Wow first chapter and I'm already starting with the crappy updating schedule. Sorry. In my defense it only happened because I rewrote this chapter like five times.
So current news: I have written up a character sheet for this universe and starting next chapter intend to occassionally post a character's entry at the beginning of the chapter. The order will be sort of random due to the fact that I've decided not to put up anyone before they have been properly introduced. However I'll make sure to tell you at the end of the chapter who the next person will be.
Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed and fully realize that this disclaimer will not save me should I be sued.Prologue
She was running. The hot humidity pressed around her like an extremely unwelcome wet blanket. Even so she pushed herself to go faster, leaping over whatever obstacle was in her way.
Or rather whatever obstacle I'm able to see, she thought quickly getting up off the ground and cursing the universe for not giving her night vision.
Thankfully her target was still in sight and appeared to be growing tired. No surprise really. She'd only been chasing him for the past twenty minutes. She was actually quite impressed that he'd lasted that long, not that she'd ever admit that.
Ignoring the cramp that had manifested itself in her side sometime in the past ten minutes she hurried to catch up to the target before he could get his breath back. Lunging forward, she tackled him. Caught off guard he went down easily. What followed then was a not-so-silent scuffle as he tried to get her off of him. She was ashamed to admit that he almost succeeded too.
He was a big guy. His shoulders were twice as broad as she was and he had to outweigh her by a good hundred pounds, a hundred pounds of complete muscle if her observations were correct. Therefore it was probably only due to how worn out he was, they'd fought before he took off running after all, and the years of training and experience she had that allowed her to keep him pinned.
Delivering a hit to his neck that was sure to knock him out she took a few minutes to catch her breath. During the years since the Cullen mission she'd hit the gym and had gotten mostly back into shape. Still not enough to fight, run for twenty minutes straight, and then pin down an apparent body builder though. She'd have to fix that soon. But then she'd been saying she would fix that for the past year.
Finally able to breathe normally she fished out her cell phone and hit speed dial one. "Donny, I got the guy. I'm bringing him to you right now."
The Donny in question was looking rather pissed off when she arrived at her destination. "That bitch slapped me. With her apparently razor sharp nails no less." Sure enough he had several parallel scratch marks on his cheek in addition to a new hand shaped bruise below that.
Helping her drag the unconscious weight lifter she had been chasing over to where the other targets were he continued to complain, "I mean seriously razor sharp nails? What was she expecting to have to resort to slitting open someone's throat without a knife? Even you don't go that far and one day you might very well find yourself without a knife when you need it."
"It's because she knew you were coming Donny. She wanted to be prepared for when you got here. But you're right even I don't do that. But then, unlike her, I always have a backup." Smiling in amusement she tied up the target. Going over to Donny she plopped down on the hard floor. He joined her quietly. "So are you going to tell Renee or should I?"
"She's your mom you tell her."
"Do I have to?" His expression told her all she needed to know. "Ugh fine. I guess I'll tell Renee that our mission was a complete and total failure."
"Well it wasn't a complete failure." Donny said, trying to adopt a positive exterior. It didn't work but she agreed anyway.
Seeing him still fingering the scratch and wincing she said. "Here let me see that." She took a look at his cheek. Surprisingly it was actually fairly deep. Maybe he wasn't exaggerating when he said that one of the female targets had razor nails. "I think you'll live."
"Well that's good to know. I was really starting to worry there." They were able to keep straight faces up until they looked at each other. Laughing she tried to keep her mind off of Renee's inevitable reaction to their failure. Like Donny said, it wasn't a complete failure.
"So the mission was a complete failure." Renee stated blandly. She was sitting on her throne with a glass of red wine in one hand and a chain in the other. The chain was attached to a leather collar around an attractive half-naked guy's neck. Bella was pretty sure he was one of the previous targets she'd had. Apparently Renee had decided that he was too attractive to kill and had made him her slave.
She did that sometimes.
"Well not exactly. I mean the targets you told us to keep alive are alive. Uh, most of them at least."
"But the information they were guarding is gone. Or according to you two got blown up."
"That is correct."
Renee sighed dramatically. "Sometimes I wonder just how you two came to be my top minions. You screw up so many things that it really is a wonder."
"Renee if I may speak," Renee looked at Donny for a moment then nodded, granting him permission. "The ones that are alive personally were told of the information. I'm sure that if you were to make a very convincing argument telling them that it would be in their best interest to tell you what you want to know eventually they would agree."
Bella was sure that there wasn't a person in the room who didn't understand what Donny meant when he said 'very convincing argument.' Renee considered what he suggested before giving a slow smile. Despite the heat and the fact that she was used to Renee the smile still managed to send chills up her spine.
Renee never tried to hide that torture was one of her favorite pastimes. Donny knew that which was most likely why he said it in the first place. Plus it got them off the hook for now.
Renee spoke, "You know what, I think that that's an amazing idea. I was starting to get bored anyway." She stood and descended the stairs, pulling her slave along behind her. "Anyone want to join me? There are enough of them for all of us."
The offer was tempting. Conscience or not the body building target had made her run after him in the hot, dark, Arizona night after all, but she was tired and in desperate need of a shower. "Sorry we'll have to decline." Donny nodded in agreement.
Excitement flared in Renee's eyes. "More for me then," she said cheerfully, "Maybe next time."
"Yeah maybe,"
"Anton!" She called. A dark haired man shimmered into the room and kneeled in respect. "Make sure that they get their bounty will you. I don't want to hear that they end up starving to death because you forgot to pay them."
Anton, who looked somewhat like Antonio Banderas in leather in her opinion, gave a nod. "Yes my liege."
He gestured at them to follow him. He didn't really have to, by now they knew the way quite well, but he was probably just used to having to lead people. Demons could be surprisingly forgetful at times.
They followed, complaining to each other about their respective bruises and scratches and whatever other minor injuries they'd sustained this time. Figuring they were on a roll they then decided to annoy Todd, the guy who had given them this mission in the first place, before collecting their pay checks. As they were about to leave Bella was pretty sure that she saw Anton roll his eyes at them but she ignored it.
A dark figure made its way across the pier. He glanced around before entering a warehouse like any other. "Do you have it?" Letting out a gasp of surprise he whirled around to face a woman.
"Y-yes I have it." He extended a file.
The woman snatched it out of his hand. Looking over the file before her she smirked in satisfaction. "Well what do you know, you can do something right."
"P-please I've given you what you want so you can let them go."
"Let who go? Oh those brats of yours. Well sorry but you're not quite finished yet."
"But your boss said that I'd only have to do this one thing and then he'd let them go!" All stuttering disappeared as anger flowed through him.
She raised an eyebrow. "I'm aware of that. However, you made us realize that you could be of more use to us than previously thought. You should count yourself lucky. We were planning to just kill you."
He faltered. "Fine I'll do whatever you want me to. But I want your word that if I do this you'll let my kids go."
The woman tilted her head back and laughed, "Looks like you do have a backbone after all. Alright then I give my word."
"No I want more than that."
"Care to elaborate."
"I want you to swear on your boss's life that you'll let them go."
She was taken aback for just a moment. Then the moment passed and she gave another smirk. "If that's what you want, I swear on the life of my beloved lord that I will let your children go. So long as you do what is asked of you of course."
He accepted that. Holding out his hand he took the note of instructions that she handed him. Reading it he almost went back on what he said about doing one more thing for them. Almost. But then he remembered that his kid's lives were at stake. Leaving without a word he walked quickly to his car.
The woman watched him go. She had to admit he had more guts than she gave him credit for. Not many people were able to demand things of her. And so she gave her word and she intended to keep it. Unless of course her Lord told her otherwise.
So that wraps up the first chapter of All's Fair. Anyone who has an questions or concerns can feel free to leave them in a review or PM me. First character to be posted is our dear Bella.