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ninjadeathblade · 2 months

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Everything Moves (A Hat In Time fanfic)

Summary: Empress decides to put an end to things, once and for all, in a battle that will shake the foundations of the Metro.

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Word count: 6,878

Warnings: Swearing, death, murder, gun violence, gang violence, gore, brief medical stuff, trauma, grief, near death experience, a couple characters take advantage of Empress' blindness

Author's notes: Well this is the chapter I've been waiting to do since the beginning of this AU. It's been rewritten at least three times now but I finally settled on something and hey it isn't half bad. You've read the warnings, you know this chapter isn't going to be pretty. Title is "Everything Moves" by Bronze Radio Return. Good luck with this chapter.

Empress tried to ignore the flash of pain down the side of her face as Radiance threw her onto the ground outside the Demon base.

“Give your leader my verdict,” Radiance hissed.

Realistically, there weren't meant to be any Angels this side of the metro.

But things had only grown more tense in the recent months, so keeping up appearances was probably for the best.

Empress slowly dragged herself up off the floor, dozens of injuries over the past year making her body ache and protest at such meagre movement.

The grey and white cat slowly walked back to her own gang's base, dreading what she would find.

She'd been missing for two days now, along with Phantom, Cookie and Cody.

The main door opened as she approached, a pair of concerned yellow eyes trailing after her as she stepped inside.

“I'm fine, Shield, just make sure you don't let anyone else in,” she growled, tail lashing behind her.

Practically everyone here had to listen to her; if they didn't, they'd face Majesty's wrath.

Although she suspected that many already had the past couple of days.

Empress trudged along the hallways, her remaining eye skimming over her surroundings.

The blood marks on those walls were new. The claw marks that scraped across the floor. The acrid stench of something that hung in the air.

She didn't bother with knocking when she reached Majesty's office, letting herself in.

She turned her head for a full view of the office, gaze eventually landing on her boss.

“Where… have you been?” The tabby hissed, voice low, shoving his chair back as he stood and stalking over to her.

Empress tried to ignore the shaking in her arms, the unsteadiness of her stand, the way that she could only see half of him while directly facing him.

“The kits wanted to go out so I thought I would take them for a small walk. But there was a patrol of Fallen Demons. They took us hostage. I've only been let go to deliver a message,” Empress lied, paws clenching into white knuckled grip at her sides.

The corner of Majesty's mouth twitched in annoyance, or perhaps rage.

Either way, Empress had been on the receiving end of his fury before and wasn't looking forwards to the inevitable fallout.

“What's the message?”

“That if you don't back down and give Radiance your territory then she'll kill your kittens.”

A low growl rumbled in the back of the gang leader's throat before he let out a stream of curses.

Once he was finished he turned back to her.

“One of the Demons did this?” Majesty asked, almost as an afterthought.

Empress nodded, seizing up slightly as he traced his claws down the side of her face.

Majesty's amber gaze was cold as it met her singular eye. “I knew that Radiance was cold-hearted but this is taking it too far. Threatening what's mine and taking my kits.”

The tabby dropped her face, spinning around and picking up a chair, throwing it at the wall.

The metal wall dented at the impact, crumpling harshly.

He stalked over to his desk, hitting the button on his announcement system.

“Angels. I'm afraid that we've had a little mishap. You see, one of our own has been deformed by a Demon.”

Empress shivered, still uncomfortable with her loss of sight.

“On top of that, my heirs have been taken. Prepare for war. The cat who brings me Radiance’s head gets as much food as they want and four times the highest bounty.”

Empress shifted her stance, muscles tense.

“And don't forget - all Demons must be purged from our streets. Kill on sight.”

She shivered as Majesty walked back over to her.

“That includes you. No favouritism for your little friend. All Demons must be purged.”

Empress nodded, praying that by the end of this she wouldn't be following orders from Majesty anymore.

“Good. Now get out there and help start the extermination.”

Empress moved against the waves of armed Fallen Angels, pushing further back into the facility, away from the exits.

If the Chosen Demons were going to have any chance of winning, then they would need a diversion.

She was so close to what she would need, just a few more halls-

“Where do you think you're going?”

Empress froze at the paw that had clamped down over her left shoulder, breath quickening.

Her mind scatter-gunned names at her, trying to match it to whoever's voice it was instead of turning her head.

Eventually she gave in and moved her face to whoever had interrupted her.

Rex glared at her, blue eyes a stark contrast against his dark fur.

“Armoury,” she mumbled, hoping he'd believe the excuse and let her go.

“The armoury is five intersects back,” Rex snarled, shoving her up against a wall. “What are you plotting? Treason against our leader?!”

His free paw came up to turn her face so her right cheek was held against the wall, limiting her sight even further.

A scared whimper escaped her, paws scrabbling blindly at Rex's arm, trying to dislodge his hold.

“I always knew you were rotten, ever since you arrived! You and that pathetic little shit who barely ever shows their face down here!”

Empress kicked a leg out, revelling in the brief relief in pressure against her face as Rex staggered slightly from the blow to his stomach.

But soon enough it was back again, teeth clacking together painfully as her head was roughly shoved back into the metal wall.

“I'd be doing everyone a favour by getting rid of you. You never even contributed anything to this gang. You're just a weak, pathetic, two-faced, lying-”

Empress dropped to the ground as Rex was suddenly flung sideways, seemingly pushed by a beam of blue light.

Empress gently reached up to massage the left side of her face before jerking her paw away.

No, her pain didn't matter right now.

It could be dealt with later.

Radiance's members needed that diversion.

She craned her neck to look down the hallway at where the beam had come from.

“Good thing I came back, huh?” Badge quipped, twirling a bat in their grip before resting it over one shoulder.

Empress dragged herself upright, looking in the direction that Rex had been sent careening. “You shouldn't be here. You should be with the kids.”

Badge shrugged, very suddenly beside her - having snuck up in her blind spot - and Empress had to hold back another scared whimper from escaping her.

Badge hesitantly rested a paw on her shoulder, both of them wincing as the appendage glitched with the movement. “I wasn't going to leave you when you needed me most.”

Empress blinked away a wave of tears, instead beginning to quickly continue her journey to her destination. “If you want to help then you can go outside and help Radiance's forces.”

Badge skipped to catch up with her, mock saluting before seemingly dissolving into shadows.

Empress tried not to look at the charred corpse she had to step over when she reached where Rex had landed.

One paw flicked on the overhead lights, staring around.

She had never had any reason to visit the enclosures before - they were only used for the lab experiments that Majesty forced to fight against each other.

Empress slowly stepped forward, one paw tentatively brushing against a bar and peering into the shadows at the back.

Soon a large ginger cat lunged forward, a paw the size of her body sweeping out to try and clock her.

Empress stumbled backwards, staring up at a pair of yellow eyes. “Hi there. Remember me? From when I was little?”

A curious chirp as the pair of eyes blinked slowly.

“Maybe it wasn't you, maybe one of the others.” She looked down the hall, a shiver going down her spine as dozens more eyes stared out of the darkness.

Empress moved to the closest end of the large building, opening up the door there, watching as it cranked upwards with flaky pain dropping to the floor, leading to the outside.

Gunfire and screams drifted to her ears and Empress sighed.

“I sure hope this works.”

She crossed back over to the doorway, letting out a grunt of effort as she moved the rusted switch.

Red lights flashed and horns blared as every cage’s door opened.

Tremors went through the ground and a couple dozen heavy pawsteps moved out before beginning to race out of the building and towards the battle.

Empress stood in the wake of it, coughing slightly at the dust that had been kicked up.

It had better work as a diversion. For all their sakes.

After quickly swinging by the armoury and picking up a couple of pistols, Empress ran back to the main area of the metro as fast as possible.

Chaos was everyone, both from the fighting and her decision to try and help Radiance's forces.

The lab experiments thundered around the larger streets and open spaces, making the ground shake with their very pawsteps.

On the plus side, more gunfire was being focused on the large ginger cats now, distracting Demons and Angels alike from fighting one another.

The grey and white cat stuck to the left side of paths and spaces, keeping as much in sight as possible.

“Hey! It's the traitor!”

Empress winced as dozens of Fallen Angels turned their heads to look at her, swinging guns to face her.

Before any of them could even fire though, a bright beam of red light blasted through the lot of them, reducing them to ashes.

Her jaw dropped open as pawsteps skidded up on her left.

“C'mon Em, where are we headed? I've got your back.”

Empress floundered for a reply, still trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. “The- the Chosen Demon base.”

She had to rescue the crèchelings that probably hadn't had time to be evacuated.

“Okay,” Badge affirmed, tugging at her arm. “Em, we've got to move.”

Badge killed them.

Badge.

Badge who never hurt a fly.

“What did you do?” Empress choked out the question as she let herself be dragged along.

“Stopped them from killing my sister,” Badge growled, neck glitching so their face was turned a hundred and eighty degrees to face her before setting back on in the correct direction.

As they got closer to the base, more Angels swarmed them, backing them towards the building.

Badge was firing smaller beams off their baseball bat, lucky to even hit one or two with each blast.

Empress did the best she could with her couple of pistols but her aim was off - it seemed like every shot went wide.

She backed further towards the wall as she tried to desperately reload the guns, breaths coming in short and panicked puffs.

“Emily! Where are you?”

The words were mere static in the background of her hearing.

“Empress!”

That name.

She detested that name but it was her's.

Majesty wouldn't let her respond to anything else.

It was her name whether she liked it or not.

And she had to respond every time it was called.

She ditched the pistols, grabbing a bat off of a fallen for and dashing back into the fray, swinging it towards one of the oncoming enemies. “We have to get inside!”

“And I'm meant to be a miracle worker?” Came Badge's short and sharp reply, cutting into her.

Empress gritted her teeth, yanking Badge backwards by their hoodie when someone nearly hit them. “No but I expected better of you when you decided to come and help me!”

Badge hissed up at her. “Fuck you, I may have suffered on my travels but that doesn't mean I can do everything, Emily!”

“Don't call me that,” Empress growled, hating the way her birth name sounded.

The only person she might ever let call her that again was Scarlett.

She ripped a badge off of the younger cat, haphazardly pinning it to her own jacket, before spinning around and charging a beam.

Red light hit the doorway and sent it splintering, the sound of cracking glass and brick above them.

A bullet zoomed past her, cutting into her arm.

She barely noticed it, her working eye widening as rubble began to fall down on top of them.

She pushed Badge out the way, unable to get herself to move as concrete smashed into her spine.

With a pained cry she was flattened against the ground, unable to move as more rocks and plaster dropped down on top of her body.

Everything seemed so dark.

Her paw loosely held onto the bat still as dust swirled in the air in front of her.

A wail came from somewhere in front of her. “Emily!”

Empress managed a weak cough before forcing words out of her throat, trying to not focus on how much blood was in her mouth. “Not… my name…”

Badge rushed forward, shifting a bit of the debris around her with a relieved sob. “Just- just hold on! I'm getting you outta there!”

She shot him a wry smile, pain lancing through her body as she did so. “Yeah, I don't think it'll be that easy. I can shift around a little here but I can't feel my arm.”

She wasn't going to mention the fact she couldn't feel any of her body below her ribs, everything just fading into pain without any proper feeling.

“Your arm is broken?!” Badge shrieked, working harder to get her out.

“No, don't worry, it's probably just dislocated. Nothing that hasn't happened before. Besides, I'm not the priority right now,” Empress said with a slight grit of her teeth.

Badge dug her limp arm out. “What do you mean you're not the priority right now, you're going to die if I don't get you out of there!”

She reached out with her working arm, gently swiping at him with almost all of the energy she had left before dropping her paw back to her bat.

Bit down around the scream that wanted to escape her.

“I mean that there are more pressing matters,” Empress amended, extending one finger to feebly point at where she'd opened a chasm in the doorway. “There are crèchelings in that building. I need you to get them to safety, no matter the cost. Help them, not me.”

“I'm not letting you be the cost! No!”

“Badge-”

Badge glared at her, tail lashing behind them. “No! I don't care about some crèchelings I've never met! I'm not losing my sister!”

Empress softened her expression, unsure as to whether it was from the kind words or her exhaustion. “Badge…”

Badge paused in their motions to try and dig her out, crouching down in front of her and pressing their head against her's, eyes drifting shut.

Pain lanced down her spine and she stifled a groan of pain.

“I'm not leaving you. I'm not losing you again.”

Empress picked up the bat, aiming it towards the remains of the building above her.

“I know. And you won't. I just hope you can forgive me.”

Badge's eyes sprung open and they looked over at where she was holding the bat.

Badge scrambled back to safety as she let it fire.

In the few fleeting moments she had left, Empress wondered if there was a god out there.

Matilda had believed in one.

She'd prayed often for the three of them when they were little, that they would grow up to do something important.

That they would all go to the good place somewhere up there, not the bad place.

I'm going to that bad place.

I'm sorry Matilda.

I hope you're enjoying that good place.

Maybe it was praying.

She doubted it.

Please let Scarlett live out her life.

Let the kittens grow up happy and healthy.

I know I've done wrong.

I understand that.

I'm sorry.

I'm ready to go now.

I'm fine with dying.

I've made my peace.

I just hope this place gets better.

Empress drew in a deep breath, blinking her eye open, looking around.

The rubble pile was behind her.

And she-

She could move her legs.

Her arm was relocated.

Her body was in infinitely less pain.

Her eye was still damaged.

Was she dead?

The cat tried to press her paw through a nearby brick, eye widening when it didn't phase through.

“I should be dead.”

Had her sort of praying worked?

No, it couldn't have.

There were powerful beings in the world, but none could bring anyone back from the dead.

The grey and white cat got to her feet on slightly shaky legs before entering the building, trotting through it quickly.

Swung by the crèche.

Was relieved to find no one there, nor any blood.

Empress walked towards where Radiance's office was, navigating her way through the different complexes without much issue.

Had to stifle a gasp once she reached her destination, lurking in the doorway at the top of the stairs that led up to the tower.

Majesty stood over Radiance, blood slowly pooling around the grey cat.

The tabby flicked his gaze over to her, beckoning with a paw for her to enter. “This is what happens to those who cross me.”

Empress swallowed thickly, willing away tears that forced themselves into her eye.

Majesty would kill her too if he knew she was deeply affected by the leader of a supposedly opposing gang.

A vice-like grip clamped down around her throat, forcing her back against a wall.

Empress let out a whimper as another paw roughly forced her head against the wall, a claw roughly prodding at her eye.

A scream tore itself from her lungs.

“And I guess you'll get to experience firsthand what happens to those who cross me.”

Empress sniffed, good eye streaming with tears as he continued.

“You thought I couldn't tell?” Majesty laughed cruelly, claw sinking into her eye more.

Wrenching another guttural scream out of her hoarse vocal chords, sounding far too loud for anything human to make.

Too loud inside her skull, rattled with pain.

“You didn't think I would check the camera feed?”

The tip of his claw brushed over he edge of her tear duct, coaxing her screech to a brief halt - filled with heavy breaths - before digging it in a line down where she'd first cut across her eye, tearing another roar of pain from her.

“I knew it was you. Who took my children, my kits, my heirs.”

Empress let out a strangled sob, praying to any powerful entity out there that she would somehow survive this agonising experience.

“And you're going to pay for it. I don't even care if you get them back for me - I gave you a chance to fall in line. And yet you've repeatedly defied me. So now I'm going to let you experience true suffering.”

She can feel her blood. Coating her fur, sticking to it. Staining the white with every second it ran down her body.

The claw moved back up, trailing circles around the outside of her eye.

Just shy of damaging her further.

She'd prefer having stayed dead.

The air around her felt too thick to be a gas, clogging her lungs like a liquid.

She was drowning, she was drowning, she was-

The sound of bullets ringing out across the room, pressure removed from Empress as she crumpled to the floor.

Her bones felt like paper, so close to breaking.

“Motherfucker,” Majesty hissed out from somewhere in her blind spot before more rounds of bullets pummelled into something.

Hopefully Majesty.

Maybe her.

It was hard to tell where the pain started and ended at this point.

The sound of pawsteps dragging across the room before someone dropped down beside her.

“H-hey kid.”

Empress strained to move her head, turning to look at her saviour. “Radiance?”

The leader of the Chosen Demons smiled weakly, slumped over while sitting up, a tommy gun hanging limply from one paw. “I'm sorry I was out cold for so long.”

Empress coughed weakly. “You've lost too much blood, you shouldn't be moving.”

Radiance shrugged with one arm, the other hanging limp at her side. “This? This is nothing.”

Majesty's body twitched from where it was splayed about a metre away.

The older cat swung the gun around, releasing another volley of bullets into their enemy before dropping it and wiping blood away from where it splattered against her face.

“Besides, every day I keep on living is a day my siblings never got,” Radiance sighed.

“I thought you had Splendour. Back when Matilda had first died, you told me she was a double for you when you had to leave.”

Radiance snorted. “Splendour’s real name is Jane. She's an acting double I hired a couple decades ago.” She smiled gently. “Probably around the time you first cropped up on my radar. When Claw first arrived I never thought he'd shut up about his best friend, called Emily.”

Empress started to roll her eyes before letting out a pained whimper.

Radiance's tail flicked out to entwine with her own.

“That sounds just like Claw,” Empress managed when the pain died down a little.

“When I found out that Majesty had shown special interest in one of his members, I started trying to keep tabs. And then I met you a little while after and,” Radiance paused and smiled gently. “And I guess that you reminded me of myself in some way. Always wanting to do the best you could and prove yourself, while also being able to tell how fucked up the situation you were in was.”

Radiance shook her head. “But that's a conversation for another time. Right now, we need to get the metro under control.”

Empress somehow found the strength to drag herself upright and follow Radiance, offering herself as a support for the gang leader.

Radiance smiled weakly and Empress shot a glance at where blood was steadily ebbing from her middle.

“Your-”

“It doesn't matter, kid,” Radiance gritted out as they reached the stairs. “What matters is securing power.” A small smirk graced her features. “That's why we did this whole thing to begin with, wasn't it?”

Empress foot slipped as she tried to descend the stairs, both of them tumbling down the concrete together before slamming into the wall.

Pain blossomed in the back of Empress' head, even more darkness swelling and threatening to overtake her vision.

Radiance let out a string of colourful curses before trying to coax Empress to stand. “Come on kiddo, only a little further.”

Empress couldn't move even if she wanted to.

Her brain screamed yes at her limbs, trying to force them into movement but they wouldn't comply.

She tried to speak but her mouth wouldn't move, tongue feeling heavy in a mouth full of iron tasting liquid.

She was drowning again.

Drowning, drowning, drowning.

Darkness seeping into the edges of her vision, threatening to pull her under and make her drown quicker.

Empress was upright suddenly, jaw hanging open and the blood inside her mouth poured out and down her face.

“It's okay, I've got you, just try and stay awake,” Radiance said, but it sounded so far away.

Everything felt limp.

Nothing was working.

She couldn't move.

She didn't think it could get any worse than the sacrifice of her vision.

What a fool she was.

Empress tried to scream, to twitch a finger, to roll her tongue in her mouth but nothing seemed to register in her body.

It was as if she'd been entirely disconnected, a puppet with its strings cut, nothing to do except be a broken toy that no one wanted.

Her lungs still worked, taking in rattling shudders and letting out short raps.

“Just stay awake,” Radiance repeated beside her.

If she was still breathing it meant her heart was still pumping.

For now at least.

More dark haze cloaked over her vision until everything went dark, mere murmurs and the sounds of battles supplying her with detail of what was happening.

Pawsteps thundering towards them, a scream of both their names.

“Holy shit, Radiance, what happened? You're bleeding- Emily's eye!” A voice that sounded distinctly like Claw's shouted.

It had to be him if he'd called her Emily.

“It isn't safe here anymore. I've estimated that at least fifty percent of the population across both gangs and the metro as a whole has been killed,” Badge supplied from somewhere in front of her.

Blood didn't plaster against her side quite so much, passed between arms and held against someone else.

Small round shapes pressed into the side of her face, cool against the warmth of her body.

Probably Badge.

“Claw, I need you to get me to the plaza. Then Badge, I need you and Claw to take Empress to the surface.”

“That's not her-”

“That is her name!” Radiance snarled.

Empress smiled, or at least she thought she did. It was hard to tell if anything she tried worked at this point.

“It is her name, Claw! Stop trying to cling to a past version of her and just move on! The Emily you knew is buried six feet under so just fucking stop!” Radiance continued before retching.

After the sound of heaving stopped, heavy breathing picked up, before eventually getting back to speech.

“You are going to take my daughter to the surface and you are going to get her straight to a hospital while I take over down here,” Radiance instructed. “Claw, fetch the medkit from Empress' room; I don't think that section of the building has been raided. Nothing there to steal anyway.”

“On it,” Claw replied, followed by the sound of receding footsteps.

“Badge?”

“Yes?”

“Look after you sister while I deal with things down here. Once she's better, I need her back.”

Empress tried to move her mouth, form words.

I'm scared.

I'm sorry.

I miss you.

Don't leave.

I can't lose you too.

I'll be fine, you should worry about yourself.

It's dark here.

I can't see.

I'm tired.

Radiance, I'm going to take a little nap.

When I wake up, I'll help out with sorting out our home, okay?

Okay?

Radiance?

…

Mum?

“I've never seen any injuries like this before.”

“Me neither.”

“What d'you think happened?”

“If the person who brought her here was being honest, she got into a fight with a local gang.”

“What the fuck?”

“Yeah. Apparently she was just trying to protect her family.”

“Poor thing.”

…

“We need to remove her left eye or that thing is an infection waiting to happen. Clean and stitch up all of these wounds, maybe restitch a couple of the others. They're all going to scar. The one at the back of her head is particularly nasty.”

“It's better than her bleeding to death. I'm not even sure how she got this far.”

“What about the other cat that was brought in at the same time as her?”

“The black one? Their heart had stopped before we even got them to the surgery room.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, they couldn't even save them. I think they're disposing of the body at the moment.”

“Well, best get to work on this one then.”

“I can't even tell what colour her fur is meant to be, there's so much blood.”

…

“Just hand me the equipment already. If we can stitch that head injury, there's less of a chance of brain damage. The quicker we finish this, the more likely it is that she'll survive.”

Empress slowly cracked open her eye, gaze roving around the blurry room.

“The patient is awake.”

“Good, that means she's stabilising more.”

A light shining into her good eye, blanking out her vision before disappearing almost as quickly as it turned on.

“She's been slow to come around.”

“She lost a lot of blood, what were you expecting?”

Empress' vision cleared, looking a bit less blurry.

A couple of doctors were standing either side of her bed, a penguin to her left and an owl on her right.

“It's okay, you're safe here.”

“Don't worry kid, you're safe now. Majesty can't touch you here.”

“Radiance,” Empress croaked out. “Where is she? I'm meant to help her.”

The two doctors looked between each other.

“Radiance?”

“Do you think that was the other cat brought in at the same time as her?”

“You mean the one who…?”

“Yeah.”

“Where is she?” Empress tried again, attempting to push herself up before letting out a cry of pain as everything in her seemed to scream with protest.

“Don't move, you'll reopen your stitches!”

“Fucking hells, stay still!”

Empress dropped back the couple centimetres she had moved onto the pillow behind her head, a wave of overwhelming exhaustion overtaking her.

“Radiance…”

“Do you have any family?” One of the doctors questioned.

“Scarlett,” Empress murmured, trying to force herself to stay awake.

“Does she have a last name?” The other asked.

“She's a famous actress, married to Conductor.”

Her eye closed.

“The Scarlett?”

“The owl who won last year's acting award?”

“She's married to Conductor, right?”

“Yes but she's on maternity leave.”

…

“The Scarlett though?”

“Hey, it's the only thing we've got at the moment.”

“That's true. Try to get on the phone with her, I'm going to stay here with the patient.”

Empress stared up at the ceiling.

She hated it here.

Ever since being able to properly formulate thoughts again, she'd decided she hated it.

The food was crap.

It was boring.

She wasn't allowed to leave her room unless one of the doctors went with her.

Michael, the penguin doctor from when she first arrived, was the one checking on her most.

The owl, named Patience, was anything but what their name claimed and seemed to be unable to accept how long it was taking her to heal.

Empress didn't blame the owl, she was frustrated with how slow things were moving too.

But today had some vague bright side to it.

Scarlett was visiting and bringing the kids.

Her kittens and her sister's own chick.

Her children and her niece.

Empress looked up as the door to her room opened, Michael offering her a smile as he stepped inside.

“Morning Empress.”

“Hello again doctor,” she replied.

The penguin moved to her side, gently moving her to sit forward before stacking pillows behind her back. “You have visitors.”

“Here already, huh?” Empress murmured, mostly to herself.

She couldn't do this.

Her kids were going to be repulsed by her appearance and Scarlett was going to shout at her and she couldn't properly move as it was and she needed to be back at the metro and she needed to be out of here and-

A flipper rested over one of her shaking paws. “Empress.”

The cat dragged her tired gaze to Michael.

“It'll be fine,” he soothed. “They're your family.”

Empress nodded weakly, not really believing his words but too tired to care.

She wanted to go home.

But Michael wouldn't discharge her until she could walk across her room without help of some sort - whether that was another person or crutches.

The door shutting vaguely registered in some distant parts of her mind.

Empress moved to pick up the notepad and pen on the desk beside her, letting out a small frustrated growl when the tube feeding into the back of one paw snagged as it reached as far as it could.

With her other paw she picked up the items, placing them in her lap.

She picked up the pen, trying to write her name down on the paper.

The pitiful scrawl that she managed didn't look anything like her name.

The cat took a deep breath, willing the tears in her eye to go away.

She moved the objects back to the table just as the door reopened.

Three small figures dashed up to her right side, all crying with relief.

“Ma!”

“You're okay!”

“We missed you!”

Empress gently stroked their heads one by one before looking up at the other person standing behind them. “Thank you for looking after them.”

“It's fine,” Scarlett said, a ball of yellow feathers cradled in her wings.

“Is that-”

Scarlett smiled, moving the little chuck in her arms. “This is Roxie. Roxie, say hi to your auntie.”

A small chirp emitted from the baby and Empress couldn't help but notice how similar her physique was to Conductor's.

“She's beautiful, Scarlett,” Empress commented before looking back down at where Cookie was tugging gently against her arm.

“Ma?” Cookie whispered. “Can I have a hug?”

Empress shifted in her seat, trying to make herself more comfortable. “Okay sweetheart, come on up.”

The ginger kitten clambered up the side of the bed and snuggled against her, pressing her face into the crook of Empress' neck.

“Your eye patch looks super cool! Like a pirate in that movie that Auntie Scarlett showed us!” Cody butted in, waving their paws animatedly as they spoke.

The cold plastic covering her empty left socket seemed too obvious all of a sudden and Empress squirmed slightly in her bed.

“Um, what movie did you watch?”

“Muppet Treasure Island,” Scarlett supplied.

Empress nodded. “That's a good movie.”

Phantom signing repeatedly caught the corner of her vision, the white kitten trembling as he repeatedly signed.

-after them. I looked after them. I looked after them. I looked after them. I looked after them. I looked after-

Empress purred gently, reaching out with her right paw for him.

Phantom moved quickly, smaller paws clinging to her wrist as he nuzzled his face into her palm.

Empress strengthened her purring, praying that her son could feel her purring despite the pain it caused in her chest.

Small purrs emanated from Phantom as he nuzzled more against her.

Cody clung onto a higher bit of her arm.

“We missed you,” Cody explained quietly around tears. “You said you'd see us again soon. And we were scared that you weren't coming back and that Majesty had done something to you.”

Majesty.

Empress shook at the mere mention of that dreaded name.

It didn't matter that two months had passed, she could still feel that claw digging into her eye, claws around her throat, drowning in her own blood.

Cookie was scooped off her lap with a hiss of protest and she felt two pairs of paws let go of her arm.

“No! Ma!”

“You can come back and be with your ma in just a minute.”

Michael.

Michael was here.

The door opening and closing.

“Empress, can you look at me?”

The grey and white cat slowly looked up at the penguin, hating the short puffs of air that filled up the sound of the room.

“In and out slowly, like this,” Michael instructed, demonstrating the pace of breaths she should be taking.

Slowly she adjusted back to normal before pointing at the needle in her hand.

“I want it out. I want to walk.”

Michael nodded, taking out the needle from the back of her paw.

Empress stood, gesturing for the doctor to move away when he tried to stand beside her.

The grey medical clothes she’d worn for two months felt heavy on her body but she walked across the room, stopping halfway for a breather before continuing across the room.

Once she reached the opposite wall she paused and took a shuddering breath before speaking over her shoulder.

“So? Can I get discharged now?”

Michael still kept her in for three more days to prove her walk across the room wasn't a one time fluke before letting her go.

And so, slowly, she walked with her three kittens back to the tunnels she used to use to get in and out of the metro back when she still worked for the Fallen Angels.

How long ago that seemed now.

After stopping for however many times, Cody finally spoke up. “Ma? Are you sure you should be moving?”

“I'm fine,” Empress growled, the words coming out harsher than intended.

She sure didn't miss the way that the kitten flinched away from her.

“I- I'm sorry Cody, I just want to get home.”

“It's fine,” Cody mumbled.

The rest of the journey took place in tense silence.

Hours later when they finally reached the metro - after a journey that should have only taken half an hour at most - Empress let out a gasp.

Neon lights, friendly chatter and food stalls filled her surroundings, overloading her senses as she tried to get used to it.

Multiple nearby cats turned to look at her before murmuring to one another.

“They're talking about us,” Phantom stated.

Empress motioned for him to translate.

“Some of them are referring to you as- um- something I'd rather not repeat. Others are using simple slurs and curses. One of them is saying- oh, they've turned away,” Phantom relayed.

Empress looked around, letting out a sigh at the grey cat approaching them. “It's okay, Radiance is here.”

Upon closer inspection, Empress' blood ran cold.

Radiance was missing half of her right arm, the appendage ending in a lump around where her elbow should be.

Radiance beamed a smile at her. “Em! You're doing better I see!” The older cat looked down at the kittens. “And how are you three?”

“Good.”, “Tired.” and “Hungry.” echoed back.

Radiance let out a chuckle before looking back at Empress. “Come on, I've been looking after a place for you and the kids. And your new gang awaits your lead too.”

Empress' mind was sluggish on the uptake and it took a few moments for her to properly register the words.

“New gang…?”

When the three kittens passed out from exhaustion, Radiance and Empress talked.

About the serious matters they didn't dare mention in front of any of the children, hoping to spare them from the types of upbringings they'd both had.

“You said earlier about my new gang,” Empress whispered, trembling slightly on the sofa that they were sitting on. “Radiance, I can't-”

“You can,” Radiance interrupted. “You know how to handle a gang in a way that won’t be toxic like the Fallen Angels were but still be stronger than the Chosen Demons were. You know how to create the perfect gang.”

Empress swallowed and looked away.

Silence hung between them.

“How's your eye?”

Empress rubbed her arm with the opposite paw. “I'm meant to be getting a glass one next week. Doctor Michael thought I'd be in the hospital until it happened but I wanted to leave. So I have to go back up next Tuesday to get it put in. And I don't want to leave the kids but I don't want them to come with me.”

Radiance's paw gently rested over her own. “I can look after them. And you don't have to take over the gang for a while, I can manage it until you're ready.”

Empress nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” Offering a weak smile she continued. “So… your arm.”

Radiance shook her head. “It doesn't matter too much. Got shot pretty good in the arm and we couldn't properly clean the wound. So, we have amputated it.”

“When I take over, I'm making sure you go to the surface and get a prosthetic.”

Radiance sighed. “Alright.”

“And it'll be a super cool one, like the one Edward has in Fullmetal Alchemist,” Empress explained.

“Fullmetal Alchemist?”

“It's a great show, I'll introduce you to it next time the kits are asleep. Not too appropriate for the age they're currently at,” Empress responded.

“Alright. We should get some sleep too though.”

Empress relaxed back against the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. “Yeah.”

Radiance settled down as well.

After the grey and white cat thought the older one was settled, she spoke.

“I think I died.”

Radiance's tail flicked and she gave a questioning hum.

“I was crushed by a pile of rubble. I couldn't move anything except my arm. And then I woke up and I was mostly fine and-”

A white knuckled grip held onto the sofa.

“And I'm scared. Why am I alive? It's not like I deserve to be. Radiance, I should be dead. My spine was broken and I couldn't sense anything below my ribs. My arm was dislocated. I don't even know how I survived long enough to get to the hospital, I should've bled out from that wound on my head. I was in a coma for a week.”

Radiance listened in near silence up until then before speaking.

“Maybe some angel saved you.”

Ah, so Radiance was religious.

“Not a religious one or something.”

Okay, not religious then.

“But a family member who's looking after you. Watching you and protecting you even though they aren't here anymore.”

Matilda.

It couldn't be anyone else if that was true.

Empress began to cry, hot tears sliding down her right cheek.

Radiance sat up and pulled her into a hug, one paw skimming gently up and down her spine.

She couldn't be with some of her family anymore - Badge was missing, Matilda was dead and Scarlett had her own life.

But Radiance and her children were still here.

And maybe that was enough.

(Hi guys, it's the author again. If you want to find out what happened to Empress after she was crushed with the rubble then I wrote what happened a while back - the link is here for anyone who is curious)

#ahit #a hat in time #ahit au #ahit empress #ahit oc #ahit badge seller #oc majesty #oc radiance #oc claw #oc rex #oc cody #oc phantom #oc scarlett #ahit cooking cat #oc michael

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ninjadeathblade · 4 months

Text

Feel Better (A Hat In Time fanfic)

Summary: Emily and Claw are together but it isn't an even road to a happy ending.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 4,530

Warnings: Swearing, smoking, violence, threats, mentions of death

Author's notes: Well, this might have had the most effort put into it so far. I will be adding another divider at the bottom with a list of songs from the gang's riff-off. The title for this chapter is "Feel Better" by Penelope Scott. Enjoy!

Majesty was fuming when she finally went back to the metro.

The tabby slammed her against the wall of his office, the metal behind her crumpling at the impact. “Where the fuck have you been?!”

Emily clawed at the paw around her throat. “I'm sorry, Majesty, sir-”

“Where. The fuck. Have you been?” He hissed.

Emily's vision went hazy. “I’m sorry, sir, I just had to sort out some family issues-”

She gulped in lungfuls of air as the leader of the Angels dropped her.

“Family issues, huh?” Emily's blood ran cold as he crouched in front of her. “You don't have a family. You were an orphan when you came to me. Whatever you have up there, on the surface-” the cat pointed upwards before snarling at her. “-that isn't a family. That's you deluding yourself into thinking a handful of people care about your pathetic life.”

Emily flinched at the statement, tears smarting in her eyes.

Majesty stood back up and Emily scrambled to stand as well. “Now, I have to go to parties for the next three days. You will come to all of them and you won't do much as think about whatever ‘friends’ you might have.”

Emily shook as he hooked a claw under his chin. “Am I understood?”

She nodded mutely.

“Use your words kid. I spent enough money to get you to speak properly,” he growled.

Emily raised her gaze to Majesty briefly before lowering it back to the floor. “Yes, sir.”

The tabby's eyes glinted. “Please. For you, it's Majesty.”

Emily froze as Scarlett walked into her room. “What are you doing?”

The cat carefully brushed down her suit, making sure the royal purple fabric wasn't creased. “Going out.”

“On a date with Claw?” Scarlett teased.

“Um, yeah,” Emily lied, slipping her phone into her pocket. “Don't wait up for me, I'm staying around his place for the next few days.”

Scarlett nodded and brushed a wing across her shoulder with a faint smile. “I'm so happy for you two.”

Emily's gut twisted. “Thanks.”

The venue was some fancy penthouse, coloured lights bouncing off the walls, an entire wall of the main room dedicated to being a bar.

The room was swarming with other Angels and rich looking birds.

Majesty walked up to her, arm linked with an owl who had coal black feathers.

“Em. I was just telling Anthony about you,” he purred, turning to the owl beside him. “Wasn't I?”

The owl nodded before looking her up and down.

She shifted under his gaze, self-conscious all of a sudden.

“She's so… different to your usual employees,” the owl, presumably Anthony, said. “You must meet my son.” He turned around, one of Majesty's paws lingering on the small of his back. “Where has that peckneck gotten to?” He turned back to her with a shrug. “I'll send him in your direction once I spot him.”

Majesty leant down and whispered something to the owl.

Anthony's feathers bushed up before he shot Majesty a look and walked away.

Majesty's amber eyes glinted in the low light. “You are going to make conversation and find out what these rich fucks have to offer. I am going to entertain my friend. If his son does find you, you're going to keep him busy and find out just how much money he has. Got me?”

Emily nodded. “Yes Majesty.”

The tabby flicked his gaze up and down her. “Good to see you're wearing the suit I got you. If that thing gets a rip or a stain, it's price is coming from the fur off your back.”

The cat shuddered but obediently did as instructed once the leader moved away.

Eventually the stuffy room, long since filled with smoke and the smell of alcohol.

The balcony that wrapped around the penthouse was empty, everyone else inside, enjoying what there was to offer.

She took a deep breath in, head spinning from the thudding music that could be heard through the wall of glass.

The music momentarily got louder before quietening again, the door clicking closed.

A taloned hand offered her a shot glass, the cat accepting it before glancing over to see who it was.

Emily nearly dropped the glass. “Holy shit.”

Conductor tipped back his own shot glass, drinking it quickly before placing the glass on the floor beside him. “I dinnae expect ta see you here.”

The owl proceeded to get a packet of cigarettes out his coat pocket, holding out the open packet to offer her one.

She didn't accept one, still warily watching him. “Why are you here?” She tipped her head back and downed her alcohol, deciding she couldn't do this sober.

The two of them didn't get along at the best of times and she certainly didn't need to run into him at work.

“Dad wanted me ta talk to yer,” Conductor replied, snapping his fingers.

A small flame hovered over his index claw and he held it under his own cigarette, lighting it up before putting it in his mouth.

Conductor let out a stream of smoke before turning to her. “So, why are you here?”

Emily hesitated before replying. “Work.”

“An’ what exactly is ya job?” The owl pressed.

Emily snarled and whirled to face him, jabbing a claw at his chest. “I don't appreciate you being so fucking curious! You keep to your life and I'll keep to mine!”

“What is yer life anyway?” Conductor shot back. “I don't know anythin’ ‘bout you besides the fact you go ta theatre with us and that ya live with Scarlett.”

Emily flinched backwards.

“I don't know where yer work but you get money from somewhere. Ya end up with expensive stuff I have nae seen you buy. I treat Scarlett to things but none o’ it is the fancy shit that you got,” he continued. “I don't trust yer. In fact, you should just leave-”

“You know fucking what? If you keep sticking your dumb beak in my business then I might start doing my job,” Emily growled. “My boss wanted me to find out how much one of you rich fucks has so why don't I go ahead and take some of that money that must be weighing you down so fucking much!”

Silence stretched for a beat and Emily began to walk off.

A burning hot hand clamped down on her wrist, turning her back around.

Three pairs of eyes opened on Conductor’s face, glowing an ominous pink as he glared at her.

The first set was set centrally, where a normal pair would be, the other, smaller, two pairs set above it.

None had pupils, only vibrant pink irises.

Conductor’s yellow feathers glowed gold, flames seeming to flicker across his body.

“Do not threaten my host,” the owl hissed, flames flickering out the edges of his mouth as he spoke, disintegrating the cigarette he’d had.

Emily stepped backwards, tail curling closer around her legs in alarm. “Hey now, let's just talk.”

“No. Those who are children of the flame are my hosts. I go from one to the next and I need every one of them to survive. And I am not afraid to dispose of a worthless pile of mangy fur to keep what is mine.”

Emily tugged her paw out of the iron grip it was held in. “What are you?”

“That is not for me to tell one who was not born from my flames,” it responded before leaning back against the railing of the balcony.

The metal sank and bent under its heat, twisting out of shape.

The creature stepped away, shooting a distasteful look back at the sunken bar, letting out annoyed clicks. “Such poor craftsmanship.”

Emily held her burnt wrist, fight-or-flight instincts still warring inside her. “D-does Scarlett know about you?”

“Hmm?” The creature cocked its head, irises growing to cover the whole eye before shrinking back to normal size. “Ah, this host's mate. No, she does not know of me, nor does this host. And if you inform either of my presence then I will make your death neither quick nor painless.”

Emily gulped. “Alright. Can you go now?”

The creature turned and looked out over the city, letting out a sigh that was populated with billowing smoke. “I suppose I must. This one represses my influence, leaves me confined to a mere fraction of my power. I shall spare you if you swear allegiance to me.”

Emily cocked a brow. “You said you'd spare me if I didn't tell anyone about you.”

The creature's feathers rose. “I said I would kill you if you did tell someone of me.” It paused, considering something before snapping its beak closed with sparks of flames. “Fine. You may live as long as you take care of this host's offspring.”

Emily nodded and the creature's influence seemed to fade.

The three sets of eyes closed, the flames of its body diminished, and the owl fell forwards towards her.

Emily caught the owl, slinging one of his arms around her shoulders.

It wasn't hard to find Anthony once back inside, the darkly coloured owl still hanging off of her boss.

However, the coal-feathered owl shot up as he spotted her. “What the fuck have you done to my son?! I'll have your head served up on a platter if you've harmed him in any way-”

“Hey, he's just drunk. Got wasted and conked out, that's all,” Emily lied, setting the unconscious owl down on an empty seat.

Majesty glanced between the three of them before standing and slipping an arm around Anthony's waist. “Anthony, darling, how about my Em takes your son home? That way we can stay here and continue our… celebrations.”

The owl's feathers ruffled and he mumbled something before both of them took seats again.

Majesty shot her a hooded look before returning his attention to the owl beside him.

She understood perfectly.

You fuck this up and you're in even worse trouble than you already are.

She made it through the next two galas without much issue.

It was a relief when she could finally collapse at home.

They had only a couple days until Badge was due to leave on a few more back-to-back trips, barely home anymore.

Scarlett proposed karaoke.

And so Emily, Scarlett, Badge, Conductor, Claw and Trisha all met up at their house for it.

Scarlett practically bounced up and down as she explained the rules. “Okay, we're going to do it as a riff-off.”

“A riff-off?” Claw asked from beside Emily.

“You continue the previous person's singing by using the same word as the last person sang, matching the beat, pace and category,” Emily explained quickly.

“And the category is going to be musicals!” Scarlett added.

Conductor butted in. “What kind o’ musicals?”

“Yeah, like, do My Little Pony songs count?” Badge inquired.

Scarlett paused before shrugging. “Yeah, sure, if it had enough songs to count as a musical then why not?”

“Teams!” Trisha shouted. “Emclaw versus Scarductor versus the singles!”

Emily whipped her head round to stare at the penguin. “What?”

“Your ship names. I took the liberty of coming up with them,” Trisha replied.

Claw stepped in to diffuse the situation before Emily began to fight her. “So, shall we get started?”

Badge sprung into action, turning to face Trisha. “Oh Miss Elphaba. Many years I have waited for a gift like yours to appear. Why I predict the Wizard could make-”

“Make you a man!” Emily butted in. “He’ll do press-ups, and chin-ups, do the-”

Conductor and Scarlett, who had been whispering, stepped forward and dueted. “The party and the sound rock on! We gonna shake it til the night-”

Trisha interrupted them. “Night! We're getting ready and we're doing it up right!” The penguin shot Badge a wink from behind her heart-shaped sunglasses.

Badge's face brightened as he joined her.

“This is our big night! Friendship survived, now we'll start it out alright! The time-”

“Time. Write day and night like you're running out of time? Every day you fight-” Conductor tried to start.

“Fight, does it feel so horrible, yet so right?” Emily continued, grinning with satisfaction at the shock on everyone's faces. “I shouldn't watch this crap, it's not who I am. But with this kid? Damn.”

She turned to Claw, stomach rolling as she recited the lines. “Hey, mister no-name kid. So who might you-”

“You ready?” Badge sang, the glitching of their body adding to the ambience of the disturbing song. “Transformation central! Reformation central! Transmogrification central!”

The five of them stared, captivated, as a shadowy mist rose off of Badge's body while they haphazardly glitched.

“Can you feel it? You're changin’, you're changin', you're changin', alright. I hope you're satisfied.”

One of them could have jumped in. Snatched away victory. But they were frozen still as Badge's eyes glowed green, their joints snapping at odd angles all at once.

“But if you ain't, don't blame me. You can blame my friends on the other side!”

The cat held the note surprisingly well, body still glitching as they finished and celebrated their victory.

But then Badge seemed to realise what was happening. Their face distorted with emotion before they left the room, only quickly calling something back to the others.

“I'll see you in a few months.”

Weeks rolled by and Claw asked her out on a proper date.

Why did it feel so strange? She was used to going out with Claw for dinner, this shouldn't be different. Was it warm? It felt too warm. Was it just her or were the seats a bit sticky?

“Em?”

Emily's attention snapped to where Claw was sitting across the table as he called her name.

His yellow eyes narrowed with concern. “You okay?”

The grey and white cat nodded quickly.

Too quickly.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about things.”

Claw laughed gently. “I won't act like I understand everything that goes on in that brilliant mind of yours.”

He returned his attention to the menu in front of him.

Emily's gut twisted as she tried and failed to concentrate on food options.

This all felt off.

She loved Claw, she did.

But it felt… wrong.

Being here, together, like this.

Claw, Trisha and Scarlett were chatting avidly while Emily organised their next concert.

She still had to sort out a venue and catering, let alone staff and-

Claw leant over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Don't stress about it. That place on Sixty-Sixth was great, just try and book there again.”

Emily's blood pounded in her ears after he pulled back and resumed his conversation.

Her fur began to stand on end, pupils narrowing to slits.

Her and Claw had been closer than that before, why was this different?

It was just a kiss.

She'd had to act out worse things before.

Not even mouth touching.

She slammed her laptop shut, her friends flinching as she hurriedly excused herself. “I'm going for a walk.”

The cold winter air didn't help.

The brisk walk didn't help.

She felt just as uncomfortable when she got back.

And her skin crawled even further when Claw slung an arm around her waist, quietly asking if she was okay.

Emily's words were a low growl. “I'm fine, Claw.”

He eyed her warily but didn't press.

The theme park had been fun.

Now the lights of it glowed faintly in the distance as Emily walked Claw back to the tunnels.

Music blared into one of her ears, purposely loud so Claw wouldn't try and engage her in conversation.

Once they finally reached the entrance she removed her earbud, letting it hang down the front of her hoodie as Claw turned to face her.

“Tonight was fun,” he said with a grin.

Emily nodded absentmindedly. “Mhm.”

Honestly, staying home on her own would have been preferable but Scarlett had been encouraging her to go outside more and Claw seemed insistent.

“Can I kiss you?” Claw blurted.

Emily's brain blanked and she nodded.

The kiss was short, a few seconds at most.

Her skin crawled with the contact.

Claw didn't seem to notice when he pulled away. “I really like you, Emily.”

She panicked, shoving both earbuds in and spinning on her heel the second he'd finished his sentence.

The music drowned out her surroundings, enveloping her in some form of comfort as tears slid down her cheeks.

Why did she feel this way?

Why couldn't she just love him back?

It would be so much easier to just love him back.

That's how it always was in the movies, right?

The two characters who had been friends since little discovered that they actually loved one another.

And then they would live out some semblance of a happily-ever-after.

Why couldn't she just follow the storyline everyone else did?

Emily risked a glance over her shoulder.

Claw was following her.

She broke into a sprint, cutting down an alleyway and using the boxes stacked there to climb to the roof of the houses there.

She began the long walk home along the rooftops, tears now flowing freely.

Scarlett stuck her head into the living room while Emily rewatched Rocky Horror Picture Show. “You're needed outside. Claw's seemingly having a dilemma as to whether he should knock on our door.”

Empress bolted to stand, flicking off the TV before running upstairs. “Tell him I'm not here.”

She slumped down against the wall, drawing in shaky breaths as Scarlett answered the door.

Conversation drifted to her.

“Oh, um, Scarlett, hey. Is, er, is Emily home?” Claw asked.

“Nope, haven't seen her for a while.”

“Shit. Okay, I'll go check the Metro. Thanks Scarlett.”

Emily stayed frozen on the floor, panicking as Scarlett climbed the stairs and sat on the floor beside her.

“Where's the Metro?” The owl prompted.

Emily sighed, figuring she at least owed Scarlett some honesty. “It's where me and Badge and Claw are from. It's shit. I work for someone down there.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Fuck yes. But I can't get out of my job now, it'd put you guys in danger.”

Scarlett hesitated before she replied. “And why was Claw looking for you?”

Emily pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them. “I'd really prefer to not talk about how shitty I was on my date.”

Scarlett studied her for a moment. “Oh, Em, how- how bad was it?”

Emily felt more tears slide down her cheeks. “It- the theme park was fun. And he was nice I just- there's something wrong with me.”

“Hey, no, don't say that, there is nothing wrong with you,” Scarlett said.

And for a moment, it seemed like it was Matilda there, not Scarlett.

Emily stood up, brushing past her and into her's and Badge's room. “I'm gonna take a nap.”

She locked the door behind her, collapsing onto her bed.

As her head hit her cheap pillow she wondered if she had a heart.

Maybe the world could just be torn apart and swallow her.

Maybe that would make everything better.

The fact that Claw loved her-

It hurt, of course it fucking hurt, it hurt like nothing in the world sometimes and it made her scared.

Scarlett left dinner outside her room.

She didn't drag herself up to eat.

She just lay there and tried to make sense of it all.

Emily made a fort out of pillows and blankets one weekend while Scarlett was away.

She nestled herself inside with packets of snacks and cans of energy drinks.

She switched on her laptop, going and getting up the search engine she used.

Slowly she tapped in her question.

What to do if I don't love my partner?

She hesitated over the button that would give her answers before letting out a snarl and pressing it.

She had to know.

Emily sat wide-eyed, trying to absorb things as the night progressed.

There were so many terms, videos, explanations, guides-

She barely noticed when sunlight began to bleed through the curtains into the room.

With a resigned sigh she eventually dragged herself up, bones cracking with protest.

The front door creaked open and shut.

“I'm home!” Badge called, voice popping and crackling with reverb.

Emily trudged downstairs, the younger cat shooting her an alarmed look.

Badge's head twisted at an odd ankle, accompanied by the sound of bones splintering before returning to its original place. “You look like shit.”

Emily let out a breath. “Badge.”

“Yeah?”

“I need some advice.”

Their expression twisted into a frown, gazing at her with concern and curiosity. “What is it?”

“You're sure you don't need, I dunno, time to think more about this? Consider it?” Badge asked.

Emily shook her head. “Badge I- I've never loved Claw that way, I don't think. I enjoyed some of our dates but not because of how we were towards each other. It sounds stupid. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy hanging out with him. But he kissed me the other day and I- I fucking froze and then bolted home.”

Badge stays silent, piercing green eyes analysing her.

“And shit, he's been messaging me tons to try and talk about what happened. He even showed up here but I'm a coward and I pretended only Scarlett was home and got her to answer the door while I hid upstairs. Because I know that he's going to hate me if he realises I don't love him. And that I haven't felt like that for ages.”

Badge reached across the table, paw juddering through the air as it phased, before landing on top of her's.

“And I feel like shit because does that mean I've been leading him on this whole time? I haven't been honest with him or myself. And that's really crappy of me, right?”

Badge finally interjects. “Em, you're the best older sibling I could have.” They paused. “Okay, maybe not the best, you are a criminal.” Both of them snickered. “However, you are very honest and caring towards those you care for. You joined a gang to keep me fed as a kitten. I would have died if it weren't for you.”

Their green eyes flitted to their crossed paws. “Em, Claw loves you. And you love him. It may not be the same kind of love but it's love nonetheless. He'll understand, I know he will. But you need to stop ghosting him.”

“When did you get so wise?” Emily joked.

Badge's face fell. “I've been to lots of places, Em. Seen a lot of things. This world is anything but perfect. I've learnt lots of things about this crazy planet we live on. So yeah, that's when I got so wise.”

Emily frantically raced around the Metro, trying to track down Claw.

She checked in with Radiance first, who hadn't seen him since the beginning of the week.

So she checked around the main area, which was near empty.

Except for Rex, who had come up to her and delivered a message from Majesty;

“There's a Demon in one of the interrogation rooms. Go and do your job for once and get some information out of him.”

Emily's blood ran cold when she entered the interrogation room, looking in dismay at Claw.

Her friend was sat on a chair, paws handcuffed to the table in front of him.

His eyes lit up as he spotted her but she silently took a seat across from him.

“You are not going to be able to escape,” Emily said, cautiously putting emphasis on the words she needed to relay a message to him.

Claw seemed to pick up on it as his ears pricked.

She swallowed nervously, cautious of the camera in the room. At least she was faced away from it and last she checked it didn't have sound capture.

Emily warred with herself before quickly spitting out a stream of her emotions. “We can't be together, I don't love you anymore, it's too dangerous, I'm sorry.” She continued faster. “I need you to kick me in the face.”

Claw swung his leg up around the edge of the table, paw making a thwack sound as it connected with her jaw.

Emily let out a curse at the impact, trying to ignore the slow dribble of blood down the edge of her mouth.

“Kick the chair into the camera,” she heaved, discreetly pointing at the corner of the room the recording device was hidden.

Claw stood, using his tail to spin the chair so it was in front of him before kicking it into the corner with the concealed camera.

Emily reached forward, breaking the chains that attached him to the table. “Knock me out cold like when we met. Take the red scarf out my pocket. Leave here, get back to Radiance.”

Claw looked between her and the door of the room. “But- Em-”

“Just fucking do it!” She snarled. “It's either that or you die here!”

The last thing she remembered was Claw punching her before everything went dark.

She woke up in Majesty's office, laying on his sofa.

The tabby sat in a chair beside her, glaring at her. “What do you even think you're playing at?”

“What?” She asked groggily.

Majesty growled. “I've known about your friendship with that Demon for years but I let it slide seeing as you were still loyal to me. But that? Letting him walk out interrogation? That makes you practically worthless.”

Emily wanted nothing more than to close her eyes, give into the throbbing pain in her skull that was willing her to sleep.

But that wasn't an option for this conversation.

“You're a nice cat Em. One of my best workers,” Majesty began. “So I'm not going to do away with you like I did with some others.”

Emily's muscles stiffened, discomfort rippling through her.

“However, you've been spending far too much time on the surface. I know I sent you up there but it's been so many years since then. You should be down here, doing your job now you're older. Even though it seems I'm going to have to remind you how to do it.”

Her fur bristled as he placed a paw on her shoulder, over the scar he'd left years ago.

“And I was thinking about how Emily isn't exactly a terrifying name. Doesn't strike fear into Demons. So I've got a new one for you.”

The tabby glared at her as she opened her mouth to protest.

“From now on, you're to be known as Empress. And you're to cut ties with those fuckers on the surface. And your little Demon friend. If I find out you're talking to any of them, I'm afraid I'll have to, how should I put this…”

The leader paused and raised a claw to gently rake over her throat.

“Dispose of them,” Majesty continued. “So, Empress, are you ready for another job?”

Empress’ head stung with pain but she registered him taking her phone from her jacket and crushing it in one paw.

“Yes sir.”

Riff-off songs in order:

The Wizard And I - Wicked

I Can Make You A Man - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Rose Tint My World / Wild And Untamed Thing - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Our Big Night - My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

Non-Stop - Hamilton

Fight For Me - Heathers

Friends On The Other Side - The Princess And The Frog

#a hat in time #ahit #ahit au #ahit conductor #the conductor #ahit empress #oc claw #oc scarlett #oc trisha #oc radiance #oc majesty #oc rex #you got it em is aro #no one in this au is straight #no one

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