So I know in the last chapter I promised that Corvo would speak to Willow, but when I wrote this down, other stuff came up, except that.

My apologies.

One of my favourite characters from the game is here though!

Enjoy!

Three - You Are Not Broken, Only Bent

'Well,' Sokolov exhaled, with a smile on his face. He stroked his beard, looking at the vial of the red liquid that lay on the table. 'This is it.'

'Will it really end the plague?' Willow asked, placing her notes on a shelf. 'I think it should be tested thoroughly before presenting it to the court, sir.'

Sokolov turned to look at her, his smile fading. 'Do you doubt two of the Greatest Geniuses of The Empire?' He said, his voice rising.

'No, of course not,' she mumbled, looking away.

'She is right, Sokolov. We must use this on the test subjects for at least a week before getting it into court,' Piero nodded. 'Although if you ask me, I'd say none of that is necessary, considering the formula. But the court will seek evidence of the elixir's effects.'

Sokolov sighed heavily. 'I suppose you're right.' He took the elixir vial in his hands and raised it to the light. 'It's perfect. The opacity, the composition . . . ' he lowered it, and turned it around in his fingers. He handed it out to Willow.

'Use this on subject 11,' he said to her. Willow nodded, taking the vial in her hands.

'We will start preparing more, right now,' Piero said, looking at the cauldron in the middle of the lab.

'We cannot take the least bit of chance, Ride,' Sokolov said to her. 'Do not ignore any detail. No matter how tiny it is. For six days, stay back in the tower. I will have your room and clothes arranged.'

'Yes sir.'

'I'm trusting you with this, Ride. If you do your job flawlessly for these six days, and the elixir turns out to be successful - which I'm sure it will - I will give you the freedom to work on your thesis for a month.'

Willow looked at him, her eyes widening. It was rare for her to show such an open emotion, the feeling of surprise and joy.

'I will also provide the necessary equipment and books, if you want.'

Willow cleared her throat. She felt like her chest was bloating, and at any second it would explode because of the excitement. 'Yes sir. I will do my job,'She tried to sound calm, but her voice trembled.

'Good.' Sokolov nodded. 'Now off to work!'

Willow grabbed the notes and rushed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She thought of all the days she had spent in her room, trying to get a thesis written, feeling lost and powerless. If Sokolov helped her with it, provided her with the necessary material, she could definitely get it right.

She unlocked the Weeper cell, pulling on her mask onto her face.

Corvo walked along with Emily in the courtyard, accompanying her while she looked at the place.

'It's such a nice day, isn't it?' She asked, smiling up at him. He nodded at her, subconsciously giving her a half hearted smile. Emily looked at him for a while, her smile fading. She stopped walking and turned to him.

In a distance, there was the sound of a Tall Boy patrolling the main ground in front of the tower, and it made a disturbing tremor every five seconds.

'I hate those things, Corvo. They're so noisy,' she said, looking past the bridge.

'I hate them too, trust me,' Corvo accepted, remembering the hard times he had spent trying to sneak out without catching their notice. 'But none the less , they make excellent patrols.'

Emily looked around, making sure that no one was looking at them, and then stuck her tongue out in an expression of disgust.

Corvo grinned at her, and said, 'Lets hope Madame Bridges didn't see that.'

Emily smiled, and moved to the fencing. 'Can you lift me up, Corvo?" She asked, looking at the fencing. Her head barely made it above. 'I want to look at the city.'

'As you wish, My Little Empress,' he smiled, and lifted up her light body. He seated her on his right shoulder, holding on to her feet with one hand and her shoulder with the other. Emily leaned forward and looked at the sight before her eyes, watching the whole city. Her expression changed from excitement to sadness. Her big eyes turned dull, and her mouth presses into a straight line.

'How will I do this, Corvo?' She asked, moving her eyes along the horizon, watching the collapsed buildings, the dirty towers. Lonely ships moved in, carrying live whales, which still sang painful songs. Corvo said nothing, and simply looked at the city.

'I try to feel sorry for all those people, but I can't. I don't know why . .' She mumbled, as her eyes welled up. 'I don't like people, Corvo. And there are so many of them here. And all they do is blame me and scold me and insult me. And I remember The Golden Cat, all those dirty people, it was so disgusting . . . And the way Havelock dragged me and yelled at me, and . . . ' her voice drifted away. Corvo listened solemnly. A part of him was glad that she was sharing her pain with her. When he looked back at his own past, and then at hers, he realised that she had been through more sorrow and pain than he had, and she still smiled. A bitter pain gripped his heart, and he held her shoulder tightly.

'The way Mother was killed. After seeing all that, I feel like . . .' She gulped, wiping her tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. 'I feel like people deserve all this!'

Corvo gently set her down on her feet, and hugged her. He held her tight against his chest, and felt her back shaking, her hot tears touching the back of his ear. She wrapped her arms around him, and wept.

'I understand,' Corvo whispered to her. 'But the people who did all those horrible things, they met their fate. They're gone,' he said to her, stroking the back of her head. 'Now there are more good people. And they need an Empress like you.'

'I know . . .' She mumbled, and took a deep shaky breath. 'I just feel lonely - sometimes . .'

'I'm here, Emily, okay?' Corvo said gently. 'In case you didn't notice, I'm always around you.'

'Sometimes I get scared at night, Corvo,' she mumbled. 'Can I come to your room?' She asked, her big eyes looking into his.

'Of course you can, Emily. You can be wherever you want,' he said to her. She nodded, and pulled back. 'Thanks, Corvo,' she touched his hair, and stroked a brown wisp in the front. 'You really should get a haircut,' she smiled. 'And shave . .'

Corvo laughed, and hugged her again. He could feel his heart getting lighter, now that Emily had spoken to him. Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind.

'Emily,' he said, and pulled back. 'Do you remember Samuel The Boatman?'

Emily's eyes narrowed as she looked up, and then her face lit up as she spoke, 'The sailor?'

'Would you like to meet him?' He asked, remembering the Hound Pits Pub. He wasn't really fond of that place, especially because of his memories. But since Samuel had begun to run it, with Cecelia and her husband, the place had gotten warmer, and he almost felt the same way as he did back at his home in Serkonos, during his childhood. He could remember a warm fireplace, a soft chair, and a comforting book. He could almost see his mother, seated on a couch beside the fireplace, knitting a cloth, smiling at him.

'Am I allowed to?' She asked, her smile reducing, as she looked around at all the fences and guards.

Corvo took a deep breath. 'You are The Empress,' he told her. 'Do not let those court officials get to you. You can do as you please, as long as you harm no one. They follow the rules made by you, Emily.'

Emily looked down. 'Thats what Anna Maria says,' she mumbled. 'And I'm trying.'

'I will take you to him, alright?' Corvo said. He knew that Emily enjoyed the company of Adventurers and story tellers, and Samuel could tell her a lot. It would be a little change for her, something that she can probably smile about remembering. She already had a lot to cry over.

By three o'clock in the afternoon, Emily retired to her bedroom, complaining to be sick. Corvo was with her in her chamber, and so was Anna Maria.

Two servants bowed their heads as they helped The Empress into her bed and stepped back. Anna Maria covered Emily with the blanket, and dismissed the servants. As soon as the door closed, Emily sat up, smiling.

'Can we go now? Please, please, please?' She begged, looking at Corvo. Corvo stared at her for a few seconds, and uttered, 'You faked it?'

'Of course I did!'

'Oh dear God,' Anna Maria mumbled, looking at Emily. 'But, My Lady, why?'

'He promised!' She exclaimed, pointing at Corvo. Corvo raised his hands and shook his head as Anna Maria turned to him, wide eyed.

'We could just take a leave, Emily,' Corvo said, looking back at her. 'Now I'll have to sneak you out of the tower!'

'My Lady,' Anna Maria said, stepping closer to Emily. 'Do you wish to go into the city?' She asked.

'Can't I?' Emily asked, frustrated.

'Of course you can, Lady Emily. You can just make an appeal to General Eyas and he would have gladly escorted you there,' she smiled, raising her eyebrows. ' and Corvo would go with you too.'

'Well, can I make the appeal now?' Emily asked, looking at Corvo, and then back at Anna Maria.

'I will inform him right away, alright?' Anna Maria said. 'You better get ready, My Lady.'

Emily sighed, and looked down at her hands. 'I'm sorry,' she mumbled. 'I thought we'll have to do something really exciting to get out of the tower. I was trying to help.'

'I understand,' Anna Maria nodded, and bowed. She walked out of the door and closed it behind her.

'You managed to convince all the guards,' Corvo smiled at her. 'Very smart, indeed.'

'But it was useless in the end, wasn't it?'

'Thats alright. You still did a good job.'

'I guess,' she mumbled and looked at him. Her eyebrows lowered. 'I thought I could see you using magic again,' she said.

Corvo's heart skipped a beat. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

She had always known that he could do strange things, from the time she met him again in Hound Pits. When he was asleep, she had seen the mark on the back of his hand, and on one night, it was glowing. She never mentioned it to him, or asked him, but from the way she glanced anxiously at his hand on a few occasions, Corvo had understood. He never mentioned it to her either, but sometimes, it slipped her tongue.

'Does nobody else know?' She asked, looking up at his face.

Corvo remembered last night, the terrified brown eyes and the coughs and pants. After explaining to him the reason of her visit, Willow Ride had simply walked out without mentioning anything about his mark. He had slipped on a robe and tried to follow her, to stop her and try to explain the mark - say anything. But he had stopped at the foot of the stairs, looking up at her as she walked into the lab without turning to look at him. Somehow he knew that she wasn't the kind to rattle about others' secrets, judging from the way she always stayed clear of people. But he wasn't completely convinced. She was Sokolov's apprentice, and The Physician already had dire suspicions on him. What Willow had witnessed would only confirm his doubts, and then he would fall on his tail like The Overseers, although for a different reason.

'I don't know,' Corvo mumbled, looking at the floor. 'Miss Ride saw it last night.'

He didn't want to tell Emily, she was just a child.

'Sokolov's student?' Emily asked. 'Isn't she the one who injects the vaccine to me?'

Corvo nodded, raising his left hand, looking at the black gloves.

'She's strange,' Emily said. 'I like her though, she's smart.'

'You should get changed, Emily,' Corvo reminded her. 'I'll wait outside.'

The Hound Pits pub was nothing like Emily remembered. The three storey building was painted a deep, rich brown and the rooftops were a light blue. The black gate was no longer broken, it was shining and brand new. In the shed, there was a couch and a bookshelf, and it was clean. There was grass in the lawns, and she even found a few flowers near the building.

'I like it like this,' she said to Corvo as he helped her get down the metal coach. The street was deserted, and nobody had known or noticed that The Empress was on her way. There were guards stationed all around the Pub, so Corvo was sure that Samuel must have guessed. He had already told Samuel a few months ago that he would bring Emily back here someday.

He led her into the gate, and found Cecelia in the doorway. She bowed low in front of Emily.

'It's good to see you again, Lady Emily,' she said, and stepped aside.

'Thank you, Its good to see you too,' Emily smiled.

Corvo saw that her face was different now, it was glowing. She wasn't simply faking a smile that would eventually fade into a frown, she was truly happy. In a while, Emily had been thoroughly respected and curtsied to, and she sat down on one of the cushions. Samuel had poured Corvo some wine, and had served Emily with Apple juice. He then sat down in front of her on her insistence, and as Corvo had expected, asked him if he had been to any new lands lately.

Corvo sat at the counter, listening to them.

After a while, Emily wanted to learn how to make tea, an appeal which would be rejected at once in the tower. However, Cecelia nodded and smiled sweetly and lead her behind the counter.

Samuel returned to the counter behind Corvo, and poured him another drink.

'I'm guessing its not very often that you see her smiling back in that place, huh?' He asked Corvo.

'She's been through a lot,' Corvo said, looking at him.

'How are things back at the tower?' Samuel asked. 'Any incidents lately?'

'None, thankfully,' Corvo said. 'I still cannot relax though.'

Samuel nodded, his silver eyes observing him intently. He looked down at the wooden counter and sighed.

'Whats wrong?' Corvo asked, putting his glass down.

'Just a few unsettling rumors going around,' Samuel said. Corvo bent his eyebrows, looking at him.

'About what?' He asked, resting his elbows on the counter. Samuel glanced at Emily, and saw her busy with the stove. He turned back to Corvo.

'Remember when you had that job as the masked felon?' He asked, leaning in. Corvo waited for him to continue.

'And just before you saved Emily from the lighthouse, a big death happened in the city. I'm guessing you know who I'm talking about?' Samuel tilted his head a little. 'It ain't The Regent.'

Corvo exhaled heavily, looking down at his half empty glass, at the pale golden liquid that showed his reflection.

'Daud?' He asked.

Samuel gave a nod. 'That Master Assassin,' he said, observing Corvo carefully. His eyes were suspicious as they looked into his.

Corvo lifted his glass and finished the wine. He put it back on the counter and cleared his throat.

'I killed him,' he confessed, and looked up at Samuel.

'There's nobody else that could,' Samuel gave a half smile. 'But thats not something I didn't know. It was quite obvious, if you ask me.'

'What about him?' He asked, and felt a sudden burn on his hand. He winced and dug his hand into his pocket. Samuel's eyes moved from his pocket to his face. He didn't question him about it.

'There's been a few disturbances lately. Especially in the Legal District,' Samuel explained. 'Them Assassins been out there taking down noblemen and women. Seven dead so far.'

Corvo's eyes widened in shock. His mouth was agape as he looked at Samuel. Nobody had even mentioned any such thing in court. He glanced at Emily, who smiled at him and pointed at the brewing pot of tea. Cecelia stood beside her, her head bent low, with a faint smile.

'I wouldn't be surprised if you never heard of this,' Samuel said, like he had read his mind. 'They were killed only yesterday morning. The General's probably still in shock.'

'Seven killed at once, and nobody knew?' Corvo asked in a straight tone.

'There's more,' Samuel cleared his throat. 'They got a new leader, and this one doesn't seem to be so keen on secrecy.'

The aroma of tea filled the air as Cecelia helped Emily take off the boiling pot.

'From what I heard, it was a head on attack. The Whalers never tried to sneak or snoop. They ran right past the city guards, in the street lights. But they were so fast, nobody could catch them.'

Corvo stared at the wooden counter, and slowly pulled his hand out. It had stopped burning.

He knew what followed such incidents, he had seen it a thousand times in Empress Jessamine's court. The officials stood up and pointed at the ruler, and blamed her and questioned her. That was at the beginning. The next day they would debate among themselves, and it would get ugly, because usually they started throwing things at each other, or engaged in fist fights.

The third day they would all be exhausted, and would simply turn to the ruler again, not with eyes of blame, but with eyes of fear and helplessness.

But Emily was just a child. She was sensitive. She couldn't take on all the blame.

'Thats bad,' Corvo mumbled.

'Bad news for Her Highness,' Samuel said, looking at him. 'Horrible news for you, Corvo.'

Corvo looked up at him, their eyes meeting in a common understanding.

The assassins had attacked in light. They had killed too many people at once. They weren't simply carrying out orders, they were working for something higher than just money.

They were looking to catch attention.

'Is it all locked up?' Sokolov asked, stepping out of the room with Piero.

Willow was seated on the long table in the main room, verifying the day's notes with yesterdays, looking for any tiny detail of improvement. She nodded at Sokolov, and got back to her papers. The metal door to the weepers' cells was locked, shut tight.

'Also,' Willow said, standing up. She walked to Sokolov and Piero, holding the notes in her hand.

'Subjects 7 and 11 have shown remarkable improvement. I don't think we should be keeping those two in cells any longer,' she handed the papers to Piero. 'They are even speaking, although most of it is mindless chatter.'

Piero examined the notes thoroughly. 'No blood from the eyes? And they're not coughing out blood either . . .' His monotonous expression didn't change, but his voice showed that he was glad. 'Proper speech, upright human gait, increased appetite and awareness. I have to say we have truly done it this time. At a remarkable speed also,' he handed the notes to Sokolov, who went through the pages in a few seconds. At the end of it, an arrogant grin spread across his face.

'Well, I wouldn't celebrate just yet,' He said, handing the notes, back to Willow. 'But as a reward to myself, I will dine with steamed Whale meat today, and have a whole bottle of my favourite brandy. Maybe even call for a young sparrow to my bedroom.' He stroked his beard, his fingers bending in extreme angles, showing the full extent of his joy. 'What about you, My Genius friend?' He asked, looking at Piero.

'I will do just fine alone, thank you,' he nodded once at Sokolov. 'I am very keen about veneral diseases.'

'As you please,' Sokolov turned to Willow. 'If you do not have any special plans for tonight, you should probably go get some rest, Ride. It will be another busy day for you tomorrow. And from tomorrow, me and Piero will help you in the job too. So you can retire to your room for tonight. The maids will show you the way. Keep the keys in the draw, the guards are standing watch.'

'Yes sir. Thank you,' Willow answered, and turned away as both of them walked out of the lab.

She arranged the notes according to the dates on the wall, and walked into Sokolov's office, which was a spacious room in the East. The desk was full of books and papers, the files displaced from their shelves. She sighed as she walked to the Oak wood desk, and placed the keys in the first drawer. When she closed it, her eyes fell on the bottom drawer, the one that was always locked.

She knew what was in it. She had all the keys with her in a key ring, because she was responsible for locking everything up by the end of the day. She hesitated for a few seconds, and then pulled out the keys.

She bent down and unlocked the drawer. It was the heaviest of all, and was wrapped on the inside with a purple colored velvet. She saw ancient papers, and the top one had the familiar symbol she hand seen on Corvo Attano's hand : The mark of The Outsider.

She gently pulled out the papers. Some of them were so old that she decided it was better not to touch them. She took the first written paper in her hand, and read it.

' Our Lord is the only one worth worshipping, because he answers our prayer.

He is mighty, feared and respected throughout the world, ours and beyond.

We, who have dedicated our lives to His worship, will wear His symbol on our bodies,

Because it purifies, changes and lifts our souls.

Follow the path set by Him, Brothers, and you will find yourself at the dawn of a new Era,

At the foot of the new sun that rises at the horizon.

For it is He who will bring forth this day upon us, blessing all those who followed him,

While the blind men who dared to oppose Him suffer eternal damnation.'

Her fingers trembled slightly as she placed them back, and picked up a book titled 'The mysteries and findings of The Outsider'

She turned the pages randomly, and found disturbing paintings of rituals that people performed in his name, rituals that she knew had been performed by Sokolov as well. Some of them involved cutting out the Heart of a live Whale and consuming it raw.

She shut the book and placed it back in the drawer. She locked it up, feeling goosebumps on the back of her neck. A strange air seemed to hover around her, and her heartbeat increased, pumping loud against her chest. She could hear a faint voice, an echo, the sound of the whispering of a man. She couldn't understand it, she could barely hear the words. A cold chill passed down her spine as she switched off the lights and walked out of the room. She locked it up hastily, fumbling with the keys for a few seconds.

When she walked towards the door in the dark, she felt a sudden heaviness behind her, the blood chilling sensation of feeling an unexplained presence, an undefined, unreasonable fear. She rushed out of the lab and locked it up, and for the first time in her life, she was happy to see guards.

'Watch well,' she said to the lower watch guard, and walked down the stairs.

The strange sensations had ceased, but her heart still beat loudly. She took a deep breath as she slowly walked down, and all she could remember was Corvo's glowing hand, his writhing, twisting body on the bed, the sudden thrust of his cold, rough fingers on her neck.

She gulped as her fingers touched her neck.

She wasn't afraid of weepers or The Outsider. She was afraid of Corvo Attano.

So here I am, begging for reviews again. Please please please.

And the next chapter is going to have some action, and I don't mean R rated action, btw.

No CorvoxWillow yet, sorrryyyyyy.

I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you! Look forward to the next one!

xoxoxoxoxo