I wake up and grab at my restraints, I rock my chair despite the pain and I fall over. "Damn." I get one hand free and rip the other zip tie off. Cheap American plastic. Gotta love it. Oof, my head. Maybe I shouldn't even loosely imply she's fat. Why didn't she kill me? She must be still around. I look around, broken needles and no drugs. Great. I limp out quietly, peeking around every corner. Then I find the stairs. Here's to welcoming the very probable death awaiting me. I climb the steps and quietly open the door. I'm met by the torrential rain and to my surprise, no armed gunmen, just a dark and empty street. I limp down the street and I can't help but notice a deli still open. Kelly Street Meats, huh?

I limp inside and a British accent comes from a middle aged man behind the counter, "Welcome to Kelly Street Meats." I smile as vans rush past, their sirens don't turn on as they screech at the end of the street. "I need you to hide me." He raises a shotgun over the counter, "Or you can leave, so I don't see Onyx Assassins in my store." I raise a finger and squint, "Are you ex-military?" He just maintains his stare. "I am fighting a war of my own. I lost my son to a demon when the storms hit." He presses his lips together and cocks the shotgun, "Out." "I hold weight in the Onyx Corporation, I'm launching a coup to stop corruption." He shakes his head, "I can't read you, so get out." I squint again, does he mean... I let my mask fall off in my head, just enough to show him. He jumps, then lowers his gun. "An angel?" I laugh wildly, "Holy shit. You know just like that?" He waves, "Hurry up."

I follow him into the back room, he holds out his hand, "El, Bishop division." I squint yet again, "What's the Bishop Division again?" He looks at me like I'm crazy, "Chess?" I scoff, "Chess?" He looks into my eyes, "You're an angel, you should know, where is the great Samuel, his Powers- the warriors?" Samuel? Powers though, Hell Texts say they armed worlds in their tactical retreats. Didn't help much, did it? "So this Samuel just dropped by, dropped your people a modified holy bible and said, good luck?" He nods, "So Chess is-" "Never seen an Illuminati before." He tilts his head, "Sorry?" "Nothing." Time to act like an interdimensional alien, oh- right. "Take me to your Leader." He shakes his head, "I cannot. Beware the betrayers." I nod, "Alright. Can you at least tend to my wounds?"

I wince as he wipes into my deep cuts, "Wounds are recent, a week or so. Why don't you heal?" I chuckle, "That's what I'm doing." He stops, "You can't heal quickly on your own?" Godfall happened thousands of years ago, before I was even born. "How long since Samuel dropped that Bible?" "Beware the betrayers." I groan then roll my eyes, "Fair enough. What must I do to gain your good graces?" "That coup you're launching, big dreams for an angel that gets cut so easy." Well, this is way less exciting. Someone already came and conquered. I smirk- No, I'll dominate them still. I'll have to tweak my plans. "Idi Bokassa. Do you know stronger druglords?" He smiles, "He's nothing." I lie back and sleep, "You know I have a bed for you?" I nuzzle my back against the floor and he walks out.

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I tear off my vest, close my door and punch myself repeatedly, then plop onto my bed. The radio blares as I take out my knife, "Dirt beat someone here. Did she find Terry?" I cut into my vest's fabric and find a bug in it. I slip it into my pocket and pull out my sewing kit. "She can't even keep a damn prisoner!" I growl as my big shaking hands get in the way of the tiny threads. "Why is Bullet protecting her? She's becoming a problem." I tighten the last loop and tie it off. "She assaulted me because I told her the damn truth! She's a dirty bitch only good for our instruction." I switch off the radio and resist the urge to break it. I grab at my hair with my knife in hand. Should I? I lower the knife, God damn it Slim! God damn his sweet words. I should sleep.

I look back at my fixed-up vest, mind racing like a wildfire. I get up and suit up. I walk into the bathroom and cross my arms. I feel weird, looking at a fraud. Is this me? It can't be. Am I the problem like he said? God- I manage to tear myself away and walk out the apartment door. I can't sleep like this!

I stroll back into the hospital and step into Bullet's room. Bullet looks up and his makes a face I've never seen from him, "Whoa. Amber?" I mumble, "A-" "Speak your mind." It comes out as a shout, "Am I beautiful!?" He smiles and tries to get up. He manages to stand and grab my arm, "Of course you are." So Slim wasn't saying anything special? He taps my stomach, "You murder things with such grace, worthy more of a peasant. If there were a title, I'd give you it," I shake my head, "Do I look beautiful?" He laughs and walks away, "You look like a warrior." I stomp, "Y-You're not answering me!" He looks back, "Your hair's too long, I braided it so people won't have to look at it as much. No one would love a big woman, especially the fact you're fat."

I roar and take a step, he pulls out his gun and screams at the top of his lungs, I stop in my tracks as his eyes go wild, like he does on a hunt, I shiver as he opens his mouth again, "I will fucking end you, Amber! Don't be mad that I tell you the FUCKING TRUTH!" He jerks his gun and I jump at the sudden movement. He walks slowly to me like a sneaking panther, "No one but me fucking cares for you and I didn't get shot in my knee for you to not listen to me." He looks up at me as I'm tearing up, "Don't fucking cry, fix the fucking problem! Now go and don't try shit like this ever again!"

I burst out the room crying, everyone stares at me. I run out the hospital and a couple blocks in, I fall to the ground on a lonely street, into one of the many puddles. Fuck. Slim, you're a monster!