The Red Lands ::Private RP::

[KatDrama]

Roi glared back at Dylan, her temper rising even more. "Buzz off, lackey." She finally spitted out. She made a whipping motion with her arm and threw the scalpel with surprising accuracy at Dylan's head. Roi had made it to the door and began fumbling with the lock, trying to figure it out. Roi wasn't used to locked doors at all. In the slums there was no such thing as locks. With a growing sense of urgency she all but kicked at the door to get it to budge.

[FrauleinD]

Dylan screamed, her cries echoing throughout the mostly empty, cold room, though whether her scream or the blood shooting down her face came first, was hard to say. As her hands flew to her eye to clutch the gaping wound, she knocked the hat from her head, revealing her dark crimson-colored horns, and falling to her knees on the floor. The blood sailed down her face, through the cracks in her fingers and over her hands as she winced her other eye until she could see almost clearly at the psychotic winged woman struggling with the door. God... Good thing I locked it... Or was it?

Seeing that Roi was busying herself with the door, Dylan's blood soaked hand fumbled on the floor, leaving streaks and smudges of crimson in a path until she found the emergency nurse call button just beside the bed, hitting it as quickly as she could, just hoping the burly nurse-man mafia would get in there before Roi decided to poke out Dylan's other eye.

The alarm blared throughout the room, and the lights flashed in colors of red and yellow as one of the security guards started trying to unlock the door, fumbling with it as Roi was screwing with the knob from the other side. Dylan choked as she clutched her bleeding wound, unable to open her eye both from the seering pain and the blood that drenched it.

[KatDrama]

Roi panicked even more when sirens were going off. She was surprised and scared when suddenly the door burst open and men in white coats burst in. It took the men but a few minutes to diagnose what was going on. Strong hands grabbed at Roi and dragged her down to the floor in a large dog pile. Roi kicked and screamed, clawing at anything she could reach. Suddenly someone stabbed a large needle in her neck. Roi tried to fight it but she quickly felt her body go limp and her mind go numb. She stopped moving and her eyes stared blankly at nothing. Her brain could barely comprehend what was happening, but couldn't move her body to do anything about it. They had used a strong sedative.

Silently in her head Roi was screaming, screaming at the top of her lungs as she felt many hands lift and drag her away to somewhere. What would happen to her now?

After the man handling a nurse rushed into the room and hurried to Dylan. "You're hurt!" She exclaimed, not at all noticing Dylan's horns. "Let me see." She tried to gently pry Dylan's blood stained hand from her eye.

[FrauleinD]

"Don't touch me!" Dylan shrieked her voice cracking, though sounding more like a prepubescent boy than a woman, batting the nurse away, leaving a hand blood print on the woman's sleeve. "Don't f***ing touch me!" She roared, pushing the nurse away, groping desperately for her hat, one of her cheeks coated in blood and the other drenched in tears.

Her hand shot across the floor as she crawled on her knees, gripping the hat in her hands and fumbling, tripping over herself as she tried to stand, the grasp on her eye not wavering for a second as the nurse fruitlessly tried to get a better look at the wound. "I said don't touch me!" Dylan sobbed, trying to get away from the pesky wench.

"Whoa!" Captain Nancy pushed in between the two, somehow getting his way through the mess of doctors that were dragging Roi away, gently shoving the woman aside to keep her from getting herself hurt. "Calm it, Spit, calm it!" he said, grasping Dylan's shoulders and steadying her. "C'mon, now, calm it!" Gazing at her horns in awe for a moment, he took her face in his hands, though she refused to move her hand from her wound still. "It's gunna be all right, the good ole' doc caught that crazy b***h, she ain't gunna hurt y'now." He motioned for the nurse to grab one of the needles on the nearby table. "Y'gunna calm down'n lemme git a lookit that eye o'yers?"

"No!" She cried, trying unsuccessfully to push him away, feeling a twinging pinch in her arm as the nurse pricked one of the sedatives into her. "Just lemme alone!" she yelled, beating on Nancy's chest until she lost strength in her legs and fell to her knees, her hands both falling to the floor to catch her as her vision was consumed by crimson, and then faded away completely.

[KatDrama]

The room was dark save for a single spot light shining down from the ceiling. When Roi fully regained her senses somehow she knew without trying that she wouldn't be able to move. But to her surprise when she twitched her wrist she could lift it up a few inches, even if it did seem heavy. She was laying on the cold hard ground. Slowly she sat up. She found that her wrists were bound with some strange contraption that she had never seen before. Roi raised her hands up closer to her face to examine it and try to bite at it, but to her dismay she also found she was now gagged by something also more complex than she had ever seen. Slowly Roi twitched the various parts of her body, trying to figure out what was what. She found her wings bound together and to her with a mixture of straps and heavy chains. She she tried to stand she found the weight too unbalancing and fell back to her knees. Roi found out that while it was not the ridiculous dress from earlier she was still wearing a white dress with a short skirt length and a tube like top. Most disturbing of all Roy could sense without feeling that she was wearing a tight collar, from which she could see leading a chain that was hooked now to a ring in the floor.

Roi felt her hopes begin to sink. She tried struggling a bit with the restraints but there was a disembodied voice that came from somewhere. Roi twirled her head and found that the back wall of the small room was strangely reflective. "Just stay still for a while. There's three more hours until the banquet." The voice said. It was some man.

Roi struggled a bit more, then finding it all useless the bird finally sat still and lowered her head, silently crying in defeat.

[FrauleinD]

Dylan felt a slapping on her face as she awakened in a daze, lying in the bed of the room that had been assigned to her upon her return just the day before. Her good eye lazily slid open to see the good captain patting her cheek.

"Well, damn, kid. Y'had me fooled."

Dylan cocked her head and eyebrow in question as she reached up to feel her bandaged face.

"Y'had me convinced you's jes a scrawny l'il boy. An' here I been treatin' y'like a runt."

"I don't care." Dylan croaked, for once in a while telling the truth.

"An' you's one o' them."

At that, Dylan turned her head and questioned Captain Nancy with her glance.

"Them horns o'yers. Best not to be lettin' Pegasus see 'em." he said, taking the mostly finished cigarette and smothering it in an ashtray on the table.

Dylan sat up, her curious gaze still wanting for more information.

"What? I ain't tellin' ya. You best be gettin' outta here, Pegasus wants you at that banquet, you show up, t'wouldn't be but a few minutes, he'd find out. 'zall a fancy affair, no hats 'llowed, y'know. Or you could jes' be too hurt from yer little skirmish to show up."

"I wanna see 'er." Dylan demanded, pulling the sheet off of her and flipping her legs over the side of the bed.

The captain shook his head and pulled out another cigarette, lighting it and sticking it in his mouth. He set a labelled card key on the table. "I ain't tellin' y'where she is. And I weren't never here. Git on outta here now, I don't want you endin' up like her." He tossed Dylan's hat onto her lap and left the room without another word, not letting his eyes up from the ground as he left. "Too bad you weren't a boy, Spit." He mumbled into his cigarette as he cupped his hand over it to get more of the flavor.

Dylan snatched the cardkey from the table and returned her hat to her head, taking a quick glance in the mirror at the gauze and medical tape wrapped around her head, a bit of blood just showing through, but it looked like the worst was over. As far as the bleeding was concerned, anyway. A glare at the cardkey told her where Roi was, or at least what part of the HQ she was in. Making sure she threw on her still loaded new coat, Dylan left the room, bee-lining for her destination, refusing to stop and speak to anyone who stopped to ask her if she was all right.

[KatDrama]

"It's time." A voice said as the heavy door opened. Roi stared at the man in the door for a moment with confusion. He entered and picked up the chain attached to the collar, a cruel smile on his face. "Now be a nice little girl." When he tugged on the 'leash' at first Roi's instinct was to resist, but a sharp jolt kicked her in the neck. She was shocked at first and hesitated, resulting in another shock. There stood another man in the door way, a remote control in his hand.

Roi's bare feet felt like lead as she struggled to stand, the weight of the chains on her wings almost too heavy for her. Like a prisoner heading to the gallows she drudge to the door way, each step slow and measured. The proud hawk bowed her head in defeat. With a smile the man stopped her for a moment at the door way and removed the gag from her mouth. "Good little birdy." He sneered at her. Roi didn't even have the will to look up at him, or the squad of strong men that had come to escort her.

"Let's go then. Pegasus is waiting." One of them tugged on the chain, and obediently Roi followed.

[FrauleinD]

Dylan darted through the hallways, across the covered overpass that connected the 'peons' dwelling area from that of the higher-ups. The keycard opened the VIP door just as it should have, and she slipped in through the door, in awe at the brightly colored carpet and the music she could hear in the far, far distance of the huge, open hallway. Such lush decorations and brightness she'd never seen in a building. That Pegasus spent more money on one plant than he probably spent on ten of his lackeys in week. But that was no time to be in awe, she had a mission, and now she had to decide how to go about taking care of it. She wanted money. She needed money. With that, she could be done with that place.

She started off slowly toward where she heard the music, assuming, hopefully rightfully, that that was where the banquet was being held, and that that was where she would find Pegasus. She glanced at a fancy clock on the wall, hoping she was reading it right in that the feast hadn't quite started yet, and that she still had time to get her reward money from Pegasus and find then find Roi, but to do what with her she wasn't sure. Probably kick her in the knee.

As she came upon two fancy doors from behind which she heard the music, she heard someone approaching from her side. Pegasus, was it? Early for his own party as he should be. She straightened up and waited, wanting him to be the first to speak.

[KatDrama]

A man with luxurious long silver hair, dressed neatly in a pressed white suit entered the corridor through two double doors. He was followed by an entourage of scantily clad women and men in black suits. From afar Pegasus saw Dylan and whispered to the man at his side. Pegasus gave Dylan an eerie smile as he passed her by into the banquet hall.

One of the black suits approached Dylan. He had long black hair and an extremely handsome face, as well as a suave demeanor. He was Pegasus's number three guy, and one half the women in the compound were in love with. Shannon approached Dylan with an unreadable smile on his face, his hands nonchalantly in his pockets.

"Good work." He said with that same smile. A look of concern passed over Shannon's face and he reached out with a gentle hand to caress the side of Dylan's face, despite the fact that Dylan was for all he knew a man. "Goodness man, your eye!" He exclaimed. His purple-blue eyes seem to sparkle with godly radiance.

"If you'll follow me I'll show you to your table. If Pegasus is pleased with his present a reward will be waiting for you later. If not..." Shannon let his voice trail off. A man of his caliber didn't wish to speak of unpleasant things. "Well, come this way then." He smiled once again.

[FrauleinD]

Dylan eyed Pegasus slightly as he passed, then recoiled a bit as Shannon touched her face, her cheeks reddening a bit as she looked the other way, trying not to make herself seem too suspicious. "Wull. Comes w' th' job." I guess... She looked back to the man, so very unaccustomed to men being not only soft but clean as well, uncertain what to say. "Uh, well, yeah. Where're we sittin'?" She asked mutely as he led her into the hall, a wide open hall with golden and red velvet draperies, white linen covered tables with crystal candle holders and wine glasses, then the one long table where Pegasus let only his favorites accompany him to dinner. Or at least, she assumed as much.

She traced the inhabitants of the room with her one good eye, not seeing Roi there yet, somewhat glad but disappointed as well. Dylan watched Shannon curiously. Was he really man? He just seemed so... Pretty? Were men supposed to be that pretty? It threw her off a bit, or maybe that was just the light painkillers she'd taken starting to wear off.

In the middle of Pegasus's fancy banquet table were foods that Dylan hoped tasted as good as they looked, a roast that was too perfect, piles of fresh dinner rolls, more vegetables than she could identify... A hand went to her stomach. She should have been more hungry, but somewhere inside of her she just felt... Sick. Dylan looked back up to Shannon to see where he would seat her.

Captain Nancy, meanwhile, had been finishing off the last few drags of his cigarette just outside the VIP hall, standing near a few rose bushes with Bullet at his heels, wagging his tail and nipping at the bits of jerky Nancy was tossing down to him. "That's a good boy." he said, throwing down the last bit of meat and then kneeling down to caress the creature's ears. Until very close, one couldn't even tell that instead of fur, the dog had fine, glass-like spines sticking out of its skin, sharp enough to pierce and p***k if Bullet decided he didn't want to be petted. Even the animals were rarely free of mutations in this place, it seemed.

"Wonder'f Spit's gotten him... Herself outten there yet. Poor kid, what'n hell she thinkin'?" He asked the creature that excitedly licked his hands, as though it would answer him. "Hm..." He looked into the light that shone brilliantly through the window where the banquet was to be held. Nancy had gotten an invitation of course, but he was always the type to show up fashionably late to such affairs... After the single ladies had already had a drink or two, they were always much more fun to play with. Nancy laughed to himself a bit as he stood and tossed the last butt of cigarette into the dirt. "Well, ole' boy, I'll bring y'back a doggie bag." Bullet barked happily, his tail whipping back and forth as he crawled into the bush to lie down and wait, as if he'd understood completely what Nancy had told him.

With one last sigh, he started on his way toward the feast.

[KatDrama]

Shannon was in no hurry it seemed. He stopped quite a few times to have a chat with some ladies or men of importance, always a glass of champagne in his hand. He introduced Dylan to quite a few people of the upper ranks of the organization, all the while keeping his dazzling smile that made the ladies swoon.

Finally Pegasus had decided to take his seat, an ornate almost throne like chair at the end of the long table. For a while everyone followed suit. Shannon lead Dylan to a chair about five seats down from Pegasus. "For tonight you have the honor of dining in his presence." Shannon smiled his princely smile as he pulled out the chair for Dylan out of habit. For as pleasant as he was there seemed to be an underlying warning to Shannon's words. Shannon himself sat down to the left of Dylan, one spot closer to the boss.

There were a few toasts and then the eating began. The hall was filled with quiet chatter. And then finally as everything quieted down and plates were near empty Pegasus rose, clinking a fork against his glass to get everyone's attention.

The silver haired leader stood and everyone's eyes were on him. Pegasus smiled as he warmed up his throat for a little speech. "It is time that I reveal to you the reason for tonight's gathering." For a moment Pegasus let his icy grey eyes settle on Dylan for a moment before turning pleasant and looking back over the room in general. As Pegasus spoke the heavy metal doors at the end of the room began to creak open. "Today, my friends, we have one more piece of the puzzle, one step closer to making a move against our rival Shield. Finally, once again in my clutches, we have the spying eyes of the eagle that will see through our enemies defenses!" Everyone began to cheer and clap, as door way opened revealing a group of about ten men escorting a lone skinny girl, her washed skin so pale and silky. She wore a small white dress and was bound so heavily that is obviously quite hard to move. A hush fell over the crowd for a moment as the sound of chains rattling quietly overtook the room. The white haired girl with tawny wings slowly made her entrance, prodded on every now and then by her escorts. The dark bruises were now more obvious on her pale skin, and the wound on her shoulder was wrapped once again. The formerly brazen girl never lifted her head once to look at the people. It seemed her spirit had finally been caged.

Pegasus began to laugh, softly at first, and then more madly when the girl got closer. "You've delivered my present all wrapped up!" He joked sadistically as he accepted the chain leash from one of the men as they finally reached the head of the room. Most of the people in the room were silent. For most of them seeing the poor, wretched wisp of a girl it was reminder to all of them who had just gouged themselves on fine food of what could have been if they hadn't joined Pegasus. And also, what could be if they defied them. For Pegasus people were nothing more than toys to play with, that much was obvious. Pegasus presented the hawk to his audience. "I am pleased to have my hawk back again." He announced. "It is thanks to her return that you have eaten so well tonight. And for that action I would like to thank one of my newer subordinates." Pegasus locked eyes with Dylan and pointed at him to rise.

Shannon was clapping and rose as well. Everyone's eyes were on Dylan, a welcome distraction to the wretched entrance of the girl. "This is the key to your reward. You will find all of your compensation within." Shannon confided to Dylan as he handed him a key card a room in the upper scale apartment complex that Pegasus had had refurbished recently within the dome. Next to Pegasus's private buildings, and this facility, the new apartments were the next best luxury. "Congratulations." Shannon smiled sincerely and patted Dylan on the back.

From across the room Roi slowly raised her head. There was evidence of tears in her eyes. For a moment she looked at Dylan, her heart sinking all the while. And then she lowered her head again in humiliation and shame.

[FrauleinD]

Nancy had stood idly by as the mini-parade entered the banquet hall. He waited, patiently, right outside the door as they entered and sighed at the muffled words he heard from the other side of the doorway that shut as the posse had entered. He really wanted a cigarette just then, but he was too curious to see what was going on and looking too forward to the little "date" he might be lucky enough to find in that room. At the next round of applause, Nancy slipped into the door, waving the doorman away that he could get it himself, and heading over to the nearest bus boy to grab a glass.

His sea-like eyes narrowed as Dylan stood, his (for Nancy had found it near impossible to think of the skinny wretch as a girl) face downturned, watching the half-eaten meal at his plate as the party turned their attention to him and away from the poor creature bound and in chains at Pegasus's side. The kid looked downright petrified, despite that everyone there was celebrating all of the hard work he'd put into catching that little bird, near starving himself for money to get the extra grenades and kissing Pegasus's ego so much it made even Nancy want to vomit. He let the wine from his glass trickle down his throat as the applause rang on, wondering if the kid were going to snap there and then or if he could handle just a little more of the mental abuse he seemed to be piling onto himself.

Dylan felt her pulse stop for a moment as Pegasus indicated her, her legs buckling, almost refusing to let her stand, thinking that that cruel man's icy gaze on hers was almost enough to make her lose what little she'd eaten. Somehow she'd managed to stand, feeling her cheeks and nose burning as everyone clapped for her, and letting her eyes drop to her plate the instant Pegasus's glare had shown even the slightest sign of other interest. She was going to be sick, and numbly took the card Shannon offered her, sticking it in her pants pocket, trying not to look at him as she did so. She felt the arm under her jacket sleeve twinging again, right at the one time when there was no way she could relieve it without someone catching her.

She twitched a bit as Shannon patted her back, almost welcome at the chance to relieve a bit of the itching by not having to stand perfectly still. She hoped the horror would be over soon, that everyone would stop clapping, stop looking at her, just leave her alone. She wanted to be out of that hall and away from those people, those people who'd sold their lives and souls to Pegasus just as she'd done. She managed to fight back a tear that had started to gather in her eye by clearing her throat and thanking both Pegasus and Shannon in her hoarse voice, smiling nervously but as sincerely as she could manage.

Nancy meanwhile had finished his glass of wine and downed a couple of the dinner rolls, moseying his way from table to table and group to group of mingling people until he was as close to Dylan as he could manage without looking too out-of-place. The closer he got, the more he was convinced the kid was going puke if the company didn't let up soon, and just when he was about to, that was when he'd have to get out of there... Nancy stood idly by, waiting for the crowd to die down, waiting for everyone to return to their meals and other conversations.

[KatDrama]

Pegasus raised his glass again. "I honor those who serve me well! Remember this well!" He shouted joyfully. The connotation in his words was that if you didn't serve him well that the end would not be good. "Please my friends, enjoy the rest of your evening!" He said dismissively indicating everyone was free to do as they would.

Pegasus himself set back down in his throne for a bit. He tugged playfully on the leash, leading the stumbling broken hearted bird closer to him. "Come my sweet." He said playfully, his long graceful hand caressed her cheek, tracing the wound she had received there. "Finally we are united and you can't even give me a smile?" Pegasus chuckled a bit, a sadistic laugh. Forcefully he grabbed her chin and forced him to look at her. "You and your eyes that deny me." He said with carefully veiled hatred, or was it terrible delight, in his velvet voice. He pulled her face closer to his and forced a kiss upon her sorrowful lips. All the response he got was a small tear escaping her eye. Pegasus grinned with satisfaction. "This is what you get for being so stubborn." Casually Pegasus positioned her kneeling beside his throne. The proper place for a pet.

After everyone was finished applauding and went back to their normal banquet business Shannon looked at the honoree for a moment. "Is everything alright?" He asked of Dylan. The lanky boy had hardly touched his food and now he looked very pale and sickly. Shannon shrugged slightly, thinking it was something everyone went through when they first realized exactly what working for the mafia meant. "Just take it easy." Shannon cautioned, placing a reassuring hand on Dylan's shoulder for a moment.

Roi couldn't even manage to stir the emotion of hatred for the one who yanked her chain. She hated Pegasus from the bottom of her heart, yet all she could find as an emotion at that moment was overwhelming sorrow and hopelessness. Once more she cast a glance at Dylan. What was she expecting? A saviour? There's no way a peon like the hunter would dare to rescue her now, especially in this setting. When Pegasus stole her kiss Roi realized all the more how helpless she was now. She couldn't deny, now she was a caged bird.

[FrauleinD]

Dylan choked and fell back into her seat, just forcing back the vomit that threatened to escape. "Y-Yeah, I jes' ain't been feelin' good is all. I been sick, an'..." She glanced up to Roi just in time to catch Pegasus forcing himself on her, feeling just then the overwhelming urge to get up and leave. "Hey, man," she said, pushing her plate away and again rising from her seat. "These painkillers're doin' a number on mah dinner. Ah'm headin' in fer th' night." she said, only half lying. "It ain't like a don' 'ppreciate ya 'er nothin'," she said, vaguely trying to sound polite, after all, Shannon was a gentleman and she was just a dirtbag, "Ah jes'... Well, y'ain't gunna hold it 'gainst me headin' out early, is ya?" She would have left anyway, unable to explain to anyone even to herself the hatred and anger that was going through her mind at that moment.

Captain Nancy stood idly by, keeping his position lest Spit decide to screw something up, which he was apparently prone to doing when he was tired, hungry, or otherwise at some sort of disadvantage. He plucked another glass of wine from a passing busboy and contemplated a cute blonde on the other side of the room as he watched Dylan from the corner of his eye.

[KatDrama]

Shannon's eyes sparkled with concern, but he gave an understanding smile. "Of course. Go check out your place and rest up." He suggested, noticing that there were several other people that had already retired from the banquet.

"Well..." Pegasus sighed after a long while. "I have enjoyed this dinner, but I haven't seen my hawk in so long, I would really pleasure some alone time." Pegasus confided in the people close by him, a sleazy smirk on his face.

At long last Pegasus rose, tugging on the leash of his new toy he and several of 'the suits' Shannon included excited with him. "Good night." Shannon winked at Dylan as he turned to leave.