Last one out

Jack and Geoff jogged alongside the other guards, moving towards Sokolov's house. It was quite obvious that the witch and her subordinate were after the scientist, meaning that he had to be warned ASAP. They were almost at his front porch, just reaching the large wheels that spun for... Some reason. They were just about to pass the wall of light when a form dropped to the ground in front of the group, rolling and reaching a standstill. Thomas gave them a cheery wave. "'Ello there! Sorry fellas, but my boss has a meeting with your physician, and she could really do with some one to one time, you know?"

The captain of the group drew a pistol and pointed it at the ten year old. "Move aside, witch child! I will not allow your mistress to assassinate the Royal Physician!"

Thomas tutted. "Nah, you don't understand. The Void Singer doesn't like killing. Honestly believes that she can get through this debacle without spilling a single drop of blood. She's naive like that."

The pistol in the captain's hand began to shake slightly.

Thomas stretched his arm. "Thing is, you saw her face back when you saw us, didn't you? I take it that dispels her little illusion?"

The captain nodded as Jack and Geoff looked at each other in confusion. "She looked like... but that would mean..."

Thomas sighed. "I know, right? But the world can't know that when you wake up. Which means, sadly-"

Resolve snapping, the captain squeezed the trigger on the pistol, but even as the shot fired, the child's outline blurred, and suddenly he was right in front of the captain, the man flying backwards from an illogically forceful punch. Thomas smiled sadly. "Well. Someone has to do the dirty work."

._.

Emily crouched behind a large lump of fallen masonry and looked forwards, her eyes narrowing. She was right beneath Sokolov's mansion, and saw a group of people penned into a wrecked building by a wall of light. She could hear what the nearby guards were saying, too:

"Sir! If you don't mind me asking; the girl we took up to Sokolov's penthouse, she didn't seem that bad, plague wise. Why was that?"

"Because those who are very sick already provide little data that Mr Sokolov does not already know."

Emily's breath caught. No. He doesn't mean...

"He's deliberately infecting healthy citizens? Isn't that a little-"

"It's none of our damned business, that's what it is. The Royal Physician knows best, science is his arena. Just keep your eyes focuses outwards and don't ask too many questions, that's the fastest way to-"

-and Emily snapped. A tendril latched onto the whale oil canister powering the light wall, whopping. It round and hurling it above the heads of the guards to explode farther down the street. They both span around, exposing their back's to Emily. Two fast pulls of the slingshot fired small chunks of rubble at their heads, ringing the helmets like bells as they collapsed unconscious to the floor. The people in the pen cowered back against the wall as Emily turned to them. "Go." She said, simply, before vanishing with a grapple.

._.

Thomas laughed as he leapt between the wheels, easily dodging the potshots from the scattered guards. His grin turned to a grimace as his cursed wound burned. Resolving to finish this soon, he 'dashed' down to the soldiers and smashed a fist into one of their stomachs, throwing him into the wall. Unconscious. Dammit. He kicked a sword from another's hand and swept their legs, elbowing them to the ground before vanishing as another bullet slammed into the concrete. "Could you just get hit harder please!" He called, from the control box several metres above them. "It will suck if I have to kill you when you aren't fighting back!" Then he smashed through the window down towards them.

._.

Up on Sokolov's balcony, a guard stood beside the railing turned around only to receive a stone to the helmet. He staggered backwards over the railing, but a grapple pulled him back towards the building. Emily stalked past in a rage. That disgusting... Sacrificing healthy people like animals...if I didn't need him then I would...

She slammed through the door into the top room of the house. She wanted to scare him. She wanted to reprimand him for what he was doing to her people!

"Anton Sokolov! What do you think you are doing!"

Her voice sounded more adult than usual. Stronger. Sokolov whirled round and the moment he laid eyes on her, he went as white as a sheet. "What! Y-Your majesty! But, but you're dead! I- By the void I'm so sorry, I!"

His eyes rolled into the top of his head and he passed out. Emily blinked, confused, and looked around the room, spotting a young woman in a cage in the corner. Fishing a key from Sokolov's pocket, she went to free the woman, who was staring at her with the same horrified expression. "What?" Emily asked, exasperated. "Is the mask that scary?" The woman pointed wordlessly at a mirror in the corner, and upon looking at it, Emily almost fainted herself. Where her reflection should be was a tall woman with dark hair and a serious demeanour. It had the face of Jessamine Kaldwin.

._.

Thomas stood before the two remaining, cowering guards, with a wry smile on his face. "You two I don't have to kill, y'know."

Geoff looked up with a hopeful expression. "You...you don't?"

Thomas shook his head. "Nah, you joined the chase later, didn't hear her name. Trust me, it really can't get out."

Jack looked around at the multiple unconscious forms around them. "These people...you're just going to finish them off? But you're so..."

Thomas sighed. "Young? You grow up fast on the streets. My boss is brilliant, but she's still immature. She still believes she can do this without killing anyone, but...well, that's why she needs me."

"Maybe she can?" Geoff spoke up, prompting a confused look. "I mean, she's a witch! Is there really anything she can't do?"

Thomas stared at him intently. "She once told me that this city is full of plague, corruption and violence. Do you think it's possible to survive here without becoming that bad?"

Gulping, Geoff replied "I, I think that if you have to resort to that, you've already failed."

There was a long pause. Then Thomas sighed. "Makes sense. But I can't just let them go tell the high overseers my boss' identity…"

"We may be able to help you out?" Thomas turned to see a young woman he didn't recognise leading a group of other strangers. "Your 'boss' just freed us all from a crazy scientist, so if you need those guards looking after, we can deal with it."

Thomas chuckled, looking to his shoes. "So that's how she does it…"

"Oh, and she has a message, apparently she wants help getting someone to a boat?"

At that, Thomas was gone.

Hah! Character development! Here, take it! I hope this clears up some things about her veil. Even if they should be able to realise who it is, they can't. However, if she removes it in their prescence or her identity is otherwise revealed, like her name being said. Also, OOH LOOK AT THAT ALTERNATIVE TO CORVO'S POSSESSION POWER!

See y'all!