Light filtered through the cracked windows, seeping through the room, landing on dusty furniture and two huddled masses curled under piles of ratty old blankets. The only movement in the room was pieces of little nothings floating about the air, and the gentle rise and fall of the couple's stomachs.
Had Cress been awake, she would've sighed at the peacefulness that entered along with the morning.
Her sleeping figure slowly shifted, turning onto her side and causing the covers to fall onto the floor, right over Thorne's face. A loud groan resounded as he sat up, blindly (Te he) reaching for the fabric to cover his reddened and bruised eyes.
"Cress." She responded with a mutter, rolling over once more to have her arm flop over her chest. Her skirt had ridden up during the fitful night, showing a flash of skin.
It was a good thing Thorne couldn't see any of this.
"Cress, come on. We have to get up now. There is no way I'm missing Scarlet's breakfast."
She blinked a few times, his words running through her muddled head as she tried to figure out what it meant. When her vision cleared, he was standing by the door, buttoning up his shirt. She flushed deeply, realizing that at some point while she'd been sleeping, he'd been changing shirts.
Cress should've woken up earlier.
Her mind screamed at the thought, and she let out a puff of air, wishing the stain would leave her cheeks.
"I'm up, I'm up. Do you know what time it is?"
He stopped attempting to shove the top button in the third hole and glared in her general direction.
"Really, Birdy? You're gonna rub this in? You?" At that moment, nothing sounded better than shoving her head into the wall. She cleared her throat and stood, ducking her head as she felt her temperature. Must. Change. Topic.
"Do... d-do you need help with that?" He tugged on his shirt self-consciously, then nodded. She gulped and approached him, watching his eyebrows furrow as he tried to tell where she was coming from.
A pang of pity surged through her as he jumped under her hands, which were landing on his chest to redo the buttons. The silence was as thick as a snake, and she tried desperately to ignore the smooth skin mere millimeters from her cold fingertips. His breath was warm on her hair, brushing through and landing on her neck.
He stiffened at the last button, and as she glanced up she caught a glimpse of pure frustration on his face before he left without so much as a thank you.
Internally, she let out a scream of vexation, planting her fists on her hips. So we're back to this now?! Cress humphed in confusion and braided her tresses, trying to distract herself. The thick tangles hit the floor and curled several times around her ankles. She'd need to wash it soon, the weight was always heaviest when it wasn't clean. Oh well.
Downstairs, the kitchen was full of amazing smells. Sizzling frying pans were filled with roasted tomatoes, cheese, and herbs being wrapped into omelets. Croissants were baking in the double ovens, and a vat of syrup was being poured into several glass serving jars by a wide awake and only slightly moody Ze'ev. Scarlet was doing practically everything else, looking sweaty but happy to be doing something worthwhile.
"Can I help at all?" Cress asked as Thorne sat down at the counter. Scarlet looked up at the pair, blowing hair out of her face as she stirred a pot in one hand and cracked eggs into a bowl with the other.
"Morning you two! 'Ow vas your night?" Thorne let out a harsh laugh, and Cress bit her lip while shaking her head slightly under Scarlet's question.
She raised her eyebrows at them but continued.
"...okay, vell Cress, we need to go pick up ze clothes from Iko, 'ow does t'at sound pour le jour?"
"That'd be wonderful. But...what about Thorne?" She looked over at him nervously, but he was coldly ignoring her and biting into a roll fresh out of the pantry.
""E can join us if 'e'd like, but it'd be more comfortable pour 'im to stay with mon Ze'ev." Cress felt like smacking herself. Of course that was the answer. It wasn't like she was his actual wife, or even close friend. She didn't need to worry about him. Right? Yes, obviously.
She didn't have time to fret over this slip up, because at that moment Cinder came barreling through the door, eyes blazing and feet pounding across the floor. In a single leap he vaulted over the counter and fell into a crouching position next to Scarlet's feet.
In response, Scarlet stood straighter and grabbed a butcher's knife from the counter, lifting it above her before Cress could stop her.
Within seconds, several policeman and an extremely large man burst through the door, even more out of breath and armed with clubs and whistled. The screeches filled their ears and Cress grimaced, grabbing onto Thorne's sleeve to try and comfort him, while seeking answers herself. He didn't seem to like the comfort very much, standing slowly while brushing her shaking hand off as if it were a speck of useless dirt. He folded his arms and leaned against the table. She sank back into the chair, looking around wildly, feeling the blood rush and her heart pound.
Below her, Cinder was holding a finger to his mouth, silently begging them to remain silent. Wolf glanced down at him, then looked at his wife, who currently resembled an ax murderer. He whispered.
"Love, I do believe those vegetables are good. We won't have to worry about them. The ones by the door though, they might need to be thrown out." She paused from her knife wielding as the metaphor sunk in. she sent one more distrusting glance at Cinder before setting the knife down and walking briskly to the officers.
"Vat can I do for you gentleman this morning?" Her voice was quiet and calm, and Cress admired her bravery.
Once the large man had caught his breath, he had quite a lot to say.
"We are searching for a young rascal, one running from the law. He's gotten away from us before. Calls himself the king of the newsies, like he's royalty. If you know anything it is your duty to share it with us. Or you will be considered enemies of the law." Tension filled the room as Wolf froze.
"How dare you speak to my wife that way, you insolent fool."Ze'ev snarled, making to attack the man until Scarlet stopped him. She stood firm and glared at the large politician. Meanwhile Thorne was stiff next to Cress, his jaw clenched and his body very still. Cress wondered what was making him so furious. That man had been annoying, true, but Thorne didn't exactly have the best manners either. So what was bothering him?
"Sir, there is no need to be rude to us. That might dissuade people from 'elping you in ze future."
The man at least had the decency to look abashed.
"My apologies, madam. It's just that this boy has caused us many problems in the past. Claiming to be the politician's son from out of wedlock, which produced a huge and false rumor that went around for several years, not to mention stealing large amounts of food. The sooner we catch this criminal the better."
Thorne spoke up this time, making their group jump in surprise.
"Sorry officers, there's no one here but us." He cracked a half smile, making Cress look down awkwardly.
The officers seemed to take this as enough proof, so they walked out without so much as a glance behind them.
The politician sniffed, glancing around the inn once more before following his gang.
Everyone seemed to breath a sigh of relief, and then immediately after gag as the smoke reached them.
"My kitchen!" Scarlet wailed, running back around the counter to yank the burning stew from the stovetop. Cinder ran out from under the bar, his eyes streaming and face smudged with coal from the floor. He stood and faced them all once the smoke had cleared and they'd stopped coughing. Cinder looked a little sheepish, rubbing his hands together before stuffing them into his overalls.
"I's have to be thanking youse for your help. I know that musta been hard for youse, so I owe ya one." When no one responded, he seemed at a loss of what to say. Then he caught sight of Thorne, who was facing the corner wall, and grinned broadly.
"Ah, so da patient is been back on his feet eh? 'Ow's he doin?"
Cinder made the brutal mistake of clamping his hand down on Thorne's shoulder, and the next thing anyone could see was his purple face being slammed against the wall. Cinder flailed, his face contorting in fear and bewilderment. His too-big boots fell off his feet as he was lifted into the air and pressed against the wallpaper.
Cress yelped in shock, Ze'ev shouted and Scarlet dropped the pan she'd been carrying to the sink. But Ze'ev was all the way across the room, and Scarlet was behind the kitchen door, to far to prevent him. Thorne looked horrifying, and Cress felt her knees give out as Cinder gasped for breath.
She sunk to the floor, all of her dreams rushing back.
Her head hitting the wall, his sneer, the betrayal...I'm no hero, Cress.
What was going on?
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, you imbecile?! You can't even escape the feds once they're on your tail. Don't you get it? They'll never stop hunting you down, and you will put everyone you ever cared about in danger until you get caught. You'll have to constantly be on the run, away from anything and everything familiar. THEY WON'T JUST GIVE UP! You make one more slip-up like this and you're as good as d-dead." His loud voice cracked at the end, and with one more thrust, Cinder's head smashed against the wall, splitting it in two. Rubble crumbled down, and behind her Cress could hear a moan as the structure came tumbling to the floor.
But Cress couldn't take her eyes off of Cinder's kicking figure. Blood was slithering across her neck from behind his ears, and he was still struggling for breath, but that wasn't what caught Cress's terrified attention. No, it was the hair beneath the hat that had fallen when it hit the wall.
A ponytail of dirty blonde hair swung with each kick and twist Cinder attempted. It was true. Cinder was a girl. That was why she was so skinny, and her features were unnaturally soft. That was why she took care of those kids so much. It all made sense now. The mystery was over.
Cress felt her mouth gap open. She was the only one who could see the girl's face from the angle Thorne was bashing her in. She was the only one who could see that Cinder would pass out or worse if Cress didn't do something. This all happened within a few mere seconds.
With one last prayer he wouldn't turn on her, she launched herself into him and knocked him down. Normally her weight wouldn't have phased him, but it was so unexpected that he came crashing, losing his grip on Cinder at the same time. They hit the floor with a sob and a grunt, their bodies stirring the dust and dirt into swirls around them.
In the blurry background Cress could hear the gasps as Cinder's hair was revealed while she was scrambling to escape the inn. She wasn't crying, but her face showed resentment and fear, a lethal combination. Scarlet rushed after her,
She was still on top of Thorne, but the minute he recognized it was her, his features softened.
"Cress..." She scrambled off, and he frowned when she spoke nothing. Cress didn't know what to make of him. Tears dripped down her face, hot and fresh. Cinder's pain just moments before had been her everyday life, and the man to help her escape it had just inflicted it. But he'd been in pain too. Why was he in pain.
Before he left the room, he turned around and spoke to the girl no longer in the room.
"Don't make the same mistake I did, boy."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thorne had disappeared. He wasn't in the room, and the only clue was the window above the fire escape, which had been left open, filling the bedroom with the harsh reality; Thorne had snapped. And none of them knew why.
Or were willing to admit it.
Cress had joined Scarlet and Cinder at Iko's shop, where they were resting and trying to make peace with the battered girl-in-hiding.
Iko had closed the shop earlier than usual as a lunch break for them, and Cress felt a surge of gratitude towards their spunky friend. She'd curled up on the couch, wiping Cress's tears away with a silk hankie.
"Hush now, I'm sure it was just the injury getting to him. Men do have their anger issues, we women have had to deal with it for centuries. At least their good looks make up for it. Well, most of the time." Iko spared a glance at Cinder's purple and black neck before looking down at Cress, who was holding back whimpers.
Scarlet had said nothing. Not a single word in the past half hour. Her face was as red as her name, and she looked vengeful. Cress hoped desperately she knew something they didn't, something that would explain why Thorne had thrown away the gentleman act.
"This is my fault. He was right, if I hadn't shown up, I wouldn't have caused any of you this pain." Cinder muttered, looking down at her bruising hands and fiddling with the sling still wrapped around her shoulder. Her tangled hair had fallen out of the knot and was hanging to her collarbone, looking limp and sweaty. She was a complete mess.
"Nonsense! You were the one who's head busted the wall! There's no way this was your fault. You knew you could come to us, we're your friends, and what kind of friend doesn't help another out?!" Cress was practically pleading for her to give up the guilt. She couldn't have her in any more pain. It was too much like looking in a mirror.
Cinder wasn't very good at listening. She was standing now, pacing rapidly while rubbing her injured arm.
"It doesn't matta that it's my fault anyways, they'll come for me soon. They still searching the streets, and sooner or later they will find out youse is helping me. Youse have all put yourselves in a ton of danga becuda me." her brow was furrowed, sweat hanging off her as she continued to walk back and forth, back and forth.
"Alright. Ok. We have a few options. First, we continue to hide you at our risk, knowing that we are doing the right thing. Hopefully the rallies and protests will be enough to distract them. Second, we could-"
"Cut my hair." It wasn't a question. They all turned and stared at her, and if she hadn't been dead serious she would've laughed at their expressions.
"Cress, I know this whole kind of thing is new to you, but we don't really have time to joke." She glanced around, eyeing Scarlet's suspicious expression and Iko's concerned one. But Cinder, now Cinder seemed to have figured it out. A blank expression filled her face, and she nodded.
"Well, thank youse for ya help, but I should bes gone now." She gave Cress a quick jerk of her head, motioning to the doorway before walking off, feigning nochancalnce. Cress counted to ten, then pretended to notice that Cinder had left her hat.
"Wait, Cinder! Hang on!" She ran for the exit, heart pounding as the plan formed in her head. Cinder was waiting for her across the street, hiding in the shadows.
"Youse look like ya have an entire speech planned for me. Let's hear it." Cress was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Let's switch places!!"
Cinder's jaw dropped.
"Oh, come on. I'm on the run too, and being stuck in the inn, chances are they are going to find me. If you impersonate me and I do the same for you, we could both be safe. And before you say it isn't safe being a newsie, I'm already friends with your friends, so I will be fine. And once I'm out of the picture, Thorne will be more calm and able to relax. His job will be finished, and Scarlet would love to help you. You could spend this time not having to worry about pretending. I'm sure they wouldn't recognize you if you wore my clothes and all."
"You've forgotten about the fact that they are looking for me...and so you will be in a ton of danger constantly!"
"But they will realize they've got the wrong person. They will have to let me go and then they might assume you've skipped town altogether. Come on Cinder, admit it this could work."
Cinder closed her mouth once more, closing her eyes with it, scrunching up in concentration. Seconds of waiting stretched to minutes, and Cress felt ready to burst. She hopped from one heel to another, begging her silently.
Cinder finally threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. Fine. But wes will keep in contact. If anything happens, youse have to swears to me you will let me know and we switch back. Understand me?" Cress nodded, grinning through her laugh.
Ten minutes later, they were sitting in the Newsie's Lodging House, Cress with her eyes squeezed shut and Cinder behind her, frowning at a pair of rusty barbershop scissors.
"You sure you know what you're doing?"
Cinder smirked in the mirror reflection, and Cress swallowed loudly. She was positive her fingers couldn't grip the creaky stool any harder without losing circulation completely.
"Have youse seen my hair, honey? I can handle dis." And with that, the scissors closed with a click around the back of Cress's several feet of hair. She bit back a gasp.
Snip by snip, golden curls tumbled to the floor, a piece of memory with each one. Halfway through Cress finally got the courage to open her vivid green eyes to see her curls looking cleaner and prettier than ever before. The right side of her face had hair still hanging past her toes, but on the left side, the curls ended where her neck begun. She automatically felt her head tilt at the uneven weight.
"Just a few more...and then a few trims, almost there-aha!"
And with that, Cress stood up straight for the first time in 16 years. She laughed out loud as she spun her head, back and forth. The air reaching her neck was stunning, the weightlessness of it all enough to make her burdens and grief and stress diminish slightly.
Cinder didn't seem to find any of this very amusing.
"Glad you likes it, but wes don't have much time. Theys is gonna know soon that youse is gone, and theys is closing the lodgin house soon, so we's gotta switch clothes."
"Right. Ok. where are the rest of your clothes then?"
"Dis is all I's got. Guess it's not da same for youse?" She shook her head, biting her lip again in shame. Cinder turned away to change, but not before Cress caught a glint of anger in her eye.
In silence, they switched clothes, neither wanting to look at the other, one out of fear and the other out of slight resentment.
A few short seconds, and they were standing in front of the dingy mirror, staring at each other. Cress wore baggy trousers with suspenders hanging limp at her sides. The form-fighting nightshirt accentuated her small waist, but the bandages around her chest hid her figure. Her brand new hair was hidden in a knot underneath Cinder's beloved hat, with just a few strands falling across her forehead. To add to her appearance, she'd smudged some coal around and mushed it into her cheek and neck. It felt as if she was an actress in a play, faking the part.
Cinder, on the other hand, looked as though she didn't quite recognize herself. She'd forgotten what it felt like to not be wearing gauze beneath her shirt, but now she truly looked like a woman. The dress was a little on the short side, but because of her small figure she still felt comfortable. She swished back and forth, eyeing herself this way and that. The ponytail was gone, replaced with her straight locks. Cress had helped her pin parts of it back to fit with the normal style. They'd used more coal to highlight her eyes, and pinched her cheeks so they were rosy. She felt a little terrifying.
The sling, of course somewhat diminished the effect, but it would have to be good enough for now.
After a very brief review of modest grammar, Cinder left through the fire escape ladder to join Cress's friends. Cress prayed they wouldn't try to find her or be too mad. She was doing this for everyone's safety. Besides, it was time to stop letting other people suffer for her. She was helping someone else for once, and that was all that mattered.
With that thought in mind, she snuggled under the tiny blanket on her top bunk, ignoring the squeaking of rats in the walls and ants below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"She. Did. VHAT?!?" Scarlet's yell seemed to shake the ground. Cinder had to grit her teeth to keep from flinching. Ze'ev was already tending to the bar, ignoring every and anything that would distract him, so she at least didn't have to worry about another angry man on her case. She grimaced at the thought, rubbing her neck self consciously.
Scarlet humphed, tapping her foot furiously against the floorboards.
"I'm vaiting, young lady. You better tell moi the w'ole story, or--"
"Lady, I is older than youse. And why wouldn't I wanna tells ya da whole story? I need youse's help for the plan to even work."
Scarlet seemed to soften a little at this, sitting on one of the barstools, but Cinder didn't miss the tiny detail that her fists were still clenched. Cress would love to find out her friends really did love her.
She sat beside her, trying her best to explain Cress's plan without making it sound foolish. The redhead didn't look too convinced.
"She truly believed that trading places vould keep you two safe?!"
"Well, it kinda sounded betta when she was sayin it." Cinder mumbled. She'd never really been good at speeches.
Scarlet was quiet for a long time, fiddling with her braid and staring into the floor. Cinder shifted in her seat, somewhat anxious. The uncomfortable dress wasn't helping too much. How could girls live in this stuff all the time?
"Look, I know zat Cress vould be begging for me to 'elp you, and until I figure out a better plan than this foolish one, that is vat I vill do." She didn't look happy about it, not one bit.
Cinder felt a genuine smile flit across her face, the first in a few weeks.
"Thanks, sista. Eh, I guess I is gettin Cress's bed fa now?" Scarlet simply nodded, brushing wisps out of her face before heading to the hallway.
Cress's room was the only one unlocked. Cinder guess Thorne hadn't shown up yet.
But to her surprise, there was someone already in the room. She grabbed the nearest item to her; a lamp, and aimed it at the intruder.
"Cinda, don't shoot!!! Don't you recognize ya own sista?!" The smaller figure stepped out of the darkness, letting the moon hit her. A young teenager was beaming at her, her tiny hands raised in surrender but her playfulness still showing through her twinkling brown eyes. Dark chocolate hair poked out from underneath a knit cap that matched Cinder's, with a blue undershirt instead. Cinder automatically felt herself relax.
Peony.
(Peony will be played in this story by my friend and fellow author, TheRealPrimRoseEverdeen. Check out her stories too, they're awesome!)
"Sorry. Youse just gave me the shivas for a sec. I didn't think anybody was gonna be in 'ere." Peony laughed, giving her a tight hug before flopping on the bed.
"Well I couldn't let youse get away withouta goodbye, now could I?" Cinder frowned, sitting beside her and setting the poor lamp back on the desk.
"Did Cress tell youse da plan?"
Peony nodded, her grin fading to a worried look.
"Youse is sure dat youse is gonna bes okay? Promise?" Her eyes filled with tears, and Cinder felt her heart hurt. "I hate dis. Always runnin, havin to worry everyday 'bout whedda or not my big sis is gonna get thrown behind da bars. Youse almost neva sell papes with me any more, Cinda. I miss youse."
The tears were turning to quiet sobs now, and Cinder pulled her sister in close, shutting her own brown eyes to keep the sadness in. This was her fault. Her poor sister, because of Cinder's mistakes, was now living on the streets in constant danger because of her. Guilt wrapped itself around her stomach and squeezed, making it hard to breathe. Her body shook with the force of Peony's tears, making them both slowly slide into kneeling onto the floor.
She kissed the crown of her sister's forehead, rubbing slow soothing circles into her back.
"Wes is gonna be okay. Dis could save us. And besides, I need time to figa out da plan for the next strike, ya hear? So I need ya ta be tough. Can ya do dis for me?" Peony nodded into her shoulder, and Cinder felt her take a trembling breath to steady herself.
"Yeah. Yeah, I's can do that." Cinder forced herself to smile.
"I love ya."
"Love ya too, big sis." Peony kissed her on the cheek, then hopped over the windowsill and into the night.
The second she let Cinder hit a wall. Falling onto the bed with a sigh, she curled up in her dress, ignoring all thought and letting her exhausted body take over, darkness bringing peace. For now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thorne was napping. He was curled up amid a mound of flour bags behind Scarlet's Bed and Breakfast. At the time, he knew they wouldn't think to look for him so close to where he'd run from. But at the same time, it wasn't like he could go far anyway. He was out of sight from the view of the window, and that was all he needed. He had sat down to calm down and figure out why the heck he'd just tried to strangle a young boy he knew nothing about, and within 3 minutes he was drooling all over a 2 pound coarse sack. He rarely dreamed, but due to his eyes decided rather rudely to quite working, his mind was creating his view for him. The black slowly faded into light, bringing him into a meadow...She was curled into a ball underneath the tree, her hair spilling down her back and tumbling onto the grass. Leaves littered the ground around her like a blanket, like nature itself wanted to wipe away her tears. Even in her misery, it appeared as if she was a tiny sprite.
He sat down next to her. "What's wrong, faerie?" He couldn't seem to resist brushing a few strands of golden hair out of her face.
She looked up, the dirt tinging her tears the slightest shade of brown over her freckles.
"I'm not a faerie."
"You look like one." He said, but she was already shaking her head.
"No, 'cause faeries are beautiful and graceful, and my mother says I'm clumsy and an embarrassment. So I can't be a faerie, you see." A tear slipped down her face again, and she hung her head. "I ran away because I don't like being a disappointment. Do your parents hate you, too?"
His eyes widened, surprised. "My parents love me! Your parents do, they have to, they're your parents. That's the rule."
"My mother and father broke that rule." She looked up at the tree as another leaf fell to the ground. She caught it before turning to him and offering it. "I like it here 'cause the trees hide me from everyone. Can you hear them whispering?"
She looked at him expectantly, so he closed his eyes and really listened. The girl was right. The wind whistled through the branches, causing the leaves to rustle as if they were whispering a secret message.
"When I hear that," she whispered, "I don't feel so scared anymore."
He nodded, not being able to tear his eyes from hers. The sun gently eased through the clouds, light growing until he couldn't see her any more.
When the light cleared, he became aware subconsciously that he'd gone ahead a few years, into his teens. This part he knew was a real memory.
He stood a few feet away from the building he'd grown up in, watching his younger self open the door and step out into the cold rain. He was shivering, and moments before stepping out into the wet, Thorne could see the trail of tears and looked away, embarrassed to see himself like this. He had to admit though, he was handsome even that.
By this point his mother and father had died in the factory fire. He'd been living in their abandoned apartment for several months before the police found out. He must've just been caught.
His younger self sat on the stoop, his head in his hands. Nearby, a woman was setting a fresh pot pie on her windowsill. Thorne could see the steam rising and drifting, slowly, slowly...Younger Self's head went up, sniffing the air like an animal. Scrambling up from the step, he crept across the street, pressing himself to the wall, carefully edging towards the open window. Thorne sucked in a breath, silently pleading. This was the moment that determined his future. He recognized it now. But it was too late. Younger Self had his hands on the hot pie, and it was over. Carswell Thorne the orphan was now a theif, and he would remain that way for another 10 years.
Thorne grimaced openly as he watched his figure run into the alleyway, his fingers still sticky with sauce.
The scene faded and Thorne ended up sitting in the police station, his now pretty similar self leaning back in the chair, his arms folded, or as much as they could be with handcuffs in the way. The policeman seemed to be on the brink of exploding.
"Look, you've been implicated in all of these crimes. It'd be in your best interest to answer my questions simply." His other self sighed, a smirk painted on his face. But Thorne knew better. He'd been scared out of his mind during this. It was the first and only time he'd been caught.
He'd escaped charges before, numerous times. Over the ten years, he'd started working for private hire, doing jobs for all kinds of low life's and greedy gang members with large bank accounts and ignorant minds. He'd learned that charm was the number one way to anyone's heart, and anyone's money. So charming he became, perfecting his mask until even he didn't recognize himself in the mirrors sometimes.
He frequented bars, parties, and galas, each week bringing another glamorous and vibrant woman at his side. He lived a life of disguise and daring, and at the time he thought there was no other way to live.
"Look officer, I appreciate how seriously you take your job. That's a sign of real determination right there, and I can think of several fellow colleagues I know that would love to meet you. But anyways-"
"Flattery will not work behind bars, you idiot! Who do you think I am?!"
"Well your desk had a Barney McCormick on it, so I'm assuming that's what you like to be addressed as."
Thorne was starting to be annoyed at his younger image.
"All it takes from me is two tiny words and you are in the gallows, boy. I'm going to ask you one more time, and that's it. Who was your employer for the attempted heist at the LeCourtier's residence?"
At the precise moment Thorne opened his mouth, most likely to say something else completely foolish and vague, the door opened without a knock.
Mr. and Mrs. LeCourtier themselves entered the room, choosing not to spare a glance at the bewildered officer.
"We'd like to ask you a few questions, robber."
"Ah, see that is where you are mistaken, Mr. LeCourtier. You see, I in this case would, had I committed the crime, be called a theif and not a robber. Robbers show violence and break in. A theif simply takes what they choose, leaving with manners and elegance."
"It's stolen property. Nothing about that is elegant or mannerly." Robert all but roared, but Thorne had his smile firmly in place and was on what he liked to call a "roll."
"Yes well, we can't all be perfect, Mr. LeCourtier."
The policeman scoffed at this, causing Robert to finally take notice of him.
"Ah, my good man," He smiled through clenched teeth, everyone seeing how fake it was. "We'd like to take to the boy alone for a few minutes. We hope you don't mind." He was a bumbling mess as he left, glancing every few seconds over his shoulder at the cold couple.
The second he was gone, their smiles left with him.
"Now, I know that you know what's at stake here for you if you do not accept our offer." Mrs. LeCourtier had taken over.
"Here's what we suggest for your future; work for us. We have several factories and other businesses, but we need someone to keep tabs on certain...acquaintances. You would work full time on very good pay to follow and learn about these people. You inform us of all, and if necessary, get to know them and their secrets.
Don't worry about your reputation, we can have you erased from all systems. You will no longer exist. We already have a series of papers for you to have as identification." As she spoke, her voice brisk and shrill, Robert was handing him a stack of papers and images. They'd somehow gotten his photograph, giving him a new age and name.
"Carswell Thorne? What kind of name is that?" Two harsh glares were fixed on him immediately.
"It's better than Eugene, deary." She hissed, and he nodded, shutting his mouth.
"As we were saying, you will be expected to not ask questions. Keep in mind we are keeping you from twenty years or more to prison."
"Do you agree to these terms?"
"With all due respect, I don't think you've given me a lot of options, Mr. and Mrs. LeCourtier." it was true. There was a gun jammed into his knee under the table. They didn't skip a beat as he calmly reached under to disarm him with one quick twist of the wrist.
"That is why we picked you, Mr. Thorne. From this moment, you will stay out of contact with anyone you might've known before until further notice. They might come in handy later on, we have yet to find conclusive evidence of that." They stood, Robert slipping the gun under his jacket in one quick movement.
"Thank you for your time. In a few moments another officer will come to release you and hand you a new set of clothes. Take these to the local pub, change, and meet at our place in 30 minutes. I hope you remember the address." With one more glare, they were gone.
With a shout Thorne awoke, a pounding headache and a body on the ground. Sweating, feeling ready to heave onto the pavement, he groaned as he stood and felt along the wall until he made it to the stairwell.
He had to resort to climbing on his hands a knees to prevent from falling off, mumbling curses the whole while.
"Cress? You in there? I wanted to explain about earl--"
"AAAAAACK!!!!" For some odd reason, as his attacker screamed she felt the need to throw a lamp shade at his face, hitting him square in the jaw.
"....ok, OUCH. WHY WOULD YOU HIT ME?"
"You tried to KILL me today! WHY WOULDN'T I?!" ah. So it was the boy.
"Cinder?"