Thanks to my betas: Scronkidile and Elodealeaf
This chapter is very violent, so if that's going to bother you, I suggest you not read.
*Asterisked for Violence
Arizona watched as Calliope and Mark lifted Bailey's body onto a shelf of the freezer. She wasn't surprised that La Femme had a place to store bodies; she wasn't even surprised it was in the back of butcher's store, but it creeped her out to think that the food was being stored so close to the dead. As Calliope shut the wall that separated the body shelves from the stores, she shivered. This was getting incredibly real.
Calliope turned her back on the wall and stared blankly into space for a moment. Addison walked in.
"What do we do now?" She crossed her arms to steel herself against the cold of the freezer. "Bailey had a plan."
Calliope's eyes snapped to hers. She didn't speak. Arizona's brow furrowed as a strange sound filled the freezer. It grew louder and Arizona realized it was growling. Calliope was…growling?
Suddenly, Calliope reached out and pulled a metal shelf to the ground. Glass jars containing animal organs and blood smashed on impact. The other members of La Femme jumped back to avoid the splatter, but Calliope just watched the wreckage as it splashed against her heels. She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair.
"Have someone clean that up."
Arizona watched as she stepped over the mess and walked out of the freezer, her heels clicking against the tile of the store. The bell above the front door jingled as she pushed through it.
Arizona woke up the next morning and stretched her arm out, feeling cold sheets against her skin. Calliope hadn't been to bed. She sat up and thought about how different this was from yesterday. How different Calliope was. She threw back the sheets and stood up. Walking towards the bathroom, she rubbed her eyes. What was going to happen now? A funeral for Bailey?
"Arizona!" Calliope's voice called through the door.
She changed her course, heading to the living room. As she pushed to door open, she scratched her stomach, Calliope's shirt feeling soft against her fingers. She shivered as cold air hit her bare legs.
Calliope was pacing in front of the door. She looked different than usual. In six-inch heels and a black business suit, she made an imposing figure. She impatiently tapped her phone against her hand, glancing at it every other step. Glancing at Arizona quickly, her eyes jumped to her legs before returning to her phone.
"What's happening?"
Calliope's phone rang. She answered it immediately. Arizona watched as she grabbed her keys from the table by the door. "Are we ready?" She gestured for Arizona to follow as she opened the door. Arizona followed, feeling awkward and uncomfortable in just a shirt. Calliope led the way down the hall, her shoes echoing of the walls. "We're coming down now." She hung up the phone as the elevator opened. An older woman got off, nervously hurrying down the hall away from them.
They entered the elevator and Calliope pressed the button for the lobby before clasping her hands in front of her. Arizona just looked at her, wondering if she was going to speak. Just as she opened her mouth, Calliope started talking.
"There is a suit for you in the limo. You'll change on the way." Calliope's voice was flat, devoid of the affection that usually came through when she spoke to Arizona.
"What's happening?"
The elevator doors opened. Calliope strode forward, her shoulders back. Arizona noticed how regal she looked, nothing like the Callie that had helped her dye her hair pink four days ago. The door man held the doors to the building open as they exited. She tried to make eye contact with him, but he stubbornly looked above her head.
Arizona was thoroughly confused. Obviously, some mob business was happening, but what? Calliope was being extremely unhelpful; she had been so nice, catching Arizona up on code words and plans, but now she ignored her. She watched Calliope enter the limo, hesitating for a moment before entering herself.
Teddy was sitting as far into the car as possible; Calliope sat at the corner opposite the door, conversing with the rest of La Femme. Arizona saw Teddy gesture and awkwardly scooted down the limo's seats towards her.
"Put your suit on."
"Hey, Teddy, can you tell me what's happening?"
Teddy looked past her for a moment, but when Arizona turned to look, Calliope was deep in conversation. She looked back at Teddy who just started taking the suit off its hook on the door. Arizona wiggled into the pants as gracefully as she could. As she put her arms through her shirt and started buttoning it up, she looked towards Calliope.
She couldn't make out what they were saying, but everyone looked very serious. Calliope suddenly swung her head around and met her eyes.
"Hurry up, we're almost there."
"Where?"
Calliope just rolled her eyes and returned to her conversation. Arizona frowned as she tucked her shirt into her pants. This was getting really weird. The car stopped and Teddy pushed past her and opened the door. She stepped out, grabbing her jacket and heels. They were in front of some sort of office building. She followed Teddy inside, hopping awkwardly as she tried to put her shoes on and walk. Finally getting them on, she jogged to catch up, pulling her jacket on as she went through the door.
They walked down the hallway before stopping at a door. Arizona looked around the hallway; there was nothing special about this door that made it stand out. She saw Calliope take a deep breath and steel herself. Calliope nodded. Sloan kicked in the door, the sound of it crashing against the wall bouncing off the walls of the room. Sloan entered first, then Calliope. Meredith, Cristina, and Addison followed carrying a bag, a scalpel, and a metal bat, respectively. Teddy grabbed Arizona's arm and dragged her in.
The room was dark. Arizona couldn't tell how big it was, but 30 feet from the door was a spotlight, highlighting a man with a black bag over his head. Sloan stood next to him, one hand on the man's head. Calliope stood directly in front the man, Meredith and Cristina on her left, Addison on her right. Teddy pulled Arizona to the side.
"Who is that?"
Calliope's head snapped toward her as Teddy's grip tightened painfully. Arizona gasped. The look in Calliope's eyes could only be described as rage. Calliope stood in her heels, just under six foot, the image of a mob boss. She looked cold and powerful.
Calliope looked back towards Mark and nodded again. Mark yanked the bag off the man's head. It was Alex Karev. He squinted against the sudden light, briefly struggling against the rope tying him to the chair, before giving up.
Calliope reached her hand out. Cristina uncapped the scalpel and slapped it into Calliope's hand. Arizona couldn't keep from comparing the moment to a surgery. Calliope looked calm and collected, a surgeon prepared to cut into her patient. Alex must have thought the same thing because his eyes jumped to Arizona before settling back on the scalpel. He squirmed nervously.
"I don't understand. I thought we were friendly."
"There is no 'we.' There is only us and you." She nodded at Addison. "Break his finger."
Addison walked over, dragging her bat along the floor. The sound of metal scrapping metal grated against Arizona's ears. She looked down and realized the whole floor was metal. She could see a drain underneath Alex's seat, the placement suggesting it was made for easy clean up. Addison leaned her bat against the chair, right between Alex's legs. She counted his fingers slowly, making him watch as she chose her target. Suddenly, she grabbed his pinky and snapped it.
Alex's screams echoed through the room, the sound of his fifth metacarpal shattering made Arizona's gut wrench. How could Calliope do this? She looked at her face. Calliope was just as poised as before; she hadn't even flinched.
Addison picked her bat back up and returned to her position on Calliope's right. She swung the bat up and around, slapping it into her open palm. Arizona's gut wrenched again when she realized that this didn't just seem practiced. It was. She wondered how many times they had done this. Had Calliope done this to women? Had she watched Bailey do this as a teenager? Watched her father do this as a child? Calliope spoke.
"What is L'Homme's next move?"
Alex gritted his teeth and shook his head. "No."
"Open his shirt."
Meredith strode forward, holding a pair of bronze scissors. She cut his shirt open, navel to neck. When the final cut was made, she pushed the sides of the shirt apart, exposing his heart. Calliope took two steps forward, gazing down at Alex's chest. She ran her finger over his ribs, trying to decide where to cut. Her face was casual; she could be in a market, trying to decide which apple to buy. She raised her scalpel and positioned it under his collarbone. Slowly, she applied pressure, sliding the blade through his skin like butter, cutting down his sternum.
Arizona watched as his blood covered Calliope's hands, his screams ringing in her ears. Arizona blinked rapidly, feeling sick. The blood wasn't an issue; she was used to that. It was the screaming that got to her. She had performed the same cut before, but her patients were always anesthetized.
Calliope straightened up; she had cut a six-inch slice down his chest. She calmly reached into her jacket and pulled out a blood-stained handkerchief. Arizona marveled at how still she seemed. She slowly wiped first the blade, then her hands. She checked her nails, making sure there was no blood that could ruin her manicure. Arizona remembered giving her that manicure during their week-long sleepover. Her nails were a pale pink. It seemed sweet at the time, now it seemed ill-fitting. This Calliope was not sweet. She was malicious.
"What is L'Homme's next move?"
Alex had his eyes squeezed shut. He was doing his best not to pant; every breath pulled at the incision Calliope had made. "No."
Calliope shrugged. "Break his knee."
Addison strode forward and stood next to his left knee. She stretched out her arms in front of her, adjusting her grip on the bat and lining up the swing. She widened her stance and swung the bat up onto her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she started to swing.
"OK! OK!"
Addison froze mid-swing, her bat halfway to his knee. She straightened up, casually resting the bat on her shoulder, but she stayed in place. Calliope spoke.
"What is L'Homme's next move?"
Alex took a breath. "They're going to take Bailey's son and ransom him. Then, when you showed up to make the trade, they would ambush you."
Calliope watched Meredith send out a text. When Meredith returned her phone to her pocket, Calliope nodded and started to turn away.
"Bash his head in."
Alex panicked and strained against his bonds. "I talked! You can't do this."
Calliope stopped. The room seemed to freeze over. She turned incredibly slowly, her rage radiating from her. Arizona sucked in a breath. Calliope was terrifying. She suddenly realized what growing up in the mob really meant. Calliope learned to separate herself from her work. This Calliope had no remorse. She only had power and rage and control. She took two steps back towards Alex and pointed the scalpel at his face.
"Do not tell me what I can and cannot do. I have the power here. You are nothing." She turned to leave. Addison stretched her arms again, raising the bat to eye level this time. They really were going to kill him. Arizona tore herself from Teddy's grip.
"Let me have him." She nervously waited for Calliope to face her. When their eyes met, she shivered under the weight of Calliope's glare. "He can still be useful to us. I'll take care of him."
Calliope looked at her for a moment before shrugging. She turned and exited the room. Addison dropped her arms back down to her sides and followed Calliope out, Sloan behind her. Meredith tossed Arizona the bag before leaving with Cristina. Teddy stopped in front of Arizona, gazing at her evenly.
"Be back at 502 within the hour. If he causes trouble, you'll get punished." Teddy looked at her for a second longer before leaving, too.
Arizona watched the door for a moment before rushing over to Alex. She dropped the bag in front of him and reached for his ties. The rope was really thick and the knots were really well done. Arizona paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue.
"Check in the bag."
Arizona's head snapped up. Alex was looking down at her, pale and sweaty. He gave the half-smile that Arizona was coming to realize was just his normal look. She noticed she was staring and grabbed the bag. Opening it, she saw that it held an array of weapons. She froze; this night could have gotten so much worse. Calliope rushed things. She could have snapped every finger. Cracked ribs. There were tools in here she didn't recognize.
Arizona shook her head and pulled a knife out of the bag. She sawed through the ropes around his feet.
"What's the point of a dull blade?"
"It hurts more."
Arizona met Alex's eyes as she reached for his hands. Once he was free, she looked back in the bag. There was nothing here she could patch him up with.
"Come on," she helped him stand up, stumbling under his weight, "We'll go to Calliope's and I'll stitch you up there."
He nodded. "Whatever. I'm basically your pet now."
Arizona laughed as they started walking toward the door. "Does that mean I can name you?"
Alex chuckled before groaning. "As long as it isn't something stupid."
They walked down the hallway in silence. When they pushed through the front door, Arizona saw a van waiting. They hadn't just abandoned her like she had almost expected them to. A driver came around and opened the back door for them. The inside of the van was covered in blood, the remnants of other post-torture trips. They fell into the vehicle. Arizona helped him sit as comfortably as he could before nodding at the driver to shut the door.
She needed to speak with Calliope. Now.