The Seal

"What if I told you that everyone in this room, except Precious, altogether is worth one million dollars if I turned you in to the police?" Reginald chuckles.

Everyone is silent.

"You all got big names, Killian, Mama Killian, Kayate, Mr. Hyena, Nathaniel, Ms. Chinchilla, and everyone in between. My brothers will mangle you to the bone. No mercy. And I found you all in one place. Lucky me."

"So why don't you get your money?"

"Because there's something that's worth more than money." He eyes around the room. "Justice." He raises his handguns up to the side. "And my mental wellbeing." He starts shooting everyone around the room.

Amidst the chaos, shattering of glasses, screams, running, and bullets, I duck down.

Then Nigel's eyes slightly open, and he picks up his arm to touch me, only reaching my shoulder, he strokes my fur.

"Don't leave me!" I fight against tears.

"Princess..." He mutters. "I'm not going anywhere; I'll be right here... with you."

"I'll do something! I'll-"

He tries his best to sit up, but only sits up on an elbow. And he signals me to come closer with a single hand gesture.

"I love you, Princess~"

"... I love you, Nigel."

I slowly bring myself into his arms and he embraces me, holding me tight.

We stay on the ground until the noise dies down.

I slowly stand, looking around, the only ones still standing are the ones Reginald had named.

"I only let you live, Mama Killian, because someone wants you alive. And Killian has to come along." He begins. "Can't kill Nathaniel, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Not gonna leave without Precious."

"Suit yourself. Ms. Chinchilla is in cahoots with Mr. Hyena and therefore, I can't kill her. Kayate, I'll convince you." Then he smiles at me. "And you have no choice."

"Did... what happened to Nigel?"

"It was you. Mr. Hyena did something that was instinct."

"The poison..." Nigel hoists himself up with the table. "Good game." He chuckles.

"You chose her over yourself, surprising for a crime boss. Not surprising to me." He smirks. "I finally caught you after you evaded me for so long. You alone are worth half a million. A girlfriend. Didn't think you were the type. She's adorable, by the way." 

"I knew she would be the death of me." Nigel snickers. 

It's my fault... If Nigel hadn't come for me...

Why, Nigel, why sacrifice yourself?

"It's not over yet." He senses my guilt. "I have the antidote. And if you want it, you have to do something for me. I have Mr. Hyena in my control and Precious in my hands."

"What do you want me to do?"

"No, Precious..." Nigel furrows his brows.

"Work for me, that's all I ask," Reginald says.

"Nigel, it'll end up like this anyways. At least I'll have you."

"Precious, don't do things for 'us', for me."

"Then I won't let you die because of me."

"Here." Reginald tosses me a tiny bag, small as a teabag.

I catch it. "Powder..."

"It's only temporary. You have one hour to come up with a decision. And I'm expecting a sneak attack." He snaps his fingers, and the collapsed bodies of Mrs. Lion and Mr. Fox disappears. "I bid adieu. I'll be back for your decision. Oh, and you can brew the powder into a tea or whatever." He leaves the building.

"I'll go make the tea!" I grip the bag and without waiting any longer, I run pass the bar counter, down the stairs into the kitchen.

To my surprise, the room is very spacious like someone put a lot of care in it. For a place like this, I expected something less.

But here I am bedazzled and stupefied.

Where in the world are the dishes and cooking ware?! Where are they usually kept?

"Have you ever made tea, Princess?" Nigel strides pass me.

"You shouldn't have come."

"I'm fine~ my body has a way of diluting the poison I intake. Unlike you, you could've died." He opens an overhead cabinet, where pots are laid out neatly. "If I left the tea-brewing to you, nothing will be made."

I realize I never actually made anything in a kitchen before. "I can learn." Though, if it weren't for Nigel, I wouldn't know where to start.

"Then watch closely, Sweetheart."

And just as he asks, I watch him dance around the kitchen as if he was a pro chef. He knows where everything is without hesitating. I've never seen him cook before, but even something as brief as making tea, he makes it seem so cool.

He pours the steaming brown liquid from the kettle into a teacup.

"Would you like for me to make you something? As a gift for being mine." He catches me off-guard.

"Nigel! You're sick!"

He gives me a smug look before sipping his tea, which only makes me blush harder.

"You know... You have a lot to tell me, Princess." Even after an intimate moment, he knows how to jump to being serious.

"I'm sorry..."

"Did you really try to snipe Nathaniel?"

"I... have fragments of memories. I have no recollection. But it feels like I did. I don't know."

"I want to believe it wasn't you. You haven't even pulled a trigger once in your life..."

"Then if it wasn't me, who?"

"I'll find that out soon enough." He puts down the cup. "I always do."

I've never been outside when it was this cold before.

I huff and I smile as I can see my breath.

Maybe it would snow one day. I've only seen the white wonder out the window, but I want to step on it for the first time.

I look around at the sidewalk I traverse on.

No cars, just people and dogs walking about their lives.

I walk about, heading nowhere, maybe enjoying the foggy scenery, maybe aiming to meet someone.

"What a fine foggy day." Stopping me in my tracks is the shadowy officer.

"Isn't it, Reginald?"

"I assume you're here for my offer? Where's your fiancé?"

"He has something left to take care of."

"Well?"

"What's the job? He wouldn't let me join his organization anyway..."

"I own a newspaper; we need a photographer."

"A newspaper publication?"

"It's called Black & White with Red All Over."

Mr. Hyena's POV

I throw my coat over my shoulders and straighten my mask as I approach the abandoned warehouse.

A cough comes up in my throat. Walking all this distance took up most of my time. The coughing picks up, reminding me that.

Two armed dogs guard the place.

I show them my hyena lapel pin.

They open the doors.

I walk inside without a word.

At the end of the room, a dog sits on an old crate. The Warden.

"Glad you could come!" He breaks the silence. "Didn't think you'd arrive, though. Thought it was your strict others to kill them off..."

"Where are they? I'd like some information."

"The convicts? They're right here." He flips a switch, and a hanging light flickers on over the corner beside us.

Mrs. Lion and Mr. Fox are in that corner.

"What do you want, Hyena?" Mrs. Lion mumbles. "How weak of you not to kill us by your own hand."

"Maybe I would. It'll be worth it if you give me what I want in return."

"What is this menace? You're merciless as you once were." Mr. Fox coughs.

"Shut up." I look at the Warden. "Ready the torture, I will be commandeering this time." 

I take out a small box of dried fish fin bones from my pocket and for me to chew on.

"Then I'll go after the prince, for laying all those fingers on my sweetheart." The bone snaps in my jaws.

Precious' POV

"I'd like you to meet the writer you'll be working with." Reginald leads me to a room in the editorial office building.

The room is quite cozy and decorated warmly with throw over cushions, large pillows. Even the desk looks comfy with an egg chair and wooden table. A young lady is sitting in the corner writing in a notebook, listening to something in headphones.

We don't enter and she doesn't look up from her book.

"This is Lillianna. Right now, she's in her 'writing corner' her getaway from life. You shouldn't bother her during these times."

"... Getaway from life?"

"As you may know by now, she's depressed. Haven't got over Kayate's death. She would write fictional stories to him."

"She's close to him?"

"His fiancée. Apparently, they both think the other is dead."

"That's just sad. Why keep them apart? Kayate is suffering..."

"Hmm, you know, if they reunite, Kayate won't have time for you anymore. He'll be hanging out with her. His purpose won't be for you anymore as his own will be returned. And now imagine if they united before. You'd have been all alone, as his heart is for her. He would never have agreed to be your bodyguard because he'll be hers."

"Kayate... will abandon me?"

"You see, you care so much about others, you forget about yourself."