“Is this doing much for you?” Her voice is pure silk, her eyes the color of a million interdimensional sunsets, and her smile...it was a shame, Mortimer decided, that this relationship was only for one thing. “Do you like the look? The weight? The TOUCH?” Her hands slid over his, holding them in place. Had he actually thought more of her, Mortimer would have flushed.
“Yeah....Saronia. The gun is fine. But I still want to do this without raising any alarm.” The beauty pouts, crossing her arms over her chest. Mortimer lowers the weapon into his lap. “We don’t want everyone KNOWING what we’re up to until it’s time.” His reasoning seems to please her, for Saronia leans back with a content grin easily taking over her earlier pout.
“So you’re thinking...a knife?” A knife? Yeah. That would work just fine. It would be HIM who would be getting the closest to her tonight. Mortimer only had ONE CHANCE to do this right. “Because I have plenty of those too.” She slid off the bed, smoothing out her clothes as she approached her dresser. Her long braided hair, blue as the ocean, was pulled into a loose bun. It showed off the tattoo...no, the BRAND on the back of her neck. It was a solid, painful reminder of why he agreed to do this.
For the DEATH of the woman who did this to her.
“I have a few serrated ones. I have one that can take in a TOXIN that’ll kill them slowly if you miss the first stab. Oh! And this one is my FAVORITE!”
“Ma’am...” A voice pops up from behind the door, timid and nervous. “I-It’s time.” Mortimer and Saronia share a knowing look. It’s time.
---
“Thank you all for coming tonight!!” Her voice BOOMED across the expensive ballroom. Saronia’s mother was just as beautiful as she sounded. Her hair was cut to the scalp, a missing leg replaced bionically, and her eyes were razer sharp and GOLDEN. She was dangerous. She was ONE to be FEARED.
She was going to die tonight.
“As you all may know, my successor has taken on a mate!” The horde of murderers cheered, clashing their bodies together as they yelled. “And he’s been with us for nearly a MOON now. Tonight, he will be joining our ranks!” Another roar sounded from the crowd, louder than before. It made his ears ring. Saronia gave his hand a squeeze to calm HERSELF down.
Why was she nervous?
“Approach...” Talia’s voice commanded him; Mortimer drops a kiss to Saronia’s hand, to play the part, before approaching the feared LEADER of this Branch. “Mortimer Smith, human of Earth, to you pledge your ALLEGIANCE to the Million Moons until your dying BREATH?” His eyes caught the iron tool in her grip, the end BURNING hot and red.
Soon....soon...
“Until my dying breath, I do solemnly swear...” He breathes his reply, BARING his arm out to her. Talia draws close, all but TOWERING over his shorter frame. “-I pledge my LIFE...” The branding tool grew close; the heat of the iron threatened to SEAR his flesh. To the Million Moons was what he was supposed to say. But a light flashed near the upper window.
Now.
“-To Saronia.” He’s barely able to catch Talia’s look of shock before he’s GRABBING the iron tool, using it to RIP the older woman closer.
Just in time to BURY his knife right through her chest.
All Hell broke loose. Guns were ripped into view, rebellious FIGHTERS turning their weapons on each other, and a hand tangled into Mortimer’s shirt. Blood splattered her black-painted lips, golden eyes wild and filled with RAGE. No emotion flashed in his own brown eyes as he CRUELLY twisted he knife in deeper as the war raged on around them. He sees the life BLEED out of her, form falling limp as she joined the past rulers of the Million Moons.
“...Walk with them...” Comes his whisper.
“ENOUGH!!!” Saronia’s voice ROARED, accompanied by a flurry of gunshots. The hall fell quiet, deathly so. “Talia is dead.” A ripple of fury went through the crowd. “Either you answer to me now, or DIE. Your choice...”
The co-president JUMPS at the sound of Mortimer’s voice, hand SMACKING the laptop closed as his boyfriend enters their shared basement. Mortimer cocks an eyebrow when he spots Merty sitting at his desk. “What’cha watching-”
“NOTHING!!” Merty interrupts immediately, getting only a grin from Mortimer in return. The other Morty seemed to grow a bit nervous as Mortimer approached him; his footsteps were slow and DAUNTING. He was taunting him with every STEP as he came up on his side.
“Nothing huh?” His hand lays over Merty’s own, carefully prying the lid upwards to focus on Saronia’s face, much younger and just as deadly. "Saronia?” Merty flushes red in embarrassment, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you worried about her?” Merty doesn’t reply. “There’s nothing you need to worry about Merty. You know why it was important that I help her out...”
“Yeaaaaaah, I guess so Mort-ii-mer.” Merty huffs finally. “I still better be your favorite.”
#10 In This Broken City 12:50AM In this big, lonely city, the night does not have to end with you in someone's arms. Find warmth in the company of your kind of crazy. Celebrate your courage to heal and your persistence to take another chance despite everything that's happened. We are all kinds of lonely, but together, tonight, we are loved. We are safe.
