Nightingale

Chapter 4: Bullet to the Shoulder

"All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful: but the beauty is grim."

Christopher Morley

~OOO~

Nightingale's eyes snapped open with discomfort, she groaned and then fell off the bed with a jump upon hearing Jasper's voice through the Guild Seal. "Ah. I see, your up a few minutes earlier than you would normally be." Nightingale threw the blankets off of her and sat up, stretching a bit. Then she got up and looked round the inn's spare bedroom. It wasn't the best, especially if it was in Bowerstone Industrial. Months had past since she first received her powers and the Guild Seal. Nightingale remembered when she first picked her weapons out, the weapons that her mother, Sparrow, had left her. A wimpy looking hammer and a rusty old pistol, which to her surprise were now beautifully carved weapons of doom. Her hammer was bigger than her head and yet she was still able to carry it with some what ease. Her pistol lay on her bed side, it glowed a bright blue just like the hammer. One shot from that can cripple a Hollowman easily.

Nightingale reached over and pulled on her blue and white stripped stockings, then she grabbed her short shorts and pulled them up. Nightingale grabbed her leather cotton dark green tank top and pulled on her mercenary officer black jacket. There was no sleeve on her left arm and that way, she wouldn't get too hot. Nightingale stared at herself in the mirror and sighed, she used her hands to brush out her beautiful jet black hair and then stared closely at her gray eyes. Next to them on her skin, it was faint, but you could see the swirling intricate designs. The stronger she got, the more distinct they would become.

Nightingale grabbed her worn out trusty brown boots and strapped them on. Then she grabbed her hammer and pistol, ready to get out of the inn. Jasper's voice appeared in her mind again, "It appears, Sir Walter is still trying to get up. Why don't you wait downstairs for him…it might be a while." Nightingale giggled silently and nodded, "Thanks Jasper." She opened the door to her room and then vaulted past the stairs and picked a seat to sit in while she waited for her father figure, Walter, to show up. Months ago, she was frail and weak, now she was strong hearted and fast…just like her mother. Sparrow, it seemed as though she knew what would happen in the future, she prepared everything for her daughter. Even the place called the Sanctuary where Nightingale first escaped the confines of Bowerstone Castle.

Nightingale leaned her head on her arms and remembered the fight with the dead hollowman captain. Boy, that was a fight, she was surprised she made it out alive. It made her happy to know she had gained more followers though. Ben Finn, the spunky and handsome solider who was ready for anything. Then there was Major Swift, with his overgrown mustache and jolly personality. Nightingale had promised to help them out when she became a full fledged Queen. Let's not forget Sabine and the Dwellers, her mother's magical music box. All those trials she had gone through were worth it. Nightingale had gained followers. She promised the people of Brightwall that she would rebuild the Brightwall Academy and bring it to it's former glory, that was when she earned the title of the Hero of Brightwall.

Nightingale yawned a bit and looked around, everyone had barely enough money to afford a room here, much less anything to eat or drink. She glowered down at the table in front of her, Reaver. That despicable man is ruining everything. The conditions of Bowerstone Industrial had worsened, people were actually dying on the streets now and no one bothered to even give them a proper burial. Everyone was looking out for themselves now. He was working them like peasants, and more people were dying by his hands…she heard just recently that he had shot another one of his mansion staff, the poor girl was only trying to give him the right amount of sugar. Nightingale winced slightly and squeezed her eyes shut until she could feel her thick and long lashes stab at her. 'I'll end it, there's no way I'm going to let this slip past me.'

The chair in front of her squeaked and she looked up to see a yawning Walter, "Did you have a good night's sleep, Nightingale?" He dared not to use the word "Princess" around here, it would only cause trouble. Nightingale smiled slightly and shook her head, "To be honest, no, I've got this strange feeling going on about me. It's more like worry than anything else." Walter smiled at her and patted her small and fragile looking hands, "Don't worry, everyone around here is feeling the same way. Especially with what's been happening lately." Nightingale was in no mood to eat, but she smiled a bit when she saw Walter peacefully eating his food. She leaned across the table and stared at him, "So…what's next on the agenda?" Walter paused for a moment and used a napkin to dab at his mustache. "Page. We are going to meet with the leader of the Bowerstone Resistance, a group of people who are trying to get better conditions for Bowerstone Industrial as well as end Reaver's reign of terror."

Nightingale nodded and then sat back against her chair. Walter stood up and whistled, soon Oreo came down the stairs and jumped up at his mistress. Nightingale laughed a bit and hugged her brave collie. "Hey there boy! Who's a good boy! You didn't give Walter any trouble, did you?" The dog just wagged his tail and stuck out his tongue. She smirked and then looked at Walter for reassurance. Walter chuckled and then shrugged, "He couldn't stop jumping around, but overall he was being a good boy. Now come on, Page will be waiting for us." Nightingale nodded and then began to walk out, whistling to get Oreo's attention.

They began walking along the streets of the filthy pit hole of a city, Bowerstone Industrial. Nightingale watched as young kids fooled around throwing dirt other things at each other, she smiled contently and whistled at a few kids who in turn waved back at her. Walter chuckled, "Happy little bunch aren't they? Considering the conditions they live with." Nightingale nodded and turned her attention straight on. Walter stopped her for a second and then his features grew dark for a short time. "This doesn't sound or look good. Balls, there seems to be a commotion. Come on, let's check it out." Nightingale furrowed her eyebrows and quickly followed after Walter who seemed to be jogging laps compared to her.

They squeezed their way through the crowd of people who held up signs and angry fists, agreeing with the spokesman who stood up on a platform like circle. "Reaver isn't treating us right! We deserve better pay! Better working conditions! Children forced to work! We must stand up for what's right! Who's with me!" The crowd cheered loudly, but little did they know of who stood up on the balcony, gently clicking his cane on the metal bar which casted a strange ear bleeding ring.

Reaver stared down at the dozens of people who formed a mad mob. He cocked his head to the side and leaned against his cane, dissatisfaction written all over his face. He hated it when people disobeyed him. 'Filthy rodents.' He tapped his cane against the railing once, no one seemed to look up, then another time. Finally he grew impatient and cocked his Dragonstomper .48 and aimed at the man who seemed to have the balls to stand up to Reaver…not for long though. BAM. The gun shot rung throughout the air, people yelled out and Reaver smirked when the man finally fell down, like the rodent he was.

Nightingale gasped when she saw Reaver up on the balcony, what was even worse was when he shot down the man. The man yelled out and fell down on his side. Wincing at the pain of the shoot. He had apparently got his left leg. She looked at Walter gravely and shook her head, "Keep Oreo here, I'm going closer, I can't continue to see that…monster treat that man like that." Before Walter could hold her back, she had already began making her way to the front. She stood on the front lines and stared gravely at the man with the heart shaped tattoo. He seemed to have seen her. A wolfish smirk spread across his lips before he spoke again. 'That bastard…'

Reaver held up his gun for emphasis and then he leaned against his cane before saying anything. "*But lying down is so much easier than standing up.*" He stood up tall and held his gun to the side, "*My dear friends, to raise moral. I'm offering prizes to the most deserving workers. The rules that govern what I like to call 'The Reaver Team Spirit Award' are these: firstly, any worker that so much as murmurs another complaint will be shot.*" There was a gasp from many workers as Reaver shot the man on his right leg. All Nightingale could do was stare in astonishment, surely…but why would he? "*Secondly, any worker who takes more than a three-second break will be shot.*" Nightingale felt her heart skip a beat, his left arm was shot. She knew where this was going, she just couldn't get herself to move. "*Thirdly, any worker who breaks any other rules I have yet to formulate will, yes, you guessed it…*" Nightingale pushed past anyone who was in front of her and somersaulted up to the platform and squeezed her eyes shut, holding the man close to her, it just seemed to happen so fast. "*Be shot.*" Nightingale gasped as she felt the bullet graze deeply past her right shoulder. What really shocked her was the yell from the man she was holding, his blood splattered across her cheeks. Her eyes grew wide and she stared down at the now dead man. Then she looked up at Reaver with a glare so deadly, she hoped it was sending daggers. Reaver only seemed to have smirked, waving his gun around, "*You may return to work now. As you know, I am a generous man, and likely to start handing out prizes right away! So go on. Shoo! Be off with you! Chop chop.*"

Reaver smiled when he finished his deadly speech. Though what surprised him even more was that the Princess had such a heart as to get shot in the shoulder…and for nothing too! The man had died right in her arms, oh, how depressing…and boring. He turned around but not before giving the injured Princess an amusing side glance. He turned to his maid and sternly whispered, "Be a dear…get the girl and send her to my mansion. I would like to…throughly apologize for her injuries." He gave the girl a slight kiss on the nape of her neck before going back inside to meet the Princess at his mansion in Millfields.

Nightingale felt tears threaten to emerge, she stared down at the man who's eyes gaped up at her, as if they were saying: "Why?" She winced a bit holding back her emotions and the burning pain in her right shoulder. Nightingale prayed for the man and then kissed his forehead, she slowly closed the man's eyes and watched as the people began to scamper off back to work. Nightingale watched Walter look at her with shock, she got up carefully, lurching forward a bit, then she kneeled down and laid the man in a graceful position. His hands laid on his stomach. It looked as though he was sleeping, if you didn't count the blood splotches.

Walter watched as Nightingale painfully climbed off the platform and then quickly made way for her. "What you did was something the people of Bowerstone Industrial will never forget. No one but you had the heart to go up there and make a stand. And if that man were alive, he would forever be in your debt. It's ok, Nightingale, don't cry. Your mother would have been proud." He hugged the frail looking girl and tried to calm down her silent sobs. Walter knew this was getting to be too much for the young Princess, he was afraid that some day the girl would just drop dead.

Nightingale held in her sobs and then looked up to see a young maid stare at her sorrowfully. "M-madam. Master Reaver would like to see you at his mansion. He wanted to apologize for the inconvenience. Please, do come along." Nightingale stared up at Walter with a slightly confused look and then shook her head, "B-but…I?" The girl's perfect mask broke, she grabbed Nightingale's hands and whimpered, "Please! Please, don't do this. He'll kill me if I come back empty handed!" Walter looked down at the Princess who was grief-stricken and then the maid who was pleading, no begging. "A-alright. I'll go, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. He's been too merciless for too long. Walter." Walter nodded, worry was stitched into every corner of his face, "I'll tell Page that there has been a delay. Don't take to long, and don't get fooled. Reaver is a very…skilled man." Nightingale nodded and hugged Walter before following the maid who had seemed to understand the young Princess's condition.

~OOO~

Reaver sat down on his elegant couch and set down his cane and top hat. He clucked his tongue, the man was growing impatient. "Where is she? If that girl comes back without the Princess, I'll kill her." He then got up and looked around his grand living room. Pictures of him filled the walls, statutes occupied corners. He pulled his gun out of it's thigh rest and he cocked it, toying with it, examining it. "Shall I play some target practice in the mean time..?" That wolfish grin found it's way yet again.

~OOO~

The maid patted Nightingale's leg, "If I were you, Princess, I wouldn't have wanted to come neither." Nightingale's eyes shot up and she stared at the girl in disbelief, the maid smiled and nodded. "Yes, I know you are the Princess. That elegant look, it could have only belonged to the old Queen." Nightingale couldn't help but smile slightly, "I'm glad we're on the same page about Reaver." She whispered, just in the case the coach driver decided to eavesdrop. The maid bowed her head gracefully, "My name is Elizabeth. But please, call me Lizzie." Nightingale nodded, "Call me Night."

The girl was delightful to look at. The apple's of her cheeks were a soft pink, completely natural. Her long blond hair was thick and curly, it bounced whenever she moved her head, just like Nightingale's hair would do. Lizzie had beautiful aquamarine eyes that had specks of gold in them, something you could stare at all day. Then again, Nightingale wouldn't think that Reaver would have 'ugly' staff members. Lizzie sighed, "We're here, Princess. Please, I wouldn't want you to get hurt, don't say anything silly to him." Nightingale smirked, it was like Lizzie was trying to be motherly. "I can't promise you that."

Nightingale just wanted to drop the towel she held up to her shoulder, the mansion was HUGE. She also would've said beautiful if not for the strange sculptures and paintings of Reaver well…about everywhere. She sneered in disgust and then looked at Lizzie who was depressed to be back in the confines of the mansion. Nightingale couldn't blame her. Lizzie walked up to the butler and said, "Please tell Master Reaver that the girl is here, and also, get a nurse. The girl doesn't seem like she can stand up any longer." Nightingale realized that Lizzie had been right, she was wobbling back and forth. Lizzie held her carefully and maneuvered her to a comfy chair. Soon the nurse bustled in and urged Nightingale to take off her jacket. Nightingale bit her lip and did as she was told, trying not to throw up on the sight of the infected burning flesh, it was still bleeding, though not as much as it did in the beginning.

The doors to a different room opening echoed throughout the mansion, it made Nightingale slightly twitch. She winced a little here and there whenever the nurse tended to the flesh. "I'm sorry deary, but, it's badly infected…and he hit you gravely." Nightingale shook her head, "Thank you, I don't mean to be a hassle." The nurse smiled and she continued to tend to her wound. The clicking of a cane coming down some stairs made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight. "Oh, why hello there deary! I see you made it here safely and soundly." Nightingale closed her eyes when the nurse urged her to drink some medicine with some water. She gulped it down and instantly began to feel a bit better. Her skin still felt sore and it kind of burned but not as bad.

Nightingale stared at her shoulder, there was a bandage wrap around her arm and then she jumped a bit to find Reaver standing in front of her. Nightingale glowered at him and then stood up, grabbing her jacket, she began to walk past Reaver, intending on shoving her good shoulder past him. Suddenly she gripped her head and wobbled back. Reaver chuckled and carefully wrapped his arm around her slender waist. "My dear bird, you couldn't have excepted to get better so soon, hmm?" Nightingale elbowed him slightly and then sat back down, gripped her head. The smell of blood in the mansion was getting to her.

Her gray orbs shifted up at Reaver again, "Now, now, that wasn't very nice. Here I am trying to help you…and you give me this." Nightingale's eyes widened as she saw him cock his Dragonstomper .48. "It's a lovely gun isn't it, it's been loyal to me for…hmm…I've lost count! No matter." Nightingale felt her eyes water up again, "You k-killed that man…" all that came out was a strange squeak. Reaver chuckled darkly, "He wasn't being obedient, perhaps he could've earn a Spirit Award, if not for his ignorance." Nightingale sharply stood up, "That doesn't matter! You killed an innocent man! He was saying the truth!" She had enough of this man. She was glad that he hadn't shot her on her left shoulder, sometimes being left handed had it's benefits. Quickly, she grabbed the hilt of her hammer and flung it around, aiming straight for his pretty face, she hoped that her hammer would smash that face into pieces.

Reaver chuckled when the beautiful Princess stood up, then he smirked in amusement as he watched the biggest hammer he'd seen swing his way. 'Someone's being a naughty, naughty princess. Oh dear, this is getting exciting.' What made it even funnier was that she didn't even comprehend his deadly skill, he was after all, the Hero of Skill. He did what most sneaky people did. He ducked and watched the Princess's eyes widened with shock, the hammer whizzed past his head, not even catching a bang of hair.

Nightingale's eyes grew wide and she stared as the weapon was kicked out of her hand, suddenly he tackled her down onto a sturdy couch. Pressing force down on her right shoulder. She hissed with pain. "You asshole!" Nightingale lifted up one of her legs, but he quickly countered it and pinned her left leg down and then chuckled when she didn't learn her lesson, soon both of her legs had been pinned down.

Reaver loved the way she struggled, trying to get an advantage. She would soon learn that she would rarely get an advantage over a man like Reaver. "Ohhh~…someone's being a feisty little kitty. You'll realize…it'll be all in vain." He suddenly gripped her wrists and pinned them above her head, 'She's still trying to struggle with me. Tut, just like her dear Sparrow.' The Princess was glaring daggers at him now, still grunting and wrenching, trying to get her arms free. Why wouldn't she learn…did it have to go the hard way…he chuckled darkly. 'Perhaps.'

Nightingale stared up at the man who had her pinned all ways, there was no escape from his iron grip, no, something stronger then iron. Her legs wouldn't even budge. "Reaver, let go of me at once! I demand it!" She searched across the room for her hammer, it lay there on the floor. Beckoning her to pick it up. Her eyes widened, why was her pistol strap feeling…empty. Her question had been answered as Reaver held both her wrists down with one hand and pressed the barrel of her pistol against the nape of her neck. "Oh Princess…" he purred, "I wouldn't be making demands in such a situation." Nightingale tried to swallow a breath, it felt awkward that her very pistol lay against her throat.

Reaver cocked an eyebrow and leaned in towards her ear, he swiftly glided his pink lips over her ear and whispered, "Perhaps now is the best time to take you back to Bowerstone castle…hmm…?" He smirked and leaned away, watching the Princess bore holes at him. "You see…me and your dear King Logan had this precious deal going on. Tut…what to do…?"

Nightingale's eyebrows furrowed with hatred, she spit at his face and sneered, "You…you asshole." His smile turned quickly into a tight line, he freed one of his hands wiped away the trickle, then his pressure on her shoulder greatened to an extreme extend. Nightingale yelled out in pain, tears spilling out the her squeezed shut eyes. "Maybe…maybe I'll have a little fun with you, before I turn you in at least." He chuckled and then leaned in so close, he kissed her chin. "Or do you have something else in mind…?" Nightingale opened her eyes and felt the tears streak down her beautifully pale face. "Monster." She stared into his brown eyes, they were dark and sinister but she saw flicks of a greenish color in them.

Reaver chuckled loudly, he cocked his head to the side and gave her a thoughtful look, "We can stay in this position for eternity my dear. I would make haste."

Alright! I somehow got this chapter done! It took me forever to try and at least get Reaver's awesome personality down. I hope everyone likes this, please, Feedback is appreciated! Thank you! :)