Author's Note: This time, I figured we could go see someone from the Tower. Like Kit, Marion barely gets any attention on her. I haven't had any chance to develop her. I did manage to pull that off here. I didn't know how much I wrote until I copied and pasted the key on a new document. I actually like how this key turned out. So much so, that I will bring her back for the Halloween special this year. I don't know who we are visiting next week but I will come up with something. For now, enjoy this week's key.


Key Five: Marion:

She acts all tough. It's all she knows how to survive. That's all she can do. Had she always been like this? No. She didn't remember when she used to be "nice".

"Why are you always so angry?" Alma asked on her lap.

"Can you blame me?" Marion asked. Her dear friend shook her head. It's only morning now. Was it morning? It didn't matter anymore. They distorted time for their hostages. That's what they were. Pretty-looking hostages for the pleasures of monsters.

So was Allen.

Bold of him to think he could escape the Tower. Well, he did but he ended up back here. What's even worse, he convinced them that they could escape. Heh. Hope is a cruel bastard. The monsters knew this. Oh boy, did they know.

Hope abandoned her. She didn't remember when. Marion didn't have faith when she first Allen's plan. That's starting to die again. But no! There was another one who had to come along and give her hope.

Leda won't shut up. She too is convinced in Allen's escape plan. She can't even escape herself. Who is she to say anything? But Leda won't shut up. Marion wants to scream. To her shock, she could still feel something. She could hear herself laughing. Was she laughing?

She left count of everything. Day and night didn't exist anymore. The pleasure angels stayed in the giant cage. Marion tried to stay away from the others. The other girls avoided her for the most part. Well, all except for one.

"Why do you stay around me so much?" Marion asked Alma.

"Because you let me," she said. She smiled up at her. Marion shook her head.

"You make no sense," she said to herself. The other angel looked at her but said nothing. Marion gave up on trying to figure Alma out. She just let her stay around. Why not? There wasn't much else she could do. Though Marion wasn't much of a protector, she still had to look after the poor girl.

Many of the pleasure angels lost the will to care. That's what this floor does to you. These monsters just take. Some angels get used up faster than others. They turn into wasted husks. They don't get noticed for days. Kind of sad, really. Marion almost wanted to close their eyes.

Almost.

She had intended not to get close to anyone. That was the best way to survive. No complications came with it. You just had to look after you. Does it get lonely? Marion used to say no. But she knows that's a lie. She looked down at Alma. Right now, that angel was sound asleep. Marion didn't know how she did it.

Alma.

Such a needy girl. How did Alma even make it this far? Marion remembered how they first met. She didn't look like she was going to last. Some of the other angels could see it too. They smelt blood in the air. Alma was shoved into the giant cage in the middle of the room. Marion tilted her head as she got a better look at her.

Huh? Are those still wings? How did she still have her wings? That wasn't possible.

"Hello?" Marion asked. She didn't think as she spoke. The winged newbie turned her head. She looked like she was still in shock. Her body had calmed down a bit. There was that familiar thousand-yard stare. Marion had to be careful with this.

"Can you hear me?" she asked. The winged angel stared at her. Marion took a breath.

"Can you hear me? Blink once if you can," she said. The angel forced herself to be patient. The winged angel didn't move at first.

"Blink once if you can hear me," Marion said. The winged angel blinked once. The other woman felt a spark of relief. Heh, good. Now what?

"Come here," Marion said. She started to reach out to the winged angel. Her body went stiff. She didn't have to make a sound. Marion drew back her hand.

"Okay, okay," she said. "I won't do that." The winged angel stared at her. Marion didn't know why she was doing this. She tried for years not to get close to anyone else. The angel frowned to herself. She needed to cut ties and fast. Marion took another look at the winged- angel. Somehow, that wasn't going to be easy.

Marion never believed in soulmates. She didn't really believe in much anymore. The Tower killed all of that inside of her. She had no clue why she was drawn to Alma. Marion had someone she loved but she didn't know where he was. That's right. There was a man in her life. They were in the city. But then she got taken to the Tower.

It was because of him. Not her lover, mind you. The man who betrayed her was Tate.

She can't get mad at him. Marion probably would've done the same as him. But still… Then again, what was she expecting? Even when she was human she learned not to trust anyone so freely. Maybe she just wanted some relief.

She should be used to the suffering. But she's heard the opposite.

"This is not normal."

Oh really? What is normal? As far as she knew, this floor was normal. What did they know about what normal was? What they believe is normal is just a dream. Her? She doesn't know what real "normal" is anymore.

You know, some of the angels can remember when they were human. Marion all but laughs. Heh. Human. Sure, she once was human too. How long ago was that? Marion frowned to herself.

"What's the matter?" Alma asked. Marion looked down at her lap.

"Do you remember being human?" she asked.

"Human?" Alma asked. She took a moment to think about the question.

"No," she said, shaking her head. Heh. Lucky.

"Do you remember when you were human?" Alma asked.

"Me? No," Marion said. This was a lie, of course. There were little traces of memory. The puzzle had many pieces missing. Ophelia can remember when she was human. She was a sex worker in Paris. Was it in the seventies or the nineties? Marion didn't know. She had checked out by that point.

Marion looked out of the cage again. The twins were going to be coming back soon. They were going to make their selections for the evening. They always go for the really pretty ones. Marion wasn't surprised if she made the cut or not. The twins used her so much in the beginning. As the years went on, they ignored her for prettier angels. Was she that broken now? It didn't feel like it. Maybe she was and just now noticed it.

The angel shook her head.

"What's become of me?" she asked herself. However, her mind began to wander elsewhere.

The city isn't the only one to feel something wrong. The Tower can't help but notice it too. Marion has been hearing things in the middle of what she can assume is night. It sounded far off in the distance but she could still hear it.

"I don't like this," Marion said to herself. She isn't the only one who can hear it.

"You can feel it too, yes?" Ophelia asked in the dark. The other angel turned her head. The French angel sat on the other side of the cage, staring at her. Marion said nothing.

"I know you do," Ophelia said. "I just know it." Marion refused to answer her.

"Tell me!" the French angel pleaded. "Tell me!" But Marion said nothing. Don't get it twisted. She doesn't hate Ophelia. (Shocking, I know.) She just doesn't need more people to take care of. Alma is already dragging her down. Marion didn't need any more.

Time is running out. You have to move now.

Marion leaned her back against the cage. Heh. Oh yeah, she was still around, wasn't she?

"What do you want from me?" Marion asked.

I just want to help.

Marion closed her eyes and laughed to herself. What was it going to take to shut Leda up? The angel looked up when the door slid open. Oh look, there were their twin slave owners. Time to see who was going to be used tonight. Jasdevi walked up to the cage. Marion and Alma didn't move. They learned not to draw attention to themselves. Only that worked half of the time. Marion would have to see if that worked.

The twins circled the cage.

"What should we get tonight?" Jasdero asked.

"Hmm… Somebody cute, maybe?" Devit suggested. "The client did want someone blonde."

"Ooo, can we grab a redhead too?" his brother asked. "Redhead with nice tits." His hands moved like sporting a pair of boobs. Devit snickered.

"We'll see," he said. They circled the cage a couple more times. Marion counted down in her head as she waited.

One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six…

The twins made their selections. Two small blonde angels and a redhead were led out of the cage. Marion and Alma weren't chosen this time. Next time might not be so lucky.

Next time.

It was just an endless cycle. She should be used to it by now. However, it didn't make it any easier. Still, she couldn't help but feel that things weren't going to be any easier in the coming days.