It wasn't the shadow necessarily, no, it was a glimpse of hair that shined in the dim lights, followed by a whisper of a voice that she recognized, one that had her tossing and turning in her sleep ever since she was little. As she followed on silent feet, the manic cackle leaving the woman's throat had her blood boiling. A man stopped in his tracks turning to look at her, several Death Eaters advancing without them "Would you shut up? I swear if I have to hear your voice for another second longer, I will curse you myself."
Talia's eyes widened, her uttering a soft swear. Even with the voice muffled due to the mask, she could recognize Felix. And despite her hate, he was still someone she did not want to hurt, not in that moment at least. However backing down was also not an option, she had her own mission in mind, one she wished to end with a bloodshed.
Josephine ran her hands through her hair, grasping a fistful of it as she giggled "Impatient aren't you? What do you think will happen? We are the only ones here. The ones that matter anyway." She gestured with her free hand as if to emphasise her words.
"Wrong." Talia spoke casting Incendio, a blazing ball of fire hitting Josephine in the back, causing Felix to tumble to the floor as well. Making her way to the door through which the Death Eaters went through, Talia melted its frame in place, turning to the pair that were still trying to understand what happened.
High heels sounded like thunder as Talia ran towards her mother, grabbing her wand, turning it to cinders in her hand upon contact "Hello mother, missed me?" It took a while for Josephine to gather her thoughts and even more for her to recognize Talia as being her actual daughter "At least make it interesting before I kill you." Pushing her back to the ground, she leaned in slightly to take a better look at her face.
"Talia, don't do this. She's not even worth it."
She turned her head, eerily slow to look at Felix who took off his mask and got up, eyes begging her to stop "I don't remember bringing my consciousness on this trip."
Running a shaky hand through his untamed hair, Talia squinted her eyes slightly as he took a step towards her. Something that appeared to antagonise her further as the fire in her eyes lit up brighter, her exhaling smoke through parted lips "You're not this person. You're better than this."
"Am I?" a sinister smile shaped her full lips, Felix only nodding.
"Please. You should not even be here. This fight is not yours." His words reached her, Talia batting her eye lashes in confusion, barely uttering a question of disbelief. He looked lost, desperate even, pale face covered in sweat as he took another step, Talia noticing the side of his neck, how his pulse hammered as he dared to look away, constantly checking shadows and corners.
"Then why did you send me to the Prophecy Hall?" stepping away from her mother, she approached him, fiery embers dying out slowly.
"Because someone needed to do it, someone from the outside. Also because there were rumours about you."
Her mouth slightly swung open, shock rattling her "Without telling me the implications of what touching another prophecy would do? Plus, it was a fool's errand."
"Would it have made a difference? You refused to listen to all we had to say." he went to touch her hand, Talia backing away, eyes averting as she looked at Josephine's wide manic stare, her forehead creasing as she bit down on her lower lip trying to push everything to the deepest parts of her. Her being confused would only hinder her further.
Josephine suddenly pushed herself back up, a shaky finger being pointed at Talia. She opened her mouth, however no sounds could be heard at first, until something resembling a shriek emanated from her throat as she cackled "You, you're her. Constantine, I found her. I found our daughter."
Talia's face dropped, all lines portraying any previous signs of worry between her thin brows, or around her mouth as she struggled with an idea, everything vanishing suddenly. A second later Josephine pulled from her robes a potion, smashing it against the ground, smoke filling the room.
Felix covered his nose and mouth, coughing, wand at the ready as he searched around for any sign of her. Talia's eyes set ablaze once more, however the embers were dim, casting soft lights around her eyes as she just looked in the same spot, not reacting when Josephine plunged at her, even opening her arms out wide.
She saw her, she saw the shadow approaching, yet she did not react in the slightest, not even when her body collapsed beneath hers, her mother taking a piece of shard between her very hands, slashing Talia's shoulder, glass digging deep despite cutting through Josephine's skin as well. Talia watched her mother's manic gaze as she lowered herself, red hair encompassing her vision just like when she was little and she wished to silence her "You're mine, your heart, you're mine. I found you."
"Heart? Oh mother, I don't have one." Punching her repeatedly, blood trickled down her face, every jolt further tearing Talia's skin as her mother refused to let go of the glass in her hand. Coiling her fingers in her hair, she finally managed to make her lose her balance, the shard tearing from her flesh, her teeth clenched as she turned the tables.
Madness was one thing, however determined madness was entirely different. Talia could not believe the power her mother actually possessed. A slash, another as she tried to actually defend herself, Talia crying out in pain as Josephine continued to plunge the pointed object repeatedly into her body.
A hand coiled into her shirt, pulling her back, Felix pointing his wand at Josephine, sending her further away into the dissipating smoke, her getting up, despite her paintings and ragged breaths.
A loud sound broke their concentration as glass shattering in the distance drew their attention, Talia and Felix swearing the Ministry was collapsing from within. But then again the night always did produce the loudest sounds.
Josephine however was still set on her mission to pry Talia's heart from her very chest, Talia fighting back empty handed, refusing to use spells. She wanted nothing more than to make it personal and messy as they both struggled to force the other into submission, neither of them backing down.
"Looks like I got at least one good thing from you." She chuckled, pushing back the hair sticking to her sweat and blood "Funnier still that you don't even remember me."
Josephine straightened, glancing at Felix as she smirked, Talia frowning a fraction "I know you are my daughter and the key to my success. Nothing else apart from that is relevant."
Fire engulfed Talia's hands, no words being provided towards her mother as she just stared her down. Different sounds reached her ears, however the only one actually alerted appeared to be Felix. He heard steps right beyond the door, a blast trying to pry it open, somewhere else other spells being heard as well in the distance.
"Run." Was the last thing Felix said, Talia taking a step back, the door being blown off, the scene before the other Death Eater's appearing as if they cornered Talia and it was not the other way around.
"See Talia, they have come to witness my success." Josephine spat up the venomous remark, Talia taking a few steps back as several wands were directed at her "Now" she extended a bloody hand "give me what is mine."
"Don't you know?" Talia placed a hand over her beating heart, the rest not attacking as she wasn't holding a wand, several of them urging Felix and Josephine to get going as Aurors were more than likely to arrive at the Ministry. Talia surveyed all of them, refusing to lock eyes with Felix thought, her hand lifting slightly until it reached her face "It will never work with me dead. Avada Kedavra!" a green light erupted from Talia's hand, hitting her directly in the face, her limp body falling back on the cold surface, everyone remaining stunned as they witnessed the scene unfold.
A second later, Josephine's manic laugh was heard as she actually plucked a wand from another Death Eater's hand, walking towards Talia's body, her voice bouncing off the vast walls. A slash, blood gushing around her, Josephine giggling as she looked around "Don't worry, I will save you all." Her laughing once more as she basically kneeled to claw with her nails at her breathless daughter.
Stepping forward, Felix's clenched jaw barely opened as he uttered the killing curse without any prior warning "I told you that if I hear your voice again I will curse you myself." He spat out as he watched her body falling near Talia's.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Turning a pair of cold eyes, Felix lowered his wand "Not alerting anyone to our location. Stealth one on one you simple minded hooligan. Now, do you lot want to sit around and stare or do you want to at least attempt to run?" his voice reverberated through his chest as he let a tear roll from his eyes, several Death Eaters deciding to make a run for it.
As Dumbledore appeared in order to defend Harry, the sounds of battle could be heard like a faint whisper as a man walked around, seemingly not bothered by what was happening. He ignored Jasper and Constantine's unconscious bodies, walking around with a drawn katana. Men who could not fight back were of little importance to him.
Yet, he still stood there loaming over the aftermath of whatever transpired inside that office, debating whether or not he should actually shove his blade deep within the man who held such a heavy history on his shoulders, much of it his own doing.
Everyone has heard the name, it travelled across borders and countries, found itself in every crevasse, in every language: Crane.
The same one he owned. And it wasn't even his for he was just a shadow with a borrowed name.
It started as a legacy, left behind by generations. It ended with her as he entered a small hallway, pale face like porcelain, hair as red as blood, lying on the ground, lifeless. As the smoke dissipated and he watched from a distance, he had witnessed the reckless girl casting the spell upon herself.
Many would have considered it brave, not him, it was foolish, weak and a waste of potential for a wandless witch.
Looming over her body, Akira gently prodded her with the tip of his sword, no reaction being received "A pity." he thought as he took a closer look. So young, life snuffed out of her by the killing curse.
While rumours of her coming back from the dead reached his ears, it appeared they were nothing more than that, false words driven out of lying mouths. The scars marrying her chest stood testimony of what her family had done to her, forever etched in pale skin, soon to dissolve to nothingness as she would find a place in the dirt to finally lay.
"Rest in peace Talia Crane." taking out a cigarette, he lit it, bending in order to lay it next to her.
A moment, eyes opening, fire dancing in her vision as she grabbed his hand, wounds healing before him, the heat licking his skin, a scream tearing from her throat. They stood there, analysing each other for the longest time before Talia plucked the cigarette from his fingers, placing it between her lips.
"Thank you, I needed that." she remained grounded on the cold tiles, casually smoking as if just woken from a deep slumber "I am guessing ally." the fire in her eyes died out, turquoise pools taking in the silent nod Akira provided. Not like she needed to know what he actually was. He did not carry the Death Eater mark, their robes. He was who she wanted to be "Are you going to offer me a name as well or do you want me to venture a guess?"
Dangerous, she was that and more, despite the fact that he held the upper hand. Her finger tips traced the line of his blade, skin splitting apart on the sharp edge "Akira Crane." He answered her, short, indifferent.
"Ah, so you're him." she pursed her lips, throwing the cigarette aside "Please don't tell me you're a relative or long lost brother."
Who called out his name before he did? An informant within the organization? Was it the man who killed the mad woman? He shook his head lightly, taking a step back for good measure, katana finding its place with precise moves "Just a borrowed name."
Laughter reached his ears, a sound foreign and uninviting inside the war riddled room "Well, Akira, you really chose a cursed name."
"It's fitting for monsters."
Smirking, she finally slowly got up from the cold floor "True as that may be, it fits me better."
Glancing over his shoulder, foot steps were heard "Of that I am certain." taking a small bow, his quiet steps led him out of the room, last thing being heard was her name uttered with great urgency, before hushed conversations ensued "What are you Talia?"
Lifting her hands, Talia sighed as several Aurors pointed their wands towards her face "Please let's not do this. I am not in the mood." Finnemore emerging from behind one of them, her face pale as she looked down at her former student, Talia searching her eyes.
Something happened, but what?