Work Text
When she was young, she often thought: Someone could kill me right now, and they’d never find out who.
Crimes of passion, intriguing intersections of relationships, those were easy. But Gigi Murin didn’t have that. Didn’t have anything complex. She had a best friend, a mom, and that was it. No one could really understand her train of thought.
Well, besides Ame.
“Fingerprints,” the blonde would shoot back, curious eyes taking apart her sister’s watch.
“Gloves,” was her retort.
“Footprints.”
“A mop.”
“A paper trail.”
“Burn it.”
And they’d laugh, kids sitting on the school’s bleachers while waiting to be picked up. Kids who loved books and strange things and staying up too late talking to one another. Ame would be a detective, she decided when she read some dusty thing, and Gigi cheered her on.
“What about you?”
“Me?” Gigi would shrug every time. “I dunno. I guess I’ll just be with you.”
She never thought much of it, it was the truth. But then they grew older and she started noticing the way Ame’s hair framed her face. The way she brushed it back to reveal faint freckles and a smile that still held secrets. The way she laughed like sunshine.
She and Gigi got married after they left town, howling with pure joy as Gigi’s busted pickup carried them to their new home together in a big city.
Ame took to her studies with great praise from her teachers. Gigi was so proud, practically sweeping her up in her arms every time she announced a new step forward into her career.
As for Gigi… She got a job at the school Amelia was going to. Or, academy, but Gigi rolled her eyes at the insistence of her boss. It wasn’t the best job, a janitor, meaning she was cleaning up so much mysterious gunk, blood from rookies being rookies, and chemicals from the lab and whatever else happened on a daily basis. You’d think since no one wanted to do the literal dirty work that she’d be paid better, but eh, she at least was able to catch Ame around her classes and harass her wife.
Life was good. Life would be even better once Ame graduated and became a real-life detective. Gigi could hardly wait, she had plans of a big dinner at their favorite late-night diner and a night all to themselves. A night to enjoy peace before the customers would come flooding in.
Amelia was admitted to the hospital just a month after her third year.
Gigi couldn’t sleep, sitting by her bedside and holding her hand. She was always so clumsy, but Ame didn’t say anything beyond giving a stuttering breath when Gigi’s grip was too strong.
Returning to work was hell. She kept her phone on the loudest setting, checking it too often just in case. Yet, no matter what she did, it felt like her heart was being pulled out of her ribs. It was hard to even breathe some days, knowing that if
something
went wrong and she wasn’t there…
Then the bills came.
It was no doubt that Hollow Drive fucking sucked, but god did Gigi’s heart sink when she saw just
how much
Ame’s treatment was. Not to mention, they didn’t even know
how long
she’d need it.
They didn’t have the money. Gigi’s job was barely enough to cover rent while Amelia’s tuition helped with the school stuff. She even asked for a raise, almost close to begging, and all her boss could do was apologize and ask her to wait for them to budget at the end of the year.
But if there was one thing that her job was good for, it was making connections. Turns out, while people were assholes, there was a few people willing to respect a janitor. Especially if the janitor helped clean up their vomit after a bad stomach bug. It was enough to get her more work, a simple job at a friend’s friend’s restaurant. She’d work there most of the day, then go to clean the school in the evening until sleeping and doing it all again. She worked overtime, even asking her bosses to schedule it so that she could work more of one shift on the other’s day off. She felt like she was stretched thin, not able to see Ame due to pesky things like chores. And sleep.
But she felt better knowing that Ame could get through it. Through sickness and health and all that. Gigi might have joked that she was too busy getting lost in her wife’s eyes but she was honestly a romantic sap. She remembered their vows. Remembered the promise.
She’d do anything for Ame. Even worked a fryer that irritated her sleep-deprived eyes even more.
“Gigi?” Her boss raised an eyebrow. “You okay? Don’t fall in!”
“Y-yeah… sorry,” Gigi mumbled, rubbing her eyes and making them sting. “Just… wanted to see her yesterday, so I got up early.”
“How’s she doing?”
Gigi pulled out the fries, watching them for a moment.
“Very tired. More than me!” She tried laughing and, thankfully, her boss followed along.
“Understandable!” Her boss hummed. “… Are you still looking for side gigs?”
“If you can stand to be away from me~”
“Hah! Well, I know you clean, right? A friend of mine needs a bit of help.”
“How bad is it that you need me?” Gigi raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I’ll do it but…”
“Great! I’ll send you the address.” She leaned in, her voice turning into a whisper as her face grew serious. “It’ll be fine. It’s just that she had to kick someone out of the apartments they own, and apparently he left a bit of a mess. They’re willing to pay really good though! So I thought of you!”
“Thanks…” Gigi laughed. “Well, it is Hollow Drive. Should I be expecting anything?”
“No! Just do what you normally do!” Kiara beamed. “Think of it as thanks for covering me when that trainee came in.”
Gigi scrunched up her face. Of course she’d cover her when her cat got sick. If Bubba or Popo got sick, she’d probably lose it.
God, she couldn’t even think of that. She was already lonely at home, even with them there.
So Kiara messaged her the address and a time, which, thankfully, didn’t conflict with anything. She got off of work, threw her apron on the bed, fed the dogs, and hopped back in the car.
The apartment building looked normal, not much to say about shades of black and brown and sterile floors. Given its state, she really doubted they needed much help. But with a “really good” pay though, she’d be happy to do little.
She was met in the lobby by the staff member, who smiled and waved as if it were a totally normal night. Gigi explained, but the lady already seemed to know why she was there, grabbing a key and passing it to her while she was mid sentence.
“You just need to clean the living room, bedroom, and kitchen,” is what she was told.
Creepy, but there were plenty of creepy things that happened during her nightly janitorial shifts. It did make a chill go down her spine, but while on the elevator, she looked at her phone to remind herself of the reason why she was doing it all in the first place.
To see Amelia as lively and heroic as she was before.
Gigi took a deep breath and wheeled her cart full of supplies out of the elevator and to the abandoned room.
It looked like a normal apartment, just with a tornado blowing through it. Furniture on its side, broken glass, empty boxes, not-so-empty pizza boxes. She supposed she was just glad her mask helped her not gag.
With nothing looking too horrible, she put on her gloves and got to work. Mopped the floors, cleaned up broken bottles, threw away a broken potted plant, it was all pretty easy. Better than most accidents at the school.
Still, there was a feeling she couldn’t get rid of. A tenseness in her spine, begging her to sprint out of there as soon as something looked off.
Nothing really did, so she just continued working, zoning out as she cleaned mysterious stains and threw out more junk. She was about finished when it hit her.
Literally, she ran right into the string to the attic.
“Why’s it so low?!” She huffed as she looked up. The attic door was cracked open slightly. With a roll of her eyes, she tugged on the string, finding it jammed. She frowned and tugged harder and harder. “What kinda place is this? We don’t have a- what the fuck-”
Gigi frantically stepped back as something heavy fell from the now opened attic and landed in front of her.
It was somebody.
Somebody that wasn’t moving.
Sure, Gigi was prone to screaming, but she meant it this time. Her mind quickly unraveled back to those morbid conversations she had with Ame.
“What would you do if there was a body?”
“Scream!”
“But then the police would come in to investigate!” Ame would laugh. “And you’d be thrown in jail!”
“But I didn’t do anything!”
“You read the book! Not all police are good.”
And man, did Gigi’s heart begin to race as she thought about the incredibly corrupt Hollow Drive. It wasn’t even a secret. But it was the closest academy for Ame, and she never backed down from a challenge. She was going to change the world.
Which meant: Gigi couldn’t afford to get arrested.
And she definitely was going to be. This job was eerily clean. The people were overly nice. Probably because if they knew she saw something, it’d be pinned on her.
“Fuck…” She winced as she prodded the body. Given the blood coming from its chest where a knife was, she could assume the cause of death. “… Fuck, man…”
Gigi took a breath, nearly gagging at the smell, before rushing over to carefully pick the bloody body from the ground. Several panicked words escaped her lips as she shoved him into a black body bag and, after thinking about it for a moment, started shoving various trashes in there to hopefully mix up the smell.
“Okay, it’s fine. It’s fine!” Gigi looked over her handiwork. “Just gotta get this to my truck, get it somewhere secluded…” She paused before nodding to herself as she remembered, “And get a dead animal to bury on top.”
She didn’t know if it’d actually work. She didn’t know if she was just digging herself a grave. But when she found the fire escape, all that and the body bag flew out the window. She very, very casually began throwing the bags of trash and the body into the back of her truck. It took a few trips, but with a tarp, she could easily mask what was happening.
Hopefully.
Maybe.
She took a moment of reprieve, looking at her phone to remind herself again, before looking up at the attic.
… technically, she didn't have to clean it. But…
“Aw, fuck…” Gigi replaced her gloves and rolled up her sleeves before heading up to the attic. “They
better
pay well!”
She couldn't risk anything being amiss. Anything that made the police find her. She had to get rid of evidence, she had to clean up the bodies. She was doing this for her wife.
Gigi lifted the last body bag into her truck bed before trying to calm her breathing. She leaned against her truck, looking up at the smoky night sky.
… what was she doing? She was so tired.
She shook her head and walked back inside to update the clerk. She didn't mention anything beyond the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. And she definitely kept clear of any morbid talk. Though normally, she'd probably bond with the woman over having night shifts, she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
“Here,” she said, pushing a check upside-down on the counter. “The owner has already signed it for you.”
Gigi frowned, carefully picked it up, and she was pretty sure her heart stopped.
She choked on her breath.
“R-really?!”
“She really appreciates you doing this for her.” The clerk gave a kind smile. “She'll be in touch.”
That was terrifying, but even more so was driving down the roads at night, doing her absolute best to look as proper as ever before getting rid of the evidence and bodies. She had to say that the worst part was getting the bodies out and poking them with a shovel into a hole.
She finally got home, her hands still feeling sticky and her body aching. As much as she wanted to pass out, she
had
to get a shower before she could even think about bed. “What if I got blood on Ame's side? She'd never forgive me!”
The thought made her freeze, hand still outstretched to open the bathroom door. “... She'd never forgive me…”
If Amelia, a future detective, was to find out that Gigi had hidden a crime scene?
Oh, Gigi's heart couldn't take that. Thankfully, Popo noticed his owner's distress and ran up to her, barking.
She bent down and began petting him, holding him close when the anxiousness got too high.
After a moment, she took a deep breath and pulled away with a smile.
“Thanks, Popo! You're right, Ame would understand.” Her smile wavered slightly. “She’d… have to.”
With that, she began getting ready for bed, hoping that tomorrow wouldn’t be as terrifying.
She received a call from a number she didn't recognize.
Mildly terrifying, but it was definitely not uncommon, she's pretty sure her information has been traded around the internet like no tomorrow. She usually can block and move on with her life.
However, the number isn't the weird part.
It was the name attached to it. Rarely do they ever have names attached to their scam lines. Not to mention such ridiculous names as “Bloodflame”. And she was sure she had heard the name before…
So, against her gut feeling, she answered.
“H-hello?”
“Is this Gigi Murin?” An accented voice came from the other side.
Gigi quickly looked around the break room and set her water bottle down.
“Yeah…?”
“Good!” The voice chuckled. “I saw what you did at the apartment. I was a little mad because our man was missing, but was surprised to see absolutely nothing wrong with the place! You did a good job.”
The hair on her arms began to rise.
“Uh… Thank you?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not angry anymore. In fact, I’m here to offer you a job.”
Gigi tensed.
“A job?”
“You see, I am Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame.”
Gigi gripped the table, gulping. She had remembered.
Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame: leader of Justice, was not just anybody. “Justice” was one of the groups that
ran
Hollow Drive. They were much more open about their appearance, often “
donating
” to the police department and various other organizations. Advent did it as well, but the police force was strictly under Justice’s thumb. The last police chief that tried to take from another gang had mysteriously vanished. And all of that led back to Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame.
Oh, she was so dead.
“Are you still there?” Elizabeth asked.
“Y-yes!” She squeaked. “Sorry, just…”
“No, no, no problem,” she chuckled. “I know this must be surprising. But you really did a good job. And I’d love to have you clean up more for us.” There was a creak of a chair. “In fact, I believe we can help you in return.
Her name is Amelia, correct?”
Gigi had no choice. They knew Amelia. They could
hurt
Amelia.
She no longer cared if they hurt her, used her, but
Amelia…
“Just do what we say and she'll receive her care,” Elizabeth said and Gigi could hear the smile over the phone. “You'll be contacted with further details soon. My friend knows who to look for.”
Gigi couldn't even speak. She couldn't even breathe. Her break was up though, and she trudged out of the break room.
One of her coworkers, one she frequently bantered with, noticed her haunted look and flinched.
“Geeze, man, are you alright?”
With the amount of money on the first check, she could confidently say:
“Not really.”
Kiara let her go home, she went to visit Ame. The hospital was the same as ever. The same white walls, the same pitying looks. Same squeezing feeling in her chest as her heart feels like it's going to burst.
And same Ame.
Gigi breathed, bracing a smile before walking over to her bedside.
“My pearl.”
Amelia's normally sharp eyes were unfocused, they hardly seemed to recogn
ize Gigi at first before she blinked and smiled.
“My diamond.” Amelia raised an eyebrow. “Wait, isn't it usually time for your shift?”
“I'm off today,” she chuckled to cover her nerves. “I guess they forgot to change my schedule.”
Amelia looked unconvinced, though quickly smiled as Gigi gently took her hand.
“I'm glad then. It's been a while! I thought you'd forget about me.”
“Never,” she swore, kissing the back of her hand. “I think of you always.”
“Hey, I was joking!” Amelia laughed, her blush telling a thousand things at once.
“I'd forget to eat if it weren't for Popo and Bubba!” Gigi admitted.
“How are they, by the way?”
“Bubba misses you. He sleeps by the door, so I put his bed near it so he's at least a little comfy.”
“Bubba…” Amelia snorted. “Lemme guess, Popo's attached to your hip?”
“I'd bring him to work if I could!”
“I wish you could bring him here! I miss them too.”
“Eventually…” Gigi's smile felt too tight. “Once you get better.”
“Then we'll celebrate before I'm thrown back into hell?”
“We'll do whatever you want before I join you there.”
“I love you.”
Gigi's eyes softened, and the cold dread finally faded to the warmth of her wife.
“I love you too.”
“Are you okay?”
“I'll be fine,” she swore with a grin. “I'll be even better once you are.”
“Try to visit more?”
Gigi hesitated before rubbing her neck.
“Well… I might be getting a new job soon… O-one that pays better! And gives me free time!”
“Really?” Amelia's eyes glimmered curiously. “What is it?”
“Just… cleaning for a bigger company.”
She left hours later, stepping outside and taking a deep breath-
“You're really who Liz recommended?”
And promptly choking on air.
She coughed, bending over to catch her breath before glaring up at the new person.
The woman laughed, showing no real remorse. “Didn't think you'd be a scaredy cat either.”
“Wh-what do you want?”
“Liz told you, right? I'm here to contact you directly about details.”
“I… I guess?” Gigi looked around. “But… here?”
“Good point.” The woman grinned and waved a hand as she turned. “Follow me to my car.”
Gigi didn't have to
know
cars to know which one belonged to Justice. It was sleek, looked brand new, and looked expensive. There wasn't even a scratch on the silver paint. Gigi was almost tempted to leave an impact, but a glare from the woman stopped her.
“Look, Liz finally let me have a car as long as
I
don't drive it. I don't need you fucking it up.”
“What? You can't drive?” Gigi dared to smile.
Thankfully the woman just rolled her eyes and stepped inside the car. Gigi followed on the opposite side, almost startled by the clean leather seats and even cleaner interior. The driver up front seemed to be completely ignoring them, though she bet if the woman were to try and kidnap her, he'd help.
“Damn…”
“See? I'd like to keep it!”
“Okay, okay!” Gigi chuckled and threw up her hands. “So… what can I do?”
The woman grumbled something like: “cheeky little-” before settling in her seat.
“Raora will send you an email with the payment details and all that. As long as you clean up everything, and nothing shows up on the police report, you'll be paid in full. Meanwhile, I'll call whenever something happens to require your service.”
“So… how much are we talking? Like, in general.”
“Enough that you won't need to worry about the hospital bill, for sure.” She smirked. “You're also free to sell whatever you found there as well. Get yourself some extra cash.”
“And… it's just whenever you need me?”
“Mhm, though if you want more money, we could spread word around town.” She rolled her eyes with a smile. “Apparently you impressed Liz that much.”
“Uh… okay.” Gigi paused. “And that means more bodies?”
“Yup.”
“Uh…” Gigi laughed nervously. “Can I uh, get some advice with burying them then? Does the dead animal trick actually work? How many dead bodies should go in a hole?”
“I don't…” The woman blinked before humming in thought. “Well, there's one other person who'd know exactly what to tell you, but she works for Holox, so… You're on your own!”
“Greeeat.”
“Hey, we'll do what we can if you
do
screw up.” She laughed. “If you do it too many times though…”
“My head on a platter, I get it,” Gigi sighed. “... Just one thing.”
“Yeah?”
“If I do get in trouble, what about Ame?”
“Well… we'll send the hospital what money we were going to pay you, then… she'll figure it out from there, I'm sure.”
“Right…” Gigi bit her lip. “... Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
The woman grinned and held out her hand.
“My name is Cecilia. Welcome to Justice.”
The jobs began blurring together. Gigi really didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. She'd probably file it under good, considering she really had no choice to refuse them. It was better to not be bothered by the sight of a bloodbath caused by an attempted insurrection.
“One too many?” She chuckled as she hauled a body bag to her truck. “... tough crowd.” The swiss cheese joke worked better on the other one anyway. Both were better off compared to the “leader”, who had gotten a human jerky joke.
The smell of burned flesh was a mark of Elizabeth Roze Bloodflame. In the duller moments, she wondered if that came first or the very fitting name. Given her job, there were a lot of those moments. Justice kept the cops off her tail, and she kept their image squeaky clean. Liz kept the praise coming, according to Cecilia.
It was strange. Gigi almost didn't mind how buddy-buddy they were treating her. As long as they kept away from Ame.
Speaking of-
“I gotta do the finishing touches before tomorrow…” Gigi beamed at the thought. “Oooh, she's gonna be so happy…”
When Ame was hospitalized, Gigi really didn't care about much. Her life was just work, sleep, work, sleep. Their home turned into a complete mess. One reminiscent of Gigi's room back home. Sure, she kept things safe for the dogs, but she didn't particularly care for herself. Didn't have the time to.
That was changing. She had the time now! She had the money to make small repairs, to make slight adjustments. Things looked brighter as the treatments were going well and Ame was allowed to come home for a day and-
“Oh god, I need a shower.” She laughed as she threw the last bag of evidence in the truck. Even though she wasn't bothered by it anymore, she doubted Ame would appreciate her smelling like a corpse.
She drove home that night practically aflutter, disposing of the bodies and evidence with a smile under her mask. Even Popo and Bubba seemed to realize her good mood meant something as she came home and gave them extra treats.
“Be good boys and don't narc on daddy!” Gigi laughed and went to clean up some of the supplies she had left around before getting a shower. Even then, there was a song in her throat as she watched the dried blood sink into the drain until it was nothing more than a memory. She also made sure to throw her uniform into the laundry, trying not to set off Amelia's detective senses.
Dressed in her casual hoodie and jeans, she took the dogs out for a walk before flopping into bed. She scrolled through her phone for a long while before eventually passing out.
And when she woke up, it was time.
She ran through her morning routine quickly before taking a deep breath and beaming at the two dogs.
“Wanna go for a ride?”
Immediately, they ran after her outside, barking and pleading to be let in the truck, even as Gigi was locking the apartment.
She could only laugh and join in as she let them inside the truck and started the engine.
“Today’s gonna be a good day,” she spoke into the universe. “Today is going to be good.”
Gigi drove as fast as traffic would let her go, down to the hospital and right to where she was told to pick Ame up. At least, she thought so. The hospital layout was confusing as hell.
Nerves pricked at her skin, made her hands shake slightly as she pet Popo and watched Bubba look around. “Okay, boys… No jumping on momma, got it?” She smiled as neither of them seemed to register her words. “I know! It’s a good day! But don’t hurt momma, right?”
Popo let out a small whine as he tried climbing from the backseat into her lap, making her laugh. He gave up soon and accepted the headpats regardless how far away Gigi was.
Gigi waited, waited, and waited. Keeping her eyes peeled for her wife. Her fingers drummed the steering wheel and the music hardly helped, so she turned it down.
And then, she saw her sun. Her light. Her pearl.
She nearly broke open the truck’s door as she flew out.
“Ame!”
As quick as she was, she made sure to be as gentle as possible when bringing her love into an embrace. Amelia laughed and hugged her back.
“My diamond~” She pulled away slightly to kiss her. Even though she had been gone for a while, Gigi still remembered the taste she adored so much. “Miss me?”
“Always,” Gigi sighed into her. “Always.” She took a moment before grinning. “I brought some boys with me~”
Ame immediately left her to walk as fast as she could to the truck, leaving Gigi cackling and following as the two dogs greeted her.
It felt… normal. Like they weren't coming from the hospital and Gigi didn't haul three bodies in the truck's bed last night. Now, she was just driving while she and Amelia talked about anything. With Bubba happily laying his head in Amelia's lap, however awkward it was, and Popo harassing her from the back seat, Gigi's heart never felt fuller.
She wondered if Ame felt the same way. She looked more than happy walking up the stairs to the apartment. Of course, she had to take it slow, but that allowed Gigi to build up the surprise.
“Come on! Almost there!” She beamed as she helped her up the final step. Amelia panted, leaning against her, and Gigi hugged her gently to keep her from falling. “Are we gonna take the elevator next time~?”
“F-fine…” Amelia grumbled but her smile was ever present. “I just… wanted to see if I could.”
“Well, now we're gonna go inside, get you comfortable, I'll grab the snacks, and we'll watch something ‘til we pass out from how chill it is, okay?”
“But I wanted to spend more time doing things with you…” Gigi made the mistake of seeing her pout, making her heart flutter uselessly.
“M-maybe when you feel better? We can just rest for now. The boys have been tugging me everywhere.”
“Okay.” She kissed Gigi's cheek, igniting a giggle.
“Careful, I might want to sweep you off your feet!”
“I have a husband,” Amelia laughed, “she'll have something to say about that~”
“Will I?” Gigi smirked. “May I?”
“Gimme a second and we can
walk
together.”
“Okay! I'll hold your hand the whole way!”
“You've been doing that already!”
Home.
It felt like home.
That was what she was doing it for: the smile, the laugh,
her pearl
. She'd do anything to keep her safe.
Anything.
Her next job was normal. Just people being taught a lesson and used as an example. Holox or Advent would take things a step too far and Justice brought the hammer down on them, rinse, repeat. A cycle Gigi was now a part of.
“Sorry for the mess,” Cecilia said, wiping her hands of the blood. “They really pissed me off.”
“What'd they even do?” She asked without thinking, making sure to bring her good detergent with her supplies.
“Insulted Liz.” Cecilia scoffed. “They should know she always pulls the trigger when they start rumors about her dating an Advent girl.”
“Aren't you spreading the rumor?”
“Not if it stops with you.”
Gigi laughed.
“Honestly, I'll completely forget about it without trying.”
“You better,” Cecilia laughed back, turning to make her exit. “I'll be by my car to make sure no one comes looking! Yell if you need anything!”
“Will do!” She waved frantically before grabbing her cart of supplies and heading into the cabin.
It was a shame the place was a bloodbath, the cabin itself looked very comfy. If it wasn't Holox's, maybe she would've asked Liz to rent the place for a bit. Get Ame some fresh air out in the country, just like back home. Except without the awful people and the horrible conditions and with two puppies.
Humming along to the music in her headphones, she began cleaning up as much of the blood as she could before moving onto the evidence. She knew how to easily get rid of it all: camera surveillance, photos, drugs, weapons. She even found a sick katana embedded in one man.
“I wonder if I could convince them to let me keep it…” She wondered before setting it aside and moving back to working on the stains.
Oddly though, her mop was gone.
“Huh?” She looked around the cart. “I definitely left it here… my trusty mop wouldn't leave me!” Tapping her foot and rubbing her chin, she went looking through the rooms. She found no trace of it.
“Uh… is this place haunted?” Gigi laughed, fidgeting with her hands. “Maybe I should go ask Ceci…”
She found her mop as the pole was brought around from behind her and pressed against her neck.
Her eyes widened as she was caught between it and a person tugging her closer.
She scrambled to grab the pole, push it away from her, but all the air was getting squeezed out.
They were choking her.
Probably to death.
But.
Ame
.
Gritting her teeth, she did the best she could to swing her leg back and stomp on the person's foot.
It was enough for them to let go.
Coughing and sputtering, Gigi stumbled forward before making a break for the front door. Even with her heart pounding, she heard them chasing after her until she was tackled to the ground.
They tried to pin her, to make it easier on themselves, but they made one fatal mistake.
She hadn't cleaned that part yet and one crucial evidence was still there, underneath the couch.
A Holox gun.
Struggling against them, she managed to sweep her arm under the couch and grab the gun before twisting it back on them.
Immediately, the assailant stepped back, raising their hands.
Gigi allowed herself to breathe, gulping some of her fear down as well as she stood, still pointing the gun.
The assailant looked like a woman. Her clothes mainly monochrome besides a flash of red. Her hood was up, along with a mask covering her eyes, protecting her identity.
She still looked dangerous.
“W-who the hell are you?”
“I was going to ask you that!” She frowned. “Are you the one who's been taking the bodies?”
Gigi blinked.
“Uh…? I just clean up so…”
“You work for Justice?”
“What's with the questions?! I'm the one with the gun?!”
“I can tell you've never fired one.”
“Wha-”
“You're shaking.” The woman grinned. “So, are you a Justice dog?”
“Not much of a choice,” she grumbled. “Who the hell are you?”
“I'm Holox's “cleaner”. And our people have been disappearing. I've been sent to
clean it up
.”
She ran forward, trying to grab the gun from Gigi. The janitor struggled as much as she could, but in the fight, the other woman headbutted Gigi, forcing her back and grabbing the gun. She aimed directly for her head.
“Now, tell me. What is her pla-”
Bang
She flew back with a trail of blood pouring from her shoulder. She quickly grabbed it and glared at the newcomer.
“Thought I heard something scurrying around,” Cecilia hissed behind Gigi.
Relief flooded her as she turned to look, only for her eyes to widen at Cecilia's intense glare at the woman. “Sakamata.”
“Immergreen…” The woman clutched her wound. “New dog?”
“You're one to talk.” Cecilia leveled her gun again. “Leave.”
“Fine. I just wanted the bodies anyway,” she grumbled before stalking back into the shadows of the cabin.
Gigi tensed, watching the darkness before Cecilia sighed and walked up beside her.
“You alright? You look rough.”
Gigi blinked before gasping,
“Almost
died
.”
“Yeah, that tends to happen with Sakamata around.” Cecilia scoffed before her expression turned thoughtful. “Unfortunately, they have a hint as to who you are… we'll have to play this carefully.”
“Huh?”
Cecilia was quiet for a moment before smiling at her.
“How about a vacation? We can find you a nice beach for you and your dogs.”
“... what about Ame?”
“Knew you would say that,” she grumbled, tapping her chin. “Hm. How about a little stay away from home? Not too far, but it'll allow you to stay safe until they're off your trail.” Before she could say anything, Cecilia added, “yes, it'll be close enough to the hospital.”
Gigi looked around at the mess before looking down at her shaking hands.
“... Okay.”
“Great! I have just the place in mind,” she said before walking off to her car.
Gigi hummed before going to her own truck and following her back into the city.
She woke up to dog slobber and paws on her chest. With a wheeze, she sat upright and placed a hand on Popo's head.
“T-thanks, buddy.”
She waited a moment before flopping back down on the ridiculously comfy bed. When Cecilia had mentioned a safe place, Gigi didn't really know what to expect. She definitely wasn't expecting the Bloodflames’ personal retreat. The place was so fancy, she couldn't even sleep. She wasn't used to it.
Her head still hurt too, but Popo wasn't letting it slide. His whining eventually got her up and moving.
The place, as big as it was, was startlingly vacant. She half expected there to be servants or something around, but there were little signs of anyone besides the hum of a mower outside.
She went down to the kitchen first, making sure to give the boys their breakfast before getting her own.
However, under a magnet on the fridge, she noticed a note.
‘Gigi,
I'm out at the range,
help yourself
before joining me.
E.R.B.’
She stared vacantly at the note before her mind caught up with everything.
“... right. Okay.” She ran a hand through her messy hair before grabbing a small breakfast and walking the boys outside.
It was brief, but it helped her find out where the range was. Easy enough to walk to after she got ready for the day.
“Daddy will be back, be good boys!” She called at the now content pups before shutting the door and walking down the dirt path.
Admittedly, she missed a bit of the wilderness after moving to a big city like Hollow Drive. Though she felt right at home in the hustle and bustle, she remembered running through the woods to Ame's house easily.
Her heart stung.
If she had died… what would've happened to Ame?
She shook her head before continuing on her way to the building labeled as the range. Even from far enough away, she could hear a few bullets being fired. At first, it made her jump, but she grew to ignore it as she entered.
She had never met Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame in person before, but she was
exactly
how Gigi imagined her.
Long red hair, sharp red eyes, a classic suit and tie, firing a gun with one hand in her pocket and hardly flinching on the recoil.
Gigi gulped as Elizabeth paused to examine the gun.
“... We meet at last,” her cool, collected voice calmed some of the shorter woman's nerves. “Sorry it took so long, I'm a busy woman.”
“I figured…” Gigi rubbed her neck. “Uh… thanks for letting me stay?”
“It's the least I can do,” she chuckled and the gun clicked. “Especially after we put you in such a position.”
“Yeah, I was not expecting to be choked by my own mop!” Gigi laughed. “Freaky way to try to kill someone.”
“That's Holox for you.” She smiled at Gigi, her eyes warm like a kindling flame. “I'm glad you're alright though. You do well.”
“I try!” Gigi grinned back.
“You did even better than trying. You managed to hold your own against Sakamata.” Elizabeth hummed as she placed the gun away. “With training, you'd be astounding.”
“T-thanks? I'm just a cleaner though…”
She jolted as Elizabeth handed her safety glasses and earmuffs.
Gigi looked up at her and Elizabeth laughed.
“Don't worry, love. I know you'll be perfect for the job.”
“Have a good day!” Gigi cheered after a kiss on the cheek. “I love you!”
“Love you too!” Amelia laughed as she headed down the stairs. “Don't get into too much trouble!”
“I won't~” She lied with a laugh and watched her leave before closing the door.
Gigi stretched, popping her back before she checked her email.
‘Abyssgard, F. M.
Last seen, 8:43am, East district.
Good luck, Chaser!
-Rara’
She grinned, making sure to grab her hood and her mask from where they were hidden.
“Time for some Justice!”
“She's hiding something, I know it.”
She sighed and leaned back in her chair, watching the ceiling fan.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
Behind her, strings along a corkboard pinpointed various targets of interest.
Including her husband.