𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 ⌜𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿⌟

07. 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗞

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 07. 𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗞

𝗔 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗘 running through your mind. How did this man know your real name? You had made sure to dig that name into a grave back in London. And Dio? How did he even know about the blonde prick? Much less of your relationship with him?

You jerked the man, making him grunt in pain. "Answer me, you son of bitch," You spat venomously.

"Vex, please," Echo said. "Let us handle this!"

Your eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Shut up," You said, before looking back down at the wincing man. "How do you know who Dio is?"

"N-Not a big secret," He winced.

"Stop beating around the bush before I rip your fucking vocal cords out and hang you with them," You threatened.

"C'mon now," He chuckled. "Don't be such a jerk, Y/n. You never treated Dio or Jonathan like this, did you?"

You flipped him around, but before your nails could pierce his throat, your wrist was seized. Echo's arm shook against the force it took to hold you back. Your glare was met with a pleading look. Exhaling sharply, you took your wrist back and stepped away. You rubbed a hand over your mouth, closing your eyes.

"Did you ever come to find what happened to him?" The man asked, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "Or were you too self-absorbed--"

"If you value having your tongue still in your mouth," The other man said. "Then I suggest shutting up."

"C'mon, Vex," Echo said, grabbing Quinn and Nona's hands as they beckoned you. You huffed out before opening your eyes, catching the reflection of the vermillion orbs as you walked past the mirror in the hall.

Echo opened a door, leading the twins inside, and asked you to close it after you. Quinn and Nona crawled onto the bed, shuffling towards each other as you leaned against the door.

"Who the hell is that?" You asked, looking to Echo as they sat on the edge of the bed.

"Aaron Holt. He was a big lawyer before he turned," They sighed. "He's a dick wipe, as you can tell. He's trying to find his ex-girlfriend or something like that. He killed an entire base, Vex. I...I don't want to, but I can't let him stay here."

"No, you can't," You said, glancing at the two children huddled together. "There are people here who are more important than him."

"I just..."

"Don't feel bad for turning him away," You said. "There are children here. He's violent. Not someone who you can trust to be around them."

"He said someone's name...you know them?" Echo asked, looking up at you.

You turned your gaze away from them, staring down at your boots. "Dio...was an...aquantince of mine. He and I...were partners many years ago. But the last time I saw him was in 1886, so there's no way that dumb prick in there knows what he's talking about."

"1886?" Echo said. "Vex, just how old are you?"

"Uh...about 68 now," You said, scratching the side of your head. "Give or take a few months."

"68? You're so old!" They said, making you frown. "N-Not like that! Sorry, that was really rude! What I meant was that you're the oldest one out of all of us! Probably in all of New York, actually! It's just unexpected. You look very young."

"I was turned when I was eighteen," You replied, slipping your hands into the pockets of the hoodie as you leaned against the door. "But I was out for another eighteen years after that. When I was turned it was 1886. When I woke up, it was 1904."

"It must have been hard for you," They said quietly. "The shock of being asleep that long, and waking up to everything being changed."

"It...was a shock," You muttered. "But I managed to get this far, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."

"You have a goal," Echo said. "To go after that man...Dio. Right?"

"If I survived," You said, swallowing the lump forming in your throat. "Then he had to."

"I'll help you," They said.

"Echo--"

"We're friends," Echo smiled. "I'll help you in any way that I can, Vex. I can tell a lot has happened in your 68 years of living, so I want to make sure you can spend the rest of your life with someone that you are familiar with."

"You--"

"VEX!"

At the sharp exclamation of your name, you whipped the door open in just enough time to be hit in the face with something hard. You fell back onto the floor, making Echo exclaim your name. You felt blood rush over your lips as you blinked hard, your hazy vision slowly focusing on the figure coming to stand above you.

Your eyes narrowed.

Arching your back, you bent your legs up before rolling back between Aaron's legs and onto your feet. You grabbed the male, slinging him over your shoulder and onto the floor. You swiftly moved over him, locking his head between your forearms. You pushed his head forward, choking him out on your arm.

Two more people rushed in the room but stopped in the doorway as you dropped his unconscious body onto the floor, and got to your feet. You wiped the blood away with the back of your hand, meeting their shocked gazes.

"What?" You snapped.

"V-Vex..." Echo muttered. You heard something drip onto the floor and looked down.

A knife was wedged between your ribs, piercing through your right lung. You brought your hands around the wound, watching the blood pour from it. You sighed and grabbed the handle, jerking it from your body. You lifted your hoodie, watching the wound heal over within a matter of seconds.

"If someone doesn't take him and throw him out," You stated, tossing the knife onto the vanity, watching your blood smear across the wooden surface. "I'm going to gut him and throw him in the Hudson River."

"I-I'll get him," A black-haired girl said.

"Vex, where are you going?" The other man asked, watching you exit the room.

"Back to fuckin' sleep."

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 07. 𝗘𝗡𝗗
𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 22 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 2021
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