Hellfire gym never bustled in the early hours. It's main populous surged later on in the evening because of the harsh working hours needed to maintain its membership. Not many working class people could have one assuming they had earned a prestigious invite from Amber Angel. There were ways about this however, Janeth Heych makes most of Amber's income in the drug trade she specialises in bear jaw inhalers even managing to spread the older drugs that had moslty dissolved out of popularity in favour for the high tech alternatives. Amber Angels methods are as unpredictable as her flaming temper though An example being Bex quarts a run of the mill midweight that simply reminded her of herself when she fought up until a year ago. Of course only some of these truths were being expressed in the documentary quietly playing on the TV screen opposite the crimson laid queen size bed. Naturally the little information the media had on the crime baroness was exaggerated and completely romanticised in areas of interest to the few who watched it. Its small flickering light illuminated a fraction of the room which was for the most part blanketed in darkness, a gun lay on the bedside table beside a book on ancient history. Metal blinds tightly clung together letting in no light and no way for the floating dust to escape it is very clear that the room is barely used.
A beep followed by a breif green light above the now open door in which stood two silhouettes moving slowly toward the aformentioned bed one of them threw the other onto it or more accurately next to it only the head and right arm making it onto the soft blanket. Still standing the first silhouette begrudgingly waved a hand over the panel selecting the option that cracked open the blinds loudly a blade of purple light from a nearby neon sign landed on her face. As expected the hustle and bustle of busy buses, taxis and delivery drones was far louder than a documentary which the woman under the purple blades haphazardly switched over to an interesting show discussing the morality of cybernetics and body mods.The purple blades phased to a blinding white with the passing of a pacifier police drone.
" urgh, fucking narcs "
The half bed laid silhouette shuffled in place on the floor hissing after the inspection of a bleeding deep cut above her ear. This Soon grabbed the attention of the first woman as she too moved into the purple blades.
" Amber? "
No response was heard in its place there was only the low humming of passing cars filling the gaps in the sharpened silence.
Red fabric crumpled in a hand that squeezed with whitened knuckles while Arabella pulled herself up and rolling onto her back facing Amber who solemnly sat on the opposite side in silence. In ignorance of the failed attempt previously she spoke with Broken sentences.
" Amb-Amber w-w-where- "
" My apartment. "
" Wh-what happ- "
" What the FUCK! do you think happened? Hmmm? Can't talk can you? If only I hit you harder maybe it would knock some fucking sense into you! I can't bel- "
The raising tension was left to sink into the air when a high pitched ringing buzzed from Amber's cybernetic, blinking blue at the wrist.
" You. You. "
Arabella quivered as Amber stumbled her words seething with her jade eyes roaring with flaming rage. Pointing at the weakened girl pacing on the other side of the room between the blades of blue.
" what? Oh your fucking me. How many? I can't right now I'm with- no yeah your right cool ill be over in ten blow out the candles. "
Amber as per usual wasn't shaken by the obviously distressing call, or at least she wasn't showing it which was the conclusion Arabella would settle for in most cases when giving it thought. Amber laid her eyes back onto Ara who by now was sitting up on the bed. She kept this fierce eye contact when rolling up her sleeves then stifly motioning toward the black and silver handgun laying next to the book of ancient history. Routine had made Arabella learn to understand Amber's wordless requests and she wasted no time in taking up the gun in one hand dragging the barrel against the table and her skin while trying not to drop it, the weight of it made all of the muscles in her arm strain even against the seams of the dress.
" oi frog listen I need you to get your ass over here and help get my bitch in bed I- yeah just like help her get about and shit just make her fucking ready for me when I'm back you got me? Hurry the fuck up then "
" Maya? Amber why her? "
" I got her for you didn't I? "
" You got- what? "
" gotta go. Come here "
Jolting Aras head up with the cold barrel of her gun she forced her lips onto hers and Arabella of course didn't dare resist her. Her breath smells strongly of expensive whiskey and tobacco, yes the usual. With that she was left alone. Left alone under the neon blade.
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It didn't take long for Maya en Stroude to awkwardly walk through the doorway freezing up visibly seeing the state Arabella was left in. Though her concern was layered, the first and more urgent layer was if she was ok and knowing Amber's temper if she was even alive. The second layer was a kind hearted worry of awaking her if she had managed to get to sleep through the TV and stuffy humid Heat bellowing from the open slats.
" Madame? Are you Well? "
" Go away Maya "
Ara spoke with much effort and strain groaning with closed eyes.
" Your head. You are hurt "
Having made her way over to the bed she had somehow made no noise which surprised Ara who was watching her closely through squinted eyes to appear as though she wasn't looking. Though she jerked hard seeing the dark shadow of a hand reaching toward her hitting her head again against the headboard in the very same place she was already hurt.
" NO, God fuck! "
Clutching her head she batted her eyelashes fighting away tears.
" I told you to piss off! I didn't ask you here! She did! And while she treats me like I can't walk without her watching me I certainly don't need you here to prove her point! "
By now she used the anger surging throughout her to stand up ignoring her blurry vision and subconsciously thinking her rage was misplaced when Maya hadn't moved at all, her hand still where it was when she had struck it away.
Once again like in most of their encounters thus far a silence sat between them, it lingered for only a few seconds as Arabella attempted to prise a response from Maya.
" Why are you still here? "
This time her voice was quiet and pained using the lack of response as a reason to turn away from her and facing the slats beside the bed. Yes, while the city was famous for its crime syndicates and weekly deaths both crime related and suicides it sparkled at night as if it was designed to be the perfect shroud. The moments she took to reflect were enough to pull the tears from her eyes which ran down her cheeks, none of her makeup was ruined of course courtsy of Amber's expensive tastes.
Lowering her head and sobbing quietly she felt a burn in the pit of her stomach imagining what she must look like to Maya who only came to help her.
" Maya i- "
That didn't matter however.
Maya wasn't there.
Wiping her eyes Arabella went into a panic, running towards the door she burst into the humid city night receiving dirty looks from passing drifters and looks of confusion from the few people who recognised her. There wasn't any reason or any explanation behind her actions but she ran anyway checking the faces of every person around her until she was in the empty basketball court behind the apartment building. The sun had half set in an explosion of purple and orange which could only just be seen behind the thick grey mask of smoke. it was then she realised she was lost.
" Hello there miss, lost your way?"
A woman in a long coat with leather gloves stood leaning against a basketball hoop on the opposite side to Ara who approached her cautiously a long drag from a cigarette spread an orange glow illuminating blue and purple dreadlocks she bore multiple scars all over her face most notable of them being a thick burn on her cheek with pale white flesh in splodges around the edges in harsh Contrast to the rest of her appearance. That was what stopped Arabella in her tracks the hood fell when her face jumped upwards and Ara could barely see her luminant green eyes, she was one of Amber's Archers. The city was dense and hard to track so it always seemed more efficient to place 1 extremely skilled agent in each district to maintain a chain of command the term archers came from their use of their mostly cybernetic bodies ( a method of showing one's dedication) to see at incredible distances and to use a silent bolt fired from their outer arms.
" anneese. I need to get back to Amber's "
" do you know...most of our unit have wondered what the fuss was about you, I suppose I'm the one that gets the chance to find out. "
" Amber will- "
The girl in black stepped closer, looking her down then up again in the time it took to finish her cigarette throwing the still smoking butt at Arabellas feet.
" You think I am scared of her? Some washed up crime baroness? Any of us could beat her! some fuckin foreigner beat her a year ago now she just picks up the pieces. Walking around claiming whole areas to herself. She even claimed you didn't she? "
" Listen y-y-you don't need to do this, I don't want to hurt you I j-j-just want directions "
" The little girl thinks she can make threats. You know who I am? I was a marine! We served under the flag! I get back and I'm told to bend my knee for some nobody. You. Your gonna come with me and I'll fetch me enough to get my limbs back. "
By now she was close enough her breath was on Aras forehead it smelt better than Amber's breath but not by much revealing hidden knives attached to her wrists both of them of course were top of the range milotsry grade cybernetics. Arabella quivered as the woman placed a hand on her shoulder pressing the blade into it lightly.
" what you got whore "
The next few seconds weren't easy to recall because when the barefoot and already bleeding arabella hit the girl her dodge was fast and so was the blade that deeply imbedded into her shoulder down to its handle going straight through the other side of her dress, blood trickling down her side. She stumbled backwards.
" it's easier when they fight, it's OK you don't get why but I'll show you "
Arabella vomited violently after receiving the powerful blow to her stomach and the tears she couldn't contain almost blinded her.Time stood still as the black and purple hands lifted her onto her feet getting thrown over her the girls shoulder and whimpering from the still bleeding knife wound. Pulling her hood back over her face the girl began ascending the steps toward a nearby apartment block but Ara heard muffled conversation Only in the time it took for her to turn around to see who it was a much larger girl had grabbed the sides of anneeses head and pushing her backwards sending Arabella falling fast toward the concrete raising two clouds of thick dust when both girls bodies impacted the ground and igniting a scream in Arabella which fell silent with her loss of consciousness.
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" since when did marines attack and kidnap civilians? "
"Oh we did much worse over there Frenchie you don't know shit. She's mine, you'll have to try take her from me eh? "
Raising both of her gleaming hands a sinister grin spread across her face.
" I know more than you think little girl "
Though she never gave into fear Maya definitely knew she was at no advantage stretching both her arms outward and flexing her fists. The girl was on her quickly throwing her right fist at incredible speed going straight through the old steel sheet behind Maya who dodged under the arm grabbing it at the bicep and tearing it off completely before the resonatation had stopped. The girl didn't scream or even acknowledge it backing away and raising her only arm which thrummed before a heated bolt shot from it embedding itself deeply into Mayas stomach searing the flesh around the wound.
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Taking the arm that still hung from the hole in the steel sheet Maya slid it into a backpack and kneeled next to Arabella inspecting her shoulder.
The knife wound spat blood and when she slid her bruised and bloody hands under her thighs and neck more blood had began to pool underneath her which worried Maya enough to check her pulse lightly pressing two fingers into her neck. Breaking into a jog she didn't stop when an old fashioned phone rang and fell from her shirt pocket. Straining to check it she moved Arabella to her left arm flicking the phone with her right hand.
" You get her all sorted and shit?"
" no Amber she is wounded and I am going to take her to my brother to fix it "
" what happened maya "
Her tone made the question sound more like a demand although maya got the sense that this was more of an inconvenience than a concern, and she would be right to assume as Amber has never been one to care about anything especially her pet.
" She wished to get some air and was attacked by...some random drifter, she is dead now madame "
" saves me the bother, get her back when you can. Out "
With much difficulty Maya Dailed a number into her phone though she wasn't even slightly out of breath the difficulty came mostly from concern.
" What Maya? "
" Chipper as always Ettienne, I need you to get to the house and bring your surgical tools were moving tonight but the package is damaged "
" Oh merde I've been looking forward to this. I'll be there "
" down tell Jack "
" fine "