"When due process fails us, we really do live in a world of terror." - JC Denton, Deus Ex
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"HEY! What the hell happened to my car?"
Michael, with a visible frown on his face, stormed into the front yard towards the now-white car coming in from the gate.
Jimmy stumbles out of the car, nervousness communicated clearly from his facial expression.
"Dad, I-"
"We had to repaint it. A single description could lead to the car being tracked here."
"If that's the case, then what about-"
"It's been replaced. A friend did the job. Trustworthy, though you'd probably still be suspicious knowing you."
She didn't mention that it was a friend of Franklin's and she barely knew him.
"He's in an illegal street race league, so suffice to say he doesn't want any attention from the authorities."
Michael calmed upon hearing that.
"I also kidnapped someone, though. Going to need help with that."
"Oh no..."
"Honestly, i only came here to make sure Jimmy returned safely, but I intend on bringing this person back with me. Could you take me to a certain place?"
"Are you fucking crazy?!"
. . .
"Why even ask the fucking question? Of course you are!"
"They knows something about me, kept staring when I was taking hostage, turned away when I looked back, fear in their eyes. I need to know why."
"...*Sigh* Well, let's get this over with. Where do you need to go?"
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."I'm not a fucking chauffeur."
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Alexandra unceremoniously throws the unconscious body onto her decrepit bed, waking up the tied-up person behind the mask. They immediately take note of their surroundings, eying every detail like a hawk, not unlike Alexandra's routine, which slightly surprises her.
Eventually, the captive's gaze reaches Alexandra, and fear immediately enters their eyes, testing the makeshift bonds by which they are held prisoner. Alexandra smiles.
"Even if you break out of those flimsy bindings, escape isn't possible. You knew that though. I can see it in your eyes."
She stares at Alexandra in horror, recoiling as if her voice injured her very soul. She opens her mouth.
"Please do scream. It'll make everything better. All your troubles will go away."
And at that, they start hyperventilating.
"Please calm down, dear guest" Alexandra continues, inching closer to her terrified prisoner, eventually brushing her hand past their face. A loud squeal sounds out in the room, and Alexandra changes her hand's direction to their head, rubbing the dread-filled hostage.
"Aww, that was adorable! Could you make that sound again?"
They go silent, but tears fall down their eyes, now unbound hands going up to cover their face. Alexandra goes to hug them, and they stiffen in her arms. She continues to rub their masked head. She goes to take off their mask, and they don't fight back. Once taken off, the sight of a short-haired redheaded girl pops out. Alexandra's eyes went wide, her smile enlarging from the memory tearing its way through her mind, recognizing the scared little face that used to run around her.
"Oh! It's little Danni!"
The girl squealed again.
"No wonder it looked like you saw a ghost! I must be something you never expected to see again. That expression of yours is as adorable as it always was."
Alexandra squeezed her harder.
"Now that I think about it, why did you shoot at me? That wasn't very nice, you know. I thought we were friends..."
At that, the woman in question shook, but now not in fear.
"What the fuck do you mean?! You're a god-damned demon!" She screamed, Irish accent thick throughout her rage.
Gaining her mind back, she immediately returned to a fearful expression, now shaking a little.
"Oh, there's that fire! I had thought you lost it for a second. Though you never could control yourself, huh? You little goblin!" Alexandra exclaimed, rubbing the girl's head excessively. Danni flailed around a bit, but eventually gave up. Alexandra wrapped her legs around Danni's waist like a snake, mischievous smile gracing her features.
"I remember you running around me like a headless chicken whenever I so much as breathed in yourvicinity..."
A somber smile inches its way onto her mouth.
"You used to be so free-spirited around me, but one day, all of a sudden you started avoiding me in fear. It hurt, you know. One of the few things that did... You know they lied to you, right? I didn't-"
Danni, in a surge of strength, escapes Alexandra's grasp, before pinning her down, holding her by the throat. Alexandra knew how to deal with her when she was like this, but opted to wait instead.
"Shut the fuck up! Don't speak about something that you caused, bitch! Every single second under your gaze was a living fucking hell, and it's NOT happening again!"
She strangled her harder, and as much as Alexandra found peace in her fading mind, she still decided to get out of the situation.
"Mmmmn, Ghkkhhaaa! Harder~"
Danni's grip staggered, and Alexandra took that chance to reverse the tables, straddling Danni in her growing wrath, knees on her arms. A red ring now adorned Alexandra's neck. It would be a position seen as quite sexual if the situation was different. Alexandra looked down at the seething girl, and started to hum, rubbing her head.
At first it seemed to do nothing, anger still plaguing Danni's every movement, angrily thrashing around under Alexandra in a bid to return to strangling her. But eventually, the wrath overwhelming the small girl started to subside, replaced by a strange sense of serenity.
Alexandra got off of her and pulled her into a hug, continuing to hum, rubbing her back and head. Eventually she stopped, a surprisingly graceful smile accompanying her words.
"Better?"
Danni nodded her head slowly, almost as if in a trance.
"Good. Let's take a second to rest. I know how you get after an episode, you little goblin."
Something that would've normally enraged Danni now had no effect.
"Good girl."