(( Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I took an undeserved vacation, but at least this chapter is longer than usual. Thanks for reading and for recommending my fic. I've received so many nice comments from everyone. Happy New Years! I wish you all the best! ))
Clad in black and lightly dusted with stray gun powder, Cardell's men stood lined behind the man. Each held up a gun strapped over their shoulder threatening the Kid and Clay. Kid studied Aiden's men; their stance was reticent yet firm and ready to leap at the twitch of a finger. Slowly blinking at the tense scene, Kid directed his line of sight to his partners. As expected the sisters flashed petulant smirks. Their faces were received with an elevated brow and a serene posture by Aiden who merely stuffed his hands into his pants' pockets and took two sloppy steps towards them. The suit he dawned was comparable to the sunset's rays. The shade of red-orange that the suit was dyed in seemed to capture not one, but many shades. A gradient of reds and oranges all integrated into one solid and bold suit. Accentuated at the center was a gold pleated tie.
"Well...' murmuring just above a whisper, he extended a thick hand towards Patty.
Kid closed his eyes and lowered his pale chin slightly. With practiced ease he perceived Patty's soul wavelength. The characteristically warm and vivacious wavelength it radiated was replaced with a staggered beating –she was confused. This matter was better left to his hands. She was the youngest of course Cardell would prey upon on the fact. Kid took a slow step in front of Patty careful not to make any sudden movements that would irritate Aiden's men.
"And who might you be exactly?" mused Cardell. "Why are you so damn meddlesome?" His patience for the boy was thinning by the moment. In his eyes the boy had caused enough grievances.
"Shuddup!" Liz reached for her sister's waist who, without a second thought, transformed back into a pistol. The blackstrap of the sisters' pistol form were to identical to the curve of their lower backs. Boldly, Liz stepped up to Cardell and pressed the barrel to his forehead.
"We're still gonna kill you!" Patty let out an unhinged snicker from her weapon form and nodded.
Kid flinched at Liz's rash attitude. She didn't pay any mind to the line of men threatening her with guns. Kid shook his head in disbelief; he'd have to reprimand her later. The men held off opening fire. Were they supposed to shoot the boss's daughter?
Kid stepped back to study Liz's soul wavelength. He often found her soul wavelength particularly soothing. It always emitted a tranquil pulse like a mother's heart beat. He suspected this was due to the maternal attitude Liz took towards her younger sibling. Liz was unsurprisingly doting towards Patty. However, the pulse of her wavelength was accelerated almost throbbing. Elizabeth was burning with unavailing wrath for this man.
"Lizzy…" Clay stepped up and placed his hand on her shoulder. Her breathing was still; her faced looked more amused than angry. Liz took a step back and let out a low cackle in the back of her throat. She twirled the pistol in her hand and shot Cardell a condescending glance.
"So what's your guys' story? How'd you end up on the streets?" Clay raised the stained glass pipe to his lips and lit the bowl breathing in the white vapor.
Liz shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I'm not one for heart to hearts or sob stories. I'm just here cuz I am. That's it." She sat next to him on the floor in the alley they often loitered. "Hand it over already that hit is taking too long."She twitched her fingers her palm ready to accept the pipe.
"Don't you have like a mom or dad, anything? C'mon nobody knows anything about you guys." Liz ignored his question and raised the pipe to her lips. She focused on the plastic, red lighter in front of her and carefully burned the green ruble in the bowl. She inhaled and exhaled with an answer.
"I don't know him." Her voice was flat.
"Who? Your dad? Do you wanna know him?" Clay took another hit. Her laughter sounded slower than usual to him; he laughed along with her.
"Yea, right. I don't give a shit. I'd probably mug the guy and shoot him in the face just cuz it's funny." A warped answer from a warped girl, Clay thought. It was probably just the drugs. He watched her take another hit and laugh to herself.
"Liz." The blond slid her should out from under Clay's hand and returned to her meister's side. As she took bitter steps towards him, Kid couldn't help but notice the similarities between Elizabeth and Aiden. Their skin dawn the same natural tan. Their smirks and the denture it exposed looked alike. Then there was the laid back disposition that neither of them broke. The cockiness in both their attitude baffled Kid. This man could very well be the sister's biological father.
Kid met Liz's eyes as she approached him; he lowered his glance hiding his sympathy. He knew his partners well. Liz would not accept sympathy just as Kid would not change his deadpan expression. That's just the way they were; they understood that about each other. Liz placed her sister in his hand and transformed back into a pistol for him. Kid gave the grip frame of both his pistols a delicate squeeze.
"His name is Dead Kid or something like that. He's partnered up with the girls. That's Clay. He's our traitor." Jessie walked up behind Cardell and pointed out the remaining boys.
Cardell removed his right hand from his pocket and caressed his chin. He let out a chuckle.
"My name is Death the Kid. As I mentioned earlier, I've come to collect your soul." Kid was relieved that the girls were still on board with the plan.
Cardell nodded still stroking his chin, "uh huh, and you why are you here?" he crossed his arms and pointed at Clay with his chin. Clay looked sweaty and yellow from all the bruises on his face, courtesy of Elizabeth Thompson.
"I don't even know anymore." Clay sighed in resignation. His ribcage still hurt with every breath he took.
"Well boy you look like you're in a whole lot of pain. Why don't we just kill you now and…" The men raised their guns and aimed at Clay. Kid stepped up, crossing his arms in front of him.
"I'm not done talking with you just yet, Cardell. How did you recognize Liz and Patty?" Kid's tone was demanding and serious. Alright, time to get down to business then. Cardell's expression became stern
"Interesting story really," Aiden looked down and lightly kicked the floor before continuing.
"A few years back my men were mugged by some strange girls." He looked over at the twin pistols in Kid's hands. "They were blabbing on about how one of the girls had 'turned into a gun' and what not." Cardell playfully paced the floor and swung his arms casually. "Everyone thought they were hysterical, crazy!" He let out a chuckle. "But I knew what they had seen. So I suspected something new." Cardell eyed Liz and Patty carefully.
"I thought they might be the daughters of this prostitute I often entertained..." Liz cringed upon hearing this. While she had become a little open about her and her sister's past to kid, she didn't like reminding him of it.
Cardell awaited a visible reaction from Liz and Patty. "She came twice telling me she was pregnant with my child, but she was a prostitute" his expression had not changed "and I didn't really care." Patty mashed her lips tighter together and wrestled the urge to kill and destroy.
Kid furrowed his eyebrows and looked down analyzing every bit of information. How did the pieces connect? He'd have to infer his own answers.
"Those men in suits chasing Liz and Patty the day I went to collect them, were those your men?" Kid's shoulders relaxed; he was silently impressed with his own reasoning.
"I did send a batch of my men to retrieve them some years ago. They all wound up dead and stacked in three neat piles." This last bit forced a wrinkle on Cardell's forehead. He never understood that bit.
"Anyways," Cardell shook his head rejoining the present. "It seems like you've been causing me problems for quite some time now, Death the Kid. It's time you two die now."
Cardell raised his left arm and extended it towards Kid and Clay. The familiar, fragmented pixels formed around his arm emitting a dense, red glow. His arm had transformed into a silver automated cannon. He was a weapon –just like Liz and Patty.
(( Until next time;) ))