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II. White Robe; Open doors for dead woman walking
Topic Started: Oct 16 2009, 02:57 PM (1,875 Views)
Kayla

ANGELICA'S POV:

The concrete room was dead silent as I sit at the cold metal table, my wrists bound in cuffs. A single light shone above my head, illuminating the dark room. I placed my hands on the surface and shut my eyes.

My mind conjured up the same images over and over, the scene replaying in my head like a film. I saw myself kneeing the officer in the groin; when he doubled over in pain, I knocked him in the head. I confidently back-flipped away from him, failing to notice the team of officers who were slowly creeping up behind me. Sitting here, I reminded myself of this shameful defeat, and the words of Rouge came to mind: "Don't get cocky. Overconfidence will blind you and that will be your downfall." Downfall.

Of course, I had been arrested before. This was nothing new. But all the other times consisted of me making a great escape because I had planned to be taken in. This was no plan. I had lost. Failed. Game over....

Rouge. Of course Rouge. That woman was a large part of my life. I had known her since I was a child, but it was a habit of hers to disappear for several years, and in that time I wouldn't hear from my mentor at all. Technically, I only thought she left; in truth, she had secretly stayed nearby at all times to watch my every action. Through those years--and I recalled this with chagrin--she was my role-model, my idol. She was the one I looked up to, although I pretended otherwise to keep up the illusion that I need no one to guide me. I thought I was intelligent, that I was experienced and knew I could never let my guard down, but there was always that: my admiration for Rouge. That had been my downfall.

Many years ago--so long ago that I had lost count of time--I was a very unhappy child. My days were filled with worry and dread. When other children smiled, I frowned. When others laughed, I remained silent. I wept behind closed doors, afraid this would offend my parents. Yet I also supposed that families were there for one another and that unconditional love existed in all of us. I now knew love was the selfish desire for the company of another human, and in some cases it was simply a disguise for lust. My parents taught me much about this.

When I told my mother and father the reason I was upset, they shunned me and did not believe my words. It was apparent my pain did not matter to them. They pretended everyone was happy, that there is no hurt and no problems. No reality. They disguised their own misery, even from each other. This was their make believe, and all their lives were was one big game of playing house.

Long story short, I ran away; Rouge found me and befriended me, taught me how to defend myself. Then mother and father were killed, although I didn't know by whom. In the coming years, when Rouge was training me to be an assassin, I never gave up on the aspiration to avenge my parents' deaths.

So many years...too many. I went on believing she was someone I could look up to and count on, only to find out that she had used me for her own gain.

By this point, everyone had abandoned me--my parents, my friends, my love, my team, my mentor. It was no one's fault but my own. I allowed myself to become fooled by their guises. I softened and let my guard down, something I had trained myself not to do.

Naive. Ignorant. Foolish. Weak. Lazy. There was no forethought at all.

I was pathetic.

Here I sat in this cold, dark cell with only one light to banish the dark, but it hardly did any good. Electric light would not rid me of my own internal darkness; it was something that could not disappear with the flick of a light switch. The thoughts were still in my head, I couldn't make them go away. When someone hates another person, they keep their distance. It's human nature to not want to be in the presence of your enemy. What can you do when you hate yourself? To simply walk away is impossible. You can kill yourself but that does no good and will not solve the problem.

The problem was me, a small part of me. At first, after I had attempted to rid myself of all emotion and become what I needed to become, I thought perhaps I was going crazy, or maybe this 'part' of me had nothing to do with me at all. Maybe I was developing multiple personalities. Whatever it was, I was becoming soft. A small part in the back of my mind was telling me that killing is wrong. That it wasn't too late to change and turn myself in. I never did so, or at least not because of a guilty conscience.

Sitting in the cell, however, seemed a fit punishment. Not for killing, but for being gullible--for allowing myself to become so angry that I pursued Rouge with the intent of murdering her for letting me trust her. I had no strategy, only my own anger to guide me. I attacked too quickly; I allowed her to outsmart me. She gave an anonymous tip to the police and I was surrounded, arrested and fingerprinted. Now I was to be interrogated.

They told me I had the right to hire a lawyer. If I could not find one to represent me, they would provide a state attorney. I declined, however. I had been through countless interrogations in my career. I had experienced the good cop-bad cop routine. I've had my words twisted in a way that made me appear guilty. Foolish cops had even attempted to intimidate me to get me talking. I always knew exactly what to say.

I said nothing as the door creaked open and someone entered the room. I didn't even turn my gaze from the 'mirror' on the wall opposite me. I knew the questions would start, I knew what they would ask. The cop, whoever he may be, would start ranting about something that had no point and he would eventually lead up to a question that was supposed to trick me. Or frighten me. Whatever it was, I wanted it to be quick. I was in no mood to be talked down to by an overweight, big-headed officer who didn't know who he was dealing with.

There was a clicking sound against the floor. High heeled shoes. So this was a female cop. If I were in the mood I would've smirked. Bring it on.

The footsteps stopped beside me. Something was dropped on the table. I glanced at her, but she did not look at me. In the two seconds that I had my gaze on this woman, I studied her appearance. She had red hair, fair skin, and green eyes. She wore a sophisticated business suit. I didn't recognize her.

She looked down at what was on the table, a confident gleam in her eye. "Congratulations, Ms. Volkova," she purred. "You've made front page news today."

On the metal table lay a newspaper. The headline, I saw, was printed in larger words than usual.

VOLKOVA APPREHENDED,
ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS TO BE QUESTIONED

Yes, I had been caught. I supposed the city was now sighing with relief; unnecessarily, of course. I may have been the most powerful criminal out there, I certainly wasn't the most vicious. There were people who had far less sanity than I had and still lurked in alleyways. Me being behind bars would not change that. Unfortunately for the citizens, they were too naive to realize this.

The woman smiled, but it looked more like a sneer. She appraised me with a look I've seen before. Like she was trying to determine if I was really what I seemed to be all those years when I made headlines as Gotham's most cunning criminal.

"We were worrying you disappeared for good," she went on. "You must not forget to keep up appearances. With great power comes great responsibility," she added, then paused, possibly to gauge my reaction. I kept my expression blank. "You cannot act on a whim, Volkova. Honestly, I expected better from you."

Who was this woman, and who did she think she was?

With a quick movement of my hand, I knocked the newspaper away; it hit the floor with a thud. "What do you want?" I inquired coldly, keeping my face blank yet hostile. I looked straight into her eyes.

"I want your ear," the woman replied in the same superior tone as before, unfazed by my manner. "Listen to what I have to say, then I will leave."

"How did they let you get in?"

She grinned. "Gullible, naive fools, aren't they? I told them I'm your lawyer."

I didn't comment, although I agreed. Naive indeed. Then again, most people are.

She took a seat on the opposite side of the table and held my gaze. I noticed she sat elegantly, showing a hint grace and authority. Yet there was something about her posture. It screamed danger, like she could strike any second. "My name is Tess Mercer. I work for...." She hesitated for, perhaps, dramatic effect. "Perhaps you will learn more about my employer when you accept his proposition." She wants to keep me interested.

She paused, waiting for me to say something. What did she want with me? I never before met her in my life.

Breaking the silence was an act I refused and resented. I knew from experience as a figure of authority that staying quiet and observant, leaving the other person to speak first and stutter over their words, would give me in the upper hand. In this case, she would get it.

We stared at each other, waiting for one another to say something. Finally I, short on patience, broke the silence. "Who's the boss? Do I know of him?"

She seemed pleased, which made me angrier. "You have many contacts and you know many people. Perhaps you have heard of him. Maybe you even know him personally. Regardless, he prefers to sit back and watch his plans unfold." The corners of her lips twitched, threatening to break into another smile.

"What do you want?" I asked again through gritted teeth. I gripped the edge of the table to keep myself from beating her right then.

"My name is Tess Mercer, and what I have come for is simple: My employer wants you to work for him, and in return he will give you what you want."

I felt anger boiling in my veins at being told another insignificant human being wants me to work for him. I was Angelica Volkova, leader of the V-Squad, not a thug free for hire!

I opened my mouth to speak but she held her hand up, palm out, before I could get a word out. "Yes, yes, he knows you aren't the assistant type, obviously," she added quickly. "But...look at yourself." She motioned to the large wall-length mirror (which was technically a window) behind her, which was facing me. I glanced over her shoulder for a fraction of a second before turning my attention back to her. "You aren't exactly at the prime of your career anymore. You have been arrested not for the first time, but luck won't get you out now. Luck being, of course, your contacts and the judges you bribe...."

If I were stronger, I would surely break the corner of the table I was now gripping as if it would save my life.

"My employer has his contacts too, Volkova," Mercer continued, ignoring my expression, which was now furious and no longer controlled. "He knows that you attempt to pull strings, but your...lackeys are no longer intimidated by you. They can't be controlled as easily as they once were. I think you know this...." She studied me carefully for a moment, making me want to claw out her eyes. Then she sat back and crossed her legs, smirking. "Tell me, have you tried to contact your teammates? You have, I am sure it. They simply refuse to come forward and defend their brilliant leader. You mean nothing to them. You once meant fear and danger, now you're an ignorant weakling to them."

I lifted my arms and slammed my fists are the table, sliding forward in my seat. The table shook. I said everything in only two breaths.

"You know nothing about this! Don't pretend you do, don't pretend your boss has more resources than I do." My voice went lower, colder. "I can leave this place any damn time I wish, and that is when I am no longer entertained by the antics of these idiotic cops! I know exactly what I am doing, Ms. Mercer. I'm a professional, whereas you are simply an arogant erandgirl for your this mysterious boss of yours. You're in no place to size me up, seeing as you've made nothing of your life."

I sat straight again, a bit calmer now that I let out what I had been wanting to say. "If your master is looking for another thug, he sent you to the wrong woman." I ended this with my eyes still narrowed dangerously, but I was too exhausted to say more.

However, her expression did not change. She still looked as cocky as ever. She grinned again, as if she were pleased by the personal insults I had made. "Alright, Volkova." She scooted the chair back and stood up, pushing it neatly back into place at the table. "I promised I would leave when I gave you my proposition. You have declined, and that is choice. You are certainly not the only talented assassin on the streets, although I'm certain you disagree with this fact. I am sure my boss will be quite disappointed when I tell him you do not wish to join us....Even I am unhappy about it."

Her words didn't match her expression. She looked confident, not let down.

Mercer turned to walk to the door. She reached for the doorknob, pausing long enough to turn her head and add this: "You have turned down the only option you have left, so I suppose you plan to stay here and rot in prison, am I correct? By this point, there is no other choice. Good luck with your life. Your talents will truly be missed for now on."

I thought I saw her frown for a fleeting second. Perhaps my eyes were fooling me in this dim lighting. "We are sorry you have turned down this opportunity to make something of what is left of your life. Goodbye, Volkova."

And with that, Tess Mercer turned the knob, stepped out, and shut the door behind her with a startling echo.

She disappeared from my life as fast as she had appeared, leaving me alone once again in this dark room with only uncomforting thoughts and questions as company.

END OF ANGELICA'S POV.
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lost_dark_soul

Fiona walked through the halls of the V Squad base. The running of this whole base now rested on her shoulders. the usual Leader Angelica had gotten herself arrested. The foolish women. Yet Fiona tried nothing to stop it. She didn't have time, and after the performance she'd given while pregnant, Fiona thought she'd be safer in jail where she could do little harm to herself and others.

Now she had to run everything, with no back up. Fiona walked into the meeting room and sat down. She needed a plan of action to continue things. With the rest of the team in other countries, she needed them all back as soon has was possible and to let them know what had happened.
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Kayla

Angelica had no pity on Fiona. She had been betrayed. She had never put trust in anyone, and the one time she did, she was betrayed.

The one chance she could've stopped Rouge. That woman never stayed in one place.

Angelica had her at gunpoint. No harm would have come to her or the baby. But the cops approached and ruined everything, because Fiona thought she had to serve the cops instead of being loyal.

Sitting her jail cell, she couldn't stand to even think of the blond girl.

It had been two days since she was arrested. She was supposed to have been bailed out. They did indeed betray her, after she gave them high positions of power, after she has created the organization they worked in.

So long ago, when Fiona had first come, she said she didn't want to take over the V-Squad. Angelica should have known. She let herself believe they would start a family together. She opened up to one person, and that person did this to her.
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lost_dark_soul

Fiona had managed to organise a time to get them all to contact her at the same time, and now was simply waiting for the screens all to flash. Sam had explained to her how to answer them has technology was one thing Fiona could never fathom.
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Kayla

Sam appeared first on the screen.

"Fiona, I don't think I can make it back," he said immediately before she could greet him.

One of the plans Angelica had suggested when they discussed this months ago was that the V-Squad would break her out or send someone to break her out. It would cause a huge scene and be dramatic, and it would intimidate the media and citizens, along with the cops.

"The Rio cops aren't being cooperative," he went on. "Usually we can just pay them off to keep quiet, but it's like they've changed their minds. The citizens are calling for our arrest."

Lauren appeared, also, on another part of the screen. "It's a disaster here!" She was in Johannesburg.

Yoko appeared on the screen, also looking troubled.
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lost_dark_soul

Fiona sat back in her chair and sighed. Running her fingers through her hair.
"Damn it. What on earth has happened? We had them on our side. I can't do this on my own, I don't know what I doing for starters. Can't we pay them more money or anything?" Fiona asked.
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Kayla

"Of course, I suggested that, but they're still set on outing us," Sam answered. "And if the mayor lets slip where our bases our, then it's all over."

Yoko was in Tokyo at that moment. "Crime has gone up and it seems other criminals are causing more commotion here than the Squad, but they're going after us."

In fact, in Gotham, there had been riots of people trying to get into the police station to kill Angelica. Maybe people had enough of their families being destroyed and ripped apart.
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lost_dark_soul

Fiona rubbed her temples trying to think of something, anything.
"If anyone has any suggestions right now, they'd be greatly appreciated." Fiona mumbled. She stood up and walked to grab a map, where all the locations of the bases had been noted.
"Wouldn't it be best to shut down the other bases? At least temporarily, and concentrate on this one until all this is sorted?" Fiona suggested.
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Kayla

"It won't do any good, we'll still be exposed," Sam said.

"If we stay where we are and negotiate with the local authorities, we may avoid that," Yoko said.

Lauren nodded. "I'm sorry, Fiona, but I can't make it back right now."

The others nodded.
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lost_dark_soul

"No, it's fine, do what you have to do, But if you get back and I'm not here, I may have finally gone mad and been locked away for my own safety." Fiona said. 'He promised we'd be safe' Fiona thought.
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Kayla

"I know this must be hard for you," Sam said.

"We'll get home as soon as we can," Lauren promised.
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lost_dark_soul

"Don't worry about me, concentrate on the task at hand. I'll find some way to cope." Fiona replied.
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Kayla

They said their good-byes, and their images disappeared off the screen.
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lost_dark_soul

Fiona frowned. When she'd agreed to this, there had been set conditions applied, one was nothing that was already in place would change, and that was now falling thorough and about to collapse. She needed to sort this with the source of the problem. That meant paying a visit to a old 'friend'.
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Kayla

Tick tock tick tock tick tock.

Time had no meaning in a jail cell, yet time liked to mock.

Angelica just stared at the ceiling, laying back on the filthy cot.
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lost_dark_soul

Fiona stood outside a house she'd been to only twice before, she posted a note before walking away. The house owner had a wife, and children, he didn't need her there to disrupt them, besides, it wasn't them she wanted, it was the home owner himself, she knew he was home, knew he'd get the note, now all she had to do was find the coffee shop she's mentioned in her letter, and wait.
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Kayla

A little while later, he arrived at the coffee shop, looking around and over his shoulder. He found Fiona and sat at her table casually.

"I generally try to avoid meeting you in public places. The media twists everything into something it's not," he said, not saying this in a rude way but conversationally.
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lost_dark_soul

"Well, I'd rather it be a public place, so i don't put any more exposure on my home. However, if you really want, we can go back to your home." Fiona said with a smile.
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Kayla

He looked at her for a moment. He obviously wasn't going to do that.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
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lost_dark_soul

"Our arrangement, you remember that don't you?" Fiona asked.
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