Author's Note: Underlined italic is Eveline's voice in Ethan's head.
Bela looked down upon the shaking form of the fearsome assassin Styx, even as she held the tiny woman's wrist, feeling the fragile bones crack under her unyielding, brutal grasp. For once, the elder Dimitrescu sibling drank deeply upon other's pain and suffering.
Styx was shaking furiously, even as blood trickled down from her facial orifices. She could barely breath as her heart pumped blood at a rate never meant for a human body. It felt like the abused organ was bursting inside of her. It hurt so bad. The colors started to fade, as did the sounds of the world. Tears mixed with blood poured out of her eyes.
Alice dropped her rifle to the ground, with nary a thought about the expensive and beloved toy. Only one thing was on her rapidly unraveling mind now. The small syringe, still within her reach. Salvation. Her small right hand inched towards it, even as her left one was being crushed by the inhumanly strong grip of her vampiric nemesis.
Just a bit further and I can still turn this all around… I still had a flame turret somewhere… I'll burn these bitches to a crisp… just a bit further…
Her final hope died as a low-heeled boot came crashing down on the fragile syringe, destroying the injector and spilling the precious liquid on the cold, uncaring earth.
No...
She could not deny her obvious defeat any longer. A spike of anger shot from within. Not at her quarry who had outwitted Styx so badly. At herself. For taking this goddamn contract. For refusing to swallow her pride and working together with the Dire Wolves. For not taking that shot the moment she could. Embers of anger died out quickly, however.
Alice's puffy red eyes gazed up once more, pleading with her would-be slayer. She just wanted to live, so badly… Her vocal cords struggled to produce slurred, barely audible words.
"Please...I…"
"Save your breath. You have precious little of it left, it seems."
Bela's ice cold voice brooked no argument, it opened no path towards negotiations. There was not a spark of mercy in her vicious yellow eyes, glaring down on Styx's tiny form with unbridled malice in them. The towering woman murmured her next words softly and slowly, yet her voice was so cold, so full of hatred, that a shudder went throughout the assassin's tiny body. She knew her fate was sealed.
"Do you know what's funny? The man you've killed, Ethan Winters. He would have spared you. But me? I will enjoy watching the spark of life leave your eyes. Talk about karma, huh?"
Bela's other hand closed in on Styx's throat, lifting her up gently, as if not to break the delicate windpipe and cut her suffering short. The tiny woman felt her feet leaving the ground as the tall blonde's cruel amber orbs connected with her own bloodshot eyes. Somehow, she was still finding the fucking vampire bitch that was about to end her sexy.
Alice knew she was not to be long for this world even if this contract did turn out to be a resounding success. Yet… she still had so much she wanted to do. So much more to experience in her short life. Regret and remorse washed throughout her frame, only to be replaced by resignation.
In her business, death was always lurking somewhere, out of sight, but always waiting. Always watching. A moment of weakness was all it would take. And she had shown plenty. When she had signed this contract, she had accepted the possibility of death. Now it was time to accept the certainty of it.
Focusing what was left of her rapidly fading strength in one last defiant gaze, the short woman stared right in the vicious yellow orbs of her would-be slayer. Bela was kinda cute in her cold determination to end Alice's own life, with her full lips set in a firm line and her narrowed amber orbs burning with loathing. Not the worst way to go, all things considered…
Finally, Styx's tiny heart could take the ever rising pressure her unstable condition imposed no more. Without the stabilizing agent to control it, her veins and arteries ruptured, coloring her innards crimson with her own internal blood. Styx tried to give one last wink to her gorgeous slayer, but it likely came out as a spastic grimace, instead. Without access to oxygen, her brain was quick to shut down, putting her into a sleep one doesn't wake up from.
Bela kept holding the body of her nemesis for a few more moments, before carelessly discarding it, the corpse collapsing on the cold ground in a heap. Styx death wouldn't bring Ethan back, but it did provide a measure of satisfaction to the tall woman.
At least that horrible little bitch won't be coming for my family, ever again.
Looking towards her younger sibling, Bela was glad to see her back on her feet already, watching her actions carefully. Daniela was once again in control of herself but she still glared at Alice's corpse with undisguised hatred in her normally kind, joyous eyes. Even their most kind-hearted, peace-loving little sister approved of the violent end Bela just enacted upon the assassin that took Ethan from them.
Exchanging no words, the two siblings returned back to that ill-fated house, even as fires of the violent night still burned around them, with an occasional gunshot or a scream piercing the veil of darkness. Their fight here was done.
The beaten and bruised form of Cassandra dizzily emerged from a dark alleyway to their left, her clothing burned and torn. None of her formidable gear or weaponry remained on her person, just her trusty knife and sickle hanging from her miraculously-intact belt. The violence-infused night wasn't kind to the middle daughter, either. Her mouth and jaw were smeared with fresh blood, implying a recent feeding.
As the stumbling brunette approached her two weary sisters with unsteady gait, her blood-stained mouth opened wide, likely ready to go into a glorious tale of all the mighty foes she had vanquished tonight.
Only silence came out, as the middle child followed the gazes of Bela and Daniela. Cassandra's own cruel heart skipped a beat as she beheld the still form of Ethan Winters.
That fearless man-thing that had killed Miranda, two years ago. That brave fool who had agreed to a spar with her, despite knowing that he stood no fighting chance. That annoying little man who had wormed his way into their hearts. Who stood unyielding in his defense of her sisters, again and again.
Cassandra felt something wet trickling down her dirtied cheek. Wiping the offending liquid-like substance with her gloved hand, she looked at it with wonder. Did she just shed a tear for some filthy human outsider?
Daniela, sobbing and sniffing herself, immediately rushed to hold her in a bone-crushing embrace as soon as she saw her form. Cassandra eagerly returned the gesture, holding the redhead in a comforting embrace of her own. Bela gave her a nod and a small smile, happy that at least her sisters were alright. Cassandra nodded back but said nothing. She wasn't sure what would be appropriate in this situation.
Bela Dimitrescu once again knelt before the body of a man she had so much affection and admiration towards. Tears were silently trickling down her face, even as her fists clenched in impotent rage. The kneeling woman grit her teeth in bitterness. She wished she could go and kill Styx all over again, slowly this time, with some precise bladework she had picked over the years from Cassandra.
Ethan gazed at Eveline with more than a bit of apprehension. The little girl only smirked back at him, even as she gave a cute yawn, as if sleepy.
"So… how does it feel to get shot in the head, daddy? You did that a lot to my own friends, only fair that you get to experience it yourself, right?"
The man didn't know how he got here, but he did suspect a grievous trauma of some kind. Her words had a remarkably calming effect on him, surprisingly.
A shot to the head, is it? That's a new one, Winters. I suppose that's one alternative to collecting coins or postcards...
"So...am I dead then?"
The question was genuine. The man had no fucking idea what the hell was going on right now.
The girl giggled cutely at that, one small palm covering her mouth. Swiping one long lock of dark black hair away, Eveline spoke in a playful voice, as she measured him with her light green orbs.
"Do you want to be dead, daddy?"
That was a no-brainer. He still had to save Mia. He still had a little daughter to take care of. He still had the three vampire siblings to protect. Not to mention that connection he felt forming with Bela. Ethan found himself desperate to find where exactly it would lead. He couldn't die, not yet…
"Of course not!"
"Let me see what I can do, then!"
The girl walked briskly towards him even as she muttered out these strange words. How could a figment of his imagination help him, anyway? Still, Ethan didn't back off as Eveline closed the distance rapidly, raising up on her tiptoes to reach his forehead with her small palm. Her hand felt deathly cold on his temple, sending yet another shiver down his spine.
As her limb returned to her side, the small girl looked at him with an uncharacteristically pensive look on her face. Her next words were mumbled out, as if unsure.
"Hmmm, yes, that's a lot of damage you took, silly daddy… I think I could help, but it would not be a simple process. Replacing gray matter is the hardest thing to repair in a body, you know, and you've lost a lot of it!"
Ethan could only watch the pondering and muttering girl in morbid fascination, especially since the white oblivion behind him was inching ever closer, making the nervous man sweat.
Clicking her tongue, as if deciding on something, the girl swirled her piercing green orbs his way once more. Clapping her hands together, before pointing an accusing finger his way, she exclaimed.
"At my best, I could fix you up pronto! But...since, ahmm 'someone' killed all of my hosts, fixing you up now would take a lot of my own energy! And why should I give it away for free?"
Eveline fixed him with a sly grin, making a man sweat even more. He already had a good idea about what she was about to say next.
"For my generous help, you will owe me. Big time."
"Owe you? What does that even mean? You're literally living in my head."
She frowned at that, yet it morphed into a wide, toothy smile soon after.
"A favor or two, nothing special. I'll tell you to do something, and you'll do it! I..."
Ethan interrupted the girl at that.
"A favor? I am not gonna go around infecting people for you, Eveline."
The girl just shushed him and continued.
"Relax! I am not going to ask you anything you'd hate! Believe it or not, my time here was...educating… I've been thinking a lot… I've come to the conclusion that free will is important, after all."
Ethan was astounded by the fact that this monstrous girl whose actions had resulted in the death of so many people showed genuine remorse as she spoke these most unexpected, introspective words. He still wasn't convinced…
Eveline, seeing his indecision, scoffed in annoyance, before pointing at the growing nothingness behind him with one delicate finger.
"It's me or that! You got around thirty seconds before I won't be able to help you at all! Choose fast!"
The girl chuckled evilly after casually summarizing his life or death situation, and if Ethan wasn't the one who was standing in between the monstrous B.O.W. and eternal oblivion, he might've found the situation comical. Looking behind his shoulder and seeing so much of the desolate landscape utterly obliterated, with him next in line, the man had all the reassurances he needed.
"Jesus fucking Christ! Fine! You win!"
Eveline smirked, clearly expecting that answer.
"Alright! My first task for you! Kiss Bela on the lips as soon as you see her! And don't you dare chickening out now! You won't want to see what I can do with the mold in your body now that you've let me in!"
The man was utterly in shock from that peculiar request, his jaw hanging wide open. Not giving him time to argue back, Eveline waved him a goodbye, as the moldy and fleshy ground rapidly consumed her form. This whole experience was beyond surreal at this point so Ethan wasn't even questioning anything anymore.
Now that girl was gone, Ethan only had the white oblivion to look at. The man breathed in obvious relief as the creeping nothingness started slowing down, before stopping completely. Mere moments later, to Ethan's eternal solace it started itching back, ever so slowly, barely perceptibly so. What was less pleasant to see was that the flesh it left behind was different from the rest of the landscape. It was pitch-black, disgustingly pulsating veiny stuff, making Ethan nauseous from merely looking at it. The implications were terrifying to consider. Perhaps oblivion would've been preferable, after all.
Without warning, electricity started arcing through the fleshy ground, going far into the distance. A sound of a slowly beating heart could be heard from far away. The bleak, colorless terrain was suddenly reinvigorated, gaining some healthy pink tint, as if someone breathed a spark of life into it.
Admiring the incredible changes taking effect right before his eyes, the man didn't even notice as everything blurred and faded away...
Bela took her time to say farewell to the man that had changed so much in her life, for the better. Even though his limbs were stiff in their rigor mortis, she still cradled him dearly. Both of her sisters stood silent, in respect, even Cassandra.
As she held his body upright in her arms, the elder daughter only wished that they could've had more time together. To truly get to know each other. She couldn't deny the connection she felt to this human. Perhaps...they could've even been something special. As tears kept trickling down her cheeks, the woman murmured softly.
"Farewell, Ethan Winters… Thank you for everything you've done for us...for me. I…will never forget you. Rest well in the knowledge that I will keep Rose safe from everyone who would do her harm until I find Mia. And I will. I promise you that."
The woman closed her eyes and spent a couple of moments in silence. Somehow, she felt his skin behind his shirt not quite as cold as it was a minute ago. Bela dismissed it as her own feverish body reaction to the horrifying acid wound her shoulder suffered.
"You're going to attend my funeral, at least, Bells? Since you're burying me so fast…You do look good in black, come to think of it..."
A loud, shocked gasp came from Daniela's mouth. Cassandra just stood still and wide-eyed. Bela herself couldn't believe her ears. Perhaps she did inhale some of that poison and now was suffering from auditory hallucinations of some kind?
Raising a single delicate eyelid up slowly, as if afraid this was an illusion or a cruel trick of the mind, Bela couldn't suppress a gasp of her own as her amber eyes met dull, but very much alive gray orbs.
"Ethan…? You're alive? But how…"
The man in question, his torso still held upright by Bela's firm but gentle hands, just gave a pained chuckle as he admired the blonde woman inches away from him.
I wouldn't mind waking up to 'that' more often…
After his near-death experience, there was no sight more beautiful to Ethan than her grime and blood covered frame. Her stunning, wide eyes were jumping all over his own battered body in turn, burning with emotions. Her shoulder, however, looked like a melted mess, making the man wince at the sight. He could only hope it looked worse than it felt.
"I guess some alluring blonde kept me tethered to this world, after all."
God, that was his lamest flirting attempt ever. And why was he flirting with her, to begin with, in this bloodsoaked warzone, of all places?
It's like all my inhibitions died with me, or something…
Remember our deal?
Eveline didn't even need to remind him that. At this point, the man wanted nothing more than to smash his lips against Bela's. Somehow, surviving what should've been a sure death sentence made Ethan think less clearly about the future potential consequences and complications of such an act.
Before the man could do anything, however, Bela beat him to a punch, to his own shock. Her hold on him tightened, as if afraid he would disappear otherwise. Not a moment later, her searing hot lips fell down upon his own in a show of desperate passion.
Ethan wasn't a stranger to displays of physical affection. Years with Mia, as well as a couple of sweethearts during his school and uni days saw to that. Yet the sheer, unbridled emotion in that longing kiss made them all pale in comparison. He returned the gesture with his own, no longer contained adulation, locking their lips together in an intense, wild clash. The raw, almost brutal passion of her kiss was a far cry from her usual gentle touch. Despite the harshness of the motions, Bela's lips were amazingly soft, even more so than he imagined.
This was a moment they both craved for the instant their eyes met on that boat, the man realized with a start, even as he put his arms around her bare back, holding the woman he adored so much tightly, possessively so. Her pale skin felt just right under his hands.
Soon, however, the mere lip lock was not enough for the hurricane of emotions the woman felt rushing out at this moment. Her wet tongue demanded entrance and Ethan was only too happy to oblige. Bela's taste had that unmistakable iron tinge of blood, yet at the moment the man felt as if he was savouring the heavenly Manna itself.
Their tongues contested each other savagely, trying to assert dominance, neither giving way. Gripped by violent, desperate passion, the kindred souls were lost to the world, with only two of them existing in this moment of hazy love. Ethan wanted to remain in this moment of raw, unbridled emotions and pure bliss forever. Bela shared his sentiment, if her fervent lips and tongue was any indication.
The world would not be denied, however, and soon the couple was roughly yanked out of their soul-stirring trance by a loud, dramatic coughing.
Both Ethan and Bela blushed pink as they slowly broke their lip-lock, neither their eyes nor their arms leaving each other, just yet. Millie's voice shattered what was left of their passion-fueled moment.
"As much as I hate to interrupt this...moment you seem to be having, we cannot rest on our laurels, just yet. I am truly glad you're all in one piece, however. Almost nobody else made it."
Still holding each other tightly, not wanting to let go, the couple glanced at the source of the offending voice. Millie and two of the Duke's armsmen, as well as a man in a Dire Wolf uniform were all looking at them with wide eyes. Cassandra and Daniela stood together on the opposite side, the former with an annoyed, bored expression and latter with barely contained mirth in her wide yellow eyes.
The naval grunts were beaten and bruised, with numerous wounds covering their worn-out frames and expressions of exhaustion on their faces. The Dire Wolf man was clearly held prisoner, with handcuffs on. The lanky, bespectacled mercenary looked to be in even worse shape. Clearly, he was subject to savage beatings, sporting a black eye and holding his lean frame huddled, as if afraid of even more punishment coming his way. Millie herself was in a remarkably better state, barely having any dirt on her person. Her voice was not nearly as steady and authoritative as it was before, however. The massacre they barely survived took its toll even on her.
Millie pointed at the fearsome-looking sandstorm in the distance. Everyone's attention was on her, even though they all did know what came next.
"This sandstorm is a perfect cover. We continue our mission to raid their HQ and find where Lady Dimitrescu is held. We cannot afford to tarry."
Everyone, even the cuddling pair on the ground, just nodded in agreement. This night of violence and passion was far from done. Millie addressed her men next.
"Take the prisoner back to the ship."
The men did as told; a gun barrel pressing into the captive making him compliant as they escorted him away, back to the pier where a motorboat still waited.
The Duke's right-hand woman, clearly undaunted by the fact that it was just them left, approached a door to the intact-looking armored car and pointedly looked at Cassandra as she spoke.
"If you would be so kind..?"
Cassandra just folded her arms and scowled at the arrogant human, but quickly gave in as still kneeling Bela graced the brunette with a pointed stare of her own. Scoffing at the indignity, the middle child roughly opened the door and callously tossed the dead mercenary driver out. Millie promptly took his spot at the wheel and looked back at the company.
"You coming?"
Ethan and Bela stood up slowly at that, still holding each other possessively. Both of them had an irrational fear that the other would disappear if they let go, even for a second.
The elder Dimitrescu was gazing right into his brown-gray eyes. Ethan couldn't help but be lost in her own endless amber orbs, so full of passion that was held back for so long, suddenly pouring out in a waterfall of emotions. He longed for another taste of her already.
Was it truly love he held for this woman now? The man couldn't help but ponder on that. He briefly struggled to find the word that would describe his current emotions more accurately, before giving up on that thankless task.
"For the record, mom won't like this. Whatever this is."
Cassandra's neutral tone finally allowed the two freshly-minted lovers to let each other go, just slightly. Bela's tone was playful, even as she kept gazing into Ethan's eyes.
"Why don't we ask mother herself what she likes, once we rescue her, Cass?"
The blonde daughter winked at him, making the man wonder, what it is he just got himself into. Despite the insanity that occurred in the last hour, Ethan felt reinvigorated and reassured, as confident as ever before. His voice reflected that.
"That's right. It's about time we got to the bottom of this goddamn mess and your mother out of it. I have more than a few questions for these bastards to answer to, myself."
The small company was quick to get in the vehicle after that, Bela sitting next to Ethan and laying her blonde head on his shoulder, even as the man eagerly embraced her, careful not to disturb her own grisly injury.
Daniela, who got in next, wasted no time in bandaging her older sibling's shoulder, still sore and damaged. The previous application of first aid spray did provide a relief from agonizing pain the acid wound inflicted, but it could still get infected, otherwise. Redhead's eyes sparkled in delight as she worked. Clearly she wanted to say a great many things, but she kept quiet for now. More than that, she wanted to envelop Ethan in a hug that would likely require the man to pay a visit to an orthopedic specialist after, but once again, she held herself back. She knew there would be plenty of time for that later. Once they were all one big, happy family. The girl smiled contentedly at that thought.
Their car moved forward, slowly at first, going around the wrecked buildings and vehicles, then lurching fast once the obstacles were passed. One massacre was left behind, but one more waited just ahead. For the next few peaceful minutes however, Ethan took comfort in the presence of the woman he held. How perfectly her slender frame fit his hands, how gently her body moved as she breathed. How exquisite that long, savage kiss was, so full of passion and love.
That didn't count, by the way. Kiss her yourself next time!
Mentally sighing, the man could only think back at her.
Shut up, Eveline. Go to bed. It's late.
Well, I AM kinda tired after patching up your ungrateful ass… Good night daddy. Have fun killing all these nerds! They deserve it.
Somehow, even Ethan shared that last sentiment. His free hand gripped his pistol holster tightly. He fully expected to have to use the weapon held within, soon. Very soon.
James Sallow, a.k.a. Nightcrawler wanted to tear his hair out as he watched drone footage in real-time. He rarely liked to quote his loathsome boss, yet it felt exactly right this time.
A clusterfuck of massive proportions…
Not only were his recommendations for the mission completely ignored and the mercs and the assassin basically went on a rampage amidst civilian population, but they also attacked each other, in addition to their actual targets; turning this whole massacre into some kind of a three-way battle with random bystanders caught in between.
Even though the local government was favorable to their activities in the region, this would not stand. Someone's ass would be handed over on a platter. His ass, since the goddamn guns-for-hire were all worm food.
Naturally, the bug-bitches and even Ethan fucking Winters were all alive, somehow. Both Sebastian and himself have underestimated their power gravely, it seemed. The poor father in particular, was looking to be not quite as human as James himself was led to believe. Next time Nightcrawler will recommend flamethrowers.
More than merely alive, they were livid and on their merry way to their regional HQ, mere miles away from their current position. Whatever meager security measures the facility had would be insufficient to stop these monsters. The vicious sandstorm was raging over it right now, preventing any kind of communication, leaving them ripe for the taking. The research facility would be the Duke's little gang's next target.
Fortunately for the man, James still had time to warn the research facility itself, however. It was absolutely vital for the E-001 prototypes to be evacuated before their enemies would get to it. Alpha would definitely leave nobody involved alive if that latter scenario occurred.
James nervously paced around his small room and bit on his nails as he thought of a way from this goddamn mess. Even if the prototypes were successfully extracted, the rest of the failures would compound to be a death sentence for him. He wasn't too keen on being fed alive to Theta's nefarious mutant pet shark.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. Quickly checking his computer for a relevant document, the man's unremarkable eyes lit up as they ran over his older after-action report. These two simple lines of text could be the difference between life and death.
Recommend avoiding pairing assets Styx and Dire Wolves PMC, due to an accident that left both parties extremely hostile towards each other.
That was it. Nightcrawler's official recommendation from a bit over a year ago. His job was not to select assets, but to manage them. Sebastian ignored his previous recommendation completely by assigning Styx to this job. True, nobody expected Winters to work together with the Dimitrescu siblings, but upon seeing them in cahoots, James did immediately verbally advise his boss about potential consequences of intermixing these assets. He was dismissed without a moment of consideration and told to proceed, regardless. Therefore, James could pin the blame for this failure on Sebastian.
Nevertheless, this was not enough. Sebastian had a lot of leverage with his prized recruit, Mia Winters at his side. She wasn't merely a talented and morally ambiguous scientist; she was also the sole living researcher with any deeper-than-skin insight into the Mold. As long as she stood behind Sebastian, the council would be inclined to overlook his mistakes… or pass them down the chain.
Nightcrawler was not keen on having someone else's errors end up on his lap, either. Thankfully, the solution to this particular problem was not out of reach. It basically presented itself…
James smirked as he thought about what kind of reaction dear Mia would have upon seeing that particular part of the footage. By all accounts, the woman rejoined their organization precisely to keep her beloved husband and daughter safe… How would she take the news that good old Ethan found himself a new paramour? Especially since that person was a daughter of her own research subject...
The unremarkable man, now calm and collected once again, sat back to his workstation. His deft fingers rapidly clicking on the keyboard, a smirk still on his face, he composed two different messages. One for the security chief in the R&D facility, another for dear Mia.
Author's Note:
Alas, poor Styx! RIP my beloved OC :(
Hope I didn't bore you too much with the mindscape segments, I admit I am kinda sucker for dream/mind sequences.
At least our heroes finally shared their first kiss, hope you've enjoyed that scene! They are not a couple just yet, but firmly on that way. I doubt Mia's revelations will have a particularly marriage-reinforcing effects on our moldy boy, either :S
Thanks for reading! As always, feel free to express any ideas or suggestions or just opinions you might have, I always enjoy reading what you guys think about my story so far :)