Cindy met Amy in her apartment at headquarters. It was a lavish and elegant palace, perfect for the spoiled princess that was Amy. She had a large balcony with a perfect view of Baldimore City. They sat outside, watching the sun set for the evening, passing a bottle back on forth as Cindy aired out her thoughts.

"I-I used to think that I was strong. Strong enough to break through any obstacle. Even at my lowest, I just kept pushing forward. I thought that if... If I just kept working hard, everything would finally pay off. I'd be happy, then. I'd have my own house, a great job, loving friends, and a husband. A few kids, maybe. Just a normal, happy life, ya know? I'd do it all by myself, too, with no help from anyone. I truly believed that. And I think that cost my best friend her life; my stubbornness all these years. If I had just reached out for help when I needed it, maybe she'd still be alive. That's been... haunting me lately." Cindy said somberly as she took another swig of whiskey from the bottle.

"I see," Amy said, staring blankly into the horizon. "I'm not good at this shit. I'm not a fucking counselor... Look, Cindy, I know you're hurting right now. And, I know you didn't want to come here. I just wanted to tell you... that you're not alone. Hell, this whole organization is run by some sad, lonely fuckers. We all know loss. We all know pain. We just know how to hide it better. Shit, I don't know what I'm saying. Pass me the bottle!" she said, snatching the bottle from Cindy, chugging a good bit of alcohol herself.

Cindy sat squatted down on a chair, her hands resting on her knees, as she stared at the sunset sorrowfully. "I don't... like feeling this way. Like I'm just a nuisance to everyone around me. I got my mother disowned by her family. My dad left us. And now, I get my best friend killed? What a fucking joke my life turned out to be!" she laughed maniacally. "Everyone around me gets hurt. I'm just a curse."

"Well, welcome to the fucking club," Amy said scornfully. "You can't hurt us, Cindy. We've all been cursed too."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Why apologize?" Amy asked. "We're all family here. All a part of the same, trauma-riddled family. Still trying to... run away from our pasts."

"How do you deal with it?"

"Drinking, killing, sex, drugs... I don't know, bonding over our shared fuckedupness?"

"Fuckedupness?"

"Yeah, fuckedupness: the constant state of being a fucked up individual. Do you like that word?"

Cindy chuckled a bit, caught off guard by Amy's obscene wordplay. "That's... so stupid," Cindy said, slightly choking on her drink.

"Hey, I got you to laugh at least," Amy said with a smile.

The sun finally set as the two women continued to look over the vast view of the city. Cindy, though still distraught, found some comfort in sharing her thoughts with Amy.

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"Baldimore... it's just as fucked up as any other city. Right, Amy?"

"Yup, probably."

"I used to think that this was the best city in the world," Cindy chuckled. "A place free of prejudice, crime, and discrimination. I guess there's no place like that in the world."

"That'd be a utopia," Amy said. "You can find all of that in this lovely city, too. We just hide it better," she smirked.

"I think I'm catching on to that," Cindy replied. She paused for a moment, ruminating more on her jumbled mess of thoughts. "Hey, Amy... Why are you all so strong?" she asked.

"Another misconception. We're not," Amy said with a somber smile. "I already told you, Cindy. We're all broken, just like you," she continued as she stood up from her seat. "Let's go inside."

The two escaped the chilly air, returning inside to Amy's warmer apartment. Amy excused herself for a moment, scurrying off to the bathroom. Cindy sat on the large, luxurious couch in Amy's apartment, in deep thought. She was still in shock over what happened. She did not even want to think. Memories of Elie were just a reminder of how she failed to protect her. But, the half-elf knew she had to face those thoughts head-on.

Rage encompassed her when she thought of Keith. She wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard after what he had done. Fear consumed her when she thought about Jon. Were they coming for him next? Would she be able to protect him? She did not know the answer. The only thing Cindy knew, at that moment, was that she could not keep running away. So, she made a decision. Whether it was right or wrong, she swore to see it through.

"Hey, Amy," Cindy called out as she stood next to the bathroom door. "I want a contract. I-Is that ok?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The bathroom door opened after a few more moments. The elf revealed herself, deep scars raked across her body. Her hair was dripping wet as the dye peeled off, revealing her long black hair that she kept hidden for so long. "Of course," Amy said with a comforting smile.

Cindy's eyes widened at the sight of Amy. She covered her hands over her mouth, letting out a small gasp as tears formed around her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"You never noticed I used hair dye, idiot?" Amy smirked as she donned a robe over herself. She sat down on her couch and poured herself another drink, as Cindy continued to question her.

"Why'd you do it? And those scars... Who did that to you?"

"Same reason you try your best to cover those big ears of yours. Sure, I don't need to hide anything. It just... became a habit," Amy responded sorrowfully. "And these scars? My parents did that before I killed them."

Cindy had no words. She had more than enough things to try and process. So, she just sat there and quietly listened.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Never been a fan of pity parties."

"It's okay," Cindy said with melancholy. "I understand."

Amy sighed. "I'll just keep it short and sweet. I was... starved and malnourished for the first eleven years of my life. My mother was an elf, who had an affair with a human. A halfie popped out at birth, bringing much dismay to her husband. They kept me around... as their slave, their punching bag whenever they were frustrated. One day, something awoke inside of me. I felt a surge of power all of a sudden. I could fight, I could kill. So, that's what I did; I killed them. I set them free of their burden. And do you know how that felt?"

"How?"

"Fucking amazing," she said with a smile. "For the first time in my life, I felt truly alive. So, I did it again and again. I killed countless people indiscriminately. I thought I was a fucking god!" she laughed. "But, I was far from that. Daddy quickly put an end to my killing spree. He beat me half to death. Then, he fed me. Put clean clothes on my back. He told me... we were family now. And that was the first time I cried. I didn't know why. I didn't know what it meant. The only thing I knew, was that I was no longer alone."

"That's fucked." Cindy said as she stared up at the ceiling. "That's so fucked."

"Yeah... Want another drink?" Amy asked, tossing the bottle to Cindy.