Disclaimer: I do not own Dishonored. Dishonored belongs to Arkane Studios.

Rose of Anarchy

The water was murky and still. He sat silent and just stared at it as he waited. At the masked reflection dancing on the ripples. As it shifted when he tipped his head. He was unaccustomed to seeing it with his movements. He was more used to it on everyone else.

Gloved fingers reached out into the water, swirling lightly and distorting the reflection. He then withdrew them just above the water as a hagfish immediately came up to lunge.

Alexsander was like a hagfish. No, more like a rat. He knew how to provoke and grind nerves. When they had gotten back and Alexsander had removed his mask, Thomas had for the first time seen his face. The superiority dancing in his eyes and in the smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth as he not at all lowered his eyes or his head, but instead looked at him with a raised chin.

Oh how he knew how to provoke. Thomas had pinned his arms behind his back and immediately thrown him in the hold, locking the gate tightly. He was musing the thought of never letting him out as he had stalked away, and while he was still in range, he heard Alexsanders voice bite out that he got a power trip from this.

He had received no such satisfaction. Within the Whalers there was a pecking order. Those who are disrespectfully need to recognize who is in charge. He shook his head.

Thomas jerked around tensely out of his thoughts as he felt someone lightly touch his shoulder, and relaxed as he recognized the broad build of Chester, someone he had worked alongside for a very long time.

"Thomas." Chester said to him quietly in his usual polite manner. "Daud's returned."

Daud. He gave a short nod, standing up, his posture straightening; composed. "I didn't hear you approach." He spoke in his formal voice.

"You were perplexed. It leaves you vulnerable."

Thomas dropped the act and glanced briefly down at the water again. "Then perhaps I feel too safe here."

Chester chucked subtly, and his chest shook with the action.

"Happens when you've been in a place for a long while."

Thomas faced him again.

"But it's not anymore. Not since Lurk betrayed us."

Chester just gave him an honest shrug.

"Yes, and we best just continue on with our duties. To dwell will stray us from them."

"It will not be a distraction. Master Daud just gave her more than she deserved. "

Chester crossed his arms skeptically, but didn't pressure the conversation further, so Thomas started walking in the base's direction. "I'm departing then. I need to speak to Master Daud about that young girl I brought back." He then blinked away back to the base. He landed on the top ledge of the broken building, and headed into Daud's office.

"Master Daud," He spoke with formality once again, dipping his head in greeting.

Daud was tried, he could tell. His face was pale, eyes slightly bloodshot, and there was a disheartened slouch to his usually proud posture. He picked himself up a bit though, to address his subordinate, resting less pressure on the papers beneath his palms.

"Report." He spoke with seriousness and authority, but the fatigue was also visible in his voice.

Thomas hesitated, wondering if it would be better to let him sleep first, but he decided against it. "We found something that could be useful to you." He took out the rune from his coat and presented it.

"I found here in the Flooded District, on a girl. She has the mark of the Outsider." Daud's eyes flashed with surprise and then they narrowed in thought. "Did you capture her?"

"Yes, we have her in the hold. Also, none of the other Whalers have reported a return of the overseers. I know I shouldn't keep bringing it up, but it would be wise to start looking for another base location so-"

"I know, Thomas. That's not necessary."

Thomas wanted to protest but he remained silent, giving Daud a nod.

"As for the girl," Daud continued, contemplating thoughtfully. "See what she can do. How useful she is depends on if she's willing to cooperate."

She woke up in a place that was damp, and her head ached and throbbed with a heavy pain from being knocked out. Her arms and legs were bound by rope, and She felt the roughness of concrete against her bare cheek and arms. There was light squeaks and scurrying around her in the darkness, and she didn't have to ponder hard to guess what they were from.

She felt colder than she had been before, her numb hands failing to provide any warmth as she rubbed them up and down her arms, shivering. She briefly wondered if she would die in here, or if the frightening masked men would return and try to do something worse to her.

She remembered his hands trapping her, the masked one that had advanced on her.

The way his laugh had been muffled through a gas mask of yellow lenses, clad in black, every movement in his step and of his body a predatory saunter.

She knew he would have done it, and she was still shocked the other one stopped had him. Who we're these people? Or more so what, as they had appeared in front of her in an instant soundlessly.

And now she was here. Imprisoned in some way. What were try going to do with her?

It was either she wait or try and get out. Waiting would be dangerous but escape was more improbable. She tugged at the ropes again, testing them. A wave of fear shot through her. She most certainly didn't want to think about what would happen if she waited.

She wondered if she could provoke the rats in some way to eat through her ropes, or if she could do it herself with her own teeth. but after that how could she get out of the dark confident? If she was unable to, and they discovered her without the ropes, what sort of consequences would lie in waiting?

The power she now had perhaps.

But how was such a thing used? Activated? The masked men had taken the strange gear she had with her. Or maybe they had not.

She tried her best to reach around in the darkness despite the ropes. Her fingers brushed against a furry body, and she recoiled them quickly with a shudder. The rats were so close beside her. What would happen if she got bit?

She tried scooting, and gasped with surprise slightly when they curled around something sharp. She felt it in her hand, realizing with dismay it was the heel of one of her dress shoes. What could it be used for? She placed it down at her side and laid there thinking, but desperation was in the back of her mind.

A rat for now would have to do. She took a deep breath and listened carefully to the rats movements, knowing well how stupid her idea was.

She clenched her teeth, focusing, and when she was certain of where it was, she snagged the rat in her grip. It squeaked and tried to squirm away, but using her thumb and finger she gripped around it's head locking it in place. It scratched at her wrist with it's back claws. She shuddered again with disgust, imagining just how dirty and diseased it was. At the possibility of it's claws giving her an infection.

Then with shaky breathing she raised it to the ropes. It turned it's head away however, not biting through. She cursed, forcing it's mouth up against them harder, channeling her frustration into the act; but then she felt something else besides the psychological tingle of phantom lice running up her skin. The charge running beneath it.

Her vision faded and her head swirled. When she had gotten hold of her mind again, she could make out things within the murky darkness. She breathed in and it felt different. The ground was so close.

What was happening? She whole body shook with shock as she moved her arm to realize it was a small paw. She placed another one in from of her, and stumbled slightly, feeling her body, her thin bones, and her racing heartbeat. What was happening?

It was all so foreign. She smelled scents and scents of masked men. There were more than the two that had abducted her. It was far away, but not far enough. Her hearing too was amplified far beyond the the confinement, and she heard every rat among her.

Was this what the charge did? She realized, anticipation amplified in every nerve in her body.

Suddenly then, her vision faded and her head swirled again, and with a horrible screech she left the rat's body. She landed on the floor of the confinement with a thump, her limbs free of the ropes. She had gotten free from taking over the rat's body. Could you only hold it for oh so long before her control slipped? Perhaps it was something that would take practice.

She could hardly believe it. After everything that had happened. She had a possibility of getting away. As a rat, she could make her way out of the confident and past the masked men, and some where to escape. As a rat, she could sniff out food, avoid the diseased people, find places to sleep. Perhaps she could even travel far away from where the sickness was, and even someday figure out how to use her power to go home, or summon that portal again with the gear.

With her spirit revived, she tried to grab the rat again in the dark, but it's body was stiff and limp when she picked it up, and her eyes widened in the darkness.

Her power had killed it.

I apologize for how short, mechanical, and rushed this chapter was, and for how long it took for me to update. I've been having writers block.

I don't think making Rosemary's starting power possession was too much of a stretch from canon logic, as Corvo and Daud have varying capabilities.

- Graceful Peony