Karl Heisenberg had waited until he saw Lady Dimitrescu's carriage roll by and vanish into one of the hidden tunnels before he exited the factory. His shiny hammer slung over his shoulder, he grinned looking forward to showing it off. It didn't really mean much other than a statement to how much of a fucking badass he thought he looked with it, but it was still something to be proud of. As he walked across the property, through the gate and across the great stone bridge he was still thinking about Emily Tempest.
Damn, if I could bring her along I would, but Miranda must not know she's alive and well, he thought quietly. He was already running late for the meeting but that meant little to him. Being late had its advantages like you could barge in when everyone was about to start without you and put on a helluva show which is exactly what he did every time and intended to do again tonight, but better than before.
It was almost dark out when he entered the village and he always entered the chapel from the cemetery entrance as Moreau did. Lycans were scrambling about the streets of ruined houses as he walked past them, they were growling and searching the snowy ground for scraps to eat. Some of them were feasting on the fresh carcass of a pig nearby a house with a red chimney. All those villagers became savages from Miranda's experiments, and the bitch is going to pay.
When Karl realized that Emily had survived the ordeal of his crazy stunts, he not only took the opportunity to lure her to him before the other lords could, but he also used one of his handy inventions to attract the roaming Lycans, and other beastly creatures back towards the Stronghold near the castle, where they gathered and dwelled, so that none of them would interfere with Emily reaching his factory. Even a small brawl with one primitive creature was enough to alert Miranda. But Karl wasn't certain since it was also unknown to him where Miranda spent all her time when she wasn't meeting with them. This was a small price he paid for constantly working in his factory: being out of the loop from what occurred in the small outside world of the village.
Now that Emily was safely in the walls of his factory, the Lycans were pouring out into the village again with no contraption to keep them confined to their fortress. It worked like a charm, primitive bastards, Karl thought as he trekked through the ceremonial site, or whatever the hell it was meant to be. Miranda had remodelled the place to reflect her plans but this was something she was completely secretive about, Karl scoffed at the chalice in the middle of the circle and pushed his way through the gate and down into the centre of the village where the Maid of War statue lay facing Castle Dimitrescu like it was preparing to charge and attack.
A few more Lycans scampered past Karl cowering in fear at the sight of him as he climbed the stone steps into a more secluded area of the cemetery. Night had fallen now but even in the dark and with his shades on he could see the iron gate leading down into the underground passage was left slightly open with the latch lock lifted. Typical Moreau, can't even close the door behind him, fucking idiot. He recalled the days in Miranda's lab, seeing the fisherman across from him and Miranda concluded the latter had very little brain function from the results of Cadou implementation. Part of him felt sorry for Moreau even if he hated remembering those days of becoming a guinea pig. Rolling his eyes he shut the gate behind him and descended deeper into the darkness.
The tunnel was narrow, pitch black at first, but the light soon loomed ahead. This was the same path he carried Emily to meet the others. It felt like a century ago, and yet his polished hammer was starting to glitter like diamonds as the light grew larger. Following it silently he soon made it into the chapel.
Lady Dimitrescu was already seated in her large wooden chair catered to her size. She turned and winced seeing him before going back to her cigarette. Nice to see you too super-size bitch, he made his way to the bench across from her and sat down, slouching a bit. Donna and Moreau were waiting at the podium. Then that was when he set his hammer down did they notice what was different.
Lady Dimitrescu was unlucky to have the gleam directly in her face. She discarded her cigarette and shielded her eyes, "What the hell Heisenberg?!"
He laughed, "Don't like it? Too damn bad! Steel glory baby!" he said confidently, he couldn't reveal that it was Emily's handiwork, but now that he knew Lady Dimitrescu was disgusted with it, it pleased him even more. Perhaps I should get Emily to polish it more often, he thought gleefully.
Lady Dimitrescu snorted disdainfully, she had nothing to counteract his bragging but Karl knew she would never stop being suspicious.
As the Lords waited for Mother Miranda's arrival, a few Lycans were crawling on the scaffolding above, just like they had been when Karl ordered them to give chase. They were primitive beasts but still worshipped Miranda and the Lords, the most loyal would gather to watch every meeting as if they had been the most devoted to her and her cause before being subject to her experiments with the Cadou.
Footsteps came from the chapel's main entrance in the tunnel. Moreau trembled while mumbling unidentifiable words to himself, but Karl could hear it from where he sat. Donna kept her doll still and quiet on her lap. Lady Dimitrescu sat up straight desperately trying to divert her eyes away from the blinding gleam of the hammer. What a bunch of losers, if only you knew what she did to us you'd scoff at her arrival, Karl thought quietly as he kept his hammer at his side in a visible angle.
Then, Mother Miranda emerged from the doorway and strode past the Lords to the main dais where she always stood. She was covered in her many black feathers concealing her robes with her golden mask and the excellent set of rings at the back of her head like she was wearing some kind of crown, Karl always looked away from the single red eye on it directly above her head. He stopped himself from sticking up his middle finger at her even though he had wanted to do that for a long time. Donna's doll started giggling, Moreau bowed his head and Dimitrescu leaned forward in her seat towards Miranda like she was itching to say something as the latter faced them like a priest at a wedding ceremony ready to begin.
"Good evening to you all," she said in a pleasant tone that Karl believed was inauthentic.
"Now then.... what?" she started but stopped when the gleam came out of the corner of her eye stinging them as one would look right at the sun itself. She turned to Karl to see his shiny hammer nestled beside him and she held an embroidered hand in front of her face.
"Heisenberg, what is the meaning of this? That glare is awfully bright. Is this nuisance going to disrupt our meeting?"
Karl gave a short chortle, "Just some of my finest work, Mother Miranda,"
The priestess grimaced underneath her mask and didn't make another comment. Keeping her hand up she continued, "Now then, tell me what you have to report,"
Karl lit a cigar, deciding to go last, as usual. Every meeting that Miranda conducted would begin with each of the Lords reporting to Miranda the village's current status. These things ranged from the Lycan activity to personal situations the Lords thought should be shared, like anything they did to maintain loyalty or their quota of responsibilities to ensure the village remained secret. Karl never enjoyed giving his own insight of things and would continue to make excuses which once again made Lady Dimitrescu dubious of his devotion. Like the last he recalled making up long before Emily's arrival: he had stated that he simply lost the portrait of Miranda that he and the others were given the day they pledged their loyalty to her.
Ironically, she never gave him a replacement, but Karl suspected that was what caused the suspicion in the first place. In reality, he had tossed it into the factory's grinder shaft. He never had forgotten how satisfying it was to stand at the railing above the rapidly churning blades and drop it in where it was torn apart immediately and that satisfying sound of its tearing of the metal frame and paper echoed throughout the chamber. He could have just simply incinerated it, but it wasn't the same as using the grinder. It signified the start of his rebellion and devotion to kill her with what he had in his clutches and there was something also serene about the grinder shaft whether you stood at the top or on the catwalk below the grinder itself so there was obviously a winner there.
Refocusing his thoughts back to the current meeting at hand, Karl took a puff of his cigar as Moreau was the first to speak, his voice sounding deep and wimpy as usual, "W-well Mother, I've had a few trespassers try to enter my harbour but none of them made it very far until I devoured them, and every morning I've said my prayers to you,"
Salvatore Moreau was considered the lowliest, most inhuman, and grotesque of the Lords. Apart from him being a fisherman in his past, the rest was shrouded in mystery. Karl was disgusted by the creature's unconditional devotion to Miranda even more than Lady Dimitrescu because he was too dumb to argue with him about beliefs and where loyalties lay.
"In other words nothing of importance," Miranda replied, still slightly shielding her eyes from the hammer's shine, "continue as usual Moreau,"
Moreau's round and hunched body shook with delight and he smiled, Karl looked away in revulsion, taking another puff, Moreau had anything but a lovable face to him and what was under that coat or cloak, whatever he wore? He isolated himself too in his fishing reservoir and Karl preferred it that way. If I could slap him into submission and tell him to wake up and realize what we really are to that bitch then I would do so in a heartbeat, Karl thought. Other than Moreau being the biggest suck-up of the four of them, Karl had also heard rumours from remaining villagers earlier that Moreau also ran a clinic deep within his turf to conduct Cadou experiments when he wasn't tending to the giant monstrous fish he was also rumoured to keep the reservoir waters. Well then, you and I have something in common fish boy, we could have worked together if the lovely Emily Tempest didn't show up at my door. Oh well, she's of better use to me than you are.
"Beneviento, do you have anything for me?" Miranda continued,
Karl rolled his eyes underneath his sunglasses, desperately wanting to plug his ears as Donna's little porcelain doll bounced off of her master's lap and danced in front of Miranda, talking in her squeaky voice. She sounded like a mouse on steroids in Karl's mind and he drifted off smoking his cigar and thinking about Emily fast asleep back in the factory. If she was having nightmares again, he wouldn't be there this time to overhear her scream awake. A feeling of regret began to wash upon him, as the doll blabbered to Miranda about Cadou plants and whatnot. Just shut the fuck up already so I can get out of here! He wanted to yell those exact words but then stopped himself.
The regret was originating from the way he had treated Emily earlier, barging in when she damaged his Soldats, seizing her by the throat, and pinning her against the wall like that. Why the fuck do I regret doing that, I had to teach her a lesson, she probably hates me now even if she does stick around because she envies me. Why the hell do I care? Do I like her? He shook his head in disbelief and out of the corner of his eye was the hole in the floor near the entrance to the chapel. The same hole that Emily had jumped into to flee. Karl spotted a few Lycans curled up in the shadows, desperately trying not to make a sound as they eavesdropped. Karl flicked his cigar toward the hole and it fell in like a pin dropping. The Lycans didn't budge and by then the doll had finished rambling.
"Dimitrescu, what do you have to share," Miranda inquired as the doll seated herself back on Donna's lap as if nothing had happened,
"My daughters continue to thrive and It's another day of living and praying of your greatness and health, and there's no one worthy yet that has arrived for your ceremony," she said, her head tilted to face the ringleader, her tone sounding disgruntled.
Yeah, it's a hard life bitch, Karl thought grumbling,
"The Duke continues to provide me with suitable candidates for slaughtered blood for our survival but none of them have proven satisfaction," she paused and turned towards Karl this time tolerating the shimmer of his polished hammer, "that would not be a problem if that young lady was entrusted to me instead of a riff-raff like you!"
He burst out laughing, "Oh please! We know already, we knew that two fucking days ago! You'd chain her up in your dungeon and torture her, drain her blood, cause you think you're Elizabeth fucking Bathory's super-sized twin! What makes you think the blood of Emily Tempest will taste better than just another random intruder?"
"Maiden's blood consumed by myself and my daughters relieve far more of my needs than simple human blood can. You wouldn't understand because you spend all your stint polishing that hammer and scheming," she snapped vexingly,
Miranda cut in and turned to Karl, "Enough. Heisenberg, what do you have to share with me?"
Karl avoided swallowing, he was up and this was his chance to hide as much apprehension as possible, not that it mattered, those golden eyes of Dimitrescu were always watching.
He sighed, "Been doing what I'm always doing, making my most prized weapons look shiny as you can see, pledging myself to you and my work," he caught a glimpse of Dimitrescu shaking her head and scowling at that last part of his statement but he just ignored it,
"Is that so? And what of Emily Tempest? That was her name, was it?"
Karl chuckled, "Yeah, what about her? Miranda you've got to stop worrying, she's taken care of,"
"Define what that means," Miranda demanded,
Karl didn't answer, I've basically told her that Emily Tempest is dead, what more does she want? She's definitely scared of that woman's power, and even if I told her the truth, she'd believe that I would just kill Emily when I get the chance because she trusts me the most. Yeah, she only trusts the most splendid out of her specimens, dumb bitch, he thought.
When Miranda realized he hadn't answered she spoke again with an authoritative tone, "Well then if you're not going to tell me, then that is the main reason why I called this meeting. Lady Dimitrescu approached me with a concern that the young woman Emily Tempest may not be dead, she claims no body was found. That young woman is a threat to our plans and she must be eliminated. Heisenberg, I entrusted her fate to you because I know you have proven yourself to never be merciful,"
"How is she a threat Mother Miranda?" it was Salvatore Moreau who spoke this time,
"Believe me when I say it Moreau!" Miranda snapped, her wings spread apart, "she must be found and disposed of at once!"
Karl covered his mouth to avoid laughing, Miranda was obviously scared of Emily's power and refused to admit why that was, the fact made him feel intimidating.
"Heisenberg!" Miranda ordered, interrupting his thoughts. The snarling of the Lycans watching in the darkness was filling the room. Whenever Miranda became excited, so did everyone else,
"I thought I made it clear that you were to find her at once when she escaped," she approached Karl and leaned forward staring at him, her wings nearly enclosing around him but her face still grimacing from the hammer's gleam.
"I found her, Miranda, and I'm preparing to use her body for my next experiment, it's going to be nothing like I've ever done before," he replied as calmly as possible. It was a lie but it was the best he could work with.
Miranda stared at him silently, from behind her wings, he could see Dimitrescu shifting forward in her chair more, a mischievous grin on her face, but Karl stared back unfazed at his so-called leader. You don't scare me, you crazy bitch. You don't believe me, are you gonna order me to kill her? Sorry, that's one command I will not follow. That was what he desired to say, but he once again held his tongue. He planned to save all his rage for when the time was right and that time wasn't now.
"I knew she was trouble when that storm was spotted in the mountains, the forthcoming of a dangerous foe was nigh. My trust that the deed has been done runs thin, Heisenberg," Miranda said, but Karl saw a look in her eyes behind the mask that indicated her the same for all of them.
For the first time, Karl felt himself shudder in Miranda's presence, what did she intend to do? Would she ask for proof and then realize he lied to her? He decided to play it cool, "You don't believe me? If she really was a threat, Miranda she'd already be dead, you know that," he said in a relaxed voice, not willing to let his anger overtake him.
Miranda stared at Karl fiercly. She didn't say anything but in her eyes, it worried him like she wanted to say: If you are lying to me Heisenberg and you don't put an end to her, then I will.
She withdrew and walked back to the altar, she was silent at first with her back facing the four Lords in the room. Lycans were stirring everywhere, growling quietly and watching her like eagles on their prey. Without facing the lords, she spoke, "This meeting is adjourned, return to your duties, and Heisenberg, don't bring such blinding nuisances here again,"
Karl chuckled a little and concealed it with both hands. He would have to bring his shiny hammer again and he wasn't going to let some negative reactions prevent him.
Lady Dimitrescu didn't budge, Moreau looked confused and started to approach Miranda for questions but the latter waved her arm intending to push him away. He recoiled and scurried off. Donna and her doll followed in silence. Without a word, Karl quickly rose from the bench, grabbed his hammer and hurried for the exit. I don't know why the fuck she just decided to end things there, he thought as he reentered the tunnel.
As he made his way back to the village and his factory, he tried to think about Emily Tempest, but his mind was on the chapel when he left it. If he was right about what Miranda had been thinking when he reassured her, would have to watch his step.
Bring it on bitch, though I think you're too chicken to even try! He thought sinisterly, there was no way she would even consider doing such a thing, or so he thought.