Murder Family Values

Beings of Death

There are very few people that had the capability of making Ashley Al'Ghul feel truly sick to the stomach. The underworld knows no meaning of the word mercy and neither does the League of Assassins. So when I tell you that Hannibal Lector truly made her feel sick, you should take in the significance of my words.

She could sense the tsunami of the dead following him like vultures circling a carcass. She could smell him before he even entered the room. Ashley sat down to hide the nausea that racked her body as he entered. Turning slightly, she raised an eyebrow at Jack. "Couldn't find my parents so you brought in my cousin?"

Hannibal forced a smile. He disliked her just as much as she disliked him, but for completely different reasons. He thought she was rude and condescending. And as for Ashley, her cousin reminded her of her highly abusive Mother. They were both mass murderers that spoke in slippery metaphors and were not afraid to gaslight you so bad that you can't even remember your name.

Hannibal paused slightly and tilted his head in her direction. "It's nice to see you too, Ashley, though I must admit that I thought you were still in New York."

She pretended to examine her nails as she thought up multiple exit plans. "What can I say, a girl gets bored."

Will's eyebrows furrowed with confusion. While it was totally in character for his student to say something sarcastic as a response, her tone never actually came off as hostile. Like a cornered animal, she was preparing herself for a fight using words as her only defense.

Jack glanced between the two. Besides the high cheekbones and vaguely similar jawlines, he would never have guessed that the two were family.

They were opposites in every way he could think of. While Hannibal spoke in fancy metaphors, Ashley was blunt and straight to the point. While he enjoyed classical music, she was more of a heavy metal and rock type of gal. And despite them both wearing suits at the moment, they still varied in taste. While Hannibal fancied beiges and plaids, Ashley stuck to plain black.

But more importantly, they looked completely different. Hannibal had warm marron eyes while his niece had an unforgiving icy green. He was pale, while she was a tanned olive. His hair was a sandy blonde while Ashley's was a dark red-brown.

Jack chuckled as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I assure you, it was unintentional. No, um Dr. Lector is here to help me with a psychological profile."

Ashley looked like she wanted to object, but stopped herself short. Hannibal wasn't the only one who could be dragged down if secrets were dragged out of the shadows and into the light.

"Oh, I'm sure he is. Please, don't let me stop you. We've got a case to solve."

As Jack told Hannibal the case details, the tired brunette teen zoned out of the conversation and instead focused on a new goal: not barfing up her meal. Despite never having eaten human flesh — to the best of her knowledge, of course — she could still taste it on her tongue. She groaned to herself. Gods, the one time I actually eat breakfast...this happens.

As Will stormed out of the room, Ashley stood up. "I think you guys hurt his feelings. I'll be in my dorm if you need me. It was nice seeing you again Doc. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Ashley had never been one for missing class. Due to her crushing fear of failure, she always ensured that no matter how hectic her life became, no matter how many attempts on her life there were,  she was kicked out with perfect A's.

So there she laid on her bed, skipping all of her classes in one fell swoop. She only bothered moving as the door opened as her dorm mate entered. "Oh good. I was beginning to think I needed to file a missing person report."

Ashley relaxed slightly as she glanced at the other brunette. "Oh haha, Clarice. Very funny. A+ at humor, really."

The older brunette plopped down on her own bed. "Seriously though, you never miss class, especially not Dr. Bloom's and Professor Graham's. You okay?"

Ashley narrowed her eyes. "I slept through my alarm." Shrugging she finally sat up. "I'll just lie and say I was sick. Plus, I finished all my homework anyways." Standing up, she brushed off her clothes. "I'll see you later, I've got something to do."

Clarice raised an eyebrow. "Bye."

Ashley rolled her eyes instinctively as she left the room. The shadows of the halls reached for her as she walked and the whispers of the dead grew as a familiar chill washed over her body. Her green eyes seemed to darken to an obsidian black as she stepped through the shadows.

Ashley paused as she took in the scene in front of her. She could feel the knife being pushed inside her chest...in and out as her lungs were quite literally carved out of her. She blinked and the image shifted to Hannibal standing over a girl mounted onto a stag head.

"Sorry, I wasn't aware you were...busy. I need to know what you're planning, Child of Thanatos. I never struck you as one to mess with mortal affairs." Ashley spoke in a calm low voice, almost as if he wasn't covered in blood and standing over a dead girl.

He raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Why hello to you too Ashley, or should I say, Aretha?"

Automatically her mind translated her name. Aretha: the greek concept of striving for excellence in all aspects of one's life. There were only two people who ever used her middle name: her abusive mother and her absent father. It was an awful reminder of the past she strived to escape from. A reminder of the blood that soaked her very name.

She tilted her head and tossed him a cold dead smile. "Call me that again and I'll slit your throat, but that's not why I'm here. Now, I'll ask you again: what are you planning? This..." Ashley paused to gesture to the dead girl, "is evidently a gesture to Will." Wincing slightly, she made a mental note to not use his first name again unless necessary. "I'd almost go as far as to call it a performance. No...it's nothing short of a monument."

Finally standing up, Hannibal walked closer to the younger demigod but before he even had the chance to try anything, she held up a single finger. "Ah ah, I wouldn't be so quick to take action if I were you. If you kill me, it practically guarantees that the prophecy is about Percy Jackson. Don't get me wrong, he is an excellent swordsman, but he isn't clever, not like us." She paused for dramatic effect. "Do you really want someone that's nicknamed 'Seaweed Brain' to be in charge of saving humanity? No more humans means no more food for you."

In normal circumstances, she most likely would have felt bad for bad-mouthing any of her friends. However, Ashley's self-perseverance overpowered her personal morals. Besides, ensuring that she was the subject of the prophecy meant she would die in the place of the son of Poseidon.

He glanced to the side before back at the girl he despised. "And what would you propose?"

"You stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours." Ashley's green eyes moved to the dead girl.
" Naturally, this extends to Professor Graham as well. For the time being, he is my teacher. I would prefer him to be alive and well."

A flicker of amusement crossed Hannibal's face. "Is that sentiment I detect?"

Ashley scoffed. "No, don't be ridiculous. I simply hate substitutes. Very rarely are they ever competent, and it's even rarer that they don't try to kill me. Well, I'll leave you to your own devices, but I promise you this: if you get in my way, I cannot promise that you won't have a war on your hands. Well...another war, I should say."

The shadows reached out for her as she turned around. "Trust me when I say you don't want to get on my bad side. See you later."