The Dreaming Dark, the underbelly of the world (M for F)

[DJGenXCide]

No matter how much he tried to lie to himself, he was always following her for the same reason that he'd first got entranced by her.  She was the life of the party, she moved like if she stopped at any given moment, she'd die.  Perish immediately, nothing to prevent it if she stopped moving at the frenetic pace that she lived all of her life.  And as he leaned back, smoking a joint touched with the hints of the new synthetic out there, he swore she turned and looked at him for a moment.  She knew he was there, because he always watched for her when he was in the club.  After all, she was still a friend of a friend, but not one of our friends.  That's how it had to be, at least for the time being.  Blowing a slow stream of smoke through his nose, he turned to look at the guy sitting across from him.

Billy Mac, real name William McArthur.  Small time scum that was only sitting with him now because it had been ordered from up above.  Ol' Billy Mac hadn't been paying the juice like he was supposed to on a loan that got him the business of his dreams.  Poor Billy, used most of the money on drugs and had a slew of hookers that could attest to the parties he had been throwing.  But he sat there, staring through Billy Mac, letting the calming effect of the cannabis hit his bloodstream the same time the synthetic did.  It was either that, or he'd have to kill Billy on the spot.  The Prince wouldn't want that shit, though.  After all, Billy owed the Prince money.  That was a favor to be called in if the man couldn't pay.  Which, as he looked at the man, fiending for drugs, was probably going to be the case.

"Christ why'd he send you," Billy said, voice hitting a high note that should not have been an option for males.  "He coulda sent anyone, why the fuck he send you?!"  Billy knew, of course.  Billy knew why he'd been sent to speak to Billy.  When things were totally fucked, he was the one that got sent in.  Xavier Cross, X to most, and to those who knew him more than a little bit, he was the worst thing to have come visit.  Because he was the Prince's enforcer, and when he showed up, things tended to happen in one of two ways.  You die, or you disappeared.  One way or the other, the job was always done and no one could connect him to it.  Of course he did it, but that was neither here nor there.

"Billy Billy Billy," X said, reclining in the seat, shaking his head.  "You know why I'm here.  The last chance.  The last fucking hurrah.  You blew through the cash, you didn't think you'd get found out, and never expected someone to come get you.  You're a fucking normal, Billy.  You got way over your head here, and this is what happens when you do.  The Prince has given you two options, as I am about to deliver them to you.  You either pay the cash, or you do a job.  You and I both know what it's going to be.  You don't have the cash, you can't escape me in here, and you know that if you try you'll just end up in pieces."

A normal.  Someone not touched by the supernatural, someone as mundane as mundane could get.  X, well he hadn't been a mundane ever.  Even before the Incident, he hadn't exactly been normal.  Him and the Prince went all the way back to elementary school, where he'd been the one to keep the Prince out of trouble.  Now, well, it paid to be the best friend of the boss.  To reiterate where things stood between Billy and himself, X looked at him and let the eyes go.  A parlor trick, but showing eyes that had turned crimson as blood got the point across real quick.  "What'll it be Billy?" X asked quietly.  "The job or the money.  Either way a choice is being made.  And if you look for option C, well.  You're free to do that.  But you and I both know how that goes.  You won't be able to breathe with a claw or two shredding your diaphragm to pieces.  And you'll still end up serving a purpose.  It's been a while since I crucified someone.  Bet I could get one of these pretty little things to go down on me while the blood drips from your corpse."