Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 22, 2017 1:44:53 GMT
((Lame title is lame. Idc. I've had a long day and I almost forgot to put this up. So...yeah. I've got a plot coming up soon and this is getting things started. I'll be posting a series of fanfics/videos starting in the next couple of days or so, so keep an eye out for those.))
Any other girl’s sweet 16 would have been a huge occasion. Tons of people, a raging party, maybe a new car. Adeline’s, however, was more on the tame side. She had most of the day by the living room window, soaking up whatever sunshine managed to make its way through the winter clouds as she read a book. Then, her parents had taken her to a Chinese restaurant, allowing her to order whatever she wanted before she went home and had cake. Adeline had worried that her parents would be disappointed that she didn’t invite anyone over, but after seeing their faces throughout the night, she could tell they were just glad that she was doing okay and wasn’t shutting herself up in her room. Besides, she didn’t exactly have much in the way of friends.
Her parents would probably freak if she brought Axel home with her. She had spoken to Meredith all of one time. Namine was still recovering from her encounter with Vanitas. And Pitch hadn’t spoken to her once since their last training session in the graveyard.
That hurt the most of all, really. That was what Adeline thought as she made her way through Raoul Park. He hadn’t checked up on her at all. Hadn’t even sent someone to talk to her for him. He had just dropped her like she was nothing and walked away. It made Adeline mad, but she was still hesitant to do something. Sure, Axel thought that she should take initiative, but that wasn’t in her nature. Besides, Axel didn’t have the whole story. He didn’t know that Adeline had fallen for a demon that was a lot older than her.
The sun was just starting to set, and Adeline had plenty of time to get home. But, the park was still deserted. There was nothing but trees, the occasional squirrel, and perfectly trimmed glass. Which was why, the sound of laughter made her head snap up.
Adeline didn’t have to guess who the sound belonged to. She would know that laugh anywhere. It had haunted her dreams for far too long.
“Show yourself!” she ordered, her magic already responding to the adrenaline that was starting to rush through her body. “Or are you just going to hide in the shadows like a coward?”
She looked around, trying to spot the sound of the voice. But she couldn’t see it. Instead, she heard a whooshing sound behind her, and an arm slumped around her shoulder. The skin was bright red, and the index finger was a long, sharp, glowing claw.
“Well, you’ve certainly gotten bold over the past few months,” said a voice that slithered like a snake. “Are you sure you’re the same little Adeline that summoned me so long ago?”
Adeline jerked away, spinning around, her eyes angry. Thrax only grinned in response. Adeline wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face, or take off running. But, she managed to not do either of those things.
Easy there, girl. He’s trying to freak you out. You gotta stay calm.
She took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly before asking “What do you want?”
“Oh, just wanted to check up on you, see how you were doing,” Thrax replied, his grin widening. “We haven’t seen each other since the LaFayette’s ball. I missed you.”
“Sorry to say, but the feeling’s not mutual,” Adeline replied. She could feel her demon side wriggling, wanting to come out, to give Thrax a piece of her mind. But she squashed it down. She wasn’t going to give in so easily.
Thrax’s eyes narrowed. He seemed to finally realize just how much Adeline had changed over the past few months. “You seem…different, somehow.” He paced around Adeline, his eyes sizing her up like a carnivore. A shiver ran down Adeline’s spine. “Besides your snarky attitude. What have you been up to?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Adeline responded, crossing her arms over her chest.
Unfortunately, Thrax didn’t take that answer too well. He was used to Adeline cowering in fear, not standing there poised and well-collected. His teeth locked in a growl and he suddenly rushed forward, lifting her up by the scruff of her coat.
“Don’t you play games with me, girl!” he snarled. “Have you forgotten that you belong to me? That a piece of me is inside you?”
Adeline struggled to get free, her heart pounding like mad. She tried to remember what Pitch had taught her, but her anger and fear clouded her memory. She just wanted Thrax away from her, now.
“Let me go!”
Her leg shot out, kicking Thrax hard enough to make him let go. She scrambled backwards, trying to get away as the demon turned to look at her with angry yellow eyes.
“You ungrateful bitch!”
He pounced on her again, pinning her to the ground. No matter how much Adeline fought, she couldn’t escape. Her terrified eyes could only look at Thrax’s furious ones.
“If you won’t tell me what’s changed you, I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself.”
“No, no! Stop!”
Adeline could feel her heart racing into overdrive as Thrax’s clawed hand made contact with her head. She could feel his magic crackling and popping. That was when the pain started.
Adeline screamed as Thrax wormed his way into her brain, searching for anything that might give him answers. Her mind felt like it was on fire. Thrax seemed to burning her up from the inside out. Her demon side started clambering up, desperate to take over so she could be protected. But, the familiarity of the sensation brought back a memory, and it shined in Adeline’s head like a beacon.
Vanitas had done the same thing, in a way. He had made Adeline feel hurt, angry, and afraid. And she had lost control. She had hated herself for weeks afterwards, only picking herself back up again after Pitch talked to her. She had promised to never fail like that again. And she wasn’t about to do it here.
“I said STOP!”
Instead of her demon side reacting, Adeline’s magic power came forth to protect her. The fire in her brain seemed to course through her veins, and she decided to use it. She wrenched a hand free and hit it against Thrax’s chest. Flames instantly poured from her palm, burning the cloth and skin underneath it.
There was a scream. It took Adeline a moment to realize it was Thrax’s. Instantly, his weight on top of her vanished, as did the fire in her brain. She blinked several times, trying to orient herself. The sky came into view, which was a multitude of colors, thanks to the setting sun. She could see the trees, and hear the squirrels. She sat up, and she caught sight of Thrax.
He was breathing heavily, a hand on his chest. Smoke managed to escape between his fingers. Adeline realized that she had managed to burn him. She didn’t even think it was possible, considering that Thrax could control fire. Then again, just because somebody could shoot flames from their hands didn’t mean that they were impervious to fire. Thrax’s head came up to look at her. They were still angry, but not quite as confident as before.
“I can’t believe this,” he said. “I give you all the power you could want, and instead, you choose to throw it all away. That bastard Pitch. He made you soft.”
Adeline’s heart skipped a beat. So, Thrax had managed to see a little bit inside her head after all. She pushed herself to her feet, glaring at him.
“Call it whatever you want, but me made me strong enough to resist you,” she said, her voice hard. “I don’t belong to you, never have, never will. So leave me alone.”
“Maybe I will,” Thrax snapped back, standing up as well, though one hand still held his chest. “Maybe I’ll find somebody that’s not so weak-minded, someone who can actually handle what I have in mind.”
Adeline’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Thrax smiled. “Oh Adeline, don’t you know by now?” He gave a chuckle. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t dare.” And with that, he took off running in the direction of the trees.
“Hey! Get back here!” Adeline ran after him, but she couldn’t keep her pace up for long. Pushing Thrax away had drained a lot of her energy. And even though Thrax had gotten a pretty nasty burn, it looked like his demon strength was still good enough to outrun her. Soon enough, he was out of sight, and she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to just curl up under one of the trees and rest. But, she knew now was not the time. She had to tell her parents and the police what had happened. If Thrax made good on what he said, then somebody else might suffer the same as she did. And that was the last thing she wanted.
She didn’t know of course, but Thrax did intend to go through with his threat. Which was why, late that very same night, he was seated in the office of Cinder, leader of the Elementals Gang. Getting in had been no problem. Despite the burn on his chest, the gang members had sensed his power right away. And he had been brought to Cinder in no time. Right now, the woman was sipping from a mug of coffee, deep in thought. No doubt she was pondering over what Thrax had just said to her. She set her mug down, looked up at him, and finally spoke.
“So, let me get this straight. You want to find a magic user and make them part demon? And that’ll help you rule this town?”
“In a way,” Thrax replied, his tone very business-like, as if he was discussing the stock market. “I have big plans for this city, Cinder. Big plans. Once the chips are down and anarchy is in place, the people here will eat each other up. And if you help me, you’ll be able to sit at the top and watch it all happen.”
Cinder raised an eyebrow. She could tell Thrax was powerful just from looking at him, but his plan did seem a little far-fetched. “And you believe you can do that? By converting just one magic user?”
“Let me put it this way, Cinder,” Thrax said, leaning in close to her desk. “At the LaFayette’s ball, I was able to hold off an entire room of officers and make an escape.” He gave a grin. “If I had a magic user by my side that was part demon, everyone in that room would have been dead.”
Cinder blinked, not showing any emotion. Thrax did seem pretty confident with himself, although it looked like something was hurting him. His hand kept fluttering to his chest every so often, and he shifted as if he was uncomfortable. Maybe he had had a run-in with a police officer on the way here? She didn’t know, and she wasn’t about to ask. That was of no concern to her.
“Why come to me?” she asked. “There are tons of gangs in this city. Why choose me?”
“Cinder, really, you underestimate your fame,” Thrax said, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. “You’re one of the fiercest gang leaders in Bellerouge. But, what sets you apart is your loyalty. You show no mercy to anyone who puts your ‘family’ in jeopardy. That’s the kind of loyalty I would like.”
Cinder was quiet for a moment. So that was what Thrax was after. He wanted protection. It made sense. If he was going to find a magic user, put a piece of himself inside them, then turn the city into a state of anarchy, he’d need some help. Cinder wasn’t sure how much she liked being thought of as a tool. But, an idea came to mind, and she thought of a way Thrax might be of use to her as well.
“Okay, Thrax. I”ll buy into this scheme of yours.” She held up a pointer finger. “On one condition.”
Thrax chuckled. “Always a catch, isn’t there?”
“You brought up the subject of my ‘family’ and how I’m loyal to my members. Well, as it turns out, one of our own, Emerald, was arrested by Pitch Black a few months ago.”
Thrax gave a sigh. “Seems like that cop is annoying a lot of people lately,” he muttered.
“What was that?” Cinder asked, not being able to catch his words.
Thrax shook his head. “Nothing. Go on.”
Cinder gave him a look, but continued. “Last we heard, she was being held in prison. They’re trying to get information out of her. I know she’d never betray us, but I’d rather not test how long she’ll be able to hold out. Help me get her out, and you’ll be part of the family.”
“A prison break, huh?” Thrax laced his hands behind his head. “Sounds like quite a challenge.”
Cinder smiled. “You broke out of the LaFayette mansion, with all those officers there. I assume doing something similar at a jail won’t be much different.”
Thrax grinned in return. “Then I accept. Consider it done.”
He reached across Cinder’s desk. The woman’s hand gripped his, and the two shook, sealing the deal.
Any other girl’s sweet 16 would have been a huge occasion. Tons of people, a raging party, maybe a new car. Adeline’s, however, was more on the tame side. She had most of the day by the living room window, soaking up whatever sunshine managed to make its way through the winter clouds as she read a book. Then, her parents had taken her to a Chinese restaurant, allowing her to order whatever she wanted before she went home and had cake. Adeline had worried that her parents would be disappointed that she didn’t invite anyone over, but after seeing their faces throughout the night, she could tell they were just glad that she was doing okay and wasn’t shutting herself up in her room. Besides, she didn’t exactly have much in the way of friends.
Her parents would probably freak if she brought Axel home with her. She had spoken to Meredith all of one time. Namine was still recovering from her encounter with Vanitas. And Pitch hadn’t spoken to her once since their last training session in the graveyard.
That hurt the most of all, really. That was what Adeline thought as she made her way through Raoul Park. He hadn’t checked up on her at all. Hadn’t even sent someone to talk to her for him. He had just dropped her like she was nothing and walked away. It made Adeline mad, but she was still hesitant to do something. Sure, Axel thought that she should take initiative, but that wasn’t in her nature. Besides, Axel didn’t have the whole story. He didn’t know that Adeline had fallen for a demon that was a lot older than her.
The sun was just starting to set, and Adeline had plenty of time to get home. But, the park was still deserted. There was nothing but trees, the occasional squirrel, and perfectly trimmed glass. Which was why, the sound of laughter made her head snap up.
Adeline didn’t have to guess who the sound belonged to. She would know that laugh anywhere. It had haunted her dreams for far too long.
“Show yourself!” she ordered, her magic already responding to the adrenaline that was starting to rush through her body. “Or are you just going to hide in the shadows like a coward?”
She looked around, trying to spot the sound of the voice. But she couldn’t see it. Instead, she heard a whooshing sound behind her, and an arm slumped around her shoulder. The skin was bright red, and the index finger was a long, sharp, glowing claw.
“Well, you’ve certainly gotten bold over the past few months,” said a voice that slithered like a snake. “Are you sure you’re the same little Adeline that summoned me so long ago?”
Adeline jerked away, spinning around, her eyes angry. Thrax only grinned in response. Adeline wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face, or take off running. But, she managed to not do either of those things.
Easy there, girl. He’s trying to freak you out. You gotta stay calm.
She took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly before asking “What do you want?”
“Oh, just wanted to check up on you, see how you were doing,” Thrax replied, his grin widening. “We haven’t seen each other since the LaFayette’s ball. I missed you.”
“Sorry to say, but the feeling’s not mutual,” Adeline replied. She could feel her demon side wriggling, wanting to come out, to give Thrax a piece of her mind. But she squashed it down. She wasn’t going to give in so easily.
Thrax’s eyes narrowed. He seemed to finally realize just how much Adeline had changed over the past few months. “You seem…different, somehow.” He paced around Adeline, his eyes sizing her up like a carnivore. A shiver ran down Adeline’s spine. “Besides your snarky attitude. What have you been up to?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Adeline responded, crossing her arms over her chest.
Unfortunately, Thrax didn’t take that answer too well. He was used to Adeline cowering in fear, not standing there poised and well-collected. His teeth locked in a growl and he suddenly rushed forward, lifting her up by the scruff of her coat.
“Don’t you play games with me, girl!” he snarled. “Have you forgotten that you belong to me? That a piece of me is inside you?”
Adeline struggled to get free, her heart pounding like mad. She tried to remember what Pitch had taught her, but her anger and fear clouded her memory. She just wanted Thrax away from her, now.
“Let me go!”
Her leg shot out, kicking Thrax hard enough to make him let go. She scrambled backwards, trying to get away as the demon turned to look at her with angry yellow eyes.
“You ungrateful bitch!”
He pounced on her again, pinning her to the ground. No matter how much Adeline fought, she couldn’t escape. Her terrified eyes could only look at Thrax’s furious ones.
“If you won’t tell me what’s changed you, I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself.”
“No, no! Stop!”
Adeline could feel her heart racing into overdrive as Thrax’s clawed hand made contact with her head. She could feel his magic crackling and popping. That was when the pain started.
Adeline screamed as Thrax wormed his way into her brain, searching for anything that might give him answers. Her mind felt like it was on fire. Thrax seemed to burning her up from the inside out. Her demon side started clambering up, desperate to take over so she could be protected. But, the familiarity of the sensation brought back a memory, and it shined in Adeline’s head like a beacon.
Vanitas had done the same thing, in a way. He had made Adeline feel hurt, angry, and afraid. And she had lost control. She had hated herself for weeks afterwards, only picking herself back up again after Pitch talked to her. She had promised to never fail like that again. And she wasn’t about to do it here.
“I said STOP!”
Instead of her demon side reacting, Adeline’s magic power came forth to protect her. The fire in her brain seemed to course through her veins, and she decided to use it. She wrenched a hand free and hit it against Thrax’s chest. Flames instantly poured from her palm, burning the cloth and skin underneath it.
There was a scream. It took Adeline a moment to realize it was Thrax’s. Instantly, his weight on top of her vanished, as did the fire in her brain. She blinked several times, trying to orient herself. The sky came into view, which was a multitude of colors, thanks to the setting sun. She could see the trees, and hear the squirrels. She sat up, and she caught sight of Thrax.
He was breathing heavily, a hand on his chest. Smoke managed to escape between his fingers. Adeline realized that she had managed to burn him. She didn’t even think it was possible, considering that Thrax could control fire. Then again, just because somebody could shoot flames from their hands didn’t mean that they were impervious to fire. Thrax’s head came up to look at her. They were still angry, but not quite as confident as before.
“I can’t believe this,” he said. “I give you all the power you could want, and instead, you choose to throw it all away. That bastard Pitch. He made you soft.”
Adeline’s heart skipped a beat. So, Thrax had managed to see a little bit inside her head after all. She pushed herself to her feet, glaring at him.
“Call it whatever you want, but me made me strong enough to resist you,” she said, her voice hard. “I don’t belong to you, never have, never will. So leave me alone.”
“Maybe I will,” Thrax snapped back, standing up as well, though one hand still held his chest. “Maybe I’ll find somebody that’s not so weak-minded, someone who can actually handle what I have in mind.”
Adeline’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Thrax smiled. “Oh Adeline, don’t you know by now?” He gave a chuckle. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t dare.” And with that, he took off running in the direction of the trees.
“Hey! Get back here!” Adeline ran after him, but she couldn’t keep her pace up for long. Pushing Thrax away had drained a lot of her energy. And even though Thrax had gotten a pretty nasty burn, it looked like his demon strength was still good enough to outrun her. Soon enough, he was out of sight, and she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to just curl up under one of the trees and rest. But, she knew now was not the time. She had to tell her parents and the police what had happened. If Thrax made good on what he said, then somebody else might suffer the same as she did. And that was the last thing she wanted.
She didn’t know of course, but Thrax did intend to go through with his threat. Which was why, late that very same night, he was seated in the office of Cinder, leader of the Elementals Gang. Getting in had been no problem. Despite the burn on his chest, the gang members had sensed his power right away. And he had been brought to Cinder in no time. Right now, the woman was sipping from a mug of coffee, deep in thought. No doubt she was pondering over what Thrax had just said to her. She set her mug down, looked up at him, and finally spoke.
“So, let me get this straight. You want to find a magic user and make them part demon? And that’ll help you rule this town?”
“In a way,” Thrax replied, his tone very business-like, as if he was discussing the stock market. “I have big plans for this city, Cinder. Big plans. Once the chips are down and anarchy is in place, the people here will eat each other up. And if you help me, you’ll be able to sit at the top and watch it all happen.”
Cinder raised an eyebrow. She could tell Thrax was powerful just from looking at him, but his plan did seem a little far-fetched. “And you believe you can do that? By converting just one magic user?”
“Let me put it this way, Cinder,” Thrax said, leaning in close to her desk. “At the LaFayette’s ball, I was able to hold off an entire room of officers and make an escape.” He gave a grin. “If I had a magic user by my side that was part demon, everyone in that room would have been dead.”
Cinder blinked, not showing any emotion. Thrax did seem pretty confident with himself, although it looked like something was hurting him. His hand kept fluttering to his chest every so often, and he shifted as if he was uncomfortable. Maybe he had had a run-in with a police officer on the way here? She didn’t know, and she wasn’t about to ask. That was of no concern to her.
“Why come to me?” she asked. “There are tons of gangs in this city. Why choose me?”
“Cinder, really, you underestimate your fame,” Thrax said, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. “You’re one of the fiercest gang leaders in Bellerouge. But, what sets you apart is your loyalty. You show no mercy to anyone who puts your ‘family’ in jeopardy. That’s the kind of loyalty I would like.”
Cinder was quiet for a moment. So that was what Thrax was after. He wanted protection. It made sense. If he was going to find a magic user, put a piece of himself inside them, then turn the city into a state of anarchy, he’d need some help. Cinder wasn’t sure how much she liked being thought of as a tool. But, an idea came to mind, and she thought of a way Thrax might be of use to her as well.
“Okay, Thrax. I”ll buy into this scheme of yours.” She held up a pointer finger. “On one condition.”
Thrax chuckled. “Always a catch, isn’t there?”
“You brought up the subject of my ‘family’ and how I’m loyal to my members. Well, as it turns out, one of our own, Emerald, was arrested by Pitch Black a few months ago.”
Thrax gave a sigh. “Seems like that cop is annoying a lot of people lately,” he muttered.
“What was that?” Cinder asked, not being able to catch his words.
Thrax shook his head. “Nothing. Go on.”
Cinder gave him a look, but continued. “Last we heard, she was being held in prison. They’re trying to get information out of her. I know she’d never betray us, but I’d rather not test how long she’ll be able to hold out. Help me get her out, and you’ll be part of the family.”
“A prison break, huh?” Thrax laced his hands behind his head. “Sounds like quite a challenge.”
Cinder smiled. “You broke out of the LaFayette mansion, with all those officers there. I assume doing something similar at a jail won’t be much different.”
Thrax grinned in return. “Then I accept. Consider it done.”
He reached across Cinder’s desk. The woman’s hand gripped his, and the two shook, sealing the deal.
