𝐹𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝐵𝑒𝓃𝑒𝒻𝒾𝓉𝓈-Ｖｉ （ａｒｃａｎｅ)

A prison attempt, a kidnapping, and a sacrifice

We parted for air as someone walked in.

"Vander?" Vi asked, obviously surprised at a second intrusion on her prison attempt.

"We don't have much time." He shook his head and walked closer.

"How did you find me?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders.

"I'm proud of you, always have been."

"I'm sorry, I...this was the only way I could protect the others." She glanced over at me with a "forgive me" look in her eyes.

I hear a crash outside and Benzo looks from the window back to us.

"Vander!"

"You've got a good heart. Don't ever lose it. No matter how the world tries to break you, protect the family."

"What are you-" she was cut off by Vander throwing her into the storage room.

"No!" She yelled before he closed the door.

"As for you-" he spoke, turning his attention to mine. "-this is what you were doing? Helping her?"

"No! I knew you would figure it out. I just wanted to say goodbye to her."

His look softened. "You two need each other." He pushed me into the same room as Vi, leaving us both screaming and punching at the wall, begging to be let out.

"I'm guessing that's for me."

I heard from the other side of the door. Enforcers.

I calmed down and leaned my ear against the door, listening intently while Vi continued to pound.

"Are you gonna let us make the arrest or not?" It's the same guy from before!

"You'll oblige a doomed man one last smoke."

No. Vander, no.

"No, don't do this!!" I screamed.

"Won't you." He finished his words, ignoring my outburst.

"I'm not putting you away Vander."

"The council needs its pound of flesh."

"Without you down here. It all falls apart."

"Benzo will handle things. He may not have my devilish charm, by ut he runs a tight ship."

Vi and continue pounding on the door.

"Vander, no. You can't do this!!"

"Vander, stop!"

"You won't be coming back for a long time." The female enforcer said.

"I know."

"Why?"

"It's the only way."

"Benzo, open the damn door!" I scream.

Vic's attention is grabbed by pained screams coming from outside the small window to our right.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know."

We both run to the window. We a muffled "stop right there!" before blood splatters across the window. We both gasp in horror at what we just witnessed. The female enforcer was dead.

We couldn't see anything but I could still hear.

"What the devil?" Benzo's voice asked to no one in specific.

"No." I heard Vander say.

I'm guessing another person showed up because of Benzos next words.

"Slico? You animal. Go crawl back into whatever hole you came out of."

"Benzo, stay back!" Vander yelled.

I have a bad feeling about this.

"You never did know when to walk away."

This strange voice I've never heard before rang in my ears.

"Wait!" I heard Vander again.

"NO!" Vander screamed and I could figure out the rest. We lost Benzo.

"Hmm. Stubborn to the end."

"What the hell have you done? This wasn't the deal!!" The second enforcer yelled.

Deal? The enforcer betrayed us and his own side. They really are the worst of the worst.

"Deals changed."

The only one left was Vander.

"No." Vi and I spoke almost in unison.

Silence fell on us. I looked at the window with a horrified look on my face, tears streaming down from my eyes. I couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't talk. I couldn't exist, it would make this all real.

~~~

The lock on the door rattles as I wonder how long we were in here.

As the door opens I see Ekko. Vi looks up from her legs and wipes her tears. They look at each other, crying. Vi stood up and walked over to him, enveloping him in a hug.

"I saw everything. Be-Benzo...they-" He cried, unable to finish his sentence.

"What about Vander?" I asked, making my way over to them, myself.

"They took him." Ekko stammered.

"Where?" Vi asked as he continued sobbing into her chest.