The Queen's Panther

15. Back to Work

I don't own certain characters, you should know which.

"Oh it feels nice to be back to work!" Raven sings, dancing down the empty, streetlamp-lit road of late-night London.

"I'm not sure about this, Sabre" Joker says nervously, following after Raven and dressed in one of Thorne's butler uniforms. "I don't know if I can do this."

Raven stops, turning to face the nervous redhead. "You'll be alright, Joker. I'm really sorry about using you and the others like this, but I need help with this and Thorne doesn't have enough power to create puppets."

"I've just... never done anything like this and 'ee make it seem like it'll be easy."

A dry smile curves the corner of Raven's mouth upward. "For me, it sort of is. I've done things like this so often that it simply doesn't faze me anymore. This, hunting down hidden threats, is my job."

"Is getting rid of the threats part of your job?" Joker asks.

"...No," Raven replies. "Eliminating those threats is more of an added pleasure, but it's best to solve the problem before the problem disappears into the underworld again. I live in the underworld, I have to find fun somewhere."

Joker nods silently, understanding his words but not quite understanding the emotion behind them. "Can 'ee run over the plan again?"

"Of course. We're going to one of this mafia's main buildings, where they've set up a meeting with me. They're planning to kill me as revenge for killing their leaders a week earlier, however, they believe I'm under the impression we're discussing a peaceful way to settle this... issue.

"You're posing as my butler so Thorne can lead the others in silently taking out as many mafia members as possible before they try to kill me. We're hoping to wipe them out completely... Joker, thank you for helping, truly."

"Of course, Sabre," the redhead replies. "You and Thorne saved us."

"Don't think you need to repay us," Raven says softly. "Your my family, and I'm not going to lose you."

Joker smiles, putting an arm around the young earl's shoulders. "Nor I, you, Sabre."

"Who's there?!" calls out a sudden voice from the building ahead of the pair.

"Alpha, four, ocean, white," Raven says as the letter arranging the meeting instructed.

A lamp is lit, illuminating the door of the place.

"Wh— Is this some sort of joke?" the man at the door says. "Surely a boy like you can't be the Earl Thornheart."

"I can assure you, I am," Raven says, used to the skepticism of his being the earl.

"Very well," the man says lowly. "If you lie, death will take you before you know he's there. Follow me, we're waiting."

Without a word, Raven follows the man inside, Joker close behind and trying to hide his nervousness. They're lead through the halls of the building to a dimly lit lounge, a warm fire in the fireplace being the only light source.

"Earl Thornheart," says a woman in one of the chairs. "You're smaller than I imagined. Please, sit."

Rolling his eyes, Raven sits across from the woman, silently taking notice of the four men stationed around the room. Joker stands just behind Raven, posture straight like Thorne instructed.

"You've caused a lot of trouble for us, Earl," the woman says lowly.

"So it seems I have," Raven replies. "Forgive me, I don't know your name."

The woman chuckles lowly. "My name is of no importance, but you may call me Fox."

"Alright, Fox. What do you propose we do to settle this matter so we may both be out of each other's hair?"

"I want to get this over quickly, so here's what I propose."

Fox pulls out a gun, aiming it at Raven's head. Joker's eyes widen but he remains silent as instructed.

"Now, surely there's another way to settle this," Raven says.

"Unfortunately for you, there's not," Fox replies. "See, you killed our leaders. Our family. So now we are going to kill you."

"'We?'"

Fox grins widely, a grin that instantly drops when a body goes falling past the window. One of the men in the room walks towards it slowly, opening it and looking down, then up.

"Sorry!" Thorne's voice calls teasingly. "My hand slipped."

Fox's eyes widen as she looks to Raven. "You..."

"You can't of thought I didn't know about your little plan to kill me," Raven says with a smirk.

"H-how?" Fox whispers, eyes wide.

"Unimportant. Joker, are you doing alright?"

"Aye, Sabre," the redhead replies. "Let's just... finish this quickly."

Raven smiles, "As you wish."

⚯

"We are not splitting up," Thorne says. "Despite it being faster, I am not willing to lose contact with anyone, so we're staying within eyesight of each other."

"Got it, Shadow," Dagger says, twirling one of his knives.

"And just remember, these guys are professionals, they know what they're doing and they're likely very attached to violence. So be on guard."

"Understood," Peter says.

"I'm not sure about this," Doll says nervously.

"If you want, Doll, you can stay out of it and be the lookout," Thorne suggests.

"I... Yes, that might be better," Doll agrees.

"They're in," Beast says, looking down from the roof to where Raven and Joker are walking into the mafia building. "Let's go."

Silently, the group runs along the roof, jumping across the short gap between the buildings. 

"Alright everyone," Thorne calls with a laugh, "Let's dance."

The first gunshot rings out, narrowly missing Jumbo's shoulder. Wendy goes running towards the direction it came from, Peter running after her and a moment or so later, a sharp scream is heard.

As more gunshots echo in the silent night, the group starts taking out the mafia members stationed on the roof.

Thorne holds one man over the edge of the roof, letting him fall the three stories to his death. The soul keeper watches as a man sticks his head out a window, looking down as his dead companion, then up.

"Sorry!" Thorne calls with a little wave. "My hand slipped."

Turning back, Thorne catches a punch being thrown at the back of his head, throwing the man off the roof as well.

"That's it up here," Wendy calls.

"Then we'll head inside and help Sabre and Joker with any still alive," Beast says, pulling open a trapdoor.

"I like that idea," Thorne says, following Beast through the trapdoor.

Running through the halls, the group continues killing the remaining mafia members quick as they can. Rounding a corner, a sharp pain rips through Thorne side.

Raven gasps, "Oh god, Thorne, I'm sorry."

"After everything I do for you, this is how you repay me," Thorne says with a playful scowl.

"Is that all of them?" Raven asks.

"Think so," Thorne replies. "I'm fine, by the way."

"I know you are, fool," Raven says, "You may be able to feel pain, but a single bullet will not kill an immortal like you."

Thorne pouts. "Gee, and here I thought you actually cared for me."

"I do, dork. Now, let's go home. I don't know about you all, but there's a nice cozy bed that's calling my name."