Better of two Evils

[legrange]

Now it was quite the wonder, why was the right hand of the Perfect Nation in the Underground? With a hood draped over his pallid prominent features, LeGrange took plodded through the puddles without a care. The pompous suit wearing man left on the overland, Jack was an entirely different person. Ice blue eyes darted out of the dark features hidden beneath the hood, the usual sinister glance that told people to get the hell out of the way.

He had.. Business to tend to so he was forced into this rat infested place. He actually surprisingly liked this place, away from the government officials. He had guards, somewhere but not down here. He smiled, turned into a cove to a shadowed man. He nodded to him, “I got your money.” He growled irritably to the large man, not an ounce of fear to the hulking assassin in front of him. ”You know your target and I expect it to be done cleanly. If anyone finds out I‘m behind this, you will never see that child of yours again. Got it? My job will not be threatened because of your stupidity.” Jack growled, pulling back the money. ”Actually, you don‘t deserve this. By completing this mission your child will not be slaughtered got it?”

This was dangerous, he knew. This man was known for his killing abilities but he was also fearful of what would happen to his daughter. That wasn’t all LeGrange had against him though. But he was putting a lot on this man. A smug smiled curled at his pale lips before he turned and walked off to leave the man to think.

”Jack,” The man called, biting his tongue when he realized he had called the man by his first name. LeGrange didn’t hold it against him, yet. The assassin nodded, Jack turned and walked on. That was the only answer he needed. He wondered though if it was risky meeting the man in the Underground. He had something against the Assassin but no telling who else heard what he was talking about.

[scar]

Scarlett wasn't actually tracing anybody.

Oh, no. If she had intentionally come into the underground to search for someone, she would've long ago caught up with them. But it hadn't been until she was near the entrance to the underground that she had seen the signs that someone, or more then a single person for that matter, had recently passed through the dirt and slime-encrusted tunnel. If she were more cautious, she would've chosen to not follow those signs and just continued on her business for the day. But unlike many of her superiors, Scarlett was more curious then she was cautious, and had chosen to follow the path and find what was going on.

Perhaps it was a resistance member? The though had kept her going even when quite a few flares of alarms tried to turn her back from where she had come. Yet Scarlett had ignored everyone of them and continued after the unseen person(s) as quietly as a jungle cat stalking its prey. She made no faulty movement that would give away her presence, as always when she did this kind of following. Not a single sign to tell the (obvious) man in front of her he was being traced.

But when he spoke, Scarlett almost did turn back, because she recognized the voice almost immediately. Every note, from threat to casual conversation. If she were afraid of him, she would've turned back, but Scarlett was the same reckless girl she had been so many years ago, and that alone kept that sweet innocent smile on her face as she watched this mystery of Mr. LeGrange unfold. She enjoyed having this one step over him, of being able to be so silent in the shadows without his knowledge.

But soon this conversation of his came to a halt, and as the man he had spoken to turned and left, after stuttering over a few sentences and using LeGrange's first name, Scarlett made herself known. The first subtle sign she gave was the shift from predator to positively female. Not quite submissive, certainly only because of the man in front of her.

"Jack, Jack. What is a man such as you doing in a place such as this?" She cooed softly, moving from her place in the shadows to a more lighted area. She approached him with the slow, easy grace of a panther, the same grace of a dancer, and the same grace as a female. "I'd never think you were a fan of the rats?" She formed the sentence as a question, stopping slightly in front of him, touchable distance if he were to try.

But Mr. LeGrange wouldn't dare touch her. She hadn't pushed him that far yet.

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[legrange]

Did Jack enjoy threatening people? Yes, because he had the power to. He had the strength behind his icy eyes and the twisted morality to drive even the most stable man screaming in insanity and rocking in a straitjacket. This man would end up no different, whether he suceeded or not. This was risky business, if some one listened it couldn't be the end but i could lead to suspicions.

He twisted on his heels at that voice. God, it was her. A mix of annoyance and stressed calmness was evident on his face. If he was trying to appear hospitable, he was doing a poor job. The hate was evident, the loathing for the woman clear. He sighed as she strutted from the shadows. He should have known she would be around, bad luck followed him in the form of a black cat and her name was, "Scarlett."

She knew she had surprised him and that was embarrassing enough. She was a pesky little thing and he was near the end of his patience with her. Didn't have much to begin with. What right did she have to question him. He ignored her closeness well of course he slightly acknowledged it. No man couldn't but he wasn't easy, far from it. He wouldn't be swayed by her, a siren he called her. "Just business,love."

He chuckled at her attempt, looking at her like someone would a child that was acting like a brat. She was just a girl, a beautiful one but that none the less didn't matter in this situation. He wondered if she had heard him. He never bothered target her, no matter how much she annoyed him. She wasn't worth the trouble or the threats and experiments. Rats? He had noticed a few, even kicked one out of his way when he came down here. No, he hated this place but came here often, more than one would expect. There were secrets down here.

"The only rat i see is you, my dear." He tilted his head, arms crossed in annoyance. He didn't trust her and was ready to show her that he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

[scar]

It was all a game. Scarlett had learned everything was game, and this one with Jack? Oh, how did she love this game. She had the patient of a saint, while he obviously did not. A handsome devil he was, and he thrilled Scarlett and entertained her with every word he spoke. He never did seem to learn that the only way to get rid of her was to play her game and win. Men never did notice the little things that women do, and she just loved taking advantage of that beautiful fact.

If she were more of a slut, she would most likely have won this little game by now. But she wasn't one, despite most people's thoughts. She wasn't as oblivious as Jack thought she was to his attraction. A man would have to be blind not to be attracted to her, but to be truthful with herself, Jack was the type of guy she was attracted to. And if Scarlett was anything, it was truthful.

He also wasn't sure if she had heard her conversation or not. Of course, she had, she wasn't deaf and had been following him for some time, but she only blinked sweetly and looked as innocent as a girl such as she could. He had said one word so far, which was her name, and just to see if she could push him anymore over the line, she replied with, "Jack." and patting his cheek as she did so.

A devious smile crossed her lips and she turned away, listening to her words with feigned anger. His last sentence, she dramatically placed a hand to her heart and looked over her shoulder at him. But her words crossed out any believable chance that her hurt was real. "So you are a fan of rats?"

She wasn't blind to the fact that he was trying to anger her...or something along those lines. He was trying to look like a big man, scare her away, and that she knew for sure. Just to show him he didn't scare her the bit, she laughed lightly, shaking her head and tossing the blonde strands back and forth. "What great entertainment you are, Jack, love!"

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[legrange]

To say that Scarlett and him weren't alike would be a lie. She was devious, always thinking and could never be trusted. But unlike him, she was good at flaunting her looks while he preferred to use fear to use his enemies. She was doing a pretty good job at getting to him though and that was getting annoying.

As her skin touched his cheek, he froze. Every muscle strained as if she had just cut him with her touch. "Depends on the rat." He said, holding any unneccessary emotion away behind a blank face.

He was taken off guard by her being here, "What did you hear?" He finally asked, turning a blind eye to her charms though it was damn hard too. He was embarrassed and it was obvious that she knew she was getting to him. It would be a lie to say he didn't find her attractive. She was beautiful but he had foun that he was too paranoid to get close to her. She was a calculative bitch and would much rather stabb him in the back than get to know him. Still he did have those moments when he fell prey to her. He hoped this wouldn't be one of those times, business was more important.

[scar]

For a few moments, Scarlett debated whether or not she should tell him all she had heard. She had no intention of telling anyone else about this matter, but Jack didn't need to know that, since he already was clueless on how much she knew. She enjoyed having the upper hand for once, but she didn't flaunt it and brag about it as she knew she could. Not saying she gave up, that just wasn't Scarlett.

She was having a nice time running him in circles, trying to push him as far over the edge as he and his high-handed self would allow. Games, games, games, it was all just a game. She had to remind herself of it everytime an insult was tossed her way, everytime someone tried to see that rare glimpse of anger Scarlett had.

But Jack had continued talking, and instead of letting herself fall into her thoughts, she focused on him and getting out of here without a scratch...on her ego, or her body. It was highly unlikely, considering the type of man Jack was, but it was worth a shot.

She wasn't ready to give up yet, though, and so instead of replying outright and saying she saw everything, she lifted her shoulders in a shrug and tossed a handful of blonde hair over her shoulder. "Enough." The one word answer had been used on her several times when she would ask someone something about quantity, and it seemed appropriate to use here.

But that wasn't the only fun she was having. She enjoyed knowing that Jack wasn't blind, was a man, and was still attracted to her, and everytime he would fall prey to that attraction, it beat at him like no other. Yet with their current situation, there just happened to be no winner.

Yet. It took time.

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[legrange]

Jack didn't like games and talking to her gave enough reason to respond. It was a twisted little game to her but to beat her, he had to play along. Enough? That word annoyed him, it wasn't good enough of an answer. Enough could mean little or a lot. Enough to know his plans? It was frustrating but he wouldn't let her have the pleasure of seeing him think to long on it.

A smile creeped at his lips, ever so slightly drawing the firm line into a smirk. It was an awkward movement, the man didn't have much of a reason to smile as of lately. This wasn't much of a smile but a tease, in a way it told her she was wasting her effort to beat him. He took a step closer, taking her entire self in with a fleeting glance.

"And how much is 'enough,' love?" He whispered in her ear, letting his breath creep down her neck. This was far too much effort for what it was worth, for all he knew she could be playing with him and actually have no idea what said conversation with that assassin was about. He told himself it was business and finding out if she knew anything was necessary but he knew he just liked to play this game too.

He looked up the skin of her neck, the delicacy of it. He could break it in a moment's notice but that would hardly be of a gentleman's manners. His lips clse to her neck before he pulled away with a satisfied smile. "Because to me, Enough sounds like a lot."

Let the games begin.

[scar]

"What a charming man you are." She purred the words slowly, sweetly, adding her own touch of feminity to it. Let it be clear he wouldn't win if he were to play her way - through the body. She took the closeness as a chance to fight him more, letting him try and work whatever he was attempting. Maybe if she were an average girl, her heart would be beating quickly in her chest and she'd feel if she were about to feint, because Jack was seriously handsome, but Scarlett was far from average. She was the best at this game, her game, and she'd show him exactly who was going to win this.

She ignored the feel of his breath on her skin, pressing one hand to his chest to put a little, but big enough distance between them. She knew he had no intention of going very far, but Scarlett was determined to have him on his knees by the end of the night. Everything she did was slow, graceful, elegant, from even the tilt of her neck to the shift in stance to keep herself from falling over in case Jack were to move suddenly.

This was definitely her turf, her game. There was no way he was going to win. She brushed her lips against his neck, holding back a laugh, but although she was tempted to be much more devious, she pulled away, this time letting her laughter escape. "Enough, enough Jack." She repeated, her voice low, seductive. Dangerous.

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[legrange]

This was a dangerous game, he was playing. He was leading himself into her trap, she was a siren and he was falling to her level. Seduction in which he wasn’t familiar with. Perhaps trying to tempt her was only tempting himself. As he had pulled away he couldn’t ignore the need to pull closer. Her hand on his chest, his body strained from the contact. He never liked contact but this was a different case. He was well aware of Scarlett being a married woman and maybe that only added to what made the woman irresistible. He couldn’t have her. He hated her husband, it wasn’t exactly secret.

The touch of her lips on the skin of his neck was like pin needles, harsh intensified with that ever obvious dose of lust. He couldn’t hide that fact, nothing could and perhaps he was being stupid. He hated feeling stupid, it was his biggest pet peeve because he was ‘brilliant’ and everyone knew it. But when it came to Scarlett there was that need for her that he couldn’t ignore despite how much he hated her and her husband.

His mind was telling him to remember why he was there, to give that information to the assassin unnoticed and then get back up ground. She was distracting him and irritation was his weakness. He was just a man. But he was strong willed than most men, he could take just about anything. Especially lust. But the touch of her lips on his neck was startling, a shiver crawling up and down his neck.

Her words irritated him, a flash of anger behind his eyes. His teeth gritted as he spoke but he didn’t get angry. He smirked, “Is that so?” He said, tilting his head to look down at her as he snickered. ”So what do you think should be done about this little predicament?” With most rats that found out, they had their heads cut off. Most people thought that Perfect Nation’s leader was the most corrupt but by far the right hand was the most dangerous man in the Nation.
.

[scar]

What fun this was. Scarlett enjoyed the fact that Jack held through, although it was obvious he was fighting tooth and nail. She could see the lust in his eyes, as hard as he tried to hide it, and it thrilled her that she could get to him whether he hated her or not. The hate was there, obvious. He wasn't as good at hiding his feelings from her as he was from others. Years of observing on her part, yet still he thought he could hide anything he wanted from her? Yeah. Right.

Her laugh echoed across the tunnel, almost a reminder that she knew him and what got to him. She turned to watch him, lips pulled into a devious smirk. What ever will you do, Jack? If only he knew how well she herself knew how to fight, then maybe he wouldn't be so quick to think he could break her neck like a doves. She'd never allow it, nor would her husband, who was by far bigger then Jack and ten times more dangerous in battle.

Jack probably didn't even know how to wield a dagger, and Scarlett took this with laughter. Men who could fight? Those were the type who impressed her. As for men like Jack, the only could thing she could mark him for was his brains and his looks. Everything else didn't even leave an imprint on Scar.

"What to do? I believe I should go run to the others and tell them what I saw, but I would never do that to you, would I dear Jack?" She called to him, leaning casually against one of the cleaner sides of the tunnel, looking as incapable as she could. Cocking an eyebrow, she turned her gaze to him, a smile decorating her features. "Then again..." She let the sentence trail off.

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[legrange]

This game was beginning to bore him personally. He looked at her, skeptically in way he often did others. He was getting to know her, more than she could hope. He was the type of man that could very well analyze everything about someone from a glance. A person that knew too much after being told very little. She was pretty and she knew it ”Kind of sad, can‘t say you must like your husband? What with him making you stay in this hell hole of a city. I must say you’re a calculative bitch, always twisting and conniving. But you’re just as desperate as every other whore of a girl in this city. You dislike not having your way and attention is precious to you. Please, don‘t flatter yourself. You‘re vain and frankly I‘m not impressed.”

If a man didn’t fall for her? What would the outcome be? Sure it was a lie to say he didn’t find her attractive but what he didn’t like was the fact she expected it. She would have to work more to gain his impression of her. He studied her for a moment more, ignoring her if she was insulted in anyway.

”Then nothing, Love. Simply because if you say anything I‘ll make sure you never get out of Peony alive. Your husband is a simple man but believe me when I say it, none too smart. Soldiers never are, but you are brighter than him. Dependent on him, though I guess since you‘re staying here because of him. Don‘t be surprised, I‘ve noticed many things about you. That simple disgust you have for the Perfect Nation, believe me when I say it were far more corrupt than you think and it will tear you apart.” He said the entire thing without moving a muscle, sure most of his threats were more organized but he was losing patience and who needed etiquette when they were in the fucking underground.

He eyed the darkness behind him, wanting to get out of here but determined to see exactly what could come out of her mouth now. If anything she would have to put more effort to it than that. His eyes extremely icy as he focused on her with no less anger than her. He would be late, what a shame.

[scar]

It was saddening he was cutting her game short. She just watched him closely as he spoke to her, no emotion flickering in her gaze, even as she moved forward. A plan was forming in her mind, to be put to use later of course, they had been down here far to long, but it wouldn't hurt to set in motion before she left. His words were harsh, however, and she decided it wouldn't hurt to give him a few words to remember. "Jack, Jack, Jack." She cooed softly, approaching him with the slow easy grace that one might see in a jungle cat. "So tell me. Is it because you are insane and psychotic that you decide you must hold fear to control your enemies? Have you gone that weak? A child." She paused to glance at him, everything still completely unmoving and unemotionless. "I am a conniving bitch, sweetheart, I'll admit it, but at least I haven't gone useless with age. The Perfect Nation would be smart to throw you out before you get something big in your mind, like taking over. What a hell hole that would be, wouldn't it sweet? Who would take over your position if you - accidentally, of course," she paused, stopping in front of him and leaning in the whisper the last words. "Were to be killed."

She didn't back up after she had said what needed to be said, enjoying knowing that he didn't know just how her seduction work. Hell, she hadn't even layered it on, only gave him an innocent look and kept his attention on her. She wasn't insulted by his comments, although slightly surprised he knew about her wish. His next words, however, made her laugh, and she did so freely.

"Dear, Jack. You clearly don't know what the meaning of fear is. I think someone needs to teach you it, but I need to be that pathetic little bitch you find oh so attractive for now, don't I?" She leaned in close, close enough she could feel his breath and the heat emanating off his body. "But the day will come when you see exactly what you've been messing with all these years. What you've been threatening." She had gone completely serious, something close to anger flickering in her eyes. "And The Perfect Nation has already torn you apart, hasn't it, Jack, love?"

Almost absentmindedly, she traced his jaw, her gaze passed him on the darkness. As easily as she had gone serious, a smile flickered on her lips. "I'll leave you with something to remember." Before he could reply to any of her words, she kissed him, using everything she had to brand him, to remind him of her. She didn't give him anytime for rejection or to take control, pushing him backwards slightly. As soon as she was in distance, she moved quickly, bringing her hand across his face with as much impact as she could muster. "That, love, was my anger." Emotionless, still.

With a smile the devil would be proud of, she turned on her heel and started towards the exit of the tunnel.

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[legrange]

Jack didn’t look the threat, he was a tall but rather larky man. He was handsome and perhaps that gained him respect from women and his mind gained him respect from the world. But he didn’t look very opposing, no layers of muscles or strength hiding beneath the awkward man. Fear? She called it, people didn’t trust him and his power and ability to delve into other’s personal lives without trying scared them. He twisted a few arms here and there but never physically threatened but beneath the gentleman appeal he was a viper with a violent streak.

She ranted on, strutting towards him in that same manner while his hands remained at his sides and that careless façade still positioned on his face. Who would take over your position if you - accidentally, of course, Were to be killed?” This made him laugh, a high and mighty smirk giving him the pompous demeanor.

”Didn‘t know you worried so much about me Scar. If anything were to happen to me, as unlikely as that Is, I have the man for the job,” She probably had no idea who he was talking about. No one knew about his brother. A member of the rebellion but also a figure of anarchy. It was risky to think he could run the Nation but blood was blood and Shukka was no different from Jack. No matter how much the boy hated him.

Jack was the kind of man to use a woman for his own sexual satisfaction and then forget about her. Scarlett would be the same if she were less independent and annoying. He was often confused by strong women and well didn’t take them seriously. The only woman he had managed to fear was Witch but that was an entirely different situation. Scarlett wasn’t batfuck insane like Witch.

Who he was threatening? She spoke to him as if he should fear her, the only thing she accomplished was to annoy him and give him a reason to be suspicious. Before he could follow what was happening she was kissing him. He just sort of stared wide eyed as if some kind of deer facing down a lion. Maybe she did have some things in common with Witch. She pulled away and landed a slap straight across his cheek.

His head went whiplash to the side, stricken with pure confusion more than fear. She actually hit him? Now her back was facing him as she walked away. ”Oh fuck no,” He growled turning his head to face her again. He hated when people turned their backs on him and so reached out and yanked her around until she was facing him. He wasn’t quite finished despite his want to get out of the underground for good. He wasn’t sure what he was doing but kissed her back. He was far less gentle than she, pushing her into the slick crack walls with his hand gripping her hair and other grabbing her wrist until his knuckles were white and the blood lacking from hers.

Carelessly he pulled away, satisfaction as he stepped back and caught his breath. "Thanks for the foreplay but i'm late for a very important meeting."