C H A P T E R E I G H T

{The bargain...or the bargaining chip?}

Cassius sang quietly to the song he could hear from the concert on the beach, spread eagle on a rooftop as he stared at the sky and waited for his sister's signal.

He observed the stars as they shone and the clouds as they floated along, wishing he was up there right now. What he wouldn't give to be able to feel the wind around him as he looked down on Earth and all of its pesky little inhabitants living their short and meaningless lives.

Thoughts clouded his mind without permission as he looked to the heavens.

His lips turned up in a sneer as he thought of his 'home', and the one who controlled it. The one who had cast him out and made him this monster. Forever living until the end of time, his once heavenly self stained with all of Earth's misdeeds and sins.

A tear rolled slowly down his face and splashed against the rooftop, eyes glimmering as the stars seemed to shine brighter at his anguish.

'Cassius! Please, hurry!'

The terrified voice of his sister suddenly yelled in his mind.

He tensed from the shock before he closed his eyes and imagined himself with her. He felt his body lurch and his feet hit the ground. His sister grabbed a fistful of his black coat, and he could feel her shivering in fear.

His rage with these bikers spiked dangerously. He opened his eyes and they connected with a pair of angry ones that almost burned his retinas with their intensity.

He looked at the rest of them, poised, prepared to attack, and was amused with all the resentment and hate that was being thrown his way.

The presumed leader chuckled at him as he looked him up and down. Cassius paid him not a thought, reaching his hand behind him and he wasn't surprised when his sister gripped it with an iron hold. If he was human he was sure she would have broken it.

"It seems that you've interrupted us once again." The one who was front and centre observed, almost too cool for the fire of his wrath. The sound of his heavy boots echoing in the narrow deserted alleyway as he stepped closer made Ria flinch and borrow deeper into her brother for added protection.

She wasn't against using him as a human shield.

"It seems I have." Cassius was snide, returning the strangers aggression, grinning as the other two blond assholes sneered at him. The silent one remained stiff, his heavy stare never faltering from him. "A habit I'm not keen on breaking."

"Not to worry, there are other things that can be broken." The small curly haired one hissed at him with a smile that could rival the Mad Hatters madness spread across his face, and his wild companion hanging all over him was cruel in his laughter when he joined in on the fun.

"Play nicely Marko, there are still things we need to know." The leader chided, though his tone implied he would have no issue with Marko following through on his plan.

"Yeah, one thing being why he seems so eager to keep our girl from us." The one who looked like he was a member of Twisted Sister piped up, squeezing his arm to suffocating effects around the newly dubbed Marko, smirking at Cassius patronizingly.

Hesperia tensed as she heard that, standing as still as a statue—and then she was incensed, anger starting to bubble inside of her.

'Their girl? I'm no ones fucking girl! This whole situation is bullshit!'

Tuning into her thoughts—not a feat of impossibility in their loudness—Cassius squeezed her hand and felt her body relax as some of her anger flooded out of her.

'You need to calm down. We still need answers, buttercup.' His voice filtered into her head, and she was glad of the small amount of peace it brought into her turbulent mind.

"How about this, quid pro quo? You ask us something, we might answer. We ask you something, you definitely answer." The Angel suggested and smirked, gleeful as he felt their agitation with him mutate tenfold. Not giving them the chance to retaliate, he continued, "...Or I could just take her right now and leave. I'm not bothered either way."

His lie was nonchalant, shifting her so she was in their view again, grasping her hand just as tightly as she was his. For the sake of the show, he was preparing to disappear—

"No!" They all but shouted, startling the duo.

David seethed to himself, his brothers thoughts filling his mind and urging him to do something to make them stay.

They all knew they'd been beaten by this guy, he had the upper hand. Not an impossible thing to gain when they were failing miserably at hiding her importance to them.

Clearly, he could tell that they didn't want her slipping away again, and that aggravated David. Once again he found himself without the Ace of Spades all by his own doing, all because of her.

But...a downright evil scheme came to him. One that was risky, that required an act of kindness and complacency with this little leech before the horrific finale of it.

Feeling the excitement of the other boys at the stray idea, he made up his mind. It could blow up in their faces...but it would be worth it in the end, if everything went according to plan.

"Fine..."

Cassius sensed the shift in the strangers tone and he didn't like it. The man was grinning now, wide, eerie.

"Quid pro quo, like you said. But..." He drew out, happy to see that smug little smile fall from that pricks face, "We take this somewhere there'll be more privacy. Don't want any prying ears to hear, do we?" He finished with a falsely pleasent grin, though it became genuine, really pleasant and non-threatening when he and Hesperia made short eye contact.

He was glad to note she wasn't as frightened. But her fear had been replaced with a glean of disgust that was just as upsetting to see.

"Do you think I'm stupid? We're not going anywhere alone with you." Cassius snarled, partially pulling his sister behind him again, hating the way the other three had been staring at her longingly the whole time they'd been talking.

"You want answers too don't you? I can feel it, the way your curiosuty is toying with your mind. Wreaking havoc on your will to refuse. Either you come with us, or this little cat and mouse game will go on and on...and I'm sure we all don't want that." David deadpanned, dead and unchanging firmness in his intonation. There would be no convincing his steely mind, or deterring him from getting what he wanted.

The man fucking guarding his girl, he had to admit that his resolve was commendable. As was his protection of her, but now it was a hinderance—a spanner in the works of David's plans if he continued to refuse.

He hated to call his bluff when the price was never seeing her again, but he knew it was the only way the asshole would give in. The only way to begin his scheme was if the two in front of him fell into the trap.

His brothers worried ravings and protests and fear filled his mind. With a snarl at them to trust him, they quieted.

Cassius was in similar turmoil, mulling the idea over in his mind. He knew it was stupid... but what was he to do? What other choice did he have? He needed answers, needed to be sure of their intent. He was actually considering this.

For the safety of his sister he needed to know what they were and why they were so infatuated with her. He was worried of course, he guessed they were going to take them somewhere familiar to the four nuisances and that irked him. Especially with the way the leader had gone from defeated to victorious in the span of a second.

He knew though, that should anything unfortunate happen he would be able to protect her. It was his lifes mission now after all.

Making up his mind, he squeezed her hand and uttered a quiet 'trust me' to her before lifitng his head up and meeting the leaders eye.

"We'll go."

...He had no idea how misplaced his confidence in himself was.