ONE
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EDEN
❝ i'm crazy, but you like that
i bite back, daisies on your nightstand
never forget, i blossom in the moonlight ❞
━━━ daisy, ashnikko.
FIONA SAT ALONE AT THE BAR. She was starting to get really used to it, actually. It was not like she needed or wanted companion, anyway. The whiskey was just fine and the place crowded. Lots of strange faces trying to make a move on her. She just shook her head no. At some moments, she would gave them her middle finger, showing the tiny golden gun attached to her pulse.
The alcohol shivered through her bones. She inhaled deeply. Her mind was troubled, haunted by too many ghosts. It always had been this way. Too many emotions, memories and sensations. She managed to get everything under control, eventually, but it wasn't easy. Nothing in her life was easy.
"Did you invite guests over without telling me about it, Fi?", a male figure sat just beside her. His eyes darker than a starless night sky. Dirty blond hair pulled back, lips so thin that were almost invisible and a smirk on his endured face.
"What kind of guests, Dante?", the pink haired woman replied, voice fulled with a Scottish accent, "I won't take care of the fucking drug dealers again. This shit is getting boring.", she took a long, acid sip of her drink, eyes still focused on what was happening in the surroundings.
"They're your guests, dear, not mine.", Dante took the whiskey away from Fiona, "I don't wanna see them again, anyways. That Butcher guy is trouble, and Eden doesn't need this kind of shit."
And then, Dante left Fiona to her own. The woman stood still, too shocked to do something. She was going insane, probably. What the hell Billy Butcher was doing on Eden? She couldn't work with him anymore. She was trying to do a different kind of job. Protect those women at Eden, kill some bastards and kick the pervs out of the bar. But she knew he wouldn't leave her alone until he got what he came for.
"Shit, shit, shit.", she punched the balcony, eyes so wild she almost looked like a lion, "That fucking motherfucker—"
Fiona stood up, putting herself together and paying for her whiskey. She glanced at the back door, the "NO TRESPASSING" sign. That was the place. That was the hell.
"I'm coming for you, fuckers."
It was dark and the night was too cold. Hughie had never went to Eden. He didn't even know that Brooklyn had a place so fancy like the strip club itself. Maybe the club wasn't made for the population of Brooklyn, he thought to himself. Maybe it was meant for something bigger. Maybe it was meant for the supes.
"I'm already starting to regret this shit.", Frenchie was the first to speak up for the group, as they passed through Eden's back doors.
"For fuck's sake, grow some balls, little man.", Butcher rolled his wide eyes, while making himself comfortable on a small, red couch at the backstage of the nightclub.
Frenchie stared at him with such anger that Hughie decided not to intervene. It was not his place to talk about what was going on, anyway. He was completely clueless about that whole situation. The guy couldn't stop thinking about who the "killer queen" could be, and why she wouldn't see the boys if she knew they were visiting her.
"What the fuck you fuckers want?", a small female figure entered like a hurricane in the basement. She was so furious that her hair almost looked like fire.
The place went quiet for half a minute, maybe. Everyone staring at the woman standing at the door. She was a little short and skinny, but had some visible muscles, like an inventor would. Her eyebrows were thick and dark, almond green eyes that were maybe too big. Hair pink as a sunset, and a expression on her face of someone who definitely didn't miss her old companions at all.
"We really missed you too, mon amour.", Frenchie broke the endless silence, smiling and pulling away from the wall.
The woman did not laugh. She didn't seem happy, but her lips trembled a little. It was some sort of reaction that she couldn't contain. But it faded away too quickly. Her eyes were analyzing the group in front of her, arms crossed and frozen lips.
"I'm working, you know?", she said to Billy Butcher, "My boss doesn't want you here, Billy. Get the fuck out."
"Wow, calm down, sweetheart.", Butcher raised his arms in a false gesture of redemption, "Is this how you treat your friends?"
He had stepped too forward in her personal space, Hughie noticed by the way she looked at Butcher, like he was as unpleasant as the perverts who visited the bar.
"Shut the fuck up, Butcher.", MM entered the room. Wearing sunglasses and a black coat, he gave an open smile to the Scotswoman, "It's good to see you again, Fiona."
At that moment, the woman's angry countenance faded away. Her mouth turning into a warm smile and arms grabbing the tall man's body.
"Shit, I missed you, asshole.", she let him breathe, "Heard you got yourself a beautiful woman."
"Yeah, yeah, she's perfect.", Mother's Milk laughed shortly, "But how did you know about her?"
She seemed nervous for a moment, and glanced too quickly at Fenchie, kinda expecting him to not pay attention to her words.
"Cherie told me.", Fiona answered, "But she forgot to tell me that the bastard was back.", It didn't take a genius to know she was talking about Bucther.
"Wait, you were seeing Cherie?", The Frenchman gestured too quickly with his hands, eyes wild and anxious, "Why the fuck she hasn't said a word to me about it?"
Fiona said nothing. She just stared at the man's dark eyes and stood still. Hughie thought she was too strange. She seemed wild, reserved, fearless and strong. The kind of person he wouldn't like to disturb. But, at the same time, around people she actually liked, she was charismatic and radiant, and too preoccupied about hurting their feelings.
"Oh, so you and her were fucking, huh?", Billy gave a harsh laugh, "Now that's predictable."
"Still an asshole, huh?", Fiona stepped forward, standing right in front of her old partner in crime, "That's none of your damn business, Butcher."
"Don't worry about Frenchie's feelings, Fi. He's got a girlfriend now.", Billy smiled coldly.
"Shut up, fucker.", Frenchie punched Butcher's right arm and glanced at the Killer Queen, "Why haven't you talked to me?"
"I asked Cherie if you were fine, Serge.", her countenance softened a little — just a little, "She told me you were alright, living this fucking life of yours."
"And that was enough for you?", The Frenchman raised his eyebrows, clearly hurt by her words.
"I don't really have time for your shit right now.", she crossed her arms, staring at Frenchie like she was bigger than him — like she was better than him, "But yes, it was enough for me."
Frenchie clenched his fists, eyes still focused on the woman. He seemed furious, broken, abandoned. But he couldn't say a word.
"So you guys came here only to ask about my sex life or what?", Fiona raised her dark thick eyebrows, looking directly at Butcher, and trying — really hard — to pretend that Serge wasn't there.
"That's just adorable, but no.", Billy smiled coldly, "I'm here to talk business, dear."
"Business?", she couldn't believe that fucker, "Do you wanna get killed or what, Billy? I said I was done with you guys. All of you."
"Come on, Fi. It's just too good.", he tried to sell the job; miserably failing.
"I said no. Get out."
"Didn't know you've had become an alienated pussy, Fi.", the man insisted, pushing harder and harder into Fiona's limits.
"Butcher, we should go–", Hughie became extremely tense. He knew that nothing good was meant to happen out of that whole situation. He knew that the killer queen was going to, at some moment, explode.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I thought you were interested in taking down the supes.", Butcher raised his eyebrows, taking a few steps towards Fiona. She, on the other hand, took three steps backwards.
"Of course I am. But that shit ain't happening anytime soon.", her voice was too quiet now, like she was trying to prevent someone else from listening that specific topic of the conversation. Maybe her boss, maybe the clients of Eden; maybe an even bigger threat. Then, she finally saw Hughie; her eyes narrowed in confusion, "And, I'm sorry, but who the fuck are you?"
"Oh, shit, sorry. I'm Hughie.", the dark-haired guy forced a weak smile and extended his right hand as a greeting.
"Hugh... Campbell?", suddenly, Fiona seemed a lot more interested in him. But, still, she didn't accept his hand.
"Hm, yes."
Now, Hughie was just too scared to function. How could that woman know his full name? He had never seen her in his entire and mediocre life. And she was an inventor, a weapon maker. The woman could basically kill him right at that very moment.
"I read about what happened to your girlfriend. That's how I know your name.", she replied to his inner questions, as if knowing what he was thinking about.
"She has a pretty good memory.", added Frenchie.
"Shut up.", Fiona wouldn't look at the Frenchman, "I am very sorry for your lost, Hughie. But, please, don't let this drag you to a place you shouldn't go."
Instantly, the young man looked at Billy Butcher, who was very agitated while staring at Fiona.
"What are you implying, dear?", Butcher gave a sharp smile.
"You know very well what I'm implying. You're manipulating this guy just to get the revenge you've always wanted.", the pink-haired woman crossed her arms. She looked very tired, right now. It was obvious that she didn't want to be on the backstage of a strip club talking to the group of wanted criminals — and Hughie, of course — at that moment.
Billy Butcher inhaled deeply. Hugh Campbell kept staring at the man. He saw something in his look. Something almost invisible. Something too close to guilt.
"The guy killed Translucid, Fiona.", Butcher said as if it was an ancient legend.
"You pathological liar." , the Scotswoman rolled her eyes, "That's bullshit."
"So you don't believe that a weapon could kill a supe? Or you're just mad that it wasn't your weapon who did the job?", Butcher's eyes anxiously waiting for the woman to give in.
Hughie knew he didn't mean it. He knew he was just trying to get to her nerves, so that she would break and accept his damn offer. But, nevertheless, it seemed like that felt terrible to hear. And the whole room went quiet for a moment, too shocked to react.
"You're still the same bastard I've met years ago.", the killer queen relaxed her shoulders, opening a thin and almost imperceptible smile, "How did you do it?", she looked right at Hugh Campbell right now.
"Hm, I-", Hughie didn't know what to say, exactly, because he still had no clue how he had the guts to kill a fucking supe — to explode him, actually.
"We shouldn't be talking about this here.", Mother's Milk cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.
"Milkie's right.", added Butcher, "I know a place."
"Are you with us, mon amour?", Frenchie's puppy eyes pleaded for Fiona's acceptance.
The Scotswoman stared at every single man in that room. She looked uncertain, suspicious and fearful. But, still, something in her bones was craving for that chance; to be able to destroy that whole corrupt system. And that screamed louder than anything else.
"Don't make me regret this shit. Or I'll castrate you all."
Frenchie gave one of the biggest smiles in his entire life; and Butcher laughed just like an diabolical villain of some stupid cartoon.
"It seems fair.", Billy opened his arms in victory, "Welcome back, dear."