187 No Easy Way Out

A/N: I’m getting better at these updates in the sense that despite breaking my New Year’s resolution with monthly ones, the last one was 6 months apart this one’s only 5! (I updated Filling The Void after a year recently and I have to tell you I’ve got the most amazing loyal readers in this entire fandom since people haven’t totally abandoned that story!) I hope that’s the case with TE as well – it’s my baby and I’ve no intention of leaving it unfinished!

This chapter, totally not coincidentally, comes on the 4th Anniversary of Turnabout Everlasting! Yes, May 1, 2019 – that’s four years I’ve been writing this thing as of today… and I was so pumped about finally cranking out this latest chapter that I’ve made it my mission to have the second chapter out this month! Thank you to everybody that is still with me after all these years, and also much obliged to any new readers who have joined me along the way on this crazy train! 🙂

You know how I usually give you guys a heads-up about steam? Well, I thought I’d give you the same courtesy again… Except substitute sex for a bit of violence. I wasn’t really sure I needed to do that considering this is Ace Attorney which has the violence of Macbeth and where the men are all dicks and the ladies have big breasts….but I totally digress!

OK, I’ll stop now. On with the show – er, chapter!

Life, it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters, no one else

I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free

Things not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can’t be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel

Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now he’s gone

No one but me can save myself, but it’s too late
Now I can’t think, think why I should even try

Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye

Miles Edgeworth
Location:?
Date/Time:?

If someone had pulled a finger by force and painted it upon the floor, the horrific, bloody trail couldn’t have been more palpable. It was already browning, forming those insalubrious, matted clumps; former fragments of what was once a living, breathing being.

So much blood…

Miles felt the sweat drench his skin, the throbbing of his aghast eyes, the ringing scream vibrating in his ears, and the erratic thumping of his heart, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. His shocked grief was like an ocean, coming in waves that simultaneously both engulfed and overwhelmed him.

His dry, chapped lips somehow formed the lone, anguished cry, as though wrenched from his chest.

“Lana!”

The two ghoulish abductors guffawed mirthfully at his lachrymose state, then the behemoth one gave him a huge push forward, so his feet were now submerged into the maroon tide pooling around the anterior detective’s prostrate form.

“Get yourself down on that ground… Mr. Banks,” Arsen sneered, shoving the awestruck attorney forcefully to the cement floor with one hand. “Scoot over so you’re all nice and close to your little girlfriend. Ain’t it swell of us to set up this sweet ol’ lovers’ reunion for youse two?”

Arachnis was cackling uproariously at the ogre’s boorish wit as he deftly caught the coil of rope Damien tossed at him. He then set about tying Miles’ hands together, sadistically jerking the prosecutor’s arms forward into his lap so roughly, it was a miracle the hostage’s shoulders weren’t wrenched right out of their sockets.

Grunting from the discomfort shooting up his bound wrists, the staggered bondman sank to his knees beside the immobile Lana Skye. The fallen woman’s features were completely covered by the long chestnut strands strewn around her head, so he wasn’t even afforded one final glimpse of that ethereal visage he’d once cherished.

Lana. You were a good person. How could this have happened to you?

He was only dimly aware of feeling the sticky sanguine fluid immediately soak through his trousers, all the while taking in the grisly sight that his cobwebbed and tangled brain refused to comprehend.

I can’t breathe, I’m all choked up. The darkness unfolds, strangling my veins. My heart and soul play mind games.

With stinging eyes and a heavy pang in his chest, the poleaxed legist remained motionless as he knelt beside his former lover, unaware of any time that passed, his horror-struck gaze now staring sightlessly into the abyss.

Lana Skye, the strong, vibrant, beautiful woman who’d once meant the world to him, now lay lifeless beside him.

Murdered in cold blood.

No thoughts seemed capable of entering the nadir sufferings of his mind, except that his own inescapable fate was now sealed.

15 Minutes Ago….

Lana Skye
Date:? Time:? Location:?

The Asian’s scarlet-tipped hand suddenly grabbed her captive roughly under the chin, squishing the cheeks together so hard, the flesh inside the Agent’s mouth gnashed painfully against her molars. With her free hand, Li snatched the switchblade out of the assassin’s hand and held it against the brunette’s collarbone, hard enough to draw a thin claret trickle.

Lana winced at the stinging sensation, and a triumphant glint sparked in the soulless stygian orbs.

“And now that we’ve gotten the boring spiel about your inevitable fate out of the way, Agent Skye, I strongly suggest you start talking if you want to prolong your life a bit longer. Because although I haven’t tainted my own hands – yet – I have no qualms using this glinting blade of Damien’s and carving every square inch of that pretty face of yours until you do.”

The trail of sanguine fluid slid down her chest and soaked the thin material of the kidnapped woman’s shirt, yet even though pain fluctuated on her visage, the dauntless stance, and angry crease through her forehead indicated she wasn’t about to cave in that easily.

This only infuriated Li, making her push the blade even deeper into the wound, uncaring about the pained gasp Lana let out as the red droplets began to flow more freely.

“Rest assured, I am not a patient woman, nor one who’s all talk, no action, Agent Skye, as you have chosen to learn the hard way.”

Unremorseful, hate-filled eyes bored into panicked teal ones as the sharp knife continued to press deeper into Lana’s flesh.

“So, do yourself a favor and tell me where I can find your partner in crime, the alleged perished billionaire playboy otherwise known as Miles Edgeworth.”

Silence from Lana.

Li gritted her teeth. Then, without hesitation, she savagely slit another incision into the captive’s décolletage, smaller but deeper than the previous one.

“I exhort you to answer me this instant!”

More crimson ebbed from the new wound, yet the hostage still refused to speak.

The terse reticence continued as the Queenpin’s menacing gaze bored into her detainee’s, the knife momentarily paused in its relentless pressing as she awaited a response.

When it became obvious Lana wasn’t about to talk, Li drew back slightly, as though reflecting. She rocked back on her heels from her crouched position, her countenance now appeared more sardonic than splenetic.

“Is it that Bonnie legitimately doesn’t know where her Clyde is – or is this de facto, more like even if you did know, you wouldn’t tell me?”

There was a nuance of genuine fascination in the kidnapper’s otherwise taunting cadence as the realization dawned on her, for the prey’s muteness spoke volumes.

“Interesting. You love Miles that much, do you? Even to the point where you’d willingly die for him, trying to protect him?”

Lana glared back rebelliously.

Go to hell and get religion, Mephistopheles!

Li idly twirled the knife’s blade in her palms while she reflected on the shanghaied victim’s prioritizations.

“Hmmm. Just as I suspected. It was the latter. How… touching.”

Despite the measuring words, she had no real idea, true acknowledgment, or even any respect for any such sentimental drivel. Love, loyalty, selflessness … these things were meant for naïve, feeble-minded simpletons. For the needy and the weak.

Wong Li Tsong prided herself on being none of these things. Never had been, never would be.

How could I possibly know anything about such unnecessary feelings? I had a mother who died when I was an infant and an absentee, globe-jetting father who left me to be raised by servants. A cold, ambitious despot who never showed any iota of love for me, only for his illicit multibillion-dollar operation. If I’d ever stopped and attempted to try to love my father or anyone, I never would have been able to resort to such Machiavellian tactics to get where I am today.

In the grand scheme of things, Li would have still managed to tarnish the reputation of even the most calculating sociopaths. Her outward appearance, with its deceptive beauty and seemingly submissive nature, made it easy for others to trust her. She had mastered the art of projecting the image of a meek and obedient Oriental woman, while deep down, she harbored a cunning and manipulative persona. Like a snake hidden amongst the foliage, she concealed her true self behind a veil of deceit. There were no signs of her evil intentions, no clues to her self-centered motives. Li had no regard for the well-being of others, as her sole passion in life was the pursuit of power. Beneath her congenial and hospitable facade, she calculated ways to control those around her. She wasted no time on individuals who did not hold a position that she coveted, for they held no value in her grand scheme of ambitions.

Your untimely demise in that plane crash was your own fault, Fu Manchu, for you chose to double-cross me! Me, your only daughter, your very flesh and blood! That’s why I had no other option but to dispose of you. It was the only way to claim what was rightfully mine! Imagine how thunderstruck I was when I found out that despite being your sole legal heir, you had no intention of leaving me your empire when you passed – merely because I was not born a man!

From a young age, Li had honed her manipulative skills, starting with ingratiating herself with teachers in grade school. By gaining favor with them, she secured a position of authority as a “hall monitor,” giving her power over her classmates. As she grew older, Li’s ambitions expanded. With a shrewd mind and unwavering determination, she’d loftily climbed the ranks of the international criminal underworld.  Now, as the usurper of her late father’s empire, Li-Suun Niik, which rightfully should have been hers, the newly widowed Wong Li Ku had reached the pinnacle of covetous sovereignty as mighty Queenpin in the world of organized crime.

She’d established herself as a formidable figure, involved in smuggling illegal contraband and ruthlessly eliminating any competition or obstacles that stood in her way. Li’s ascension was marked by calculated moves, strategic alliances, and the skillful manipulation of those around her. She had become a force to be reckoned with, commanding fear and respect in equal measure as she solidified her grip on power.

Regardless of the personal costs she incurred, the ambitious woman remained undeterred in her pursuit of power. She had zero qualms about betraying her bosses, even if it meant becoming an orphan and, shortly thereafter, a widow. Her father, Fu Manchu, a notorious kingpin, and his intended successor, Wa Sing Ku, could not have foreseen the swift and calculated manner in which Li would seize control. They were victims of their own complacency, underestimating the depths of Li’s cunning and ambition.

Li operated with meticulous precision, striking from unexpected angles like a “cutthroat” attacker. Her true nature as a master manipulator and strategist remained hidden until it was too late for her adversaries to react. Her ability to anticipate their moves and exploit their vulnerabilities set her apart as a formidable and dangerous opponent. Li’s ascension to the proverbial Queenpin throne had come at a great personal cost, but she saw it as a necessary sacrifice to secure her position at the top of the criminal hierarchy.

Her actions sent shockwaves through the criminal underworld, leaving no doubt that Li-Suun Niik was a force to be reckoned with. Her ability to outmaneuver and outwit her rivals became legendary, cementing her status as a ruthless and calculating leader. Well, she’d had to endure a lifetime of being underestimated and cast aside as something inconsequential, partly due to ancient cultural bias, but mostly due to her gender.

You dismissed me, Father, because, in your sexist, erroneous, behindhand ways of thinking, you assumed I’d someday have children and go ‘soft!’ I will never forgive your judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions! I also won’t cease to stop despising you for legally authorizing that the titular inheritance and full control of  Li-Suun Niik would go to whatever arbitrary man you chose me to marry! What gall to decree that some stranger would be fitter to carry on your legacy than me, simply I was not born with a penis! You didn’t know I knew about your last will and testament, did you, Father dearest? Or about that ‘other codicil,’ you made as an additional amendment, which was the final nail in your coffin … and will someday be…theirs.

White-hot rage filled her then, stemming from the lifelong injustice of being spurned; first by the man who’d sired her, and then degraded and underestimated by every other male she’d ever encountered.

Most especially by that bastard cokehead, Ku! The hubristic, narcissistic hedonist had never seen her as anything more than the quintessential docile, trophy Asian wife, yet Fu Manchu had given his only legitimate offspring no choice but to wed him!

It’s sickening that I was coerced into marrying that vile, loathsome pig! Ku’s only saving grace was that since he thought so little of me, he trusted me implicitly, and had zero qualms about making me the sole beneficiary of his assets and everything legitimate he stood to inherit after I became his wife. All this damn rigmarole, purely so I could secure my rightful inheritance as his widow, in the unlikely event of his ‘sudden’ assassination.

Li clenched her knuckles into tight fists, not even feeling the sharpness of her long, manicured talons piercing the tender skin of her palms.

A lifetime of disrespect.

And presently, this impertinent Agent provocateur had the nerve to showcase such blatant contempt with her steadfast, tight-lipped stance! She was practically spitting in Li’s face by wordlessly conveying she’d rather bleed to death than even acknowledge the Queenpin was literally holding her very precarious, pathetic life in her hands!

The self-inflicted nail marks were now drawing blood, but the Black Widow was too enraged to notice.

I refuse to remain ignored by a common nobody like you, Lana Skye! How dare you denigrate me with such flagrant impudence?!

“Insolent American bitch!” Li snarled ferociously. “Just who the happy hell do you think you are? Fine then! If you won’t talk, then so be it! Forget about engraving your mug like a jack-o’-lantern … how about I straight up cut out that recalcitrant tongue of yours, instead?”

This latest perturbing threat promptly caused the captive’s false bravado to dissipate entirely, now replaced with an internally screaming case of the fantods. She’d seen that look in many criminals’ eyes in her life, but never towards her. Despite her resolve to not show fear, the newfound, icy-cold burning of Li’s rage scared Lana more than she hoped to display, and she barely suppressed a shiver.

The narrowed dark eyes were how the Chinese woman exhibited animus, dominance, and imparted fear.  In one forward-leaning motion, she was back in Lana’s face, palm outstretched. The intention was clear –  she intended to strike, but not with a closed fist as she might with a man. The impact muddled Lana’s brain as her head rapidly flew to the right, a red welt already rising on the skin of her cheek, causing her to tumble backward slightly from her seated position.

The brunette forced herself to sit back up, wildly ruminating that Li was possibly the scariest sight she’d ever seen. In those inhumane orbs lay the unapologetic indifference of a pure Bête Noire, a beast from the underworld that’d sold its soul for ease and in its place, found hell.

Regardless of the facade it chooses to adopt, whether adorned in beautiful attire or concealed within the putrid remnants of the damned, I am not deceived by its disguises. I perceive its true nature, unmasked and undeterred, for I can see through the veils it tries to cast upon itself.

There was something skewed within those ebon orbs now. They were savoring the confined as though she were a lover. The shanghaier took a single finger and licked it before running it down Lana’s cheek in an almost tender fashion, trailing down to the opening of her shirt, painted lips curled into a supercilious smile.

“Damien, remove her clothing. I like to see the raw material before my art begins.”

The abductee’s stomach did a somersault as beads of sweat began to run down her neck. For not the first time in however many days, she began to silently pray that whatever merciless torture Li intended before inevitably snuffing her out, it’d be over quickly. However, she doubted she’d be so fortunate.

This is one predator who obviously likes to play with her prey.

With a sinister smirk playing on her lips, Li’s expression was one of sheer wicked delight as she observed the unmasked trepidation reflected in Lana’s gaze. The sunlight streaming from the ceiling accentuated the malevolence in her expression, casting eerie shadows around her eyes. In her hand, she held a switchblade, its glinting blade catching the light as if hungering for violence. The knife was a weapon honed for destruction, its design seemingly crafted with a sole purpose: to end lives. Six inches of cold steel formed its deadly silhouette, adorned with a serrated edge that promised even more pain. The handle bore ridges that provided a perfect grip, fashioned from ivory, a chilling reminder the weapon had been murderous even in its creation.

The assassin, who’d been taciturn until then, could clearly already picture Lana in a pool of darkening blood. This mental image seemed to please him immensely, as his sallow phizog split into a deliberately cruel grin that arced insidiously, never fully reaching his sunken eyes.

“You wish is my command, Madam. But please, don’t sully those fair hands of yours. Do allow me to do the honors.”

Sporting a malevolent grin, the hitman slithered up to Lana with deliberate malice, wielding an additional knife that glinted menacingly in his grip. This particular blade was a dual-edged weapon, boasting a sleek design with a hardwood handle. Its craftsmanship was impeccable, exhibiting a precision that captured the attention of those who sought to project an image of toughness during their brief outdoor excursions. Damien relished the weight of the knife in his hands, a tangible reminder of its potential. Such an exquisitely crafted instrument was never meant to languish in the confines of a pinstripe pocket, surrounded by lint and coffee-stained receipts. It yearned to fulfill its purpose, to bring forth the pain and devastation for which it was meticulously created.

“As you wish. The removal of body parts is more your specialty than mine,” Li conceded, snapping shut the switchblade and tucking it into her back pocket. “Any final words, Agent Skye, while you still have the ability to speak?”

Lana affixed her sights on the contract executioner as he advanced on her, green eyes wide and pleading.

“Why are you doing this?” She asked helplessly. “I know Li bears a grudge against the competition or anyone who tries to thwart her business dealings, but why would you choose to destroy and snuff out the lives of people who’ve never done you any harm? Is this really all about money to you? How can you put a price tag on a human life?”

Her question was one he’d never heard before until that moment. It shouldn’t have made the hired killer pause, even momentarily, to ponder the unexpected query, yet it did nevertheless.

Damien Cain honestly didn’t know how he’d stumbled on being a hitman for a profession, and he didn’t care. He’d been the kid who survived the orphanage, the one who didn’t die in the dying rooms.

As I reached adulthood, the harsh reality dawned upon me that the path ahead was filled with anger, pain, and hatred. The darkness seemed to be the inevitable companion of my existence. Did I desire such a life? Yes, I did. Growing up amidst a backdrop of fire, ash, poison, and death, those elements became my familiar companions. They shaped my perception and understanding of the world, leaving me yearning for the only reality I had ever known. Love and kindness were foreign concepts; had never been taught or experienced in my childhood. In fact, throughout my formative years, I could recall encountering only a single type of smile—a twisted expression filled with malice and malevolent intent. It was the distorted lens through which I viewed the world, for it was the only reality that had been presented to me.

He had transformed into the harbinger of death, indiscriminately snuffing out the lives of both men and women. The lines of distinction blurred for him, as he showed no concern for their age, social status, or familial circumstances. Whether they had vulnerable children waiting at home or lived lives of abundance meant nothing to him. Once the payment exchanged hands, he became deaf to their pleas and blind to their struggles, consumed by thoughts of how to spend his ill-gotten gains. Patiently, he awaited the next set of instructions, eager to embark on his next mission, while envisioning the luxuries that his newfound wealth could afford him.

My thrill comes from the pursuit, the relentless hunt for my targets, and the satisfaction of walking away with a substantial reward. I harbored no personal animosity towards them; they were simply stepping stones towards my ultimate goal. Gender, age, or any other distinguishing factor held no significance to me. Each mark represented another hefty deposit into my offshore account. Sometimes, I would intentionally make my presence known, relishing in the spectacle of their panic and witnessing the erosion of their rationality as fear consumed them entirely.

“There are those who are naturally virtuous and consistently resist wickedness. Some are initially inclined towards malevolence but strive to become better through tremendous effort,” he replied tonelessly. “Then there are those who start in a place of goodness but succumb to darkness and those who are born into darkness and cannot perceive the light. Despite any belief otherwise, everyone can be categorized within these groups. So, which category do you belong to? Are you inclined towards goodness or wickedness? Light or darkness? An angel or a demon? As for me, I know my true nature. I am whatever is required of me to be in the given circumstances.”

His words hung heavy in the air, devoid of emotion or remorse. Damien saw the world through a prism of stark dichotomies: the inherently good, the reformed bad, the fallen from light, and the eternally trapped in darkness. To him, these categories were fixed, and everyone could be neatly classified within them. As for himself, he viewed his identity as fluid, adapting to the circumstances and demands of the moment. He proclaimed that he transcended the boundaries of morality and embraced the role required of him at any given time. He was a chameleon, shifting effortlessly between the roles of an angel or a demon, embodying whatever suited his purpose at that particular moment.

I was honed into a flawless executioner. Firearms, battle axes, daggers, swords, maces, bows, and arrows—I mastered them all, ready to employ any weapon to bludgeon you into oblivion. For thirty years, I toiled, delving deeper into the realms of inventive torment and killing. And I reveled in it, for I knew no other existence. I am merely a visionary with a singular aspiration. Your perception of me holds no consequence, as long as you submit. I concede that my methods may appear peculiar, yet they yield results. I comprehend the ideal form of life, recognizing the inferiority of many beings and entities. In my position, it is an act of mercy. I am aware that, if not saved through the wonders of death, they would perish in the abomination of existence.

“Save your breath, lady. There’s no point trying to stir the conscience of a man who sold his soul to the dark side ages ago. A man who no longer has anything to live for. It wasn’t always this way. Once, in another life, I had a favorite girl, back in New York. Her name was Lissianna. Meant so much to me that I honestly contemplated retiring my sniper – for good.”

For a fleeting moment, his serpentine eyes showed a scintilla of humanity, but it swiftly dissipated. He was a volatile entity, a ticking time bomb awaiting the slightest trigger. His temper was easily ignited, regardless of the triviality or insignificance of the provocation. His trademark maneuver involved delivering a powerful uppercut to the jaw, inflicting severe damage. Once, one of his unsuspecting victims had gotten their tongue cleaved in half by their own teeth.

“But then last year, she was murdered by a rival assassin. Never harmed a hair on anyone’s head a day in her life. That was the day I realized a man with nothing to live for also has nothing to left to lose, only gain.”

Lana’s mouth went dry as despair washed over her. There was no hope for her at all. She was truly at the mercy of not one, but two cold-blooded psychopaths. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes.

A wave of vulnerability engulfs me, surpassing any previous experience in my entire existence.

The brunette then felt his fingers dig into her cheek, four blackened ovals that would remain and discolor her skin long after the blood had dried from her veins. She could hear the pleasure in his stertorous breath, like an animal in heat, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood upright.

In this instant, a repugnant thought infiltrates my mind, suggesting that I would willingly embrace death rather than endure this immense suspense any longer.

Her thoughts went immediately to her parents, with whom she’d soon be reunited, and then to her loved ones.

Dear God, please take care of my sweet Ema and my dear Jake…and Miles, I hope you somehow find out that I never betrayed you. That despite everything, I protected you as best I could, right until the very end…

“Jesus ‘what is the H. for’ Christ! At ease, mercenary!”

A loud, incredulous voice pierced the air of the hangar, completely out of the blue. The sudden sound caused Damien to abruptly release his hold on the captured in order to swivel his head in the direction of the Euro-Asian man striding purposefully towards the triad.

The newly arrived stranger, appearing to be in his early to mid-20s, possessed a slender physique, complemented by his frondy, ebony hair that gracefully framed his forehead. His sable eyes bore an unmistakable restlessness and intensity, set within a subtly angular face that exuded a sensitivity often associated with femininity. A neatly groomed pointed beard and a delicate mustache adorned his countenance, curling downwards at the edges. Notably, his hands were slender and dainty, evoking an almost effeminate quality. At this particular moment, his accusatory finger pointed unwaveringly at the stony-eyed Li.

“Shang-Chi,” she greeted the man coolly. “This is certainly a surprise. I have not seen or heard from you in weeks. Where have you been?”

He ignored the question and forcibly placed himself as a barricade between the assassin and Lana so that the two men were almost nose-to-nose, then turned his reproachful gaze at his mob boss.

“What the shit, Lady Boss? Why are you letting your hired gun be so vicious with the merchandise?” Shang-Chi demanded, without preamble. “Don’t you think it’s best if we keep at least most of the originally appealing packaging intact, albeit barely, if need be?”

Despite his timely arrival and intervention that momentarily halted the killer’s actions, the newcomer’s expression conveyed a distinct sense of disdain as he briefly turned to leer at Lana. It was clear that his intention was not to be her savior, but rather a deep-rooted contempt for her existence. In his eyes, the captive held no value, deemed lower than even the dirt clinging to his meticulously polished shoes.

However, as he then resumed attention to the Queenpin, he was almost smiling at this point – lips turned fully upward as if something good were about to happen.

“I mean, at least save some of her to ransom back since she’d be worth more money that way!”

“Not that I need to justify myself to the likes of you, but some things are more important than the almighty dollar, such as ensuring this cumbersome Interpol Agent soon becomes permanently retired,” Li replied contemptuously. “Also, I am trying to run an international enterprise, with no violent crime involved within the daily operations of offering coveted products and services – unless absolutely necessary. I do not need to stoop to petty skullduggeries such as ransom and kidnapping, and risk drawing further undue attention to myself.”

“Interpol Agent?!” He echoed blankly, his eyebrows nearly shooting up into his hairline, indicating that this was newfound information. “Is that who she is?!”

“What?!” Li’s intonation was incredulous. “You mean you didn’t realize her true identity when you recklessly had your goons bring her back here the other day?!”

“Eep! Uh, at the time we – that is, Arsen, Arachnis, and I – figured that she was simply some willful troublemaker! So, um, yeah, I guess when you put it that way…” His voice trailed off nervously as he saw her pupils growing noticeably smaller with each word he uttered. “Ultimately, I guess none of us realized she was one of the nuisances you’d been actively seeking.”

“Let me get this straight, specifically so my lunkheaded, one-track, mercenary mind can comprehend this all,” Damien droned insolently, relishing the younger man’s visible discomfort. “When you jumped the gun and had me bring this broad back to Madam’s top-secret location, the fact that she ended up being a person of interest… it was all purely one big fluky coincidence, then?”

Shang-Chi gulped nervously at the fully baited inquiry.

“Well, yeah, but it all worked out in the end, right? And anyway, she was causing problems for my henchmen!”

“Oh, is that so?” Li lifted a perfectly groomed brow. “And what kind of problems would those be? How could she possibly have caused any inconveniences to you, when your whole job consists of sitting tight and awaiting my orders?”

“Hey now! That’s not fair! You always say I’m your right-hand man!” He whined. “Consequently, I made an executive decision, and excogitated a solid strategy, intended to help to increase our revenue!”

Li’s eye began to twitch, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the ever-observant detainee. Recognizing the warning signs that the pugnacious Queenpin was about to blow her stack, Lana gleefully pounced like a wily cat.

Well, if I’m already knocking on heaven’s door anyway, I may as well take this good-for-nothing cock sneeze down with me!

“Out of curiosity, exactly what was this great plan of further lining the already deep pockets for a woman who’s already richer than God?” She asked with feigned ingenuousness. “Was it the brilliantly concocted notion of using me, whom you’d deemed to have merely been a random shopper in a Romanian marketplace, as potential ransom? Or was the plot more centered around you being an uncompromising bookie? The type who runs a shady betting operation that entails shaking down the penurious local peasants for money they don’t have?”

“What cockamamie nonsense is this?!” Li whirled around to confront the kidnap victim. “What do you mean by that? Are you telling me that this wastrel pissant has been targeting the meagre purloins of poor local villagers?”

Lana smiled innocently. It was time for the final coup de grâce.

“Well no, not him not directly,” the American elucidated. “I do believe he left the real dirty work to his two thugs. The fedora-wearing one was of the scrawny, weasel-faced variety, whereas the other one appeared to be personally responsible for all existing world famine.”

Damien looked decidedly amused at this colorful narrative.

Li’s other eye began to twitch.

Shang-Chi looked ready to wet himself.

Lana shot them all the mother of all shit-eating grins as she continued.

“That was why you had your collectors target poor Mrs. Dedbeatzski and her daughter, wasn’t it, Shang-Chi? You sent those hooligans after a defenseless, poverty-stricken sartor, a single mother, no less, and tried to make cough up her runaway deadbeat husband’s $10,000 gambling debt, right?”

She smiled sweetly at the now sweat-dropping hoodlum.

“In the end, yes, your men did end up victorious, but only by pulling the whole tag-teaming sneak attack tactic on me. However, I don’t in the least regret my vigilant efforts to have successfully protected a helpless young mother and her little girl from those ass douches, any more than I care about knocking the spindly runt’s tooth right out of this skull!”

“Uwahhhh! You worthless, brainless sack of dishonorable discharge!” Li jabbed a pointy fingernail into the chest of her now quaking subordinate. “You made those dimwitted oafs of yours risk making a public scene and drawing unwanted attention to us, and then brought who you believed to be merely some random person to my hiding place? How dare you risk putting my neck on the line due to a failed shakedown of some unauthorized, half-baked side operation of yours? And for such a paltry, insignificant amount of money, to boot!”

“Whaaaat?” Shang-Chi’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “Ten grand is hardly chump change! You expected me to just let it go and move on? You’ve always been ruthless towards people that get in your way or owe you money, so I run my business the exact same way!”

“Yes, I have a very aggressive method of Accounts Receivable recuperation when I am owed money by clients, but that is when they owe me money in the millions if not billions! And because of the way I run Li-Suun Niik, even if I chose to stagnate our growth from today onward, this organization and all of its operatives have more money than we can ever spend! What made you think I would care about the measly additional dollars that would come from ransom or underground betting operations?!”

“Correction!” The minion interjected sullenly. “You have more money than you can ever spend, Lady Boss! The rest of us are not equals or profit sharers, but merely on the company payroll! We’re all subjected to whatever paycheck you consider fitting compensation for our undying, dutiful loyalty toward you. What’s so bad about wanting more than that? Some financial independence? Is it so wrong that I desired to have some money of my own? If anything, I thought you’d applaud me for my entrepreneurial endeavors!”

“I have no desire to dabble or associate myself in petty or violent crimes – or ever be tied to anything of the sort! Crime rule number one – you never let anyone know the location of your clandestine lair! On the rare occasion I’ve had a delinquent paying client or needed to interrogate someone, I would have Damien or one of my hatchet men take care of business at some remote, unknown motel! Because that way, if there ends up being an irksome body left in the room as a result of the monetary repayment operation being unsuccessful, I don’t care! Why? Because my men were smart enough to have paid for that room, in cash, under a fake name!”

Li began pacing like a caged, agitated tigress.

“I’m trying to build an empire here, you rat bastard! These things start from the bottom up. Don’t you know that respect from love will always triumph over fear-based respect, gained by procrustean means? If the people hate you, they will try to stop you, by doing things such as cooperating with the authorities! Hence, why I have zero desire to victimize the locals! If you take care of residential civilians, offering what they want in a fair exchange of money for the goods and services they seek, they begin to trust you.”

The loathing in her gaze hitherto targeted at Lana was now directed at her employee.

“Fair, uncomplex business exchanges means you are also buying their loyalty, aka their golden silence. They know they will be protected because our presence means they will never need to live in fear of rival gang wars, petty robberies, or muggings. And yet … you have been shaking down the very people whose loyal silence we seek?!”

“Well, excuuuuse me, princess! I didn’t know what your big-picture schemes were! It’s not like you let me in on everything you have going on! In fact, most of the time…”

“…You’re a meandering gadabout, with a penchant for drinking and whoring away your very generous paycheck, and then disappearing for days, if not weeks on end,” she finished icily. “For the love of God, I’ve seen screen doors on submarines less useless than you!”

“I was going to say, most of the time, you treat me like I’m nothing more than sheer divertissement – your throwaway boy toy!” He returned sulkily. “Fuck a duck and screw a pigeon already! So, I messed up! Gimme a break!”

“Evidently, Li, when it comes to bill collecting, your underling has never learned the futility of knowing when something is a lost cause, any more than he’s grasped that you can’t take blood from a stone,” Lana remarked, in her most helpful tone. “Subsequently, he’s probably amassed quite the side fortune using such unforgiving tactics. I’m rather curious – exactly how much your cut has been from all of this?”

“That is a splendid question,” Li agreed in a dangerously soft voice, reaching out and running her fingertip, in an amorous manner, across the trembling lips of her subordinate. “Would you care to give an equally splendid answer regarding this subterfuge, lover?”

“Ummmm…urk.”

The now sudoriferous Shang-Chi was officially a human WetNap at this point, and could only emit a strangled sound, much like a cat with a fur ball. Fortunately for him, the assassin chose that moment to intervene.

“I think we’re straying from an even more pressing matter, Madam. Prior to when I collected her from the woods, I have to wonder whether or not this dick brain, since he had no inkling who Agent Skye really was, thought to make his hoods inspect her for any tracking devices.”

With a timid wince, the tense hostage felt a sickening sensation begin to plague her stomach.

Fuck. My. Life.

As the kidnap victim inwardly cursed her luck, Li and Damien both turned their questioning glances at the very guilty-looking Euro-Asian, who could only muster a sickly grin in return.

“Naturally, Arachnis and Arsen confiscated the American’s cell phone and threw it in a river. However, vis-à-vis checking for anything else… Since we thought she was merely a regular civilian trying to be a superhero, we, ah, may have overlooked that little detail,” the numbers runner confessed sheepishly. “But since we’ve had her here for the last few days and nobody has come to search for her, it means I didn’t screw up in that respect, right?”

“Or, you witless, gum-flapping flibbertigibbet, it could simply mean that since she was brought here in a thick metallic van while unconscious, and is now inside a hangar, also made almost entirely of metal, the receptor of any existing subdermal tracker – which, as an Agent, she surely would have! – may not be strong enough. If you had any mother wit to speak of, you’d realize that is probably the sole reason the cavalry hasn’t come for her yet!” Li exploded wrathfully, already storming over to a small steel cabinet in the corner of the room and snatching out what looked like a black plastic remote. Pulling up the antennae, she then passed it to the hitman. “Damien, please do the honors.”

As he expertly began waving the RF Signal Detector up the Agent’s legs and torso, the contract killer smirked at the timorous younger man

“You better pray I don’t find anything on her, you sniveling, snot-nosed, waste of sperm.”

An instant later, the tell-tale bleep of the device when it was swiped up and down Lana’s left arm confirmed the slayer’s suspicions.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

“Well, well, well,” drawled Damien. “Lookit at what I just found!” He passed the device back to Li and brandished his knife again with an evil grin. “Lucky me! I get to use this after all.”

Until that moment, Lana had been plagued by a persistent headache, accompanied by aching shoulders, strained lungs, and excruciating pain in her ankle bones. However, as the situation unfolded, it brought physical distress to life in a palpable and unsettling manner. A new sensation coursed through her entire body, causing it to quake uncontrollably. This peculiar reaction was often triggered by intense degradation or, in this instance, overwhelming dread.

The tormentor caressed the cold metal blade with an unsettling affection, a sickening delight escaping his lips followed by an unsettling snort. In a twisted display of sadistic pleasure, he inhaled deeply, his gaze fixated on Lana as his fingers trailed along the outer contour of her bicep, intensifying the harrowing ordeal. His eyes widened, his tongue darting out to moisten his thin, parched lips, as he began to trace the sharp edge of the knife over a narrow stretch of skin between her elbow and shoulder, causing the captive to let out an agonized moan as the blade began to pierce her skin.

“Feel free to scream, Agent Skye. I know this must hurt like a bitch, but I’m going to keep on digging until I find that pesky bug in there – and it’s not like I’m using any anesthetic.”

Damien reveled in the sadistic gratification that came from torturing his victims while they were fully conscious. Watching their lifeblood drain until their skin turned pallid and frigid brought him a perverse and exquisite pleasure. The moments when they were still coherent enough to witness their own blood coursing through their veins were his preferred prelude to the true agony he would unleash upon them. The cacophony of their anguished screams became a symphony to his ears, a primal and untamed melody unlike any other he had ever encountered.

The intimacy and personal connection afforded by a blade have always been my preferred method of deriving supreme pleasure, contrasting it with the impersonal nature of a gun. There is something profoundly satisfying in the tactile sensation of steel against the flesh, the intricate dance between predator and prey. With each precise cut, I am able to savor the raw emotions and physical responses of my victims, reveling in the power I hold over their very existence. The proximity allows me to witness their pain and desperation firsthand, heightening the ecstasy that courses through my veins. A blade, in its intimate embrace, becomes an extension of my own dark desires, a tool through which I can unleash my deepest sadistic tendencies.

As the razor-sharp blade sliced through the flesh with effortless precision, a torrent of crimson erupted from the wound, forming a macabre fountain of red. The rhythmic pulsation of the blood mirrored the terrified heartbeat of the woman, intensifying the scene of horror and despair. The vibrant red liquid spilled forth, staining the air and surrounding surfaces, a vivid testament to the fragile nature of life and the impending darkness that loomed, and leaving an indelible mark on the twisted tapestry of cruelty unfolding. The sight of the gushing blood, accompanied by the woman’s whimpers of excruciation, heightened the sinister ambiance.

Don’t forget to squeal like a pig, doll. Otherwise, it’s all a bit of a letdown, an anti-climax.

A muffled, agonized scream escaped Lana’s lips, muffled by the metallic taste of her own blood pooling in her mouth. The searing pain radiated from the deep laceration on her arm, reaching to the very core of her being. It felt as though the fiery sting engulfed not only her flesh but penetrated deep into her bones as if her humerus itself were smoldering with intense heat. The unbearable sensation was beyond words, testing the limits of her endurance and resilience. Through clenched teeth, she fought to suppress further cries, her body trembling with a mixture of fear, pain, and a desperate will to survive.

Time seemed to stretch indefinitely as the relentless hitman mercilessly carved into Lana’s arm, the excruciating act seeming to never cease. With each passing moment, her desperate wish intensified, praying for her mind to grant her the mercy of unconsciousness, an escape from the relentless torment. The searing pain surged in relentless waves, growing more intense with every passing second. Brief respites offered fleeting glimpses of relief, only to be shattered as the agony intensified once again. The overwhelming sensation robbed her of the ability to vocalize her torment, leaving her silenced and gasping for air. Her body convulsed in a futile attempt to free herself, the zip ties digging deeper into her flesh, adding another layer of pain as they chafed and drew blood against her raw wrists.

After what seemed like infinite labyrinthine eons had passed, Damien finally let out a triumphant chuckle as he hit pay dirt and extracted the implanted chip from the bleeding wound.

“Looks like I was right to have underestimated your guy. Found the tracker, Madam.”

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

The falsetto ululation that escaped from the Queenpin’s throat made her entire visage turn puce with rage, reverberating loudly throughout the rooms and against the high ceiling like an endless echo. Lana cringed at the ear-splitting decibel, while the pusillanimous Shang-Chi began slowly inching away from them, looking like a deer trapped in headlights.

“You!” The volatile sylph swung her enraged stare at the shame-faced minion, steam practically coming out of her ears. “You massive fucktardian cunt waffle of epic proportions! What have you got to say for yourself?”

“Er…” Shang-Chi smiled weakly and haplessly turned his palms upward, even as he continued his discreet backward steps. “Pobody’s nerfect?”

“Argh!” She screamed, infuriated eyes nearly bulging out of her head. “How the fuck are you, of all people, my brother?! I curse you and the day you were born! I curse you and your whore mother and the capriciousness of nature which decided that despite sharing the same superior genes as me, you are too goddamn stupid to live!”

“Gyaah!” He recoiled in horror, mouth agape like a fish out of water. “Brother?! What fresh Game of Thrones hell is this? How the in the name of Satan’s taint are you and I related?!”

“My father had a casual fling with some Borginian harlot while on one of his many business ventures, of which you were the unfortunate illegitimate result.” Her voice dripped with scorn. “You’re 10 years my junior, little brother.”

“Holy shit zombies! Y – you’re my half-sister?! Why didn’t you tell me this last year? Back when you sought me out and acted like you were seeking comfort in my arms as a newly grieving widow, then seduced and persuaded me to join your organization?” Shang-Chi looked as though he were going to be sick. “Woman, how can you be so unfazed that we’re blood-related?! Last time we saw each other, I let you perform mouth to south resuscitation on me!”

Li shrugged nonchalantly.

“These matters are of no significance to me, or, a lot of people, since Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia exchanged saliva, and they were actual full siblings! Conversely, the idea of kissing the foul mouth of a notorious whoremonger such as yourself was beyond repugnant. Therefore, I decided fellating you was the most highly effective way of securing your loyalty.”

A cruel smile played on her scarlet lips as he turned slightly green and made dry-heaving sounds.

“Plus, putting my mouth on you was not only less personal than stomaching direct lip contact, but given the fact that you undoubtedly use a peanut shell and rubber band as a jockstrap, it was ultimately the more effortless chore, as well.”

“You bat-shit crazy succubitch!” He snapped out of his gobsmacked state then, his eyes now shooting daggers at his newfound kinswoman. “Up until now, I’ve never heard you – or any lucky ladies! – complain about anything, size or otherwise! And for the record, even a 747 jumbo jet looks mighty small when landing inside The Grand Canyon!”

George R.R. Martin, eat your heart out! Lana cringed, despite being horribly fascinated by this whole sick reveal. Also, that was an epic burn! The match point goes to the massive fucktardian cunt waffle there!

“I grow weary of this endless game of attempting to match wits with a halfwit, Shang-Chi. Moreover, little brother, you have not only proven you are unreliable and untrustworthy but have outlived your use, as well as that of your so-called manhood. As have I.”

Li gave an exaggerated yawn and turned her head to the side, raising a manicured hand to cover her mouth as she did so.

Then, without uttering another word, she casually reached behind her, pulled out a Walther PPK, and with expert aim, shot Shang-Chi right between the legs.

BANG!

“Guaaaaah!”

The young man’s valor immediately ceased as he dropped madly to the ground, assuming the fetal position, his legs pressed tightly against his chest while he screeched and writhed in agony, hands clutching his rapidly hemorrhaging groin area. Blood gushed with sickening determination from the agonized man’s afflicted area as if his own heart sought to pump it from his body. His fingers clamped over the wound, two pale starfish growing paler by the second.

“You men take far too much pride in the thing in your pants that you love as toys.” Li’s countenance registered nothing but boredom as she impassively eyed the thrashing figure on the ground. “You love them more than we women ever will. We’d rather suck on a cold pickled dill. Or in your case, a gherkin.”

“Fuck you, Li!” Shang-Chi managed to wheeze out amidst his tortured cries, his voice strained and filled with anguish. Each convulsion of agony seemed to plunge him deeper into an abyss of immeasurable depths, swept away by relentless currents and haunted by unseen horrors. Every few minutes, his screams would erupt, devoid of the theatricality seen in action movies, but instead bearing the rawness of a soul consumed by unending torment, a pain that transcended imagination and pushed the boundaries of human endurance.

“I don’t think you have the equipment anymore. And even if you did, been there, done that… it was forgettable.”

Almost casually, with her features never changing from the affixed mask of ennui, Li pulled the trigger again, this time shooting her half-brother right in the stomach.

“Aiyaaaaaaa!”

It was a gruesome sight to behold. The bookie’s vital fluids from the dual wounds were pumping out in fluctuated levels of oozing speed; large and small, but relentless flows of crimson.

The glinting appearance of the gushing red under the streaming sunlight was almost Halloweenish in appearance, but the pungent effluvium certainly wasn’t, nor was the overall effect on the traumatized Lana. Watching the young man grow quiet and only able to emit labored panting sounds now as he slowly ebbed away, eyes growing steadily duller, she felt as if her own guts had also been blown apart.

The deafening screams echo relentlessly, searing into my mind, refusing to be ignored. Each agonizing cry tears at the fragile fabric of my heart, unraveling it with every passing moment. I desperately seek refuge from the piercing sound, but it engulfs me completely, shattering any semblance of peace or solace.

However, soon after the second blast, he no longer felt a thing, and Shang-Chi lay still on the ground; cold and clammy, mug closed in a grimace, hands now laying limp by his sides, his skin no longer golden but grey, and fingers sticky with congealing blood.

Memories of the final, high-pitched caterwauling of the dying man, resulting from the close-range, eviscerating blast to the gut, was a sound that would haunt Lana’s nightmares for as long as she lived.

Back to Present

Miles Edgeworth
Location:?
Date/Time:?

Grieving does not change you. It reveals you. The deeper the feeling, the greater the pain. More than anything right now, I would like damn well to hear your voice again.

Miles had always kept a close shield over his emotions, and even at the greatest moments of tragedy and loss in his life, tended to grieve on the inside. He wanted, no needed, to believe that he successfully hid his innermost anguish and sorrows from everyone. However, if others could see past his austere façade, none dared mention it to the highly esteemed, yet aloof Ace Attorney. It was crucial to believe he was capable of hiding his emotions from the world; his position as High Prosecutor demanded the appearance of complete confidence and control.

Only a precious few, such as his best friend and ex-fiancée, could get past his constant barrier and found the legist to be someone whose masked emotions could still be noted readily if one paid close enough attention.

Phoenix had once told him he could see it in Miles’s eyes, his movements, and his posture.

Franziska had declared it was foolish to think he could ever fool her; she claimed she could always pick up on his vibes of ‘inward weeping’.

Even Lana, when hearing of his childhood nightmares, had stated she too, could plainly see his ‘internal lament’ demeanor.

“I do not understand why you persist in trying to conceal your emotions from me, Miles,” his ex-lover whispered tenderly, enfolding him in a comforting embrace and gently caressing his back. “Because no matter how much you may resist it, I can perceive your thoughts and feelings with unwavering clarity, as if I am reading a book whose pages have already been turned to the very last chapter.”

With bloodshot eyes, I watch you sleeping
The warmth I feel beside me is slowly fading
Would she hear me, if I called her name?
Would she hold me, if she knew my shame?

There was music blaring from unseen speakers somewhere in the hangar, probably more to drown out Miles’ agonized screams when they finally snuffed him out than for the goons’ entertainment. It was the umpteenth example in the lawyer’s existence of art mocking his life, for the chilling words reverberating throughout the room were way too eerily suitable for his liking.

There’s always something different going on
The path I walk is in the wrong direction
There’s always someone fucking hanging on
Can anybody help me make things better?

If only she could see Miles now, so lugubrious by this abrupt loss that he couldn’t have held back the lone tear that rolled down his cheek if his life had depended on it.

Your tears don’t fall, they crash around me
Her conscious calls, the guilty to come home

My vision is blurred by tears, and the walls that have supported me, keeping me strong, crumble. The droplets fall incessantly, one after another, tracing a salty path down my chin, and drenching my shirt. I no longer give a toss who witnesses my vulnerability. It’s unfathomable that my final words to you were contained within that farewell letter, titled “Dear Lana,” where I callously devalued everything we had shared, all in a misguided attempt to convince her to stay with Marshall! 

The moments died, I hear no screaming
The visions left inside me are slowly fading
Would she hear me, if I called her name?
Would she hold me, if she knew my shame?

Noting the two ruffians were currently in deep conversation with another man and woman who had their backs towards him, Miles seized the rare opportunity to have a private moment to mourn.

This battered room I’ve seen before
The broken bones they heal no more, no more
With my last breath I’m choking
Will this ever end I’m hoping
My world is over one more time

“Oh, Lana,” he susurrated dejectedly, disregarding the red pool he was kneeling in and shuffling forward. With great effort, he somehow managed to use his trussed hands to gently flip back the disarrayed russet locks away from her visage so he could bid her a proper farewell. “I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this.”

“Miles?” The muffled voice was faint but unmistakable. “Is that you?!”

He questioned his own perception, blinking repeatedly in an attempt to dismiss what lay before him. However, the sight that greeted his eyes was undeniably real – a pair of wide turquoise orbs filled with shock, shimmering with tears yet to be shed. The pale hands that reached out quivered with a mixture of fear and sorrow, adding to the undeniable presence of anguish.

Lana was alive!

The wave of relief that surged over him was almost more than his heart could hold.

Without preamble, he swiftly cupped his hands under her shoulder and lifted his ex from her prone position so she could sit back up, before encircling his looped arms around her head and pulling her into a crushing hug.

“As I live and breathe!” He whispered fervently, running his hands over her hair as if trying to confirm her existence. It was as though he couldn’t fathom that she wasn’t just a figment of a long-forgotten dream, but a living, breathing being right before him. “Lana! You cannot comprehend the depth of my relief and joy, knowing that you are safe and unharmed!”

“Miles!” Her eyes lit up at the sight of him. However, since her own hands were fastened behind her back, she was unable to return the embrace, so instead rested her forehead against his. “I never thought I’d see you again! But what are you doing here? Are you OK?”

“I’m fine, for now, though groggy from whatever those two hoodlums injected me with. Forget me – are you, all right? When I saw all that blood, I thought you…”

He couldn’t even let himself finish the sentence; he only hugged her even more tightly.

Lana forced herself to briefly forget where they were, and alternately, focused on the welcome sight of her dear friend’s gentle, caring countenance. Tears of relief dripped from her cheeks onto his white cravat as they both basked in the familiar warmth of the other’s hold; a welcome solace, however brief, from this blood-soaked nightmare hellscape.

As Miles scrutinized every part of her lovely, bloodless visage, comforted by the fact that she seemed to be free from injury in the general head area, he felt something warm and sticky on the inside of his wrist, which was resting around her shoulder area and drew back in alarm when he spotted Damien’s sadistic handiwork.

“Lana, you’re bleeding!” His frenetic gaze roamed over her, cringing as he saw the rufescent splotches on both her arm and chest. “What have these beasts done to you?!”

“Don’t worry about my arm, it looks worse than it is,” she tried to reassure him, although unable to mask her wince from his unwitting contact with the affected area. “They cut out my subdermal tracker so you and the others wouldn’t be able to find me. It hurt like the dickens at the time, but it’s only a flesh wound.”

“And your collarbone?” He anxiously gestured at the nasty red gashes around the neckline of her shirt with his chin. “What happened there?”

“A very aggressive attempt to get me to cough up your whereabouts. But you need to know, even if I had known, I’d never have sold you out to this deranged monster!”

“Much obliged, but more importantly, since you’re not bleeding enough to have created this crimson tide – praise the Lord! –  then I’m most flummoxed about that blood you were lying in. If not yours, then whose was it?”

“His.” She tilted her head towards the fallen bookie, whose sprawled corpse lay barely six feet away, and shivered at the grotesque sight. Shang-Chi had been murdered right next to Lana, and she could still feel the drying blood splatters on her neck and arms. “I reflexively dove for cover when that gunshots went off, and then just stayed down, only to get semi-soaked in the bloody aftermath.”

“Dear God!” Miles reeled back, appalled. “It seems he was shot twice, but neither was fatally enough to be a speedy death – the poor man must have suffered extensively as he bled out! Nnph! Nothing but a true lusûs naturae could be this cold-blooded!”

“I much prefer the term Bête Noire. It has a much more poetic ring to it, does it not?” Li smoothly interjected, having crept up to the still-embracing duo with such ninja-like surreptitiousness, neither had heard her approaching. “Allow me to formally welcome you to the festivities, lover boy. We are so happy to have you finally join us!”

“Li?!” Miles’ jaw fell to his chest. “I thought you were dead!”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I heard that one today.” She roguishly nudged him with the pointed toe of her leather boot, as if in greeting. “You’re not the first plebeian to make that misjudgment, Mr. Edgeworth, yet your eyes do not deceive you. Yes, it is none other than I, Wong Li Ku, née Tsong, back from the grave – for I. Am. The. Revenant!”

“Eat your heart out, Leonardo DiCaprio!” Damien chuckled humorlessly from his new stealthy position behind the pair, who jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice. He peered down his nose at them with a crooked little smile. “As much as I hate to break up such this little lovers’ reunion, we have been waiting for the arrival of Max Banks for far too long to waste another minute.”

“Shang-Chi was her brother!” Lana whispered frantically as the hitman leaned down and forcibly yanked her from Miles’ arms, then deposited her back down onto the cement beside the lawyer – not gently. “Li was sleeping with, then murdered, her very own flesh and blood!”

“You killed your own kinsman?!” Miles gawped at the mafia head in disbelief. “Why would you do such a heinous thing?!”

“Don’t waste your time shedding any tears for the recently fallen. Believe me, it was not only inevitable but long overdue. Incidentally, he was my only half-brother. My bastard half-brother. Shang-Chi only became aware of my existence when I sought him out a year ago after my husband’s untimely departure from this world. First, he became my devoted sycophant, and thereafter, my paramour, and secured his eternal fealty to me. They say the way through a man’s heart is through his stomach. I say they’re aiming a few inches too high.”

She smirked at the prisoners’ identical poleaxed expressions.

“I’ll save you both from asking the $64,000 question. Why didn’t I try to secure his loyalty by informing the rambunctious scofflaw he was my long-lost kinsman? It’s very simple. How many movies, books, TV shows, and plays have centered around the plot of a gullible wastrel’s overstimulated libido ultimately being his undoing? Thousands? It’s the one instance where life will always imitate art.”

A venomously sweet smile. One that would have made Dahlia Hawthorne proud.

“With men like Shang-Chi, nothing matters more than their epic poonhoundery, the kind which stems from the premise of having their own unremitting sausage wallet. All that’s required in return for promised lust and thrust is for him to blindly and eagerly betray everyone and anyone near and dear to him, even his own relatives. Not that family ties meant anything to my kin.”

Her phizog hardened then.

“It wasn’t blasphemy enough when my duplicitous, son-of-a-bitch father, Fu Manchu, coerced me into a loveless marriage with that swine, Ku! He thereafter wrote in his final will that his entire empire was bequeathed to my husband rather than me, his own progeny! The pièce de résistance, aka the final bacon bits on the suck salad I was dished out, came in the form of his auxiliary codicil. The one which stated that if anything happened to my husband, his unworthy bastard offspring – a lowly half-breed, no less! – who was raised in some backward northern European country, would still be better suited to run his enterprise than his eldest lawful descendant!”

Li’s tone was rife with bitterness.

“The gall of Father, preferring an unknown, illegitimate son to me! Me, the one who was raised to know all of the ins and outs of the operation! Me, who was there from the start and never gave him reason to question my alliance or loyalty – until he stabbed me in the back with his treachery. Naturally, I had to dispose of my father, the will, Ku, and eventually, Shang-Chi, when the time was right. So, you see, I couldn’t possibly let that adulterated pebble in my shoe ever discover his true identity. I have worked way too hard to get where I am to have that taken away from me, and I will fight until my dying breath to hold on to what is rightfully mine!”

The perturbed Miles was still gaping at her.

“But that makes no sense! If you already destroyed that will, why would you have turned your own sibling into your sex slave?”

“I assure you, there was, and always will be, a method to my madness. My father was a crafty one. I may have gotten rid of his direct estate attorney, Regis Smallprint, along with his law office and his copy of the will. However, since then, at least a half-dozen copies have come out of the woodwork, each from a different law firm – all exactly the same. Subsequently, let’s just say, the world is missing a few lawyers and law firms. My father is to blame for all of this, as his actions are what signed their death certificates! All of this happened due to that accursed amendment!”

Her lip curled up into a disgusted sneer.

“I have always believed in keeping my friends close and enemies closer, and what better way to keep my little brother at my beck and call than to figuratively and literally have him by the balls? I reckoned if I kept the little shit weasel close by and set him up in a carefree, cushy position, I could keep a close eye on him in case he ever proved to be useful while ensuring the path to all his heart’s desires were only found through me.”

“But then you shot him!” Lana cried plaintively. “After all this meticulous scheming, why did you still end up killing him?”

“Ultimately, he proved to be more of a liability than an asset when his actions threatened to bring too much attention to my organization. He was clearly too goddamn stupid to live. That would be why you caught the unfortunate backsplash of his intestinal innards, Agent Skye, and why you are presently up to your knees in his hemoglobin, Mr. Edgeworth. Sorry about that.”

“Like hell you are!” Miles shot a baleful glare at the mafia princess. “Don’t sully our ears with false proclaims of mea culpa when Lana and I know very well you aren’t contrite for any of the atrocious acts you’ve committed! In order to be repentant about something, it necessitates having some semblance of a conscience, for which you first require a heart and you are in possession of neither, you diabolical fiend!”

The room fell deathly silent after his uncharacteristic outburst.

With bated breath, Lana stared at her ex in dismay as she noted Li narrowing her eyes.

Oh Miles, please, don’t provoke her! She prayed, hoping he could somehow read her mind. You have only heard, but not actually seen her in action, as I have! You have no idea what this monster is capable of!

Wordlessly, Li sashayed right over to the bold prosecutor and squatted down in front of him, her features indecipherable.

“Fair enough. I’ve had zero need for such sentiments, for that would only make me weak. Instead, what I do possess is a mind that’s as sharp as a whip, and eyes as sharp as a hawk.” She thoughtfully tapped a long fingernail against her chin. “And while my entire life has always centered around a take-no-prisoners philosophy, I am not so callous that I lack the ability to recognize matters of the heart. Even though I don’t experience feelings firsthand, I am fully capable of acknowledging, even admiring, the depths of raw, hot-blooded emotions in, as well as between, others. Particularly… yours.”

Wanton onyx orbs bored into defiant grey ones for several long moments before Li spoke again, this time in a silky purr.

“You know, if my desire to coax information out of you didn’t surpass my newfound desirous stirrings for you, in any other circumstances I would approbate if not outright covet some of that valiant, masculine ardor for myself, Mr. Edgeworth.”

She trailed coyly ran a red talon across his cheek, over his lips, and down his throat, uncaring that her touch made him gasp and recoil back, as though he’d been scorched.

“Such a fetching specimen,” the exotic beauty murmured appreciatively. “You look so proper and dignified on the outside, yet simmering under the surface, there’s so much fire! So much fervency! I vividly recall covertly observing those primal urges being unleashed in my then-fiancé’s living room. You were supposed to be operating a sting, in search of those precious cocoons, yet your smoldering chemistry knew no boundaries as you two caved into your passions. Your basic instincts made you throw caution to the wind, even though it meant overlooking the concept of potential hidden cameras. I felt the unfamiliar stirrings of wistfulness, coupled with jealousy, as I watched and thought how lucky you were, Agent Skye, to be on the receiving end of those lusty kisses and caresses from this Adonis.”

She leaned closer to Miles; her flagrantly lascivious gaze so disturbing that Lana had to look away.

“I am beautiful, desirable, and powerful; have everything money could ever buy. However, I have also remained fervently unfulfilled for far too long. You two demonstrated more passion during your one, fully-clothed, steamy lip-lock session than I ever had with Ku during all our years together in bed, where I repeatedly debased myself trying to satiate his ugly needs – always with zero reciprocation. It seems my lot in life is to never experience raw, no-holds-barred, prurience.”

Her beckoning mouth was almost touching his now, while he could only eye her in stupefied revulsion.

“Indulge me, handsome. I want to experience at least some of that raging passion that you have for this fortunate lady beside you, which was unmistakably the one thing the two of you weren’t faking while undercover. I want you to share some of that raging inferno with me, as I have been denied the taste of genuine, unadulterated concupiscence for far too long.”

Li’s parted lips were practically brushing his now. He tried to turn his head away, but she firmly gripped his chin in her soft, cold hand and held it still.

“Care to rectify that … Miles?”

The barrister clenched his eyelids shut.

Franziska.

The last time he’d known the touch of a woman, the honeyed taste of perfect lips, created and moulded for his, had been over a year ago before he’d left to resume the cocoon mission.

He’d never forget the feeling of his beloved’s warm body fitted perfectly against his as she’d fervidly matched his hungry kisses with her own; he’d sworn he could feel her reciprocation of all the love in his heart, which at the time, he was unable to express aloud, but had desperately tried to convey in that last, fiery embrace they’d shared.

It doesn’t matter whether I give into Li’s depraved, twisted desires or not. Lana and I are going to be killed regardless of what I do – this female praying mantis solely likes playing with her prey before she bites the head off it! And if such is the case, then I wish to leave this world basking in the sweet satisfaction that the last lips I savored belonged to the love of my life. I cannot and I will not have this She-Devil take that away from me!

Stemmed from an inner strength he didn’t know he possessed; the prosecutor jerked his head out of the Queenpin’s iron grasp. Then, right before she could plague his lips with her own, he sucked in a heavy breath, and with all his might, spat directly into Li’s expectant kisser.

Time stood still as the Asian slowly rose back to her feet and stared unwaveringly down at the two of them, as she slowly wiped away the expectorated saliva from her cheeks and chin.

“Well, that was unpleasant.”

Lana’s heart stopped as the mob boss drew out her gun and pulled back the hammer.

“That was a very unwise move, Miles Edgeworth!” Li hissed fiercely. ” Evidently, you have proved yourself to be more looks than brains. To think I was actually going to let you live a little trifle longer; until I could pump you for more information about Interpol and who could possibly be aware of my whereabouts and what they know about the cocoons.”

“Forget him. I say we continue interrogating his precious mate here, Madam.” Damien let out a sarcastic chortle. “I have both various and creative ways of getting people to talk – even obstinately loyal ones like Agent Skye…”

Li cut her henchman off, now wearing an ominously homicidal expression.

“Not before I blow that man-pretty head right off his neck … whilst his lover is forced to sit here and watch!”

The anterior policewoman let out an involuntary whimper, not even bothering to hide her dread anymore.

With prickled skin and senses sharpened with adrenaline, Miles found himself staring up into the barrel of a very close-range gun.

“I’m breaking my rule for you, Mr. Edgeworth,” Li remarked casually. She was smiling now; the coldest smile he had ever seen. “I generally prefer to keep my hands clean, as there is a certain solemnity when snuffing out another human being, especially failed heroic ones like yourself. In fact, it’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he’s got – and all he’s ever going to have.”

Miles immediately shut his eyes. He refused to die with that twisted face of hate and evil as the last thing he ever saw, and mentally conjured up images of the love of his life as his final comfort.

Meine dame. My only wish now is you somehow find out that until the moment I left this earth, my final thoughts were about how I never stopped loving you.

He was already making his internal peace with his Maker when Li pulled the trigger.

“Miles! Noooooooo!”

BANG!

Robert Tepper – No Easy Way Out (Title Song)
Metallica – Fade To Black (Chapter Quote)
Bullet For My Valentine – The Tears Don’t Fall