"Here we are, the Art Museum." The gravedigger says with a proud grin. It wasn't until we started talking that I realized they aren't construction workers at all. Well, in a sense. They are actually grave diggers that work at the Graveyard not far from the Art Museum.
I warily stare at the sunset sky, not wanting to ask about it. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the sky suddenly got darker and thought the end of the world was coming. I never saw people laugh so hard as the three here.
"U-Um, thank you, I appreciate your help and f-finding me." I smile. But I feel a little troubled that they did find me in the first place. Where did they know where to look and how in the world did they guess it was my dog?
"It's not a problem, Miss Avery. Don was the one who got him, really." The Gravedigger grins, trying to offer a friendly pat on the shoulder. I jump back slightly, surprising him before I realize my actions. I don't think I can get used to seeing people without eyes. But ... that rabbit man thing had eyes and so does the kid the Gravedigger is carrying. What makes them different so that they eyes?
"U-Um, Don?" I ask.
"Yes, our boss, Jericho Bermuda. He's looking forward to meeting the owner of the dog that kept burying us gravediggers in the holes we were digging." He sharply laughs with an eager grin. My cheeks slap with red. Oh Jaiden, that troublesome senile dog ...
"S-Sorry about that. His training is still there but in his older age he's starting to explore his inner puppy I think." I admit before sheepishly looking away in embarrassment. Goodness Jaiden, why are you causing problems? But at least he didn't cause property damage. And if he did then I will have to pay up. I don't have as much cash as I would like and I have a feeling my credit cards won't work here.
"You bet." He chuckles before falling quiet, staring at four men dressed in sharp suits standing in the front of the building. They cast glances our way as we approach, their faces remaining neutral of emotion. Are they door greeters? That's nice. I smile at the thought and sheepishly wave to them as we approach. "Something up?"
"Oh, you must be Avery." One of the men smiles as he steps off of the stairs and looks at my neck. He stiffens slightly, craning his head up to look at me. Why did he avoid the man's question?
"U-Um, y-y-yes I am." I stammer nervously.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Come on inside." He invites, waving the two gravediggers off.
"Awe~ what about me?" The kid playfully laughs with a grin.
"You as well, Ace." He sighs, seeming a little torn about letting him inside. Oh, so his name is Ace. A greeter walks over and shuffles Ace onto his shoulders before going ahead inside.
"My lady." The worker cheerfully addresses before taking my hand and gently guiding me inside. Ooh~ what a gentleman. I smile at his chivalrous attitude and walk inside behind him, looking around at all of the beautiful artwork. Wow~ it looks amazing in here. I glance back at the greeter, noticing a man dressed as a waiter muttering into his ear and the greeter's face once again becomes void of emotion. He perks up once he notices I'm watching, putting a cheerful face back on.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Avery, But it seems Don has stepped out to take Jaiden on a walk since he was so active. Would you mind waiting a small while for him?" He asks. Oh, so he's not here?
"O-Oh, I don't mind." I stammer, glancing outside the window. I really have no idea what to do. I have no place to stay the night and there's no way I'm going to ask these people for one. I have no idea who they are. But, after he gets back and I get Jaiden, we could go to that park I saw before. There was a nice looking bench with my name on it. And with Jaiden by me no one will be able to sneak up on me. He may be old and going senile but he still has decent instincts.
"Would you care for a tour, Miss Avery?" The gentleman asks with a smile.
"O-Oh, um, I wouldn't want to trouble you at all." I say, cautious about walking around an unfamiliar place to me with strangers lurking about. With my five older brothers it's hard not to take notice of things all around me. This is suspicious, of course but I know they are telling the truth about my dog. There's no way they would have known Jaiden was my dog or his name without actually seeing his tags. And, they seem like kind enough people.
"It's no trouble at all. It will take your mind off your worries for a bit." He says as he holds out a hand.
"Um, thank you then." I say with a bashful smile and walk alongside him, pointedly keeping my hands clasped together. If it comes right down to it I'll need my hands free to run for my life. I glance outside one of the windows, staring into the sun setting in the distance and remaining completely still where it is. I really hope Jaiden is actually with these people.
JERICHO'S POV
"How's it looking, vet?" I anxiously ask, staring at the dog as an oxygen tank supports his shallow breathing. Thankfully the bullet went through a body cavity and straight through him, only nicking a rip and lung. I stare at his bloody gums, watching the dog whine in his sleep as he wheezes.
"Not too good. It was a good thing you got him to me when you could." The man says as his wife clears the kitchen counter. I'm lucky this man agreed to perform surgery on his own kitchen table for the dog.
"Thank you again and I apologize for interupting your evening." I say, directing my apologies to the wife. She worriedly casts her gaze over the table, seeming troubled before nodding and walking off.
"Ah~ sweetheart," the man starts but she leaves the room and goes up the stairs before he turns to me with an apologetic smile, "sorry about that. She's not happy when I bring business home with me. Or when it comes to find me." He laughs with a strained grin.
"No, I understand and I thank you for this favor. I'll be sure to return it." I smile. I know his business has been a little slow so giving him a small profit for his help will be in order.
"Nonsense, Bermuda. I help no matter who the customer is." He cheerfully smiles before moving the needle and thread onto a silver platter, patching up the wounds with some bandaging. This isn't good, the dog is visibly injured and there's no way to hide it from this Avery character. I feel terrible for presenting the dog to her in this condition but it could not be avoided. Perhaps a few days here would help the dog recover a while longer but I'm sure the gravediggers have already found her and told her we've found her dog. Perhaps I was a bit hasty indirectly promising that we had her dog. Which, although is not a lie, is not exactly a settling truth.
"Don." A voice calls out as a worker from the front lets himself into the house, looks around for a moment before seeing us in the kitchen.
"Avery has arrived?"
"Yes. Jesse is currently giving her a tour of the Art Museum to help distract her." He says, never casting the wheezing dog a look.
"Hm ... ," I hum, trying to think of a solution. I don't want her walking around Diamond Country because I'm sure the dog has been seen by other faceless while walking around, giving others similar conclusions that there is a foreigner running about the land. "Convince her to stay the Night and give her a room. I will return in about a time change or two and meet with her myself."
"Yes Don." The guard says with a slight bow before leaving for the Art Museum.
"Avery ... hm~ so that means there is a foreigner here?" The vet curiously asks before taking another look at the dog's eyes. My smile stiffens as I stare at him and observe his curiosity. His interest is genuine, that's for sure. I've known his family for a little while now and I don't believe he would do something sinister to anyone. The man can hardly bring himself to kill a spider.
"And I would much rather this sort of information not to go floating around." I say, tapping my finger to my nose. The man stares at the strange motion before it clicks, causing a smile to spread across his face.
"So odd ... I wonder what she is like?" He says aloud, more so to himself as he gets a cone from under the sink and wraps the dog's limp and bandaged head in it.
"I wonder indeed." I agree, worriedly watching the dog. If I play my cards right I can easily get her to trust me but I am unsure how she will react to seeing her dog like this. Already a plan begins to formulate as I lean forward in the chair, watching him put some pain medication into the IV beside the dog. I just hope that information is not spreading around like I fear it will.
ELLIOT'S POV
My ears stand tall and alert as I walk around town through mainly the alleys, listening for anything that could direct me to this Avery guy. It's surprising how much Intel anyone can gather if they simply listen. Blood told me something weird ... he told me to listen for something that is not a clock while searching for this Avery, but rather a strange sound I never heard before. But as to why Blood is so interested in this 'Avery' I'm not sure. I have to admit that I'm curious. Did the dog showing up mean something more significant that Blood isn't telling me? Well, I guess I can always beat the information out of the Avery guy before dragging him to Blood.
" ... Avery, and," a voice a little distance away says rather loudly. My ears perk up at the name and immediately start heading over to the man who said it, listening intently to the conversation.
"Avery? Strange name. And Bermuda's men defended the faceless?" Another voice curiously asks. I silently stalk their voices through the alleys, crossing a street to get to the area they are in. D*** it, have Bermuda's gotten to the guy before me? It will be much more troublesome peeling him away from that family and taking him to Blood now without cornering Avery somewhere. Faceless out for errands shy away and wisely retreat, knowing there is trouble ahead if I'm present.
"That's the thing! Avery had eyes man, eyes! Like a Role Holder but the a**hole doesn't act like one at all." The faceless says as I approach a corner. I slow down, listening to the echoes in the alley. He's just down this alley but I want to catch him alone.
"Hm ... that is definitely interesting information. Thank you for your time, kind citizen." A voice says before feet start to recede away. Hm ... I'm going to have to track that man down and kill him if it becomes an inconvenience to Blood. I doubt he'd like information he wants frivolously floating around.
"H-Hey wait, aren't you going to pay me? Like you said you would?" Ah~ payment for information, hm? He definitely must be working with the Griffin family. That is the only organization that respects other faceless and doesn't try double crossing other faceless too often, anyway.
"Oh, yes. Here you are. Try not to let a Role Holder get a hold of this information." The man says as I stand by the corner to hear out the rest of their conversation. My ears remain tall and alert as I smirk. Not too smart saying that so loudly. I listen to their feet as they walk away, listening to the man flipping bills in his hand. That's the one that knows the information since he was just paid however much he was.
I press against the wall and watch the faceless step out of the alley, eyes glued to the bills in his hands. After a block or two I'll nab him. I don't want that other faceless hearing him screaming. I quietly stalk the man at every turn, waiting until he steps down another empty alley before leaping up behind him. My arm whips out and tightly grips his shirt, yanking the smaller man right off his feet.
"Yeek-!" He cries between clenched teeth as I slam him up against the wall, pressing my gun to his head as I shove my forearm against his throat.
"That's some interesting information you have there." I start with a grin. I'm lucky to have run across this guy who actually knows this Avery guy. I thought I would be snooping around for a couple time changes just to hunt information about him down so there's no way I'm letting this opportunity go to waste.
"W-Why are Hatters out here-?!" He chokes out, startled to see me at any time while the sun is still out. It's still Dusk so it's not that odd.
"Tell me where the man named Avery is." I flatly order, wanting to get this Avery as soon as possible to Blood.
"Y-Y-Yes, I will tell you." He says, caring more for his life rather than his word to the man before.
"Good." I say, "now, his whereabouts?"
"H-Him?" He stutters confused. My eyes narrow before aiming down, shooting right through his leg before muffling his screams with my forearm. I look off to either side, letting him come to terms with the agony as I make sure his voice didn't catch anyone's attention. He trembles and makes small shakes with his head as if to plead for no more.
"You said you'd tell me everything you knew so where's the confusion?" I sternly demand, cocking the gun right up against his genitals as I move my arm across his throat again.
"A-A-Avery isn't a he it's a she!" He whines between choking breaths, struggling not to be too loud in fears I'll shoot him dead right here and now. A she?
"And you said something else. Something about eyes?" I demand, tucking that information into the back of my head. Woman or man Blood will still want to see Avery.
"Y-Y-Yes! She had bright blue, big eyes. Eyes l-like a Role Holder bu-but I've never seen her before." He stutters between his shaking breath.
"How could she possibly have eyes if she isn't a Role Holder?" I ask, doubtful of the source of information. This sounds like a wild goose chase that I'm on.
"Alright then tell me this. Where is she now?" Blood told me to bring her to him so that is exactly what I'm going to do. If it turns out she's a fake, I'll shoot the b**** dead and drag the corpse to him. But if she doesn't exist, then I'll be forced to go back empty handed and Blood won't like that very much.
"T-T-The last I saw her with was the gravediggers. T-That's all I know, I swear!" He cries, praying I would believe him.
"I believe you."
BANG
AVERY'S POV
"I'm sorry to bother you but why is your, um, Don taking so long?" I anxiously ask, trying to be patient but at the same time feel anxiety claw away at me. They are taking so long that I'm really, really starting to get worried about Jaiden. He loves to go on walks so I can see him dragging this Don guy all over town.
"He will be back soon, I assure you." The man smiles as we go through the halls for a third time.
I watch as he points out the rooms, again offering to take me through the rooms to which I politely decline. Being in an open space with windows nearby is safer than being in a confined room with strangers. I can't help being so careful and critical. My oldest brother is a police officer so he's basically has hammered this information into my head for as long as I can remember. I don't mean to make everyone seem like a bad guy but until I get to know them I don't know what their intentions are.
"Oh, there you two are." A voice calls. I look over my shoulder, watching a waiter approach us with an apologetic smile on his face. "I am coming to inform you that Jericho will be running awfully late. He has been caught up in some business and does not have time to return for some time. He deeply apologizes for the inconvenience and wishes to make up for it by offering you a room to stay the Night period, Miss Avery." He explains, turning to me for the latter part.
"O-Oh, I, um, I don't know about that." I say, seeing red flags shoot up all over the place. This is very suspicious. They may have seen my dog but why with all the excuses?
"I can understand your confusion and hesitation, Miss Avery, but he insists. It is no trouble at all for us to host you a few Nights." He broadly smiles. Oh, oh no so now it's a few nights? Yes, definitely very, very suspicious. I need to leave.
"I decline." I say with a nervous smile, feeling a flustered flush touch my cheeks as I back up a bit in the direction of the front door.
"Miss Avery, please. Don will be saddened if he returns and finds you not here."
"Um, that's alright, I will come back tomorrow." Or never, never works too. I'm starting to think they may not have my dog at all. Maybe ... I hate to think of it, but maybe Jaiden slipped out of his collar and that's what they found. But as to how they tracked me down with only Jaiden's collar is a mystery. And a little freaky.
"Please, Miss Avery? I'm sure Don will return himself tonight." The man smiles, changing his tune. He gently clasps my hands, earnestly smiling at me.
"A-Alright." I quietly agree, unsure if I made the right choice. This is really freaking me out.
"Excellent. Right this way, Miss Avery." He cheerfully smiles, politely guiding me up the stairs. I nervously follow after him, keeping a wary eye and a careful ear for anything that could sound suspicious. Maybe it's just me psyching myself out b-but this whole situation is just plain sketchy. He stops before a door and opens it for me, allowing me to step inside first before standing in the doorway. "Go ahead and get some rest, Miss Avery. We will come and fetch you once Don has come."
"U-Um, t-t-that's alright. I'm really tired s-so I will meet him in the morning." I nervously stutter.
"Oh, very well," he says, sounding perplexed at my sudden change in tune, "then we will see you then, Miss Avery." He smiles before shutting the door.
"O-Oh, um, can you get me some bandages please?" I hesitantly ask.
"Are you hurt?" He asks, looking my over.
"N-No, no I'm not but I would like to wrap my hands and feet in them. I-It's a strange request, I know but I have problems with them." Especially when I punch or kick too hard by mistake. I really hope it doesn't come down to that but I don't have my normal wraps with me.
"Oh, yes of course. There should be two rolls under the sink in the bathroom." He cheerfully points out before taking a step inside.
"T-That's alright, thank you. I'll use those then." I smile as he takes a hesitant step back out of the room.
"Very well. Good Night, Miss Avery." He smiles before closing the door and walk off. I walk over to the door and immediately lock it before heading to the bathroom. I need to leave, right now and that window is the perfect opportunity.
My hand bumps against my front pocket, making my heart jump as I feel something long and thin. I immediately fish it out, praising my forgetfulness as I find Jaiden's and Jett's dog whistle. This one was especially made for my brother and he gave me a copy of it so I can use it. Oh gosh I can't believe I forgot that was there and thank goodness too! I would have left the house without it since I was just taking the dogs on a simple walk.
I hesitate before eyeing up the large closet dresser about ten yards from the door. I should barricade it so no one can get in so easily. My stomach drops at the thought of someone walking in here before I walk over and grip the base of the large piece of furniture, sucking in a deep breath before lifting it a foot off the ground. The heavy hunk of wood weighs heavy in my arms as I crab walk back over to the door, controlling my breathing and grunting as I carefully set it on the ground with a soft thud. Since this door opens in towards the room there's no way they can knock it over so easily, especially with the angle that it's at.
My thoughts turn towards the bandages under the sink as I head over there next, finding the white bandages just where he said they would be along with a medical kit. I pull it out unravel the bandages before wrapping my hand in it. Not too tight, not too loose, protect the knuckles ...
My mind falls into a somewhat trance as I wrap my hand, having to use the needle and thread in the kit to hold the bandages in place. My fingers tighten and loosen, feeling the bandages pull against my skin. Perfect. I wrap my other hand and feet, making sure the support on my wrists and ankles are absolutely perfect. Ha ... just like it used to be.
I softly smile at the old memory and kiss my padded knuckles before heading to the window. Surprisingly, this isn't my first time having to do this. I open the window and look outside the building, finding the two story drop not to be as bad as I expected. After some contemplation I flip outside the window, jolting as I hear someone try the door handle.
"Oh, I assume you are otherwise preoccupied, but I was wondering if you would like to eat something before you rest. It was awfully rude of me not to offer before because it had slipped my mind." He says from behind the door. The temptation of food almost draws me out but I shake it off, shuffling along the edge before dropping. My heart skips a beat from the quickly approaching ground, tucking and rolling with the fall as I land. I tumble over and onto my feet, letting out a shaky breath before looking up to the window.
Sorry not sorry~ I really have no idea what is going on here but it's best I leave. I will be fine walking around a bit. I flip the dog whistle in my hands and walk along the forest line to the road, making sure to keep out of sight of the Art Museum before finally making it onto the sidewalk. Ah~ freedom at last.
"Jaiden, Jett, Hierr." I softly call, putting the whistle to my lips before calling out to them in a pitch I can't hear. I walk right past the Graveyard, doing my best not to watch the workers and hope no one pays attention to me as I hurry on my way. I let out a deep sigh as I pass without trouble, continually blowing a stream of air into the whistle.
Oh please be alright Jaiden and Jett.
‡
Just curious, who would you rather see Avery with as her first pairing? Jericho or Gray (he'll be in the next chapter)? :3 10 REVIEWS for the next chapter, Chickadees~ :D