Chapter 1: boss man said not to blink
Chapter Text
Chapter one: Boss man said not to blink.
A symphony of noise litter the night’s atmosphere in the N109zone. It does not help that the air has an unpleasant smog floating just above the tallest of buildings. The run-down area where the dives, the clubs, and warehouses take all available space that could be put towards residential zones. Ghoul sits under a water tank, her citrine eyes analyzing the alley below waiting for the two members of the Onychinus organization she is supposed to meet to give the signal they are here. And here alone. The cool breeze caresses the black cloth that shields the bottom half of her face from prying eyes. The exterior has a graphic design of white canine teeth in the form of a sinister smile and sometimes it is the last thing people see aside from her glowing golden eyes in the dark.
Her fingers drum on the sides of her thighs, always close to where one of her eight daggers are hidden on her person. She carries two pocket pistols inside her boots for backup but rarely does she ever try to use them. Her thoughts carry with the wind before a small fluttering coo is heard in the darkness below. Ghoul stood to step forward and let gravity take her the rest of the way down. Her feet landing promptly on the concrete and her body in a crouched position to persuade imposters to come at her defenselessly. There were none. Just the sound of two pairs of boots walking forward accompanied by incessant and pointless bickering of familiar twins with matching bird masks.
“Boss man said to take care of this one ourselves Kieran.” Luke muttered. There steps stopped in front of Ghoul and she rose slowly, her eyes looking around to see if they were followed. When she deemed the coast to be clear, she nodded before leaning on the warehouse wall behind her.
“What do you got for me this time, boys?” She was looking at her finger nails and picking at some of the dirt.
“A leak in business affairs.” Kieran held a chip between his two fingers as his hand displayed it with a pinch of dramatic flair. “We were ordered to cut it out.”
“And you need me because?” Luke and Kieran looked at each other before laughing pleasantly in harmony. Ghoul had a scrunch in her nose from the display of misunderstood joy. She never knew what was going on inside of their minds and didn’t care to pry any further.
“There’s a new arcade competition in the east side.” Kieran’s voice sung in excitement.
“Yeah, and it is only going on tonight.” Luke held up his fist and his head titled up to the stars above.
“We plan to get first-” Kieran waved his hands into the air with awe.
“And second place.” Luke then finished Kieran’s sentence without fail.
“For an unlimited supply of tacos!” They continued in harmony now mimicking the other’s movements holding their thumbs up and their other hand on their waist.
“Hmm.” Ghoul mulled over their request, externally she tried to look uninterested but, on the inside, she wondered what Ever tech they’d pawn off on her if she did this. “What happens if you don’t get this done tonight?”
Luke used his finger to demonstrate someone slitting his throat and Keiran had his fingers pressed onto the bridge of his mask’s beak. “If it is done tonight, without trace, there’s a new M7 Pistol in it for you.”
“How is another pistol exciting for me?” Ghoul asked Keiran, her arms crossed and her stance wide brimming with impatience. The clock was ticking and if she were to do this job, she wanted it over before 2AM so she could hit up the new club that had opened up earlier in the week. It was technically her day off, if eccentric hired work had days off.
“Live target tracking and can magnetically resonate with customized gloves. If you drop it, your enemy won’t know what hit them when it’s magically back in your hands again.” Luke clapped to simulate the way the pistol would fly back into her hands. Ghoul tapped on her chin in rhythm with her foot before holding out her hand.
“Fine, consider me sold.” She sighed and both twins reached for her at the same time only to shake her arm viciously with delight. She jerked her arm back and held her other hand out for the intel for the order. Kieran handed it over without her having to ask. “Enjoy your unlimited supply of tacos. We all understand the conditions, correct?”
“No one tells Boss Man.” Luke held a more serious tone as he nodded at Ghoul.
“As long as your performance remains consistent.” Kieran slyly added and grabbed his brother’s arm so they could part from this meeting.
Ghoul watched them leave and put the chip in a pocket that was on the inside of her nylon black top for safe keeping. Her eyes analyzed the area to make sure there was no hint of surveillance. She knew that those two would be the least likely to have something follow them considering their relations within their organization but she was always cautious. She then looked around the small area to find the best approach to scale the building and soon she leapt up and climbed on loose ledges, oddly placed windows, and sturdy lights that hung off the sides of the warehouse. It wasn’t long till she reached the top of the building again and nestled under the water tower for protection as she loaded the chip up into her small black box device. It was like her other phone but had connections to several servers within the N109zone and Linkon’s own government forces. A previous reward for taking an unwanted mission from the twins. Something that made her wary to accept at first but soon grew on her every time it made her jobs easier.
The information booted up and the coordinates, the hit’s schedule, and his many surnames appeared before her. He was going to be dealing business in a local dive bar known for mid-tier grunt work and unsavory deals. It would be a perfect place to burn the loose end. Ghoul flipped the small screen down and placed the box shaped device back into her inner pocket. Occasionally she would find herself considering if she should aid Onychinus agents but then again what did it matter when there were plenty of other factions she had worked for in the past. Onychinus was just the big dogs in town now and if she didn’t garner too much attention from the mysterious leader, she knew there wouldn’t be much to worry about.
Chapter 2: i'm like a bird. i only fly away
Chapter Text
Chapter two: I’m like a bird. I only fly away.
The Silky Den sat on the corner of two busy pothole ridden roads in the N109 zone. It’s dark atmosphere influenced by how dingy the building looked. Ghoul was resting on the ledge of an office building east with a clear view of the alley that led to the employee’s entrance. She considered which route would be the quickest and it was a tie between the rooftop and a wide-open window on the second floor. She tapped her digital wristband twice to activate the sensors in her contacts, adjusting the current iris display to blue before pulling out her messy buns to readjust into a high pony. Her green hair fought back at first but she wrestled the wavy curls into submission and even retied the stings to her face mask. The changes in her appearance were small but effective. Show time.
Ghoul started to run in the opposite direction of the building. Her feet seizing momentum before the building ended and underneath her nothing existed but empty air and the concrete below. As she descended her heart skipped a beat, even after all these years her body reacts to the weightlessness she feels while moving between the tightly knit buildings of the N109 zone. Her feet pulsated from impact as they landed onto a metal staircase. It connected to a creaky pedestrian bridge. She walked ahead, catching her breath as she did, and causally putting her hands in her pocket to blend with the nonchalant citizens around her. Sure, she had an unnerving black mask with sharp feline teeth on it, but that what was in around the N109zone now in days.
The creaky metal bridge led to the neighboring building to the Silky Den. The windows and set of large doors had a dim indigo light spill from within. It casted that unsavory aura most people feel when walking into the old dive. She managed to walk to the end of the metal grate platform and leapt on the railing that prevented the average citizen from falling to the ground. Her legs raised her with caution and her left hand grasped the brick lining that decorated the outside windows of the building she was at. She used that grip to balance as she kicked herself off the railing and stretched out to grasp another brick. Her body swayed askew for a moment, but before she lost her balance, her boots found their footing on bricks that stuck out. Things were going swimmingly.
She dragged herself across the wall of the building leading herself closer to the open window she planned to enter. The night helped shield her from unwanted attention and she kept any sounds she made to a minimum. She was across from the window, which appeared to require a hefty leap to cross. She looked around to see what would be smart to latch on in case her own jump didn’t succeed but there was nothing with durability she could trust.
“Make it or break it.” She whispered to herself with a taut grin. Ghoul with steady hands readjusted her body so her back was to the brick wall of the building and her boots held her stance. She exhaled preparing herself to launch her body to the old dive. She debated doing a count down or just saying fuck it, but her hand almost lost its grip while she contemplated. That was sign enough for her. She tensed every muscle in her body bracing for impact pushed herself with as much force as she could muster. She leapt with uncertainty and a small growl came out of her throat as she flew across the air, fully aware of the hard concrete one story below her and the various street debris. Her chest tightened and her breath caught but by the skin of her teeth she was just in reach to grab the brick ledge of the open window. Ghoul groaned from the collision of herself and the building while reeling from the burning sensation that screamed out in her finger tips. Her fingers had to not only endure the scrape, but also the weight of her body that dangled freely from the window.
She gritted her teeth as she fought to pull herself up into the window. The curtains of the window were flapping around from the persistent breeze that an incoming storm carried. The flapping made it difficult to get an estimate on whether the room was empty or not. She dropped herself in and crouched immediately, tapping at her digital wrist band to begin scanning the room. No life signs were detected in this area of the building.
She stood slow-moving her muscles bracing for whatever could be thrown at her in this moment. When nothing attacked her, she observed the contents inside the dusty room. There were filing cabinets and one large wooden desk with worn lamp, stripped of its paint in places from age and use. Ghoul walked around the room her fingers dusting across the various objects and occasionally reading the papers that laid strewn. She was curious to see if anything of use was laying around in this room but if there was it was nothing she could see from first glance. She pulled out her small reader and pulled up the intel that was on the chip she was given. In 20 minutes, Robert Sully the sketchy fuck she was after, will be conducting a deal in a room on this floor. She got into the building but she was unsure exactly how she planned to infiltrate the meeting. She thought about the possibility of going in guns blazing but she remembered Luke and Kieran’s request to keep it low profile. The less eyes the better for them and ultimately for herself.
Sitting on the desk, a pamphlet on fire exits inside the old building along with marked places for electrical boxes, sprinklers, and the overall blueprints of the place. Bingo, she grinned to herself. She never was good with hacking but there were a few quick hacks she had learn over the years. One was mauling electrical boxes and setting them on fire was a sure way to start the fire safety system.
A plan was finally in motion for her. She would access the main box, disrupt it, push the meeting outdoors and slay the target in the dark when no one would be the wiser. Quick, effective, simple. Luke and Kieran would owe her big and she would still have time to go out for the night.
She hid against a corner to peer around to catch if anyone was around. Her contact sensors didn’t pick on any living bodies near but she tried to leave nothing to chance. It was clear enough for her to run over to the next room where the main electrical box was held. She sighed heavily when she arrived and looked around for any tools that would make her life easier. There sat a pair of plyers. She grabbed them and clamped them shut to test the pressure required to use them.
Boop beep bop boop beep da boop
She flinched at the noise and looked around only to realize it was her own personal phone, the one she kept in her thigh pocket. She tapped on the earbud with excess force.
“Fuck off.” She said in a low voice, popping off the front of the giant electrical box. There were some labels but most of the wires were in chaos. Her hands sunk into the clusterfuck and tried to find where they weaved with one another, a small slimmer of hope she could just pluck one.
“Is that how you greet your best friend?” A chiding voice asked.
“Last time I checked your best friend chose a doctor over you.” Ghoul huffed after yanking a smaller box open that revealed an organized layout. “And for some reason you think the fact I look like her means I can now be your new best friend.”
“Ouch.” She could practically hear his wince over the phone. “You seem to willfully forget all the times you’ve needed a friend and I have been there.”
“Is there a reason why you called me?” She was trying to concentrate on the task at hand but it was becoming obvious Caleb either knew what she was doing and was trying to distract her or needed something.
“I need a favor.” There it was, she thought.
“Do you need a favor or does an agent of Ever need a favor?” Ghoul quipped, her fingers starting to find the right lead of wires she needed to set off the fire systems. She looked back at the door she forgot to close and leaned over to it to cautiously kick it close. “Because both come with a hefty price and the latter requires a head.”
“You really do see the world in black and white. Is that really how you see me? Just another Ever Agent?”
“How else am I supposed to see it, Colonel?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps I thought we were past this when I helped you alleviate some of your stress last week, Carmilla.” She held back a growl from the use of her name. Now he was just messing with her. She found the right cord and marked it with the plyers sitting on them. When the moment was ready she’d yank on it or kick the shit out of the box. She sat with her back against the wall and her eyes on the door ahead, turning her infrared sensors on to wait for the meeting to start in the room beside her.
“It wasn’t only my stress you were alleviating, Caleb.” He gave her a soft hum in agreement and she sighed out the growing tension. She wanted to focus on her objective and her knees rested under her chin while she kept her voice low. “Which is it? Personal or work?”
“Personal.”
“You swear on Andrea?”
“That’s a little cruel.”
“You know I refuse to do anything for Ever. You’d think you’d be in the same boat.” The use of his title helped her put more distance between them. She regretted anytime she gave him an inch. He knew too much and wanted even more but to her it was just filler for the original thing he couldn’t have. She saw moment in the room beside her and looked at her digital watch. They were gathering when they were supposed to and she had to wrap this conversation up.
“Some things require a more nuance perspective, which is something I’d think you’d understand. Even if you are so relentlessly stubborn.” He sounded like he was winding up for a long rant.
“Spit it out before I hang up.” Ghoul’s finger hovered over the off button, ready to press it and be done. It was only the faint strings of debt and obligation that prevented her from cutting him off.
“Don’t kill him.” He commanded. Ghoul stopped breathing for a moment. A few of her suspicions, he had just confirmed and a few curses wanted to spill out in place of them.
“Stop tracking me, asshole. It is going to get me killed.” The resentment inside her was constricting her voice cords. She loathed him in this moment. His nose was where it didn’t belong. A complaint she made very clear the last time it happened and she was too close to being compromised.
“If I listened to your every whim, Princess, then I’d never get to hear from you anymore.” That specific nickname gave her unwanted warmth inside that she quickly tried to bury. He was too pleased with himself. “You know how I am tracking you. You also haven’t stopped it.”
Ghoul heard the satisfaction in his voice and the nickname added fuel to the fire in her eyes. It upset her that Caleb couldn’t see the rage but decided there were better ways to show him just how much he had just pissed her off.
“Thanks for the reminder, it was on my to-do list but now-” She cut herself off when she heard the steps in the hall ahead. Instead of tapping the phone call off she switched her vision to infrared and watched as the bodies walked to the room the meeting was supposed to happen. She sat up to her knees and took the plyer and ripped out the wire. The lights went out and the fire safety alarm began before they even walked into their designated spot. “You have 8 minutes.”
“8 minutes?”
“To persuade me, I suggest being quick about it.” She turned to the window behind her and opened it. Her fingers dug into the top border and used the leverage to lift and kick the screen out. “7 and counting.”
“You can’t just do it for me?”
“Nothing is free, Caleb.” She huffed as she hung from the window. She was right and this led to the back alley. Glad she took a moment to remember the blue prints. Ghoul took a chance and let go of the window. The drop made her feel weightless and as her feet landed on the metal escape route she had a sharp intake of breath, slightly hissing.
“I’d owe you a favor.”
“6. I don’t need a favor from the Colonel of the Fleet or an Ever Agent.” She was looking around, glad to see how dark it was at this point of the night. Even the city lights couldn’t properly light up the darkest areas of the N109 Zone. She looked for the bodies and the heavier set one she was looking for was in the middle of three walking out below her.
“He has intel that is important to a classified case.”
“5. Why does he need to stay alive?”
“Pipsq-.”
“Now its 2.” She cut him off before he dared to call her that. That was a killable offense. “I am not her, you stupid fucker.”
“Ugh, listen it was an accident. It slipped. I know you are not her.” Caleb was starting to sound less composed and she enjoyed it. She thought this stress is warranted but he could afford to be dealt a little more. “He is our insider for Onichynus sales.”
“Hmm, knew that.” She huffed apathetically. She saw the man below her, vulnerable and unbeknownst to him waiting for her to strike. “1.”
She leapt down and before the three men who surrounded the hit could be aware of her, she landed on top of the man. Her boots were planted into his back, what little hair that was on the back of his head was gripped in her hand and she lifted his head to have more access to his throat.
“Who the fuck are you?” One of the bodyguards had his pistol pointed at her faster than she expected. They all began to point their guns at her.
“Some would say your worst nightmare.” She chuckled. Only the intimidating teeth on the mask gave enough of a smile.
“Carmilla.” It was a strained whisper in her ear. She almost forgot Caleb was still on the line. She was acutely aware of the three guns pointed at her however. The man under her still couldn’t speak.
“I am at odds here, boys.” She let go of the man’s hair and rested her chin on her fist as she stayed crouched on the man to hold him in place. “I have one order to kill your boss, he has been really naughty, but you guys have a little angel in my ear telling me to spare him.”
“Shut up and get off of me you crazy little bitch!” The hit finally spoke and his three bodyguards all perked up then. They realized a chance to do their job emerged and all at once it seemed they decided to try to fulfill their duties. She leapt off the target when she saw their bodies tensed, ready to pull the trigger. The gunshots echoed loudly in the alley but she had dashed between them in time.
“Lil’ killer, you okay?” Tension and stress underlined the lame nickname he called her. She could almost see the stress lines on his forehead. Her finger tapped the outside of her earbud ending the call, disgusted with the familiar name.
A rushing satisfaction came over her that tingled throughout her limbs. She could now finish what she was supposed to do. Ghoul pulled out three knives and had them balanced between her fingers. She rushed towards the enemy and threw one to distract the farthest body guard. The only thing that put her at a disadvantage, aside from their guns, were their body weight differences. The closest stood broad shoulders, sturdy, tall. The one in the middle was lanky, thin legs but probably quick. The furthest was the perfect middle and had another hostler on his belt, unlike the other two.
She drew close to the middle of them, only steps away from the target. She bent her knees, lowering herself before throwing the remaining two knives at the two on her left. One hit an eye socket with a squelch and a following yelp, the other in the throat followed by the anticipated gargling noises. Thankfully the throat of the one with multiple guns. He had dropped while the other screamed. The largest one came tunneling towards her.
She tried to side step her way out of him but his left shoulder still impacted her, throwing her off balance. Ghoul lost her breath and the stability of her footing as she felt herself fall. Her back took the brunt of the force and it made her a little dizzy for a moment but before the man could get on top of her, she rolled to the side. Twisting her body to rekindle her footing and balance with a dagger in hand.
She was expecting a gunshot but was surprised when she saw the glint of steal from her foe. She didn’t have time to wait and threw herself at him even though she would be at a disadvantage in close combat. She was right in front of him and as his arm raised to stab her with his own metal she threw her dagger towards the target. It landed right in the target’s gut, bewildering both the opponent in front of her and the target who thought he was protected. She felt the subtle push of air from the bodyguard’s swing and barely managed to block his hit with her knife. His upper body strength had her as he pushed her down.
“You annoying little cunt.” The man groaned above her as he put more of his weight behind his knife. She was losing the battle of strength and knew she had to change positions before the knife sliced through her.
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned with the man you failed to protect?” Ghoul tried to distract him with her words but even the horrid wail and thud from the target falling to the ground didn’t grab the man’s attention. His ego was probably hurt from failing at his job, boo-hoo.
The opponent relinquished the weight he putting into the knife and reflexively she went to push her own knife through him. It was too late before she realized that’s what he expected and he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. His other hand was bunched in a fist and met her face with brute force. She felt her vision go dark and saw small flicker of lights circle around her. Another blow knocked the wind and the sense of direction out of her and she heard the crunch of her nose inside her skull. The pain swelling inside her came after and a warm coopery taste filled the back of her throat. She spit at the man in between blows; her eyes barely open but she saw enough to aim for his eyes for a moment. It gave her the second she needed to hit back and to use her knee to get him between the legs. She used his own body weight against him as he dropped onto her and threw him to the side.
She leapt to her feet and stumbled to find her footing for a moment but she held strong. The world swayed a bit and her face felt warm and sticky. The man was pushing himself up, recovering from her last hit and that was enough for her to rush towards him again. This time she used his back to leap over him and as her she fell she dropped kicked him. He surrendered to the pressure and her knife was slitting his throat before he could successfully grab her hair that fell from her untied buns.
Ghoul watched as his eyes dimmed and spit on him once again before falling back to breathe. She knew it would have been a challenge but she thought she would have wrapped this up sooner. Her watch told her it had taken less than 15 minutes but still she knew she had to check the bodies and disappear before she was seen. She pulled out her other bun letting her hair completely fall against her back and shaking herself loose of the tension. Parts of her hair had clumped from blood and she could feel the layer of grim and blood on her nose and upper lip. A sigh left her and she pulled down her mask to breathe better. The bandana sat around her neck and she inhaled deeply even if the air wasn’t that clean. She stood slowly and started to pat down the bodies.
The original target was the easiest to kill even taking account the three bodyguards he had. She patted across him, her bloody hands making small prints she tried to smudge away to look less like her own. Inside his blazer’s pocket was a small black box and she opened it immediately delighted by the prize inside. It held three microchips. They could hold a vast amount of information pertaining either Ever or Onychinus and she was pleased it was now in her possession. She pocketed and the back door opened behind her. Ghoul did not look behind her and instead race ahead, climbing onto the dumpster to leap off onto the emergency railings. The voices were shouting for her to stop right there and the demands were followed with gun shots that now were out of range to reach her as she climbed to the top of the neighboring building. She wasted no time to put an extreme distance between herself and the bodies that were below.
Chapter 3: shut up, get out, and other empty phrases
Chapter Text
Chapter Three: Shut Up, Get Out, and other empty phrases
Kieran and Luke were where they said they’d be for the evening. Ghoul had masked up again and with a slight of hand gave them a piece of paper that confirmed the job was done while she played on arcade beside them. They had shooed her away for looking like shit and promised to meet her in their normal spot in a week with what they owed her. Her original plans were to go clubbing after a job well done but her swollen face changed the trajectory of her midnight plans. It didn’t take her long to reach her apartment on the edge of the N109 zone since she decided to take the public railways. She made a point not to make direct eye contact with anyone and whenever someone looked like they were about to sit beside her she got up and moved. Her earbuds were playing a fast-paced vibrating beats that thumped with her racing heart. She was anxious to get home and take a shower. Out of sight while there was still some dried blood in cervices a bathroom sink couldn’t get rid of. She also smelt of sweat and grim from climbing around the structures of the dirty city. It didn’t take a contract to make her so dirty.
Her building was nine floors and her apartment was at the top, far from other occupants. She managed to get lucky and be the only one willing to take the deteriorating floor. Then again, she supposed if she had more money to spare, she also wouldn’t take a floor that hadn’t been upgraded or repaired in 10 years. The apartment functioned well enough and she was never in it long except for recovery periods when she got the shit knocked out of her like she did tonight. Her steps still felt unsure as she entered her house. She considered the possibility of being concussed but she decided it was better to shower and eat before she slept anyway. Her door had eight locks, six of them she installed herself and each one of them she locked securely.
Ghoul stripped in the living room. Placing her knives, her equipment, and even her phone on the table in front of the sagging futon that sat against the wall with the door. The kitchen area was only a few steps in front of it with a small island, small stove, and half a fridge. She already knew her cabinets were empty and had an inkly that the fridge would look about the same. Her stomach growled as she tore off her boots and she sighed, regretting not buying something to eat on her way home.
The small box of microchips she had recovered sat in her closed fist and she tapped her chin thinking of all the spots she could hide the valuable information. The best way to hide and store away information, she thought, was to consume it herself. She sat nude on the futon, not paying close mind to how chilly the air in her apartment felt, and put her smart watch back on. It was connected to her contacts and a small computer she had hidden in the house that acted as a secured cloud server. The server was put in by a comrade that got the closest to her heart than most before having to disappear for some time. She put the chips into a small compartment that would download the information quickly. She looked it over as it transferred automatically and was surprised just how extensive it was. It listed dealings, dealers, protocore locations, wanderer experiments, hidden Ever labs in the N109 zone and even a loose schedule recorded of the Onychinus leader. Ghoul wondered if this agent two timing both organizations was stupid enough to only keep one copy of this information. It barely had security which made her believe perhaps the man was cocky.
She pulled herself from wading through anymore because the weight of fatigue and the throbbing of her head reminded her to tend to herself. Ghoul pulled out the contacts and placed them in a small holder, blinking rapid and hard to try to feel normal again. Her watch was left beside it and she stripped out of her undergarments. Her skin resisted the cold apartment with goosebumps appearing everywhere. She felt the chill in her muscles and shivered before heading towards the bathroom to take a shower. As she walked, she felt the bruises that decorated her body and she was even surprised by the way her ankle felt unaware when she had sprained it.
The mirror in the bathroom was as grimy as the rest of her and she picked at her face and moved her skin around to get an idea of her injuries. She took in a deep breath and held it before she used excessive force to fix her nose back. Ghoul let out a weak cry from pain as a tear ran down from her right citrine eye. Her green hair frizzed around her face and the sight made her turn the shower on. The heat was on full blast and she watched the steam envelope the room. She was hyping herself to get in and once she did her body screamed before a groan escaped her lips. The hot water was piercing right through her forcing her muscles to surrender under the pressure. The mix of pain and pleasure made her eyes roll in the back of her head and she used the shower wall for balance as it pour over her continuously.
“Fuck.” She groaned rolling her shoulders watching the rusty colored water whirl away into the drain below. Her cuts and bruises were being cleansed and whatever scratches or injuries that were on her head were also getting a good cleaning. It felt like bees buzzing in all the little openings of her body and she clenched her fist to power through. The shower was necessary and she couldn’t deny it was easing most of the pain and tension that clogged her joints and muscles.
Once she finished with the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel that was draped on a hook. She wasn’t entirely certain how clean it was but it would dry her off. Her body felt like liquid and her skin was a cherry red. The blood and dirt washed away and the adrenaline she had held on to was nonexistent. Across her arms, legs, torso, and head was littered with a bunch of dull aches from cuts and bruises, even her face started to throb. Her legs slowly brought her to the saggy and lumpy futon and she fell onto it full force. Not another thought crossed her mind before she sunk into the depths of unconsciousness.
Her arms and legs were throbbing when she woke. She smelled something unfamiliar and cooked in the air. The thought jolted her to sit up and she grabbed a dagger that was stabbed in the corner of the couch on instinct.
“Tch,” She sighed and only relaxed when she recognized the large form that stood in her kitchen area, cooking. “Get out.”
Caleb turned, he was wearing his sleeveless white shirt and a pair of baggy grey sweat pants. His hair was also wet and judging by the several plates of food on the counter Ghoul figured he had been in her apartment for well over an hour while she was unconscious. He had a sideways grin and continued setting up plates of food ignoring her like it was his specialty.
“Didn’t you hear me?” She stood now, holding the dagger out. Ghoul loathed it whenever he managed to get into her apartment. She could have sworn she locked the windows the other day. His amethyst eyes peered up at her and were focused anywhere but her face. He cocked an eyebrow and his sideway grin widened to smirk. It only took a single glance over her obvious injuries before it became a frown.
“Yes.” He placed down the fork and walked around the counter, heading towards her with only a few large steps. She grounded her stance but he was too close, too fast, and the cool air made her all to aware how naked she was. She lost balance and stumbled back but he caught her with his cold arm. The other hand, warm and lively, wrapped around the wrist with the dagger. He lifted it and started to examine the bruises on her arm. His eyes cataloging all the minor injuries she had.
“Why did you hang up?” He changed the subject as his thumb traced a small bruise. His eyes still hadn’t stopped taking in every little detail and his thumb started to rub circles as if it would magically heal it.
“I didn’t need any distractions.” She inhaled softly and tried to reclaim her wrist but his fingers just pressed into it, causing her hand to release the dagger. She huffed and narrowed her eyes to glare up at him. “Get off of me.”
“Only if you promise to eat.” He whispered, his lips curled into a smile as if he was enjoying how she squirmed. He looked at her face with that smile but his eyes soon betrayed him as they glued themselves back to the discolorations on her skin. It annoyed her.
“Fine. But stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” His eyes widened in surprised but they drooped again when he brought her wrist to his face, pressing the small bruise to his soft lips. His warm breath tickled her and she diverted her gaze from him. She could feel the heat rising in her face. She ripped her arm from him in turn and twisted herself to face the counter.
“I need to get dressed. The show is over. Move.” She pushed on his chest to move him and he only stumbled back for her sake. He was like a metal brick wall and they both knew it. Even with his small gesture it wasn’t enough room for her to get by without them touching so she stepped on her coffee table and walked over it. She was walked towards her room, arms crossed, and her mouth salivating at the smell of food.
“You should eat now. Here.” Ghoul stopped at her door. It was only a few steps away and turned to see what he was going on about and his arm was stretched out towards her with his shirt in hand. “You were probably out for hours. It’s best to get some substance now to recover.”
“I can afford a minute to get my own clothes.” She scoffed, arms still crossed to refuse the offer. When she had taken two steps ahead in defiance her vision went dark and a warm fabric covered her head. Her arms instinctively went to grab Caleb, who was behind her, to yank out a chunk of his hair but he had the leverage and dodged her futile attempt to stop him. Before she knew it his shirt was on her and her lip was sticking out in frustration. She was tempted to immediately take it off and throw it on the ground but her body was welcoming the warmth the shirt offered. She hadn’t realized how cold she felt. “I hate you.”
“Hold the gratitude until after you eat, c’mon lil killer.” He joked and ruffled her curly hair before walking over to the kitchen area. He pulled up another stool so she could sit at the island and begun plating the food. She stood there in the white sleeveless shirt and watched him for a minute. If her stomach hadn’t felt so empty, she thought to herself, she would lock herself in her room till he left.
Ghoul unwillingly caved to the request and sat on the stool Caleb had pulled up. The shirt somehow covered to her mid thighs and the cool leather on the stool made her shiver when her butt touched it. She still sat with her legs sprawled across it and her hands gripping the base of the stool, uncaring considering there was nothing either of them hadn’t seen before. She stared at the pile of food in front of her; an assortment of breakfast foods, sausage, eggs, waffles with little bowls of fruit and syrup. She wondered where Caleb even got all these things because she knew her fridge was as bare as her ass. Ghoul hated the thought of him buying the food and bringing it over just to feed her, she could take care of herself.
“Eat.” Caleb demanded before shoving a waffle into his mouth. He started chewing annoyingly as if he was trying to encourage a child to try it. She took a bite of sausage and angrily enjoyed the way it tasted. Every chew she imagined his fat head could fit into her mouth and she was crushing it with vigor.
“You haven’t asked me about that contact.” She said between bites, stabbing her fork around the plate divvying up the different flavors and textures. She debated if she wanted to eat all the savory first or the sweet.
“I saw no point.” He drank some of the apple juice in his cup. She noticed there was one set out for her but she hated juice. She knew he knew that.
“What does that mean?”
“You didn’t call me back last night. It’s not hard to put two and two together.” He appeared calm on the surface but there was that subtle tension in his jaw she caught. It was hard not to grin from getting under his skin. “You are normally eager to boast when you finish a job.”
“I did finish the job.” She narrowed her eyes and stabbed her fork into a sausage link. “Don’t ask me a favor like that again”
“Noted.” Caleb’s tone reminded her of a stretched rubber band and she was torn between snapping it herself or letting it go.
“Good, now leave.” She smiled before stuffing her face again. Maybe he’d regret wasting his efforts here.
“Am I not allowed to finish eating?” The rubber band stretched even more resonating in a higher pitch.
“Who knows how long you’ve been here already,” She chewed slower now, fork in hand, “you could of ate then.”
“I waited for you.”
“You shouldn’t have.”
“Why’s that?”
“How much more do I have to make myself clear? I don’t want you here.” She dropped her fork now, staring at him with fire in her eyes. He wasn’t listening, he never did and she was growing impatient with the antics.
“Ouch. And here I thought we were friends.” Caleb crossed his arms and leaned back trying to sound aloof and unbothered now but she knew better. His attempt to glaze over her clear demands lit the coals that had been simmering inside. This was no longer fun.
“How about instead of guilting me to act like a good replacement for her you give up already and go continue to suck Ever’s cock?” She stood and slammed her hands on the island counter to lean forward. Her face was closer to his now and there was a low snarl coming out of her.
“You are a stubborn little shit sometimes.” The aloofness faded; Colonel Caleb was at the event. His usually warm sunset eyes now were as cool as the air around them. He wasn’t having any more fun either, good.
“Wonderful. Now leave. I have places to go.”
“Go where?”
“None of your concern, asshole.”
“You shouldn’t be going anywhere looking like that. You need to rest. The ointment I put on your injuries will only heal so—” Cool Colonel was loosing his composure. It made her wonder how he ever got promoted being as hot headed. It was the last sentence that struck her like a smack to the face and a chill ran up her legs.
“Ointment??” She hissed. “Did you do that while I was sleeping??!”
“Don’t.” He stood up now inches away from her as well. “You’re lucky you even woke up. Judging by that bruise on your face and the laceration on your head I am surprised you don’t have a concussion. So yes, while you were asleep. It wasn’t like you were going to take care of yourself.”
“So, what? When are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours that I don’t need you. I don’t want you to try to take care of me.” She poked at his chest, her face scrunched and eyes trying to pierce through him as if she could shoot lasers.
“Is that what you really think?” Caleb huffed and diverted his eyes away from her for a moment. There was a flash of several emotions that appeared on his face but he settled for a rigid and cool expression. “You think you have everything figured out Carmilla, but your just as clueless as the day we met.”
“Ugh.” She screamed and she pushed him. Of course, this time he didn’t budge and it just stoked her anger even more so she stormed off to her room.
“Fuck you!” Slamming her door behind her because she was tired of repeating this argument. She loathed him for even bringing it up. The urge to start throwing stuff overwhelmed her and she put her fist in her mouth. She bit down hard to ignore the urge to just destroy and the slight pain was enough to bring her back. She hated thinking about being stuck in that containment unit, being prodded and poked, used for whatever tests Ever had wanted to conduct that day. Caleb forgets he would still be in there if it wasn’t for her. She found herself in her bed, curled under her covers, focusing on all the little aches and pains her body felt so her mind wouldn’t dwell on it. She didn’t want to think about it. It always led to her face being warm and wet and a hollowness ringed inside of her that would drown her if she let it.
She felt an indent at the end of her bed and then it traveled to her. The large weight pressed itself against her and a steel tight arm pulled her in. Ghoul tried to push him away but he held on even tighter so she resigned and curled into herself even more. Her body still felt exhausted.
“You don’t have to act so tough around me, Princess.” He breathed into her ear through the blanket that separated her from the him. She hated that he used that endearment, he knew it would catch her off-guard and make her malleable. “You’re allowed to accept my help,”
“Leave me alone.” She tried to sound angry but it came out weak. He pulled on the covers from over her head and refused to look at him. “Go away. I don’t have to listen to you.”
“Oh?” He chuckled, his fingers combing and pushing back the curls that were unfurled across her face, removing the curtain that hid her true feelings. “I suppose that’s true. You don’t but then what? I have to watch you suffer from your own stubbornness? We both know I can’t do that.”
Caleb nuzzled himself into her neck and she didn’t budge from the weight of him on her. She would never admit it out loud but the warmth of his skin and the tickle of his breath felt the closest thing to security to her in these small moments. His arms snaked tighter around her as if she was his personal teddy bear and now there was nothing between them. The lightness of his fingers swept through her hair and she closed her eyes, trying to convince herself that maybe this was genuine. She couldn’t do it.
“You don’t have to pretend. Its not like you’ll let me out of your sight anyway.” She murmured defeated, exhausted, torn between wanting it all over or to hold on to this pretend.
“What are you mumbling about?” A small confused hitch was in his voice and his fingers stopped.
“Ever will never truly let me go, you are a convenient tool and I conveniently am a replacement for her. Stop making me spell it out.” She gritted her teeth. Maybe the pretending should stop. She tried to worm her way out from his arms but he had stiffened, locked around her tight and unwavering.
“I am not some kind of puppet.” He growled in her ear, “And I know you are not her. I know better than anyone else how different the two of you are.”
“Whatever.” She sighed, resigned. He wasn’t going to stop this and she didn’t have it in her to argue anymore today. She wanted more sleep. Her crashing on the couch earlier was from the accumulation of only sleeping two hours a day for the last four days on top of the injuries.
Caleb tugged on her shoulder and she was flattened on her back. He towered her, holding her chin in place so she’d only have so many places to look aside from him. The anger she had earlier was gone and instead she was full of nothing.
“What do I have to do to convince you?” The question sounded almost like a plea and she was only able to with stand staring at those shining amethyst eyes before looking away. She felt his breath was only a hair away, his lips brushing against hers. “Tell me.”
“No.” She whispered back. It wasn’t a refusal really but all she could say. He kissed her then and the crash of his lips felt like they would bruise hers. She felt how he snuck his arm under her to pull her in and the way his robotic arm tugged at her hair to hold her firmly. She tried to steal a breath, but he continued to nip away at her and slip his tongue between her lips. It was hard not to feel like puddy in his hands and she stopped trying to resist. Maybe they could play pretend a little while longer.
Notes:
idk why the original formatting doesn't want to transfer over but i don't have it in me to fix it
thanks for reading! comments are welcomed and helps encourage consistency!
Chapter 4: how could you love somebody like me
Notes:
happy early birthday Caleb!
smutty chapter
Chapter Text
Chapter 4: how could you love somebody like me
Eucalyptus and witch-hazel filled his nostrils the moment his lips pushed hungrily against hers. He knew she halfheartedly meant the things she said but that half was enough of an excuse to ignore them. The way she pressed herself further into him, allowing his hands to snake behind her. His fingers full of her plush green curls. He was a fool for thinking he could resist it.
She was equally a fool for letting him so close to her every time. He felt on the edge of giving in and devouring her whole. To shackle her and show her how much he couldn’t stand the way her honey glazed eyes looked up at him sometimes. A volatile storm brewed incessantly inside of him and the only way to ease the hammering winds seem to be pressing his thumbs into her tender bruises, so she’d sing those addictive soft whimpers.
“Caleb.” She whined underneath him as soon as he relented enough to allow her to breath. His back tingled where her hands were and her half-lidded gaze was contrite.
“Shhh, I know. I know.” He whispered not allowing any of her anxieties or concerns stop the delicious moment they were enthralled in. He wasn’t willing to stop. His thumb grazed her lips and his palm held her chin, he took this moment to turn her side to side to get a better glimpse at the damaged done to her adorable face. He couldn’t help the way his mouth twisted at the thought of someone else’s hands on her. Her mouth opened to argue and he started to kiss all the soft bruises on her face. Each peck interrupting her purposely.
“Hush, you’re overthinking.” His right palm cupped her face and his left hand parted her knees. He wanted to be as close as possible, nothing to separate them any longer.
“I didn’t even—” He crashed his lips back onto hers, slipping his tongue in, twirling deviously to occupy every corner of her mouth. His hips grinded into her and a soft groan escaped his lips while her fingernails dug into his scalp and gripped into his hair. There was nothing better than this.
He was hungry and let her lips free just to slide his tongue along her jaw line before peppering more kisses down her neck. Her scent was stronger in the crook of her neck and he inhaled it deeply. How could she not believe how much he needed her?
“Didn’t you tell me to rest?” She whispered breathlessly in his ear. He gave a low chuckle at that and pulled himself away to look at her.
“Now you want to listen to my advice?” He loved the faces she gave when he teased her. The scrunch in her brow, the twist at the edge of her lips, and the way her citrine eyes would burn with unspoken threats.
He had his knees together, his groin pressing into hers, and he gathered her in his arms lifting her. The blanket fell off he her and his shirt he had given her began to rise to her tummy as he placed her in his lap. She didn’t fight him and he knew she wouldn’t the moment he dowsed her in affection. Carmilla may always appear tough and cold on the outside but he was keenly aware of all her little buttons, the ones he pressed so fervently. Her legs wrapped around his hips as she settled on him, her arms curled into her and her palms resting on his chest. He felt his heart beat start to flutter. It made him laugh softly to himself, thinking how she was convinced this was all causal between them.
“What’s so funny?” She looked at him with menace and his eyes were focused on her lips.
“Nothing, nothing at all.” He whispered before leaning towards her to steal another kiss. His muscles were getting tense from being impatient but he was also enjoying every second being drawn out where she was puddy in his embrace.
“Caleb.”
“Shouldn’t you be calling me something else, Princess?” He bit her ear lobe and swirl his tongue around the tender spot he left. He heard her lip’s part and another soft sigh leave her. The small smack making his groin twitch.
“No,” She grumbled, burying her face into his shoulder while he continued with more nips, “That was an accident last time. I’m not doing it again.”
“Oh?” His hand slipped into the baggy shirt she was wearing and his hand cusped her right breast, softly kneading it and his thumb rubbing soft circles against her stiffening nipple. “Why wouldn’t you want to call me that name again? Did I not earn it?”
His teeth sunk into her neck firmly this time and an audible whimper filled his ear. He was enjoying how she felt underneath him and he continued to kneed and play and pull on the overflowing breast in his hand. She was his.
“It was embarrassing.” She whispered so faintly he almost didn’t hear. He let go of her neck and started to pepper kisses up to her jaw again, nipping at the soft spots of her cheeks and kissing where the purples and greens were.
“I don’t think it was embarrassing. When it slipped, I loved it.” Both his hands were on her hips now and he pushed them onto his own, grinding into her, showing her just how much he loved to hear that name again. His cock had been hard for awhile but now it felt as if it was going to burst out of the sweatpants he was wearing. It didn’t help that he could feel the heat between her thighs ache onto him.
“No.” She breathlessly said and her hands cupped his face before leaning in for another kiss. “You can’t have whatever you want.”
“That’s what you say now, Princess, will that hold true when you are writhing underneath me again?” His left arm wrapped around her waist and his right hand slipped between her thighs. He didn’t want to wait any longer, not with her still at his mercy. His finger slipped between the folds, complying with the grip of her aching muscles as they drew him in. A small soft gasp fell from her lips, tightening his own insides. He held his thumb over her bundle of nerves, gently caressing the wispy hairs of her bush to tease her. She didn’t hold back the lustful sounds as he began to pull and push his fingers inside her. Her sounds echoed encouragingly in his ear. Her hands were gripping the sides of his face, her nails digging into his skin, their foreheads connected as she moved her hips with his finger. He let her body take the lead and set the pace before adding another finger into her warmth, the soaking tightening muscles drawing out his own moans. His cock was leaking and his hips desperately wanted to ram into her with everything he had but he inhaled a deep breath holding as much control as himself as he could manage.
“How does it feel? More? Talk to me, Baby.” He breathed into her mouth, watching her every little change in her facial expression. Her eyes were shut tight but her face laxing and her mouth slacked open in pleasure. Her head fell back when he finally let his thumb tease her clit with steady circles. Her lovely green curls shined as they hugged her shoulders. He wanted to shove his face in them and inhale the aroma.
“Tell me.” He repeated with more command this time. He didn’t want to lose her completely to her own pleasure, her voice was just as pleasurable to hear as her smell and feel of her pressed to him.
“Yes.” She gasped her eyes opened, half lidded and slowly glazing over. “Its good Caleb, but more, more.”
“More what, Princess?” He kept the same pace with his fingers but lowered her onto the bed from his lap.
“Everything, more everything.” She begged, her face flushed and her honey eyes looking away momentarily in embarrassment. His free left arm pulled up the baggy shirt on her, giving him more access to her skin and her breasts. His mouth found her right nipple immediately and his tongue and teeth didn’t hesitate. Swirling and biting, pulling, and sucking, everything that would elicit sweet noises from his precious Carmilla. He was beginning to lose himself in her. He pulled his fingers from her cunt and dipped his fingers in his mouth. He groaned into his own fingers, enjoying the way the taste danced on his tongue. When his eyes opened, her eyes burned into him, expectantly and he smirked.
“I don’t think you really want everything.” His smirk grew with his loaded statement. There was a desperate underlining meaning to his everything that he knew was different from hers. She rolled her eyes at his statement and released that bratty little huff of hers. She did things to him that he thought she’d never understand. Even he didn’t completely understand. He leaned in so his lips caressed her ear and let out a trickle of his hot breath before adding, “I don’t think you could handle it really.”
“You know what I mean.” She grumbled, shifting herself so her hands could wander freely across his body. The way her fingers dragged down his bare torso made him shiver and one of her hands reached for his hard cock.
“No. I don’t.” He forced himself to say it calmly. It took everything in him not to jut his hips into her hand but he managed with every ounce of his being. He wanted her to admit to giving herself to him. To hear her say it with her own words and voice how much she needed him as much as he needed her. She had pushed him away enough the past 48 hours, it was time for her to repent and be true to her own desires.
“Please, Caleb--.”
“Ah, ah, ah.” He wagged his finger above her face then pressed it softly on her lips, “That’s not what you should call me Princess, tell me again what you want.”
Her brows furrowed again and she squirmed underneath him. He was loving every moment of it and it was impossible to hide it. His right hand found her left nipple and gently rubbed his thumb against it, purposely reminding her where she wanted to be.
“I am not calling you that again.” She tried to sound adamant but he could see her judgement wanning underneath his touch even if her stubborn nature attempted to commandeer her headspace. A part of him wanted to just take her there but then he knew she would feel like she had the upper hand and he didn’t want that.
“Not even if I tell you how much I enjoy it?” He asked, a brow raised as he leaned back on his own haunches, looking down at her sprawled body. Her curls furled around her face, her cheeks still reddened and plush like the rest of her body. The way her breasts rested and her thick thighs hugged his own was like out of a classical masterpiece to him. Even with the littering of bruises and scratches she was perfect in front of him.
“Especially if you tell me how much you really enjoy it.” She sat up on her elbows looking up at him with a sly expression. She looked on the edge of losing herself into pleasure but it was just like her to be as stubborn and difficult till the end. Caleb admired it even if it incredibly frustrated him.
“You are cold hearted, you know that?” He leaned over her, his arms balancing his weight on each side of her and their faces only a breath away from each other. His eyes stared deeply into hers and he was just as smitten with her as the first time he saw her. He thought about folding and just giving into her and giving her everything she wanted without any fulfilling any of his own demands.
Her hand cupped his face gently and it made him flinch. He watched her hand from the corner of his eyes as her thumb caressed his own chin. She was slowly taking back the control.
“Does that make you hate me?” She barely whispered, her citrine eyes glued to his lips as she said it but they moved back to pierce his own soul when she expected a response. His own breath caught this time.
“Never.” He closed the distance, another kiss, and shifted his weight to one arm so his free one could wrap under her knee and push her leg up. Her hands were already pulling down his sweatpants and once his hips met hers his throbbing member was inside. They both shuddered at the impact and smoothness of the transition. She hummed in satisfaction, her free leg pulling him further in and her hands tangled into his hair. He loved how much she pulled on his hair.
Words no longer were necessary; their bodies were in sync and moving in a heat of passion. The sounds of grunts and groans and slapping flesh made up for the silence between them. He gave into her as she had to him. Their teeth marking each other, their nails digging into their skin, and their body fluids tangling together as their legs, arms, and mouths had. It felt all too much yet not enough. He yearned to be underneath her skin, inside her heart and mind.
“Ung! Caleb!” She moaned loudly into his ear as his pace quickened. Her teeth snatched his ear and he dropped on top of her, rutting his hips deep inside of her. His body weight kept her in place and she never tried to escape it. Instead, her hand reached for his ass and pulled him into her further, harder, and deeper. He could feel her tightening cunt and it made his body shutter the way it gripped onto him for dear life. He was impossibly close to spilling inside of her.
“Baby, Baby,” He gasped the enormous pressure had his muscles clench and he didn’t mean to but his evol held her with as much force as his body did while he tried to sit up. She whimpered from the pressure and then her mouth held open but no more noise came out. He grabbed her wrists and put them over her head, thrashing his hips into her core. He couldn’t stand how vulnerable and pleasure filled she looked; it brought him over that final ledge.
“Fuck! Daddy! Fuck!” She screamed in a gasp of air as he filled her and her own body responded. Her orgasming crashing over her as his did.
She finally had said it again. He felt an inflated feeling of pleasure mixed with pride and it gave him that second wind he needed to thrust even deeper, riding them both through their orgasms. Sweat beading down their bodies, both panting like they were drowning in the ocean and finally were able to come up for air. When he felt their aftershocks settling, he stopped moving and collapsed on top of her. The biggest grin on his face from triumph.
“There, there, Princess.” He released his evol and wrapped his arms around her effortless. She was limp in his arms and didn’t stop him from curling around her. His body wrapped around hers perfectly and he sighed in relief and content. His fingers keeping themselves occupied with her sticky and tangled hair. Her chest still rising and falling as if she was catching her breath, but the more he caressed her curls she settled into a more even rhythm.
“Now, you should rest.” He murmured with an earned smugness. The press of her body against hers relaxed him. He was lost enjoying the moment when he remembered his original reason for coming here. His muscles tightened for a fraction but he forced himself to relax before she noticed. Instead of dwelling he squeezed her tighter like she was his personal teddy bear and burying his face into her would chase away all the nightmares.
“Caleb you really should-.” She began to say something to him and he tried to listen but it turned into a distorted murmur as she fell asleep. The soft and steady flow of her breathing and heartbeat told him that she had succumbed to her exhaustion. He was relieved she finally was going to rest. She was so stubborn.
He laid there with her for a long time, listening to her sleep and enjoy the way she melded into him. She was less resitant to his touch and love when she was like this. When she couldn’t overthink or be stubborn in her belief that everyone was untrustworthy. Though he knew to an extent he was untrustworthy and that part of him always cut deeper than when his childhood best friend rejected him once and for all.
Caleb pulled himself away from the sleeping hell cat. It didn’t feel right to have subtle thoughts of Andrea while in bed with Carmilla and even if it hurt him, he had to do his job. To protect them. He slid out the bed and reached for his sweatpants that were at the end of the bed.
After he had put them on, he went through her drawers looking for anything that could fit him and there was a startling moment when he found a drawer full of bright and colorful men’s clothes. It stilled his breath and made his heart race. He tried to not linger on the burning rage that was building inside the depth of his abdomen but it was hard not to want to murder the owner of yarn crafted crop tops, flowy pastel blouses, and skin tight nylon tanks. Sometimes Caleb could forget about his existence in Carmilla’s life but then he would come across something so blatant like a shared dresser and it rolled his jealous and rage over him in a tidal wave. His hand gripped the top of the wooden furniture and his knuckles turned white. Before he had a moment to crush that which was underneath his biotic arm, he felt a sudden relief of endorphins that washed over him, forcing him to calm and steady his heartbeat. The violent explosion of calm that washed over him was a familiar violation to his own emotions. The reminder that he was never truly in control over his own thoughts and feelings.
His eyes closed tightly and he grabbed the plainest shirt out of the drawer. It was a lavender which was the calmest color in the bunch and he threw it on. It was tight around the arms but loose in other areas and stopped shortly before his navel. Caleb wasn’t one to wear crop tops but since Carmilla was still wrapped up in the shirt he wore here he decided this would have to do. He looked over at her sleeping soundly. She looked at ease and it pained him that he would have to leave her alone.
It didn’t take him long to put away the food that was left in the kitchen. He made sure to make many portions and divvy them up in separate containers to make it easier for her to eat later. If he didn’t he wasn’t sure if she would eat at all. He could tell when he first arrived that she probably had gone two days without a solid meal and her grumpiness only confirmed the suspicion. Once the kitchen was clean, he walked over to the table that held all her little gadgets and weapons. There sat a small black box and he lifted it with his fingers off the table and opened it. The three microchips sat inside and he closed it with a huff. He never needed that contact alive. He just needed the intel that the contact had. A part of him was satisfied with how easy it was to manipulate her to getting exactly what he needed without much effort but there was another part that felt the weight of his guilt as if he was crushed by a ten-story building.
Chapter 5: work or shut up
Notes:
i should have probably added it in the story summary but in case it wasn't obvious yet this is more of an AU. thanks for reading so far!
Chapter Text
Chapter 5: work or shut up
It had been a week since her last job. The free time allowed her to enjoy the newly renovated club underneath, what was lovingly referred to as, The Nest by those who knew it. Now to the public this club was called The Foxhole. It made Ghoul want to roll her eyes out her head when she thought about it too long.
The large space was full of bodies, sweat, music, and the sweet smell of alcohol. The only lighting was casted by neon signs and rainbow disco balls. She couldn’t tell if The Foxhole was trying for originality or confusion. She leaned with her back against the bar and her eyes glued to the dance floor ahead. A few drinks in and she was enjoying how loose her muscles felt. It reminded her of the dwindling rush after racing on roof tops.
Her green curls fell onto her bare shoulders, and she wore a crimson dress that had straps tied around her neck covering her breasts in an X fashion. It hugged her hips and traveled to her mid-thigh. She hadn’t worn her usual mask; she wasn’t at work and she had at least worn her contacts so her irises were a deep brown instead of their usual citrine. The night was young and she was itching for some excitement. She told herself she wanted to just party a little and forget her woes but there was an undercurrent of another craving she couldn’t identify. It held in the pit of her stomach as a harden weight that wouldn’t alleviate until it was gouged out with her bare hands. She hadn’t been contacted by The Twins for any more freelance and even Caleb had yet to reach out to her after their intimate exchange.
Her brows furrowed when she remembered about the microchips. She had anticipated them being fetched by someone because they had too much info not to be sought after. She hoped that the someone hadn’t ended up being Caleb but the evidence only proved her fears. That annoyance alone motivated her not to reach out to him anytime soon, perhaps not even answer any future calls. Maybe she’d stab him for real if she saw him again. She reminded herself they weren’t really friends like he pretended to be. Freeing someone from an Ever lab didn’t automatically mean kinship or friendship. It just meant a favor was owed and Caleb seemed to enjoy prolonging the ability to cash in a favor that would equal the same value as freedom. She wondered what she could do to disappear but stopped herself. She was here to relax not plan an escape, yet.
Out the corner of her eye she saw a pleasant business exchange; a man in a well-tailored suit handing a women a card. Ghoul was betting that card had nontraceable funds on it but for what reason? She made sure not to look directly at them as they spoke, they were engulfed in each other. Ghoul sipped on her drink as to act casual. She thought about where she could obtain something harder than alcohol and there were only a few places she could think of. They only caught her eye again when the woman linked into the man’s arm and they had begun to leave the club together.
Now that was something Ghoul considered exciting.
She looked around the room and tried to spot similarly designated persons on hand. She knew from experience it wasn’t the wardrobe that set a sex worker apart from the rest but the eyes. Leave it to The Nest to not only create a perfect cover to hide their operations from the untrained eye but also mix in a little of their business methods as well within the public? Color her impressed.
She finished her drink, biting off the rest of the alcoholic-soaked strawberry before kicking her heel off the bar to propel her into the dance floor. The music was thrumming into the crowd, the piercing sounds and synthetic waves encouraged anyone with rhythm to dance to it. She found it easy to lose herself in the sway of bodies and the darkness that seemed to envelop the middle of the dancefloor. Her side steps and sashays kept her out of arms reach of the brave but she did it so effortlessly no one could claim she was doing anything but dancing in her own world. Her heart drummed in her chest and the sweat was starting to pour from her pores. The tension kept resurfacing but seemed to finally expel itself into the music and left her alone. But the night was still young for her. She felt an itch for an unknown craving again.
Ghoul pulled herself out of the crowd and found a small gathering of an attractive group of people. They all had flowy outfits that could easily be maneuvered out of the way for access. She smiled as she approached them, knowing she possibly found the treat she was looking for. Something to wipe off the remaining existence of Caleb off her.
There was a leggy blonde with wide hips that leaned against a column. There were a few booths and tables behind her against the wall. The seats had others sitting patiently to be seen but the confident look in this woman’s hazel eyes drew Ghoul in.
As Ghoul approached the woman, she caught the arm of a waiter and ordered two drinks, both fruity and strong, she wanted to be a proper customer and come bearing gifts. She stopped only two steps away from the blonde woman and admired the sharp edges of her cheekbones and the curve of her jaw. The woman was decorated with an assortment of jewelry and colors that complimented the warm hue of her skin. The colors of her outfit even looked as if they were purposely chosen to be the opposite of Ghoul’s aggressive and dark colors. A fated chance? Ghoul smiled amused at the thought.
“Searching for company tonight?” Ghoul asked delicately. She wanted to come off nonthreatening because she knew even in her small stature she could intimidate.
“Depends on who is asking.” The woman had a sly grin on her face and deepened her lean against the wall of the column so that her body was on display like a work of art.
“A lonely patron is asking, someone who wouldn’t mind-” Ghoul closed the distance between them allowing time for her to press Ghoul away if she wanted. The waiter appeared with the drinks and she grabbed them both, offering one to the woman, “enticing and beautiful company. I could offer you an exciting night if you let me.”
“Isn’t that my line?” The woman laughed, accepting the drink but hesitated to take a sip. It was clear in those hazel eyes she was unsure if Ghoul was a paying customer or someone just trying to hit on her. Though Ghoul also suspected that the woman was worried she possibly drugged her drink and she couldn’t blame her in this area.
“I could compensate you for my theft.” Ghoul let her finger trace the v line of the woman’s blouse. Her warmth was inviting and Ghoul was curious how her breasts felt underneath her hands. Ghoul’s eyes were tracing her own fingers as they rode up the fabric and when they reached the woman’s jaw, she noticed how the beautiful blonde was blushing and it gave Ghoul a Cheshire smile. Ghoul gently cupped the woman’s wrist and led her glass to Ghoul’s lips to take a sip of the drink she purchased. She wanted to show how trustworthy she could be for the night so they could both relax and enjoy the night. Drugs would only be introduced for consenting parties, which would definitely be herself later.
The woman’s eyes were glued to Ghoul’s movements and she didn’t take back her hand even as the drinks fell from the corner of Ghoul’s lips. Ghoul moved the drink from her lips and licked the mess up slowly. She wanted to lure the woman in even if she was paying her, she wanted her to want this as much as Ghoul did. The woman began to lean in as if to go in for a kiss but her face stopped only a breath away, her hazel eyes looking past Ghoul.
They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Ghoul’s eyes didn’t look away from the blonde’s lips at first, determined to ignore whoever would be rude enough to interfere with this current business transaction. A light yet large hand placed itself on her shoulder and that was when she turned to look, fire in her eyes as she tried to hold her anger. Ghoul had to remind herself that outbursts here would draw to much attention even if she felt she was in disguise enough. Her bounty posters were a floor above marked the 4th highest.
When Ghoul looked at the culprit she was surprised by what she saw. A man several inches taller than her stood there, wide frame, small waist, but lavender hair that stretched down his back and wrapped around him like an accessory. He also wore loose garbs but they looked more expensive and tailored to his body in the right places. It wasn’t his hair or his clothes that held Ghoul in place but his ombre eyes that caught her attention the most. There was a playful arrogance written all over his face but those eyes seemed to yearn for something unreachable.
“I hope there is a good reason you are interrupting us.” Ghoul said flatly. No matter how beautiful he was she could still drop him.
“There could be.” His voice carried above the sounds of the club like a melody and he crossed his arms; hip jutted to the side. He looked at the two of them as if they were the splinter underneath his nail and not the other way around. Ghoul was finding it hard to reign in her boiling temper.
“I should leave.” The blonde began to move from underneath Ghoul’s presence but Ghoul stuck her arm out and stopped her in her tracks.
“You don’t have to leave just yet. I still have a secret to tell you.” Ghoul brushed her lips over the woman’s inviting her to take the bait but the woman stilled, hesitant. Ghoul took the hint and stepped back to give her space to leave. She wasn’t in the business of forcing someone to be with her even if they were going to be paid. The woman tried to hand back the drink but Ghoul shook her head. “Keep it. Enjoy your night.”
“Thank you. Sorry.” The blonde ran off and disappeared into the wave of bodies ahead of them. Ghoul felt irate at this man interrupting. It didn’t matter how pretty he thought he was.
“Aw, that’s too bad.” His pity sounded fake but Ghoul sensed he was up to something. She wasn’t in the mood to play games with another person. She walked away with more of a stomp in her step. Instead of being able to get lost in the dance floor again until she cooled her temper, she felt the man grip her wrist and twirl her towards him. The only reason she went along with the whip of her body was because the jerk had made her stumble. If she had fallen on her face, she knew the answer to this problem would be violence. Ghoul managed to control the end of the whip and stopped just in front of the beautiful looking man. Her brow was raised but she could feel the frown growing on her face.
“Didn’t you say you were lonely tonight?” He breathed against her ear. It sent a shiver down her spine and she gripped his hand that held her.
“And if I did?” She pried his fingers off her one by one, never breaking their locked gaze. His eyes were a multitude of violet and red hues that were mesmerizing. She realized she had never seen anything like it and that piqued her curiosity.
“Let me cure it.” His lips looked glossy and smacked softly at the end of his suggestion. He still had that arrogant look on his face and Ghoul started to wonder if he ever had a client turn him down. A part of her wanted to be the first just to get back at him for interrupting her previous engagement, but there was another part of her that was curious if that arrogance held some merit. She was looking to forget a lot of things, maybe that confidence was more of a promise. Ghoul stood back and eyed him from head to toe again, considering the proposition. His ivory knee-high boots blended with the soft silky pants that billowed out of the boots and ended in a perfect fit around his tight waist. Ghoul had to admit he was her type even if she would never tell him directly.
“How much?” She asked. Her finger played with the sewn violet flowers on the shoulder of his shirt.
“How rude.” He crossed his arms and tilted his head away, looking above. His plush lips made a little pout that made it hard for Ghoul not to be amused. “Isn’t it improper to discuss payment before you buy me a drink?”
“Buy you a drink?” Ghoul huffed right back, “After you ruined my original plans for the night?”
He whipped his hair back and leaned down so they were eye level to match their gazes. A glint in his eyes held a depth of emotion like a vast ocean with treacherous waves on the surface but underneath contained a threatening calm at the bottom. Ghoul reacted to the unnerving scrutiny with a soft chill that ran up her body.
“How would you like me to apologize?” He leaned in closer, his lips pressing just beside her own, brushing her cheek as they traveled boldly back to her ear. His hot breath caressing her where his lips had yet to touch. His arm caged her against the column where the previous blonde had stood. He was now towering her and all so close.
Ghoul felt for the first time that night heat rise to her cheeks and something in her abdomen twist tighter than before. She was never really in the prey position like she was now but the fluidity of his moments felt almost too practiced, too planned, and she thought: unfortunately, too effective. It left her breathless for a moment but she tried to keep her gaze stern even if she felt herself faulter. That unidentified craving had come alive again burning inside her, traveling up her esophagus like it wanted to burst out her chest and engulf the man in front of her. She never felt a pull so strong like she did in this moment and it was then she knew what she had been searching for that night. It was in front of her.
“Follow me and I will tell you.” She slipped from underneath his arm and allowed her pinky to hook into the tiny loop that held a blanche cord. He looked genuinely surprised but didn’t argue, following her close so they wouldn’t get lost in the sea of people. She felt him close to her back and the thought of his body wrapping itself around her sent a thrill through her. Ghoul was good at changing the dynamic at a whim. In this moment she had to because she felt ready to crawl out of her skin with need.
Ghoul considered this night to officially be exciting. The thought of washing the traces of the past few months of intertwined affections and bloody battles with the fallen angel behind her was a relief.
**********
They exited the club together, grabbing their belongs at the door. Ghoul was relieved to have nothing missing from her black faux fur coat. It swallowed her whole but the pockets on the inside were deep and contained extra knives, cash, her watch, and her newest phone. This one was a simple flip phone that was used to only for someone to get in contact with her for work. The man that followed her out the club had a loose blazer that melded with the desaturated pastels he wore. He patted everything down and looked at her expectedly which gave Ghoul a moment to hesitate.
“Should we exchange names?” He asked as she led him down the street. Her mind was occupied so she hadn’t heard him immediately. There was one stop she planned to make before she took him to the fancier hotel a few blocks ahead. N109 zone may had mostly been a broken war zone but it still had a few tourist destinations for the wealthy.
“Names?” She processed what he said and turned to look at the man. It wasn’t common for names to be exchanged in most of her past transactional connections, but he did appear different from the rest. She wondered if he was a wealthier client’s mistress. It would explain his arrogance and his higher end fashion. “Ghoul.”
“Ghoul?” It sounded like the taller man tried to hold back a scoff as if that was unbelievable. “Is that your real name?”
“Real to me.” She said flatly.
“Fine, you can call me Tamino.” He sounded annoyed of defeat.
“Is that your real name?” She asked the question right back as she twirled to show him her smirk before leading ahead again.
“Real to me.” He whispered into her ear, and she abruptly turned her head to see how close he was. He was only a step or two behind but when he leaned in, he could basically hover over her shoulder. It was both pleasant and unsettling how much of a height difference they had. She often forgot how short she was until she met someone that was almost a head higher than her.
“Good enough.” She breathed, quickening her steps to put some distance between them. They were about to reach an alley that hopefully held the person she was looking for.
“Where are you taking me?” A higher pitch rose in his voice from the question as the streetlights were beginning to be far and in between in this section. He finally realized they weren’t heading straight to the hotel, and she thought that was humorous.
“Stay close, you’ll be fine.” Ghoul assured him. “Let me do the talking as well.”
“Very bossy.” He grumbled and even though she wasn’t looking at him she had an inkling that he was pursing his lips in the pout she had seen him do earlier. It made her giggle under her breath.
The alley held a variety of people who looked exactly like you’d expect criminals in the N109 Zone to look like. Hooded, dirty, bent over, and various shapes and sizes but all giving off an uncomfortable aurora. There was a soft cawing in the back of the alley and Ghoul felt her hair stand up. She couldn’t see the source along the line of the top of the buildings, but she knew that the notorious bird was around somewhere. She had to make this quick.
The lanky short man leaned on the wall in front of a flaming barrel. His hands were deep in his baggy pants pockets and his hood covered most of his face. The grey brick wall blended with his neutral colors, and she could tell by the posture alone it was the man she needed.
“Obsidian.” She called the name, and the man looked briefly at her. His face was scruffy and his brown eyes as dull as the dead.
“Who’s asking?” He asked. A trick question because she could tell he had recognized her the way he quickly adjusted his gaze. Obsidian’s brown eyes were focused on the pretty man behind her, suspicious. Ghoul pulled out her watch and pressed a control button that affected the color of her contacts. Once she looked at the man again, she made sure to give an unquestionably threatening look.
“Do you know now? Or should I remind you?” She stepped forward when she said it, her hands causally sat in her black fur coat. Her body said this was a causal meeting between acquaintances, but she knew her eyes communicated otherwise.
“No, no. I remember now?” Obsidian had a spark of fear in his eyes, and he fixed his posture.
“What are you some kind of thug?” Tamino interrupted behind her and Obsidian looked at him with uncertainty. Ghoul let out a slow breath and twisted herself enough to look back at Tamino. She really didn’t want to have make him shut up. Her eyes were their original citrine and empty as usual to convey now was not the time.
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers too, honey.” Her voice was like a venomous velvet. Enough to scare but also enough to ease that the harm wasn’t going to be direct towards him unless he pressed her. Tamino’s brow raised, and mouth twisted, he was going to have questions, but he was smart enough to understand now wasn’t the time for them. She appreciated that. She turned her head back to Obsidian who had his hand in a different pocket looking nervous.
“If that’s a gun I hope you plan to kill me.” Ghoul chuckled. She felt like this version of her had a snakeskin peeling out and covering over who she was like armor. It was a cool and silent place that helped get what she wanted across.
“N-no. Not at all Ghoul.” The lanky nervous man pulled his hands out and held them up. “It’s just chilly out here, that’s all.”
“Indeed.” She gave an empty nod. “I’m looking for something to elevate the night for me and possibly my companion for tonight.”
Ghoul clasped her hands together in a half-hearted clap. Her eyes were boring into Obsidian waiting for him to give her the run around so they could get straight to what she desired. The street drug that was gaining popularity elevated mood, energy, and plenty of parties. It was referred to as many things but tonight she was going to use the term that had become more culturally attached.
“Red scarlet?” She pushed. There was the faint sound of flapping in the distance and in her peripheral, she saw black wings flap away into the star-studded sky. It seemed only her caught its presence and she felt the hair on the back of her neck tingle. It was never a good sign to see that omen.
“Now Ghoul you know I don’t mess with that stuff.” Obsidian tried to lie through his teeth and maybe if Ghoul wasn’t so observant of her contact she would believe him.
“The eye of Onychinus left. Let us stop the games.” Ghoul was pacing back and forth, one arm on her hip, her heels clicking gently as she paced, and her other hand resting on her chin in thought. “Sell it to me or the next time your friends pay you a visit and I am around I might feel less inclined to offer assistance.”
“Fine. Fine!” Obsidian started rummaging through his pockets, sweat on his brow and his hood had fallen back to reveal his greasy black hair. The man looked younger without the hood on but Ghoul knew he was in his mid-forties and not someone who deserved much sympathy. He held out a small baggy of fine grinded powder that was crimson that sparkled like glass under the dim light from the street. It was a substance that was like the old fashion molly but with a splash of protocore. She still wasn’t entirely sure where the red came from. All she knew was how great she felt on it. Her first time she wished she had an arena full of enemies to destroy with the amount of energy and euphoria she felt but thankfully no secret fight rings were being held that night. She took the baggy from him. She knew it was probably his whole supply, most dealers sold it in smaller individual packaging, but Obsidian had a knack of finding big customers. She was one of them on occasion.
“How much?” She asked using the bag to spread the substance inside to look at it. She felt Tamino’s eyes looking over at it in fascination, but she didn’t look at him.
“3k.” Obsidian was rubbing the arm that had the bag jerked from him. She knew he was milking it nervously. He had seen before what she could really do to someone’s arm.
“Pfft. Ha. I’ll give you 1500. Consider the rest payment for having me as a contact.” She was impressed with him. Normally Obsidian would charge her the minimum in fear, but she assumed since they had company in this meeting, he got a little cocky.
“I can’t take that little, if Jaquez found out –.” He stuttered nervously.
“Tell Jaquez he can take it up with me.” Ghoul offered. She couldn’t care less who Obsidian thought was the big bad, everyone knew who it really was and if it wasn’t the Leader of the Onychinus than she couldn’t give a fuck less. He was the only big bad Ghoul was determined to avoid. It was as if the night heard her and from the darkness of the alley two men walked their way. She tucked the baggy into her bra and took a step in front of Tamino who had been such a good sport up to this point. She planned to keep her word that he would be fine beside her.
Chapter 6: This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Chapter Text
Chapter 6: This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
The two men were not masked and that was a relief. Luke and Kerian were normally exciting to see but after seeing that black bird fly away, she knew that the possibility of Onychinus being involved was higher than normal. The men in front of them were just two burly meat sacks sent to scare people. Ghoul’s shoulder relaxed knowing there was no real threat. At least a threat to care too much about.
“Should we leave?” Tamino whispered in her ear. He didn’t sound afraid, but instead calm and patiently waiting for her lead. It was uncommon for her to have such agreeable company. A fleeting joke about keeping him crossed her mind but it died as soon as it was born.
“No. We will be fine.” She waved her hand as if she were shooing a fly.
“Is that what you think little girl?” The right man’s voice boomed in the alleyway. Obsidian was inching closer to Ghoul. The amusement from how she was now in charge of the safety of two men didn’t pass her. They each had their own purpose for pleasure tonight. Perhaps this is what they mean when they say protect your assets.
“No.” The corner of her lips curled. “What I really think is there are two idiots in front of me.”
“Gh-ghoul these are Jaquez men…I don’t think--” Obsidian stammered, and he was behind her directly like Tamino. All in the men in this alley were at least a head taller than her yet she remained the most threatening, she liked that.
“No one pays you to think, Obsidian.” She shut down his fears. She was watching the two men in front of her very carefully. It was hard to guess how many weapons were on them based on sight alone. They had one holster between the two of them, but their clothes were baggy enough for Ghoul to consider they could be carrying concealed weapons. She only had a few knives on her and her sheer willpower.
“I think the biggest idiot here is you.” The man on the left had chestnut hair and a large white scar on his forehead. He filled the space between himself and her, towering over her as most men liked to do for some reason.
“Agree to disagree.” Ghoul shrugged and then pretended to check at the dirt under her nails. Her right hand was in her black faux fur coat gripping a switchblade. She hoped he’d lean in just a little more.
The chestnut-haired man grabbed her by the collar of her coat to force her to look up at him. It was exactly what she expected from the two meat sacks, all muscle no manners. The one commonality the brawny had was normally lack of planning which always gave her the advantage.
“How about we just pummel you, take the rest of the money you owe Obsidian, and the drugs while we are at it?” The man was snarling. Ghoul could see the excitement rising under his skin to get his hands bloody.
Technically she was out gunned but when did that ever stop her?
“I advise you to let her go.” Tamino’s smooth melodic voice was harsher now. It surprised both her and the man that held her up on her toes. She looked over to see that the soft pretty face had hardened into something more dire and serious. The 180 in his demeaner gave her a pang in her chest. It reminded her of someone she tried not to think of often; especially while they were away.
“Ha.” The man with black hair and no scars had stepped forward now to give his buddy reinforcements. “And what is a pretty boy like you going to do about it?”
“Are you jealous?” Ghoul sneered. Distraction would be their winning card. The plan was slowly coming together in her mind.
“What are you going on about?” Mr. Chestnut, Ghoul decided to refer to him as, was still trying to shake her loose. She thought it was funny how he assumed his overbearing presence would be enough to make her uneasy and lower her guard. The way they both took turns responding told Ghoul that this was part of their act. They liked to seem in sync to boost their intimidating aura.
“Isn’t it obvious? Your buddy over here wishes he had a taste of that.” Ghoul nodded her head at Tamino. Her eye caught the reflection of a red blade Tamino now held, and she had to stifle the surprise she felt. Pretty and practical.
“I’m getting tired of hearing the nonsense come out of your mouth, bitch, I think its time to teach you a thing or two.” Mr. Chestnut raised so her toes no longer felt the ground beneath her. As he raised her higher, she was brought closer to him, which was his biggest mistake. He raised his other fist back, rearing to smash his knuckles straight into her. Before he swung, she whipped her head back and threw her forehead at his nose. She heard the soft crunch his nose made from the impact. “FUCK”
Mr. Chestnut released her and she fell to the ground, dizzy and trying to reel in the pulsating vibrations in her skull. It had been a while since she had given a headbutt quite as strong but maybe that meathead was thick skulled. The world could be felt in waves but she was focused enough to grab the holstered throwing knife under her dress. She threw it into the shoulder of the black-haired man that reached for his gun.
Chestnut had blood rushing out his nose and his eyes darkened with fury. She stood aware that either of the men were going to rush at her with a hell of a hit. Her body swayed while finding her balance and there was the same hand she felt earlier in the night on her shoulder.
“You alright, cutie?” Tamino asked playfully, but if she paid attention, she could see the micro concern on his face. She realized what he called her and her face scrunched up from annoyance. She was never fond of nicknames.
“Yeah…” She was going to ask him the same but before she could get a better look at him, she heard racing stomps. Immediately she pushed Tamino out the way and then dropped to the ground to use the man’s weight against himself. It was the black-haired man and just as she predicted he was charged directly at her. Her drop threw him off. She kicked at his legs forcing him to fall forward. She took that opportunity to put a knee in his back and grab a handful of his hair to arc his back. He was subdued quicker than either of them expected.
Ghoul noticed that she was not the only one with her hands full. Tamino was dodging, skillfully she noted, the attacks of Mr. Chestnut. His brute strength was a weakness to Tamino just as the other’s had been to Ghoul. Tamino only had one dagger in hand and even with his hair as almost as long as his body, his moments were still precise and smooth. His hair swayed with him as if it had a mind of his own.
BANG
Ghoul’s ears screamed after the loud noise pierced her skull. Her eyes returned to the man beneath her, a big mistake on her part to even allow herself to be distracted. Meat Sack #1 was twisted underneath her unable to pry her off, but his hands were still free and he had carried a concealed gun. It was sheer luck that the only way he could aim at her wasn’t good enough to do any real damage. The graze in her left arm now burned cold and the pain triggered her movements. She slit the man’s throat with the switchblade that had rested in her pocket in a quick swipe. He tried to yell but could only gargle and look at her with fear ridden eyes. Ghoul yanked the gun from him and used his own back to support herself getting up. Her hands were sticky with warm oozing liquid.
Ghoul’s eyes were locked on Tamino and Mr. Chestnut. It was clear this ethereal man was like a lost Fae, enchanting to look at but worthy of suspicion and fear. However, she had promised him safety and agreed to a good time tonight. She aimed, breathing in and waiting for the right moment. The man was starting to get too close to her companion of the night and so she decided it was now or never.
BANG. SQUELCH.
The bullet pierced the other man’s temple, blood shooting onto the wall of the alleyway like a flick of red paint, followed by the sound of a heavy drop to the littered ground. It was over and Tamino looked over to Ghoul in surprise. She unloaded then threw the gun to the ground, discarding it with disgust.
“Don’t call me Cutie, ever.” She picked up her last thought with an unwavering seriousness. He just smiled and crossed his arms, dagger disappearing from his hands. She wondered where it went off too, maybe it was his evol. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. Obsidian!”
Ghoul looked around and saw the lanky man kneeling behind the barrel she originally found him by. She walked over to him and threw out a clear card.
“3k. Don’t give any of it to that rat bastard. And if he sends more men tell him he can come find me.” The clear card now was covered in drying cooper stains. The blood on her hands transferring to Obsidian, literally.
Obsidian looked up at her, trembling at first but he coughed into his hand before standing like he was nonchalant from the start. His hand hesitated but eventually caved, taking the unmarked card. Money was money, everyone knew that in the N109 Zone.
“You are such a pain in the ass customer.” He grumbled while he tried wiping the brown stains off onto his black jeans. “I’d prefer not to see you again for a few weeks.”
Ghoul patted her breasts where the Red Scarlet sat. “You won’t be seeing me. For now.”
“Are we done here?” Tamino blurted out. He stood arms crossed, fingers tapping, and his gaze not exactly on the two of them. Ghoul could clearly see his impatience though she figured that was the point he was making. He looked clean like he hadn’t even gotten in the scuffle with her. She found that irritating.
“Yeah, yeah.” Ghoul didn’t bother to look back at Obsidian or the two fresh dead bodies in the alleyway. Anyone who had been in the alley before was no longer within sight. She wasn’t worried about officials but she was curious how many eyes were on her that reported back to Onichynus. Another worry for later.
Her boots echoed as walked by Tamino they scuffed when she abruptly stopped only staring ahead.
“If you are having second thoughts about tonight, feel free to act on them.” She stole a glance from him before continuing to look at the skyline of buildings ahead. The hill they were on would only bring them closer to the original hotel she was going to take them too. Ghoul only stood beside him for a breath longer before walking ahead but she was stopped with a tug on her wrist. Tamino’s fingers wrapped completely around her and held firm.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He let out a lighthearted chuckle and pulled her to him as he did in the club. She had noticed he had a flair for dramatics. His hair tickled her skin as he leaned in to whisper, “Shouldn’t we be on our way instead of trying to find a reason not to enjoy the night?”
She stared back at him and his ombre eyes locked her in again, they were as scenic as a painting. It made her wonder many things about him. Was he born that way or did he wear special contacts like she currently did? Why wasn’t he more fearful? She just met someone in a sketchy ally, bought illegal drugs, and killed two men who tried to teach her a lesson. Two men she still wondered how they knew to appear. He didn’t dress like most did in the N109 Zone and she couldn’t claim she knew everyone who lived inside of it but she was sure he didn’t belong. He was pretty though. So pretty. She felt herself lose her breath when she thought about that. His thumb caressed the wrist that he used to drag her closer to him.
“Fine.” She barely spoke it. She felt bewildered and asked herself if she easily lost her composure over people like this before. She racked her brain and didn’t think she did, normally at least. “Follow me?”
“After you, Cutie.” He said the nickname with a sinful smile. She wanted to scold him again but she knew that the night was getting later by the minute. At their rate they wouldn’t be able to enjoy themselves until dawn. She pulled her wrist from him and walked ahead leading them to the hotel she wanted to forget everything in.
Chapter 7: In Love with My Sadness
Summary:
Caleb brooding in his office.
Notes:
Thank you for those who waited patiently for this chapter. I know it is a tad short but hopefully it will give you something to chew on till the next!
Chapter Text
Skyhaven 22:36
The twitch in his eye wouldn’t go away. No herbal tea, no late nigh snack, and no soothing audios would ease the tension that wrapped around his skull. His gloved finger tapped incessantly on the cool metal desk as his eyes read the same line over again.
“Nice try, Colonel.”
The message wasn’t signed and the number couldn’t be found in any of the Fleet’s official and unofficial registries. Not even his portals through Ever’s database could identify the number, but for every channel that failed to shed light on the answer; a rotten thought that had nestled in the back of his mind became clearer.
Onichynus.
He pried his hardened amethyst gaze off the message and burned it into the small box that sat at the edge of his desk, untouched still. The box brought to life a tar pit in the bottom of his stomach and the acid bubbled up his esophagus. No amount of silky self-flattery or rational logic could ease the wretched feeling he felt when he revisited the method in which he obtained it. Deceit and treachery towards someone who already trusted him so little.
A cheerful tune pulled him out of his sinking mind and back to him sitting at his desk. His console was ringing a familiar tune and it gave him a momentary relief.
“Heeey pipsqueak,” He forced life into his voice, pushing aside all the floating meteors of disdain that lingered in the dark space of his mind. “What are you doing up so late? Missed me that much?”
“What are you doing up so late?” Andrea’s voice chimed with playfulness. It was bittersweet to hear after these past couple of months. The guilt for quietly abandoning her side for her choice of happiness itched at him. He seemed to be feeling guilty for a lot of things tonight.
“How are you going to answer a question with a question, Pips?” He lips curled into a familiar smile only ever reserved for her. “Did your doctor leave you lonely?”
He regretted asking as soon as it left his mouth.
“You know as a surgeon he can be busy at any time. He doesn’t leave my side on purpose unlike someone I know.” Andrea’s voice smooth but her words could cut. Another familiar feeling.
“I was just teasing. So, it’s safe to say you missed me then? Thought you would have been mad at me by now.” Caleb matched her energy, he was starting to regret answering the call.
“Mad for what?” She sounded genuinely confused on the phone. Instead of relief he felt the imaginary knife in his chest plunge in and twist even deeper. He coughed from the physical pain the emotional distress caused. Caleb wasn’t sure he could continue the phone call any longer no matter how much he missed being close to her. Every day the universe made sure to remind him he could never has his cake and eat it too.
“Nothing, nothing at all, Pips.” He bit his lip and his foot was starting to tap in place. “Just checking in then? Is it possible I can call you back over the weekend? I got a stack of reports due in the morning and tomorrow I am getting to fly out again.”
A silent pause dragged out the seconds, the emotions, and all his thoughts that he tried to not dwell on. He attempted to take comfort in the fact that at least it was their childhood friend who protected her and made her happy. Happy in ways he couldn’t. That had to be for something.
“Pips?”
“Yeah, yeah, lets catch up another time.”
“Are you sure? I can’t help but feel I let you down again”
“It’s fine, Caleb. Really.” He heard the breath she sucked in. “When are you coming back to visit Linkon? Zayne and I would love to have you for dinner sometime.”
“Yeah? Let me guess.” He managed to rally himself for her. “I show up, you both are half way up to your elbows in whatever it is you want to impress me with, because knowing you, you haaaave to pick a meal you think would surprise me. In the end it’s me picking up the mess and cooking dinner.”
“Yeah, but Zayne will actually do dishes.” She let out a surprised laugh that became infectious. They both knew he was right. “Does that not sound like a good time for you? Zayne misses you too.”
“Oh really? I find the icy Dr. Zayne hard to picture missing someone other than you.”
“Pssht okay, as if you both weren’t best friends before.” Caleb could hear her eyeroll. It widened the small smile.
“Yeah, yeah, okay. I will look at my schedule. It’s not easy being Colonel up here.”
“I know and I appreciate you, Gege. Please visit soon, okay?” Caleb closed his eyes to imagine the glitter in her eyes. They shined so bright whenever she asked something of him. A big contrast to the dull citrine gaze he had become used to. A gaze he hadn’t seen or heard from in over a week.
He shook his head, pushing out the thoughts of Carmilla. He made a point not to think of the other when talking to one. At least he tried too. It felt unethical when Andrea wasn’t even aware of her lab grown clone.
“I will, Pipsqueak. Get some sleep. If not for me than your precious Dr. Boyfriend.” Caleb forced himself to sound lighthearted. He wanted to feel lighthearted when he said it, truly, but it seemed impossible. He felt he was too greedy sometimes.
“Ha. Dr. Boyfriend. You really are a genius.” Andrea’s sarcasm stuck to the phone like syrup. “Goodnight, Gege. You better come for dinner or we will fly out to Skyhaven and drag you here.”
“Mhm, that’s my pipsqueak.” Caleb heard his own remorse before he hung up. Nothing had ever been the same since the explosion. Nothing ever would be the same. He thought he could live without Andrea and there were small moments where he felt as if he was strong enough.
Andrea discovering him in Skyhaven was never part of his plan. Him rescuing an Ever subject because of who she resembled was also not part of his plan. Caleb started to wonder if he even had a plan.
Carmilla’s exhausted face appeared in his mind. The way they strung her up and kept her locked behind a cage had felt too familiar. She was the first thing he saw when he finally came to with his new arm and aching body. The fiery determination in her eyes is what inspired him. He could just tell that Carmilla would have everything she ever wanted if she got out. The world could burn but she would have what she deserved.
He wished it was him but just rescuing her was not enough. Hiding her from Ever and Andrea was not enough. Submitting to their desires was not enough.
Caleb’s fingers started tapping again. He felt the urge to reach out and dial her number but he wasn’t even sure what to say. His eyes roamed his office and on the far chair was the shirt he borrowed when he was last over. It sat there reminding him that he wasn’t the only person in her life that was close to her. The owner of the shirt had a whole drawer of clothes. His fist tightened even with his gloves on he could tell his knuckles started to whiten.
Valentine.
An absurd name for an untrustworthy freelance hacker. Caleb was always weary of the leader of Onichynus getting to Carmilla but he found out that the danger didn’t stop at Onichynus. Caleb used his usual methods to track Valentine down but the hacker evaded surveillance as well as most people who hung around the N109 Zone. Only once had Caleb seen the man in person and when they had locked eyes, Caleb knew, Valentine would be a threat to anything he tried to build with Carmilla. The hacker was unpredictable, had an unstable past from what Caleb could gather, and worked with not only the leader of Onichynus but anyone that would pay for his renowned services. And this man took refuge in Carmilla’s life, in her bed, in her room, in her dresser, making it even harder to hide her from the corporation that wants her back the most.
His cold hand held his forehead. It was getting late. The office he was in felt darker as time went out. He couldn’t stop the flood of thoughts from ruining his mood. Caleb knew he had to reach out to Carmilla at some point. There wasn’t a choice not too. He missed the smell of salt and honeydew that lingered on her skin.
He may have saved her for who she looked like but he knew that his feelings of possessiveness and hunger for her was very genuine. Caleb just wished for her to give in. The craving took over and before he knew it, he was dialing her number.
bearlytolerable on Chapter 1 Fri 06 Jun 2025 07:25PM UTC
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fangbangerGhoul on Chapter 1 Sat 07 Jun 2025 11:36PM UTC
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bearlytolerable on Chapter 2 Fri 06 Jun 2025 07:46PM UTC
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fangbangerGhoul on Chapter 2 Sat 07 Jun 2025 11:37PM UTC
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bearlytolerable on Chapter 3 Fri 06 Jun 2025 07:53PM UTC
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fangbangerGhoul on Chapter 3 Sat 07 Jun 2025 11:38PM UTC
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bearlytolerable on Chapter 3 Sat 07 Jun 2025 11:39PM UTC
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