Into the Pit
“Groovy, groovy, thanks for scratching our back, now it's time for us to give you a little something,” Pa said as he pulled a folder from behind his chair. Ma tapped on the folder. “This here is all we got on your boy.” She pushed over the folder to Senarre, who flipped through the series of pictures showing a person with a cloak and clothes that fit the description of Kian. She passed them over to Rosario, who gave them a glance. Ma spoke up again, saying, “Your boy there was seen walking into the bazar district of the Otherside, lots of places to disappear there if that's what they were after, however, one of our spies within a particularly dirty place known as the pleasure pit clocked him entering the first floor bathroom and then disappearing, so there is to figure there's some sort of door there, we got you the info but that's as far as we go Pleasure pits enforcers are a scum on the Othersides underworld we’d like to see them gone so if you guys are up for another line of work, particularly messy work in this case we got the prize if you put in the effort you feel my vibes?” Rosario flicked through the pictures again. “So you guys want these people gone? Is this a territory thing or what?”
Pa frowned. “Nah, see these people down at the pleasure pit and all their assorted business have a different way of running things, catch my vibe?” Rosario shook his head. “No, I don't catch your vibe. Can you elaborate?” Ma said, “They are dirty cause they do unethical business.” Senarre tilted her head in curiosity. “Unethical business? Isn't that what you guys do? You run brothels and trade in illegal goods?” Ma said, “No, not like they do, they get their girls hooked on the hard stuff, drains their souls till they ain't nothing left but a vessel needing the next hit to keep running, once they grab someone, they run them through like that, just use them up like a single-use article whorin out broken people to turn a quick profit, here at the jive turkey and associated businesses prioritize the health of our employees they see someone they ain't wanna service they aint gotta we also make sure they are in top shape cant sell broken products and expect a good payout yo feel me.” Senarre frowned and said, “Fuck it, I'm game, know the name of their leader? I'll give 'em a few extra shots. I'll aim for the extremities. Can't stand people who climb over others like that, especially ones that mistreat women or trade in slaves.” Ma shook her head, “Amen, we see eye to eye on something. Heavy metal woman, you and your associates clean out the pleasure pit, and we would like to give you lot a business proposition.”
They walked into the room with Carmilla in tow. She threw herself on the couch. “What did you want? Couldn't you see I was chatting up the cute bartender? He gets off work in an hour. What could possibly be more important?” Rosario ran into his room and walked out a short moment later with his sword in hand. Senarre stood in front of Carmilla. “We have a lead on Kian, and we need your help to get him.” Carmilla sat up, still leaning on the couch. “What can you possibly need my help with if it's a simple snatch and grab? I can get back to working up the bartender. It's been a while since I've gotten any action, and that single act alongside drinking copious amounts of alcohol is one of the few things I can do to remind myself I'm still human or something close to human.” Senarre sighed and said, “We need you because we have to infiltrate a sketchy brothel, and as you have likely noticed, you are more well-endowed than I am, meaning you can likely pass in disguise better than I can.” Carmilla leaned forward on the couch. “Oh, please tell me what else you love about me, anyway. I'm down, sounds fun, plus I get to dress up.” Senarre sat down. “So what's the plan then? We're just storming in there asking to talk to the manager or what?” Rosario sat down. “No, I'm thinking we go in faces covered as clients. I'll be a lord, and you can be my lady, bodyguard, or something. I'm going to place a wager that this place has security only for the poor. If they see a seemingly wealthy client come in,n they'll bend over backwards for the chance to please someone with some real money to throw around.” He rubbed his chin. “We need masks and don't want them to see our faces since we are walking in the front door.” Rosario raised his hand to his face and moved up from his cheeks to the top of his forehead, pulling his hair back and leaving a fine layer of black stones on his face resembling the markings of the smoking mirror's face. “Pretty neat, huh? I've been working my ass off trying new things with this power.” Senarre looked at him, “Neat, what about me? Can you make one for me?” He shook his head. “The issue I have is sustaining the mana away from my body. I can make stuff, but it has to be touching. When I lost control of the ritual at the mission i think I was doing what Mom and Ryvr were with the projection. It's how her magic works, and it's how Ryvr is able to move so fast without running into stuff. I think he carries an Inari mask with him when traveling i can probably ask to borrow it.” Senarre checked her gun and said, “Should we tell your mom and brother? They could probably help?” Rosario shook his head. “I don't want to get them involved. I doubt we will run into anything we can't handle. My biggest concern is your arm still being in a cast. Do you want to sit this one out? I don't want you to get hurt. This is my responsibility to take care of, so in turn, I need to make sure Vina gets her brother back in one piece.” Senarre shook her head, “No, I can't, if you are my first friend, then Kian is the second, so let's go get him back.” Carmilla yawned, “Enough with the sappy shit lets get this show on the road faster. We get this done i faster I can see if that cute bartender is still down, not to brag, but he said he’s never seen a woman who can drink as much as I can.” Rosario cringed, “How much did you drink?” Carmilla made a smug expression, “37 margaritas, 3 coffee martinis, and a glass of water.” Rosario looked concerned. “Are you drunk? I think there may be blood in your alcohol stream.” Carmilla smiled, “Nah, it takes a ridiculous amount of alcohol to get me drunk because of the toxin breakdown due to my condition. Margaritas are mostly sugar anyway, so I think the proper question would be, is there blood in your sugarstream, and yes there is the sugar comes in handy cause when my cells break it down to make ATP they make a very small amount of byproduct mana not nearly as much as a normal human but enough so my body can essentially mimic a humans with some slight differences.”
Rosario and Senarre walked through the front door of the Pleasure Pit. Rosario whispered in her ear, “Remember, since the plan changed, you are a Lady, play up the refinement, these people probably won't think anything of it.”She shook her head. She was now wearing a fine pair of dress pants with shiny black shin-high boots and a pale green buttoned-up dress jacket with gold accents. Her hair was braided finely into a single tail, and her face was accented with a white mask with narrowed eyes and pale green painted accents. Rosario wore a similar outfit, with the exception of the golden accents and his mask being composed of black stone. They walked in and passed Carmilla, who was wearing a low-cut dress with the print of an exotic cat’s pelt. She gave them a nod as they passed. They walked to a desk, and a man in a leather vest stood behind it. Senarre walked forward and tapped on the desk. “Good day, is this where I can inquire about transactions with your organization?” The man looked at her with a bored expression and said, “Look, lady, I get you come from the other side or some shit, but we ain't got anything else on the menu here, so go find yourself and your friend here a girl or a guy and go have some fun, just don't forget to pay.” Senarre narrowed her eyes behind the mask. “I think you misunderstand my intentions, sir. I come to make a proposition to you, Chief Executive Officer. I come with a proposition in the chemical manufacturing industry.” The man behind the counter sighed, picked up a small radio, and made a call.
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Kian sat tied to the chair. The one-eyed man sat in front of him. “Have you had enough of being tied up down here? Pledge yourself to my service, and I will allow you freedom. I won't even have my men track down your sister. It's a good deal, really, you take out the trash every once in a while, and your sister gets to live a normal life.”Kian laughed, “I'm not in the business of being a weapon. I'll decline your offer because even if you wanted to find her, you'll never get close enough to even harm her only reason I came back is because I wanted to finish the job I started. My final job for your organisation, your death.” the one-eyed man sighed. “And how did that work out for you?” A small radio on the one-eyed man's coat beeped and said, “Sir, there are people here to meet you. I sent them to the conference room down there.” Kian smirked and said, “Youre fucked.”
Rosario and Senarre walked into the conference room as the guard behind them closed the door and pressed a button, sending the elevator up. The room was well lit with cream colored carpet and wallpaper with a large glass window on one side covered with a large black screen of cloth. A moment later, a sharply dressed man with one eye walked into the room and sat down on the couch opposite them, gesturing for them to sit down. “I heard you are here to do business?” he said as he straightened his cuff link on his right arm.
Carmilla walked around the Pleasure Pit, carefully scanning the building, music pounding, she cut through the crowds, glancing at the door that Rosario and Senarre had walked into a short time ago, when someone grabbed her shoulder, she turned around to face a woman with black hair and brown eyes in a partially undone hanbok with a large portion of her chest exposed large scars snaking up and down her chest. The woman leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, “You for hire?” She bit gently on Carmilla's earlobe. Carmilla shuddered, “I'm busy right now, sorry.” The woman tightened her grip on the shoulder and said in an eerie tone, “You're a whore, right? That means you exist to serve, so I want you to serve me.” Carmilla thought briefly, “Shit, I'll just lead her away and kill her, no time for this.” Carmilla smiled and said, “Lead the way.” The woman traced her fingers down Carmilla's arm, running them gently on the skin. “Follow me,” she grabbed her hand and led her away to a small elevator. They both entered the elevator, and the woman stood in front of her and pressed a button, and the machine lurched down.
Carmilla watched the woman closely. She had her hands crossed in front of her chest, covering the scarred chest and upper abdomen region that was visible. Carmilla raised her hand to the back of the woman's neck and flexed her fingers. Three long razor-sharp claws extended from her fingernails and pierced the woman's neck, protruding out the front, with droplets of blood beading on the claws. The woman was still, Carmilla said, “I'm sorry, I wish there was another way, but I had to dispose of you for this to work.” The elevator began slowing. The woman laughed, “You are going to be a fun one, much more than the drugged ones, they don't even fight back.” Carmilla retracted the claws from her fingers and said, “What the fu-” the woman turned to her and placed her fingers around Carmilla’s face and banged it into the side of the cabin. Carmilla regained her bearings as the woman turned around and landed a kick straight to her chest, causing her to fly into the elevator doors, forcing them off their tracks and outwards into the room. She rolled along the ground before grinding to a stop. She stood up, reached for her neck, and felt a wooden handle sticking out of it. She pulled it out, and a spurt of blood chased the wooden-handled implement that resembled an icepick. Carmilla spat on the carpet and kicked off her heels before extending the claws on her right hand. The woman from the elevator walked through the door. “You survived? I'm getting excited just thinking of the things I can do to you.”
The one-eyed man said, “What brings you to do business with me today?” Senarre put on her best noble-sounding voice, “I am here to propose a deal with my manufacturing company.” The one-eyed man stood up and moved around the room, pacing as the door he came through opened once more, a large man with an open studded leather jacket revealing a fur-covered chest of gray and black pants with biker boots. One of the large man's wolf-like ears on the top of his head twitched as he walked into the room, his golden brown eyes scanning the room. He locked onto the two masked figures sitting on the couch. The one-eyed man cleared his throat. “I had no such meetings scheduled for today, so I am thinking this situation is quite peculiar.” the one eyed man walked over to the wall next to the black cloth and pressed a button. The black cloth raised slowly, revealing a large room behind glass that had an individual tied to a chair sitting in it. Rosario stood up and said, “Kian!” In that moment, the doors of the elevator flew off, and Carmilla rolled on the ground before digging her feet in and kicking off her heels. The one-eyed man ran for the door and said, “I will be taking my leave now, try not to make too much of a mess, Dirus, Michin.” Michin stepped forward, smiled, licking another icepick-like implement, and said, “Such fun, a nice sturdy woman who won't kick it from a mere strike like that.” Carmilla screamed out, “The damn woman is some sort of undead i think, high speed regen too, assume vampyr, lich, or Demon.” Michin smiled and pulled her arms from her hanbok, allowing it to fall inside out, revealing her bare chest covered in scars and the inside of the upper hanbok lined with blades of all sizes and Icepicks. Senarre pulled her gun from inside the jacket and aimed at the one-eyed man, firing once as he ran through the door. The bullet caught him in the upper chest. She turned the gun and fired at Dirus. She shot 4 shots as he walked closer. The bullets hit him to no effect. He grabbed her good hand, twisting the gun out of her hand just as Rosario rushed into the wolfman's side, pulling his blade as he did so, cutting into the leather jacket. Dirus grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him through the glass like a ragdoll. Dirus turned to walk towards Senarre until he looked down and saw a shard of black glass dug deep into his leg. He turned and walked towards the glass-shattered window and stepped through the window's frame. Rosario ran for the chair, bringing the steel of his sword down on its ropes, allowing Kian to stand free. Kian said, “Need a weapon.” Rosario tossed the steel sword to him and generated a single blade of smooth black stone. Kian felt the sword's weight before raising his left hand in front of his body and holding the sword aimed at the ground. Rosario, Kian, and Dirus said in unison, “Let's do this.”