CALAMITY (#1) - The Lamb

Chapter Twelve - Questions

"How did you get away from the Sins?"

Truthfully, she had no clue. She remembered them torturing her. She shut her eyes. She woke up here.

"What did they do to you...?"

She preferred not to answer.

"What were things like before you got here?"

...

After everything that happened, she had completely forgotten about the past. Life was... simple. Hard, but simple. She told him about her instrument. She told him about her transfers.

She told him about the demon couple that was tricked into selling her out.

Maxwell frowned, lowering his head. "The Warden-Police and Diablo have always been trained to cleverly omit the truth. Those people just thought they were doing their civic duties."

Maxwell paused. "What was... the slaughterhouse like...?"

Mia shrugged. It was clear she wouldn't answer beyond that.

Maxwell thought for a moment. "Have you ever loved someone?"

...Charlie was the closest thing to love she had ever experienced.

Mia had a long history of shutting herself away from the world. For as long as she remembered, she was slow, timid, and trusted no one. She tended to dissociate whenever she was overwhelmed, often switching to a completely blank slate in an effort to protect herself. It wasn't healthy, but it was the only way to survive in a world where your people... your family...

...They get butchered. All of them, eventually.

Charlie changed things. She was strong. Funny. Cute. She always told Mia to look on the bright side... that Mia would be happy someday. Charlie was the polar opposite of Mia. She was optimistic. Loud. Mia was quiet and pessimistic. No. Realistic.

Mia was fourteen when Charlie was taken by the Sins.

. . .

Mia was walking with her on that day. It was cold. Winter. Charlie gave Mia her coat. It was huge, clearly from the First War. They made little crowns out of thorny brambles that morning. It was the first peaceful day in weeks.

Then they came.

Mia was surrounded in darkness. It was hard to breathe. There was a bag over her head. Charlie was screaming.

She was thrown to the floor. She could see again. Charlie was in the big one's hands. She was pleading for them not to hurt Mia.

The white rabbit kneeled beside her. "She was supposed to be alone... Oh god..." The blue one approached her. "I'll dispose of it." Charlie's pleading grew louder as he picked Mia up, opening his maw widely. Mia was surrounded in darkness again. She felt sharp things.

She was pulled out. The tall man... the man in the suit, with the antlers. He kneeled in front of her, muttering something to his comrades. They walked away with Charlie.

The man in the suit looked at Mia, telling her a lesson that she still follows to this day.

...

Mia felt sick. She shared too much.

. . .

Casey walked in some time later, smiling as she trotted over to Mia and Maxwell. "I'm glad that you're awake, Mia... I was worried."

They chattered for a long while. Mia felt safe around them. She learned about their past a bit more.

...

It began when Mia looked at her hand.

"What... what the...?"

She wiggled her fingers. All five of them. Ages ago, they... they removed her finger... they...

It was real. Flesh. No illusion. By some strange miracle, she... grew back a whole finger...?

...Overnight.

"...what... am I...?"

. . .

Wrath fell into the chair opposite Sloth, groaning softly. "Yo... urgh... what's up?"

Sloth peered at Wrath's legs. The wounds had closed, but it would take some time and meat to regrow them. Sloth looked back at Wrath's face, keeping his expression neutral. "As you may know, the boss has put me in charge of the Seraph Location Division. I'm here to fix any mistakes my fellow Sins make." He took a sip from his coffee.

"You act like I'm the reason that mission failed. Gluttony ran off like a little bitch again." Wrath growled deeply, briefly wincing in pain.

"You act like I'm mad at you."

"Oh, shut it. Why wouldn't you be? I'm the reason we don't have that kid..."

"You said it wasn't your fault."

"Only I'm allowed to blame myself, heh."

"Well, I'm not here to yell at you. The boss knew the mission would fail."

"...I'm listening."

"This is just a theory... But if he only sent two operatives to capture Half-Cowl... I believe he's testing her. He wants her to grow in power. It'll make it easier to weaponize her."

"...And why are you telling me this?"

"I've already told the others. You're just the last one to come in."

...

"So... What's the plan now?"

Lucile grinned. It was the kind of grin that always made Wrath sick. The sinister glow of his eyes, the white shine of his impossibly sharp teeth...

"Let's wreak some havoc... I want to meet her myself."