Underbelly

Will and Davie were rushing through the halls. By now the entire mansion was evacuated of its guests and the only people that remained were the guards.

They stared dead ahead at their foes clad in sliver. They adorned a mixture of weapons. Spears swords shields were readied waiting for an attack.

Will hopped over a marble statue stand and drop kicked someone in the face. Ultimately he was not as lucky as he felt as it did nothing to his opponent.

As Will stared up from the floor surrounded by menacing guards his eyes glowed a golden hue.

He pulled his stick from behind him and began to jab at the kinks in the opponent's armor.

Davie cocked back his pistol and fired shots. As expected he also aimed for the weaknesses in the armor. Blood spurted out of their wounds and they soon were laying on the floor groaning in pain.

Davie and Will didn't take any time to admire their work. They immediately kept running around the mansion to their expected meeting point.

As they arrived at the central hall. They noticed that the room was abnormally dark and devoid of life. The only thing to reek of it was the Statue of the Gazelle which did not provide any comfort.

A few seconds later Belle turned the corner. Her face was out of breath and she looked as if she had seen a phantom. She heaved while trying to catch her breath.

" Belle? Whats wrong? Where's Apathy?"

" I don't know he was chasing us but we split up." She caught her breath and said as sweat dripped down her forehead.

"Where is she now?"

Belle looked up at Will. Her eyes seemed to spell it out for him. Through the mixed emotions he was receiving he could only muster a single question word.

" Sombra "

"THATS MY NAME!" The voice sounded overlapped and muffled as if he was talking through a piece of cloth over and over again.

As he spoke some of the darkness receded from their vision and the room got brighter . The shadows surrounding them bounced and bubbled in glee.

In a serious tone the voice echoed.

" I see you've taken some things from me. And what I do when I graciously give you my treasure and trust?"

"I take something back. Fair?No need for a fuss" The shadows got chaotic and flared up and down the walls of the room. They almost seemed to be devouring eachother.

Will stared deeply into the shadows infront of him and spoke.

" Where are you?!" His fist was clenched had flushed red. Veins bulged from the back of his hands. His eyes grew deeper and the frown on his face was evident of his emotions.

" Im where the business is...Hahahahaha" His laugh resounded through they halls and the shadows completely receded. And light returned to the room.

Will immediately got his message. He turned around and squeezed Davie's wrist. Davie felt it more than he thought and when he looked down at Will's expression he could only describe it as pure unbridled rage.

Will eventually let go and mustered these few words before speaking.

" Were going to the factories"

Belle who had been a bystander this whole experience didn't want to speak anymore. She could tell it was the time for acting.

At the road leading towards the factories....

It was almost morning and the orange sky could be seen slowly creeping upwards before it would fade away.

Three people could be seen there. One held a staff that seemed to be incomplete. His attire was extremely casual and his unbuttoned shirt along with the ends of his bandanna flowed in the wind.

Leaning against a tree was a young man with a tricorne hat slightly tipped over his face. He stood there twirling a black pistol around his finger tips. His wavy hair slightly blew into the wind. He had a smile plastered on his face.

On the opposite side of the path a refined young lady donned a maroon skirt with box pleats and a sliver princess vest over a cotton white shirt along a pair of black ankle boots. She seemed to be patiently reading a book.

The young boy at the center of the dark path spoke.

" Lets go."

The Young man flicked his tricorne hat upwards and holstered his pistol while the young lady slowly closed the book and nodded.

He threw a rock onto the path. Nothing happened. It seemed that whatever curse was placed on the path had been removed. The began their march.

The dirt road was in great condition. It did not seem as if it had been used very frequently or any at all. Will wondered if this was what they used to lure people like them in and kill them.

He had to admit that if it weren't for Virgil they would have feel for this trap like the unknown number of others before them.

But this lead him to wonder how they transported their products from the factories.

After a while they noticed a stark change in the landscape. The tree line became thinner and palm trees bearing the familiar orange and red fruit started to appear more frequently.

At the start it was one or two dotted in random areas but the further they went they were now in endless rows and columns. The natural flora had all but ceased and all you could see were the palms of the Tilsberry tree. It has almost devoured the natural ecosystem of the area leaving nothing left.

Children of all ages could be seen tilling the soil. Their skins scarred from the heat. Their hands calloused and bruised from overworking. Their bodies tired and malnourished but still they dug, In fear of the consequences of a failing crop or falling down.

And finally they could see it. The factories. Thick plumes of dark smoke rose from the columns that jetted out from their rooftops. Apathy and Davie looked at this sight and felt sick to their stomachs. They had never seen such cruel treatment before.

However Will merely looked on and frowned. He took out a compass from his back pocket. His eyes glowed and the needle pointed dead ahead.

They continued walking but soon after they were stopped.

A man looked down at them. He was wearing slightly better clothing than the kids working on the plantation. His body was covered in scars and he held a whip with 9 tails.

" Why are you little runts not plowing the fields?"

He took a better look at them and noticed that they weren't some runts who were out of place but they looked as if they were newcomers.

' Probably noble kids that got 'lost' on their trip to the island ' he thought.

He looked up at davie and whistled.

" It must be my lucky day. A big boy like you could take care of a whole acre all on your own"

He continued to scan each one of them. The grin on his face got wider and wider.

' Hoooly Shit Nathan! You've done hit the Jackpot. Between that blue haired giant , that beautiful boy and that goddess of a young woman you may just be able to retire'

His greedy hands reached forward to grab onto Belle's chest. As his hand reached an inch away he heard a snap.

He froze he felt the cold chill of a round hollow piece of metal caress the side of his head. He glanced over to his side and before he could even say anything. A small click was heard.

Bang! A shot rang out and he fell to his knees before falling over. A small hole lay in the side of his head.

" You know I could have taken care of him myself?"

The girl spoke out.

Davie shrugged and reloaded his pistol.

Will nodded at Davie and spoke for the first time.

" They know were here. Kill everyone of those bastards. Im going to find Apathy "