The Fallen

Chapter 3 - The Approaching Storm

The night of the annual formal Christmas event had finally come. Kane and Crystal had spent time convincing their daughters to attend, with Kane explaining why he'd been so insistent on them being there. Simply put, the growing activity of crime lords, factions, and his brother had made him uneasy. Even more so upon realizing his girls would either be the prize to be won or caught in the middle as they had been before. With the growing activity, something was going to happen sooner or later. There were too many volatile elements mixing together for there not to be a reaction. With every passing day, it appeared Orlando would be the battleground for the brewing war.

Summer, Emma, and Victory spent the day of the event preparing themselves for the appearance. They spend the day together going to the hairdresser and nail salon before returning back to their parents' house to prepare for the night. Victory had done her best to ignore Mark when he arrived with Michelle, their daughter and younger son absent from the gathering. No doubt, with another family member, doing last-minute Christmas-related activities, or already with their normal babysitter.

Ever since the car accident, Mark had become more determined to be the father figure he'd neglected to be over the years. Treating Victory as if she was still the young child she was when he'd all but abandoned her so long beforehand. All while appearing oblivious to how annoyed she was by the constant hounding and disinterested in forming any relationship with him. She had her dad, Kane, her uncle who had raised her as his own, alongside his own girls. He and Crystal were her parents; they loved her and did everything a parent should do for a child. They were there for her when Mark had done all in his power to erase her.

"Please tell me you're going to get Damian to dance," commented Summer as the three girls gathered in Victory's room. The standard-sized room was barely lit by the fairy lights going around the edge of walls and doors. The winter sun had long since set; the pretty colors of the sunset had faded into a dark greyish blue. Nonetheless, a smile graced the leggy blonde's lips; she was with her sisters, after all, her best friends, and tonight, they'd promised to have as much fun as possible. "And you, Emma, you got to get Aleister on the dance floor," she chuckled, imagining the Dutchman awkwardly moving across the floor while trying to keep his eye out for danger.

"I think I've tormented Priesty enough lately," replied Victory, sweeping some of her curled raven locks over her shoulder. For all intents and purposes, she'd played a game of cat and mouse with Damian. The city had been the playground; he'd followed her as she traveled around the city, going from mall to mall, shop to shop, with the goal of completing her Christmas shopping and finding a dress for the formal event. Although, she had surprised him with a cup of cocoa and a Christmas-themed doughnut when he did finally catch up to her in a cafe.

"Ah, Aleister is already aware of the impending dance; said he's been brushing off his dancing skills," chuckled Emma, recalling when the Dutchman had given some hints about his life before becoming a mercenary for hire. He seemed happy, just like any other ordinary man one may pass in the street. Yet something had happened, resulting in his life in the world of crime and becoming a sought-after mercenary in high demand. "You going to get Finn to bust a few moves tonight?" asked the middle sister, a cheeky grin appearing on her lips soon after, trying to mask the uneasiness gripping her stomach.

"I'll have to catch him first," laughed Summer, slipping into Victory's onsite to change into her silky emerald-colored dress. It wasn't anything too fancy, just a simple glittery dress with gold embroidered patterns, the straps thin and adjustable; it reached the floor and hid her chosen sandals for the night. The fashionista had decided to pair the dress with a simple white woolen cardigan if only to keep her warm from the short walk between the limo and the city hall.

Emma and Victory could only chuckle as both fought away the thoughts of Summer chasing Finn around the hall in an attempt to get him to the dance floor. The Irishman hiding as best he could, whether that be behind pillars, in a crowd of people, or behind the much taller Damian. Soon enough, Emma turned her attention to the flowing ruby dress she had chosen for the night, almost Christmas-themed with the fluffy white jacket and silver decorations sparkling in the dim light. Victory's dress was simple enough: a long-sleeved black gown with silver sparkles and lace. It was beautiful but still summed Victory up in every way. The flowing skirt was loose enough to hide the clumpy knee brace she was forced to wear, much like Emma's dress, which had long sleeves to cover the scarring she had become self-conscious about.