Glimmering in Red
A/N: Ah my reviewers are back :D Well, enjoy!
"No, it's all wrong! You missed your entrance again!" Fleur barked as Monica jumped and turned to look at the young dancer that he was currently taking his frustrations out on. She dropped her head and stretched her sore arm as rehearsals went on around her.
"You'd think he'd lighten up once in a while…I haven't seen him smile once," Giana commented from her position on the ground as she stretched out her right leg. Monica glanced at her and then at Fleur before nodding in agreement. It had been a week and all he had done was shout orders, granted they were all from the Phantom, his voice rang in their ears constantly.
"Can we finish already? I have things to do, and places to be at!" Lucy yelled above everyone as Fleur cringed upon hearing the diva holler at him.
"Miss Rothesay rehearsals take time, you should have taken care of your priorities before coming here," Fleur shot back as Lucy huffed and stormed off of the stage. Monica glanced after her with worry before shrugging at Giana who was looking at her with a confused look.
"Sing, prima donna, once more!" Monica sang quietly making Giana laugh as she stared after Lucy's raging figure.
The rest of the rehearsal went by with Fleur losing his voice due to everything going wrong, the ballet girls falling over each other, props rolling across the stage, and singers missing their cues. Fleur finally dismissed them with a defeated look before slouching down on a chair amongst the sea of velvet seats.
They had been rehearsing for over two weeks and the musical still had a long way to go.
"I have to say, this was one of the worst rehearsals ever," Monica commented looking towards box 5. Without fail the Phantom stared back with a glare and a slight sneer as she looked away wearily. He had been pushing them too hard, sooner or later they were going to break one by one. The shadows hid him well, but not enough for Monica to miss his presence.
He was also irritated due to her leaving in order to retrieve Kiri and get some things from her new house, the fact of living without her for one day was almost too much to bare.
Giana stared slightly in the direction Monica had been observing moments ago but saw nothing but an empty box seat. She dismissed the thought and started to gather her thing as Monica walked with her and started to change as well.
Giana fixed her hair before looking over when something caught her eye. She observed as Monica slipped on leather pants followed by biker boots as the young dancer looked at her curiously.
"What?" Monica asked confused as Giana shook her head and smiled slightly.
"It's just…I just noticed that you wear a lot of leather…you're not in a gang are you?" Giana asked worriedly as Monica threw back her head and laughed heartedly. She tried to hold back but failed as her laughs echoed off of the walls. Giana stood in front of her wondering what was so funny.
"Sorry love, but I am…ever heard of the Bastards?" Monica told her struggling to contain her laughter. Giana's face went pale as she recalled her brief encounter with bikers, the fact that the woman in front of her was with them disturbed her greatly.
Monica's smile dropped and her laugh died down immediately when she noticed Giana standing stiffly in front of her with a look of utter fear.
"I'm sorry…did I say something I shouldn't have?" Monica asked pulling her jacket to her as she stood up as well. Giana blanked out slightly before she noticed Monica standing before her waving her hand back and forth in front of her face.
"No, it's just that I haven't had a pleasant experience with bikers," she told the woman as Monica's face dropped into a troubling frown.
"Was it one of my men?" Monica asked grimly reaching for her phone ready to call Lucifer before Giana shook her head. That caused the biker to tilt her head in curiosity. "Which gang was it?" she asked before she could stop herself as Giana found herself being pulled back into the past.
"…I can't remember," she whispered quietly as Monica nodded and dropped the subject. Her curiosity could wait; she didn't want to upset Giana any further.
"Well, I'm afraid I have to go, I have to pick up my child," Monica told her turning to leave as Giana paused and started to panic once she remembered that she had to walk home and it was late already.
"Hey, I was wondering if I could maybe tag along with you, I mean, I don't want to walk on the streets alone," Giana called after Monica as the other woman paused and turned to look at her. She thought about it for a moment before nodding.
"I hope you don't mind bars," Monica told her as she walked outside towards her bike. Giana looked around and shivered at the cold night air before Monica paused and slipped on her jacket, the grinning skull with horns and fangs that stared back at her stirred memories that she had tried to forget. She shook the thought off before hopping on after the biker.
Monica revved the bike up before skidding into a turn and heading towards the bar where Kiri and the rest of her gang was. She kept glancing back at Giana who had a faraway look in her eyes before she noticed that they had arrived at their destination.
Giana didn't mind the stop that they made. It was a nice change from her constant busy life, the only thing that made it less enjoyable were the men that were probably inside.
"If any of them try anything, tell me," Monica warned her before offering her a smile and walking in with her head held high, the complete opposite of Giana. She followed the woman with her head hung low and her arms around her frame looking up from time to time as she walked through the bar.
Several heads turned but nothing out of the ordinary happened. The thing that shocked her was the lack of cigarette smoke in the air and the stumbling drunk men.
"Fraulein!" a child's voice exclaimed breaking her thoughts. She turned to see a small girl running towards Monica with outstretched hands followed by an intimidating biker who reminded her of the devil. The only thing that took away from his image was the black teddy bear that he held in his hands.
"Hello, love," Monica told the child as she hugged her and spun her in the air. Giana stood back confused beyond belief. She had never seen bikers like these; they seemed to be holding back on smoking and drinking because of the child that was present.
"Can we stay ten more minutes?" Kiri asked as Monica sighed and nodded. There was nothing that she would deny when it came to Kiri.
"I hope you don't mind, it's just for a few minutes," Monica said as she turned to look at Giana who stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone around her was wearing black leather while she stood in the middle wearing white. "Come, relax a bit, nothing will happen I promise," Monica reassured her as she took a seat on the bar and ordered a glass of wine for herself. "Do you want anything?" she asked turning to the dancer beside her.
Giana glanced at the bartender who stared expectantly at her, "just a glass of water, please," she told him as he nodded and turned to retrieve the glass. Monica was about to ask something else when she was interrupted by a rather strange voice.
"Well, what is a girl like you doing with the Bastards?" a man asked as Monica spun to face him. The face that greeted her wasn't a familiar one. It was a biker from another gang, while her bar didn't have anything against other gangs she preferred to have it for her own men only.
"None of your damn business," Monica shot back turning away from him and back to the bar. She didn't want to start anything tonight.
"And who is your lovely friend?" another voice asked as Monica growled lowly while lowering her head trying to ignore the pair behind them.
Giana stared at the second biker and turned towards the bar as well, she tried to mask the fear that was running through her veins as she scooted closer to Monica without thinking.
"Come on babe, why so serious?" the first biker asked placing his gloved hand on Monica's shoulder as she uttered another growl. Giana found herself in the same predicament with the other biker taking the seat next to hers and scooting closer to her.
"I would like to know what your hand is doing on my girl's shoulder," a voice snarled as the first biker turned with a stupid grin towards the source ready to beat whoever was stupid enough to question him. He was met with none other than Lucifer himself as the devil stared him down dangerously.
"That's my girlfriend, get away from her before I beat you to death," another voice came from behind Lucifer. Monica sighed in relief when she saw Judas stand next to Lucifer and grip the biker who was close to Giana by his jacket and pull him away from her with a brutal force.
"I don't see any name on her, as far as I can tell, she's game," the first biker said standing up to Lucifer as the rest of the bikers in the bar laughed at the idiot.
"She's mine," Lucifer growled warningly through clenched teeth as the younger biker stood his ground stupidly.
Monica simply played along and threw Giana a look that told her to follow their little act as well. She turned from the bar and smiled at Lucifer knowing this wouldn't end well for the younger biker who remained glaring at the devil.
Judas kept his grip on the other biker as he started to get the picture. His friend and him hadn't noticed that the two men who were claiming the girls had been Bastards, their name fit them and they had a reputation for brutality.
"Come on, Raoul, it's not worth it…they can keep the girls," the second biker stammered when Judas glared at him before letting him go sensing he was getting the picture. He motioned for Giana to come to him, the young dancer found herself playing along as she got up from the stool shakily and stumbled over to the biker who had scared off the other biker.
Judas wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled comfortingly at her as the other biker continued to try and stare Lucifer down.
"Boy, are you mad? I will not hesitate to break every bone in your body if you continue to claim her as yours," Lucifer warned him in a low voice gritting his teeth as the biker got a look at the canines of the taller man.
"Raoul, come on," the other called as he turned to leave. Judas stared at him still and when he turned away he noted the patch on his jacket. Jackal, he should have known.
"You don't know who I am, I can beat your ass any day," Raoul countered back boastingly as Lucifer snapped and pulled his hand back while clenching it into a fist.
"Lucifer, enough!" Monica yelled as the biker halted and glared at her demanding an explanation. He immediately saw the reason. Kiri stood beside Monica clinging to her leg and hiding slightly from him. "You're scaring her," Monica mouthed in outrage as Lucifer straightened himself up and nodded to Judas who let Giana go with a nod. Giana nodded back thankfully, she didn't know what she would have done had he not stepped in when he did.
"Kiri go outside with Giana and wait for me by the car," Monica told the small child as she nodded and proceeded to walk towards Giana who took the child's hand and walked outside glancing back at Monica worriedly.
Monica offered her a smile before they stepped out of the bar.
"You let your whore control you, I knew she was worth my time," Raoul commented looking at Monica before he was practically thrown back with the punch that he received from Lucifer. Monica stepped out of the way calmly as the biker came crashing towards her and slammed into the bar, Lucifer right behind him cracking his knuckles.
"I'll be at my aunt's house if you need me," Monica told him before she left. She turned without another word; she didn't stop the fight because the imbecile on the ground deserved every punch that Lucifer gave him.
She left the bar and tossed the keys to her car to Giana as she stared dumbfoundedly at her.
"I'll take the bike, you can take my car to your place, I hate seeing you walk home when it's late and cold," she told the dancer before she hopped on the bike followed by Kiri who mounted the motorcycle after her mother and took a seat in front of her.
Giana was about to say something back before Monica stopped her and revved the bike before leaving her with her car's keys.
The young dancer had only known the biker for two weeks and she had already trusted her with her car. She had never had anyone who trusted her like that, she was grateful.
Giana opened the car door and tossed her bag into the passenger's seat before driving away.
Monica on the other hand pulled up to her new house. Her aunt had found out about her other house burning down and had demanded that she lived in her vacation home for the time being. The only thing that she liked about the luxurious mansion was the fact that it was closer to the city and her bar.
As she walked towards her door however she failed to notice the shattered window on the side of the house. She walked into the house and hung up her coat as Kiri ran upstairs towards her room exhausted beyond compare.
Monica sighed in content as she saw her child close the door behind her as she headed into the large kitchen to get a glass of water. She found it strange that none of the maids were around but brushed the thought off as she rose the glass to her lips and started to drink the water before a scream tore through the house.
She dropped the glass and rushed out of the kitchen as she rushed upstairs; on her way there she grabbed the revolver that she kept hidden behind one of the cushions. She opened the door and was outraged when she saw the sight that greeted her.
Vane stood in her room with Kiri in his arms as her child thrashed around in his arms, she kicked and scratched as much as she could but it was useless against the biker who held her.
"Let her go, Vane" Monica warned as the biker pulled the child closer.
"A boy of ours stumbled in to our bar, he was a bloody mess, Miss Hyde," he snarled as Monica stood her ground and held the revolver behind her back hidden from his view.
"He was crossing the line, Stryker should know better than to let his dogs wander into my home," she shot back looking at him dangerously while Kiri stared at her with fear written all over her features.
"The biker that Lucifer nearly killed was his brother," Vane growled at her as she stepped back slightly. This changed things drastically, there was tension before, now there would surely be fights breaking out with them.
"Let her go, she isn't involved in this," Monica told her as he shook his head and laughed.
"Stryker wants her, and what the boss wants he gets, he'll make her go through the same thing his brother went through," Vane told her smiling wickedly while he said it.
Monica blanked out and remembered her father once more, he had told her that one day it would come to this. She would have to break one of her own promises to herself in order to defend her own family; she didn't want it to come to this.
"You're not taking her anywhere," Monica whispered pulling out the revolver and gripping the trigger before pulling it. The crack rang through all of their ears before Kiri felt the grip that Vane had one her lessen. He looked down to his chest and found himself looking at a bullet wound on his chest.
The blood flowed freely out of it, he looked at Monica and smiled before dropping to his knees and then to the floor. She had finally killed someone, that had been one of his personal goals; you weren't a true biker until you killed for your own.
Shouts were heard from downstairs as several more bikers raced up the stairs upon hearing a gun go off.
"Hide," Monica whispered to Kiri as the small child looked at her in horror. Monica had never meant for her to see that but there was no other way of getting out of the situation. "Kirimi, hide!" Monica told her once more as Kiri nodded and crawled under the bed before more bikers showed up.
Monica turned towards the door and shot the next man that came in, followed by the next. She checked her gun and noted that she had used all of her bullets by the time the last biker came to her room. With every man that fell she felt a part of her die, she had lost the respect that she had for herself when she pulled the trigger. She was nothing but a monster now.
"Miss Hyde, look at the masterpiece you've created," Boogeyman chuckled as he walked into the room. He stepped over the dead bodies of his men; he counted six of them including Vane. Stryker wouldn't be too happy to hear this.
Monica held the gun in her shaking hand as tears of horror ran down her face. What was she? What had she done?
"You're out of bullets my dear," Boogeyman snarled as he walked over to her and caught her in a death grip around her neck. He rose her up off of the floor as Kiri watched her mother's feet disappear from the ground.
"Where's the kid?" he snarled shaking her as she choked and tried to break free of the grip he had on her. She felt her life being taken from her; she couldn't fail Kiri like this. If she died he would take her back to Stryker and hell would break loose.
Kiri covered her mouth with both of her hands and tried to stay quiet as she heard Monica choking.
"Go to hell," she snarled as she reached into her boot and pulled out a knife with the remaining strength that she had and plunged it into his chest. He let her go as she crashed to the ground as he followed but not without pulling out his own gun.
He pulled the trigger as another shot rang throughout the house, Monica crashed back against her wardrobe while gripping her shoulder as it dripped with blood. The wound was one of the most painful things she had ever felt.
Boogeyman turned his head to the side of the bed and caught a sight of Kiri hiding beneath it as he smirked before he too closed his eyes and stopped breathing. Monica found herself breathing heavily as she collapsed in front of the bed and motioned for Kiri to get out of the bed.
"We have to go, liebe," she told the child as Kiri nodded slowly understanding that her mother wasn't a bad person, she had merely done it to save her from the bad man who wanted to take her.
Monica staggered down the stairs holding her wound as Kiri rushed towards the door knowing that their house wasn't safe anymore. Monica pulled her jacket off of the coat hanger and wrapped it around Kiri before opening the door and holding it for support before stumbling towards her bike.
She got on it with difficulty and waited for Kiri to put her jacket on before turning it on and driving away. Just as she neared the bar however three more bikes fell in behind her as one of the Jackals pulled out another gun and started to rain bullets towards her. Kiri cringed and clung to her shoulder making her grit her teeth in pain as the child found herself smeared in her own mother's blood.
The biker managed to hit one of her tires as she lost control of the bike and managed to skid it to the side as she grabbed Kiri and waited for the inevitable fall. The collision with the iced road came hard as she cried out but refused to let go of Kiri.
The child was safe from most of the scratching and bruises due to her wearing the leather jacket, Monica took on the hits for her as her body skid down the road feet away from the bar as Kiri stood up and rushed over to the entrance.
Monica found it in herself to drag her body towards it before Lucifer came out with a gun followed by the rest of her men upon seeing Kiri smeared with blood. Judas rushed over to Monica and helped her up as she continued to cry freely, she wasn't even trying to hold the tears back, the pain was too much and her conscience wasn't doing too well either.
She kept remembering the six bullets that she had used on the bikers and the knife she had used to kill the seventh.
"You goddamn pigs!" Lucifer thundered as he pulled out the AK-47 that they kept in the bar and unleashed a stream of bullets on the bikers that were riding towards them. They all fell dead off of their bikes as the motorcycles skidded on the road.
But it didn't end there.
"Brother, you've changed too much for my liking," a voice called from the side as Lucifer turned and pointed the gun towards the source of it. Lucifer hated the blood that he shared with the man who stood in front of him; he wished he would drop dead and save him some bullets.
"You have too, Stryker," Lucifer replied without lowering the gun as several Jackals stepped in behind their leader.
"You had this coming, we've killed each other for far too long, lets settle it," Stryker called back as he pulled out his own gun.
The two sides sized each other up as guns were pointed and glares were set. The area around them grew eerily quiet before the first shot rang out, then it all rose into a marvelous crescendo of bullets and shouts as bikers from both sides fell.
Stryker turned away from the clash when a bullet shot the gun out of his hand and mounted his bike followed by the remaining members of his gang as Lucifer struggled to hold up the AK-47 with the bullet wound that he hand on his arm and stomach.
The streets ran red with blood as the Bastards looked around and found that their numbers had decreased drastically.
Monica looked around with sorrow as her men lay dead on the ground, she cried even harder when she saw Joker on his knees gripping his neck as she stumbled over to him and fell on her knees in front of him.
"No, no, no, no," she cried desperately as she held her own hand over his as it was covered in blood. He was fading and she knew it, he smiled despite himself as he caressed her cheek smearing blood on it without noticing before he fell into her arms. She held him close as he drew his last breath, she uttered a low cry as she held him close to her and brushed her hand over his hair wishing he would wake and tell her everything was going to be ok.
Voodoo lay in front of them already dead with several wounds on his chest, not far from him Gabriel coughed up blood and staggered over to Lucifer who was in the same predicament as both to them swayed in their spot before spitting out more blood, their breathing ragged and forced.
Judas clutched his chest as blood seeped through his fingers before he too collapsed on the ground.
"Shit…J-Judas, y-you bastard…don't die on me just yet," Lucifer murmured coughing out blood as he tried to walk over to him but failed when too went down on his knees. Monica's cries reached their ears as they echoed off of the street. They were all dead, very few were alive and they were struggling to remain that way.
"Oh shit…what the hell happened?" Logan exclaimed as he parked his car and rushed out to see the massacre that had occurred. He noticed that Joker was dead, that meant that there would be hell to pay for his death. He had barely driven up to the bar and half of the gang was dead.
"I have to get you all to the hospital," he commented helping Judas who merely hung over his shoulder like a rag doll before putting him in the car and heading back for the rest of them.
In total there were only six remaining members that were alive, out of thirty that had been present at the bar. Kiri remained inside after Joker had told her to stay put.
Logan rushed into the bar as he pulled the child close to him and offered her a hug, "there's no time to be doing this, Kirimi, we have to get everyone to the hospital," he told her as she nodded and walked out with him.
Logan made sure to cover her eyes as they stepped outside, she didn't want her to see the people that had died…especially Voodoo and Joker.
He got into the car and sat her on his lap telling her to keep her eyes closed; he didn't want her to see the dying men in the back seat either. His car was quickly coated with dark red blood; every second that went by they ran the risk of dying.
When he arrived they were all taken from his car into separate directions as Monica struggled when she was them taking Lucifer away, his arm hung over the side of the hospital bed lifelessly, his face eerily pale.
She too was dragged away by the doctors as Logan remained in the waiting room with Kiri as the nurse that had been at the desk walked over to them with papers. Logan stared at her as she read the doctor's report.
"They all have slim chances of survival, but the doctors are trying," she told him as he paled and sat back on his chair.
He hung his head and for the first time in over a century, he began to pray to the God that had forgotten about him long ago.
Review, their lives depend on it...trust me, there are more people that are going to die...