Dead Flowers (Mad World) • Tank Dempsey

7

"Honey wake up!" Dempsey's voice scratches her ears to awakening. She found herself laying on a metal box for a bed and no blanket to keep warm. Dempsey is over her shoulder shaking her awake. "Please!"

"What is happening?" Love held her hand over her throat which still felt closed from that headlock.

"Are you okay?" Dempsey asked her worriedly, she sat up and found herself in what looks like a prison with him and to her surprise Takeo and Nikolai is in the cell with them.

Nikolai is slumped over against the wall looking like a tired and angry toddler and Takeo has his arms crossed feeling a certain type of way not having his katana anymore.

Love slowly nods and holds Dempsey's hand "Where are we? Why are we here?"

"I wish I could answer your questions, Mrs. Dempsey." Takeo sighs "but I cannot."

"Nikolai just wanted vodka dammit..." Nikolai angrily grumps, he's just talking to himself at this point.

"The last I remember is we were at the mall changing and some fucker grabbed a hold of me and stabbed me with something and I passed out." Dempsey sighed "I could've protected us"

"Stop blaming yourself when you don't win in fights, shit happens Dempsey.." Love said to him "some fights aren't meant to be won"

"I love your thought process Mrs. Dempsey, but in this case that thought is flawed." Takeo sighed walking over to the two of them. "There is evil in this place and we need to get out of here"

"Where did you two go after we separated?"

"Nikolai and I found a market and we got tons of food that was in stock, we were looking for a place to stay to show you guys when we met up again but some kind of smoke got ahold of us. We were blinded and then some demon strangled us when we were vulnerable to the open!" Takeo arched his eyebrows in rage, crossing his arms again he felt ashamed that he didn't do much to prevent this for him and his comrade. He felt his action is so dishonorable, and to have him as a convoy to the emperor is a joke.

"I'm happy you guys are alright though" Love said to her new Japanese friend, she could see a small smile form over his lips showing he appreciated her comment.

"May the spirits bless you, Mrs. Dempsey."

Then the sound of a metal door opening came through all their ears. They move their heads towards the sound to see a man walk in. He looked like a scientist with black hair slick back. The man had a strong jawline and his eyes looked evil with neutral intentions. He is dressed like a scientist without the infamous white lab coat. The man had vials full of blood hanging from his laniard, he had a pouch with his belt full of ammunition and a red futuristic weapon tucked in his pocket. He is a fairly attractive man. This is the man Love met before, back at the cabin when she was alone. She could remember that face.

"Guten morgen" The man said to the group, they find out he's German just by his accent and language. "I hope jour sleep vas vell." No one replied to him, they just wanted to hear what he had to say, and to study his every move. "Not much of talkers eh?" The man shrugged his shoulders. He walked up to the cage and looked at the woman with a smile, he watched her squeeze her husbands arm. "Hallo frauline, ve meet again"

"Why is that?" Love finally broke the groups silence, they looked at her then back at the scientist. Obviously they aren't here to be saved, this man isn't the messiah, they're here to be killed.

The scientist smiles and takes step backwards distancing himself from people who are obviously not happy to be locked in cages. "Jou vanted ein place tzo stay zhe night right?" He asks her sounding so sarcastic with his question "I am lending jou four ein place tzo stay, in cages because—how can I trust Americans, Russians, und Japanese?"