I hear the jingle of keys and turn to find my father with the very keys I was searching for like a mad woman just moments before.
"If you had them then why do I have to search like..." I pause the sensation of deja vu takes over me.
"Because you didn't ask?" My Father replies like he always replies. I turn on the spot and make my way towards the door. As I walk through the entry the last thing I hear is a confused "Willow?" Before I'm full sprint down the sidewalk wildly rounding corners until I'm standing at the opposite end of the sidewalk to the bus stop. The well-dressed man stood waiting as usual. I begin my walk towards him alone this time, reaching the ally that separates us and pausing for a moment.
"Meow!" Comes from the dark alley taking my focus from the man at the bus stop. I searched the darkness waiting for my eyes to adjust as they do I can make out a black cat sitting next to a dark figure. I focused harder unable to make out what I was seeing. The dark figure seemed to be someone sitting in a crouch burying their head deep within their arms and legs. As the scene took more and more of my focus I began to hear a whispering from the figure a singular sound I wasn't able to understand. The whispers grew in number all of them repeating this unintelligible word until it was deafening I tried harder and harder to focus and I could finally make out what the figure was saying.
"HIDE!" Upon the realization, I feel a grip around my neck and my feet leave the ground I struggle against the well-dressed man, he looks me over as I gasp for air.
"Where is the man?"He plainly states not loosening his grip.
"He had been a nuisance protecting you, I guess his soul finally dissipated." His voice seemed to be underwater as every gasp of air became harder. It seemed hopeless until his grip loosened when we heard the sound of a growl from the alley. The black cat was now prowling at the edge her eyes narrowed daggers and two tails flicking in anger. That is when I remembered.
I grip the arm of the hand holding my neck with a crushing grip forcing him to let go but I kept my grip tight. My feline form from earlier was back joined by a rage that had been stoked.
"My Father! What do you know about him!" I demand from the nightmare. I watch as sick fascination and intrigue wash over him.
"So you're that old thing daughter that makes more sense." He replies dismissing my question and allowing a twisted laugh to escape him. The laugh only fueled the rage further I tighten my grip and spun resulting in a satisfying snap of bone that brings him to his knees, yet the laughing didn't stop.
"ANSWER ME!" I demand my voice booming through the city streets causing the buildings to bend and the ground to crack. At first, it startled the well-dressed man but the laughing began again. He was insane purely just a monster and pleading with him only gave him joy. I had reached my limit, I raise my hand focusing all my energy and hate into a ball of destruction that slowly grew.
"ha ha, what are you doing? Don't you know where we are what that'll do?" I ignore his question forcing more energy into the ball of death above me. This changed his expression drastically he began to plead and beg but it fell on deaf ears.
"Okay alright! Little Monster I'll tell you where your father is." I didn't stop the growth of the ball just waited silently for his answer. He seemed pensive his eyes darting left to right like a caged animal the fear finally getting to him.
"Your Father_________" Again I had to read lips but my ears refused what it was being told. Laughter filled the air but this time it didn't escape the well-dressed nightmare. The torment was too much the madness in every corner of this city made me sick so I'll erase it all every inch. The orb grew with my laughter the wilder it became the more willing I became to slip into madness. The man joined in my laughter fueling my fiery. The orb reached a weight I could not bare anymore and I was glad it would all be over.
_______
"Willow!" I hear pulling me to consciousness. I feel heavy as the fog slowly lifts from my mind. My body aches and my head is pounding. Quickly I search my surroundings for the voice that called out to see, on the street below Kairo and Emily watching me in horrified panic. I seemed to be above the rooftops and below was a young Polidori I recognized from earlier. Sharp pain in my arm made me look to realize I was holding a new weapon and above it was an impossible amount of contained explosions. The orb's weight buckles my arm.
"KAIRO NOW!" I hear from Radney above as instructed Kairo swaps everyone's locations. I feel a pull in my lower back and feel the world snap away and reappear. I was now lying on a rooftop looking up at Radney who held the ball of death. With all his might he pushed it upward. I hear a pained scream come from above the ball of magic ascending into the clouds. Polidori tried using his blade to slow the ball but was too injured to fight against its force he pushed against it his hand being scorched by the heat building at the surface level.
We watched as it broke the cloudline Radney sure it had finally reached high enough formed his spear in hand throwing it with all his might piercing the orb and setting it off. The clap shook the Velvet district for miles and shattered windows as it ran. The sky was filled with a bright light and cleared of all clouds the pressure of the explosion flattened me against the roof. I barely could keep my eyes open but glimpsed a figure come careening into the facility. That figure was Radney he had crashed into the blood-filled glass Vats shattering them and being skewered by the shards.