What if the Draft Riots didn't take place? The outcome of the gang battle might have been very different…
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The Rabbits and the Natives charged. They immediately began ripping at each other, hacking at any limbs they could see that were clothed in a different color than their own. The minutes of screaming and bloodshed ticked by like the longest hours of their lives. Quinn held his knife tightly and swung it at a Native, effectively sending him to the ground. However, before he could find someone else to target, two burly opponents stormed at him and knocked the knife from his hand, grasping both his arms.
"Hey, get off!" he shouted as the men dragged him out of the fray.
"Hold still, boy."
The young man could only watch helplessly as Bill and Amsterdam faced off in the center of the fight.
Vallon swung hard at the Butcher's head, but he ducked easily and kicked him in the stomach. Swinging his meat cleaver, Bill made a gash in Amsterdam's shoulder, sending him backwards. Ever valiant, the Dead Rabbit retaliated by slashing his arm.
Quinn observed in extreme worry, but his hopes were still high.
Come on, Amsterdam…
Suddenly, just as the boy was about to strike again, Bill pushed his wrist out of the way before stepping forward and plunging his longer knife deep into Amsterdam's side.
"No!" Quinn screamed, struggling vainly with his captors.
Young Vallon's eyes widened as blood poured from his wound. He looked at his adversary, who leaned towards him.
"That's a kill," he snarled into the boy's ear.
He wrenched his knife out of the bloodied flesh, watching Vallon fall to the ground. The horn sounded, and everyone halted. Overcome with shock and grief, Quinn stared at the numerous bodies; he recognized far too many of them.
Shang…Jimmy…oh, God…
He was unable to act as the Butcher bent over the Priest's son and slit his throat. Amsterdam tried to scream, but it came out as a gurgle. Never taking his eyes from his dying victim, Bill reached out to stroke the boy's forehead.
"That's it. Think about it for a while."
After another minute, Amsterdam was dead. Both gangs watched in silence as the Native man slowly rose to his feet.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Indescribable pride filled him as he stared down at his victim. He had taken the father, and now, he had finally taken the son as well. After a few more moments, Bill addressed the crowd.
"Let the Rabbits be gone today, once and for all," he shouted. "Do what you will with your dead, but this one will not cross the river!"
He nodded at his own men to gather the fallen Natives before looking around. Quinn had been pulled from the battle as he'd ordered, and his heart burned with more pleasure than ever before. He slowly started to walk towards him.
"You bastard," Quinn growled at the approaching man. "You son of a—"
He didn't finish. Bill had punched him hard across the jaw and kicked him in the shins, causing his knees to buckle beneath him. Before he could get up, he was pinned onto his stomach. The Butcher held the boy's wrists behind his back and yanked the tri-colored sash from around his own waist. In a matter of moments, he'd hogtied the Irish boy, just as he said he would.
Bill got to his feet and pulled the tie from his hair. He forced his pilot cap onto Quinn's head, covering his eyes. Then, without a word, he grabbed the sash and started to drag the squirming man towards Satan's Circus.
"Oh, don't worry," he snarled. "I'm taking you to see her!"
As he ultimately pulled his captive towards the final narrow stairs that led to his room, an excitement unlike any other filled the Butcher.
Now I'll show you, Kyna.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"No. God, please…"
Kyna whispered to herself as she heard the sound of a scuffle outside the door. It was the only time in her life that she wasn't happy to hear Quinn's voice. She pulled desperately at her ropes, but it was useless. The door was kicked open, and the Native man walked in with Quinn in tow. After slamming the door shut, he dragged the tied boy towards the bed and took off the cap, allowing the younger man to finally see his sweetheart.
"Oh, Kyna…"
There were cuts all over her exposed body. Her lip had a small cut on it, and a bruise was forming on her cheek. She looked at him weakly, tears flooding her eyes.
"Quinn…"
"There you are," Bill said sinisterly. "You got to see each other one last time. But now…"
He yanked Quinn backwards and pushed him onto the floor.
"No!" screamed the girl.
The Native punched Quinn in the face a few more times before getting up. Kyna yanked frantically at her ropes, not bothering to restrain her tears. After several stifling seconds, Quinn was groaning in pain. He barely seemed to notice that he was being untied.
"Kyna…"
Bill pushed him onto his back and straddled him. He then took out one of his smaller knives and grabbed one of Quinn's wrists, horrifying the woman.
"No!"
The blade came down and pierced through the center of the younger man's hand, effectively nailing it to the floor. A piercing scream escaped him, and barely an instant later, Bill had taken out another knife. Kyna watched helplessly as both her sweetheart's hands were practically nailed to the wood.
"Quinn, look at me! I love you, look at me…"
He was able to see her through his watering eyes for a few moments, despite the agony he was in.
"This'll be fun," Bill muttered as he took out the knife he'd used to kill Amsterdam.
In a swift move, he had cut both of Quinn's cheeks. Then, he grabbed one of the boy's ears and turned to Kyna.
"No more declarations of love."
He slowly cut off the appendage, enjoying the boy's screams. Once it was off, he tossed it aside and did the same with the other one. Quinn was nearly delirious with agony, but he concentrated on looking at Kyna. He hated the pain he saw in her expression, the pain he'd promised to take away…
Bill suddenly slapped the boy's face.
"Don't you dare look at her," he snarled, gripping his head. "She belongs to me!"
He positioned his knife at one of Quinn's eyes, which were still glued to Kyna. The girl screamed in terror as Bill gouged it out. He smiled in satisfaction as he cut the other eye out immediately afterwards.
"Now you'll never see her again!"
"You bastard!" Kyna screamed, pulling so hard on her ropes that her wrists were raw. "Stop it!"
The Butcher ignored her and took out his meat cleaver. He forced it between the boy's jaws so that it held his mouth open. Then, he stuck the other knife inside and started hacking at the tongue. Kyna wanted so badly to close her eyes, but found herself unable to do so. Watching the love of her life coughing up blood was causing her own soul to die with his, just as the Butcher promised.
Quinn moaned in anguish. The unrelenting pain was threatening to take over his sanity. However, despite not being aware of his surroundings, he was still able to hold Kyna's face in his mind; the poor boy fought with all his might to push past the pain and focus on the woman he loved with all his heart. By the time her captor started on Quinn's privates, Kyna was barely able to see through her own tears. The Butcher eventually climbed over the boy and positioned the blade over his chest. Without another word, he plunged the tool deep into him and yanked it down, tearing through flesh and muscle. Blood poured from the gaping wound as Bill thrust his hand inside, feeling around for the desired organ.
Quinn could barely scream anymore due to the blood loss. Though he couldn't see anything, the darkness was starting to become blurry. The loud but inaudible noises he could hear were fading. Suddenly, he was beginning to see white.
Kyna, I'm so sorry…
Kyna powerlessly watched her only remaining reason for living take his final breath. Just as Bill pulled out Quinn's heart, the young man's form became still. His insides warm with victory, he slowly turned to look at his prisoner, but she wasn't looking at him.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Empty.
That's how she felt. Quinn had been her everything. No matter what was going on, no matter what had gone wrong in her life, he was always there to comfort and protect her. Even after Monk's murder, her love's image helped her to keep her hopes alive. And now, every last bit of hope she had was destroyed. She lay on her back and sobbed as she heard the Butcher bring the heart to the table. The sickening chopping sound that followed made her insides twist with revulsion. She turned and looked out the window, but saw nothing except for the red-brown bricks of the opposite building.
A few minutes later, Bill was hovering over Kyna, holding a handful of the bloody bits.
"Time to open up, Kyna."
The woman clenched her mouth shut and turned away, only for the Butcher to firmly grab her chin. She squealed in pain and revulsion as her captor picked up one of the pieces and pressed it against her lips.
"I said open!"
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Several hours later, after a great amount of violent struggling, Bill finally made good on his promise to make Kyna eat Quinn's heart. His men had taken the young man's remains from the room. Now, Bill sat on the bed with his untied captive, holding onto her tightly; he wanted to stay with her to make sure she didn't vomit, and to feast his eyes on his work.
Kyna felt numb. Her body was fine, but the flesh that Bill had forced her to consume seemed like it was weighing down her stomach. Her wish to die had never been stronger. Still, she knew that wish wouldn't be granted, at least not for a very long time. The sun ultimately started to go down, and Kyna prayed that Bill would leave her alone for the night. But he was far from being finished with her. Reaching his hand forward, the man started to stroke her cheek, wiping a bit of blood from her lips. She winced and turned away from him as much as she could. Bill rubbed the blood on the girl's face, right next to her ear. Then, when he bent his head down and pressed his mouth against her skin, something snapped.
"No!" she shrieked, struggling with all her might. "Get away from me!"
But the Butcher wouldn't have any of that. He wrapped his arms around Kyna from behind and pulled her to him, rubbing his lips down her neck. She cried out in disgust and tried to squirm, but he pinned her down with his weight and wrapped his legs around hers. He rolled her over onto her belly and held her wrists together, wrapping the rope around them.
"Get off!" the woman screamed, but her cry was cut off by Bill's mouth on hers.
He didn't bother to push the kiss too far, since he knew she would bite him. Instead, he merely pressed his lips against hers firmly enough so that she couldn't wriggle away. Finally, after a few more moments, he pulled back. Kyna turned away, but Bill wouldn't let her go.
"There we are," he said almost gently, with a sinister undertone to his voice. "Everyone's out of the way. It's just you and me now, Kyna."
The girl shook her head, unable to hold back her tears as the man grasped her chin in his hand. A few moments later, she felt the unbearable sensation of his lips against her neck. It was only when her cries weakened that Bill finally stopped.
I've got all the time in the world with her now, after all…
Kyna tried to wriggle away from the Butcher as he pulled her into an embrace, but he was too strong for her. The only thing she could do was cry herself to sleep.
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Let me know what you think.
