Isha simply nodded and curled up into Ace's arms, eventually being brought far off into the other side of town.
Kaia gave Ace a look, then looks to his gang... she knew she would have a lot to explain once they were safe again.
Zero listened intently to his curiosities and concerns, allowing herself a laugh now and again when she wanted to.
She lowered her hood and exposed the long elven ears, black and silver hair fell in a fringe over a masked eye. There was definitely some sort of uniform for the SSU her, most agents wearing sleek jumpsuits with combat boots, work gloves, and in some cases masks and helmets, though that was mostly reserved for those in active missions and the like. Zero wasn't wearing anything that would show she was a part of the SSU though. Her mask was creepy and looked like it was made from porcelain as opposed to the matte black or white Kevlar variants that only had holes at the eyes, This one though was painted and carved into to look like a scary face.
She was also wearing a short black dress, it had a lowered hood, long sleeves, and judging by some of the dried blood and grime from helping out earlier... this was definitely her work attire. Not to mention the heeled thigh high boots. She looked about six foot three if you accounted for the tall heels.
"I wouldn't say I am a big deal... but I do what I must to help or get the job done."She shrugged and ran black manicured nails through her hair. Judging by the accent she most certainly wasn't American. "And it's no problem, it was my day off so I had all the time in the world... besides, the Barracuda has been chasing things like that for a while. Always swore I'd help her if she ever needed it on shit like that... It's a shame what happened, but at least people were saved."She sighed and took Ace to a small lounge area. She wanted to get his mind off the girl they were watching in the small hospital room. Kaia was sat over her, watching and waiting. Just trying to keep herself together. Plus, she had a report to write up, that's what the little laptop in her hands was for, typing away to the sound of tiny wheezing lungs and the beep of the heart monitor.
The cocktail lounge in the deeper halls of the SSU seemed to be quite the stark contrast to greyscale office lobby that he was in just moments prior. Zero had promptly got them a table and a drink for their troubles. A well aged bourbon patched up a plethora of wounds if one drank enough. "So... to answer your extremely loaded question... We are a branch of the CIA. We do take care of things you've mentioned, but sex rings are definitely something we'll gladly take on if we have to, not only that..."Zero then produced a folder and slid out a photo, a familiar face. Adrian, that venomous snake man that Kaia had strangled back there in the basement just last night... His eyes wide open yet lacking any light. "This is your guy I was told... Your girlfriend told me to spare no details from you... so here goes. That man was responsible for several deaths and kidnappings across the city, the state, and farther... we may not deal with petty crimes and serial killers... but threats like this? Especially when some of our own get taken? That becomes an issue, and not only that... you may believe otherwise, but this man was not human. We assume he was some sort of summoner or a Naga, which is a spirit or monster that is humanoid and serpentine... I'll put it plainly, kiddo. There is magic in this world that you, I, and even our esteemed vampire leader could not fully fathom..."She took her time trying to explain many of the concepts she knew would be foreign to the street gangster, but at least he wasn't entirely ignorant by the observations he had made.
"But you are correct, I am a half fae, many of these super natural species can breed with humans, and while not many areas of the world believe in us... well... we are living proof. Though I don't blame them, even I was raised to believe I was human until I found out about my powers. Many people her are the same. Our goals are simple. We try to keep this country from imploding on itself, things like elves, demons, vampires, angels, werewolves, mermaids, even damn cat people exist in this strange place... and you'll meet many here... as for... Kaia... She is... touched. There are powerful beings in this world that will bestow power for a price. Kaia is one of them... but even still, magic is everywhere. It is in the air we breathe, which means even the common human could study magic and train in using the magic around them, even animals are potentially capable of harnessing magic... but that doesn't make us immortal. Many humans do not like what they do not understand..."
Zero took a break and a breath. Thinking about her next words carefully, knowing damn well that all of this would be damn near overwhelming to take in for any normal person.
"I'll keep the rest short and sweet. We employ humans, we employ non-humans. I won't say we're a bunch of bleeding heart humanitarians that want to save the world, but there are many people human or not that would love to do what they can to raze hell here and everywhere else. We aren't the only SSU building here. We have locations across the globe, Sometimes we gotta go out and strike down a human or a non-human who's trying to fuck more people over, threats that could cause things like famines, wars, infestations on national levels, and more... magic is a dangerous thing. So we fight to keep the world from killing each other. To many out there it's a humans versus non humans fight... but it's not true, and if we want to keep shit from hitting the fan then we work together... and if Adriana is telling you to stick around... then that must mean she wishes to make a deal with you. She has eyes everywhere, and she has some... particularly useful talents." She explained and worked on what was likely her seventh glass of Whiskey. She was drinking it like water and wasn't even tipsy... damn. She missed getting a nice buzz time to time...
"Look, I won't give you a motivational speech on joining us for the greater good, that we're the good guys and we could use a guy like you, and so on so forth... But if Adriana and Kaia see good in you, I'd say go for it. This place takes care of its people, the pay and benefits are good, and if you're on the same mission as us anyway, why not get better tools to fight with? You wouldn't be the first or last gang member to find work here, I'd give it consideration, 'specially if you wanna keep in easy contact with your girl, she was supposed to be in Berlin right now, but when she found you again... well... here we are."
Zero snorted and kicked it back with a wide grin, shimmering black lips and sharp teeth that cracked through the ice cubes in her glass like they were pieces of candy or something.
"But there is one thing we don't exactly want to... negotiate on. Next time you make a bust like that, call your girl instead. She'll have the proper help arrive for those that are hurt, with the shit healthcare in this country, we ain't letting the ones that suffered have to go through anymore hoops just to be ok and find some semblance of normality again... as for the kid you both found, we haven't found any family yet, so she'll be staying here. You don't find a lot of orphaned supernaturals that are adopted out of pure kindness."She spoke and placed down her empty glass and adjusted her mask.
"Any more questions I could answer for you?" Zero needed to get this show on the road, lest a certain vampire get too irritated by the lack of time his slave was spending with him that day.
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ An explanation that left more questions than gave answers.
This was a truth hidden in plain sight; A reality that even the most ignorant couldn't deny. ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ Ι΄α΄α΄‘ α΄Κα΄ΚΙͺΙ΄Ι’: κ±α΄α΄α΄Κα΄'κ± κ°α΄Κα΄α΄‘α΄ΚΚ | Κα΄α΄Γ x α΄ α΄α΄Ιͺα΄Ι΄ κ°Κα΄α΄α΄ β» β || β· βΊ ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
Following Zero towards the cocktail lounge, Ace was met with lavish accommodations akin to that of vampire nobility in fantasy stories. Curtains shrouded the walls nearby, glowing with the light of the nearby bulbs shrouded in red shades. Combined, their appearance mimicked the luminescence of a fireplace without the risk of embers it wrought. Sitting atop the comfortable cushions were species of different types; Cat people of various sizes, fairies, vampires, humans, robots, elementals, and undead alike, each speaking to each other as though the scene that played before them was an everyday normal. To find people so different speaking together as allies and friends had shed light on his once thought, merciless world.
Though the odd sight of it all had made Ace feel as though every event that occurred over the night before was the result of a fever dream. Out of everything that happened, how did he end up here? What did Kaia do to get involved with these people? However, the pain he felt when he saw Isha's hollow face, the emotions he experienced when he found Kaia again, and even the touch of flesh from both his bat and his lips were all too intense for him to deny. Ace wasn't too stupid as to acknowledge what occurred around him. If this was Kaia's normal, then he believed that it could be his new normal too. Though, out of everything seen and said, he had a hard time believing that the CIA organization that hired Kaia was interested in him too.
"So you're telling me, this Adriana, whoever she is... Wants me?" Ace took a sip of the glass offered to him once he saw her partake in the bourbon. One drink had told him all he needed to know about the organization. Whoever the owner was, they spared no expense when it came to taking care of their staff properly. "Why?" He swirled his glass, looking at his own reflection in the murky liquid. He was nowhere near a legal hero, always finding himself acting on behalf of a vigilante; A vagabond that sought justice. "I'm not good like you all. I've gotten into this racket for selfish reasons, and I doubt my reputation would suddenly just disappear the moment I start working for you guys."
He turned towards the nearby humans, curious as to what brought them here as well. If his story wasn't all that extraordinary when compared to people that fought disasters on a wider scale, he doubted he was anything interesting. "And I'm not like her. I can't suddenly shift from point to point. Hell, I doubt I could even take most of these people here in a fight without cheating anyways. What do I have to give her? A gang? Another set of arms for guns? What?"
Aware of his own limitations after seeing Kaia do the equivalent of what seemed like teleportation, he wondered whether he could belong there if he wanted to. Ace wasn't anything more than someone brave with a bat that allowed him to manage any human foe and a crew that would follow him to the end. To him, it was hard to accept the terms of the contract when all it seemed was that it would benefit him. A fate with Kaia like this sounded too good to be true:A job where he was paid to save the world his own way. All it cost was giving up the life he knew before finding her again.
"If you wanted to lie to me, you could do a better job than that, Zero. I know when something sounds too good to be true." Skeptical, he kept himself wary of any easy opportunities. His life before had taught him that anything that sounded too good to be true usually was a trap in wait. It was this anxiety over good happening to him without some form of sacrifice that kept him alive even in the depths of hell. Yet he couldn't deny that the girl who approached him as Kaia was her. She knew his name, his history, and even the emotions inside his heart. Having his past self combat his anxieties born from experience in the criminal underground had torn his mind apart; He wanted to stay, but he didn't want to be tricked.
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ "Oh, so you're the Ace everyone is talking about."
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
Rising from her shadow, her vampire master had made his presence known. "Human, yet extraordinary the same." Ace reached over towards his bat upon hearing Fenn speak, though before he could react further, he noticed Zero's body tense up, ready to respond to whatever he could pull on Fenn by surprise. "Relax. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead already." Fenn inhaled a red solution, puffing out a red fog scented with the blood of his beloved slave. It was something made specifically for him to help keep his cravings in check during work hours. "Besides, I used to believe the same as you. That a life like this was too good to be true."
Fenn tapped the table to get a nearby palico's attention. "Another glass for me please." Saluting the agent, the small cat went into the backroom to prepare the vampire a clean glass to drink with. As he waited, he pulled a seat to take by Zero's side, holding a pipe with one hand while his other remained crested around her waist. "That was, until I started living it. Now I won't say, it would cost you the same to work here of course. What I'd have to give up upon entering was much more expensive than you... But you shouldn't believe that an opportunity like this one is false. Don't waste it." He shook his head as he spoke, every word void of lies. "If Adriana makes a promise, she keeps it. That I can say for certain."
Ace looked at Fenn with a bit of skepticism. "You're what? A vampire? Why should I fucking trust you?" Fenn sighed, taking another puff of his pipe. "You don't have to. In all honesty, I don't care whether you and your little Kaia end up together or whether you leave past that door, only to be fated to die in some ditch." He turned towards Zero as she shifted in her seat. "But, if Zero believes you're good to have around, then the least I could do is help her out." Grabbing her chin, he pecked her on the lips. "Nothing tastes quite like your lips in bourbon, dear."
The gang leader took another sip of his bourbon as the small cat waiter delivered Fenn another glass. "I guess you make some sense." While it defied his morals working alongside an organization he believed was corrupt at its core: Law enforcement; If someone like Kaia were to choose to work here, then it meant that there was something worth defending here; Someone worth following. "Fine, I'll give Adriana a shot. No promises on whether I agree."
Before he got up, instead of leaving her behind, he voiced his gratitude. "Whatever happens though, thanks for taking care of Isha, Zero. I'm not cut out to be a father, but I hoped that I could find a place where she could be safe. I don't want her to ever go through any of that again." Finishing his glass, he left the two to their own devices, following Zero's directions to where Adriana's office lied.
"Thought you could escape your duties to me, dear." Left alone, Fenn whispered into Zero's ear. "Don't think that this medicine would be enough to fully placate my desires for you." As his hand brushed up her thigh, he put his pipe aside to brush the hair away from her ear so she couldn't mishear. "I'm going to need a bit more than usual to prepare for our first mission tonight. You wouldn't deny me what I want from you, would you?"
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"So you're the woman, Kaia and Zero told me to meet."
Ace sat across from the leader of the organization, now aware of just how vast the power difference that lied between them. Her eyes knew when he was coming before he entered the room, already taken off of her computer monitors while he came in unannounced. The guards who stood outside her door already knew his name before entering, lacking a need to see his ID to know just who their boss was expecting. "How much of this did you have planned?" Staring at her, he couldn't find an inch of weakness. It was hard to decipher her emotions and thoughts through her frigid eyes.
"Look, I'll cut to the chase." He placed his elbows on her desk, leaning forward to show his vested interest. "I've been told to meet with you. That you're interested in recruiting me by Kaia and Zero." Instead of keeping his bat to his side, he placed the bat onto the desk to show that he meant no ill will. With his guns stripped at the front entrance as a result of his visitor pass, he was left unarmed in her presence. "But before you try to win me with money or magic or whatever the fuck you plan on doing to me, I had a few questions I need to hear answers to first before I give you an answer."
Raising a finger to display the number one, he brought up his first question. "Why the hell would I be interesting to you? You have so many more powerful people around here. From vamps, demons, and other supernatural shit I've only seen in comic books; Why me? An ordinary human?" He wondered whether Kaia had powers from the beginning or whether she earned them sometime during their time apart. "I don't have superpowers or anything special. Just a bat and a bunch of ex-prisoners and slaves following me. All of them human too... I think."
Raising up a second finger to display his second question, Ace spoke up again. "Where did you find Kaia?" After she left him, he thought she was dead. She went missing for years, unable to be found despite the best of his abilities. "And how did you manage to convince her to work for you? Last I checked, she hated the government types... Or at least, that's what she told me before seeing me for the last time." He looked down, feeling the buzz of the bourbon hit his body.
Raising up a third finger, he voiced out his final question. "And what if I told you that I wasn't interested in leaving my family behind?" He thought of how his gang would respond to seeing him working beside law enforcement rather than against it. While some might understand that the decision he made was with his best interest in mind, he couldn't deny that some others would see it as treachery, working with the enemy just because they had his girlfriend. "If I come here to work here, I want to take them with me. Not all of them want to fight. Some help out in other ways that aren't exclusively involved with gunfire, but I'm not gonna leave them just because Kaia is here."
His hands balled into a fist after thinking of all they went through together. Many among his gang had died to free others like them from being sold into the sex trade. If their money could be made legally, he believed that it would help them more than hurt them as a whole, though he wasn't going to sacrifice the dreams of everyone who left him prior for an opportunity to reunite with his long lost love. "They mean the world to me; And me likewise with them. Many sacrificed their lives in order to keep this family safe." He took a deep breath, before opening his hand and extending it to her.
"If you want me, it'll come under certain conditions. All I'm asking for is amnesty for their past crimes, a chance to work in any role they choose where they could earn their living, and a home for them where they could know safety." Ace understood his terms weren't the most acceptable. However, with the opportunity to negotiate on the table, he was going to use the value Zero and Kaia saw in him to the advantage of all who sacrificed their lives to give him this chance. "You promise me all those and follow through with that promise, and you'll be able to order me to fight hell itself."
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"So what do you say, Adriana?"
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
A fever dream was one way to put it, and it was a pretty spot on way of seeing things here. If you were just some random nine to five wage cuck at a credit union or some regular drive thru employee at the nearest burger joint then stepping into this place must have felt like walking into the scene of some strange sci-fi movie or maybe Criminal Minds if you looked into it hard enough. But instead of cracking bank robbery cases and drug deals these people were fighting threats that most would only see as only a fantasy. Something they would see on their super hero movies or their old fantasy videogames.
Zero took a deep breath and began to lay everything out as best as she could, it wasn't an easy process. Just years ago she was in his position albeit much more erratic and prone to losing her mind in that situation. In her eyes the world had failed her, and she was so ready to make it everyone's problem. Then she found out about these strange powers, the illusion had fallen and the next thing she knew she looked ghostly pale, long dagger like ears, a neck that looked ready to snap at the winds call, and the eyes of a ghost. She hadn't felt true warmth in a long long time, but even then that warmth was nothing more than an illusion... She had never been warm, she never had those jade green eyes that she remembered, she never had that humanity that she had believed in all of those years ago. She may have human blood, but in the eyes of most she was still a monster.
"You're right. Your reputation wouldn't fade, and you're not like me... hell you're not like anyone I've ever met... You're perfectly human, that is true... and you being selfish is also true... but you're not the only one to do that. I once took an offer to become stronger so I could avenge those I loved and lost. If that's not selfish I don't know what is. I'm not the perfect agent, I'm reckless and erratic... I am not as strong as many here... we have some amazing people here both human and not human who are here too... they're here to help themselves, their loved ones, their families, their country... And all of that is perfectly ok."
She replied and placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it gently.
Zero had met many people here, hell she more than likely interacted with everything individual here at least once, she was an informant after all... she knew everything about everybody... at least to an extent, and typically the lower the rank the easier the information.
"That's the beauty of this place I suppose... we get a lot of people, so many different backgrounds, statuses, species, all of it... you're not the only street kid here you know... and we don't expect you to change either. I understand why you see this place as too good to be true... I was like that. I thought they only wanted the power out of me... and to be completely transparent with you, kid. They do... she- Adriana does... but it's not for the sake of it. She uses me as the good little soldier girl I am, and I get paid... but more than that I get taken care of, I honed these powers because of her and the people here that believed I could do it, that helped me achieve it."
Zero spoke with unwavering conviction as she pull shadows from the ground and brought them into a physical form.
"The shadows call me, home."
Before she could talk further she felt something writhe in her own shadow, her eyes flicked towards the moving black mass as the figure rose from it, a pipe in his hand with a metallic smelling red mist as it seeped between his fangs and into the red lighting above.
Leave it to a vampire prince to make a dramatic entrance. She listened to the two talk back and forth, a dreamy look in her eyes only hidden by the strange mask as she stared at the vampire as though he was the only other existing soul in the world... then she shook her head and came back to her senses, resting a hand on his thigh as she looked at Ace once more. "Look. . . I'm not gonna lie to you and pretend that working here will make you millions, or that you'll be safe and never have to worry about being harmed ever again... Because this job is risky. You have a high chance of getting killed, of losing a limb, of losing a loved one in your group. Working here does not mean you will have a promised tomorrow... but we both know you're already used to that. And if you're going to keep living that life, you may as well live in it a place that could give you the tools to make an even bigger difference. You say you're selfish, but I saw the footage on Kaia's body cam, I heard the words spoken... You cared for those people, even if it was in your own way. You went there to save your own, and in the process you saved dozens. You fought supernaturals without batting a damn eyelash even if you didn't realize their true origin, And. You. Won. Even if you had someone like Kaia to help you... you fit every category in what we'd want in a person here. Don't brush her offer off lightly."
Zero spoke as if she knew what all he had gone through, and half of her did. She lost a family once, and the family she loved dearly was still lost to this day to an extent... She knew the struggles. The grief... all of it.
She'd be damned if she didn't at least try to help someone in her shoes.
Once Ace had departed, Zero shot him a simple farewell... and then the hairs on the back of her neck promptly stood up as she let out a slight shiver at the words spoken from the silver tongued vampire. "A-Ah! N-No of course not, Master... let us depart into a more... private place to prepare... please?" Zero knew better than to decline her master... and to be frank... she didn't mind his special methods of preparation... and so she got up, adjusted her dress that had hiked up to her hips, and chugged the last of her drink before running off before the vampire could stop her and potentially take his toll right then and there.
"Planned...? I prefer calling it a prediction. I knew you'd be here... one way or another."
Most would see that as a snarky remark, snarky and condescending. Maybe some would take it as an insult too, but that was not true for Adriana... a vision, a dream, a prophesy, you could call it what ever you'd like, but Adrianna saw it as if it was a new day in her eyes. But it wasn't just one alternate outcome, not just a few, not even just many... It was thousands of visions, all slightly changed just a bit to forge a new outcome. And no matter how many she had seen, she knew that the many visions that swam in her thoughts and dreams were a drop in the ocean of potential futures.
"It was written in fate that we would cross paths... I am rather thankful that it has been on not so hostile terms."She spoke softly. Adriana had met him before... She had met him several times in her dreams. Adriana did not dream like most people, she only saw futures... some times she saw the past too. But they were not your usual dreams, not the ones you would forget moments after waking up... these dreams stayed with her.
She listened to his concerns and questions with a thoughtful expression. She had seen the outcome of this if she played her cards right as well... "I suppose it would do no good to rush things... so I will start off with my interest in you. I first wish to inform you that having no super magic or powers makes you less of a capable individual here... we have several humans working for us. Some that are simply human with the skills of the extraordinary... and some humans that I call mana blessed. You do not have to have super powers or sixth senses to join the SSU.... what was shown to me is that you are a man far more capable than you give yourself credit for, and while humans are the minority here it doesn't make them any less than an agent under my leader ship... My people are... family to me. I know them by name, and I care for them... all of them. And I am so very thankful for having such wonderful people trust me with their lives, as I would trust them with mine."
Despite the hard shell and cold walls she was used to putting up, this was no front on her part, even with the stone expression on her face. These people were cogs in the machine, but to her each and every one of them were essential in her eyes.
She had met everyone at least a dozen times over... it was why she handled interviews in person despite being so busy to begin with.
"You proved that you are not just strong in arms, but your willpower, and your spirit are unwavering in their strength... and human or not that's exactly the people I look for here."
She pursed her lips when it came to the question of his beloved Kaia... and while she normally wouldn't want to tell someone's story for them... this was a special case. "As you can tell... I am not a normal being, I see what no one else sees... it is my burden to bear. For one reason or another I saw Kaia in a dream... whether it was her past or her future... I still am not so certain, but she was fighting. Fighting for her life, and she showed no signs of letting up, when I saw that she was fighting for those that could not. I knew I had to find her. Before long I found her in the military, fighting battles she didn't have to, but never stopping all the same... and so I had her brought to me. She found out about everything here in the way that you did... she even reacted the same way, not wanting to trust the law enforcement nor the government, and quite frankly I don't blame anyone for that... but I fought to prove that not all of us are bad. Sometimes we here at the SSU must fight who we consider allies for the sake of clearing corruption... and I've done that more than I could count on one hand."
Adriana closed her eyes as she reminisced about times now gone."Convincing her wasn't easy... I made errors in judgment that almost costed me her trust, but she was kind... kind enough to forgive, and I earned that trust again. There are good and bad in every group. And I know not every agent here is as good as they say they are, all I can do is my best to work for a better tomorrow."
Adriana sighed as she took a long sip of her tea. She didn't expect him to believe the strange story she was telling him, to any it was fairly unbelievable even to most non-humans too... Future sight was a rare ability, but it was one that she had grown up with since she could remember.
When it came to his conditions she didn't have to think twice.... It would be a pain to deal with interviews with his people one after another, but if they were as reliable as Kaia made them out to be... then there was no second thought to be had.
"I wouldn't dream of ripping you away from your family, by blood or bond... I will talk to each and every one of your members to come to an arrangement... If I can confirm that they have not committed something unforgiveable and that they have the willingness to fight or work in a place like this then I will gladly take them in, they will be paid, have homes, and they will of course be taught in what ever they like. We have fantastic combat agents, but I will gladly hire cleaners, cooks, those that are good with technology, teachers, guards, gardeners, couriers, mechanics, aviation specialists, nurses, and more. I will do all that and I will put it in writing if I must. I have a clear schedule at the weekend to perform interviews... it will take a while, but if this is your price then I will gladly pay it in full and then some."
The woman declared and gave Ace a hard shake of the hand, that determined look in her eye. She would gladly print out the contract asap should he desire it. Adriana was far from a perfect woman, but like everyone here her life was full of tragedy, and the place she got to today is a place she cherished, it allowed her to make a difference in life. It allowed her to make a difference for others around her. For the people she knew would never see her face. That she would make the people that she and others here had lost, proud. Even if they were gone...
That's why she was a leader here. Because at the end of the day, everyone here was surviving together. And that was so much better than surviving alone...
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ Negotiations beget the foundation of understanding.
If she was willing to accept these terms without debate, she was someone he could trust.
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ Ι΄α΄α΄‘ α΄Κα΄ΚΙͺΙ΄Ι’: ΚΙͺκ°α΄ΚΙͺΙ΄α΄ | α΄α΄Κ α΄ΙͺΚα΄Ι’α΄ β» β || β· βΊ
I've been searching for a reason For me to carry on
I drank this poison but I kept believing That I can find a place where I belong
You gave me something That I cannot describe
And I finally felt like I can leave this mess behind ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"I'm glad we could come to an agreement." Breathing a sigh of relief with the two most stressful parts of his day out the way, Ace was content with the outcome of all that occurred. He reunited with Kaia and was able to secure an agreement with who appeared to be the most powerful person in this organization. Now came letting Kaia know about his new position, not as a passing face to disappear back onto the streets, but as someone who could fight by her side.
"I won't work for you until I see this all in paper though." Before leaving, he waited until Adriana put his contract into writing, double checking that each clause he brought up was going to be respected in its entirety. After dealing with suits that took advantage of his inexperience behind legal jargon, he wasn't going to let an opportunity like this slip because of complacency.
Once written, he stood up from his chair. "It's a pleasure to call you my boss. Treat my family right and they'll be sure to die for you, even if you're a suit." While Ace couldn't shake off his nerves standing in front of the vampire, he didn't feel as anxious as he did coming in. Adriana and her staff understood where he was coming from; Even offering an explanation to all the new sights he saw around him.
It was a lot to take in, but not something so incomprehensible that he felt like he was in a dream any longer. After seeing the horrors of what some sex rings were capable of, he had little doubt that even the supernatural would seek to take advantage of the difference in power. However, to find that there were heroes among them, many that sought a life in the light, it was a pleasant surprise. With Kaia in their ranks too and no sign of subtle manipulation that he was so used to, he had enough reason to trust her word.
"Don't take that as some sort of disrespect. I'm not used to working with your type. That's all." He turned his back to her as he approached the door that led out of her office. "Oh, and before I forget to mention." He stopped in his tracks, turning to Adriana with a smile on his face. Their reunion was made possible in part because Adriana had sent her to that location to fulfill the mission. He didn't doubt that her current life, her smile, and the powers she unleashed against the snake man were also due to Adriana's influence too.
"Thanks for taking care of Kaia. I... Really appreciate that you didn't hurt her. She's a good soul. Someone much better than me." His voice was flavored with hints of vulnerability, suggesting that the bond that lie between the two of them was powerful enough to crack through the brave face he wore. No one knew Ace quite like Kaia did. Everything about his character, from his bravery to his nickname, and even his tenacity resulting from his inspiration from comic book heroes were all thanks to the blonde that won his heart. "If something happens to me, take care of her and Isha for me. Please."
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ I can't give up. I can't give up
I can't give up on me
I know that I'm not done
Until the world will know that my life has just begun
I can't give up. I can't give up on me ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"So you're Ace."
"In the flesh. And you, our medic, are the grim fucking reaper?"
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ Ι΄α΄α΄‘ α΄Κα΄ΚΙͺΙ΄Ι’: α΄ α΄Ιͺκ±α΄α΄α΄ | α΄Κ Κα΄α΄Κα΄ α΄ β» β || β· βΊ ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"Yeah! I prefer going by Ashe, but whatever floats your boat." Ashe shrugged, looking into his medical pouch to double check the count of their emergency supplies. While his wings were folded and his halo was hidden, there was little distinguishing him from an ordinary human. "I think you're in the wrong racket. Someone of your expertise might be better as a soldier instead of something like a doctor."
Ace inspected his squad mate, using the passing street lights to better illuminate his features. For handling jobs like these, he expected more people like Fenn and Zero, agents exuding confidence and strength with how they spoke and acted, not some innocent looking angel like this. "When I signed up for this job, Ace. I didn't want to take any more lives if I could help it. I'm tired of being the end of others. Maybe, this is my way of paying back all the souls I took. Saving a life for every one I ended."
The gang leader gave him a curious glance as a response to his odd words. "Kaia, are you sure he's a reaper? He doesn't look like one or act like one." No matter how he could spin it, he can't see the shorter man as a face of fear. He appeared more like a guardian angel than anything else. Though, before anyone else could speak up, Fenn tapped the window of the glass to get everyone's attention.
"Relax children. We're nearly there." He turned towards Ace, his eyes illuminated with a sanguine flair. "And looks can be deceiving Ace. That angel is older than me. Much older." The vampire chuckled, placing a hand on Zero's thigh as she drove. It was the first time the vampire had ridden in anything like this. While mystified by the inventions of humanity since their empire separated from the physical realm long ago, he kept a confident mask. Other than Zero and Kaia, everyone else was on their first mission.
"So what are we dealing with?" Scrolling through his phone, he read the details of their mission: An intel swap. They were assigned to meet up with a contact that would be arriving from a hangar to drop off a package for Adriana to receive. In exchange, they were sent to deliver a briefcase that held something of major importance to the target while ensuring that the target would be able to depart properly. Given their numbers and equipment, Ace concluded that Adriana was expecting unwelcome visitors. As a result, he checked his gear, making sure that his weapons were clear of any possible issues that could cause them to malfunction.
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"I don't know... And I don't think we need to know."
"If she wanted us to tell, it would be in the mission briefing."
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"That's so cool! Do you think we're going to be meeting with someone really important, Ace?" He shook his head. "Doubt it. We're still unproven. I don't think she'd be the type to send rookies to guard someone that important." Fenn gave the two a fanged smile. "Who knows? Her gaze is often misunderstood. Don't hold any expectations until we're there. We might end up surprised."
In his hand was a magical tome that kept all his spells as well as a ring that he used as a magical conduit gifted from the SSU armory. It contrasted greatly from the typical armament that the other agents expected, though it didn't make him any less lethal. The vampire was a force to be reckoned with; All he needed was a target to make subject to his whims. "It looks like we're reaching the hangar now. I believe we're running in advance. Kaia, lead the other two and find somewhere special. Zero and I could watch from the van in the meantime."
Exiting the van, Ace and Ashe followed Kaia to a spot within the hangar that could be used to ambush from. With weapons readied hours ahead of time, Ace decided to speak up and use this time to catch up. "Kaia." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "After this, I was thinking. What if we tried going on a normal date? Like old times." Seeing his squad mate shoot his shot at his old love, Ashe got giddy.
True love was something he never experienced before, let alone seen in person. His time spent in the living realm was often met with fear. To have people that saw him as a friend was something he wasn't quite used to yet, though it didn't stop him from enjoying every new sight and scene that played before him. "There's a shitty fast food place near the SSU. Thought you wouldn't mind if we stopped by there for some fries sometime."
Elsewhere, Fenn pulled Zero into his lap as they waited inside the car. "Hours. We have hours of time to waste, Zero." He smirked, tracing his hands from her waist up towards her shoulders. "Whatever could we do to make time fly past faster?" He spoke sarcastically. Instead of giving her a direct command, he spoke sarcastically, curious as to what her mind could come up with when hinted of his particular interest in her. "We're in private now, aren't we? With these blackout windows, I doubt the others would notice if anything went amiss." He brought his hand to her chin, turning her slowly towards him before he gave her a kiss. "How about you surprise me. Would be such a shame to waste so much time, no?"
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
"I count five. Two groups, one consisting of three and one of two."
"Then they should be no issue. Divide and conquer. Let's take them out by surprise."
ββββββββββββββββββββ β»β§β½β§β» ββββββββββββββββββββ
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