Shadow's Dance (V3)

Chapter 7: While The Radio Bursted With Angellic Music

Jane's eyes darted to stare at Scottsdale she hissed. "I can't."

"Why don't you just see if you can't." His encouragement wanted her to punch something.

With a graceful touch she picked up the bow. Examining each cream colored hair she continued to talk. "Music expresses feelings like paint on a canvas. When the artist doesn't practice their technique then they lose the ability to create." Her fingers danced at the frog as she tightened the string to make a gab about the with of her pinkie. "However, all you care about is getting the key without the magic." She picked up the cello to carefully examine its parts.

"Not true." Scott laughed.

"Au contraire, if you can not see then why should I make you listen?" Said a sneer sparkling scarlet eyed teen. "What makes you believe the lies? Is it the tune of hearts or is it the tune of weapons?"

"Well I-"

Herring cut him off. "You wish still for the good when the demon shows its head do you look in its eyes?" There it was, shock.

She placed the bow down on a metallic table."Look, me and Jane 382 are like wolves. We stick to our pack and attack threats." She had a growl in her voice. "We survive by that rule."

"Alright, but what happens after all of this is done?" Scott crosses his arms.

Herring scrunched her nose up."Wait, she hasn't told you?" Her face was puzzled and had confusion written all over her face. "No matter the result Jane can't survive."

Clearly the sleepless nights got to her, the aggression she showed was raw, there wasn't that same numb person they saw hours ago in shock. She looked away the back at Scott. "Alis volat propriis excelsior was what I first learned from all of this." Her voice was full of shame and regret. "All of those people died because of me. I don't want your fucking drugs, they won't chance what has been done."

A soft sound came from the walls. It sounded familiar. "Seems like Herring likes the cello." He gave a smile. "What do you like?"

"I like fighting for something." Jane mumbled, the tune didn't change her mood. "If I fight just for the thrill am I not just a fool?" She smiled but her eyes told something else, even her glare buried itself into Scot's soul as a harsh voice came out. "What I want is insignificant. I can't be selfish so just let me fucking be."

She could almost hear the strings break inside of Scott. "Jane, I can't do that."

"We're you in a hell hole for half your life?" Jane put her feet close to her chest. "No, so let me get ahead of this." A hand touched her shoulder as Jane glanced up with a growl.

It dragged off her shoulder reluctantly as Scott too disappeared from the small room. A small laughter could he heated just beyond the wall that separated the two.

"You'll make sure she'll survive?" Herring busted out in laughter and laid the cello down on its side. " I don't think you understand, if you want to bring down both Phantom and Nick, Jane will have to make a sacrifice and she isn't going for anyone other than herself." Her voice turned stern like she was scolding a child. It sent a chill through Scott.

"What isn't she telling me?"He spoke taboo with ignorance.

Herring shook her head. "I don't know what she'd want me telling. This isn't my fiasco to meddle in. All I can say is that she chose the strongest to be inside Phantom. There's more than you think that support her."

"Why didn't Jane escape sooner?"

"You really want to go there?"

"I do."

She huffed. "You don't know the half of what she's done to get this far and neither do I. Jane might look like a child and hold a gun like one but she strikes like a cobra. When she hurts, Jane keeps going harder than before. It's just who she is."

Jane hummed to a tune remembering the nickname she had been given before meeting Nick.

Playing as an angle she smiled with warmth and even entertained some of the others who had returned from a mission. They called her a little Songbird for her voice and ability to play the violin. Such an evil instrument that is able to hit graceful notes but never the notes that the cello could. Together they were harmony, separate they were simply beautiful. She had been pure in the beginning but was now tainted from experience.

Laying back Jane looked at the ceiling remembering the stars. They danced like little lighters against the black sky. The feeling it gave off allowed her eyes to reopen into reality.

She flexed her stiff fingers as the door clicked. Quint sat across from her.

"Are you going to run off again?"

"Not unless I need to." She said in a whisper. "How's Herring?"

"She's ok, we had a doctor check her out and nothing too alarming besides both of you lacking nutrition and water." He slowly undid the cuffs and was in no rush to get them off. "Jane, do you understand what you've told us so far?"

She didn't frown but looked him in the eye. "Either you think I'm untrustworthy or you're more frightened of this than I am."

"You're going to have to prove to us that you are able to be reliable and not run off especially after this." He pushed away the cuffs after unhooking them. "You need to tell us everything."

"No." She huffed, offended by the request Jane responded. "If I did then you'd miss crucial details between each step and rush to the end." She rubbed her raw writs.

"Like what?"

"Lets take today, if I had told you where I was going Nick would've been tipped off, Phantom would've been tipped off, and most likely result in a bloody battle." She stood up which made him almost jump. "I don't want innocent blood, only of those who deserve it."

"You don't have unrestricted authority Jane. That's not how this works, the system gives what they deserve."

"Then why haven't they?"