Hallows: Duets

Anticlimactic

System of A Down- Vicinity of Obscenity

Dante:

The Docks is our domain. It's been that way for years now. Before that, it belonged to my father. De Laughrey, Lily's father cut a deal with him for rare artifacts and my old man had the range to whatever De Laughrey wanted. The first is a stupid Nazi painting. How did my father get his hands on it? Easy, Hitler, that son of a b***h was a Reaper. A reaper with a vendetta against a different kind of entity. The Chosen. And my father had access to all Fringe databases. Getting to rare art and artifacts is easy. Especially the ones as badly tainted with blood as those.

Every now and then someone tries to take a hit at us. Over the summer someone thought they could take their shot because I was distracted. Teegan thinks a hunter has slithered their way into one of the surrounding stones.

Tonight, we're meeting with the other Reapers and their crows to try and work together and rid of our little hunter problem. I had to pick up David because if they see Ashley with me, they'll f*****g know something is going down in my house. These motherfuckers wouldn't miss the opportunity to f**k with me and expand their own territories. I don't have the luxury of staying distracted and it's time I show them why they're not in my position. Carson told me Ash was ready to move up and Kelly backed him up. Now that I have better control of her essence in me. I want to see it for myself.

As we approach the New City Casino, Tony slides out an armored box from under his seat and sets it between himself and Lily. I toss a pair of leather gloves at David and slip on a pair of my own. Ash reaches into the box without question.

"I'm going to fall in love with you," Lily teases her.

"Not even if you bleach your hair," she smirks.

"Keep playing with me," Lily smirks pointing at her with the gun in her hand. Ashley laughs leaning to press her forehead to the end of the gun. The two of them laugh like they've known each other for years.

I guess in a way, Ashley and Lily know each other better than the rest of us can ever get to know either of them. The more time they spend together, the more they create together, the closer they're going to get. The kind of intimacy that comes with how they address one another and play, speaks volumes. Not even Kelly who Ash is very attached to can come between what Lily and Ash are creating.

"I've been thinking about Symphony Poison," Ash says sitting back. Lily looks up at her with a huge grin.

"Did you like my slight modification?"

"No," Ash shakes her head. Lily slouches and flips her off. "But I do like the increase in the tempo you added at the end. I'm willing to let you take it if-"

"If? If? Ash, there is no if. You want me to do something. You gotta say it with your chest. Despite what you think, I can follow orders," Lily smirks.

"Okay, let me finish," Ash nods. "If you meet with Clara with Kels,"

"You f*****g asshole," Lily falls back. "Mixing music and business is not going to end well for us. You know I'd do anything to get in on that track,"

"The music and the business are the same things. We do this for the music. Since you're all over the business and Tony. We can step out of that little box you're trying to keep me in. FYI it didn't work for Kels, Dante, or David. I'm not a stay-in-the-box kind of person. I like the box but I like leaving the box just as much. Come on. Kels is actually cooperating. That's why she came over today,"

"f**k," Lily groans and shrugs. "I'll think about it. I can't just say yes. I have to run it by my partner,"

"Your partner?" Anthony asks. She nods.

"Yeah. Carter," she answers. The look on Anthony's face is not a good one.

"I didn't know you and Carter were partners," David says when no one else speaks.

"Yeah, he can't move without my okay and vice versa. We have a system and if the system were to crash-" she shivers. "Let's not even go there. The last thing Hellbourne will withstand is a war between Carter and me,"

"That's for damn sure," I agree.

"Do me a favor and don't talk about Carter like that in front of me," Anthony says loading his weapons. Lily smiles and leans in to kiss him. He lets her but it's obvious he's upset. He shuts the now empty box and slides it back under the seat.

"It has to be important if you're willing to compromise your song for it," Lily tells her.

"Kels is my girl. It's important to her so it's important to me. And if I can make you and her happy at the same time without one of you ending up with a toe tag, then yeah. I'm willing to put my s**t on the line for it. Think about it. We're not in a hurry,"

Lily doesn't respond. The divider behind her head is lowered. James holds out a white cloth and Ash screams a little in the back of her throat before taking it.

"You are the best, James. Thank you so much," she says excitedly. David and I exchanged curious looks as she slips her jacket back on and tucked whatever he just handed her in the inside pocket.

"Uh, what is that?" I ask.

"It's a surprise from Carter. Don't worry about it," she waves me off.

James stops the car in front of the casino and comes around to open my door. Anthony and Ashley get out first. David follows and then Lily. I get out fixing my jacket as they form a boxed formation around me. Anthony takes the lead.

The five of us walk up to the bouncer who doesn't bother to ask who we are. He lets us through and we don't stop until we're by the final entranceway. Before the security guys could say anything, Ashley has her purple switchblade to the guy's throat. She's holding his tie, pulling him down to her height. She whispers something into his ear and the guard tenses up completely before he gives her a nod. He signals the other guards to let us through. Taps his chest patronizing the hell out of the poor guy.

"Thanks, Hank," she says.

The six-foot-something man goes back to his post and drops his gaze to the ground. David looks over at me with a grin on his face. As we walk inside, Anthony lifts his fist and she bumps him. The two of them lead us to the back of the Casino. This is Ashley's second time here but it is the first time we're here together. I love how acquainted she is with Anthony. They make an excellent team. I can't deny that.

We clear the slot machines and head to a private elevator in the back of the room. Ash and Anthony step to either side of the doors and let me walk in first, followed by David and Lily. The two of them step inside when the doors shut.

"What did you say to him?" Lily asks, beating the rest of us.

"He's married to one of Kelly's personal guards. He's also f*****g around with my neighbor. She's pregnant. I just reminded him," she shrugs.

"Diabolical. I didn't even know that," Anthony laughs.

"So, what are we expecting tonight?" she asks him.

"Reaper meeting," I answer. She looks back at me and then at Lily. She doesn't comment as she turns away and gives me a nod. "It's the only way,"

"I didn't say anything," she shrugs.

"There was a look," David smirks.

"There was no look," I can hear the eye-roll in her tone and I laugh.

"Do you disagree?" Anthony asks. She groans swaying her body around to look at us and then at Lily.

"No, I do not disagree. I just hate that it's so cavalier for her. This is her s**t. I flipped out and I still have nightmares. That's it. I feel like you guys are handing her the f*****g key to the underworld,"

"Do I want to know what's going on?" Lily asks.

"Will it make you feel better if I let you tell her?" Anthony asks.

"And let you miss the f*****g moment she bows to her new dark lord in the flesh? No, sir. This is all you," she waves him off.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" he counters. I glare at him and smack his chest.

"No, asshole. Are you getting cold feet?" she scoffs.

"My feet are not cold,"

"That means if you changed your mind, sweetie," Lily informs him.

"Oh," he looks me over. "f**k no,"

"Then do it,"

"How would you have liked to be told?"

"The way Dante did was romantic as s**t, all things considered," she shrugs. A flash of heat blares in my chest making me grin. David laughs nudging me with his elbow. "But it's not the same for you. I think she'll like the bird thing,"

"You hate the bird thing," he shakes his head.

"I don't like birds. Lily loves crows,"

"I do," Lily nods. The two of them glance at her.

"Please, help me," he begs her. "We've got like two minutes before we reach the bottom,"

"b***h," she mumbles under her breath. He smirks knowing he got his way. Ash turns to Lily and nods. "Lily,"

"Yes?" Lily grins.

"They're demons," she shrugs. "Well, they're possessed by demons and they hunt the souls of the damned. Anthony is something called a crow," she looks at him. "Show her the f*****g bird,"

Anthony holds his hand up with his index finger extended. A black puff of smoke erupts from his fingertip and from the smoke his crow materializes. We all turn to look at Lily. She looks at the bird with a little smile tugging on her lips. He leans toward her in offering. Lily reaches up and gasps when her fingers scratch the crow's neck.

"That's real," she whispers. "This is the demon that's possessing you?"

"Sort to speak," he nods. She opens her mouth to say something and shuts it.

"Are you a demon?" she asks Ashley.

"No," she shakes her head. Lily lets out a sigh of relief. That's it. Her heart doesn't start beating rapidly in her chest and she most definitely is not scared.

"That's crazy. And how long have you been that way?"

"It's hereditary to my bloodline," he informs her. Her eyes turn to me.

"You definitely," she sneers. I give her a nod. "Is Carter?"

"No," Anthony shakes his head.

"Oh, then he's just f*****g crazy then?" she laughs. We all nod. "Wow, okay. This is interesting but definitely not surprising. Are you guys letting me into your secret or am I going to die tonight?"

"What?" Ash laughs.

"I mean I'm great with either. I'd just like a heads-up so I can mentally prepare myself for it," she shrugs.

"We're letting you in on the secret," Anthony looks her over worriedly. She grins.

"Seriously? I didn't know we liked one another that much. You're all very hostile," she looks between us.

"It's like that all the time. They can't switch it off," Ash explains. "When they're all together it's a little suffocating because you really feel that something weird is going on but it's chill mostly,"

"Huh, okay," she nods. "So, is this impervious to what we're doing here tonight?"

"Tonight, we're going to be meeting with other reapers and crows in this region. I'm a reaper and Tony is a crow," I explain.

"Oh, s**t," she nods. "And why are we here?"

"This is a formal gathering. We are obligated to bring our mates," I say.

"Your mates?" she asks putting her hand on her chest.

"Ash and David are my mates. I host two Hallows. So, I have two," I explain. She looks up at Anthony and laughs.

"We're mates?" she asks him.

"You're mine. Yes," he nods. Her cheeks flush and she nods.

"No s**t?"

"None,"

"What are the rules?" she asks with a shrug.

"We're about to land," Ash reminds us.

"One rule. Just me. If you touch anyone else or you let anyone else touch you. I kill them," Anthony shrugs. "And possibly you,"

"Does that same rule apply to you?" she asks.

"Yes," he nods.

"Sweet," she pushes off the back wall when the elevator pings. "All right. I'm in,"

"Anticlimactic," David snorts.

"Not when we get back," she laughs. "That s**t is going to be spiritual,"

"Ewww," Ash whispers to herself. "If I'm not going to hell for the horse girl thing. This is definitely it,"

"You worry about the weirdest s**t," David laughs. "The horse girl thing. I'm never going to forget that,"

"Do I want to know what the horse girl thing is?" I ask.

"Nope," the two of them laugh.