Forgotten childhood memories

"Plans to make our troubles disappear," he would give her that and no more. If she knew too much she would be a liability, but he could give her what she sought and that was revenge. "You won't be attending the party as a guest, I'm afraid, no, we'll have to be clever about this," he said in a ponder. He knew Jane's bombs needed to be planted, but if they could be remotely detonated was another question. And would she have enough time setting them up before having to get out of the building?
"I have it from good sources that he will be there; He's trying to infiltrate the upper class, wanting something from whoever has been in charge of the leak in the Blocks," he said, gesturing for Jane to leave, "get to work now ... I need to tend to my son," he said getting up himself, packing away the files.

Beep was moving some scrap around, even pushing some towards the immobile crab as if it was trying to teach it. The small robot beeped at Jane spoke to it before screams were heard. Eugene's screams.
Eugene was still strapped down, a few people standing over him, trying to hold him down, but it was like he couldn't. "What have you done to her!? Where are you keeping her!?" he kept screaming over and over, his father standing at the base of his bed. "You need to control your anger," Dexter said in a calm voice, making Eugene slam his head back against the bed he was on, grunting and squirming to get free.

"You are completely out of control; You said you hurt Jane," Dexter said and it made Eugene whimper, squeezing his eyes shut. He hated himself for it. Hated everything he had become. "Why are you so obsessed with her? She isn't the same as when you knew her as a child," his father said in a firm tone. There was silence. Eugene's breathing loud, his one lung struggling to keep up. "The Old Jane is no more," he said. Eugene looked towards his father, "are you the one who put that stupid idea in to her head?" he asked, his voice hoarse as his throat was sore. "Jane is Jane, I know she isn't the same but she's still Jane ... My Jane," Dexter scoffed at his son's words shaking his head. "I never raised you to be possessive," he clicked his tongue shaking his head. "No, but you turned me in to a monster," - "stop blaming me instead of taking accountability for your actions!" Dexter never raised his voice, but he did now. Eugene looking away, his blue eye filled with tears once again.

Dexter felt his pager beep, frowning as he looked down seeing the code. He groaned, "seems like she's eager to try out her new tech," he said looking at the scientists there before looking at Eugene. "Give him a few extra doses ... I need him out and ready to get Jane back when she's done playing," he spoke of her as if she was a child and it made Eugene grit his teeth, trying to fight back but the scientists were already sedating him further before giving him doses of the serum.

Meanwhile up North Raven was getting ready, looking at herself in the mirror. The red dress hugged her tight, showcasing her body quite nicely. "I don't know about this, Vic, I feel like a painted doll," she said, turning around to look at him. She was even wearing the necklace he had given her back in the day. Her hair was put up, a few strands hanging down to frame her face. "I don't even look like myself," they were standing in what was effectively a motel room, one that Victor had unlocked so she had a place to change.

"No, but ... I just feel so unlike me," she argued, he got closer to her and she looked at him as he complimented her. Or as he put it, stating a fact. She didn't like this, well she liked how he looked at her, but others were going to look at her differently. "I guess I haven't really practiced the art of flirting for a while," she replied. Her biggest worry was not playing her part right. What if she was so unattractive to these upper-siders that she would fail all the hard work they had put in to this plan? "You have your uniform as well, right?" she asked. The only reason she felt a little hope was the fact that Victor was coming too, disguised as a waiter, but it meant he would be around if she needed help. Not that she wouldn't be strong enough to fight off even a daemon, but she felt stronger when she was around those she cared for.

She did as he asked of her, looking out the small window, keeping an eye on the parking lot, and yet she couldn't help herself from glancing back at him as he changed. Victor had always been a bit of a skinny boy, but most people were down in the blocks. But what she liked about him wasn't how he looked, rather how he had treated her. Even when they had nothing it felt like he could still promise her the world on a silver platter. He was a strong leader, and his dark eyes had always made her feel so seen. Her eyes moved back to the window, not a person in sight which was good. "We should get going," she said, turning around to see him now fully dressed. She hadn't seen him like this before and she was a bit surprised. Chuckling a little, so much it turned to a small giggle. "I feel better now that we both don't look like ourselves," she giggled softly. It had felt like such a long time since she had laughed like this.
She shook her head as they eventually headed out. They had to be there before the guests arrived anyways, getting let in through the service door. Soon enough they were separated, Victor went to the waiters and Raven with the escorts. Adjusting her gloves she felt nervous again, seeing the different women and men around her that were dressed way nicer and had more beautiful features. Just standing here in the hall she felt out of place. All the rich decorations, the fancy paintings. Everything just looked so excessive.

They were shown around, but Raven was mostly looking at what exits there were in case something went south. Perhaps because she felt a little in her head still. They were taken to a corridor where they were told to wait and the sound of the real guests arriving was heard on the other side of the door. Raven felt her nerves in her fingers, adjusting her long gloves once again just to be sure, hearing someone hold a grand speech on the other side. It was strange, but she could hear words such as progress and innovation being spoken, making her frown. Was the leak a sign of progress for these sick fuckers? Gritting her teeth she had to bite her tongue and restrain herself not bursting through the door in pure anger.
Finally they were lead in to the grand room filled with guests, and the guests were encouraged to take whoever they liked. She felt a little weird, looking around she felt like she stood out like a sore thumb. Her make up, was it even good enough? Her dress felt cheaper than those around her. The other escorts spread out and she felt like she had to as well. It seemed a couple of patrons took a liking to her, perhaps because she was a diamond in the rough, though she would've described herself more as a piece of coal.
Moving around the party she took a breather in one of the smaller rooms, backing in to it she managed to bump in to someone. Turning around a little surprised she looked at the tall man with tattoos covering most of his visible skin, even some in his face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," she said, her voice calm and perhaps not as charming as she should've sounded. Fuck, she was supposed to sound alluring, right? Flirty and approachable, instead she probably sounded like an amateur at best. "I'll leave if, if you went here to be alone."

Raven looked at the man a bit confused and as he mentioned his shirt being ruined she frowned,"isn't that a bit of an overstatement?" It just flew right out of her! Why was she being so rude! She was meant to be here and gather intel, not be impolite to those who might actually give her some answers. Gritting her teeth she carefully reached out, looking at the stain, "dish soap and rinse with cold water - it'll come right out," she said letting go of the fabric, "sorry."
Taking a few steps away from him she adjusted her gloves. Why she was fidgeting with it so much was clear to her, but to others it might show that she was obsessed with looking perfect. And she sorta was. "I'm still very new to this world," she said, not that she expected him to understand. In fact she sorta waited for him to hit her or whatever it was that angry rich men did to women of her status.

Great, so she didn't know shit about his fancy fabric shirt either! Fan-fucking-tastic. She stood for a while until he told her to stay. The gesture making her frown slightly, but she sat down. Half expecting him to sit down beside her, maybe pull her in or something, she  was pleasantly surprised to see him sit across from her. He wasn't as scary as she initially had thought, but perhaps that was because of where she was from. She had seen scary men in her time, she had experienced lustful stares to hateful ones. He was smoking, which she didn't really know if she liked. She had never tried smoking, unless you counted inhaling those toxins for the most of her life.
"I suspect you're a silent stalker kind of type," she said, breaking the silence, a little unsure if she was sitting comfortable or not. "Like a panther laying down in the grass, ready to jump it's prey," she expanded her theory about him. He wasn't human, she could tell that much. His eyes. There was just something about them, the almond shaped dark eyes that seemed to look through her. She guessed she was his prey right now.

"I don't know, I guess you just have one of those looks," she said with a slight shrug. But truth was she had seen a lot in her brief lifetime. She noticed his wedding ring, wondering what woman might marry such a stoic man. He didn't seem charming or at all someone you wanted to spend time alone with. Not that it made her feel any sort of way about him. He was a stranger and she was just an escort to him. "Hmm maybe that is what draws people to you," she thought out loud, leaning back in her seat as she frowned crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked at him. "The mystery, right? That's what women are in to," she pondered, biting the inside of her lower lip carefully.

And her? She chuckled, shrugging lightly, "mystery isn't really what I'm into, but I bet half a dozen or more women at this event would happily drool over you if that was what you wanted," she pointed out. No, she wasn't so easily swooned. Frankly part of her thought that love wasn't part of her life any more. A hook up might happen once in a while, but it was never with someone that looked like the guy in front of her right now. His following question made her scoff. If only he knew. "Sorry, I guess I'm in the wrong field for a professional career," she said, getting up from her seat, she moved over to sit on his lap. Fuck it, she could play the role, this asshole wasn't going to give her shit for this.
"Would you rather want this? Me sitting on your lap, laughing at the jokes you tell about some business deal while I pretend not to notice your wedding ring?" she asked shaking her head before she got up from his lap. "Nah, you're probably too snobby for that ... You want a woman who's intellectual but knows when to shut up when the men are speaking," she said, just making up shit now. She was so fucking sick and tired of these rich men thinking they were the gods' gift to the world.

Reminded him of his wife? She felt almost disgusted by that. She could only imagine the poor woman, knowing her man was out and being surrounded by escorts. Never would she allow that if she herself got married. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his question, and his remark made her shrug. "Maybe I'm one of those people who get payed to diminish my customers," she said in a ponder, clearly not disclosing whether or not she was. "Maybe I'm an international spy trying to find the secret recipe in a product you sell," hell, she didn't even know what she was anymore. She felt so changed. Losing Jane had been so devastating to her, and no longer did she feel like she was good at protecting others.
"Or maybe I'm just a young woman who has lost her way," she finally said. Now that was some hard truth. Breathing out in a sigh she walked to the railing, looking out at the city towards the South. It was as if no matter where she was she knew where she had come from. "But that sob story you can hear from almost everyone," she said, just looking at the horizon, "what was my home is now ruined, and I'm just trying to find a way to support my family."