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The words didn't quite amount to the crushing feeling that capsized her heart when she heard Nathan speak. Her heart started beating so fast she barely registered the pulse anymore.
Her world narrowed in on Archer standing there, unable to reach the face she grown to memorize behind the daunting mask.
She crawled to the edge of her bird like cage and stared at him with wide fearful eyes. Sadness plagued her for him, her arms yearned for his touch.
She wanted to hug him, feel protected and safe once more, and comfort her person.
Yet she laid sprawled out in a cage, with barely anything on, and a price tag on her freedom.
Tears welled up in her eyes as Nathan clicked his microphone off for a moment. He leaned over and mumbled to her, "Don't cry darling, your makeup will run. People are killing for your pretty face,-" His strikingly cold eyes locked with hers, making her beating heart still.
"Don't mess it up." He snarled out at her then clicked the microphone back on, plastering his sick smile back on like second nature.
"Now that we are aquatinted with our champions! How about we see them fight!" He yelled from his elevated podium making the air fill with bloodthirsty cheers from the crowd.
"Fighters, if you'd will kindly...." Nathan said and the lights killed out. Two spotlights lit up small x's drawn on the floor where the fighters would start.
They obliged, both calmly standing strikingly tall and ready on their respective spots.
Worry and fear knitted Violets intestines up in a knot as she watched Archer. She gripped the bars wondering how he could even remain his cool and levelheaded-ness when he knew the person who murdered his family stood a hundred feet in front of him.
She glanced at Nathan who watched Archer with a panicked fervor, probably wondering the same thing she was.
How was the reaper calm right now?
Violet could only ease her mind a little bit knowing that the new information didn't seem to affect Archer's demeanor, and thus not his performance.
He had to survive, because she didn't think she could if he didn't.
Nathan's jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed in on Archer as he stood still, with a firm grip on his weapon.
She could see Nathan's hands shake with anger before he whipped around to his right hand man, whipping out a gun and pressing it under his jaw.
The man shrunk back and pleaded as Nathan pressed the cold gun into his throat, "you fucking imbeciles. Find out why he's acting like that! He should be a mess! A fucking mess, go you idiot before I shoot you dead."
Violet swallowed hard and stood up, looking back down at Archer. Both men staring each other down, waiting for their cues to start.
Nathan flicked the microphone on and tamed his exploding anger with a chilled smile, "now, fighters, on three."
"One."
Violet grabbed the metals bars. Her gaze flicking nervously from Archer and John. A prize over her head.
"Two."
Her throat turned into a boa constrictor on it pray as air escaped completely.
"Three."
Lightning. The men moved at each other faster than electricity striking the earth. The first clash of metal blurred at her eyes.
The sword and dagger clanged as they met contact, Violets eyes trained on Archer as his body rippled under the fabric on his clothes.
His body moved into the perfect stance, grounding himself enough to turn his body around the other side and whack John with the hilt of his blade.
John scrambled back his footing stumbling and faltering as Archer seized the opportunity to make a fast direct stab at his abdomen.
John was skilled though, his foot sunk into the dirty quickly and he jerked to the side like rubber snapping back. The sharp blade slicing through his shirt and grazing his skin.
Nathan yelled next to her and slammed his fists down on the podium.
Violet could only allow herself to take a breath.
The fight only got more intense. The strikes got faster, slicing down on each with like a violent storm turning into a hurricane.
Archer swung his sword down at him, John'sblades crossing and blocking the sword between them. Archer spun around twisting the blade up and launching one of Johns daggers into the air.
Disarming one of his hands.
Violet jumped up and smiled, "yes baby..."
"Shut your whore mouth!" Nathan screamed at Violet making her jump, "you are not leaving with Archer. Mark my words."
She breathed a shaky breath out and took a step back from him as Nathan turned back to the fight.
She looked to her side and noticed a familiar owl mask sitting in the VIP section near her. She perked up and caught Donavan's eyes briefly, but looked away as they shared a knowing look.
His cover couldn't be blown.
Violet looked back at Archer, John yelled and slashed his daggers towards his lower abdomen.
Archer dogged quickly but met Johns fist instead. It connected with his mask knocking its askew.
Archer jumped to fix it, creating a vulnerable opening for John to drive his knife into his shoulder.
He yelled out in pain and scrambled back as another fist slammed into his stomach making him fall onto his back on the ground.
Violet screamed and reached through the iron bars, begging the universe to let her to him. To save him. To feel his warm skin and help him.
Yet she stood in a cage, locked up on display, helpless, for the world.
"Archer." She cried out as she watched the ground become more splattered in blood.
John kicked Archers side and twisted the knife deeper in his shoulder before ripping it out.
His wounded arm gripped weakly on his blade as John went for killing strike.
Archer managed to roll quickly to the side and get back on his feet. But Violet wasn't any less scared.
His stance was sloppy as he gripped his bleeding shoulder and switched his blade over to his good arm.
John charged at Archer as he blocked attacks from him with blade weakly, getting pushed back. Taking other swings from Johns hands.
Violet shook the cage and screamed, tears pooling in her eyes and falling down her face. She watched her world crumble in front of her, growing weaker and weaker and she couldn't do anything.
She glanced over at Donavan who met her eyes instantly. He gave her a little nod and she knew, she wasn't going to be in this cage much longer.
Nathan laughed and smoothed a hand over his hair, "my my, little vixen is yelping for her wolf. Let me see your beautiful tears as he perishes before your eyes."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of jangling gold keys.
"Get away from me you disgusting, ugly, monster!" She screamed and looked over at Archer struggling, backing up more and more as John carried on with offensive attacks.
Archer needed an edge to get ahead. And right now he had nothing besides blocking and making sure he didn't get stabbed again.
Violet turned to Nathan and watched as he pushed the key into the lock. Her eyes narrowed in on the keys then to Donavan, they shared a nod and Violet forced for more dramatic tears.
Playing the part tenfold.
"Don't worry princess. I'll come in there and dry your tears." Nathan hissed out and finally she heard the satisfying click of the door unlocking.
In an instant Donavan shot up and fired multiple shots at all of Nathan's goons, killing everyone one of them with a deafening blow. They fell to the ground, making people scatter and the crowd get up in a panic.
No guns went off at the Golden races.
Panic started to set in the crowd but Archer and John never faltered in their fatal fight, continuing their attack.
Donavan didn't have a clear shot at Nathan with cage in the way so he had to find a different way to take him down. That would be a hell of a lot easier to do with his men out of the way.
Nathan wiped around to his dead men while Donavan charged at him, tackling him down to the ground.
Violet took this opportunity to run out of the cage, she scrambled to find a weapon, picking up a gun she found on the ground. She didn't know if it had any bullets in it or not but she stuffed it into her garter.
Donavan and Nathan scrambled on the ground. Donny throwing punches at his face while he had him pinned down but Nathan whipped Donny down under him slamming his head hard down on the floor. Both their mask falling off their faces during the ruckus.
Violet gasped and grabbed a dagger from a dead man quickly, "Donny!"
He turned to her as she tossed the blade to him. Donavan caught it and slammed it into Nathan's side making him yell in pain.
Nathan grabbed his bleeding side and jumped up off Donny grabbing a knife from the ground as well. Nathan snarled at the older man, holding the knife out at him.
"Oh you are going to die old man." Nathan wiped blood from his lip, just smearing more all over his crazy looking face.
Violet scrambled for a way she could help, she went to look for another weapon but Donavan yelled at her, "No! You do not intervene love. You need to be safe...I-I promised. Stay there."
Violet stunned in her place, never hearing Donavan talk to her with such pleading and frantic worry in his gentle voice.
Donny and Nathan walked closer to each other, throwing punches and swinging their blades at each other.
Nathan's blade caught Donavan's face, dragging a slice down his nose and cheek making him double back.
Nathan pounced on the opportunity as Donavan held his face and tackled him to the ground.
Throwing bloody punches after punches to Donny's face.
Violet screamed and cried, she couldn't sit here and obey Donavan's request any longer, she had to do something.
The men wrestled on the ground, she could only see glints of their shiny blades as they grunted and fought like restless attack dogs.
She could no longer tell who's blood was who's.
She just knew she couldn't sit by and watch her loved ones get hurt any longer, she was not a complacent little trophy wife anymore.
She was Violet-fucking-Moon.
She quickly reached into her garter and pulled out her gun. Slipping her hand back on the slide and loading the weapon in seconds.
She fixed her footing into a strong stance and held the gun out, peering through the sight, aiming at the men as they wrestled and jostled each other around.
They were moving back and fourth, she had to be exact and careful when she made the shot as to not hit Donavan and only the bastard Nathan's head.
Her timing and precision had to be absolutely perfect.
Violets heart beat like cheetahs run, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she exhaled she felt archers body around her, steadying her heart and guiding her finger to the trigger.
It was easy, imaging his warm breath on her neck and his calm demeanor melting away her worries, it was easy.
She snapped her eyes open and locked in on the target, and in a millisecond, pulled the trigger.
The bang from the gun seemed to fill the entire arena.
Everything stilled, timed stopped and her heart seemed to beat in slow motion as she looked down at the bodies on the ground.
Suddenly, Nathan's body slumped on top of Donavan's and blooded poured like a waterfall from his head.
She cheered, finally allowing herself to take a breath. Violet jumped up and down running to Donavan's side.
The old man smiled at her and closed his eyes while panting heavily, letting his head relax back on on the ground
"Oh my god he's dead! He's finally dead, I did it!" She smiled and fell to her knees next to Donny.
"Good job my dear, you did well-" Violet went to push Nathan's lifeless body off of Donny.
"I'm so glad you're ok-"
She stopped suddenly as Nathan rolled off Donavan, and Violet saw his shirt stained a dark wet crimson color, with a large dagger sticking up out of his chest.
~•~