Twenty-Four Years Ago

The wild screaming was the first indication something was amiss. The second, were the various assortments of test tubes and surgical equipment being thrown haphazardly around the room; a vial rolled out into the hallway, coming to a stop at the toe of Carol's shoe.

Out of all the setbacks, errors, deaths…none so much as really fazed the head scientist like this. With a hesitant shuffle forward, the woman slowly peered her head around the corner of the open doorframe, a clipboard clutched to her chest like a shield.

David was hunched over a table, breathing heavily and gripping the edge until his already pale skin was seemingly transparent. The red flush of blood underneath his taut skin pounded inside his skull, the network of veins bulging from the cry of adrenaline and rage.

With an almost snap of his body, he stood upright, his demeanor entirely changed as he adjusted his attire and smoothed back his platinum-blonde hair. He then spun around, catching Carol's frightened gaze and giving a patient smile.

"Ah, Carol. Just the woman I wish to see."

Every nerve stood up on its end as he glided across the room to her, and she couldn't help but flinch as he extended a hand. "U-um, yes, sir?"

"How goes the progress of X-17?"

She slightly shrunk back from the cold apathy of his eyes; an icepick nailed through her chest. "I-I haven't made my morning rounds, yet, sir. I was just about to-"

"Where were you three hours ago?"

Her eyelids fluttered, she was momentarily confused. "S-sleeping? Sir?"

"So while you were sleeping, you didn't happen to notice Darcy leaving the vault with your subject, then?" The tone of his voice was dripping with malice, and she shuddered, taking a step back while wildly shaking her head.

"N-no!" she exclaimed, horrified. "Why would she-?!"

"Because Darcy is delusional…and has put all of our work in jeopardy. Your work, Carol. Do you understand?"

A feverish nod.

"Good." David narrowed his eyes, noticing for the first time how the skin beside her ear was beginning to flake. "You best suit up immediately. You're going to bring that subject back."

The Present

A screeching voice of nails on a chalkboard. "Where are you going?"

"Jesus Christ, takin' a fuckin' leak, ya mind? Paranoid bitch." Cross didn't wait for a response, but just stalked from the conference room with a sour taste in his mouth.

The entire situation he had found himself voluntold for was surfacing some unpleasant memories-

Look, she doesn't need to fuckin' die over this shit-

Alright, took care of Thomas, fuckin' happy now?! Just…don't go near the fuckin' pit, might find him wanderin' around without all his marbles, capeesh?

Well fuck your city, and fuck you too.

what kind of package are we talkin' 'bout?

A heavy exhale left his nostrils, and there was a strain written over his face as he rubbed at his eyes.

A girl? Yeah…I could make that work. If you hold up your end of the deal.

All of his buried past was coming to a rush to the forefront of his mind, and he paused in step in the middle of the hallway as he felt it nearly overwhelm him.

She'll come find me? That's a fuckin' prayer you're flyin' on.

Fuck.

A key? Fuck's this shit for? For who?

No one followed behind to listen to his Hungarian idiosyncrasies muttered as he strode back to the cell block. The ghoul woman that had arrested him earlier was now on shift, and a charming smile made its way to his face. Well, perhaps charming to a ghoul.

It worked, the meek flit of her eyes to the side a testament of his suave social practice.

"Hey, I didn't get to say thanks for takin' good care of my stuff, but maybe later, I could return the favor?" Take the bait.

"Can it. I saw you fucking that smoothskin, remember? What the hell do you want?"

Fuck, forgot about that. "So?"

A sound akin to metal scratching pavement left her throat. A scoff. "Not interested."

His hands raised in surrender. "Alright alright, look-" An indication to the quiet ghoul a few cells down. "-got some business with that one over there…mind if I…?"

A half-turn, and she eyed him warily. "I'm under orders not to leave unless-"

"Unless you want to join in?" A suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows, and he pointed to the pair of cuffs at her waist. "You could put them on me again, if ya want."

For a moment it appeared as though she had frozen completely solid. His arm slowly crept around her waist, and she released a raspy gasp as he pulled her close.

"Just five minutes…please?" A feverish nod of her head, and he grinned as he spun her to the door. "'ppreciate it."

A low hum began to fill the dingy corridor as the merc came to a stop before…Evelyn's twin.

Her twin.

Twin.

"There's just no absolute fuckin' way," he growled to himself.

HOW?

Roman sat on his cot, quietly awaiting his set of orders. The moment the merc had brandished the contract, he was ready to carry out his will.

"Okay- look, this is what we're goin' to…" Cross scratched along the backside of his neck. "Did you know she's your fuckin' sister?!"

The blue ghoul said nothing, and betrayed no hint of emotion to indicate his surprise at the question.

Cross muttered irately under his breath, flaunting the filched set of keys he had snagged from the guard. "C'mon. We got to fuckin' hurry."


"With David being dead, their original plan to Boston is now a bit tricky. I see that giving them three options." Thomas held up three fingers, curling them down one at a time. "One: A slave collar. Two: Shiner. Three: They send a courier." He then clasped his hands behind himself. "A slave collar is too risky- it was already stated they need you alive, so I don't see it being an option unless they grow truly desperate."

"What the hell is shiner?" Campbell coughed into a closed fist. "A drug?"

"A ghoul specialty. Very powerful, can be lethal for humans, in moderate amounts. It's also very effective in smaller doses- would make a perfect tranquilizer. But someone would need to literally carry you all the way to Boston, and I do not think they trust Cross enough to act in David's stead."

Evelyn tilted her head. "…so, a courier?"

"I believe Carmen and Rick are at a loss without David-" A wave of his hand to Carol handcuffed to a chair in the corner of their makeshift war room. "-their only other means of direct orders from this organization is indisposed, so they may send someone to relay for further instructions, and just keep you locked up in the city until then. They will be strategizing under the notion that Cross and Penny are working under their cause."

Evelyn made a rude noise with her tongue. "Not like Cross would have been much help if he was."

"You underestimate how clever he can be," Thomas chided. "As irrational as he is, if there is something he wants done, he seems to always find a way." He gave her a knowing look. "We are lucky he is on our side in this."

A roll of her eyes.

The ferryman scratched at his bare arm; the strategized plan the brilliant ghoul had revised for him earlier being dissected through his irradiated brain. After some calculated and careful consideration, he finally grunted, and all heads turned to him. "No. We will not proceed."

Evelyn groaned. "But Charon, you'll be with me the entire time like you wanted!"

The ghoul growled in return, low and threatening. "I said I would consider something reasonable- that is not reasonable."

Thomas had his arms crossed, tapping his fingers rhythmically along the ridge of his elbow. "Then by what definition of reasonable are you suggesting?"

"We leave the city." Charon snapped his head around to the sound of Evelyn's annoying protest. "I will not be hearing anything else from you."

"We can't just leave!" she gasped. "Cross is-"

"Risking his life, for you. It was your choice to come here, and now we are trying to ensure you make it back out safely."

Her voice began to escalate in volume. "No, we either leave together, or not at all!"

"Not at the risk of your life. He would not have you stay," Charon snarled in return.

"Peh, he's obviously fine with it since he's already left!" She glanced expectantly to the glowing ghoul. "Right, Thomas?" No answer was given, and he averted his eyes. "What?! Did you not tell him?!"

"Charon is right- there is no reason on this earth that Cross would agree to this. I debated on it, but his overreactive inclinations left me no choice." He lifted a hand to silence her objections. "If I did not think you could do it, I would not propose it."

A ghoul dressed in riot gear came to a halt inside the open doorway.

Thomas turned to address his squad member. "Well?"

"Squad's Three and Four have taken the front gate, and Squad Five is heading towards the tunnel." A wave of a hand; dismissed.

"Penny was right…and so was Cross, I'm afraid. That's half the department cornering us." Thomas laid his hands over the table, studying the rolled-out parchment detailing the blueprint of the city. An apologetic glance up to the other two smoothskins standing beside Evelyn. "I apologize…I do not think anyone is leaving the city until this is under control."

Campbell shrugged, slapping a hand down on Lydia's shoulder. "Eh, Cazador can buy us some beer later."

"Whatever," Lydia muttered.

For the first time in Thomas's life, he craved nothing more than a strong drink. If he still had a nose, it would have crinkled in disgust…he was beginning to think like Cross. Thomas fully faced the ferryman, ignoring the imposing stare being sentenced down at him. It was more than clear that his mind would not be swayed; he turned to Evelyn.

"It is your life I am asking to put in jeopardy- I will let it be your decision."

"Thanks, no pressure," she mumbled sarcastically as she chewed on the end of her braid, a habit she alluded to during deep thought.

Charon was now giving her a pointed look, one that was very decipherable to everyone in the room. Only when she bit her lower lip did he turn his back to her and let out a sigh, followed by an exasperated laugh. It was choppy, rough, and seemed to fill the room.

"…sorry, Charon." When he turned to her, she felt her heart thud loudly against her ribcage, her face paling in contrast to a ghost.

His voice was dry, and scraped along her skin like dead branches. "It is my duty." The expression he gave her was so bone-chillingly dark that her stomach twisted in an ice-cold vice, and she felt the urge to choke up in tears.

Thomas coughed awkwardly. The atmosphere was extremely claustrophobic. "Then let us proceed, shall we?"


A bloody, gloved handprint was streaked along the wall; the bounty hunter stumbled forward as he clutched at his abdomen. He told the fuck to make it look like a struggle, but goddamn.

The ghoul sentry from before nearly jumped from the absence of her skin as she turned the corner to return to her post. "What happened?!"

Cross grunted, hot blood seeping between his fingers. "Fucker jumped me, that's what. He went out the back- can probably catch him if ya hurry."

She only nodded as she absent-mindedly followed the dark trail he left behind.

Heh heh, easy. A step forward. Fuck, ouch.

Penny apparently heard the commotion, for she was suddenly in his path. "Oh my goodness! You need a stim." Her fingers dove in the backside of her med-kit, the other slightly lifting the hem of his shirt to expose the gash delivered from a blade. "How did this happen?"

"Roman- tried to get him to see our way, and I guess he didn't like what I had to say-" She hurriedly glanced down the hall both ways, before opening a door to the side of them and giving him a hard push. "-whoa-"

She clicked the lock on the door. "Undress, quick."

WHOA-

Her fingers were flying at her gear, his injury suddenly an unimportance as she focused on the task at hand.

"Heyheyhey!" He took a step back as her shirt was tossed. "I ain't really in the mood-"

"Neither am I, hurry up." She was so casual about it that the merc scratched at his head.

"Look Penny, I know we used to have fun, but, uh-" I'm completely at the whim of another woman that I'm pretendin' to not give a shit about.

Penny paused at lowering her pants. "Oh, sorry. Guess this was sort of assumed." They dropped. "I know you're working for Thomas- he told me already. I've been a double-agent for him for years now."

"What?!"

"Shh! Hurry up and take off something!" A spared glance to the growing crimson stain soaking his waistline. "At least to doctor you."

A grunt as he readmitted the pain of his wound.

She licked her lips and continued, leaving on her undergarments even though the merc knew very well what was already underneath. "I'm here to relay the signal to you once I receive it from Thomas's end." A polite way of her telling him- Thomas has a plan you're not going to like, so I'm here to hold the reins of your unpredictable nature. "As for that, I'm just as blind as you are." A lie, but one that was meant to make him feel included…which he didn't care for, in the first place. "Did Roman make it out?"

"Wha-uh, yeah?"

A nod of approval. "Good…" A blink. "Did you really think we were just about to…?"

He waved his hands exasperatedly. "Fuck if I know! Not many reasons a woman wants ya to strip in a closed room unless-"

A chuckle, and she dug around for a stimpak in her bag. "This is just a cover so we could talk. It would look suspicious to Carmen and the rest, otherwise. They don't trust you." She motioned for his shirt, and he grumbled as he began to disrobe. "You make it very obvious you love her."

"That so?"

The injection was made after he was left half-naked. Penny smiled warmly as she stood back to observe her medicinal handiwork. "I have never seen you look at someone like you do with her, before."

An awkward shrug of his shoulders, and he scratched at his bald head. "She's the only reason why I'm doin' this shit." Why I'm up at three in the goddamn mornin', gettin' stabbed and listenin' to the rest of these fucks.

"I know."

A knock at the door, and they both turned.

"I told you he would-" The merc exposed them, and Penny gave a theatric squawk as she tried to retain her decency from the others. Carmen gave a slow blink, then narrowed her eyes at the bounty hunter. "You pig, right now?!"

A nonchalant shrug. "I got fuckin' stabbed- needed somethin' to make it better."

"Well, your fucking package is at the front door, so I suggest you hurry the fuck up. Your man won't let us near her."

The door slammed shut, and the merc gave the pink ghoul a glare. Penny nodded in regard to the question in his eyes. "…that's the signal."

The merc shrugged into his clothes with angry fervor, stomping out the door and into the main lobby. Charon was standing right inside the entryway, an unconscious Evelyn dangling limply in his arms. Cross swallowed down the beating thump of his heart in his throat. What the fuck.

Rick snapped his head around to him and gave a wide, terrifying smile. "Well well, looks like you came through, after all."

The ferryman remained frozen in place, his burden held tightly and betraying nothing with his blank expression. Cross gave him a curt nod, licking his lips as he reached his hands out for her. It took a fierce amount of self-control to not let the bursting panic he felt bleed into his voice. "Give her to me."

Carmen crossed her arms, appraising Evelyn like a strung piece of flesh as she was traded carriers. "Hmph. She would have been good business for me. You owe me a lot of caps for my operation…and some merchandise. When this shit is done, come back to me if you want to keep good favor in this city. You seem to find the pretty ones…just don't fuck them, next time."

The bounty hunter readjusted her dead weight, tucking her closer to his chest. "That's half the fun."

Charon was flexing his hands into fists at his sides, his nervous energy suffocating like a dark cloud. The bounty hunter gave him a fleeting look- keep your fuckin' cool before I lose my shit.

Rick squinted at Evelyn's seemingly lifeless form, noting the way Cross subconsciously stroked his thumb along her forearm. "Shiner? Very clever…how long will she be indisposed? If we are to contain her, now would be the time...I can have my men escort her-"

Carmen's eyes were like black pits of fire. "If I catch you with your hands on her at any point, I'll rip your nuts off."

"Not before I do," Cross threatened. "She ain't goin' with anyone but me."

Rick raised a remnant of an eyebrow. "Does it matter who delivers her? So long as you get what was owed, what's the issue?"

"If we ain't stickin' to the original plan, then I'm walkin' my ass out of here."

"That's fine. Set her down, and we will take over-"

A flurry of motion. Charon unholstered his shotgun, aiming it level at Rick's head as Penny unlatched her own pistol, having a direct line of fire at the backside of Charon's skull. Carmen's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets at the sudden standoff.

Cross stared down the bleary-eyed ghoul with unrestrained malevolence. "I'm takin' her with me."

"Cross, for godsakes, tell your brute to stand down!" Carmen snapped her fingers at the pink ghoul calmly holding her ground. "Penny, put your fucking gun away. We don't have time to fight over this. Rick, keep your fucking suggestions to yourself!"

Penny did as was told, and the merc gave a nod to his counterpart. Charon growled threateningly but holstered his weapon all the same. Rick released the breath he had been holding, ignoring the trickle of sweat that rolled down a remnant of skin along his spine.

"She won't be going anywhere," Carmen announced with a tone of complete authority, looking the merc dead-on. "I don't care how good you are. Penny told us what happened in the vault- if she's killed David, what's to stop her from killing you? It's too risky to take her to Boston on foot. I suggest we send a few men out, and wait for Liam to decide what to do next."

"Boston is fuckin' weeks away. How the fuck are you goin' to keep her in the city with Thomas around?"

"We'll keep her in the vault. It's the most secure facility-"

Cross snorted. "Those fuckin' things are roamin' free down there. No way in hell am I goin' back."

"There's more than one way inside the vault," Carmen said plainly. "It's a completely different section. It's where we smuggled in the smoothskins. We can access it by the tunnel, and have our men begin the assault against Thomas to buy us time." She crossed her arms and stared at Evelyn with a glimmer of sadistic hunger. "Once we gain full control of the city, we just have to play the waiting game…and we all get what we want."

Evelyn groaned, her voice muffled as she nuzzled her face into the merc's jacket. The sound drew everyone's head around.

"She needs another dose of shiner," Carmen nippily snapped her fingers at Penny.

"That'll fuckin' kill her," Cross snarled, ignoring the squirming in his arms. "Just-"

A sneeze, and Evelyn rubbed at the tip of her nose brusquely, blinking rapidly as she stared at his face. She then broke into a stupidly intoxicated smile. "I love you."

Carmen barked out a cynical laugh, turning to the crimson ghoul. "How much fucking shiner did you give her, anyways?"

Cross gave her a light shake. "Go back to sleep."

"No," she protested, snaking her arms underneath his fleeced jacket and tilting her face upward. "Kiss me."

The merc inwardly groaned. "Just close your eyes."

She began to kick her feet in an angry fashion and squeezed him. "Kiss. Me."

"Ow- okayokay." A light exchange was shared, but she grabbed his collar and wouldn't let him straighten back upright.

"A real kiss." The merc hesitated, and tears sprouted in the corner of her eyes. "You said you loved me. Why won't you kiss me?!" She sniffled loudly, releasing her grip to wipe a hand across her face as she bitterly mewled.

"She's fuckin' high out her mind," Cross muttered.

"Make her shut the fuck up," Carmen snapped. "She's going to wake the whole fucking city like this."

"Goddamn." A roll of his eyes, and he swathed his tongue down her throat. Her hands cradled his jaw as he simply held onto her and skillfully worked her mouth against his own, passionately twining his tongue around hers for a few minutes before he finally let her come up for air. She let out a shaky breath; Cross was a very good kisser. "Happy?"

With a winning smile, she began to lift her shirt.

Cross stole away her hands before they could raise her clothing past her ribcage. He shook both her arms, garnering a displeased expression as she ripped away from him. She then reattempted to strip, and he halted her actions a second time.

"Jesus, keep your fuckin' clothes on. Fuckin' idiot," Cross said tersely, jarring her violently. The merc's face was dark, and she widened her eyes at him and sniffled at the sudden hostility he emanated.

"Don't be mean to me," she whimpered, clutching at his shirt.

"Christ," he growled. "Don't fuckin' need this right now."

A tremble of her bottom lip. "…okay."

"Good, go back to sleep."

Her hands held his face anxiously. "Don't leave me." She said it with so much desperation he felt his heart burst, and her voice wavered. "I won't go to Braxton- I'll stay right here." She was sobbing. "Just please don't go- I love you too much."

Fuck. Just hearing those words spoken from her lips made his chest explode with flutters- a feeling he was still not accustomed to; it felt so strange, so alien. He had to mentally slap himself- focus, now wasn't the time. But she was staring at him with those fucking doe blue eyes, the ones he easily slipped himself into for a warm swim. No- no-

The merc blew out the breath he had been holding, and he allowed her to guide him down for another kiss. The palms of her hands were cold as they nestled around the mold of his face and neck, stealing the warmth of his body like greedy thieves. A teasing bite of her lower lip; a hot breath shared as he called forth that lusty whimper from the base of her throat that instantly got him hard.

A whimsical tune sounded to the side from Rick. "Hmm. Sounds like someone had a-"

"Change in plans." Cross raised his eyes to the ferryman with a grin.