Cadence Nightwish: Fresh Pastures

Cadence looked left and right before using her stiletto heel to jemmy open the window. She slipped in with ease and closed the window behind her with a bang. She walked into the living room, then heard an unnerving noise. A gun. She was standing there in a skimpy turquoise halter top and a pair of pink jeggings. She was wearing new heels, plum purple, and had her hair in plaits. From the back, she would hardly be recognisable as Cadence Nightwish, which is why when she turned, she found her little brother pointing a flintlock pistol at her. His brow furrowed as he saw her face. "C-Cay?"
"Austin..." She frowned back. "What are you doing here?"
"Could ask you the same..."
"This is Belinda's old house..."
"I know..."
Someone else appeared behind Austin. A redhead with tanned skin. "And what do we have here?" He asked in a sleazy tone, sizing up Cadence's body. Cadence glared at him.
"Are you Austin's friend? No, I doubt you are...don't look at me like that, it's disgusting, I'm engaged."
Austin turned and waved Ursa Borealis away. "It's really good to see you again."
"Likewise."
"Are you okay? You look a little upset..."
She rolled her eyes. "You pointed a gun at me."
"Because I thought you were an intruder."
She heaved a sigh and looked at the floor. "Jasmin's dead. France has fallen."
"Ah." He hesitated for what seemed like the longest time before stepping forward and giving his sister the tightest hug he could muster. She hugged back and sat him down on the sofa, smiling softly at him.
"I'm so happy to see you again, Aussy."
"I'm sorry about Jasmin."
"Me too...it was a noble death, though...he was trying to be a...a human shield..." She mimed getting shot in the head. Austin winced.
"Jesus..."
"Left me a gift, actually."
He arched an eyebrow. "What gift? The shoes? They look new."
She laughed. "No, not the shoes..." She bit her lip, unwilling to tell him.
He shrugged and turned his head to look at the door as two girls came in. Daemon nodded politely to Cadence, who nodded back. "Hey Scaroe."
"Nightwish." She came over and sat beside Austin. "Long time no see."
"Yeah...how are you, anyway?"
Daemon shrugged. "Can't complain."
Cadence smiled "Good."
Austin prodded her. "What was the present?"
"It...doesn't matter."
"Something's wrong." He noted.
She rested a hand on her belly and looked away. "I hope there's room for me here...got nowhere else, unless I return to the temple..." The way she said it suggested it was not an option.
Austin gave a slight nod. "Legally, this place belongs to our family, they can't kick you out." He frowned. "Seriously, what aren't you telling me? I can always tell when you're keeping something back."
"Drop it."
He looked like he was going to argue, but instead gestured for Daemon to come over, and pulled her onto his lap.

-----

River examined the black veins across her skin in her reflection in a puddle. Her soft Brazilian features cut into a mosaic by the harsh, black lines. She heaved a sigh and rested her back against the bars. She could hear arguing in the distance. American accents. A light smile played across her face. Soothing. Familiar voices. She frowned. Familiar? She looked out across to the opposite cell, down to the sigil on her hand, the one that passed her pain to some other prisoner. Her eye was caught by a large, unsightly spider, scuttling to the dungeon entrance. One of Arachne's?
The doors opened. "No, seriously, the coast is clear. Honestly, Memphis, I'm not totally stupid."
"Yeah, as much as I would love to believe that from someone like you..." There was a joking tone to this man's voice...Boston accent...the other two were Texans...
The man who hadn't spoken yet after the door opened was tapping the bars he passed, counting under his breath. A dark-skinned man appeared at her cell and she scuttled back, veins shrinking in to be hidden. He began flicking through a little book. "Okay, remnant possessed Brazilian girl, long, brown, curly hair, tan skin, brown eyes, short...think I got her." He took a moment to be sure of measurements before slowly and carefully drawing a sigil over the lock of the door. Memphis and the unfortunate looking man with brown hair stood against the opposite cells.
"Mem!"
He nodded, smiling. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses. His eyes looked irritated. The door swung open and the man with dark skin pulled her to her feet.

She must have dozed off. When she woke back up, she found herself in a run down building. Of course, she didn't know it, but this was the same run down building the escaped prisoners, including Jasmin and Charles, had found Perseus in. "Nice place..." She muttered, shivering.
A blanket was draped over her shoulders by the brunette man. She frowned at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name...?"
"Xerxes."
Memphis smirked. "He's Melantha's brother. The other guy's called Nemo. They're experts at sneaking around, killing, breaking out war prisoners and vomiting spiders."
River pulled a face. "They're children of the spider?"
Memphis shrugged slightly. "Xerxes is. Quite close to the Torment, he was."
"Ew..." She shifted away from him and he looked upset.
"River's arachnophobic, Xerxes. Xerxes gets a little upset by rejection, River."
Both apologised softly.

-----

Walking down the street awkwardly were three men. Perseus Frivolidad, Charles Fiable and Dorcas Cascade. They spoke in hushed voices, of things other men and women walking down the narrow side street were not meant to hear. Perseus hung back a little, letting the other two yammer on. He was not in a good mood. They reached an empty road and the two leaders raised their voices a little. Perseus continued to ignore them, trailing behind even more. When the other two looked behind them to see what was taking him, he had stopped completely, brow furrowed, head tilted to hear better.
"Pers?" Charles asked, a little worried.
Dorcas shook his head. "Leave the kids round here alone, Frivolidad."
He ignored them again and ran off in the opposite direction. Dorcas looked worried and gave chase. "Frivolidad!"
Cascade had little chance of catching up to Frivolidad. He was skinny and unhealthy. Perseus was large and muscular, more than used to sprinting in life or death situations. Charles was faster than Cascade, and he felt he could catch his boyfriend up, but he didn't reach him before he skidded to a halt by some bins and started tearing off lids.
"Perseus! What are you-?"
"Shut up! can you hear it?"
"The crying baby? It's loud as a motorcycle, but..." His eyes widened. "It's in the bin?"
Perseus reached into one of the bins and pulled out an infant. Dark skin, newborn, male. He handed him to Charles and took off his jacket before wrapping the baby in the jacket. "Abandoned." He breathed, shocked.

((Trying to make up for killing Jasmin, guys. Look, I just gave Charles and Perseus a son :3))