Pale Blood - wherein Bosch is as smart as he is impulsive
The backup runners were on their way, Bosch had made certain. He called them, and then he called them again, despite their insistence that it wasn’t necessary the first time because Delmas already called–and also hey, did you know it is extremely dangerous to fly and chat at the same time? He didn’t care, and told them as much, with warnings to move their asses faster–to which he received reminders that it wasn’t their job and they were doing him a favor.
Then Bosch linked up all the fangs waiting for blood to assure them, at once and without wasting more of his time–and theirs, of course, which was precious, so precious–that they hadn’t been forgotten. And that he hadn’t failed.
“A bump,” Bosch assured the impossibly smooth faces that glared, with hollow eyes, through too many projected screens. “It’s a bump, a blip even, nothin’ to concern yourselves about. Blood’s on its way, same as ever. We jus’ had a lil’ mixup in schedulin’.”
His hold on the slums had been tentative, at best, but he would make damn sure he didn’t lose what he had over some lackey wolf. Certainly not the same lackey that kept sending his best runner back in pieces.
Shoulda dosed him more, Bosch thought, keeping the anger from his face so as not to spoil the grin he shined at the screens.
That false cheer bled into his voice as, once again, he answered their heated murmurs and worries with soothing lies, “Come now, we’re all family here. Bloodbrothers, you might say.”
There were sneers, and a scoff, but a few of them smiled…the representative of his most prestigious client even laughed–it was a chuckle, if anything, and directed at a stream of kittens she had pulled up on a private channel.
Bosch would not be deterred, “I know you’re all chompin’ at the bit, metaphorically speakin’ of course, to drain someone dry over this but I assure you; it was a simple mix-up. Your blood’s safe and sound and will be on your doorsteps real soon.”
“Pri expects her shipment before half-lid,” one of the fangs asked.
She had been the first to truly speak, in words clear enough to understand–the others had been mumbling and grumbling over one another incoherently. Bosch focused on her and swallowed, hard. She had laughed, but he knew it wasn’t at his wordplay, and her opinion mattered over all the other withered husks flickering in the room.
The Pri she spoke of was one Bellasara Pri. Once upon a time she had been a nobody clamoring for the scraps of more powerful, organized bloodlines–not Bosch’s but Delmas’, or his father Delamont’s to be more specific. Then, out of nowhere, Pri became the fang all others bowed before. Not only fangs either, everyone bowed before her. Pri rose high and rose fast, becoming CEO of her own corporation within a year’s time; Bellacorp. A corporation all others ached to please. And Pri sat at the top, ruling business and city–Dolor had a mayor and a local governing body of elected officials, but everyone knew who held the reins.
She had become untouchable, infallible, and no opinion in that room or on that call meant more than hers–or her assistant, as it were, for Pri was far too busy to take calls herself.
Bosch couldn’t be certain that Pri did Delamont in to reach her position–though he’d ruined his own rep in a futile attempt to prove it–but he still wondered. Whenever he heard her name, he wondered. But he’d spent a decade–a handful of them, really, but those were years he preferred to bury–building his rep back to a reasonable level and he would do anything not to lose what he’d earned.
“Or your head,” the assistant added, slamming Bosch to the present.
Bosch nodded, licked his bone-dry lips, and did his best not to stutter, “She’ll have it; one, or the other. You have my word.”
“For what that’s worth,” the assistant mumbled and her screen blinked off.
The other fangs muttered amongst themselves but said nothing clear enough to reach through their screens.
“You heard the lady,” Bosch all but barked, waiting until all their listless eyes found him again, “half-lid for Pri, but the rest of you by dusk, or thereabouts.”
There were a few grumbles, some sneers, and a particularly heavyset fang actually hissed through bared teeth, but their screens blinked off. One by one they flickered and disappeared, leaving Bosch alone in the swollen shadows of his office.
He hadn’t been updated on the state of the bloodbank–Delmas had yet to check in–and it bothered him. But he knew who to blame, whose head the fault fell on, without being told.
Fucking wolf, He wouldn’t voice it so soon after a call–one could never be too sure how long it took to disconnect–but it had to be the wolf. It had to be Nash. Who else in the slums is runnin’ round with such raw motive?
Then the room lights came on and Bosch saw what wasn’t there, and a new reason bloomed from that emptiness, “And my fucking keys!”
Rage boiled in his gut as he stalked down the stairs, to his basement and the secrets it held. He could taste that rage, as thick and sweet on his tongue as the last bloodbag he’d drained–too long ago. And he knew where to direct it, knew the address as well as he knew his own. He even had a convenient tunnel that connected right to it–to be fair, it connected to the crumbling subway system that snaked through Dolor’s underbelly, but there weren’t too many with access…which made it a sizeable brag.
The next words Bosch spoke, as he turned the wheel of the hatch that would lead further below, were not shouted. They were not mumbled or whispered. Those words left his lips in a silky-smooth clarity reserved for old lovers, “wonder how ol’ Lulu’s doin’.”
---
@rmgrey-author
@ruinmegently
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𝔻ℝ 𝕊𝕋ℝ𝔸ℕ𝔾𝔼 𝔸ℕ𝔻 𝔽ℝ𝕀𝔼ℕ𝔻𝕊 𝕀ℕ 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕄𝕌𝕃𝕋𝕀-𝕊𝕆𝕄𝔼𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕆𝔽 𝕄𝕆ℕ𝕋𝔸ℕ𝔸?
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before you start, please read [this] which is a summary of the series and disclaimer -> it is good to know that this au series will have a good few spoilers to the new dr strange. so if you haven't seen it and don't want to have it ruined, pls don't read ittttt.everything i write is fic NOT fact!
A/N: not much to say. oh, actually, there is one thing NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP, NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOOOWWWNNN🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺
@goodness-gaycious @incorrectlycorrectfun @wandaspov @itsthescarletwitch @smallestavenger @n0idl1nq @windchaser1990 @tu-mama727 @therealhawkguy @feedonme
word count = 1.7k
photo is mine babes :3
chapter three: the stranger flags are red, unless they spare you a bed
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the hotdog stand guy, mikey, hands the lady the three dogs and sets up his stall for the next customer.
"here you go girls! better start chompin before they go cold!" she says as she passes you and america a dog each with a smile.
"th-th-thanks?" america stutters out which makes the lady chuckle.
"my name's agatha. agatha harkness!"
"it's nice to meet you! i'm america chavez, and this is my friend y/n y/l/n!"
"heyyyyy."
"aww! what gorgeous names, for such gorgeous girls." aggie complements with a wink.
america's eyes widen and you choke on your hotdog. the brunette is quick to be at your assistants and attempts to un-choke you by hitting you square on the back, but to no avail.
all of a sudden, you stop choking which makes america stand tall with pride.
"ha! i knew i could do it!"
however, after straightening yourself out, you raise an eyebrow at agatha, to which she only raises one right back.
"i know a witch when i see one." you smirk and america stops her little happy dance and gives you a confused pout.
"huh?"
"well, i know you girls need a place to stay. my house is just there and dinner is on the stove." aggie says.
america is now extremely confused. how did she know that?
"OH MY GOSH NO YOU ARE WANDA MAXIMOFF I KNOW IT! YOU ARE GONNA KIDNAP US AND STORE US IN YOUR BASEMENT!" she screams and you quickly cover her mouth.
agatha tsks and shakes her head, "you really think if i were her, i'd be that easy? i would really be giving it away by saving y/n from choking to death, wouldn't i? it's not very easy to trick a sorcerer."
"WAIT HOLY SMACK HOW DOES SHE KNOW THAT YOU ARE A SORCERER and it wasn't me who saved y/n/n from the claws of death?"
"sadly, no, i did that, and as a witch myself, i know a sorcerer when i see one." agatha replies with a another wink. "aaannnddd i might've seen the sling on her fingers but hey! who's asking?"
america now has 3 less brain cells than she did at the start of this conversation. was she missing something? had she zoned out half way through the convo? maybe she just wasn't plugged into the weird telepathy that was going on between you and agatha.
"so? are you coming or what? i've got a spare room with two beds, and more than enough space for yall."
"well the stranger flags are red, unless they spare you a bed i guess."
"uhhh that's not how the saying goes, y/n/n"
"maybe in your universe mary." you shrug and start to follow agatha.
"wait up!" america calls out and runs towards you and stops in front of you and walks backwards as she whisper yells to you.
"ok but what if she is working with wanda, and then she stores us in her basement until mc-maxi-witch gets here?"
"oh darling, i can assure you. wanda maximoff is a far cry from agatha harkness, in the terms of sanity." aggie tells america and that causes her to speed up and walk backwards in front of her instead.
"so you're telling me, you know wanda, but you're not working for her?"
"that is correct. watch your step honey."
and just before america trips over the step, you open a portal that makes her miss it, and walk straight again. america sighs in relief before leaning her arm on your shoulder.
"thanks."
you all walk up the steps to the front door and agatha opens it, guiding you inside. you and america follow close behind her as you take in your surroundings. it was a nice little house, decorated like a 15th century witch would. wind chimes where hanging from the ceiling, dream catchers and beaded curtains separating the rooms. you watch as agatha walks over to the kitchen and pours out 3 glasses of water and brings them over to where you both are, handing them to you.
"please! take a seat!" aggie says, gesturing to the couch.
america takes a seat next to the older woman while you take a seat on the rocking chair opposite.
"dinner will be ready in a few, but for now, tell me. why are you on the run from wanda maximoff?"
"um.... it's kinda complicated. basically, she wants to take my powers so she can travel to through the multiverse and live with her children again."
"you can travel through the multiverse!?"
"yup!"
"however, if wanda takes mary's powers, it would result in death."
"straight away. powers stolen? death now rollin." america sings and pretends to slit her throat with her thumb.
agatha sighs at that, "oh..... i knew this day would come, but just not so soon. guess that is my own doing."
"what do you mean by that?"
"well, back in westveiw, i had pretty much aggravated wanda to point break because of my greed for power."
"back the truck up. you were in westveiw? like, when wanda mind-controlled everyone?" you ask in disbelief and aggie nods her head.
"i was."
"you were the purple witch lady!?"
"that i was also, miss chavez."
"goodness gracious me!"
"golly lollies." you mumble.
agatha holds her head down in guilt, even though she was an evil woman, she still knew it was wrong of her to let it get this far.
"after essentially being put back in place by the girl, she sent me into whatever mind hex spell she had put on the other westveiw residence, turning me into the character agnes 'permanently'. i was eventually able to get out of it, of course. she hadn't perfected the spell completely, so i was able to find some holes. i moved out here to pack pickett to get away from my wrong doings and start over. anyway, it was sometime last year that i actually sat down and began to think, what the hell i was going to do if i did ever take wanda's abilities from her? what would be the next move? and it's then when i found out that i, in fact, had humongous tear in my so called 'plan'. turns out, having all the power and authority ever to exist can become quite annoying, and most probably lonely."
you and america look at each other with frowns. in a way, you kind of felt sorry for aggie, but then again, it was the consequence of her actions. america lays her hand on agatha's back and rubs it up an down slowly.
"we all make mistakes aggs. it's just a fact of learning from them. you can't make the same mistake twice, and if you do, it then becomes a diliberate action." she explains.
agatha gazes up at her and gives her a weak smile.
"OH MY GOD YOU WERE CRYING? Y/N/N GET AGGS SOME TISSUE RIGHT NOW."
you and agatha laugh at america's genuine concern and you go and grab some tissues from the kitchen.
as you reach the counter to get the said item, you feel something brushing at your legs. you glance down and see a bunny?
"oh! hey there lil guy!" you pick up the bunny and it instantly snuggles into your warm hold, seeming quite content. you walk back into the living room, carefully, and hand the tissues to agatha and she chuckles.
"i'm guessing that señor scratchy really likes you!"
"ha, i guess so."
"he doesn't like most people, just like his mother!" aggie says and you all laugh. as you sit back down, agatha begins to talk about her past, different stories and her evil doings as a youth.
"oh my honkers you realLY MADE YOUR FELLOW WITCH-EES DISSAPATE INTO CORPSES?" america shouts in shock.
agatha laughs and nods, "yes, i did. i can't say i'm very proud of it though. now looking back at it, it was that same power-thirsty witch that made me hurt wanda the day."
"oh... WE ALL MAKE REGRETFUL CHOICES but ok. foreal now. i asked you this earlier and you gave me a ridicules response. how old are you really?"
"i wasn't lying!"
"I'M SORRY WHAT? no one is 12,000 years old, woman!"
"12,00!?" the look on your face makes agatha laugh.
"12,503 to be precise. i've been around for quite a few centuries!"
"i think a few is an understatement." america mumbles which makes agatha laugh again.
"how old are you, runaway?"
"um. i'm 20."
aggie raises an eyebrow at the younger girl.
"is that so?"
"no. i'm 20. mary's 15."
"LIES."
"america, honey, you can't lie to a sorcerer and a witch." agatha states causeing america to huff.
you shake your head in amusement and begin to think about the current situation you've found yourself in. two days ago, you were running around care-free with america, exploring new places and universes, thinking everything will be fine. planning on going to visit strange and wong, in a more formal matter, back at the sanctum but america ended up opening a portal to wherever wanda decided to reside after the events of westveiw. although you will admit it was your fault that wanda got angry however, she was trying to kill your new best friend! now on the run from the crazy wackus bonkus, you found yourself inside one of the witch's old nemesis' home, in a county you have never heard of. ever. the nemesis is currently repenting of her selfish actions- A LOT HAS TAKEN PLACE AND IT HASN'T EVEN PAST THE WEEK MARK.
you get up off of the rocking chair and take a seat next to agatha on the couch, placing scratchy on her lap.
"agatha?"
"hmmm?"
"do you wanna make things right?"
"what do you mean?"
"correct your wrongs, and retake your mistakes?"
"if there is any way i can redeem myself, i'll do it without question."
you look over at america and you both smile.
"then, you can start by helping us study, and also, teach america how to control her powers." you tell her.
"yeaahhhh i can only open portals when i'm scared."
"well that's not true darling."
"ummmm it is? i am the one who struggles to do it on command?"
"everyone can control their abilities. it's just a matter of actually believing you can do so."
"huh?"
"oh my. you both have a lot to learn, and i have the key to it all." aggie says with a smirk, dangling a key from her finger.
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