Safe House [Deathstroke]

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A mixture of ice and rain pelted the windshield of her black escalade that had only been driven a handful of times. The raven-haired beauty rarely drove herself anywhere, though her paranoia had gotten the best of her. Backseat full of her possessions and a few bags of groceries, Sofia sped away from the comfort and familiarity of her penthouse. Her cellphone vibrated loudly in the passenger seat next to her, causing the brunette to jump. She had forgotten all about it. Could it be traced? Should she throw it out the window? Perhaps she was thinking about this a bit too much. The sight modified glock catching the vibrations of the phone next to it eased her fears slightly. She wasn’t even sure if her assumptions were correct, let alone if she was being a tad bit overdramatic. However, the Ice Queen had her assumptions and she wasn’t willing to disregard them with a drink as usual. Her dark eyes scanned toward the phone for a brief second before returning to the road. It was Rocco, her charming fiancée who was spending the next few weeks in Italy to visit his parents. Ignoring the call, she focused on navigating the large vehicle to her location.

She snarled and slowed down as she noticed the familiar street sign. She was getting closer. One of her father’s safe houses would be the perfect get away for the evening and ease her fears. She would have herself a few drinks, get a good night sleep and head to the airport early the next morning to join Rocco until this whole thing blew over. Her hands shook as she put the vehicle into park and grabbed her phone, roughly shoving it into the pocket of her fur coats.

Grabbing both the groceries and her bag one-handed with a bit of difficulty, she locked the car and started toward the front entrance of the empty house, gun in hand. Sofia looked over her shoulder and down the street as she approached the large door. A simple four-digit password caused an audible click to sound and Sofia was let into the home. Tossing her stuff to the side as she hurried in to avoid the sheaths of ice-rain that were relentlessly showering her. Wet hair plastered to her olive skin, she released a small sigh of release. Her hide-out would suit her for now, though it was nowhere near as splendid as her penthouse. Still, she felt as though she had a leg up on him and her paranoia was temporarily masked. She reached into her back pocket and placed her plane ticket, passport and wallet on the end table nearest the front door. Tomorrow was a near day. She would leave for Italy to join Rocco for a week or so and leave Angelo in charge of her affairs as well as appointing someone to take care of her little problem. Sofia was the last one to run away from her problems – though if she was correct, this one couldn’t be avoided.

Desperate to get out of her wet clothes, she quickly inspected every room in the house before she allowed herself to relax. The gun had yet to leave her hand.

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Perched upon a nearby rooftop, Deathstroke watched as the young, dark-haired woman entered the building and closed the door behind her. His services had been in demand ever since his return to Gotham, and this job was one of many that he'd accepted, probably thanks to the rather large pay off attached to it. Targeting anyone associated with the Falcones was a risky endeavour, and tailing the target, one 'Rocco Gigante' to Italy would be a waste of time. He'd be surrounded by bodyguards, family associates and anyone else involved in the world of organized crime. No, going after him directly would be a sure-fire way to fail this contract. He'd have to bring Gigante back to Gotham. The man's fiancée, Sofia Falcone, would help him accomplish this.

The girl wasn't stupid. She was well ware that someone had been tailing her, and the pistol she carried wasn't just for show. Still, she planned on boarding a plane in less than 24 hours. From there, she'd be safe and sound with Rocco in Italy and any shot Slade had at getting the guy would be gone. He couldn't let that happen. There was little time to waste.

Always cautious, Slade watched the front of the building. A couple of black cars, clearly watching out for Ms. Falcone, were easily spotted in the vicinity. One parked against the sidewalk and the other circling the block every fifteen to twenty minutes. After a couple of hours, the streets grew darker, rain continued to fall and the second car vanished. They'd no doubt gone home, having seen nothing to worry about. Now was the opening he needed. Deathstroke quickly and quietly made his way down to street level using a fire escape and approached the parked car, still in the same spot. Two men were in front seats, smoking and laughing heartily amongst themselves. He briskly walked to the front of the vehicle and drew his silenced pistol, firing two precise shots through the windshield. Neither man could even react before they slumped over in their seats, lifeless. 

The assassin approached the front door, noticing the small security system in place. Slade reached down onto his belt and removed a tiny, four-pronged device. He popped open the security keypad and attached the gadget to it, causing a small jolt of electricity to shoot forth, then waited. After a brief pause, Slade pressed a few buttons on the keypad. No beeping. The system was dead. Now it would be just the two of them. No need for a quiet entrance. With his pistol still grasped in his left hand, Deathstroke positioned himself in front of the door and delivered a forceful kick, knocking it wide open. He stepped out of the rain and into the pitch black safehouse.

The game had begun.

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An elite security system surrounded the house. It was highly advanced despite the antique feel that the house seemed to radiate. If that were not enough, several of her father’s best men were on standby. Pairs sat in cars to do a manual security from the perimeter and insure that their queen was safe for the evening. Sofia had been completely vague concerning the details, though they could tell by her concern that it was something serious. The few who could be trusted this evening started to make bets on who the feisty brunette had wronged on this occasion, though they didn’t take a moment to consider that their own lives may be a risk by protecting her.

The safe, sheltered feeling would be short lived for the young woman. She removed the leather jacket that had was still covered in beads of water. She started toward where she assumed the bathroom would be. Practically shivering as she started toward it, the brunette was desperate to get into a change of clothes and crawl into the comforting covers of the large king-sized bed that awaited her. The loose-fitting, white tank top she wore was completely soaked, as was the stylish black skinny jeans that covered her long legs. The gun didn’t leave her hand as she quietly inspected the house from top to bottom. Her reflection surprised her from time to time when she passed an unexpected mirror or two.

When she could finally put her guard down, she sighed as she surrendered to the comfort of one of the nearest, plush, armchairs. Her phone vibrated once more from its spot on the end table, but she ignored it. After she took a hot shower she would call him back. He was concerned as too why she was so eager to join him in Italy, when weeks before she was doing anything in order to get out of it. When Sofia finally moved from the chair and moved to prepare her bath, the sound of shattering wood and a resounding kick echoed throughout the house.

Her eyes grew wide and all of her fears resurfaced. It was pointless to deny she was home, though she leapt over the chair and raced down the long hallway. The skills that this man possessed were not ones to be challenged. Despite the amount of questions that the brunette had, she knew that if the time for talking did come she would have something to say. There was also buying them off as an option. However- she highly doubted that she was going to get the time to speak considering the circumstance. The fit brunette launched herself into the kitchen and ripped open the door to the extensive wine cellar below. Saving her gunfire for a closer opportunity, she knew that this wasn’t going to be easy. Surely her men outside would have noticed the commotion by now, it would only be a matter of time before they came to aid her.

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As Slade stepped out of the rain, he immediately heard the scurrying of footsteps from inside. The assassin raised his pistol and carefully walked from room to room, checking them for his prey. *Bzzzzt.* What was that? Deathstroke entered a dark room, illuminated by a cellphone vibrating on a small table. He picked up the phone and glanced at the name on the screen. Rocco. A smirk formed on his lips behind his mask. Unless she had another phone on her person, she had no contact with anyone outside of the safehouse. Slade dropped the phone to the floor and stomped on it, crushing it into small fragments of plastic and electronics.

"Show yourself and you won't be harmed." he said in a loud, clear voice. No answer. This woman wasn't going to make things easy, but why would she? For all she knew, Slade could be there to kill her. After all, being a target was probably something very familiar to members of the Falcone family, and with good reason. Slade thought about calling out once more, but decided that time would be better spent continuing the search. Gripping his pistol, he moved into the kitchen and immediately noticed that a small door was slightly ajar.

A wine cellar. It wouldn't be smart to corner yourself down there. Ms. Falcone didn't seem like a fool. With one way in and one way out, the wine cellar served as a perfect choke point. She was armed too. Clever girl. She was most likely down there right now, weapon at the ready, just waiting for the first person to walk down those stairs and into her sights. A sound strategy. Slade backed up on the right side of the door and slowly pushed it open. The hinges creaked as dim moonlight shined down onto the first few steps down into the cellar. She was still silent. Deathstroke sighed and called out down into the dark room.

"I'd suggest you drop your weapon, Ms. Falcone. We need to have a little chat."

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Sofia was not stupid. In fact, running to seek comfort in the wine cellar was the best decision that she could make. This cellar was unlike any one would have expected. The home itself was as old as the city, and a series of accessible tunnels were located in the cellar, each leading to a unique area around the city. The lengths were exhausting and winding, though she knew that she could dart down one of these passageways if she found herself cornered. The only flaw in her plan would be the lack of knowledge concerning the routes of these tunnels. She had been so young when her father first brought her here that it was impossible to recall where each of them lead with complete accuracy. Any of the blueprints devised for this home was void of the information of the tunnels, so she was sure it would be as much as a surprise for her newfound stalker as it was for her.

The cellar was dark with scarse lighting available. His words seemed to catch her off-guard. Just as she started toward the entrance of one of the four tunnels, she processed what he was saying. No- it had to be a trap. Surely he claimed such a statement to all of the individuals he killed, after all, that would only make his job so much easier. He wasn’t going to get the best of her – though she had a plan. Sofia slipped the expensive watch she wore off of her wrist and dropped it near the entrance of the tunnel, as if to give the illusion she had retreated down its narrow pathway and carelessly left it behind.

He would be expecting her to unleash all of her ammo the second that he started down the stairs. But she was going to wait until he found her watch and took the time to examine it before she sent all of her bullets ripping into his flesh. It seemed to work when she played it out in her head, and surely the glint of gold would catch his eye even with the little light available. Crouching down behind some of the stacked, corked barrels, Sofia made sure that there was a short distance between herself and one of the other passageways in case her plan took a turn for the worst. Her heart pounded in her chest as she aimed awkwardly in attempt to keep herself concealed until the right moment. Slipping her free hand into her back pocket to retrieve her cellphone, her eyes grew wide when she noticed its absence. While it was a major flaw, she disregarded it for now and returned her hand to the gun once more.

Sofia processed his words, but was not going to oblige. She continued to practice her silence, still not fully convinced that this was not a trap. Her hands shook due to a mixture of adrenaline and cold temperatures. Sofia was fully aware who was coming after her, though she didn’t know who had commissioned the skilled assassin. Surely many would want her dead, though who could afford to outbid her for he go-to hitman?

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No answer.

Deathstroke peered down into the darkness again, this time spotting a small glint of light in the pitch black. He immediately ducked back into cover, his mind running at one million miles an hour. Was it a gun? No. Not unless it was a small, concealed weapon. That'd hardly be enough protection for someone living the life that Sofia did. A knife? Her family had employed Slade before, she no doubt knew of him and what he was capable of, so why would she try to take him on in hand to hand combat? No, it couldn't be a knife. What was she trying to- Wait. A smirk formed on the assassin's lips beneath his mask. She really was clever, wasn't she? The small shining object was bait. She was counting on him walking down the stairs to investigate, putting him right into her sights, just like he'd thought.

At least the cell phone was out of the equation. Destroying it may have been too hasty, it could've been used as a bargaining chip in this little exchange. Yet even with Sofia cut off from those who could protect her, Slade didn't have time to waste. The men patrolling the streets outside could return soon, and the busted safehouse door would lead to Falcone thugs all over the area. This was his one shot to get it right. It was quite clear that Ms. Falcone didn't feel like being cooperative, so things would need to escalate. Slade called out once more, not really expecting an answer, but for politeness' sake.

"Last chance."

Deathstroke sighed and reached down to his belt, removing a small flashbang grenade. The blinding flash and loud noise would be more than enough to disorient anyone within the radius of the blast. He'd rush down the staircase after the grenade went off and retrieve Sofia. Yes. A sound plan. The assassin cautiously took one last glance down into the darkness of the cellar, the light catching his eye once again. He silently pulled the pin from the grenade and hurled it down into the room. The sound of the metallic flashbang hitting the floor echoed up the staircase. He took a deep breath and counted down.

Three.

Two.

One.

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Did he really think that she was going to surrender so simply? She remained in her hiding place, eyes and gun locked where she expected him to descend down the steps. Her body began to ache from its awkward position, though she ignored it, too focused to move. A small, metal device came flying down the stairs causing her to crane her neck to get a better look. Before she could even begin to question what it was the device released a blinding flash in tandem with a near-deafening noise.

“Ahhh!” she shouted in pain. Her eyes shut and instantly began to tear up and there was nothing by a rhyme and pounding ringing in her ears. The heiress nearly dropped her gun as she rose her hands to her face. Had she been shot? No, surely it was just the device. Struggling to open her eyes, her vision was gone. There was only blackness. Blinking rapidly, she began to recognize some of the figures of objects around the room.

The painful pulsing in her ears continued as she started forward. Her entire sense of balance was off as she stumbled desperately toward the nearest tunnel. Random spots distorted what little vision that she had retrieved. Sofia rubbed her eyes with the back of her free hand as if that might help. Like one who might have had too much to drink, she continued to stumble forward, wielding her gun in all different directions. Surely he was down in the cellar with her now. Was this how she was going to die? Blinded and stumbling around in the cellar of her safe house? Did she have a chance if she made it to the tunnel? Surely she wouldn’t get far until he caught up with her, not like this. Still, that wasn’t going to stop the stubborn woman from trying.

Sofia shot blindly into the cellar, her bullet colliding with a barrel of something and causing the liquid to spill out onto the floor. “Stay the hell away from me!” She threatened.

Sofia is wearing this

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As Slade rushed down the stairs into the confines of the wine cellar, a shot rang out, whizzing past the assassin's head right into a barrel of wine. That was one shot. The glock was modified, however. An extended magazine, maybe? Slade ducked behind a small layer of brick wall at the bottom of the stairs and peeked around the corner. What kind of cellar was this? Several openings in the far wall looked like they lead down into some sort of tunnel system. Convenient for someone in the Falcone family business. Slade glanced down one of the tunnels and saw the woman he was pursuing. The flashbang most definitely hit its mark, as Sofia was visibly shaken by the effects of the device. She stumbled groggily down the passageway, clearly not fully recovered. 

She was in a bad way, but still dangerous. It could be too risky to move in right now. The ammunition in her firearm would need to be depleted, or at the very least get down to the last couple of shots before the assassin made his move. Taking a page out of Batman's playbook could be the right move. She already feared for her life... Perhaps the fear could be used to an advantage?

Deathstroke leaned down and picked up a bottle of wine. Probably valuable, but that didn't matter right now. He took a few quiet steps forward as Ms. Falcone continued to blindly but slowly make her way further down into the tunnel. The assassin took a deep breath and then picked up speed. His footsteps were heavy. She'd need to hear them and believe that he was right upon her.

The thudding of Slade's footsteps grew closer and closer to Sofia. She should be panicked by now.

"There's no point running." Deathstroke said audibly as he launched the wine bottle in Sofia's direction. Slade quickly ducked into a small alcove as the wine bottle smashed into a wall opposite Sofia. In the split second after the bottle smashed, Slade continued to explore every possibility in his mind. If she turned towards the sound of the noise, he would rush her. If she exhausted her ammo believing that she was firing at him? Even better. He just needed that gun out of her hands so that they could have a nice, little chat about her fiancée. 

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The brunette let out a shrill sound of pure frustration. Her vision only allowed her to see silhouettes and shadows, giving her the sensation she was having a bad dream. Then there was the ringing. If he had said anything to her, she surely wouldn’t have heard it. Her frustration scream echoed around the passageway, the unpleasant noise bouncing around the tunnel. She fell forward, ultimately losing her balance and causing her to fall to her knees.

She needed to get back up, she needed to run! Then she heard it amongst the ringing, his voice. Her hearing was returning back to her. However, she couldn’t judge how close he was to her nor his whereabouts. Sofia returned to a standing position with some difficulty. No more games. She was going to put a bullet through this masked freak. Though she had once admired his services, it looked as though the tables were turned.

The sound of broken glass brought a smile to her curled lips. Though her balance was still of, Sofia was a dangerously good marksman. With a shout that could only be described as a battle cry, they young heiress fired every bullet that she had into what was nothing. Each bullet lodged into the stone wall. Sofia could feel the heat radiating from the weapon in her hand as she lowered it. Smoke filled the tunnel.
Had she gotten him? Was he dead? Her chest rose and feel beneath her tank top, though other than that she remained still, waiting to see if she had hit her target or if he would come bounding out of the smoke.

Sofia is wearing this

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Shot after shot rang out as the stone wall chipped away with every bullet. The sound of the shell casings hitting the stone floor echoed down the tunnels, provoking the slightest of smiles underneath Deathstroke's mask. His plan worked. With smoke now seeping through the tunnel, the assassin remained still, his eyes focused solely on his prey. Sofia was just now getting her bearings, but Slade was quite sure that she'd just used up all of her ammunition. 

How best to approach this situation? Would she cooperate now that she had no bargaining chips left? Would she respond better to threats, empathy, or the truth? A civilian would be easy to figure out. Just a small amount of pressure and they'd usually cave, giving Slade whatever he wanted. But the daughter of a mob boss? Sofia wasn't a stranger to violence and intimidation. These were the very tactics used by her father and her fiancée. She was a smart girl too, maybe she'd call a bluff. 

Maybe he wouldn't have to say much at all, though. After all, actions speak louder than words.

Deathstroke cocked his pistol and stepped towards Sofia from the rear. He raised his firearm and pointed it directly at the young woman, finally speaking once again in usual, gruff tone of voice.

"You missed."

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Her senses returning, the smoke was finally fading. The only sound the accompanied her paranoid thoughts was her rapid breathing. Sofia’s chest rose and fell rapidly. The gun was ridiculously hot from the recent activity, though she was almost immune to the intense pain as she waited in suspicion.

She didn’t expect him to come from behind her. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss him even after she had rid her gun of bullets. Honestly, she was entirely confused in regards to how he had managed such a feat, but it only proved his skill. After all, she had commissioned him for his abilities in the past, it only made since that if anyone were to kill Sofia Falcone, he would certainly be a contender.

The audible click of the gun caused her red eyes to widen, she sucked in her cheeks in a moment of pure annoyance, furious that she had managed to fall into such a vulnerable position. Is this how it was supposed to end? Dead in a tunnel? Surely the rats would find her before anyone else, though she almost preferred it.

She rose her hands in the air as if to surrender. “Ok, stop. I can pay you. I can pay you double what they are paying you to kill me.” Sofia ordered. The brunette turned around slowly to face him. Part of her was waiting for the end of the gun to cool down, simply so that she could attempt to bash part of his skull in. Or maybe she would try a different mean of attack? Her mind reeled. This hadn’t been the first time she had been held at gunpoint. Sofia wasn’t going to go down like this.


Sofia is wearing this

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"Don't plead with me, Ms. Falcone. It's unbecoming of you."

Slade took another step towards Sofia, the sights of his pistol focused directly onto her head. He didn't want things to go badly, but it was a precaution he had to take.

"Do you really think you'd still be alive... That we'd be having this conversation... If you were my target?"

The Falcone family had dealt with Slade before, so Sofia knew that there had to be a reason she wasn't a corpse yet. Deathstroke looked around the area. Falcone was recovering from the affects of the flashbang grenade, but she didn't have any routes for escape outside of the two ways down the tunnel. She wouldn't be fast enough to outrun him, but the possibility of some Falcone henchmen finding the broken door and the two corpses outside the safehouse grew more likely with every passing moment. This would either need to be quick, or he'd need to take her with him.

"You know that I pride myself on being a professional, Ms. Falcone, and you're aware that I've done business with your family in the past... That's why I'd like to keep this as civil as possible."

His eyes moved down to the empty gun clutched in her hand.

"... But first, drop the gun. I'd hate for you to do something you'd regret."

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“I’m hardly pleading.” She spat, the scowl quickly returning. “You will never hear such words leave my lips, fool.” Sofia proclaimed, her voice echoing throughout the tunnel. “I am only offering a monetary value for you to leave me alone. I would say it is more of a suggestion – and one that you would be wise to take.” Gritting her teeth, she didn’t quiver or step back if he started toward her. If she were to die, she would do so in a noble way with her dignity intact. However, she was starting to worry for her situation as she stood with her head held high, finger tips shaking with adrenaline.

What if money couldn’t get her out of this one?

She took a deep breath as he eyes trained on the end of the pistol pointed directly toward her, daring her to move but convincing her to stay still. His next statement was one that caused her expression to soften slightly, only to mask her strong features with a mixture of confusion and shock. “What?” She asked, obviously caught off-guard. She racked her brain for a possible answer, finding herself temporarily speechless. Gritting her teeth, her face grew hot. She felt like a fool. If he didn’t want to kill her, he was planning to use her for something else.

She sucked in her cheeks as they grew warm with embarrassment. With a bit of force, she dropped the gun to the ground, kicking it swiftly toward him. After all, it wasn’t as if she exactly had a choice. Still, she had stalled long enough. It wasn’t long before her security realized their flaws and moved to correct them. If she continued to draw out this process – the tables might turn. “What do you want?” She asked, practically seething.

Sofia is wearing this

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"My current target is out of reach right now. You're going to help me resolve that."

The assassin remained confident in his tone of voice as he spoke.  Slade would need to choose his words carefully, otherwise this situation could go south very fast. He looked down at the pistol on the ground, then carefully knelt down and retrieved it, holstering it at his side. 

"I've been contracted to kill your fiancée."

A straightforward, honest and direct approach. Lying to Sofia at this point would achieve nothing. She already knew that if she were the target, she'd be dead. She was willing to negotiate, albeit with some financial incentive. People like her always tried to buy their way out of these situations, and most of the time it didn't work. The offer would need to be ludicrous for Slade to leave a contract incomplete. No, if any progress were to be made, negotiations would need to become more aggressive.

"As I said, I'd like to keep things civil... But that isn't up to me. It's up to you."

Slade raised the pistol slightly, pointing it at Sofia. His finger eased down onto the trigger, not yet squeezing, but ready to do so in an instant.

"I want you to convince Rocco to come back to Gotham."

That second car would be back shortly, no doubt leading to more bloodshed once they discovered the broken door and came barrelling down into the cellar like brainless human shields. Whether Sofia's blood would join them, however, was up to her.

"The choice is very straightforward, Ms. Falcone. You either agree to help me now or our negotiations cease. Right now it's him..."

Slade flicked a small switch on the side of his pistol. A red laser sight flickered on and illuminated the immediate area with a crimson hue. The red dot of the sight moved directly onto Sofia's forehead.

"Or you."

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Sofia scoffed, folding her arms across her chest to avoid the exposed feeling that had washed over her. She wasn’t used to being on this side of things. Forever the antagonist, she was humiliating to be put in such a position. Held at gunpoint after being hunted like some kind of animal. Part of her wished he would have just shot her so that she could die with some kind of dignity. However, she didn’t want to die. Money didn’t work, she was not sure what else she had to rely on. Still, he hadn’t completely smothered her fire. “You need my help doing your own job. How incompetent.”

As he crouched to retrieve her gun, she tensed once more. However, it was the next statement to leave his lips that caused the cold stare to waver. Her eyes grew wide and her nostrils flared. Her fingertips were shaking and a cold sweat came over her. Was she going to faint? The ringing in her ears stopped and she was enveloped in silence.

“No.” She said simply, her words failing her once more. She dug her fingertips into her crossed arms, leaving crescent-shaped indentions in her skin. It was quite the ultimatum. Assist him in the murder of her fiancé or be killed herself in a tunnel. Obviously the selfish brunette was going to choose herself over him – though it was quite a predicament.

A hysteric peel of laughter flew through her lips. “Well obviously I am going to choose myself now, aren’t I? This is sick, even by my standards. I swear to god I will have your head for this.” She dropped her hands to her sides, focusing on the end of the gun that was trained on her forehead. The red laser caused her to squint slightly as it threatened to end her life in an instant. “Lower that damn thing.” She demanded, as if she had any power in the situation.

“And how do you expect me to convince him? He wouldn’t come home unless it were some sort of emergency, and even then it wouldn’t be something I could not handle on my own. He’s going to see right through this...I don't exactly play the role of the victim very well....incase you haven't noticed."

Sofia is wearing this