Butterflies Volume II

Chapter 16

You don't often know what happens to stars once they've lost their fame. You see their name on the big screen, with all their money they'd be set up forever. You don't see what happens when it's all gone, and what people do to grasp that tiny bit of fame they have left. After all, what are they without it?

Standing outside Crimson's house Violet expected more, or at least somewhere nice. The trailer park hung low with the lack of streetlights. It hid away from the city, hiding the talent that no longer was. It was a pit of sorrows, desolate in its attempts to hide Crimson Countess' truth that she no longer was who she claimed to be. There was a faint ringing of bugs in the uncut grass, fairy lights shining through her window. They'd got there before Soldier Boy, and who knew if that made it easier for Crimson Countess. It surely delayed the inevitable.

Billy took it upon himself to make an entrance, but as Violet followed in after him, she hadn't expected him to rugby tackle her off her bed. She stumbled to halt, baffled by not only his attack but the stuffed monkeys and sex toys. It was Pandora's box of oxymorons, Violet conjuring tape when Billy called. Hurling her over a chair, they tied her down, wrapping her fists up in tape to disarm her powers. Violet's idea. She was almost shocked no one tried it on her. Pulling up the chains from below the floorboards, they secured her down.

Crimson Countess wore her super suit for fetish porn, Violet grimacing at the toys she stepped over. It was like the first ever club Billy took her to, and how she was still confused anyone would be so attracted to such madness. Unlike Soldier Boy, unlike Stormfront, Crimson Countess had aged, and that gave Violet hope in herself. Clearly anti-aging only was something the most insane could do.

"Probably not the dom-sub rumble you fancied tonight, yeah?" Billy made a comment, his eyes flickering golden from where he wrapped up her fist.

"What the fuck's up with him?"

"We ain't here to hurt you," M.M. said from the back of the room, "but I am gonna tell you something, and I don't want you to lose your shit."

"What?"

M.M. sat down.

"Your lover boy's on his way here," Billy beat him to the punch.

Crimson Countess shook her head confused.

"Soldier Boy," Violet answered her gaze, "he's alive."

Like all of them when they first found him, Crimson looked shocked. However, there was an inkling of something else, a show, a front she was putting on.

"How'd he escape from Russia?" She wondered, and they glanced at one another.

"Well that's interesting," Billy said, "you knew the Ivans had him all this time."

She tugged on her wrists, "I got to get out of here okay. Untie me right now. He's gonna kill me. He's gonna kill all of us."

"Why? What'd you do?" Violet questioned.

"Fuck you all right?" She snapped, "let me go or we're all dead."

Gazing over at Billy, she tried to read him on what to do. His expression was unreadable as always, testing his next steps on the tightrope. He faced them, the slightest smirk that you would question whether it meant he knew what he was doing, or if he was taking it seriously.

"Trouble in paradise eh?" He said, "don't you worry darling. We got a big fish to hook, and you're the worm."

As he began to walk out, Crimson started fumbling, "is this a joke? Is this a joke?"

"Sorry," Violet tilted her head as she trailed him outside.

There was still no sign of him once they got out there, and Violet felt a growing dread of when he eventually did arrive. Watching out into the distance, she kept look as Billy and M.M. riffled through their bag, Billy passing M.M. his water bottle. They all had a drink, which was odd as they never had snacks or refreshments on a mission out. The darkness served to shape into Soldier Boy's looming presence, chilling Violet's bones as she remembered what he did to Kimiko. But he was nothing compared to her, he would fall right in their trap.