#malentendu

للأسف،

J'espérais être compris, t'esperais faire un bon investissement."

Time seemed to seep, not flow, much like the blood was seeping into the white of the robe Vetra wore. The Crimson logo of the hotel swallowed whole as her limp form slid off the bed they were both sitting on. Setan fought the urge to move, to panic, to rage, to help, to scream, to attack, to do anything other than calmly stare at the woman holding the gun.

“What.... Why....” He managed.

“Answers.”

He glanced down at Vetra. He’d seen he be shot before. This was different. He pleaded with Chance with his eyes. “Please. Let me help her.”

“Tell me where he is.”

He knew Vetra was stronger than this, what was going on here? He reached out carefully with his senses and they recoiled almost immediately.

“Denatured Aetheridium!”

“Where is he? I won’t ask again.”

He should have sensed it. How had she hidden it? This didn’t make any sense. He reached out towards the gun to confirm his suspicions. Chance had not come to play around.

“The Norfolk Suite. Down the hall.”

“Really? Could have saved myself some trouble. Oh well. Inform the guards he will have a visitor and that we will be leaving please.”

Setan frowned. “They will be warned. You are not welcome here anymore Miss Wolf.”

Chance shrugged. “Didn’t think I was welcome anyway. But here’s another question for you.” She backed away carefully keeping the gun pointed at him. “Eros?”

“I do not know. Vetra failed to grab him.”

“Very well. Keep my friends out of your vendetta from now on.”

He nodded and watched her leave before desperately tending to Vetra dealing with the tricky thing of her being shot with an anti magical material. Chance had aimed to lodge the bullet into her. It needed to come out, let her natural healing do the rest, or so he hoped.

............................................

Nikolai groaned as he came to. The agent had drugged him! He semi alertly looked around noting the plush surroundings that were very much in contrast to the simple metal chair he was tied to.

“Kinky. Not my thing really though. Shibari can be really pretty when done well though. Had a cousin who was into that, called himself an artist. I think he just liked tying up pretty girls.”

“Glad to see your sense of humour hasn’t left you Mr Eros.” came a very familiar voice from behind him.

“You!”

“Yes, me.” said the Gentleman as he stepped into view. “I always knew that you were connected to Paris, now I have proof.”

“The Snake!”

The Gentleman smiled, his wrinkles softening what were eyes that were cold. “You tried to rip me off.”

“You set me up!” Nikolai rocked forward a bit in the chair, a manicured hand held him in place.

The Gentleman held his hands apart. “So we both tried to play the other. I guess we both lacked trust. However now I know that you are a broker my dear supplicant of Pan.”

Nikolai barked out a laugh. “Broker? Ha. Aren’t you too old for faerie tales and folklore?”

The Gentleman rested a hand over his mouth. “Insulting my age? How juvenile. You know there is a grain of truth in every story no matter how outlandish it gets. No, I do not believe in Brokers. There are no powerful beings granting wishes at great cost wandering this Earth, but there are those seeking to create such a power that they can control and wield like a weapon.”

Nikolai kept quiet but he knew what was coming next. This was why he’d met with Chance. There was no job offer, never was never would be. This wasn’t about some old business dealings where they tried to screw each other. This was about something bigger than that.

The Gentleman leaned in, the hand on Nikolai’s shoulder made it clear he was to remain still. “Where are the Twins Mr Eros?”

(Gonna try and update this more regularly. I’m a writer no? Oh and Apologies to @yuutfa as they have tried to protect Nikolai from me before, but don’t all us writers end up hurting our darlings? Thanks to @anntarinsanitymaterialized @sleepy-and-anxious and @wordsaremylife for being the rest of my taglist. As usual ask to be added/removed etc.

“Good?” Lance half laughed. “One out of ten would not willingly participate again. I have no idea what’s going on and The Director isn’t inclined to tell me. So no. It’s not good mysterious lady who I don’t know.”

Zephyr was frowning as she came into the small entryway. “Not what I meant Agent, but then again considering your current choice of travel companion I don’t think anything you’re currently involved in could be good.” She brushed something off her deep blue shirt. “Why darken my door uninvited?”

Lance shrugged and looked at Ginger.

Ginger yawned. “Chance. Where is she?”

Zephyr folded her arms and scowled at Ginger. “Not here.”

“Oh come on. You know she’s back and I know she maintains ties here. Where is she?”

“No idea.”

“None? Really? That doesn’t sound like you. Levi is better at lying by the way.”

Zephyr blew out a short breath. “She contacted Chielle earlier for information.”

Something clicked for Lance. “Agent Morrow!”

Ginger chuckled. “Still playing catch up are we Lance?”

“Hey! You know who I work for.”

Ginger held her hands apart. “Fair point. So Chance got in touch and you lost her?”

Zephyr relaxed her posture. “She spent enough time with us to learn how to avoid us. Your Director could trace her. We are a smaller group after all and do not have your resources.”

“Not happening.” said Lance. “He’s not returning my calls.”

“Aw. Did you fight?” Ginger poked him in the side.

Zephyr merely frowned at this information. “Joking aside you are near the top of The Agency, that is not a good sign for how this is going.”

“So what’s The Revengers doing about it?” Ginger grinned.

Zephyr gritted her teeth. “Nemesis is doing what it can to track the remnants of the Paris factions. It appears to be happening again.”

Ginger sighed. “Not again, worse. We’ve had New York in the Interim remember?”

“You don’t think?”

“Why fight in secret when the world knows you exist?”

...........................................

Nikita washed her hands and looked at the beaten and bloody Satyr in the chair. He really was under a Geas. He couldn’t tell them anything even if he wanted to. But why? Why go through all this pain, this torture? She frowned as she dried them and headed upstairs to report the fact that she had learned nothing more than what they’d initially suspected and that they would have to move their prisoner and heal him up if they were to attempt to break through the Geas to get the information they wanted. She closed the door and nodded at the guards. Her boss wasn’t going to be happy.

......................................

Chance eyed the club from a nearby rooftop. Set back enough to be private, not too far as to be hard to access. It would make getting out more problematic than she would like, but then again that depended upon how many people were around. At least it wasn’t yet opening hours.

“Focus.” And with that word she stepped off the roof.

Land. Gun up. Move. Side door. Open, duck in. Hallway.

She eased down the hallway knowing that it was only a matter of time before she was spotted.

Click. The side door closed again. Chance mentally cursed herself for not easing it closed herself.

“Focus!” she whispered.

“Steve? That you?” A large man in a dark suit came around a doorway. “Thought we were gonna go on break together?”

Aim, shoot. Cycle bolt. Move forward.

She didn’t have plans to the place but merely let her instincts guide her, her green eyes shifting to amber, the world shifting into one awash with the myriad scents of the people who were here and had been here recently. Many unknown, a couple of semi familiar and one very, Nikolai. And blood. That scent stood out in stark contrast to the others. She quickened her pace.

...............

Nikolai could barely see anymore. Was it dark or just blurry or both? He forced himself to take a ragged breath. As he did so the magic he’d prepped earlier began to flow. The rune he’d managed to scratch into the floor with a hoof glowed and he felt a little strength return. Now he just needed that miracle rescue.

(Lets keep this writing thing going eh? I sense an action heavy scene coming. Was going to alternate this and the disaster gays of Malarkey but eh. I’m sure they’ll pick up a case sooner or later. Onto the tags.

@yuutfa @sleepy-and-anxious @wordsaremylife @anntarinsanitymaterialized

Thanks for reading the mess that comes from my mind.