Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I could feel the hum of the engines underneath me. I felt Dog sniff my hand as I woke up. I petted the grey wolf's head as I got ready putting on my flowing black tunic and narrow silk trousers in preparation for the day. When I walked down the stairs I saw father sitting at the dinner table eating breakfast.

“Ah Katherine come sit down. It’s an exciting day ahead of us. The guild of navigators have said we should be catching prey soon which means work for us”. He said with such joy I had no choice but to smile back. We spent a large part of the day in Clio house.

  I was re-reading a book on Municipal Darwinism when I felt the engines roar and felt London move even faster than it had before. I ran out of the house with Dog beside me to reach the lookout point. When I got there i saw a small traction suburb desperately trying to flee. I felt a small sense of pity for the poor sods trying to escape London. I reminded myself that this was just  Municipal Darwinism at work and it was a beautiful thing. I felt two hands grab onto my shoulder. I tensed until I looked behind and realised it was just father.

“ Come along Katherine we have work to do. There's an entire suburb of history two explore”. He said grinning.

“  Fine but dibs on any computer discs okay” I said trying to replicate his smile.

I saw out of the corner of my eye that the suburb had already been captured and I could hear  that the people were cheering.

“ Sure honey but you should know I have been informed by Mr.Pomeroy that we will be working with a third-class apprentice”

“ Are they not going to celebrate with the others?” I asked curiously.

“ It seems this is their punishment. For what I don't know”. He said shrugging. We made our way towards Father’s bug accompanied by Dog,Pewsey and Gench who were two former air pirates. Personally I don't like them but they were loyal to Father and that is all that mattered in the end.

  When we got down to the Gut we saw the townspeople being moved into the immigration offices. Father was talking to the head engineer of the Gut, when i saw a boy of the same age as me, which was fifteen. I saw him talking to father as Dog came and started sniffing him.

“ Oh do behave” I said snickering. “ Don’t worry. He’s a lamb. I mean, he’s a wolf really, but he’s as gentle as a lamb” I said trying to hold in my laughter.

  After that Father introduced us. His name was Tom Natsworthy and he seemed kind enough and I wouldn’t lie, he was quite cute. When we got to the junk pile he went first, eager to prove himself and he found a Seedy. After Father kindly told him it was useless, he seemed very disappointed so I came up to him, trying to cheer him up.

“It’s lovely, Tom. Anything that has survived all those thousand of years is lovely, whether it’s any use to the horrible old Guild of Engineers or not. I've got a necklace made of old computer discs” I said smiling.

  After that we went to the immigration offices to ask if anybody had any belongings that may be of worth for the Guild of Historians. After we had asked the towns people we went to a group of gruffer looking folk who where wearing long tattered coats. I felt a pang of jealousy that they could just travel wherever they wanted without needing ships or cities. However, then I  remembered that while they were walking in the desert i was living in the epitome of privilege. One of them had a scarf wrapped around their face like a desert nomad. I saw them walk up to Father like the rest but instead of taking out their valuables or antiques they took out a single knife. Before i even had the slightest idea of what was going on I felt myself moving. I grabbed onto their arm stopping them from killing Father and held there arm until they dropped there knife. They started running towards the Gut and climbing. I chased after them whilst hearing my fathers protests behind me. Whilst we were running through the Gut I saw their scarf get tattered on a stray piece of railing revealing flowing auburn hair. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see Tom running along on another railing followed by a engineer.

  Eventually we came to the waste chute. The chute itself was incredibly big, practically the size of Clio House. Within the hole there was dirt, mud, feces and scraps of metal being thrown out of London as it speed through the Hunting Grounds. The emergency lights were flashing illuminating her face as she finally faced me.

“Why did you stop me”. She shouted at me as I physically recoiled upon seeing her face. She had a single scar cut right across her face from the top of her forehead to her check. She was also missing her right eye and her nose was nothing but a stub. Her mouth was stuck in a permanent snarl. Before I could answer I heard the whistling of police and felt crossbow darts whis past me. I saw one get lodged into her leg.

“ Stop you’re going to kill her, stop” I pleaded with them but no one listened. I saw her drop her satchel as  another dart nearly hit her. I noticed her getting ready to jump of the railing into the waste chute. Just like before I moved before I knew what I was doing. I grabbed onto her arm as she was about to fall. I honestly had no idea what I was doing. This girl just tried to kill Father but i couldn’t let her kill herself.

“ Let me go” She hissed.

“ I won’t let you kill yourself” I shouted back. I had to put my heels into the ground to stop myself from falling.

“ You will fall too” She shouted, sounding concerned.

“ So be it” I said smiling, hoping I could convince her to climb back up. However it was too late as I finally lost my footing. I felt myself slip and fall. In the back of my mind I could hear the voice of Tom shouting as I could see nothing but flashing lights until there was nothing but black.

Chapter Text

 I felt myself wriggling in what I thought was mud praying this was just a dream. Eventually I had no choice but to accept this was reality and open my eyes.

  It was pitch dark outside with the sky hidden behind clouds of smog. I looked around and noticed the scared girl and I seemed to be sitting in the tracks of London. The girl had taken of my tunic and was ripping it apart to wrap around her wounded leg. She had thankfully let me keep my shirt and trousers.

“ You’re alive”. She stated, mostly to herself.

“ You know you could have checked my pulse when you stole my clothes”. I said groaning. I gently took off my top checking for anything broken. Luckily there was only lots of bruising. Whilst I put my top on I felt the girl’s eyes on me.

“ Do you mind, some privacy would be nice”. I snapped at her, getting more and more annoyed.

“ Why didn’t you let go?”. She growled.

“Well sorry for not wanting you to kill yourself”. I answered getting more and more worked up. Who does she think she is, i saved her life for quirkes sake!

  Instead of answering she started limping out of the track.

“ Where do you think you’re going! I shouted.

“ London. As long as Valentine lives my place is in London”. She stated in a determined manner.

“I’m a Valentine and that’s my Father you’re planning on killing!” I shouted enraged. She didn’t answer and just kept walking. I realised that I would rather walk with an assassin than be on my own. I picked up what was left of my tunic and rushed to follow her.

“And if i may ask why does my father deserve to be killed by some savage?” I said demanding an answer. By now I was walking right beside her. She turned to me quickly, her grey eye staring into my grey eyes. Being this close to her I saw how similar we were. It was like a twisted broken mirror but still a reflection.

“This is why!” She said pointing at her face.

“He did this to me! But he probably doesn’t tell you about all the people who have to die for you and him to live all rich and fancy. Out here” she said indicating to the out-country “he is known as you’re Chrome’s personal killer!” She shouted seething with rage.

“You’re lying. That isn’t true father would never do something like that”. She didn’t answer and just kept walking.

  For the next five hours we just walked in silence. I noticed she kept covering her face with her hand. I almost believed she was ashamed of herself but I quickly pushed that thought down. A heartless killer like her wasn’t ashamed of anything. While we walked I saw the imprint London left in the ground with track marks as big as houses. A couple of times I was close to falling in but was saved by the scar-girl as I had come to call her. Why she helped me I honestly couldn’t say.

  I could hear my stomach growling. This was the longest I have ever gone without a meal.

“Do we have anything to eat? I’m starving” I groaned. I immediately regretted it. Scar girls turned and glared at me.

“We would have if somebody hadn’t lost me my bag”. She said angrily.

“I didn’t lose your bag you dropped it!” I shouted frustrated att her accusations.

“You sent the guards after me!” She shouted back.

“They would have come anyway!” I replied. After that it was a tense silence. Soon I noticed scar-girl had started swaying.

“Hey you okay?” I asked. Instead of replying she fell into one of the track marks. Concerned I rushed in after her. She was just laying there. She was still breathing at least. I started shaking her hoping to wake her up.

“Scar-girl wake up! Please wake up I can’t survive here on my own!” After a couple of seconds I heard her groan.

“Hester” Is all she said.

“What?”

“My name is Hester Shaw not scar-girl” she answered.

“Look, it's late we should sleep here tonight and continue tomorrow” Hester said as she stood up and walked up and picked up a  frog which was lying in a puddle close by.

“Here have the legs” Hester said snapping its neck as she gave me the legs whilst she started to chew on the rest.

“And you expect me to eat it raw?” I asked astonished.

“Fine i'll eat them”. Hester said reaching out to grab them. I quickly pulled back and started to chew one of the legs. I felt my taste buds protest.

“It’s disgusting.” I said trying to get the taste out of my mouth. What i hadn’t expected was a chuckle. It wasn’t loud and it sure wasn’t pretty with Hester’s voice being slightly raspy. However, it was still nice to know she could feel joy.

“Welcome to the out-country. We eat anything and everything” she said smiling. Well it looked more like a snarl thanks to her scar. When she noticed me staring she quickly covered her face with her hand.

We just sat there for a couple of minutes until i decided it was time she gave me an explanation.

“How did you get that scar? You said my Father gave it to you but if i'm being honest it sound unbelievable he would ever do something like that”. I said honestly. Me and my Father were practically best friends he told me everything if he ever hurt somebody I would know.

  I saw her breath in as I looked at her expectantly.

“ I was seven when he came. I had grown up on oak-island - an island in what used to be English west country. After all the earthquakes and tsunamis there had formed a sea and an island in the middle which is where we lived. The town we lived in had been built when a traction suburb got tired of always running so they went where no one could get them. I was asleep when he came all I remember is hearing arguing. It came from my mother's ofice in the attic. She was an archeologist what I understood she sometimes worked with your father. When I climbed the ladder to the attic I saw them arguing over something. My mother refused to give him MEDUSA whatever that is. When he got tired of arguing he cut her down with his sword and when he saw my face looking through the hatch he cut me as well. I fell down the ladder. Bleeding I hauled myself down the stairs where i saw my father and even our dogs had been killed. I tried running for the door but I saw Valentine’s guards. I ran for a boat trying to row back to the rest of town to get help butI fainted on the boat. After that it took me five years to remember everything again but when I finally put all the pieces together I swore to kill him”. She said not able to stop herself. She looked sad but I realised she didn’t seem to be able to cry. I honestly didn’t know who I believe anymore but I promised myself I would make sure that Father was given a chance to explain his point of view. There must have been more to the story or maybe Hester’s memory still wasn’t fully healed. When I went to sleep I thought only of the idea of Hester and father getting along. The idea itself filled me with hope.

  I woke up to the sound of groaning. I looked over to my left where Hester was lying and saw her panting. She was pale and the wound on her leg seemed even worse.

“I think its infected”. I told her taking a closer look. And suddenly she stood up, nearly falling as she did.

“Don’t worry about it. Let's keep moving”. She said hiding her face with her hand as she kept walking. It was a habit Hester repeatedly showed. When every Hester smiled or if I saw her scar she covered her face probably ashamed of the scar. I felt a great deal of pity for her.

  After an hour we came to a traction town. It was small with some kind of experimental engine. We spotted it digging through one of the trash heaps London left behind.

“ Hello! May we please hitch a lift with your town?”. I shouted at the nearest person. The man who I spoke to climbed down the scrap heap and came face to face to us.

“ You have anything to trade in exchange?” He asked trying obviously not to stare at Hester. All I had on me was my golden card which gave full access to all tiers in London. However, I doubt it’s worth anything out here. I handed him my shredded tunic putting on my sweetest smile.

“It is really great material. Worth quite a lot I believe”. I told him in all honesty. He seemed to be studying the tunic until he had a satisfied smile and said

“Yea this should work. Come along we have food and shelter up top”. He said grinning.

  We got to learn that this place was called Speedwell and the man we spoke to was actually the mayor. He served us a strange  algae sallad. The mayor's home was nothing compared to Chrome’s office in the council headquarters. Instead of being a huge building standing out for all to see the mayor of speedwell’s home was small being only slightly bigger than the other houses.

  Beside me I noticed that Hester had fallen asleep where she sat. I didn’t think about it to much knowing how much she pushed herself.

“So is there anyway you can get us to London?” I asked the mayor for the second time pleading for him to get us home.

“My father is a very wealthy man in London he can pay you handsomely”. I knew it wasn’t gonna work everyone here semed terrified of the idea of going close to London because they knew London showed no mercy when it came to fuel. But I had to try just to fix this all.

“Look we are going to arrive at a trading cluster tomorrow. From there i'm sure a ship can get you too London.” He said smiling. I smiled back but felt my eyelids get heavier. In a few seconds darkness surrounded my eyes as a drifted to sleep. All I heard before I fell asleep was the murmurs of the mayor and his wife.

“Took far to long. Will have to add more next time.”