Neutral Through Chaos

Chapter 6: A Saviour's Sacrifice

Vander stood in the doorway, Benzo behind him. They were looking at both of us with intense worry. I wondered how they had found this place too, it called to me in a way, maybe the same had happened to them. Sometimes life worked in mysterious ways, and it was better not to question it.

"Vander?" Vi began, fear plastered on her face.

"We don't have much time," sighed Vander as he stepped forward towards his daughter.

"How did you find me?" she muttered.

"I'm proud of you, always have been," Vander continued, holding her face with his hands.

"I'm sorry, I..." Vi trailed off," This is the only way to protect the others."

Benzo turned around from the window and shouted Vander's name in urgency, the barking of dogs sounded in the distance. The enforcers were close, it wouldn't be too long before they arrived. Vander glanced over at me, putting a firm hand on my shoulder.

"You both have good hearts, don't lose them. No matter how the world tries to break you," Vander said, returning his gaze to Vi.

"Protect the family."

I knew what he was about to do. The undercity needed him, without Vander there would be a rapid descent into chaos. Without him, there would be anarchy. 

"Vander, you don't have to do this," I began.

"What are you-" Vi started, "No!"

With that, Vander heaved open a door and shoved us down the stairs, immediately locking it. I lay on the ground, defeated, however Vi wasn't giving up as easily as me. She threw herself at the door, yelling and pleading for Vander to let us out. My ears rang as a discussion commenced next door, I heard the voices of Marcus, of Grayson. The arrest was taking place, Vander was being taken away from us. His people. Vi's screams of torment reverberated around the small room as she pounded at the door in rage.

Suddenly, I heard yelling. It was now coming from outside, they must have all left. Snapping out of my daze, I ran up to the singular small window in the room, trying to peer outside to find the source of the commotion.

"Vi, something's happening out there," I mumbled.

Immediately, it grabbed her attention too. She ran up beside me, desperately trying to look through the cramped window. I made out Grayson's voice, her shouting.

Blood. It splattered all over the window, the glass going from green to a sanguine-red. My stomach turned. Grayson had been the only enforcer to show me mercy, now she was dead. Who could have possibly done it?

Another voice emerged, one I had never heard before. They were eerily at ease, nonchalant at the murder that had just taken place in front of them. I couldn't hear anything clearly, just muffled sounds. It was arguably worse being this clueless as to what was happening. Benzo yelled out, running forward, only to meet the same fate as Grayson. I didn't see a gun, a weapon of any sort, just a rapidly moving shadow enveloping him as he met his demise. Denial washed over me as I stared at Benzo's corpse, this couldn't be happening, already two people were lost.

Marcus shouted, eyes full of horror after witnessing his colleague die right before him. I finally saw the owner of the unidentified voice as he stepped forward. A man with slicked back hair, dressed in an elaborate suit. He threw a money bag at Marcus. Before turning his gaze to Vander. His face. It was scarred on one side, with an orange and emotionless pupil surrounded by black. He stared apathetically at a destroyed Vander, before nodding. It was the shadow, my eyes adjusted to see it was a man. No, a monster. My stomach twisted, that final nod was a command, a command to kill. The macabre being stalked up to Vander.