It was a bloodbath, this once clean loading bay that had probably brought in so much supplies to this club was now covered in blood. It was on railings, it was on the floor, the table was splattered with it. Some were not dead, others were very much no longer alive. Probably standing in a very long but moving quick to be judged by my father in Heaven. The entire room had that sickening smell of copper that was truly over powering to me. I hadn’t moved from where Katherine had thrown me out of the way. “You aren’t gonna fight stay out of the way!” She had roared at me before joining in the fight, one of our drivers had taken a bullet to the skull. The other was clutching his arm, blood dripping out from the sleeve of his black suit. That girl with the white mask had seen just how badly this was going for her people and she ran away as fast as she possibly could.
In all 30 people had come down to this area with their guns louder than thunder but there was a small girl that moved faster than lightning. That blade of her moving like a streak of lightning on a dark stormy night. The gun shots that were peppering the area began to get softer and softer with each person she cut down. 30 people had come in, and 25 of them were dead in a moment. A dark red aura spread through the entire area sending a fear that I didn’t know I had in the girl racing through each and every part of my body. My hands were shaking as I stood up and my eyes came to rest on Trinity. Her once amazing dress was torn and had bullet holes in it, she was leaning against her dark red greatsword letting out heavy breaths from her mouth. A few of her braids were missing and blood ran freely down the back of her neck from where one dude had pulled them out in his desperation to help his friend.
I didn’t want to think it was true.
I had hoped and prayed that this was not the case. That maybe it was that girl in the mask that was responsible for a lot of those killings.
However as she flicked the blood off her blade before unsummoning it. I could see clear as day that the girl responsible for all of those killings really was Trinity Wallace.
Trinity finally looked my way and that look of rage dissolved into one of sorrow, a tenderness appeared in her eyes. As she walked over to me, her feet bare as she had broken the heels on her shoes. Her hands were held out as if she was showing me she meant no harm. “C-Cindy, I’m sorry, I-I didn’t.” Her entire body then bent sideways from the hip and watched as a bit of spit flew from her mouth. There was a sickening thud as Katherine’s three sectioned staff slammed into her side and sent her flying across the room. She flew backwards into the loading dock’s metal door crashing so hard against it that she left a dent. All of Trinity’s projection aura was no match for the dark cloud of purple flames that seemed to be spreading from a single source. A brown haired woman that had done little to nothing in this conflict, her white dress had blood on it. Her dark violet purple eyes had turned a violent hue of purple.
I was truly frozen in place as Katherine Blackthorn unsummoned her weapon and although her jepei aura showed that she was livid. She calmly and carefully began to walk towards Trinity who was gripping her side as she attempted to get up. Katherine looked at our single driver. “Makai do me a favor please,” her voice was soft as honey but held a dangerous calm that I had learned to fear throughout my life. “Take Cindy there home, well first take her to the little shop of ours and get her out of that dress and burn it. Then I want you to take some time off, I will pay for a new suit, your hospital bills and even a little something for those kids of yours. I will also handle your friend’s funeral. Lastly send our men here quickly, we need bleach, trucks, and vans to get all of this ready.” Katherine stopped walking and fully turned our way. “Makai you once said that you have a business degree right?”
“Y-Yes ma’am.”
“Well looks like you are gonna be the owner of this club, it’s old owner had a slight issue and was in accident.” I couldn’t breath as that silent rage of Katherine only increased as she turned back to Trinity. It only grew worse as from that smoke, a very large cat began to creep out. Its claws razor sharp, her hide covered in scars that could not heal, her head larger than a beach ball, practically 10 feet tall and 17 feet in length. The true size of another being I had once called momma.
Vitani was here too.
And I could feel fear coming from Aisu.
“Now please leave now,” Katherine said. “I don’t want you to see what is about to happen to naughty little girls who cannot control their temper and have have again left a mess for everyone to fucking clean.” Those last two words were like venom from a cobra. A deep growl began to escape from Vitani’s lips. Our driver could not see what I was seeing so he probably didn’t understand why I was so afraid.
“T-Trinity…” I managed to speak out but I couldn’t move. I tried to take one step forward when Vitani looked at me and snapped her jaws.
“Get out,” she spoke slowly and carefully. “Or you can join in this punishment.”
“Cindy!” I turned over to Trinity who had managed to stand up and was leaning against the docking bay doors. “It’s okay, I am gonna be okay I promise I am gonna be okay.” I could see that fear in her eyes, I could see tears spilling down her cheeks as she forced herself to smile at me. As if to say I am gonna be okay. “Just please go away right now, I will call you later.”
I had come all the way here to kill Katherine and end Vitani. I had come to realize that that was a foolish idea, a foolish plan by a stupid girl who was just mad and angry. However, I had made a new vow to why I was here, I would save Trinity no matter what it took. I would save her from Katherine, and I would hate myself if I let what was about to happen come to pass. Strike three was my most feared punishment of Katherine. She practically fed you to Vitani. She let her favorite creature hunt you down like you were prey, whip you with that massive tail of her’s until your back bleeds. She was torture you for five hours straight, it was a memory that scared you for life.
I had my momma to run to when this happened to me. I had run to Ravana’s house for protection and she protected me until my daddy came home.
Trinity didn’t have a Ravana, she didn’t have a Mrs. O’Brian, she didn’t have a daddy that was coming to rescue her. She was gonna be alone in this building to fend for herself. She had no one.
No, she had me!
And I was going nowhere!
I pushed past the man as he had started to guide me away. My feet kicked free of my heels as I ran forward with a speed I had forgotten I had. I snatched a gun off the ground, I had no idea how to use it but I would try. I couldn’t let my own jepei aura spread out but I could at least defend myself. I could only hope that Joshua and Wally had found a way to get this on footage. Only hope that they called the police when this started.
Cause if not, then I would suffer right beside Trinity.
“What are you doing?” Katherine questioned as I slid in front of Trinity and pointed this gun at her.
“Cindy please.”
“No!” I managed to whimper out. “You aren’t touching her, not as long as I am alive and standing!” I could tighten my grip around this gun, my hand on the trigger as I kept it locked onto Katherine.
“I could make that happen,” Vitani growled but Katherine held up a hand. “My mistress, let me-”
“No wait a minute my pet.” I hated how they talked to each other. Katherine didn’t see Vitani like a sister, or even like a daughter in some jepei users' cause. She was just a weapon to her, a slave to be used. Katherine put her hands behind her back and took three steps forward. “Cindy, I know that you are trying to protect your friend, but this has nothing to do with you. You played the role perfectly, it was her that failed. It is her that has earned this punishment.” She took more steps forward. “So please go with Makai, get cleaned up and you will see your friend in-” She paused for a moment and smirked. “Well when she can properly walk again.”
There was a loud bang that filled this place as I pulled the trigger. The gun felt much more powerful in my palms and it hurt as it kicked back a bit. Katherine in a flash lifted her hand up, her arm took on a violent purple color as she used projection to catch the bullet!
“Stay back!” I demanded but also shaking as I knew she could catch bullets and could react fast enough to do it.
“You little-”
“No Vitani,” Katherine ordered as she tossed the bullet onto the ground and shook her hand a bit. “Vitani, into my gemstone.”
“My-”
“Get back to my gemstone, do I need to also remind you of what I do to disobedience?” I saw a small glimmer of fear spread across Vitani as the large cat took on a smaller form and bowed her head in submission before heading back into her gemstone. Katherine kneeled down in front of me and tilted her a bit as an amused glimmer appeared in those cold eyes of hers. “Move out of the way please.”
I held that gun so tight that my knuckles were starting to turn white. “You aren’t touching her.”
“Cindy, you know more than anyone that useless gun isn’t gonna work with me.”
“I don’t care,” I held that gun up at her pushing my arms out a bit more so it rested on her forehead. I knew her projection aura was strong enough to block this bullet in its tracks. “If you want her, you have to go through me.”
“Cindy move-”
I furiously interrupted her. “No!” My voice rang off the walls. “How can you be mad at her for this, how can you want to punish her for this?”
“She ruined a very important business move.”
“She was doing so good!”
“It doesn’t matter how you start, it is how you finish.”
“How dare you!” I quickly moved the gun out of the way as she tried to snatch it and I placed it right back on her forehead. “How dare you do this to her. You bring her here on the day her mother died, you bring her here on the day she should be staying home and mourning the loss of a great woman! Did you not see this coming? Are you so dumb that you didn’t think something like this might happen!”
“You are pushing your luck!”
“I don’t care!” I couldn’t believe it as I pulled the trigger, there was a flash of light and Katherine’s head snapped backwards. I saw the bullet fall to the ground as I knew that it was not gonna pierce her aura, but I actually attempted to try and kill this woman. Katherine slowly lowered her head and I could see a bit of blood running down her forehead. It ran down her right eye like a single bloody tear. “Please have mercy on her, don’t you miss someone more than you could imagine? Don’t you have someone whose name you will defend if they are mocked or talked bad on? Understand her pain, please Mistress Blackthorn.” I used the title that I knew some called her back in the dark order.
Katherine looked at me for a moment, her eyes piercing deeper than any blade could. Before I could even move she slapped the gun out of my hands and wrapped her long fingers around my throat. However, she didn’t start to choke me, instead she just pushed me up against these metal doors. Her other hand came up to rest on my cheek. A chuckle escaped her lips as she patted my cheek three times. Each one harder than the previous. “Perhaps you are right,” Katherine whispered as if she only wanted me to hear her. She slowly leaned forward and whispered into my ear, her breath so cold and her voice so dead. “I have someone that I would do the same too, someone who I want to be at my side more than she could understand.” Katherine pulled away from me and spoke a bit louder. “Get out of here you two, while I do some cleaning.” She turned her cold eyes onto Trinity. “I will forgive you for your actions, and your friend is right. I shouldn’t have done this on this day, so forgive me for that.”
Katherine moved out of the way allowing us both to leave. I quickly wrapped my arm around Trinity and helped her up to her feet and I began to lead her towards the door we had come in. “Thank you,” Trinity whispered. As she rested her cheek against mine, it was damp from the tears spilling out of her eyes. “I’m sorry… I am so sorry.”
I gently shushed her and as she broke down into tears. I turned back as I swore I heard Katherine say under her breath. “You are still such a fool, my stupid.” And as we got into the SUV and I held a bloody Trinity against my chest as our driver drove back to her house. I let that sickening fear start to wind up and down my spine.
Cause that last word she spoke was either, my stupid child,
Or worse, my stupid daughter.
And I couldn’t tell which it was.
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“A-And that is everything that happened.” I had finished telling this story to a certain light blond woman on facetime. After everything that had happened tonight, and once I had finished giving my report to my daddy and Officer Cooper. (And I had taken a much needed bath) My daddy suggested that I go and talk with Mrs. O’Brian cause he could see how shaken I was from all of this.
I felt a bit guilty calling her so late at night but she was happy to speak with me in her soft pink nightgown, her hair done up in curlers tonight. A bit of steam coming from the tea cup to her left as she kept jotting down my statements in her favorite notebook. “And I know you hate this question from me, but how does that make you feel?”
“It’s not that I hate the question,” I responded with a slight pout. “I don’t like how you ask the question sometimes. You make it sound like I am a toddler.”
“And you tend to act like a big toddler at times.” My cheeks puffed out a bit more as the woman chuckled for a moment. “That look right there is only proving my point.” Even at her slight teasing my lips lifted up just a bit. I hadn't smiled since I had come home, and I really needed it. “Tell me how you feel, Verona.”
“I am scared.”
“How come?”
I brought my knees closer to my chest for some kind of comfort. “I didn’t want to think that Trinity was killing people sometimes. I didn’t want to ever think that. I didn’t think she was gonna be molded into a queen of this land. Watching her cut through men like they were made of butter, how she lost her cool, how vicious and bloodthirsty she looked at the moment. I don’t know much blood is on those hands of hers, or how much of it is because of Katherine's influence. She had a trigger word and it is when anyone speaks bad about her momma.”
“You have been around Katherine for a while now and your act is still holding strong, how does that make you feel?”
“I am scared to death!” I didn’t bother stopping the fear that was creeping up on my face with every passing moment. “This is working, I am getting lucky, but i can’t keep doing it for long. I saw her fight, she made me spar against her with Tatiana and Trinity. I only barely kept her from finding out cause I let all my anger and rage take over my jepei to hide my true nature. She has never seen me angry before. Tonight though was different, after I saved Trinity from Vitani’s wrath. I don’t know if it was my fear or worry or stress from what has happened, but I swear. I swear I heard her say, you are still such a fool, my stupid daughter.”
“Did you really hear her say that?”
“I just told you I don’t know!” I put a hand over my mouth at my slight outburst. “I’m sorry, really I am-”
“Verona,” Mrs. O’Brian said firmly. “Close your eyes for a moment and take a deep breath, put your knees down and get in that stance. I always have you get in when you are panicking.” I nodded my head and did just as she asked, a simple meditative stance and I clutched my hands together. I hadn’t noticed how much I had been shaking. I shut my eyes and let a long breath escape from my nose. “Listen to me and words, and imagine that we are your favorite place and that I am right beside you.”
“Y-Yes ma’am.”
“Good girl,” she praised lightly. “And that is what you are, you are good, you are good hearted, you are a good student, a great daughter and you have been a great friend to these girls in their time of need.”
“I don’t feel like a good friend,” even with closed eyes I could feel tears starting to run down her face. “Only one knows who I really am, and the other I k-keep lying to over and over again. S-She is gonna hate me when this is all over, and I just want this to be over. I can’t keep this up, I am scared to go near Katherine. I am scared that Vitani might come out, Aisu is scared of both of them. I wanna help Trinity but she might be too far gone, if not gone already. Officer Cooper says that her crimes might be too severe and the families of her victims have a right to see justice. I don’t know how to help anymore and if I tell her who I am, she will attack me cause I broke her trust. I started all of this to get back at Katherine, and now I see that was stupid-” I raised a hand up to wipe at my face. “I just want to get this done, I wanna take Trinity from this city, I want to get Tatiana away from this place. I just want them to be in a safer place. I want them to meet you, and Nene, and Sevil and my momma. If I can’t beat Katherine than the best thing I can do is safe them.”
“It takes a smart girl to admit when she has made a mistake, and it takes a brave one to keep trying to save the day.” Mrs. O’Brian’s words filled me with a strength that only hers and parent’s could. “I know that if anyone can save those two girls it is gonna be you, I know that you are scared of Katherine in many ways. So many scars she has left behind, however you are stronger than you have been. You didn’t hesitate to put yourself between Katherine and that young girl, you even dared shot at her twice. You can summon that strength you need; you just have to believe in yourself more. You are stronger than you think when you face the woman of your nightmares.”
“I-It’s hard.”
“I know and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t gonna get a bit harder, but I can look at you and while you keep telling yourself you don’t know what to do. That large brain of yours is coming up with a plan, you have something up your sleeve but you are afraid to take it out. So do what you do best, trust your instincts and act on them. If you get something wrong, trust in your father and trust is Joshua who is gonna be right there to pick up the slack.”
She led me through a few more deep breaths. Each one was like a large brick being put in front of my eyes to stop my tears. She had asked me to picture a good place, a better place, and at first all I could see were flashes of Trinity’s fights. I could feel Katherine jepei aura like it was a fierce storm cloud, the deep guttural growls of Vitani. However, now I found myself sitting on a beach. My legs were buried in the sand, one side of me I could see Tatiana and the other side was Trinity. Their auras much brighter and happier, their animal spirits running around and playing with Aisu. Regardless of how scared I was, that is what I wanted most of all. I wanted them to be safe, and Mrs. O’Brian was right. I had a plan deep in my mind to get this all done sooner rather than later. Every night I went to sleep I added more steps to this plan. It only got better once Tatiana seemingly joined our side.
I was trying to do so much on my own that this plan never could work, but I had four others in this room that could help me put it together. I was not alone, and I was a fool to forget that. “I miss you a lot,” I said as I finally reopened my eyes.
“And I miss you too,” Mrs. O’Brian smiled at me. “Maybe not that constant attitude of yours that you seem obvious to sometimes bit I do miss you as well.”
“I do not have an attitude.”
“You are showing it right now.”
“Because you keep teasing me,” I said as I started to laugh.
“What kind of aunt would I be if I didn’t tease you day in and out?” Mrs. O’Brian countered.
I eventually did have to hang up the phone on the woman and I slowly lay back in my bed. Holding my phone to my chest as I thought up something to text to Tatiana. I needed her help for this, cause the only option we had was to get Mr. Wallace’s arrested. We had gotten a lot on him but we needed one more thing that could get him captured. My daddy and Joshua would be the ones to bring him in as he was a powerful jepei user. If he went down then it would push Katherine to do one of two things.
Either leave the city via plane or drive out of the city.
Or she would stay and start to rebuild what we had destroyed. However, her hands were also a part of this empire and if we had something on her, and if maybe we could convince two other girls to join us. It would be a ten on two rather than a six vs two. It was risky, and dangerous and it all depended on Tatiana right now.
All I could do was hope and pray that this could work.
“Hey Tati…. I need a big favor.”
“What is it? And why did you bring Trinity to my house?”
“I had nowhere else to take her that Katherine might not kill her for her actions. I know that you are hesitant to help us because of what your family might do, but this is do or die time. There is a way to get your uncle arrested, and a way to get Katherine out of the picture as well.” I stopped typing for a moment to think. “Do you think that maybe just maybe…. You could convince your uncle to take you to that large facility so we could maybe catch him there? I have a plan that might work and I really, REALLY need your help.”
I didn’t hear back from her until nearly three in the morning when she called me. It was like she had done her own thinking and planning. Her response was quiet, she sounded like she was shaking. “I-I’m in, please help us.”
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