Fantasy Breaking Into Death's Apartment

[Slade]

The saddest part about waking up handcuffed to the nearest heavy object? Knowing firsthand that there were, in fact, about thirty-four less dignified ways to regain consciousness.

Axel groaned from where he sat, trying to wipe the drool off his chin. With squinting eyes and a pounding head, he turned to face the radiator, tugging at his wrist to see if he could break free from his fiery captor. Alas, this was, once again, not the night where he would be granted superpowers.

Honestly, the pink fur was a nice touch. It was oddly comforting, like that one time in eighth grade when Sylvia Towler told him he had a cute smile before pantsing him in front of the entire class.

Jesus, he needed to rethink his life.

Well. Not really. His life was awesome. If it weren’t for that one hiccup, of course. The hiccup being the intense-looking lady intensely looking at him from behind the couch. She looked like Riverview’s modern-day adaptation of a knight -- complete with a frying pan for a shield, and a dull knife for a sword.

Needless to say, things weren’t looking very well at all.

“Stella Wa --” Axel had to stop himself mid-sentence, wincing at the pain in his jaw. For your average 9-to-5 folk, she had a hell of a swing. “You’re paying for this, by the way. My boss is too poor to cover dental.” He closed his eyes to stop his head spinning, and then decided to continue, knowing he didn’t have much time before the big kids finally got here -- and then he’d probably be in real trouble. Probably.

“Look, I said it’s not what you think, right? Don’t you think I’d be smart enough to choose a better place to break into?” He glared at her, blue eyes piercing into hers. “Don’t … don’t answer that. Just reach into my right pocket, okay? Trust me.” Axel jerked his head to the side, beckoning her to come closer. His pocket contained the half-empty vial of watered-down, sad excuse for an invisibility brew that brought him to his current situation. He wasn’t actually sure where he was going with this, but perhaps if he showed her that he wasn’t just anyone, anyone normal, at least, he could get her to trust him, even for just a little while.

MalumMalice_

 

[MalumMalice_]

Stella had almost become bored with the unconscious man in her living room- he was taking forever to wake up. Damn, I must have hit him pretty hard... she thought to herself, feeling a little bad for the guy. He was probably just hungry, right? Maybe. But then again, who the hell felt sorry for someone after they broke into their apartment? Jeez, she needed to get a grip on reality. Being alone all this time had started to make go a little crazy.

Suddenly, the homeless guy started to move a little, slowly awakening to his fate. Glancing at the handcuffs, and then back at her, he spoke. Boss? Dental insurance? Who was this guy? As Stella continued to wonder, she quietly crept a little farther away as he started to ask her to reach into his pocket. Was this some kind of sick joke? She shook her head violently, her dark hair flowing to and fro. "You expect me to just...come near you so you can strangle me or something with that free hand of yours?!" she cried waving her pan around slightly toward the water heater. "You broke into my house, and you want me to compromise?"

Her words spit like fire, but curiosity tugged at her her weak spot. Hard. That was something that Stella arguably could admit- she was a sucker for strange and unusual stories, but now her life was starting to look like one of those stories, she wasn't sure if she was too interested. "How do I know there's not some gross, used needle laying around in there, just waiting to give me AIDS?"

 

[Slade]

“Well, for one, you could put your hand in it, and see what you find.” Axel snorted, giggling at his own joke. Her agitation wasn’t entirely surprising, especially if one looked at things from her point of view. At least she hadn’t thrown up -- yet -- like he had when he was first thrust into the hidden side of Riverview.

“I mean, you’re not actually scared of me, are you? Can I just remind you, you’re the one with the pan and the knife, and I’m just the poor guy looking like I belong in a bad BDSM flick?” Giving up, he simply reached into his own pocket, producing a tear-shaped glass containing viscous, transparent liquid. Axel rolled it towards her, hoping it wouldn't spill or get lost into some crevice along the way. “I’m sure you’re a smart lady, and we have, I’ll say, a couple minutes before the big bad wolf comes looking. What do you think that is?”

 

[MalumMalice_]

Stella narrowed her eyes, not sure what to do. Part of her desperately wanted to know what the hell exactly was going on here, who this guy was, and now what was in the little vile in front of her. She glanced down at the small glass of translucent liquid, and then back up at the man attached to her water heater. It could be some sort of acid, or poison- how would she know the difference? However, she wasn't sure how exactly he was thinking of using it on her as he was...slightly disabled, at the moment.

"I...I don't really know, to be honest," Stella replied, her brows furrowing as she lowered her frying pan. She leaned over to pick it up, studying it between her fingers. She could almost see herself ever so faintly in the glass, and she had to say- she looked terrible. Months of working her ass off so that her power wouldn't be turned off, dealing with the divorce, and ultimately trying to keep her shit together. "Tell me what it is." Stella didn't necessarily find his humor funny at the moment- she just wanted answers.

 

[Slade]

Axel opened his mouth to make another attempt at a glib remark, but found himself cut off by a banging on the front door.

The door groaned as it was struck repeatedly, in slow, precise intervals, as if a large fist was bent on methodically slamming it down. The floor creaked as the stranger on the other side shifted the weight on his feet. The banging stopped, and in its place, a deep, almost menacing, voice made itself known.

“This is the Police. Open up.”

Axel dug his teeth into his lip, eyes widening, head shaking vigorously to caution the woman against it.

“I said open up.”

Damn it. Why couldn’t things just go as planned for once? Axel took a deep breath, and sighed. “Look, it’s for that.”

The banging resumed.

“Makes you completely unnoticeable, but apparently I got a knockoff, so …” He motioned to his slightly swollen jaw to make a point. “Just … just let me out of these cuffs, drink the brew, and stand still in a corner until I talk the bastard out of the place. If we make it out alive somehow, I swear I'll explain everything to you. I'll even leave the jokes at the door.”

 

[MalumMalice_]

The pounding on the door caused Stella to nearly jump out of her own skin. The police was finally here, thank god. It was in record time, too, it seemed- unlike other stories she’d heard from fellow neighbors. Maybe they were just really impatient, or maybe there had been a patrol not too far away that had responded quicker.

Now he wanted her to drink the vile? Jesus, what was this- some kind of Stephen King novel? However, the pounding on the front door continued, and the officer on the other side most likely was becoming irritated. Stella’s curiosity was once again getting the best of her- and she was trying to decide if this guy was telling the truth or was possibly on drugs. Instead of doing the logical thing, though, she nodded, finally agreeing to help.

She fished around in her pockets for the keys to the handcuffs, and leaned down after setting her frying pan and knife on the couch to free him. Then, with a moment of hesitation, opened up the tiny bottle. “Bottoms up, I suppose,” she murmured, tilting her head back and downing the contents.

 

[Slade]

Just as Stella disappeared from his vision, the door flew open, revealing a brutish, bearded bald man on the other side. He wore no police uniform. Instead, he wore a plain white shirt and a pair of washed up pants -- almost a little bit too simple, too bare, considering the weather outside, but it sent the message well enough. His large arms were riddled with tattoos and scars, veins popping out like he was a henchman plucked straight out of a comic book.

What a show off.

Always quick to his feet, Axel stood up, legs still a little bit wobbly. He groaned, bent over, a hand upon his knee. He held his free hand in front of him. “A little patience would go a long way, officer.”

“Sparrow?” The other man raised his brow, dark eyes drilling holes into the other man, before his gaze shifted onto the discarded items on the floor. It only made his confusion much worse. “Just what the hell are you doing here?”

“Same as you, what do you think?” The slight waver in his voice betrayed him. “She’s not home, so I figured I better just go through her things. Err, to look for clues.” Axel’s gaze fell onto the pair of handcuffs lying on the floor. “Who would’ve thought Death was kind of a freak, right?” He chuckled, although his new companion seemed less than amused.

Ignoring Axel’s words, Garrison simply circled the room, inspecting the furniture, gaze occasionally drawn to what seemed like empty space. At one point, he stopped in his tracks. His bushy brows were furrowed, his eyes narrowed into thin slits. His nose twitched, and he occasionally he would sniff the air like a hunting dog on the prowl. The pieces were starting to fall into place, apparently.

“It, err … it’s probably the cat. Adorable little critter, that one, if it didn’t make me sneeze so much.” Axel rushed to Garrison’s side, stepping in front of him. The latter responded by shoving the smaller man aside with one hand. Without another word, he proceeded into the other side of the apartment. He had no time for nuisances.

Axel fell to floor, doing his best not to give himself away. He had absolutely no idea where Stella was -- and if Garrison could sense her movement, he couldn’t quite say the same for himself. Still, the door was open, and the brute was out of the way. If there was any moment to escape, it was this.

 

[MalumMalice_]

As Stella's arms and legs started to disappear first, she gasped slightly. What the hell...? She thought to herself, watching as the last of her went completely missing. She grabbed at own hand to make sure it was still there- indeed it was; she was completely invisible. This was some kind of dark magic...Stella was not a fan, and she was sure that this would not end well.

Before she could think twice about her newfound disappearance, the door swung open, and in busted the...police officer? He certainly was not dressed like a cop, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Maybe he was undercover...? Or not. Just what the fuck was happening here? So many questions raced through the woman's mind as she watched the situation unfold before her very own eyes.

As the new, much larger man inspected the room with a confused look upon his face, mixed with a lot of anger, the homeless man from before was clearly trying to distract him from finding her. Sparrow? Was that his name? Why was he referring to death like it was a person? Stella had always heard about the skeleton in a cloak who carried a scythe, but of course she'd never actually thought it was a real person or being. Death was death- the end of something or someone's life, and that was it. No Heaven, or Hell, or reincarnation. Just nothing. As an atheist, Stella was skeptical of this conversation the two men were sharing.

The beefhead moved a little closer, and Stella silently slid against the wall, staying completely silent. She even held her breath, but she was sure her heart pounding in her chest would give her away. A moment later, after this "Sparrow" once again turned him in a different direction and headed toward her bedroom, Stella watched as he eyed the open door. Was this a sign? What about Bourbon, her precious baby? Where would she even go?

As silently as possible, Stella started to creep toward the front door, knowing that both men were unsure of where exactly her location was.

 

[Slade]

With Axel’s every footstep, the floor seemed to creak even louder. Sometimes it almost felt as if the old wooden panels were screaming, though Garrison didn’t seem a bit fazed by it. Swallowing his breath, the younger man tiptoed his way towards the door, trying to keep his back against the wall as much as he can. At some point, just as the exit was at an arm’s reach, his shoulder collided with something that just wasn’t there.

Fucking finally.

A bead of sweat dropped down his forehead. Out of instinct, his eyes darted towards the bedroom, but yet again, Garrison had yet to regain his interest in the other man. Axel’s cold hand found its way to where the invisible figure stood, trying to keep his grip on the invisible fabric.

“Now do you trust me?” He whispered through gritted teeth, almost tempted to break into full-on gloating mode, if a thuggish giant weren’t frolicking about a couple yards from them.

As with everything, he took baby steps. Soon enough, the pair of them would reach the door -- although at the exact same time, the other man had decided to present himself once more. A furry, little siamese sat on his forearm, purring as it playfully pawed at the man’s scruffy beard. He only blinked, not seeming to mind it the least bit.

“Well, Gary, I’d better get going. Maybe she caught on.” Axel shrugged, his closed fist still suspended in the air, clutching at nothing. “You know how annoying her kind can be, right?”

“Suit yourself.” He turned around. “I’m staying a bit longer.”

“Meow!” Bourbon didn’t seem opposed to the idea at all.

“Come on, then,” Axel whispered as he made his way out of the apartment. “It’s not everyday a leather-jacket-wearing hunk gets to whisk you away in his bike, is it?” He flashed a smug grin in her general direction -- or wherever he assumed she was, anyway. “By the way, I can’t hear you either, so feel free to hurl insults as you like. I won’t get offended.”

 

[MalumMalice_]

Stella rolled her eyes at the man wanting to just sit around in her apartment. What a weirdo. This still didn’t explain anything, and she was itching to have answers. How long was this invisibility spell of sorts supposed to last?? And he couldn’t hear her?? How was she supposed to ask questions, or go back to normal?? Stella felt as though she was starting to stress out. With Axel’s hand around her wrist dragging her out, the inability to be heard, and fear of the unknown, she could feel her blood pressure just soaring through the roof.

Once the pair was outside and away from her apartment, Stella could start to see her fingers again. Slowly but surely, her arms started to reappear, as well as her feet and legs. “Oh thank god,” she murmured, shaking her head as the last of her body came into view, “I felt like I was having a panic attack there for a minute...”

Stella paused, biting down on her bottom lip. Her eyes were full of worry and confusion, and now that she was outside in the fresh air and out of her stuffy apartment away from that cop impersonator, she could relax and just breathe. “Can... can you please explain to me what the hell is going on now?” She asked, her voice sounding a little skittish as she folded her arms across her chest to hug herself, “who was that? Who are you? What did he want? Who the hell is death and why is he a person??” As Stella rambled on, she was sure that the other man was becoming annoyed.

 

[Slade]

The heart of the district was still alive with the laughter of drunken youth, and the grumblings of the aggravated residents, which was always a good sign. In Axel’s experience, things only ever turned out for the worse when there was dead silence. Still, they should probably avoid the crowds as much as they can. “Right. Hold on a minute.” Axel put a finger to his lips, once again dragging the poor woman around, leading her out of the main street and into a nearby alleyway. To begin with, they weren’t exactly in the safest neighbourhood in the city -- and that was before considering the supernaturals and the fact that she was, well, probably one of the most wanted women in the underground right now. “Follow me. My ride’s just around the corner. I’ll explain on the way.”

“To summarise,” he spoke as he walk, worn-out boots splashing water as he stepped on the city’s infinite supply of puddles, “Axel Sparrow.” He pointed at himself, and then gestured behind him, towards the old apartment building they left behind. “Lucas Garrison.” Axel made a right turn, walking into yet another poorly-lit side street. He turned around to face Stella then, a hand on his hip.

The dramatic pause was something he thought he could only ever wish for in his dreams, but here the perfect opportunity presented itself. The lone flickering lamp post was a nice touch, too. Axel made a finger gun with his free hand, and pointed straight at Stella.

“And Death.”

His lips twisted into something between a childlike grin and an irritating smirk. It was almost impossible to contain his eagerness to see her reaction, although it wasn’t long before his back pocket started singing, and he was reminded that he was here for work. Petulance made plain on his face, Axel took his phone out, hitting the ignore button the screen. “Look, you sure you don’t want me to explain all of this back at the base? The boss makes a really darn good mojito. You’ll need it.”

As soon as his phone started to ring again, Axel walked further into the alleyway, stopping only once he reached a graffiti-covered dumpster. Grunting, he pushed it aside to reveal a slightly modified mountain bicycle. Pulling the old thing out of its hiding spot, he turned to Stella once more, patting the rear rack as an invitation. “Well, your Uber’s here.”

 

[MalumMalice_]

Stella attempted to keep up with the man as he led her further into the damp, dark alleyway. There wasn't much lighting back there, which made the small brunette frightened and nervous to say the least. She often knew better than to go creeping around in the unlit parts of town, and today was no different. Who knows what or who could have been lurking out here by the dumpsters and garbage? Certainly not anyone that Stella really wanted to come into contact with, that was for sure.

Once they were alone and away from the street, the voices of drunken city folk and music had died down, and they were left in almost complete silence. Her poor shoes were completely soaked from all the disgusting puddles, and the crisp autumn air was starting to cause goosebumps to spread over her pale skin. Stella pulled the sleeves to her thin sweater down over her arms, shivering slightly. Axel Sparrow? That sounded like a name from some kind of fantasy novel- it was a little cheesy, honestly. The name of the other fellow who had deliberately almost smashed down her door, however...It made everything seem a little too real.

"Death? What do you mean?!" Stella cried, throwing her hands up into the air frantically, "you mean I'm going to die? How? I-I just don't understand...Where the hell are you taking me exactly?!" Her voice became shrill and scared. Just that morning, she was convinced that maybe her life was starting to look up a little. She had landed a decent job as a secretary downtown, her health was at an all time high, and all of her bills were paid. Now, only hours later, she was told- well, sort of- that she was in danger. But with who? Who in their right mind would really want to kidnap Stella Waters?

"Does this have something to do with my husband?" She asked desperately, her eyes wide with confusion as Axel pulled out a glorified mountain bike, "And you expect me...to ride on a bike that barely has enough room for two?" Stella scoffed, turning her head to look at her own behind, which was indeed pretty plump. "Come on, now."

 

[Slade]

“You mean your ex-husband, right?” A corner of Axel’s mouth quirked up into a smirk, before he realised succumbing into the urge to be a know-it-all might not be the best thing for the job right now. As it was, the woman was barely cooperating with him. No need to antagonise her. “I swear, he’s got nothing to do with this. I mean, surely he’s busy with other things, right?”

Nailed it.

Axel sighed, shaking his head. What happened to the days when he could just tie the target up, and get on with his life without much argument? All this talking never did him any good. His assignments would probably be more smooth sailing if he just went about his day with his foot in his mouth.

“Look, lady, you just turned invisible for a couple minutes there. The least you could do is nod your head when I tell you that you and the dude with the robe and the scythe -- same person.” He shrugged, gesturing to her once more. “For what it’s worth, I prefer this version to that guy -- even if you’ve been very rude to my girl so far.” Axel mounted his bicycle, half-sulking, though instead of pedalling on he only looked at her. “Just so you know, I rode this with a 6’1” ex-wrestler once. Yes, it was very uncomfortable, and yes, that was probably illegal, but we made it to our destination unscathed, and that’s what matters. Don’t underestimate her.”

 

[MalumMalice_]

“Me...? Death...?” Stella murmured, looking down at the dark, wet ground. All of this was so confusing, and even though she had completely turned invisible just minutes before, she was having a hard time believing any of it. This had to be a dream, or some crazy nightmare...right? Maybe the last few months had been all just a dream. Yeah, that’s is. Soon she’d wake up in her previous home next to her husband, Scott, and everything would be okay. There would be no worries, and she’d go about her life like usual.

However, Stella felt as though this wasn’t just a dream...her dreams were never this vivid. Axel was wanting her to get on this bike, and was telling her that she was extremely wanted. Who was she really to question anything at this point? All of the things she wanted to ask would have to remain inside of her head.

Without another word, Stella mounted the bike behind Axel, wrapping her arms around his waist. She wasn’t really sure how this was going to work, but he was trying his best to get her to trust him and she figured she just had to go along with it. She needed something exciting in her life, and maybe this wouldn’t turn out as bad as she thought it would...?

Of course not. Apparently, she was just Death.

 

[Slade]

“Oh. Okay. Cool.” Momentarily caught off-guard, Axel could only blink at her in confusion. He almost almost didn’t expect her to relent ever. Not that he was complaining, of course.

He felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his waist, and for a moment, his head turned to the side, expression obscured by the shadows. “Sorry about your ex,” he mumbled, not sure himself whether he was apologising for speaking out of hand earlier, or if he was just apologising for said ex’s existence, period. “If it’s any consolation, that chick is cheating on him with her History professor.”

Without another word, Axel hit the pedal, and off the old, creaky bicycle went, the wheels gaining momentum as they hit a slight downward slope. He was by no means a native of Riverview, but all the same, he’d lived in the rainy city long enough to know the maze-like network of back-alleys in the Southside.

Southside Riverview had always been a self-contained pocket of criminal activity within the rest of the relatively less dangerous metropolitan area. It was almost as if the rest of the locals conspired together to take that one dark spot, and throw all of the things they had no use for into it: The troubled youth, the junkies, the fresh college graduates. The list went on and on.

Perhaps that was what attracted the Otherworld to this place in particular. No one who truly mattered cared about Southside. In fact, they would much rather pretend it didn’t exist. No one would bother them here.

Axel made one last right turn, steering the bicycle down into a steep hill. It was a dead-end; they were barrelling towards nothing but a huge slab of very sturdy, very deadly brick wall. Axel refused to hit the brake.

“Ever seen Harry Potter?”

The bicycle further gained momentum, passing through the glamour as it made its way deeper and deeper into the surface. Their surroundings had turned pitch black for a few moments. Eventually, the slope ended, and the ground fell flat once more.

Above them, the lifeless grey concrete turned into an arched glass ceiling. Stone mosaic tiles covered the walls, piling on top of each other until they reached the false rooftop. A one-way mirror of sorts, it unveiled a perfect view of the world above: The starless night sky, and the soaring skyscrapers that could never reach them. Every so often, a car or two would zoom straight over, blocking the scene. It had the tendency to leave some feeling equal parts awe and discombobulation, but by this time Axel had passed through the abandoned station often enough that he did not even bother to look up.

Instead, he simply steered the bicycle closer to the side as a minibus appeared out of nowhere, running towards them. It looked just like the ones the city used for public transit, from the plain white shell to the uncomfortable blue seats and tacky yellow bars. Even the LED display board was exactly the same, although it did feature a route that simply didn’t, shouldn’t, exist: “095 Underground”

The Riverview Underground was somewhat of an urban legend. Similar to Area 51 and the Bermuda Triangle, it had quickly become a favourite setting of choice in the occasional campfire story. As the tale went, the city had plans to build a subway back in the early 20th century -- a petty attempt to one-up the recently-built New York Subway in the east coast -- but The Great Depression had forced the government to abandon the project halfway through.

It was the strangest thing: The older locals remembered it, swore by it, but no mention of it remained in any official documents. No news articles. No photographs. As far as everyone was aware, no one knew where the entrance to the tunnels were either. It was almost as if the senior citizens of Riverview simply had a collective hallucination once upon a time.

But here they were now, coursing through the skeleton of tracks that never were, repurposed into destination instead of path. The Underground Community -- as they called themselves -- had made the most out of it, too. The tracks had been cemented over to accommodate bike lanes and other small vehicles. Colourful stalls and kiosks, looking straight out of an old Persian bazaar, lined the walls of the place. A toothless old lady waved at them as they passed by.

“Your fortune for five bucks, darling?”

Axel rolled his eyes. “Ignore her. She’s a fraud. They all are.”

 

[MalumMalice_]

With Axel's comment about her ex-husband, her sudden eagerness for adventure died ever so slightly. It was news to her about his so called new lover, but somehow, it didn't make her feel any sort of satisfaction- only sympathy toward him. She knew what it was like to be cheated on, and it was nothing new the poor brunette. Stella shook her head slightly, as if she was trying to rid her brain of these toxic opinions. Why the hell should she feel sorry for her ex-husband, the man who cheated on her? Jesus, she was really going crazy.

As Axel's bike started off, she couldn't help but wonder where this newfound friend might be taking her. She knew Riverview like the back of her hand, and all of these twists and turns they were taking really didn't lead to anywhere special. It was a bumpy, cold ride, not to mention that biking often made her feel quite nauseous. Stella had to try her hardest to distract herself, for fear of hurling her guts up and making a mess for someone else to clean. Or leave, considering the area. Southside Riverview was the godless, lawless wasteland of the city- it was always so dirty and gross, Stella often wondered how her life had reached an awful low.

Before she could give it a second thought, Axel's voice in front of her broke her out of her mental reverie. Harry Potter? Stella herself had never really been interested in the series- she was partial toward the whole wizard fairy tale nonsense. However, when she peered around his shoulder, she realized that they were literally heading straight for a wall. All the girl could do was let out a terrible, high pitched cry, and her entire life flashed before her eyes as they collided into the brick building.

Except...They didn't hit anything. As if Stella couldn't have any more confusion dumped out onto her plate, this was just another wonder to add to the grab bag. She opened her eyes after a moment, taking the time to actually look around them as Axel biked his way through the...street? It looked almost identical to the normal parts of the city she was used to, except for all the colorful stands and booths lining the sidewalks.

"Your fortune for five bucks, darling?" A voice called out to her, and Stella barely had enough time to glance down as they passed an elderly lady who badly needed a trip to the dentist. Stella shook her head, wrapping her arms around Axel's waist a little tighter.

"Where...where the hell are we?" she questioned, except this time, she didn't seem to be so terrified. Just...curious.

 

[Slade]

“You’re kidding, right?” Axel laughed, throwing her a mocking sideways glance. He waved the old lady goodbye just as she bid them farewell with her middle finger. “I mean, I didn’t exactly grow up here, but even I’ve heard the tales. You know, how if you walk in the wrong place in the middle of the night, an invisible hand is going to drag you down into ‘The Hidden Tunnels?’” He shuddered, but kept the smile on his face. “Kept me from sneaking out in my rebellious teenage years, at least. My nana always did know how to tell a story.”

Veering away from the heart of the Underground, they entered a narrow, winding passage, leaving them at the mercy of the bicycle’s soft light. Every so often, another minibus -- or perhaps a roaring motorcycle -- would pass them from the opposite direction, their headlights illuminating half-done tunnels with graffiti that looked more like ancient runes than street art. They emitted a faint glow as they passed, before fading once more into the darkness, as if they had no qualms with the pair seeking passage there.

After a while, the silence broke as Axel’s phone started playing the intro to AC/DC’s Back in Black. He groaned. “You mind getting that?” The damned thing was having a seizure in his back pocket, and it felt uncomfortable. For once, he wished that damn woman would get off his back, and trust him to do his job. “Just tell her I’ve got you, and we’re almost there.”

Reaching the end of the tunnel, bright lights greeted them once more, though this station appeared less lively than the one in Southside. A big, blue sign to their right read: Northern Sappertown. Right on the other side of the city. It would have taken them a good hour to get here through normal means -- but here they were in half that time. “See? Isn’t this much better than the Southside?”

 

[MalumMalice_]

Stella nodded, attempting to keep up with what Axel was saying. Of course she'd heard the rumors and stories, but she'd never really believed them to be true. How was it even possible? They...they were just stories. Local bedtime tales to tell to your children who misbehaved. As they continued to ride through the streets, she glanced around, taking in everything that she was seeing. All of the bright lights, tunnels, and people speeding by on their own motorcycles and in their own cars, barely giving the pair on the bike a second glance.

This definitely did look like Riverview, but...The people were different. Some didn't even appear to be human. Stella was sure they passed a man with a tail walking down the street- but by the time she could turn around for a double-take, he had disappeared. Of course, the brunette had learned about mythology and crazy supernatural stuff in high school, and she even loved reading Twilight at some point, but this was something she'd never even dreamed about. Everything was so real and vivid, and the normal, gross Southside was nothing compared to what Stella was witnessing.

Suddenly, the familiar AC/DC song reached her ears, and she raised an eyebrow, unsurprised by Axel's ringtone. Her? Who was her? Unsure of really what to say when she would answer the phone, her fingers gently reached for his back pocket to slide the phone out. Jeez, for a "homeless" man, he sure does have pretty nice technology...she thought to herself, rolling her eyes before hitting the "accept" button.

Before Stella could even speak, a woman's voice on the other end could be heard. It was smooth like butter, but there was a demeaning tone to it as well. "Why is it taking so long for you to get back here?" the voice crowed angrily with a sigh, "You had one fucking job today, Sparrow. Get your ass here now."

She glanced at Axel, shrugging her shoulders as if to say, "what the hell am I supposed to do?" before just flatly saying, "I was told to inform you that we're almost there," she squeaked, trying to not sound like such a little wimp.

There was a short silence on the other end of the line, and a moment later, the call ended. "I..I think she just hung up," Stella added, a little confused.

 

[Slade]

“Sorry about that. That’s Joles for you.” Axel giggled at the nickname, almost like a mischievous schoolboy smack in the middle of pulling a prank. It wasn't exactly the most original or malicious name in the history of name-calling, but it all depended on the context. Jolene always seemed so … serious. And scary. Mostly scary. “Probably not a good idea to piss her off. I'm pretty sure she eats children for breakfast or something.”

Passing through another section of false walls, the bicycle trundled upwards into Northern Sappertown, where they were greeted by quiet streets paved in grey cobblestone. It was one of the older sections of the city, one of the few districts that had remained relatively untouched by time. The neighbourhood was all narrow roads, and barely allowed passage for a single medium-sized vehicle. It was much easier to get around the area on foot or by bicycle, and only the occasional utility or delivery van was allowed to drive through.

Surrounding them were fortified structures clad in soot-covered brick or stone -- remnants Edwardian architecture, souvenirs of the military academy that once operated there. The nearest building above four storeys tall was blocks away, and even that elicited massive resistance from the neighbourhood’s NIMBY-ish residents.

The Saps -- as the locals fondly called it -- was a place of extremes: Deadly quiet in the fall and winter months, when the skittish locals were left to their own devices; and crowded and obnoxious the rest of the year, when better, sunnier weather drew flocks of fanny pack-wielding tourists to the area. The townsfolk would hate them, if they weren’t their main source of income. Nowadays, though, the aging neighbourhood was more concerned about the recent influx of bowtie-wearing youngsters with confusing undercuts. Axel was convinced that a civil war between the old and the hipster would break out any moment soon. It disheartened him, more than anything: On the cusp of thirty-four, he had less to no chance of fitting in with these strange, yet stylish, young folks.

“Well, here we are.” They had finally reached their destination, stopping right in front of a narrow, two-storey building. SAPPERTOWN POST OFFICE: The painted words were barely legible on the scratched and washed-out wooden signboard. It was squeezed in between a nearly bankrupt antique store, and a newly-opened Ukranian-Barbadian fusion restaurant with entrees Axel could only hope to pronounce. “Home sweet home.” He got off the bicycle.

“Go ahead and knock on the door while I park. Locklier will let you in, and if she sees you first, she might be less inclined to throw death glares at me the rest of the evening.”

 

[MalumMalice_]

The nickname that Axel had given this woman did not really settle Stella's nerves. She sounded mean, and the smaller brunette was not particularly looking forward to meeting her. Stella swung her leg over the bike to get off, and realized how sore her ass was. Jeez, you'd think that if he had modified it, he'd get better, squishier seats...she thought to herself with a groan.

Glancing up at the post office sign, her brows furrowed. This place looked kind of dumpy, and gave the entire air a creepy feeling with the weird antique store on one side, and foreign restaurant that reeked of fish and sewer water on the other. Damn...I would not want to eat food from there, Stella continued in her mind, her face twisting into a sour expression, I'd never leave my bathroom. She chuckled to herself, and hoped that Axel was too busy to notice that she was making herself laugh. He probably already thought she was weird- she didn't need the extra help.

Slowly, Stella walked up the cobblestone steps, a little nervous to meet the face behind the cold voice over the phone. The door looked rickety and unstable, as if her knocking would turn it to dust. "Could use a paint job..." she murmured, raising her fist up to the wood. She gave a slight knock, the sound echoing throughout the empty street. Footsteps could be heard from behind the door, and a couple of moments later, it cracked open.

A blonde woman in a dark tank top stood just a foot away from Stella, her eyes cold and piercing. "What do you want?" she snapped with a snarl, a disapproving look plastered across her face, "I don't want to buy anything- those gator cookies I purchased from one of your troops last week tasted like shit."

Stella's eyes widened, and with yet another confused expression, glanced down at her bright yellow sweater and faded blue jeans. Does this lady think I'm a girl scout or something?? She thought to herself. Okay, so the buttons over the fuzzy material didn't really help her cause. "N-no...I'm Stella Waters," she replied flatly, bringing her arms up to hug herself again. It was a bad habit that always came around when she was nervous.

Jolene raised an eyebrow, and curtly poked her head out of the door to look up and down the street. "Where's Axel?" she hissed, grabbing Stella by the sweater and yanking her inside. She slammed the front door shut, and both women were in the darkness.

 

[Slade]

The PO’s front door slammed just as the locks on his bicycle clicked. Axel was crouched down on the ground. At the sound, however, his head jolted up, though by this time no one was there to see the scowl on his face. “Hey! Wait for me!” He called out, though his only audience appeared to be the empty streets and the undisturbed door.

“Sorry, we’re closed.” The hanging red, plastic sign said. On the bright side, at least the door seemed apologetic.

Dejected, Axel groaned, dragging his feet to the entrance, and shook the rusty doorknob, knowing full well that it would only bring him disappointed. As expected it, it would not budge.

He sighed, fishing out a set of keys, held together by a shiny, pink elephant keychain. He turned around, holding the keys against a nearby streetlight, going through them one by one until he finally found the right one.

Once he made his way inside, he didn’t take his time making his displeasure known. “Would it pain you to wait the three seconds, Lock? I was right -- oh!” His eyes widened at the sight of a third figure leaning back against the wall of safety deposit boxes. “Oh, hey boss.” Axel smiled, his past upset forgotten in an instant, and walked over towards the man. He reached into his pocket, pulling out an unused box of Davidoff cigarettes. “Got this for you on the way. It's nothing.” Axel chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

The taller man only grunted as a thanks, taking a stick from the box before putting the rest of it into his own pocket. He grabbed a lighter from his pocket, lit the stick, and placed it in between his lips, not a word out of him even after he’d taken a drag out of the cigarette. The entire time, his gaze -- or perhaps glare might be more accurate -- did not leave the stranger that Jolene had just pulled into the room.

“She’s tinier than I imagined,” James decided, and said no more.

“I think it’s great.” Axel grinned. “That means I’m done being the runt of the team, right?” He turned to Stella, and pointed at the woman beside her. “Well, that’s Jolene Locklier. The nice lady on the phone.” Axel gestured to the dark-haired man beside him. “And this is the boss. He's really cool.”

James nodded, crossing his arms as he looked Stella up and down. “You know why you're here, right?”

 

[MalumMalice_]

As Stella was dragged into the dimly lit foyer of the post office, she found herself joined by a man she didn't recognize. Jolene didn't say much to the smaller brunette, only leaned against the old counter that used to be a place where customers lined up to send off their packages. The room was silent- the only sound was that of a buzzing light bulb toward the middle of the room. It flickered slightly, indicating it might burn out soon if it wasn't changed.

Jolene seemed to notice this, becoming slightly annoyed by the sound. "Jesus, James, I told Sparrow that he was supposed to pick up a new light bulb for that thing," she murmured with a shake of her head, folding her arms across her chest. Stella awkwardly stood between the two of them, the silence reappearing until a fumbling in the lock from the front door was heard.

A few moments later, Axel appeared, about ready to run his mouth before the sight of his boss quieted him. Stella glanced over at the newcomer, her eyes pleading. This was all so weird and confusing, making the whole moment just seem tense. Axel's jab at her height made her scoff, but she didn't reply. She had no idea what to say until he decided to continue speaking, introducing her to the rest of his...friends?

"Did you pick up the light bulb like I asked you to?" Jolene asked him, her tone indicating that she was sick of his shit.

Before Axel could even respond to her question, James spoke. You know why you're here, right? He'd asked, his tone flat and serious. He didn't look like the type of guy whose skin Stella did not want to get under, so she figured now was not the time to be brave or practice her sarcasm. "N-no...?" she replied with a tiny shrug, shaking her head, "I've honestly been wondering what the hell has been going on since he showed up in my apartment." Stella pointed over at Axel a few feet away, narrowing her eyes. "Maybe you could fill me in."

 

[Slade]

James raised an eyebrow at Stella's response. He turned to Axel, breaking gaze from Stella for the first time since she entered the building. “You managed to get her here without telling her anything?” The older man blinked, and if Axel strained his ears enough, he could swear James almost sounded impressed. It was almost tempting to do a happy little dance right there and then.

Except the former only proceeded to close his eyes, and shake his head in disapproval. Axel sighed. Wait. He wasn’t upset about the lightbulb, was he? The truth was, when Axel found the stray fifty-dollar bill in his pocket, he assumed that James had just asked him to buy a pack of smokes, as always.

“Well, I told her about the Death thing.” He shrugged. It was a little tricky having to explain the entire affair in the middle of the street, after all. The wrong people could well be listening. “And I managed to get her to drink Silas’ brew. She didn't die, so that means she's the real deal, isn't she?”

“Did you show her the article?”

Axel’s face went red. “Oh, that’s right.” His gaze dropped to the ground. “Forgot it at the counter, and I was already along Kingsway when I remembered, so I figured …”

James let out an audible sigh.

“... Fine.” Axel rolled his eyes, his mouth quirking to the side in annoyance. It was only so long until the boss' rugged good looks couldn't make up for his general grumpiness anymore. “Better late than never, I guess.” Axel walked over to the front desk, dragging his feet across the floor like a defiant child. “I’ll change it tomorrow, promise,” he mumbled under his breath as he passed Jolene and Stella.

An unmarked manila envelope sat behind the counter. Axel rifled through the messy stack of papers inside -- birth certificates, photographs, divorce papers -- glancing sideways towards Stella every so often. Finally, he pulled a small, grey piece of paper from inside. It was a newspaper clipping -- its edges slightly frayed, the black ink slightly faded over time. The upper margin was stained with someone’s neat, cursive handwriting: The Riverview Times, 15 December 2016. Bingo! -SG The periods and the tittles on the i's and the exclamation mark were marked with hearts instead of dots.

Axel handed the piece of paper to Stella.

“My condolences, I guess.”

Jane Doe Dies in Fatal Hit-And-Run
Riverview, WA -- The Riverview Police are seeking witnesses for a suspected hit-and-run incident that occurred last Friday, December 3rd, at the intersection of South Ellis Avenue and Main Street. The coroner’s report estimates that the collision likely occurred in the early morning, between 3 AM and 5 AM.

The victim was found unconscious at 5:45 AM by a jogger. She had sustained multiple fractures in the skull, as well as contusions in the torso. Tire marks were found across her left forearm. “Jane Doe” was immediately admitted to St. Bartholomew General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, but had succumbed to her injuries late Saturday, December 4th.

The victim is a caucasian woman in her mid-to-late twenties, five foot three inches, with brown hair and blue eyes. There is a tattoo of a heart on the victim's nape. Authorities have failed to identify her through the missing persons database. Concerned friends and family members are encouraged to contact the RCPD or the coroner’s office if they wish to see the victim. Their contact details can be found at the end of the article.

“The number of car accidents in Riverview has increased over the years,” Shirley Pricefield, 65, says. The crime rate in Riverview has increased by 36% from 2001, with the 2008 recession cited as one of the major reasons in the city’s recent rise in poverty. Criminal auto-accidents, including hit-and-run and impaired driving incidents, make up 7% of the statistic, but the number is steadily growing. A disproportionate number of criminal incidents has been noted in the Southside neighbourhood in particular, where the hit-and-run incident occurred.

Mrs. Pricefield, a long-time resident of the neighbourhood, continues, “I used to remember when it was safe to walk the streets in the middle of the night. Now I fear for my life even when it’s sunny outside.”

“We are doing our best to crack down drunk and distracted driving,” Chief-of-Police Ryan Song maintains. He adds that recent budget cuts to the department has left them with less-than-ideal resources to properly enforce traffic laws, and investigate unfortunate incidents such as the one concerning the recently-deceased Jane Doe. Song adds, “Despite these setbacks, the department remains determined, and is working in overtime, to see that this poor woman is given the justice she deserves.”

Mayor Edna Lane has refused to comment.

 

[MalumMalice_]

((impressive!))

Stella watched the two squabble back and forth for a moment, with Jolene simply rolling her eyes and sighing so much that she was afraid the woman might be having breathing issues. God, was it normally like this? Stella tried to remain calm, but she was growing rather impatient with these people. She wanted answers, and according to Axel, she might be getting them.

"Article?" What article?" she questioned, finding a loose thread on her sweater and busying her fingers with it. There was never a time in her life where she could just sit still- especially when she was nervous about something. This day had turned out to be so nerve-wracking, that Stella was surprised that she hadn't had a panic attack of sorts.

Jolene nodded, nodding her head toward Axel in the corner, who was shuffling through some papers in a folder. Who also happened to be taking forever. "This might just confuse her more, James," she said flatly, leaning forward to snag a cigarette from her boss' box. She quickly snatched the pack away, pulling out a single stick as before fishing around in her jacket pocket for a lighter. A tiny flame appeared as she lit the cancer stick between her lips, a cloud of gray smoke escaping as she exhaled.

Stella took the small piece of news clipping from Axel's hands, reading carefully. Jane Doe? "Well, that's a tragedy," she murmured, continuing to read. Her eyes scanned the rest of the article, her face becoming more and more quizzical.

"Wait...This can't be right..." she continued, shaking her head, "this...this description sounds a lot like me, but...no no...This can't be me. I just divorced my husband months ago, how could I be dead without him realizing it?" Her voice became shrill and desperate as she began to talk faster, her brain starting to have a complete melt down on the inside. "This is bullshit, right? This is some sort of sick joke. Or am I dreaming?"

As Stella looked across at all of the faces across the room, one by one, she realized that this was no joke. All of them were dead serious, staring back at her intensely. Jolene clapped her hands together slowly, a chuckle escaping her stone cold expression. "Good one, Waters," she mumbled sharply, those dark red lips curling up into a smile, "I think we all believed it for a moment. You put on a good show."

 

[Slade]

“This might just confuse her more, James.”

“Better to know your face is a mask sooner than later, no?” James shrugged, unflinching even as the blonde woman seized the pack of smokes out of his grasp. He glanced at her, light brown eyes drawn to her face for the tiniest moment, before he simply attended to his own lit cigarette. “Thought you said Davidoffs are overrated.”

Without being fully aware of it, Axel had backed off into the wall farthest away from Stella. He wasn’t the smartest person in the world, but even he knew that the next few moments had the potential to be excruciatingly awkward. And excruciatingly awkward it was. In fact, as the poor brunette finally found her voice again, all he could offer her was a half-shrug and a sympathetic smile. It was something, at least, wasn’t it? Compared to the likes of James and Jolene, anyway, who were about as close to the textbook definition of psychopath if Axel ever saw one.

The tension in the room appeared to have done well enough to draw everyone’s attention from the front door. If anyone of them so much as peeped to the side for a brief second, it would have been impossible to miss the gigantic shadow that loomed on the other side. Though the shadow's features remained obscured through the frosted glass of the small door window, its edges turned sharper as it drew closer, forming a human silhouette. The doorknob rattled for a moment, and finally the entrance gave way to an old, bearded man with shoulders so broad it almost seemed as if he was squeezing his way through the narrow entry.

The white shirt, the jeans, the full-sleeve tattoo: It was impossible to be mistaken. He was the man from earlier: Lucas Garrison. Under one of his arms was a box filled with various small things. One half of a pair of pink, fur-lined handcuffs dangled outside the box.

“I’m afraid it’s no joke, sweetheart.” The menacing edge in his voice appeared to have faded away. He almost sounded grandfatherly. Garrison held the door open for a moment, waiting for the ever familiar feline to come running into the building before he closed the door shut. Bourbon dashed to Stella’s side right away, rubbing his head against the woman’s ankle.

“My granddaughter had that Jane Doe as her cadaver in one of her anatomy classes,” Garrison said, setting Stella’s belongings down the front desk. The mention of his granddaughter appeared to have made him temporarily forget the severity of the moment. “A dead ringer, my granddaughter says. Smartest girl I’ve ever met -- Sarah. She’s going to be a doctor, you know. I can get her to show you the body firsthand, if you want. Wouldn’t recommend it, though.”

“Hey Gary,” Axel squeaked from his tiny corner, waving at the man. “Need any help unloading your truck? I’ll help. Let me help. I want to help.”

Garrison clicked his tongue in disapproval, refusing Axel's offer with a shake of his head. “You’re not getting out of this one, Blondie. It was your job to explain everything clearly to begin with, wasn’t it?” The old man snapped his fingers at Axel, barking orders before the latter had the time to even protest. “Oh, for god’s sake, just make yourself useful, and get the poor woman a beer.”

The younger man raised his open palms in mock surrender, head tilting to the side as he refused to make eye contact, and promptly disappeared into the backroom.

“And you two. James Dean. Ice Barbie. Put those out. I can’t breathe.” He used his hand to fan away the grey fumes collecting in the air, and grumbled under his breath, “Jesus, it’s like I’m stuck working with a bunch of rowdy teenagers everyday.”

Finally, he turned to Stella, giving her a well-meaning but powerful pat on the back. When he looked at her, his scowl was replaced with a wide, almost apologetic-looking grin. “Sorry I had to leave you here with three of the most emotionally-retarded people in the world, sweetheart. Why don’t you have a seat in the staff room meanwhile?” He pointed at the door behind the counter. “Take your time, and I’ll try to answer what I can. Can’t promise you much, though.”