HOLY CRAP, LOOK AT THAT, ANOTHER CHAPTER!
...Yeah.
So, I was going to update yesterday, but due to a few issues, I can't.
So I'll give you guys the chapter now!
Enjoy guys, and as always...
ONWARDS!
With the moon being their only guide, the four of them traveled from rooftop to rooftop. Surprisingly, it would seem as if Fang was having the easiest time, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with general ease, even with William holding onto him for dear life.
Finally, on the edge of London, Erin stopped. She looked over the shipyard, breathing in the salty ocean air, before jumping down. She landed in a crouch, gun drawn and ready to fire. She would have to walk lightly, being in Gold's part of town. The others followed her lead, stalking there way to the center of the shipyard.
She looked around, seeing a few sailors, but other then that, they were alone. Only the lights, acting like mini suns, stood tall and proud, the dim light doing little to nothing for light, but it was something.
Erin snuck across the yard, hiding behind wooden crates, before William murmured, "You buried her here?"
"No one would come here to look for the body." Erin murmured, looking around to make sure that no one as following them, "Besides, it was the only place that I could think of at the time."
Zig sighed, looking over her shoulder, "I feel like I'm being watched."
"I always feel like I'm being watched." Erin said with a smirk, before moving on. Towards the edge of the shipyard, an older abandoned part of the yard. The wood was slowly going green, the waves lapping at the wooden pillars, holding the whole thing above water. On top of the pier, a wooden sign stood, reading, "Old Frost pier. Do not enter!"
"I take it that we'll be ignoring that sign, aren't we?" William murmured, more to himself than anyone else, as Erin pranced over.
She lead them between decayed shipping containers, rusted iron fences, and through to the other side of the docks. All the while, the cold sea breeze blew over them, the salt ever so potent in smell.
Finally, Erin stopped at one of the containers, tugging the bottom of her gloves before grabbing a rusted door, pulling it open with a loud CREAK.
"Is there no other way for this to be done quietly?" Zig muttered, eyes darting about, making sure that they weren't being followed.
"By all means, if you can do this silently, be my guest." Erin muttered back, before ushering Fang and William inside, Zig following after.
The inside of the container was empty, the bottom having had rusted into nothing. Erin kicked over a large piece of wood, revealing a flight of stairs led down.
Erin took point, leading them down, ignoring the shivers running down her spine.
God she hated it here.
Finally, they reached the bottom of the man-made cave, Erin standing back in order to watch their eyes widened. There, in the middle of the giant dirt chasm, was a single bed, a simple nightstand with a candle next to it. No one was on the bed, but if you were to go under it, you'd find a load of dirt, where the body had been buried.
"I see that you recently went to make her resting place a bit nicer." Zig murmured sarcastically, pulling her finger across the nightstand, looking over the light trail she'd made in the dust.
Erin nodded, before facing Zig, "Go and be a look out, William will join you soon."
Zig nodded, walking back up, before Erin looked him over, "What do I need to do?"
William sighed, "I've only done this once…But you need to meet her half way."
Erin gave him a look, "What do you mean?"
"You need to die."
Erin gave him a look, "…What?"
"You need to be close to death, while being where the dead person is closest to life." William reasoned, while Erin went to lie down on the bed, "You'll have to enter a coma-like state, or be bleeding out to death to communicate, but the issue is coming back."
Erin nodded, taking out her cane, "I'm sure that I won't have much trouble." She murmured, before giving him a look, "…But, if I can do that, why would I need you here?"
William had a small and pained look, "I need to call the spirit. I'm the connector, I guess you could say." He slowly walked forward, hands held out in front of him, "...May I?"
Erin shrugged, yelping when he took hold of her right hand, cold fingers pressing against her pulse, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Erin nodded, before leaning back, pressing her blade to her neck lightly, "just make sure I don't die, would you?"
William nodded, and with that, Erin squeezed her eyes shut. She's done a lot of stupid things, there was no way that this one would be her last, right?
She thrusted the blade into her neck, vision growing foggy with pain, before going completely black.
"You shouldn't be here."
Erin jolted, opening her eyes, only to find herself in a great abyss, multiple shades of black around her.
Erin laughed lightly, "Fifty shades of black." She couldn't help but joke to herself, before a rough wind rushed past.
She whipped around, "Hello?"
No answer.
She looked around, unable to see anything, "I know you're out there…Come on, it's me!"
Just like that, a bright light came, so bright that Erin was blinded for a few seconds. When she could look, she found a sort of white fire-like thing in front of her. It was like those wisp thingies from that Disney movie, but a bright white instead of blue.
Erin reached out to touch it, only to have it move back.
"What are you doing here?"
"Wow, hello to you, too." Erin couldn't help but mutter, a small smile crossing her face. It's been years since she's heard that voice, and even if it sounded all hollow and distant, she could practically see her expression right now, "I'm dead." She said in a joking matter.
The wisp floated around her, as if looking her over with eyes it didn't have.
"And yet, you still retain your body. So, do tell, why are you here?"
"What? I can't just come by and say hi?"
"Ha ha, very funny."
"I came cause I thought you wanted to tell me something." Erin said, doing her best to stay calm. She was still wrapping her head around the fact that she was talking to her, for the first time in ages, "Why haven't you passed on yet?"
"It is not yet my time," The spirit murmured, the light growing dimmer, just by a bit, "I can go yet."
"Why not?"
"I have to watch over you, of course." The spirit seemed to shake, "And, give you a warning."
"If you're going to tell me that I'm in grave danger, you can save it," Erin muttered, "I mean, assuming you've seen all the shit I've been through recently, I'm sure you'd know why."
"I'm warning you not to hunt him."
That got Erin to stop. She stifled a forced laugh, "Sorry, but it sounds like you're telling me to NOT finish what we started."
"If you go after Dominic, it won't be pretty."
"I can't just keep running and hiding forever, you know!" Erin couldn't help but shout back, "He put us through hell, it's only fair that I return the favor."
"If you continue down this path, it won't end well for you."
"If you're so worried, why don't you just tell me exactly what happens if I go after him?"
"...I can't."
"Guess I can't stop either." Erin muttered darkly, "I made a promise, and I plan to uphold my end of it."
"You'll die."
"You can't stop me."
"...Stubborn idiot." Erin could practically see her scoffing, arms folded over her chest and cheeks puffed out in irritation.
Erin couldn't help but laugh lightly at the image, "Like you were any different, 'kiddo'."
With that last word, the spirit sighed, "Well…I never could stop you now, could I?"
Erin tried to laugh, only to have the sadness reach the breaking point, her eyes beginning to water, "Look…I'm…I'm sorry-."
"Don't." The spirit stopped her, cutting Erin off before she could go on, "Mistake or not, what happened happened. You can't change it. Besides, you stood by me through thick and thin. And, for that…I thank you."
"It should have been me," Erin muttered darkly, "Why did it have to be you?"
All the spirit did in return was flutter about nervously, the world around them shaking, "You're beginning to cross over to death. You need to wake up."
Erin shook her head, trying to hold the spirit, "But I…I have so much more to say!"
The spirit shook its head, the glow dimming as if it were sad as well, "I do as well…I've missed you…"
Erin smiled a sad smile, feeling something pull at her hair, as she tried to hold on, "Please, don't go just yet…Just-."
A force blew her back, the dark black everywhere, as she began to wake up.
"Annie!"
Erin gasped, as she sat right up, eyes wide with terror. William was on the ground, Fang and Zig nowhere to be seen. Above her, a red figure stood. This...this THING wore only red, with yellow-green eyes, and sharp shark-like teeth.
The being before her seemed confused, giant shark-like grin flattering, "Odd…Why aren't you dead?"
Erin gave him a look, about to talk, only to feel a pain in her neck. It explained the wobbling vision, as she felt her neck, red all over them. Erin held a bit of a smirk, "What are you?"
"Hey, I asked first!"
Erin gave him a look, before rolling off of the bed. She let a bit, only a bit of anger flow, fire in her hand. Quickly, without giving herself time to think or react against it, she burned the wound shut, teeth clamping down on her lip to keep from screaming.
The thing gave her a look, a large chain saw in hand, "H-how did you do that!? Are you a witch!?"
"Hey, I asked first." Erin said with a small smirk, before pulling her cane out, pulling off the bottom, "Now, tell me, what the fuck are you!?"
The thing gave her a look, before striking a pose, "I am Grell, the ripest of reapers!"
Erin gave…him(?) a blank look, "…Reaper?"
"Yes! That's what I said, did I not?"
Erin gave him a look, before laughing awkwardly, "Of course, I just finished talking to a ghost, so it's only natural for the Grim Reaper to come by and say hi. Next, someone's going to tell me that demons are hanging out around here as well."
The reaper growled, pulling out a book, "But your name was in the records, so was…Oh…Odd…" He murmured, giving her a weird look, "…The date of your death, it changed…"
Erin gave him a look, before pushing past him, "This is a waste of my time. I have places to be, things to do, so if you wouldn't mind-."
"What are you?" The reaper cut in, "I mean, no normal human could have ever done something you just did…"
Erin gave him a look, trying to walk past, only to have him block the way, "Hey, I'm still talking to you!"
"Well that's funny,cause I'm done here." Erin murmured, walking past.
Grell growled, "what a brat!"
Before Erin could retort, the wooden stairs above them creaked as someone came down, Zig entering the room and giving her a look, "Why are you still down here!?"
She gave her a look, before turning around, the reaper gone, "…It doesn't matter. Help me with William, he's out cold."
Zig nodded, holding up Willy, who groaned lightly, "We need to leave. I don't know why, but the shipyard is going onto some type of lock down."
Erin cursed, "They know we're here." She murmured, before looking up, "Fang, here boy!" She said, before giving Zig a look, "How long would it take for you to get out of here?"
"Ten minutes." Zig murmured, "fifteen minutes at the very most."
"Then get out of here." She said, watching as Fang, like the good white tiger he was, came rushing down, lowering his back so that they could put William on, "Zig, make sure that Willy doesn't fall off." Erin murmured, pulling her hood low, "I'll stall them."
All around the shipyard, men with flashlights ran around, shouting to each other in the maze of boxes and crates.
Erin sighed, looking it all over.
She needed a vacation.
Erin kept to the shadows, up on the crate. She had two options: be quiet and sneak out, or be loud, obnoxious and as spontaneous as possible.
With a grin, Erin pulled herself to stand straight up, "Hey guys, how's your night going!?"
She pulled her hood off, holding her arms out, as if the multiple flashlights were a kind of spotlight.
"Oye!"
"What's she doing up there!?"
"Kill her!"
Erin sighed at the last part, before jumping up, doing a back flip for fun, "Come and try!" She said with glee, giggling a bit, before landing on one guy. Before anyone one could shoot, she did a roundhouse kick, pulling her cane open, before using the eagle head to hook around one arm, twisting it backwards, and jumping off of the man in pain.
One man growled, pulling out his pistol, "Shoot her, damnit!"
Erin laughed loudly, giving the man a wicked look, before kneeing him in the face, before swinging the bladed cane around, slashing open his neck, "Try."
Erin ducked, doing a sort of side flip, pulling out her own pistol, before landing on one leg, the other stretched out in a kick, before shooting someone in the face.
As cool as if all felt, she'd pulled fire out twice today, she felt like she was gonna knock out soon.
Erin groaned, getting kicked in the stomach, before dropping onto her back from the force. She forced herself to roll over, dodging a shot to the head, before getting back up, "Ow…" She groaned, glaring at them with a small pout, "That hurt."
One guy scowled, about to put a bullet into her gut, only to be kicked in the face. Erin got back up, holding the blade of the cane on her left, the holder in the right, eyes giving off a bit of anger, raw, fiery anger, "Who likes pain?"
Zig sighed, waiting on a rooftop, with Fang at her side. William had just woken up, having panicked for a bit, before slowly calming down.
"Where is she?" William asked for the third time, looking very worried.
Zig sighed, giving him a pointed look, "She'll be back soon, I'm sure of it."
"If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed you were actually a bit worried, Zig."
William jumped, letting out a small scream, before turning around, jumping back and screaming again.
Erin's coat was full of tears, rips and cuts, the skin under bleeding. On her face, a cut was right under her right eye, Even though, she was smiling her dopey smile, "Hi. How's it going?"
"What…What happened to you?" Zig said, only now seeing the red burned line on her neck, eyes going wide.
"How are you not dead?" William asked, as if he was really into the fact that he couldn't see her soul, "I mean, everything says that you should be dead."
Erin smirked, taking on a pose, "Well, you see, I just can't die."
William shook his head, "No, I can see it, you're dying."
"…Say what now?"
William nodded, about to go on, only to have Zig push him, looking annoyed, "Not now, Willy." Zig murmured, before looking up, "We need to get back to the base. Hell knows what'll happen when Gold realizes that we went into his part of town."
Erin sighed, giving him a look, "He's already threatened war, wants me dead, wants my gang, and he wants my money. What else can he take from me?"
"Hey, boss, you'll want to see this."
Erin's head looked up. She was cold, cut, tired and hungry. She wasn't ready for the twins shit, "Yeah?"
Both of them pointed to the group of leaders, all of them surrounding a part of the bar. It must have been big, even if Oliver was in on it. She walked over quickly, a bit frantic, playful Fang, a serious Zig, and a confused William behind her, "What is it?" She asked, "What happened?"
Mathew held a slightly yellowed paper, before Max spoke up, "Gold happened."
Erin's eyes widened, before Mathew gave her the paper.
Dear Dusty,
It has come to my attention that you have decided to break the boundaries of the gangs. By doing such, you've claimed war against myself, as well as Gage and Kiko. Fero will be with us shortly. But, that is not the only issue. Due to the injury caused by you on Lord Druitt, the other gang lords and I have decided that you are no longer worthy of your title, which shall be striped of you, as well as your gang. Failure to do so will result in the death of your men, the takeover of your base, etc. If you decide you agree with our terms, meet us at the meeting room.
Yours truly,
Gold
Erin growled lightly, making Theo flinch, "Dusty? What's wrong?"
"That two faced, double lying son of a bi-."
"We're screwed, aren't we?" John murmured, coughing weakly into his elbow.
Cameron rubbed his back, "I'm not sure."
"No, we are not." Zig said defiantly, giving Erin a look, "You need to go and talk this out."
Erin looked around, before pointing to herself, "Me? You mean, the same person that has terrible speech skills, can't stand Gold and Gage, and 'negotiate' with her fist an/ or gun?"
Zig nodded, "If it's not you, and say…We send in Oliver, they'll think that you're planning something. It'll lead to a lot less deaths if you decide to at least try to talk it all out."
Erin sighed, about t6o back out, but stopped. She'd only be signing her death warrant by telling Zig no,"…Fine." She murmured, before taking off her coat, tossing it to Zig with a sheepish smile, "Fix it for me?"
Zig scowled, looking over the coat, "I'm your second in command, not your housewife."
Erin had a small laugh, but it was shortly lived, her eyes going once again serious, "Zig, we're in the middle of an unfair war, and last I checked, a three-against-one isn't fair. I've got a feeling that I'll need it soon…And, a sandwich, while you're at it."
"…Seriously, Erin?"
Back at the main Ashford guard headquarters, Crayden held his head, a large headache being spiked, "What do you mean our attack failed!?" He shouted at the man in charge of the attack, a twenty year old by the name of Elliot.
Elliot rubbed his hands, gulping, "She…She…You should come out and see what she did."
Crayden growled lightly, pushing Elliot out of the way, before throwing the door open.
He wasn't prepared to see the legion of burned and scared people, everyone from the attack holding some kind of burn wound. Most were a lot more severe than others, with some passed out, possibly dead.
"You failed to mention that the girl could throw fire!"
Crayden turned around to a very irritated Itward, who was sporting a large burn from the top of his right eyebrow to the bottom on the left side of his chin. Cayden flinched, subconsciously feeling his own burn, "Were you not told by your employer?"
"As a matter of fact, I did not mention to tell any of my men."
Many of the burned men flinched, looking to the entrance to see the earl Trancy standing there, a sickening smirk on his face, "Sorry, I guess that little detail escaped me."
Crayden couldn't help but smirk, he knew first hand what Erin Dusty could do, "Who's the incompetent one now?"
Alois gave him a look, "It's all part of the plan, Crayden. You see, you've lost the battle, but not the war."
Crayden huffed, watching as Alois looked over the map, looking over little statues to use to know when and where to plant forces and troops, "And, do tell, what is our game changer?"
Alois smirked, snapping his fingers. Claude seemed to rise out of the shadows, moving to stand right behind him, "Well, I can't tell you boys that right now, that would kill the fun! Just know that the hard part has been taken care of, all we must do now is wait."
Crayden gave the boy a look, as he laughed, "Yes…We just need to wait, it may take years with how-."
Alois growled, before reaching up to grab his collar, pulling him down, eyes filled with rage, "I will NOT wait for years, I will have her, and I will have her NOW!" He growled, before pushing him back, breathing heavily.
There were many things he'd grown out of, but his bipolar anger was not one of them.
Alois's breathing finally came back down, slowly going back to normal, before he sighed, eyes narrowed with his glare, "Do not challenge me." He growled, before turning right back around, "Be ready, we attack again tomorrow…At a hotel in the upper class of London…"
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I hope you guys enjoyed it, as usual, I have no clue when I'll have the next chapter up, but, I can only hope that It'll be soon!
So, till then guys, bai bai!