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ninjadeathblade · 3 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

Control (A Hat In Time fanfic)

Summary: Empress has been confined to the metro for five years and she's growing sick of her lack of freedom. Small things slowly nudge her towards taking proper action and making the metro a better place, once and for all.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 7,878

Warnings (there are lots for this chapter oops): Blood, injury, self harm, implied murder, near death experience of a side character, manipulation, swearing, threats, self worth issues, depression, trauma

Author's notes: This ended up way longer than I expected it to be. Anyway, just in case Em didn't have enough trauma (this isn't even the worst thing just you guys wait for the next chapter). Title is the song "Control" by Halsey. Please god read the warnings. Anyway, haha, we're reaching the climax of this story next chapter. Hope you guys have been enjoying this.

Empress wasn't sure how long went by, down in the Metro.

Majesty didn't take any chances, only letting her go to the surface if she had an escort, and never letting her go near the border between the territory that separated the metro.

Most of the time she was stuck running odd jobs around the Angel bases or sorting through paperwork for Majesty.

Maybe it was months. Maybe years. A decade could've gone by, it felt so long.

Contact to the surface was prohibited too, her phone destroyed and every other member of the gang knowing not to allow her to use their devices.

So she waited.

And hoped that Badge and Claw didn't try to do something stupid.

“Apprentice,” Majesty called.

Empress looked up from the book she was reading. “Yes sir?”

The tabby held up a small package. “Delivery to the main crèche. My mate is there, it’s for her.”

Her attention zoned in on him slightly as she put down her book. “You- you have a mate?”

“Yes, now hurry up or I'll take the wasted time from the fur off your back,” Majesty hissed.

Empress scrambled up and took the package, carrying the small box under one arm as she made her way towards the crèche she grew up in.

It was the only one still in use nowadays.

The white and grey cat padded soundlessly into the room, the skills from her training since she was forced to stay down there.

“You must be Majesty's protégé,” a cat called.

Empress spun her head to look at the far corner of the room, a black cat curled on her side and facing the entrance.

“And you must be his mate,” she returned, walking close, placing the package and then stepping back.

The black cat smiled weakly, one paw scooping the object closer. “Please, call me Shadow.”

Empress nodded politely, sitting down beside her. “How far along are you?”

Shadow moved a paw to rest over her swollen stomach. “Any day now.”

Silence passed between them as they both dipped into their thoughts.

Empress knew that these kittens would not have a good life, not growing up down here, despite the advances in more recent years.

“You're his favourite you know,” Shadow eventually said.

Empress fought to keep a scowl from springing onto her face. “I am afraid I have to leave now, ma'am. Good luck with the kittens.”

She paused on the way back to Majesty's office, looking down the paths around her.

Empress dipped down a side tunnel, moving quickly.

If she wanted to try and leave, it would have to be fast.

Two paws, wrenching a vent grate off the wall and then hoisting herself up and into the cramped passage.

She’d only get a few minutes to try and leave.

Not that it would properly work.

Empress ground her jaw as her shoulders and legs painfully scraped against the sides of the narrow vent, crawling as quickly as she could through to get to and exit.

Empress shoved open the grate on the outside of the building, wincing as it hit the floor with a loud clang.

The white and grey cat darted down the street she dropped onto, heading as far from the building as possible.

Empress took a shaky breath in, looking around.

Where even was she?

It must've been some dead-end back path in the Metro.

It was practically empty except for-

A phonebooth.

Empress walked forwards, wondering if it would still work.

If it did, maybe she could talk to Badge! Scarlett! Cl-

Slowly she punched in Scarlett's phone number, breathing heavily as the phone line rang.

A connection chime. “Hello?”

“Scarlett?” Empress choked out.

“Holy fu-” Scarlett sputtered and another voice was faint in the background.

“Darlin’? Who is it?”

“Um, no one Conductor, it's just Trisha,” Scarlett shouted.

The sound of rapid footsteps as the owl moved to a different room.

“Emily? What the hell, where have you been?!”

Empress drew a deep breath. “That's not my name.”

“What?”

“That name. It's not mine,” Empress growled down the line before composing herself. “Anyway, how're you? How's theatre club going?”

“What the fuck?! You can't just disappear for five years and- and then just call like nothing's happened!” Scarlett shrieked over the connection, voice wavering slightly. “Hell Em, we all thought you were dead! Five fucking years and not a word! I haven't seen Badge in years either, or Claw! Where did you all go?! You have no right to run off without a word Em, no right! I don't even do theatre club anymore!”

Tears slipped down Empress' cheeks. “Scarlett I- I wanted to be home, with you, I- I still do!” Empress argued. “Are you still at Matilda's?”

“My mum's…?” Scarlett breathed. “I moved out of there two years ago, Con wanted us to go back to where he grew up so we could raise our kid.”

“What the fuck, you have a kid?!”

“Correction, we have an egg,” Scarlett sniffed. “You would know you had a niece if you were still around!”

“I have a niece…”

Empress' mind worked a mile a minute, trying to process everything.

“Scarlett, I promise you I will-”

A gun firing.

The line ringing empty.

Blood pounding in her ears.

A painful whine as her ears adjusted to hearing again.

“Shit,” Empress swore, looking in the direction the bullet had come from.

Majesty held the smoking muzzle pointed towards her. “Don't make me do this, Empress. Don't make me shoot you.”

Empress' arms shook, her tail moving to curl around one leg. “Majesty, I swear, I wasn't going-”

“Yeah, you weren't going to leave, shut the fuck up,” Majesty cut her off. “We all know that's a lie. Now, you're going to come back to base. And you're not going to pull any more dumb stunts. Okay?”

Her eyes darted around, seeing if there was any other way out the back alley.

If she climbed the large bin over there, she could reach the fire escape stairs up the side of that building and then escape through the buildings.

But Majesty had a gun and she knew he wouldn't have any reservations about using it.

A gun that should have six shots, but down to five seeing as he had cut the line.

Five shots left.

“Empress. Don't be a stupid asshole.”

She dashed over to the bin, gunshots following her as she crouched behind it.

One shot as she left the booth, another when she was halfway between, a third as she ducked into cover.

Two shots left.

She stood up quickly, utilising the adrenaline pumping through her veins, ducking back down as a shot clanged onto the lid of the bin.

One shot.

The sound of another shot ringing out.

No shots.

Pain from the outer side of her right ear.

Red liquid clouding her vision on that side.

The sound of Majesty cursing and fumbling to reload the gun.

Empress heaved herself onto the top of the bin, jumping and reaching for the stairs.

Paws slipping, scrambling for purchase, for some kind of hold.

A wrenching jolt of pain down her left shoulder when she finally gripped onto a pole, her body's weight being suspended from the rusting object.

Empress hissed as she clawed the rest of the way up, dragging herself over the top of the rail of the stairs.

Another shot fired, a bullet hitting the metal beneath her, followed by two more shots.

Her gaze flicked to the side, looking at the window beside her.

A couple steps back, a short sprint forwards, a jump.

Glass shattered around her, spraying outwards and inwards.

Majesty swearing loudly outside as she dragged herself up, sprinting across the room and jumping through another window.

A bullet followed the shattered glass as she fell two stories into the alley.

Juddering pain striking through her leg as she dragged herself up, getting as close to a run as she could as she headed towards Demon territory.

If she could just make it over the border, she'd be safe.

At least for a little while.

Empress panted and flattened herself against a wall, hoping she'd blend into the shadows as a patrol of Fallen Angels ran past.

She was almost there, she just had to cross the open patch in the middle of the Metro.

She could see the Chosen Demon defences from here, all she had to do was get across.

Get across and be safe for at least a little while.

The adrenaline was wearing off, making her movements more sluggish.

Empress reached a paw up to wipe more blood out of her vision, brushing it to the side, fighting to keep her eyes open.

The white and grey cat stuck her head out to look around, only spotting a couple food vendors who had set up in the open area since things were slowly advancing.

She quickly walked, the fastest she could get after landing awkwardly on her leg after jumping out the window and dragging herself across the Metro.

One paw, raised with as much strength as she could muster to bang against one of the doors on the buildings.

A small hatch opened, an eye narrowed suspiciously. “Who is it?”

“I need you to get Radiance,” Empress heaved, slumping against the wall slightly.

“Who's askin’?”

“Tell her that Emp- that Emily is asking for her,” Empress gritted out.

“Sorry, no can do, boss isn't seeing anyone,” the Demon replied.

Empress let out a throaty growl. “Fine. Does Claw still work here?”

“You want me to get him?”

Empress rolled her eyes. “Just fucking do it, I'm getting tired of your yapping.”

The hatch closed and Empress slid down to sit on the floor, chest rattling as she took in deep breaths.

So many things could go wrong in the time it took to get Claw.

A patrol could show up.

Majesty could show up.

She could be injured, killed, even passing out would be bad.

The door flung open beside her, a grey cat quickly moving to crouch in front of her. “Emily…?”

Empress blinked, trying to clear the tired haze at the edge of her vision.

The cat’s head swivelled, barking orders at whoever was standing in the doorway. “Why didn't you come get me?! If she asked for me, you get me! Don't ever turn her away again!”

“But she's an Angel ma'am-”

“And?! She's also the closest thing I have ever had to a child! Get me a medical pack, now!”

A pair of strong arms swept under her, hefting her up and leaning her weight against whoever it was.

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

Empress lurched awake, panicking, flailing around blindly in the dark.

A paw clamped down on her shoulder and she lashed out, hissing, claws connecting with flesh.

If it was Majesty, she'd pay for it later.

If it was any of the Angels, she'd pay for it later.

Empress let out a worried whimper, drawing her paw back as quickly as she'd struck out with it.

“Hey, shhh, it's fine, you're safe now.”

Empress' ears pricked, the right one stinging painfully when she swivelled them towards the voice. “Who is that? Who's there?”

“It's Radiance,” came the reply, a light turning on.

Dim light filtered into the room, coming out of a lamp beside where she was.

Radiance was sat to her left, where she'd lashed out, a small dribble of blood leaking from claw marks across her cheek.

“You're safe now,” Radiance repeated, a frown tugging at the edges of her mouth.

Empress looked down at where there was a threadbare blanket pooled around her lap, bandages across her chest.

“I sewed up your old wounds. You hadn't taken care of them properly,” Radiance explained.

Empress swallowed around the thickness of her voice in her throat. “Majesty wanted them to scar over. Said it'd make me more respectable.”

Radiance sighed, reaching out with one paw. “Oh Emily…”

“That's not my name,” Empress responded, voice cracking. Her tail swept up to curl around her legs as she tucked them towards her chest. “That's not my name.”

Radiance opened her mouth to reply until there was a knock at the door.

The gang boss crossed over to the door, opening it a crack. “Yes?”

“Can I come in?” Someone asked.

“She's healing and resting, I don't think it would be good for her to accept visitors right now,” Radiance hesitantly said. “Especially not if what you told me about when you two last saw each other is true.”

Empress let out a long breath. “It's Claw, isn't it?”

Radiance looked between the doorway and her. “Yeah, it is.”

“I don't want to see him,” Empress responded, moving to get out of the bed.

Her leg twinged with pain again, lancing up towards her hip while her ribs ached painfully.

Empress wobbled as Radiance closed the door and dashed over to try and help her.

“Is there a bathroom?” Empress croaked out.

Radiance nodded, hovering at her side, waiting to catch her if she fell. “Yes, just over here.”

Slowly the two cats crossed the room to a door.

“Let me know if you need any help, alright?”

Empress nodded at Radiance, offering her a small smile. “Thank you. For taking me in.”

Radiance shrugged. “You're family.”

Empress turned and shuffled into the bathroom, hoping the gang boss hadn't seen her eyes well with tears.

One paw fumbled for the light switch, slapping it on.

The lights hummed overhead, illuminating the stalls and wall lined with mirrors.

Empress rested some of her weight on the row of sinks in front of the mirrors, staring at her reflection, wondering when she stopped being able to recognise herself.

Tired eyes stared back at her, dark bags formed underneath them.

There was a chunk missing from her ear where she'd been shot on the way here.

Her fur was matted and patchy, half from poor self-care and half from scarring.

She was wearing some loose black shorts, probably put on by Radiance, the only thing that hid any of the body that felt like it wasn't her's.

One paw slowly reached up to run over hollow cheeks, one claw slowly opening her mouth, surveying teeth who's standard had lowered but at least they were somewhat close to her old self.

She dropped her paw again, leaning her weight on the counter as sobs wracked her body, pain juddering through her with every shaking cry.

Slowly she sank to the floor, tail curling up and around her torso, trying to provide herself what little comfort she could when everything seemed so different.

A knock on the door. “Can I come in?”

“No,” Empress clawed the word out of her throat, trying to will herself to get back up.

Get up, get up, get up.

It wasn't that hard.

She'd had to do harder things.

She'd had to lie to Badge for years.

Break Claw's heart.

Push Scarlett away no matter how much she just wanted to hold her little sister.

Pick up everything after Matilda died and try to keep her family from falling apart.

Join the Fallen Angels in the first place.

One arm slowly gripped the edge of the counter, claws unsheathing and digging into the surface.

Dragged her weight upwards, stared defiantly at the mirror.

A sigh as reality hit fully. “This is who I am now.”

A fist reaching out and smashing the mirror beside her, pain lancing through her paw as the reflective glass fractured.

Cradling the stinging appendage near her chest as she opened the door.

“I'm going to nap,” Empress stated, low, definite, not accepting any challenge from Radiance.

Radiance's face crumpled at the sight of her injured paw, quickly bandaging it before leaving her alone in the room, plunged into the dark again.

Empress sniffed and buried her face in the pillow.

She missed her family.

About a week passed before Empress left the room that Radiance had let her stay in.

The gang leader hadn't asked about the broken mirrors in the bathroom; how only one had been smashed to begin with but as the days passed all of them were ruined.

She got away with a few more days before running into people that she didn't want to talk to.

However, there was only so long that growling and glaring at anyone who tried to sit near her would work for.

“Hey Emily,” Claw said quietly, sitting down across from her.

She blanked him. She wasn't going to respond to that name anymore, wasn't meant to.

Majesty had made sure she wasn't allowed to.

“Please don't ignore me. I haven't seen you in years but-”

Empress lifted her eyes to his face, watching as he shuddered at the icy gaze that levelled with him.

“Don't talk to me.”

“Please, Em, don't shut me out.”

Empress sighed, setting down her fork. “What the fuck do you want, Claw?”

Claw bristled, fur standing on end. “What I want is for my friend to talk to me!”

“And what I want is to be left alone!” Empress hissed, voice rising.

“Yeah well you've had that for five years!” Claw shouted.

By now, other tables�� occupants were turning to look at them.

Empress' tail lashed behind her. “You think I was alone for that time? Well guess what, I wasn't. Not one minute. There were escorts and cameras and punishment if I did want to be alone. The only time I was alone the past five years was for maybe an hour or two before arriving here. That was it, Claw.”

Claw shrank back slightly.

“Don't you dare try and tell me what my life was like. Until you suffer the way I have, you aren't allowed to make comments on my life.”

The lights overhead flickered off, then on, before the power completely died out.

Red lights turned on, flashing bright and then dimming before growing brighter again.

“Raid! Everyone to battle stations!” Someone shouted.

Practically everyone flooded out the room, leaving only Claw and Empress.

Claw's eyes met her's as she looked back at him.

The white and grey cat shoved past him, shoulders bumping as she headed towards the armoury that everyone else had likely headed to.

“Emily! Emily, please, I'm sorry, I didn't know! Emily!”

She spun around, hackles raised, teeth bared. “That is not my name!”

Claw stood stock still, staring silently.

Tears pricked at the corners of Empress' eyes and she turned, ready to walk away from him.

A grip tightened around her wrist and she prepared to lash out again, covering her emotions with a tough exterior.

The coping method she'd apparently used for five years just to try and survive.

“That is your name. To me at least. It always will be.”

Empress swivelled her head to face Claw. “I'm not the same cat you knew five years ago.”

“Maybe not the person I'm talking to right now. But deep down, somewhere behind that rough shell you've made for yourself, there's the Emily that I remember. The Emily I fell in love with.”

Empress yanked back her paw, clutching it to her chest.

He still thought she loved him.

Or at the very least, he still loved her.

“Shit Claw, you really are dumb is you believe that,” Empress said, hoping that the poison of words she'd learnt to wield would be a good deterrent.

Claws face just softened and he smiled at her. “Yeah, I'll get to see you again someday, won't I?”

Empress spun on her heel, walking away quickly before he could say something else.

Unfortunately, he followed her, walking alongside her towards the armoury.

“Persistent fucker,” Empress muttered under her breath, picking up a tommy gun off the rack in the armoury.

Claw snickered, clearly having heard her as he picked up a knife and a pistol. “I didn't know you knew how to handle one of those.”

Empress shrugged. “It's been five years Claw and I'm the right hand cat of Majesty. Of course I had to learn how to use tons of different weapons.”

There was the sound of a brief spatter of gunfire outside, small bullet dents going into the wall beside them.

Empress gritted her teeth. “Let's get a move on.”

Empress surveyed the negotiations between Majesty and Radiance, trying to keep herself from passing out.

She hadn't slept much despite finally being somewhere that could be deemed safe, and her wounds kept reopening.

“So, you gonna give me back my apprentice?”

“Your apprentice? You mean the cat who's barely an adult that you shot at, emotionally and mentally manipulated, and kept away from her family for five years?”

“C'mon, do we have to go into specifics?”

“Hey, at least you aren't murdering our little siblings anymore.”

Empress' blood ran cold.

What did that mean?

And had Radiance said… our?

“Look, Radiance, lemme put this politely. Either you give me Empress or I decimate this pathetic little place, seeing as I've found it now.”

Empress' blood ran cold.

Claw stiffened beside her. “Empress? Who's-” His eyes darted over to her.

Her ears flattened back against her head.

“Oh.”

“Well?”

A bullet fired into still air, the gunshot ringing in the silence.

“You know the smart choice, Radiance.”

Empress stood up. “No, this is wrong.”

“What?”

“I'm not- you guys shouldn't be caught up in my problems with Majesty.”

Empress stormed over to the door, pushing it open, ignoring Claw's protests behind her.

Majesty's gold eyes flicked over to her and dozens of guns spun to be trained on her as she burst out into the argument.

“Ah, there's my girl. Empress, come home,” Majesty said, words honeyed.

Radiance moved quickly over to Empress, blocking her path. “No! You can't! He won't change! You'll just end up beat up all over again!”

Empress handed the tommy gun off to the grey cat in front of her. “Thank you. I know. But this is my battle and I shouldn't drag you into it.”

Radiance’s breath quickened and she dropped the weapons she was holding, grabbing roughly onto Empress' shoulders instead. “You don't understand! What he's done so far - that isn't the end of it! He can do - has done - so much worse. Please, don't do this, I don't want to lose any more of my family.”

Empress flicked her gaze over to Majesty, taking in the tightness of his jaw, the way his finger was itching towards the trigger of the gun he was holding.

“I have to leave,” Empress whispered, slipping out of Radiance's grip and making her way over to Majesty. “I have terms.”

“Oh? Little Empress is making demands now?” Majesty scoffed.

Empress bit down on her tongue for a few seconds before replying. “One term. You can do whatever you want with me so long as you don't hurt my friends.”

“No! Emily!”

“No! Em! Don't do this, don't make a deal with that monster! He isn't good to his word!”

Empress looked back over her shoulder as a couple of Angels restrained Claw and Radiance, both fighting tooth and nail to try and reach her.

She looked back at Majesty.

“You're really that dumb, huh?” Majesty sighed. “Fine, I won't hurt those shitheads. But you're coming back to base right now.”

“Can I say goodbye first?”

“Fucking hell, one week away and you've become such a sap. Fine, hurry it up,” Majesty replied, motioning for the Angels to move away.

They dropped Claw and Radiance, with the leader rushing forwards and embracing her.

One paw cupped the back of her head, the other snaking around her waist. “No, no, you can't go with him, I'm not losing you again.”

Claw hesitantly stood off to one side, eyes glistening with tears. “You can't leave.”

Radiance's hold on her tightened. “I'll fight him. You don't have to go back.”

Something close to hope started to bloom in her chest.

Maybe she could stay.

But no, Majesty would never allow it.

“I'll come back someday,” Empress said, barely audible, just enough for Radiance to pick up on.

“Empress, get a move on!” Majesty snarled and she moved back to fall in step with her own gang’s leader.

She'd come back someday.

Empress spent most of her recovery months in the nursery, raising Majesty's offspring in Shadow’s absence.

The three kittens were mostly healthy, although Empress didn't agree with the kittens’ given names.

Countess, a ginger female with a brown splodge over one eye, had been nicknamed Cookie and had a tendency to boss her siblings around.

Commander, nicknamed Cody, was an inquisitive little black kitten, with enough energy to stay awake far longer than their brother or sister.

Phantom was their brother - a pure white kitten who stared with piercing blue eyes and almost never responded when spoken to.

Empress realised quickly that the snow coloured kitten was deaf, and so established enough of a connection through signalling that maybe Majesty wouldn't realise.

It didn't matter that Phantom was Majesty's son when he had two other heirs who were perfectly healthy.

“Empress, when are we going to begin our training?” Cody asked, beaming up at Empress.

“Um, I'm not sure. That's not really for me to decide.”

Cookie wrinkled her nose. “But you're in charge, aren't you?”

Empress shifted slightly when Phantom trotted over and curled up against her side, chin plonking down on her leg. “No, I'm not in charge. Your father is the one who's in charge.”

“But you're his best friend, right?” Cookie chirped, pupils dilating as she began to bat at her sibling's tail.

Cody hissed and whacked the top of Cookie's head before commenting. “No, they're not best friends. Empress is terrified of father.”

“That's why she freezes up when he visits us,” Phantom croaked, a rare occurrence of input from him.

“I'm not- I'm not afraid of your father,” Empress spluttered.

Although there was a nagging in the back of her mind.

About how her wounds were healed over now and if the kittens were old enough to begin training then she wouldn't have an excuse anymore.

She would be subjected to Majesty's wrath again.

Unless she could do something about this dismal situation she had landed herself in.

“Alright, I think it's time for bed, don't you?” Empress stated with a stilted laugh.

Cody cocked their head to the side and narrowed their green eyes. “It's nowhere near-”

“Growing kits need their rest!” Empress protested, carefully shifting Phantom off her leg before standing. “Come on now, your father won't be pleased if you're all too tired for training!”

The trio of young ones shot her sceptical looks but settled down anyway.

Empress' ears stung as the speakers in the hallway whined with feedback.

“Empress. My office. Now.”

Empress tried to mask the fear on her face. “I'll be back tomorrow morning, okay?”

“What's morning?” Cookie asked.

“Goodnight.”

Empress swore repetitively under her breath on the way to Majesty's office.

This was it, he knew she was feeling better, he was going to make her pay for leaving before, he was going to-

“Empress, just who I asked for!” Majesty purred as she walked into his office.

A trap, a trap, it had to be, it must be, he was never nice, he was never-

“We have a special guest today who I think you might remember! They've finally decided to come back and do their job properly!”

Empress gaze flicked to the figure in the chair in front of Majesty's desk.

Her heart stuttered.

No.

No, no, no, no, no!

Why?!

“Hey Em, long time no explanation as to abandoning your family,” Badge said through gritted teeth.

That explained it.

She wasn't going to be hurt.

Badge was.

She'd endure any punishment, just don't hurt Badge.

Empress turned her frantic gaze to Majesty, chest heaving in lungfuls of air while her mind raced a mile a minute.

Majesty smirked, clearly knowing exactly what she was thinking. “Well, I believe you two have some catching up to do. Empress, after you've escorted Badge to their quarters, please return here so we can discuss business.”

Empress dipped her gaze away from him, darting it around the room before eventually fixing it on the floor. “Yes sir.”

“Good. You're dismissed.”

Empress reached forward, tugging Badge out the seat and out the room, tugged them down hallways and winding paths, down steps, through doors that the other members didn't know existed, only stopping once there was a roar of water to cover their voices.

“Fuck Em, why'd you have to drag me to the sewers so we could-”

“What were you thinking; coming back here?!” Empress shouted, hysteria catching up to her. “You should never have come back! He'll hurt you, I can't let you get hurt!”

Badge took a tentative step forwards, one paw snapping at an old angle before returning to its rightful place. “Em…”

“Don't you understand?! He can kill you! But no, that'd be too easy, he'd lose that extra bit of leverage over me. No, he'd make it slow, painful, it'd be closer to torture than death-”

She paused as Badge's paws reached her shoulders, brushing the jacket she was wearing back and off her body.

Empress' fur pricked in the cold, standing on end.

Her ears flattened back against her head as Badge circled her.

“How many of these scars did he give you?” Badge whispered.

“It doesn't matter.”

“How many?” They repeated, tone low and deadly.

Empress winced, paws coming up to try and rub some warmth into her arms. “They're mostly my fault anyway, if I'd just done my job better then it wouldn't have happened.”

Badge let out a loud sigh, one paw grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at them. “I'm going to go back to Radiance. You're gonna make sure that meeting with Majesty is short then your ass is joining us in the Demon base.”

“I can't, I'm not allowed to leave the building,” Empress responded, trying to ignore the slight break in her voice.

“Take these sewer tunnels. They thread under the whole metro, it's how I got here. If there's anyone else you want to get out of that hellhole, do it then.”

Empress took in a shaky breath. “Badge, I can't. He'll kill me if I slip up anymore.”

Badge gently rested their forehead against her's, pulling her closer. “I'm not losing my sister again. You aren't getting rid of me again, Em.”

Empress tried to mask her limp as she got back to the crèche from Majesty’s office, dragging open the door.

Three pairs of eyes turned to her, tapetum lucidum glowing in the faint light filtering in from the hallway.

“Empress?” Cookie yawned.

“What's going on?” Cody inquired, already up and walking towards her.

“I need you to come with me. Quietly though,” Empress whisper-shouted, signing so that Phantom would understand as well.

The three kittens teetered nervously after her, only just having mastered standing upright.

“Hurry, hurry,” Empress urged, nervously glancing down the hallway.

“Where's your jacket? Why do you have a gun?” Cookie inquired.

Empress moved as fast as she could, warily checking around corners before actually turning them.

It didn't matter how unlikely it was that anyone was awake, there was always a night patrol out somewhere but they ran on different schedules every day.

“Good questions. To be answered later.”

Empress eventually got back to the sewers where she'd taken Badge, ushering the kittens along the path that ran alongside surging water.

Empress scowled when the track ran out, connected to an opposite path by only a thin pole.

“One at a time, go, cross,” she instructed.

Phantom went first, bounding across and sending the thing shaking a bit.

Cody went next, pausing in the middle as water lapped up at their paws.

“Empress, I'm scared,” the black cat whimpered, ears flattening back against their head.

“Hey, it's fine, you're over halfway there, it's just a little further, you can do it,” Empress encouraged, watching as the kitten took another couple of tentative steps forwards.

A large wave surged up as Cody slipped, washing the kitten away.

“Cody!”

Empress dropped her gun and scooped up Cookie, dashing across the pole and placing her with her brother before scanning the waters.

Murky green liquid sloshed but no fur.

Empress let out a curse and dived into the rapids, eyes stinging as she opened them under the surface to try and spot Cody.

Nothing.

Swum back up to the surface for another breath.

A ragged black lump bobbed just out of reach ahead of her.

Empress kicked herself forwards, scooping Cody's limp form closer.

Exhaustion fought against her muscles as she dragged herself back to the path at the side, depositing Cody's unmoving form on the stone before heaving her own body out of the harsh flow of liquid.

Empress coughed up a lungful of water, bent over and heaving when Phantom and Cookie raced up to her.

“What’s wrong with Cody?!” Cookie demanded.

Empress forced herself upright, gently picking up Cody.

The kitten’s head lolled in her hand and she quickly began stroking from their stomach up towards their throat, repeating the motion over and over.

Cody eventually stuttered a breath before heaving up fluids, splattering onto Empress' lap.

Cookie let out a relieved wail, Phantom licking his sister's cheek to try and provide some comfort.

Empress forced herself upright, trying to ignore the fatigue clinging to her bones as she carefully shifted how she was carrying Cody. “Come on. We're almost there.”

Radiance had immediately taken the three of them to the room that Empress had stayed in last time she arrived there.

“Who's are they?” Radiance questioned once Cookie, Cody and Phantom had passed out from exhaustion.

“Majesty's,” Empress breathed. “And some cat I'm pretty sure he killed after these guys were born.”

Empress memory flitted back to the sewers. “One of them nearly died on the way here, Radiance. I could've gotten them killed. They could be dead because I couldn't save them, I could've killed them-”

“No, you did not kill a kitten, stop that right now. Don't you dare talk like that, you have saved these little ones,” Radiance argued.

“And I nearly got one of them killed in the process. I can't do this Radiance, they look up to me like a mother because they never had one and their father is a shit head. I'm the only family they got. Family is meant to protect one another and I couldn't even manage something that simple.”

Empress looked over at where the three of them were curled up, Cody sandwiched between their warmer siblings.

“Radiance, they might as well be my own with how much I care for them. If anything happened to them I'd never forgive myself.”

Radiance slipped a paw round the back of her neck, gently pulling her head closer for their foreheads to bump together.

“And you might as well be my kit,” the leader murmured. “But right now we need to prepare. If you and the three of them are missing, it gives Majesty the perfect excuse to start a proper war. So we need to get them somewhere safe.”

Empress swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat. “Can I make a call? There's somewhere safe I might be able to get them to.”

Radiance slipped her phone out her jacket, handing it off before trotting over to the sleeping siblings.

Empress shakily tapped in the number, praying that her old friend would pick up.

“Who is this?”

“Scarlett, it's Emp- it's Emily,” she sighed.

“You hung up on me before! I hope you're going to apologise!” Scarlett accused.

Empress winced. “Actually my ex-boss decided to shoot through the telephone line. But anyway, I have a big favour to ask.”

“Em, I love but I- I'm so busy right now,” Scarlett responded.

“Please. I- I have some kids that aren't safe where I am,” Empress pleaded. “Just for a week or two I need you to take care of them.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“You have kids…?”

Ah, yes, she could see why her words could be misinterpreted.

But fuck it, they were practically her family weren't they?

“Not by blood but yes. Please Scarlett, I- I can't have them getting hurt.”

Scarlett hesitated before replying. “Okay. But when you come and pick them up you bet your ass that you owe me.”

“I'll help plan your wedding,” Empress offered, chest warming at the easy banter they'd slipped back into.

“Deal. I'll call you back this evening to sort out the details, I'm out with Trisha at the moment. I love you, Em,” Scarlett replied.

Empress blinked away the tears in her eyes. “Love you too. Stay safe.”

Empress hung up before walking over to the bed where the kittens were still resting, Radiance just staring at them.

“I never thought I'd be an aunt,” Radiance said quietly, almost to herself. “Majesty killed almost all our other siblings and I haven't heard from my littlest brother in years.”

Empress silently sat down at the edge of the bed.

“I love them even though I haven't properly met them yet. But at the same time, I want to cry. They don't deserve this, to have been born here and to grow up like this.”

“None of them are standard, you know,” Empress interrupted.

Radiance shot her a questioning look.

“Cody is an insomniac, it's incredible they've been asleep since we got here. Cookie has anxiety even if she doesn't like to show it. Phantom is deaf. None of them would have pleased Majesty as his heir.”

Radiance let out a broken sob. “Why? Why does my brother continue to gain things he has no right to? No respect for?”

Empress gently patted her on the back and slowly she realised that she was crying as well.

Maybe it was stress, maybe it was exhaustion, perhaps pain, probably all three.

Her foggy mind extracted one thought before she drifted off into a state between sleeping and awake; she had to get them to safety.

“You're all going to go stay with my friend for a little while,” Empress told them, signing along with her words so Phantom would understand. “It's only a week or so and then I'll come back and get you.”

“Why do we have to go?” Cody croaked, still breathing shakily after what had happened the day before.

“Because it'll be safer for you,” Empress answered, trying to smile reassuringly.

“You- you will come back for us, right?” Cookie asked, voice wavering.

“Of course I will. I’d never willingly leave any of you,” Empress replied. “Now I just need to go talk to another friend who's going to take you to the surface.”

Three sets of eyes blinked before chiming in chorus. “The surface?”

“Yeah.” She turned her head to where Radiance was flipping through papers and jotting things down. “Would you mind telling them about the surface while I go find Claw?”

Radiance immediately set down her things. “No problem. His room is in the north corridor, the twelfth door on the left.”

“Thanks.”

Empress looked down as something brushed against her leg.

Phantom stayed up at her. “I don't want you to go.”

Empress crouched, signing to him. I'll be back before you know it. And I need you to look after your siblings while I'm gone. Can you do that for me?

Phantom hesitated before nodding.

Thank you.

Empress ruffled the fur on top of his head before standing and heading through the Fallen Demon complex.

She paused outside Claw's room, thinking of what to say before knocking.

It took a minute before the door opened. “Mrrm…? Oh, Emily, hey.”

“Empress,” she growled. “Anyway, I need you to take my kids to stay with Scarlett. Also, have you seen Badge? I can't find them anywhere.”

Claw opened the door further and Empress' jaw dropped.

Badge was levitating in the middle of the room, eyes glowing while blue orbs circled them.

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, they asked me to stay up and keep an eye on them but I fell asleep,” Claw said.

Empress whacked him round the back of his head, hissing at him. “You idiot!”

Cautiously she tiptoed closer, reaching out to try and poke at one of the blue orbs.

It drifted away, closer to Badge before fading away to nothing.

The other orbs did the same.

Badge's eyes stopped glowing and they slowly lowered to the floor, blinking a few times.

“Badge…?”

Badge's eyes refocused and they looked between Empress and Claw.

“You dumbass, you fell asleep didn't you?! I told you I needed someone to watch me so I didn't go too far!” Badge shouted before sighing and looking at Empress. “Hey.”

“What was that?” Empress inquired.

Badge shook their head. “Just trying to chat with someone, no big deal. Anyway, Claw, please do take Em's kids to go stay with Scarlett. We need this, they'll be in danger otherwise.”

“How did you know about that?” Empress whispered.

“Let's just say that I'm intuitive,” Badge replied with a shrug. “So, that plan you've come up with. That you haven't yet told Radiance about it.”

Empress' brow knitted, worried about how much Badge seemed to know.

“Badge, I want you to go with Claw and the kids,” she said warily.

“Yeah, I know, we'll pick them up in an hour.”

Empress left the room, trotting down the empty corridors and halls back to her room.

Radiance was asleep, tail curled around Phantom, Cody and Cookie's bodies.

Cody let out a chirp as they spotted Empress, stirring the other three awake.

“Radiance can I- can I have a word?”

The gang leader immediately got up, walking hastily over to her and settling a paw on Empress' elbow. “What's wrong?”

“I- I know how to fix everything going on down here. But it means starting a war.”

Radiance scoffed. “Kiddo, you did that the second you decided to bring Majesty's offspring here. But what's the plan?”

“I need to be injured. Badly. Go back to him, claim a Demon patrol did it then we wait a short amount of time until he launches an attack,” Empress explained.

“No,” Radiance growled, grip tightening on her elbow. “No, I'm not going to hurt you. You've already suffered through too many injuries, I'm not making you go through more.”

Empress sighed, a twinge of guilt striking through her. “Okay.”

Radiance loosened her grip and Empress made her move.

Darted away and across the room, locking herself into the bathroom.

Fists banging against the door.

“No! Empress! Come out right now!”

Empress' chest heaved and pain blossomed under her feet, a shard of glass from where she had ruined the mirrors here before.

This was it.

The tipping point, the fork in the path, the decision that would change everything.

Cody, Phantom and Cookie's voices joined Radiance's pleas.

“Come out!”

“Please!”

“Ma!”

Her breath stuttered.

Ma.

That's right, she was the only mother they ever had.

Would they ever look at her the same way if they found out what she had done?

What she was planning to do?

Empress clenched her jaw and stalked over to the least destroyed mirror.

She raised a claw over her eye, looking at her jagged reflection.

Breaking her figure into so many pieces, fracturing her.

That's what had been happening all these years.

Empress paused with one claw hovering over her left eye, looking at her reflection.

She would never be able to go back after this.

This wound would start a turf war in the metro.

Did she really want to do this?

“Come out!” Radiance yelled from outside the room.

Empress flicked her gaze to the door before returning to her reflection.

Claw.

Badge.

Cookie, Cody, Phantom.

Radiance.

Hell, even Scarlett.

All of them would be so much safer if she did this.

She would get them out of here before the fighting started and then assume power in the chaos.

She plunged her claw down over her eye.

Empress hissed, clamping a paw over her eye.

God why did she choose to do this in the bathroom, the blood was so brightly contrasting against the white tiles.

The cat shuddered and swallowed down nausea, carefully moving her paw away from her eye.

Her remaining right eye seemed fine but the other had a gash across it, blood pouring from the open wounds around it.

Shit.

At least it had worked.

She moved her paw away from her face, right eye darting over her features.

A jagged cut went from her brow down to near her jaw, stark red, while blood spread to stain her fur.

Empress shoved her paw back to cover the offending eye, wary of the new dark spot in her vision.

There was still the right side but then the rest of it just faded to darkness, murky and unwelcoming. Unrelenting. Harsh.

Empress slowly walked back over to the door, one arm stretched in front of her to try and gauge her new depth perception.

“Radiance?” She called out, silencing the four cats on the other side of the door.

“Yes?”

“I need you to get my kits out of the room and leave the medkit out on the table.”

There was the sound of a loud string of colourful curses and clattering, the door opening, weak protests before the door closed again.

“Done.”

Empress felt around with her right paw for the door lock, unwilling to turn her head to see something that she should be able to.

Muscle memory should be good enough, right?

Empress tried to brush last Radiance on the way out but was stopped by an iron grip on her shoulders, forcing her to face the gang boss.

“So, how do I look?” Empress tried.

Radiance let out a strangled sob, shaking as she held onto her.

Empress slowly prised herself from Radiance's grip, making her way over to the table and briefly removing her paw from her eye to snatch up the bandages, making quick work of wrapping up that side of her face.

The tremors in her paws didn't matter.

The blind spot didn't matter.

As long as she could keep those she loved safe, that was all that mattered.

“Be good for Scarlett okay? She's my sister,” Empress said.

The three kittens didn't seem to listen, just staring in silent horror at the side of her head.

“Your face,” Phantom whispered.

“It's nothing, don't worry,” Empress replied breezily, masking her true feelings.

Masking the pain, the sense of helplessness, the new weakness she had that could be exploited.

“Just- just stay safe for me, alright?”

Three heads slowly nodded.

“I love you all. And I'll see you again soon.”

But only with one eye; a small voice in the back of her seemed to chime.