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Chapter Text

"Has it really been a full year?” You look into your plate of eggs and toast forcing a smile in fear that if you did not then Luiza would realize that those were not happy tears forming in your eyes. A year since you were found by a village lord you’ve yet to meet. A whole year since you went missing from the outside world and forced into a cult to survive. Just one wrong turn to get a better picture of a castle and suddenly you were chased by monster men the villagers called lycans. 

“Yes! A year since Mother Miranda herself brought you to us!” Luiza is overjoyed. A pale older woman with dark hair tied back, her dresses always reminded you of the Edwardian mourning dresses you had read about during history classes in college. Her family were the only ones who were truly kind to you. Her and her husband, Vasile, took care of you while teaching you about your new life in the village. Luiza mostly went over the religion you were joining against your will and taught you the village history. Vasile taught you how to trade and how to hide things from Miranda, like the newspapers from the outside world. 

The other villagers thought you were either a gift from their god that they were not worthy to speak to or a dangerous weapon from their god meant to keep an eye on the villagers. They did not trust you even with the god’s blessing on you. To the village, you were still tainted with the outside world. You have not even seen this supposed god in the past year. The reason why Mother Miranda gave you to the villagers instead of the lords was a mystery to you and to her followers. 

“We give glory, Mother Miranda,” You look up, still trying to keep that smile on. It was only breakfast. It’s going to be a long day. On top of your anniversary there was another event tonight in honor of the god. Miranda never made an appearance nor did any of the lords that supposedly helped the village so much even though the villagers always went through the trouble making sure that everything was perfect in case one of them bothered to show up to their own feasts. 

“Great ones, hear our voice, together as one in reverence. We call on thee within the endless dark to deliver us into fate's hands. As the midnight moon rises on black wings, so we make our sacrifice and await the light at the end. In life and in death, we give glory, Mother Miranda,” Luiza says the prayer in full beaming at you with pride. All her children were married and although in the village you saw them daily, you suspected she was happy to not have an empty nest. Her and Vasile treated you like their own daughter.

The rest of the morning thankfully focused on preparing for tonight’s event. It was a new moon and that meant a formal gathering at the church. Despite the cult prayers for each lord and Miranda during the gatherings, the after parties are something you’ve come to look forward to. You would sit with the other unmarried women who would warm up to you as the drinks flowed. You would joke about the men and finding husbands. Sometimes you would tell them stories about your ex lovers which both scandalized and delighted them. You were still acting but it was much more comfortable. They were not really your friends though, they only spoke to you at these gatherings. It was still so lonely here a year later and there was no way you were going to fall in love with a man who was part of a cult. 

“We should stop by the Duke's,” you say thinking of the merchant who you did not trust but still enjoyed speaking with. “See if he has what we need for the night.” Honestly you just wanted to go for a walk to clear your head. 

“What a wonderful idea!” Luiza has not taken her eyes off you all morning. “You know dear, when Mother Miranda first gave you to us you were blinded by the outside world but you’ve grown to love her as much as the rest of us. We’re all so proud of you. The others may not say it, but they are.”

This caught you completely off guard. Love? Absolutely not. You owed the woman since she did lead to your life being saved from the monsters in the forest but she also was refusing to let you leave. You’re still captive, even if you pretend. But you didn’t want to ruin your act in front of Luiza. 

“Thank you, it was hard at first but you all have been so kind,” You start clearing the table and go to wash the dishes before heading to The Duke. You just wanted to be alone or around someone you did not have to act in front of. 

“You may be able to finally thank the Lord that brought you to Miranda tonight! I have a good feeling about all this,” Luiza left the room and you finally let some tears fall hoping the sound of the running water would cover up any of your sniffles. 

“I want to go home.”

You haven’t said that out loud in the past year. You’ve managed to keep that in but you don’t want to meet whoever saved you from the strange monster men but lead you further into Miranda’s trap. You just wanted a picture of a European castle to post online to shove it in the faces of your soon to have been ex-husband and ex-best friend and show them how good you’re doing without them. You wonder if you are declared dead by now in the outside world. The Duke was powerful but he couldn’t access much American news. You wonder if your former friend was now in your former house, sleeping in your former bed, with your former husband. 

Boy you really showed them how well you’re doing. 

“Shit,” The glass you were cleaning shatters in your hand. At least that looked like the reason why you were crying when Luiza rushes back down the stairs to see what happened. “I’m so sorry,” you swear you weren’t even gripping it that hard. Maybe with the sudden temperature change running it under hot water caused the glass to break? 

Luiza sighes “Well, you were going to The Duke today correct?” she folds her arms and a soft smile appears on her face. “You can pick up a replacement from him I’m sure. Let me see your hand.”

You hold out your bloody hand with a wince. It does not look nearly as bad as it felt, you assume most of the shards had gone down the drain. “I think it just scared me, I’ll be okay,” you turn to run it under water already starting to feel better. Luiza still leans over you to look at your hand again.

“Get some healing herbs at The Duke too,” Luiza backs away, not as worried as she had been seeing that your wounds were not too deep. “Thank the Lords you’re wearing your gloves tonight.”

“Yes, thank the Lords,” you agree, the phrase still feeling foreign to you. Everything here still felt foreign to you. “I wouldn’t want to cause everyone to panic with the bandages.”

“Everything okay in there? I heard something breaking,” Vasile wanders in from the summer heat. He was around the same age as his wife, only with more of a 1930s looks as opposed to his wife’s 1910s. You were never sure how much he trusted Miranda or if he was doing the same act you were. Either way, you felt more comfortable around him than his wife where the act was constant. 

“I’m sorry that was me, I accidentally shattered a glass. I’m okay though,” You raise up your mostly uncut hand to show him. “I’m heading The Duke, I’ll pick up a replacement from him.”

Vasile nods. “As long as you’re okay, that’s what matters,” he looked over at his wife. “I feel like tonight will be important after all, Lord Heisenberg was heading in Lord Beneviento’s direction. I know I shouldn’t speculate what the Lords are doing in Miranda’s name but those two only work together on special occasions.” The last part was for you.

You’ve only seen pictures of those Lords, you had secretly hoped that it was Lord Beneviento who had saved you. Her portrait seemed so kind, even with the creepy doll in it. Lord Heisenberg’s however, well it didn’t make you afraid, it made you nervous.

“What an honor it would be for either one to join us tonight! We should wear our best in that case,” Luiza was reaching ecstatic levels. More than you’ve ever seen her. You however still did not believe these lords would show up. And if they did you hoped they left you alone, especially the lord of the factory.

Chapter Text

Checking your change purse to make sure you have more than enough lei, you head out to find The Duke. It was warmer than usual, normally up in the mountains it’s always a little chilly. Today, the sun makes your long skirt and button up shirt combo uncomfortable. You smile at the idea of wearing a crop top, the village would be in uproar. Everytime you talk about your life it causes scandal and tonight would probably be no different. 

“Y/N!” You turn to see Elena running to catch up to you. You notice the two of you were matching today but that wasn’t hard in a village with only so many options. Elena always seemed nice but her father had forbidden her from speaking with you. He believed you were an outsider even with Miranda’s blessing, you did not belong. 

“Elena!” You stop and wave. “Are you ready for tonight? I’m heading to The Duke now for some last minute items.”

“We have to run. Now!” She cuts you off and runs past you grabbing your wrist to follow her. You go down a dark path and she pulls you behind some barrels giving you slight whiplash. 

“What are we hiding from?” You whisper to her but Elena just motions at you to stay quiet. She looks terrified and you wonder what possibly could scare her, the lycans were never in the village and you would have definitely heard them by now. You shiver with the memory of the growls those men made. How did they even get like that? Rabies? You have asked Luiza but she just brushed it off.

“I think...I think we’re safe now,” After several agonizing minutes, Elena sighs and begins to stand up offering you a hand. “False alarm. Sorry.”

“What were we hiding from?” You take her offer for the help up and wipe off the dirt from your skirt. “The lycans?”

“No, I saw Lord Dimitrescu speaking with The Duke. She never leaves her castle. Lord Dimitrescu tends to bring young maidens to her castle and they never come home. Ever. We never hear from those girls again,” Elena was obviously shaken so you did not point out to her that you would hardly qualify as a maiden. 

“Why do you think she was out? Do you think it’s about tonight? Vasile saw Lord Heisenberg earlier today,” You offer a smile to her but she doesn’t return it.

“They almost never come to these sorts of things. Maybe once a year. They’re carrying out Mother Miranda’s wishes so they’re very busy,” Elena shakes her head. “I will see you there tonight though?”

“Yes!” You answer her excitedly with an idea. “Did you want to get ready together? I know it might not be normal here but where I come from the girls tend to get ready together. It’s a lot of fun!” You were desperate for any type of normalcy today, even if it’s for a cult party. “I know your father does not exactly approve of me but-”

“I would love to! I can meet you at Luiza’s house!” Elena’s smile is the first real one you feel you’ve seen from her.

“That’s perfect! I’m just heading to The Duke to get a few things and then I’m going back there!” A girls night is exactly what you need. 

“I will clear it with my father and then I’ll be over,” she winks at you and takes her leave. You know damn well that her father will have no idea that she’s with you. It will be fun starting another scandal. 

You didn’t realize how far Elena had taken you off course from The Duke, meaning you have to walk past more villagers who ignore you. You tended to avoid the busy areas of the village because most of the time it was either painfully awkward or depressing. Their own god brought you to them and they still pretended that you either did not exist or they were afraid of you. It’s not that you wanted to join this cult, but it was lonely.

“What the hell!” You heard a man yell followed by a woman screaming. You run over and see a broken window in one of the homes. “Darling, are you alright?” the man is yelling at the woman who is standing on the other side of the window that you make out leads to their kitchen. 

“I’m fine, none of it hit me. Dinner is ruined though,” the woman calls back. “Thank the Lords, I had stepped away for just a moment, if I hadn’t then I would have been covered in it!” She laughed and then quickly stopped when she saw you standing there. “I’ll worry about dinner, you worry about the glass,” she tells her husband and then hurries away from the window.

Her confused husband turns to see you watching the scene and quickly gets back to work on cleaning up the glass that had fallen outside the home. Your help obviously was not welcome. You need to focus on tonight, you’re going to introduce Elena to the concept of a girl’s night, pray for a little bit to a bird god, and then you are going to drink everyone under the table while you make the women blush with your stories. By the time you reach The Duke you’re excited for tonight. 

“Ah, Y/N! What bad luck, you just missed one of our great Lords!” The Duke was a large man, the largest you’ve ever seen. He had a kind smile but you guessed it was because of his want to provide world class customer service, even though usually his customers had no other choice but to buy their items from him. “Lady Dimitrescu would have been an incredible first lord for you to meet! But alas, she has returned to the castle.”

“Her loss really,” You joke cautiously. You knew The Duke had a different view on things than the villagers but you weren’t sure how far that went. “But it would have been cool,” you add just in case he is offended. 

“Her loss indeed, but probably your gain as well,” He smiled, leaving you wondering what the last part meant. Vasile had told you not to ask The Duke too many questions because some answers you will not like and some will cost money. Usually both. “Are you all set for tonight? It should prove to be a fun one!”

“I think we’re almost set!” You think of how carefully you need to word that you’re not desperate for these items in fear that the price will suddenly rise. The Duke has never done that to you personally but it was possible that your one year discount has ended. “I was just hoping to pick up a few more items. Luiza wants extra healing herbs, a few bottles of wine, and a bottle of scotch,” you look at the list in your hand adding more bottles than Luiza had directed you to pick up. Need something to pre-game with right?

“Scotch? That’s an unusual request for these festivities but I believe I have a few bottles here,” The Duke begins to remove the items you requested to show you. “And maybe your luck is not so bad after all, Lady Dimitrescu did just sell me some of her special bottles that I believe should be shared with the village. They’re an older vintage than what she normally brings too!”

You count out your money making sure you will still have enough for the week but you want to know what a Lord could possibly need to purchase from The Duke. The villagers would bend over backwards to get them what they want. “Do you think I’ll meet our great Lords tonight,” you ask, putting back on your obedient mask. 

“I am not sure Y/N. The Lords tend to keep busy with Mother Miranda’s work but stranger things have happened. Two of them have been spotted throughout the village today. Today is a special day,” He hands your items to you “After all, today is a full year since you were brought to the village by Mother Miranda after a Lord had saved you.”

“Yes I am forever grateful to that lord. I wish I knew which one so I could thank them,” You keep your mask on but you wanted to really ask them why they didn’t just let you return to the main path. They really didn’t save you, they kidnapped you. Why couldn’t anyone understand that? “I have to start getting ready for tonight, will we see you there?” you ask out of politeness. 

“Ah perhaps, making sure my customers have access at all times is part of great customer service,” he nods meaning yes he will be there. Good in case you run out of scotch before church then you stop by after to spend the remainder of your money. 

“Hope to see you there,” you nod and start your journey back to Luiza but not before opening the bottle of scotch to take a burning gulp.  Time to see exactly how much trouble you could get into without them using you as a human sacrifice.

Chapter Text

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind but I invited Elena over to get ready with me for tonight?” You find Luiza in her kitchen after hiding a bottle of scotch and one of the wine bottles in your room. “I’m sorry I should have asked first, I wasn’t thinking,” you lower your head. You’re not actually sorry but don’t want to seem impolite to the woman who has been so nice to you during your captivity. 

“I think that’s a wonderful idea! Elena has a good head on her shoulders,” Luiza was cutting carrots for her dish for tonight’s feast. “I don’t know how she’s going to convince her father. Mother Miranda’s love for you should have shown them all that you belong here. But Leo has always been this way since his wife passed from fever. Elena is all he has left of her so he’s very protective,” Luiza then made eye contact with you and for a moment you felt guilty about your plans to teach Elena a little bit about your world.

“They’ve been through a lot, I think Elena needs a friend,” And you need a good drinking buddy. 

“You also need a friend. You’ve realized that you belong here. It’s time to start making your own life. You’re welcome to continue to stay with us. We’re happy to have you but it’s time to start living,” Luiza stops chopping to walk over to you. She moves a stray hair out of your face. “After all Elena could introduce you to some other women and those women may have brothers, and those you may be interested in,” she looks hopeful. “I have a good feeling about tonight.”

The idea of marrying any man ever again was not something you considered but you knew it would not be someone from this cult. You thought for a moment about having to do your act forever and always being watched. Teaching the kids their ABC’s and their prayer for Mother Miranda. A shiver goes down your spine thinking of Miranda blessing your marriage. No, you will not find your soulmate here, if that concept even exists. 

“Let’s start with making friends first,” You laugh a little to break the tension. Everyone was so focused on tonight it made you feel uneasy. The sooner Elena got here the better. “I’m going to make sure everything is set for her to come over,” You know Luiza was watching you head up the stairs. Luiza may be brainwashed but you know she’s not stupid, she knows you’re up to something. 

Absentmindedly you lay out your dress tonight, the usual for these kinds of ceremonies. An ankle length black dress with long sleeves and a high neck. You understood that the black was to represent Mother Miranda’s wings, which the villagers think are real wings. Otherwise the outfit is all about modesty since you’re viewed as unmarried in this society, one of the few things you do not have an issue with. It was better than trying to explain the American divorce process. You took the scotch from its hiding spot and drank some more. Elena probably would prefer the wine anyway. Your vision is already a little blurry by the time Luiza sends Elena to meet you up stairs.

“Thank you so much for coming over!” You motion for her to come into your room and realize your whole plan for tonight was betting on Elena not snitching on you in front of the entire village. You take her dress and lay it next to yours, the two look almost identical but yours has a little extra detailing on feathers. “So where I come from we would call this pre-gaming,” you reveal to her the glass of wine you had poured for her.

“Pre-gaming? But we’re going to the church, not a game?” Elena took the glass and just looked at it in confusion.

“We would normally do it before going to a party or out to the bars,” you try to ignore the tug in your heart at the ‘we’. The people who used to pre-game with broke your heart enough that you ran away and ended up in this situation in the first place. You had another sip scotch straight from the bottle.

“But the party is after church? So it’s like a party before church?” She took a small lady-like sip. “I thought we were just getting ready for tonight?”

“We are but like, we drink and gossip while we get ready. It’s like girl time,” You smile at her trying to reassure that this was a good idea. “The goal is that the more you have earlier the less you have to have later. Back in the states that used to mean saving money. What you’re drinking now where I come from would have been $14 a glass at a bar.”

“14 dollars?” She asked, taking another sip, seeming to get used to the idea. “Sometimes you speak like everyone should understand you,” she shook her head with a smile. “It sounds like that means it was expensive.” 

“It wasn’t insanely expensive but definitely could have become expensive after a few,” You sit on your bed looking at your dress. “Sorry, I know I’m not supposed to speak too much about my life before Miranda- Mother Miranda brought me to you.”

“You can call her Miranda around me. I don’t take offense,” Elena took a seat next to her dress. “As long as Luiza doesn’t hear that I think you’ll be okay.” She laughs and takes a bigger sip than last time. “I know we’ve never talked much before but I did want to ask if you knew which lord found you.”

“Haven’t figured that one out yet,” You also take another burning gulp. “I’m open to theories though. I know a little about each from Luiza and the ceremonies but you said earlier to avoid Lady Dimitrescu so now I don’t think it’s her."

"I never thought it was her. She would have taken you back to her castle. I hear her daughters torture outsiders. I’ve only seen them twice my whole life. They don’t leave the castle, ever.” It was refreshing to hear someone talk about the Lords without worshiping them. “There is no way it was her, you wouldn’t be sitting here if it was,” Elena finished her glass in an impressive gulp. “A friend I had when I was a girl was invited to the castle; a few years later Lady Dimitrescu had released a wine named after her. It was not one of her special vintages that only she has but still that’s how we knew she was gone.”

“I’m so sorry,” You sit there in silence for a moment. It never occurred to you that the Lords would hurt the villagers who worshiped them. If they do hurt people beyond just kidnapping, why were you okay? “What about Lady Beneviento?”

“Maybe? She tends to keep to herself. She uses this doll to communicate the few times she comes down. A little unsettling but from what I’ve heard she brings people into her home and if they do leave they act strange. A lot of talk about evil dolls and Miranda tends to send to Lord Moreau after that. Mostly though people never leave,” She shivers. “Do you think it would be alright if I have another glass? This is very good.”

“Oh help yourself!” You smirk, it felt like your evil plan was working. “What’s Lord Moreau’s deal? Does he really look like that picture of him in the church?” 

“Oh no. He looks worse,” You both laugh at this. You would have been taken aback by how normal this felt if the room had not started to spin. “I know you were passed out from the attack,” she moved closer to you to whisper. “But you would have smelt him even then.”

“Gross!” you giggle and she moved back smiling to her seat. “So that just leaves...Lord Heisenberg?” You’re nearing the end of your bottle and you could feel it really taking its toll. “What about him?”

“Well,” she looked at you for a second and then at the floor thinking. “I’m not sure. He has a reputation. He is Miranda’s favorite though. They say he’s the strongest and most dangerous.”

“He kind of scares me,” You finish the bottle off with one last sip. “I know I’m not supposed to question but what does he do all day in that factory?”

“Nothing we want any part in. I’ve seen him collect men shortly after they die. Usually younger men who drank into oblivion,” She finished her glass and crossed her arms. 

“Collects bodies?” This was the first you were hearing of this. What was Miranda doing with these Lords? Was everyone here insane to stay in a place like this?

“Do not tell Luiza I said anything,” she pours a third glass for herself. “But no, I do not think it was Heisenberg. It’s really not like any of the lords to protect an outsider.” Elena gives you a look that makes you feel like she’s analyzing you. “Sorry, I’m not sure I can help you get out of here.”

“What?” How did she figure it out? Did you accidentally say something out loud that was supposed to stay inside your head? 

“You were married, right? Not in the eyes of the villagers but I know you’ve told stories about having a husband. I imagine you want to leave the village and see him,” she sat back down next to you. “I’m not like Luiza, this is my home but I understand it must be hard for an outsider.”

“Not to see him,” you wish you had brought another bottle with you but you felt yourself talking unable to stop yourself. “I found him and my best friend in my bed together when they thought I was out doing some shopping. They claimed it had never happened before but I had been suspicious. I filed for divorce and then got on a plane to Europe. I was going to see all the major cities. I talked about traveling with them before but he never finished the passport process so I wanted to fix my life and- and I know this sounds petty- show off?”

“I’m sorry- I didn’t know. The women had said you had a husband and the concept of leaving your spouse is rare here,” she spoke quickly. “But you still want to leave? Even if it’s not for your husband?”

“You know I can’t answer that,” you smile at her, holding back tears. “Okay I think we’ve had enough to drink for now. I believe it’s time to get ready!”

She nodded and you changed on opposite sides of the room facing away from each other like new college roommates. You think over everything you just learned as you stubble a few times trying to get your dress on with your blurred vision. Maybe a whole bottle before church was not the best idea. 

Chapter Text

“Anton will probably be in a worse state than us,” You reassure Elena who was realizing how far gone she was while also trying to stand. You knew she was innocent but you had underestimated how much of a lightweight. “We just have to get down the stairs, past Luiza, and then the walk to the church is relatively flat-ish. You’ve been to so many of these just rely on your muscle memory. You’ll be fine. We are not the only ones who have been drinking,” You try to escort her to the top of the stairs without falling down. “Just one foot at time, focus.”

“Okay, we can do this,” Elena giggles. “You know it’s like we’re the ponies learning how to walk,” Elena took her first step down successfully but then grabbed on to the railing for her life. “Oh my Lords,” laughs as she takes one step at a time with both hands on the railing. “Father is going to kill me.”

“Kill you for what?” Luiza appears at the bottom of the stairs. “Are you okay Elena?”

“Sprained her ankle,” You lie quickly, flashbacks of speaking to your mother in high school flash before your eyes. At this point you just hoped Elena knew to keep her mouth shut. 

“Let’s take a look at it,” Luiza directs to Elena but looks up at you as she speaks. “We’ll see how bad the swelling is, Y/N just picked up more healing herbs from The Duke today if you need them,” she escorts Elena to the dining room, Elena turning to give you a horrified look. 

You start to make your way down the stairs and debate if you should just run out of the door now or go in to ‘help’ Luiza tend to Elena. If you run, you wouldn’t get far anyway. It took all your efforts to get down the stairs. Water, Elena needs water. In a moment of clarity you rush to the sink and fill a glass with cold water. Just keep acting like you’ve been all year and everything will be fine.

“Nothing seems swollen, you should be feeling better by the end of the night,” You hear Luiza as you turn the corner to see Elena sitting with her leg resting on another chair looking at you panicked. You wonder if she’s spoken at all the entire time she’s been in here.

“I got you some water,” You walk over and carefully hand it over to her, both of you concentrating on making sure the glass doesn’t fall. “I got it from here, we can meet you at the church!” you smile at Luiza. She smiles at you but it does not reach her eyes.

She knows. 

“Just remember it’s an important night. Elena, your father will have an open seat for you next to him,” Luiza’s smile drops as she turns back to you. “I’ll have a seat for you next to me. You should also think about having some water,” Luiza heads out the door and guilt fills you. 

“Thank you for the water,” Elena finished the whole glass in seconds. “Luiza is putting a lot more focus on tonight than usual,” she stands up next to you. “Maybe we should be more careful next time.”

“Next time,  we fill a flask and drink it at church,” you nod. “Come on, if we’re late then we’re in real trouble. Sorry I didn’t mean to drag you into a mess.”

“It’s alright, hopefully tonight will distract them long enough to forget. I didn’t say anything to her, she just knew. Maybe she could smell it on us?” Elena asks but you don’t answer. You meant to have some fun not get into trouble like you were a bunch of seventeen year olds breaking into the liquor cabinet.

The walk to the church was uneventful other than you stumbling every few feet. Maybe the panic of getting caught sobered you up. The two of you walked in silence barely making it in before the men at the back shut the doors. Elena’s father motioned for her to come over while looking furiously at you. You try to ignore the looks as you rush to Luiza’s side. Maybe it was the scotch but you felt there were more eyes than usual on you, did they all know you had been educating Elena on the outside world?

Once everyone was seated there was a moment of silence. Everyone stared forward to the front of the church. At a normal church someone would be standing at the front to lead the congregation but instead they left it open for a few minutes with everyone holding their breath to see if Mother Miranda would appear to lead them. She never did though so after a few moments one of the men walked to the front and began to lead the prayers. You try to stop yourself from swaying in your seat while the room spins around you.  

“Great ones, hear our voice, together as one in reverence. We call on thee within the endless dark to deliver us into fate's hands,” you join them in saying the only one you know by heart. According to Luiza it is the most important one to know. You bow your head being careful to not slur the words or just fall forward from your seat. “As the midnight moon rises on black wings, so we make our sacrifice and await the light at the end-”

Before the end of the prayer the doors in the back swing open and everyone stands to look. You can’t see over the people behind you but you do see the wings. Mother Miranda is here. Fear runs through you, she has never shown up before. Why would she today? You catch a glimpse of her as she makes her way to the front and motions for the speaker at the front to continue. 

“In life and in death, we give glory, Mother Miranda,” the congregation finishes without you. Luiza though was the only one who noticed and she quickly gives you a stern look but you are now staring at Miranda who is at the front, the speaker bowing to her and taking his leave. 

“Thank you all for being here today,” Miranda says as if you even had a choice. “I am sorry I have been away from you for so long, for what is a shepherd without their flock,” you try to push past the idea of livestock being raised for slaughter. You almost fall backwards but catch yourself. “I am happy to see none of you have strayed in this time, your continued faith will be rewarded.” 

This was too much. You have to run but you're paralyzed. Everyone around you began to kneel but you couldn’t move or you were going to be sick. Luiza helped you down but some attention was drawn to you, including that of Miranda. You can make out a smile from under the mask that covers her face. Miranda is smiling at you and you're stuck here drunk and kneeling before her. This was not how tonight was supposed to go. 

“Luiza, you and your family have done a wonderful job with our dear Y/N,” As Miranda speaks you can feel Luiza stiffen. “Y/N, could you please join me up here?” Miranda motions for you to rise. You’re shaking as you get to your feet and feel your body start stumbling towards her when your mind is screaming to run. When you reach the altar Miranda offers her hand to help you up the stairs still smiling at you. You know you can’t refuse her help, not in front of everyone here. You still have to act no matter how drunk and scared you are. Her hands feel like ice and you try to not shiver. 

“Thank you, Mother Miranda,” You try to get a hold of your voice and hide the fear but the room will not stay still. Water, you need water. And you need to lie down. And french fries sound so good right now. Maybe more scotch wouldn’t be so bad.

“Y/N, a year ago one of my children found you and brought you to me,” Miranda snapped you back to reality. “You were an outsider but today you stand before me as a devoted member of this village. In just a year, you realized the ways of the outside world were dangerous and gladly took your place.” This was all wrong, you hated her with every fiber of your being. You were going to get out of here. You look out to the villagers who all look at you in awe instead of the disgust that had been on their face not even ten minutes ago. You did not belong here.

You hear a woman scream before you understand what was happening then the shattering of glass registered in your ears. You blink and realize all the windows lining the room had blown out. Was Miranda doing this? You realize those sitting closest to the windows were bleeding and then more screaming. 

“Silence!” Miranda yells and everyone, including those with the worst injuries were quiet. Miranda then stares at you and for a moment you se a flicker of what you think is sadness on her face. “I brought Y/N to the village here to learn from all of you about the history and our ways. I am pleased to announce that Y/N is indeed going to join my other children in due time. She will become-”

A loud thud silenced Miranda. An old man fell from his seat to expose a very large shard of glass sticking into the back of his neck, the blood still gushing. Miranda however did not react, only the man’s wife next to him who let out a wail. You recognized them as the couple from earlier whose window had broken. Was Miranda attacking this family? Did Miranda kill this man? You look at her in horror. 

What did she mean by joining her other children?

Chapter Text

Around you was fuzzy and warm. You didn’t want to open your eyes, you wanted to stay here just feeling comfortable. You were probably on a hotel room floor after having too many and missed the bed. At least you‘re pretty sure you made it to your room, or at least a room. Damn this dress was tight. Why were you out wearing something with a high neck? Shit, it’s loud who is screaming?

You snap back gasping for air. You weren’t in a hotel room after a party, you were on the rug of the altar as a winged woman stared down at you. Luiza was on the other side facing away from you trying to keep the villagers from coming too close to you. You realize the screaming was coming from a woman on the other side of the room. You try to sit up but your head is throbbing. When did you get on the floor? You stare up at Miranda, you want to ask her why she’s doing all this, why won’t she let you go home?

“It’s okay Y/N, you’re okay,” Elena comes from behind you and carefully starts to lift you into a sitting position. “Mother Miranda, I’m sure she was just overwhelmed with the good news and fainted.” Elena was lying to her god to save your drunk ass, you couldn’t let her down now. You remember that you have been acting this whole time and acting well.

“My apologies Mother Miranda,” you allow Elena to help you up but you continue to sway as she holds on to you. 

“It is alright my dear child,” Miranda puts her icy hand on your cheek. “It is a lot to take in. You may have failed but you can still be great,” she kissed your forehead. You realize the whole village is watching, even the woman who is holding her deceased husband. All eyes were on you and Miranda. “You are invited to sit with the Lords tonight, it is time for you to meet your family.” 

“Family?” You were risking passing out again. 

“Yes. Y/N, you are my family.” Miranda’s smile was cold and seeing it this close through her weird mask made you uncomfortable. Luckily she turned her attention to Luiza. “Thank you so much for taking good care of her, you will be rewarded.”

“Mother Miranda, it has been a joy to have her in my care. She will be incredible,” Luiza broke into a huge smile and looked at you proudly. You tried to smile back at her but you were afraid of being sick on Miranda’s robs. Did Luiza know this was the plan the whole time? You had way too many questions and not enough answers. 

Miranda flourished her wings and walked out, not even acknowledging the widow and the deceased. The rest of the village followed ten feet behind Miranda, none of them even making an effort to comfort the woman who has returned to wailing on the church floor. Eventually, all that was left in the church was the widow, Vasile, Luiza, Elena, her father, and you trying to stand on your own and failing. 

“Elena, let’s go. We need to talk,” Leonardo grabbed his daughter’s arm but she didn’t move. Elena was shaking a little, lying to her god is probably the scariest thing she’s ever done but she stood her ground. “She can’t come with us Elena, she’s one of them.”

“One of what? Did you know? What is happening, why won’t anyone help her!” You finally break down and look at the widow and her husband but no one else pays attention to the wailing woman who is now screaming for help. It’s like you’re the only one who can hear her.

“We knew you were special,” Luiza takes the side of you that’s not being held by Elena to take the weight off of her. “Elena, go enjoy the party. You and your father have something to discuss."

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Elena whispers and walks out of the church with her father already lecturing her about watching her mouth.

“Luiza please!” the woman screams, staring at the altar scene. “Why did she do this? She said we would be rewarded!” 

“In life and in death, we give glory, Mother Miranda,” Luiza looks down at the woman as she speaks and bowed her head as if that was an answer to her questions. The woman’s wailing was turning into shrieks. 

“We need to leave, now!” Vasile yells so he could be heard over the women. Luiza and Vasile help you down the stairs and as quickly past the woman as you could walk. Outside, you can hear a thunderstorm in the distance and the path to the festival was lit by lanterns. “When we get there you will have to sit with the Lords, not with us. I don’t know what you were doing before church today but you need to get it together.” Vasile speaking to you like your father would. It gives you a little comfort but the path felt long and your mind was still on the woman. You couldn’t hear her anymore but that could just be the distance. 

 “She’ll be great, she is almost their equal! To think we’ve been teaching a Lesser Lord about her own village!” Luiza was all smiles. “Mother Miranda has blessed us so much, and trusted us to protect you as my family home has done for generations.”

“Okay,” you take a deep breath. “I got this, thank you both so much, for everything. And I’m sorry I got Elena drunk before church,” you add, knowing your cover was clearly blown on that front. You refuse to let your entire year of acting go down the drain. 

As you all approach a very large and tall wooden structure, you take the first step in. This festival seemed less lively than usual. You believe that Miranda’s presence may mean that the villagers are drinking less out of fear of embarrassing themselves in front of her. The first person you notice is an impossibly tall woman in a beautiful white dress. You recognize her immediately from the images of her as Lady Dimitrescu. You tried not to stare but she was way too tall for the table placed in front of her. How was she so tall? 

“You’re here!” You hear a shrill voice and look around trying to find the source. “Down here idiot,” you look down to see a doll. A doll that is talking to you. A giant lady and a talking doll. Was your drink spiked? “Come on! Mother said you were sitting with us!” This must be Angie, Lord Beneviento’s doll. You knew she used it to communicate but you thought like a ventriloquist. Angie led you to the table and jumped into the arms of  a woman in a black dress. Her dress had more detailing than yours and she wore a long black veil covering her face. 

“You must be Y/N,” Lady Dimitrescu spoke, looking you over. “I am Lady Alcina Dimitrescu, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she gives a polite smile. “Next to me is Lady Donna Beneviento and Angie,” Angie waves at you and the veiled figure nods. There are three more seats at the table that are empty. “My idiot brother Heisenberg is late. Again. He does this every time. I swear, I do not understand why Mother allows him to continue to get away with this,” she rolls her eyes. “Have a seat child, you’ll be with us tonight,” she motions for you to sit next to her and you do. 

“And Lord Moreau?” you ask, there was still one more empty seat. 

“Are you joking? Like we’d let him stink up his whole party,” Angie laughs and walks over to you using the table. “Mother said you were overwhelmed in the church, but I know you’re drunk.”

You froze for a moment, how could she know that. 

“Angie it is not polite to accuse our guest of being drunk,” Alcina snaps at the doll who ran back to Donna’s arms. Alcina sighs and shifted slightly to block Donna and Angie from view. 

“Thank you Lady Dimitrescu,” It takes every fiber of your being to not rest your head on the table in front of you. “It is nice to meet you,”

“Ah, finally someone with manners!” she laughs. “My daughters were hoping to come tonight but, unfortunately, it looks like rain is coming through and they do hate the cold.”

You envied her daughters for a moment. They seemed to be the only ones not forced to be here. You nod politely but the room was spinning again. You just kept repeating what Vasile had said about getting it together. This had to be the performance of a lifetime. 

“Oh please do try the wine, I brought a special blend for tonight,” Alcina handed you a glass, expecting you to drink it. You were way past your limit and adding even the slightest amount of more alcohol to your system was going to push you. “For the nerves, I know how overwhelming this situation can be.”

“Thank you,” you accept the glass and stare at it. You take a small sip hoping if you drink it slowly it will save you from getting worse than you already are. The idea of mixing scotch and wine in your system was not good. “Excuse me, I’m sorry I need some air,” you couldn’t take it anymore. You do a weird bowing motion that Angie laughs at as you run to the exit.

“Watch out, she's gonna puke!” you hear the doll scream to the party as people move out of your way. 

You get outside and you find the first barrel to sit on. You weren’t going to be sick yet but that doll did just mess up everything. You need to be alone and you can’t fight back the tears in your eyes anymore.

“What the fuck did they do to you?” you didn’t hear his footsteps coming but when you look up you see a man standing above you. In the dark you can’t make out much but you can tell he was wearing a hat and sunglasses. 

“Lord Heisenberg?” You ask if it’s him knowing it has to be. You remember your earlier conversation with Elena but you were too exhausted to be scared of him. “Why are you wearing sunglasses at night?”

Chapter Text

“I have to admit, I was not expecting the girl sobbing outside the party to ask me about my choice in eyewear.” Heisenberg moves closer to the light, you're taken aback for a moment about how much better he looks in person compared to the portrait at the church. You could see him smiling down at you. “You have guts. I admire that.”

“For now,” you knew that at any moment he would kill you for Miranda or himself. It was too late, nowhere to run now. This was it. Miranda had sent him out here to kill you for being so disrespectful to her at church and then to the other lords. You flinch at the sound of thunder in the distance. The storm was getting closer.

Heisenberg laughs at you and suddenly he was sitting on a table you know wasn’t there a moment ago. He takes out two cigars, cut the ends with a clipper, and offering one to you. You only smoke when you’re drunk, and normally only cigarettes, but you figure your death was a special occasion.

“Thank you,” you look down nervously. This wasn’t what you were expecting at all. As you lean in for him to light it, you realize from the label that these were Cuban cigars. You silently wonder how he was getting Cuban cigars all the way up here? 

“Welcome,” he smiles and takes a drag. You couldn’t see his eyes because of the glasses but you knew he was staring at you. “I don’t think I've seen you around here before. Have we met?”

“No we haven’t. Actually today is one year since Miran- Mother Miranda,” you wince knowing you just made a huge mistake in front of a lord. “Mother Miranda brought me to the village.”

“Ah, a foreigner trying to fit in. Let me guess by the accent, American?” Heisenberg was hard to read, you can’t tell if he was amused or annoyed. Maybe both. He seemed to not even notice that you just disrespected Miranda's name.

“Yes,” you take a drag and then quickly remember why you prefer cigarettes. You cover your mouth as you start coughing. Heisenberg shakes his head and leaned back slightly seeming relaxed. “Hey, it’s been awhile okay?” You say between coughs. Was he really the most dangerous? You remembered that he collected the bodies but Elena didn’t mention him actually killing any of them. Maybe he wasn’t so bad.

“So, what the fuck did they do to you in there?” Heisenberg's tone shifted to be more serious. 

“They- well- I,” where to even start. With the scotch? With Miranda putting you on the spot and then killing a man? 

“You?” he leans forward causing his glasses to slip a little. You catch yourself staring at his eyes, and you realize they are golden. You also realize there are scars on his face like your scars from the lycan attack. He was gorgeous. “Are you checking me out?”

You turn away quickly blushing. It had to just be the drinks. You turn back and you see him smirking and you feel your face heat up more. Goddamnit. 

“I uh,” you look down. “I kind of got drunk before church,” you hear him laughing but don’t look up. You can still feel how red your face is. “Mother Miranda is normally never at these things and I was bored. I thought it would make the night more interesting.”

“Well, it worked didn’t it?” he was still laughing at you as he spoke. “You’re not bored now. Are you?”

“No, I’m not,” you join in laughing and shake your head. You were smoking cigars with the most dangerous lord, and enjoying it. Definitely not bored. 

“But Mother Miranda is always at these. What are you talking about?” he goes back to having a more serious tone. “Wait, how often are the villagers doing these ceremonies now?”

“It’s once a month right? On the night of the new moon?” You sit up more straight as you answer, trying to not look directly at him to try to keep some dignity and not turn into a blushing idiot. 

“Once a month?” Heisenberg leans back again. “No, no idea where they got that idea, it’s once a year. I think sometimes they make it up so they have an excuse to do something.’

“That...well that explains a lot,” you roll your eyes. Of course Luiza knew for a fact Miranda would be coming tonight that’s why she was putting so much pressure on it. She didn’t know that you would be called up though.

“Come on,” Heisenberg stood up. “We should head back in. Alcina is probably losing her shit about me being late. Now, if I walk in with a pretty girl on my arm that will really piss her off,” he smirks and offers you his gloved hand. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t go back in,” you had to stand your ground on this one. Even if Miranda herself came out here you were not going back in there. “Angie made a big scene about me leaving.”

“Why did that ugly-ass doll even notice you?” he took his hand back as if taking back his offer. He was so defensive all the sudden it scares you a little. “Angie doesn’t talk to the villagers unless Donna needs something from them.”

“Mother Miranda invited me to sit with the Lords tonight. Angie figured out I was drunk. Lady Dimitrescu tried to give me wine so I-” you realized the more you spoke the angrier he was getting.

“Why, the fuck did Miranda want you to sit at our table?” he growled causing you to jump up from the barrel. He stretched his arm out into the darkness and suddenly a giant metal hammer was there. It looked so heavy but he carries it one handed like it was nothing. “You know what, don’t answer that.”

“I don’t know,” you answer anyway hoping it will delay the inevitable. “No one will answer any of my questions!” 

Heisenberg lowers the hammer slowly and looks at you perplexed. You lean back on the barrel shaking. Everything was spinning again, you had gotten up too fast. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know,” you start to cry again and close your eyes just waiting for him to attack you with the hammer.

“It’s- it’s alright,” his voice was softer. When you open your eyes he’s leaning back on the table and the hammer at his side. “Tell you what, I’m going to head inside. I’ll make a grand show for my sisters about how poorly they treated you, so Mother Miranda thinks you were just scared of them. I’m going to get you some water. I come back out here, you drink the water then we go for a walk,” Heisenberg grabs his hammer, putting it over his shoulder. “Now you are going to sit on that barrel until I come back, do you understand?”

You sit back down on the barrel and nod. It doesn’t seem like you have much of a choice. Heisenberg heads to the party, leaving you alone. Leaving you wondering what the hell just happened. Elena had said he was the most dangerous and he had a reputation and you really just said there smoking cigars with him. He actually almost killed you, you think. Before the whole hammer growly thing though, he was nice?

And nice to look at. 

You shove that part to the back of your brain. Now was not the time, you had to escape before he came back. Where would you go though? You were so tired and you knew in your current state that you wouldn’t get far. With the darkness and the storm rolling in you were stuck again. Almost as if on cue, lightning flashed and the rain started.

“You actually stayed? Good to know you can follow directions.” Heisenberg came down the path holding a glass of water. “You should have seen their faces asking about you all concerned and shit. I thought Mother Miranda was going to rip Angie apart when I told her Angie made you cry. Of course she can’t do that in front of the villagers. Donna would have gone ballistic. Did this whole show of thanking me for taking care of you.” He hands you the water and while hesitant to take it you don’t have a choice. You realize his sunglasses are gone so you could see him rolling his eyes at you. “Oh come on, you can hardly stand as it is, no point in spiking your drink.”

The cold water felt so nice you chugged the whole thing. You tilted your head back and enjoyed the feeling of the rain on your face. It felt good after the heat of the day. 

“You look like you’re feeling better, come on. I told Mother Miranda I would escort you home,” he offers his hand again and smiles at you. You look into his eyes that seem like they’re glowing in the darkness. You know you shouldn't take it. You should say you can handle it and go to Luiza’s on your own. This man works for Miranda and has already tried to kill you once.

You take his hand and he helps you off the barrel. You hope that he can’t tell how red your cheeks are in the dark. You’re in danger and you don’t care.

Chapter Text

“To answer your first question,” Heisenberg had let go of your hand but was still walking closely next to you. “I’m sure you know I work up in the Heisenberg Factory, it was owned by my family back in the day. It’s pretty dark in there, not a ton of windows you know.” Lightning in the distance made you move closer to him. Brushing your arm against his coat sleeve, you noticed his smirk. “So I have some light sensitivity issues, that’s why I wear sunglasses. So you’re afraid of thunderstorms?”

“Only when I’m outside in one.” Your dress was soaked from the rain and you just wanted to get into Luiza’s and have some nice warm tea. “If I’m inside I do like watching from the window. The villagers say I'm not supposed to ask, but what do you do in the factory?”

“Some work for Mother Miranda, we’ll leave it at that. It’s not a very pleasant subject.” There was a bit of a growl in there but he let it go. “So you’re scared of thunderstorms, but you’re not afraid of me? Did the villagers actually teach you anything?”

“No, I am afraid of you,” you answer honestly. “I thought Mother Miranda had sent you to kill me.” You look up at him, trying to gauge his reaction, but he continues to look straight ahead, you aren't far from the house now. “Should I be afraid of you?”

“Yes,” Heisenberg answered quickly. “You should be afraid of all of us. The villagers, Mother Miranda, the Lords, hell even The Duke should scare you.”

“Everyone did at first.” You think back to your first week in the village, staying close to Luiza’s home trying to keep yourself busy with housework as you planned your escape. “The villagers and The Duke don’t so much anymore. To be honest, I was starting to think you were all a local myth since I had never seen you or the other lords till tonight.”

“And yet here you are,” Heisenberg laughed coldly. “Outside in a thunderstorm with the most dangerous lord.” He looked down at you for a moment. “And checking him out again.”

“I am not!” You look away and blush, keeping your eyes straight ahead. 

“Look at how red your cheeks are!” Heisenberg nudged you a little. “You are strange, even for an American.”

“I’m strange!?” you laugh. “I’m the only normal person here.”

“Sure, just a normal girl,” he rolls his eyes again and you smile. This felt normal, it was so strange. You were terrified and everything in you had been screaming to run but you couldn’t stop talking to him. Or looking at him. Are you just so desperate you’re clinging to the first person you find attractive? “A normal girl who found herself surrounded by fairy tales.”

“Exactly,” you nod, reaching Luiza’s house. “Well, this is my stop,” you joke awkwardly. “Hey um, do you want tea?” you ask him. You want to be polite but part of you is hoping he says yes, you could feel how hot your cheeks were.

“Are you inviting me inside?” Heisenberg laughed at you again. “Like I said, you’re so fucking strange. Maybe you’re just crazy.”

“Maybe,” You stand on the steps under the balcony now out of the rain. “You don’t have to.”

“You look like a wet rat. Go change, I’ll take care of the tea,” he sighed with a smile. “Unless you need help with getting changed,” he winks.

“I think I handle that myself thank you.” You open the door and turn on the lights. “Just uh, could you leave the hammer outside?” You smile at him and he rolls his eyes again, resting the hammer against the porch. You were worried about it wrecking the house. Heisenberg puts his glasses back on as he walks through the door. “The kitchen is straight ahead, tea to the side of the stove,” you instruct him.

“Sure you can make it up the stairs?” Heisenberg teases you. “Just yell for me if you need help.”

“I’ll be fine!” you run up the stairs before you can change your mind. While you had to admit you were tempted you did not trust his man. He tried to kill you about ten minutes ago and now he’s downstairs making you tea. This may beat the night with the lycans as the weirdest night of your life. 

When you get in the mirror you realize he was right. Your hair was still dripping from the rain and your dress was sticking to you. You changed into your regular village clothes and attempted to brush out your hair the best you could. You were thankful the villagers weren’t too into makeup because you could imagine how much would have run down your face by now. You look at yourself in the mirror and realize the situation you were in. An extremely dangerous man was downstairs making you tea. Correction, you invited an extremely dangerous man into Luiza’s home and now he’s downstairs making you tea. 

“Ready?” Heisenberg calls up the stairs and you start to make your way down. “If you tell ANYONE I did this for you you’re fucking dead do you understand me?”

“What do you mean, I invited you in and I made you tea to thank you for escorting me home.” You smile walking to your seat at the table, practicing exactly what you were going to say for Luiza when she came home and saw the hammer outside. She would probably jump for joy at the idea of a lord in her home. He looked very out of place in Luiza’s kitchen. “You know, I think I’m not the only one here who is strange. Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because I’m a gentleman,” he placed a cup down in front of you. “A pretty girl who also doesn’t want to be at the party? I’d be insane to turn down that offer.”

Before you have a chance to respond the front door flies open and Vaslie is standing in the doorway with Luiza. They look like they ran here, mud covering both their shoes. They look horrified until they see you at the table taking a sip of your tea. 

“Lord Heisenberg?” Luiza smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. You realize she’s scared. It’s not like how it was when she was talking to Miranda, she seemed over the moon then. This was different. 

“Hello Luiza, Vasile.” Heisenberg stood up and nodded at them. “She just made me some tea, I’m on my way out.”

“You can stay as long as you need,” Luiza said but her voice shook, she clearly wanted him out. 

“Thank you for the offer but I should get going,” Heisenberg turns to you and smiles. “I never did catch your name.”

“Oh sorry, I’m Y/N,” you smile up at him nervously. You look at Vasile who is standing in front of Luiza as if to guard her and then back Heisenberg. Maybe you should have been more afraid of him. “Thank you for escorting me home Lord Heisenberg.”

You watch as Heisenberg turns and leaves back into the rain, closing the door behind him. Vasile and Luiza looked at each other for a moment and then back at you. You knew you were in trouble but you tried to see if you could see Heisenberg walking away from the window. 

“Y/N, are you okay?” Vasile breaks the silence and takes his seat at the table. “Lord Heisenberg can be...” he pauses to make sure he makes eye contact with you, “Difficult.”

“I’m fine, he was a perfect gentleman,” you smile trying to lighten the mood. Taking out the whole almost killing you part, he really had been. “I’m so sorry, for everything that happened tonight, was Mother Miranda angry?”

“Not at you thank the Lords,” Luiza came in to take her seat. “Heisenberg told her the story of what happened between you and Angie. We know this whole night must have been a shock to you. But to have Lord Heisenberg come to your aid?” Luiza took Vasile’s hand. “When we saw the hammer outside the house we weren’t sure what we would walk into. It certainly wasn’t him sitting at our kitchen table drinking tea.”

“Did you think he was going to kill me?” you ask honestly and sink down in your chair a little. It hadn’t occurred to you that there would be a lord that Luiza would not have been honored to have in her home. 

“Yes,” Vasile clears his throat telling you the truth, something you are not used to in this village. “You see Y/N, he is known as the most dangerous lord. It would be safer for you to not associate with him.” 

You knew Vasile was right. However, Heisenberg had plenty of moments where he could have hurt you and he didn’t. What they were saying didn’t add up to the man who made you tea and made jokes about you inviting him to your room. Is it possible he was also acting, just like you?

“I’ll be more careful from now on,” you look at your tea and frown. There was something more going on here but you felt sad at the idea of not talking to him again. You sulk up to your room and lay on the bed. You had forgotten all about Miranda killing someone, about what happened with the other lords at the party. You had to admit to yourself, you wanted to see Heisenberg again. 

Chapter Text

After drinking an entire bottle of scotch, multiple traumatic events, and a walk home with a mysterious man who everyone said could kill you like it was no problem, you assumed you were in for the hangover of a lifetime. You hear voices coming from outside waking you up and wonder what time it must be. You lay there for a few moments, waiting for the headache and stomach issues to start that accompany your hangover, but they never come. If anything, you’re just hungry from not having eaten dinner last night. You wonder if maybe you slept through an entire day and this was just the next one.

When you get downstairs, you see Luiza in the kitchen making breakfast and Vasile reading an illegal newspaper he had from The Duke. Normally, you were up after they ate or Luiza would wake you up. Today was a recovery day for the village. It wasn’t really like much work was to be done so maybe they also slept in. They also had a stressful night which made you feel guilty.

“Good morning,” you say meekly as you make your way to your seat at the table.

“You’re up early,” Vasile doesn’t even look up from his paper. “How’s your head doing? I’m surprised you’re awake.”

“I am too.” You try to make out the back of the paper but it’s in a language you can’t read. “I feel great actually.”

“Good then we can discuss what happened last night.” Vasile put his paper aside and it reminded you of being a teenager all over again after report cards came out. “Elena won’t tell us what happened when she was over but we have a pretty good idea. You are lucky Mother Miranda did not actually send Lord Heisenberg to kill you for being completely disrespectful. Just yesterday we were saying how far you had come and now it’s like taking three steps back. What were you thinking? Mother Miranda wants you in her family and this is how you thank her?”

“I-,” you take a deep breath. “I was lonely and I wanted a friend. I told Elena that where I’m from it is normal for girls to get together before parties and drink while getting ready. Before the whole Mother Miranda incident it was fun. You didn’t tell me she was 100% going to be there or I never would have done that!”

“Why would she not be there?” Luiza, still facing the stove, joins the conversation in a stern tone. “I told you multiple times yesterday that it was a special day.”

“Every month we have had this gathering and you all act like Miranda-” 

“Mother Miranda!” Vasile corrects you.

“Mother Miranda and the Lord's will show up every month. Heisenberg told me they only come once a year! Hell, he didn’t even know we were doing this monthly,” you weren’t proud of yourself for raising your voice but you had to defend yourself.

“Lord Heisenberg,” Vasile corrected you again. “And that’s another issue, Lord Heisenberg is only allowed in this house if he or Mother Miranda demands it. Do not invite him in.”

“May I ask exactly why? I thought we were supposed to honor the Lords,” you ask, feeling like you had been lied to every day for the past year.

“Yes, we honor them but they are powerful and dangerous. They are to be respected.” Luiza started passing plates of food out. “What else did you two talk about? Anything you tell a Lord you should understand that Mother Miranda will also know.”

You hadn’t considered that possibility when talking to him last night. Would he really tell Miranda you were actually drunk when he went through all the trouble to blame it on Angie? Heisenberg was just using you as an excuse to not have to go to the party last night, he had no obligation to keep your secrets. 

“I just told him about church and how overwhelmed I was meeting Mother Miranda,” you lied and the mask that had slipped last night went right back on. Right back to your role. It hits you that the whole time you were with Heisenberg you never put on your act, whatever happened came so naturally. The thought scared you, someone that powerful actually met the real you when no one else here has. 

“Thank the Lords.” Luiza put her plate down but left the room briefly, returning with a small wooden box with a red floral design. “Y/N, let’s leave the past in the past. Last night Mother Miranda announced your importance to the whole village! That is a great honor, we hope you understand that.” Luiza handed you the box as she took her seat at the table. “We wanted to give you this last night but with the circumstances it didn’t feel appropriate.”

You open the box and put on a smile. It’s the exact necklace Luiza wears. It looked like a bone carved into a large tooth with smaller teeth holding the setting of a white stone. The bone feels smooth and you’re hoping it belonged to an animal as you put it on. Miranda did make an announcement about you yesterday but you were on the floor when it happened.

“Thank you so much.” You look up at Luiza who has returned to how she looked at you Miranda had pulled you up to the altar. 

“It will offer you protection,” Luiza adds. “It is a family tradition of mine going back generations. We think of you like a daughter, Y/N, and we will support you through whatever Mother Miranda has planned for you.”

Miranda has plans for you. The thought sends shivers down your spine. Though maybe you would get to see Heisenberg again. You push back the thought. You needed to squash this crush now, nothing good could come of it. You hoped this necklace worked, it was Miranda you needed the protection from. 

“I’m sorry for my attitude this morning.” You look over at Vasile, feeling guilty. In his defense, you did invite someone into his home without asking first. Even if they had been lying to you for months, it seems they were hopeful every time that Mother Miranda would appear. 

Vasile nods at you while he eats his breakfast which in his case meant he accepted your apology. You know him well enough at this point. 

The rest of the morning consisted of Luiza excitedly talking about church last night. You noted that she never brought up the woman whose husband was murdered in the middle of church from those glass shards by Mother Miranda for seemingly no reason. 

“You should stop by Elena’s and see how she’s doing,” Vasile told you as you took his plate to clean up. “Leo will be mad at you, but with Mother Miranda’s attention last night he will probably let you in to see her. That girl was really upset about you after you left. When Lord Heisenberg said you were with him I thought the poor thing was going to die from stress.” The words hurt you. During this whole situation you hadn’t even thought about what happened to Elena after the church. 

As soon as you finish washing the dishes, you head out to Elena’s. When you open the door and step outside all the villagers who had been outside of Luiza’s home stare at you. Some smile but most just stare. Well actually, most of the women around your age who normally are kinder to you are glaring. It’s like your first day all over again only worse, only this time no one was ignoring you.

The trend continues all the way to Elena’s. No one even says good morning to you. You weren’t sure what you had expected but it certainly wasn’t this. You knock at the door and Leonardo answers like he had been waiting for you. He doesn’t say anything but he motions you to come in and he quickly closes the door behind you.

“Good, you survived,” he says, clearly annoyed at that fact. “Elena is down the hall. Third door on the right. Keep it short.” You follow the directions towards Elena’s room to find her sitting on her bed. A book in one hand and a glass of water in the other. 

“Hey.” You knock on the door frame. “That was a weird night.”

“Come in! Close the door!” Her eyes lit up and she dropped her book, not even saving the page. You sense she really wasn’t paying attention to what she was reading. “What happened last night? Lord Heisenberg said that Angie scared you and he was going to walk you home. We thought that meant-”

“He was going to kill me.” You closed the door and leaned against it. “I thought so too at first when he started talking to me. I think he almost did at one point. We had tea together, it was weird.” The words fell out of your mouth before you could stop yourself.

“You had tea? With Lord Heisenberg?” Elena frowned. “Did you two- sorry for asking this but did he- did you- with him-”

“No, he made jokes about it but never made a move.” You sat at the end of her bed understanding what she was getting at and saving her from having to figure out how to phrase the question of you hooking up with Heisenberg. “Though, what would happen if something happened between us?” The question hangs in the air for a second. 

“Well,” Elena sighed, putting her water on a nightstand. “He kind of has a reputation.”

“Yes, the most dangerous lord. Luiza and Vasile gave me a warning about him last night and this morning.” As you speak, her eyes grew wide.

“He’s a womanizer too. That’s what I meant by reputation. It’s more polite and if I was speaking to anyone else I wouldn’t say it like that,” She smiled weakly at you. “A lot of the village thought he was either going to kill you or that you were-,” she paused trying to think of a proper way to say it. 

“That explains the looks this morning,” That explains the excessive flirting on his end. 

“Yeah, the other women who...normally accompany him weren’t too happy about the new girl stealing their chance.” Elena tries to find the best words but is struggling. “Just be careful around him. I hear he also has a bad temper.”

You think back from him calling you pretty to him going to attack you with a giant metal hammer in the span of seconds. You got a glimpse of that temper. But he never hurt you, just scared you a little. Was that an act or was he really that easy to upset?

“Elena, I’m not exactly a blushing bride, you know. I’ve been married before and even before then I wasn’t shy around that subject.” You smile at her. “I also have a reputation I guess.”

“Y/N! I’m serious!” Elena snapped. “Besides, what about you getting out of here? And what about Mother Miranda? She has plans for you and I don’t think they involve sleeping with Lord Heisenberg!”

“Shit, I forgot about Miranda for a second. What the hell is with everyone? She literally killed a man last night with that whole glass trick. I swear she’s been messing with me too!” You run your hands through your hair.

“We can’t talk about it, I’m sorry.” Elena looked away from you. “I need to rest, my head is killing me from last night.”

“Elena,” you say, but she reaches for her book and doesn’t look back up at you. “I’ll be careful!”

“Can you close the door behind you?” Elena didn’t even look up from her book that you could tell she wasn’t reading. You slowly get up and leave, closing the door behind you. You had put her through enough.

Leonardo doesn’t say anything to you as you walk back into the village full of stares and glares. They were really more concerned with what had happened between you and the most dangerous lord than the death of one of their own. You want nothing to do with them.

Chapter Text

You keep waiting for things to go back to normal. Well, as normal as this cult village gets.  You believed the villagers will stop staring at you when they find some new gossip to focus on but they never do. All conversation ceases whenever you enter an area and as the days go by it makes you feel crazy. Being left alone with your thoughts has allowed your mind to wander with a mix of anxiety, fear, and excitement. Every moment you were on edge, knowing that Mother Miranda was going to come to gather you for her plans. Or you were hoping that when you turned a corner Heisenberg would be there. It was a lot harder to forget this crush when you have nothing else to focus on. You daydream about meeting him again as you walk to The Duke’s and pretend you don’t notice the staring. 

“Ah Y/N. You seem to be popular lately,” The Duke says looking down at you, at least he still spoke to you.

“Is that a joke or does that mean something different around here?” you ask him with a polite smile. 

“Maybe not with the villagers.” The Duke reaches back and reveals four envelopes, three of the standard white with black lettering. The other one however, is black with shimmering gold writing. “It seems that the Lords and Mother Miranda have taken quite an interest in you.” He hands you the letters and pulls out a cigar for him to smoke. So that’s how Heisenberg was getting Cubans all the way up here. 

“Looks like I got some reading to do.” You flip through them and see the wax seals. Each seal had a different house crest on them. The Beneviento, Dimitrescu, and Heisenberg crests in red wax on the white envelopes. On the black and gold envelope was Mother Miranda’s crest in gold wax. Terror shot through you as you stared at her envelope. You were hoping Miranda had just forgotten about you. You shove the letters in your over the shoulder bag. “Thank you. I think I will be in need of wine though.”

“Something to calm the nerves?” The Duke pulled a single bottle of red wine from behind him. “I do believe this will do the trick. Do be careful though.” You hand him the money and he hands you the bottle that you slide into your bag. “I will advise if those letters have any requests you should oblige them. Would be a shame to lose a favorite customer.”

“Thanks. I will do my best to make sure that does not happen,” you assure him and head back to Luiza’s house. Luiza and Vasile were the only people besides The Duke who spoke to you anymore. Ever since Elena told you she couldn’t talk to you about Miranda she’s avoided you. At least Heisenberg hasn’t forgotten about you, but neither did two of the other lords and Miranda.

“What makes you so special!” You hear a male voice and turn to see what’s happening. You realize that it was actually directed at you. Anton stands about ten feet from you with his friend Oskar by his side leaning against the well. Both of them have bottles in hand. 

“We’re not supposed to ask!” Oskar cackles but eyed you curiously. “She is pretty though, probably why Lord Heisenberg picked her up.”

“I can hear you!” You yell back to the men. The first interaction you’ve had outside of Luiza’s for days and of course it was the drunk men heckling you. Anton was usually the ring leader but Oskar had his moments despite his young age. 

“Good. Then I’ll ask again, what makes you so special?” Anton smirks but you noticed he didn’t move closer. “Mother Miranda adores you but to me you just seem like a stupid whore. Everyone knows you're not a virgin but you act all prude and innocent. Then, Lord Heisenberg stops by and suddenly your true colors come out.”

“Holy shit Anton. How much have you had?” You roll your eyes. Anton had never spoken to you like this before, he must  really be gone. “Nothing happened between myself and Lord Heisenberg.”

“Bullshit,” Oskar shouts, also not moving from his spot on the well. “We should thank you though, his girls are all upset and we have provided shoulders to cry on.” He throws back his head in a laugh.

“You mean his sloppy seconds?” You felt bad reducing other women to that but it was only to make Anton and Oskar angry. They had to be taken down a peg.

“You bitch!” Oskar shouts and he starts to move toward you. Oskar was actually going to go after you and Anton couldn’t hold him back. Oskar worked in the stables and was very strong. There was no way you could out run him if he was going to attack you. In your panic you hear breaking glass. You watch almost in slow motion as the glass bottles in Oskar’s and Anton’s hands break. Oskar jumps in fear but misjudges his landing. You hear him scream as he goes backwards down the well to land with a sickening thud.  

Mother Miranda must be close, that was the only explanation. You run to Luiza’s without looking back as Anton shouts for help and calls down the well to Oskar who never responds. When you get to your room and lock the door behind you. You didn’t want Luiza and Vasile to ask you about what you just saw. Mother Miranda just killed another man. You take one of the wine glasses you had hidden out and pour a very large glass. 

You didn’t want to read any of the letters but Heisenberg’s, especially after what you just witnessed, but with The Duke’s warning you knew you had to read all of them. You sit on your bed with them laid out in front of you debating which to read first. You knew you wanted to save Heisenberg’s for last and get scary ones over with but at the same time you felt if you opened Miranda’s letter then suddenly she would appear.

You open Alcina’s first, she was scary but had been nice when you spoke so you believe the letter would feel the same. You look at her handwriting of your name on the envelope in beautiful calligraphy, the type you would hire for your wedding invitations. The letter inside was written in cursive that matched the beauty of the calligraphy. 

Dear Y/N, 

I would like to apologize on behalf of my ‘sister’ and my ‘brother’ for their behavior the night we met. I’m sure you had a lot of emotions to deal with that night. Heisenberg is a fool who does not know respect and the fact that you had to spend any time with him at all must have been dreadful. If you would like civilized company from your new family please know you are welcome at Castle Dimitrescu at any time. My daughters and I would love to host you here at the castle. 

Best Regards, 

Lady Alicina Dimitrescu

You remember when Elena had told you to run from her and what had happened to her friend who had been sent to the castle. You definitely weren’t going there.

Next you look at Donna’s envelope with dread. Everyone thinks Angie is the reason that you ran away since Heisenberg had blamed her. Angie knew the truth that you had been drunk. You look at your name written out in simple cursive, not as regal as Alicina’s. When you open the envelope two pieces of paper fall out. One is neatly printed in black ink, the other looks like red crayon. You assumed the crayon one was from Angie and picked that one up first to get it over with. 

Y/N and Heisenberg sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G

 You actually laugh aloud reading it, that wasn’t what you were expecting from the doll. You move on to Donna’s note:

 Y/N,

 I apologize for our behavior the other night. 

From,

 Lady Donna Beneviento.

 You just stare at it. After what Heisenberg had said about Miranda’s reaction, you’re guessing Donna was told to apologize to you.

 Two envelopes remain, one from Heisenberg and one from Miranda. You grab Heisenberg’s and smile at it for a moment. You wonder what if it’s him saying he never wants to see you again. You take a deep breath letting go of the anxiety and the nervousness. What if it’s a love letter? You smile and feel your cheeks heat up at the thought. You recall everyone’s warnings about him and you promised them you would be careful of him. You look at his handwriting, it’s neater than you thought it would be. 

Y/N, 

It was a pleasure to walk you home the other night. Come to the factory the second night of the full moon. I believe we have something in common.

 Yours Truly, Lord Karl Heisenberg

 You smile at the letter and re-read it a few times. So his first name is Karl and he believes you have something in common. Could he mean your reputation around the village? A love for scotch? Even if he was just using you, who said you couldn’t have some fun here? You were relieved he wanted to see you again.

You reach for the black envelope and empty your glass. You hope opening this letter doesn’t cause her to appear or anything weird. It’s just a letter from a woman running a cult who believes she’s god and she may or may not have killed a man for threatening you today. You look at your name printed in shimmering gold ink to match the wax seal. You break the seal cautiously and hold your breath. The piece of paper inside looks normal at first, but then you notice strange green stains and are careful to note touch those. 

Dear Y/N, 

As I had announced at the new moon gathering you will be the newest member of my family. You will play a different role than the established Lords. We have much to discuss. You will join me at my son, Moreau’s reservoir during the day of the first full moon. Do not fear my child, you will do incredible things.

Love, 

Mother Miranda.

 You realize you’re shaking by the end of reading the note. You knew this was not a request, this was an order. Mother Miranda was not going to come to take you but was going to force you to go to her. 

You have so many questions and you do not want the answers for them. You knew that in two days you would be completely at Miranda’s mercy with no performance to put on in front of her followers to save you. Your mind flashes to the man with the glass shooting through his skull and the sound Oskar made as he hit the bottom of the well. 

You feel sick. At least if you survive meeting her, then the next day you would see Heisenberg again.

Chapter Text

The days leading up to your meeting with Miranda are spent listening to Luiza and Vasile discuss Oskar’s death. You’re surprised since the first murder you saw in the church was never talked about. A pit in your stomach forms whenever you think about that crunching sound Oskar made when he landed. They never mention you or Miranda though. Oskar’s death was blamed on Anton and the alcohol. Anton never even told people you were there. It was like you had been completely erased from the situation. Like you hadn’t witnessed Miranda commit another murder. 

When you told Luiza you had been invited to Lord Moreau’s reservoir to meet Miranda she seemed less thrilled than you had anticipated . Moreau was the only Lord you haven’t met and from what you gathered he was the least popular of the four. His portrait in the church looked like a classic monster from a horror movie. There was no way that was a real picture. 

You left after breakfast and the villagers watched as you shakily headed towards the reservoir. If you ran away you would die, if you went you only might die. You had no choice after spending two days barely able to sleep thinking of ways to get out of this meeting. You were nauseous the whole walk and the smell coming from the water was not helping. 

“Y/N it is so nice to see you again. I wanted to see you at the party but Mother said I couldn’t come to the party. I’m not allowed to, my sister gets very mad. She’s mean.” You hear a voice that almost sounds like gargling marbles come from behind you. You turn to see Lord Moreau. You smile to mask the absolute shock. His cloak covered much of his hunch body but his face was visible. Moreau somehow looked worse than the portrait of him at the church. There was no way that he was human. 

“See me again? Lord Moreau, I don’t think I’ve met you before,” You ask him trying to sound polite but your voice gives away how scared you are. If he had seen you before, that meant that he had to have been the one to save you from the lycans. 

“Yes, Mother introduced us. You were sleeping and your blood was on your shirt,” He spoke as if you should remember it. So he met you after you were brought to Miranda from the lycan attack. 

“Is Mother Miranda here?” you ask him wanting to get away from him as soon as possible. “She invited me. Sorry I know this is your home right?”

“Sorry?” Moreau yells and you back away ready to run. “No one has ever said sorry to me before!” You think he is trying to cry, but his body does not allow him. “Mother is sad you're not her real child. Mother wants to speak in the windmill. Tell you the story.” So he was crazy but he did give you directions so at least there’s that. 

“Uh, thank you?” You start to turn to the windmill when you hear him making more strange sounds. You begin walk faster and suddenly there was silence. You break into a run as you realize something was moving in the water, something huge. Did it eat Moreau? You were not sticking around to find out. 

When you get to the top, you pause for a moment, weighing if you were more afraid of the sea monster or Mother Miranda. Moreau had said you are not her real child and she wants to tell you a story. Of course you’re not her real child, you’re not even from here. The story part confuses you though, maybe he was crazy. From here on, there was no going back.

You open the door and Mother Miranda is inside, her back turned to you. Her wings are gone and when she turns to see she greets you with a smile. Without the wings she just looks like a masked woman in priest ware. You realize you’re staring and you go to kneel in respect as Luiza had taught you the night before. 

“That won’t be necessary dear,” Miranda speaks to you. “Please take a seat. Thank you for coming in such a timely manner.” She motions to what appearances to be kitchen chairs and a table. You take your seat at one end and Miranda sits across from you. “Y/N, I regret that I have to inform you that you are an unfit vessel for my Eva. Only one other failure made it as far as you did.” 

You wonder if you’re being pranked or hazed. What the fuck was this lady talking about? A vessel for Eva? Did she just call you a failure? Only your high school gym teacher was allowed to call you that. 

“I can see you are confused. Salvatore was to explain it to you but that was too much responsibility for him I see.” Mother Miranda is sitting up completely straight like she had never sat at a table before. 

“Lord Moreau met me down the path. He said that you were sad I was not your true child and you had a story for me,” you answer her trying to look anywhere but directly at her. 

“Yes you are not going to be my true child, you were so close though. Allow me to explain since my son could not. I am looking for a vessel worthy to use for my daughter Eva to return to me. I was gifted this power to do so.” Her wings flourish from behind her taking up space for the rest of the room. “I have had no success so far but we are getting closer. Lord Moreau believed that by using only half a cadou in your heart that you would have less risk of mutation. While you have significantly less of a mutation than we have ever seen, you still have it nonetheless.” 

“Mutation?” you ask. Last time you had checked the mirror you still looked like yourself. “I am sorry Mother Miranda I do not understand.”

“A year ago one of my children found you in the lycans grasp. They did as they have been commanded to do and brought you to me. You were alive but the injuries you sustained were fatal. I gave you to my son Salvatore so he could continue his experiments in his laboratory.” Miranda paused and turned her head out to the water. “When my son called me to say he had been successful in your cadou implantation I had hoped I would see my daughter soon. However, when I arrived I realized his only success was keeping you alive.”

You realize with horror that  she had experimented on you while you were asleep. That they put something in your chest. And what was worse, whatever it was had done something to you.

“I had at first believed that the cadou had died in your chest. Salvatore split one in two and implanted you with the head of the cadou. A villager had been given the lower half and they turned into a lycan instantly. But if you were alive and your wounds now scars, that meant that somehow implantation had taken. You were still weak so I gave you to Luiza, my forever faithful follower, to teach you about your home so Eva would be prepared.” Miranda turned back to you. “I have been watching you grow. You had shown no signs of mutation and I had begun to hope that you were the perfect vessel.” Miranda was becoming angry. “But the other night at the church, when I was ready to announce you as the vessel, you proved to me that you were also a failure.” Her voice raised and you winced. She was really going to kill you for being drunk.

“When that glass shattered I knew it you were weak and imperfect. Not a proper vessel for my daughter. Your role, however, is confusing. We have all four great lords in their places, but where to put you? While you are not as strong as my other children, you have proven to be able to use your powers. Once you learn to control them you could become a less powerful lord.” Mother Miranda’s smile and soft voice returning. 

“What do you mean? When the glass shattered at church and killed that man?” You ask her confused. Wasn’t she the one who had caused it to shatter?

“It appears your powers are linked to glass. When you broke the glass windows while your emotions were running high it attacked someone who may have upset you earlier,” Mother Miranda tilted her head. “There was another incident two days ago, correct? That stable boy panicked when you broke the glass in his hand and he jumped down a well?”

“I didn’t- how could I have- what are you saying? Are you saying I killed those men?” You stand up not able to mask your anger anymore. 

“Of course you did, my dear. After a year, your cadou is waking up and your powers will be hard to control when you have emotional outbursts. Yes, you killed them.” Miranda doesn’t react as all the windows in the windmill blow out.

 You stand there shaking and screaming as you realize you were a murderer.

Chapter Text

Heisenberg

“Did she get the letter?” I ask, walking into the elevator to see The Duke. “It was time sensitive.” Hopefully, she comes to the factory tomorrow night so I don’t have to go break into Luiza’s to get her myself. I’m sure Vasile would love me breaking in on a full moon night.

“Yes, though I feel I should warn you that your letter was not the only one she received. Ladies Dimitrescu and Beneviento both wrote to her. Knowing Lady Beneviento that would mean little Angie as well.” I figured the giant bitch probably wants to use her for blood and Donna would love a new toy. 

“Everyone is going after the new girl. She’s been here for a year and everyone is making their move at once,” I take out a cigar and cut the end. “Poor thing is in over her head.”

“Mother Miranda wrote to the new girl as well. Her letter was also time sensitive.” The Duke saving the most important information for last, of course. I hate when he does that. 

“Well, Mother’s plans come first of course,” I turn away from The Duke and step off at the ground floor of the factory. If Miranda has any plans for her, it would be best to put the girl out of her misery now like I should have done in the first place. She was so weak there was no way she could handle a cadou.

What if I got to her first? The girl knew a lot about the outside world and could be useful for when I do finally get to kill the bitch. Plus, she wasn’t brainwashed. She pretended to be probably to avoid being put in danger but I caught her slipping up on saying Miranda’s name. The girl was braver than she led on, and she wants out of here. Or maybe she was just crazy. 

I suppose I should check up on her, make sure she hasn’t done anything stupid. Like drinking an entire bottle of scotch again. The Duke had told me what her order had been the day we spoke. I still can’t believe she had the guts to face Miranda like that and didn’t take off running till after speaking to the stupid doll. If she could handle meeting Miranda, she could handle the factory. She could be the perfect assistant. Brave, cute, and wants to get the fuck out of here.

Even with my sunglasses on, that first step into sunlight was always blinding. At least in midsummer there was more shade and a lack of snow for the sun to reflect off. Reaching my hand out, my hammer comes right to my side from where I had left it last. I have been tracking this girl on and off for the past year, just to see why Miranda gave her to the villagers. So far I couldn’t find anything, but if Miranda is starting to contact her I need to speed up my own plans.

Walking into the village, I’m met by two women who have had me over to their homes before. I wave and smile at them but I don’t have time for them. I head towards Luiza’s house where she normally is. Something was different this time. Her scent was off, it was headed towards the fish’s territory. She was running away, why else would he ever go near that disgusting place.

“Brother!” Salvatore greets, crawling out of the water. He was missing his hood that kept the worst of his deformities hidden. If anyone should hate Miranda for what she’s done to us it’s him. Instead though he spends all his time trying to become her favorite. That shit pisses me off. “Y/N is here! Mother invited her here! She was nice. Said polite things.” 

“Did you eat her?” It was an honest question. No use in continuing if the girl was fish food. 

“No! It would have upset Mother!” Why was Miranda so damn invested in this outsider? “She was smart. She ran to speak to Mother. She was so honored to speak to Mother!” Moreau was so caught up in the excitement of a girl being nice to him that he misread the situation. I highly doubt the girl was ‘honored’ to speak to the bitch. 

“If she was smart she would have ran away from your ugly face in the place,” Fucking fish freak. Still the fact that she didn’t instantly run away from him was strange. Crazy. She was cute but fucking crazy. “What fuck did Mother want with her anyway?” 

“I am not telling you!” The fish stood up as straight as he could. Right now is not the time for him to start getting a backbone. “Mother would have told you if it involved you and it doesn’t! You’re just jealous that Mother needs me and not you!” No, he needed to be put in his place.

“I'm the one who brought her to Mother in the first place!” I lift my hammer, it wouldn’t kill him but it would put him in enough pain he’ll remember why he should be afraid of the rest of us. 

“Please no!” He raises his hands like they would do anything. “Mother just wanted to talk to her! Please!” I raise the hammer a little more. 

“Talk to her about what? We are not playing twenty questions today, freak!” If he isn’t talking then something serious is happening involving this girl. 

“A story!” He whimpered. “That’s all Mother told me, please don’t!” He was telling the truth. I bring the hammer back to my side. I’m not cleaning his gross guts off it if I don’t have to.

“Now, was that so hard?” I sigh. Miranda must be telling her the Village of Shadows, which meant it might already be too late to get the girl on my side. It’s an old folk tale from the village about each of the Lord’s houses. The story predates Miranda, but she believes it holds the key to getting her daughter back. We all have our role to play in that one.

I hear Salvatore scream before I realize what I’m looking at. All the glass from the windmill was falling into the water below. The girl’s screaming is ringing in my ear. The conversation must not be going well. Miranda is showing off how powerful she is. The poor girl had guts, but even someone crazy like her couldn’t be that brave. When I kill Miranda no one will ever fear her again. I just need to become stronger. 

“Mother!” Salvatore is five seconds away from mutation and I would rather not have to look at that. Looking at him normally was bad enough as it was. Though, if he was worried about Miranda, that meant there was more to this girl. I don’t like this.

I make my way up the windmill onto the roof so I can hear what is happening. Her screaming had stopped and she was still breathing. That was...unusual. 

“It’s alright my child. You have your cadou and you will be great. Eva will return to me and all will be alright.” Miranda soothes the girl who is quietly sobbing. This weak girl had a cadou and it took without changing her? I didn’t even sense it in her. 

 That would make her the perfect vessel for Eva that Miranda has been searching for. Once Eva is back it’s game over for everyone. Miranda will destroy the whole village to bring back her daughter.

“Thank you, Mother Miranda. I am honored,” the girl chokes out. 

If this girl was the vessel then that changes everything. I have to get rid of her, sooner than later. Tomorrow night just became way more interesting. I take a small metal rectangle out of my pocket and press one of the buttons, a picture flashes on the screen. A message that says “no service” flashes in the top corner. This would make an interesting game piece. 

Chapter Text

You locked yourself in your room the moment you got back to Luiza’s. Her and Vasile both tried to get you to come out and talk. How could you explain to them what horrible things Miranda was doing? What Miranda had done to you. When you were sure they had fallen asleep you tried to eat but you weren’t hungry. Now you have to face Heisenberg. 

They had been right of course. You couldn’t trust him. Not only did he work for Miranda but if you understood yesterday correctly then he also has the parasite giving him powers. That is why he’s called the most dangerous isn’t it? He can kill people, just like you did. The only reason he probably didn’t kill you in the first place is because Miranda still wants to use you.

Miranda never really went into detail after your outburst. She just kept telling you that you will help her bring her daughter back. You could figure out her daughter had died and she was trying to bring her back from dead using a vessel? She was going to take a living person, stick the parasite in them and just hope for the best. Wait, is that why Heisenberg didn’t want to talk about what was happening in his factory? 

Heisenberg had said you have something in common. He knew that whole walk about you and he didn’t say anything. Now you had to go face him in that factory. You know what he meant by something in common, you both have that parasite. A cadou Miranda called it. Yesterday morning you had so much nervous excitement to see him but today you were dreading it. You didn’t want to be further indoctrinated into this. 

Once again, you’re waiting for Luiza and Vasile to fall asleep before you leave. It’s been warm during the day but at night it’s noticeably cooler so you grab your red cloak for warmth. 

Heisenberg’s factory was on the other side of the village from Luiza's, giving you plenty of time to develop even more anxiety than you had all day. On a full moon night all the villagers stayed in their homes. The story Luiza told you is that the lycans are more active on full moon nights. You could hear them but they sounded far in the distance.  You were almost one of them. If Salvatore had given you the other half of the cadou, that would be you out there.

“I’ll walk you the rest of the way,” Heisenberg greeted you in the village. Maybe it was having more context from Miranda but you really were afraid of him right now. “What? Where is that big smile from last time?”

“Sorry Lord Heisenberg,” you mutter and he walks alongside you. Further apart than the two of you had been the night of the party. “It’s been a difficult past few days.”

“Meeting Mother will do that. But you should be happy right?” Heisenberg asked you flatly. Something was off about him tonight.

“Yes, of course.” You had to lie to him now, there was no way whatever you said to him tonight would not get back to Miranda. You hadn’t even told him that you had seen her so she must have said something to him. 

“So she told you the story?” He pulled out a cigar and you make note that he didn’t offer you one this time. 

“Yes. Mother Miranda told me everything,” You can see the factory in the moonlight. You knew what was happening there. More cadou experiments. Lycans being made. You can hear more of them in the woods just past the factory. 

“Well then, no point in delaying this any longer.” Heisenberg reached into his pocket and held out something in front of you. You immediately recognize your phone. “I believe this is yours.”

“That’s my phone!” You could call for help, you could get out of here. “Where did you find it!”

“It was on you when the lycans had gotten to you. I took it before I brought you to Mother Miranda,” Heisenberg placed the phone in your hand and backed away. “Now, run.”

“Thank you!” You look up at him, he was letting you escape. Heisenberg was going to help you get out of his village. That’s why he saved you. You look down at the screen and see no service but your wallpaper has been changed. It was the word ‘RUN’ in red letters. 

“I think you’re misunderstanding the situation you’re in.” Heisenberg laughs. “Run. I’m giving you a head start. If I kill you right away, that ruins all the fun.” He summoned his hammer that flew right into his hand. Your eyes grow wide and you stare at him for a moment realizing what he meant. Heisenberg is going to kill you. This had all been a trap. 

“Okay fine. I’ll count down for you. Ten-”

You take off running to you’re not sure where. The only place to go was the woods beyond the factory. If you could get through there then maybe you could get service and escape. You can hear the lycans but it was either them or Heisenberg. 

“Poor little Y/N.” Heisenberg’s voice came from your phone despite the lack of service causing you to scream. He laughs. “I have to admit, I’m disappointed. I originally had other plans for tonight.”

You don’t respond, you just keep running. You hear something coming from your right so you go left past the trees. If this was his plan B, you didn’t want to know what plan A is. 

“Luiza and Vasile were right about me, you know. But you are just so stubborn you couldn’t listen to them.” You wanted to throw away your phone but it would be your only life line if you got out of here. “Miranda told you about the Village of Shadows yesterday, right? Come on, I’m sure even you could figure out which Lord was which.”

Village of Shadows? Miranda hadn’t mentioned anything about that last night. Wait- he just called her Miranda. Not her proper name. You couldn’t think of this right now, something was catching up to you. It was growling and you knew what it was. Lycans were on your heels. You see an abandoned home in the distance, maybe there was a weapon in there you could use. 

“As the little girl enters the dark heart of the forest, an Iron Steed appears.” You try to adjust the volume on the phone but you can’t. Heisenberg’s voice is attracting more of them. If you can just get into the house. “Eva, you’re not getting away. Mother Miranda won’t be able to protect you out here.” 

“I am not Eva!” You manage to scream as you keep running avoiding tripping on tree roots. The moonlight is the source of light in the forest.  

“Not yet you’re not. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” You can hear him in the distance instead of through the phone. “You know that’s not the only fairy tale on my mind right now.”

You unclip your cloak and leave it behind. You understood what he was referencing. Little Red Riding Hood running from the big bad wolf. His laugh continued through the phone. You were so close to the house. There had to be a weapon of some kind in there. You reach for the door and it’s unlocked. You close it behind you if you have just enough time to see four lycans behind you. The door wouldn’t hold them for long, you push the side table next to the door in front of it. 

“How resourceful!” Heisenberg remarked. “Now that you’ve locked yourself in there what’s next I wonder?” 

“I thought you said we had something in common!” You speak into the phone scanning the room for a weapon. There was nothing in here but a few plates, bottles of wine, and a cast iron skillet. You grab the skillet. It wasn’t much and it was heavy but it was better than nothing. 

“I had thought so. But you were a better liar than I had given you credit for. No one is a better actor than me though.” Nothing he had been saying tonight made any sense. “Y/N, I’m getting a call on the other line. Do stay alive long enough for me to find you. I would hate to miss the finale.” 

All you hear now is the lycans outside the door. Surprisingly, they weren’t trying to break in. 

You peek from a window and you see six of them growling at the door. You check your phone again, it has been badly hacked and you can’t get into your main screen. Still no service. 

You sink down, clutching the frying pan to your chest. You sit for a moment to catch your breath. You had no idea how long Heisenberg was pausing this game of his for but you need a plan. Now.

Chapter Text

Heisenberg

Just when things start getting good, the main phone rings at the end of my desk. I look at the screen as the girl grabs a cast iron skillet. She was smart to move the table in front of the door. If the lycans wanted to though they would have already gone through the windows. They’re behaving for now but if she makes a run for it then it’ll be over too soon. I tell her to stay alive for right now and put my mic on mute while I pick up the dial phone. 

“Hello?” I pick up already knowing who it is. I doubt she knows exactly what’s happening, but Miranda always finds out when something isn’t going according to her master plan.

“Heisenberg, how are you this evening?” God, I wish she would hurry up and get to the damn point. All this small talk is a waste of time. 

“I’m doing well. And you Mother?” Playing along like this is embarrassing. She’s too powerful right now but one day I won’t have to play this game anymore. 

“I’m looking for the girl you walked home the other night. I had heard that she was last seen with you heading towards your factory.” Shit. She found that out faster than I thought.

“We were. I guess she got freaked out and ran into the woods.” I glance over at the screen. Thankfully, she took my warning to stay put. She looked pathetic holding her phone in one hand while clutching on to the skillet for dear life. I almost feel guilty. Almost. She didn’t ask for this, none of us did.

“And you just let her? Heisenberg, I am disappointed in you.” Well, she was pissed but I can deal with that later. It’s long overdue for someone else to be her favorite for a little bit. Get her to stop assigning me projects so I can focus on my own. 

“Mother Miranda, I apologize. I wasn’t aware that she was so important. I thought she was just a village girl. I’ll go look for her immediately." I say while I’m staring at the screen. The girl was looking at the wine bottles. Was this what she wanted to do in her final moments? Drinking wine that was probably vinegar at this point? Dammit, she could have been so interesting. But I’m left with no choice. Either she lives and becomes Eva or she dies and I have more time to build my army against the psycho bitch. 

“Heisenberg, bring her to me.” And then the line goes dead. Don’t worry Miranda, I’ll bring you her body. She technically never said alive or in one piece. I grab my hat and give one last look at the screen. She was still looking at the wine bottles. What was she planning?

I take my time walking into the forest. Her red cloak is hanging on a tree branch. She made this too easy. With this, any lycan who comes by it will be able to track her down. They won’t attack till I give the command of course, they knew I had been with her earlier from the cigar smoke on her. I’ll leave it here for now, maybe I can bring back that to Miranda if there’s nothing left of her.

The house was now surrounded by the lycans growling at the door and the windows. I could tell them to go in but I need her to come out here. I need to see with my own eyes that Eva won’t come back. The lycans move aside as I make my way to the front facing the door. The hammer hits some of them as it comes to my hand. 

“Time’s up. Sorry, I have to speed this up,” I announce so she can hear me over the growling. Either she was coming out on her own and putting on a brave face to her death or we were going to drag her out. “It’s your choice on how you want to die right now.”

I hear the sound of something shooting past me. The lycan next me suddenly whimpers and falls to the ground, gurgling blood from its mouth.  I examined the dying lycan for a second. I didn’t hear a gun go off, and I made sure there wasn’t one in there for her to use. A long piece of clear glass was lodged in his neck. 

I look at the window to see her peeking out. She was smiling. Why the fuck was she smiling? 

The window had a crack in it the same shape as the shard. The windows shatter before I have time to think about it, launching glass in every direction. Most of the lycans roar out in pain, some run for it. A handful more fall to the ground, larger shards in their heads going straight through the other side. The sound of a few trying to still breathe while the glass is stuck in their windpipe. 

The front door opens and she steps out. She must be terrified and she isn’t showing it. In one hand she has her phone, in another she has an empty wine bottle. Two more wine bottles float in the air behind her slowly breaking apart into pointed shards. 

“Well, I have to admit, this was unexpected.” I rest my hammer down for a moment. She wasn’t the vessel, I was wrong. It’s very rare for me to be wrong. “So... glass?”

“Glass,” she nods, walking forward. I could see in her face she was planning to use what was becoming a glass knife on my neck. “Fix. My. Phone!”

“Or what? That’s not going to kill me Buttercup. May sting like a bitch but that’s not enough to kill me.” I watch her as she kept walking. She killed a few lycans and now she’s on a power trip. “Change of plans though, no sense in killing you.”

“Fix my phone!” She repeats.

“You want to get out of here don’t you? What exactly would you be willing to do to get out of here?” I ask her. She’s not Eva, she’ll never be Eva. She’s a failed experiment like the rest of us. Weaker than the rest of us but still, she could be useful. 

“Fix my phone!” She had stopped in front of me. Two large shards pointed at my neck. She had the fire, the bravery, hell she was even cute when she’s angry. My first assessment of her had been correct, she was perfect for this.

“I heard you the first few times,” I smile at her. “Now, what would you do to get out of here? Out of the village? Return to whatever it is you call an ordinary life?” I know her answer. The fact she hasn’t stabbed me yet tells me that she needs me. She knows she would need her phone working if she ever wants out of this backwards village. 

“Why should I tell you?” Ah I see, she doesn’t trust me. That’s fine. She shouldn’t trust me or anyone else here. 

“Y/N, I believe we have something in common after all. A little more than I thought too. There was a misunderstanding. I’ll explain everything, but not here. Let’s get you out of the woods.” As I turn to lead her back to the factory something sharp digs into my right shoulder. I assumed it was her shards but then I heard the breathing. A fucking lycan attacked me? Another one digs into my left knee bringing me down for a second. I shake them off but they completely ignore her to attack me. They would normally never go after me, maybe these ones were just stupid.

Before I even have a chance to go at them they fall around me, glass sticking out of them. Blood covering my coat. I turn to look at her. I had it handled, she didn’t need to do that. She hasn’t figured out the immortal part yet.  

“I need my phone fixed,” she says, answering the question I was thinking. “Heisenberg, I heard you call her Miranda instead of Mother Miranda. That wasn’t a mistake was it?” Oh good she can think about something other than her phone. And even better, she stopped calling me Lord. Looks like both of us were done playing pretend now. I am taking a huge risk here but I was wrong to doubt her in the first place.

“No. It wasn’t a mistake. I’ll ask this again, do you want to escape?” I ask her again. I know she does, she had done the same thing a few nights ago. She wouldn’t have been excited about her phone if she wasn’t trying to leave.

“Yes,” she pauses, unsure if she was giving the right answer. She was waiting for me to attack her. This whole thing was dangerous, bringing someone else in, especially someone who could tell Miranda. But I had a good feeling about her the first time I saw her, if she survived a cadou and everything else she has been through so far, she can do this.

“Then, Buttercup, I’m your only hope.”

Chapter Text

“You’re insane.” This man really did not spend the last hour saying he was going to kill you for him to suddenly turn around and tell you the way to escape is through him. “I’m done. I don’t know what the fuck your game is but I want nothing to do with it. Just fix my phone and let me be on my way. I can obviously handle myself.” 

Heisenberg bent down and picked up a shard from a lycan’s head. It broke instantly. He shakes his head in disapproval. Weak. That was what Miranda had called you. Compared to him probably, but you did take out lycans and scare the rest away. All you need is your phone fixed. The moment you have service you can get out of here. 

“Sure you can. But it’s still only glass, what’s doing the actual damage is that you’re launching it like a damn bullet. I’m impressed but they will overwhelm you. Come on, let’s go.” He turns away and starts to walk back to the village. “Besides, your phone will die without a charge out here. It will run out of battery before you ever make it out of the forest. You really don’t have a choice.”

“I am not going with you. You just tried to kill me.” You raise the shards out of the lycans but it’s starting to take all your concentration to do so. Heisenberg was right, there was no way you would survive for long out here. 

“You’re coming with me, conscious or not. Besides, you know too much now. I could still kill you if I wanted to.” Heisenberg stops walking to look back at you. “I told you I’ll explain everything. But not here.”

You look back at the house for a moment but walk forward. It wasn’t until you started to walk that you realized how tired you are. You weren’t going to show that in front of Heisenberg now, not after what just happened tonight. You realize he’s leading you back the way you had come, every move had been planned to get you to run into that house. He was playing with you. 

“Here, don’t leave anything with your scent like this out in the woods. I don’t want them hanging out around the factory waiting for you to come out.” He grabs your cloak from a branch and throws it at you. “I do like the color though.”

“You had planned that too? For me to leave something to make it easier for the lycans to find me?” You could not believe how thought out he had planned your death. Just because he thought you may be Miranda’s daughter. Wouldn’t the Lords want to help Miranda? No, he wasn’t like the others. 

He was worse. 

“Oh I planned everything.” Heisenberg led you out of the forest and began towards the factory. “Everything, but what you did at the end.”

 Hints of dawn were starting to show over the mountains. You realized you had spent hours in that house waiting for your death. But you weren’t going to go down without a fight. Miranda had told you that you had powers and if there was ever a time to use them it was then. You weren’t sure if it was going to work but once you took the first lycan down, the rest came naturally. Now all you wanted though was to get far away from Heisneberg.

“I should get home before Luiza and Vasile notice I’m gone.” You start on the path that leads to the village and away from the factory before the hammer comes flying in front of you blocking the path. “I don’t have time for this Karl!”

“Wow my first name, how personal. You really are American, aren’t you?” Karl laughs at you. “Sorry, we’ll tell them you spent the night with me.” 

“Okay no. I was fine with jokes like that then, but after tonight? Fuck off!” You try to walk around the hammer but it keeps moving in your way as Karl laughs. 

“Miranda wants to see you.” He had stopped laughing. “She ordered me to go get you.”

“So you’re still planning to kill me after? Thanks for the heads up!” You roll your eyes.

“Not out here,” His tone had changed, it was more serious. Urgent. “Factory. Now. I’ll explain everything.”

You stand up a little straighter and look at him as he puts his sunglasses back on and waits for you to start walking. Karl was the only chance you had of getting out of here. As much as that pisses you off. You couldn’t believe that just two days ago you had been excited to see him. 

“Fine.” You walk past him towards his factory. You still had the shards following you but it was getting harder to keep them up. Your grip on the bottle in your hand tightens. This could be part of his trap. There could be more lycans in there. The doors open in front of you and you head into the darkness. 

“Calm down, nothing here is going to attack us.” The lights began to flicker on down the hallway. “Follow me. Don’t try to run away, you will end up somewhere you don’t want to be.”

“I already don’t want to be here,” you point out.  

You follow him, taking his warning seriously. The hallways were long and it felt like he was leading you through a maze. You tried to keep track so in case you had to make a break for the exit. No sign of lycans anywhere though. None of the bodies Elena had mentioned either. When he finally brings you into a room you realize it’s a medical lab. 

“We’re just here to talk. I am not making you relive that.” Karl closes the door behind you, knowing what you’re about to think. “I don’t have a real office so this is as close as it’s going to get.” You watch as two metal medical tables move to the center of the room on their own. “Take a seat.” He sits at one and motions for you to sit across from him. 

“I don’t even remember it,” You lift yourself up on the table and take a seat. You hear breaking glass as one of the shards falls behind you. 

“You’re lucky you don’t remember it.” Karl takes out a cigar. “You can let them fall. If you try to keep them up all day you’re going to pass out. You’re still new at this.” He takes off his sunglasses and looks at the shards behind you. 

“No.” You were not giving up your only defense. Even if it was giving you a massive headache.

“Okay, let’s see how long you last if you’re going to be so stubborn about it,” he shrugs “Now where to begin. From the beginning would probably be good. Let’s talk about the night lycans attacked you in the woods.”

“I don’t remember much. I remember running from the lycans and then Miranda bringing me to Luiza. So you were the one that found me?” You wrap your cloak around you more in an effort to stave off the cold.  

“Yes. I am required to bring all outsiders I find to Miranda. When I first saw you in the village, I was surprised. You should have died. I thought she would have given you to me if you had lived. Why did she send you to the village when you’re infected?” Karl leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees like he was studying you. 

“Moreau. She brought me to Moreau. She told me he did something by splitting a cadou thingy in half. She was waiting to make sure I could be the vessel for Eva from afar. In case something went wrong. It wasn’t until that night at the church she realized I was a ‘failure’. Why did you think she would give me to you? And what do you mean saw me in the village? Were you stalking me?” You jump as another shard falls on the tiles. 

“Finders keepers is usually how this works. She gave you the fucking fish?” He shifted back in obvious disgust and ignored the stalking question. “So you didn’t know until a few weeks ago. You have a cadou, it mutated you, but it’s so weak I can’t even sense it.” He gets up from his table and over to a cabinet to take out a notepad. “Half a cadou?”

“The top half Miranda said. The other half became a lycan.” It felt like you were reporting on your notes from a science project. Technically you were the science project. “You seemed to have control over them? Why did the ones left attack you? You seem pretty unphased.”

“Don’t know. They never have before. Maybe you also have an affinity for them but I doubt that.” Karl kept writing. “Have you been injured since? Notice anything weird other than the shit with the glass?” 

“Remember the night we met? Like actually speaking, not the lycans, remember how trashed I was? I never had a hangover!”  You sit up a little straighter. “I feel hungover now though.” This felt like a fucked up doctor's appointment. 

“You’re pushing yourself with the glass, Buttercup.” He looks up at you for a second and then goes back to writing. “What a weird ability. I don’t like how similar we are.”

“I don’t like it either,” The remaining shards fall as you reach up to rub your forehead. 

“Told you so,” He rolls his eyes and takes a seat across from you. “I wish I could send you back to Luiza’s to get some rest but Miranda probably wants to make sure I didn’t fuck up and kill you.”

“She knows you were trying to kill me?” You seriously doubted it. “If you’re so dangerous and powerful, why are you afraid of her?”

“Because I’m smart. Of course she doesn’t know that. If she finds that out I will bring you down with me. I’m covering for you a lot. Again. Call it even for trying to kill you,” Karl put down the pen and paper. He walks over to the phone that was mounted to the wall. “You have to swear you will not tell Miranda about what happened tonight. Especially anything about Eva.”

“Why don’t you want her to get Eva back? I thought that would be what the lords want?” You ask him letting the call it even thing go. 

“Because if Eva comes back it’s game over for everyone. Bitch will have no use for any of us and will get rid of us. The lords, the village, everyone.”

Chapter Text

Heisenberg

All things considered, she was taking this rather well. This girl continues to surprise me. I don’t like how unpredictable she is, but it does make her so interesting. The only thing that I know for sure is that she won’t tell Miranda about what happened tonight, she knows better. 

“You should lay down, it’s going to be a long day,” I told her. “As soon as we’re done dealing with Miranda I promise you will get some rest.” I start to dial Miranda while watching the girl adjust to lay on her side facing away from me using her arm as a pillow. She was probably dealing with the headache from hell. 

“Hello Heisenberg.” Miranda always knew who was calling for her. She was probably expecting this one though.

“Mother, I have Y/N. She ended up going up against some lycans and took a lot of them out. I think it’s the first time she’s ever had control over her cadou.” I report. “She’s exhausted.” 

“Thank you Heisenberg for bringing her back safely. We are to have her properly introduced to everyone. Please bring her to the castle.” Miranda sounds excited about the girl but I know it’s fake. 

“Right now?” This girl was in no state to be in that kind of situation right now. “Mother, she needs to rest.”

“Heisenberg, were you attacked by lycans? How did she respond to that?” She fucking sent those ones after me? They weren’t there for her, they were for me. Miranda’s punishment for letting the girl go into the woods was to embarrass me.

“Before I had time to react she had taken them out.” Calm, I need to sound calm. The fucking bitch sent lycans in there that wouldn’t listen to me.  

“So she wanted to protect you?” What the fuck was this bitch getting at? No she didn’t want to protect me, she wants her phone fixed. 

“I’m not sure that’s the case, I don’t think she knows a lot about the increased healing ability. I explained a little more to her about that.” I look over at the girl, she’s crying. She’s trying to be as quiet as she can. But I still don’t think this is a bad idea. She’ll learn to accept it and move on to helping me kill the bitch that did this to us. 

“Bring her to the castle. I am trusting you with her care. Her powers are weak but they’re similar to yours. Treat her well.” The line goes dead. So that’s why Miranda wants me to take care of her, because we have similar abilities. Glass and metal. She doesn’t appear to have physical changes beyond the healing. Lucky her. 

“Hey, you’re not going to like this but Miranda wants a family meeting. Now, at the castle.” I hang up the phone and she goes to sit up. She is in no state to be going out like this. At least I know Miranda is going to give her to me. Alcina is going to be pissed. 

“The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can sleep right?” She wipes her eyes. She looks like she did when I found her outside the party. It’s her own fault for pushing herself after I warned her.

“Yeah,” I put my notes back. Half a cadou uh, the fish was on to something there. She wasn’t powerful but she did have more control than I did starting out. At least she hasn’t stabbed herself with the glass yet. “Just to warn you everyone is going to be there. The other lords, I mean. If we’re in the castle that means the giant bitch’s daughters will be there and they’re...a handful.”

“They’re the only ones I haven’t met yet. What do you mean by a handful, are they like actual kids?” She was sitting up straight now but I could tell she was exhausted. 

“They’re actually kind of like you, failed cadou who aren’t lords. Just don’t let them take a bite out of you. Stay close to me.” Today she was probably too tired to be able to break any windows. Alcina will want her till she finds out the girl is probably the biggest threat there is to her daughters. The girls will probably want to get a hold of her even with that risk. 

“They bite?”

“Let’s put it this way, that whole side of the family does.” I laugh, if she doesn’t stay with me she’ll be eaten alive for sure. 

“Will Angie be there?” She looks so nervous.

“Out of everyone there that’s who you’re worried about?” She wasn’t kidding either. “Are you afraid of dolls? Yes, she and Donna will be there.”

“I wasn’t before meeting her.” She lowers her head.

“She was the one who saw through you being drunk at the party right?” I am going to need my own bottle of scotch by the end of this day. 

“And she thinks we’re dating. I just don’t want her to say something like that in front of Miranda.” Her cheeks go a little red while she talks. “She wrote me a letter. Can we just get this over with? I really would like to be alone. For a long time.”

“Oh come on? Am I really that bad?” I can’t blame her for wanting to get away from me after tonight. I’ll have Miranda tell her that she’s going to be sticking close to me. If I tell her now then there’s no way I can get her to understand it’s Miranda’s plan. It just happens to work well with mine this time. 

“Can you shut the fuck up for five minutes?” Well she hasn’t lost her attitude despite looking like she was going to pass out any moment. She’s standing like she did during the party. A baby deer comes to mind. 

The girl was really in over her head here and was only going to be dragged down more. This meeting will further enforce that Miranda is the bad one, not me. Everything I did tonight was a reaction to Miranda. If it wasn’t for Miranda, there would have been no lycans to chase her right into me. 

“That depends. Can you walk? The castle is a bit away.” I lean against the wall and cross my arms. She tries to but she’s holding on to the table like her life depended on it. “Get back on the table.”

“I really hate you,” she mutters as she climbs back up. The table hovers off the ground. “This is so fucked up.”

“It really is,” I walk past her, having the table follow me. I don’t need to worry about her running into any of my creations tonight. “Remember when we get to Miranda though that you have to act grateful. It’s embarrassing and awful, I know.”

“Thanks crazy winged lady for putting a bug in my chest,” she says sarcastically. 

“Perfect.” I prefer ‘thank you crazy bitch who ruined my life’ but she’s getting it.

 I lit another cigar for the walk. Miranda keeps having meetings in the day time. Meaning everyone has to walk in front of the villagers. “Sit up, act like it's fun.”

“We’re walking through the village!” She sounds more afraid of that than actually seeing Miranda. “They’re all going to see this!”

“What a sight this must be. This will give them something to talk about for months!” I laugh. Between the blood on my jacket, the girl on the table, and heading to the castle I can’t wait to see what kind of stories people come up with. I should head in tonight to see one of the girls and ask her how creative they’ve gotten with the rumors. 

“Isn’t there another way?” I turn to see her sit up with her legs dangling off the side of the table.

“Buttercup, you’re better than them. Remember that.” I smile at her trying to reassure her but she looks horrified. She may actually be more scared of this than I saw her running from the lycans. Why did she care what this village thought of her? She really was better than them, she never believed in Miranda for a second. 

Naturally all the villagers stopped what they were doing and stared. I smiled at some of the ones who I spent time with but they were glaring at her. They really were jealous of her. Others knew better, looking  terrified. I look over my shoulder to see the girl keeping her head down, trying to use her hair to hide her face. I didn’t take her to be someone who cared what people thought. Especially the villagers. 

“Hey it’s over,” I tell her as soon as we start approaching the castle. “Act happy and grateful now. Say you were scared but then you realized that, with my help, helping Miranda is the right thing to do.”

“Yes, sorry for my moment of weakness but Lord Heisenberg helped me realize this is where I belong.” She practiced. “He did not chase me into the woods with the intent to kill me.”

“Watch it.” I warn her and I catch her smiling for a second. At least her sense of humor is coming back.

She reluctantly allows me to help her off the table as we enter the castle through the main entrance. I guess she was expecting something else because her eyes are wide, taking in all my sister's paintings and gold. For a moment I wonder if she would have been happier with my sister and her daughters. No, she was a risk to her daughters and my sister is probably going to give her hell for it. I should warn her but I want to see how well she can act. I’m sure she’ll nail it but it’s not too late for her to have an ‘accident’ in the factory.

Chapter Text

This man is impossible to read. The only thing you are sure about at this point is that Karl hated Miranda maybe even more than you do. So much so that he'd kill others just to stop Miranda from getting what she wants. He almost killed you in the process. You don’t even have a moment to reflect on everything that just happened before Karl lets you into the castle. 

You had expected the castle to look like ruins. Spiderwebs and creepy lanterns held by skeleton hands. Instead you were greeted with what felt like another world compared to everywhere else you had been in your time in the village. It was beautiful and clean. It was the first time in a long time you didn’t feel like you were on the set of a horror movie. Which made it all the more terrifying considering the stories Elena had told you about what happens to the maidens. 

“Don’t talk to the help,” Karl said in a voice mimicking his sister. The maidens stared at you with disgust. “Oh and they probably won’t talk to you since you’re with me. Strict instructions from my sister. I’m usually not welcomed here.” He was talking about the maidens like they weren’t standing right there. 

“I wonder why,” you say as you watch Karl move a painting slightly to put it off center. “Isn’t this serious?” You can’t help but smile though. You wonder if he does this every time he’s here or if he was just trying to cheer you up.

“Only if you don’t follow directions.” He steps back to admire his work. “Let’s not keep Mother waiting.” He led you into a grand hall which would have amazed you by the giant chandelier if Miranda wasn’t directly under it. You move closer to Karl hoping no one notices. 

“Mother, I really do not see why she has to stay with that man-thing when my girls would be so kind to her. I would gladly welcome a new addition to House Dimitrescu.” Alcina is sitting in a chair behind Miranda taking a sip of a tea cup. 

“Trust me, I don’t think she would be a good fit for your home,” Karl announces your presence to the room. 

“Heisey and his girlfriend are here!” Angie announces. With that it meant the worst part was hopefully over. You feel your cheeks heat up and Alcina rolls her eyes about to say something to the doll.

“That’s enough!” Miranda silenced the room before approaching you. “Y/N, my son tells me you attempted to run away. Surely you must understand how much it hurts to have one of my children betray me.”

“I am sorry Mother.” You step out a little bit from Karl, who you can feel is watching you closely. Waiting for you to mess up your lines. “I am an outsider Mother, forgive me for my rash decision. I was frightened, this all so new to me. Lord Heisenberg found me. He showed me that I was making the wrong choice. It will not happen again.”

“You are no longer an outsider,” Miranda snapped. “You need to learn how to control your emotions or you’ll never be able to control your ability. Thankfully you have found a great mentor with Lord Heisenberg. You will be staying with him till further notice. Heisenberg, I trust you to treat her well.” Her face softened under the mask into a kind smile but you could feel the warning behind it.

“Stay? With Lord Heisenberg?” You hear a girl’s voice say from above. You look but you don’t see anyone. What you do see is a swarm of flies. The swarm comes down the stairs and then divides into three women who begin laughing. Each in black cloaks and blood around their mouths. 

“Girls!” Alcina calls to them in a strict tone, placing her tea cup on the table in front of her. “I apologize Mother.”

“What can she even do?” The blonde one moves a little closer to you analyzing you.

“I think Heisenberg is lying, he just wants to live with his girlfriend!” Angie shouts and the girls laugh. 

“Silence!” Miranda flourishes her wings. The girls disappear, replaced by flies. The swarm makes its way behind Alcina’s chair. They must be her daughters Karl had warned you about.  Angie ran back to Donna who was in a chair facing the fireplace. You realize Moreau is standing in a corner far away from everyone. You take it he wasn’t welcome here often either. 

“Heisenberg, please take her in as your assistant. The two of you have similar abilities. While hers is weaker than yours, she could be useful in your experiments.” Miranda spoke to Karl like he had a choice. 

“Of course Mother.” Karl tips his hat and smiles. “We shall call Luiza for her things to be moved to the factory.”

Wait, you were going to live with him? You had to stay in the factory? Where Karl could watch you and see if you were planning something. You take a deep breath and nod. The factory was so cold compared to this warm castle. It was better than the reservoir but still, you really had to live there?

“What exactly is her ability?” Alcina speaks up. “Surely a girl like her doesn’t belong in that dismal place.”

“You don’t want her in the castle. She’ll kill your girls,” Karl spoke up, laughing a little.

“Oh please, we are not so easily harmed!” A girl with black hair appeared from the swarm. 

“Come on! Show us!” A redhead appeared from the swarm with the blonde forming in front of her as if to block her from the rest of the party.

“I have control over glass. I haven’t used it much on purpose. I’ve broken windows by accident,” you speak up and immediately feel like you said the wrong thing. The girls go back into flies and leave screaming up the stairs and you hear a door slam. 

“Mother, did you know about this?” Alcina stands up terrified and Donna peaks over now interested. 

If you’re so weak why did she look so afraid and the girls fly off?

“Yes, I saw it for myself.” Miranda turned to Alcina. “She blew out all the windows in the church.’

Alcina stares at Miranda in horror and then over to you. The kind act she had towards you was completely gone. There was fury in her eyes. 

“I’m sorry?” You’re not sure what you’re apologizing for. 

“The girls will die in cold weather. That’s why the castle is so warm and cozy.” Angie climbs up a table to whisper to you. “Try not to break any windows here or not even your boyfriend will be able to protect you,” she giggles. You nod, not taking your eyes off Alcina.

“Mother, I agree with you. The factory will be the best place for her.” You get the feeling Alcina means that the factory is the furthest from her home and you won’t be able to hurt her daughters from there. “I request the same rules that stand for Heisenberg and Moreau stand for her as well.”

“Granted. Y/N, you will not enter the castle unless I or Lady Dimitrescu invite you.” Miranda says flatly. This conversation was clearly a waste of her time. “I had one further topic I wanted to discuss with you all. Mia Winters has given birth. A baby girl named Rose.”

“How exciting!” Moreau proclaims.

“My sources are waiting to see if she has the potential to be what we have been searching for.” Miranda continues ignoring Moreau entirely. You are quick to realize what she means. A baby. She was going to use someone else’s baby to get her daughter back. You look over at Karl for a second but he continues to smile at Miranda. He’s had this act down for a long time. You had never heard of Mia Winters and as far as you knew no woman in the village was due to give birth soon. 

“Rose? That’s a pretty name.” Angie swoons. 

“When will we know Mother?” Alcina asked. She sounded excited but something didn’t feel right in her stance. She seemed...frightened? 

“I will call you all together again once my sources have more details. In the meantime you're all dismissed. Continue your work.” Miranda looked at you again. “Do not disappoint me. I do not typically give second chances.” 

“Thank you Mother,” Karl tips his hat. “Let’s go home!” He smiles down at you and nudges your arm. It looks like your performance went well.  

“Thank you Mother. It will not happen again.” You give Miranda a nod. “It was nice meeting everyone again!” you smile at everyone else. You see Angie wave you goodbye and Alcina returns to her chair, pouring what appeared to be red wine into a tea cup.

The two of you walked in an uncomfortable silence as you left the castle. Your headache was starting to dissipate but you were so tired. You wanted to argue with him about him knowing you’d be sent to him. You wanted to point out how unfair this was. You wanted to beg him to let you go back to Luiza’s. Something eats away at the back of mind that just a few days ago you really wouldn’t have minded being stuck with him.

“Did Angie scare you this time?” Karl asks as you reach the medical table you had glided in on. 

“No, she was kind of funny actually,” you smile slightly. “I think I can walk.”

“Don’t tell her that. Seriously, she’ll never shut up then. You should get on the table anyway. It will be faster.” He lowered his glasses to get a better look at you. “Aren’t you going to start complaining? You live with me now.”

“I will later. Too tired right now.” You hop up on the table and sit up ready for another magic table ride. At this point you were happy that Miranda didn’t kill you. “We’ll argue when I wake up?”

“It’s a date,” Karl teases you. 

“We’ll argue about that later too.”

Chapter Text

“This door is always locked. Keep it locked. That’s the first rule. I’ll give you a key later.” Karl leads to a door with his family crest on it. You watch the gears turn and the door slide open. “This is my room- well I guess it’s yours now too.”

“Add that to the argument list.” You tell him and he looks back to smile at you. You walk in the room to see no bed, just more medical tables and a few metal bookshelves filled with journals. You glance over at Karl who is looking for your reaction over his glasses. “It’s uh- so uh I guess I’ll take the table furthest from the door?” 

“No, that one’s mine.” He snaps and then laughs when you jump. “I’m kidding. This is just the entrance. I mean you can sleep out here if you want but I wouldn’t recommend it. Not great on your back.” 

“Sounds like you’ve done it before,” you sigh with relief. 

“A few times a week,” One of the bookshelves moves out of the way revealing another door filled with gears. The gears move and lead to a dark room. “Ladies first.”

“I’m not walking into a dark room you keep hidden. I am tired not stupid.” You cross your arms not budging. You were way too exhausted to keep playing games.

“You’re also cranky.” he walks in and lights flicker on. 

You follow him to find a small sized studio apartment. The first thing you notice is the kitchen on the left wall with a fridge, cabinets, oven, and some plates in the sink. One of the medical tables was set up as a kitchen table with two metal chairs on each side but one was covered in clothes. You notice a couch facing an old television that was mounted to the wall currently showing what looked like a camera feed of different locations within the factory. He turns off the screen before you have a good look. An old fashioned dial phone sits on a chest that was being used as a coffee table. To the right was an unmade queen size bed pressed against the wall. A nightstand covered in notebooks and loose papers sits next to the bed.

“I hadn’t exactly planned on having a guest, would have cleaned up more.” Karl shrugs, hanging his coat, still soaked in blood on a hook next to the entrance. You can see now that the shirt he was wearing underneath was also covered in blood. There were should be large gashes in the shoulder from where the lycans had bit him, but the wound was completely healed. “Bathroom is through the door on the left. I have some extra clothes and towels in the closet, the door next to it if you want shower. I’ll have Luiza send your clothes over tomorrow. Do you want anything to eat?” He asks, heading towards the kitchen resting his hat, glasses, and gloves on the table. 

“Shower and then sleep. I’ll eat later,” you say as you begin looking in the closet for clothes to change into. You grabbed one of his white undershirts that was hanging up and hoped it would be long enough on you to count a dress. “I don’t suppose the couch folds out into a bed?” you turn to ask him.

“Sorry, no. I’m not used to having a guest here. Normally I go to them.” Karl keeps his back to you while he looks in his fridge. “I’ll add it to the arguments for when you wake up.”

You roll your eyes and head into the bathroom and figure out the shower situation. You had pictured worse but it wasn’t great. It kind of reminds you of whenever you stayed at the apartment of the guy you had been seeing in college. If you were going to be using this daily you were going to have to get products from The Duke. 

You realize this is the first time you’ve been alone and away from him all day. You stand in the hot water trying to figure out how to get out of this factory. Miranda just sent you to live on the couch of a guy you previously had a crush on and who has attempted to kill you twice now. At least at Luiza’s you had your own room. Here, you don’t even have your own bed. 

But if Karl is so powerful and dangerous, why did he want to help you? He hates Miranda sure but then why would he bother wasting his time with you? 

Something that feels like hope gnaws at the back of your mind. Karl could be your way out of here. This is the first time you know someone else who also wants out of this cult. He had to be your way out. Or at least he needs to fix your phone so you even have a shot.

You turn off the water and panic for a moment. You get the feeling though if he had changed his mind again that you’d already be dead. You use the towel through your hair and put on the undershirt. You look at yourself in the mirror, you looked like you had been up all night fending for yourself life from a madman who is now your roommate. It would barely count as coverage but you’ve gone out in shorter dresses. Still, the idea of him seeing you like this makes your cheeks heat up as you take a deep breath and open the door. 

“Any way we can get my clothes here today?” you ask. You notice Karl had changed his shirt while you were in the shower. His blood soaked shirt lay on the floor by the closet.

“You have the bed for now. I have work to do.” Karl looks up from his sandwich and you catch him smiling for a moment as he looks at you.

You couldn’t place why the idea of being alone in here was worse.  

“Stay,” you hear yourself before you realize what you’re saying. 

“You know I’m starting to get mixed signals here.” Karl points out before taking a bite of his sandwich. 

“I-” you take another deep breath. “I really don’t like the idea of being alone right now okay? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t trust you at all, not after last night. But-” If Miranda had caught wind of what happened she could kill you both. Those doors were not going to hold her back. 

“How about this? I stay right in the next room.” His idea made you feel worse. Here you were, begging a man who just tried to kill you to protect you because now you share a common enemy.  

“No,” you say. You sit on the bed and think of what you want to say. You think about Miranda’s warning about second chances. She could take that back at any moment. 

“You’re still afraid she’s going to come after you?” Karl puts down his sandwich and heads over to sit next to you. “Nothing in here is going to hurt you, Buttercup.”

“I must sound pathetic.” You use your hair to block him from seeing how red your cheeks were. He was way too close to you. Without his coat on you could see how muscular his arms are and without his gloves you notice the scarring on his hands. 

“Stop doing that,” he says,  flinching as he moves your wet hair out of the way.  “You need sleep. Clearly you’re being delusional. We can discuss everything when you wake up. How about you sleep and I’ll sit on the couch reading over my notes, okay?”

You nod. Maybe you have finally gone crazy but being with him was better than being alone. When he was like this, he wasn’t too bad. You remembered Elena’s warning about his temper and what you had witnessed of it yourself. You knew one wrong move was dangerous. You just needed to sleep and then you could plan how you were going to deal with this. 

Karl grabs some notebooks from his nightstand and you move to lay down. You roll over so you're not facing the couch pulling a blanket around you. The moment your head hits the pillow you almost fall asleep immediately but you could feel him watching you. In that moment, you honestly couldn’t decide if that scared you or comforted you. 

Maybe a little of both.

Chapter Text

You wake up facing the wall and stare at it for a few moments. If you turned around that would mean confronting the reality you’re in. You cringe at the memory of begging him to stay before you fell asleep. You try to bury your head in the blanket remembering that you felt safer with him around. You thought that living in the village would be your low point but no, it was definitely enjoying the company of your almost murderer. 

When you finally bring yourself to turn, you see Karl laying on the couch, writing in a notebook. He didn’t even notice that you were awake. You think about attacking him and escaping, but decide against it since you have no clue where you are in his factory. You take the opportunity to watch him write, it looked like he was copying notes from a journal. He wasn’t lying when he said he was working. 

“What are you working on?” You ask him sitting up while keeping the blanket wrapped around you.

“You’ll see later,” he says as he keeps writing. “This whole thing really delayed my project.”

“This whole thing? You mean hacking my phone, trying to kill me in an elaborate scheme, getting caught, somehow blaming me, and then getting me in so much trouble with Miranda that I’m now your roommate?” You struggle with the blanket but fashion it into a very long wrap. “Sorry that took so much of your time.”

“I see you’re feeling better,” Karl smiles at you as he put down his notebook. “You were probably going to end up here regardless, you know. With or without Miranda.”

“Oh so to save me from being kidnapped by Miranda you were going to save me by kidnapping me yourself? What a gentleman. Thank you so much Lord Heisenberg for your kindness,” you snap as you get up and try to get to the kitchen without tripping on your new blanket dress.

“No, you probably would have agreed yourself.” He smirks and you hear something in the sink break. “Listen, you can’t control your emotions, you’re a safety hazard to the whole village. You wouldn’t want to accidentally take Luiza’s eye out or hurt your friend Elena now would you?”

Despite your annoyance at the situation, he had a good point. You open the fridge and are happy to find that he actually had fresh eggs. You put the eggs on the counter and a frying pan flies out of the cabinet and lands on the stove top. You turn back to look at him watching you from over the couch still smirking. 

“I can cook eggs though by myself.” you lean against the counter but jump back when the stove suddenly turns on. 

“Yeah but you’re being slow and we have work to get to today,” Karl laughs at you and makes his way over to the kitchen. “Go sit. We have a lot to discuss and it will be easier if I don’t think you’re about to start a fire.”

“Unfortunately, I did not get any cool fire powers,” you sigh in defeat as you sit in one of the metal chairs. “You know we’re not done arguing right?”

“Are you still hung up on the whole me almost killing thing? Look, it was a misunderstanding. I still can’t even sense a cadou in you so when Miranda started showing interest I had to take care of the problem.” Karl spoke to you like it should all make sense. 

“When did you know that Miranda had spoken to me? If you had known what our conversation was about then you would have known I wasn’t going to be her daughter.” You watch him making your breakfast carefully. 

“I overheard the last part of the conversation. She was a lot nicer to you than she was to us when we failed her,” he said, putting a kettle to boil. “I guess that’s because she knew about Mia Winters. I never met Mia. She and her husband are Americans like you. They got caught up in something Miranda had been planning, which put them on her radar. As long as the baby is just a regular baby then she’ll leave them alone.” He looked over to see the questioning look on your face. “The parents are infected with something other than cadou, a type of mold.”

“Magic mold?” you ask him. You feel like you should be taking notes.

“Sure, let’s go with that. Bitch got close to bring back her brat using the mold. Unfortunately for her it ended up in the States causing a huge mess. You probably never heard about it though. They keep shit like that covered up.” He began handing you plates to set the table with.

“So if she discovers the baby is also infected then she’ll go after the baby,” you lean back in your chair after setting the last plate. “That’s so fucked up.”

“You have no idea the shit I’ve seen that bitch do. Let’s just say what you got was a kindness.” Karl began loading your plate up with scrambled eggs. Slightly burned but still edible. “But like I said, hopefully for them the baby is normal.”

“So what’s next?” You ask as the kettle goes off. You watch him make you a cup of tea exactly like he had the night you first spoke to him. A few days ago you were desperate to relive that night and now you are. The circumstances aren’t the best but he has gone hours now without trying to kill you. You consider it progress. “Let’s talk about how you’ve been stalking me.”

“Not the word I would use. I’ll explain when I show you my work.” He put your mug down and sat across from you. 

“Your work for Miranda,” you say coldly. You take a bite and make a mental note to ask Karl if you can stop at the Duke for seasonings.

“No, she thinks it is for her but that will come back to bite her,” He smiles putting his gloves on. “Now I have a question for you. Why were you even near the village last year? Americans are always going where they’re not supposed to.”

“I was trying to take a picture of the castle to post on my Instagram,” you answer him honestly and look to see his reaction.

“What the fuck is an Instagram?” He takes a bite of his eggs. “We need to talk about that computer phone later too.”

“It’s a place where you can post pictures and your friends, or really anyone online can see it.” You could not believe you were going to have to explain what a smartphone is to a man who hacked yours so badly. 

“Why would you even want a picture of the giant bitch’s castle?” he asks, his voice raising, making you nervous.

“It was stupid.” You look down thinking about how you ended up in this situation, all because you felt like somehow being away was like bragging about how good your life was without the people who hurt you. “I wanted to show off.”

“Show off? That you had a picture of a castle?” You look at him and realize he’s been staring at you, 

“I-” You were instantly nervous again. You take a deep breath, closing your eyes. Sometimes it’s best to tell the truth. “I had recently separated from my husband. I walked in on him and my best friend in our bed. They told me it had only happened once but that was enough for me. I moved my stuff into a storage unit and bought a one way ticket to Spain. I bounced around Europe for a few weeks till I found out about a solo backpacking trip being advertised. They gave me a map and all the gear I would need.” You open your eyes to find him leaning back in his seat not taking his eyes off of you. “I thought it would clear my head before I went back to the States. I had been posting my whole trip to show off how happy I was without either of them in my life. But I guess I made a wrong turn. I saw the castle and couldn’t wait to show them how cool everything I was experiencing was. I went in a closer for a better view-”

“And that’s when the lycans went after you. You ended up here because you were trying to make them jealous after what they put you through?” He snaps at you. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” you answer, your voice shaking a little. 

“Finish your food, I’m going to see if the Duke delivered your clothes yet.” He took his hat and stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

You sit there in confusion. Karl was angry at you for wanting a picture of a castle when he was the one who trapped you here in the first place. Hell, how could you even be sure he wasn’t in control of the lycans who attacked you that night? 

A drinking glass flew out of the sink and hit the door he had just walked out. 

You knew you needed to calm down. You sat there alone in silence as you finished your food. You focus on the broken pieces and lead them to the garbage. Karl was already mad at you for no reason, you weren’t going to try to give him one by breaking all his glassware.

When he comes back you’re washing the plates in the sink and taking care of the broken glass in there. You jump when the door opens and turn around watching him nervously. A trunk glides in after him and you’re relieved to see it’s one from Luiza’s home. 

“Get dressed. It’s time I show you why you’re here.” Karl smiles at you as he places the trunk at the foot of the bed. He’s in a noticeably better mood than he was when he stormed out. 

You run to it as fast as you can in your blanket dress and grab the first outfit you can find. You head into the bathroom and finally put on a normal clean button up shirt and a long skirt. You come out throwing the blanket back on the bed.

“Let’s go!” You are admittedly excited to see what he planned on using against Miranda.

Chapter Text

Karl’s room had been so cold but as you get closer to the elevator you can start feeling heat coming from below. You walk quietly behind him, a little nervous that anything you say will ruin the good mood he is in now. Karl is whistling to fill the silence but as you approach the elevator his hammer whizzes past you and lands in his hand. This is the first time he called his hammer and you were sure he wasn’t going to use it on you. 

“First, some ground rules. Safety first and all. Rule one, if I even suspect you may tell anyone what I’m about to show you, then it’s not too late for me to tell Miranda that you had an accident in the factory. That’s the most important rule.” Karl turns to you analyzing your reaction. Resting his hammer over his shoulder. 

“Understood. Lips sealed.” You smile at him and nod.

“Rule number two, stay close to me. Nothing will hurt you as long as you’re with me. Meaning don’t run around down there by yourself.” Karl turns back to the elevator and you hear the gears moving without him having to press the button. “Rule number three, don’t touch anything.” 

As the doors to the freight elevator open, Karl lights a cigar and walks in. You follow in after taking his “stay close to him” rule seriously. When you see a familiar face though you leave more of distance between the two of you. 

“Y/N! I had just been informed that you’ll be living here with Lord Heisenberg from now on. Certainly a change from Luiza’s I imagine.” The Duke took a puff of his cigar. “Just remember I’ll be here from time to time if you need anything at all. We can just add it to the Lord’s tab.” 

“Thank you! You can expect an order from me soon. Any nice soaps and hair products would be appreciated.” You smile at The Duke questioning how he and his entire store managed to fit into the elevator. You could feel Karl’s eyes watching you to make sure you don’t slip up so soon. Karl may tell you what’s happening, but he definitely doesn’t trust you. “Also wine.”

“Nothing more extreme?” The Duke laughs and raises an eyebrow. “I believe our Lord here has an extensive collection of scotch.”

“I think I’m laying off scotch for a little bit,” you giggle but make a mental note to ask Karl about it later as the elevator comes to a stop. Though drinking that much again in front of Karl wasn’t the safest idea for more reasons than one. 

“She has work now Duke, no time to be running off and drinking with her friends.” Karl stepped in ending the conversation. “See you later. Usual order for me. Maybe some extras now that two people are eating here.” He begins walking out of the elevator and you quickly follow behind. 

“Y/N, do be careful while...working.” The Duke winks at you when you give him one last look. You weren’t sure what he meant by that but the nerves hit you the moment the elevator door closed behind you. 

Karl turns around to look at you, keeping one hand on the hammer. It was so hot down here you can already feel the sweat on your face. You knew he was studying you. Waiting for you to panic and try to run away. You stand still as he watches you. Unfortunately, you were getting used to him looking at you like you were a science project. 

“Last chance to turn around. You understand there’s no going back right?” Karl offers a gloved hand to you but his face is serious. You felt like the point of no return was already crossed, but you understood what he meant. Either take his hand and let him lead you further down into the factory to find out how he plans on killing Miranda or be shut into the room you share with him.

“Yes,” you reach out and take his hand. Karl smiles and gently his fingers wrap around yours.

“So Miranda never told you the old fairy tale, Village of Shadows, did she?” Karl begins to lead you down a dark hallway. 

“No, I never heard of one in the village either.” You answer, trying to keep up with him. It was almost pitch dark for you but he knew exactly where he was going even while looking back at you. If you let go of his hand you have no idea how you would find him again. “Is it Miranda propaganda?”

“No.” Karl sighs and looking ahead. “There was a little girl picking berries in the forest with her mother while her father was at work. There weren’t many so the girl ran away from her mother further into the forest to find more berries.” Karl helps you down a couple steps in the darkness and continues on. “When her throat is dry from thirst, a bat lord appears-”

“Bat lord?” you cut him off. 

“Yes, a giant bat. Probably in an ugly white dress pretending she’s better than everyone else.” Karl laughs coldly. You took that to mean Alcina is the bat in the story. “The bat lord bites their own wing and offers their blood for the child to quench her thirst. The child drinks the blood and continues on deeper into the forest. When she passes a graveyard the air becomes cool and her dress is not enough to keep her warm. The dark weaver appears and creates the girl a dress crafted from the mist.”

“The dark weaver?” You ponder who that could be. “Oh, is that Donna?” 

“Yes. Notice how the doll was not included in the story. Now are you going to ask questions every time a new character shows up?” Karl asks you. You respond in silence wanting him to continue. “The girl comes across a boat hoping that taking it will lead her home but instead is met with hunger. A fish lord appears-”

“Oh I know that’s Moreau!”

“Yes, surprisingly the fish is actually a fish in this story.” Karl is clearly getting annoyed at your interruptions. “They give her one of their many fins and instructs the child to eat. Happily fed, the girl finds herself in the heart of the dark forest. An iron steed appears bearing a beautiful golden gear. As the steed approaches, the girl grabs the gear assuming it was another gift.” Karl pauses and waits for you to interrupt again but you stay quiet knowing this is his part of the story. “The horse grows angry and summons the other...monsters. As the girl is filled with terror a wind rises around the monsters. A regal and dark witch appears in the wind. ‘Gifts we gave, but more you took. So more, in turn, is due.’ she tells the girl and traps her in a mirror.”

You hold on to his hand a little tighter as you become aware that you have no idea where you are but there is an orange light in the distance adding an orange hue to the hallway, making it easier for you to see.

“Anyway the parents save the girl, the father dies but the girl and the mother escape. Forest is burned down, blah blah blah.” Karl comes to a stop. “Miranda likes to stop the story with the girl trapped in the mirror. She believes somewhere in that story is the key to raising her daughter from the dead. I however believe the story is the key to taking down Miranda. The bitch seems unaware that she’s the witch and the other lords don’t seem to realize that in order for the witch to appear that they have to disappear.”

“The iron steed doesn’t give the gifts the other ones do. The girl becomes greedy and takes something from him that he wasn’t willing to offer.” You realize why Karl was telling you the story. 

“For decades that bitch has had all of us under her thumb. Completely stuck under her control. The other lords may be thankful but I remember everything she put me through. I won’t disappear for her to bring back her brat.” Karl lets go of your hand as there begins to be more light. “The torture as a child, how demeaning it is to have to listen to that bitch’s every wish. That will be ending soon.” 

You stop for a second. Child? Miranda put him through all this when he was just a kid? That was sick, even for Miranda. And decades? Exactly how old were the other lords? If the village felt like it was frozen in time did that mean the lords were as well? You rush back to keep up with him and you see the source of the light and the larger room the distance over his shoulder.

“This my plan and these are my creations,” Karl moves aside as he enters the room so you can fully take in what you are seeing.

 Bodies. Dead bodies hang from a moving conveyor belt. Some of them with melt helmets blinking with a red light. You see below you from the railing that some of them are walking with weapons for arms. You want to back away and make a run for it but none of them seem to notice your presence. 

“You’re building an army,” you say, turning back to look at him. He’s smiling at you.

 It all rushes over you. An army, with an army you could kill Miranda and escape. 

“My metal army,” he nods and leads you over to the railing to get a better look at his creations. “Right now, it’s nowhere near enough. But it could be.”

“Why me?” you ask, keeping close to him. You are afraid that if you move away that you’ll be attacked by a man with chainsaw hands. “Why did you want me to help you with this? Glass isn’t exactly going to help your cause.”

“Since I started talking to you at the party a question has been on my mind. Are you brave or insane? You seem to have escaped the brainwashing despite being here for a year. You are looking at what should give you nightmares and instead you’re leaning on the railing asking about yourself. I believe you might be both, which is exactly what I would need in an assistant. Someone who hates Miranda and isn’t afraid of going against everyone else.” Karl laughs. “Someone who knows about the outside world. Someone who could help me.”

“I guess that would be me.” You lean over the railing a little more, going back to watching the members of his army walk and attack each other mindlessly. He’s right, this should be terrifying but instead you are smiling. “We’re going to get out of here. Holy shit, we could kill her.”

“Yes.” Karl nods and leans over the railing with you to watch his work and then he looks back at you. “I’ll fix your phone too. Won’t do you much good here but for when we get out.”

You look up at him smiling. Everything that has happened has led to you finally seeing a way of getting out of this village. Karl is the way out. With him and an army, you still don’t fully understand why he picked you but you were glad that he did. Not only did someone else hate Miranda, but they had a plan on how to get rid of her for good. You look back down at the army and without thinking rest your head on Karl’s arm which he then wraps around you to pull you to lean against his chest. You blush but you don’t fight it. 

“Miranda has no idea what she’s doing putting us together,” you smile and lift your hand up to squeeze his hand resting on your shoulder. When you look back up at him you realize he had been watching you the whole time. You aren’t sure what’s taking over you but maybe you were crazy like he said. 

You tilt your head up more and press your lips to his. 

Chapter Text

Heisenberg

I knew she was crazy but this is too much. I break away and pull my arm back to my side. She quickly looks back out at my creations, at my plan for our escape but uses her hair to hide her face. Again. I know this is part of her act. Pretend to fall for me so her life in the factory is a little easier. She didn’t have to go that far. I’m only trying to scare her so she would understand the situation she’s in. This should scare her. She should be terrified. 

“How do you even do this?” She looked up at me and looked...disappointed? 

No, I couldn’t let myself think like that either. Sure, she was pretty but she was desperate for survival and escape. She was crazy but smart, she knew that for most men to kiss them would be the best way to get them on your side. It made her all the more tricky and I have to keep a closer eye on her now. 

“Cadou on the corpse and then run a few volts through them. I could show you,” I break away from looking at her. I hope that I know better than to make the same mistake twice. Even if she is the first person to ever see down here and not scream. Not run away. Not think of me as a monster who creates other monsters.

“How do you decide what weapons to put on them? How could we use this to take her down?” She went back to resting her hands on the railing. “Can we get closer?”

“Maybe we ease into this. You’re taking this alarming well. I’m waiting for the shock to wear off.” I look at the conveyor belt of soon to be creations. This is my life’s work and she is acting excited to see it. She should be running back down the hallway we walked down screaming, not that she would get very far. I wouldn’t put her in that type of danger. Not until she gives me a reason to anyway.

“I had been expecting a pit of lycans that were going to tear me into pieces. These guys haven’t even noticed me.” She looks at one soldats with drills on both arms. An early prototype that has survived this long. I only want the strongest of them otherwise we’re not going to stand a chance against the bitch.

“That’s because I’m not letting them. You see the red helmets or the red in their chest? That’s what allows me to have complete control over them.” I join her at the railing and push her hair aside so I can see her face better. She smiles slightly as her cheeks grow pinker. “Meaning anything happens to me, they will act exactly like the lycans outside, only much, much stronger.” She doesn’t react, she’s a better actress than I give her credit for. I just gave her even more reason why she can’t betray me.

“That’s why I need to stay with you when I’m down here.” She cautiously touches my hand that’s on the railing and I let her. She was making this difficult on purpose. I don’t have the time for this type of game, we need to work. I’m thankful that with the gloves all I can feel is the pressure as she squeezes lightly.   

“Yes.” I answer. “You don’t want to find out what will happen if you do.”

“They’ll rip me to pieces?” she asks it so nonchalantly, I wonder if all of this was just shock and not an act. How could she possibly be okay with any of this?

“Won’t be anything for me to ship back to the states.” I try again to paint a picture of the situation she is in, but instead she just giggles. 

She might be too crazy for this. I should just kill her and tell Miranda there was an accident. 

  “You sure you want to get closer to them?” I pull my hand out from under hers but she keeps her smile. Maybe if I give her a better view of what she’s going to be seeing on a daily basis, her mask will slip.

“Lead the way.”

Y/N

Karl turns to lead you towards the soldiers, giving you time to not feel like you’re being studied. You kissed him. Not only did you kiss him but he rejected you. Maybe you had misread all the flirting and making you breakfast and trying to save you from Miranda as something more. You were so caught up in the idea of escaping and him getting you out of here it felt like the right moment. Besides, at this point it was obvious that, despite everything, your slight crush on him has only gotten worse. It’s been well over a year since the last time you had kissed anyone, maybe you were just acting on a touch-starved impulse. Still, for a moment you felt there was something there.

Karl doesn’t offer his hand this time so you grip the railing on the stairs. You know that if you fall there is no way you are going to survive. You wanted to see how one goes about building an army that can take down Miranda. Another part of you wanted to lock yourself in the bathroom and figure out what the hell you did and maybe cry a little.

“I’m sorry,” you blurt out your apology instead of thinking it through like you normally would. 

“Sorry for what?” He slows his pace but doesn’t turn back to you. He guides you into a room off the stairs and opens a door. More medical equipment and notes line the wall.

“For what I did, I guess I got overwhelmed and the thought of getting out of the village-”

“You want to pretend it didn’t happen?” He finally looks over at you. At some point on the walk down here he put his sunglasses on so you couldn’t read his reaction.

“Yes,” you answer and then you pause. “Well, no. But yes. Forget I said anything.” you could feel your cheeks heating up.

Karl shrugs, turns to a cabinet and opens it up to reveal jars of what look like small creatures floating in a clear fluid. You could make out a large, well it looked like it might be head and a smaller tail like bottom. You realize what it is. You absently reach for your collar bone where your largest scar starts. You have one of those in you. 

“Whatever you say. This thing would have killed the mood anyway.” He looks over at you with a smirk. “This is a Cadou parasite.” He grabs one of the jars in his hands. “Mother Miranda gives them to us, we perform experiments with them. None of us have ever had a successful experiment in her eyes but we all have our own personal wins. For the super-sized bitch, she has her batshit insane daughters. However, she views them as gifts from Miranda. For Donna, her tiny “friends”  who are a pain in the ass. For the fish...well that’d probably be you.” he laughs and removes his sunglasses. “But for me, it’s my metal army.”

“So she thinks that you’re just running different tests when really you're using her plan against her?” You examine the jar a little closer and shiver. The idea that even half of one is what’s keeping your heart beating right now grosses you out. A small crack forms at the top of the jar.

“Maybe I'll stop storing these in glass until you’re better under control,” he quickly puts the cadou back on the shelf and closes the cabinet door. “Now a cadou is step one, they’re nothing without a host.”

“Like us and the lycans.” You turn back to look at the doorway as you hear heavy footsteps coming down the hall. “And your soldiers?”

“I prefer the Deutsch translation, Soldat.” Karl walks past to stand in front of you but still leaves you with a view of the door.”You said you wanted to see one up close, right? Here’s your chance,” he laughs as a soldat walks in.

Most of his face is covered by the device with the blinking red light you had seen earlier. A large drill takes up the whole length of where his left arm used to be. Where his heart once was now a hole, filled with another device glowing red. Pieces of metal protruded from his flesh. A monster made of machine parts and a corpse. 

The fear only runs through you but only for a second. If Karl wanted you dead he had plenty of opportunities. You realize this whole time he’s been trying to scare you. 

No, it’s Miranda who will be afraid. She has no idea what her son has come up with. 

“Who was he?” you ask, it’s hard to believe this isn’t just a machine, but was also at some point a person. You wondered what his job had been, if he had any family still alive in the village.

“Who was he?” Karl turns back to look at you and shakes his head. “A villager. All of them were. But then they died as villagers often do. Not a lot in terms of medical help up here in the mountains and a lot of young men who drink themselves to death.”

“I meant, like, what was his name? Or do you give them names? Are they just Soldat One and Two-” you immediately stop talking as he stares at you and then back at the soldat. The drill on the soldat starts to move and you back yourself into the cadou cabinet. 

“Are you making a fucking joke? I’m showing you my life’s work and you’re making a joke?” The drilling continues as Karl walks towards you. “I’m allowing you here, in my factory, with my army because we have a common enemy. And you think this is funny?”

“Not exactly.” You pull yourself together before you risk breaking any of the jars in the cabinet. "I’m sorry, it was half a joke. It’s just-,” you think about the two men you killed, the lives they had. Oskar was barely twenty. “I want to stop Miranda. I need to make things right. I’ve accidentally killed two people because of her. They were villagers too. I feel like-,” you take a deep breath. “This is giving them a way to hurt Miranda, even in death. Miranda is being taken out by an army of people she hurt created by someone she thinks she has power over. It just feels like justice.”

“What the fuck do you think you’re trying to pull?” Karl keeps advancing towards you but the drilling stops. Your back is against the cabinet with nowhere to go. If you could just open the doors you could use the glass from the jars for a weapon. Not that it would be much against Karl but maybe against the soldat. “I’m not like the rest of them, buttercup. If you make me regret this….” He stops inches from you. 

There’s silent tension as the two of you stare at each other. Your mind races but you realize quickly he isn’t going to attack you. Before you can realize what that means you feel his arm go around your waist pulling you in. You let out a slight gasp but quickly his lips are on yours this time.

Chapter Text

“Are you still acting?” Karl breaks away but keeps his lips close to yours. One of his hands runs up your back to hold the back of your neck, keeping you in place. Your eyes are still closed and you can feel how close his breath is on you.

“No,” you whisper, putting your arms around his neck to let him know this was okay. “Did you think I was?”

Karl doesn’t answer you. He kisses you again with more force than you expect, causing you to knock into the cabinet behind you. He pulls you more forward against his chest before you could fall into the cabinet. You let him take the lead and move a hand to his face to feel his stubble. 

“Don’t let me find out if you are. You may be good at it, but don’t let that go to your head,” he growls and pulls away so unexpectedly you stumble a little. “Come on, let’s go back up.” He offers his hand with a smirk. 

“What? Don’t want an audience?” you giggle, taking his hand and look past him, nodding to the soldat still standing there. 

“We don’t know exactly what triggers your powers,” he laughs and starts to guide you out of the room past more soldats who pay you no mind. “I don’t want to explain to Miranda why I need about a hundred more cadou because of you shattering an entire cabinet of them.” 

“Why do you always have to have a good point?” You roll your eyes and squeeze his hand. For a moment, you want to ask if he would take his gloves off so you could actually feel his hands on yours. 

“Because I’m right roughly 99% of the time.'' He helps you up the stairs and back down the dark hallway to the elevator. You briefly ponder how that time he was wrong almost resulted in you dying.

 Nerves start to take their place. You chalk it up to having been with anyone for a long time and not having any idea what will happen when you’re back in his room. When you enter the elevator you’re surprised to see that The Duke and all traces of him have vanished. 

“Good, he’s gone.” Before you have a chance to think, Karl pulls you back into him and your hands land on his chest. You feel how muscular he is even through the shirt. “No audience this time.” As the elevator starts to move without him even pressing a button, his lips are back on yours. The roughness doesn’t take you by surprise this time. Your hands slide up his chest and wrap around the back of his neck, your fingers playing in his gray locks. 

Still, this sinking feeling in your chest does not go away. The nerves are still there. And suddenly your stomach drops when you realize why.

“I’m sorry, I need a second.” You break away and he lets you go. You don’t meet his eyes as you remember the stories Elena and Anton had told you. There were other women. Other women are probably waiting up to see if he comes by to see them. The guilt rocks you. 

“Sorry, are you okay? If you’re not comfortable doing this, you don’t have to.'' There is concern in his voice as the elevator stops and the gate opens. 

“You have other girls.” you begin to walk out before he can stop you. You remember the way back to the room the two of you share. “There are other women in the village right? I’ve heard the gossip. What about them?”

“What about them?” he scoffs and follows behind you. “They’re villagers.”

“So? Do you enjoy their company? They have to matter a little bit.” Now you are getting angry for them. “I just- look we obviously need to define whatever this is becoming.”

“Hold on, you kissed me first, buttercup. You weren’t thinking about all of this until a second ago. What’s this really about?” He gently grabs your arm to stop you before you get the room. “You’re giving mixed signals again.”

“I’m sorry,” you finally look up at him. “I just don’t want to be the reason some girl out there gets her heart broken.” That wouldn’t make you any better than the people you were running away from in the states.

“You’re not going to be,” his hand moves down your arm to hold your hand. “But you’re right. We should talk this out before this continues.” 

As the door unlocks you make your way inside first and the lights flicker on before you reach the switch. You sigh, make your way over the table and take a seat. You try to think of how you want to word this.

“What are they to you? Girlfriends?” You wince as you say the word. You had only just kissed him but given the situation the two of you were in, it felt that made it all the more serious. 

“No.” he answers quickly, taking his own seat across from you. “I guess I should explain.” He takes out his glasses from his pocket and puts them on. You suspect it’s so you can’t see his eyes. “Years ago, there was someone and they did matter. But, Miranda’s plans got in the way. I lost her.” The lights flickered and you felt the table shake for just a moment. “Ever since, I’ve gained a reputation for myself in the village, especially among the women. I want Miranda to believe I’m enjoying my position as one of the lords.”

“So you’re just using them?” Your heart sinks even more.

“And they’re using me,” he answers coldly. “Sometimes to get back at a cheating husband, sometimes piss off their controlling parents who refuse to see them as adults. It's a deal I work out with them before anything happens, I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.”

“So what deal do you want to have with me then?” You were taken aback by how honest this seems and you wonder how many women have agreed to his deal. You think of the men you had met while you were traveling and how many of them you were just using to forget your husband.

“That’s a good question,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “I first saw you laying on the grass after having fallen out of a tree trying to escape the lycans. You probably don’t remember but when I got to you, you looked up at me but there was no fear despite the fact you were bleeding out. You told me to fuck off then you passed out.” He chuckled at the memory and started to light a cigar. “I wanted to bring you back here. Under the bitch’s rule though, I have to bring anyone I find to her. As I’ve told you, it’s normally finders keepers and I thought she’d allow me to have you.”

 “You were dying, so imagine my surprise when I saw you walking through the village, acting like one of them. But I knew it was an act, and that you were something different from them. I think if any of them knew what actually happens in this factory, they would run from me like they do from my sister.”

“I told you fuck off?” He was right, you had no memory of that. “But that doesn’t answer my question. What do you want with me? I just want to make sure I know where I stand.”

“You like scotch right?” He stands up putting out the cigar on an ashtray. You watch him silently as he grabs a bottle from a cabinet and pours two glasses. “Do you think you can summon your glass to you? Or can you only break glass?”

“What?” you shake your head. “You’re avoiding the question. If you’re just using me because I’m convenient, you can tell me. I won’t be offended.” It was a lie and both of you knew it. 

“Summon your glass.” He leans against the counter and takes a sip of his. “This is much better than the stuff you had been drinking at the party.”

You roll your eyes and focus on the glass. You picture it in your hand. You picture drinking the scotch. You try not to focus on how badly you want to know what he actually thinks of you. It shakes for a moment and then flies across the room. You manage to grab it before it can slide off the end of the table. 

“What do you want?” Karl asks you as you take a sip. “Did you mean to kiss me or were you just over excited?” 

“I wanted to kiss you since the party,” you admit, feeling your cheeks heat up. “I kept hoping I’d run into you again. Part of me regretted not inviting you upstairs when you came to Luiza’s. When you had originally invited me out, I was excited, until Miranda told me everything.” Now that you confessed your crush on him, you couldn’t stop. “Sorry, is it cool that I said all that?”

“I think Miranda put us together to distract us.” He finishes his glass and pours another but you notice the smirk. “I think she knows you wanted to run, and I have been spending less time with the women in the village. Miranda always has a plan. Always. She knows we had a connection.”

“And it’s working?” You look down at your glass and frown. 

“Yes,” he says before taking another glup. “We should be careful. We have work to do, if we distract each other, it will delay us escaping.”

“So now what? That still doesn’t answer how you feel about me.” You look over at him and he’s looking at his own glass. “I told you how I feel. It’s only fair.”

“We’ll work on your training. We need you to get stronger and I could use a hand with some of my bigger projects.” Then he smiles at you. “I want us to be a team. ”

“So we’ll take it slow then?” you smile back meekly. That wasn’t an answer, or least not the one you wanted. You accepted you weren’t going to get one today. You get up to pour yourself another glass and reach for the bottle next to him.

“I think that’s for the best,” he says, finally removing his glasses. He watches you pour your glass and take a sip. 

When you realize he’s still watching you put your glass on the counter look up at him. The moment you make contact with him, he rolls his eyes and pulls you into a rough kiss with his hands resting on your hips. You gladly lean into him knowing you have your answer. 

Chapter Text

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since the last time he kissed you. You caught him looking at you and he caught you looking at him. Ever since the two of you finished the bottle of scotch, he said he wanted to keep it professional and, to your dismay, he did just that. 

In that time your training fully began. Karl kept a tight schedule for you. You’d spend the morning studying thousands of notes on his many projects and the afternoons and nights with your training. After training your head would be in so much pain that Karl would carry you back to your room. Sometimes he would stay with you if it was a particularly bad day.

“You’re getting stronger,” he said one night. He placed his hat on the bed and took off his jacket before laying next to you.

“Not enough,” you mutter as you move to lay on his chest. “You’re still going to leave?”

“I’m close to a breakthrough buttercup.” he sighs, putting his arms around you.

“You always say that and you won’t even show me the project,” you complain. You wince as you try to move your arm. 

“You need your rest. I’ll be right here till you fall asleep.” You noticed a while ago that the only time now he was softer to you was after training. Probably because you were too tired to point it out and argue.

No pain you had ever been in was as bad as your head hurt tonight. Even Karl had told you to slow it down. But the sooner you got stronger the sooner he would let you help. The sooner you could escape. You realized that until you two were free Karl’s only focus would really only ever be on destroying Miranda. 

By now you learned that Karl and his siblings were probably much older than they looked. You never got a straight answer from him on exactly how old. Meaning you were so far behind the rest of them in strength. 

“I need to get stronger,” you say, burying your head against the fabric of his shirt, taking in the scent of his cigars, hoping that his presence would make the headache and muscle pain go away.

“You will. Get some rest,” Karl tells you. “I told you to stop or this would happen,” he reminds you. 

You sigh and finally close your eyes. You thought about how today you successfully took down five of his creations with just a single empty wine bottle. You were getting better at how to place each fiber of the glass and focus it, but it still took so much of your energy. It was so frustrating watching metal just move without Karl even looking at it, how lights would turn on far before you entered rooms. You feel so far behind, so incredibly weak compared to the rest of them.

Karl has decades of practice and now his power is second nature to him. You didn’t want to do this for decades. As you fall asleep you cling to him a little tighter. 

Heisenberg

She pushed herself too hard today. I should have stepped in but she’s been so focused on getting out of here. I could kid myself and think it’s because she wants to pick things back up with me, but I know the moment she can leave here she won’t think about me anymore. I’ll take holding her like this while I can. 

But once she’s asleep, I have work to get to. Sturm is close to complete. If he’s a success then I’ll have an even stronger army to show her when she’s ready to work with me. I’ve been enjoying watching her study my notes, the way she reads them at the table during breakfast and taking down her own notes as well. I never thought about how invigorating it would be to see someone else read my work, especially when she tilts her head when something interests her. How she tosses her hair back when she really focuses. If Miranda did send her to distract me, it was going to backfire on the bitch. Which is really why I need to get back down into the lower levels.  

As I start to lay her on her own pillow she suddenly sits up. She sleepily looks at me for a moment. Suddenly I see something I don’t normally see on her face. Fear. She leans forward and coughs into her arm.

“I’m sorry, did you have a bad dream? I’ll stay.” I place my hand on her back wondering if maybe it’s just dust in her lungs. I’ve let cleaning go by the wayside as I’ve divided my time between working and training her. Not that I ever did much of it before.

She shakes her head and keeps coughing this time into her hand. She winces and falls back on to her pillow with her eyes closed clutching her hand. Was this a reaction from pushing herself too hard in training? 

When I grab her hand though to see why she was clutching it I see blood. She was coughing up blood. 

“Buttercup, talk to me.” I sit her up and have her lean against my chest. 

She shows me her hand again and I realize it’s not blood she’s coughing up. It’s tiny crimson shards of glass puncturing her hand causing it to bleed. She’s coughing up glass. 

She opens her eyes and looks at me. I have never seen her this afraid. Not around lycans, not in front of me, not even in front of Miranda. Her whole body goes limp for just a moment and she clutches her chest and begins to scream. Only it doesn’t sound like a scream, it sounds like shattering glass. Her bleeding gums caused a mix of blood and glass to land on the sheets. 

I don’t have time to think before I pick her up and run out of the room. I place her on the first table I see. She keeps her eyes on me until she can’t take it anymore and passes out again. 

She was mutating, and it’s killing her. 

I ran to the cabinet to see what I have in terms of medical supply, which isn’t much. I should have bought more the moment she moved in. How could I be so careless? 

 I turn back to her and I’m shocked by what I see. Her body was writhing in pain, about to fall from the table. I catch her in time and strap her down with the table. I recognize this reaction. There was no more glass. Her body was convulsing and fighting against the restraints. She opens her eyes and my worst fucking fear is confirmed. Her eyes are yellow. Yellow like mine. Yellow like the lycans in the woods.

“This is not fucking happening again.” I hear the clashing sound of the tables behind us slamming into each other and a light bulb goes out. I need to keep myself under control. “Buttercup, please. I will kill the bitch that did this to you.”

If her body was rejecting the cadou after over a year this would be even more painful for her than I imagine. But if it is fully rejected, she’d be gone. Another goddamn monster. 

I finally found someone, someone else to share my ideas. For the first time in decades, I wasn’t going to be alone in my goal. And here I am. Completely fucking helpless again. I can’t even control the lights flickering right now.

I’m not strong enough. The strong will always rule over the weak. 

Finally our eyes lock. I can’t tell if it’s her looking at me or a lycan recognizing me. 

“Come on Buttercup, you’ve come this far.” I try to keep her attention on me. She’s a fighter, she has been so determined to survive. She’s been so fucking brave. 

She could be mine.

 “Don’t leave me,” I whisper, moving closer to try to hold her hand. That’s when I hear it. The unmistakable sound of a cadou thumping in her chest. I had never heard of it before today. I could hear it in all my siblings, I could hear it in the doll and the giant’s daughters. And now I was hearing it from her. 

She passes out for the third time going limp again. No more convulsions. No more shattered glass screaming. The only sound now was the buzz of the lights. And I realize there’s tears on my face. I grab a spare pair of glasses from the drawer and put them on. I can hear the cadou but I can’t tell if she’s breathing. Something is still wrong.

“I’m so sorry, I thought I’d be doing this under different circumstances,” I tell her as if she can hear me. I began to remove her shirt to get a better look at where the cadou was implanted. I freeze when I see it. I can see into her chest. The skin on her chest was translucent and I could see red shine from the organs underneath. 

I could see the cadou clinging to her heart forcing it to pump what should have been blood through her body. I could see small shards of glass moving through glass veins. 

“Fucking hell,” I take a step back. I’ve seen some awful things, most of them made by my own hand but this was on another level. I’m going to kill that fucking fish and Miranda. They’re fucking dead. 

The lights flicker again. I don’t even care anymore. I’ll make them suffer for ever putting her through this.

Of fucking course I let myself care about a person again and Miranda fucks it up again. I was supposed to be alone, not watching a girl get killed by her own power. 

Mutating is painful, it’s the worst pain you can feel. But normally it also gives you more power. For her though, it’s a death sentence. She was going to die here.

“I’m sorry,” I walk over and carefully kiss her forehead. I can’t just stand here and watch her die. I return to the bedroom and close the door behind me. I sit at the table and light a cigar. She was going to be gone the next time I go in there, and there was nothing I could fucking do about it.

Miranda is fucking dead women. I’ll kill her. I have to kill her.

Chapter Text

You wished it had all been a nightmare. You were freezing now but just minutes ago you could have sworn you were being set on fire from the inside. The lights hurt your eyes as you open them causing you to wince. You try to look around the room but Karl isn’t there and you’re chained to a table. Your first thought was about him, you needed to show him you were okay. There was a sinking feeling as you remember him saying this happened before. So this is what had happened to the person he had cared about. No wonder why he is being cautious around you.

“Karl?” you  whisper , testing your voice. It sounds and feels normal. No more hot knives stabbing your lungs and throat. You look down at your chest to see your shirt slightly unbuttoned but still giving you some respectful coverage. Everything seemed normal. Breathing air never felt so good. You never felt so good. You felt like you could run a marathon.

“Karl!” you yell, trying to get your wrists out of the chains but it was no use. You know he has to come back this way but still you were so cold. “KARL!” you scream.

The door to the apartment slams open and he slowly walks out. Karl stops when he gets to the doorway wearing his sunglasses, his hammer in hand.

“Uh, surprise?“ you smile at him from the table. “Could you please undo the chains? Can I go down the stairs and work with you? Or maybe we can practice?”

“How the fuck are you-” he leans  the hammer against the wall and made his way slowly over to you. “Your eyes-”

“What about my eyes?” you cut him off trying to get a good look at his eyes but with the glasses it was useless. “So pretty they have you speechless?”

“They’re normal,” he remarks. “Don’t move,” he snaps at you as you try to move to the chains. 

“Normal? What does that mean? Karl, I feel great. Let me out of the chains.” Though the thought does cross your mind of being wrapped in them in different circumstances. 

“Just let me make sure you’re okay.” he sighs. “May I?” he gestures to your chest.

“Normally I wouldn’t mind you feeling me up while I’m chained up but I’m freezing on this table,” you laugh but quickly stop when he doesn’t react. “Sorry, yes.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable you know that?” he says angrily moving closer to you. “The fact that you can even talk right now is impressive. You’re experiencing an adrenaline rush. Do you even know what the fuck just happened to you?”

“I remember everything! At least the parts where I was conscious.” You watch him look over you as a gloved finger carefully traces the scar that starts at your collarbone. “It felt like,” you look at the ceiling trying to ignore the goosebumps forming on your skin from the idea of him touching you. “Well it felt like swallowing glass that was on fire. Oh shit, that would be so cool! What if we try that for the next practice on the soldat.”

“So, you can mutate.” The chains go away. Karl heads over to the cabinet and takes out the notebook that you know he had been keeping on you. “But not very stable. Probably caused by you pushing yourself too hard. You seem helpless in that state. You also risk a late lycan transformation. Never seen that before, but not impossible given your delayed power,” speaking more to his notebook than he was to you.

“Hey, can we not treat me like a damn science project right now!” you sit up and swing your legs off the table but he doesn’t respond it. “God damnit Karl, take off the fucking glasses. I already saw your face when it was happening. I know it scared you. It scared me. But I’m okay now, and we know that it won’t kill me. I’m okay.”

Karl didn’t even look up; he just kept writing in the notebook. You know you saw him cry. You heard him begging you to not leave him. He let his guard down because he thought he was never going to see you again. You knew this was the last thing he was expecting. But now that you were alive, awake, talking, and he was avoiding it. Without meaning to you cause his glasses to slam into a wall breaking them.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” you look down at the floor. “I just meant to slide them down your nose a little. Sorry.” 

“You’re sorry?” he walks over to you and tilts your head up so you’re looking at him. This was the closest the two of you had been in weeks. His eyes were tired and searched yours like he was looking for answers. “I let you push yourself too hard, stand there helpless as you mutate, almost become a fucking lycan, and become a fucking art installaltion.” The lights flicker and the table you're sitting on shakes. “And you’re the one who’s fucking sorry?”

“Well I’m fine now,” you say, pushing his hand away defiantly. “That was terrifying and I’m going to have nightmares about it forever. Is that what you want me to say? That you begging me to not leave you is that only thing that kept me grounded enough to fight through whatever the fuck that was?” 

“Do you want water?” Karl straightens up and heads into the apartment leaving you to slide off the table and follow him in. 

“Yes, but stop trying to change the subject!” You walk into nire flickering lights and all the metal objects in the room shaking. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t die on that table. Would that have been easier for you? I’m sorry that you had an actual emotion towards me for a second.” You knew you were pushing him and didn’t care as you sit down on the bed. You start to lay down but you freeze when he looks over at you.

The look on his face is hunger, not anger, as the door of the apartment slams closed. He slowly makes his way over to you, the lights still flickering. 

“You know you tend to run your mouth a lot about things you don’t understand,” he laughs coldly. “You nearly die and all you want to do is talk about me.”

“Yes. What are you going to do about it?” you ask with a smirk as you watch him take off his jacket. “Are we done pretending nothing is happening here?”

“Oh I’ve thought of a few things about what to do about that mouth of yours,” he replies. “Maybe wire it shut so I don’t have to listen to you complain anymore.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” you ask innocently. “Come on, what are you actually thinking?” 

“You almost died. I thought you were dead.” He removes his gloves, tossing them onto the floor. “Right now, I’m thinking that there are things I would regret if you had died.” 

Before you can ask what he meant, he has your wrists in his hands pinning you down to the bed. He gives you a moment to make sure what he’s doing is okay.

“What would you have regretted?” You smile up at him to let him know this was something you want but playfully struggle leading to him pinning you harder. 

“Not bending you over the table whenever you’re being too much. Not making you mine weeks ago.” Then his smile turns into a smirk as he moves slightly so you can feel his cock getting harder through his pants. “Like not asking you why all the glassware in the cabinet shakes whenever you’re in the shower. You know I can tell that you leave the door unlocked whenever you shower right?” 

“The glasses shake?” your eyes grow wide. So he did know what you were doing while thinking about him. You had often used the private moments you had to deal with the tension that had been building between the two of you, and he had known the whole time.

“And I wonder why that would be,” he laughs, brushing his lips against your ear. “The red in your cheeks always gives you away. Now what exactly are you thinking about when you’re in there?” he whispers. 

“You,” you answer honestly, feeling your cheeks grow even redder. You have always been open about your history, on more than one occasion the women in the village had blushed hearing one of your stories. But this makes you nervous. Not in a bad way, like the kind of nervousness you get waiting in line for a rollercoaster. You were excited.

“What about me?” he asks “Tell me every detail Buttercup.” He moves his lips to your neck with soft kisses. 

“I think about the last time you kissed me and how it could have gone if we hadn’t stopped.” You tilt your head to the side giving him better access and fight back a moan as he moves down from your neck to your collarbone. His hands leave your wrists and remove the little coverage your shirt was still giving you. “I think about you lifting me up onto the counter. I thought about you hiking up my skirt and ripping off the shirt I was wearing.” 

“Not even on the bed uh?” He pulls away to admire you. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

“We get there eventually,” You smile up at him moving your hands up to feel his muscular arms pulling him closer. “After the couch, which is after the table.”

“Have you though about me fucking you on every surface of this room?” he grins at you before returning to nip at your neck. 

“Honestly,” you weave your fingers into his hair. “Yes.”

 His calloused  hand runs up your side resting on your chest before giving a rough squeeze causing you to moan. 

“I am going to make you make more noise than that tonight.” He moves up, his lips lingering against yours. “I’m going to make you scream.” You gasp as he kisses you deeply allowing him to take the opportunity to slip in his tongue as his hands massage your breasts. Your breathing picks up and you try to get his shirt over his head.

He pulls away and assists you in removing his shirt but you could tell he was a little nervous. You realize it’s because of the amount of scarring that covers his torso. He’s muscular in the way of someone who has been doing hard work their whole life would be. He doesn’t give much opportunity to admire him as he returns his lips to your neck, his skin hot against yours.  His tongue moves from your neck down to your breasts causing you to groan as he flicks your nipple with his tongue. Your nails dig into his shoulder and you hear him make a sharp inhale. 

One hand slowly moves from your rib cage to between your legs and teases you through the fabric of your pants. You involuntarily grind against his hand begging for more. He moves up to give you a quick kiss as his fingers lazily circle around your clit teasing you through the fabric. He gives you one more devious grin before moving his head down your body, stopping to give kisses and soft bites. Heat builds within you as your hands find their way into his hair. He kisses right before the waistline of your pants before he begins to pull them off of you, then returns to moving his lips down your body. 

“Fuck, I want to taste you,” he mutters returning his fingers back to massaging your clit. “Already so wet for me?” he asks, picking up speed. You feel the heat keep building but you wanted more, you needed more. 

“Please Karl,” you tug on his hair a little. 

He moves up to watch your face as he slips his fingers into your inside you, leaving your hands to fall and grip the sheets next to you. You gasp and grind against them as he finds a rhythm. You see his eyes wild and full of hunger as he watches you beginning to come undone from his fingers, his thumb circling your clit. You begin to arch your back and pull at the sheets, feeling him taking you to the edge but whimper when he removes his fingers. 

“Did you think I was going to let you cum so soon?” Your eyes grow wide pleading with him as the heat begins to fade. “I’m not done with you yet.”

“Fuck,” you groan as he moves his face back down to your entrance and begins to lick at your clit. At first teasing you with light circles. His fingers found his way back into you as his other hand positions your leg over his shoulder giving him a better angle. He picked up speed, licking you up and down. As your moans become louder, one hand grasps at his hair as if begging him to keep going. Your other hand continues to pull at the sheets as if it was the only thing keeping you grounded. You feel the heat of his breath as he lets out a growl and moves to bite your inner thigh before returning to your clit. 

To your dismay he pulls away again suddenly this time, leaving himself out of your reach. You squirm, trying to move to him and he shakes his head at you. 

“Show me,” he orders, beginning to undo his belt and remove his pants. “Show me what you do while you think about me.”

You let go of the sheet and move your hand to inbetween your legs and begin rubbing your clit as you watch him take his length in his hands. Your mouth waters, wanting him. You were still sensitive from his tongue on you and seeing him look at you like he wanted to claim you was pushing you over the edge faster than normal. You tilt your head back as you hear his breathing quicken. 

“Karl,” you moan, feeling the tension build in you but before it can release he uses his free hand to pin your wrist away from you. 

“Not yet, soon.” He moves towards you and positions himself at your entrance. “I want to feel you cum on my cock.”

“Please Karl,” you beg him again.

“Please Karl, what?” he toys with you as you feel his erection against your clit. He enjoyed playing with you but now he was having a hard time holding himself back and you could tell. 

“Please fuck me, Karl. Please let me cum on your cock,” you choke out through panting.

That pushes him over the edge. He groans as he sinks into you. Your hands immediately grip his arm as you dig in your nails. You now understand why he played with you so much before this. It hurt for a moment but he allowed you to adjust yourself to him. When you meet his eyes, you let your head fall back onto the bed and move your hands up to his back letting him know you’re okay.

“Fuck, you feel so fucking good.” he thrusts into you and quickly picks up the pace. You’re falling apart around him, your nails digging in, running down his back. You were aware of the unadulterated sounds you were making, bordering on screaming, but you couldn’t stop. His breathing becomes heavier and more animalistic as his lips find his way to yours, forcing his tongue in. You return his energy, allowing him to dominate your mouth. 

The tension in you was becoming overwhelming. Your mind was starting to go blank. He left your lips and you were aware of his breath moving to your neck. His teeth grazing your skin was setting you over the edge. 

“Cum for me,” he orders into your ear, sensing you were close. 

You cry out his name and you come undone around him. The shockwaves of finally orgasming ripple through you. Your vision blurs as you ride it out. You close your eyes as you feel him bite at your neck, letting you know he wasn’t far behind you. 

“Fuck,” he grasps at the back of your neck pulling you into him as he pulls out and releases on your stomach. “You’re mine,” he pants, kissing your cheeks.

“Yours,” you agree, breathing heavily.

You watch him as he pulls away, taking a moment to enjoy the sight of his cum on your body with a small smirk. Karl grabs a towel and hands it to you before laying back on his part of the bed. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking about condoms. Is that okay?” he asks you.

“You’re good, probably not a great idea getting pregnant under the current circumstances.” You clean off and then lay back on him. “So, I guess we’re done pretending to be professionals?” you laugh and then yelp as he smacks your ass. 

“I think we crossed a line we can’t uncross, Buttercup,” he kisses the top of your head and wraps his arms around you. “I should have done that weeks ago, especially if I had known how you’d look begging for me to fuck you.” he chuckles. 

“I do have a question though.” You sit up and reluctantly he lets you go. 

“What would that be?” he sighs.

“Can I have that glass of water now?”

Chapter Text

“Buttercup, I’ve been thinking,”  Karl says, watching you lay on the couch. You were wearing one of his shirts, reading his notes as he put on his jacket and gloves to head down into the depths of the factory. 

“That’s dangerous,” you say, smirking without looking up at him. You had read this one page a million times at this point.

“You should be with me today. Sturm is almost ready to begin the prototype phase. I want you to be there when he is. Your notes have been helpful in his creation.” As he speaks the TV turns on and you see the camera feed from the entire factory. He had this place completely wired. “It’s time you see how everything works.”

“Just let me get dressed.” You run up and kiss his cheek before grabbing clothes. Ever since the incident, as you call it, he has purposely been working overtime and keeping you too busy for training. He didn’t want you to use your power afraid of you mutating again. Karl would have more notes for you to look over in the morning and then found other ways to distract you when he returned from his work. You could tell that’s what he was trying to do now as he watches you get dressed with a smirk.

“I will never get sick of this view,” he chuckles, leaning against the door as he watches you remove his shirt from your head. 

“Not falling for it right now,” you laugh and throw his shirt at his face blocking his view for a second. “You can see it when we get back up here.” 

“Maybe I’ll see it before we get back,” you hear him mutter. You pretend you didn’t hear him as you put on clothes to head down with. When you look over at him he’s still watching you. He’s started wearing his glasses less around you so you knew when he was staring at you. Which was more often than you thought. Though at times it felt like his mind was miles away.

“Ready!” you announce, tying your hair back so it’s out of your face. You walk over to him like he was guarding in the door and in a way he had been. “Karl I’m okay, I’ll let you know if things are becoming too much for me,” you say reading his face. He was nervous and you could see it in his eyes. 

“Just,” he sighs. “Stay close to me.” He takes your hand entwining your fingers and leads you back to the elevator. “I need you to listen to me down there today. If I tell you to not go somewhere you have to listen to me. Understand?” He stops as you hear the elevator move.

“Of course,” you nod. “I’ll stay close.” You move his hand and his arm so it’s around your waist but as the elevator door opens, he quickly drops his arm and lets you go, but it is too late. 

“Well I would have been lying if I said I didn’t see that coming,” The Duke laughs and then coughs as he removes a cigar from his lips. “Don’t worry. Not my place to talk about the local gossip.” 

“What is the local gossip though?” you ask, stepping forward a little. 

“Well my dear it’s still mostly about you.” The Duke says with a large smile. “It has been a very long time since anyone has seen you and the last time they saw you,” he exhales another mouthful of smoke. “You and Lord Heisenberg here left a strong impression.”

“I had hoped they would have forgotten by now,” you frown. The last time the villagers saw you was right after Karl had chased you into the woods. You looked over at Karl, still not really able to connect the man you spoke to in the woods and the man standing next to you now. 

“Not much happens in the village, they make up stories where they can.” As The Duke speaks to you, the elevator comes to a stop. 

“I’m sure our little stunt provided them with enough entertainment till the next story they come up with,” Karl says, putting on his glasses. “We got work to do today. Both of our usual orders next time we see you, Duke?” 

“Of course, on your tab Lord Heisenberg?” the Duke asks, leaning forward. 

“No on my giant sister’s tab,” Karl laughs. “If that doesn’t work, then on mine.” Karl takes your hand as the gate opens. “See you later!” he says to the Duke as he leads you off the elevator. 

“Let me know if anything else is needed,” you hear The Duke say as you wave goodbye to him with your free hand. You walk right out to a view of the inner factory. Soldats hung dormant on the conveyor belt going past.

 Karl then takes you down a side hallway you’ve never been down. A door at the end opens as you approach and lights turn on inside. There were no soldats in this room but plenty of notes lined the wall.

“How do you even write this much!” you head to the wall, dreading more homework and you hear Karl open a drawer on a cabinet nearby. You turn back to him to see him leaning against the cabinet with a smile, removing his glasses.  

“Remember this?” He throws your phone at you and you catch it. “All back to normal. Really interesting device. Of course I was able to get into it pretty easily and mess with it.”

“Fully charged too?” You click the home button to see your usual wallpaper. Still no service. It felt like it came from another world after having gone so long without it. “You hacked it.” Your face goes pale. “Did you look through my photos?”

“Not on purpose,” he admits. “I’m guessing going through and taking those off would have been a pain for you. I wasn’t sure what you wanted to keep and what you didn’t. You seemed to be close with them.”

“Not anymore. I don’t know them.” You scroll to the top of your photo app. Pictures of your husband and friends with you in a restaurant. Looking at it now, you felt so stupid you couldn’t see it in the moment. “It’s just going to take an annoying amount of time to delete this.” you scroll through and see a picture of you and your ex on Christmas with matching pajamas in front of the tree. You remember arguing with him about uploading this picture on Facebook. All of it seems so dumb now.

“If you want I can do it for you,” Karl offers, holding out his hand for your phone. “Asshole didn’t deserve you.”

“As poetic as that would be, this is really something I should do myself.” You start the process of deleting all of those pictures and memories that don’t feel like they belong to you. “It feels like it was a lifetime ago. I don’t even recognize myself in some of these.” As much as you hate to admit it, you look more depressed in these photos than you are now. 

“Do you miss it?” He makes his way over the workbench as a light above the desk flickers on. 

“Parts of it. I miss Starbucks. I miss greasy fast food. I miss being able to wear whatever I want. I miss music, I wonder what’s been released since I got here.” You continue to go through deleting the pictures. There are things you don’t miss. You don’t miss your 9-5 office clerk job. You don’t miss sitting in traffic. You don’t miss the politics or the depressing news. But that was the world you were supposed to be in. You don’t belong in this cult village. The factory however was growing on you, though that could be because Karl is here.  

“I left your music there. Every time someone from the outside world shows up with one of these computers they can do more and more,” he says and you quickly go to your downloads. Sure enough, everything was still there. You quickly scroll to your favorite song and let it play. “I could probably get it to go over the PA if you’d like.”

“No it’s okay,” you smile and pause the song. “You probably wouldn’t like it.”

“How do you know?” he scoffs, acting offended. “Maybe it will grow on me. I don’t often get to hear what people listen to out there.”

You remember your ex purposely skipping this song whenever it came on the radio in the car even though he knew it was your favorite. You remember him telling you that just because you liked it didn’t mean he had to listen to it. But the madman standing in front you was willing to at least give it a chance, just to make you happy. 

“Okay, but if you don’t like it let me know and I’ll put on something else.” You let the song play as you walk over to the work bench covered in notes you haven’t read yet. “I have more homework? Isn’t there enough on the wall?”

“I said today was enough notes.” He went through the papers only taking what he needed and putting his glasses back on. “Let’s go see Sturm.” A door opens and you head into another room. 

Once you’re inside the room you see an airplane turbine on the floor fitted with chainsaws for the propeller, you made a mental note that they were going to be too big for any test subject. When you notice the body of a villager on the table in front of you at the center of the room your stomach drops. Oskar was lying in front of you. Of course that is who Karl is planning his Sturm experiment on.

“I didn’t mean to kill him,” you tell Karl. “I didn’t know yet. He panicked when the bottle broke in his hand and-”

“He fell down a well, drunk. As far as I’m concerned that is his own fault.” Karl steps in front of you, blocking Oskar’s body from view and resting his hand on your shoulder so you have to look at his face. “You didn’t kill him. You can’t let the guilt eat at you like that. Not if you want to work with me down here. Remember what you said the first time I brought you down here.” 

You can only see yourself in the reflection of his glasses. You nod. Justice. If you can kill Miranda with the people she hurt then it’s justice and revenge. Karl lets go of your shoulder and leads you past Oskar’s body, which already has started the process of being modified, to the copies of your notes on the wall. You pause the song and leave your phone on the table next to you. This is what he had been working towards. A stronger soldier. 

“You know Sturm is Deustch for storm,” he tells you, trying to lighten the mood a little. 

“When you say Deustch you mean German right?” You smile slightly, looking at your own handwriting. You had no training in biology or engineering but you were picking up a thing or two from studying from him. There was no doubt he was a genius.

“Sometimes you really remind me how much of an American you are,” he sighs, taking off his glasses so you can see him roll his eyes. “Yes. It’s German.”

“So if we have a Sturm does that mean we should have a Drang too?” you point out. You’re unsure if he will get your reference to 18th century German literature. He stares at you for a moment before he throws his head back in a laugh.

“If Sturm goes well then sure, Drang will be the next step.” He nudges you and then directs you over an adjacent room. This room was less medical. Hundreds of wires hang from the ceiling. “That room is where the operation will begin, then I’ll move him into here for the implantation. Sturm will be the strongest in the army. If successful then we can move up our plans to kill that bitch.” He puts an arm around your hip pulling you next to him. “Once we kill her, we can be free.”

As the two of you lock eyes, a sudden sound makes you both jump. A phone mounted to a wall on the other end of the room starts to ring. You both stare at it for a moment. For a second you question if Miranda had just heard your conversation. 

“Fucking bitch I swear to god,” he lets go you and the lights flicker as he moves to pick up the phone. You stay frozen to your spot. Miranda has been quiet since allowing Karl to be your mentor. Maybe it has nothing to do with you. 

“Hello Mother Miranda,” Karl sounds so calm as he speaks to her. Calm like he wasn’t just speaking of killing the women he’s speaking to. You’re reminded that he has years of practice with speaking to Miranda while you only had a handful of encounters. “Yes, she’s actually here with me.” He jerks his head as a motion for you to come over. “Let me get her.” He covers the mouth piece. “It’s for you.” he says, holding out the phone.

“Mother Miranda?” you ask, bringing the handset to your ear and speaking into it. 

“My child,” the voice on the other end says, her voice making your blood run cold. You wanted to hang up and pretend it was a connection issue. “I wanted to make sure of your progress.”

“Oh uh, it’s been good. Lots of dead lycans you know,” you laugh nervously and Karl shakes his head.

“Interesting. Have you had any mutations occur? I believe my son would have educated you on that subject,” Miranda asks. You flashback to the feeling of thousands of knives stabbing you. Karl’s face as he begged you to not leave him. 

“Nope,” you lie. “Still not the strongest power but I’m thankful for it. Lord Heisenberg has taught me so much in my time here in the factory as well.”

“You will let me know if you experience your mutation,” Miranda says, like it’s a command. “You have been a very strange subject. You could further our hopes of bringing my Eva back.” 

“Yes, of course Mother Miranda.” you answer her. 

“As for you and Lord Heisenberg,” Miranda sighs and your stomach drops. “I am aware of the situation you two are in. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Lord Heisenberg has not been seen in the village since you moved into the factory with him.”

“Yes,” you answer honestly. You knew what she was implying, he wasn’t visiting the women he used to.

“If you two are having relations and,” Miranda pauses and then laughs lightly. “Anything comes of it. Like a pregnancy, you will inform me,” she orders. You see Karl’s face turn to rage as he listens in. The two of you have not spoken about children but if you were going to have them they were never going to be anywhere near Mother Miranda. “If the Winter’s daughter turns out to be nothing, you two could create my back up. When you are ready and more in control of yourself of course.”

“Yes Mother Miranda.” you lean against the wall next to the phone. You could not believe what she was asking you. You knew she had taken Karl when he was just a child but for her to say it to you was shocking. “It might be a little early in the process for that but I will keep you updated if we do go down that path in the future.”

“Good. We have an understanding then. I’ll be in touch.” The phone clicks as she hangs up but you stand there gripping the handset breathing a sigh of relief.

“She’s insane,” you choke out and you slide down the wall to sit down. “Your evil step mom is asking about grandkids already.”

“That fucking crazy bitch!” He takes the handset from you and hangs it up. “Good thing we’re being careful. I can’t believe she just fucking asked that of you.”

“Karl.” You bite your lip thinking of what Miranda had been saying. “When was the last time we left the factory? We should head into the village tomorrow. I think I need air.” You could practically feel the electricity in the room buzzing. Miranda had a point, you two were spending all your time together as far as her and the villagers knew.

“Tomorrow. Today we work.” Karl quickly gives you a kiss on the forehead and returns to the operating room. You then hear your phone turn on and the song you had been playing restart. “I actually like this song by the way,” he calls from the other room.

Chapter Text

“Why are you so nervous?” Karl asks, leaning against the bathroom door frame. “They think you’ve been gifted to them by their god, they’re not going to worry about your hair.”

“They also think you fucked me to the point I couldn’t walk,” you laugh while attempting to not look like you’ve been working on modifying human corpses into an army. 

“That sounds like a challenge.” His smirk reflects in the mirror as he walks up from behind you. “We could always do that instead.” You feel his hands come to rest on your waist. 

“I want to be presentable today. If we see Luiza I want her to know I’m safe,” you explain, rolling your eyes but you don’t argue with him holding you like this. 

“Presentable?” He pulls you more into him so you can feel him harden through your skirt. “You’d look very presentable bent over this counter, seeing your own face in the mirror as my cock makes you scream,” he growls in your ear. 

“I’m serious,” you say. You lean against him, letting his hands wander up your shirt. It was such a tempting offer. “When was the last time we saw the sun?”

“Fine,” he growls. He kisses and nips your neck. “But you owe me when we get back,okay?” 

“I’m sure I’ll find some way to pay you back.” You turn around and wrap your arms behind his neck. “Why do you keep trying to talk me out of going into the village?”

“I’m not,” he said but looked more into the mirror than at you. “It’s just, things are going to be different than when you lived there. Your ass looks great in this skirt. You sure you don't want to stay here?” He jokingly slaps your ass, making you yelp. 

“When we get back-,” you kiss him and then pull away just out of reach. “When we get back we can do whatever you want.”

“That could be very dangerous for you,” he warns you with hunger in his eyes. “I don’t think you know what that could mean for you.”

“I’ll find out then, won’t I?” You desperately wanted to know what exactly that would mean for you but you backed away towards the door. “When we get back,” you repeat. “Deal?”

“You have a deal.” He follows you out and grabs his hat. “I don’t even know why you care what they think about you?” He offers his hand for you to take.

“I don’t care what most of them think.” You take his hand and follow him as you head to a part of the factory you haven’t been to in a very long time, the exit. 

“Here, you’re going to need these,” Karl had already put his glasses on and handed you a pair. They were too big for your face but you understood why they were needed the moment the doors opened. The light even with the glasses on was blinding. 

As your eyes adjust, you are shocked by the sight in front of you. When you had entered the factory with Karl it was summer. Now fall was well under way. The leaves on the trees are bright shades of red and orange, some already bare. You knew it had been a long time since you had entered the factory but you were so busy that you didn’t even notice exactly how much time had passed. You pull the hood of your cloak over your head to try to protect yourself from the wind as you cross the bridge to the village. 

“So yesterday,” you start, asking the question that has been in your head since you spoke to Miranda. “She made it seem like you were frequently in the village.”

“I was until recently,” he answered, obviously uncomfortable.

“How come I never saw you?” you ask, walking past the large statues and down the stairs into the main hub of the village. “I was here for a full year before I saw you.” 

“I didn’t want you to,” he answers like it’s a private joke. “I saw you though,” he smiles down at you.

“Creep.” You roll your eyes and you realize with these glasses on he can’t see your eyes. And neither could the villagers who were openly staring at you. “Hello?” you say to them.

“Hello,” they quickly answer and continue their staring. 

“They don’t speak unless spoken to,” Karl says, guiding you away from them. “And to ignore a lord is punishable by death. So they will stare to make sure they do not miss anything.”

“Death is a little extreme.” you say consciously stepping on the crunches leaves you saw. It felt good to be outside. “I guess I never saw a lord before that night so I was never told that rule.”

Karl was suddenly silent himself. You wanted to see Luiza and Vasile. You felt awful knowing that for months they had been hearing rumors about you and Karl. They had been so kind to you but you continued to cause them stress. Karl’s silence wasn’t helping, he was never this quiet before and it felt like it grew worse as you approached Luiza’s house. 

“I’ll wait here,” he mutters as you pass the gate leading to her home. “Have your little reunion.” He takes out a cigar but looks at the window that had been your room instead of you. You chose to ignore it, things were different now and it wasn’t worth starting an argument about his previous stalker behavior towards you. 

You felt nervous walking up the house and knocking on the door. Would Luiza be angry with you? Would she stare at you like the villagers did till you spoke to her? Maybe this was a bad idea. After a few moments the door didn’t open. You knew from the smoke coming from the chimney that someone had to be home. Your heart sank, they were ignoring you. 

You should have written to let them know you were okay. You were so caught up in killing Miranda and whatever was brewing between you and Karl, you forgot to check in with the people who had taken care of you. All they know is the last time anyone saw you, Karl was with you and you couldn’t walk. Then they were ordered to pack your stuff and give it to the Duke to bring to the factory. Your new home.

The night you brought Karl into their home, they made it clear to you he was not welcomed there. Then you believed it was because they fear him as a lord, but now you get a sneaking suspension there was more to the story. You turn back to see Karl still smoking his cigar while looking at the window but his mind seemed so far away. Something happened between Karl and Luiza’s family in the past.

“Y/N?” Before you could continue your thought you turn back to the door to see Luiza standing there with a smile. 

“I’m so sorry, I should have told you I’m okay. I was so caught up in work for Mir-Mother Miranda,” you quickly explain. You haven’t referred to Miranda by her proper name in a long time. Normally in the factory the two of you just called her the bitch. 

Luiza embraces you but quickly backs away when she sees Heisenberg behind you. You wanted to tell her it was okay. You wanted to tell her that he was going to save you but you didn't say anything. When Luiza looks back at you she smiles and takes your hand. 

“You’re wearing the necklace!” she exclaimed excitedly. Yes, you had put it back on because you knew you were seeing her today and didn’t want to upset her more than you may have. “Please come in.” The invitation clearly only applied to you and not Karl who was now looking down the hill away from the house.

“Thank you!” you nod and follow her in. The last time you were in this hallway, you were getting ready to sneak out to go meet Karl not knowing he was going to try to have you killed. You smile softly thinking about how much can change in just a few weeks. The dynamic between Luiza and yourself also seems to have changed. She insists you take a seat and not help her with the tea she was preparing. 

“Luiza, it’s me,” you smile at her removing the sunglasses. “It’s still me. I have been blessed by Mother Miranda but it’s still me,” you tell her, trading out the word cursed for the word blessed. 

“Yes, you have been blessed! Glory to Mother Miranda!” Luiza pours your cup and sits across from you with her own. Then the silence hits as Luiza waits for you to speak first. Even with a woman who had been taking care of you for a year, the rules still applied. 

“You must have so many questions,” you say cautiously. Questions were something the villagers were not allowed to have.

“That I do,” Luiza surprisingly admits. “Most of them are about your relationship with Lord Heisenberg and how that came to be. I know you two had met at the party and Elena had told me that you were asking about him but-” She puts down her cup very carefully. “I heard that you were injured and he was taking you to the castle. Some people have said not very appropriate things about that injury. While at first I did not believe them we did not hear from you and then the order came that you were to move into the factory-”

“The injury had nothing to do with those types of activities,” you laugh trying to lighten the mood, but it does not work. Luiza’s face only hardens. “Lord Heisenberg has been really kind to me.”

“You care for him?” Luiza asks you. 

“I do,” you answer her but her frown remains. You knew he had a reputation but this was something else. “We haven’t exactly defined what our relationship is though.”

“Has he told you about the others?” Luiza takes a sip of her tea. “About the other women.”

“Yes,” you’re surprised she was being so forward. “I mean I had a husband before coming here you know that. It’s not like I’m some innocent girl.”

“Did he tell you about the first girl who cared for him?” You were truly taken aback at this point. Luiza had been very careful before about the lords. You knew who she was referring to, Karl had mentioned her once but hints of her were over his reaction to your mutation. The girl who had mattered and then Miranda got in the way somehow. At this point you had concluded that the girl had been infected by Miranda but beyond that you weren’t sure what happened.

“He mentioned that there had been someone. That something happened to her.” You were trying your best to keep your emotions under control. Karl would tell you when he was ready and you knew it. Right now you just didn’t want to risk shattering any glass.

“I knew her,” Luiza states looking at her tea cup. “Please, be careful. Especially around Lord Heisenberg.”

“I will be,” you try to reassure her. Luiza had known the girl, of course it had to be someone from the village. But Luiza didn’t know what truly must have happened to her, Karl was probably blamed for whatever happened. Before you can process anymore you hear a knock at the front door and then the door opens.

“Luiza I’m sorry, I saw Lord Heisenberg outside and-” Elena runs into the kitchen from the hallway and stops when she sees you. 

“Oh my-” Elena covers her mouth in shock. “You’re alive.”

“Elena!” You stand up and give her a quick hug before offering her your seat. “Wow, there really are so many different rumors about me.” 

“I thought Lord Heisenberg killed you and that’s why he was outside,” Elena laughs nervously. “But nope here you are!” 

“I’ll leave you girls to catch up,” Luiza stands up and leaves the kitchen, clearly still upset from the previous conversation. You pour Elena a cup of tea and take Luiza’s seat.

“She was worried about you,” Elena sighs. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“I should have written.” You lean back in your chair. “I’m so sorry I was so caught up with Miranda and then things between Karl and I kind of developed.”

“You call him by his first name now? Well I guess there goes your escape plan.” Elena’s eyes were wide. “A lot of the women here are jealous of you. But I should warn you they also think he’ll get bored of you and then he’ll go back to them.”

“I mean it’s not like we ever really talked about what our relationship is,” you giggle. This felt normal, women talking about the men in their lives. “I can understand why they’d be jealous. He’s definitely fun.”

“Mother Miranda probably put you two together for a reason though? I had heard it was her will that you move into the factory. Maybe she wanted to set you two up?” Elena asks. In a strange way she was right. Miranda knew that you two were interested in each other, but her reasons for pairing the two of you up seemed more sinister than just finding her son a girlfriend. 

“I think so. We weren’t exactly being subtle, leaving the party like that.” You feel weird putting on an act again. You've been yourself around Karl for so long that even with Elena the act was harder to pull than it was originally. “I think it’s a good match.”

“Just be careful.” Elena leans closer to you and lowers her voice out of fear of being heard. “Luiza, Vasile, and my father are not his biggest supporters. They respect him as a lord but something happened. I’m not sure what though.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to piece that together,” you mutter.

Luiza comes back into the room taking an empty seat. She seems to have calmed down a little from your earlier conversation with her. The two of them fill you in on gossip unrelated to you and about the changing seasons. You didn’t realize how much time had passed till you noticed the sky turning golden for sunset outside. You apologize for keeping them and give them hugs goodbye. Luiza warns you to keep your necklace on to protect you. She didn’t say to protect you from Heisenberg, but you know that’s what she implied. 

When you turn to walk out the door you see Vasile having a cigar with Karl. Vasile seems nervous and you couldn’t make out what they were saying as they kept the conversation to a whisper. You tried to sneak up to listen but the creaks in the wood gave you away. 

“There she is. Thought I was going to have to come break you out,” Karl laughs though there was an edge to his voice you were not used to. Similar to how he sounded when he threatened you in the woods. He was putting on his act. 

“Sorry for keeping you, Lord Heisenberg,” you respond with slight fear in your tone to match his act. “I’m sorry I missed you today. Luiza seems to be doing well!” You turn to Vasile with a smile.

“Yes, perhaps another time we can catch up,” Vasile raises an eyebrow and puts out his cigar. “Thank you for the cigar, Lord Heisenberg. Forgive me for dismissing myself, my wife will need help with dinner.”’

“Yes well, it was nice talking to you Vasile.” Karl threw his cigar into a pile of them that had gathered by the gate. He had never left the entire time you were in there. 

As Vasile nods at you and turns into his house, Karl puts his hand out for you. You quietly take his hand. Neither of you say anything to each other. Karl was lost in thought but would occasionally give your hand a squeeze. You were also thinking. You didn’t want to ask him about the girl Luiza had spoken about but it was eating away at you. 

“A Lord and his whore?” a familiar voice calls from above you. Anton sat on the roof of his home with an almost empty bottle. Karl looked up at him for a moment. You thought that he would be angry at the disrespect, but instead Karl laughs.

“Those drinks are going to get you in trouble,” Karl yells at him. “Do you know who the fuck you’re speaking to?”

“Sure the most dangerous lord and his broken in whore,” Anton laughs uncontrollably. He was wasted beyond the point of knowing what he was doing. With Oskar and most of his drinking buddies back in the factory becoming soldiers, there was no one to hold him back from saying what he might regret. 

“You know what Anton, call it what you want to. You’re not even worth the time,” you yell up with a smile. 

You redirect Karl away from Anton’s. Normally you’re sure Karl would have killed him to make an example but you still had the guilt from Oskar’s death hanging over him. When the two of you finally cross the bridge on the way to the factory Karl stops. 

“That necklace you’re wearing,” Karl turns to look at you. “It’s an old superstition from Luiza’s family. It’s meant to keep danger away.”

“That’s what she told me.” You remove your sunglasses as gray clouds replace the sunset. “Why?”

“It means you belong to her family,” Karl reaches into his pocket and pulls out a different necklace. On a silver chain is an iron pennant, the horse in a horseshoe. The Heisenberg family crest. “I would also like to wear this. If you want to.”

As you take the necklace in your hand and admire the crest white flakes of snow begin to fall in your open hand. You remove your hood and put on the necklace. It floats for a second before it rests against your chest, a reminder that he can control it. As the snow fall becomes more steady, the two of you make your way into the factory thinking about the silent agreement the two of you just made. You are his and you trust him.

Chapter Text

“So we had a deal,” you break the silence that’s been between the two of you since entering the factory. “Whatever you want right?” You take off the necklace Luiza gave you, returning it to your trunk but leave on the necklace with the Heisenberg crest. 

“Yeah,” Karl says. You expected him to grab you the moment the factory doors closed but instead he just led the way back to your room and sat at the kitchen table, smoking another cigar. “Sorry, between Vasile and letting Anton getting away with saying that shit about you, I’m just-”

“Not in the mood?” You grab a seat across from him. “What was Vasile talking to you about? All the other villagers seem so afraid of you but we both know he’s not like everyone else in the village. Did you know he reads the newspaper from the outside world?”

“Vasile and I had been…” Karl brought the cigar to his lips as he struggled to find the words. “When he was younger and when I still believed in the bitch, he and I were friends. Shit happened, he and Luiza got married, and they had a family. I on the other hand…realized my goal.”

You pause to take in that information. You knew Karl was older than he seemed and definitely older than you. You just were not aware of how much older he was. He knew Vasile before Vasile and Luiza had married. Vasile was old enough to be your father, hell he acted like your father. Vasile had made it clear to you that Karl wasn’t welcome in his home. Not exactly a warm welcome from former friends.

“What did Luiza tell you?” he asks, removing his glasses. He wanted to have this conversation now and it was more serious than you were ready for after a long day.

“Just to be careful around you, she hinted that there may have been someone before me. You’ve already told me that once before.” You answer him with the truth. “Everyone seems to think you’re going to kill me or ruin my life somehow.”

The lights in the room begin to flicker but Karl appears to be keeping calm. 

“Please don’t put on an act for me,” you say, trying to reach across the table to take his hand but he pulls away. 

“What do you want me to say? That they’re wrong?” Karl leans forward, the tone in his voice made you nervous. This wasn’t how he normally spoke to you at all. “I ruined your fucking life the moment I gave you to Miranda.”

“You ruined my life?” You let out a sarcastic laugh. “My life was ruined long before I ever saw a lycan. I was humiliated, betrayed, and then I ran away to Europe without even sending my boss a vacation request. This whole thing just adds to the pile of bull-” something in the cabinet shatters causing you to jump. “Dammit. I had gone the whole day without breaking something too.”

“This whole thing?” Karl mutters motioning with his cigar in hand but not making eye contact with you. “This whole thing has been my entire fucking life since I was a kid.”

“Karl, I didn’t mean-” you don’t finish your sentence as you watch him put out the cigar in the ashtray. “Listen, we both had a long day. Let’s just try to maybe get some sleep tonight?” You stand up and walk over to him putting your hand on his shoulder and then your arms around him resting your head on his shoulder. 

There was a long pause. The TV switched on and you turned away as it was the room Oskar, soon to be replaced with Sturm, was lying in. Karl was thinking about work. Always thinking about work. The TV switched off again when he reached up to grab your hand. 

“We’ll talk in the morning.” He looks up at you with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. 

“In the morning,” you agree, kissing his forehead and beginning to get ready for bed. He was pissed off but he was staying. No storming off, no using work to escape having to deal with emotions. He was going to stay. 

Heisenberg

I should go to work. I should stay the fuck away from her, call this whole thing off. She’s only going to get more wrapped up in this and hurt staying with me. Vasile was right, I should let her down gently. I could build her another room in the factory like I should have in the first place, it was selfish for me to keep her myself. Giving her that necklace was a mistake. She’s not mine. I’m not even my own person. We all belong to Miranda. As long she’s alive our lives will never be our own.

“Oh and Elena said your groupies all hate me,” she giggles, as if nothing happened a few minutes ago and smirks up at me, laying half under the blanket in nothing but one of my shirts. It’s hard to not immediately act on our deal.

Fuck, I truly am I selfish man. I can’t let her go. I need her to be mine, not Miranda’s. Mine.

“Fuck them, They’ll get over it. I’m just a phase to most of them anyway,” I say, pulling her closer to me. Still when she talks about the outside world, it’s like she’s from another planet. She never was supposed to end up here. Vacation requests? Her computer phone that she calls a smartphone. When Miranda’s gone she’ll have the choice to pretend I never existed. I’ll pretend I can keep her while I can. “Get some sleep Buttercup, I’ll still be here in the morning.” 

It truly amazes me how despite all the monsters and the nightmare she’s fallen into, she still sleeps through the night. Originally I was worried about all the glass in the factory blowing out when she had a nightmare but she sleeps through everything. I promised her I would be there in the morning, so tonight I’ll stay with her. So much work to be done though, especially if that goddamn bitch finds out the daughter of those Americans has any potential. That bitch was so disappointed after the freak those scientists made wasn’t her precious little Eva. After that incident, Miranda started luring more and more outsiders in for us to test on. If she wants Eva to have the power Eveline had, not even outside of the village will be safe. 

But Buttercup doesn’t understand that. She’s still thinking like she’s an outsider in this situation; As long as she can escape it doesn’t matter what happens here. Once she’s free she’ll never have to think about that fucking parasite that’s keeping her heart pumping. She’ll forget all about this place and then maybe she’ll have nightmares and wake up safe. 

I think for a moment of her waking up next to someone else. Someone not caught up in this mess. Someone who isn’t a monster like the rest of us. Fuck, Miranda really sent me the perfect distraction. 

Buttercup also wants to know about my past but won’t ask out of her politeness. I’ll tell her when she’s ready. She’s not ready to hear that story yet. For now I’ll take advantage of that politeness.

Besides, I have other plans for her tomorrow.

Y/N

“Did you sleep at all?” You roll over after waking up to find Karl staring at you. He has always been pretty obvious that he’ll watch you sleep. You don’t mind though, it makes you feel like you’re being protected. This morning however, you can tell that he’s been thinking.

“A bit,” he answers but you know that’s a lie. “You were snoring again,” he teases and pulls you back onto his chest. 

Silence felt loud as neither of you knew when or how to approach this conversation. Karl had a point, most of the danger you’ve been put in has been a direct result of something he’s done. However he’s done more to protect you than anyone you’ve met before. He doesn’t know how much him being there saved you the night you mutated. His voice cut through all the pain of that night.

“You stayed. All night?” You angle yourself to look up at him but he’s looking straight ahead not at anything in particular. 

“I did.” He finally looks down at you and flashes a smile. “How else would I know that you snored all night?” he laughs.

“True,” you giggle and then the silence takes hold again. He’s waiting for you. “So we should talk about last night. About the warnings everyone gives me about you.”

“And that they have a point.” You expected him to push you away but instead he pulls you even closer, wrapping his arms around you so tightly that you question if he remembers you have bones that can break.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Your hand reaches for the necklace he gave you yesterday. You look at it in your hand and feel how cool the metal is against your palms. He really kept this room freezing despite the rest of the factory being a furnace. “I’ve made my choice.”

“Choice,” he nods but still seems so far away. “This was your choice?”

“Yes. I choose to stay here with you. Notice how I did not throw a fit when we became roommates even though at that point you had just tried to have me killed.” You look up at him in time to see him wince at the last part. “I kissed you first. Everyone thinks I’m completely head over heels for you at this point. That’s not part of an act I had been doing for them. I mean it.”

“Head over heels, huh?” he smirks looking down at you and you feel your cheeks go red.

“Oh come on. That part’s obvious. You tell me about your past when you’re ready. I’ve pieced a lot of it together. I have questions but it clearly pains you to talk about it. What I’m trying to say is I’m staying with you Karl. They don’t know the side of you I do.” You reach up and run your hand along his scruffy jawline. “I’m staying.”

“Well if that’s the case,” he sighs, feigning annoyance before your necklace forces you closer his face. You can see his smirk becoming increasingly devious. “I believe we had a deal.”

Chapter Text

“Now, if you’re uncomfortable just say the word and this all stops.” Karl picked you up from the bed and slowly carried you into the hallway. Goosebumps cover every inch of you as you nod, feeling the heat grow as he brings you closer to the elevator. You were still in nothing but your underwear and one of his oversized shirts. 

“Karl, where are you taking me?” you ask playfully, but he just smirks in response. His sunglasses cover his eyes so you couldn’t quite read him but the smirk grew wider the closer he brought you to the elevator. 

“Buttercup, you remember the rules for when we’re down in the lower levels of the factory?” he asks, finally looking down at you, your face growing redder by the moment.  You could tell even through the glasses he was looking at you like a meal. 

“I believe your rules are don’t tell anyone, stay close to you, and…,” you pause, your hand playing with a lock of his hair. “Don’t touch anything.”

“Well today the rules are going to be a little different.” When the elevator arrived it was thankfully empty and free of the Duke. “This floor has been cleared out, no soldats or haulers for you to accidentally run into.”

“Meaning?” You ask as Karl begins to put you on your feet with some protest from you.

“Meaning, the stay close to me rule doesn’t apply here.” Karl reaches into his pocket and pulls out what looks like a small shiny silver chain. “Meaning, we can have a little game.”

“What kind of game?” you look at the chain in his hand, it definitely was too small to restrain you if that’s what kind of game he was referring to you. You bite your lip thinking of that possibility.

The chain floated in the air between you for a second and then suddenly you felt it cold against your thigh. You take a step back and Karl removes his glasses so you can fully take in his amusement as the chain slides up your thigh resting over your panties before sliding in resting on your clit. You gasp at the cold and eyes widen as you realize what this game could be. 

“Our deal was that we could do whatever I wanted. I want to see how long you’ll last,” He laughs as the chain starts to lightly vibrate. “I want to see you come undone. I’ll give you a head start but when I find you,” he waves a gloved hand and the speed picks up causing you to involuntarily out a moan. “You’ll be begging for me.”

“Find me?” The vibration suddenly stopped, making you whimper. 

“I’ll count down from ten. Sound good?” Karl laughs, lighting a cigar blowing smoke your way as he exhales.  

“What if I want to be found though?” You match his smirk, walking toward him until you feel a light shock from the chain that makes you step back again.

“The longer you last, the better the reward,” he teases, bringing the cigar back to his lips. “And if I believe you’re being selfish and not allowing the thrill of finding you at your weakest,” he grabs your chin as a sharper shock makes you almost double over. “It won’t be fun for either of us then.”

“Understood,” you smile, straightening up and leaning your cheek into his hand. 

“Ten,” Karl pulls his hand away from your cheek and takes a few steps back as he begins to count down. You use the opportunity to make a run for it before he could activate the chain. “Nine,” his voice suddenly booms over the intercom and the chain starts to lightly vibrate. This you could handle.

“Eight,” you run a little faster, make a right turn at the end of the hallway and a sharp left into another room. Running through the room you catch glimpses of more walls filled with notes and medical equipment. The feeling was so light you figured you were far enough away now that you could slow your pace and look around. 

“Seven.” you end up in another room filled with weapons. Weapons Karl used to attach to the members of his army. You go read the notes on the wall when suddenly the vibration begins to pick up. You had to keep moving. You got the sense that Karl was cheating, he was following you as ran.

“Six.” You run up a flight of stairs trying to ignore the increasing vibration in between your legs. You just had to find a place to hide from him. 

“Five.” 

“Fuck,” you gasp as the speed picks up and you were finding it hard to not take the opportunity to sit on a workbench and let the feeling overtake you. He wasn’t even down with his countdown yet and you had promised him whatever he wanted. 

“Four.”

A moan escapes you as you find yourself in a room with x-rays displayed on the wall. You just wanted to find somewhere to hide. To ride this out. 

“Three.”

You couldn’t ignore it anymore. There was nowhere to hide and your whole body was shaking. You could feel how soaked your panties must already be. 

“Two.” 

Fuck it. You sit on a desk facing the room away from the x-rays behind you. It was becoming too much. 

“One.”

All the lights go out as the chain ramps up to an impossible speed. You grind against the chain as the heat in you continues to rise. One hand covering your mouth to try to keep in the almost screaming moans while the other cups a breast. You start to see stars as you hear footsteps grow closer. The fear shooting through you only adds to the tension building in you. 

“Found you,” you heard him enter the room but couldn’t see anything with the lights off. “You made it pretty far, I’ll give you that.” 

The lights flicker on and he’s greeted exactly with the scene he fantasized you in since he first spoke to you. “What a sight.'' He takes one last drag of his cigar before throwing it on the floor and putting it out with a step. 

“Karl,” you moan, not breaking eye contact as he moves closer. “Karl please. It's so much. It’s-,” something from your core escapes your mouth as the coil that’s been tightening in you comes undone. 

“What do you want?” He moves closer, removing his gloves and letting them fall to the floor as he moves closer to you but not letting up on the speed of the chain. 

“I want-,” you could barely finish a sentence before another orgasm hits you. “You. Please Karl, I want you,” you practically shriek while you can get the words out.

“You want me to do what?” he smirks, removing his sunglasses and places them at the other end of the desk. The vibration starts to slow but not entirely stop. 

“Fuck me. Please fuck me Karl. I-,” you’re  cut off when his lips finally hit yours. Both hands yanking off your soaked underwear. Your hands go right into his hair pulling him further into you. “Please,” you beg between kisses.

“Fuck, it’s hard to say no when you’re begging like that buttercup,” he growls into your ear,  moving to nip at your neck. “But not yet.” Karl completely backs away. When you reach for him to pull him back in, you’re suddenly yanked back. Thick chains you did not notice snaked along the wall and wrapped around your wrists and waist, pinning you against the wall behind you. “I’m not done enjoying the show.”

“Karl-,” you quickly realize  what he means before the chain returns to an intense speed, leaving your mind blank once again. Karl’s smirk watching you in his control sends you over. You continue to shout his name like it’s the only thing in your mind. 

“So fucking hot,” he mutters. You watch him lift his shirt over head and unbuckle his belt. You have watched him strip so many times now and every time ends with you begging for him. His grin grows as he watches you try to fight against the chains on your wrists. 

You feel the chain on your waist start to unwrap as he walks towards you. The chain on your clit begins to slow giving you a moment to catch your breath. 

“Fucking hell Karl,” you lean forward as much as the chains on around your wrists allow. “You’ve been,” you take a deep breath practically panting,“holding out on me.” the chain completely stops as he grabs your hips. 

“You okay?” He kisses your shoulder. “Because I’m not done with you yet.” You feel the chain leave you and hear it slam into the wall. 

“Karl, please, no more holding back.” You look up at him in a daze. You're so sensitive that when he pulls you to him you moan. “Please Karl I-”

Karl groans as he enters you before you can finish begging. He doesn’t even give you a moment before he finds his rhythm. His lips catch you mid moan and you can’t help but continue moaning as his tongue enters your mouth.  The taste of cigar still lingers on him. It was intoxicating. 

“Fuck, you’re still so tight,” he grunts as his lips move from your mouth to against your collar bone. “You feel amazing.” He pulls away, admiring your body being held up the chains as he fucks you. The necklace he gave you moves with his every thrust. His hands leave your hips and move to massage your breast. “You’re fucking perfect, you know that?”

“Let me touch you. Please-” Before you can finish begging, the chains let your wrist go. You immediately go to feel the muscles in his arms. You moan his name again before wrapping yourself into him. The knot in you comes undone more intensely than it had before. “Fuck,” you gasp as your hands pull at his hair, holding on him as your vision blurs again. Karl isn’t far behind you cursing as he pulls out leaving a shine on your thigh. 

For a moment both you just smile at each other catching your breath. Karl got what he wanted. You weren’t expecting all this but you definitely enjoyed it.

“Holy. Shit. How long have you been planning that?” you ask leaning forward, your head resting directly on his chest. 

“If I’m being honest,” Karl sighs deeply,  “That may have been the original plan all along.” 

“Wait, are you serious?” you straighten up, instantly in a bit of shock hearing that. 

“I was going to introduce you to my army as a plan for you to get out of the village. I knew you would take it. And then we’d end up down here and well,” Karl runs his fingers through his hair. “I was going to give you more of a reason to want to stay with me.”

“That certainly would have done it. To be honest, my crush on you after what happened at the party was pretty bad. I would have stayed anyway.” You laugh, giving his shoulder a quick kiss. “So, that was plan A?” 

“That was plan A,” he agrees, giving you a quick kiss before picking you up again. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted,” you answer as the elevator arrives. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up. And maybe some breakfast,” he kisses the top of your head as the two or you return back to your apartment.

Chapter Text

Slowly Karl was letting you use your power again without much fuss. Using your “gift” didn’t bother you like it did before. The headaches were completely gone and, while he wouldn’t let you fight, you kept a small bag full of broken glass with you when you wandered the factory. Just in case a Soldat got too close. You had also begun writing with Elena and Luiza to let them know that you were alive and to reassure them that Karl was treating you well. 

“Elena knew you wanted to escape Miranda!” Karl asks after reading a letter you had left out on the table one morning. You hadn’t considered him caring to read it. There was an anger in his voice but he had been working on keeping his temper under control around you.

“I mean yes, she thought it was obvious.” You roll your eyes, buttoning up your shirt and throwing your bag over your shoulder, the glass inside clanging together. “But as far as she knows now,” you grab the letter out of his hand. “I’m so crazy into you that I don’t want to leave anymore.”

“Oh?” Karl puts his arm around your waist pulling you into him, carefully avoiding the bag at your side. “What else have you told her?”

“That we’re building an army to kill her god and then running away together to the south of France to run a bed and breakfast,” you giggle, pulling away from him.  

“Please tell me you’re joking, killing you would really ruin the moment.” he sighs, pulling on his jacket and gloves.

“Yes Karl, I’m joking,” you shake your head. “I may have hinted that your powers are good for more than just scaring the villagers.” 

“You fucking told her about that?” Karl laughs. 

Karl’s laugh was cut off when the phone on the wall began to ring. The two of you exchange a glance before he storms over to pick it up, taking a deep breath before doing so. Miranda really did scare him, even if he didn’t show it. 

“Hello?” Karl calmly answers. He turns to you ready to hand off the phone. “Yeah, she’s here. Oh she’s doing great by the way, she’s started doing this thing where she carries a bag of glass with her. No, no sign of further mutation though.”

Karl motions for you to come over as he listens to Miranda’s response carefully. Whatever she was saying, he didn’t like it. The light above the kitchen table flickering. He passes you the phone without saying anything and collapses on the couch watching you. 

“Hello Mother Miranda, how are you doing?” you ask, trying to keep your voice composed.

“I’m doing well, my child.” Miranda’s voice sounds like ice, even on the phone. “I have called to invite you Castle Dimitrescu”

“Lady Dimitrescu would be cool with me being there?” you ask, watching Karl shake his head motioning for you to stop talking. 

“My son just told me you had more control of your power now. I imagine my daughter would be… cool with you going there.” Miranda laughs and it is the most unsettling laugh you’ve ever heard.

“I mean I do have more control now but-” you start to say and Karl almost takes the phone out of your hand.

“But?” Mother Miranda’s voice returns to the cold tone you’re used to. “But what?”

“Mother Miranda, I apologize. I just was led to believe Lady Dimitrescu hates me,” you answer with a nervous laugh. 

“You will be at the castle in two hours to meet with my daughter.” Miranda orders you after a long silence.

“Yes, Mother Miranda.” you hang your head as Karl returns to the couch. 

“You would do well to remember who you are speaking to,” Miranda reminds you before hanging up. 

You place the phone back on the receiver and sit next to Karl who is lighting a cigar. The last time you were at the castle you had no idea about Karl’s plans. Miranda had ordered you to live in the factory with Karl but you had no idea that it would be the best thing to happen to you. 

“You need to fucking watch yourself when you speak to her. The bitch will eventually catch on that you’re not as dumb as you’re pretending to be.” Karl exhales smoke away from you.

“I was trying to get out of going to the castle” you sigh leaning against him. “I haven’t seen any of the other lords since Miranda sent me to live with you.”

Months had passed since then. You hadn’t even met Karl’s army yet. Hell, at that point you were just hoping to get your phone back. A phone that was now nothing more of an old mp3 player that existed only to play music throughout the factory. You didn’t want to see the other lords. It was one thing to have to pretend to love Miranda in front of the villagers, but in front of them it was difficult. They were all competing for her love, a love she will never give them. 

“I can’t blame you. I’m not a fan of my siblings either.” Karl wasn’t looking at you as he spoke, continuing to smoke his cigar. “I’m not allowed in the castle with you.”

“Are you serious? I have to go in there alone?” you groan leaning back on the couch. “Let’s just tell them I accidentally stabbed myself with a piece of glass.”

“Believe me, I have tried using similar excuses to get out of things. Miranda will find out.” Karl warns you by touching a scar on his face. “At least I don’t have to worry about the big bitch’s daughters eating you now.” Karl stands up and offers you his free hand. “A good thing about our-” he pauses for what feels like a longer time than you would have wanted. “Situation being so public, they won’t want to come near you.”

You pretend it didn’t sting. The two of you have never put a label on what your relationship is but you think it deserves a better title than that. You grab your cloak hanging on the wall and follow him out of the factory. Winter was really starting to take its toll on the landscape, especially on the mountain side. You pull the hood of the cloak over your head, partly because of the cold and also to prevent Karl from noticing how upset you are. You tug at your necklace with the Heisenberg crest. It was not the time for that conversation. You had to survive the castle first. 

“I don’t like this,” Karl says after you cross the bridge and past the large stone statues. “Miranda is planning something. Remember when you’re in the castle, you’re loyal. I’m loyal. We both adore…” Karl couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. 

“I know,” you squeeze his hand as the castle appears in view. “At least I probably won’t die. Miranda wouldn’t like that.”

Karl knocks on the castle entrance which is promptly opened by a shy maid. Before you can say anything Karl spins you around and kisses you deeply. While you kiss back part of you feels like this was part of a performance. 

“The Lady has been waiting for you,” the maid mumbles, her cheeks red from embarrassment of having witnessed Karl kiss you. 

“Well, I’m here,” you pull away from Karl and smile at the maid. “Let’s not keep her waiting.” 

The maid says nothing more as you follow her into the castle and the door closes behind you. Without Karl this was going to be hard. The maid leads you into the grand hall where you had last seen Miranda and the other lords. Upstairs and into a hallway you hear laughter. The maid jumps and moves against the wall before fleeing into another room, locking the door behind her. A wall of flies comes towards you. You ready yourself, glass flying from your bag as a warning. Something pierces your hand and you look to see if you have accidentally stabbed yourself with your glass. A small fly flies off, blood dripping from your hand. 

“Oh my god. You taste gross,” A girl with black hair suddenly appears next to you coughing like she was going to be sick. 

“Really Cassandra? Not only is she infected like us, she’s sleeping with Heisenberg. Of course her blood is disgusting.” A blonde girl forms gracefully from the swarm of flies next to Cassandra followed by a redhead. “She’s almost as disgusting as the fish lord.”

“Oh please, did you see how they kissed? They’re in love!” the redhead declares before putting her arm around you pulling you to her. The red around her mouth made you squirm at the sight. “There’s this book I read where a girl falls in love with a monster. He doesn’t look like one but-”

“Please not the vampire book again. Bela make her stop” Cassandra groans still wheeling from how disgusting your blood tastes to her. You’re not sure if you should be offended by that. 

“There are werewolves too!” The redhead leans more into you with a wink.

“Daniela, if I hear anymore about Edward Cullen one more time I’m going to join Cass in puking my guts out,” Bela pinches the bridge of her nose. “Let her go, mother will be pissed if she finds you trying to lure this one into the basement.”

“Are we really discussing Twilight right now?” you say in shock. Daniela’s eyes light up but Bela and Cass continue groaning. You could not believe the situation you were in. You lead the glass back into your bag which Bela watches carefully. “I don’t think we were properly introduced. I’m Y/N.”

“Oh we heard all about you. Angie told us everything last time she was here.” Bela throws back her head in a cruel laugh. “I’m Bela the oldest, Cassandra who tried to take a bite out of you is the second oldest, and then-”

“Way to make me sound like a baby,” Daniela pouts. “I’m Daniela. Pleased to meet you in a place where you can’t accidentally hurt us.” She smiles at you and you try to not not flinch.

“Girls! I know you three have our guests!” Alcina yells from the other side of a door. 

“We’re bringing her to you, Mother!” Bela shouts motioning for you to follow her as she returns to a swarm of flies. The other sisters follow her lead and the flies to see Alcina sitting at a vanity smoking a cigarette through a holder. When she stood up to face you were still shocked at her height. “See, all in one piece Mother.”

“Daughters go have some fun. My brother’s current plaything and I have much to discuss.” Alcina smiled at her daughters, not fully looking at you. Before you could react the girls left the room. You are alone with Alcina and your bag of broken glass. “You’re a big drinker right?” She reaches into the cabinet and pulls out a bottle of wine. 

“Trying to cut back, not great for the whole controlling new powers thing,” you sigh sounded defeated, You were not completely lying. You had been cutting back on the drinks but not because of the powers. Building an army required focus. 

“Ah, I see.” You watch Alcina pour herself a glass of wine and take a seat back at her vanity. “Mother Miranda asked that I speak to you personally since you’re considered part of the family now.”

“What exactly did Mother Miranda want us to speak about?” you ask carefully, watching your words. Any slip ups around her wouldn’t go unnoticed. You were in enemy territory. 

“New Year's Eve.” Alcina is more focused on looking into her glass than on you. “On New Year's Eve, I always host a party at the castle.”

“I’m sorry,” you tilt your head. “I don’t remember going to a party last New Year’s Eve here. There was a gathering at the Church but I would have remembered-”

“No,” Alcina cuts you off angrily, shaking her head. “You wouldn’t have been invited. Normally it is just Mother Miranda, my daughters, and sometimes Lady Beneviento if she remembers how time passes that year.” 

“So this time I’m on the ‘girls only’ party list?” you ask, matching her annoyed tone. “It’s okay, I’m really fine with not going if you don’t want me here.”

“That’s the problem.” Alcina slams the glass down on the vanity and stands up looming over you. “This year Mother Miranda would like me to invite everyone. Villagers, lords, assistants, even my staff!” 

“Oh. Why?” you ask suddenly, very confused. 

“I don’t know,” Alcina hisses. “But when she says invite she means demand attendance. My meeting with you now is to formally invite you and my idiot brother while doing damage control before there can be damage. I will not have you embarrassing us as a family. God knows your man-thing does that enough for everyone.”

“Is this because of last time?” you ask, leaning against the wardrobe absentmindedly. It was just for a party. A weird party, but a party.  

“Yes. And stand up straight, do you know who you’re speaking to? I knew Heisenberg would be a horrible influence on you.” Alcina snaps at you before walking over to the window to take another drag and let some smoke out the window now that her daughters were out of harm's way. Her frown changes into a smile with a laugh before she turns back to you. “Although, you seem to be a good influence on him.” She motions you to come over to the window.

From the window you can see Karl waiting at the entrance of the castle smoking a cigar looking towards the village. He was waiting for you, just like he did when you were visiting Luiza. He could have left and gone into the village. Maybe seen some old hookups but he was there. Anxiously waiting for you.

“That’s my man,” you smile, moving away from the window before Karl could notice you were watching him. “So New Years Eve party. Sounds like fun,” you lie. It sounded terrifying if Mother Miranda was going to be there watching your every move. 

“Sure. Fun.” Alcina returns to her seat at her vanity, pouring herself another glass. “You will need a proper dress of course. Since you’re going to be seen with Mother Miranda and myself you need to look the part.” She glances over your clothes. “You can’t be seen looking like a common villager. Speak to Lady Beneviento, she will make your dress.” Alcina then puts her face in her hands. “Does your man-thing even own a suit?”

“No idea. I haven’t seen one in his closet. Going with no,” you turn your head away trying to focus on the situation and not the idea of seeing Karl in a suit.

“Lady Beneviento will have to work on that too then.” Alcina groans, finishing her glass. “Why Mother Miranda wants to have this party is beyond me. I am honored, don’t get me wrong but-”

“Hosting is a lot of work,” you nod, trying to wrap up this conversation as quickly as possible. “Well then I won’t be in your way much longer. I’ll tell Karl about our invitation.”

“Thank you,” Alcina sounds relieved knowing you’ll be out of her castle soon. “Also, please just watch yourself around Lord Heisenberg, some of the maidens here have stories about him. Even if they think I don’t hear them.”

With that, you turn to leave the room finding a maid waiting for you outside her head facing the ground. She remains silent as you leave the castle trying to keep your mind under control. Karl’s business before you developed into whatever it is you are is his business. Another maid caught your eye and glared. She looked a little older than you, she was pretty. You shake the thought taking practiced deep breaths. 

“Lord Heisenberg is waiting for you outside,” the maid in front of you says so suddenly it almost throws you off your breathing. “Some of the maids tried to get him to come in but he refused.”

“Thank you for telling me that,” you smile at her as you reach the door before you notice something. Her necklace, it’s the same one Luiza had given you. She must be a member of Luiza’s family. “Should I tell Luiza you’re well? I write with her often. What is your name?”

“Don’t. Don’t tell Luiza anything about what happens in this castle.” the maid slams the door once you reach outside. 

“What did you say to the maid?” Karl asks coming from behind you to turn you away from the castle door.

“Nothing, I was mistaken. We have a bigger problem.” You walk with him, taking his hand in yours. “Mother Miranda invited both us, the other lords, and all the villagers to the castle for a New Year’s Eve party,” you say, still using the proper name as you get closer to the village in case someone hears.

“A shepherd taking stock of their flock.” Karl throws the rest of his cigar into the snow. The rest doesn’t need to be said aloud. 

Miranda is taking stock before a slaughter.

Chapter Text

“I don’t fucking like this,” Karl mutters as you stand outside the iron gates leading to Donna’s home. “I fucking hate this place.” Karl puts his arm around your shoulder pulling you towards him. “You may see things or hear things that look real. They aren’t. Don’t run off.”

“Believe me, I won’t.” You look back at the wooden hanging bridge Karl had to convince you to cross. You were already dreading having to cross it again. Heights had never bothered you before but you were certain the bridge was going to give at any moment.

The two of you continue down the path. You spent a lot of time with corpses in the past few months, but this was the most unsettling place you’ve ever been. Maybe it was just because it was winter, you told yourself. Maybe in the spring this area was full of beautiful flowers and lush green grass. Either way you gripped the strap of your bag that rest over your shoulder.

“If you see anything glowing, don’t go near it,” Karl adds as you turn a corner and follow the path down a small hill. His warning made sense when you reached a clearing with a large grave in the middle. Smaller gravestones surrounded the ground around it along with a radiant yellow glow. You had never seen anything like it. You want to go near it, you want to see beautiful flowers. You drop your bag to the ground, hearing the faint clink of the glass inside of the bag.

“Whose grave is this?” you ask Karl, not realizing that he was keeping you from getting closer.

“Claudia. Donna’s sister.” Karl turns you to him and away from the flowers. Your reflection in his glasses snaps you out of the feeling of longing for the flowers. “You okay?”

“Yeah, let’s just get this over with,” you nod just happy that his arm was still around your waist and rushing to pick back up your bag. You lean into him carefully not looking back at the grave instead through a door into a cave.

“I actually built this for Donna’s parents.” Karl nudges you, trying to lighten the mood as you reach an elevator. “This was all ruins before.”

“Is that your career path after the village? Karl Heisenberg, elevator repairman?” you nudge him back as the elevator comes to a stop.

Karl doesn’t respond though as you leave the cave and come into view of the Beneviento estate. The waterfall behind it just stopped before the house. You watch your step staying against the hill wall away from the ledge. The lawn had more of the glowing plants but they didn’t pull you in like the ones at the grave. Donna lived up here all alone, no wonder why she had Angie. Before you even reach the porch, the door opens. 

“Alcina probably told her we were coming. She already has my measurements. She just needs yours. It will be quick.” Karl says more to calm himself than you. While the place was creepy, your last time speaking with Angie at the castle wasn’t horrible. The doll had started to grow on you.

“Come on in!” You hear Angie yell from inside before making an appearance in the doorway. “It’s about time you visit! Your boyfriend has been keeping you all to himself.”

“Hi Angie,” you smile down at the doll and begin to make your way through the entrance with Karl’s hand moving from your waist to your hand. “You’re right it’s been a while.” You wave at Donna who is standing by a table in the center of the room. 

“Can we hurry this up?” Karl snaps at Angie before turning to Donna. “Your flowers almost got her.”

Donna slowly removes her veil. A pulsating mass grew over her right eye, no doubt due to her infection with the cadou, but she was still hauntingly beautiful. She doesn’t look at Karl, only at you with a frown. 

“If you want to speed things up, you’ll need to leave. We need girl talk to prep for the party!” Angie’s hands resting on her hips taking your attention away from Donna.

“Fuck no.” Karl shouts pulling you into him so hard you almost trip over your own feet. “I am not letting you fuck with her head.”

“Karl, I was given instructions by Mother.” Donna’s voice was soft. “I’m sorry.” Her voice wavers as she speaks. 

Karl was taken aback. He said that it had been years since he heard her voice. Angie has always spoken for her. You look up at him and see his mouth twitch before he lets you go. 

“We’ll have her back in your gross smelly factory in no time!” Angie’s voice broke the silence that had taken hold of the room. 

“It will be okay. I’ll be okay,” you reassure him, putting on a smile trying to hide how terrified you were about the idea of there being instructions from Mother Miranda about you. 

“I’ll be outside. If she’s not out in an hour-” Karl threatens before stepping out giving you one last look before closing the door behind him. 

“Yay! He’s gone!” Angie cheers jumping up and down. “Follow us!” 

Donna scoops Angie up in her arms with a smile before walking up the stairs. You see the portrait of Donna and Angie. It was larger than the one in the church. Donna appears the same age but it’s not how she looks now. It must be from before she was infected. Before Angie had a real voice. You pretend you weren’t staring at it as Donna pauses for you at the top of the stairs. Past a few bookshelves you turn into what seems to be a spare room. Just a bed, nightstand, and a wardrobe. 

“You don’t need to completely strip for us. Keep the undies and bra on please! We don’t need to see all that!” Angie announces while using the nightstand shelves to climb on to the bed. “Oh and the picture of us in the hallway. That was before Mother Miranda gave me life.” Angie says, purposely making her voice more creepy at the end.

“Mother Miranda has given us a lot,” you say as enthusiastically as you can muster as you undress to the basics as Donna looks away, even though she’ll be measuring you. You weren’t thrilled but this was clearly a sign of respect from her. 

“Mother Miranda is even putting together this whole event for the village!” Angie giggles. “She even came up with this fun game for the party. Just. For. You.” Luckily you weren’t facing Angie and Donna was focusing on her measurements too much to see the color drain for your face.

“A game? Just for me? Because I’m new?” you ask, attempting to keep your voice light but Angie’s giggle gave away that she could tell you’re scared. “Like a hazing?”

“It’s going to be a race!” Angie’s voice grows more shrill with her excitement. “A race for all the unmarried girls!”

“A race?” you look down at Donna hoping for a clear answer from her but she stays focused on her taking notes of her measurements. 

“A race for who will get to dance with who all night!” Angie screams before collapsing into a fit giggles. “She thought you might enjoy that. Being from the outside world and all.”

“A girl’s choice dance,” you gasp as it dawns on you. Like the dances from old movies that no real high school ever had. This is a punishment for how you spoke to Miranda on the phone. But it wasn’t adding up, if Miranda really wanted to hurt you she could. Instead she was going to have you watch Karl dance with another girl all night? Seems like a waste of her power. A distraction? A warning?

“You must have really pissed her off,” Angie sings. You finally turn to look at her as Donna takes more measurements. 

For an immortal being Miranda sure was petty. But so are you.

“Hey Angie,” you flash the doll a smile which stops her laughing and tilts her head. “How do you feel about cheating in games?” You sound much more confident than you feel as Donna completely freezes and finally looks up at you. You can see a soft smile for just a moment. 

“It’s only cheating if you get caught!” Angie jumps onto the floor running in between you and Donna. “We can keep a secret! Tell us!” she whispers and Donna nods.

“Okay, so I think I have a plan.” You glance out the window knowing Karl is nearby. 

Heisenberg

“What the fuck did they give you!” I catch myself yelling at her as she runs on the porch with a smirk. The glass in her ridiculous bag clanging as she runs. Angie must have slipped her something. 

“We have to go back to the factory! Now!” She grabs my arm pulling me down the path to the elevator with as much strength as she had. Even once we’re past the elevator she keeps it up till we get to the wooden bridge that she slowly walks across before nervously watching me. I didn’t know she was afraid of heights until today.

She was practically running once we got to the bridge leading to the factory. Maybe Donna caused her to lose it. Maybe she was on something. No, this was her, she was fully in control of herself which made this even more concerning.

“Karl, I'll meet you in the basement. I’m going to make some tea for myself, I’m freezing, do you want anything?” she beams at me before the door behind us can even close. 

“Sure, I’ll take a cup. Just don’t put whatever Donna and Angie gave you in my cup,” I walk up to and pull her into me to get a better look at her. She was freezing but she was also…excited? “Seriously, are you okay? You’re acting weirder than usual. And that’s saying something.” I was afraid she would be running out of Donna’s screaming, this is even scarier. 

“I’ll tell you everything I promise,” she gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before running off into the apartment. “I’ll meet you down there.” she yells.

What the fuck is going on? I don’t have time for this shit. A new year’s eve ball? This whole thing sounds like bullshit. We need to kill that fucking bitch before she can act on whatever she’s planning. It used to be so easy to tell what Miranda was planning but ever since the incident back in the states she’s become so tricky. 

Looking out on my work I wonder if Miranda knows. She couldn’t know. If she had the slightest clue what was happening here there’s no way she’d let us live. I turn back to the elevator waiting for my…my…girlfriend? Shit, everything was getting so complicated. 

Twice today she brought up what would happen after we kill Miranda. What even is a bed and breakfast? And a job? It’s strange I’ve spent all this time thinking of killing Miranda, I hadn’t considered what comes next. I just assumed I’d stay here but Buttercup has me thinking a little differently. In all the scenarios Buttercup’s brought up, she stays with me. Not really fair considering she’s going to take off the moment she realizes that’s an option. I would never make her stay with me against her will. When she wants to run away and forget about all this bullshit, I’ll let her. No matter how I feel about that. 

“Well,” I see her appear holding two mugs. “I counted seven sugars.”

“Wouldn’t be the same with just six,” I smile at her, taking the mug she held out to me. She was sweet, she didn’t belong here. I turn back to look at my army in process. I don’t have time to deal with whatever Miranda has planned. I need to keep working. 

“I never asked you this but,” she pauses, resting her arms on the railing precariously holding her mug over it. “You’re not from the village are you?”

“Nope. Actually out of the four lords I believe Donna is the only one who was born here,” I answer her honestly before taking a sip, watching a hauler on the lowest level carefully wondering if they’re ready for an upgrade. “All of our families were once rulers of the village. Long before the bitch came along.”

“I see,” she nods and then stares up at me. “Where do you want to go? After we kill the bitch? Would you want to see where you were born?”

The question catches me so off guard I try not to choke on the sip I just took. I had blocked that part out of my mind so long ago. There was nowhere left for a fucking monster like me. Even if I still had a family to go to, if Miranda hadn’t picked them off one by one in search of her daughter. 

“I wouldn’t mind seeing it. Even though I have no idea where it is. Life before Miranda is a complete blur.” I watch Buttercup frown as she looks back out at my creations. “What about you? Back to the States?” The question slips out of my fucking mouth before I stop myself. Of course she’s going back to the states. 

“Actually I don’t know,” she sighs before looking back up at me. “I was hoping I could stay with you.”

I don’t let her see how much that answer thrills me yet terrifies me. I can’t get my hopes up. Survival, everything she does is for that. How much longer can I kid myself into thinking she really cares for me besides just convenience. She’ll leave when she has the chance and she won’t look back. I won’t stop her. But if she would let me keep holding on to her, what then?

“Anyway, I need to talk to you about something,” she cuts through the silence cautiously. Shit, I didn’t mean to hurt her when I didn’t respond. “Promise you won’t get mad.”

“Don’t make me make promises I can’t keep,” I try to joke but it feels flat against her previous confession. 

“Okay then. Be mad.” she snaps. “The bird bitch is pissed at me okay? She figured out her punishment for how I spoke to her on the phone earlier. At least I think that’s what it is.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I ask her as she carefully places her hair so I can’t see her face. Shit, I fucked up.

“There’s going to be a fucking game. It’s a race. Angie told me. It's a girl's choice dance. It looks like-” something downstairs shattered making her jump and then she took a deep breath trying to regain whatever control of herself she was losing. “The unmarried women are going to pick their dance partner for the rest of the party. Probably their new year's kiss too. The women will race to their choice and whoever gets to their choice first gets to keep the man for the night.” 

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever fucking heard.” I mutter rolling my eyes. “You’re lucky that’s Miranda’s punishment for you. You could be dead if she wanted you to be.”

“Karl, you’re not getting it. Some other girl could beat me to you and-,” her voice cracks at the last part. I didn’t consider that. There is no way I’m spending that awful fucking party with anyone but her and I am not watching her be in the arms of someone else for the night. 

“Are you sure this isn’t a prank from Angie?” I ask her to turn her to face me, letting the mug off the railing letting it crash to the floor. “Miranda is planning something. That sounds insane, why would she punish you like that?”

“I don’t know Karl!” she straightens up, throwing her mug off the railing. “Something really shady is going on and I don’t fucking like it!” she yells before taking a deep breath. “It’s okay though, I think I have a plan on how to win.” Her hand went to her necklace. The Heisenberg crest. The symbol that she’s as mine as I can make her at the moment. The metal crest.

Shit, this girl is a genius.

Chapter Text

You were in a den of wolves, ready to rip you apart if you make even the slightest mistake. At least that’s how it felt. You nervously fidgeted with your necklaces, both the Heisenberg crest and Luiza’s, while trying to keep your attention on whatever Alcina was rambling about. You tried your best to avoid looking at the smirks and sneers coming from the other side of the small room. All the women, married or not besides Miranda, were separated from the men at the entrance with plenty of protest from Karl. The room divided itself on its own, the Lords and their families taking one side, The Dimitrescu maidens in the corner further from Alcina and the daughters, and the village women on the side closest to the large wooden double set of doors.

Donna sat on the couch with Angie next to her. Donna was somehow getting away with wearing the same black dress she always wore but Angie was wearing a special yellow dress designed just for tonight. Alcina sat in a large arm wearing a black version of her usual dress with a pattern of feathers at the bottom of the dress, an homage to Mother Miranda. That left you standing by the fireplace with the Dimitrescu sisters.

  “Afraid you’re going to lose your man for the night?” Bela asks you boredly, also ignoring her mother’s seemingly never ending rant about hosting tonight. The three sisters were all wearing matching long black dresses with long lace sleeves. 

“Not really, I’m a great runner,” you lie. For your plan to work, this had to stay between Karl, Donna, Angie, and yourself. Hell you were nervous enough with Angie knowing the plan. “You guys look beautiful. Any idea who you’re after tonight?”

“Oh please, that’s not really my thing. Maybe Daniela will play but I doubt there’s anyone here who could live up to her expectations.” Bela rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “This whole thing is so stupid. I don’t understand why you and Lord Heisenberg don’t just get married to avoid this whole thing.”

“I don’t think my divorce was finalized back home,” you joke so only she hears. In reality, it meant Mother Miranda would have to recognize the marriage to make it count and you had a feeling she wouldn’t allow it till after this event. Besides, the word love hadn’t even been used yet between the two of you. Neither of you were ready for the word marriage yet. You watch as Bela makes eye contact with a woman who was staring at you carefully before she quickly turns away afraid of Bela.

“Honestly you would think that you’re a weakling by the way they look at you,” Cassandra hisses at you.

“Cassandra has a point,” Alcina makes you both jump, not realizing she had been listening to your conversation. “Normally they would just stare at us but because you’re over here they’re not taking the fact they are in the presence of Mother Miranda’s chosen lords seriously. I will not allow such displays of disrespect in my household.”

“I’m sorry,” you focus on a spot on the floor not wanting to upset anyone further.

“Child, look at me when I am speaking to you!” Alcina says coldly but when you meet her eyes she smiles. “Seriously all of this over that disgusting man? Stop acting like a shy little doe. You have two things they don’t. The protection of the Lords as well as your gift from Mother Miranda. If you can’t make them respect you, at least make them fear you.”

You look back at the crowd of women. Elena, Luiza and another villager Roxanne were deep in conversation but seemed in good spirits. The rest of the villagers however were either staring or glaring at you. Even some of the maids were shooting less than friendly glances. All this strange tension seems focused on you. Miranda had done more than just try to trap you into having a bad night, she was making you a target. 

“Fear?” The idea of it never occurred to you before. Your bag of glass sat in the corner with your red cloak under it. You felt useless without it. Sure there were bottles and a mirror you could break but you didn’t want Alcina screaming about her precious wine and you didn’t need more bad luck. 

“You’ve killed two people before, haven't you not?” Alcina asks nonchalantly while pouring a glass of wine. “I’m not saying kill someone, especially not on this carpet, but remind them of your power. Yours is not an obvious one but really you spend all your time with Heisenberg and it never occurred to you why he insists on carrying that hammer?”

“Show rather than tell,” you nod, starting to understand what she meant. You didn’t have to use the glass to attack, just display it. You look around the room grasping at straws for how to do so without hurting anyone or pissing off Alcina. Something catches your eyes, an angel in a painting on the wall behind the villagers. Miranda showed her power using her wings, you weren’t even sure exactly what her power was, the wings were enough to make you not want to find out. What if you had your own set? “And I could honor Mother Miranda better.” you give the room a quick once before before turning to Bela. “Stand back.”

You focus on your bag and all the shards inside slowly make their way out. The room goes silent except for a yelp from a maid in fear. You stay focused though. You watch the shards keeping in mind what Karl had taught you. Picture what you want the glass to do. Carefully a pressure came to your back and you saw in the mirror across the room what you looked like. A red dress that matched your cloak, one size larger than what you normally wear to conceal the metal wrapped around you, long sleeves that puffed at the shoulder in a Victorian style to further hide evidence of the metal around your arms that Donna had worked into the dress. And behind you a set of wings made of broken pieces of different colored glass. Some blues, greens, brown and clear pieces. 

“I take back everything I said earlier Bela, tonight is going to be fun!” Cassandra breaks the silence of the room looking over at Bela who was smirking at you. 

“What a beautiful way to honor Mother Miranda!” Daniela chims in moving closer to examine the wings that were barely touching your dress. 

“She’s going to kill you,” You hear Angie giggle. While the rest of the room thinks that Angie is referring to you killing the girls who had been glaring at you, you know she means Miranda is going to be pissed at your supposed honoring of her. 

You look over at Luiza who is grinning ear to ear with Elena behind her who looks like she has a million questions for you. Everyone else on that side of the room however avoids your gaze. No more sneers, no glares. Well except for one older woman. The widow of the man you had accidentally killed at the church months ago. You quickly avoid eye contact with her as the widow realizes exactly how her husband died that night.

“Perfect,” Alcina nods her approval, taking a sip of her wine. Examining the wings with her daughters. “You should talk to my brother about devotion to Mother Miranda. He could learn a thing or two from you.”

Suddenly the doors to the room swung open. Vasile stood in the doorway with a smile that twitches slightly when he sees you with the wings. Vasile bows to Donna and Alcina who did not react before announcing that all the married women or women who were not having a dance partner tonight could leave the room. Luzia gives you one last proud look as she walks out. Only Daniela stays by your side on the Lord’s side of the room while everyone else walks out. 

“It will be okay,” Daniela squeezes your hand. “Worse comes to worse, I’ll be your dance partner for the night. Sucks that Miranda has you under these orders.” she says louder than she should, peaking the curiosity of the nearby women. “No murders tonight. No way to fight back if someone beats you to my uncle.”

Daniela was setting you up. The volume of the whispers in the room picked up significantly. You shoot Daniela a glare and she just winks at you. She was planning on you losing. This was just a game to everyone else after all and not some sick twisted punishment. 

When Luiza returns she announces that they are ready. The girls leave the room in a single file line led by you and Daniela behind you. Then oldest to youngest. You make your way to the front thankful that you don’t have to listen to the muttering behind you. Your wings followed with you almost without you thinking. It took no effort to hold them, it was as easy as breathing. You were getting better at this.

You walk into the hall and you’re shocked to see all the men wearing masks completely covering their faces, even their beards. Looking closely you can see the masks almost look like bears. Karl quickly gives himself away by laughing when he sees you enter with your wings. You look to where you’re being led to see Mother Miranda staring directly at you. You couldn’t read her expression as you got closer, her gold masking covering most of her face, but it definitely was not a smile. As you reach the end of the room you turn to face the man who had been placed in front of you. You had no idea who it was. Karl was in the center of his line while you were at the end of yours. You had to hope all the practice had paid off. 

“Welcome and Happy New Years,” Mother Miranda says, walking past you and down the line not looking at anyone directly. “This upcoming year will be an important one for our village. To celebrate the beginning of that year the Lords and I have planned multiple festivities for the night.” she announces. Karl had never spoken to you about that. “This game was created by Lord Heisenberg and our lesser lord from the outside world who are both among you now.” 

Heads turn to stare at you. Miranda was lying. This was her game she made up seemingly to spite you but now you were unsure if that was the intention. Nothing about this made sense. Some of the women who had been glaring at you were staring down the line of men, trying to pick out Karl before you could but you’d recognize that laugh anywhere. 

“On my signal, the women will run to their choice and that will be their partner for the night.” As Miranda speaks, you feel the metal placed through at the dress tug slightly to reassure you. You try to stay looking at the man in front of you who looks like he’s shaking. He’s terrified of you. Karl probably threatened all of them before this if they came near you. “Remember, in order for this village to thrive we all must do our part.” That statement forces you to turn to Miranda who is walking back down the line towards you. Does this mean having kids to keep the population up so she can do more tests on children? Calm, you had to stay calm. Especially with the wings you had displayed. “On the count of three then. One. Two. Three”

Chaos erupts, most women running straight ahead to who they were lined up across while some stay back watch who you pick. Taking note of this you make a run at Karl just managing  to avoid Daniela reaching out to grab your arm to hold you back with her. That’s when the plan sets in. You appear to be running but really the metal in your dress and wrapped around certain parts of you were pulling you right towards Karl. The other women try to keep up, especially the one who was directly across from him but it ends up being no use, they don’t want to get near the glass wings so they will not touch you and before you know it you’re safely in Karl’s arms.

“You got a death wish or something?” Karl whispers in your ear as you embrace him.  “Wings? Really?”

“Long story,” you mutter as he releases you. Looking around, men were removing their masks. Elena giggles at Anton as he removes his mask, remarking that her father is going to kill him. Daniela’s catch looking terrified as she yanks off his mask and laughs at him. Mother Miranda is only looking at you.You double checked and your wings stayed with you. You bow your head with a smile trying your absolute best to seem respectful. 

“She cheated.” you hear the girl next to you mutter under her breath as she walks past with her partner. 

You turn back to see Karl pulling off his mask and his hair out of the ponytail you had carefully put it in earlier in the day. Karl is wearing a new suit Donna had made him for tonight.  While it was similar to what the other men were wearing the closer you were the more you could see gold detailing on the pockets. It was strange seeing him in formal wear, you were so used to his usual heavy coat. He did keep his gloves on though, you suspected to hide the scarring on his hands.  

“Well,” Mother Miranda begins and the entire room falls silent. Karl stands behind you with his hand on your shoulders to avoid your wings. “That ends this part of the festival. Please continue into the ballroom.” Mother Miranda turned on her heel brandishing her eight wings before entering the doors in front of her. 

“Yikes,” Daniela walks over to you two with her date being dragged behind her. “That did not go well. Well, great idea for the party guys.” she winks before walking through the doors.

You could feel all the eyes in the room now falling on you and Karl. You take his arm in yours and walk past the couples. All glaring except for Elena and Anton who were now quietly discussing how to deal with her father for the rest of the night. The plan had worked but what other made up events would Miranda come up with to torture you for the night? Was this really only to make you upset? No, there had to be another reason. It still wasn’t making sense. You look up at Karl before opening the doors to the ballroom, he was clearly having the same thought as you. If Miranda wanted to hurt you, she could. Something else was happening here. 

The ballroom itself was rather smaller than you had pictured or maybe having Alcina there was throwing off the scale of the room. A few villagers were gathered with their instruments in the corner playing music. Moreau was standing far in the other corner in what looked like a sectioned off area just meant for him and his assistants who looked like they could use sleep. Donna was seated next to Alcina while Angie danced on the table. Scanning the room you smile at Luiza and Vasile who nodded at you obviously not thrilled you ended up with Karl for the night. Cassandra and Bela were alone on the center of the floor jokingly waltzing together to the music, you figured none of the villagers risked getting close to them. 

Mother Miranda was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Mother Miranda?” you ask Angie and Alcina as you take a seat next to Karl. One of the maids who was unfortunate enough to still have to work tonight quickly poured you a glass of wine and placed it in front of you, almost spilling it in her anxiety. You want to tell her it’s okay but you didn’t want to draw Alcina’s attention to the maiden.

“She told us to enjoy, she’ll be back,” Angie danced down the table turning with the music. “She didn’t look happy. Don’t come crying to us if she finds out.”

“Find out what!” Alcina joins the conversation, handing her glass to the maid to be refilled. 

“If Mother Miranda finds out that they-” Angie starts talking about giving away to Alcina that you two cheated to win. Alcina wouldn’t stand for that. It would be lying and disrespectful to Mother Miranda. You had to think fast. 

“That we’re expecting!” you cut off Angie who breaks into giggles and runs down the table away from you and Karl. You give Karl a quick look but all the color drained from his face. You hope that he understood you were lying. You were thankful Donna’s veil was hiding her reaction. Alcina drops the goblet as soon as it’s back in her hand causing the maid to run away.

“You have to tell Mother immediately!” Alcina lowers her voice so the conversion is not overheard by her staff. “I knew it! You weren’t drinking and you suddenly gained weight in the last few weeks since I saw you.”

“We want to surprise her!” You pretend to not be offended by her comment. Sure the dress was one size bigger because of the metal in it, but still. Ouch. Karl takes the wine glass in front of you and drinks from it. He hates wine but you guess now having to lie about a pregnancy was a special occasion. “But also it breaks my heart for her, you know. Everything she does is for us and to bring her own child back to her. I’m afraid she’s going to be sad.”

“You’re so kind,” Alcina nods, looking into her own now empty glass with a sudden sadness before looking out at her daughters who were now taking turns making Daniela’s date dance with them. “I understand your concern for her feelings. You should tell her soon though.”

“After the 12 week mark,” Karl jumps in. “Alcina, I don’t want to break her heart again if something goes wrong for us.”

“Heisenberg-” Alcina turns to stare at Karl trying to understand the sudden shift in his personality. She finally smiles and nods looking out at the party. “I think fatherhood would suit you.” she says excitedly. “Of course if you have a girl I would be honored to help teach her manners. The two of you are-”

“Shut the fuck up,” Karl snaps suddenly returning quickly to his usual angry self.

You just laugh and turn to a maid asking for water. Alcina’s smile falls for a moment but she looks out at her daughters again who were now forcing other couples on to the dance floor. A twinge of guilt hits you for a second, this is all she has and it’s because of Mother Miranda. She believes she was blessed. That all the awful things she does are the right things to do to survive. Just like all your lies and the work back in the factory. 

“Did you run across half the room just to sit next to him all night!” Bela calls to you from the dance floor. “Come on you two!”

“Mind your damn business!” Karl snaps but you’re already halfway out of your chair grateful to find an excuse to get out of this conversation.

“Either you come with me out there or I’m dancing with Bela, you’re choice.” you whisper in his ear and make your way to the dance floor grateful that the metal in the dress doesn’t weigh you down, people making room for you not wanting to get anywhere close to the glass wings on your back. You’re surprised they have stayed in place with you. 

 “Donna picked all the music for tonight. That was her part of the festival, I have to admit I thought it would be creepy but it’s really not bad, the band learned it all fast,” Bela tells you as you take her hand. Bela pulls you into a playful dance keeping her distance from you. 

“Really? That’s impressive,” you look over at the band, half of them seemed drunk having the time of their lives, while the rest look nervously at Lord's table as they performed.

“Moreau brought the fish but you shouldn’t eat it. Probably isn’t good for the baby,” She says low enough so only you hear. A small fly lands in her hair joining with the rest of her. 

“Aren’t you taking the fly on the wall thing a little too seriously?” you ask her shaking your head but both of you just laugh. 

“Excuse me, I believe that’s my prize you’re dancing with,” Karl’s voice cuts through the giggle fit you and Bela had been having. 

“Technically, I won you tonight,” you remind Karl as Bela lets go of your hands and quickly leaves you for her next victim. Or maybe victim wasn’t the right word. This maid didn't seem to mind when Bela pulled her in. “You know how to dance?” 

“It’s been a couple decades,” he shrugs, one hand landing on your waist, the other taking your hand. “Anything to get away from the baby talk though.”

“Sorry about that,” you sigh, letting Karl lead the dance. “I panicked.”

“I know,” you were suddenly pulled closer as he used the metal in the dress. “But you just created an even bigger problem. Alcina will tell her if you don’t. If you tell her she’s going to-”

“Let’s just make it through tonight. That’s tomorrow’s problem.” you cut him off as you feel some of the metal on you tighten. “You could say it’s next year's problem.”

“You’re insane,” Karl spins you around quickly trying to match the other couples but you almost trip. Luckily Karl pulls you in quickly and no one seems to have noticed. “Fine, we’ll discuss this tomorrow.”

 As Karl goes to spin you again with you more prepared this time the band suddenly stops. The chatter that had also been filling the room immediately creases as Mother Miranda stands in the doorway looking out at the party. Almost the entire village was in this room, save for the maids who were forced to prepare the fish Moreau had bought for dinner that night. The only person missing was the strange old woman you had seen around the village a handful of times. Everyone stood completely still, even the drunkest of the bunch. Miranda remains silent scanning the room, and this feeling of intense dread fills you. She’s taking a headcount. You turn to Karl but he is watching her practically holding his breath. 

“Midnight approaches. Let us feast. Lord Moreau has provided tonight’s meal.” Miranda does not turn to look at the fish lord who is excitedly waving to the room from his corner. “Following dinner, I ask you all to join me outside the castle. I wish we all bring in the new year as one united village.” Mother Miranda turns to leave the room and a collective exhale fills the room. 

“Outside? No fair. We can’t go out in this weather! It’s snowing!” Cassandra whines to Bela who is also dealing with trying to find Daniela and her date who suddenly have gone missing from the room. 

“Honestly it’s probably a good thing you can’t be seen having tonight’s dinner,” Karl tells you as you make your way to your seats. “At this point, I’ll believe it’s poisoned.”

Dinner however is not poisoned. The Dimitrescu cooks have done their best to make the plates of the fish look as appetizing as possible. The volume of the room picks back up as the dance floor has cleared with the villagers at the seats. You pick at some of the bread and vegetables on your plate but you’re too anxious to really eat. You kept waiting for someone to keel over from the food but everything seemed normal which continued to put you and Karl more on edge. 

The moment Karl’s plate is taken away by a maid the two of you quickly head towards outside. Not wanting to waste any time Karl puts the jacket of his suit over you instead of returning for your cloak. You adjust your glass wings to press against the jacket. You almost didn’t need to think about it, it’s like they were moving on their own to adjust to the new layer of clothing.  

“Mind if we join you two?” A familiar voice calls out. You turn to see Elena and Anton practically running towards you and Karl. Each of them holding a bear mask that the men have been wearing during the game. “Please, her father is trying to kill me.”

“You’re so dramatic Anton. He just said he could kill you, not that he would kill you,” Elena huffs catching her breath after running. “But please Lord Heisenberg if that is alright with you.”

“The more the merrier,” Karl says sarcastically before turning and walking away towards the exit of the castle. “But Anton, if Leo comes after you I will not stop him.”

“That’s fair,” Anton’s voice cracks before he turns to you. “Listen, I’ve not said the best things about you in the past. Mostly directly to your face. Please forgive me.”

“Elena’s father is that scary uh,” you laugh, starting to turn to walk with Karl. “It’s fine, new year, new beginnings right?” 

“Uh, right?” Anton nods. Him and Elena follow behind you to outside, bickering between themselves the entire way about how they were going to get through the rest of the night without running into her father. Maybe this year really was going to be filled with new starts.

It kind of stung, for everyone else this was a party, a real party not whatever they had called the gatherings after their church meetings. For everyone else this was a grand celebration. The party of the decade it sounded like. You wish you didn’t know as much as you do. You wish you could just enjoy the party, the wine, laugh with Elena about Anton’s fear of her father. Instead, you were terrified that at any moment Mother Miranda was suddenly going to murder everyone like a scene straight out of Carrie. 

Or that’s how you should feel. Part of you was having fun tonight as much as you hate to admit it. Even worse, you were having fun with other parts of Miranda’s fucked up family.

 As the four of you head outside and bow to Mother Miranda you begin to notice that even more of the villagers are walking out holding bear masks. Some of them even had large furs on with the masks. A memory from last year’s new year comes to mind, the bear dance. A dance done to ward off evil spirits. Last year you had too much to drink on new years and could barely remember the actual activity but Luiza had explained it to you on the days leading up to it. 

“I believe that everyone is here,” Mother Miranda turns to the crowd that gathered outside the castle taking yet another headcount. The reminder of elementary school field trips would be funny if she wasn’t so terrifying. “We are on the cusp of midnight. I want to thank all of you for your continued faith. Winter months here are hard. There may be times when it feels like I am not within reach, in those moments I ask that you reach out to my children. They will always guide you.”

“The Duke has set up our midnight celebration. After that, you are all free to return home,” Alcina announces. What she really means is no one will be allowed back in the castle. 

“Yes,” Mother Miranda turns to Alcina who takes a step back, having talked out of turn. “I hope you all enjoyed tonight. Happy New Year to all.”

“We give glory!” The crowd shouts in unison.

As if that was a cue a loud bang goes off causing some to scream. The screams quickly turn into laughter as a firework goes off above the castle in the distance. Midnight had finally arrived. Couples turn to kiss each other for good luck. Karl quickly getting the hint turns your face to his giving you a quick kiss. Lycans howl in the distance but no one reacts to them. Many villagers dawn their masks and begin to chant their prayer to Mother Miranda. Karl puts an arm around your shoulder as he watches Miranda and not the fireworks. You decide you have had enough of stressing yourself out about her for tonight. No one died, except for maybe Daniela’s date but that’s still a lower body count than you thought. Tonight hadn’t been so bad. 

“Wow, 2021. This year is going to be beautiful,” Elena giggles putting on her mask watching the fireworks. “We are blessed.”

“We give glory,” you say without even thinking. You feel all the metal pull you into Karl not even bothering to hide how he was controlling your dress. You don’t look up to see his reaction. You watch the fireworks with Elena feeling Karl stare at you. His hand wraps around yours and squeezes three times which you respond by also squeezing three times to let him know he hasn’t lost you.

However, a very dangerous thought has crept into your mind. You’re actually happy. Someone you care about holding you while watching fireworks with friends. If it wasn’t for Miranda, this village wouldn’t be so bad. The other lords maybe would even get along. Hell, you had to give it to Miranda, she threw a great party tonight. 

“Hey Karl,” you look away from the fireworks and up at him. He was still watching you carefully. Almost like he was afraid you were going to disappear. “I love you.” 

“I-” Karl stutters, not able to return the words. That was okay for right now, even though it hurt a little. “Happy New Year,” he manages to get out before kissing you as the rest of the crowd is distracted.

Chapter Text

All the metal that had been carefully wrapped around you last night was all over the room leading to the bed; your dress and most of Karls suit hadn’t even made it past the hallway last night. You're sitting up, looking around the room incredibly grateful that Karl would clean up that mess when he woke up. It was rare for you to wake up before him. Something felt different after last night and it was good. Karl may have never said the words back but things felt more serious now. Like more than a convenient partnership with a common enemy. 

You lay back down just watching him breathe. Last night confirmed he was yours. You would figure out how to get out of the fake pregnancy later. Faking a tragedy didn’t sit right with you. even under these circumstances. Maybe you lie about your period or something along those lines. You had a few weeks to figure it out anyway. After that you had nothing but time on your hands that you would spend with him. After you two defeat Miranda and free the villagers from her brainwashing, you’ll really have him all to yourself.

“You’re staring,” Karl says, sleepy, his eyes still closed. “Alcina was right, neither of us have manners.” He smiles, finally opening his eyes while pulling you against him, his arms around your bare waist. 

“Alcina was right’ is not a sentence I ever thought I’d hear you say,” you giggle as your foreheads touch. You run your fingers through his hair. You could stay like this forever.

“And I’ll never say it again,” Karl says, trying to stop a yawn. “And as much as I would love to repeat the ending of last night,” his hands traveling downwards giving you goosebumps. “We need to work. The event set us back at least a week.” 

“I’m sure one more morning couldn’t hurt,” your hand moves from his hair to his shoulders feeling the muscle. “Come on, stay with me.”

Karl kisses you deeply but you have your answer as he pulls away and begins to get out of bed. You don’t bother to pretend to not watch him as he makes his way to the closet. Neither of you had bothered getting dressed for bed. The metal pieces on the floor floating for a moment before finding a home in the corner of the room. There was no getting through to him at this point, today was a work day. Before you have a chance to dramatically sigh while getting up the phone on the wall rings. Karl stares at it while buckling his belt as if willing it to stop but it keeps ringing. Finally he storms across the room glancing at you before picking up the handset.

“Hello?” Karl says as casually as possible. “Yes it was a wonderful night.'' He leans against the wall so you can see his face. It’s definitely Miranda on the other end. “We will both be there.” His eyes darken to you and you’re filled with dread. “See you then, Mother.'' He puts the phone back on the receiver but doesn’t say anything.

“Where does the bitch want us?” you ask, starting to get out of bed reaching for some clothes to put on. “Did she say anything else?” Alcina said she wasn’t going to tell but what if she lied? She would do anything to win Miranda’s favor.

“Family meeting. Urgent. Abandoned church by the castle.” Karl’s anger practically filled the room. “If Alcina fucking told that bitch what you said-”

“No it’s something else,” you weren’t sure why you were so sure about your trust in Alcina but the timing of this meeting the day after Miranda took a headcount of villagers and staff? All the lords required? “Something bad.”

“It’s always something bad. It’s Miranda.” he said coldly. “During this meeting, do not leave my side. I’ll be waiting out front.” Karl slams the door to the apartment closed.

You take a deep breath as you finish getting ready. You grab one of Karl’s coats that looked huge on you as you had left your cloak back at the castle last night. You look at the glass you had shaped into wings last night and before you can even wonder if you should wear them. They lightly press against your back. Taking a deep breath, you step into the hallway to see Karl halfway through a cigar. You don’t say anything, he puts an arm around your shoulder as you leave the factory, his hammer floating behind the two of you. 

The village was quiet this morning as snowflakes fell. It was still early and with most of them partying well past the fireworks everyone seemed to be taking the day off. The Duke was the only one awake. You quickly wave to him as Karl makes it clear there’s no time to stop and chat. Down a passage you had never been you can hear the growling of lycans in the walls but they do not move to attack, you keep looking straight ahead afraid that looking at one would provoke them. 

Entering the abandoned church, you could see Alcina and Moreau had already arrived, Moreau avoiding Alcina who was smoking a cigarette through a holder. Karl leads you to a pew across from Alcina where the two of you sit close together. Looking around the ceiling had caved in by the altar and there was a large hole in the floor in the corner of the room behind more destroyed pews. Parts of the second floor had collapsed onto the first. Rugs weathered with both time and exposure to the elements hung on the walls and clung to the floor behind you. You imagined this place was once beautiful, the size of it alone was grand. Even Alcina seemed to fit perfectly in here. Angie runs in front of you waving before following Donna to a chair on the altar. The silence among the lords felt unusual and awkward.

“Where is your cloak? You look ridiculous in that!” Alcina finally speaks up, directing her question at you.

“I actually left it back at your castle. I didn’t know we weren’t going back inside after the fireworks,” you answer putting on a smile acting like this meeting was going to be business as usual.

“I will have it found and returned to the factory. It’s vastly irresponsible for someone in your,” Alcina pauses, giving a glance at Moreau before catching herself. “Role to not dress for the elements. Take better care of yourself and your belongings!” she snaps.

“I will try to keep that in mind,” you nod as relief washes over you. If Alcina was still being careful around the subject that means she hadn’t told Miranda. Bela would keep that information to herself till she needs to blackmail you. 

Karl leaned back resting his hammer against the pew, relaxing a little bit following the same thought process you were. 

When Miranda enters, all the lords stand, which you quickly copy. Miranda doesn’t make eye contact with anyone as she makes her way to the front of the room but you can see a smile under her mask. Any relief you just felt immediately vanished. Miranda was happy, that couldn’t be good. Once she turned everyone took their seats but Moreau.

“My children, I brought you here today to make an announcement. My sources tell me that the Winters’s daughter is a possible host for my Eva.” Miranda proudly tells the room. You try to see Karl’s reaction but he just smiles at Miranda. She had infected him when he was a child, was she going to implant a cadou in a baby? “To confirm their findings I must see for myself. Therefore tonight I will be leaving the village. You are all to continue your work and keep an eye on the villagers while I am gone.”

“How long will you be gone for?” Alcina asks Miranda concern in her voice.

“Until I can see for myself if she is truly the chosen child. I will be taking the place of Mia Winters.” Mother Miranda displays a photograph of a brunette woman holding a blonde child. Suddenly Mother Miranda is covered in what looks to be dark roots covered in black mold. When the roots leave the brunette woman from the photograph is in front of you. Mother Miranda just took the form of Mia Winters. Mother Miranda could shapeshift. You felt like you were going to be sick. “I had met Mia briefly when working with The Connections. She had spoken to me about her husband Ethan, I will have no trouble in fooling him. In the meantime Mia Winters will be brought to my lab. Lord Moreau, I am putting your team in charge of her medical care. I need her alive until Eva is here.” Miranda’s voice even changed.

“It is an honor Mother,” Moreau bows as deeply as he can. “We will miss you, Mother.”

“I will be returning with Rosemary Winters. Alcina, when we arrive I will be placing her under your care. I will need time to prepare.” Miranda turns to Alcina who quickly bows her head. 

“Lord Heisenberg, you and your…assistant will prepare four flasks, similar to the ones we keep the cadou in.” Miranda addresses the two of you. Both of you nod and exchange a quick glance. “Each of you will be getting one so please use the house sigils to differentiate.” 

Moreau was to hold a woman captive, Alcina to watch over a baby, and you and Karl got an arts and crafts project you could take care of in fifteen minutes. You hear Miranda instruct Donna to provide clothes for the baby but your mind was elsewhere trying to figure out what the flasks could possibly be for. It’s the one task that does not fit with the others.

“You have your orders, you are all dismissed. I must prepare for my journey, luckily my contact made sure the Winter’s would be relocated to our region. Everything is perfect.” Miranda smiles and leaves the room. It’s strange watching her walk out as Mia but still carry herself like Miranda, regal and strong. 

“Eva is coming to play with us!” Angie yells as the lords leave together but the four lords remain silent. Karl and Alcina don’t even bicker. 

Once away from the other lords you and Karl break into a run towards the factory. If Miranda was going as far to see Rose for herself, if what happened in the States really infected both parents that severely, then time was ticking and it was not on your side.

Chapter Text

“Go to our room and stay there.” Karl orders you the moment the factory closes behind you. The walls themselves were shaking under the weight of his rage. For a moment you’re terrified the place will collapse. But you were more afraid of other things at the moment. 

“She can shapeshift,” you say. This is the first time you’ve spoken since seeing Miranda take the form of Mia Winters. “You never told me she could do that.” You stay almost glued to your spot but move as soon Karl makes a right into a room you weren’t allowed in. He said it was dangerous for you in there but you were so afraid of Miranda right now anything in this factory seemed like nothing. 

“Yes. Miranda can shape-shift. Go to our room.” Karl yells as the doors slam behind him stopping you from entering the room. 

“Stop telling me what to do like I’m a child!” you shout at the shaking metal door in front of you. “What else aren’t you telling me Karl!” You bang on the door until your hand throbs with pain. “Don’t you fucking dare cut me out now.”

“I said go to our fucking room,” the door flings open almost off its hinges and Karl stand on the otherside holding his hammer over his shoulder, his glasses hiding his expression. The lights in the room went out before you could see what was inside. 

“Don’t fucking talk to me like that,” you back away while shouting. You knew you couldn’t fight him. You couldn’t believe the thought of even having to cross your mind. Just a few hours ago you were cuddled against him naked in bed. You had just told him last night that you love him. Now it was taking everything in you to not show that you were shaking. 

“Fine,” Karl drops the hammer and leans on it. “That bitch sent me the perfect distraction with you didn’t she? And I made the mistake of falling right for the trap.”

“We don’t have time for this. You need to tell me everything. What else is she capable of? Why didn’t you tell me?” You see your reflection in his glasses, you look terrified. You were terrified. But you didn’t think it would ever be of him again. Not since that night in the woods.

“Because I knew you would freak out. I’d have to spend a whole day calming you down and explaining why she wouldn’t transform into either of us.” Karl starts to light a cigar. “I’ve already lost so much time because of you,” he sighs exhaling smoke.

“I-,” you stop yourself from continuing. “And you’re losing more standing here arguing with me.” You take a deep breath. The smell of his cigars used to make you feel calm. You were quickly realizing that you weren’t speaking to the Karl you had grown to know over the last few months. You were speaking to the man that had sent you into the woods to kill you. “Tell me everything. Please. I have a right to know.”

“A right to know,” he laughs and it sends a shiver down your spine. “Glass and metal are reflective surfaces.” He exhales, blowing smoke in your direction. “Miranda’s real form will show in a reflection. I mean her real form, not that blonde bitch we’re always speaking to. An old woman.”

“The woman with the creepy walking stick.” You were starting to piece things together, why that old woman hadn’t been at the party. Or the church the night Miranda realized your power. “What’s really in that room?”

“A project. One I put on pause because of you.” Karl flung the hammer back over his shoulder and moved out of the doorway as the lights quickly turned on back inside inviting you in. “Guess it doesn’t matter now.”

You walk in preparing yourself for something terrifying. If he was letting you work on Sturm but not in here then it must be something really awful. Though when you walk in the room is mostly empty what caught your eye was the wall across from you. A large painting of Miranda, photos of the other three lords, a picture of a man you had never seen before, and a picture of Mia Winters holding her daughter Rose. Smaller pictures pinned up of cadou and other experiments. 

“This is your war room,” you breathe, reading the wall. Some notes of his you didn’t understand. Some were copies of notes of his you had read previously. “Why would you hide this from-” before you finish the question you turn to a desk and face photos of yourself pinned above it. A selfie you had taken in another lifetime surrounded by people you had once loved. Another photo of you from the village taken from far away shortly after you had been brought to Luzia’s. And the last photo, you asleep in the bed you share with Karl. Notes line the wall with details about yourself, your power, and a lengthy section about your weaknesses. 

“It’s in case you turned against me,” Karl came from behind you. For the first time since entering the factory something that sounded like the Karl you loved spoke. Remorse was somewhere in the anger that had taken over him. 

“You still don’t trust me.” You pull yourself from looking at your own sleeping face, turning your back to it to face him. “After all of this?” you keep telling yourself you will not cry but your eyes are disobeying. 

“All of this?” He snaps, the mask of the dangerous lord returning as he corners you against the desk. “You’ve been in this village for how long? A year and a half? You couldn’t possibly understand. You probably weren’t even alive yet when the goddamn bitch-”

“So now you don’t trust me AND I’m too young for you?” You stand up as straight as you can pretending that tears are not making their way down your face. You can’t listen to this anymore. “We don’t have time for this.”

“You’re right I don’t,” he turns away from you. “Go to our room and stay there.”

“Why, so you can take more pictures of me while I’m asleep?” you begin to walk out when something catches your eye. Notes on Sturm you had never seen before, and they were new. The proportions were off, not at all what the two of you had agreed on. “What is this?”

“I’ve made him more capable. Stronger. The strong will destroy the weak after all. I need to finish him now if we have any hope of killing Miranda and the kid when they get back." He smirks looking at the new prototype grabbing the paper and storming out of the room.

“Wait kill the kid? The baby?” You follow him down the hall to the elevator. “You can’t just kill a baby.”

“How many times do I need to explain to you how fucked we are if Miranda brings back her daughter?” He calls the elevator but does not get in as if to block you from entering. “She should have never known about the kid’s status. I could have killed the people feeding her information if I wasn’t so distracted by you and that damn New Year’s party. I could have caught them. I should have been paying attention. That whole thing had nothing to do with you at all. It was so Miranda's information would get to her without problems.”

“What if Rose isn’t Eva? What if she’s just a normal baby?” You couldn’t believe you were having this conversation. None of this felt real. How could a few hours change so much?

“You know it’s funny. You keep telling yourself that what we do is justice but now there is a way out and you're backing out because of some morals you’ve decided to hold yourself to.” Karl laughs coldly removing his glasses. “I thought you would do anything to escape her, to destroy Miranda.”

“Karl this isn’t right,” you shake your head suddenly very aware that your wings have broken into thousands of shards behind you all pointing directly at Karl.  

“What wasn’t right is what she did to us. We will make her pay for it.” Karl says calmly but you realize it’s a lie. “Now go to our room. Get some rest. When you’re awake I’ll have a new weapon for our army ready to go.” He waves the new prototype for Sturm in the air with a smile. 

“That’s not going to work. The proportions are off. Sturm will take his own arms off like that. Plus he would be difficult to control. And he would overheat” you grab it from his hand to get a better look seeing every you had contributed being stripped away. “We’d have to start all over.”

“Go to our room or get out of this factory.” Karl growls, grabbing the paper any sense of the fake calmness he had completely erased. “This is your last warning. Do I need to do a countdown?”

“I’m not fucking child, stop telling me what to do.” You finally snap glass hurling towards him but stopping just before hitting him once you realize what’s happening. 

“Get the fuck out,” Karl roars, his hammer suddenly coming to life without him. Coming directly towards you. 

You don’t think about it, you just run. Run back down the hallway, past the room you two shared, hearing the hammer whiz behind you. You were not about to test to see if he was bluffing. You open the door to the factory and run across the bridge into the cold January air, the light blinding you in the process. 

Once across the bridge you turn to see if the hammer is following you. Karl is standing at the other side of the bridge holding it in his hands. His expression is blank but falls to sadness for just a moment before the rage returns. Suddenly the bridge begins to lower in the river below, removing your way back to the factory. The elevator to the main village begins to rise, taking you away. 

“Karl, no please,” you try to scream as he begins to turn out of sight. “Not like this,” you whisper to the air. 

You can feel your heart sink in your chest. Karl had just thrown you out of the factory. The two of you had attacked each other. Months worth of work was about to go down the drain and all so he could kill an innocent child. You begin to walk to the village, your feet seeming to carry you past the large stone statues. You go to bundle yourself up more when you realize you’re still wearing his jacket. It felt like you couldn’t breathe. You want to collapse into the snow and hope he’ll realize he made a mistake and will come to save you with apologies. But you knew that wasn’t going to happen. Not this time. His hatred for Miranda was stronger than any feelings he had for you. You had to go somewhere though, the sun had already started to set. 

“Where’s your Lord?” Anton in a heavy coat and winter hat steps into view, a bottle in his hand but his smile fades as he gets closer to you and is replaced with concern. “Woah, you okay? You look-”

“I think Lord Heisenberg and I just broke up,” The reality of saying it hits you as you try to put on a brave face.

“Come on, you’ll freeze out here. I have another bottle of this at home, sounds like you need it more than I do.” Anton motions you to follow him, pity clear in his voice.

“You have no idea,” you smile and begin to follow him. After all of this, you deserve a drink or four.

Chapter Text

Heisenberg

“Lord Heisenberg, are you sure?” The Duke examines the metal chest I drop in front of him causing the elevator to shake. “How long exactly is she staying at Luiza’s?”

“A fucking long time.” She was not coming back to this factory. The only reason she got out of here alive is because I know she wouldn’t risk anything to her survival. Still debating it. I want all traces of her out of my factory.

“I will make sure this makes its way to Luiza’s. In the meantime, I believe you asked for these.” The Duke pulls out a large box from behind him. “Equipment with metal/polymer composite. Strange. I believe that would mean you have no power over it, even with your gifts.” The Duke raised an eyebrow. 

“Forget it,” I turn away ready to exit. I had been working on a surprise for her, a tank that would keep her safe and wouldn’t get in the way of me using my own power against Miranda. I guess that can be sent to the scrapheap, she’ll have no need for that if she’s choosing to back down. 

The fact that I ever even thought she was serious about killing Miranda. All she wanted was escape, to return to the fucking world she was used to. I always knew she would leave me, I just thought it would be after Miranda. And then her trying to sabotage Sturm with correcting my notes- 

“Lord Heisenberg, I believe the elevator door is open,” The Duke says, breaking my train of thought. 

“Just thinking if I need anything else. I’m all set,” I don’t turn back to him when I leave and head right towards what will be the crown jewel of my army. Sturm will succeed and will lead this army to victory against Miranda. What would she know about it anyway, I bet she barely read the notes. Probably sat there on her phone looking at photos of her old life wanting to return. 

Sturm is laid out resting on his side, the turbine properly attached with chainsaws replacing the propellers. Amazing what you can find in these mountains and what the Duke can bring in from outside. Cadou in a plastic container on the desk, we had put them all in plastic after learning how little it took for her to shatter the glass. I wonder if she’s accidentally stabbed herself with the glass yet. Or what if she mutated again outside a controlled environment. 

It was her god damn choice. Her fucking choice. She should have just gone to our room, waited for me to come back and reveal Sturm fully prepared. Prepared to kill Miranda and whatever brat she brought with her. Buttercup was so caught up in morals. Where was any of that as she helped me cut apart the man she killed so we could build a stronger weapon? We could have killed Miranda together. 

We- a word I don’t think I’m using again for a long fucking time to refer to whatever it is that was. If she loved me like she said last night she would have understood. Understood what’s at stake if Miranda raises Eva. But no, she had a chance and she failed. I should go after her, make sure she won’t be a problem later. Make it look like a lycan accident like the original plan. 

Or, I could show her the true power of my army. Maybe then she’ll fucking undetstand. I remove the cadou and place it in the reactor in the back of Sturm. All we need now is power. Hooking up the reactor to power as I always have, I note the voltage I had decided on with my updated notes. A much higher volume than she had suggested but she hasn’t been doing this as long as I have. She probably didn’t even want him to work. Probably so hung up on using the stable boy’s body but not the rest of the army that wandered the halls around her. She’ll be the first to see his power. 

I lower the lever to trigger the transfer to the setting that would allow for the highest power and watch my work come to life as I have all these decades of planning. I knew this would work as Sturm rose from the table, chainsaws at full speed. Ready for war. 

“Yes!” I shout. “Turn those off I want to see-”

Sturm raises his arms and they’re immediately sliced off by the chainsaw. He didn’t even react. Just stood there, blood covering the entire room as it spits out.

Shit. 

“Fucking stop that!” I order him but the chainsaws continue. Suddenly he moves to charge at me, his creator. I don’t look back as I slam the door behind me that he hits with full force. No way he is making it out of that room. Even with his strength. Fuck how had did this go so wrong?

“Prototype: Sturm.” I begin to write in my notes as the sound of Sturm trying to break through the wall continues. “Used a cheap turboprop engine, but he's impossible to control. All he does is charge. Too much power output from the reactor?” I make my way to the elevator to get away from the sound before pausing again. Fuck, this couldn’t be right. Months were spent perfecting this moment. “Completely invincible head on. But the dumbass managed to chop his own damn arms off on the propeller.” The sound had stopped but I knew why. “Also issues with overheating from running for long periods of time.” I continue to write with a sinking realization. “Conclusion: A complete failure.”

I call the elevator. I fucking need time to think. This was supposed to be perfect. I had many failures when I first started but not on this scale. Walking into the elevator I’m hit with a scent of cigar smoke. The Duke was still fucking here. 

“I told you I didn’t need anything else.” I say sternly. Now was not the fucking time, I needed to figure out what just happened. 

“I have a delivery for you from Lady Dimitrescu.” The Duke says holding out a package carefully wrapped but not heavy at all. “She paid me quite handsomely to ensure it was sent to ‘The fool’s factory’ as soon as possible,” he laughs.

“What the fuck would the giant bitch what to give me?” I hold the package out from myself, it smells like her fucking ugly castle.

“I do not know Lord Heisenberg, I merely provide the delivery service.” He tilts his head as if also questioning what’s in the package. 

“I’ll open it later,” I didn’t have time for Alcina’s games. As soon as we reach the main floor I stalk off towards our- my apartment. My apartment. Though I still expect to see her laying on the couch when I walk in despite knowing she wouldn’t be there. It was her choice. She’ll have to pay for it eventually. I throw the package on the table and open it.

A red cloak. Her cloak. The cloak she had left at the castle last night. It still smells like her. She had been right about Sturm. Or did she purposely do something while I had my back turn to make this happen?

She sabotaged what should have been my strongest soldier. I grab my hammer and begin out into the hall. She was going to come back here, fix whatever the fuck she did to him and then I’ll have him kill her. I’ll break down the damn door of Luiza’s if I have to get her out. She did this.

 Stepping into the winter night was like jumping into cold water. She was probably cozy in her warm bed after a cup of tea. Content to live like that until Miranda rips this place apart to get what she wants. I summon large scraps to carry me across the river rather than risk bringing the bridge back up. The bridge she ran across and then had the guts to beg for me to spare her.

I didn’t bother with her scent although her cloak which I had with me was full of it. The footprints in the snow would be enough to track her down, not that I really need to. She would go straight to Luiza’s. Luiza and Vasile would be more than happy to take her back in to get her away from me.

Eventually though a second set of footsteps joined hers, and they were not heading to Luzia’s house. They were clearly made by someone who was stumbling. Someone who was drunk. She was walking alongside normally, no sign of a struggle. The steps don’t lead to Luiza’s. They lead to Anton’s.

Anton’s house had once belonged to his parents, both of them passed away when he was a teen. His father wanders the halls of the factory, but of course he doesn’t know that. Easier to let him think the grave he visits less and less as the years go on still has his parents side by side. As villagers go, I unfortunately like the kid, he seems to be aware that this whole place is fucked up. Still, walking up to this house felt strange, I had come here often, before he was born. Before I saw through everything Miranda was doing.

A light was on in the kitchen area, and there she sat in the window. She is smiling, a bottle in her hand, reaching for Anton’s hand with her other. Still wearing my fucking jacket. I watch her pull her hand back as she looks down at her bottle before taking another sip. I guess there goes the control she had been working on. I climb to the roof and wait. No reason to watch them. I couldn’t stomach it.

I knew she never loved me. I knew she used me for protection but as soon as she left she ran to the next open arms. I was a fool to hope, I knew that. Still, she would pay for all of it. For lying to me, for making me think she ever cared about my army, about me. I’ll stay here on the roof waiting, trying my best to ignore her laughter that would stream from out the thin window. She’s happier with him. I bet she’s telling him everything. 

When the door opens Anton has an arm around her, holding her up. She drank so much so she could barely stand. It was like watching her the day I first approached her instead of hiding and watching. I had so much hope for her. I follow silently as Anton escorts her to Luiza’s and he knocks on the door. Lights begin to shine as Vasile comes to answer the door in the middle of the night, the gun in his hand lowers as he sees Anton and the girl in his arms. 

“He broke up with her. I didn’t know when I found her. She started drinking and now-” Anton hands her off to Vasile. 

“Thank you for getting her to us,” Vasile says, staring Anton down. “Where is he?”

“Probably in that factory. I was going home when I ran into her. Listen, nothing happened if that’s what you’re thinking.” Anton answers defensively watching Luiza usher the girl into the house. 

“Thank you,” Vasile slams the door in Anton’s face who shrugs like that’s not the first time it’s happened to him. Anton might know something. She might have told him about my plans.

I waited till he’s far enough away that Vasile and Luiza were no longer watching him from the windows to make sure he left. I could kill him but the last thing I need is more curiosity surrounding the factory. God forbid someone gets a hold of Miranda. Under the persona I’ve made for myself here, killing him would show I care and I can’t afford that. 

“Anton,” I break the night silence causing him to stop in his tracks and turn to me. There’s a fear in him I’m not used to seeing. Normally Anton has no fear of any of the lords. 

“Lord Heisenberg,” he nods. “Are you on your way to Luiza’s to make up with your girl? I had to deal with her all night, you know? I think you owe me a bottle of wine, she downed a whole thing.”

“Crying to you about what exactly?” I raise my hammer and he goes still, any act of fearlessness wiped from his face.

“She kept saying ‘official lords business’ if that’s what you’re referring to,” he answers, his voice shaking slightly. “Whatever Mother Miranda doesn’t want a villager to know, she didn’t tell me. I did most of the talking anyway, just trying to keep her from breaking into sobbing. Whatever you said to her, it fucked her up.”

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” I debate if I should kill him, my army will need someone else now that the Sturm didn’t work. But no, she would know. Instead I should send a message. Let her know that I will be coming for her. She deserves to be in fear before I come for her. 

“Obviously, that’s why you questioning me here is a waste of both-” Anton doesn’t get to finish his sentence as a nearby pipe hits the back of his head, just knocking him out. I need to send her a proper message, make sure she understands. 

Love? That’s what she had told me last night. I’ll show her the price of her “love”.

Chapter Text

It’s been over a month now since Anton was dumped on Luiza’s doorstep. The word “Love” carved into his hand, metal bindings wrapped around him, cursing you for bringing this on him. It was a message; Karl was coming for you. Karl wanted you to be afraid of him. And yet here you sat, on a rock staring at the factory as the February snow falls around you, wrapped up in his old jacket that still smells like cigar smoke no matter how many times you tried to wash it out. You could buy a new cloak, Luiza even offered you hers, but wearing Karl’s jacket felt like wearing armor. Besides, you knew your cloak was in that factory. You wrote to Alcina asking for her to send it to Luiza’s instead of the factory, but she said the Duke had already brought it to Karl. It wasn’t in the chest of belongings he had the Duke deliver to you, and neither was your phone. 

“Still no sign of him?” Elena approaches from behind you, holding a mug of now lukewarm tea for you. 

“He has to come out of there eventually.” You take a sip of the tea but don’t break from staring at the factory. The villagers all knew by now what happened. Members of Luiza’s family pitied you and brought you food without a word. Others, mostly the women who hated you, smirked but you knew he wasn’t visiting any of them either unless he was leaving without you noticing. 

“Maybe there’s a secret passage he’s using,” You let the mug warm your hands as you look at mountains behind the factory. You have to find a way in, a way to talk to Karl.

“Can I be blunt?” Elena asks, clearing away some snow before sitting next to you on the rock.

“Of course,” You nod at her for just a second before returning your eyes to the factory.

“I think this is unhealthy,” Elena says carefully. “After what he did to Anton…well you know what I mean. He’s dangerous.”

“If I hide then he wins. If he wants to come after me I won’t hide, I’ll stay right where he left me.” You pull the jacket a little tighter around yourself. “What he did to Anton was nothing, I know what he’s really capable of.”

“They think you’ve gone mad. Waking up before dawn, sitting on this rock and not leaving until after the lycans howl in the forest,” she whispers. “Is this because you miss him?”

“Shut up,” you snap, not caring about how harshly the words came out. None of them understood what was happening in that factory.

“Fine.” Elena stands up and blocks your view. “Sit out here in the freezing cold pining over a man who wants you dead. I know you can’t talk about what happened but that doesn’t give you the right to be mean to Luiza, Vasile, or myself. It’s been more than a month.”

“What’s today’s date?” You look up at her and ever so slightly move the wings of glass you’ve grown fond of. You had broken a mirror after you had woken up from drinking with Anton, before Luiza’s scream had made you aware of Karl’s warning. Miranda would appear as she truly is in the mirror fragments you now use as security. 

“February 8th,” Elena answers, still not backing down, correctly calling your bluff. You would never hurt the only person who still called you a friend. 

“Tomorrow is my fucking birthday,” you say through gritted teeth. “He knows that.”

“Well happy fucking birthday to you.” The use of the curse coming Elena’s mouth shocks you enough to realize what you were doing and you lower the wings.

“I’m-,” you take a deep breath, visible in the freezing cold of these mountains. “If he’s going to act it will be today or tomorrow.” 

“It sounds like you want him to kill you.” Elena’s eyes are full of concern; it’s the same look Luiza has given you every morning since your return.

“No, it’s not that. I don’t think he’ll actually follow through with it.” You shake your head, wishing she would move out of the way so you could look at the factory. “I think when he sees me again, if I could just talk to him then-”

“Then he’ll take you back and it will be like nothing ever happened?” Elena finishes for you.

“When you say it like that, I sound pathetic.” You lean back. “Elena, you should go home.”

“Fine, but for your sake, I hope he doesn’t show up.” Elena gave you one last pleading look before turning away. 

You never told anyone what was really happening in that factory. You were not about to admit to being against Miranda, even with her gone. You told everyone it was Miranda’s wish to not bother the villagers with the work of the Lords and everyone eventually let it go. You refused to explain to them why you had been thrown out of the factory, why Miranda had left, why the lord of the factory hasn’t been seen in weeks. 

There had to be another way into that factory. To stop him from doing something stupid that would get him killed. If somehow he listened to you and Sturm was successful, then he was probably building more of him. Though you doubted that was the case as the final notes you saw on Sturm were completely different than what you two had agreed on. He had more experience but the goal was blinding him to reality. Sturm wasn’t ready and if he tried to do it his way then it would be a failure. All that work would be for nothing. What you helped him do will be for nothing. 

You stand up and begin wandering in the snow, paths you’ve never taken before, your glass wings your only shield from any lycans lurking. They wouldn’t attack you unless ordered, not with them sensing the cadou on you. Karl had taught you so much in the past few months but not the things that mattered. He withheld information because he didn’t trust you, even with you completely trusting him with your life. He couldn’t return the favor. He couldn’t even use the word love until he carved it into Anton’s hand. 

You continue down the path picking up the pace. Coming to a large opening in the mountain leading to a dark cave, you look up at the sky and figure you have a few hours till sunset. You continue down, the rage of being unfairly thrown out of your home and taunted by Karl chased away the fear of what might be inside the dark cave. Small holes in the cave ceiling allow in enough light to continue to wander down without needing to reach for the lighter Karl left in the pocket of his jacket. You reach for it just in case and feel the necklace with the Heisenberg crest. You just couldn’t bring yourself to leave the house without it, even though the remaining member of that family hated you. 

“Shit,” you gasp, stopping in your tracks as a growl escapes from the wall, louder than any lycan you had previously heard since the night you were chased. This was something else. As you start to turn to make a run for it you realize the pathway behind you was blocked by what appear to be black, large roots, but they’re moving almost as if on their own. You send a few shards to cut through but they all shatter on the impact. You had no choice but to continue forward. You’re completely trapped.

A large opening in the ceiling lets the sunlight through, showing you the largest being you’ve ever seen, though it is trapped by the same roots that block your exit. He was a lycan but much bigger, taller than even Alcina. In his hand he swung a giant mace, fit for his height. You couldn’t see his face through a mask that looked like it was carved from bone, but you could tell he was looking at you. 

The roar he let out shook the walls around you as he fought against the roots that refused to budge. You were forced to move closer and at the will of the roots they did not free the giant beast. Tendrils from his back flared out without reason. The roots pushed you forward in the room but did not free him. You took the opportunity and ran. You could hear echoes of the roar as you ran, the roots behind you now blocking you from him. Your first thought was you wanted to ask Karl about who that was, immediately followed by the sinking feeling that even while running for your life, you were still thinking about Karl. 

What you find when you turn the corner stops you completely in your tracks once again. A dull sound, almost like a heartbeat, fills the hall as you stare up at what looks to be a giant pulsing red Cadou. Once again the roots push you forward. It continues to pulse unmoving. Just like the ones in the jars. Something in your own chest begins to sync with it forcing your heart to as well. This has control over Cadou. Your eyes start to glaze over as your vision becomes fuzzy and then adjusts as if seeing it through a kaleidoscope. You look down for just a moment and realize your hands are translucent. Made of glass. You had to get away from here. 

Although this feels different than last time. There is no pain as you walk forward and your wings find themselves fixing on your back as if made to be there. You felt powerful. Walking under it, you were sure of your steps, although you saw what was before you a thousand times at once. You walk up the stairs with no effort to see a torch lighting a hallway, an exit. The further away you are from the large cadou, the more yourself you become, your vision returning to normal, but you don’t even feel tired. You continue on with more energy than before.

Opening a door, you find a small laboratory and any sense of bravery you had was gone. This had to be Miranda’s. Walls covered in grotesque images of people with bat wings and cadous. What draws you in though are four journals on the desk in front of you. Each with a sigil for one of the four lords. You look around waiting for Miranda to pop out of nowhere but she never does. You reach for the book with Moreau’s sigil and open it, realizing these are her notes.

“Cadou affinity: low. Brain functions: Surprisingly low.” You bite your lip, knowing how much Moreau adores her and to read this would hurt his feelings. He wouldn’t be angry with Miranda though, only try harder to please her. You skim through the explanation of his physical ailments before you stop to fully read why she rejected him so much. “Another subject with irregular cell division causing him to transform into a giant fish. The subject is unable to control transformation. Too many defects. An unfit vessel for Eva.” You close the notebook and quickly reach for the notes on Alcina. 

“Cadou affinity: favorable. Brain functions: Normal.” Alcina would disagree with that, she thought she was the smartest of the lords. You read about her regeneration properties beginning to realize how dangerous Alcina herself was. “Note: due to a hereditary blood disease the subject must ingest human flesh and blood on a regular basis to maintain regeneration properties. I suspect that if the subject's regeneration is not properly balanced then she may mutate uncontrollably. An unfit vessel for Eva.” You put down the book leaving the page open. You had been in her castle a few times now, she had originally invited you to stay there. In that castle, she was draining the blood of the maidens that worked for her. That’s why Elena was so afraid of her. You skim the rest looking for any mention of her daughters, there was none, Miranda did not care about them. 

You move on to Donna’s notes. You don’t know what you were looking to find, maybe a way to unite them against Miranda. 

“Cadou affinity: favorable. Brain functions: Normal, although severe mental illness.” You remember Karl’s story of how Miranda had picked off her family in search of someone who could handle a cadou and the toll it took on her. Miranda explains the hallucinations Donna has control over which is why the flowers there have such a strange effect. “However, she is mentally underdeveloped and has divided her Cadou among her dolls in order to control them from a distance. An unfit vessel for Eva.” So you’re not the only one without a full Cadou. Although Donna splits hers herself. Is that why she also appears human without mutation as Miranda mentioned earlier in her notes?

Only one lord left to read on, Karl. You stand there with the book in your hand, debating if it’s a breach of privacy. You remember the wall of your pictures in his factory that he purposely had kept away from you. For a year, he watched you from afar and you let it go because things turned out okay. But now things were anything but okay between the two of you. He never trusted you away. He never will. You open the page of her notes. 

“Cadou affinity: incredibly favorable.” You felt your stomach drop. He had been a child when she wrote this. “Brain functions: normal. Has electric organs similar to the electric ray, Narke japonica.” You make a mental note to look that up as soon as you can. “The electric organs are connected to the subject’s nervous system. Can therefore pass and control electricity throughout the entire body, allowing control of magnetic fields which are used to move metal.” Of course he’s the strongest of all of them, you knew that and had been told that but see Miranda agreed continued the sinking feeling you had. “Splendid specimen, but still an unfit vessel for Eva.” Miranda was proud of what he was. The other lords she viewed as complete failures but him, he was a weapon for her. You turn the page and are surprised to see your own name listed, the ink much more recent than the previous entries. 

“Cadou affinity: Low. Brain functions: Normal. After a year of inactivity suddenly showed power over glass, a possible side effect from the pure silica found in sand which Salvatore had reported finding on her person at the time of implantation.” A beach trip. The only reason you had this power was because Moreau messed up implanting your cadou half and there was still sand from a lonely beach you had found at the start of your solo hike. “Appears human but I believe if given a full cadou she would have similar power to Karl Heisenberg. A true shame. I have paired the two up in hopes they create a child with a combination of her fully human attributes and Heisenberg’s cadou affinity. There are still questions if she is capable of mutation due to her delayed response to the cadou. Prone to emotional outbursts and weak control over power. Further tests to be done after she bears a child. An unfit vessel for Eva.”

“What the fuck,” you say aloud staring at the page. You knew Miranda was curious about you having a child but to know that’s what she had been planning all along was something else. You had to get out of the lie you told Alcina and Donna fast. 

“Who’s there?” a woman’s voice comes from a cell in the corner of the room. You try to see her, but the cell is dark. “You’re not Miranda.”

“No, I’m not.” you put down the notebook on Karl and move closer to the cell. Walking past another cadou and stopping when pictures on the table catch your eye. Miranda, but dressed like a scientist, a young girl and to the right you recognize the woman as Mia Winters. She had worked with Miranda on Eveline. This girl had to be Eveline. “Mia?” You look away from the photo and to the cell.

“Why do you know who I am?” She suddenly clashed against the bars with fury, bringing her into the view. “Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m one of her failed experiments,” was all you say not wanting to risk giving your name. “You’re Mia Winters?” You recognize the clothes from when Miranda had transformed into her but you were not prepared for how angry she would look. 

“So that gives you the right to experiment on me?” she yells. “When my husband gets here you’re all fucking dead.”

“Experiment on you?” You keep your distance from the bars. “Mia, I need you to calm down. I’m also trying to get out of here.”

“I don’t see you behind any bars!” she took a deep breath nevertheless. “What do you mean you’re trying to get out of here?”

“I’m also from the States.” You try to continue to talk her down, hoping that no one heard her yelling just moments ago. “I’m trapped in this village. I was working with someone to try to escape,” you whisper, moving closer as she calms down from her rage.

“Was?” Mia looks around the room to see you alone. 

“He broke up with me because…,” you couldn’t tell her it was because Karl wants to kill her daughter. “Things didn’t work out. I thought I could find a path back to him and instead I found you.”

“Well get me out of here. I can call for help. I can call people who I know will help us.” She leans against the bars. “Come on.”

“I don’t know where the key is,” you shake your head looking around. You weren’t fond of the idea of letting her go as it would raise red flags leading to you. It could complicate everything. 

“Oh come on, you’re infected right? You have wings? Just use that to move the bars.” She pleads. “Please, I have a daughter. She’s six months old. She needs her mother.” 

“I would if I could,” you lie. “I only control glass.”

“Glass?” Mia snorts. “That’s it? That’s your grand power. I can see why you haven’t escaped yet.”

“I get it okay. Weak. I am weak. I get it.” You lean against the table and cross your arms. “What about you, aren’t you also infected with something?”

“You mean the mold? I mean it made me stronger when I was infected but even then, iron bars would have been a struggle,” Mia rests her head against a bar. “So this guy who you broke up with. Is he going to get us out?”

“I doubt it now,” you shake your head. “He’s more obsessed with killing Miranda than escaping.”

“Sounds like you two had different priorities, although right now I wouldn’t be opposed to his option.” Mia sarcastically laughs. “Let me guess, the one who controls metal? One of Miranda’s children.”

You quickly double check the mirrors in your wings just to make sure again that it was not Miranda you were speaking to. 

“I worked with her for years. She told us a few things about the village. That’s where we are right?” Mia answers the question you're thinking. “I knew it wouldn’t be the gross one. Go tell him I’m here, and I’ll help him get in contact with people who can kill Miranda.” Mia smiles thinking she came up with a solution.

“He won’t let me near him,” you shrink back feeling bad that you keep destroying her hope. “This is all fucked up. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I love him and he…”

“Doesn’t love you back? Really? That’s what you’re concerned about? My fucking daughter is in danger. Get me out of here,” Mia snaps, staring you down. 

“Do you know what makes your daughter so special?” you ask. “I’m a bit fuzzy on the details. I wasn’t told the whole story. If you tell me maybe I can convince him not to-,” you stop yourself before you can say it but she reads it on your face.

“She’s just a baby. Sure, Ethan and I may have weird fucked up issues but she’s a baby.” She steps away from the bars. “If they fucking hurt her I will kill them myself.” 

“No one is going to hurt Rose,” you breathe. Not if you could help it. “If she’s just a baby then there’s nothing to worry about. Miranda will realize she made a mistake and leave her alone.” You were sure Miranda wouldn’t waste her time with a regular baby, but after what she did to Karl when he was just a child you weren’t sure if you were telling the truth yourself.

“What if she’s not normal? Her parents aren’t,” Mia’s voice broke as she was holding back tears. “Ethan doesn’t know about…we got into a fight and I went downstairs while he was on a call with work, I was knocked out and when I woke up, I was in this cell. Some creepy fish smelling guy standing over me.”

“Ethan doesn’t know about what?” you ask, trying to piece everything together.

“Ethan doesn’t know that he died but he’s still here, we were able to be together, have Rose and we should have been able to be happy.” Mia walked up to the bars again. “You have someone you love right? Sometimes you have to keep secrets to keep them safe.”

“Sometimes finding out secrets that have been kept from you hurts more than what they were protecting you from,” you snap, thinking about the room in the factory. About Miranda’s real abilities. Things Karl kept from you. And yet you still miss him. You hated yourself for it but it was the truth. You still love him. 

“Yes well,” Mia smiles softly at you “Every relationship is different, isn’t it?” She pushed her hair back. “Okay, so you tell your person that Rose is just a normal baby, tell him about me, and then we can get help. I can get us out of here. All three of us.” Mia put out her hand through the bar as a deal.

“If he ever speaks to me again.” you shake her hand, quickly confirming the deal. You had no idea how you would convenience Karl but this was a start. If Mia could help get you out, then it was a chance worth taking. 

“If whoever speaks to you again?” A cold voice enters the room and you see Mia’s face fall as she creeps back into the shadows of the cell. “Why are you here?” 

You turn to see Miranda standing in the doorway you had entered. She was no longer using the form of Mia but the form you were used to. She was smiling through the golden mask but her words were stern and sharp.

“Lord Moreau, I kind of took over his job here,” you move away from the bars. “You had told him to keep her alive and yet she wasn’t fairing well. I took over for him, I know she’s important to our goal.” Lying to Miranda came so naturally to you now but if she had been standing there longer than you suspect you and Karl were both dead. 

“Thank you, I had a feeling he would fail me at such a basic task,” Miranda’s wings return to her as she moves further into the room smiling at you. “I am back earlier than I had planned.”

“Is everything alright?” you ask with concern in your voice to mask the hope that she had discovered that Rose was just a normal baby. 

“Plans have been sped up. Walk with me. We are meeting everyone else in the church. I’m surprised to see Lord Heisenberg did not pass on that message to you." She grabs an unmarked notebook from the desk at the front of the room and walks out. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” you whisper to the shadows of the cell before following Miranda out, down a path that was not open before.

“Rose has one final test and then I’ll know if she is a proper vessel,” she tells you as you follow behind. “I need all my children present for this test. I hope the flasks you and Lord Heisenberg made are ready.” You never had a chance to make them. You just hope Karl had something prepared in case. He always had backup plans. 

Night fell over the village, making you question how long you had been in the cave. It was the middle of the night now. You follow Miranda through the snow without saying a word trying to think of how to get out of this. The cold is unbearable, and you wrap Karl’s jacket further around you. 

“There you are,” a voice behind you says. You and Miranda both turn to see Karl standing under a lantern. You want to run to him and run away from him at the same time. His glasses blocked your view of his eyes but you knew the glare he was giving you, especially seeing you with Miranda. You had no way of letting him know that you had told her nothing. You obviously couldn’t say anything with her standing right there. You had to think of a way to signal to him. You reach into your pocket and take out the necklace he had given you as snow starts to fall. 

“She was with Mia Winters, as I’m sure you know,” Miranda informed Karl who simply smiles and nods before walking closer. Behind him was a woman standing in the doorway, smirking at you. Of course he had moved on without you even noticing. He hated you now, why wouldn’t he go back to his old ways? Miranda ignores the girl and continues to the chapel ruins as Karl comes to your side, keeping a distance between the two of you. 

“Do you remember the first snowfall this season?” you ask him low enough for Miranda to not hear. You hold out the necklace with his crest and he watches as you put it on. 

Things were not okay between the two of you but if Miranda was back in the village, that was a bad sign. All you had to do was get him alone so you could tell him what Mia told you. Maybe then he’ll change his plans and he’ll believe that you’re on his side. 

“A little late for that.” Karl says and continues forward behind Miranda without another word to you, your cloak sticking out of the pocket of his jacket.

Chapter Text

Karl was right, it was too late. As you turn into the church, you see Alcina gently cradling a baby. The baby looks so small in her arms. This had to be Mia’s daughter. Miranda said she only had one last test for her and it involved all of the lords. Karl never looks at you as you take a seat next to him, an awkward gap between the two of you. Miranda herself had stayed outside the doors saying there was one more guest to join the meeting. Alcina gives you a questioning look but you shake your head, a conversation for another time and not in front of Miranda. She looks between you and Karl frowning, at this rate you won’t even need to come up with a lie about the fake pregnancy. 

“Rose is here! When can we have a turn to play with her?” Angie bounces on Donna’s lap thankfully more interested in the child than the tension between you and Karl. 

“Absolutely not.” Alcina blocks the child from Angie’s view. You could see her blonde hair and her eyes closed fast asleep. She looks like a normal baby. Miranda said she had one more test, but you don’t think you have the stomach for anything Miranda will do. 

“She’s not a toy Angie,” Karl says, reaching for a cigar. “Not one of yours anyway.” His voice was calm although you knew he was anything but.

“You can’t smoke in here!” Alcina snaps at him. “Not around the child!”

“What?” Karl lights his cigar anyway but blows the smoke away from Alcina. “It’s not like it will affect her if she is who Mother Miranda thinks she is.”

Before Alcina can answer a villager runs in holding a small basket, Miranda close behind him. You recognize him, his name is Eugen, a cousin of Luiza wearing the same necklace she does. He was highly devoted to Miranda, even more than Luiza. You give him a smile which he returns with a slight nod. 

“Alcina, thank you for watching over her,” Miranda reaches up and Alcina delicately places Rose in her arms. You were trying to fake the same calmness Karl had mastered over the years but you could hear your heartbeat in your chest. It’s then that you realize four yellow flasks sat on the pew next to Alcina, each with a sigil on them as Miranda had instructed you to build with Karl but he had done it on his own. 

“I did my job too!” Moreau finally spoke up from his corner, stepping into the early morning light. “Mia Winters is alive,” he adds but Miranda does not turn to him. Luckily for you she had no questions for him on the matter. 

“My child will return to me soon,” Miranda smiles down at Rose, who was starting to wake up in her arms. Miranda moves towards the center so all the lords could see her. You grip the front of the pew fighting the urge to take Rose away from her. You briefly look over at Karl who continues to smoke his cigar. This was his worst nightmare coming true. 

Rose was starting to cry, but that was the only sound in the church as everyone watched Miranda and Rose holding their breath. Miranda then whispers something to Rose you can’t understand before brushing her cheek. Rose’s crying instantly stopped and to your horror her body began to crystalize. Karl gives you a slight nudge, silently warning you to not react. You want to scream at her to stop, to undo what she just did.

“Mother Miranda, what did you do to that child,” Eugen asked, backing away in terror. You don’t look over at him, you keep your eyes on the crystal baby while trying to not be sick. How was this a test and did she just fail it? 

“This is the chosen child. She will return to her original form no matter what befalls her,” Miranda turns to Eugen with a smile before returning to the lords. “Each of you will take a part of Rose in a flask and guard it. There are a few more steps in this process but when I instruct you to bring them all together then Eva will be here. My Eva.”

Alcina, Donna, Monreau and Karl all gather around the baby while you remain seated trying to signal to Eugen to leave. You heard the crunch of the crystal baby breaking and being deposited into flasks. You force yourself not to look, hoping Miranda doesn’t notice the disdain on your face. Karl returns next to you, a flask in his hand labeled torso. You look up at him but he’s looking at Miranda. You wonder if she can see the hatred he has for her behind his glasses. 

“Now the megacyte will need to grow stronger in order to bring back Eva.” Miranda takes her position at the front of the church. “You already have your orders on that. Now is the time to carry them out.”

“Mother Miranda, forgive me but are you sure ALL my staff must be sacrificed? Bela has grown so fond of one in particular,” Alcina asks cautiously, leaning forward in her chair.

“All must be sacrificed. If I find that you are not carrying out as planned I will treat it as treason. Do we all have an understanding?” Miranda spoke towards Alcina but turned to stare at you. You have no idea what orders Miranda had given Karl and it wasn’t likely he would tell you. 

“Yes, Mother Miranda,” you all say in unison and begin to leave. Eugen runs out, not even bowing to Miranda or the lords. You keep walking towards the factory hoping that’s where Karl is going and he’ll let you in when he suddenly turns.

“What are the orders?” You run to catch up with him. 

“I’m to set the lycans loose on the village,” he finishes his cigar and immediately lights another. “Happy Birthday, hope you get everything you wanted. War is here,” he says coldly and a part of a fence comes down blocking your path from following him. He was serious. 

“Karl, can we talk?” you yell after him but he continues on without turning back to look at you. 

You take a few steps back and make a run to Luiza’s house slightly slipping in the snow. You run past Anton, who hasn’t spoken to you since the night Karl threw you out of the factory. You grab his non-injured wrist and keep running while he shouts at you. 

“Fucking shut up and trust me,” you snap at him as Luiza’s house falls into view. With her gates, maybe she can protect her house for a little bit. You don’t even knock, you run through the front door and into the kitchen where Luiza and Vasile are eating breakfast.

“Get as many people as you can in here and then close the gate outside the house. There is going to be a lycan attack on the village,” you order, then turn around to find Elena and bring her here. 

“Whatever are you talking about?” Luiza stood up, reaching for her necklace making you pause. “Mother Miranda has always protected us from them.”

“Please just do as I say!” You spy three drinking glasses in the corner and break them, adding them to the wings behind you. “I’ll be back for you guys. I promise. I’ll do what I can but you need to lock the gate.”

“We will.” Vasile stands up reaching for the closet where his gun is kept. “Luiza, you and Anton hold down the fort here, I’ll see who I can get to safety.” Vasile takes out the gun and nods at you. 

“Be careful,” you beg him, giving him a hug before running out of the house. You had to get to Elena’s. So far nothing has happened to the village. Maybe Karl is disobeying the order. You open the door to Elena’s to find Leonardo staring at you. 

“Just because you’re a chosen one doesn’t mean you can’t knock!” he snarls at you but you ignore him making a break for Elena’s room almost knocking the door of the hinges, waking her up. 

“Y/N?” she bolts up seeing you. “Is it Lord Heisenberg? Did he…?”

“There’s going to be a lycan attack on the village. Get to Luiza’s house,” you answer her standing in her doorway. “She’s going to leave the gates open as long as she can.”

“Lycan attack?” she asks you, slowly getting out of bed. “Are you sure? I know you’re not a fan of her but Mother Miranda protects the village from things like this.”

“Please, I need you to believe me,” you tell her, breaking a lantern in the corner, more glass for your wings. “Please.”

“We’ll go to Luiza’s.” she agrees, still looking at you as if you’d gone mad. 

“Now,” you say and run back down her hallway past Leonardo who was staring open mouthed out the window. 

“What did you bring here?” he asks you in horror. A lycan was making its way down into the heart of the village, an arm dangling from its mouth. The war has already begun. 

“Get to Luiza’s,” you tell him before heading out the door.

Taking down Lycans using only the glass was easy when you could spot them in time. A few lost their heads quickly and you were able to piece the shards back together and move on with more ease than before. That was until the screaming started. Men and women shrieking. Mother Miranda’s name echoed through the air before some screams were silent while some carried on. You save who you could, only to find that another lycan would grab them. The woman whose house you had seen Karl leaving early this morning ran towards you screaming for help before a lycan pounced on her, ripping her head from her shoulders. You have no idea whose blood covered you, lycans or villagers. This isn’t a war; this is a blood bath. 

You shatter all the windows of homes near you just to add more glass to your attack. The lycans just kept coming. You spot Leonardo and Elena escaping down a path. You follow behind them from a distance trying to block any lycan you could from interfering with them getting to Luiza’s. You may not be able to save everyone, but if you could at least save them. Thank them for the kindness they showed you when others didn’t. 

“Where do you think you're going?” Karl’s hammer flies in front of you blocking you from following Leonardo and Elena who keep running. 

“What the fuck have you done?” You turn around to see him staring at you. No glasses on, you can see the rage in his eyes. You should be afraid of him but you're not. 

“What I was ordered to do,” Karl’s hammer flew back into his hand as he continued to walk towards you while you began to walk backwards keeping room between the two of you. 

“Karl, we need to talk.” You summon the shards from a fallen lycan near you and begin to repair them. 

“Oh I’m sure we do.” He stops before you and smiles as a massive creature lands behind him. He looks almost like the one you had found in the cave but slightly smaller. It’s still terrifying though. In his hand is a large metal hammer, fashioned in the same style as Karl’s. It roared and then ran towards the way you had come. “Fine. I’ll hear you out. I can’t have you publicly killing the lycans however, if Miranda saw that she would kill you and then me just because she thinks we’re still working together.”

“I can’t just let all these people die!” You shake your head, realizing he had backed you into the house. You look around and realize it’s Anton’s. You make a dash towards the other end of the living room breaking every single bottle in the room, nearly doubling your wings in height but that’s not what you were moving towards.

“Most of the villagers are already dead. It happened so quickly. It took minutes. I thought they would have lasted longer,” Karl didn’t follow you, he stood in the doorway as if allowing you to continue with your plan. In Anton’s house was a radio transmitter that sat untouched. If you could get a message out to the rest of the village then maybe there was hope. 

“Hello? If there are any survivors out there, come to my-” you stop yourself because you could call Luiza’s house your home. “To Luiza’s house near the fields.” You're not sure why you felt the need to say where Luiza’s home was, everyone in the village should know that. You hope Elena and Leonardo were already there. 

“Come on, I know a place we can talk,” Karl steps outside of the doorway and back into the village.

 It was quiet now, except for the caws of a crow sitting on a fence. Maybe there really was no one left.

Chapter Text

You follow Karl through the village. If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought the village was destroyed years ago. You break every window you see along the way, adding the shards to your wings. The sound of shattering glass is the only one that follows you through the village. Karl pauses before the gates that lead closer to the castle. You stop with him turning to look back at the ruins behind you, the church to your left one of the few buildings untouched. 

“Smart move with the mirrors,” Karl mutters to you still looking out. “Never know when she might show up.” You follow his gaze and see Miranda, but not the form you’ve grown used to. An old woman standing by the closed red gate gently tapping on it before turning to smile and wave at you and Karl with her staff made of skulls. Karl waves back and puts an arm around you. Out of habit you lean into him. Over the fence, a horde of lycans come over, including the giant you saw earlier. You both stand there until she opens the gate and walks through. You try to not show your fear.

The moment she’s out of eyesight, Karl forcibly turns you towards a bridge and the gate behind you closes. He removes his arm from your shoulder and you follow him across the bridge up the stairs. You were trying to keep it together but you were afraid. Not exactly of him hurting you, he had plenty of opportunities to do that by now if he wanted to, but of what he was going to say. You had spent so much time going over in your head what you would say to him when you saw him again but none of those scenarios seemed to matter now. 

Lights turn on at the top of stairs to show a room filled with barrels and what look to be rotting apples. You go to continue towards the large door but Karl’s hammer swings in front of you blocking you. You turn to look at him and he opens a smaller wooden door to the side. 

“In here,” he holds the door open for you but it’s pitch black inside. Before, that would have never scared you. 

“We can talk here,” you say, taking a step back but you feel the necklace with his crest float where you had been standing. 

“No, we can’t. This area technically belongs to Alcina but I’ve made some modifications to it over the years,” Karl smirks for just a moment but you catch it. If anything that makes you more apprehensive of going in. “If you want to wait out here with rotting fruit, be my guest. Go back and see how well you fare now that Miranda is controlling the lycans.” Karl turns around and enters the room, door closing shut behind him. 

“Fuck,” you mutter, swinging the door open and following him inside. You hear the sound of something locking behind you. “So we’re just gonna stand here in the dark then?”

“What did you do to Sturm?” Karl asks, his lighter on a cigar giving the small room a flash of light before it goes out. 

“Really? You pull me into a dark room during a massacre so you can ask me about Sturm?” You cautiously surround yourself with glass in the darkness making a barrier. A breakable one but still. “I’m going to take it that he didn’t work.”

“A complete fucking failure,” you hear him exhale and you ignore the feeling of comfort the smell of smoke gives you. 

“And that’s my fault, how exactly?” You stare into the darkness at the spot he was standing. “I told you, if you use those plans you had hidden from me he wouldn’t work.”

“You sabotaged it!” Karl yells, making you jump. “I’ve been doing this for decades, there is no way he would have been a failure after all that work.”

“You’ve lost it. You’ve completely lost it. How does that make any sense?” You run your fingers through your hair trying to make sense of this. 

“You never planned on him working.” More cigar smoke fills the room as Karl talks. “To add to that, the moment you got out of my factory you ran straight into the first arms you could find. Less than a day after claiming to love me. How far you were willing to go for your own survival.”

“I do love you,” you snap at him. “Of course I wanted Sturm to work. I wanted the army to work. I want to get out of this village. You were the one who threw me out! And you’re one to talk, avoiding me during the day and going into the village at night to see your girlfriends.”

“Stop lying to me, drop the act.” You could hear him moving closer to you and you brace yourself. “I knew, I knew deep down this was out of your want to survive, I could kid myself for only so long that you ever gave a shit. You ran to fucking Anton. Last night I had to knock on every fucking door in the village looking to see where you were only to find you with Miranda herself. I don’t know what you heard but I’ve been busy working.”

“For the past month I’ve been sitting in the freezing cold staring at the factory waiting for you to come out. If you ever did. To try to talk to you.” You move the glass barrier in front of him to alert you if he gets any closer. “How dare you try to tell me what I fucking feel towards you.”

“Oh believe me, I know all about you sitting there and waiting for me to come tell you that Sturm failed and to beg for you to come back so you could further sabotage my army. Then you can go back to your little boy toy and laugh with him about me,” The glass breaks and the lights flicker on. Karl’s hammer had come down on it. You quickly raise the shards and they fuse back together as your eyes adjust to the sudden light. 

“Anton is not my ‘boy toy’. He likes Elena. That’s why he wants to be friends with me. Karl are you even fucking listening to me?” You are shaking but you walk towards him, the newly repaired glass moving to behind you. “Nothing happened between me and Anton. I fucking miss you. Our relationship status is not the fucking concern at the moment. Miranda is going to win.”

“Not entirely,” Karl smiles but there’s no warmth behind it. “There are backup plans of course.” Karl moves even closer toward you, his hammer in one hand. You don’t flinch or back down despite your shaking. He reaches towards you, towards your neck, before you can react he’s holding your necklace with his crest. “You’ve always been brave to the point of insanity.” 

“I thought that was something you liked about me,” you look up at him, seeing your reflection in his glasses. “When you first brought me down into the deeper levels of the factory you told me I had the makings of a perfect assistant for you. I took my job seriously. I took us seriously. I’m the one who was betrayed here. I put my full trust in you and in return you made a backup plan against me.” You wonder if those photos of you in the factory were still hanging on that wall.

“Why wouldn’t you just do as you were told? If you had just gone back to our room-,” Karl starts to say and then shakes his head.

“If you really believed I should be dead, I think you would have found a way to kill me and make it look like an accident by now. Why don’t you drop your act?” you say softly. “I’m not a villager Karl, you can’t boss me around and expect me to just sit in a bedroom waiting for you. I’m always going to want to help you, but not at the cost of my own freedoms.”

Karl runs his finger over the crest and removes his glasses. The silence is uncomfortable, you realize the room you’re  in was pretty much empty except for a barrel next to the door and two other hallways blocked by large gates. You understood why he brought you in here, no one would care to wander into here, it’s a dead end. You look back up at Karl, waiting for his response, unable to read his expression, he was analyzing you. 

“Fuck it,” Karl mutters before leaning down to kiss you. It was soft at first, softer than he’s ever kissed you before, the taste of the cigar still on his lips. You lean into the kiss letting him know this is what you want, even if it felt like the wrong time. You hear the hammer in his other hand drop and he lets go of the necklace pulling you closer to him. 

There was an urgency in this kiss there had never been before. There had always been hunger but this was different and both of you could sense it. You both pull away for just a moment, your foreheads touching before looking at each other. Neither of you knew if you would survive the rest of the day. The realization hits you like a freight train. This could be it, for real this time. Both of you could die today. 

“Can we stay here a little longer?” you ask him looking up at him unable to read his expression. “Can we pretend none of this is happening and everything is fine between us?”

Karl answers you by pulling you into a deeper kiss and your jacket falls to the floor with his help. His hands fall to your hips, not breaking the kiss, while maneuvering you backwards as your hands reach to unbutton his shirt. You get his jacket and shirt off in one movement and help him pull your sweater over your head, Karl unclasping your bra with his power. You feel yourself knock against something and realize it’s the barrel in the cornet of the room. Karl lifts you up so you’re sitting on it and hikes up your skirt while standing between your legs. 

“Do you remember the first time we spoke? When you were sitting on the barrel outside the festival. We should have done this then. We shouldn’t have wasted any fucking time.” Karl pulls away and nips at your collarbone as he pulls off his gloves and throws them on the floor. 

“Let’s not waste anymore then,” you smile up at him as you start undoing his belt as his lips move up your neck. You feel his breath against you as you take his length in your hand. You feel him goan into your shoulder blade, one of his hands palming your breast as the other one grips your thigh. 

“You’re too fucking good at that,” he growls as you stroke him. A moan escapes from you as he moves out of your reach so he can trail his tongue down your torso to the hem of the skirt. “Fuck, if we had more time-” he doesn’t finish the thought before his head is beneath your skirt. You feel his breath teasing you on your thighs before, leaving small kisses and bites before you feel his tongue through your panties.

The moan that escapes you encourages him to keep going. He parts away for just a moment to let his hand slide up your thigh to pull the fabric away. A finger lingering at your entrance as his mouth goes back to work, like you're the only thing he’s ever wanted to taste. The finger teasing you finally enters and that familiar heat builds in you. Your hands reach into his hair begging him to keep going. It had been so long since the last time he’s touched you, you were more sensitive than usual, and he was loving it. 

“Fuck,” you shudder as you come undone by him but his fingers don’t stop. He moves his head out of your skirt to smirk at you. 

“Still mine?” he asks, the smile on his face completely sinful. 

“Always yours,” you manage to say between gasps as he adds another finger, his thumb 

now rubbing against your clit. You make eye contact for a second before your head rolls back. “Please, I need you,” you whimper, begging for him as his fingers slide out. 

Hearing that Karl wastes no time as he stands up gripping your hips from under your skirt and entering you slowly. You grip his arms, letting your nails dig in as you gasp from his size. It has been a while, he gives you a moment before you look up at him. 

For just a brief moment you both stare at each other before he moves his hips. Bringing his forehead to yours. Both of you breathing heavily, moans escaping from you. There was a silent understanding, this wasn’t just a moment of passion. There was a very good chance one of both of you could be dead by the end of the day. Neither of you were going down without having this moment together. What could be the last moment together. 

His hand slides from underneath your skirt to up to your knee, forcing your leg further apart so he could go deeper. One of your hands goes to grip the side of the barrel as your head leans back in a gasp. He seizes the opportunity to bite at your neck, not caring if he left any marks. His speed picks up and you can feel your body tense again. 

“You’re mine,” you feel him growl against your neck before pulling away to grab at your hips and admire you. The sight of him watching you becomes your undoing. You don’t care if anyone could hear you. He follows close behind, burying himself further into you, groaning as he releases. 

Neither of you move, leaning on each other catching your breath. You don’t want to leave this moment, you don’t want to go back to the bloodshed and horror outside. You wanted it to just be you and him, no impending doom just moments away. 

“Don’t make me go back out there,” you whisper, wrapping your arms behind his neck running your fingers through his hair. 

“Believe me buttercup, I’d rather do this more than anything.” Karl pulls out of you and out of your grasp.  “But we can’t hide from her forever. Especially here.” Karl looks down one of the gated dark hallways as he buckles his belt and grabs his gloves. He brushes dirt off his hat which had hit the floor at some point.

“Mia Winters,” you gasp as you slide off the barrel reaching for your bra.

“Is that a safe word?” he asks you while buttoning up his shirt.

“No,” you quickly get your shirt back on. “She’s in Miranda’s lab. I met her. She told me if we help her escape she’ll help us out of the village. She said she knows people.”

“If she knows people then how come they haven’t tried to save her yet?” he points out, pulling his coat on. He reaches into his pocket and holds out your cloak. 

“We would just need to figure out contacting them,” you wrap yourself in his old jacket and grab your cloak from him.

“Buttercup, I don’t see how-” Karl froze and signals for you to stay quiet. 

It was then you heard the footsteps. You held your breath. Fearing it was Miranda coming to kill you. Both of you stare at the door and the knob jiggles but doesn’t open, still locked. You turn to see a smile on Karl’s face as he lights a cigar, walking silently towards the door. He signals at you to stay put. The moment the door closes behind him you run towards it leaning against it to hear Karl say:

“Well, well. Didn’t think anybody was left! You must be pretty tough, huh?”

Chapter Text

“Who the fuck are you?” you hear a man answer Karl. You go to pull open the door but it’s locked. Karl’s stopping you from finding out who this man is. If he doesn’t know who Karl is, then he couldn’t be from the village. He was an outsider, like you.

“Oh, you’re not local! Even better,” Karl confirms it. This man is like you. He may know a way to escape. You try the door again and it's still locked. 

Then you hear the sound of the man grunt and metal flying through the air. You bang on the door but Karl keeps you trapped. There had to be lycans in there and Karl was taking care of them. They must have killed the man. Nothing else makes sense.

“Mother Miranda’s gonna love you.” Karl remarks and then laughs. You back away from the door as you hear Karl walk towards it. “Hey if I let you out, I need you to not scream,” you hear the lock click and Karl reaches for the door, a smile on his face.

“What happened? Who was that?” Karl moves out of the way to reveal a man laying on the floor, his face and torso completely covered in metal. Karl was the one who silenced him, it turns out. You also notice a large piece of pipe sticking out of his torso. Karl had killed him. 

“Holy shit!” you cover your mouth and look back at him. He was still smiling. “He was a fucking outsider! He was like me! He may have known a way out!” You want to scream these words but you can’t. Instead they come out in whispers. Five minutes ago, you thought everything between the two of you had been fine, great even. You thought you had him back. He just killed an innocent. 

“Calm down Buttercup,” he pushes past you to stand over the man. “If this is who I think it is….” He removed the large pipe sticking out of the man’s stomach, a gush of blood flowing after. Karl then removes a bottle from his jacket, a healing ointment you had seen Luzia use. He pours the whole bottle over the man’s wound and, to your shock there was no trace of injury left. 

“Another cadou?” you ask Karl cautiously, moving closer. “An outsider with a cadou?”

“Not exactly.” Chains wrapped around the man’s wrist and a longer one connects that Karl takes in his hands. “This is Ethan Winters,” he roars with laughter. “New plan,” he walks to you and kisses you deeply although you pull away quickly. 

“We’re going to tell Mia?” you ask, your mind racing. You wonder just how badly infected the man laying on the floor had to be to heal so quickly. 

“No. Not yet anyways. If she’s even still alive.” Karl returns to Ethan’s body and pulls on the chain, “We have to bring him to Miranda first. Win her favor and then a test.” He’s speaking quickly and by the time you process, he’s hauling the chain over his shoulder, dragging Ethan’s body behind him. “He could be useful.”

“No way we’re letting Miranda near him!” You stand between him and the door. “She’ll kill him.”

“No, she won’t,” Karl drags Ethan's body behind him as he stands in front of you. “Listen. These things…work a certain way. All outsiders need to be brought before the bitch and Lords. From there it is decided what she will do with them. What Lord will get to decide the fate of the mortal.”

“Did that happen to me?” you ask, not moving out of his way and back yourself against the door to the room where you had just made up. Or you thought you had made up.

“Yes,” Karl admits, failing to mask how annoyed is about running low on time. “I told you, I thought she would give you to me since I found you.”

“Right.” You move out of his way and let him drag Ethan’s body through the door. You follow behind pushing out the thought of what would have exactly happened if you had been given to Karl instead of Moreau. Pieces of the glass that had been scattered to the floor reform into your wings, larger now since the village had fallen and you took every piece you could. Almost too big to fit through the narrow hallway Karl was leading you down. The hallway lit up as it went along revealing metal spikes in the ceiling. Bones scatter the floor. “You mentioned you built this. For what?”

“Should everything go as planned…you’ll see,” Karl doesn’t sound thrilled at the idea. “I’ll explain after, I just need you to trust me.” 

You don’t respond as you hear lycan’s growls coming from the darkened cells. Their eyes reflecting the light of the hall, their attention on the body being dragged. The metal that had been covering Ethan was slowly falling off, you got the sense Karl was conserving energy. Ethan was in and out of consciousness, groaning in pain.

“Quit your whining, we’re almost there!” Karl laughs at Ethan. You weren’t used to seeing Karl going back into the role so quickly after being with you and it was unsettling. Maybe it was the time away from each other, maybe you had forgotten how deep Karl had to be into this role. You tell yourself he isn’t actually enjoying this, but he’s never put on that mask when it was just you and him before. 

You come to an opening in the ceiling and Karl guides Ethan’s once again unconscious body through the opening before offering a hand to you. You take his hand without question. Instead of guiding you, he pulls you into him. You nearly trip as you weren’t expecting it. You bury your head in his chest and understand that something is about to happen, something he doesn’t like.

“Hold on,” Karl instructs, letting go of you and grabbing the hammer caging you into him. You wrap your arms around him and you lift. It was just for a second and you felt your feet on the ground. You look around and you're in the church. It was strange to be here without the other lords or Miranda. Karl lets go of the hammer and you let go of him. Karl’s mask slips back on as he smiles, attaching Ethan’s chains to a spot on the floor. 

“Take a seat. I’ll be right back. If he wakes up,” Karl looks between the two of you. “Please don’t blow our cover. Not yet.”

“Understood.” You take your seat at the pew as Karl disappears further into the ruins. Leaving you alone with Ethan Winters. You want to tell him that Mia is alive, hopefully she still was. You wanted to ask him about his healing, if his daughter was similar. It still made you queasy thinking about the crystallization of Rose. 

Instead you search the room for any glass. Many colorful shards rise from the ground. Once part of the church’s stained glass windows. You join them to your wings which are now taller than you. A few months ago keeping the wings behind you, off the ground, nearly fused together, would have given you the worst headache. Now it felt like second nature.

“Good. He’s still out cold,” Karl returns and takes his seat next you, his hammer within reach next to him. “Everyone will join us soon to decide the fate of Ethan Winters.” Karl lit a cigar and stared at the man.

“Lord Heisenberg,” Mother Miranda appears so suddenly but you're the only one who jumps. Karl, calm as ever, continues to smoke his cigar, standing out of respect. He knew she would be there first. “Thank you for bringing him to my attention.”

“Mother Miranda, I was hoping to provide some entertainment for us all,” Karl returns to sitting and chuckles as he smokes.

“Patience. All must be present.” Mother Miranda stood above Ethan inspecting him. “Strange,” was all she said. It occurs to you how much tension was in the room and you prayed another lord would enter soon. 

Moments passed but your prayer was answered by Alcina. A cigarette already lit in the holder. She completely ignores Ethan, still laying on the ground as she steps around him. She bows to Mother Miranda and takes her seat. Alcina wouldn’t make eye contact with you. You remember how she reacted to the news of having to kill her staff, she must have had a rough night. You then realize that without the staff, without the villagers she will eventually run out of blood. She must have realized this too.

“Mother Miranda, is this meeting about the mortal?” She motions over Ethan with her cigarette holder. “I assumed all were killed already.” 

“Yes,” Mother Miranda confirms as Donna and Moreau walk in together. Angie jumps out of Donna’s arms and runs to inspect Ethan. Moreau not far behind the doll, taking a moment to greet Mother Miranda before turning his attention to Ethan. Everyone wants a piece. 

“This man is Ethan Winters,” Mother Miranda announces. “Lord Heisenberg found him in the village. His life poses great risk to the ceremony. I would like to see that he is dealt with.”

You wonder why if he’s such a threat, Miranda doesn’t just kill Ethan herself. You chalk it up to her also conserving her energy, her power, to bringing back her daughter. 

“I’ll deal with him!” Alcina immediately spoke up. You weren’t expecting such a fight over him, but with sources of blood now running low, Alcina wasn’t going to let this go easy. 

“No way,” Karl lit another cigar, put an arm around you and leaned back looking comfortable. “Buttercup and I found him, caught him, and brought him to Mother Miranda. We should have the fun.”

“Caught him? How hard could it possibly be to catch a mortal man?” Alcina scoffs, blowing smoke in Karl's direction. “Besides, haven't you outgrown those little games of yours? I doubt your ‘Buttercup’ here would enjoy such a grotesque display. Isn’t that right, my dear?”

“You did say once that Lord Heisenberg’s a bad influence on me,” forcing a smirk and leaning into him. You sink into the relaxed appearance he was putting on, pretending Mother Miranda isn’t three feet from you. “I think the mortal should be ours to play with.” 

You feel Karl’s grip tighten on your shoulder. You aren’t sure if it was him warning you that you were trying too hard to be sinister and evil like he pretends to be, or if you were doing a perfect job of being Lord Heisenberg’s assistant. Alcina raises an eyebrow at you but becomes quickly distracted by Moreau and Angie competing to get a good look at Ethan. 

“The man is of no real use to anyone else.” Alcina turns to Mother Miranda speaking over the commotion. “And my daughters do so love,” she pauses, giving you a quick look before returning her attention back to Mother Miranda. “Entertaining foreigners. Furthermore, I can assure you if you entrust the mortal to house Dimitrescu-”

“Get out of the way ugly!” you hear Angie yell over Alcina promising cups of Ethan’s blood. Angie’s shrill giggles force you to glance at her. “He’s awake!” she says excitedly. Ethan makes eye contact with you for a moment, it’s then you remember that your hair is probably a wreck and your clothes blood soaked. Not a great first impression.

“You mean,” Karl doesn’t look over at him or acknowledge that he’s awake at all. Angie continues to scream. “You mean-” Moreau is now giggling as well. “Both of you shut the fuck up!” Karl yells at them breaking his chill out demeanor. Angie ran from Ethan to Donna who was seated next to Miranda. Moreau walks behind your pew, carefully avoiding the glass wings, to stand in between Miranda and where you were sitting. “You mean you’ll screw around with him in private, and where’s the fun in that?” Karl snaps at Alcina before flashing a confident smile to Mother Miranda. “Give him to me and I’ll put on a show that everybody can enjoy.”

You look over at Karl returning to your smirk from earlier. You could do this, you kept telling yourself. You had to match his energy, no more outsider playing dumb. You were the partner of Lord Heisenberg, the most powerful of the four lords. At least that's what you kept repeating in your head. 

“Oh, so gauche.What do we care of bread and circuses?” Alcina interrupts but Karl leans back still smirking. “The manthing’s suffering is assured, regardless.”

“Yack, yack. And if a man’s dick is cut off in the castle- blah, blah, blah!” Karl motions with his cigar. You stifle and laugh but to your surprise Moreau joins you. You give each other a quick look, like he’s asking permission to laugh with you. For a split second you wonder if you could forgive him. If after Miranda’s dead he’s still alive, would he forgive you for killing her? 

“I’ve heard all your arguments,” Miranda begins and everyone’s attention returns to a now very awake Ethan. If Miranda doesn’t give him to Karl, you’re not sure he’ll survive the other lords, even with his healing ability. “Some of you were more persuasive than others, but…” everyone’s attention now back at Miranda. Karl puts out his cigar and leans forward. Smirk still wide on his face. “I’ve made my decision. Miranda scans all your faces, before her eyes land on you and Karl. “Heisenberg. The man’s fate is in your hands.” 

You try to not show any relief, Karl pulls you closer to him squeezing your arm. You smile at him as he nods in thanks to Mother Miranda. Now you two just had to get him out of here, explain everything, get him to Mia and try to figure out if you could put Rose back together. 

“Mother Miranda I must protest!” Alcina rose from her seat, startling you but Karl seems to be prepared for this to happen. How often have these two argued like this? “Heisenberg is but a child and his devotion to you is questionable.” Her eyes flicker to you and you realize that the last part wasn’t meant for Miranda. Karl stands up, leaving you on the pew. “Give the mortal to me and I will ensure he is ready.” Alcina towers over Ethan, you can only imagine what she means by ready. 

“Shut your damn hole and don’t be a sore loser!” Karl yells at her, his hammer now flying into his hand. “Go find your food somewhere else.”

“Quiet now child! Adults are talking,” Alcina snaps at him as if he would ever back down to her. 

“I’m the child? You’re the one who’s arguing with Miranda’s decision!” The frustration on Karl’s face wasn’t an act, it was real. 

“You wouldn’t know responsibility if it was welded to that hammer!” Alcina motions with her cigarette holder. You look over at Miranda who shows no emotion on her face watching her fake children argue, she thinks for her affection. 

“Oh, keep growing, one day your head might actually fit your ego!” Karl was losing his patience and you were about to as well as Angie started chanting. This wasn’t the time for jokes, so much was on the line.

“Hey don’t I get a say in this!” Ethan spoke up and you run your fingers through your hair trying to look relaxed. Miranda continued to look at the two arguing before her patience finally also ran out. It’s then you start to realize lycans were entering from outside. You try to keep your breathing normal.

“Silence!” Miranda commands and unfurls her eight wings. You double check the mirrors in yours, and an old woman with eight wings was in the reflection. Her power wasn’t a lie like her appearance. “My decision is final, there will be no argument. Remember from whence you came!”  

“Thank you,” Karl smiles at Miranda but you catch his look towards you. It was apologetic and that’s when you realize, he had to test Ethan first. Meaning any normal person would die. Miranda didn’t call all these lycans, Karl did. Alcina rolled her eyes and went to stand near Donna instead of returning to her seat. “Lycans and gentlemen,” Karl swings with his hammer out barely missing Ethan’s face. His showman routine was on. “We thank you for waiting! And now let the games begin!” Karl then bent down close to Ethan, as if he was going to give instructions. “Let’s see what you’re really made of, Ethan Winters. Get ready.” 

Everything happens so quickly you don’t have time to stop yourself from reacting as Karl brings his hammer down and you think for a moment he’s going to hit Ethan but instead it frees him from being chained to the floor. Your hand goes over your mouth in shock. When you realize what you’ve done you go back to trying to look excited but you sneak a glance at Miranda as Karl counts down and lycans climb from the open ceiling to chase after Ethan. She was staring directly at you. 

“Showtime!” Karl announces loudly with a laugh. But you had blown your cover, for you the show was over.

Karl should have told you his plan, you wouldn’t have reacted if he had. You try to cover it up as Ethan jumps down the hole you had earlier entered from. Karl runs from the room. Angie is the first to follow him hot on his heels giggling. Donna and Moreau leave the room to follow after Angie. Leaving you and with Alcina and Miranda. 

“Mother Miranda, may I be dismissed? My girls are heartbroken at the sudden…change in staff,” Alcina asks Miranda, bowing her head. You try to use the opportunity to follow the others into the side room but Miranda catches your eye.

“Yes, you are dismissed,” Mother Miranda turns to her. “You are not.” She shot a glance at you.

“That’s right! Run for your life!” you hear Karl over a PA system as you watch Alcina leave leaving you alone with Miranda. 

“You seemed frightened, is everything alright my child?” Miranda asks you her wings return to their normal state. She looks at your own wings and smiles. She was looking at the mirrors, the mirrors that reflected the elderly woman she truly was.

“Yeah, I’m just a little on edge. You think I’d be used to the lycans by now.” You weren’t completely lying to her. 

“Very nice Ethan!” Karl’s voice rang out. Whatever test he’s putting Ethan through seems to be going okay. Or horribly wrong and he needed to keep up this act. 

“All will be well soon,” she took your hand in hers, still cool to the touch. “Eva will be here soon and you’ll never have to worry again.” Nothing about that was comforting. “Come, let’s watch the end of Ethan Winters.”

You walk with Miranda to the side room to see a room full of monitors and speakers. On every screen you could see Ethan starting to stand up. Miranda lets go of your hand and you walk past Moreau and Donna to stand next to Karl at a control panel. He doesn’t react, his glasses are down slightly so you could see he was focused. 

“You’re still alive? Impressive.” Karl said into the mic in front of him. The enthusiasm in his voice doesn’t match his face. He flicks a switch in front of him and you watch as the ceiling, full of metal spikes, starts to fall on Ethan. You notice Karl’s other hand is on a knob controlling the speed of the ceiling falling. He was trying to give Ethan time. 

You watch as Ethan kicks down the wall and climbs through. But the ceiling is still falling. He runs, hands still bound. You can tell that he’s yelling but you don’t hear what he’s saying. You put a hand on Karl’s arm as you watch Ethan run on the screen. It was then you notice the bones and skeletons as Ethan runs past them, similar to the ones you had passed in the hall earlier. This isn’t the first time Karl has put someone through this. The bodies in the factory you considered as justice since they had already been dead. But it never occurred to you that Karl was the one who killed them. You take your hand back slowly, not enough to show the sudden fear of him. 

“My word, you really are as strong as they say!” Karl laughs into the mic as Ethan escapes into into a large cavern. He escaped, he did it. You keep your face neutral as you watch him make his way to the middle of the room. It’s then Karl flips the switch closest to you. You almost yet slip your surprise again when a large roller full of spikes comes down the ceiling heading straight at Ethan. No way for him to escape. “Oh, you didn’t think I’d let you get away did you?” Karl puts an arm around you. “Gotta keep Donna, Moreau, and my assistant entertained!” he looks at you for just a moment as he speaks. There’s no joy in his eyes. Ethan was going to fail as he ran back to the wall you couldn’t see from the camera but you knew there was no escape. “So now it’s time for the beautiful, blood soaked grand finale!” Karl pushes up his glasses and laughs. “Nothing like fresh American ground beef!” 

Karl’s laugh echoes as the roller goes out of sight of the cameras. There was nowhere for Ethan to escape. Karl flicks another switch and all the monitors turn off. 

“Ethan Winters is dead,” Karl tells the room over his shoulder. You watch in the reflection of the dark monitor in front of you and an old woman leaves the room with a smile.

Chapter Text

“He made it pretty far. At least further than the last guy,” you hear Angie comment behind you. She sounds bored. “I STILL think you kill them too early. We could have played with him forever if you didn’t grind him into chunks.”

“I’ll make note of that for next time.” Karl’s arm was still around you. You knew he didn’t enjoy this. At least this time he didn’t enjoy it. You can’t stop thinking about all those bones. So many people died because of his design. You try to tell yourself it’s just his act. He doesn’t actually want to do this, but then you remember the night in the woods all those months ago. There was no one to put on an act for and yet….

“Mother seems pleased!” Moreau chimes in, but the excitement in his voice shakes. You watch him in the reflection of a monitor walk to the doorway and then stop suddenly. “What will happen to us when Mother’s true child is here?” He didn’t turn around but you could hear it in his voice. Even Moreau understood that once Eva was here, his beloved mother would never care for him. Everything he does is for her, and yet it won’t matter. 

“We’ll have a new sister,” Karl lit a cigar and finally let go of you. He turned to face the room, his hammer flying into his hand. “Get moving fish freak, some of us have more to do than fucking stand around.” You turn to see Moreau rush out as fast as he could. 

“Fish Freak!” Angie chants as Donna scoops Angie into her arms. “I call the next outsider!” Donna left with a nod at both of you before she  paused in the doorway. It was just for a second but then she kept walking. Donna knew something was wrong, but wouldn’t say anything.

“I should go check on Luiza and Elena,” you speak before he can. You walk out without looking at him. You need to think and that’s hard to do if he’s right there. 

What the hell was all that? How many people have been killed in that maze?  And Ethan. You were glad the camera didn’t reach where he was. You felt sick thinking about it. Sure the guy had healing powers, but who could survive that? Karl tried to help him, you remind yourself. He gave Ethan time with the ceiling falling. But what was he supposed to do against that roller? So much for a test.

You reach outside and stare at the village for a moment; it was in ruins. You slowly made your way to Luiza’s, listening for survivor’s cries for help. There was nothing but the growls of lycans from inside the homes that just hours ago had been preparing dinner. Children getting ready for bed. Hopefully Luiza’s house was full. You smile at the idea of so many villagers gathered in front of her fireplace wondering where Miranda and her lords were. 

What could you even tell them? Leonardo blamed you for the lycans but it was Miranda. Their beloved god willing to kill them all. She did this. This will break Luiza’s heart, if you tell her the truth.

You cut through behind the church and what you see makes you run. The gate that protects Luiza’s home is wide open and there is black smoke coming through what used to be your bedroom window. The smell of burning wood in the air. You run past lycans who sneer as you run into the tall wheat grains. Their growls soon silenced as your shards cut through their necks, cleaving their heads off. You were not letting them follow you. 

As you got close to the gate, you trip. Before you can hit the ground, something catches your wrist, leaving you hovering above the ground giving you time to place your feet before letting go. You catch a glimpse of the chains that had caught your fall, Karl was close by, able to see you even in the field. You weren’t sure you wanted him there. Not after what you just saw.

 You turn to what caused your fall and you gasp. Eugene. One of Luiza’s children, her eldest son. His body was laying there face down. A large hole in his back. Like something had ripped right through him. This wasn’t right. He was supposed to be inside the house. The house was supposed to be safe. It had protected Luiza’s family for generations, according to her. 

“That wasn’t a lycan,” Karl came through the grains standing on the other side of Eugene. “Not their style,” he explains, throwing the cigar into the snow. “It was her. With her own hands. Removed his heart from his chest while it was still beating. That’s her favorite way to kill.”

“And was what you did to Ethan yours?” You retort. 

“No,” Karl answers and you could tell it was honest meaning did have a favorite. “Fucking hell Buttercup, you can’t seriously be mad at me right now.” 

“You should have told me!” You turn around heading to Luiza’s home. Someone had to be alive in there and you couldn’t have this conversation out in the open. You hear him behind you but you continue on. 

“You really shouldn’t go in there, you’re going to end up fucking seeing something you can’t forget,” Karl’s voice was calm. “Come on, let’s go back to the factory.” 

You keep walking and when you reach the gates you realize he’s right. The house had been on fire. The front door is blocked by fallen debris. The smell of burnt wood was stronger. No sign of anyone. No survivors.

“Maybe they found somewhere else to hide.” You start looking around. Looking for any sign of them. There are footprints in the snow, but they lead to the gate and into the field. “They escaped the fire and went somewhere to hide.”

“Buttercup,” you hear Karl sigh. You don’t fight it when he puts his hand on your shoulder. “We should go.”

“We need to find them,” your voice waivers. You know the truth. If Miranda herself had been here, if Miranda herself had killed one of Luiza’s children, they were gone. “This is my fault.”

“No it’s not,” you finally look up at Karl. He’s staring at the remains of the house. Staring at your window. “You know whose fault it is.” He says so only you could hear in case someone was close by. 

“I should have stayed with them. I could have protected them.” You wanted to cry but you were in too much shock. Instead of protecting them you had been with Karl. You felt so selfish. You felt your knees give out and hit the snow.

“You couldn’t have protected them. Not if she was here. You know that,” Karl kneels down in front of you, blocking the house from your view. “There was nothing you could have done.”

“I should have gone with Elena. I don’t even know if she made it here,” you realize your heart rate had risen. There was the sound of shattering both in your wings and in the distance. “I shouldn't have been with you. They needed me.” 

Hurt flashed across Karl’s face for a moment before he suddenly rose with his hammer in hand. At first you thought he was going to attack you but there was something else. Something growling. You get to your feet standing behind him but ready for a fight. 

“Leo,” you hear Karl mutter. It’s then that you get a glimpse of what it was. A monster, more wolf-like than most lycans. You understood what Karl meant. This is what had become of Elena’s father. His blood probably became infected from an open wound. The monster stares at the both of you before returning towards the house. 

“She would have never left her father,” you watch the creature, a man you once knew enter back into the grains. Thousands of glass shards fly out of the house. Cups, plates, vases, anything that you could sense you called to you. They flew past Karl so quickly he didn’t have time to react, which was good otherwise he may have been cut. You join them to your wings. This wasn’t your home but they had taken you in like a daughter. They treated you with kindness. They warned you about Karl and you didn’t listen. They were right, he’s dangerous. But you were getting there yourself. “Karl, when all of this is done…let’s go to Paris. Elena would have liked it. Vegas for Anton. Luiza probably would have loved Barcelona. Vasile probably just wanted to see somewhere fast paced like New York or Tokyo. We owe them.”

“You still want me to go with you?” Karl looks more at your wings than you. “I thought you understood after seeing that. I built that. I fucking killed men in there and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a kick of it.”

“I should have known. I should have listened to everyone. You’re the most dangerous lord after all,” you spoke calmly but the sounds of cracking glass behind you told him you’re anything but calm. “You owe it to them too. You’re the one who ensured I couldn’t be with them. I could have hid them. I could have done something.”

“Did something happen during our time apart?” Karl moves closer to your wings examining them. “You couldn’t do this before? Not without a massive fucking migraine.”

“I-,” you look around for a sign of Miranda or another lord. “I mutated. No blood shards this time. I could walk. It felt kind of like a dream.”

“Must have scared the shit out of Luiza,” Karl took a drag from his cigar. “When did this happen?”

“Yesterday,” you think about it but it has only been a few hours since the lycan attack on the village, despite the damage. “I saw something like a giant cadou. And it did something. I’ve felt stronger ever since,” you admit. 

“I see. That was the megamycete. It also may have made you more fucking insane,” Karl began walking away. “No idea why you still fucking want me around after that. You’re taking me being a killer thing better than you should be.”

“Because I’m curious what you’ll be like after. You didn’t seem to like doing that to Ethan. And-” And despite your better judgment, you still love him, but you don’t need to tell him that. You follow after him giving the house one last look. “You’re also probably still my best bet on getting out of here,”

“You’re right, I am,” he laughs coldly. “But what about after Buttercup? Do you really see yourself with a monster? With someone like-”

Karl was interrupted by a noise you hadn’t heard in over a year and a half. Generic notification tones coming from Karl’s coat pocket. You recognized what each one meant: voicemail, snapchat, instagram, twitter, facebook messenger, text, whatsapp. 

Your phone has service. 

Chapter Text

“Holy shit,” you mutter as Karl reaches into his pocket. The screen on your phone lights up with what looked like a million notifications. “How? Did you?”

“This isn’t me,” Karl answers, turning the screen to himself in confusion and then sudden realization. “Well now we got a lot fucking more than just Miranda to worry about.” After checking the screen again he seemed to wince and pass the phone to you, screen facing down.  “Here, just don’t use it, someone could track it.”

The phone was hot, like it was going to overheat. You flip the button on the side so the sound stops. Messages continued to pop up but the name that came up the most was your ex husband’s. Apologies and begging for responses scrolled by so quickly but you could make out words like “please don’t be dead” and “we need to talk”. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You hear Karl mutter before you turn to see what he’s looking at. Large bats getting closer coming from the tower of the castle. “Ignore the phone. Get ready. They’re going to attack and I can’t control them.”

To your horror, as they grew closer you realized they were not giant bats but human, or once human, impossibly thin, rags for clothes covering their face, and wings where arms should be. You still suspect Karl would normally have taken them out no problem but he’s still saving his strength. They weren’t lycans either. They were something you haven’t seen before. 

Your wings come before you and break into many large, sharp, dagger-like panes of glass. Multiple colors reflect on the snow below. It came to you easy this time, not like the amount of focus you needed in the factory basement months ago during your training. There was no need, no hesitation. The glass daggers fired off quickly cutting off the heads of every single creature that was descending on you. Blood covered the glass as it returned to you, coating the dried blood still on some panes from the fight with the lycans earlier. 

“What the fuck were those? Miranda’s?” You turn to ask Karl who is staring at you like you have three heads. His hammer was in his hand now. He was going to be back up if you needed it.

“No,” he shakes his head and looks up at the castle. “Those belong to Alcina. She made them. They don’t leave the castle,” Karl’s frown shifted to a smirk. “Something- or someone spooked them up there.”

“The people who got my phone working?” The glass behind you returns to its wing shape, inches from your back. 

“Maybe…but I think it’s someone else,” his smile grew wider. “Someone fucking up her castle. About damn time.”

“You’re being cryptic again,” you cross your arms and raise an eyebrow. “Who is at her castle and who installed a cell tower in the village?”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up,” Karl laughs and grabs his hammer. “As for your phone, I think I have a pretty good idea of what’s happening. And it’s not fucking good.” You follow Karl’s gaze to the church. “Keep watching for any more of our winged friends and follow me. You need to understand what we’re up against.” His smile fades back to a look of concern before he makes his way through the field.

 The usual lycans left you two alone but a few more creatures from the castle came too close for your comfort. You dealt with them quickly but the thuds of them hitting the snow attracted the attention of more lycans. Karl leads you to a shack that sat almost halfway between Luiza’s gates and the church. It looks like it had been ransacked in the attack on the village. Karl quickly pushes a bookshelf in front of the door as soon as you're inside. 

“Can you use those mirrors of yours so we can see outside the window without being seen?” Karl asks quietly, leaning against a wall. 

Without responding, you point your mirror towards the windows and use the reflections to bounce off other ones to you. You both watch as lycans and the monsters from the castle seem to fight each other. It’s nothing but growling and screeching from the creatures at the castle until it’s all interrupted. Gunshots ring out. You lose your concentration on the mirrors for just a moment but refocus before Karl can say anything. Then you see them, two humans in black military gear shooting down lycans and the creatures while running towards Luiza’s. Karl pulls you against him, your back to his chest as the two of you watch the mirrors. You wonder briefly if it’s to keep you out of view or keep you from running to the outsiders. Maybe a little of both. 

Even once they’re out of sight Karl doesn’t let go of you. You stand there frozen. They could be your way out but Karl’s reaction to them has you on edge. You also haven’t been this close to him since your time together before finding Ethan Winters. You could feel your cheeks heating up and you push yourself away from him. Not the time to think about that. 

“So,” you almost stutter, not facing him, not wanting him to read on your face what you had just been thinking about. “They’re more outsiders,” your mirrors return to the wings in front of you. “Like me.”

“Outsiders? Yes. Like you? Fuck no.” Karl pushed off the wall and moved the bookshelf back. “Those assholes want to either kill us or run experiments on us.” His voice shook slightly at the last part. “They get a hold of you and they won’t give you freedom. Come on, let me show you.”

You silently follow him out of shack and towards the church. You could hear gun fire in the distance but it was getting further away. You had thought when you escaped you would keep your power secret. Unless you were with Karl but the idea of that future was more questionable every second. You couldn’t push that maze out of your mind and he knew that too. You keep telling yourself once he’s free of Miranda it will be different.

You hadn’t been inside the church since the accident over the summer. The moment Miranda knew you were not a candidate to become her daughter. The first life you accidentally took from the power she infested you with. Even with spending the last few weeks at Luiza’s you’ve avoided looking at the building. You hadn’t noticed the glass had been replaced. It remained untouched from the destruction of the last twelve hours. You didn’t dare take the glass from the windows, not after knowing why it was replaced.     

Karl walks in but you hesitate in the doorway. Part of you wondered if villagers were hiding in here but it was empty. No one hiding under the pews, no one praying to Miranda wondering why she had forsaken them. 

“Well it looks like our new friends have been busy,” Karl causally lit a cigar heading to the front of the church. “You should see this. Before they come back.” 

“Last time I was here I was drunk and accidentally killed someone,” you tell him as you step in. “The place creeps me out now.”

Karl just exhaled smoke and shook his head. Not the time for that conversation. There was never time for an actual conversation. Just him hiding things from you and ignoring how you feel about it. You took a deep breath shoving those thoughts down as you see a computer set up on the altar. 

“No fucking way,” you gasp. This wasn’t like what Karl uses in the factory, this looked like it was straight out of a military movie. “So this is like a hot spot giving all phones in the area service?” 

“Most likely,” Karl knelt in front of it. You could tell he wasn’t completely sure what you were talking about. Being stuck in the village all these years has really limited his knowledge on more recent technology, and you know that kind of killed him. “Fuck. They’re better than I thought. We were spotted. Take a look at this.” Karl moves out of the way of the screen so you could read it for yourself.

“Operation Date: 2.9.2021,” you read first and cringe again at the date. Some birthday you were having. “Recorded by: NH. 1135- Arrived on site. No sign of EW or RW. 1210- Infiltrated village. Engaged with a number of bioweapons. Found evidence of EW. RW location unknown. Note missing persons Y/N spotted working with known bioweapon KH. Sources indicate Y/N has become a bioweapon as well and should be considered a risk to the operation. 1310- Established base in church,” you check the time at the bottom of the screen, 13:15 and continue reading. “Plan of operations: LB/TD/K9 - Search Laboratory. NH/UE - Analyze mold samples. Alpha - infiltrate factory.”

“The factory!” you back away from the screen. “Who the fuck are these people?” You feel the back of your leg hit a pew. “They fucking knew I was here. Knew I was missing and they did nothing about it.” Your hands were in fists shaking. 

“You understand now, why we can’t trust them,” Karl cautiously takes your hands but you pull away. You didn’t have to say it but he understood, you didn’t trust him either. “Alpha is in the factory, that’s probably Chris Redfield. I used to have contact when Miranda was with the Connections, he’s an asshole who thinks we’re dirt. He’s probably going to fucking destory our-” Karl never finished the sentence before storming out the side door of the church. 

You lean against the pew behind you reading the screen again. These people, they saw you as a dangerous weapon. Someone not worth saving. How much of that was because of how close you were Karl when you were spotted. How long have they known? Both Karl and them seem to want Miranda dead but won’t work together. You take out your phone and read through some messages. Friends leaving birthday comments on your wall as if you were dead. They thought you were dead but in the files you had been considered a missing person. These people knew you were here, knew what you had become and hadn’t tried to save you. Did they fake your death to avoid questions? 

You guide your wings to exit the church before you do as they’re taller than the doorway now. You expected Karl to be heading to the factory to deal with this Redfield person but instead he was outside the gate you two had used earlier that day. It was wide open, probably from when Ethan had entered. Karl was looking up at the castle, his glasses couldn’t hide the shock on his face. You follow his gaze to see what looks like a dragon flying over a tower.

“Alcina,” Karl explains, not taking his eyes off the skies. “She never loses control. She never mutates. Only Miranda has seen her true- her mutated form.”

You cover your ears as a monstrous shriek pierces the air but Karl doesn’t move. He merely lights another cigar. Whatever was happening at the factory was nothing compared to this. You watch Alcina in the sky in awe and envy if you’re not lying to yourself. Your mutated form was so weak compared to this, you just became see through. She became fucking a dragon. You look over at Karl for just a moment wondering what his might be. 

“I will destroy you!” You hear Alcina’s voice, distorted but still hers echoing down as she lands on the tower now out of sight. “You’re a lucky man Ethan. Besides Miranda, you’re the only one to ever see me in this form. Too bad you’ll pay for it with your life!” 

“Did she just say Ethan?” you turn to Karl ignoring the falling debris from the castle hitting the ground nearby.

“Looks like he passed the test!” Karl smiles at you exhaling smoke. “See Buttercup, now we know we can work with him. All according to plan.”  

“Is this what you didn’t want to get my hopes up about?” You turn back to the tower. You realize at that moment you’re not entirely sure who you want to win. You hear gunshots and Alcina’s threats. You can barely see what it’s happening but the castle is being torn apart by the tower. 

“How dare you talk about saving your daughter when you’ve murdered mine!” Alcina flies into view screaming into the sky. 

“The girls!” you gasp and cover your mouth. Ethan killed her daughters. Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela were gone. You realize that moment that you had grown fond of them after the New Years party. “He killed the girls!”

“Those oversized fruit flies?” Karl’s laugh was cold. “Those damn brats had it coming. You wouldn’t be feeling so bad if you saw the basement of the castle.”

“Is it worse than your death maze?” you snap at Karl but he doesn’t respond. His smile doesn’t fade either. You fight the urge to create a barrier between the two of you. You still need his help especially if the military guys you saw earlier had less than ideal plans if they caught you. “So what’s the plan? He kills Alcina and then the three of us go after Miranda with your army that some guy is in the factory trying to destroy right now?”

“Not yet,” Karl answered like you were interrupting his favorite show. “We need Rose at full power.”

“Rose is kind of in pieces at the moment.” you respond dully. “So we get this guy to use his child as a weapon?”

“We make a deal with him. We don’t kill him, he saves his daughter, puts her back in one piece, assuming she’s as powerful as the bitch thinks it should be no problem.” Karl’s voice had lowered to a whisper despite the shrieking and gun shots echoing from the castle. “He’s the only one who can collect the pieces from the other lords. We need him to play his role, it’s his abilities that can bring his daughter back. And we need to make sure he’s fully committed to killing the bitch, not just saving the girl. He needs to do both.”

“Do you really think he’ll take your deal?” you lower your voice as well. “After the stunt you pulled at the meeting?”

“Only an idiot would refuse,” Karl throws the cigar butt on the ground. “And then with Rose’s power, we can be free.”

“Rose is our only hope! We won’t hand her over to the likes of you!” you hear Alcina scream. How much of Miranda’s brainwashing had Alcina been put through to believe that you wonder. Alcina’s daughters are dead and suddenly all she can think about is pleasing Miranda. 

“Fine,” you agree. “That bitch should have never brought Rose here.” Miranda was going to pay for all of it. For what she put both of you through, what she did to the villagers, to how much she ruined the lives of all the lords to that even when facing death all they care about is her. Once Miranda is gone, everyone can live a normal life. You watch the sky as Alcina’s shrieks and threats continue. Alcina murdered villagers because of Miranda, she was a sacrifice.

“It’s too late…You’ll never see your Rose again…Succumb to your despair!” You hear her scream as you hear the sound of the tower collapsing. You realize your holding breath, waiting to see the outcome of the battle.

“He won,” Karl says casually. “I could sense the moment her cadou stopped living. He’s still alive too. Just have to hope he grabs the flask on the way out.” Karl pulls out another cigar and lights it. “Come on, let’s go see what Redfield has made of the factory. Winter’s smart, he’ll figure out the rest.”

Chapter Text

“Ah so there you two are. Seems like there’s still excitement and customers here after all.” The Duke is set up in between the gate to the village and a gate that led to Donna’s. Normally both were open but all the gates were closed now. 

“Guess you’ve run into our friend Winters,” Karl barked a laugh. “What do you think? Is he tough?”

“Now you know Lord Heisenberg, I do not make a habit of gossiping about my customers but I will say, he’s an interesting man.” The duke leans back and gestures towards the castle. “Not as weak as one would expect by any means. Held his own against all three girls and your sister. I believe now though, someone will have to tell him about poor Rose.”

“I’ll talk to him,” you step forward. “Maybe hearing the news from another outsider will-”

“Fuck no,” Karl cuts you off before returning to his showman act in front of the door. “I wouldn’t want you getting hurt. After all, look what he did to my nieces.”  Karl’s arm is around you pulling you to him. You almost fight back but remember the Duke is watching. “We have work to do, to prepare for our new sister. Hopefully Winters won’t cause too much trouble while we work.”

“Between you and me, Donna and Moreau are scheduled as his next stops on his journey to save his daughter. If he lives through that, well then he’s your problem I’m afraid.” The Duke smile faded only for a moment. “I’ll of course continue to provide my services to ALL my customers equally. I’ll help guide him to the conclusion he needs regarding the whereabouts of his daughter.”

“We better find a place to hide soon then, Winters is on his way here now.” Karl looked towards the gate that led to the monuments of the village families, and to the factory. “Whatever happened between him and Alcina threw him into the tunnels by the factory.” 

“Back of the carriage is open as always, Lord Heisenberg, but I do wish you to remind you that it is not soundproof,” The Duke winks. Karl rolls his eyes and guides you into the carriage behind the Duke. It was simple, some trinkets lined the walls, a rug with an owl crest on the floor. Otherwise it was shockingly average given what you’ve gotten to know of The Duke. You take a seat next to Karl on a bench. Gunshots pop and crack in the distance, not sure if they are from Ethan or the military group. So many to hide from in this village now. Footsteps in the snow and the smirk on Karl’s face inform you that it’s Ethan. 

“There you are. I had a feeling you would pop here,” The Duke greets Ethan. 

“It was all worthless!” You hear Ethan yell at him. Your heart breaks knowing Ethan truly thought he would find his daughter in the castle, save her and be free. He had such a long road ahead of him. And Karl was making it longer than it needed to be. 

“Is that so? I assume you picked up something of value,” The Duke wasn’t speaking business. Ethan must have the flask.

“Not sure if it’s of value but,” Ethan doesn’t finish, you assume he’s showing the flask to The Duke. He has no idea what he’s holding. You look over at Karl, he doesn’t look sympathetic to what Ethan is about to learn, but confident. Proud. You look away from him. He didn’t even notice you in the first place anyway.

“Why, you have your daughter right in your own hands,” you hear The Duke tell him. You want to run out and correct him. He has part of his daughter.

“What are you saying?” Ethan’s breathing was picking up. Karl grabs your arm like he knew you were seconds away from interrupting. 

“Take a closer look,” was all the Duke told him. Ethan doesn’t respond, he’s realizing what he's holding.

“That flask seems to contain her head,” The way the Duke put it didn’t explain it, the awful truth of his daughter being broken apart. That his daughter has power and this will somehow activate it. Make her perfect for Miranda unless you and Karl could use her. 

“Rose is-” The Duke starts as you can’t make out what Ethan’s gasping. 

“Don’t say another word!” Ethan interrupts him. “This is impossible.” For a moment you briefly think about what you believed all of this was impossible, but it was happening. Ethan needed to understand what was at stake. And that’s why Karl couldn’t let you sugarcoat for him. He needs the hard truth. “This just can’t be!”

“Your daughter's essence is still intact. Her powers are truly unique.” You shudder thinking about it. Rose wasn’t killed but this had to be worse for her father to hear.  

“Who could do this?” Ethan asks, despite meeting Miranda, he still didn’t understand what he was up against. 

“She can still be saved, you know?” The Duke finally gets to the point. You reach for Karl’s hand on your arm without thinking. 

“Saved? From this? Are you insane?” Karl and you look at each other as Ethan continues yelling at the Duke. Once Rose was saved Ethan will use her to help her destroy Miranda for good. If he lives long enough.

“There’s a house with a red chimney on the western side of the village. Go and seek out the man who lives there, then we can continue our conversation.” The Duke informs Ethan giving him instructions.

“Quit holding out and get to the damn point.” Ethan yells again and you find yourself nodding. 

“You don’t have to trust my words, but do you have any better options? Your choice, the customer is also right, after all.”

  “You’ll pay if I find out this is a lie” Ethan is seething and The Duke laughs. “Fucking joker.” 

You give a questioning look to Karl who shrugs as Ethan purchases supplies from The Duke. You try to remember who lives in that house but draw a blank. Regardless, everyone was dead. There’s no one for Ethan to speak to. It’s a dead end. 

“All clear,” The Duke calls out with a slight knock to the wagon. “I sent him after what Mother Miranda needs him to find. Should keep you all from running into each other before it’s time.”

“She’s got you guiding him?” Karl asks so casually as he lights a cigar you would have thought he didn’t care. 

“As I said before, I am here for all my customers but I owe our dear connection to the Dark God a favor, besides, tough as he may be, he’ll never figure out how to unlock these gates without help. If he doesn’t unlock the gates he can’t possibly need to buy more ammo and upgrades,” The Duke takes out a cigar of his own and lights it. “I do not know what Mother Miranda’s end goal is for the man, but I sure wouldn’t want to be the one who gets in the way of it.” This comment was directed to you. The reason Karl wouldn’t let you speak to Ethan. Do not draw attention. 

“To the factory it is then, thanks Duke. When you have to tell Ethan about the lords can you do me a favor? Make it clear I’m powerful, I want him to know what he’s up against,” Karl laughs. And make it clear that we could be a strong team, but he couldn’t say that, not to The Duke if he’s working for Miranda now too. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to make you and your...” The Duke pauses analyzing you. “Assistant,” he names you, “are the most fearsome in the village.”

You try to give a little laugh but it doesn’t come out right. You look at the locked gates to the homes of the other Lords. There was no reason to go through all this, Miranda had planned Ethan living from the start, and Karl knew it too. Walking back from the factory you finally separate from him slightly and he notices but doesn’t reach for you. 

“She wants Winters to kill us all,” Karl finally says, breaking the silence as you walk past more bodies of fallen villagers who tried to escape to the factory looking for his help. “We’re sacrifices.” 

Donna is next. Donna, who helped you fit metal into a dress. Angie, who used to terrify you but now made you laugh. They were next. Donna couldn’t fight, she was even weaker than you when it came to physical violence. All she had were her illusions, which from stories were enough to kill a man, but they weren’t like whatever Ethan Winters was. He was starting to seem barely human with what he could survive. 

Entering the factory gave you a jolt of memory you weren’t expecting. Your senses bring you back to all the months before when this place gave you comfort. It had been home for a time. You had come to love the man who was now silently plotting a few steps ahead of you. Last time you were in this room you were running from him, you didn’t believe he’d actually hurt you. 

He’s become unpredictable and obsessed since Miranda left for the Winter’s and now it was all he could think about. Your time together this morning felt so far away.

“How much time do you think we have to save Donna?” you ask, heading towards his room. You were hoping enough time to take a quick shower, that whatever errand The Duke sent him on would take hours. 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Karl groans like you had the dumbest thing he ever heard. “When it comes down to it she will pick Miranda over you, no matter how close friends you two seem to be. Or tell me in our time apart did you tell her anything?”

“I didn’t even see her,” you answered. You wrote to her asking to speak, not about the truth of course but to see if Karl had said or done anything regarding you. “But she helped us. She wanted to help us. I think Miranda doesn't have the hold on Donna everyone thinks she does. Otherwise, why would she help us?”

“Help us cheat to win a fucking party game,” Karl was three feet in front of you now on his way to the elevator. “Not to fucking kill the bitch who brought that goddamn doll to life.”

“I’m going to take a shower,” you announce, opening the door leading to his room and slamming it behind you. He doesn’t follow you. You understand why, it’s wartime officially. Off to make sure his army is ready. 

As you make it into the bedroom you flick on the lights to see a mess. The phone on the floor, the chest that he used a coffee table on its side. The kitchen table in half. It looked like there had been a disaster. He destroyed the place after he threw you out, you realize. Walking into the bathroom, the mirror was in pieces. You leave it instead of adding it to your collection. You feel wrong taking it. If all goes well this is your last day in this factory anyway. 

You stand in the shower until the water dripping off of you finally isn’t crimson from the blood of villagers and lycans. You can’t stop thinking. There’s strength in numbers. You turn off the water and try to find anything in his closet that you could work with. You form the mirrors of your wings together to get a look better, now if you do run into Ethan you won’t look as threatening. Karl still has your cloak so you grab another one of his jackets. You look around the room, you can’t stay here. You can either call the elevator and guess what floor Karl is on until you find him or…

You enter the hallway and immediately know Karl is watching you on a screen somewhere. He knows what you’re going to do and isn’t going to stop you. You turn to leave and break into a run once the door. Karl left the bridge up for you. By the time you reach The Duke the gate to Donna’s is open. 

“I’m afraid Ethan Winters has beaten you to it,” The Duke calls to you. “There’s still time though.”

You keep running, ignoring the cold and that your hair is going to freeze with it still wet. Past lycans, past the graves of Donna’s family, pressing the elevator button a million times wishing it moved faster. When you reach her house you pull open the door without knocking, surprised to see Donna, face covered sitting in a chair at her table with no Angie. There were so many more dolls than usual in one room.  

“He’s in the basement,” she whispers before taking a sip of tea. “Unless he somehow figures out how to get the elevator working again, he’s not making it back up.”

“We have to get you out of here, where’s Angie?” you try to catch your breath but put your hand on your knees. You’ve done a lot of training over the last few months but running was not one of them.

“That’s not what Mother Miranda ordered,” she angles herself away from you, towards a hallway filled with darkness. “Orders are to kill Ethan Winters and not let him near Rose.”

“Screw the orders, if Ethan makes it back up he’ll kill you,” you warn, still panting. 

“Alcina was right, you and Lord Heisenberg are disloyal,” Donna gasps, staying completely still. 

“Thank god you showered, blood soaked was not a good look for you,” Angie bounded into the room giggling from the darkened hallway. “Ethan’s fear is…consuming him, he’ll never make it out of the basement.”

“Donna please listen to me,” you ignore the doll and beg with its controller. “He killed Alcina!” 

 “The girls…” Donna spoke so softly you could barely hear her. “Did he kill the girls?” 

“Yes and if he makes it out of the basement he’ll-” 

“No one has ever gotten out of the basement,” Angie cuts you off twirling around the room. “We have played with so many, Ethan is just the newest. But all the toys we send down there break.”

“You know he’s different. Something about him is off. He’s not a normal toy,” you ignore Angie playing up her creepiness. You had to leave, had to go back to the factory before Ethan came back. “Just come with me, come to the factory. Karl and I will keep you safe.” 

“This home has been in my family for generations,” Donna picked up the tea cup and pressed it to her lips. “My baby sister would run up and down those stairs. Our father would yell at her that one day she would get hurt doing it. My mother was quiet, I took after her. But Claudia was like my father. Loud and strong. I can still hear their laughter in my head.” 

“I’m sorry, I know you must have a lot of memories here of your sister but it’s not safe here,” you start making your way to the door. “Follow me.”

“She was only five when our parents met with Mother Miranda regarding our family line. My father had no siblings and only two daughters. She was concerned about what it would mean for our house. She had a great interest in my family’s well being, she would often call upon my relatives to meet with her for the great honor of serving her.” Donna did not follow but rose slowly and went to the window. “After the meeting they kissed us goodbye. My father asked me to take care of Claudia the way I took care of Angie. He gave her to me when I was Claudia’s age, I think he was trying to tell me to give Angie to Claudia but Angie is mine.”

“Where did Mother Miranda send them?” you casually ask, still heading to the door. Your heart was still pounding, trying to not focus on how Miranda picked off Donna’s family one by one. 

“Angie, Claudia and I watched from the back porch to wave them goodbye as they jumped into the waterfall. It was strange, none of us knew how to swim.”

The waterfall behind the estate was massive; there is no way they would have survived that fall, even if they could swim. Suicide, they had committed suicide at Miranda’s request. You feel sick. 

“I took care of Claudia until the day Mother Miranda called on her. She didn’t want to go but I told her it was a great honor, one I had not been blessed with.” Donna continues to stare out the window instead of moving towards you. “I later found out, after my own meeting, that my sister did not survive the gift. My parents knew they would be called on soon and they were afraid of the gift. I however,” the dolls in the room all turned their heads to you, instinctively your wings moved in front of you. “I was given what I always dreamed of when I received the gift. I may not have been chosen for Rose’s fate but I could have my friends, I was not alone anymore. Mother Miranda helped bring my creations to life. And I gained a new family.”

A sudden jolt came from below you and all the dolls heads turned to a room down the hall. Ethan had figured it out, just like he had the maze and castle. And he was on his way up. 

“No one’s ever made it to the next game before!” Angie flew out the room cackling 

“I’m not staying around for this,” you shake your head, turning back to the door. “Stall him, I’ll get Karl. We’ll get you guys out of here. If things get bad then run, try to hide.” 

“I told Mother Miranda about your false pregnancy,” Donna spoke loud and clearly. “She told me you had lied to us and that she would know if you were with child. If you were then Mother Miranda wouldn’t need Rose and Ethan never would have been in the village.”

You freeze in the open door way. Donna had told Miranda, the whole time you were concerned about Alcina but Donna was the one who would betray you. Rage you did not know you were capable of filled you. What if you hadn’t been lying, she would have sold out you and Karl. If she comes to the factory and sees the army…Karl was right. 

“Good luck Donna,” you don’t look back as you walk out of the estate and the door slams behind you. You knew you would never see Donna Beneviento again and that was fine.

Chapter Text

“Knew you wouldn’t be gone long,” Karl was waiting at the factory entrance for you. “So, did you kill her?”

“I left Ethan to handle that, that’s his job right?” You spoke coldly but found yourself drawing closer to Karl. “She told Miranda.” You realize you’re about to sob and he pulls you into him. “She told Miranda about the fake pregnancy. Miranda already knew it wasn’t true.” You press your face against his chest. You’re too upset to fight it, how safe it feels with his arms around you as the factory doors close behind you. “What if I hadn’t been lying? What if-”

“Don’t,” his breath shudders. “Don’t think like that.” He presses his lips to your head. “We wouldn’t let her.” He moves back slightly and with one hand angles you face towards him. “We wouldn’t let her,” he repeats, not breaking eye contact before he completely steps away, leaving you missing his warmth. “This will all be over soon, Buttercup.”

You nod and wipe the tears that had started running down your face. You take a deep but shaky breath and straighten your shoulders, wings finding their place at your back. Another soldier in his army, waiting for their next orders. Donna had betrayed you, Elena and Luiza were dead. Alcina and the girls had been killed by Ethan. Karl is all you have left. 

“I need to set up for something, I have an idea for Winters to know that we’re not a threat so he doesn’t start shooting the moment he sees us,” Karl gestures to a stack of wooden plaques behind him. “The big issue right now is something cut the video feed to the fish freak’s area and that’s crucial for us to be able to safely make contact with Winters. It’s simple,” he hands you some electrical tape. “There’s a house or what used to be a house to the right when you first walk past his gate. Just hold your nose and don’t stay there too long.”

“You’re trusting me with this?” you blurt out in shock. 

“You’re smart, you helped build some of these creations, a simple patch job is honestly below your skill set now,” Karl kisses the top of your head, “Go, be quick and don’t be spotted. We’ll draw more attention if we’re together.”

 “Got it,” you go to turn but something feels wrong. Karl is trusting you with part of his plan instead of keeping you in the dark. Karl is trusting you. Instead of feeling happy that he’s finally letting you in, you can’t help but think that there’s a reason he doesn’t want you alone in the factory or why you can’t go with him. “I’ll be right back,” you tell him and the factory doors open again before you.

You hadn’t been to the area of the village Moreau called home since your meeting with Miranda when she explained that you had power because of her. Because of an experiment she had Moreau perform on you. He would do anything for her and she was setting him up like a lamb for slaughter. Yet you couldn’t bring yourself to feel bad, he out of all them had more reason to be against her. Maybe it made you a bad person, but if Ethan kills him then you think it’s one less thing to worry about. 

“Back out again?” The Duke waves with Angie in his other hand as you enter the square. You look at the goblet in the center, two flasks rest inside. “Mr. Winters has been very busy,” 

“We’ll see how he does against the fish,” you mutter thinking of the mutation Moreau can not control. You turn past the open gate to his section. You remember from Karl’s writing the layout of the wiring here the first shack on the right would have most of the wiring that connects to the factory. Hopefully any problems would be fixed here and you don’t need to go further in and risk running into the military guys, Ethan, or Moreau. The sooner you’re done here the sooner you can find out why Karl was trying to distract you. 

Entering the shack there’s a man slouched on the ground. Not breathing but holding a letter. You pick up the lantern off the small dresser behind him knowing you’ll need it. When the light shows on the man’s face you realize who it is. Vasile had made it all the way here looking for help. Help that was never coming. The gashes on his face showed you it was no ordinary lycan attack. 

“Fuck,” you turn away for a second. You knew he couldn’t have survived this but actually confirming it was something else. He had been one of the few people in the village to understand that life outside of here wasn’t inherently evil. He never treated you like a burden or an outsider. Him and Luiza had welcomed you happily into their home. You reach for the paper in his hand. 

“The wounds are severe. I won’t last much longer. I can hear it shuffling about outside. It barely flinched when I shot it. I feel like it’s toying with me. That…isn’t a wolf. If I can get to the old watermill I can stop it. I can protect you. It’s so close…Damn, I’m so cold. My legs won’t work. I’m sorry Luiza. Please forgive me”

You find yourself in tears before you even finish the note. You weren’t religious but you hope if there is an afterlife he and Luiza found each other. You pocket the note to show Karl. If you had listened to Vasile and stayed away from him would him and Luiza be safe under your protection right now? 

“I’m so sorry,” you whisper, not knowing if one of Moreau’s beasts who attacked him was still in the area. You had to get out of here, had to tell Karl. They had been friends once. 

Luckily, Karl’s hunch about the wire being in here was correct and he was right about it just needing to be patched up not completely replaced. It would have been done faster if you weren’t constantly needing to hide from the military guys. They weren’t exactly stealthy, or they saw no reason to be stealthy. You could catch snippets of conversation, Chris Redfield was here, Ethan was here and there’s a giant fish monster. 

If Chris is here then the factory is safe for now. You time your run out of the shack giving one last look at Vasile. You had no time to process any of this. Maybe after Miranda was dead you could give a proper burial. But not yet, there was still more to do. You don’t wave at the Duke as you run just praying no more military was coming through. 

“Good you’re back,” Karl came up from behind you just as you were reaching the bridge. “Was worried I’d have to go in and-”

“Vasile’s dead,” you interrupt him and hand him the letter. “He made it all the way to the swamp before one of Moreau's creations killed him.” You pushed down the thought that you technically were also one of Moreau’s creations.  

Karl’s smile faltered for only a moment as he read the letter. He offered his arm before you crossed the bridge back to the factory. Once inside he lit a cigar and let your arm drop. 

“I mean of course he wouldn’t survive. He wouldn’t want to without Luiza and his kids anyway,” he spoke more to himself than to you. “At least that one we can blame the freak fish for.”

You nod. It was too much death for a lifetime, let alone a day. With no time to process it either. You want to be done, need it to be over, but there’s still a fight ahead. You just need to survive. 

“Speaking of the fish,” Karl walks towards the room, the one that had your picture in case you ever betrayed him. You follow him in without his objection and notice your pictures have been cleared from the walls. No time to comment on it as you enter a side room filled with screens, even more than the ones in the church ruins. Karl flips the main screen a few times to a feed of the lake, or what was the lake. “He drained it. Damn, Winters really thinks of everything.”

“Let’s go Ethan!” you say mincing a cheer. For a brief moment Karl’s laugh is real, you can tell. No showman, no revenge crazed engineer. But it’s gone as soon as his laugh fades as he returns to fully focus on the screens, like you’re not even there. You become distracted as a large creature falls into view. Too many eyes and somehow slimy. Something humanoid sticking out the front of it. It moved like a fish with legs. “Is that Moreau?”

“Disgusting isn’t he?” Karl answers. “Normally he hides in the lake when he’s like this. He has no control of it. But with no lake to hide in…”

“He was already gross before too,” something in the back of your mind says you should feel bad for talking like this. That you shouldn’t be rooting for someone else who is also a victim to die. But he would die for Miranda so Ethan was doing you the favor of taking him out before you or Karl had to.  

“You’re the reason mother doesn’t love me!” you hear Moreau’s gargled voice yell at Ethan. Both you and Karl sigh. Miranda didn’t love anything besides her power and her daughter. Anything that wasn’t perfect she could care less about. “I’ve been saving this one,” and then you watch as the humanoid vomits greenish sludge into the sky.

“Oh my fucking god,” you back away from the screen as if the sludge could travel through the camera feed you were watching. “That’s just fucked up.”

“I’ve never seen him do this, but I’m pretty sure that stuff is extremely toxic. Probably burns holes your fucking skin,” Karl was watching Ethan duck for cover but did sound impressed, while still grossed out. 

“Please Mother Miranda, I’m trying,” Moreau pleads with the sky. If she is there, she isn’t coming to save him. Karl and you watch in silence as Ethan blows up explosives around Moreau, the only thing seeming to stop him or slow him down, and eventually they overwhelm him. “Help me! Mother!” Moreau expands and explodes, moss colored guts covering the ground and the camera.

“Did he just die?” you look at the surrounding screens to see if there was any scrap of him left. 

“Looks like I’m an only child now,” Karl adjusted some of the feeds to focus on Ethan and the rest on what looks to be Moreau’s room. Everything Ethan needs is in that room along with a bowl of just cheese, some VHS tapes you don’t recognize other than a Carey Grant film. Then you feel your heartache, a copy of Twilight sat on the nightstand next to a cadou. Daniela had to have lent it to him. 

“That book was one of Daniela’s favorites. I was just out of grad school when the movie based on it came out.” You don’t know why you’re telling Karl this. It didn’t matter. You let go of breath, the person who had violated you with the cadou was dead, but their leader was still alive. 

Ethan enters the room and Karl immediately starts pressing buttons and angling his mic towards him. You patiently watch Ethan examine the room, reading Moreau’s journal, it was probably just about Miranda and how much he loved her, look how far that got him. He completes the key and that’s when Karl motions to you to stay silent as the Heisenberg crest appears on the screen in Moreau’s room.

“You’re better off than I thought,” Karl begins into the mic, complimenting Ethan and adjusting the volume of the feed. 

“Who’s that?” Ethan cautiously approaches the tv set. 

“Oh come on, we just met a while back. Not that it really matters,” Karl angles his head, more nervous than you’re used to seeing him.

“You’re the last asshole standing in my way, aren’t you?” Ethan asks the screen. You expected Karl to be angry but instead he smiles.

“You’ve got fight. I’ll give you that Ethan,” Karl’s smile was part of the show, fully playing his part. “But what’s the plan when you have all four flasks?”

“What are you trying to get at?” You can’t make out Ethan’s facial expression from this angle, but at least he was listening, not just shooting the screen.

“I could lend you a hand,” Karl looks over at you briefly to judge your reaction, him saying that was insanely risky but you nod keeping silent. 

“Trying to get on my good side?” There was a humor in Ethan’s voice that gave you hope. Yes, they were.

“Don’t get cocky, I’d kill you if you weren’t worth the trouble,” Karl was not going to win over Ethan like this. You nudge him but he doesn’t look at you. “There’s a stronghold not too far outside the village. Go there and get my flask. Do that, and you pass. First, head back to the graveyard.” Karl disconnects but not before you both hear Ethan call him a self centered prick. 

“What’s in the graveyard?” you ask as two chairs fly from the other side of the room to behind you. You take a seat adjusting your wings to behind the chair.

“Just signs pointing him in the right direction, Miranda is probably too busy prepping for the ceremony to notice them,” Karl takes a seat next to you and lights another cigar. “After this test, Ethan Winters will meet us here and we’ll kill Miranda.”

Chapter Text

“You meant literal signs?” You carefully watch your tone to sound more casual than you felt. You were furious. On the screens were multiple hidden cameras set up throughout the village as you and Karl watch Ethan make his way to his final test. How many times had he watched you from these screens, especially in the past month? You understood why he would have cameras near the other lords to keep track of his possible future enemies but the village? That was to watch you. 

“Miranda is busy and I can’t afford Ethan accidentally wandering right into her,” Karl says, leaning back in his chair smoking his third cigar in a row. “Some extra motivation wouldn’t hurt either.”

“You’re alarmingly calm about this,” you said, fidgeting with your necklaces. If Miranda saw those signs it’s all over. She’ll know immediately. 

“No fucking point in hiding now,” Karl keeps his eyes on the screens as Ethan follows his instructions, taking down so many lycans you lost count. You flinch at the sound when Ethan shoots at a barrel that explodes taking out at least three. “In a few hours we’ll either be free or dead.”

“What about those military guys?” You see a few run across one of the screens on the outer edge of the room, they were still in the village. “Didn’t the reports say someone was coming to the factory?”

“We’re safe here buttercup, no one is getting past that door unless I want them to and the lower floors are ready for war. Let my army handle them,” Karl finally looks over at you and smiles. “We can kill them after Miranda.”

“I thought we were free after Miranda.” You turn away from him and look at the screens. “You just said we’ll be free or dead.” Killing the woman who thought she was a god was one thing, killing regular humans didn’t feel completely right. 

“Free from the fucking village at least.” You could feel his stare on you. “I’m counting on you buttercup. Those mirrors are incredibly useful when it comes to her...” He took a breath, like he was getting ready to explain something to you the way he had in the early days deep in the factory. 

“That’s not good,” Ethan’s voice comes through the speakers cutting him off. Whatever Karl had to say was no longer on his mind as he presses a few keys and every screen becomes different angles of the same room.

“Who is that? I saw him with you in the village during the attack,” you ask as a massive lycan with a hammer appears on the screen. 

“I guess I never got to introduce you,” Karl pulls away from the keyboard. “That’s Urias, he was the village chief when I was younger. Before he was mutated and Luzia took over the job.” Urias’ roar almost blows out the speakers and Karl quickly lowers the volume on them. “He followed Miranda blindly, until he became that.”

“You made him the hammer I’m guessing?” you glance over at Karl who nods. “I saw someone like him, but bigger, near Miranda’s lab.”

An emotion you can only place as grief flickers across Karl’s face as he watches Ethan and the large lycan fight to the death. 

“That’s his younger brother.” Karl spoke quickly, pressing a key to zoom on Ethan. “His brother is under Miranda’s complete control, we’ll deal with him when it comes to that. How did you even get away? Strajer is fucking powerful.”

“He was being held back,” is all you say as Ethan fires well aimed shots. “Why not use Urias against Miranda?”

“Her sway will always hold more power over mine,” Karl didn’t hide the sadness in his voice. “While I can control the lycans better than my siblings for whatever reason, she’ll always have a hold on them. Killing them in the end is a mercy.”

You thought about your training, all the lycans you killed just for practice with just bits of glass shaped in weapons. Beautiful reflective draggers that now sit in the wings behind you waiting to be shaped again. They had once been villagers, just like the army protecting the factory floors beneath your feet. You’re momentarily ashamed to admit that you saw them more as animals than the humans they once were. You were so close to becoming one of them after all. There was no going back for them, might as well be dead as their humanity was. 

You wince when a hit from Urias’s hammer falls on Ethan’s shoulder. To a normal person the blow would have been crushing, broken collar bone at least but Ethan keeps moving, shooting at the smaller lycans before dodging a pillar being thrown by Urias. It was terrifying to watch but it confirmed what Karl believed, Ethan Winters was not a normal human man.

“Eat shit,” you hear Ethan say as Urias crystallizesand crumbles. You turn your head away from the screens out to the other room. The factory had never scared you, but for a reason you couldn’t place something that didn't feel right. Something was wrong. The sound of a chainsaw cut through the silence and the door slams closed.

“Never any goddamn quiet,” Karl mutters as he himself turned back to the console, changing the camera location on the main screen to a different room. “I’m going to have Winters meet us here, Miranda is too busy getting ready for the ceremony to notice. If we have him insert the flasks early we can use Rose.”

“When he gets here we should let him know about Mia, he’ll be more likely to work with us then,” you suggest as Karl’s hand hovered over the button.

“I’ll talk to him. Man to man,” Karl chuckles and hits the button as you watch Ethan inspect the final flask he needed, the last piece of Rose.  You could see Ethan react to the Heisenberg crest appears on screen.  “You’re the real deal Ethan, well done,” Karl spoke into the mic.

“Quit hiding asshole, I’m not letting you get out of this,” Ethan moved closer to the screen as if he was going to fight or shoot it. 

“Cool your jets,” Karl said with a laugh, his showman persona fully on. “Just a little bit more and you’re all wrapped up. I’ll lend you a hand, so in exchange-”

“In exchange what?” Ethan sounds exhausted, you didn’t blame him. So much has happened in the last 24 hours.

“First of all, come to me. Put all the flasks in the altar and I’m sure you’ll figure the rest out. See you soon, Ethan.” Karl hit the button to end the broadcast and sat back in his chair, the smile fading from his face. “This is going to be it. Once Ethan agrees, we help him bring back Rose. Rose’s power can defeat Miranda with the help of my army. We’re going to be fucking free.” Karl looks over at you but he’s still not smiling. The statement staying in the air. 

“Are you nervous?” You ask shifting to look more at him than the screens. You were beyond nervous. Ethan had killed all the other lords, he could easily kill both of you. Probably. 

“Fuck no.” He pulls out a fourth cigar and lights it inhaling deeply. “It’s just something feels…unreal. I’m going to need you.”

“I’m not exactly built for war.” you point you out. “What could I even do?”

“True,” Karl gave a quick glance at your wings and then back to you. “You’ve managed to out live plenty of others though. I mean after we win. I’ll need a guide. I know right now you’re apprehensive. I was going to talk to you about this after but fuck, with the way things have been going…I was going to let you go when we were free but now that-”

An alarm sounds so loud you have to cover your ears. Karl went immediately to the console. The view changes to being where the Duke was set up focused on the altar. Ethan had put in the last flask. The altar rose up and Ethan grabbed it. That’s when you realized it was similar to the device Karl had used to trigger the elevator that brings you to the bridge. Karl had been planning for this for so much longer than you thought. Karl flicks a switch and around Ethan torches lit his way to the factory. 

“Where is Miranda?” You focus on the outer screens as Ethan makes his way to the factory. The statue towers over him, in the center was the elevator that would bring him to the bridge,  waiting for him.

“Probably in her study getting everything ready for her precious fucking Eva.” Karl kept changing angles of the camera on the large screen. “When I made the flasks I also designed the altar, and now that chalice will activate the elevator, he just needs to figure it out. He’s smart, he will.” Karl was more explaining to the screen rather than to you. 

Ethan walks past the elevator to the fence, near the rock you had been sitting on waiting for signs from the factory for over a month. You find yourself leaning forward like you could will him to hurry. After a few long seconds Ethan moves to the elevator and puts in the chalice. You could feel the ground shake as the bridge rose outside. No going back now, Ethan was coming here. Karl switched the camera into the elevator, before looking over his shoulder to you. What he had said about once you escape, letting you go, both of you were still thinking about it and for a moment you actually picture all the city adventures and future you had dreamed of with him. It was so close to being real, for the first time all day you felt real hope. Karl went back to the mic, a real smile on his face. 

“Don’t worry about the kid, Ethan. It’ll be fine. Just get your ass across the bridge!” Karl spoke into the mic, his smile never breaking. 

“Be nice to him, you have to get him to agree,” it’s hard for you to sound stern when you were admittedly excited. 

“I got it, don’t worry buttercup. After he agrees you can tell him about Mia. Once we have Rose’s power, Miranda won’t stand a chance. We’re going to win this war,” Karl laughs and then turns back to the mic as Ethan approaches. “Ah, Ethan Winters. Welcome!” He flicks a switch on the side of the console and the gate opens for Ethan. “I didn’t think you’d make it past Donna and Moreau, but I suppose you survived worse back in America, hm? I like you. I’d like to speak to you about Rose and Miranda.” You both watch on the screen as Ethan pauses before the factory doors. “Oh come on in, Don’t worry, it’s not a trap.”

“You can’t say that, then he’ll definitely think it’s a trap!” you groan as soon as Karl’s finger leaves the mic button. “He’s literally walking in here with his gun drawn.”

“I’m just being honest with him. He’ll appreciate it,” Karl’s smile fades though. “We don’t know how your healing would handle a gun, doubt those will protect you from one,” he said,motioning over to your wings.

“What about you?” You raise an eyebrow at him. “If he just starts shooting what happens to you?”

“I’ll be fine. It would take a lot more than that to kill me.” Karl glances over at his hammer but doesn’t make a move for it. “How about this, I will talk to him. Make sure he hasn’t lost his fucking mind and when it’s safe you can talk to him. You can talk about Mia.” Karl changes the screen to the war room next door. “You’ll be able to see and hear it all here, I’ll let you know when it’s safe.”

“Sounds reasonable,” you agree. He was right, you had no idea if you’d survive a gunshot and didn’t want to test it at the worst possible time. “Just be nice to him, he’s had a long day.”

“It’s almost over buttercup, just relax while you can.” Karl puts his glasses on and smiles at you. The door quietly opens and he steps out without making a sound as the door closes again. You are anything but relaxed as you turn to the screen to see Ethan pulling down a sheet and showing Karl’s information on all the lords and Miranda. The lords who were defeated were crossed off. At least photos of you are gone now. 

“What the hell…Mia?” Ethan focuses on a picture you knew was Miranda with Rose, given to Karl by an outside source working for Miranda. Your heart sinks, you should have had Karl take it down, Ethan will never agree if he thinks his family is in danger. Agreeing to let Karl use whatever Rose’s power was against Miranda with pictures of his family on the wall was insane. 

“Truth hurts, don’t it,” Karl asks Ethan who immediately points the gun at him. Only   Ethan didn’t realize the truth yet, he thought that was Mia with Rose on the wall, not Miranda. You can only watch as Karl smokes his cigar. “Let me guess. You’re thinking take me out like the others, and then you get to go save Rose, right?” 

“I’m healing my daughter,” Ethan’s voice was full of anger but he did lower his gun. He was willing to talk. You sigh in relief, that was a shaky start but it was looking promising. Ethan walks towards Karl but his gun is still lowered. 

“Look you got this all wrong,” Karl sounded almost nervous. You hear that chainsaw noise again, you look at the other cameras within the factory and spot him. Sturm, missing arms but it will still him. Karl said he was a failure but here he was. And he was only one floor away from the one you were on.  “Dammit, I’m talking here!” Karl sounds annoyed and exhausted. Has he been alone in the factory for the past month with that wandering around? Karl quickly looks at Ethan before opening the gate. “Shut your fucking hole” Karl yells into the grate and then as if embarrassed “Sorry about that.” Karl grabs a chair and sets up for Ethan, it’s dangerously close to the open gate but faces the room. “Take a seat” he sounds like he was trying to be polite and walks past Ethan who doesn’t move. “Listen, Ethan. You’re being played.” You realize the wall Karl is walking towards is the one that used to have your photos now just red brick, all traces of you thankfully gone. 

“What are you talking about? You think this is a game?” Ethan is clearly upset, almost as if this conversation is just a chore. That’s when you notice there is a knife stabbed into the desk under where your pictures used to be and Karl was reaching for it. Without warning Karl throws the knife into the wall landing on a photo of Alcina and storms over to Ethan. That’s when you hear the door to the room you’re in lock. Karl shut you out. 

“I said sit.” Karl forces Ethan into the chair but you notice Ethan still doesn’t reach for his gun. “Lady super-sized bitch…” Karl uses his power to move the knife on to Donna. “Ugly-ass psycho doll…” he moves the knife to Moreau. “And that moronic freak.” Karl pauses you realize for dramatic effect. “Don’t you get it? It’s a test, to see if you’re strong enough…to be a part of Miranda’s family.” Karl gestures to the Miranda portrait that was sold in the village. 

“I don’t WANT to be a part of Miranda’s family-” Ethan snaps as if Karl was offering it as an option. 

“Neither did I! But here we are.” Karl as if he couldn't help it was back in his showman persona now. “And I’m next in line, right? Kill me, move up the chain! Well fuck that,” Karl send the knife leaving a gash across the wall. This was not going well and he wouldn’t let you stop him from letting his temper get in the way of this deal.

“I don’t give a damn about your personal issues!” Ethan sounds almost amazed that Karl would even speak to him about this situation. “I just want to fix my daughter!”

“So do I!” Karl said after a small laugh. Finally back on topic. “Do you have any idea how powerful that kid is?” Karl was focused back on Ethan instead of the wall. “Even Miranda’s scared of her-” Karl looks back at the wall as Sturm starts again. “Last time, you freak, I swear to god!” Karl shouts into the hole. You get the sense Ethan realizes how close to the hole he is. This must be Karl’s  backup plan, to have Sturm kill Ethan if he disagrees. Ethan was just a man looking for his daughter, he didn’t deserve any of this. You watch as Karl removes his glasses trying to get Ethan to listen. “You and me, Ethan.” You notice you were left out. “Together we go save Rose, and then we can use her to grind Miranda into paste.”  

“My daughter is not a weapon! Fuck you!” Ethan says firmly. Karl takes a moment and decides to kick the chair down the hole instead of just using his power to push it. Karl grabs Ethan’s arm at the last minute, saving his life.

“Last chance,” Karl threatened as Ethan held on to his arm. “You don’t want to find out what’s in that hole.” Karl gestures. 

“I’ll take my chances,” Ethan lets go of Karl’s arm and leans back, ready to fall.

“Your funeral,” Karl says calmly as he lets a screaming Ethan fall into the hole with Sturm.

The man who was supposed to be protecting you and helping you escape just sealed your fate, you were stuck and likely going to die in this village. No help was coming, Ethan Winters was going to be torn to pieces in a way he could never come back from. For the first time since running in the woods all those months ago, you are afraid of Karl. 

Chapter Text

As the door slams open you don’t take your eyes off the screens in front of you. You will your face to be blank, your wings against the wall to remain still and will every single piece of glass in the factory not to shatter as Karl rushes in taking a seat next to you. The door slams and the lock re-activates. You stare directly ahead watching Ethan outrun something you helped create out of a man you had killed. Ethan’s bullets do nothing to Sturm as you suspected. Other than potential overheating, losing his arms and being borderline uncontrollable he wasn’t far from the specs you had helped piece together but all those new issues are from Karl wanting more power. Ignoring his own notes and yours for the sake of strength.

“We don’t fucking need him,” Karl seethes as he flicks switches to block Ethan’s escape. “You and me sweetheart, we can take that bitch down with my army. With Sturm, you’ll see even if it can’t follow direction it’s still fucking useful. Plus we’ll have Rose’s power to weaken her.”

“You’ve never called me sweetheart before,” you finally speak but your breath still feels trapped in your lungs. You find your voice is steady though, as if you were reading off a list of clients to your boss. 

“It’s just a fucking expression,” Karl mutters watching Ethan carefully on the screen.

“I’ve always been Buttercup, never sweetheart,” you move your chair slightly to face him as his hand freezes over a button for just a moment before he presses it. A plan forming in your mind, if you can distract Karl enough Ethan can get away.

“Are you really arguing with me over a fucking pet name?” Karl looks at you for the first time since entering the room. “Don’t fucking start I swear-” Karl turns back to the screen pressing a button a moment too late and Ethan slides down an opening to small for Sturm to enter.

“Oh look at that he got away.” You try not to smile as you cross one leg over the other leaning back slightly. “And now we have a seemingly immortal desperate father running around the factory who will try to kill us. None of this was part of the plan.”

“I improvised,” Karl changes screens until he finds Ethan again. “He’s practically at the bottom of the factory…there’s a lot of soldiers between him and us. You're safe.” The venom in his tone implies you’re anything but safe.

“At this point I have to ask which one is you and which one is the act?” You motion your wings close to you as you stand up. They won’t do anything against him but they’re now to the ceiling and making screeching sounds as they drag across the floor.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he eyes your wings before returning to watch Ethan speak to The Duke. 

“I always thought the showman bravado thing was an act. Something you needed to do to not blow your cover. Then again,” memories rush back to you ones you’ve purposely tried to forget. “You did that act before sending me into the woods to watch me be torn apart by lycans. God, I’m so fucking stupid.” You laugh, surprised by your own coldness. “I can’t keep lying to myself about you Karl.” You’re still laughing as you stand there is no way out of this room unless you can provoke him into opening the door. “I can’t keep telling myself you’re not a mon-” you freeze at his expression and the coldness leaves you. Too far. You were going too far. 

“Go on. Finish your sentence. What did Miranda turn me into?” Karl moves towards you slowly but his hammer flies across the room into his hand. “You’re so brave. You can say it.”

A Monster

“An asshole,” You hold your ground and don’t back away from him. He won’t kill you. He wants to prove you wrong so badly his pride won’t let him. 

“Nice save.” He’s practically towering over you but you don’t move. You know it’s not that you’re afraid of him killing you, the fear you have is entirely for him. He’s a danger to himself. Karl briefly looks away from you to check the screen and nearly takes out the console with his hammer. “Fucking of course. Redfield’s finally here.”

“Would you like to lock me in here while you go talk to him man to man?” You sarcastically mimic him from earlier. 

“What the fuck is your goddamn problem? Are you in a rush to get your head blown open?” Karl was almost laughing but you know better. “Oh I get it.” Karl checks on Ethan quickly before turning to you. “You don’t think I’m your best shot of escape anymore? No more need to cozy up to me with a big strong military man around? Tell me Buttercup, how far does that need for survival go? Will you fuck him for months too?”

You go to open your mouth to correct him but you know whatever you say at this point he’ll twist into something else. But part of what he was saying was right. You had fallen for him under the impression he could save you. Karl was the only person willing to fight against Miranda. The question hangs in the air if you had ever fallen for him or just the idea of being saved. 

“There was something there. Something real.” You choked out more to yourself than to him. It feels like your chest wants to break open and the cadou inside claw its way out. “I loved you. And I thought you loved me.”

“I never said that,” Karl said too quickly before going back to the screen to watch Ethan take in the view of the factory the two of you had looked at so often. A future army suspended on a conveyor belt. It must look so grotesque to Ethan. You had seen it as an escape but through Ethan’s eyes it’s no wonder Karl would be seen as an evil scientist.

“You’re right. Carving the word into Anton’s arm really isn’t the romantic gesture someone might think it is,” You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirrors of the wings. Your air dried hair frizzy, your clothes that don’t fit you. You look exhausted and feel it at that moment. “Let’s get to the point,” you take a deep breath. “Are you going to kill me or just lock me in here?”

Karl doesn’t take his eyes off the screen Ethan is on. You stare right at him. Moments ago you were planning a future with him and now you wonder if all of this was worth it. If you should have died in the house with Luiza and Elena. If this is how Donna felt when you left her behind to be killed by Ethan. 

“If you’re giving up on this, Redfield would probably be your next best shot of escape,” Karl spoke softly. You could barely hear him before he clears his throat. “If he doesn’t kill you on sight or capture you to run experiments on you.” He changed to the screen where Chris Redfield was looking through a case he had with him. The lid is positioned to block the view of the contents from the camera. “Who knows, he let the Winters try to live normal lives.” He never turns from the screen but you hear the door click and slowly open.

Karl is letting you go.

“You could come with me,” You carefully put a hand on his arm. “We can still fix this.”

“The only thing that needs to be fixed is you being here,” Karl shook off your hand. “If you can’t fucking trust me, if you can’t believe in this,” he motions to the screens making a point to not look at you. “Then go run away. Don’t stand up to Miranda after all she’s fucking done to you. To the village. To Luiza, Vasile and your friends. Redfield is on the lowest floor in the scrap heap. Best of luck with that, maybe if you cry he’ll pity you. That’s worked for you before.”

“Fine.” You back away slowly, taking one last look at him before you turn and make your run for the door. It’s then you realize your wings are shaking but all sound stops when Karl grabs your wrist and you wonder if he changed his mind about killing you. His eyes are both devastated and angry, the ache in your chest returns. 

“Your necklace,” He says quickly before the Heisenberg crest you wear floats slightly. “Please, keep it. Even if you don’t wear it, keep it in your pocket.” The crest returns to laying flat across your shirt. “When this is all over, I’ll find you.” You’re not sure if that's a threat even when he unexpectedly pulls into him and kisses you. It was so quick it wasn’t nearly enough to convey everything being left unsaid. He lets you go and the anger returns to his face. “Go now. Avoid Sturm, he’s focused on Winters but I can’t control him from this distance. Just get out of my sight.”

“Be careful,” is all you can say as you turn back around and out the door. You hear it close and lock behind you, no turning back now. You head straight to the elevator adjusting your necklace so the crest is hidden under your shirt. Tossing it would be the smart thing to do, Karl is too dangerous at this point even if he just begged you to keep it but you double check to make sure it’s secure. When the elevator finally arrives after you press the button a million times you’re greeted by The Duke, a cigar in one hand and something else in his other that he brings to his eyes. 

“Say cheese,” he jokes as a camera flash goes off.

“Not now,” you say harsher than you mean you as you step in and press the button for the lowest floor. You forgot how slow this thing moved when Karl wasn’t controlling it. “Really not in the mood.”

“You’ll thank me later,” he puts the camera away. “Things have really become interesting here. I just spoke to Ethan Winters.”

“I’m sure he only had lovely things to say about our-” you shudder. “Lord Heisenberg’s factory.” 

“The lovers’ quarrel continues, I see. I’m sorry to hear that,” The Duke’s tone was somber and concerned. More than you’ve ever heard. “You two will work it out.”

“I’m not sure that’s the biggest issue at the moment. What do you know about Chris Redfield?” You ask him flat out tired of dancing around questions. 

“He’s very dangerous. I would advise against fighting him alone,” The Duke’s smile returned. “I’ve lost enough of my customers tonight.”

“What about talking to him?” you question.

“Be careful,” he echoed your words from earlier as the elevator door opens and you step out on a level you’ve never been on. 

The scrap heap. You try to walk quietly but everything echoes, including the footsteps of someone else. “Chris Redfield?” you call out and the footsteps stop.

“Your boyfriend must not be very protective if he sent you here alone to stop me,” a voice answers back, more annoyed than intimidating.

“I’m not exactly sure he is my boyfriend anymore,” you respond, trying to keep a casual tone. It was so dark you could barely see down here. “I came here to talk. I’m not looking for a fight. I’m tired of fighting.”

“Talk?” Chris Redfield finally appeared from the shadows, gun raised pointed directly at your head. 

“Mia Winters is alive,” you say quickly, raising your hands and letting your wings collapse to the floor, forgetting their height and cringing at the loud shattering behind you. “She’s being kept in Miranda’s lab. They need her alive for some reason. I promised her I would get her help!” You’re throwing away your only bargaining chip but you have no idea if Chris would shoot before you could finish.

“Mia’s alive?” Chris never lowers the gun. “Are you sure it’s not Miranda?”

“Miranda’s reflection shows her true form. The reflection in my mirrors was definitely not Miranda,” You never break eye contact with him. “Ethan Winters is somewhere in this factory. Karl tried to make a deal with him to use Ethan’s daughter to stop Miranda but both of them lost their tempers and then Karl tried to kill him, which I’m completely against by the way, and then Karl threw him down this hole to this monster we created- well really he created to stop Miranda but his blueprints were wrong he made changes that didn’t work and-”

“Of course Ethan is here. I told him to stay out of this,” Chris cut off your rambling. “And what do you want?”

“I want out of this village, I want to go home, I want to see what music and movies and tv shows I missed. I want to wear normal clothes. I want to live.” You realize you’re shaking. “Please.”

Heisenberg

In hindsight, two way speakers in the scrap heap would have been a good idea. She really was talking to Chris Redfield, her back to the camera leaving me unable to even read her lips as she likely sells me out. It won’t be long though, once she sees how I use Rose’s power she’ll come crawling back. Ever the survivalist. And then I’ll…I’ll let her return to my side. I collapse back in my chair, there are more pressing issues. When Redfield even slightly lowers the barrel he had aimed at her head her posture relaxes. I shouldn’t be fucking watching this. Winters isn’t doing half bad. I may need to send more soldiers after him. I double-check on his progress, still a long way to go. I flip the main screen back to her and Redfield, his weapon is completely lowered now. To my surprise she turns around and looks straight into the camera. 

“Sorry,” she mouths to me before the screen turns to static. 

Fuck she’s cutting the cameras. How the fuck am I supposed to make sure she doesn’t run into Winters or Sturm-. No, she cut a deal with Redfield for a reason, what comes of that are her own consequences. I see her shadow in the next room before the static takes over that screen too. Goddamnit. I check on Winters, he’s nowhere near where the feed is cutting out. Good.

“Oh Ethan, such a disappointment,” I press the page all key, her and Redfield will hear this too. “I thought we could join forces against that bitch Miranda. Truly, truly disappointing. She took me. Took us. To be her children. She locked us away in the village. Decades of being forced to serve her. Can you even understand the humiliation?” I’ve lost sight of Redfield but she’s pausing, listening instead of continuing to cut the feed, a sad expression on her face. Of all the things I want from her…pity is not one of them. “I’m not like my siblings, I want nothing more than to be free of that bitch. So I need power. I need enough power to destroy her. These are the fruits of my power. The strong will destroy the weak. That’s the way of the world! You should have never refused me, Ethan!” Anger flashes across her expression before static. Fine, I could take her anger. 

How does she continue to be such a fucking distraction? Ethan Winters is testing the limits of my army, Miranda is prepping for the ceremony, Redfield is doing something he doesn’t want me to know in my own factory. If it wasn’t for her and Ethan not working with me I would have time to deal with him myself. My hammer flies into my hand at just the thought of crushing him beneath it. I should have sent her down there to slit his throat. I should have lied to her and said that he’s the biggest threat to her after Miranda. 

I did not come this far to let her ruin my chance of destroying Miranda for good. 

I turn off the static screens and focus on Ethan Winters, getting closer and closer to Sturm again. I can see how he survived that mess back in America, he was resourceful and a good shot. If he had just listened to me we could have taken on Miranda together using Rose’s power. He just didn’t understand or was in denial. 

“Soon, she’ll start her ceremony with your Rose. If that happens, it’s all over. For your kid, and for the whole village. But don’t worry, I’ll stop it. I’ll use Rose to kill Miranda,” I can’t help myself but laugh at the idea that Winters is so clueless he has no idea what I mean. “Poor papa. You’re the only one who doesn’t see your kid’s power.”

Once my army takes care of Winters I can fully focus on how to harness his daughter’s power. Miranda will never see it coming, I can almost imagine the shocked look on the bitch’s face when she realizes her favorite son has been planning against her for decades. After Miranda’s death and with Rose’s power, I’ll be unstoppable. I’ll finally be strong enough. I check on Buttercup’s progress destroying the cameras. Her glass is cutting the wires before she even enters rooms now but I can tell she’s running towards an exit, still a ways to go. Returning back to Ethan and Sturm I stand out of my chair sending it and my hammer against the wall.

“Fuck,” I mutter as I realize Sturm is no longer targeting Ethan. He’s targeting her. He sees her before I can separate him from getting to the floor she’s on. Fuck. If she had just stayed up here. If she hadn’t made the deal with Redfield. Fuck. I shouldn’t have let her leave. Or, I could just let it happen. Change the screens to Winters, ignore the consequences of her own actions catching her. She left. She thinks I’m weak. That the only chance she has of surviving is betraying me. She’s stopped cutting the cameras realizing what’s following her gaining speed on her. She pauses long enough for me to see her horrified expression. She’s terrified. Good. 

No longer focusing on the cameras, I have a perfect view of her running down the hallways as Sturm follows. She makes some decent size cuts on his legs and even slows down the motor slightly to hinder his speed but after turning a corner and climbing stairs it’s not enough. She’s so close to an exit, the one to the west that will bring her closer to the bridge. If she makes it to the top of the stairs she’ll just have to make it to the end of the hall. I should be watching Winters, finishing up what I need to kill Miranda. She decided her fate the moment she walked out the door of this. She doesn’t believe I could do it and who is she to call me weak when she’s so fragile herself. 

I find myself hitting the floor lockdown button just as she reaches the top of the stairs, stopping Sturm from being able to follow her. She practically throws herself through the doorway as the gate comes down landing hard on the floor most of her glass quickly makes it through as it shuts. I stare at her on the screen, unsure of why I just stopped Sturm from doing his job. She’s still catching her breath when she spots the camera, she knows I’m watching her. She knows I just saved her life against my better judgement.

“Thank you.” She smiles at the camera, I can’t hear her but I know what she said. That smile. I’ll see it again when Miranda is dead. She just needs to get somewhere safe for now and Redfield’s team can handle that. Now, to redirect Sturm to Winters. 

Y/N 

Karl saved your life. You can guess he saw you cutting the cameras at Chris’s request (well more of an order, you don’t think he’s good at requests). Karl knows what you did and saved you anyway. You pray Chris keeps his word, that he’ll do his best to make sure Karl isn’t in the factory when he blows it up. It makes sense, this army can’t last outside the village. Especially if Karl’s planning to do more than just kill Miranda. You can see the door leading to the exit Chris instructed you to use, head across the bridge and to the church. He has someone from his team meeting you there.

When you reach the door you’re greeted with darkness. It was well into the night now, The lights around the factory were enough to illuminate the bridge but beyond was darkness. With the village wiped out, the lights of the village were dim, likely the only lights were from fires lycans had started by running through homes knocking over candles in their pursuit for survivors. When you reach the bridge, you give the factory one last look. You’ll never enter it again. Either it will be destroyed or you’ll be dead. You should have warned Karl to escape the factory but with Ethan still inside, Chris won’t risk it. You hope. 

The moment you take your first few steps across the bridge alarms ring out behind you. You turn in fear that Chris had already acted but instead it was another one of Karl’s security features he activated. Large fences at least 12 feet high rose from beneath the snow. You were officially locked out again. No going back. You make a run for it across the bridge, your wings now spread in front of you removing the heads of the lycans blocking your path before you even reach them. 

As you get closer to the village you realize the black roots that were in the cave outside Miranda’s land had slowly taken over. It slows you down as you try not to trip over them. This was bad, everyone had to get out of here. The roots moved on their own almost like worms but something was different than these and the ones by the lab, they were getting stronger. When you reach the courtyard that led to the village you’re shocked how much the roots had blocked you from seeing what was happening, the whole village was on fire. You nearly stumble on the stairs leading into the village.  When you make it to the bottom, you see that the church is not one of the buildings on fire yet, to your relief. As you reach the door it opens for you with another gun to your head. 

“Alpha said you would be meeting up with us,” A woman’s voice comes from the masked, googled and heavily armed figure in front of you as they lower their gun. “Thanks for agreeing to help us out here. You can call me Tundra.”

“Code names, cool,” you manage to say between gasps of breath but you quickly regain your strength and straighten up. “Chris- I mean Alpha said you had a way out of the village.”

“We have a plane, it’s small but it will get us all out of here when we need to. For now we’re testing the mold samples here and keeping an eye on Miranda.” She gestures to a tablet with a livestream playing of the empty ceremony site. “We need to move locations closer to the plane though, just a matter of time till the fire spreads to here. Does that cadou give you any super strength or just the glass control?” 

“Just glass,” you respond. There’s an awkward pause after you answer. A weak power, absolutely useless in this scenario. You feel your face getting hot. “But I can try to carry a few things. I can also take out any lycans that get in your way.”

“Just keep hold of the tablet for now. Let me know if anything changes. Don’t let the screen break please.” You stand there looking at the screen as she quickly packs up the computer you and Karl had read reports on earlier into a brief case and carefully places it in a backpack. She throws it over her shoulder swiftly as she reaches for her gun again. No changes to the screen. “Canine is outside the back door, he’ll take us to the new base.” 

“Sounds good,” you nod and follow her.

“Ah, Heisenberg’s girlfriend really did join us after all,” he said in a friendly joking way but it did eat at you a little. Everyone knew you betrayed Karl for your own survival. There was no point in dancing around it. Everyone also knew you had been here the whole time and never tried to save you. 

“I let her hold the tablet, I figured she might be able to keep the screen from breaking if it drops,” Tundra stayed behind you, implying that she’ll be watching your back to make sure you don’t betray them either. Great. 

The walk through the village was shockingly uneventful other than them shooting at a few roots they called mold. The lycans must have been spooked by the fire and moved in the forests where you were heading now. When a truck comes into view you almost cry. It was happening. You were going to make it out of here. 

“Oh shit. Look what E.W. got himself into,” a voice came from the tablet and you held it out for Tundra and Canine to see. From what you could tell this was being taken a distance away from the factory, it zoomed in on Ethan for a second as he drove a weird looking tank and then zoomed out. You couldn’t really make out what was in front of him, it was huge though, all metal moving parts. Canine grabs the tablet out of your hand but you could still see the screen. 

“If your boyfriend kills him, Alpha is not going to be happy,” Canine spoke as Tundra armed herself. 

“I’ve never seen that before,” you say, staring at the screen. You rack your brain, trying to think if you ever noticed a giant mech in the factory. Why would he need Sturm when he had this somewhere? Hopefully if Ethan took it down he would still be safe but you had a sinking feeling about it. 

“That doesn’t surprise me, he seemed to have more control than the other lords when it came to the mutation,” Tundra was now clearly starting to aim her gun at you. 

“What are you doing?” You didn’t move, you were transfixed by what was on the screen.

“Just a precaution, can’t have you running off to help your boyfriend,” Canine answered for Tundra.

“This will be my warm up before I kill that bitch,” Karl’s voice came from the mech but it was distorted, something was wrong. It came rushing to you then. Karl wasn’t piloting the giant mech, Karl was the giant mech. This was his mutation. And he was going to die like everyone else who had fought Ethan. 

“I’m so sorry about this,” you say as before Tundra can pull the trigger or Canine reaches for his weapon. You break the tablet screen and use the shards to cut through their gloves. You don’t see the damage you did to their hands as you take off running again. It’s a matter of moments before gun fire follows you but you focus on using the glass to cause the bullets to slow and even stop. They don’t bother following you into the village but they were probably warning the others you were to be shot on sight. 

As you finally reach the path that would lead you to the elevator and the bridge, a stray lycan stops in front of you. It’s acting strangely, not attacking you like it should. The lycan then runs towards the factory and you follow, letting it guide you to where the bridge should be. From across the gap you can see clearly through the fence Karl had put up. For some reason he couldn’t control the machine Ethan was operating. The lycan moves closer to you but not in a way that’s threatening. It’s like it’s examining you, confused by you. You can’t bring yourself to kill it. 

“You have the other half don’t you?” You stop watching the fight to stare at the lycan, what you could have become if you had been given the other part of the cadou that’s keeping your heart beating. The monster you almost became after you first mutated when the change nearly failed. You stare at each other for a moment because a large black root impales the lycan, it’s blood splattering your face and before you can react another drags you to the ground and away from the ledge. 

“I knew you would recognize and follow it. How perfect everything is coming along today.” Miranda’s voice is cold yet cheerful and when you look up, you can see she is no longer wearing her golden mask. And like the first time you met her all those months ago when you had passed out in the church, she has a smile as she stands over you.