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King Tusk had been poisoned. All signs pointed to an assassination attempt - right on their home turf. And just when Brine wasn't looking. The man was fine, though. Thirty-plus years of sustaining his monstrous physique had culminated in an immune system strong enough to withstand - and subsequently flush out - whatever deadly toxins had just been included in his afternoon sandwich. In short, he'd been ready for this moment all along. Nevertheless... Tusk was furious. The Appleseed Inn would close early today. Mere hours after the attempt on his life, the crime lord and his henchmen were gathered in the club's cellar. A single lantern hung ominously from the ceiling, shining down on two masked individuals like a spotlight. Both were bound and on their knees. "... You've got some nerve, pulling this now. The expansion plan has cost me billions." Tusk paced before them, his lit pipe leaving a spiraling trail of smoke. Brine stood idly by, hugging her bat. "Now... I am SORRY that your families became collateral in the process, but you've got to look at the bigger picture, here... The man blew a puff in the veiled faces of his captives as he bowed over them - the haze twisting his visage into something far from human. "If you snuff out the KING... ...Who's left to run his city?" Tusk beckoned Brine out of the dark. Right... Her actual job. "Make an example of one of them," he said with a grim scowl. "Your pick." "'Kay~. o/`" Brine spun the bat in her hand, switching her mindset. Bludgeoning was her current passion, after all. She pointed her bat at the two subjects, playfully whispering "eenie meenie" under her breath - until she noticed one of them wasn't shivering. Not an ounce of fear in their body. This ticked her off, and she swung - a flash of pure, unfettered malice in her eyes as the bat came down on her victim's head. Bang. Body limp on the floor, Brine adjusted her cap to get a clear view of her work, grinning in elation. Then she spotted a hand tattoo. A flower. That's odd. Hadn't she seen this somewhere before? Come to think of it, the bar had been empty all day... All of a sudden, the girl became extremely aware of the scene laid out before her. Red. Red red red red red red red red red red red so much red. Her breaths turned shallow; it felt like the whole room was shrinking. Quick - what else out there is red? Please think. Her favorite brand of licorice. Roses! But it was pointless. Brine's knees shook beneath her, and her throat convulsed. It was taking everything in her not to throw up. She then felt her boss's hand patting her on the head. "Good hit," Tusk grinned over her shoulder. She didn't move an inch - scared that she might sink into the floor if she did. As if surging from the man's fingertips, a familiar feeling of being trapped washed over her. His men cleared out the room afterwards. Brine never saw the people in the cellar again. And the company carried on. The girl did, too; her job just suddenly wasn't as fun anymore. The drinks were bland. Her mind was screaming more than usual. And for some reason, all the crimson lights in the club now made her nauseous. There was no distracting her from this one. -*- Saturday night. Brine stood outside the Appleseed Inn - bat leaning against the wall - as cabaret music pounded away behind the door. A shaggy young boy came up to her, covered in bruises. "Hey you! How's the pay at this joint?" The girl looked him up and down, and gave him a tired smile. "It's whatever, see? Now get outta here before I break your bones." <b> - CHAPTER 3 END - | |