Snow.
After so long in the labs, she had missed the simple things. Sitting with Chris as the snow raged outside. The heat of her hot chocolate mug in hand. The ceramic adorned with a faded and chipped S.T.A.R.S logo she could never bring herself to throw away. The old memories it brought were replaced by new ones. Leaning against Chris with a warm blanket around her shoulders.
Even now, as she sat in the broken, forsaken village, she appreciated those white flakes dancing in the wind around her. Feeling them touch her freezing skin. The way they danced with the fog from her breath. A contrast to the howls and animalistic sounds of the Lycan nearby. The scent of oxidized blood replaced that of the hot chocolate.
The specific Lycan stalking nearby was bigger and stronger than the others. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility for Jill to kill it. It was, however, not a possibility to do it with stealth. Such a fact went against their primary objective: To stay out of sight and mind of Miranda.
So there Jill sat, waiting in the snow for the monster whose footsteps shook the ground and whose breath fogged the field to leave. She was skilled at waiting. Watching the area nearby for any additional threats as…yellow faintly tinted her eyes.
She squinted. Confused at the new colour in the dreary landscape, and even more so when petals replaced the snow. Ah. That was why. Those were Donna's favourite flowers. Jill's previously tense expression softened, remembering her pages of the report.
"You're going to miss the meeting." Jill chastised with a smile.
"You're one to talk!" Angie shot right back at her. "Look who's the professional one now? Lazy!"
"I never complained about professionalism."
"Your boyfriend did."
Jill chuckled, "He doesn't speak for the both of us."
Looking up from the doll's stark white, she held her hand out for a stay falling petal. Its texture was solid. So much so that it would be hard to tell it was an hallucination. Of all the Lords, Jill was happiest Donna came so willingly. She had enough traumas to be weaponized.
"Your body must be somewhere nearby." Her home and flowers were too far from this point of the village. "I've heard the Lycan were becoming uncontrollable, even to Heisenberg. Are you using these to pass by undetected?"
"The brain's figured it out!" Angie cheered, "Now come on before your ass freezes off. I am not carrying you."
"And I'm not carrying you either." She stood with crunches beneath her feet. The new found silence of the flowers was eerie. No rustling of branches, distant howls, or the massive beast's heavy breath.
"I don't need to be carried!" She huffed like a child. Trotting along behind her. "Do you really believe this crazy plan will work?"
"I've done and survived crazier."
"You look the type."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" She chuckled, letting the banter ease her nerves.
For a moment.
Only for silence to follow.
The clank and shuffle of puppet limbs went cold.
Her gut churned.
Something was wrong.
Two more crunches of snow before Jill paused and turned.
She could hear the rustle of trees…and the low growl of something massive and aware. The sound of something falling into snow.
Turning around she saw Donna with Angie out of hand. Both laid in the snow with a splatter of red to decorate. Behind was the beast ready to pounce once more.
Seeing Heisenberg's factory always fascinated and disturbed Chris in equal measure. If anything it made him grateful he never worked in a normal factory. No sense of bitter nostalgia to join the weird mix of emotions. How Heisenberg had managed to create this extensive chasm filled with machinery he didn't know; neither was it the purpose of his visit.
There was one thing about his factory that worried Chris and it wasn't the numerous OSHA violations. It was Miranda's eyes and ears. The woman knew everything that went on inside this village. They were under the radar, but they were recent additions. Heisenberg had been building this for years.
"And you're sure she is unaware of your doings?" That exact skepticism laced his words. Having voiced those same concerns a moment prior, only to be met with confidence. Earned confidence or prideful confidence was the real issue.
"Miranda, the woman who sees all, is completely in the dark to all of this?" He took a hand from his coat pocket to gesture out into the chasm. Towards all of the moving lines above it's gaping maw.
"Relax…She knows of the factory." Heisenberg's back was turned to him. Only the faint trails of smoke addressed him. "When I first began she wanted to see my 'research notes' as we called them. Believed it was all an infatuation because of my powers. Then she lost interest and I was discarded as another forgotten toy in her collection."
Chris followed as the trail of smoke drifted away. "You mentioned an ace that'll allow you to move this army to the meeting location without being detected. I need to know what it is."
"You've heard of him." Heisenberg shot a smirk over his shoulder.
An action met with a contrastingly serious nod. "Then you would know where I can speak directly to this ace."
"Right this way." He motioned with his fingers.
Chris was already keeping pace with the man's back. The only time his attention deviated was to look around the scenery. So many machines, so large of a workplace. "Am I correct in assuming this is all you've done since joining Miranda?"
"Joining is a generous word." He corrected, a brief show of bitterness. "But yes. Day in, day out. Machines, plotting and soon to be sweet revenge."
"And your plans for after?" Chris asked, stopping in his tracks just as Heisenberg did.
The man took a long drag, recognizing the question for what it was. A silent understanding settled in them both. For two men that held vastly different views, experiences, and personalities. It wasn't hard to understand the basics of each other.
"A nice spa day on the beach, I suppose." He flashed his teeth, unbothered by the hard stare. Pace resumed by them both.
"The ace said you were looking for him." Heisenberg shifted the topic.
"And how would he know that?"
He shrugged. "He knows a lot of things. Been here longer than any of us even, I'd wager he knows more than he says. Cryptic as he is fat."
They approached the elevator they had rode in on. Only when the metal doors slid open an entire merchant's stand had been erected and laid out in it's large open space. Heisenberg's comment made a hefty amount of sense as Chris went to stand before the man.
"Charming as always, Heisenberg." The Duke answered with little to no offense.
"I try. You don't give me much else to work with."
Chris interrupted their banter, impatient while trying not to show it. "I've been told you're good at smuggling."
"One of the finest. How may I be of service?"
"Once Heisenberg's army has been relocated, I need you to transport an individual out of the village." His debrief voice had come through out of habit. "I'd rather sooner than later but given the circumstances…it'll have to be in short succession with each other. Are you able?"
"Chris, you've come to the right man for the job. I'll keep Ethan and Rose safe." Duke bent forward, showing his enthusiasm. The chimes of his merchant stand ringing in the factory's draft. "I only have one request."
Chris steeled himself, weighing expectations. "Name the price."
"I request you keep an eye on this village after all is said and done. I'm not so keen on leaving my home but I neither wish to be swallowed up by it in the coming storms."
Chris studied him for a beat. Heisenberg's comment rang all the more true.
Speaking of the man, he commented from the side. "Have you ever thought of being a poet? Maybe writing that piece of fortune cookie paper."
The Duke only laughed. "As often as you debate being a comedian."
"Did you steal that one from Dimitrescu?"
"Oh my, Heisenberg. I believe that's the first I've ever heard her name on your lips!"
"Don't get used to it—"
"We have a deal." Chris interrupted, earning a wide grin from the Duke.
"Excellent!"
Chris nodded once more, letting Heisenberg and the man return to their weightless conversation. Out of his pocket came his phone, ringing Jill as he ambled from the elevator and back to chasm's view.
His finger tapped the back of the phone case the longer it rang. His composure began to slip as the seconds ticked by. Brows knitting and mouth pulling tight. His chest grew that familiar tight. A feeling that never got easier.
His composure met its end as the line dropped with no answer.
Moreau hadn't had a wink of sleep. Not an iota of peace. Nothing but stress! He wanted so desperately to knock that blonde woman from his thoughts. Her stupidly kind voice and her evil, evil words! She wanted to make him doubt and the worst part was it worked.
It worked so well that he had to make his way deep into the forbidden lab of his mother where she would surely scold him for being. Yet, it was worth the risk to simply put his fears to rest. That blonde woman had to be lying! She just had to be!
The door was ajar and he could see her at her desk. Standing straight with a file in hand. Seemingly unaware of his presence until her voice rang out, loud and true.
"You know better than to be down here."
He grew flustered, confronted with the reality of his choice. "I, I needed to speak with you, urgently."
"For what, Moreau?" Her voice, he never noticed it before—a lie he told himself—the distance she put into it.
"I…there's…do you, what do you think of us, of me?" He managed to cough out. Vomit was not the culprit for his vocal trouble this time.
Mother looked up from her file after an excruciating pause. Then another as they locked eyes and he couldn't read her expression. Not until a light smile took her lips (cold, distant, no, no…) and she motioned him in.
He came as commanded. Pushing the door open further and seeing more of the forbidden lab. The tables were covered in papers and equipment in the low light of flame. Orange and warm (unlike her). It was inside that he saw more of her work.
Unable to help himself, he took a glance around. Seeing mother's space for the first and perhaps last time. The cells around the room. Spotting the rotting carcass of a woman inside one of them. She didn't look familiar, not to him. The one left out of everything.
"For you to disobey my rules." Mother began and it snapped his attention towards her. "Something has shaken your trust in me."
Moreau slapped a hand to his mouth. Feeling the pit of his stomach grow agitated. His chronic nausea flaring up, but why now? Mother-Mother was safe! Yes, she could be scary but…but…
"I…no, it's just—"
"Moreau." She shut his lying down. Hands coming up to hold his face in a soothing caress. (That's right, she knew everything. There was no hiding or lying).
"Yes, mother?"
"Tell me what is troubling you, my son."