Below The Surface - A Lackadaisy Fanfiction

All The Things She Said

"You—" Mordecai cut himself off, hugging Rocky closer to his chest. "What are you..."

"Oh shoot..." Freckle whispered from watching up at the rafters. "...come on," He waved over Ivy, Serafine and Nico. They didn't even hesitate to rush over, not waiting to be there for the other two cats in their group.

"Oh, what? You're suddenly soooo surprised about this outcome?" Lacrimosa cocked her hip out to the side.

"Miss Ambrose? I thought..." Rocky propped himself up slightly.

"That I was a sweet–talking jazz singer? Kind and gentle?" Lacrimosa rolled her eyes. Her bushy and fluffy tail flicked in impatience, her ears flattening. "I was kind enough to let you two disgusting wretches figure it out on your own, but you've wasted my time."

She flinched slightly at clambering footsteps, hard, heavy and metal.

"Stay the hell away from them!" It was Ivy, brazen enough to outstretch her arms, her hands still grasped around the pistol she had. Her ears were flattened, and there was fear, rather than anger, that contorted on her features. Behind her, Freckle and the Savoys followed, weapons in tow.

"The jazz baby has guts." Lacrimosa spun her gun around recklessly. She whipped around, pulling the trigger, aiming for her.

"No!" Mordecai lurched forward, eyes wide. Lacrimosa jerked, then slowly moved around to face him. She gave a sadistic grin.

"Ah...so the triggerman is soft for little Miss Pepper." She took a step forward. Mordecai and Rocky shrunk back. Well, more like Mordecai pulling Rocky closer to his chest, growling. His ears were flattened.

"I suggest you back away from my reach: things are bound to—" He was shut up rather quickly when he felt the muzzle of her pistol against his forehead. His heart dropped, hugging Rocky closer to him.

"Well, Heller...this is your karma. Thought you could outrun it?" Lacrimosa giggled. "This much would make you end up just like your dear ole Atlas~"

Venom surged through the tuxedo cat. His hands trembled.

"What do you mean?" He tried to ask coolly, but there was a waved in his voice, lowered, almost unnoticeable.

"Ah...you'd never know~" Lacrimosa's finger curled around the trigger, readying herself to pull it back with a single click and shot.

Rocky pressed his forehead against Mordecai's chest, eyes squeezing shut. Finally, he uttered a soft, shaken up string of words:

"...I love you."

Now this made Mordecai want to protect him more. "...I believe the feeling is...mutual."

It was their mended vow: from a year ago, when they first fell for each other. Rocky fell...but Mordecai fell harder. It was a strange little thing, but people supposed opposites attract.

Those good memories flooded away with the remembrance of the gun to his head and his trembling limbs: he was internally panicking. Mordecai was praying...praying. The first time he felt the fear of death was hanging over him.

Ivy's eyes glanced everywhere and at anything, then her gaze shot towards Lacrimosa...then her tail. She set down her gun, then reached for the tail, yanking it back forcefully.

Lacrimosa yelped, losing her footing and dropping her gun. Nico blew past her, scooping Rocky up in the process, stealing him from Mordecai's arms. Rocky didn't object, but only reached out back towards Mordecai. The duo's fingers brushed slightly, but they had not fully touched.

"Keep going," Mordecai instantly stood up, "get out of here, now!"

"Peekon, no!" Serafine hissed. "You're comin' wit' us!"

"Go!" Mordecai repeated, yelling, shoving her away. "Now!" He suddenly tore off his shotgun, slung on his shoulder, and cocked it with a violent fury. Serafine had been dragged off by Nico, and her, him, Freckle, Ivy and Rocky rushed down from the rafters. Now it was just Lacrimosa and Mordecai, about to fight it out.

"You're really going to regret that." Lacrimosa hissed.

"I doubt it." Mordecai seethed. He jumped on the railings, swiftly when Lacrimosa shot a bullet. He kept dodging and dodging.

"Oh hold still, you nuisance!" Lacrimosa yelled, yet Mordecai did not halt. She noticed in the corner of her eyes Silas and Raquelle, although bloody and bruised, kept going after Serafine and Nico now.

Raquelle wrapped her arms around Serafine's waist, giggling maniacally.

"There you are, ma chérie!" She grinned deviously.

"Get off o' me!" Serafine hissed, squirming away, but she was slammed down. Raquelle climbed on top of her, and when Serafine tried reaching for the knife, tucked into her jacket, Silas rammed her wrists down, pinning them to the floor. Raquelle laughed, raising her brother's dagger high. Mordecai whipped his head over, caught up in that moment, his heart continuing to hammer...

Until a bullet grazed his head. He hissed through clenched teeth, and he staggered to get his footing when Lacrimosa's arm jabbed into his side. He went crashing down from the rafters, but he quickly grasped the flooring tightly. His legs dangled, tail swishing anxiously. He struggled to get up, no matter how much faster he was going. He yelped when Lacrimosa's heel smashed down on his fingers.

"You're a damn disgrace to St. Louis!" Lacrimosa spat down at him, and Mordecai growled. He continued to hold on for dear life, considering how far of a drop it was. He opened his mouth, but a growl graveled in his throat, his fangs bared.

"Ooh, brother, the boss is mad~" Raquelle stopped to watch, and Silas did as well. His grasp around Serafine's wrists lessened, and it was enough for her to kick Raquelle, square in the nose, and then ram Silas onto the ground. She quickly leapt to her feet after that.

"Peekon!" She yelled, her eyes wide. "Merde, merde, merde...Nico!"

Nico was occupied with trying not to strangle James. Mandisa was on his tail, and her and James were going two–against–one with Nico. It was a standoff now: the three were prowling, and Nico spat up some blood.

"Not de time, Serafine," He growled out. Rocky, who had been supported by the wall, felt the pain in his ankle go away.

"I mean really! How much must it take for you to die?!" Lacrimosa crushed Mordecai's fingers more. Mordecai winced a bit, and he felt his fingers slip.

"Hold on!" Ivy yelled up, and she ended up rushing back to him.

"NO!" Mordecai yelled at her. Then, Lacrimosa's voice...oh how it made his blood run cold. The use of her tones, showing how venomous and horrendous her secret was. One he longed to solve the moment of the murder. He let her speak...and when Lacrimosa did, it was harsh, unforgiving...

"I will happily end you off the way I did Atlas! That pathetic, pathetic excuse for a man! I am glad I took that chance to kill him for good!" The angrier she got, the more her pupils were nonexistent, "If I could not have his legacy successfully, then nobody could!"

With this, everyone fell silent: Mandisa's mouth went agape. She despised Atlas for multiple things, yet she would have not wanted death among him. She and him were civil, a while back, but it was the past. James looked baffled. Raquelle and Silas exchanged confused glances. Ivy's hands slapped over her mouth, while Freckle's eyes went wide. The Savoys stiffened, sharing one look of concern for their Peekon. As for Mordecai...

...he felt himself break after all the things she said.