While the Vigilante, Near, is thrown into a deadly situation with the Kodoma Corporation, the Wound District's structure shakes violently as rival gangs inside wage war on an almost city-wide scale.
It is there, the Owl, perched comfortably in her Wound residence, her Clocktower, the ancient structure made of stone brick, stood far above the nearby blocks of boarded up buildings. The Owl's territory was clearly marked with the symbol of an owl, both a claim as well as clear warning.
Barricades made of burnt out cars and sheets of rusted metal.
Distant thunderous music reverberated constantly from one of the nearby rival territories.
BANG BANG BANG
Shoots rang out throughout the night sky-
A return volley of shoots returned-
Tracers filled the sky. Like fireworks.
Crunch Crunch Crunch
The Owl's henchmen patrolled their territory. Armed with assault rifles. Their boots leaving tracks in the snow.
Some relaxed smoking, others stood lining the building ledges, and some made deals with one another. In the Wound deals can be the difference between life and death.
Buggy. The Owl's lieutenant stood with his hands deep in his yellow puffy jacket pockets.
'Look. The shipment of guns left yesterday morning.. What do you mean it disappeared?'
Another thug gestured, unable to speak. He looked puzzled.
'Boss-'
'What? Out with it!' Buggy gestured wildly.
Knowing full well he's reporting to the boss lady, Madame Owl.
'Near could've done it.'
'The vigilante has been distracted by other things.'
'T-Then I don't know!'
Buggy turned around, and began to walk away, towards the great big mahogany doors. They were two metres tall, and riddled with bullet holes. He looked back at the cold but insulated thugs who hung outside the tower's exterior.
'Find out where that shipment is before the boss lady finds out.'
The great doors creaked open, as he slipped through.
He brushed his yellow sleeves, removing snow.
'Hey boss..'
He called out.
His tired eyes fell upon one of the tower's long corridors, its stone floor covered in children's toys, clothes, and one of the boss's black bras. The pictures along the wall were portraits of the Owl, and her son. Always well presented, and neat.
What returned was the childlike cackle of an infant.
'Yes.. mommy loves you, she does!'
'Mama.. milky!'
'Of course darling.'
She snapped her fingers with a loud echoing-
Click
'Hey sh*thead, get my little boy some milk.'
A thug scampered out of the room.
With the speed of a thousand gazelles.
Buggy walked into the room, Talon, the son locked eyes with him.
The Owl turned around her arms locked across her son, obviously in the middle of uncharacteristically hugging. The Owl immediately scowled-
'Buggy, you better have a good f*cking reason for-'
The door parted-
Sccccreeettcccchhhhh-
The figure standing in the doorway sent chills down her back, she swallowed saliva, for a moment she seemed defeated, but regained her composure.
'Cute. Now I came to meet the Owl, not a f*cking babysitter.'
Blue provocative dress. Twin black tails. Black eye liner. She leaned forward, her breath putrid, a mix of cigarette smoke and day old food, but her teeth were perfectly pearly white.
She crossed her arms.
She was shorter than the Owl who now stood, pulling the much, much smaller Talon behind her.
'Overlord..' the words left her mouth with a tinge of particularly spiteful venom.
The Overlord, revealed to be the-
Ice Thorn Princess
'So.. you're probably wondering WHY I am here, right?' She asked slowly, welcoming herself into the room.
Slowly slapping a mug off a table, a show of power and mocking spite.
SMASH
As the pieces of the mug covered the ground she smirked.
The Owl scrunched her nose. Slightly gritting her teeth. Still shielding Talon, like a protective mama bear.
'I am not sure what you're on about..'
'HA!'
The Overlord barked with amusement.
'You know what I mean~'
She said with a tone that reassembled a sing song.
Her heels crunched on the pieces of ceramic.
'I OWN the Wound..
She pointed away from herself to the side-
My family OWN outside the Wound Districts walls..'
She circled like a shark, her eyes locked on the Owl.
'The vigilante.. Near.. I think he calls himself.. Has come all this way to this cesspit of a city from my beloved homeland of Japan.'
She gritted her teeth. Yet the smile remained, all teeth, no kindness.
'He's been here for some time.. Funny enough.. There were.. Whispers that YOU.. have been working with him.. But surely that cannot be true..right?'
The Owl's heart stopped.
Her brown eyes were blown wide.
She knew exactly what she meant.
She scoffed, hoping to make a believable retort-
'Pfft-'
'Hardly.. He infiltrated my mansion in the Stretch.. Beat up a bunch of my men.. And I shot him? Does that count as "working with him" ?'
The Thorn Princess barked another laugh dismissing the sorry excuse-
'Sure.. sure.. I am sure that was all..'
She turned away.
'Just remember Madame Owl.. do not assume I won't just clip your wings should you become too rebellious..'
She stopped in the doorway-
Her eyes fell on Talon who hid behind the Owl.
'Oh.. by the way.. The Sanguines have a little surprise for you.. Care to join me at the DreamLand Tower?..'
The offer was obviously some sort of trap, yet it was also a power move, to show who REALLY ran the Wound District.
The Owl swallowed and ushered Talon away to join Buggy who now stood behind her.
'Of course. Our little.. Disagreement has been going on for a few weeks now.. No need to continue.. Not when it's almost the holidays..'
This obviously pleased the Ice Thorn Princess, who nodded enthusiastically, walking past the doors threshold, practically skipping away-
'Exactly! So think of this as my GIFT to you! An early Christmas present.. To a fellow leader within the Wound..'
The Owl began to walk away, behind the Overlord, throwing her white furred coat around her slim frame.
'Mommy?' Talon reached out-
She spun around. Talon could feel the tension. Despite being only a small boy he could see it in her brown eyes. The coldness. The cruelness.
'My love.. I will see you soon.'
The Ice Thorn Princess spun around to face Talon. She knelt down. Close. Her Japanese accent flowed along with the poison miasma. Like a snake ready to strike, and found a little mouse amusing.
'Mummy and I will be a little late.. So disappear.' she snarled, twirling one of her long black twin tails with her pale fingers.
And so the pair, the Owl and Overlord disappeared through the Towers' large heavy doors.
Outside..
Owl's POV..
Klick Klick Klick
Her heels hit the icy concrete like gunshots. In front, the Ice Thorn Princess led the Owl to her limo.. Or the Wound Districts version of one. Heavily armoured. Decorated to scare. Built like a tank. More like an SUV than a limo. Tied to the hood a cowering member of the Sanguines sobbed.
The Overlord strutted past, her footsteps cruel and spiteful, the pointed heels and tips gleamed eerily.
'Shhh..'
She cooed brushing the man's cheek.
SLAP
It was sudden.
It was swift.
The strike was stinging-
'This is my personal bug absorber.. Instead of the front of the car being pelted by bugs.. He does..'
'WE-...WILL HUNT YOU!'
The Overlord paused.
I looked back at the tied thug, so did the Ice Thorn Princess..
'HA! Hehehehe'
She cackled amused by the threat.
SMACK
She slapped the helpless thug-
And then walked away dismissively, her thighs glistening in the moonlight, her twin tailed black hair flowing, her white skirt rustling.
Klick Klick Klick
'Oooo.. Hey Ruby.' She said to her driver. A large, muscled woman, scars worn like decorations. And red janky mohawk, probably created during a bout of insanity. Her eyes were bloodshot and wild.
'Drive like a madwoman. I wanna hear that piggy scream.'
'Sure boss.' She nodded, settling herself into the seat.
Opposite us, some of the more enthusiastic denizens of the Wound District, dressed to 'impress' if you could call it that, skipped with their weapons raised above their heads.
They cackled.
Sneered at us like wild animals.
'Relax.. Owl.. I know you don't leave your territory often..'
The Overlord scoffed.
My eyes narrowed as I dismissed the masked, weapon wielding, overly enthusiastic psychotic scum.
'Hmph.. I will give a call to Buggy. They won't be confident for too long.'
And so I stepped into the Overlords SUV, and as the tyres skidded off, the vehicle slammed HARD into a nearby wall, breaking through it with blunt force.
VVVRROOOOMMMMMMMM
The Wound District outside was spitefully cold, snow slowly fell onto the street, blanketing everything in front of us in the deserted road. Occasional bursts of bullets tore through the night sky. Gang warfare? Almost certainly. If not? Probably a random psycho.
DreamLand Tower..
Overlords Seat of Power..
Owl's POV..
DreamLand Tower. Funny enough I have never seen the real thing up close. Only from a distance.
The territory around it is deep, deep Ice Thorn Territory. Stretching from my own border with the Ice Princess, across the river that divides the district and encompassing the abandoned fairground. The shell of a bygone era. The rusted ferris wheel creaked eerily as we stepped out of the SUV. Beyond the fairground stood the large barrier that barred us from leaving the hellscape into the wider city.. Unlucky for these guards, I already possessed the only alternative exit.. The Stretch.
The wall itself was a steel barricade, 15 metres tall. Lit up like a Christmas tree. Armed to the bloody teeth.
Patrols of the 'wardens' if you can call them that. Walked the walkways, armed with the latest weaponry. Ordered to keep anyone, and everyone within the Wound District.
Those who are imprisoned here, as inmates are shot on sight if they approach the walls. Those 'visitors', not inmates, who come here for the night for debauchery, hedonism, or whatever gets them off are allowed to exit through a designated entrance and exit.
For the simple rule of the Wound is, ALL crime is legal within the walls. For both inmates AND visitors.
I shuddered for a moment, as the cold breeze travelled up my neck. Flipping the fur hood over my brown haired head, I stared at the crowd of onlookings who lingered outside the Towers entrance. They stared back. Some sniggered. Some looked intrigued, not what you want in these parts. I parted my coat, to reveal the golden pistol that sat on my tanned hip.
'The Owl..'
'A little lost isn't she?'
'Yea, her territory is on the other side of the river.'
'Guess the Overlord is gonna kill her next.'
The crowd parted as we approached, some backed away instinctively.
The dress of the thugs, henchmen, and bystanders varied depending on their affiliation.
Some were jesters, ladies, usually affluent who come to the Wound for mindless hedonism. With the luxury of leaving, I myself can leave, but choose not to, easier to rule my territory and do business. Some were the rust hounds, big men dressed in rusted armour, thugs who tend to occupy the drag racing scene.
Some were Black Birds, assassins for hire.
Others were just run of the mill inmates, as evident from their orange, brown jumpsuits.
'Come on in!' The Ice Thorn Princess gestured emphatically to the front door of the tower. The bystanders outside parted immediately not wishing to risk the wrath of the Overlord.
The great doors parted, as they opened there was a metallic screech. Searchlights that already filled the night sky illuminated the walkway. Snowflakes fluttered along with the wind they themselves brightened by the light.
The sight I was met with was terrifying.
For a moment I hesitated to cross the threshold.
Because the scene I saw within was one of absolute horror. Even for me.
Strung up along the Towers once reception, harpooned to the many doric columns. Slumped like bags of meat they hung in the air, their bodies bloodied.
The Sanguines. Every leader.
'Surprise!' The Ice Thorn Princess gestured excitedly-
'My Birthday Present to YOU!'
…
I was speechless. I am not above murder. Crime. Depravity.
But this-
This only emphasized the Overlords power-
She is insane. I must never overstep-
She could very well harm that which is close to me.
The Overlord stood proud. Her smile is one of genuine pride. Her small frame puffed out. Her chest, albeit small but full of air.
Yet her eyes- her calculating, strategic eyes watched me close for any reading.
'Well?'
She questioned, her black eyebrow raised, her gleaming smile narrowed-
'Ayaka!'
A voice rang aloud behind. It was motherly, demanding.
Authoritative.
The Overlord turned.
My brown eyes widened.
Well this is a turn of events. Interesting.
Standing behind was Reina Kodoma.
Corporate Empress of Japan.
'Mother?'