Accomplices

The sound of keys jangling in the door was all too familiar to Natalia, for despite her not having parents, the anxiety was all the same. Stuffing her face with brownies so she could chew them all in one final attempt, a huge gulp followed as she exhaled with a breath of relief, one hand against the table as she bent over, hand on her knees.

"I'm back, dumbass… where are you?"

The subtle sounds of a female searching for her trustworthy companion resounding from in front of the Nest's entrance, even peeking into the dining room to Nat's ears. Just slipping herself into the widened entrance disregarding the need for a door, Katie was like a snake, not even opening, just sliding within as if a creature from the darkness exiting its home.

"I will make you puke all of those brownies right up, I swear on everything." Declared the daughter of the Detective Prince once entering the kitchen.

Kate's voice held a deadly after the tone, as if you could tell she would slaughter you without the slightest hesitation, Natalia couldn't help but half-shiver at the thought, squeaking like a rat's signature noise. Ignoring her accomplice, Kate sat at the table and let her legs rest on it, kicking off her shoes, toes' stench sneaking its deadly way to direct itself right into Natalia's nostrils.

'The best way to describe it would be the equivalent of burning flesh, encouraging the urge to puke out your entrails from such a horrifying smell...' That was the best way to describe it- to Natalia, rather. It was like she could spot the cartoony green squiggle lines signaling the horrendous smell. It seemed she had to push down that instinct to the abyss of her stomach, however, for even just mentioning it to Katie sent fearful illusions of murder into her mind. The best thing she could ask was a simple,

"So... what'd ja find out? From Kima." As about the Crow who'd attacked them.

Of course, taking off his mask would reveal it was the former Detective from the Old World, Azazel Karlo, Katie's father, and Natalia's savior. But even so, those identities should be the same as the forbidden energy: outlawed. There had to be a reason the Founder sent the Crow after the two of them, and if it weren't for something petty as recapturing a powerful pawn usable in whatever big picture laid ahead for him, then what?

'Assessment.' The garbled word Kima barely managed to mutter to her ex's cousin when beaten half to the death. In the end, even she had to value what life she had left at that point, so lying to save face and protect whoever was playing her wasn't her style. Especially not to someone who sees her as nothing but a 'pawn.'

"I beat the shit outta Kim and demanded she tells me why whatever happened happened. With only so much breath left, she managed to say but one word. 'Assessment.' I feel like that's a bit obvious, but it leaves the question of 'who', so I wanna kill myself," Katie admitted, sitting up properly, propping herself on the cloth surrounding the table on her elbows, fingers rubbing at her white temples.

"You are lazy, huh?" Whispered Natalia, taking a sip from the glass of coffee, painted maroon red.

"This comin' from someone who doesn't even know how to use her powers to heal is hilarious. I assume it's Callum. He wishes to control everything, it seems. He already got Dad, he probably did the same to Ace's dad, too. However, he knows they can be easily countered once the soul is programmed back into the body, so he sent those prototypes to test our strength. I'm gonna guess he only sent them to me, inadvertently attacking, you, too, but also... Ace. He's the second strongest, or maybe we're equal. I can only come to one conclusion thereafter coming to this deduction," Katie rose her pointer finger, allowing Natalia to exhale...

"I already know what you're gonna say. We're gonna have to break out Ace Wilder from Paradise's 0 Layer, right? Took us long-e-fucking-nough," Natalia stated, allowing her arms to uncross, placing her coffee onto the island.

"Yeah. I don't need you, so you don't have to come, by the way," Kate pushed the chair back from against the table, turning around to exit the kitchen... before her arm was grabbed by Nat's hand, feeling her fingers tighten against her muscular limb.

"I want to go. Even if I have... even if I'm in the way cuz I'm inexperienced, I want to do something. I want to be worth something to someone, please," Natalia's confession was intruded on by an obvious tear stream coursing down her right cheek, Kate turned her head away, clenching her teeth, closing her fist.

"It's not that... I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I don't want anyone else I care about to die because of my incompetence. If that were to happen then... I wouldn't be able to control myself," Kate's voice trembled at the mention of such unbelievable power, the inner abilities dwelling within her soul kept dormant for a reason, however, unsaid.

"I'm capable enough to take care of myself. Promise. Can we go already?"

Not everyone was helpless, it was herself that felt this way so why should others suffer because of it? Though her teeth still clenched, she nodded her head and granted permission for Natalia to stay by her side, no matter what she felt. The tiniest chuckle unleashed from betwixt her perfect lips, turning her head just to stare down at the shorter woman with the simplest affirmation, nodding her head once again with a gentle,

"Yeah. Let's go."

There was one probability neither of them was ready for, as the event hadn't made national news until this very second. So, while sliding her foot, thankfully covered by a new sock, into a combat boot, the sound of the television interrupted her, just about to button her white jacket up, all actions from Katie were soon halted. Natalia, coming from upstairs, zipped up her hoodie to her neck, sinking her hands into the joint pocket,

"We ready or...?"

Inevitably, she, too, was halted by the words displayed on the flatscreen.

'Paradise prison up in flames, mass murderer Ace Wilder on the loose.'

"Oh... he broke out on his own?" Natalia scratched her nape, jumping over the couch so she could take off her shoes, Katie, shook her head,

"Not quite, look at the person the reporter's interviewing," Kate instructed, pointing her finger at the man with the mic to his lips.

More and more prisoners were picked out the sea, mostly dead bodies, but every so often, there'd be the odd living remainder. Shakily exhaling for just a split-second, wrapped in a towel spread over his shoulders, the blonde newscaster inched closer to the man seated in the back of the ambulance.

"We're here live at the scene of the incident where over 1,000 residents, convicts included, were slaughtered today in a riot encompassing all of Paradise. We've caught an exclusive interview with one of the survivors who goes by the name 'Icarus'. Sir, tell the world of the atrocities you'd seen while locked in those horrifying halls with those maddening creatures!" The reporter, female, was dramatizing the situation enough that it became obvious for Natalia, the clear klutz of the two, squinting to examine his features and sighing just as she recognized the shape of the man.

"That's 'im, alright. The unpredictable Agent of Chaos wildcard himself, the Jester, Icarus Chrollo. I shouldn't've led that asshole outta my sight," Commented Natalia, then turning her attention to Katie, looking as if she was having the worst migraine of her entire life.

"His presence isn't in the city... that asshole… he still must have him, but where?"

Katie couldn't think of anything, for it was another location off the coast, it'd immediately pop up on the map. But that was the opposite, for looking up Paradise, you'd just be met with simply by the prison in the middle of the sea off the mainland. There remained no other variables for her cousin to be confined within, so where?

They were entirely unaware of the nonlinear story that was taking place, for while they were scrambling around to locate Ace, he was off the coast.

The sound of bones cracking was natural, sometimes, you just need to crack a knuckle to get rid of the stress- but this was more than that. For every few seconds, pliers encased his fingers, dislocating the flesh from the bone so it would spread apart as lines of blood would become visible from the way the very tip was torn off. What more could the blindfolded Ace do but scream to the skies and wriggle his feet around, only awaiting for the next pause as his next finger was given the same treatment. Puddles of blood beneath the chair and chains, screams of terror at the unimaginable torture he was experiencing, at this point, one week ago, on April 19th… he couldn't help but wonder.

When will it all end?

To Be Continued.