Chapter One
"Oh DOCTOR!" came the voice from outside the darkroom. It was a rather large house all together - well, large on the scale of comparing houses of Club Alley - mainly because it was part of the Master’s personal mansion-like residence. Marcus Club, also know well as the Master, ruled over the large, wood-and-thatch-and-broken-cobble stone “city” of Club Alley, snuggled between tall, dark trees with an ominous mud road leading in an out, usually a clear sign that you were going the wrong way.
Dr. Emile Stine sprang from his bed and kicked his door open to walk into the main room, rubbing his mussy, dark brown hair as he went and straightening a dark gold vest. Once in his lab, he saw his friend, Berny, pushing a gurney with a man strapped into it.
"Yeeeees?" Emile said, jumping into a chair and rolling it next to Berny to look at the man on the bed. "My God, what has happened to this poor man? His face is hideous!"
"He was born that way sir."
"I'm so sorry, you are a brave soul indeed.” He took a chart from Berny's hand and looked it over. Seeing as it was the Master's handwriting, Emile spoke in his voice:
"Dear Emile, there should be a Dr. in front of that, this is Mr. Jefferson. It is my sad duty to report that he has failed to pay for his zyhdrate fix and his debt is too much to let slip by. So he has sold his body to you in the hopes for scientific discovery.
Best of luck; the Master"
Emile tossed the clipboard away and hopped on top of Jefferson, straddling him over his chest. "Is this true?" The man was gagged so he couldn’t reply. All he managed was a feeble croaking noise. "Sounds like a yes to me!" Emile shouted in delight. “Berny, to the operating room!”
As he was rolled in that direction, he spotted Juva walking briskly down the long hallway, delivering recent results to the Master. She stopped by as Berny and the doctor were just leaving. She looked on with wide and care-to-explain eyes at the duo - Berny being, well, wonderful Berny, and the Doctor sitting on top of a poor man.
Somehow, however, she wasn't surprised. "Care to inform me, gentlemen?" Juva asked, deadpan. She looked over to scrutinize the subject. "Nice face," she mentioned. "Zhydrate debtor?"
Zhydrate was a drug Dr. Stine had invented - an addictive serum that made patients, for a while, exceptionally giddy, strong, and completely partial to ideas. Once it wore off, the patient wanted, needed, more, and would pay for weekly doses. Once they ran out of money, their body was usually sold to the doctor.
Berny nodded in response.
She mirrored the movement. "Be right there," she called. She didn’t need to watch, but most of the time she found herself morbidly curious. Like many women who could survive in the alley, she found she wasn't squeamish around blood, and could even help sometimes if there were - to put it in the words of the Doctor - 'wonderful difficulties'.
Sometimes she would accidentally look into the eyes of the experimentee and feel a flash of regret, but that was where her cold detachment helped. Besides, their fault for buying the drug. You reap what you sow, and such.
She shook head, about to take back her words. She needed to get the Master's room in order, being his personal secretary of sorts - heaven knows how bad the mess is this time. He liked to slap papers down and leave. However as she made to move on, she was stopped by the doctors voice.
"Oh, it's a terrible thing my dear Juva," Emile said, hopping of Jefferson and putting his arm around her, walking her back into the room as the man was still strapped down. "This poor, unfortunate soul only wished to have help with his painful addiction to surgeries, which also leads to his addiction to Zhydrate."
"That makes little sense. Moreover I don't think I understand how it works."
"Well, it goes something like this!" Emile said as he sat Juva down and jumped to a trolley with a projector on it and started it up. As a picture appeared on the wall, he said, "Special thanks to my partner, the Grave-Robber.” The presentation began to play.
"So Zhydrate comes in a little glass veil,” he said, holding up one; the small clear tube held a bright blue liquid.
"A little glass veil?" Juva asked.
" A little Glass veil!" repeated Berny as Emile took out the injector gun.
"And the little glass veil goes into the gun like a battery."
"HEERM HERRM!" Jefferson tried to cry.
Emile looked to the man. "And the Zhydrate gun goes somewhere against your anatomy," he went on as he pressed the injector against Jefferson's head and pulled the trigger. A shot of the blue liquid seeped into Jefferson's skull and he stopped struggling. "And when the gun goes off, it sparks and he's ready for surgery.” Emile paused, then shouted, “SURGERY!" Berny handed him an automated bonesaw and he revved it's battery.
The doors closed behind Skyrah Spade as she snuck through another tunnel in the enormous Spade Mansion. A smile was on her face as she ran through the tunnels, having no idea where they would lead her. The excitement of being caught or getting lost brought her joy. She lifted up the hem to her dress as she ran hoping not to rip or ruin it.
She mostly had come here because she wanted to get away from her father’s, the Duke’s, loud party from donwstairs. She wasn’t an incredibly social person, and would sooner hide in one of the duty tunnels than speak with false polietness to someone she couldn’t remember though she knew she should.
Skyrah continued running and exploring for what seemed like hours until finally finding her way out of the tunnel and landing herself in her room again. She sighed, somewhat exhausted now. She barely shrugged out of her dress and into a nightgown when she lay down in her bed and started to fall asleep, happy that the Mansion was finally peaceful and that her father's party had at last ended. She heard her blankets rustle and felt fur rubbing up against her, and she was soon joined by her small cat - Pepper. Skyrah soon fell asleep, but what didn’t feel like for long.
She awoke with the sun glaring on her face. She sighed, slowly sitting up. Her father had arranged for her to meet the Queen of Hearts’ son today. They were hoping for a marriage, but she wasn’t excited for that, mostly just happy to get out of the mansion and to see another land. She pulled a dress on over a pair of jeans, hoping that she could sneak away for a while and go on an adventure while they were out.
She jumped quickly, and elegantly from crumbling building to crumbling building in Club Alley, a few drops of blood falling from a wound on her calf. It wasn't a bad wound, but it was bleeding bit much. She'd just gotten out of getting mauled to death by a group of thieves. She'd killed them all ruthlessly. After killing someone, Celty would always leave a single black crow feather at the scene of the crime, so it was clear she was not a woman to be messed with. She also always left one victim at least halfway alive.
Moving like a shadow, she landed in dark, wet alley way, and she cautiously moved along the dark wall, keeping low to the ground, her sword drawn, and her bird skull mask covering her face.
As Jinx walked the streets, she saw Celty - though she did not know the woman as such - with the bird mask. She teleported over, a special ability she loved. Once second here, another second there; who wouldn’t love it? "Hello!" she said cheerfully. "Trying to hide?"
Celty, startled, immediately slammed Jinx into the wet ground, and pointed her sword's tip to her neck. She stared at the Jinx through her shadowy mask, as if she was trying to determine whether the girl was a threat or not. Celty pressed the blade's tip a bit roughly into the girl's neck, but not piercing it. Celty wore a tattered cloak, making it hard to tell her gender, and allowing her to look even more shady than she already was.
Jinx held up her hands. "Woah, a little close there." She moved the sword to the side and held out her hand, even though she still lay on the ground. "I'm Jinx! Nice to meet'cha bird lady." Jinx gave a large smile. "I noticed you're in a rush. I could take you to your destination quickly for only twenty Tasos!"
Elijah - a feared bounty hunter - was passing through the area when he saw a girl holding down another one. He pulled his arrow out along with his bow, lining it up with Celty’s skull. "Now let her go or else I will kill you before you can even think about moving." He smiled his award winning smile, hoping not to be mistaken as too much of a threat more of just someone trying to keep another safe - not as an extremely skilled bowman.
Jinx laughed. "This is so much fun now! I feel as though we are already friends. By chance do you want a partnered ride? It's only thirty Tasos for two. Though it would require you..." she pointed to the girl, "not killing me. And you..." she pointed to the guy, "not killing her, or both of us for that matter."
"No worries in me killing you miss, but I'll lay down my weapon when she does. I do not believe in others killing each other unless it was for a good reason." Elijah smiled and straightened his bow some, making sure it wouldn't actually hurt the female wearing the mask should he have to fire. "Thank you for the offer, but I am staying here, I'm on the hunt for someone."
Celty swiftly moved out of the way, hiding in the shadows, sheathing her weapon. "She startled me," she explained lamely. It was rare for Celty to speak, even the Master barely knew her. She was almost literally a shadow. Her voice, however, was sweet, betraying the shady appearance she had.
Elijah put away his weapon, putting his hands up to show he was no harm. "I figured. My names Elijah so that you both know." He bowed some and grinned, jumping off the roof and stepping forward to where the masked girl was. "And you are? Jinx already introduced herself, but I have yet to find out your name." He leaned one of his hands against the wall where she was hiding, raising the other to remove her mask.
Celty grabbed Elijah's hand, twisting it slightly in a strong grip. "You may call me Crow," she said coldly. The Master was not very fond of Celty. In fact, she was sure she was being hunted by him right this very moment. "You may not see my identity," she added. Her free hand was still on the hilt of the sword resting at her hip.
Her eyes glowed through the dark eye holds of her mask. They were eyes that seemed to be seeking for something to make them happy again. Her eyes always betrayed the image she tried to make of herself.
Elijah looked at her, a grin appearing. "Well Crow, let me tell you, you have definitely put yourself on my map." He put his hand on his bow string resting on his shoulder. "Oh, and you have beautiful eyes might I add." He backed away from her, dropping both of his hands, and looked towards Jinx.
Jinx looked back and forth between the two of them, a smile forming on her pale face. She tucked a bright, blonde curl behind her ear. "Well... that went great. No one's dead!"
Celty stood silently. Elijah had complimented her. She'd never received a compliment. Under the mask, her lips twitched into a broken, crooked smile. "Are you really a bounty hunter of the Master?" she asked. She could usually tell what someone's occupation was by simply watching them, but this man was different; but if he was a bounty hunter, she needed to get away.
Patch looked at his clock. "Late, she's late again,” he muttered to himself and began to walk the street. He wandered into the Master’s home, following the smell of blood and flesh. It brought "Have you seen my friend?" he called out.
Emile had just slashed open Jefferson's gut and started taking out his organs when he heard a voice come from behind him. He switched around and saw that it was a boy with silver hair and a bronze pocket watch in his hand.
"My good sir; please refrain from trying to startle me in the future when I am undergoing scientific discoverial operations!" Emile said as he slashed open Jefferson's chest and ran his hand up through him to make a puppet out of his corpse.
"Yes, the fate of the world depends on professional research and the serious hunt for knowledge." Emile threw his voice to Jefferson’s mouth and Berny laughed.
"I say Doctor; I believe we found a new use for bodies."
"BRILLIANT!" Emile shouted as he threw blood everywhere. "Oh as for your friend; Mr Jefferson!" He thrusted his hand back into the body. "Have you seen this boy's friend?"
"No, now get that hand out from me; I've seen you perform a prostate examine and you didn't clean up after yourself."
"How rude!" Emile said as he slapped the corpse, his hand making a dull sound against the thick, lifeless flesh. "Just for that I'll take your kidney!"
Path’s eyes widen. "I-is that safe?!" Then he shook his head. "No, never mind, please do not answer that." He stared at his clock. "My friend Jinx sometimes delivers your mail, I was wondering if she got distracted, for as of now she is four minutes and twenty seven seconds late! This is not good." Patch was beginning to fidget.
"Trust me... I'M A DOCTOR!" Emile exclaimed to the boy as he pondered his question. Patch wondered what being a doctor had to do with it. "Hmm... BERNY!" Emile shouted. and Berny ran to his said and saluted him. "I need you to go and find this... Jinx person."
"I cannot DO that Captain; I DON'T. HAVE. THE POWA! Or the, erhm, assistance needed."
"Fine," Emile said. He took a scalpel and cut off Jefferson's organless body from the gurney and let Berny take it.
"Thank you, I'm off!" Berny then ran with the skin and bones of Jefferson on his quest to look for Jinx.
"You can never find good help cheap," Emile said as he took off his gloves and washed the blood off his arms. "Anyway, do you happen to have my mail?"
Patch made a confused face. "They're crazy, completely crazy," he muttered. "And no, very sorry. I don't have your mail. Jinx has it, she's very late. Very late for a very important date!" he exclaimed growing more frantic by the second. "Lateness is not tolerated. It's not allowed!"
"I agree, I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS POPPYCOCK! Berby!" Emile shouted looking for him. "Dammit, he's not back,” sighed the doctor, even though Berny had only been gone for minutes. “Very well boy, since you intruded on my time, I must make due with resources available." He grabbed the boy and threw him into a rolly chair and pushed him into his storage room that had the body parts and corpses. He handed him a pen and clipboard.
"Right then young masta; I will say a name, you right it down and we can get this done fast," Emile explained as he took out his Zhydrate injector gun and reversed it's purpose to extract the serum from the corpses. "Now, Richard Rhioneheart.” He stabbed the gun into the decaying corpses’ brain and extracted blue liquid from it.
Meanwhile Berny ran down the streets of Club Ally with Jefferson's corpse. "Madam Jinx, Madam Jinx! Your presence is requested in Dr. Stine's Laboratory." Berny kept running through the streets shouting this, hoping to be heard.
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