Chapter 4

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I mumble to myself as I pace back and forth in an old abadoned district.

Meliodas' demands had been simple enough. Pardon me and my friends and we'll make sure you get what you need to pin down the people you're really after. His voice replays in my mind. He spoke with such confidence.

He didn't expect me volunteering myself to go undercover with him.

A sense of pride calms my steps and a smug smile works onto my face. The split second of utter bewilderment that crossed that carefree attitude had been more than rewarding enough. Even if I got my ass chewed out by Howzer, Veronica and my father after. The finer details worked out and I was able to convince my long time friend that there was no guarantee to get the Sins to come back unless I went with them.

There was a huge risk with this whole plan. The biggest currently being; What if he doesn't show up?

Meliodas gave me a set of coordinates to meet him at in a day. He said, let's both get a few things ready, with a bright grin. Oh and don't forget to pack a bag.

One glance around the abandoned shipping crates had all of my red flags flying. It was an old ship-yard, a place shipping containers went to die. Something about that notion creeped me out.

"Yo, Elizabeth!"

I spun around to find the blonde walking towards me - having appeared from one of the many paths leading to this spot, that ever present smile on his face. His hands were in his pockets as he approached me. My mind immediately jumped to worst case scenario.

I braced myself as Meliodas removed his hand from his pocket, pulling with it a black sash.

He must have noticed my sudden alertness because he laughed and waved the fabric around like it was part of some magic show, "No worries, just a blindfold."

"Blindfold?" I'm starting to get really skeptical about all of this…

"Yeah. Sorry, you understand, right? We're not quite close enough yet for you to know our secret hide-out." He shrugs, like this is middle-school again. Exactly how old was this guy?

That being said, despite every alarm in my head telling me this was a terrible idea, I did understand, and I let him tie the opaque cloth over my eyes. He was being rightfully cautious. I'd be more suspicious if he wasn't.

The next thing I knew, there was a warm hand grabbing mine and pulling me along. The initial contact was… strange. It sent a jolt up my spine in the weirdest way. I ignored it though, in favor of counting our steps and the turns he had us taking.

68...69...70… right turn, then a sharp left. Another 10 steps… then we stopped. I waited, listened. I could still hear the traffic from the expressway that I had taken to get to the docks. I could still hear the water, smell the salt in the air. We hadn't gone very far.

"Sorry, Princess, but no more counting for you." Meliodas' light, jovial voice cut through the darkness and I was suddenly off my feet falling - no - being pushed. I landed on something rather soft though, and then the sounds around me were cut off by the sound of a heavy metal sliding car door shutting behind me.

"Took you long enough boss!" I heard an unfamiliar voice slur loudly, and I could smell the overwhelming stench of booze. What the hell?!

"Ban, get the hell out of the driver's seat, you wasted bastard…" Meliodas' voice was present again and I hated how relieved that made me feel. I shouldn't have been relieved at all. I was blindfolded in the back of a vehicle bound for god only knew where. Silver lining: at least he wasn't selling me off to someone. Yet.

He said boss… the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. The man had called Meliodas boss and he in turn called the man Ban… I was in a vehicle with two of the Sins?!

I couldn't help myself, slowly, I reached up to move the blindfold.

"I wouldn't do that." Yet another unfamiliar voice, and he was even closer to me. Sitting in the back to make sure I behaved? "Boss, I don't get why I have to sit back here with the girl."

I could smell the wafting cloud of booze suddenly hit me, so I assume Ban turned to look back at whoever was sitting next to me, "Because~ You're too damn short to be good for anything else King~" He cackled, and the one he called King grumbled something about being taller than Meliodas under his breath.

I had been so distracted that once the two of them went silent, I noticed that the car had already been moving. I was already lost. No idea how long we'd been driving or what direction. I cursed myself internally, relenting to just learn as much as I could on the drive.

Was King another sin?

"She's prettier than I thought she'd be, being a pig and all," the voice belonging to Ban stated. "Too much boob though."

"Can you not make that gesture?" King comments drily.

My mouth drops open, all concentration I'd managed to focus on the turns falling at the brass statement. Did Ban just… insult my chest? "Excuse me?"

"You're excused," he responds. He takes an audible whiff off the air and his voice lowers slightly. "Not sure what she's excusing herself for… I don't smell nuthin…"

Meliodas chuckles from where I can only assume is the driver's seat. "I think she was referring to you talking about her boobs."

"Oh… well they are big."

King mumbles something under his breath yet again. This time I can't catch it. I'm way too mortified to even concentrate on where the hell the car is going or care to pay attention to what the man next to me said.

"Wanna repeat that, King?" Meliodas cheery voice fills the car.

"... no."

Ban snickers. "Don't think he needs to repeat himself. We all know his preference."

My face feels warm under the blindfold. Why is it so warm in this damn car?

"Speaking of," Meliodas steps into the conversation, "did you remind her to close down shop for the day?"

"Yes, Boss," the man next to me replies. "Told her again before we left."

The stench of booze fills the car yet again as Ban laughs. "Was that before or after the two of you-"

"Hey!" King's voice cancels out his. "Let's not play that game right now, alright?"

Ban snorts, "I'm sure the lady doesn't mind."

"Yeah, well I do!" King stubbornly replies.

I'm half tempted to ask what the two of them are talking about. The other half wants to sink down farther into the soft leather and pretend I'm not here. I shake myself out of it. I'm here because of a job. I need to pay attention to everything that they say.

"We're suppose to be keeping her occupied."

"That doesn't mean we need to talk about-"

"Guys," Meliodas interrupts the twos' spat with a chuckle. "You did your job so keep it down a bit would ya?"

"Sorry Boss," they both mumble together.

"Wait…" I think it over. "You wanted me to listen?" My accusing tone is only for Meliodas and must be apparent as he answers.

"Well sure, I told you no more counting, didn't I, Princess?"

I can practically hear that smug smile.

"Princess?" King spoke. "Does it have to be that?"

"We can't very well go around calling her by her actual name, now can we?" Meliodas answers lightly.

"No, a code name makes sense. But," the man next to me pauses. "Does it have to be Princess?" he repeats himself.

Ban cackles. "What? You worried people are gunna associate her with you, King? Maybe they'll think she's your daughter!" The drunkard continues to chortle.

"Doubtful," Meliodas chimes in, effectively squashing Ban's suggestion. Thank god. I have no idea who this King character is, but Ban's suggestion painted a picture of my own father sitting next to me, scolding me if I fail. Not something I needed to be reminded of. "How much did you let him drink already if he's making suggestions like that?"

King snorts. "As if I could stop him from drinking even if I cared to."

"You probably should."

"Being his babysitter all the time gets tiring," he sighs heavily.

Meliodas chuckles in response. "But you're so good at it!" King groans. "At least he sleeps like a baby when he has too much booze."

"Is that why he's so quiet all of a sudden?" I mumble under my breath, but my voice carries in the small cabin.

Laughter fills the car.

"About the only time he is," King confirms.

This was all very cute and all… but I was supposed to be undercover. This was all supposed to lead up to Meliodas helping me close my case. Being blindfolded and kidnapped wasn't part of the deal, "I know hostages aren't supposed to be demanding, but I'm starting to get a little impatient." I growl out, "You said you'd help me catch the people responsible for releasing 'new generation' and-"

"XGEN." His voice cuts me off, correcting me - and I find I don't much appreciate it. Before I can voice my lack of fucks-to-give, he continues, "No one actually calls it new generation." Meliodas chuckles and I hear the tick-tick-tick of the turn signal before we merge to the left, "And you're not a hostage. You can leave any time you'd like. If you're going to do that, though, I'd recommend tucking and rolling."

The inside of my cheek is raw with how hard I keep biting it to keep from going off on this man. My long silence however, is met with a sudden change in tone, "I said I'd help you, and that's what I'm doing, Princess. I'm nothing if not a man of my word." There's another shift of the car to the right this time, and then I have to brace myself, grabbing cold metal to keep from sliding as the vehicle turns right.

"But I can't help you from just anywhere." He finishes, and I can read between the lines. He's asking me to have some patience. Humor him.

Easier said than done. I'm a cop, blindfolded in the back seat of a vehicle being driven by the boss of a notorious crime syndicate… Patience and humor are in short supply.

But a flash of the stack of case files in my head, and the images of mothers and families wailing makes me think I can find it in me to hold out.

I sigh, allowing some of that pent up aggravation to ease away. "Alright, fine. Point made." I concede.

"Good." He replies, and that damned grin is in his voice now. I could hear it. I don't get long to ponder on how much I hate it before the vehicle comes to a very sudden stop - making me tumble forward.

"DAMNIT BOSS! I WAS SLEEPIN!" Ban groans. I'm pretty sure I heard him hit the dash at about the same time I had to keep from hitting the floor.

"Should have been wearing a seatbelt…" King retorts quietly, but there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice that was undeniable.

"What the hell?!" I yell, pushing back up onto my knees, just about ready to yank the blindfold off my face to strangle Meliodas with it, "Why the fuck would you do that?!"

He hums nonchalantly, like nothing was wrong, like I was the strange one for being so angry, "Cause we're here."

Dom: *hands luv a blindfold* here, you wear this, and I'll guide you through this maze.

Luv: …. Uh…. I don't think I wanna play...

Dom: oh come on! It'll be fun!

Luv: That's what you said last time. I'm still recovering. Hide and seek in the dark wasn't as much fun as you said it would be.

Dom: It was fun for me! *sighs* fine. I'll wear the blindfold and you can guide me, then. *puts on blindfold and starts wandering away*

Luv: A little to the left! *Dom runs into a wall* Ops, I meant the other left.. Right! *Dom runs into a chair* Huh… guess I'm not so good with directions. But you're right! This is fun! Ha! Get it? Right? *laughs at her own horrible joke*

Dom: *pulls blindfold off with another sigh and a shake of her head* ...Next time on Don't Trust Me: Elizabeth finds herself in the sin's base of operations, but can it really be called a secret when half the city seems to know the place by name? A change of clothes, a new name, and a new profession: goodbye Elizabeth and hello Princess! But how does a new uniform help solve a case? And do pigtails really bring better tips?

Luv: *watches Dom walk away* did you get it? Cause right is a direction? *chases after Dom.* Get it?

Dom: *groans at the terrible pun* … see you all in the next chapter!