End of Watch

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"I knew she would...one way or another... which is why I told you to wait at the hotel. I planned to handle things differently." Talon told her. 

Molly heard the voice and her stomach twisted. A part of her blamed the other woman for what happened to her baby. How could she not? She kept walking. Pretending not to hear Ivy.

"I want both tusks on my dash board!" Terbo snarled, glaring at Darbok. He was so determined to murder the boss he didn't even pay attention to the little officer until she was behind him with her gun to the back of his head. 
"That was stupid not to bring back up, Terbo. Seriously. Did you learn nothing from your boss? On your knees and you better hope Darbok doesn't feel like killing you today." The young orc went wide eyed, staring ahead of him as his hands went up. He knew it was over. 

"I know how to rule the world. Can you say the same?" Kandomere hissed, losing his temper.

Terbo soon had a second gun pressed between his eyes. “Please, tell me again where you want the tusks?” He growled, jamming the gun harder. 

Viola smiled, a sweet and almost forgiving smile. “I don’t need the world.” She told him simply.

Terbo lumbered to his knees, grumbling about being bested by a human and the boss. Another moment and the Fogteeth guards appeared to deal with him. 
"Can i give you a ride to the hospital?" Regina asked, once again holstering her gun.

"Your world left you, remember?" Kandomere snarled. "Funny how that keeps happening, isn't it? Almost seems like there's something wrong with you."

Darbok shook his head. He had had his fill of hospitals. “Don’t need it, thanks.” He grunted, being a typical man about his injury, not just an orc.

Viola didn’t get as upset as Kandomere most likely wanted. He wasn’t shocking her with that revelation; she knew there was something wrong with her. “Safe is far away from me.” She agreed. “He knows I would rather have him far away and safe, than suffering right along with me.”

"Okay. A healer then?" Regina asked, poking at the shoulder wound. "I've seen a few of your orc healers and they don't fill me with joy you know. Dragon blood isn't sanitary, despite what the elders say."

"You are learning. Perhaps a part of Kali is waking up after all." Kandomere said darkly.

“And your human and elf doctors get it right every time, do they?” Darbok grumbled. “Fine, will you stop hounding me if I go to a healer?”

“For your sake, I hope not.” Viola replied darkly. “If she is... she would be mighty pissed that you killed her.”

"No. I'd rather you went to a regular doctor." Regina muttered. "But I want to respect the orc customs and I know that's a big deal for the boss." 

"Kali doesn't scare me. There is nothing that scares me anymore." Kandomere said sadly.

“It’s just a few bullets, what’s the big deal?” Darbok grunted. “I can just dig them out myself... eventually.”

Viola smiled, able to see the bright blue eyes in the door way; Celia had been listening for some time. “Right, and once you figure out how to take all the magick back, you have nothing you wan to hold on to?”

"This isn't a hospital, big guy. It's my brother. I promise he won't hurt you." Regina said softly, offering her hand.

"Absolutely nothing." Kandomere said with an icy tone. "There is nothing with meaning to me. That is something you will learn."

“Not a promise you can make, little girl.” Darbok pointed out. “People hurt us, even when they think they’re doing the right thing.”

Viola nodded, glad she had gotten him to say it out loud; she wanted her mother to hurt. She wanted Celia to feel even a fraction of what she did. “Fine. Then look forward to it, if you think you have what it takes to finally break me.”

"Yes, I know. But...you and I have worked together for years, Darbok. I've never steered you wrong. Give me a chance. It's not like I'm asking you to marry me." Regina laughed.

"I break everything, child. It's what I'm good at." Kandomere shot back, his laughter razor sharp. "Go back to sleep. It's all you have to hold onto."

Darbok didn’t laugh. He didn’t even crack a smile. In the drawer beside his bed there was a tiny box. Inside that box was a ring made to fit the finger of a woman he had never gotten the chance to ask. “You’re care that I’m gonna bleed on your car?” He asked bluntly.

Viola smiled, though something seemed a little different. This wasn’t the smile of a scared young woman. “Answers to questions we haven’t yet asked come in dreams.” She replied rather cryptically.

"So you're saying you'd marry me if I asked?" Regina asked as she opened her passenger door. "Not even going to make me beg, big guy?" She added, leaning over him to put a towel on his leg. 

"There is no such thing as dreams." Kandomere hissed. "Those are strictly for humans and they are weak. Like your human husband."

“You’re human... you’re accustomed to begging...” Darbok murmured, having been playing off just how much blood was was actually losing.

“So weak he had you fleeing like a child with a scraped knee.” Viola purred, her periwinkle eyes dancing at how easily she had riled him.

Darbok would wake several hours later to the sound of orcs shouting followed by the soft sound of a young human's gentle voice speaking in their native tongue. He was trying to reassure them that their boss was alive and resting. 
Beside Darbok, Regina was stretched on the floor snoring softly. 

"He screams your name when I make him bleed." Kandomere snarled. "The tattoos I give him have nothing to do with ink."

The noise was the first thing to make Darbok groaned, quickly followed by the throbbing in several locations in his body. “Son of a...” he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, dropping his feet onto something warm... and oddly soft.

Again, Viola gave Kandomere that infuriating smile. “Then he hasn’t left. Once again, you lied.” She replied, watching the snake before her from beneath her dark lashes.

"Ow!" Regina wailed, trying to swatch at his legs. "I'm sleeping! What did I do to you?!"

Kandomere's lips went thin and he quickly turned his back on her. "You'd better pray you go back to sleep. Otherwise you'll hear him screaming in agony."

Darbok’s feet instantly shot back up, and he scowled down at the woman he had just stood on. “Why are you here?” He asked thinly, feeling his solitude had been invaded.

“Tell me, Kandomere, do you sleep?” Viola asked, the look in her eyes making it clear she wasn’t concerned for his well being by asking that question.

"You had a rough night and my shift ended so I came here." Regina said, rubbing her head as she sat up. The floor hadn't done her any favors. "Feeling better, big guy?" Outside the door there were still people yelling in orcish.

Kandomere cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, finally crossing the room and shoving Viola hard against the wall. "Who are you to threaten me you pathetic little waif?" He snarled.

“Why is there yelling?” Darbok asked, seeming rather abrupt, considering how worried Regina had been about him. “Why even is that? He doesn’t sound like an orc.”

“Nobody, but you are threatened, which says more about you than it does me.” Viola replied, despite a strong hand now holding her to the wall by her slender throat.

Regina paused, listening to the voices. "The quiet one is my brother. The ones yelling are...I'm assuming your guards." She got to her feet and looked him over, checking the bandages. "They probably think we kidnapped you."

"You are weak. What do you think you could do to me?" Kandomere snarled, yanking her back and then slamming her against the wall several times. "Weak and pathetic. You can't even save the one you love."

“Kidnapped me, patched me up, then brought me back?” Darbok asked with a snort. “Let me fix this...” he added, though he swayed somewhat as he got to his feet.

“You are a petulant boy. You always were, always will be.” Viola replied firmly. “Talon doesn’t need me to save him, he needs me to keep you occupied while he saves himself.” She added with a mocking smile.

"Hold up, big guy." Regina put her hands flat against his chest to try and force him to sit back down. An electric current shot through her that had her gasping for breath. She didn't know what to make of it. "You're still medicated." She breathed, only now painfully aware of how close her lips were to his.

"Shut up." Kandomere shouted, his nerves frayed. "You are trying to get me to lose my temper and I am not falling for it. I refuse to play your games, Kali! You will not best me! Not now and not ever!" He screamed.

Darbok was only too aware of the closeness, and forced himself to turn his face away, then gently push Regina away. “Then get your brother to quit yelling.”

“Seems I already did.” Viola replied, playing her part well. “Now run along, I’m sure Celia has a longing for whatever depraved things it is the two of you do when you’re alone together.” She added, dismissing him like her was less than worthless to her.

Regina was used to rejection but for some reason, Darbok's hurt worse. My brother isn't yelling. It's your guys." She said softly, stepping away and scooping up her jacket. 

Kandomere threw Viola against the far wall, his temper finally boiling over. "Shut up, girl. You know nothing." He shouted.

Darbok new right away he had offended Regina, but he couldn’t help it. He was still mourning a great loss, and he couldn’t explain the magnitude of it to her. Again he stumbled for the door, this time managing to pull it open. “Who do I have to shoot to get some quiet around here?!”

Viola was slow to pick herself up this time, sure she had just cracked a rib. “Then why is it bothering you so much?”

A thinner, taller version of Regina turned to look at Darbok. The guards instantly went silent. "I was trying to tell them you were resting, sir. But they were convinced I poisoned the meds I gave you." The man said, speaking in orcish. "Your healer observed and can vouch for everything I did so can my sister. She never left your side."

"Shut up!" Kandomere grabbed her by the hair and forced her to stand, dragging her into the Hall. "I'll make you watch me punish him. How will that make you feel?"

Darbok nodded to confirm this. “Easier ways to kill a man than fussing with poison.” He remarked, then barked for his men to leave them.

Viola did her best not to smile at the realisation that Kandomere was playing the game just how she wanted him to. “You can’t punish him, he’s too strong for you to do anything to.”

"Jason Mallory, glad to see you up, Mr. Darbok. It was a long night." The tall red haired man said once the grumbling guards left. Regina tried to slip past Darbok, not wanting to talk anymore. She'd made a fool of herself.

"I want to hear nothing else from you. Your little husband is human. He is breakable and worthless. His kind can't even become a bright." He mocked as he continued to drag her.

Darbok grabbed Regina’s wrist as she passed, though he didn’t look at her. “Thank you for your help, Jason. But I don’t think it is safe for humans here anymore. If one of my ow;will turn against me, imagine what they could do to you or your sister?”

“He doesn’t need to.” Viola replied. “He is so much more.” She added, though didn’t exactly elaborate.