Chris was an enigma, one that brought a multitude of headaches and stress. He sighed, locking eyes with 'Mother'. "This better work,"

"Just trust me."

Lady Dimitrescu was a woman of fine tastes and a lofty attitude. When she was younger, at the time of the great war and during her pursuit as a jazz singer, she hadn't been. In her youth, she'd been idealistic. She'd lived through both highs and lows as world events and the industry twisted and turned; Filled with innovation and crisis alike. Sure, she might have thought highly of herself at the time, but it was nothing compared to her self image now. Some with her ego might have been furious at the interruption Ethan's phone had caused. She wasn't. She had all the time in the world with both father and daughter in her possession. One minor interruption was nothing.

Still, she couldn't help quirking a brow when Ethan outstretched his arm with the phone towards her. "He wants to talk to you."

That was unexpected.

She took the device, holding it to her ear. "Yes? What is it? We're in the middle of something."

"I'm sure you are. Lady Dimitrescu, yes?" She didn't recognize the deep voice that answered her but he seemed to know her.

She narrowed her eyes. "And how would an outsider like yourself know about me?"

"I know a lot of things." He didn't sound egotistical about it. He wasn't gloating, he was simply stating facts. "Including how Mother Miranda plans to abandon you."

There was no cushioning of the information. The unknown man simply tore the bandage off, one she hadn't even been aware of. A bandage that she had felt but never paid mind to. The voice in the back of her mind that grew loud on quiet nights, one she furiously attempted to snuff out. The idea she didn't want to confront, and now that it had been placed on a silver platter in front of her she had the urge to flip the entire table.

"Nonsense!" She yelled, making her anger known to everyone. "Mother Miranda would never. I don't know what you hope to achieve by spouting such—"

"—What do you expect to happen when Miranda gets her child back?" He interrupted her spiel, completely unfazed by her fuming. "Once she has Rose and the ceremony is complete…"

He let the silence fill the space. Despite her status as a B.O.W. she still had a mind, sentience, a human-like conscious. He had a heart, one with just enough to let her process the information. He knew what betrayal felt like.

"She plans to abandon you, Lady Dimitrescu."

She shut her mouth. The one that had been hanging open in shock since he'd silenced her. The last thread of denial snapped. "You're lying!"

"I know it's hard to believe but I have proof," he stressed, grasping to stop the door from being shut. "If you let one of my men—"

"No." It was her turn to cut him off. She was firm, enough to inspire fear that she'd made up her mind with a rash decision. She didn't care if it made the man on the other line sweat through the thick silence. "If what you say is true… Then I have a different plan."

"Don't—!"

His raised voice was abruptly cut off by Lady Dimitrescu cutting the line. It might have been a little petty but it felt good. A drop of sweet in the bitterness she felt at that moment. With grace she carelessly tossed the phone back to Ethan, watching him fumble to catch it as she turned to her daughters.

"Bela."

"Yes, Mother?" She asked, peering up at her as she awaited instruction. She could see curiosity in her eyes, in all three of her daughters eyes. The girls she loved so dearly and would give the world for. If Mother Miranda discarded her, what would happen? Would they be ignored or would she cast all of them away? Her girls can't survive outside, can't leave the castle. Mother Miranda would never do such a thing…would she?

She pursed her lips, steeling herself. "Give the child back to Ethan."

"But Mother—!" Cassandra began to protest, stopped dead in her tracks by the look she shot her way. A mother's power.

Ethan, visibly relieved, held his hands out to take Rose from Bela. It was almost amusing how cautiously he moved, expecting her to lunge at him at any moment. As if all of this was a ruse to sweeten him up. They did say unaware animals tasted the best, no stress to taint the meat. If that was the concept floating in the man's head then he was sorely mistaken. She loved fearful meat. How lucky for him that his little friend cut just the right nerve in her mind.

She turned from him rocking his daughter to leave. "You're coming with me."

"Fuck!" Chris swore at the phone's screen. As if venting his frustrations at the device would somehow fix the problem. It did make him feel a smidgen better at least.

But what really helped his nerves was the presence of his partner. The one he could feel approach behind him, hear her footsteps until she stopped at his back. The woman who was always there to catch him and reassure him. Her lax voice resting on his worry to soothe it as she spoke. "I'm assuming that didn't go well."

"She didn't listen." He sighed, turning to look at her. Seeing the way her blonde hair framed her face, arms crossed and tired eyes looking past his walls so easily. It helped, but it didn't calm him fully, not with his tendency to laser focus. Far too fixated on the matter and needing it fixed.

He moved to stalk past her, only halted by Jill's arm stretching out and blocking his way. He obediently stopped, rocking his head in annoyance but stilling his tongue before something stupid came out.

"Look at me." She demanded with authority and care. Chris closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he followed the order. Only when she saw he was listening did she continue, "When we land you stick to the plan. I'll go on ahead and check on him."

Chris couldn't help the little smile that curled his lips, the way he looked at her. It was hard not to. "Stay safe."

"I will."

On one hand Ethan felt safety in his journey though the village; A massive woman with power leading the way, keeping him safe albeit for her own goals rather than from any shred of altruism. It kept the creatures at bay as they walked past the centre square again and past a red gate he'd seen earlier. On the flip side, Ethan didn't let go of his caution for even a second, even if he didn't have many options, he'd lived through worse odds. Lady Dimitrescu could change her mind at any second and leave him fending for his life again.

What didn't help was how Ethan could feel the anger radiating off her. Any more and she'd be a portable furnace. Not that he wanted to test that, keeping his mouth firmly shut the entire walk. Silence sitting between them as they ventured forward. The architecture caught his eye, unable to guess how old it was beyond "very". Majority of it was crumbled, a ghost of it's former self but there was a marvel to it. It was a shame he couldn't appreciate it more when he had to keep an eye on all the hungry beasts watching them from the shadows.

They crossed a bridge, leading up into a space surrounded by mountain. It's natural formation towering over them and engulfing them within it. The path lead to a circular clearing, surrounded by large stone statuses of men on chairs. Their sheer size made him feel small in comparison, judged by their detail-less eyes as if he was on trial. Lady Dimitrescu approached the giant chalice in the centre, pressing down on a hidden button.

Ethan let out a noise of surprise as the ground moved, stepping closer to her. As it shifted under the statue's gaze he realized what was going on. They were standing on a giant, ancient elevator. Something he would have never anticipated, watching in amazement as the platform descended down. It paused for a moment, the gap above closing before it resumed.

The cold air no longer nipped at them as they were now encased underground. The scenery of white and greys now replaced by yellow and brown. The various candles illuminating their descent, one clue that the shaft had been well maintained. Ethan couldn't help but think of it as a marvel of centuries old engineering. He might have been curious how it all worked if it weren't for his circumstances. Standing so awkwardly even as the elevator came to a stop overlooking another bridge, one that had withstood the test of time.

At it's end stood a fenced off factory. The field around it untouched by winter, grown tall acting as if it were autumn. Ethan glanced towards Lady Dimitrescu, the temptation to ask a multitude of questions laid at the back of his throat but never passed on to his tongue. Instead they continued on, listening to her heels clack against the stone, soon to be overshadowed by a voice distorted along a speaker.

"What do you want Mega Bitch?"

She simply sighed, mumbling under her breath loud enough for Ethan to hear. "That idiotic man-child and his toys. He never waits until I can answer."

"Who is he?"

"An insufferable man who should have been done away with a long time ago." She huffed, glancing towards him in a beat of silence. "His name is Karl Heisenberg."

He nodded, pretending as though it made sense when he was about as lost as he'd been before he asked. Not that the environment helped any, from the dissonance of the seasons to how modern the factory was in comparison to the castle. The walk in-between felt far too short for how different the locations were. A thought that retreated to the back of his mind with a buzz as Lady Dimitrescu approached an intercom on the wall.

"Unfortunately, I need to speak with you."

"That's nice. Piss off."

Ethan pursed his lips inwards to keep his amusement hidden as she scowled.

"Listen, you ungrateful little—"

"As much as I love our little insult matches, I'm busy."

"This is about Mother Miranda." She stressed with notable strain trying to keep herself calm.

"I wasn't aware we had a meeting today."

"We don't."

A bated silence fell between them. The back and forth of their conversation halted and leaving behind a stale stiffness. Ethan shifted his weight, wondering if Lady Dimitrescu's words were enough to make him curious to hear her out. He had nothing to go off, both options having an equal possibility in his eyes. If it didn't work, what would happen? How much danger was he in if this failed?

A buzz answered him. The sound of metal shifting as the doors slid open, revealing a workshop with metal scattered about. She walked inside and Ethan followed, letting her lead the way into unknown territory. Further inside they found a room with a red fabric acting as a room divider, only covering the upper half. Underneath he could see metal and the lower half of a work bench, the details blocked by Heisenberg as he emerged from the other side.

"That's far enough." His focus not yet on them as he brushed the cloth over himself with his arm. His other hand flicking the ash from his cigar. "Get to talking be— Is that Rose?"

Ethan reflectively pulled the bundle in his arms closer. His protective instincts flaring from the way Heisenberg stared at her, a far too excited gleam from behind his glasses. Not to mention the smile that took his lips. If he wasn't at such a disadvantage he'd sock him one right then and there.

"A little birdie told me Mother Miranda is planning on betraying me" Lady Dimitrescu changed the subject, much to his relief. "You may be a fool but I trust if anyone had evidence it would be you."

"Ah, finally done kissing mother dearest ass, are we?" Smugness dripped off him as he sauntered closer, agitating every one of her nerves.

"Watch it." She warned through gritted teeth. "I have no qualms about fixing that attitude of yours and presenting Rose to Mother Miranda myself if you have nothing more than conspiracy theories."

His lofty demeanour dropped, pulling his cigar to his lips for a long drag before turning away from her. With a flick of his head he guided them back past the curtain, revealing a plastered cork-board. Various notes and pictures spread about, some of which caught Ethan's eye quickly. From The photo of Mia to Rose to even Chris.

"What the hell…?" He muttered, brows knitted.

Lady Dimitrescu on the other hand saw her own photo first, along with the word 'Witch' written underneath. She commented, unfazed and monotone. "Charming."

Heisenberg studied them both, idling with the cigar between his teeth. Ethan could feel his gaze flickering between them both but it wasn't until he spoke up that he turned to look at him. "Before I go exposition dumping, why the sudden change of heart?"

Ethan watched the cracks form in Lady Dimitrescu's calm and prideful exterior as she was forced to admit to both them and herself what she hoped to be a lie. "Ethan here has a…knowledgeable friend." She readjusted her body language, failing to hide her discomfort. "He claims Mother Miranda is planning to discard us when the ceremony is complete."

Heisenberg raised his chin, slowly and silently before glancing to Ethan. "Well, Ethan's friend seems pretty well informed." Each step kept that thoughtful movement, paced like a man in thought as he strode from the edge of the room to the middle. With the cock of his head and a patronizing point of his wrist, he asked, "…You do know what Miranda's goal is, right?"

She was quick to answer, hands on her hips with her head held high. "Of course! Once Rose is in her custody she'll divide the body into four separate parts—"

"She'll do WHAT—!?" Ethan was quick to interrupt, eyes bulging out of his head.

Lady Dimitrescu continued without skipping a beat, as if he hadn't spoken at all. "—Afterwards each of us will take a piece for safe keeping, until it's time for the ceremony that is."

"Two things." Heisenberg replied, raising two fingers for emphasis.

"Are we just speeding past the whole 'dividing the body thi—'" Ethan tried to speak, interrupted as he was equally ignored by Heisenberg.

"One, why doesn't the all powerful Miranda protect the pieces? Two—"

"Obviously she has more important things to attend to—"

"Does she? Does she really?" He leaned forward, squinting with a plastic smile.

"Guys—" Ethan interjected as they veered off topic.

"Get to your second point, Heisenberg." She sighed, crossing her arms.

"Two, we're failed experiments to her. In her eyes we're nothing more than an F at the science fair."

"And how would you know this?"

"Have you-" He cut himself off, looking off into a corner of the room like an imaginary audience would give him the answer, or perhaps he was looking for his sanity. It didn't last long as a bitter and amused smile took his lips and he turned back to her. "Have you been in Miranda's lab?"

She, on the other hand, looked at him like he was the crazy one. "It's forbidden, why would I?"

His smile widened to show his teeth, "Perhaps you should take a look." He straightened up and with a nod said, "Her research papers on us are quite telling."

"You went snooping." She accused, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course I fucking did!" he snapped back.

"Well I—" She began before a high pitched laughter cut her off. Everyone's attention snapped towards the doorway, freezing with surprise at the site.

A white ventriloquist doll stood, clad in an equally white wedding dress. Behind it was a woman hidden in black. Behind the curtain Ethan could only see the bottom half of their body. Not like he needed to see more as the doll appeared to be the one talking and moving without a string, as if possessed.

"Dimitrescu and Heisenberg getting along? Oh, how exciting! Can I play too?"